How To Activate Pass Without Paying To Park

[Purseval]

This is a fairly common question for folks who want to activate a new annual pass or pick up tickets in advance without having to pay $14 to park the car. Even the $3 (which up until recently was free) after 6pm is robbery. So I made up this little picture scenario to show you how to do it for free.

Step 1. When you are driving to the park look for signs like this that direct you to the guest dropoff point. This one is on Universal Boulevard where the dropoff is located (click on it to enlarge it)



Here is another one as you get closer:



When you turn in you will see a booth. Sometimes there is a person standing outside, sometimes you just drive up to the window. Say you are dropping someone off and they will let you in.



Step 2. After you get in you will see that up a ways and to the left there are some parking spaces.



Park there and let the person who is going for the tickets or needs a pass activated out. One person can activate multiple passes. For instance my wife activated hers, mine and converted 7-day Kroger cards into park tickets.
You have a choice: you can leave the car and have everybody go or you can stay with the car. The extra-squeamish can even leave, circle the block a few times and come back in. I've never heard of a car being ticketed or towed but that doesn't mean it never happens.



Step 3. Go up the escalator into the park.



Follow the crowd to the park of your choice. Go to Guest Relations and take care of business. Leave, head back down the escalator and into your car. Leave and head either to the regular parking area or back to your hotel, money still in pocket

 

[popsicle123]

That's great, Thanks for the work and pictures. I thought it was silly to pay $14 for the first day.

 

[Purseval]

That $14 from you translates into lots of extra revenue for Universal. If they don't mind trying to squeeze a few extra dollars it's only fair for us to try and save them. I don't begrudge them any extra they make, as long as it isn't from me

 

[DCTooTall]

Is there a gate you have to go thru when you leave as well?

My flight will be arriving before the rest of my party gets into town, so I was thinking about running by and activating my pass before they arrive. Since I'll be the only one in the car at the time, I could easily tell them I'm picking someone up, but wasn't sure if it was raise red flags if I had to go back past the person on my way out.

 

[kellymonaghan]

Great tip!

 

[Victoria3]

Is there a gate you have to go thru when you leave as well?

My flight will be arriving before the rest of my party gets into town, so I was thinking about running by and activating my pass before they arrive. Since I'll be the only one in the car at the time, I could easily tell them I'm picking someone up, but wasn't sure if it was raise red flags if I had to go back past the person on my way out.

Nope.

 

[Purseval]

Great tip!

Feel free to use it in the next edition.

 

[DCTooTall]

Feel free to use it in the next edition.

LOL... makes me almost wonder if he does, if they might catch on to it and make moves to stop the practice.

 

[Purseval]

LOL... makes me almost wonder if he does, if they might catch on to it and make moves to stop the practice.

That won't happen unless they eliminate the guest dropoff completely. What are the odds of that? Also, though it may seem to insiders like us that everyone reads these boards and the guide books the reality is that most park visitors go with no plan at all.

 

[phamton]

They can and have towed cars if no one is in them but you'd have to be gone an hour or so. Just a heads up for anyone planning on using the guest drop off instead of parking to attend the themepark.

 

[Purseval]

One other thing that area is good for is if you just want to run in and buy something. Even if you are alone let the attendant know and they will make a note of it. That way they won't go after your car if there is nobody in it, unless you decide to make a day of it. Then you're on your own.

 

[braddillman]

I just got a reply in another thread, that you pay for valet parking when you pick up your car. So if you're picking up a premier pass you could drop off your car at valet, pick up your premier AP and go to the parks, then show your AP when you pick up your car from valet, without having to pay - and without having to come back to the guest drop off, thus saving time on your 1st visit.

I'm headed down on business and only have Sunday afternoon, so this'll save me more time than the method described by the OP. Then I can use the AP when I return with my family in Feb. I figure for a 15 day vacation in Feb., plus a day (or maybe more) here and there, the premium for valet is worth $60 more to me than preferred.

 

[humphreydog]

Cut and paste this lattitude/longitude into google maps (or your gps) for the best drop off for the parks:



28.471352,-81.467052

A quick 5 minute walk to the entrance of IOA

 

[vleeth]

I had read that you can tell them at the gate that you are there to buy tickets and then you have 2 hours to get it done or then you have to pay for parking. Is this still true?

 

[Amber74]

I just got a reply in another thread, that you pay for valet parking when you pick up your car. So if you're picking up a premier pass you could drop off your car at valet, pick up your premier AP and go to the parks, then show your AP when you pick up your car from valet, without having to pay - and without having to come back to the guest drop off, thus saving time on your 1st visit.

I'm headed down on business and only have Sunday afternoon, so this'll save me more time than the method described by the OP. Then I can use the AP when I return with my family in Feb. I figure for a 15 day vacation in Feb., plus a day (or maybe more) here and there, the premium for valet is worth $60 more to me than preferred.

Can someone say if this worked for them? I just read the Premium AP discounts and perks and it said that valet is valid after your first visit like parking. Just wanted to know if anyone has actually done that yet.

 

[phamton]

I had read that you can tell them at the gate that you are there to buy tickets and then you have 2 hours to get it done or then you have to pay for parking. Is this still true?

No this is not true. It sounds like someone confused the shopping pass and the parking. A shoppers pass lets you shop at the park for 1 hour without having to buy a ticket to get into the park. A dining pass lets you dine at the parks for 2 1/2 hours without buying a ticket to get in. Both of these passes do require you to pay for parking though. As far as I know, they have never had a free 2 hour parking policy. You can sometimes be reimbursed for parking at the Citywalk Guest Services if you bring your parking receipt and show that you have only been there a short time. But they do not reimburse you for picking up an annual pass.

Can someone say if this worked for them? I just read the Premium AP discounts and perks and it said that valet is valid after your first visit like parking. Just wanted to know if anyone has actually done that yet.

That will work since you pay for valet when you leave. By that time you will have an activated Premier Pass.

 

[Amber74]

Thanks Phamton