More Days w/ No Express Passes or 2 days with Express Passes

smithk75

Earning My Ears
Joined
Nov 18, 2011
We're planning a 7-night trip to the Orlando area in late March. We currently have a VRBO, but also booked a 2-night hotel stay at Universal that includes Express Passes and 2-day park to park tickets. Now I'm reading about annual passes, and am wondering if it might be better to get the 2-park season pass (our dates aren't blocked out,and we don't plan to do Volcano Bay) and go for up to 6 days but with no Express Passes. Any feedback? I haven't been to universal for over 20 years. Feeling clueless.
 
You could always upgrade your tickets after going two days, and then you can come back during that following year, maybe scoring an AP rate for the hotel you want to stay at. Since you already have a VRBO, I’d stay with the two nights, and upgrade your tickets so you can go the third day, as your hotel express is good the day you checkout. And if you want to visit the parks while you stay off site, make one of the passes a preferred pass. The preferred gets free parking in the City Walk garages, as well as 10 percent off most food and merchandise.

My adult kids have seasonal passes, but I have a preferred. Works for us.
 
Is that you have double-booked with 2 nights on the same days as your 7 days? If that's the case, save the money, cancel the 2 day hotel, and get the APs and just enjoy leisurely time in the parks and come back again the following year...
 
We're planning a 7-night trip to the Orlando area in late March. We currently have a VRBO, but also booked a 2-night hotel stay at Universal that includes Express Passes and 2-day park to park tickets. Now I'm reading about annual passes, and am wondering if it might be better to get the 2-park season pass (our dates aren't blocked out,and we don't plan to do Volcano Bay) and go for up to 6 days but with no Express Passes. Any feedback? I haven't been to universal for over 20 years. Feeling clueless.
For Sunday to Thursday nights, there are deep annual pass discounts at Universal for the rest of 2021.

Check out this link to price out a few nights. (And you don't need to have an annual pass to book a room; you only need it before you check out.)

Universal Orlando Resort

The basic strategy is to buy at least one annual pass and then use it to book a deeply discounted room. For example, I am paying $209/night for the Hard Rock Hotel later this month.
 


To add to the other good points already made, I went the preferred route myself to get the parking and the discounts (plus my schedule allows me to make more trips down). I bought the seasonal pass for my wife and son since it was basically the same price as a 3 day two park pass. I have made three trips in the last year always booking premier hotels with the annual pass rate to get the express pass. The pass really made a difference in cutting down on wait time. On one trip I took my son during a seasonal pass blackout date and just had to pay $50 to upgrade his pass to a power pass. If you plan on making more than one trip in a twelve month period, think about getting the seasonal passes, save money by eliminating the double booking, and book a premier hotel with the AP rate on a future trip.
 



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