Just back tonight..without express pass..bummer

[Blueberry]

I guess I am just venting here, as I am a long time Universal visitor to the parks. We just returned tonight and I have to say without the free express passes, lines are once again long for each attraction. If you go first thing in the morning you can get on the top attractions with no wait, but by noontime expect to stand in long lines. I was there last friday and monday of this week, trying to avoid the weekend as I knew it would be bad. Years ago we stood in long lines at Universal before there was an Express Pass, and to me it is like a return to the old days. I am bummed over it, but nothing anyone can do but buy an Express Pass or stay on site. I recommend if you are going in a busy time you get there very early or buy an Express Pass if you are not staying in one of the resorts.

 

[mom2riceboys]

We just got back too. We were there last Thurs, Fri and Sat. I was really surprised by the crowds. Fortunately, we stayed at RPR and had FOTL. Hope you still had a good time.

 

[Slacking]

Shows that an itnerary and planning can go a long way.


I for one cannot wait to visit amusement parks this summer and get to wait in line and not worry about Express/FastPass, etc. IMO, thats what parks are all about.

 

[snjmorrison]

They don't have fast pass machines for guests anymore?

 

[EBONYPRINCESS]

No, seems as if the park is catering to those who have the big bucks to stay on site..Seems like the least they can do is offer express to annual pass holders at a discount...

 

[TIGGERGUY]

I was unhappy but not suprised to hear about the demise of free fastpasses at US. From now on I will only go during the quietest times of year. I don't have much patience for 30-90 minutes of standing in line for a 2 minute ride.

 

[magicmouse2]

They are 'forcing ' us to stay onsite. I am not buying an express pass and I hate lines so its got to be onsite for us. I like RPR but it was cramped for our family in one room. I would rather stay in a villa but I need those fotl passes.

 

[brivers222]

we went yesterday May 17th without express passes and after reading this thread I got really freaked... To make matters worse, we didn't even get to the park until 10:30am and then my wife decided to fill out that application for the chase Master card (another 1/2 hour) then we finally made it to the Universal Studios side.

Much to my amazement... The longest wait we had for ANY ride there (and we went on pretty much everything there in 8 hours) was for the mummy and that was 25 mins.

The park was empty empty empty... We are going to IOA side today before we head home and hopefully the lines will be about the same. I can't justify spending now $140.00 for FOTL access when lines are shorter than 50 mins.

 

[GOOFYFREEK]

We just got back today from 2 days a IOA/US and right now it the time to be there. Though we stayed at HRH the longest lines we saw where for Hulk 40min at 2 pm and the park was full of field trips. Most others where 20-25 min

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

Honestly... I have really mixed feelings about Express. I wish it weren't there... I wish it was like Disney's FastPass again... I wish hotels could have different perks or could be the ONLY way to "buy" Express... but.. I love it, I take advantage of it, and I would not visit the parks without it.

I wish Universal would open a Value hotel. Now that'd be awesome, but I don't think they could offer Express...

 

[Peter Pirate]

I wrote to USO in this regard and got a very blase or tepid response at best...I'm not sure we're going to be renewing our AP's this year at this point...I guess I'll wait and see how this line situation averages out. Unlike Slacking, I have no desire to stand in any theme park line, my time is more valuable to me than that.

 

[Blueberry]

Yes we did have a good time at Universal and it does show that crowds ebb and flow even on weekdays there..some days are better than others is all. I got unlucky and was there on two very crowded weekdays, but they were surrounding the Mothers Day Weekend so I am not too surprised. Standing in long lines is not my idea of fun at Universal, so I guess next time we go I will buy an Express Pass if the crowds are heavy as they were those days.

 

[Mainebound]

I would have to agree with OP. We were at IOA on 5/8 and US on 5/9. We wanted to buy Express Passes on 5/8 but the ticket lady told us it would be a waste of money. Well, it would have been, for the first few hours. But by 1:00pm lines were very long. The next day we bought the Express Passes for $15 each and it was the best $75 we spent all trip.

One thing I will note, off topic, is that the ride attendants did not seem to even check our passes in the uncrowded morning hours. It was not until we tried to get on MIB in the afternoon that someone actually scanned our express passes.

We did NOT try to use them more than once at any ride, but I wondered later if we could have.

