Policy changes for FOTL for hotel guests!!??

[aaronr121]

I keep hearing how everybody is bummed because they just can't re-ride and re-ride to their heads explode. Why? We've stayed on site, and usually we don't re-ride everything multipile times in a row. Sure we may hit a ride 5-6 times in one day, but hardly ever do we feel the need to ride it constantly. Occasionally in the mornings when not many people are there yet, we'll do a double on Hulk and Spidey, but then we are off to check out everything else. The great thing about FOTL is you can just roam around and not worry about lines or trying to get your fill of a ride all at once.

If I have FOTL, but have to wait 30-45 minutes to get on the attraction, heck, that's a lot worse than only allowing me to do the attraction once in 6 hours, and then as many times as I want after 3pm.

If you have a 30 minute wait for FOTL for 6 rides, you'll use up 3 hours of time waiting right there! While at a 15 minute FOTL wait, you do these 6 attractions in 1.5 hours!

 

[palmbeachguy]

I got the same cookie cutter response, and replied back and asked if the lady even read the email. From the same person too, Darlene. I told her to forward it to someone how can contact me and discuss my unhappieness with the company.

John

 

[tricia451]

Yep, I got exactly the same reply. Within hours of sending my email. I don't have a problem with the policty, I've just always thought it is unfair to change the rules in the middle of the game. That said, I still plan on going, and still plan on staying onsite, and still plan on having one heck of a holiday!!!

Pat

 

[4greatboys]

I dont like it at all. I just made ressies for the RPR Oct 29 & 30 a couple of days back and they made sure to tell me about the great benefit of staying onsite for FOTL. Since it appears they are not sure how long it is going to last they should have made mention of it.
My family does like to ride certain rides 2 or 3 times in a row. We just go around the park 1 time. I dont want to just ride 1 time circling around the park, then around again after 3 to reride the ones we want. With little ones that will just really wear them out.
We do like the Universal resorts but the main attraction for us is unlimited FOTL.

 

[damo]

I doubt that they will be enforcing this after the summer is over. I'm sure that the express lines were getting way too long and hotel guests were complaining that they were promised that the wait would be 15 minutes or less.

I imagine that it was impossible to maintain the short expess lines and allow multiple rides.

Something had to give and this is the logical solution.

For little ones, the only ride affected is Cat in the Hat.

 

[ChisJo]

As someone who cannot afford the luxury of staying onsite at ANY theme park, I think the changes are actually still fair. As a guest who has seen the advantage of them for the on-site guests, it has made me upset that I have had to wait up to 2 hours for a ride. I am still a paying guest in their theme park and also want fair treatment. Honestly, you still get the advantage of using it after 3pm, it's not like you want have this at all. This is still an amazing perk. You do not see Disney doing anything like this for it's on-site guests.
Yeah, you may be paying excessively for the on-site hotels, but FOTL is still there.
Enjoy it while you still can. Maybe one day it may never be there at all.
Remember, USF has more guests to please than the one's staying on-site.

 

[bratray]

as others have posted- i am not so angry with the fact that FOTL has changed- i am grateful and happy to have it at all- what i am angry about is the fact that there was no prior notice to this effect-

when i called 1800-beastar today to book my RPR room for aug no one even knew about the change- so of course unsuspecting guest who aren't as lucky to read these boards will be in for a total surprise

this to me is false advertising- they need to update their web page and all of their employees with this new policy change for FOTL and notifing all guest who call in for hotel reservations at peak time

 

[Eclpz314]

Last year we were pleasantly surprised after reading the little blurb about "some restrictions apply" in our US/RPR paperwork. We were expecting some rides NOT to be included in the fotl access, but got to ride everything as much as we wanted. The rules have always been there, they just weren't inforced until now.......unfortunately, a week before we head down there. But that's ok.......We'll still have a great time!!

 

[aaronr121]

I was upset too when I heard it. We'll be leaving this Tuesday and will need to rely on FOTL to beat the crowds. But I've always kind of expected something like this to happen. I do remember reading the fine print for our first on-site stay and it did say they did have the right to limit FOTL access. I always knew one day, just before I would go, this would happen.

But, it is a decision that had to be made eventually. UO is a lot more popular as stand alone vacation destination, than it was 5 years ago. In order to keep drawing more crowds, they need to keep all customers happy. With the 30-45 minute waits I hear that FOTL customers are having to deal with, I doubt too many of them were happy. I wouldn't be. I hate lines!

Last time I went in peak season, I saw a lot of unhappy people in the stand-by lines. I can't imagine how many unruly, P'O'd customers the attendants have to deal with. I can't blame them, I would have been too. And unfortunately, not everybody can afford to spend the $$$ on the perks that can get you FOTL.

The only thing about the decision to limit FOTL, is that I no longer have the choice or freedom to do as I want all day long. That kinda stings, but what can you do?

I will log a complaint with guest services (I recommend every body do the same) just to let them know just how valuable FOTL access is to us. I can just see it as, Universal management will keep taking this away and then that away. If they take this away and people still come, good, now lets take this away and see what happens. They'll keep doing this untill they see a downturn in attendance, then bring something back occasionally and watch every body rush back to enjoy their new 'bonus.' Know what I mean?

 

[pietnoeck]

Off course, when the parks close at 19h and not at 22h as of 18/8/2004 , only being able to get FOTL from 15h is a real pain.
You still pay the same price, but the park closes 3 hours early AND now you lose FOTL for the largest part, you only get FOTL for 4 hours.
So you are punished twice !

