E-tickets from your printer - NO EXCHANGE!

[WillCAD]

Having had a Uni AP for my last 3 trips, I haven't had to buy Uni tickets in a while. I don't recall seeing mention of this topic on the boards here (if it has been and I missed it, it must be burried below Page 1 by now).

A friend of mine recently bought tickets on-line via the Universal web site (the 7 consecutive day 2-Park Unlimited Admission ticket, currently on special). When he bought his tickets, he printed them out from the web browser on his home printer; these printouts had the actual barcodes on them that would get him into the park.

I was sure that he would have to go to Guest Relations once inside the park and exchange these home printer papers for the common barcoded ticket media, but the TMs at the gate told him that those printouts from his home printer would be his actual ticket for the whole week!

Not wanting to carry a simple piece of inkjet printer paper around for a week as his ticket media, he went to Guest Relations anyway and raised a ruckus; The TMs at Guest Relations told him the same thing as the TMs at the gate - those home printed pages would be his ticket media for the week. If they were lost or destroyed, he could come to Guest Relations, show ID, and have them re-printed - but again, on cheap printer paper, not as standard ticket media.

The TM at Guest Relations did take pity on my friend and convert his flimsy home printer paper over to standard ticket media. But she made it clear to him that this was actually against the official policy.

I think this is the dumbest, stingiest, cheapest, most penny-pinching cost saving move Universal has ever made. Fer cryin' out loud, look at the number of posts on these boards where people complain about the flimsiness of the standard pasteboard ticket media used by Disney and Universal (which are actually Tyvec and just as sturdy as the plastic cards) - how do you think these folks are going to react when they find out they have to carry around a piece of computer printer paper for the length of their trip?!

 

[phamton]

Why is it a cheap move? You pay a fee for kiosk pick up (isn't it $.99?)

Universal saves on ticket stock and you save on a fee.

If you're concerned, just make several copies on your printer and use a new one each day. I know they have had print at home for several years as I bought our HHN ticket that way 3 years ago. It was a time saver as I didn't have to stop at the kiosks or guest services to get my online ticket order.

Your friend picked the "print at home" option. If he didn't want print at home, he could have picked kiosk pick up. I'm glad that there is a choice as print at home saves time and money. I use print at home for my airline ticket and airline boarding passes also. Saves time as there are no lines to wait in to pick up my tickets.

 

[englishteacha]

Hmmm...I can see me on a water ride with my paper ticket in my pocket, getting drenched and ruining the ticket AND the clothes I'm wearing because the ink ran. It's good to know that you're expected to keep the paper ticket. People can now be prepared for that.

 

[Fan2CSkr]

I used this feature for HHN for both my express pass and my VIP pass. It wasn't a big deal at all. I do however think phamton's idea of printing one for each day is excellent! Take a fresh one with you each day so no worries if it gets wet. I also haven't seen a single post on this side of the boards complaining about the ticket stock. Guess I just missed them.

My parents are coming along with us next week and I purchased their 7 day tickets and printed them at home, I love the convenience. I wonder if you wanted to if you could laminate or use a sturdier stock when you print your own. Overall I take issue when I think Universal is being cheap, for me, this isnt one of those times.

 

[phamton]

It's good to know that you're expected to keep the paper ticket. People can now be prepared for that.

Just choose the kiosk pickup. If you don't want print at home, then don't get them that way. The words "Print at home" seems pretty straight forward to me.

I wonder if you wanted to if you could laminate or use a sturdier stock when you print your own.

Yes, you can print them on sturdier paper if you want to. It would probably cost more to laminate them than just getting the kiosk pickup. Also if you laminate them, they won't fold up.

 

[lindalinda]

I never use the print at home, because I am afraid my printer will suddenly malfunction and I will have a huge hassle to figure out how to get my tickets. But thats just me (a little paraniod)

 

[rodkenrich]

Having had a Uni AP for my last 3 trips, I haven't had to buy Uni tickets in a while. I don't recall seeing mention of this topic on the boards here (if it has been and I missed it, it must be burried below Page 1 by now).

A friend of mine recently bought tickets on-line via the Universal web site (the 7 consecutive day 2-Park Unlimited Admission ticket, currently on special). When he bought his tickets, he printed them out from the web browser on his home printer; these printouts had the actual barcodes on them that would get him into the park.

