my ticket experience

[WVMomof3]

I just wanted to give an update on my ticket experience for the parks last week. I bought 2 tickets from Undercover Tourist before the prices went up. I got the 2+1 day for $225 each. I knew I wanted to upgrade at least 1 ticket to AP to get the hotel discount. Depending on the how much the upgrade cost, I had considered upgrading 2 of the tickets. I got mixed reviews before I left if Universal bridged the prices of tickets to current prices before upgrading. I had Undercover mail the actual ticket to me. I bought 3 of my tickets from Sams Club travel. I was not sure if these were upgradeable, the only reply I got was probably not. I bought 3 day park to park for $215 each. These tickets were Etickets that I printed from home.

We folded the Etickets up and put them in our lanyard with just the barcode showing. They worked fine like this. But since some people said you could exchange for actual tickets and some people said you could not, I decided to try it out. We went to the ticket window by Harry Potter and they were happy to exchange the print out for actual tickets.

On the last day we went to upgrade the 1 ticket to AP. The price was $10.60! So yes please, upgrade mine too! We both had the undercover tourist tickets. I went back and told my husband how much it was and we decided we might as well try to upgrade theirs as well. So went back to guest services and yep, was able to upgrade all 3 of their Sams club tickets as well! So we paid $225.88+$10.60=$236.48 for 2 seasonal APs and $215.17+$10.60=$225.77 for 3 seasonal APs! Not even sure if we will use them again, but felt good about gambling on it for $10 extra each.

 

[Toy Story Fan]

I just wanted to give an update on my ticket experience for the parks last week. I bought 2 tickets from Undercover Tourist before the prices went up. I got the 2+1 day for $225 each. I knew I wanted to upgrade at least 1 ticket to AP to get the hotel discount. Depending on the how much the upgrade cost, I had considered upgrading 2 of the tickets. I got mixed reviews before I left if Universal bridged the prices of tickets to current prices before upgrading. I had Undercover mail the actual ticket to me. I bought 3 of my tickets from Sams Club travel. I was not sure if these were upgradeable, the only reply I got was probably not. I bought 3 day park to park for $215 each. These tickets were Etickets that I printed from home.

We folded the Etickets up and put them in our lanyard with just the barcode showing. They worked fine like this. But since some people said you could exchange for actual tickets and some people said you could not, I decided to try it out. We went to the ticket window by Harry Potter and they were happy to exchange the print out for actual tickets.

On the last day we went to upgrade the 1 ticket to AP. The price was $10.60! So yes please, upgrade mine too! We both had the undercover tourist tickets. I went back and told my husband how much it was and we decided we might as well try to upgrade theirs as well. So went back to guest services and yep, was able to upgrade all 3 of their Sams club tickets as well! So we paid $225.88+$10.60=$236.48 for 2 seasonal APs and $215.17+$10.60=$225.77 for 3 seasonal APs! Not even sure if we will use them again, but felt good about gambling on it for $10 extra each.

Thank you for sharing! We will be changing our UT tickets this coming weekend to seasonal APs. I am thrilled it will only be $10.60 per person to upgrade!! Can't wait!!!

 

[perditax]

I just wanted to give an update on my ticket experience for the parks last week. I bought 2 tickets from Undercover Tourist before the prices went up. I got the 2+1 day for $225 each. I knew I wanted to upgrade at least 1 ticket to AP to get the hotel discount. Depending on the how much the upgrade cost, I had considered upgrading 2 of the tickets. I got mixed reviews before I left if Universal bridged the prices of tickets to current prices before upgrading. I had Undercover mail the actual ticket to me. I bought 3 of my tickets from Sams Club travel. I was not sure if these were upgradeable, the only reply I got was probably not. I bought 3 day park to park for $215 each. These tickets were Etickets that I printed from home.

We folded the Etickets up and put them in our lanyard with just the barcode showing. They worked fine like this. But since some people said you could exchange for actual tickets and some people said you could not, I decided to try it out. We went to the ticket window by Harry Potter and they were happy to exchange the print out for actual tickets.

On the last day we went to upgrade the 1 ticket to AP. The price was $10.60! So yes please, upgrade mine too! We both had the undercover tourist tickets. I went back and told my husband how much it was and we decided we might as well try to upgrade theirs as well. So went back to guest services and yep, was able to upgrade all 3 of their Sams club tickets as well! So we paid $225.88+$10.60=$236.48 for 2 seasonal APs and $215.17+$10.60=$225.77 for 3 seasonal APs! Not even sure if we will use them again, but felt good about gambling on it for $10 extra each.

