Need ticket help

[sunlover13]

Newbie who's never been to Sea World or Aquatica. My plan is to do 2 days at Sea World and 1 day at Aquatica.

Looking at either end of Sept or mid-October.

This would be a combination trip to Universal so my plan is to stay on-site at Universal for a few days to get FOTL passes for Universal and then change hotels to somewhere near Sea World. I was planning on getting Universal tickets from UnderCover Tourist.

What about the Sea World & Aquatica tickets?

Best deal?

I see there is the playanddine code, but I am confused for the Sea World & Aquatica option on the website. Is that for 1 day at each park or just 1 day at both parks and you have to park hop?

I need 3 adult tickets.

TIA!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I would try building a package via the SW website and compare it against a hotel reservation + tickets purchase. You may well come out ahead, PLUS get some extras (for example, free all day dining for one day at SW and for one day at Aquatica).

http://seaworldparks.com/en/seaworld-orlando/Vacations?from=Top_Nav

We were able to secure a 7-night stay at an onsite hotel (a full one bedroom suite ) plus length-of-stay tickets to both SW & Aquatica and free all day dining each day at each park for all three of us, taxes included, for $1330 over Christmas week (which is the busiest and generally most expensive week of the year). We couldn't build our own getaway anywhere near that cheaply.

If you select one of the 7 onsite hotels, you will also get free Quick Queue at SeaWorld, free transportation to the parks, early entry on select dates, and some other perks. Hotels like the Residence Inn SW, the Springhill Suites and Fairfield Inn & Suites will provide free breakfast, free internet, and free parking too.

 

[4littleones]

I must agree that the Sea World Hotel(s) plus tickets packages are an insane deal right now and there are so many to choose from!

For us (a party of 4 adults and 4 kids) it was actually less expensive to get 2 rooms at the Nick Hotel for 1 night that included 8 Sea World/Aquatica length of stay tickets than it was to purchase only 8 Sea World/Aquatica tickets. It was like we got the 2 rooms for free and the park tickets cost us less than we could have paid with any other discount. It is so crazy cheap it doesn't even make sense.

I forget the exact amount but it was around $700 for us to book 2 standard rooms at the Nick Hotel for 1 night (occupancy of 4 people in each room) and then we also got 4 adult and 4 child Sea World/Aqutica length of stay tickets. Just blows my mind!

 

[sunlover13]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I wanted to stay at a Universal on-site for a few nights to get FOTL.

Maybe I'll split my stay between a Universal hotel and a SeaWorld hotel?

There are so many package options on the SeaWorld website, I'm completely confused.

What's the Funpass where you can get tickets to SeaWorld & Universal? Does that get your FOTL to Universal even if you don't stay on-site at Universal?

 

[BLTtinkerbell]

Do any of these hotel deals include tickets to DC & SW?

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I wanted to stay at a Universal on-site for a few nights to get FOTL.

Maybe I'll split my stay between a Universal hotel and a SeaWorld hotel?

There are so many package options on the SeaWorld website, I'm completely confused.

What's the Funpass where you can get tickets to SeaWorld & Universal? Does that get your FOTL to Universal even if you don't stay on-site at Universal?

You will have to stay at an official onsite Universal hotel to get free Express Pass to the Universal parks. Same with SeaWorld for Quick Queue. Or, you can stay at ONE hotel and purchase Express Pass or Quick Queue for the other park(s) a la carte for your family, if you still want the benefits without moving hotels.

The pass where you can get admission to both the Universal parks and SW is the Flex Pass. You can click here for more information:

http://seaworldparks.com/en/seaworld-orlando/Vacations/OFT

The Flex Pass package at SW will give you hotel accommodations + Flex Passes (admission to SW, Aquatica, Universal, IOA and Wet N Wild) for your family (plus all the benefits of a SW onsite stay at the 7 onsite participating hotels such as free QQ, etc.).

The Eat Free All Day package will give your accommodations plus single day admission to SW and free all day dining for one day for your whole family. If you add Aquatica at an additional $25 per person, it gives you your admission to Aquatica plus all day dining for one day at that park as well, PLUS it makes your SW ad Aquatica both length-of-stay (instead of single day admission).

There is also a kids free package, but I'm not as familiar with the benefits of that bundle.

If it were me, I would split my stay. Its wonderful being onsite for your Universal stay as the hotels are soooo close to both parks. And its equally as wonderful being onsite for the SW/Aquatica portion of your vacation. But that's just me!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Do any of these hotel deals include tickets to DC & SW?

Unfortunately, no.

If you want Discovery Cove tickets (which will include 14 days admission to both SeaWorld and Aquatica for each person), then you will have to book your DC tickets separate from your hotel stay.

That said.....if you book at an official onsite SW hotel, you will still receive the onsite benefits (free SW Quick Queue, etc.) even if you have a stand-alone hotel reservation. Doesn't matter if its booked directly with the hotel or via Expedia or another third party.

 

[Lynne G]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I wanted to stay at a Universal on-site for a few nights to get FOTL.

Maybe I'll split my stay between a Universal hotel and a SeaWorld hotel?

There are so many package options on the SeaWorld website, I'm completely confused.

