FAQ about the Hotel Express Pass - AKA FOTL

[lwilliam]

these are the important issues!

 

[Grendalynn]

So glad I found this thread!! We are planning our first S/IOA Vaca for March or April 2009 and I need all the help I can get!!! Iam very green when it comes to US/IOA! I am so glad you al are here!!

 

[piratemom07]

This thread is exactly what I needed to find, we are going to US and IofA in two weeks and we have been trying to figure out a way we could afford to stay on property. My sister and her family are going and they are staying at Hard Rock, I had all but given up but then I read this thread.

If I have read correctly we could do this. We will be coming from Disney and would arrive at Universal on Monday we can check in at RP it will be after 8 am before we arrive. Stay for one night but get to take advantage of the FOTL privilages both days. Tuesday night after park closese head to other hotel and we will be heading home on Wed.

This work out perfectly I had wanted to get my kids the express pass if needed and then my dh and myself would just hang back but this will even be better. I am so excited, now I need to call my travel agent and book one night. I found it cheaper through her, I am not a member of AAA and it would cost me 70.00 to become one and when I figured it out I would be paying more to become a member than just going to TA.

If I am incorrect in any of this please someone let me know before I make a mistake of putting the money down for the RP.

Shannon

 

[goofy!]

This thread is exactly what I needed to find, we are going to US and IofA in two weeks and we have been trying to figure out a way we could afford to stay on property. My sister and her family are going and they are staying at Hard Rock, I had all but given up but then I read this thread.

If I have read correctly we could do this. We will be coming from Disney and would arrive at Universal on Monday we can check in at RP it will be after 8 am before we arrive. Stay for one night but get to take advantage of the FOTL privilages both days. Tuesday night after park closese head to other hotel and we will be heading home on Wed.

This work out perfectly I had wanted to get my kids the express pass if needed and then my dh and myself would just hang back but this will even be better. I am so excited, now I need to call my travel agent and book one night. I found it cheaper through her, I am not a member of AAA and it would cost me 70.00 to become one and when I figured it out I would be paying more to become a member than just going to TA.

If I am incorrect in any of this please someone let me know before I make a mistake of putting the money down for the RP.

Shannon

You are absolutely correct.

When you arrive at the RPR on Monday, go straight to the counter and check-in. Even if your room is not ready, you will be given your room keys. You can leave your luggage with the bell hop.

Head down the stairs and out to the boat or walkway and in less than 10 minutes you will be standing in front of the gates of Universal.

Enjoy your FOTL all day and when your room is ready, they will call you. No need to stop by the desk again as they will activate the room keys when the room is ready. Just go on up to the room and call the bell hop for your luggage.

On Tuesday, you can do the same thing in reverse. When you check out, you can leave your luggage again with the bell hop. Even though you have checked out, you can use the room keys until the park closes that evening.

When you are done, return to the RPR, collect your luggage from the bell hop and you can be on your way to the other hotel.

Have a great vacation!

 

[Rags]

Thanks Goofy!!!!!!

 

[macraven]

This thread is exactly what I needed to find, we are going to US and IofA in two weeks and we have been trying to figure out a way we could afford to stay on property. My sister and her family are going and they are staying at Hard Rock, I had all but given up but then I read this thread.

If I have read correctly we could do this. We will be coming from Disney and would arrive at Universal on Monday we can check in at RP it will be after 8 am before we arrive. Stay for one night but get to take advantage of the FOTL privilages both days. Tuesday night after park closese head to other hotel and we will be heading home on Wed.

This work out perfectly I had wanted to get my kids the express pass if needed and then my dh and myself would just hang back but this will even be better. I am so excited, now I need to call my travel agent and book one night. I found it cheaper through her, I am not a member of AAA and it would cost me 70.00 to become one and when I figured it out I would be paying more to become a member than just going to TA.

If I am incorrect in any of this please someone let me know before I make a mistake of putting the money down for the RP.

Shannon

i leave disney at 6:45 in the morning and check into hrh by 7:10 am
no room but one time available at that time of the morning.

check in, store your luggage, get the claim check.
call from the park or have a tm call for you and give you the phone to see if your room is ready.

it is an automated system and you have to put in your personalized code to find out your room number. at that point, your hotel key you have in your hand, is automatically coded. you don't have to go to the front desk to find out your room number.
when you get in your room, call star service on the phone and your luggage will be brought up to you.
or you can tell the front desk to have your luggage put in your room once it is assigned while you are in the park.

i do not do it that way.
i prefer to check out the room first to make sure it is what i requested.
have had to switch rooms before even being in the room before.

once you check in, you hotel key is activated and valid for fotl.

i go early, i meet TM friends at city walk for coffee and a roll around 7:45
some places will open early before 8 if you just want coffee
sorry for those that love the disney nescafe, but i hate it and can't wait to get real coffee at universal. that is the one thing i do not like about disney, their coffee.