Thanks. Wish I would have jumped on the park tickets sooner.

Did you buy the tickets from Sam's online? I didn't know that was an option. I have a membership but never knew they had travel.

 

[WVMomof3]

Thanks. Wish I would have jumped on the park tickets sooner.

Did you buy the tickets from Sam's online? I didn't know that was an option. I have a membership but never knew they had travel.

Yes, online. If you go to the sams website, there is a link in the bottom section that says travel. Once in the travel section put in dates and Orlando and go to Attractions, I think it is.

 

[WVMomof3]

Thank you for sharing! We will be changing our UT tickets this coming weekend to seasonal APs. I am thrilled it will only be $10.60 per person to upgrade!! Can't wait!!!

I hope you get it before the prices go up! I just saw someone post the prices for AP increasing.

 

[WVMomof3]

Also, we upgraded at the Guest Services just inside Universal Studios. Some people had posted that some other Guest Services did not bridge. We had 2 different people help us at this Guest Service and both worked out.

 

[shh]

So we paid $225.88+$10.60=$236.48 for 2 seasonal APs and $215.17+$10.60=$225.77 for 3 seasonal APs!

Glad it worked out! But just wondering if anyone can clarify the policy before I purchase- I'm a bit confused.

The Fla resident rate - which is supposedly a discounted rate - for a seasonal AP costs $259 to buy. It's $284 for out of state visitors. If I purchase a regular 3 day ticket, use the value completely (meaning I upgrade on last day), they'll sell me a seasonal pass for a lower selling price than if I buy the pass from the start?

I have one seasonal pass I haven't redeemed yet and was planning on buying another one for my DH. But it sounds like i'll actually be penalized - paying far more than if I just bought him a 3 day park to park tic instead, used it entirely, then upgraded on final day?

 

[damo]

I hope you get it before the prices go up! I just saw someone post the prices for AP increasing.

It is AP renewal prices that are rumoured to be increasing.

 

[WVMomof3]

So we paid $225.88+$10.60=$236.48 for 2 seasonal APs and $215.17+$10.60=$225.77 for 3 seasonal APs!

Glad it worked out! But just wondering if anyone can clarify the policy before I purchase- I'm a bit confused.

The Fla resident rate - which is supposedly a discounted rate - for a seasonal AP costs $259 to buy. It's $284 for out of state visitors. If I purchase a regular 3 day ticket, use the value completely (meaning I upgrade on last day), they'll sell me a seasonal pass for a lower selling price than if I buy the pass from the start?

I have one seasonal pass I haven't redeemed yet and was planning on buying another one for my DH. But it sounds like i'll actually be penalized - paying far more than if I just bought him a 3 day park to park tic instead, used it entirely, then upgraded on final day?

The price at the gate for the 3 day park to park is $274.99 and the Seasonal AP is $284.99, thus a $10 difference (0.60 tax?). (I am not a Florida resident) It sounds like the price of the park to parks went way up last week after I purchased, so not sure what you can get them for now, but if you can get them cheaper than $274, then it should come out cheaper to buy the 3 day ticket. You do not need to wait till the last day, that is just when I remembered to do it. It should work after you use it the first time, depending on if you get a Guest services person who will bridge the ticket. There have been reports of people not being able to bridge tickets, so it is a YMMV type of thing.

 

[TheConsciousness]

The price at the gate for the 3 day park to park is $274.99 and the Seasonal AP is $284.99, thus a $10 difference (0.60 tax?). (I am not a Florida resident) It sounds like the price of the park to parks went way up last week after I purchased, so not sure what you can get them for now, but if you can get them cheaper than $274, then it should come out cheaper to buy the 3 day ticket. You do not need to wait till the last day, that is just when I remembered to do it. It should work after you use it the first time, depending on if you get a Guest services person who will bridge the ticket. There have been reports of people not being able to bridge tickets, so it is a YMMV type of thing.

So is the only reason to not buy an AP first is to get your full days in the park using the tickets, then allowing you an extra 365 days to visit again?

 

[iivye]

Thank you for sharing! We will be changing our UT tickets this coming weekend to seasonal APs. I am thrilled it will only be $10.60 per person to upgrade!! Can't wait!!!

We will be upgrading ours this weekend too. Unfortunately, I have to wait until Sunday to upgrade so we can get into Universal Studios on the concert dates so I will probably be hit with the increased seasonal pass cost.