I was sure that he would have to go to Guest Relations once inside the park and exchange these home printer papers for the common barcoded ticket media, but the TMs at the gate told him that those printouts from his home printer would be his actual ticket for the whole week!

Not wanting to carry a simple piece of inkjet printer paper around for a week as his ticket media, he went to Guest Relations anyway and raised a ruckus; The TMs at Guest Relations told him the same thing as the TMs at the gate - those home printed pages would be his ticket media for the week. If they were lost or destroyed, he could come to Guest Relations, show ID, and have them re-printed - but again, on cheap printer paper, not as standard ticket media.

The TM at Guest Relations did take pity on my friend and convert his flimsy home printer paper over to standard ticket media. But she made it clear to him that this was actually against the official policy.

I think this is the dumbest, stingiest, cheapest, most penny-pinching cost saving move Universal has ever made. Fer cryin' out loud, look at the number of posts on these boards where people complain about the flimsiness of the standard pasteboard ticket media used by Disney and Universal (which are actually Tyvec and just as sturdy as the plastic cards) - how do you think these folks are going to react when they find out they have to carry around a piece of computer printer paper for the length of their trip?!

You should take the time to have the computer print-out version of the ticket laminated or use a credit card sized plastic sleeve to store the ticket. Nobody likes a cheap-skate.

 

[WillCAD]

You should take the time to have the computer print-out version of the ticket laminated or use a credit card sized plastic sleeve to store the ticket. Nobody likes a cheap-skate.

The cheap-skate in this case is Universal. And I say that with great sadness, because I am a Universal fan, and a Universal Annual Passholder.

It's impractical to laminate the home printouts - they are not ticket-sized, they are full 8.5x11 sheets of paper. If you laminate them, you can't fold them for carrying or storage.

Likewise, the only way you could put them into a sleeve is to fold them up, unlaminated. But no matter how you carry them, a simple piece of printer paper is too fragile to last a whole week.

 

[damo]

I'm not really following this. If you want an actual ticket why wouldn't you just order the kiosk pick up since that is what you would be getting? If you are wanting to exchange the computer paper print out to an actual ticket, why wouldn't you just order that in the first place? The option is there, so I'm not really sure what your complaint is. You chose the printer option and then complained because it was on printer paper. If you wanted to have the "take my voucher and exchange it for a ticket option", you should have chosen that option.

I don't really see how you can complain about getting exactly what you ordered.

It is exactly the same as printing out your boarding passes or printing out your "print at home" ticketmaster tickets. You don't have to stop anywhere to exchange the tickets. It is supposed to save you time.

 

[sha_lyn]

I'm not getting it either.
The cheap skate is the person who doesn't want to spend the 99 cents for the kiosk pick-up then demands they be give the kiosk ticket for free instead of being happy with the option they chose.

 

[bg4]

looked at it and its .99 for EITHER print at home or kiosk pick-up. To be fair there is no mention of not exchanging and having to use paper ticket for 7 days. There may be some merit to his complaint.

AAA still sells the sever day two park ticket for $85 and it is not an E eicket but a real ticket that must be mailed or picked up.

 

[tinaluis]

Ok, in WillCAD's defense, I would have assumed that the ticket you print at home would be exchanged for something a little sturdier at the park. Of course, you know what they say about assuming, but that's what I would do. We have APs and have determined that we won't let them lapse because we want to keep our plastic ones instead of the paper APs that they've switched to, so I don't have much experience with the purchase options for other tickets, but don't think it's that much of a stretch to expect that the ticket you print from your home computer would be exchanged for something sturdier at the park. Now I know better.

 

[damo]

I think the print at home tickets are meant as a time saver for those who want to avoid waiting in line to exchange and the kiosk is meant for those who want to exchange. That's the way I always understood it since there is no mention of having to go anywhere to exchange your paper ticket for something else. With both the AP and the kiosk ticket, you receive instructions on where to go to pick up your new tickets and what you need to bring along. With the print at home tickets, there are no such instructions.

We have used this method at Six Flags in the past, so maybe it just wasn't anything new for me.

Here's an article which shows that this concept really isn't anything new.
http://www.cygnus.com/releases/07-10-04-eticket.htm


To be fair to Universal it is pretty clear in its explanation: here is what it says on the website

Print @ Home
Print@Home delivery is the fastest way to receive your ticket purchase. Follow these five (5) steps:


Select ticket products that are eligible for Print@Home delivery and complete your purchase.
Ensure you have access to a printer and Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you need Adobe Reader or if you experience problems viewing or printing your tickets with an older version of Reader, please download the latest version FREE from www.adobe.com.
When your purchase confirmation email arrives, your tickets will be attached to the message.
Print your paper tickets.
Take your paper tickets directly to the gate turnstiles and enter the park.



