Nasty Rumor.....hope it's not true

[macraven]

i read on another board about a rumor on universal express pass system.

it said, mind you this is just a rumor, that universal has plans not to reopen the express pass systems...........(free ones)


the article continued to state that universal will keep the express lanes open for the on site (fotl) hotel guests and for the express pass plus....the booklet pass system that you need to purchase.

i always stay on site so this means even less lines for me.
but then, the express pass plus may sell out each day which could increase lines for express.

have you heard of this rumor?

what do you think?

 

[UniversalAddict]

I'm not sure if it is permanant or not but the last few times I went there (over the last 2 months) the free express passes were closed. The attendent at the Mummy made some lame excuse like "Oh, there's no need for express pass this time of year because it's not crowded". I beg to differ. The line for Mummy was 45 minutes. That's longer than I will wait in line. An express pass would have sure come in handy.

I hope they change their policy and open the express passes up again.

 

[Jason71]

Read the same rumor and while I'm not happy about it, I'm not surprised. The ticket machines have been shut down more often than not this past year. Given the way they were pushing express passes at HHN, they probably see this as a new way to increase revenue.

 

[macraven]

i read on different board that the express pass machines were down in september.......slow month they said.

i was there in mid october and the machines were down then.



this could be a blessing in disguise for those that stay on site.

less lines????
encourage more staying at the hotels for the perks??


but then, maybe universal will sell out the express pass plus every day now.
they still are for sale.

this could just be a rumor about the machines.
my next trip will be october 06. a lot could change by then

 

[robvia]

Of coarse we've heard this rumor, but things change based on fan reaction.

Yes, it's great for hotel guests, less people in the express lines and the park makes money sellng the booklets.

The backlash would be how many guests are mad when they see people walking by, and find out they have to pay for the same priviledge. With the machines set up, at least everyone has a chance at it until they run out of tickets, which usually happens by noon for the major attractions.

I don't think you'll hear much complaining on this board, because most people reading this stay on site or buy the booklets during the busy times. The rest of us know the show up early drill.

 

[Tiggernut_jadie]

WE made the mistake of going to Universal on Veterans Dy (being from the UK where this isn't a holiday we didn't realise how busy it would be!) - the place was heaving and the lines were all huge - even the Woody Coaster had a 45 min wait time! The more popular rides like The Mummy and MIB had lines over 90 mins!

WE went and complained to the Customer Relations on our way out at 4pm (we'd had enough by then...my DD had only been on one ride - MIB - all day!) and the guy behind the counter sadi the machines were closed during 'quiet' times of year. When we pointed out how busy it was that day he informed us that this was becasue it was a holiday. So I said that, if it was a holiday, then it couldn't be classed as a 'quiet' time and asked if the machines would also be shut over Thanksgiving as this too is in the 'quiet' month of November! He didn't have an answer for this one...

He obviously realised we had a point as he then offered us a free Express Plus Pass - but we said we'd got a bored and tired 5 year old and with only 2 hours left until closing, we wouldn't get the cahance to use it fully. He then agreed to give us it for another day - as we'd planned to do IoA the following Tuesday, we asked for it to be for then and he agreed to this!

Ironically, the following Tuesday, the criowds were virtually non-existant and we walked on to all the big IoA rides and moved over to Universal by 1 pm. The crowds were slightly busier there so we used our 'freebie' ticket on any rides where he wiat was more than 15 mins!!! Result!

Although I can only praise the guy in Customer Relations who was more than helpful but the whole thing about closing the express pass machines is dreadful IMHO. I will certainly think twice befoer visiting the Universal Parks again if this becomes a permenant thing. And I have to say that before this trip, I always said Universal was probably my favourite Park in Orlando!

 

[metsfan11]

i really hope they dont do that. staying onsite is a bit pricey and we usually dont. i really hope universal doesnt do this to us. i myself havent had any problems with the passes running out, but again we always go late august!

