How Important is Express Pass?

[disny_luvr]

My family is tentatively planning a trip to Universal/Disney next summer. Our dates for Universal are either June 19-22 or June 22-25. I can't see the cost of the Express Pass beyond December, but others have said that it will probably cost us more than $200/day per person. We are planning for one and a half days for Universal/Islands of Adventure and one day at Volcano Bay. We might go to one of the parks in the evening of our Volcano Bay day, but we wouldn't get Express Pass for that day. Is Express Pass worth it since we'll be there for a short visit? With Express Pass, is it possible to get on most of the big rides in 1 1/2-2 days?

 

[ClapYourHands]

At that time of year, for a quick trip, EP will be extremely valuable. A workaround is to book a room at one of the top three hotels, and you will get EP for everyone in the room. Even if the room is $400, that’s two days of EP (check in and check out day) for up to 5 people in a 2-queen room. This type of EP does NOT work at VB, so you’d have to buy stand-alone EP if you wanted it for that day. But with two days, you should be able to ride everything at least once and some things more than once if you have EP.

 

[disneyseniors]

We have gone to Universal for a one day/one side trip before and did not buy the EP's. We only had to wait for 1 or 2 attractions, but most were not a problem. That was before the pandemic.
Now? I don't really know. But we didn't really need it only for the 1 or 2 headliners, and we just waited in line for those.
You can get an EP while at the parks if you think you need one, depending on availability.

 

[CynBeth]

I would stay at a premier hotel where it is included. We were there in November before Disney the Wednesday and Thursday of the week before Thanksgiving and it was pretty crowded. We only had a day and a half do not go on roller coasters or anything with a drop and it saved us a lot of time for the rides we wanted to go on. We also saw some shows. There were a few things we did not get to. We had such an amazing time.

 

[Nabas]

My family is tentatively planning a trip to Universal/Disney next summer. Our dates for Universal are either June 19-22 or June 22-25. I can't see the cost of the Express Pass beyond December, but others have said that it will probably cost us more than $200/day per person. We are planning for one and a half days for Universal/Islands of Adventure and one day at Volcano Bay. We might go to one of the parks in the evening of our Volcano Bay day, but we wouldn't get Express Pass for that day. Is Express Pass worth it since we'll be there for a short visit? With Express Pass, is it possible to get on most of the big rides in 1 1/2-2 days?

The usual strategy for a trip like yours (2 days at a Universal theme park) is to stay one night at a Universal Premier hotel, which gives you Express Pass Unlimited on the day you check-in and the day you check-out.

For a weekday in June 2023, the Royal Pacific can be booked for $775.12 (tax included) plus parking (about $25). (Weekends cost more.) So for $800, you'll get 2 days of Express Pass Unlimited for a party of 4 - about $100 per person per day.

Express Pass Unlimited completely changes the theme park experience. Imagine being at Disney and having unlimited Lightning Lane access all day long!

Here's how you do it:

1. Arrive at the Universal Deluxe hotel 90 minutes before park opening.
2. Leave your luggage in your car or with bell services.
3. Go to the front desk and check-in, picking up your Express Passes. (You also can pick-up your theme park tickets at the hotel, which tends to be faster than using a kiosk at the park to pick them up.)
4. Walk to the theme park with early opening.
5. Have loads of fun at the parks on your first day.
6. When you are done, walk back to the hotel, pick up your luggage, and head to your room.
7. The next morning, pack up and again leave your luggage with bell services or in your car.
8. Have loads of fun at the parks on your second day.
9. Walk back to the hotel, pick-up your luggage, and head to the hotel you are sleeping at that night.

 

[disny_luvr]

The usual strategy for a trip like yours (2 days at a Universal theme park) is to stay one night at a Universal Premier hotel, which gives you Express Pass Unlimited on the day you check-in and the day you check-out.

For a weekday in June 2023, the Royal Pacific can be booked for $775.12 (tax included) plus parking (about $25). (Weekends cost more.) So for $800, you'll get 2 days of Express Pass Unlimited for a party of 4 - about $100 per person per day.

