My experience upgrading to annual passes

[ricosuave]

Just upgraded today. Got tickets through the Visit Orlando site. Buy 3 days, get 4th day free. We received credit for EXACTLY what we paid for the tickets, not for a 3 day (3 park) ticket ($369) as listed through Universal. We went to guest relations right after you enter Universal Studios. There was no bridging for us.

We upgraded on our last day and she said “technically” their not supposed to upgrade tickets that have already been used. This was news to me!

 

[tony67]

Yeah that does not sound totally right - they have always wanted people who bought a standard ticket to upgrade to an AP before they leave the parks.

They do have some rules around going from a 3 park to a 2 park if you used it in VB - but they will usually work with you if you did not use it in VB.
Same for using a regular ticket to enter the park on a day the pass would be blocked - like concert dates - I have heard that they will escort people out of the park after the upgrade.

I can understand why they would not bridge tickets - I would not expect to get more than I paid for the ticket.

That said i did have a ticket that cost more than an AP that was part of a package and they would not credit me back the amount over. I had to email them and they gave me a credit to use in the parks.

 

[macraven]

If your trip was recent during the pandemic, UO has been generous to the present guests.

Very nice they upgraded your pass.

 

[Elliemay2]

We currently have the 3 park to park buy 2 get 2 days free tickets in a package with one night at Royal Pacific.
Our plan is to go to the parks Sun, Mon, Wed (VB), Thurs.
We are planning on upgrading to a 3 park AP while at VB because we are planning on returning in Feb.
Our agent said this is the cheaper way since VB is blacked out for all of July for the AP we are wanting.
We also priced out getting AP now and buying VB tickets (5) and using the room discount.
The way we are planning ends up a bit cheaper.
Should we have any concerns?

 

[tony67]

We currently have the 3 park to park buy 2 get 2 days free tickets in a package with one night at Royal Pacific.
Our plan is to go to the parks Sun, Mon, Wed (VB), Thurs.
We are planning on upgrading to a 3 park AP while at VB because we are planning on returning in Feb.
Our agent said this is the cheaper way since VB is blacked out for all of July for the AP we are wanting.
We also priced out getting AP now and buying VB tickets (5) and using the room discount.
The way we are planning ends up a bit cheaper.
Should we have any concerns?

That is a tough one - no real way to know until the day you try to upgrade.
I've seen this be done to get around concert dates so they will usually work with you.

BTW - If you have no luck upgrading at VB maybe try updating at guest services in US the next day.

 

[keishashadow]

We upgraded on our last day and she said “technically” their not supposed to upgrade tickets that have already been used. This was news to me!

In the past was typically suggested to use the tix to enter the park before trying to upgade. Had to be a surprise, perhaps tightening up on that practice due to CV. Oh, the outcry if the same happens @

I can understand why they would not bridge tickets - I would not expect to get more than I paid for the ticket.

Well, it was standard practice in the past but not for the free day special type tix. If you pay for 3 days & one free, you’d get the ‘gate’ value vs any discount paid online. A very nice loophole to save a few bucks to then spend in the parks lol

That is a tough one - no real way to know until the day you try to upgrade.
I've seen this be done to get around concert dates so they will usually work with you.

Yes, they always seemed very flexible in the past. May have been a fluke for the OP or new policy. Time will tell

 

[georgina]

I don't know what tickets from the Visit Orlando Site look like, but when upgrading tickets from UT in my experience Universal has no idea what you paid for them; they can tell if it is a promo ticket but not how much it cost us, and we have always been given the UO cost of that specific ticket as our base value.

 

[Elliemay2]

BTW - If you have no luck upgrading at VB maybe try updating at guest services in US the next day.

We were told we needed up upgrade prior to our last day. If we leave VB early enough and they will not let us do it there, maybe we can try it in one of the other parks???

I am also curious if we need to wait until right before we leave VB or if we could do it when we get there and they still let us stay???

 

[macraven]

Upgrade at guest services after you leave VBay

 

[Elliemay2]

Upgrade at guest services after you leave VBay

Isn't that inside VBay?

 

[macraven]

I was thinking about guest services at City Walk, or the ones outside the parks - Islands or Studios

I’m not familiar with VBay guest services
Never went there as I don’t do water parks.

