If you read these threads, don't buy the Universal Express pass, stay onsite!

[IowaGirl]

I just could not believe that people were buying the Universal Express passes-
at $19-$45 per person on top of admission.

Unless you are lucky to live in Orlando, or staying with friends and not needing a hotel room, then you should stay onsite instead of buying express passes for a large group of people.

Maybe if you got a hotel for under $50 and it was just one person, then maybe I could see buying the Express Pass...

There were so many families/groups there our last trip that bought those express passes. If you have 4 people that is $80-$180 just in Express passes alone. You can get a room for around $200-$300 at Universal, and all four people would have Front of the Line priveledges as often as they want.

People were asking us all day long where we got that special card, and could not believe that we had access like that with our room key. It was news to tons of folks, even though there are signs in the park and it is on the maps.

We rode Spidey 12 times in a row one day just because we love it so much. Rode MIB 8 times in a row. Rode the Mummy 5 times in a row...I have no idea over the three days how much we rode everything, but it was awesome.

 

[donaldduck352]

Very good point.You should of put this on the stickys.

 

[Purseval]

I don't see the economic sense of the express pass in any case when getting there early can accomplish the same thing for free.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I don't see the economic sense of the express pass in any case when getting there early can accomplish the same thing for free.

My thoughts exactly!! When I have the extra money, I stay onsite, when I do not, I stay off site (as I am now in the Clarion Universal) and just go first thing in the morning! I have never purchased Express Pass and am proud to say have done everything I have wanted to do in one day. Today we left the parks early. We have done them everyday since Friday. My DD was tired today & we head home tomorrow.. she wanted to hang out at the pool and hot tub tonight.... I have no clue why.. we have our own pool home, I guess it is more fun when it isn't your own

 

[IowaGirl]

Plus I forgot to add that even 1 night at one of the onsite hotels gets you two days of Front of the Line access.

We did that the first year we stayed at the Portofino. We dropped off our luggage at 8am and left it at the luggage station. They gave us room keys that were not activated yet. We went right to the parks, and at the end of the day, picked up our luggage from the station and went to our room. We stayed just that one night, but we also had Front of the Line on the day we were to have checked out as well. Again, we just made sure our luggage was out of the room by 11am, and enjoyed the parks and Front of the line until close.

 

[macraven]

when the epp's are $19, a good indicator that park crowds will be low......
if in fact, there are any crowds at all that day.

it's when they are at the highest price when they reflect how large crowds could be.

 

[macraven]

Very good point.You should of put this on the stickys.

that's the one thing i and others constantly point out.
use what you would for the epp's towards a room on site.

 

[Nie0214]

I'm like 70% sure I'll be taking a solo-trip to Universal in February. It'd be cheaper for me to stay off-site and buy a pass, but since I'm going during Feb 6-8ish, I doubt I'll need it. I think I can get my butt out of bed in the morning to be there for opening too.

I'd love to stay on site, but paying $600 for just me is silly to me, the $400 I save can go toward another trip!

 

[Jonny_Duck]

Yea I just went a few days ago. Even though we rented a condo for the week I booked the RPR for the FOTL access and happy I did. I didnt even sleep there my sister and her bf did but it was definately worth it to me to get the passes. Especially since I only had about a day in the parks because we took turns watching the kids since they were burnt out from 4 days at Disney and so were we. I do have an AP so the room was just under $200 a night and the passes for 1 ride for 1 day was $42 so quite a bit of savings there.

 

[macraven]

I'm like 70% sure I'll be taking a solo-trip to Universal in February. It'd be cheaper for me to stay off-site and buy a pass, but since I'm going during Feb 6-8ish, I doubt I'll need it. I think I can get my butt out of bed in the morning to be there for opening too.

I'd love to stay on site, but paying $600 for just me is silly to me, the $400 I save can go toward another trip!

i go solo on my motherland and darkside trips and love it.
no one to tell me what to do or any "voting" on how to handle the day at the parks.......

i stay on site as mr mac tells me that is the only way he wants me to do the trips. i get lost driving all the time and i have lived in this small podunk town since late 80's..........very blonde i am, or should say i get easily distracted.

you can get some great deals for on site hotels based on the dates you go.

check out past threads in the trippie forum to see what people pay for different dates.

if you stay 4 nights, you can get the super saver rate. at rph, it came out to be $137 a night on some dates.

get AAA for a cheap price for membership, and get up to 35% discount on rooms depending on the dates.

if you go at low season, check uo calendar for dates, the prices are the cheapest. there will be promos out for that time periods in order to get more to stay on site. hotels like to be at a higher occupancy rate during low season.

but, bottom line is you do what you have to do in order to make a trip.

it's getting to the point my room at hrh is cheaper than the air fare.

 

[Nie0214]

Thanks for the tips, Macraven!

it's getting to the point my room at hrh is cheaper than the air fare.