Express Pass Unlimited completely changes the theme park experience. Imagine being at Disney and having unlimited Lightning Lane access all day long!

Here's how you do it:

1. Arrive at the Universal Deluxe hotel 90 minutes before park opening.
2. Leave your luggage in your car or with bell services.
3. Go to the front desk and check-in, picking up your Express Passes. (You also can pick-up your theme park tickets at the hotel, which tends to be faster than using a kiosk at the park to pick them up.)
4. Walk to the theme park with early opening.
5. Have loads of fun at the parks on your first day.
6. When you are done, walk back to the hotel, pick up your luggage, and head to your room.
7. The next morning, pack up and again leave your luggage with bell services or in your car.
8. Have loads of fun at the parks on your second day.
9. Walk back to the hotel, pick-up your luggage, and head to the hotel you are sleeping at that night.

This is excellent information! Thank you so much.

We won’t have a car, so if we do this and switch to a cheaper resort after our first day, how easy is it for Universal to move luggage? Is it similar to Disney? I’m not sure which premiere hotel we’d stay at, but I know we’d like to switch to Cabana Bay.

 

[Nabas]

This is excellent information! Thank you so much.

We won’t have a car, so if we do this and switch to a cheaper resort after our first day, how easy is it for Universal to move luggage? Is it similar to Disney? I’m not sure which premiere hotel we’d stay at, but I know we’d like to switch to Cabana Bay.

We always have a car so I cannot say. Ideally, Universal could do the luggage transfer for you but they were not doing that at one point. See this link where some say 'yes' and others say 'no' (seems to be a function of staffing and how busy they are):

https://www.disboards.com/threads/will-universal-resorts-transfer-our-luggage.3861580/

The Royal Pacific is almost always the least expensive Universal Premier, so I suggest staying there. (It also puts you closest to Cabana Bay.)

You might have to leave your luggage with bell services and then pick it up the second evening.

Then walk back to CityWalk with your luggage to get a bus, perhaps a 15-minute walk with luggage. (Half that time to get to CityWalk and half that time to get to the bus.). Then you wait for a bus (maybe 5 minutes) and then the bus ride itself (another 5 minutes.)

Uberring will be the physically easiest. I checked prices. At the moment, an Uber minivan from the Royal Pacific to Cabana Bay is about $10.

You can walk directly from the Royal Pacific to Cabana Bay in less time but I strongly suggest you map out the exact route ahead of time. The below highlights in yellow the walk using the street (maybe 15 minutes) but I think there's a way (following the red line) that begins at the path behind the Royal Pacific pool and then cuts through Sapphire Falls that is more direct.

Some of the hotel layouts are confusing. (The first time we stayed at the Royal Pacific, it took us a while to figure out how to get to the hotel's pool.)

 

[disny_luvr]

We always have a car so I cannot say. Ideally, Universal could do the luggage transfer for you but they were not doing that at one point. See this link where some say 'yes' and others say 'no' (seems to be a function of staffing and how busy they are):

https://www.disboards.com/threads/will-universal-resorts-transfer-our-luggage.3861580/

The Royal Pacific is almost always the least expensive Universal Premier, so I suggest staying there. (It also puts you closest to Cabana Bay.)

You might have to leave your luggage with bell services and then pick it up the second evening.

Then walk back to CityWalk with your luggage to get a bus, perhaps a 15-minute walk with luggage. (Half that time to get to CityWalk and half that time to get to the bus.). Then you wait for a bus (maybe 5 minutes) and then the bus ride itself (another 5 minutes.)

Uberring will be the physically easiest. I checked prices. At the moment, an Uber minivan from the Royal Pacific to Cabana Bay is about $10.

You can walk directly from the Royal Pacific to Cabana Bay in less time but I strongly suggest you map out the exact route ahead of time. The below highlights in yellow the walk using the street (maybe 15 minutes) but I think there's a way (following the red line) that begins at the path behind the Royal Pacific pool and then cuts through Sapphire Falls that is more direct.

Some of the hotel layouts are confusing. (The first time we stayed at the Royal Pacific, it took us a while to figure out how to get to the hotel's pool.)