i go to the ioa turnstile by 8:25 and get in line, usually you are let in around 8:30ish. do the hulk multiple times on front row,
then hit spidey and dueling dragons. then at 9, the park officially opens and the big ones i have already done.
friend usually leaves around 10:30 for work and i am good to go for more rides then.

since it is one night stay for you, check out the next day, store your stuff at valet and get the claim check. i suggest you get a plastic bag and put a change of clothes in there and have it on top of your suitcase, tied it around the handle.
go to the park then. when you return, go to valet, show your claim ticket and tell them to give you that plastic bag. in that bag you have packed fresh clothes and basics to change to.

go swim in the pool if you have time.
if you don't, take your bag to the pool room where you can shower, change clothes, freshen up if you wish.
it is allowed with your room key. soap, towels, etc are provided for all guests.

when done, put the stuff you took off in the plastic bag. i say plastic in case you have wet items, and use your claim check out ticket to get your stuff from valet.

wait for car service and cry as you leave the hotel.

that's what i have been doing since the hotel opened........


if you drove, you can stay parked until the end of the park day without paying for another night. that is if you haven't moved your car off the grounds that day.

hth you will have fun on site.

 

[macraven]

came back to address the AAA cost.

you don't have the location in your siggie of your locale.

the AAA rate is based on where you live.

i live in the chicago region and it runs higher than some places.

my AAA is $45 a year.

what i did was take the lowest AAA available, not the higher benefit one for the extra travel towing benefits, the free traveler checks, etc.

just the basic and one driver only.
did not put the spouse on.

that is how i got my AAA membership much cheaper than what others might post.

when mr mac wants to shop online with the AAA card for the discounts, he places it in my name. it can be done my agent told me.


see what the cost is for the basic AAA membership, it is a big difference from what they try to push on newb's

 

[crashbb]

And, in case you live in Canada - any of the AAA benefits also apply to CAA members (I'm booked under the AAA rate through my CAA membership).

I believe (though am not totally sure) that the British (I assume it is British and not just English) AA would also work.

 

[macraven]

So glad I found this thread!! We are planning our first S/IOA Vaca for March or April 2009 and I need all the help I can get!!! Iam very green when it comes to US/IOA! I am so glad you al are here!!

i know you felt unloved when i told you a couple of weeks ago to check out the stickies, but i see you have found this one and have learned some good tips here.

as you can tell, we do get off the subject from the title of the sticky at times.
i am guilty of that.
when a poster has a question in the sticky thread, i get off track and answer it and so do others at times. even though it is not related to the sticky topic, it is still answered in that thread. therefore, it is good to read them as they are a wealth of knowledge.

one thing to note is the date of the post.
when policies change, we do not go back and update our posts from one or two years ago. if you read thru an entire sticky, you will find outdated info at times.
i suggest to start from a date that is recent of a few months to get current info

i avoid the pm's to answer questions as more people would have the same question and this way all can share in the knowledge.

if you read thru the stickies, you will find other information than the topic it is designed to be.

with the limited forums we have for UO, you will find this a pattern on the darkside.

most of the regular posters are regular darkside attendees.
some are tm's that answer questions in the stickies.

we share our experience and knowledge and give tips on what works generally.

i keep saying i will start a thread called Mac 101.............
don't laugh, how do you think i got this post count.........i live on the uo forums

 

[macraven]

And, in case you live in Canada - any of the AAA benefits also apply to CAA members (I'm booked under the AAA rate through my CAA membership).

I believe (though am not totally sure) that the British (I assume it is British and not just English) AA would also work.

it does, also valid

 

[piratemom07]

I booked through TA for one night at RPH for 240.75 for 4 people, 2 adults and 2 kids well teenagers. I called AAA and for basic plan no frills unless I asked the wrong questions but basic plan as far as I could tell was 70.00. But since we can do 2 days of park fun for one night that will work out fine because we are leaving to come home on Wed. anyway.

I thank you so much for this thread I was really excited to learn this could be done.

I have another question and this might not be the place to ask but I am going to anyway. For tickets since we only have two days is it best to do unlimited or just one park one day and one the other, or should we have Park Hopper (not what it is called im sure) but you know what I mean.

My TA can get unlimited for 79.99 per person but since we only have two days I was not sure what was best. Any help is appreciated.

If we are driving and we will have our car do we need to go ahead and bring luggage in and leave with bell hop or can we just leave in car and then get out when we come back and room is ready.

Thanks again for everyones help
Shannon

 

[damo]

I would go for the unlimited and just hop between the two parks each day. You can leave your luggage with the bellhop. They will store it.

 

[angina]

So if I am staying 5 nights at Royal Pacific, and a friend is showing up for only 2 nights, I still need to have that person registered as a guest to get her a room key, ie, express pass?