 

[ChisJo]

I am going to play the devil's advocate here. Yes, I believe the free passes are great, but when you are paying $175+ per night to stay on site, it is nice to have some kind of benefit, such as FOTL. It may give more incentive to stay on site. I personally would pay for that. That being said, if I was paying for that and someone else, who was not staying on site got the same priviledge, I may be a little upset. What is the perk of staying on - site then? Closer to the action? There has to be some benefit to staying on site. When you open express lanes to all public, the lines will slow down, and significantly, adding to the already 90 min. waits.
Granted, continual use of FOTL for hotel guests and express pass holders should also be limited. I know that when I stayed on-site, I felt bad that I was able to by-pass a 60 min. wait as often as I wanted. They should have a stipulation on there that you can only go on a ride with the express or hotel key once an hour, or something similar. This may too help to alleviate some of the long lines.
I know many may not agree with what I just said, but truthfully, if Disney is planning on getting rid of their express machines, I wouldn't be surprised if Universal did as well.

 

[macraven]

i hear ya chris jo and understand where you are coming from.

i have not paid what you have.....i pay a lot more........i go in october and with the AAA rate at hrh, the cheapest i get the room is $249. per night times that by 4.......it is not cheap. i go solo so no one shares the room cost with me.

i love the fotl ......i rationalize the high cost gives me that perk.

what concerned me was more people would plan to stay on site now which would make a bigger crunch on getting a room for the time period i want. the more the hotels sell out, the less of discounts given for AP and AAA.

also, concerned the oversell of the express pass plus booklets.

staying on site you can repeat the rides as much as you want. with the ex pass plus, it is good for one ride once only.......

i do not stay off site, only on........i freak out thinking less discounts for rooms, less availablity for dates i want (HHN time periods) and overselling the booklets...........

no way would i agree to any limitations put on the on site guests for rides.
if i want to repeat rides, which i do for MIB, dueling dragons and the mummy, i don't want that perk reduced. i understand that it is fine for you, but no way do i want it to go that way.
i go to the parks solo........i love doing MIB over and over.....i go to the single rider line which anyone can. it is shorter than the express line all the time. if i was with others, i wouldn't appreciate being restricted to once an hour for that ride as a fotl holder.

 

[FreeTime]

I spoke to a Universal sales person on Thursday to inquire about tickets during Christmas week. I asked about the Express kiosk and she said that they would not be in operation because they are only operated during busy times. I said, "oh, what are crowds like that week?" Her reply was "we are very crowded that is why we are open from 8am-10pm each day.

 

[macraven]

from what you just posted, think that's the writing on the wall for the express passes.............


another great perk to staying on site.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

As far as I am concerned, I never used them that much to beging with. When I dont' stay onsite, I get there as early as possible. I find that the darn pass's run out before I can even get 3 of them. I don't like the wait time before being allowed to get another one. There us usually a period of about 3 hours to wait before getting your next one. We end up doing singles on as many rides as we can. My kids are older so we really don't care who we ride with, as long as we ride

 

[phamton]

I wouldn't rely on what a person who sales tickets says about the kiosk. I seriously doubt that they are privy to that information. Only the highers up seem to know and they ain't talkin'.

So the answer to whether the express machines will be open at Christmas is anyone's guess at this time.

 

[funcinderella]

the whole thing about closing the express pass machines is dreadful IMHO. I will certainly think twice befoer visiting the Universal Parks again if this becomes a permenant thing. And I have to say that before this trip, I always said Universal was probably my favourite Park in Orlando!

This was EXACTLY the thinking of me and my family when we visited in November. We are going back next Aug, but staying on-site for 2 days. I really had to push for that with my family. They were all for not ever going back to Universal. It really ticked us off that the free machines were closed, and frankly the only reason we are going back is that we had bought the Power passes ahead of time with next year's trip in mind. I think they are going to piss off a lot of people....

 

[robvia]

There is usually a period of about 3 hours to wait before getting your next one.

Completely agree. About the only thing I use the express passes for, is to get a ride on Hulk at noon. I get an express pass first thing in the morning for 11am, take a lap around IOA, then use the express pass to get one more ride on Hulk before leaving.

