Express Pass Questions

[Tinker_Belle]

Hi, everyone. Thank you for all of the info here. Just reading through has been very helpful in our planning so far. I have a few more questions about EP that I didn't see on here. This will be our first trip to Universal, so it's all new to me.

DS and I are staying in WDW next month and heading to Universal for one day, with a 2-park ticket. We aren't into roller coasters, but we really didn't realize how much there still is to do. DS is 19, but he is mildly autistic and cannot stand the heat for long periods of time. I was thinking about purchasing the EP (not too $$ for 2 people).

1) I hope this isn't a stupid question... Can I buy EP for just the Studios if our passes are for both parks? We are planning to get to IoA before park opening, and there's not too many attractions there that we really want to do....mainly just HP and Spiderman.

2) Are there any rides at the Studios that aren't included? Anything else we should think about when we put our touring plan together? Obviously, Transformers will be crowded.

3) We will be there on Thursday, 8/15. Due to other plans in WDW, I am sure the date will not change. Right now, EPs are up to $50/pp for one park, and they were $30/pp when I first looked into it a few months ago (I am kicking myself right now). I know most of you advise against purchasing them in advance, but I'm concerned that the price will go up again. Is there any chance it will come back down?

Thanks so much for any help/advice you can offer!

 

[Bluer101]

Yes you can buy express for just one park. The express pass is not connected with your ticket. All the rides in US include express. If you are doing rope drop you should be ok. I would still wait until you get there for express.

Have you thought about 2 days there with a one night stay onsite? Will give you unlimited express for 2 days and a place to escape the heat and swim?

 

[Tinker_Belle]

Thank you for answering me so quickly! I can't change my resort, since I got such a good deal and can finally stay at the Beach Club. I honestly wish I knew how much there was to do at Universal when we initially made our plans. Next time I think we will definitely split our stay between Universal and WDW, especially since my son tells me he is most excited about Universal!

 

[RMulieri]

Express passes usually don't drop in price, they can go up though( which you already know)

 

[Tinker_Belle]

Express passes usually don't drop in price, they can go up though( which you already know)

Thanks. According to the Universal Orlando book for this year, $50 is the highest rate for one park...Christmastime high. Is it really that crowded in mid-August?

 

[aubriee]

Thank you for answering me so quickly! I can't change my resort, since I got such a good deal and can finally stay at the Beach Club. I honestly wish I knew how much there was to do at Universal when we initially made our plans. Next time I think we will definitely split our stay between Universal and WDW, especially since my son tells me he is most excited about Universal!

Last May we had already booked a ten night stay in a one bedroom villa at Wyndham Bonnet Creek through a third party. We decided we wanted to spend two nights/three days over at Universal (for unlimited Express Pass, to have a place for my elderly mom to have a place to rest during the day, and because we did not want to drive back and forth between WDW and Universal those days). The Express Passes you buy are just for one ride per attraction per day, but sometimes we like to ride the same ride over and over and the unlimited Express Pass you get staying onsite allows us to do that (no way am I riding Hulk, Spiderman, Men in Black, or Transformers just once) lol. We decided it was worth it to us to go ahead and stay two nights onsite at Universal and just leave the villa over at WDW empty for those two nights. We had gotten a great deal on the Bonnet Creek villa (just $89.50 per night) and then using our APs were able to get a good price for the two nights over at RPR. We just left most of our stuff in the BC villa and took a small bag with just a change of clothes and swimsuits over to Universal. We loved not having to rush through the Universal parks (due to having unlimited Express Passes and being able to just leisurely walk back to our resort, without having to worry about driving back to WDW exhausted after a long day.

Most people add a short Universal stay either at the beginning or the end of their trips. With us having the villa at Bonnet Creek for ten nights anyway, we decided to add the Universal stay in the middle of the week, when the Universal resorts were cheaper (no weekend rates) and when the parks were less crowded. We will be doing the exact same thing for our Dec trip (have ten nights booked at Bonnet Creek for just $60.00 per night, but will be spending two weeknight nights over at Universal using an AP discount for RPR). I am also seriously considering doing the same thing for my upcoming Sept solo trip (eight nights at Bonnet Creek with one night at RPR in the middle, leaving the BC villa empty that one night).

 

[Tinker_Belle]

Last May we had already booked a ten night stay in a one bedroom villa at Wyndham Bonnet Creek through a third party. We decided we wanted to spend two nights/three days over at Universal (for unlimited Express Pass, to have a place for my elderly mom to have a place to rest during the day, and because we did not want to drive back and forth between WDW and Universal those days). The Express Passes you buy are just for one ride per attraction per day, but sometimes we like to ride the same ride over and over. We decided it was worth it to us to go ahead and stay two nights onsite at Universal and just leave the villa over at WDW empty for those two nights. We had gotten a great deal on the Bonnet Creek villa (just $89.50 per night) and then using our APs were able to get a good price for the two nights over at RPR. We just left most of our stuff in the BC villa and took a small bag with just a change of clothes and swimsuits over to Universal. We loved not having to rush through the Universal parks (due to having unlimited Express Passes and being able to just leisurely walk back to our resort, without having to worry about driving back to WDW exhausted after a long day.

That's a great deal! Hopefully, we'll love Universal so much we'll stay onsite for our next trip.

 

[Tinker_Belle]

Thank you all for your help so far. I'm thinking we might hold off on the EP until we get there...to see if we need it. I'm hoping the price doesn't increase by more than $10 or so.

These are the rides we would want to use it for:

Despicable Me
Transformers
Disaster
Men In Black: Alien Attack
The Simpsons
E.T. Adventure

We'll arrive there (from IoA and lunch at Mythos) around 3:00 and stay until park closing at 9. We definitely want to do all the shows too.

Do they run out of EPs before 3? Is it likely the lines will improve enough after 4 to skip the EP?

 

[macraven]

DM and TF would have the longest line waits that are on your list.
TF just opened this summer.

check the wait times when you first get to the studios and hit the other rides first if the waits will be too long.

 

[Tinker_Belle]

DM and TF would have the longest line waits that are on your list.
TF just opened this summer.

check the wait times when you first get to the studios and hit the other rides first if the waits will be too long.

Thank you! Do the lines usually get better later at night...or does it seem people hang out for Cinematic Spectacular?

 

[Tinker_Belle]

Thank you!