I know, huh? The reason I'm even considering this solo trip (I'm debating inviting my 17 yo brother with me) is that I have $114 in Southwest credit that needs to be used by May, and there's no way I want to travel during Spring Break times!

 

[macraven]

Thanks for the tips, Macraven!



I know, huh? The reason I'm even considering this solo trip (I'm debating inviting my 17 yo brother with me) is that I have $114 in Southwest credit that needs to be used by May, and there's no way I want to travel during Spring Break times!

if you go when it is not mardi gras, rates should be low.

rates are good also in january but stay away from the 3 day weekend of king day.

you can take mears shuttle or quick silverrr car service very cheaply from mco to universal direct.

if you book thru universal vacations, you can do the transportation for under $30 rt.
little known fact.......

 

[macraven]

if your 17 year old brother doesn't sleep to noon and pays his way, take him if you are not used to doing things solo.

or meet up with other disers for a ride or two or a meal.

i do that a lot.

 

[tttessa]

Hiya -

we went in April with 2 kids and paid for the express passes - $80 for the 4 of us - I knew we' d only get one ride on each of the scary ones anyhow - we've persuaded the kids to at least try the rides -if they don't like them, they don't have to redo them...

We did not want to drag the kids out early just so we could do multiple rides, so even though it was a quiet day, we arrived late and we paid.....

We had a villa for 10 nights, so begrudge paying an additional $220 for hotel just for a couple of days FOTL - meaning we'd have to do US and IOA on consecutive days to get the most from it... If the express passes had been $50 then yes it would have made sense to us to change our plans around... So, sometimes it does make sense to pay for express passes - depends totally on your family and circumstances...

Tessa

 

[Orlando313]

I have a Premier Annual Pass. Ahhhh, I love it. The Express Pass after 4 option is perfect for me and TOTALLY worth it. I get off of work in the evenings, and instead of being lazy and sitting in front of the tv, I can go to Universal and ride every single ride. I wish Disney had an option like that.

However, that being said, I don't think I would ever pay extra if I did not have the annual pass, to buy an express pass. Seems like it would be a waste of money, but that's just me.

With the $80 extra dollars on the annual pass, I got the express pass after 4pm, 6 bottles of water, and a Halloween Horror Night. And also higher discounts off of food merchandise, and Blue Man Group. Such a good deal.

 

[Purseval]

However, that being said, I don't think I would ever pay extra if I did not have the annual pass, to buy an express pass. Seems like it would be a waste of money, but that's just me.

The only time an express pass might actually make sense is during Halloween Horror Nights, since getting there early isn't going to buy you anything except being near the front on one haunted house. By the time you're through that the rest will have lines. Notice I said might. I looked at the prices and, for the date I'm going, they want over twice my admission price for the express pass ($30 for admission, $70 for express) At that price they can keep it.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

The only time an express pass might actually make sense is during Halloween Horror Nights, since getting there early isn't going to buy you anything except being near the front on one haunted house. By the time you're through that the rest will have lines. Notice I said might. I looked at the prices and, for the date I'm going, they want over twice my admission price for the express pass ($30 for admission, $70 for express) At that price they can keep it.

I did the stay and scream last year and by 7:30 I had all the houses done! I never go on a Fri/Sat night. I usually go on a Thurs or Sunday Years ago, there was no such thing as Express pass for HHN (even when they had Express Pass ).
I have never gotten one for any HHN and have done every house, except one year. That was the year they had it in both parks. There was way too much walking, I had my 2 DD's with me and one of them was on the young side (12) with her friend (11) & they were afraid. I let my older DD and her friends go off on their own & I chose to stay out of some of the houses because of my younger DD, not the crowds. Her & her friend made the decision to go, I did not force them. They thought they were up to it.. and they made the wrong decision! My younger DD did not go back until this past year, her 15th birthday. She loves it now Her friend has never gone back she hates clowns!

 

[Metro West]

The only time an express pass might actually make sense is during Halloween Horror Nights, since getting there early isn't going to buy you anything except being near the front on one haunted house. By the time you're through that the rest will have lines. Notice I said might. I looked at the prices and, for the date I'm going, they want over twice my admission price for the express pass ($30 for admission, $70 for express) At that price they can keep it.

I'm with you there. I go opening night every year and purchase a Frequent Fear Pass. I usually get EP's on the nights I go but refuse to pay $69.99 for the EP on opening night. I'll do S & S and do what I can the first night and then go back the following Thursday to do the rest.

 

[lachica]

I've never been to HHN on opening night, but with the AP price at $29.99 that day and you guys mentioning meeting up I'm considering it. Since we are the "darkside" do you guys have the LGMH? Or should I pick up a black one?

 

[macraven]

we had a thread going last year for a poll of what color should represent the darkside.



i think the thread wasn't effective as not many posted on it.


i believe orange and blue were to two top vote getters.


black is good for me but it sure would get hot in the summer time in the parks.