Policy changes for FOTL for hotel guests!!??

[Familyof14]

We were planning on doing the 1 Day 2 Park because we thought we could get most everything in with the FOTL pass. With only one day to visit Universal before our cruise, we thought the resort was the way to go. We are paying $255 a night for two nights just so we can use the Express pass for one day. With teens, they are going to want to ride the coasters more than once in a row. Since we are changing parks mid day, we will not have the luxury of hanging around until 3:00 in one park. With the second park, things should go faster as it will be after 3:00.

BTW - We are staying at Disney post cruise. We are getting two rooms at our beloved Caribbean Beach resort for the price of our one room at Universal.

 

[bratray]

floridamom

thanks for the addresses
i am typing my letter right now

not happy at all

update: sent my letters to all the email addresses provided from floridamom - i wonder if i will even get a reply
tomorrow i will fax my letter

 

[Valentine]

Already sent my letter.... This just plain sucks.... I understand those who want to see the glass half full etc... but one person's comments I read re: not what we purchased... exactly on the money... literally... I am a Devout Disney person... I was trying out Universal as part of my florida time this august.. and booked 2 nights at universal due to FOTL access.. I am seriously reconsidering.. but am unsure as to whether or not my tickets will be refunded... or if I can get a room at Disney now at my AP rate... so... Hmmmm... does the phrase "rock and a hard place" mean anything right now???
I sent an email to the ticket people.. I will let you all know what the response was/is.. if I get one!

Kathy

 

[phamton]

This whole scenario makes me wonder how many people cancelled their WDW vacations when Early Entry was discontinued. I know it has been reinstated now but, at the time, many people already had reservations and tickets expecting EE mornings when they went. Did many simply cancel or just change their touring plans?

I know when Universal first started FOTL they had a rule that you could only use it once per hour. I went fully expecting to have that enforced. once we got there, we found most of the times our FOTL passes weren't even scanned. It was pretty much hit or miss and never effected our plans.

Right now, even though this rule was implemented on July 1, it seems that only the Mummy is enforcing the new policy and even then it is inconsistent. Someone on another board said they rode Mummy seven times in a row yesterday using their hotel FOTL pass. I certainly wouldn't consider cancelling my trip.

 

[JESUSROCKS]

I am too pretty annoyed about them doing this but you still get unlimited after 3 p.m. I suppose its to make the regular lines shorter in the morning.



in CHRIST,

Gavin

 

[bratray]

i wouldn't cancel my trip to universal due to the FOTL policy change....but i would re-think whether i want to stay on site and i would really have to give some consideration to a FL vacation in the summer without full access to FOTL

FOTL is a wonderful perk- especially when you have kids- we like to go to the parks early- ride till we drop then go back to the hotel for an afternoon of eating and swimming (maybe not in that order ) i don't like being in the parks between 2 and 5 due to the intense FL heat and thunderstorms:when you got little ones screaming"i wanna get on again" and the sun is beating down on you- you really appreciate that FOTL benefit- cause you know you can let the kids ride again without much wait... so being able to freely ride after 3pm really doesn't help me out much-

i'm really hoping they are going to return FOTL back to normal- we are planning a last minute trip this aug- maybe, we have all become too spoiled......waaah!! i guess even limited FOTL access is better then none

 

[aaronr121]

I have to agree with Barry, it sucks, but could be worse. No FOTL at all. Then there would be something to complain about! One ride on major attractions untill 3pm isn't bad. Still tons of other stuff to do. It will hopefully cut back on the FOTL wait, which I heard is getting out of hand, and make the stand-by customers happier.

But, I do believe all hotel guests should lodge a complaint. If not, they may keep taking away benefits. I'll probably lodge a complaint when we get there. But, I'm satisfied with what they are offering for the peak season.

 

[Motherfletcher]

It is kind of interesting to see how US employees feel about this and the guests.
http://www.ioacentral.com/forum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=45

 

[26555]

I've gone with kids and always stayed offsite. We would head to Seusville at opening when everyone else hit the coasters. With the new FOTL policy and staying onsite, I would "save" the Seusville "one ride before 3" rides for later. At opening we could ride Cat in the Hat 8 times w/o a wait, its just not crowded early and processes people quick. Go counterclockwise around doing what you like and finish up again in Seusville with one ride on each thing. By the time you break for lunch or play in the water or playground, it will be after 3. Similarly at US, if you love MIB, head there first thing while everyone gets in the Shrek and Neutron lines. Get fastpasses with you ticket and ride over and over again until a line forms (line processes very quickly) and then use FOTL and reg express pass to ride two more times. Lap the park using hotel key and reg express tickets. Shrek is great but if I needed a second showing, I'd probably wait until later anyway. If you can get to the park early and like to take midday breaks or play in the water at curious george anyway, I don't think its so bad even if you have kids that cannot do many things. I'll have a harder time with it if they add Unicorn and Woody to the list since they don't process quickly like Cat and MIB. I'd say try it once instead of canceling plans. Sitting in shows, etc eats up a lot of time (at least at US) and its nice to explore the non-ride parts of the parks. 3pm will show up before you know it.

ps I see regular express tickets selling out quicker. Hotel guests normally would pass them by but now might as well pick one up. You wouldn't want to be an offsite guest there in the afternoon. Fastpasses sold out and hotel guests making their way back to utilize FOTL.

 

[mslclark]

First, I want to apologize for posting wrong information yesterday. The USF operator did tell me yesterday morning that the change was not true. But I called guest services last night, and they told me what they told many of you, the changes are correct. The person as Guest services told me he didn't know if this was for peak seasons or all the time or what.

