Is Universal Express going to be discontinued?

[Tay N Evie's Mom]

I read a few weeks ago on the WDW theme park discussion board that US was going to do away with Universal Express for their onsite hotels. Is this true? We want to go back to US probably in spring/early summer 2007 and I loved the convenience of it, especially if we go when the kids are out of school. Please say it isn't so...

 

[phamton]

They were wrong. Universal did away with their free express kiosks but not the front of the line express for hotel guests. There is absolutely no plans to do away with FOTL for onsite hotel guests.

 

[macraven]

do away with FOTL.........??

never !!

its the one thing that keeps the hotels packed at this point.well, that and HHN

i highly doubt that will ever happen, do away with fotl for the hotel guests.
if they did, many more would stay off site and save a lot of money. as it is now, ep can be bought by anyone, can you imagine how many more people would be buying ep if that would happen.......

 

[macraven]

hey, wait, i just reread your post.


i see you read that rumor on the disney theme park board.

figures..............


pay no attention to what they say there. most of them never come to the dark side. ask one of the universal groupies and you will get the low down on it all.

 

[Sylvester McBean]

you can trust people on the Universal boards to tell you the truth about WDW. but never trust anyone on the WDW boards to tell you the truth about Universal.

 

[macraven]

see, mcbean knows his beans about this one too

 

[Tay N Evie's Mom]

Thanks so much for your responses. I love Express and think it's the only way to experience US. I'd like to go back to US sooner, but... I have twins-a DS and DD who turned 8 last Saturday. DS takes after DH and is tall and thin-measured 51 1/2 inches in socks today. DD was only 49 inches in socks and I know there is no way she will be tall enough for Hulk and Dueling Dragons this year-DS probably by Christmas. We went through this a few years ago when DS was 48 inches, but she was not and was very upset when he got to ride Space Mountain. They love rollercoasters and want to ride the ones at US really bad! We're going on DCL in Dec and I was considering taking a few days for US, but we'll just have to wait. DH and I will be celebrating our 15th anniversary July 2007, and are going to do a cruise then. We'll have to add a few days at the HRH and US then!

 

[mill4023]

you can trust people on the Universal boards to tell you the truth about WDW. but never trust anyone on the WDW boards to tell you the truth about Universal.

You're joking right?

 

[macraven]

You're joking right?

why would he?

he's telling you the truth. you do get straight answers from people on these forums

 

[Sylvester McBean]

You're joking right?

I couldn't be more serious if I tried. most people I know who visit Universal on a regular basis frequent WDW as well. many people on the Universal boards (myself included) have AP's to both properties, so there's no bias. I'll tell you the truth about all six parks and collective resorts and restaurants.

 

[mill4023]

I couldn't be more serious if I tried. most people I know who visit Universal on a regular basis frequent WDW as well. many people on the Universal boards (myself included) have AP's to both properties, so there's no bias. I'll tell you the truth about all six parks and collective resorts and restaurants.

That's a broad generalization about those of us on the Disney boards. Sure, there are a few silly Disney fans who bash Universal even though they've never been there. But if you look, you'll find that there are a lot of people over there who also have AP's to both properties and enjoy them both.

 

[Notatourist]

Repeat after me....


FOTL for express is wrong. Hotel guests and express pass plus holders get into the express line.

The only true front of the line (no wait at all) is the VIP tour.

Thank you, this has been a recording...

 

[ThePhantomsGirl]

Repeat after me....
FOTL for express is wrong. Hotel guests and express pass plus holders get into the express line.
The only true front of the line (no wait at all) is the VIP tour.
Thank you, this has been a recording...

Notatourist....as a Team Member...I LOVE YOU!!!

Seriously, I cringe when I hear the term " FOTL - front of the line"! People expect they'll walk up to the door of a ride or show and get right on.... If there are anywhere from 2 to 200 people in the Express line - SOMEBODY has to be behind someone else....how can more than one person BE "front of the line?" And if a ride/show only runs every few minutes - there will always be SOME wait.

 

[Sylvester McBean]

That's a broad generalization about those of us on the Disney boards. Sure, there are a few silly Disney fans who bash Universal even though they've never been there. But if you look, you'll find that there are a lot of people over there who also have AP's to both properties and enjoy them both.

I spend a lot of time on the WDW side of the boards as well, because my family enjoys WDW very much. out of the 90,000 people registered on this website, I can probably count on both hands how many people on the WDW side talk of their Universal AP's. just my experience.

 

[Notatourist]

Notatourist....as a Team Member...I LOVE YOU!!!

Seriously, I cringe when I hear the term " FOTL - front of the line"! People expect they'll walk up to the door of a ride or show and get right on.... If there are anywhere from 2 to 200 people in the Express line - SOMEBODY has to be behind someone else....how can more than one person BE "front of the line?" And if a ride/show only runs every few minutes - there will always be SOME wait.

Love is fickle..I take cash!

And yes, I know exactly what you mean....

 

[ChrisFL]

You're joking right?

he isn't joking at all...I've seen it more times than I can count....people who have never been to Universal or claim to be there and say it's "just like six flags" or "there's nothing for kids to do" or "I stayed 15 mins, hated it and left".

It isn't as bad as it was when IOA first opened and you'd think the gates of the devil had opened the way people went on about it, but it's still bad.

 

[damo]

Remember that person who was complaining about the Cat in the Hat ride? The ride was good but the story was lame!!!! I think that was the same person who did the park in 15 minutes, hated it and left demanding their money back at the gate.

We've heard it all. About the filth, the rude employees, the poor maintenance, the subpar hotels, the drinking, the swearing, the smoking, the rude teenagers, etc. etc. It just gets to the point of being ridiculous at times.

 

[mill4023]

Remember that person who was complaining about the Cat in the Hat ride? The ride was good but the story was lame!!!! I think that was the same person who did the park in 15 minutes, hated it and left demanding their money back at the gate.

We've heard it all. About the filth, the rude employees, the poor maintenance, the subpar hotels, the drinking, the swearing, the smoking, the rude teenagers, etc. etc. It just gets to the point of being ridiculous at times.

I won't disagree with you on that. I am also surprised about some of the hostility towards Universal. Just please don't lump all of us on the WDW boards into the same group.

 

[damo]

I won't disagree with you on that. I am also surprised about some of the hostility towards Universal. Just please don't lump all of us on the WDW boards into the same group.

We all post there too!

 

[Sylvester McBean]

I won't disagree with you on that. I am also surprised about some of the hostility towards Universal. Just please don't lump all of us on the WDW boards into the same group.

I don't mean to lump any group of people together or to overgeneralize. I'm not a CM or TM at any of the parks. but if you combine WDW, Universal, and Busch Gardens/Seaworld... I've been to these parks hundreds of times. my 12 year old daughter could probably find her way around any of them blindfolded. in the past 3 years or so, I've witnessed Universal Orlando overtake Disney in pretty much every facet of customer service, and I'm not going to the parks to be catered to. it breaks me up because I love both properties. I love to see Universal shine and I hate to see Disney lapse. but that's pretty much the state of the union.

we've got a few sets of friends and families from Illinois staying at All-Star Sports for the cheerleader competitions right now. everyone we've talked to has remarked on how dirty the resort is. scuff marks, peeling paint. as Walt would have said, "Bad theater". so it chaps my butt when people on the WDW boards who have no idea of what the other parks have to offer, slam them. spend enough time in all of them and you'll get an idea of who's providing "Good theater". unfortunately, it's not the namesake of the man who invented the modern theme park, and that's just sad.