NOTE: Access to a printer and Adobe Reader version 4.0 or higher is required.



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Electronic Pickup
Electronic Ticketing Pickup is a fast and secure way to collect your online ticket purchase, no matter how long ago you purchased them. Follow these four (4) steps:


Look for one of the electronic ticketing machines (electronic kiosks) located at the front gate of both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.
Swipe the credit card you used when making your online ticket purchase through the machine. (NOTE: This is for verification purposes only. Your card will not be charged again.)
Enter the confirmation code you were provided at the end of your online purchase or in your email receipt.
Wait for your tickets to dispense.



NOTE: You must bring the credit card you used to make the original purchase or you will not be able to collect your tickets.

*Tickets will be available until collected.

 

[yankeepenny]

I just checked the passes I purchased in advanced. The Sea World ticket is the piece of paper and the Universal is a receipt to pick up the ticket.
I will just fold up the paper and keep it in my wallet.

I am okay with the paper, but that is me.

 

[Metro West]

I think the way to look at this is...Universal is offering a service to print out the tix at home so you don't have to stand in lines when you arrive at the park which I think is a nice service. I guess the next time tix are purchased, stand in line or do the kiosk pick up.

 

[Melanie230]

Well if they gave you another ticket at guest relations how would they know that you didnt print off extra copies and give them to someone else?

 

[phamton]

When a ticket is reprinted, the other barcode is voided out. So any copies you had with that barcode are now voided.

Print at home is a convenience. It saves you time. If you aren't concerned about that and would rather have tickets on regular ticket stock paper, just choose kiosk pick-up.

 

[cookiemonstermommy]

Isn't that kind of like going to the self serve check out at the grocery store in oreder to save time (usually no lines there) and then getting annoyed when the workers won't bag your items for you?

 

[goofie4goofy]

Having had a Uni AP for my last 3 trips, I haven't had to buy Uni tickets in a while. I don't recall seeing mention of this topic on the boards here (if it has been and I missed it, it must be burried below Page 1 by now).

A friend of mine recently bought tickets on-line via the Universal web site (the 7 consecutive day 2-Park Unlimited Admission ticket, currently on special). When he bought his tickets, he printed them out from the web browser on his home printer; these printouts had the actual barcodes on them that would get him into the park.

I was sure that he would have to go to Guest Relations once inside the park and exchange these home printer papers for the common barcoded ticket media, but the TMs at the gate told him that those printouts from his home printer would be his actual ticket for the whole week!

Not wanting to carry a simple piece of inkjet printer paper around for a week as his ticket media, he went to Guest Relations anyway and raised a ruckus; The TMs at Guest Relations told him the same thing as the TMs at the gate - those home printed pages would be his ticket media for the week. If they were lost or destroyed, he could come to Guest Relations, show ID, and have them re-printed - but again, on cheap printer paper, not as standard ticket media.

The TM at Guest Relations did take pity on my friend and convert his flimsy home printer paper over to standard ticket media. But she made it clear to him that this was actually against the official policy.

I think this is the dumbest, stingiest, cheapest, most penny-pinching cost saving move Universal has ever made. Fer cryin' out loud, look at the number of posts on these boards where people complain about the flimsiness of the standard pasteboard ticket media used by Disney and Universal (which are actually Tyvec and just as sturdy as the plastic cards) - how do you think these folks are going to react when they find out they have to carry around a piece of computer printer paper for the length of their trip?!

We printed out tickets on our home printer. I folded them so our name and bar code appears, which is the same size as a regular ticket. They fit into a snack size ziplock bag. The Barcode can be read thru the ziplock. It was no big deal at all.

My DH did not like them, so he went to the ticket office at the park and they gave him regular tickets for no charge. They de-activated the home printer ones and activated the new tickets (the blue ones)....without a problem.

 

[englishteacha]

My fear with the kiosk pick up is that my CC will be stolen or damaged and I'll have a new CC# when I pick up my tickets. How would I get my tickets then? My DH's debit card usually gets replaced annually-he never uses cash and the darn thing wears out. Sometimes the replacement card has a different number than the old one. That's why I'd choose print at home vs. kiosk pick up.