 

[Mom3girls]

We will be upgrading ours this weekend too. Unfortunately, I have to wait until Sunday to upgrade so we can get into Universal Studios on the concert dates so I will probably be hit with the increased seasonal pass cost.

I don't think the passes are increasing in price (they just went up). I believe there is an increase in the price to RENEW your passes you already have that are expiring

 

[Toy Story Fan]

We will be upgrading ours this weekend too. Unfortunately, I have to wait until Sunday to upgrade so we can get into Universal Studios on the concert dates so I will probably be hit with the increased seasonal pass cost.

I'm changing ours Sunday as well! Like Mom3girls says, the increase price is only on renewing annual passes, so you still get the price to upgrade. Have a great time!

 

[WVMomof3]

So is the only reason to not buy an AP first is to get your full days in the park using the tickets, then allowing you an extra 365 days to visit again?

The AP starts on the first day you use the tickets regardless of when you upgrade. You do not get extra days by using the ticket first. The reason to not buy the AP first is to save money.

 

[perditax]

Quick bump to say I logged into my Sams club account, went to Sam's Travel, and checked prices. 3 and 4 day park-to-park tickets are currently significantly cheaper there than buying through UO, and are even a little cheaper than UT's current Cyber Monday sale.

First column is adult, second column is child

2-Park 2-Day Base Ticket $190.70 $180.39
2-Park 3-Day Base Ticket $206.73 $196.64
2-Park 4-Day Base Ticket $209.58 $199.84
2-Park 5-Day Base Ticket $216.81 $207.17
2-Park 2-Day Park to Park Ticket $223.82 $214.29
2-Park 3-Day Park to Park Ticket $238.57 $229.23
2-Park 4-Day Park to Park Ticket $246.45 $237.14
2-Park 5-Day Park to Park Ticket $254.21 $244.97

I've gone most of the way through the checkout process and no taxes/fees appear to be added.

 

[TheConsciousness]

So if Seasonal APs are $285 and the Black Friday 2+2free deal is $250 (usually $282 for 4 day), we would have to pay $3 to upgrade to APs?
$285 - $282 = $3?

 

[iivye]

So if Seasonal APs are $285 and the Black Friday 2+2free deal is $250 (usually $282 for 4 day), we would have to pay $3 to upgrade to APs?
$285 - $282 = $3?

It is questionable that a 2 + 2 ticket is upgradable. They might only give you credit for the 2 paid days. You would have to search the boards to see if anyone has been able to upgrade that kind of ticket.

 

[WVMomof3]

Quick bump to say I logged into my Sams club account, went to Sam's Travel, and checked prices. 3 and 4 day park-to-park tickets are currently significantly cheaper there than buying through UO, and are even a little cheaper than UT's current Cyber Monday sale.

First column is adult, second column is child

2-Park 2-Day Base Ticket $190.70 $180.39
2-Park 3-Day Base Ticket $206.73 $196.64
2-Park 4-Day Base Ticket $209.58 $199.84
2-Park 5-Day Base Ticket $216.81 $207.17
2-Park 2-Day Park to Park Ticket $223.82 $214.29
2-Park 3-Day Park to Park Ticket $238.57 $229.23
2-Park 4-Day Park to Park Ticket $246.45 $237.14
2-Park 5-Day Park to Park Ticket $254.21 $244.97

I've gone most of the way through the checkout process and no taxes/fees appear to be added.

Nothing was added when I bought them. The price was what was listed. They were the cheapest when I was looking, wish I had bought all 5 there, but wasn't sure if they were upgradeable. Some of them did say they must be used this year, I think it was a combo ticket with a waterpark. There was no dates on my tickets when I printed them.

 

[WVMomof3]

So if Seasonal APs are $285 and the Black Friday 2+2free deal is $250 (usually $282 for 4 day), we would have to pay $3 to upgrade to APs?
$285 - $282 = $3?

When the UT had both the 2+1 day and the 2+2 days it was reported that the 2+2 were not upgradable. I am not sure if it meant not possible, or you only got 2 days of value. My 2+1 day was actually a 3 day ticket. I am not sure what the 2+2 day tickets look like.

 

[bumbershoot]

So is the only reason to not buy an AP first is to get your full days in the park using the tickets, then allowing you an extra 365 days to visit again?

Just like st Disney, they tend to bridge the price. That means that they give you that day's ticket cost as the value of your ticket. And then they do the upgrade math from there.

It's a courtesy to people.

APs start from the date you first used your ticket (just like at Disney), unless the employee gives you "mummy dust" (pixie dust at Disney).