 

[heatherbelle]

It will be awful if the fast pass doesn't return. There are many visitors from the UK who go to florida for 2 weeks or more. It is very expensive to stay on site at $245 per night, just to ride the rides. Most UK people like to stay in the same place, rather than swap and change accomodation. All that packing and unpacking.

If they do away with FP, I for one will not be going to the parks. I will stick with Disney. I went to IOA and Universal in June this year, I used the FP system and it was great. The longest line was on the Mummy, which was around 20 mins.

Here in the UK, we can purchase 14 day consecutive pass, that includes all 5 parks (SW, IOA, Uni, BG). However as time is so precious, we don't want to be queing for hours at a time to do a few rides, we want value for money.

We can stand in line for rides at home!!!!

 

[macraven]

i have only one suggestion for the uk poster.


if you stay one night onsite at universal, you can get two days of fotl.

check in early as 7 in the morning if you wish at the on site hotel.
of course the room won't be ready but all your luggage will be stored for you. the front desk will give you and all of your party the room key that has fotl priviledges and a phone number to call later in the day for your room number.

you can start the parks once you have the hotel key
the fotl room key is valid the day you check out up until the time the park closes and also valid for city walk that night.

you spend one night on site and get 2 full days of fotl for rides and attractions. and for city walk priorities.

it would be only one night stay which would be cheaper than buying the express pass plus booklet of maybe $15-30/depending on season/ per person per day.
one night alone on site would be to your advantage.

no one knows yet about the fast pass machines future.

 

[buzz2400]

I was there the first week of december and you did not need the fast passes. We did go a second day on a saturday and after lunch lines got bad. We just left. I usually go every year in the summer and stay offsite and visit both disney and universal. If universal is going to do away with the fastpasses then they will definitely lose my business. I can't afford to stay onsite at universal. Believe me I would love to and then get to walk on whatever rides I want but I just don't make enough money to do this. And I also can't afford to buy the passes either. I am sure a lot of people would feel the same way. No one is going to pay $50 a day to get into universal just to ride maybe two rides. That is just plain stupid. I might as well buy season passes at six flags in my area. Pretty much the same rides just different themes.

 

[davehfx]

I think the best way to show Universal is to stay away, if your staying off site, as the majority do, especially familes going for 14 day's, is to not go to
Universal at all, leave the park for on site Hotel Guest only and they all can be in the same FOTL que together, Go to Busch Gardens, Sea World or do the Extra at Disney, but it's time to show Universal if they don't appreciate
regular customers well take our business else where.

At least at Disney they have special times for On Site Guest, but when the gates open it's the same rules for everybody.


I do agree there should be some benefit for Guest staying on site at Universal
such as what Disney does.

 

[phamton]

I just don't understand all the concern about express. Even when they had the free express, they were often already all gone by around 11:00 AM for the most popular rides. Disney has the same problem. I went to get fastpass for Soarin' and they were already distributed for the day and this was at 11:00 AM last week. When it is busy, the fastpass at Disney and express pass at Universal run out early. When it is not busy, they don't run out but you don't need them when it isn't busy.

I am going to paste a post by Slacking who went yesterday (New Years Eve) which was extremely busy. He did it all without express and little wait times. (Compare this to the reports at Disney yesterday where the wait time for Soarin' was 4 hours! Even with fastpass at Disney yesterday, people were only getting to ride 3-4 things all day. Just read the threads today about NYE and Disney to see what I am talking about.)

Slacking's New Years Eve report from Universal/IoA:
" Wow, just got back from UO (New years Eve).

Was at the parks from 8am-8:30pm, and here's what I did:
Doom
Spiderman
Hulk
Cat in the Hat
1 Fish
Dragons Fire
Dragons Ice
Flying Unicorn
JPRA
Popeye
Poseidon
Mummy (x2)
Jaws (x2)
MIB (x2)
Fear factor
Earthquake
Barney
BTTF
ET
T-2
Horror Makeup
Jimmy Neutron
Shrek
Twister


The longest line I waited in was about 20-25 mintues for Shrek.

The walkways seemed very crowded but I toured the park in a way where I got everything done and waited little in line.

Longest posted wait time I saw was 75 min. for RotM."