 

[tony67]

We were told we needed up upgrade prior to our last day. If we leave VB early enough and they will not let us do it there, maybe we can try it in one of the other parks???

I am also curious if we need to wait until right before we leave VB or if we could do it when we get there and they still let us stay???

Its possible they will escort you out when you upgrade - so be ready to head out.
I've heard of people being escorted out on concert days after upgrading to the AP

 

[DIS_MERI]

Admittedly nearly 4 years ago, but we had "buy 2 get 2 free" tickets from UT and we were able to get gate price towards AP upgrades, just not the first time we tried. Ended up getting them at the studios guest services equivalent just before you exit the park. I actually had success at the ticket windows going in for mine, but I was alone and needed the kids with me for theirs. They just loved going to multiple windows

 

[TheConsciousness]

Seems like a really good deal right now! 3 days of park hopper is ~$305. Seasonal AP is around the same with 3 months free! Anyone who has spent over that amount on tickets would do well to try and upgrade to AP for free before your last day of visit!

 

[tony67]

Seems like a really good deal right now! 3 days of park hopper is ~$305. Seasonal AP is ~$270 with 3 months free! Anyone who has spent over $270 on tickets would do well to try and upgrade to AP for free!

The Seasonal pass is a great deal as long as the Blackout dates dont affect you.
The concert dates are the ones that are the most issues for me.

Also the $270 is for FL residents. its $305 for non residents

 

[TheConsciousness]

Also the $270 is for FL residents. its $305 for non residents

Oooh thank you, that would explain the other thread about the web page defaulting to the FL resident rate!

 

[sasmom]

Just upgraded today. Got tickets through the Visit Orlando site. Buy 3 days, get 4th day free. We received credit for EXACTLY what we paid for the tickets, not for a 3 day (3 park) ticket ($369) as listed through Universal. We went to guest relations right after you enter Universal Studios. There was no bridging for us.

We upgraded on our last day and she said “technically” their not supposed to upgrade tickets that have already been used. This was news to me!

Did you get the 3 free months promo with the upgrade?

 

[greg9x]

Just upgraded today. Got tickets through the Visit Orlando site. Buy 3 days, get 4th day free. We received credit for EXACTLY what we paid for the tickets, not for a 3 day (3 park) ticket ($369) as listed through Universal. We went to guest relations right after you enter Universal Studios. There was no bridging for us.

We upgraded on our last day and she said “technically” their not supposed to upgrade tickets that have already been used. This was news to me!

Curious what the exact ticket you were given from Visit Orlando...if it was a unique promotional ticket from them, then probably why only got what you paid.

It has to be a ticket Universal sells at gate/website to get the full credit for the price they charge. Obviously if there was a "4th day Free" it wasn't a standard 3 day ticket. I don't see where Universal is selling a "Buy 3 days, get 4th day free", especially since they ARE selling a "Buy 2 days, get 2 days free" ticket which should be the better deal anyway for 4 days. So, if Visit Orlando had given you a standard 4 day ticket for the price of a 3 day, then you would have gotten credit for a 4 day ticket at Universals price... but since you got a unique ticket from them that Universal doesn't sell, you only get price you paid (and Universal obviously knows what it was).

Also sounds like you got a CM who wasn't fully aware of the rules... plenty of people upgrade on their last day . Know we got one who "had to get approval" for our upgrade, he didn't seem confident of what he was doing.... I just played along with the implied 'favor' for getting approval... if I hadn't gotten it, just would have went to another CM who knew what they were doing.

 

[frank808]

I was there just a week before OP. We bought from UCT the 2 park 2 days get 2 days free ticket. Went to guest services inside Islands of adventure when we were leaving. Asked to upgrade 2 tickets to seasonal and TM first said he couldn't do it. I asked why and he said that the seasonal pass cost less than the ticket. I told him that the seasonal pass ($305)cost more than my ticket ($295). He said oh your out of state so it will be $10 plus tax to upgrade. He already had my Hawaii DL in his hand, so yes I am from out of state. I upgraded mine to a preferred pass and was charged $100 plus tax. We also got the 3 months free for getting the AP.

Seemed like they will not upgrade to AP if the cost of the AP is less than the price of media being upgraded. This just baffles me.

 

[ricosuave]

I just looked and I DIDN'T get the 3 extra months!