View attachment 689169

You have no idea how helpful you have been. Seriously, thank you so much!

We would probably just Uber. That seems to be the most convenient.

 

[Nabas]

You have no idea how helpful you have been. Seriously, thank you so much!

We would probably just Uber. That seems to be the most convenient.

You could ask about luggage transfer when you get there. If they can transfer it, it saves you from having to walk back to the Royal Pacific.

Instead, you would just walk to the bus stop and take the bus directly to Cabana Bay on your second night.

Still, with a tip to Bell Services for transferring your luggage, the cost to transfer luggage probably is close to the cost of an Uber from the Royal Pacific to Cabana Bay.

An Uber means Universal is less likely to lose your luggage, maybe something to favor this option.

Seems like a toss-up which is better.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Uber is pretty easy. Be ready when you request one, I've had several waits under 3min from Universal hotels, they are just so prevalent in the area. Also if you hit crazy pricing just swap to Lyft. Uber quoted me $35 one morning to go between hotels; Lyft was about $11.

I would avoid going through City Walk with luggage since it would have to go through security.

 

[ClapYourHands]

This is excellent information! Thank you so much.

We won’t have a car, so if we do this and switch to a cheaper resort after our first day, how easy is it for Universal to move luggage? Is it similar to Disney? I’m not sure which premiere hotel we’d stay at, but I know we’d like to switch to Cabana Bay.

If you are at Royal Pacific Resort, it’s super easy to move your luggage yourself on the garden path. It’s maybe a 10 minute (or less) walk with no roads or street crossing that deposits you in the parking lot near the Castaway building at CB. There is a branch of the garden path that goes to Sapphire Falls and one that goes to Cabana Bay. You do not need to go through Sapphire Falls to go between RPR and CB - there’s a direct path. We have moved between those two hotels multiple times.

 

[nlenguyen]

I may have missed this, but when does Universal release the prices for EP for 2023?

 

[aggiedog]

If I can also ask a question relating to the original topic, how important is the EP if we are NOT staying on site and we really just want to do the Harry Potter areas. We'll get early entry thru our TA with multi-park tickets so we can ride the Hogwart's Express. It's about $120/person extra that seems like a lot for what we really want. We're a group of 3 couples in our 50's and our roller coaster, thrill ride days are behind us. LOL

 

[Nabas]

If I can also ask a question relating to the original topic, how important is the EP if we are NOT staying on site and we really just want to do the Harry Potter areas. We'll get early entry thru our TA with multi-park tickets so we can ride the Hogwart's Express. It's about $120/person extra that seems like a lot for what we really want. We're a group of 3 couples in our 50's and our roller coaster, thrill ride days are behind us. LOL

Since you are mostly focused on the Harry Potter areas:

The 3 major Harry Potter attractions are some form of roller coaster. They are not super intense but they also are not for the faint of heart either.

Hagrid’s has several high speed areas with sharp turns.

Forbidden Journey spins you around a lot and has a few motion simulator screens that make some fill ill.

Gringotts is a combination of modest roller coaster and screens.

Beyond these 3, Hogwart’s Express is very low key - anyone can ride this.

Express Pass does NOT get you express access to Hagrid’s or the non-ride areas of the two Harry Potter lands.

In general, the more intense an attraction is, the more in-demand it is and the more Express Pass helps at Universal.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

I would skip EP in your case.

EP is helpful for Gringotts, Hogwarts Express, and Forbidden Journey. (I would suggest skipping the kiddie Hippogriff coaster for your group). It would be most helpful for Hogwarts Express, since there that queue is pretty boring and it tends to get waits. But really, that would save you what, maybe 90min on a moderate crowd day all told if riding both ways and not picking judicious times to park hop.

EP is useless for exploring, shopping, Ollivanders, spells, etc., and Hagrids (if you chose to ride it).

I know you aren't "thrill ride" people, but I would strongly recommend giving Gringotts & FJ a try. They're not all that intense and they are such unique, themed, interesting rides. Then if you like them, hit them again via the single rider lines for a quick re-ride.