Booking 2 adults verses 3 adults is significant in price... we don't plan on going to universal all 5 days, and my friend would only be staying for 2 nights, so I'm trying to see if I can book our room for 2 adults rather than 3...

What is the possibility of requesting another room key? I mean, if you "lose" your room key, can't they just give you another? It's not like they have to "activate" the keys to use it as a pass, right?

 

[vellamint]

So if I am staying 5 nights at Royal Pacific, and a friend is showing up for only 2 nights, I still need to have that person registered as a guest to get her a room key, ie, express pass?

Booking 2 adults verses 3 adults is significant in price... we don't plan on going to universal all 5 days, and my friend would only be staying for 2 nights, so I'm trying to see if I can book our room for 2 adults rather than 3...

What is the possibility of requesting another room key? I mean, if you "lose" your room key, can't they just give you another? It's not like they have to "activate" the keys to use it as a pass, right?

Im pretty sure if you report your room key lost they deactivate it......and there has got to be something in place to prevent just this sort of thing from happening. I would be nervous doing this.

 

[angina]

Im pretty sure if you report your room key lost they deactivate it......and there has got to be something in place to prevent just this sort of thing from happening. I would be nervous doing this.

ok... i mean that would make sense.. but im basically paying $25+ more per night because i have a guest staying 2 nights out of 6. Outside of them getting a room key for the express pass, I don't see the point of paying the extra for the 3rd guest. I'd probably be better off just buying a express pass for 2 days for this person...

But does deactivating the room key do anything in terms of the expesspass? to my understanding, you just flash your room key to the person guarding the lines, correct? It's not like you're "scanning" it on some machine...

 

[goofy!]

ok... i mean that would make sense.. but im basically paying $25+ more per night because i have a guest staying 2 nights out of 6. Outside of them getting a room key for the express pass, I don't see the point of paying the extra for the 3rd guest. I'd probably be better off just buying a express pass for 2 days for this person...

But does deactivating the room key do anything in terms of the expesspass? to my understanding, you just flash your room key to the person guarding the lines, correct? It's not like you're "scanning" it on some machine...

Actually, on many rides they do scan the key. They can scan it at the beginning and then again at the end of the line. I have just shown my key at the entrance to MIB only to run into a team member farther up in the queue holding a hand held scanner to check keys.

I wouldn't try to cheat the system. It always manages to come back to haunt you.

 

[macraven]

So if I am staying 5 nights at Royal Pacific, and a friend is showing up for only 2 nights, I still need to have that person registered as a guest to get her a room key, ie, express pass?

Booking 2 adults verses 3 adults is significant in price... we don't plan on going to universal all 5 days, and my friend would only be staying for 2 nights, so I'm trying to see if I can book our room for 2 adults rather than 3...

What is the possibility of requesting another room key? I mean, if you "lose" your room key, can't they just give you another? It's not like they have to "activate" the keys to use it as a pass, right?

to answer your first question, yes. if you have a third adult in the room it needs to be acknowledged with the front desk.

why would you lie about it?
how would you feel if you were confronted by the lies you told to get by on the cheap?

do you go to a store and take things because they are there and you think you can get away with it and "save" money?

it's all the same thing.

it's call stealing.


at the hotels, they have to account for all registered guests.

last year at the hrh, the sprinkler system went off during the night.
all guests had to be accounted for and taken out of their rooms that were on the same floor and one below it.

the employees have a responsibility for the safety of all guests.
why put yourself in an embarrassing situation to save $25 a night for a third adult?

have your friend come up with the $50 for the 2 nights they plan to stay with you in the room.

you cover the room for yourself and other friend.
the 2 nighter friend covers the $50.

you all come out fine then.

 

[angina]

All true... most hotels i've stayed at didn't really charge extra per guest, so didn't think of this... No need to try to "cheat" the hotel and only make a hassle for everyone...

 

[keishashadow]

Yes. Show your room key at the restaurants for front-of-the-line access on their wait list.

You will go to the head of the list for the next available table after reservations and whoever is before you with FOTL.

It worked great for us the last time at Margaritaville. We wandered over just as the parks were letting out, so it was already at a 75 minute wait. They took our name and I showed them our hotel key.


Thank you for reminding me! I added it to the first page.

Q i tried this @ Margaritaville last trip (on Saturday) and was told it isn't valid on the weekends or holidays? so we moved on to NASCAR is this true,if so, are there any other restaurants with the same restriction?

Always wondered which restaurants participate in this @ Citiwalk tooassume Bubba Gumps doesnt (they weren't taking ressies when we were there, not sure if it has changed) anybody have a list?

 

[loribell]

I am glad you have decided against this. We all need to remember that although we think prices may be too high in these places that we choose to visit them. In choosing to do so we do have to pay whatever price they demand.

Do as Mac says and see if your friend can pay the $25/night for just the nights she is there.