How often are you using express unlimited?

[pbb&j]

I know that my title is confusing, but I'm trying to plan a trip to Universal over Easter 2018. Family of 4, 2 adults and 2 teens. We have never been to Universal before, but have been to Orlando many times. We will be in the Orlando area for 8 days, and will do Universal and probably SeaWorld and Discovery Cove. We are not morning people, and love parks at night. I'm hoping that they'll be open a little later during such a busy time. It looks like this past year they were open until 10. At Disney we generally don't spend our evenings at restaurants; we just go on rides or shows.

I know that we need Express Pass in some capacity during our trip. Prices are high at the Universal hotels that include them for our dates, and I'm guessing that deals will be hard to come by. I was just looking at annual pass options, and saw that one of them includes express pass after 4. Do people ride things over and over, or if we combined a one time express pass with single rider (we do this at Disney all the time), and stayed until close, would that be sufficient? We could then stay at a different hotel for free with hotel points, like the JW Marriott. We probably would spend our days at the resort, and then go to Universal in the later afternoon. I haven't really run the numbers to see if this is a super bad value, but the free parking and discounts would help with the higher ticket cost. I'm not sure if we would visit again during the year, but it's possible.

Thanks for any advice you can give!

 

[momto3pirates]

Have you looked at just staying one night at a Universal Hotel? That would give you two days of unlimited express pass.

 

[pbb&j]

Have you looked at just staying one night at a Universal Hotel? That would give you two days of unlimited express pass.

Yes, I considered that. My only concern is doing lots of hotel changes. Do you think 2 full days would be enough to accomplish the busier rides? That option would probably be less expensive than the annual passes.

 

[damo]

Also look at the combined ticket and express pass.

 

[bchbetha]

How many days do you plan to go to Universal?
For anyone- does Universal ever close to capacity? That happened to us Easter week at 2 Disney parks. As a result, we buck our ideal schedule and go early in the AM.

 

[pbb&j]

How many days do you plan to go to Universal?
For anyone- does Universal ever close to capacity? That happened to us Easter week at 2 Disney parks. As a result, we buck our ideal schedule and go early in the AM.

I think we'll go 3, maybe 4 days. Yikes! I didn't think about closing at capacity. We were at Disney the week before Christmas last year, and the first week of April this year, so we know crowds, but not capacity! I'm leaning towards 2 nights at Royal Pacific, so we would have 3 days of unlimited Express. The resort looks beautiful, and since we like thrill rides, it would be worth it for us.

 

[saskdw]

Have you priced out 8 nights at RPR?

For 7 nights or more you would get 30-35% off with the Stay More Save More discount. It starts to make the convenience of onsite deluxe look a lot more attractive.

 

[gotomu212]

Even if you just get a throw away room at one of the hotels, I would think it would be cheaper than 2 days unlimited EP for you family. That said a 4 day ticket is pretty close to the lower AP prices and you may be able to get an APH rate even that time of year.

 

[pbb&j]

For 7 nights or more you would get 30-35% off with the Stay More Save More discount. It starts to make the convenience of onsite deluxe look a lot more attractive

Good thought. I could get a room at Royal Pacific for $378/night if we booked 7 nights, which is comparable to what we've paid at Disney during busy periods.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

Good thought. I could get a room at Royal Pacific for $378/night if we booked 7 nights, which is comparable to what we've paid at Disney during busy periods.

That's probably the way to go.

I will say that if you plan to go to SeaWorld also, you might consider a SeaWorld package from their website. Last spring break, I got a package thru SeaWorld that included hotel for six nights and tickets for four all week to SeaWorld for about $860, including tax. With a rate like that, you might be able to afford a couple of days of express passes.

 

[macraven]

Stay at one of the deluxe hotels

Unlimited ep best way to go when parks will have large crowds

Standing in long lines for rides is not the way to enjoy UO

You get the ep for check out day

 

[pbb&j]

Last spring break, I got a package thru SeaWorld that included hotel for six nights and tickets for four all week to SeaWorld for about $860, including tax.