What's the Funpass where you can get tickets to SeaWorld & Universal? Does that get your FOTL to Universal even if you don't stay on-site at Universal?

We did a split stay 2 years ago. 4 nights at the Portofino. I will never not stay onsite, as I really enjoy the unlimited express pass. If my kids want to ride Spiderman ten times, go ahead. No limit as to how many times they enter the express line. The unlimited express pass is a perk that is tied to your hotel key from the 3 on site resorts, has nothing to do with where or who you buy tickets from. The new resort Universal is building and neighbor hotels do not have the unlimited express perk.

I bought a Preferred AP for Universal. That got me a good discount on the hotel, and my entry, then I bought tickets from my employer for my kids. Most of the time, universal's ticket and hotel packages are not a good deal. There is a promotion right now from Universal that gives you a free meal plan with a ticket and neighbor hotel package. That's not a bad deal if you don't want the unlimited express pass or you can purchase the express pass (for one time at each express pass line) if after arriving in the park, you think you need it. I'd weigh all options.

For the SW, I booked SeaWorld's package of hotel and tickets to SW and Aquadica, as it was a really good deal. I stayed at the Fairfield for 9 nights. Nice hotel, though not a resort. But fine for what we did. Back then, DC only had 1 other park with your DC ticket, so we picked BGT. Since we were going to go to SW, Aquadica, and BGT two times each, I also bought a parking pass from DC, that gave me unlimited parking at those other three parks for 14 days, for a flat fee of I think about $25. That was a great extra I added to my DC package, as parking for each was around $13 a day, and most of the time, the attendant showed us to the preferred parking.

So, shop around. The bundles with SW neighbor hotels are usually a good deal, as pricing the hotel separately is usually more money. Universal's bundles are not usually the best deal. Price out what you want and then see if bundles are what meets your needs.

I liked the split stay, that way, I didn't have to drive to Universal and park in their monster parking garages, then free parking and breakfast with less than a 5 minute drive to SW, DC, and Aquadica, and close to the main highway to get to BGT (and a stop at DTD on on way back both times).


Lots of people also use the Flexpass to go to all the parks. That may be a good deal for you too. Undercovertourist sells them, as well as all the separate tickets. Check them out. If you sign up for an email newsletter from Mousesavers, Mousesavers sends out her newsletter the 15th of the month, and has a link in the newsletter to Undercovertourist, that will save you a little more than just using undercovertourist's website. Also, check with your employer or AAA or other to find discounted tickets. That may be an option for you too.

Have a great time. We enjoy the darkside (USO) and the Busch parks in Florida.

 

[sunlover13]

Thanks everyone. Sounds like I need to do a lot of research, price everything out and figure out which is the best deal.

 

[rottiemom]

Thanks everyone. Sounds like I need to do a lot of research, price everything out and figure out which is the best deal.

Sunlover I'm in the process of doing the same thing and have basically just resorted to gathering price info from different sites and different ticket options and writing them all down. Since we're planning SW/Aquatica/OU/IOA it looks like it's slightly cheaper to buy our tickets from SW & undercover tourist than it is for us to opt for the flex pass. I read on the DIS that you can add a 2nd day to your SW ticket for 10$ before leaving the park but I want to call SW to confirm that, also to see if that day has to be consectutive or if it can be within a certain time period.

We're staying at HGVC and I have enough HHonors points to cover the room. I simply couldn't afford to do a split stay with onsite at one of the UO hotels or I would totally be doing that . Actually if I didn't have the room at HGVC covered I wouldn't me planning this trip .

Good luck! I am choking over the cost of these tickets but so far it's still cheaper than WDW (so far...)

 

[rottiemom]

I read on the DIS that you can add a 2nd day to your SW ticket for 10$ before leaving the park but I want to call SW to confirm that, also to see if that day has to be consectutive or if it can be within a certain time period.

Just an update in case anyone is interested. I called SW and you can upgrade your ticket to two days for an additional 10$, just go to guest services at the park and ask for an upgrade.

Also the 2nd day does not have to be the consecutive day (ie upgrade on Saturday and you can only come back on Sunday). Anyway that's what the CS rep said. I'll confirm when we get back.

Now I'm off to hunt for info on LEGOLAND...this is proving to be the biggest nuisance of the trip so far but my husband is emphatic about going . He went to the original one in Denmark years ago and is very anxious to check out this one.

 

[sunlover13]

Just an update in case anyone is interested. I called SW and you can upgrade your ticket to two days for an additional 10$, just go to guest services at the park and ask for an upgrade.

Also the 2nd day does not have to be the consecutive day (ie upgrade on Saturday and you can only come back on Sunday). Anyway that's what the CS rep said. I'll confirm when we get back.

Now I'm off to hunt for info on LEGOLAND...this is proving to be the biggest nuisance of the trip so far but my husband is emphatic about going . He went to the original one in Denmark years ago and is very anxious to check out this one.

Thanks for the update!

 

[rottiemom]

Thanks for the update!

Sunlover, you're very welcome. I realize that I may not have been totally clear in my update. With the SW ticket upgrade the 2nd day does NOT have to be for the consecutive day. So you could upgrade on Saturday and go back on Wednesday (which is what I'm hoping for) but I will confirm when I get back. Likely too late to do anybody any good but I'll still confirm .