Making do without Express Passes

Andy B

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jan 2, 2007
Messages
2,009
We are visiting in August and although have been bofore not at a time where express passes need to be bought. I am not keen on spending the extra for 4 of us so is it still possible to enjoy a day without using express passes?
 
When in August are you all going?....The first two weeks will be relatively crowded, the third week less crowded, and the forth week not so bad at all. You can certainly enjoy the parks without express passes, but if you are touring during the first few weeks, the passes would certainly improve your experience...I think it would be worth a few extra pounds..
 
Agree, school starts on August 20th. Before that the parks will be very busy, but they do stay open until 10pm.

After that they close early, 9pm, then 8pm, but the crowds are less.

I tell everyone to do the two visit approach. Arrive the parking garage at 07:45am, tour a park, leave in the afternoon, come back at night.

Many like to sleep in because they're on vacation. They get a late start, eat breakfast, take their time, all show up at 11am and this is the worst time to arrive. In the busy summer months, the park actually opens at 08:30am, but they don't say it, just happens. So if you arrive the parking garage at 07:45am, and get in line at the gate, you'll have about 2 hours of short waits before the herd of people arrive.

Many people don't know this, but there's no rope drop like they have at Disney. The order you stand at the gate is the order you enter the park. So if you go in first, you have the entire park to yourself for a few minutes.
 

When in August are you all going?....The first two weeks will be relatively crowded, the third week less crowded, and the forth week not so bad at all. You can certainly enjoy the parks without express passes, but if you are touring during the first few weeks, the passes would certainly improve your experience...I think it would be worth a few extra pounds..

The few extra pounds seems to be $25.99 for each of 4 so $103.96 or £53 in addition to the admission!
 
Not to make light of the cost and your desire to minimize additional expenses, but you are coming across the pond and spending what I would imagine to be a good sum on this trip, so I think the benefits of the express passes are worth the relatively small additional expense. Perhaps look for ways to trim out costs from other parts of the trip? Just saying this because I hate waiting in lines, and I hate to see others wait in lines!!
 
Not to make light of the cost and your desire to minimize additional expenses, but you are coming across the pond and spending what I would imagine to be a good sum on this trip, so I think the benefits of the express passes are worth the relatively small additional expense. Perhaps look for ways to trim out costs from other parts of the trip? Just saying this because I hate waiting in lines, and I hate to see others wait in lines!!

I appeciate your thoughts but the additional costs are 50% of the ticket price, I am seeing it as a percentage not just a cash sum. We will go because my son likes coasters but with DC including sea worls and disney tickets allready aquired I am just feeling a bit put on.
 
Last August, me, DSis and DMom did not have express passes and managed to see everything at US (didn't do IOA, so can't comment on that park), and even went on a few rides 2 or 3 times (Mummy, MIB, Shrek). We arrived at opening, did Mummy, MIB, Jaws first, then did some show-type attractions, and later in the afternoon did ET and BTTF. Our longest wait was for BTTF and that was about 30 minutes. We got off of our last ride at 8:45 pm and got a good spot around the lake for the movie/fireworks show. At US, it can certainly be done.
 












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