That's awesome! I'll keep checking for packages there, too. I really would be happy spending my spring break in Roa's Rapids at Aquatica, but the kids apparently want to go on a few rides, too...

I could use the SeaWorld area as a base, and pay for a couple nights at Universal to get the express pass.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

That's awesome! I'll keep checking for packages there, too. I really would be happy spending my spring break in Roa's Rapids at Aquatica, but the kids apparently want to go on a few rides, too...

I could use the SeaWorld area as a base, and pay for a couple nights at Universal to get the express pass.

Yes! Our package included unlimited tickets to both Seaworld and Aquatica for the length of stay.

Good luck. Hope you find something you are happy with.

 

[nkereina]

It depends on how you tour but even when we go at slow times, we don't really re-ride the same rides on the same day. We always stay onsite so we have unlimited EP, but typically only use it once per ride. We will re-ride our favorites on a different day. With crowds during Easter week, you may find yourself doing the same thing - not re-riding in the same day, in which case you wouldn't need unlimited EP.

But my first option would always be to stay onsite, even if the cost was a little more.

 

[nighttowll]

We use the EP 99% of the time. Even when the lines aren't that long. 5 minutes here and 5 minutes there, adds up. Usually, once or twice we will do standby to enjoy the queue on rides like Mummy if those lines are empty, and we can take our time walking through them. I made the protection "spell" go off last trip, fun. I'd never done that before. The rest of the time, we use the EP. We tend to ride the same rides multiple times as well. Especially, the kids (well teens now). They just want to ride the same ones over and over again. I'm good after 2 or 3 rides, less on coasters, but they will get on and off repeatedly for hours if left alone.

We had to ride MIB about hundred times this spring until we made agent. Took two days and lots of studying Youtube videos to do, but it was fun.

 

[schumigirl]

We use the EP 99% of the time. Even when the lines aren't that long. 5 minutes here and 5 minutes there, adds up. Usually, once or twice we will do standby to enjoy the queue on rides like Mummy if those lines are empty, and we can take our time walking through them. I made the protection "spell" go off last trip, fun. I'd never done that before. The rest of the time, we use the EP. We tend to ride the same rides multiple times as well. Especially, the kids (well teens now). They just want to ride the same ones over and over again. I'm good after 2 or 3 rides, less on coasters, but they will get on and off repeatedly for hours if left alone.

We had to ride MIB about hundred times this spring until we made agent. Took two days and lots of studying Youtube videos to do, but it was fun.

That’s us too.......we go through the Express line even if the regular line is short.

We ride multiple times too........

We did go through the regular Doom ride queue this year as there genuinely was no one there.......but usually it’s express all the way.

 

[bumbershoot]

That's awesome! I'll keep checking for packages there, too.

If staying onsite st Uni is at all a true possibility, book it as room-only now. If future discounts come out you can apply them, aonkeepnchecking, and if you change your mind you can cancel it.

We had to ride MIB about hundred times this spring until we made agent. Took two days and lots of studying Youtube videos to do, but it was fun.

Remember not to press that red button except in cases of extreme emergency...

That’s us too.......we go through the Express line even if the regular line is short.

Same.

 

[pbb&j]

We had to ride MIB about hundred times this spring until we made agent. Took two days and lots of studying Youtube videos to do, but it was fun

I don't even know what this is yet, but I guarantee that my son and husband will be all over it. Unlimited express pass it is!

 

[nighttowll]

I don't even know what this is yet, but I guarantee that my son and husband will be all over it. Unlimited express pass it is!

Basically, the premise of the MIB ride is that you are an agent in training. They put you through a training simulation where you earn points by shooting aliens. At the end, there are two different endings based on the combined average points of everyone riding in your car. If your score is too low, the ride vehicle turns one way, and they tell you that you need more training. If you score above a certain amount, the ride vehicle turns around the other way, and they congratulate you on becoming an agent. Each different ending is made up of a different animatronic scene. I won't give away exactly what happens.

Another little known fact, you can ask for an Immigration Tour at this ride, and go down on the floor of the queue area. Once down there, you can take pictures and register as an alien from another planet.