Don't hate me if I have Express Pass and/or FOTL pass

[scammermom]

We just spent 3 nights and 4 days at Universal staying at the Royal Pacific. This entitled us to the FOTL passes.

The nasty looks.
The whispers. In English and in languages I don't understand.
And one lady who practically had to be restrained by her friend.

On the one hand, I feel bad for the poor people standing in line. I felt a little guilty passing the same ones two or three times (sorry MIB line standing people)
On the other, it's the best thing! It very well justified the money spent on a premium hotel in time not spent in waiting.

 

[Tony M]

Hey, for the money that you spend to stay on site, it is worth it. It's even worth the glares and sneers that you get as you pass by the "commoners"
Nothing beats a within walking distance onsite experience where you don't have to ride a crowded sweaty passenger filled bus or monarail to go home to your resort home. HRH and RP are exotic experiences in their own rite but with the front of the line access privelidges it makes it even more a theme park paradise vacation experience.

 

[AlexandNessa]

I know what you mean. We haven't gotten any glares or angry remarks, but we have gotten looks of bewilderment. The only ride we sometimes do 2x in a row is MIB. We feel we would be pushing it otherwise, if there is a long line. However, because we love staying onsite, not having to rent a car, not having to get on a crowded bus where the debate of the season is giving up seats to the elderly, pregnant women, or mothers holding wee ones, and because we get that FOTL, we feel that Universal is by far a more relaxing vacation for us and holds a vast monopoly on our vacation money.

I am just waiting though ... there is always the Disneyfile who will find her way over here and comment on how those of us with "FOTL"/Express passes will "gloat" at those in the stand-by line (simply because we have the nerve to use what we are entitled to) and then complain that Disney's FP system is more "fair" because it's available to everyone for free. Should we put a pool on how long it takes for one of them to start in?

 

[Seahag]

LOL, my DH had someone in the MIB line proclaim "Thats the 3rd time that guy has passed me!!!!" (this was some time ago)
To which my rather large, intimidating (looking) DH said "Royal Pacific, mister, look it up"
after we were seated on the ride, he said, I'm not going to let anyone make me feel guilty, that's why we pay the extra money to stay on site!" And you know, I have to agree with him. We have had friends want to come with us on vacations, but we expain that unless they are staying on site, we won't be doing the rides with them, as we the express key access.

And it's not that we feel "elite" or "special" ..... heck, some vacations are a labor of scrounging up pennies & not eating out for weeks on end & sometimes, giving up things altogether so that we can stay at the more expensive hotels that offer the Express key access.

Let them look all they want....and make comments if they feel they need to.....anyone can do it, it's just what you are willing to sacrifice to be able to do it!

 

[tricky1]

For the first few trips to uso, I never felt I was being cheated by
those with fotl , heck I went and found out how I and my family
could do this. like mentioned before we saved, work extra hours
and looked into discounts using aaa, ap's and it is worth every penny
of it!

Our last trip back in may I did get some sneers riding mib several
times in a row but I did pay for this and refuse to feel guilty about it.

 

[LEO_Magic]

We usually stay on-site as well. I can careless what they say or the nasty looks.........Heck they are not paying our trip nor our stay
No bad comment to anyone here...

 

[Rabbitlover]

It's even worth the glares and sneers that you get as you pass by the "commoners"

Well speaking from a "commoners" point of view, I dont understand why people would make comments or give looks to those using the FOTL / EP...we just returned from our trip last week and there were actually times that we were able to get on before people using the passes....it really didnt make much sense to me when the lines were only 5-10 minute waits at the most anyhow but I guess if you pay for it( or have it included in your stay or a package) then use it. I would never look down on someone using one but nor would I look down on the ones who dont use them.

 

[WillCAD]

I don't hate you ... I ENVY yuo. I can't afford to stay on-site at Uni, so I just have to tough it out in the Great Unwashed Line.

If I could afford to stay on-site at Uni, I'd be like Mr. Bean, bouncing past everybody in the Stand-By line with a smirk on my face as I showed off my first-class ticket.

 

[scammermom]

Well, we did scrimp, save, eat beenie-weenies to have enough for a few nights stay.