 

[tricia451]

When I go to a concert & sit in front row seats which I have paid an arm & a leg for, I do feel bad for the people who can only afford to sit in the nosebleed section, but usually I'm not sitting there because I can afford to, I'm sitting there because I have made a choice that that is where my limited funds will go. The same with staying onsite, it's not that I'm any more well off than others, it's that I've chosen to put my vacation funds in that direction because it's worth it to me. 9 times out of 10, I am the person who is watching all the others with the perks!

jmo
Pat

 

[AlexandNessa]

Originally posted by crazy_for_the_dis
If long lines for day guests are the problem, the first change I would make is to first ensure that park employees are following the Express pass guidelines. On some rides, the express passes were not collected (not FOTL, but the normal machine distributed ones). I mainly saw this though not on the major rides, but on ones like One Fish, Two Fish (where I think the line is worse because of how slow moving it is). Also, on others I noticed that a party of 4-5 people would only show one express plus pass. I saw very, very few people using hotel FOTL actually, and I don't think it is in Universal's best interest to upset hotel guests to the point of cancelling ressies when I really don't think they are the problem. If people complained, did they realize that the majority of people has machine express passes or express pass plus?

ITA. I saw this many times during our last trip as well. Like, one person with an express pass and "family members" simply saying, "I'm with him" and being shuffled through with one pass. One time on Spiderman, the attendant didn't even collect the Express Passes. I too felt that we were in the definite minority using our hotel keys. And, even flashing those magic cards, not one attendant gave them any scrutiny to check our dates.

I have to say that the only place I saw express "enforced" was at MIB. And, really, it wasn't even enforced. A couple ahead of us had reached all the way through the queue before the second screener asked for their passes, and they played dumb (they didn't have any passes or hotel keys). She made them split up and go into the single riders lane, emphatically telling them, "You're not riding together." They were still on the ride in less than 10 minutes without any sort of express pass.

Let's not blame the "long" waits in the Express Line just on the hotel guests.

 

[cocowum]

Just sent USO an email. Let's see if I get the same response from Darlene

 

[RescueRanger]

While I feel sorry for those of you that are having the policy changed for your trip, it is not the end of the world. With the large crowds for July and August, they have to do something to keep the express line waits to a minimum. I would much rather have them do this than to have to wait 30-45 minutes in the Express line because people keep going on the ride over and over. I am sure that the onsite bookings are high and they are expecting alot of resort guests this summer. This is just my personal opinion so don't flame me but those of you talking about cancelling are overreacting just a bit. Like alot of people have said- go on everything once in the morning (or more for the rides that aren't included on hte new policy) take a break in the afternoon, then go back after three and ride til you have had your fill. The parks are open til around 10 so you will have plenty of time. It still beats waiting in line for a couple of hours like the nonresort guests. I am sure they would be glad to switch places with you. Bottom line, even with the new policy you will still have a great time and a more relaxing vacation.

 

[lilsonicfan]

I have to say that I agree with both sides - how diplomatic. Or maybe there are three sides.

Changing the policy altogether: this does seem like a rough thing for people who have already booked thinking that they could do the re-riding thing all day long. However I agree that this would cut down on lineups.

Changing the policy is okay, but couldn't they have warned us: again, bad idea for guest services/relations to change policies so quickly - unfortunately it is in the "fine print" that they can change policies at their own discretion. It's up to us as ticketbuyers/guests to read the fine print and understand it. Although we hope that things won't change, we always have to be aware that things CAN change.

Not being able to afford the on-site privileges: When we went to WDW last year we stayed in a rental home b/c we didn't want to pay the extraordinarily high room rates onsite. There's not much room for argument here. Some people prioritize being onsite, some don't. And I don't think that the privilege is being reduced in such a way as to make staying on-site completely worthless. I would just take the opportunity to do a bit of research, go early and hit all of my favourite rides in the regular lineups, then use express when there's a ride I want that seems particularly long. You could always get another express pass with your ticket too, no?

Anyway. Just my two cents!

 

[mrspaha]

How do regular express passes work? Can we use that in addition to our one-ride FOTL prior to 3:00?

 

[phamton]

Yes, you can get express passes before 3:00 even though you have FOTL. Express passes work similar to WDW fastpass. Just put your ticket into the machine and it gives you two times to pick for return times. Choose whichever time is best for you and it prints the express pass out. It is free. You can get another pass in 2 hours or right after your return time on your express pass (whichever comes first.) Sometimes you can get a bonus pass and sometimes you can get another pass before the time is up. It never hurts to try.

Most express passes are gone by noon so pick up your favorites early.

 

[SnowWitch]

I'm not upset by it; however, for those that have already planned thier vacations and have their reservations based on the unlimited FOL access-I'd be upset. (To put it lightly) .

My solution to future trips is to go in the off season and stay off-site. Hey, cooler weather, less tourists, and a cheaper hotel rate. I mean the best rate we had this summer was $209 for RPR club and after taxes it was around $230.00 a night. Yes thats okay but in the previous 2 years we had the same room catagory for $139. So I thank US for this decision- It's going to save me alot of $$!

 

[mslclark]

The thing that worries me is that 3:00 all the resort guests will be hitting the parks in full force, and then the express lines will be full of resort guests.

 

[damo]

I think you will find that most people don't use FOTL to ride over and over. You can use your FOTL during this time just not repeatedly. I don't think the average rider will notice any difference.