Anyway, I did send an email and I'm mailing two letters via snail mail today. Thanks for those addresses! I am a firm believer that we should let Universal know how we feel. When Disney cancelled EE, I wrote letters. I got several phone calls back from Disney. And later Disney did reinstate EE (well Extra Magic Hour now). I think many people expressed their views on Disney's cancellation of EE and it made a difference.

 

[AlexandNessa]

I said this in the other thread, but I will say it again here. I read through the link that Motherfletcher provided, and the employees are so immature. Their rants and raves need to be kept private and amongst themselves. Not in a public forum.

 

[FloridaMom]

I didn't expect the employees to be sympathetic to us at all... the ones that posted on that forum probably make in a week what we are paying for one night's stay onsite.
Most of them don't care one way or the other, maybe thats why some do not enforce the change of policy and allow guests in on the rides again....


There is no use in complaining to the employees, we have to complain to high management. They are the ones who count on the dollars we spend onsite.

 

[Goofy'sFriend]

Great tips 26555 and I'm sure we will still have a great time anyway. However, I don't want to plan my day out and worry about express passes and what time I need to go back to the other side of the park, etc.... I know this sounds "spoiled/lazy".....but this is the vacation I wanted.....to have the luxury of this fantastic perk, FOTL.......all day access, as advertised when I made my plans. Otherwise, we would have made different plans for the summer and gone to Universal during the school year.

I'm sure I will get over this......it's not the end of the world, and we will have a fun time no matter what......it just put a little damper on things. I really don't like the fact that we bought our vacations with rules for hotel guests in place......and without warning, they are taken away. Thanks for letting me vent.

 

[tricia451]

Well, finally drew me into posting after reading this board for the last month! Thank you for bringing this change in policy to my attention & thanks to so many of you for being the voice of reason. Planning my first trip to Orlando this August after 6 years, and want it to be special for my 2 teenage daughters. Starting at Disney, then heading to Universal. My hopes were to stay in an onsite hotel (possibly Club Level) and enjoy all the perks of FOTL. When I read of the changes, of course, my first reaction was, that's it, we're staying offsite and buying an Express Pass. But reading the posts of those of you who say "Go and do each ride once in the morning, take a break, go for a swim or lunch, then go back after 3 and go wild", I look forward to going on with my original planning & staying onsite!!! I'm sure we will still have a blast, after all 6 years ago when we went, every ride had a lineup and we waited hours for some rides, and we still had the holiday of a lifetime! I do agree, however, that the information given on Universal's site should be updated to reflect the current changes so as not to mislead others in the planning stages.

Pat

 

[palmbeachguy]

http://www.ioacentral.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4747

Boy i have raised a stink!

 

[phamton]

Originally posted by Motherfletcher
It is kind of interesting to see how US employees feel about this and the guests.

It was two employees and they do not represent all of the US employees. Another post mentioned how immature they sounded.

I know who both of those posters are. One is 18 years old and works on one of the rides and the other one just turned 16 years old and he works at a gift shop in Universal. They are kids so please cut them some slack.

It's like talking to the kid who serves you french fires at McDonald's about McD's corporate headquarter rules. These teenagers just do their job and have no influence over Universal policy. Was it wise to post this on a public board? Probably not, but teenagers seldom think about consequences before spouting off.

My husband is a teacher and works as a ride Op at Universal during the summer. I was discussing this with him and he felt badly about those who were looking forward to FOTL re-rides. But he said "We don't make the rules. We just have to do what we are told."

Originally posted by palmbeachguy
http://www.ioacentral.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4747

Boy i have raised a stink!

Palmbeachguy aka shoewee, you do realize that you are arguing with a bunch of kids, right? The average age at IOACentral is 15 years old, some as young as 11 years old. You were the one who made the first post about the policy change at IOACentral. None of us had even been discussing it at all. You started the thread and now you are surprised that they are acting immature? IOACentral is more like the teen board here at Dis. I sure hope none of these kids lose their jobs over this.

 

[Motherfletcher]

tricia451-
Welcome to the boards. I thought there was someone lurking out there. I think you will be OK if you follow the plan you layed out. There are a few of us that have been to US so many times that going to ET instead of MIB doesn't seem like a good option.
I turn my kids loose to go to get their wake up fix on the Mummy while I go down to MIB. They know me there and re-rides shouldn't be a problem for the first hour. Trouble is when my kids show up I like to ride again with them. For some reason I always get a bad gun and we have to do it again.
With teenage girls you should be fine.
Again welcome and its OK to join in.

palmbeachguy-
Leave them little kids alone!
They don't mean to bite the hand that feeds them.

 

[palmbeachguy]

I didn't know they were that young, but alas, I work with them every day of he school year! I'll leave em alone!

 

[phamton]

Originally posted by palmbeachguy
I didn't know they were that young, but alas, I work with them every day of he school year! I'll leave em alone!

Thanks for understanding. I feel like a mother to the posters at IOACentral. I told them to the edit or delete. Hopefully they will take my advice.

My husband and I are both teachers, too. My two teenage sons work at universal too but they stopped posting on bulletin boards after getting hired, which is probably a wise move as I could see them posting things they shouldn't. Kids! Gotta love 'em!

Bev

 

[IOAFreak13]

Phamton,

If you see anyone under the age of 13 post at IOACentral, please let me know, as it is a requirement you be atleast 13. We have done all we can to get rid of users that ignore this rule, and other rules.

As for the topic at hand, it has been deleted. There is no need to argue over front of the line passes, and when I learn that two of my good friends jobs are at stake because of it, I'll do whatever necessary to prevent that.

I'm known to show up at some DisBoards meets at Universal, and I wouldn't think any of you were the kind to report a case like this just because an employee is showing his side of the situation for once, instead of nodding and saying "I'm terribly sorry." Makes a change for once... you know?