Final point: FWIW, we usually do our WDW/USO trip in early March. Everyone on the DIS told us we would have lower crowds in early May. Well, maybe attendance this March was way up, too, but after three years going in early March I can definitely say that this May was way more crowded than we have ever had to deal with at any of the parks. It is back to March trips for our family.

 

[Blueberry]

I would have to agree with OP. We were at IOA on 5/8 and US on 5/9. We wanted to buy Express Passes on 5/8 but the ticket lady told us it would be a waste of money. Well, it would have been, for the first few hours. But by 1:00pm lines were very long. The next day we bought the Express Passes for $15 each and it was the best $75 we spent all trip.

One thing I will note, off topic, is that the ride attendants did not seem to even check our passes in the uncrowded morning hours. It was not until we tried to get on MIB in the afternoon that someone actually scanned our express passes.

We did NOT try to use them more than once at any ride, but I wondered later if we could have.

Final point: FWIW, we usually do our WDW/USO trip in early March. Everyone on the DIS told us we would have lower crowds in early May. Well, maybe attendance this March was way up, too, but after three years going in early March I can definitely say that this May was way more crowded than we have ever had to deal with at any of the parks. It is back to March trips for our family.

That is EXACTLY how it was the days we were there..and we are going back to visiting in March also, May is tooo crowded and hot for us..see ya at Universal next March!!!.....

 

[jessica52877]

We went friday and many of the lines were way too long for me to stand in. But growing up I wouldn't have thought anything of it. With a 3 year old, whom is extremely good in a line, I pick and choose what I will wait for. The river ride was 90 minutes, and most others averaged around 40-50 including the kiddie rides. We only went on the Cat in the Hat at IOA and it will be a LONG time before return!!!

The park was filled with RUDE kids! At several points you couldn't even get through the walkway and so many were climbing up and over things that said no climbing, etc. I just don't like to expose my son to such behavior. My husband was so right in saying if he was the principal of these schools, either a) they would be made to act normal or b) he would never have them wear shirts saying what school they were from.

We have to remember they are just kids, but unruly ones, for the most part!

 

[phamton]

During the last couple of weeks, "school field trip" kids are all over all the themeparks (including Disney and Seaworld) right now. Luckily Saturday was the last day for most of them.

 

[Peter Pirate]

Could be true phamtom but at least Disney has FASTPASS.

I've been visiting other sites and I have to say USO is taking it on the chin in the PR dept. with this boneheaded move.

I've decided not to renew our family of 4 AP's (even at two for one) because the prospect of lines is just too disconcerting. I've noticed (on the various websites) many locals are feeling betrayed.

When they wake up and reinstate EP I'll be back.

 

[DonnaLeah]

Express Pass Plus was going to cost our family of 3, $40 a day for one park or $50 a day for the 2-park ticket. Our time frame is Aug2-4!! That is why I decided to spend the extra money and stay onsite. However, If I were a Florida resident and had annual passes I think I would be pretty ticked off about the demise of regular express pass!!!

 

[Sleepy]

One thing I will note, off topic, is that the ride attendants did not seem to even check our passes in the uncrowded morning hours. It was not until we tried to get on MIB in the afternoon that someone actually scanned our express passes.

This was my biggest pet peeve with the original free Express system. Ride attendants not checking the tickets to see if they were expired or if they were even for that ride. One woman bragged to us that she had used the same ticket all day. We were at ET and she had an Express pass for another ride that had expired earlier that morning. The ride attendant waved her entire family through.

 

[brivers222]

The park was filled with RUDE kids! At several points you couldn't even get through the walkway and so many were climbing up and over things that said no climbing, etc. I just don't like to expose my son to such behavior. My husband was so right in saying if he was the principal of these schools, either a) they would be made to act normal or b) he would never have them wear shirts saying what school they were from.

AMEN Horrible kids. I went to US/IOA for the first time ever because everyone said how cool it was compared to Disney World. Those kids were obnoxious and it is because of them that I have no intention on going back for a very long time. If I want rude kids on my vacation I will drive 2 hours to Cedar Point rather than 19 hours to Florida.

The waits were minimal at best 20mins per ride all day, we went on everything in 2 days... But the atmosphere and the unattended kids wrecked our first impression of the parks.