I got to a point that I wanted to take pictures of those annoyed by those of us with passes. DH convinced me that might not be wise.

 

[damo]

People are often really surprised when they find out that you get express with the onsite hotels. This doesn't seem to bother them since they know they could have it too.

 

[Letsbgoofy]

We've stayed onsite several times and I have come to realize that I must be oblivious to other people...I have never heard anyone say something snide about us using the express line, and I have never noticed any dirty looks. I've seen threads like this on the Disney boards as well, and I can honestly say that in using FP 200 plus times I have never encountered the nasty words or looks either.

 

[scammermom]

Maybe it's just us that tends to upset people. Maybe we're too happy bouncing through the line and getting on a ride. We do seem to be a "presence".

DH was very happy that I made this decision. Thanks for helping me see "the light".

 

[WillCAD]

Maybe it's just us that tends to upset people. Maybe we're too happy bouncing through the line and getting on a ride. We do seem to be a "presence".

DH was very happy that I made this decision. Thanks for helping me see "the light".

If you guys bounce past me in line, I won't give you any dirty looks.

If you look like Mr. Bean, I'm more likely to give you a great big laugh. I loved that scene...

 

[OKWMom]

We didn't get any dirty looks, but we did have two different families ask us how we got the express passes. I guess a lot of people don't really research their vacations with anything near the obsessiveness with which I plan my own.

 

[scammermom]

DH is a police officer and notices everyone. He's very aware of his surroundings.

WillCAD, thanks for not giving us dirty looks. And no, none of us look like Mr. Bean.

 

[Corwin12]

Commoners are able to buy express tickets for a lot less than staying onsite. That is what DW and I are planning on doing. Granted, you can only ride the ride once per ticket ... but can you buy more than one ticket per person. The express tickets seem cheap in Dec, when we are going. I only care about riding them once (I am lucky to get DW on them at all.)

 

[MIDisFan]

Commoners are able to buy express tickets for a lot less than staying onsite. That is what DW and I are planning on doing. Granted, you can only ride the ride once per ticket ... but can you buy more than one ticket per person. The express tickets seem cheap in Dec, when we are going. I only care about riding them once (I am lucky to get DW on them at all.)

I guess it would depend on how many are in your party as to if it would be cheaper or not? We are a family of 5 so it would be cheaper for us to stay onsite for the express passes. It's worth it to stay onsite just for that perk.

 

[lorax123]

Why feel guilty? With a little research and work on a guests part;they could avoid long lines, by either getting to the parks early or going during the off-peak seasons. Then they don't have to pay the extra money to stay on-site, by EPs and they'd probably even save a few bucks on the hotel and airfare!

Most people just don't do any research or planning. They really can't expect to get to the park at 11am, July 4th, in 100 degree weather, and get on Bilge Rat Barges in 20 minutes or less. That's the line I usually get the evil eye in.

Besides on MIB, I only use FOTL once. After that we'll do 3-4 in a row in single rider. It's so much faster! I have no idea why anybody would wait in a standby line for that! Even FOTL takes longer than Singles. 8 out of 10 times DW and I are usually in the same car or competing against each other (now that's fun!).

 

[Katy Belle]

Interesting. We are staying at HRH for our first visit to Universal. I did not consider doing anything else when I read about the FOTL pass. I was explaining this awesome deal to my in-laws and they told me it wasn't fair of us to do that when there would be people there who wouldn't know anything about how to get it. I love researching vacations and feel like these deals are my bonus for doing the research!

Katy

 

[lorax123]

Interesting. We are staying at HRH for our first visit to Universal. I did not consider doing anything else when I read about the FOTL pass. I was explaining this awesome deal to my in-laws and they told me it wasn't fair of us to do that when there would be people there who wouldn't know anything about how to get it. I love researching vacations and feel like these deals are my bonus for doing the research!

Katy

Your in-laws didn't feel it woulkd be fair? Hope you aren't going on vacation with them! J/K. It's not your fault some people don't research. It's not like that information is hard to find. Universal makes a HUGE deal out of the FOTL and EPs. I have no idea how anyone could not find that information.