Then, consider why you aren't roller coaster people & see if you have time & want to give Hagrids a whirl. It's a very smooth ride with lots of speed but no traditional "coaster drops." Plus of course the immersive theming, animatronics, general awesomeness...

 

[Krisshay13]

My family is tentatively planning a trip to Universal/Disney next summer. Our dates for Universal are either June 19-22 or June 22-25. I can't see the cost of the Express Pass beyond December, but others have said that it will probably cost us more than $200/day per person. We are planning for one and a half days for Universal/Islands of Adventure and one day at Volcano Bay. We might go to one of the parks in the evening of our Volcano Bay day, but we wouldn't get Express Pass for that day. Is Express Pass worth it since we'll be there for a short visit? With Express Pass, is it possible to get on most of the big rides in 1 1/2-2 days?

We changed resorts this past June. Started at Royal Pacific & moved to Surfside. I didn't want to mess with an uber & timing. Do you move 1st thing in the morning & go to the parks??? Do you leave the parks, grab your luggage, uber to new resort, check in, etc...and waste that time out of the park?

If I were going for a short trip, I wouldn't want to waste park time.

We dropped our luggage off at 7AM at Royal Pacific, jumped on the boat & headed to the park. That afternoon, when we were too tired to walk around anymore, LOL, we headed to the bus & on to Surfside to check in. Our luggage was waiting on us.
I think Express Pass is so worth it, especially on a short trip & in June. With 1 night, you get the 2 days of EP.
Watch for prices on the resort early. I was lucky & got the week before Thanksgiving for 4 of us at $298/night......now it's at $458.

Good Luck!!!

 

[aggiedog]

Thanks everyone, that's what I thought. I've actually done all the HP rides, at various times, and am ok with them. I just can't do some of the faster, bigger roller coasters any more that really throw you around. Last time I did the Hulk roller coaster I ended up with a head ache. So I didn't think I'd be wanting to use the EP for some of the other popular rides while we were there, and if we can get to the HP section early, we can knock out the attractions with large wait times first and then poke around the other stuff later. We go the first week in November (the joys of traveling without the kids!). Is there a touring plan recommendation for just the HP section somewhere?

I guess the converse question would be, if we wanted to be lazy and sleep in, then show up whenever, and money wasn't an issue, would the EP be worth it in November? I'm guessing crowd levels shouldn't be too bad then, and we could use the money for a some good dinners instead.

 

[ClapYourHands]

Thanks everyone, that's what I thought. I've actually done all the HP rides, at various times, and am ok with them. I just can't do some of the faster, bigger roller coasters any more that really throw you around. Last time I did the Hulk roller coaster I ended up with a head ache. So I didn't think I'd be wanting to use the EP for some of the other popular rides while we were there, and if we can get to the HP section early, we can knock out the attractions with large wait times first and then poke around the other stuff later. We go the first week in November (the joys of traveling without the kids!). Is there a touring plan recommendation for just the HP section somewhere?

I guess the converse question would be, if we wanted to be lazy and sleep in, then show up whenever, and money wasn't an issue, would the EP be worth it in November? I'm guessing crowd levels shouldn't be too bad then, and we could use the money for a some good dinners instead.

I don’t think it would be worth it based on your trip timing and goals. Early November is a good time after HHN crowds leave but before Thanksgiving crowds arrive. Even if you sleep in and you arrive late, you should be fine. There are definitely lulls in the times for Hogwarts Express (so just monitor on the app), and Forbidden Journey is usually a walk on (or nearly so) in the evening. Waits for Hagrids can be best just after lunch or before closing, so unless you’re at the front of the rope drop pack, you don’t lose anything there by arriving later. Gringotts can get lengthy waits, but I don’t think saving time on this ride alone is worth $120 per person.

 

[aggiedog]

Thanks so much, I appreciate it. That's money that can be well spent somewhere else!

 

[Floridiangirl02]

Hi, going to universal next weekend and wondering if you have the express pass do you still get to see all the cool stuff in the lines fo r the Harry Potter rides?