Premier AP with Express Worth it?

[robl45]

So just about done with our annual passes with Disney, Disney can enjoy catering to the once in a lifetime crowd as they are over the top ridiculous with pricing. Anyway, we are planning to get some universal passes, but trying to debate if the premier is worth it. If I get the premier, we could drive up for the day and have express after 4pm. We could also stay at the less expensive hotels and have premier after 4pm. There are also no blockout for Volcano bay although the preferred pass blocks out from July 1st to August 14th and the kids are in camp till around Aug 3rd usually so not a huge deal although likely one week that we could have shot up there for a day.

One of my major concerns with bundling the express pass is that the parks unlike Disney (or maybe how Disney used to be) don't seem to stay open that late, I've seen a number of times during the year when the parks close at 7pm or so. Do you really get enough time with the express pass to make it worth it?

Thanks

 

[cfoxga]

We've never opted for the Premier Pass, but did consider it. It really comes down to the math for your situation. For us (family of 2 adults and 2 kids), we love staying at the deluxe resorts because of the ability to walk/boat to the parks, nicer amenities, and EPs. We've always been able to get APH rates at the resorts, with a deluxe resort typically being around $150 more per night. We average about 10 nights per year, so that is an extra $1500. We don't do VB, so our 3 Seasonal and 1 Preferred (for the discounts) save about $1200 vs the Premier. So the extra $300 we spend is well worth it for the benefits of the deluxe resorts.

There are definitely situations where things swing in favor of the Premier. If you have DVC, own a condo in Orlando, or live close enough to drive for the day, then Premier definitely makes sense. If you would be able to use the free HHN ticket then that saves some money (our girls our too chicken to go). The other consideration is that you can go before 4 pm but stick to things that don't have or need EP (most shows, shopping, HP area, etc).

You do have the option of starting with the lower passes on your first trip to see what you think of UO, and try out one of the deluxe resorts. Then you can upgrade to Premier for the additional trips and stay in a cheaper place if it works for you...

 

[robl45]

Yea, we have stayed at Portofino 2 or 3 times. We like that, but then there is the option of just driving up for a day or whatever also the option of just staying at cabana bay, endless summer etc. Cabana bay I believe is walkable. I just debating whether the one express pass time with the pass is worth it especially after 4 when the parks don't appear to be open that long.

 

[wdwrule]

We were newbies to UO this past August and we do have premiere passes, mainly for the EP perk. In our situation, we fly in each time but have had cheap flights from Spirit. Super cheap and great experiences thus far. We have gone once per month since August and most trips are Friday night through Sunday late afternoon. We do stay deluxe now and then but love to stay at all levels of the UO resorts. It is so much fun exploring all of their resorts which makes our mini vacations extra special.

Each of the resorts have their own unique personalities and atmospheres. We are big walkers as well and had no problem walking to the parks from all resorts except Dockside. However Dockside had one of our most favorite rooms especially for the AP price… $129 for a 2 bedroom suite.

We did utilize the ‘free’ HHN ticket but was used more so for an empty Harry Potter area.
There’s also valet parking included at the parks with I believe has a smaller security area/entrance (I could be wrong on the security area)… we never have a car though.

We mostly like having peace of mind that no matter where we stay, we’ll be able to use limited EP every evening after 4:00. I read somewhere that you could use it at 3:00 if the park closed early but we’ve never tried as we weren’t sure and are rarely there when it closes early (maybe due to attending during weekends). Whether we stay deluxe or not, we hit up rides early and get a lot done. Then at peak crazy busy times, we either meander around Citywalk for a drink or whatever… or head to the resort for a little bit… or stay at the parks and look through shops, entertainment and/or less busy rides. Then, early dinner and use our EP. The only ride that we like to get back on as soon as we get off it, is Velocicoaster and that ride doesn’t have EP anyways. Otherwise we feel like we get on tons of rides multiple times through the weekend and go home satisfied.

Because we’re somewhat frequent fliers, I think we’ll continue to renew this tier of pass if the EP perk is offered. For us, we really love staying at a variety of resorts. Sapphire Falls is stunning inside and out, for example, and we feel like we get the best of both worlds so to speak.

 

[robl45]

Thanks for a detailed answer. I think we don't have a lot of choice as if we want to drive up for a day, we would need express pass ideally. I just checked prices of deluxe resort and its insane compared to the normal resorts. Like 300 more per night. The HHN ticket, is that avaialble on Saturdays? That could be worth it just for the fact that I would like to take the kids to that, but of course, you still need the express pass for HHN, but still save some money

 

[wdwrule]

Yes deluxes are a lot more but with AP rates, they’re a lot more do-able. We’ve stayed at RPR and HRH under $250 per night during weekends. Weeknight are usually much less than weekends. Our first stay was at PBH club level (1st time ever club level) for about $419…. 3 adults one child. We have rarely stayed deluxe let alone club level at Disney with their prices. You can easily get, as we have, Aventura, Cabana Bay family suite or Sapphire Falls for under $150… typically. Endless Resorts even less. Yes we went to HHN on a Saturday. The dates were limited but I didn’t remember many limitations.

 

[lisam70]

I think it would depend how often and time of year you plan to go. One of my few complaints about Universal is the parks close too early -I usually go May, Sept or Dec so off peak times. Sounds like you would be going mostly on weekends when rooms discounts are usually less. Also how many passes are you buying?
If you're going mostly during peak times then it might be more worth it since that is when parks are more crowded and open later.
Some families have one preferred pass for the discounts on merch and food and a seasonal for everyone else.

 

[macraven]

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December 8 2022

 

[namelessoracle]

Premier vs Preferred only really matters if the following are true for you

1. The black dates are relevant
2. You plan on using the Horror Nights ticket
3. You will get value out of the extra 5 percent discount

Going from Power to Preferred can sometimes pay for itself in the 10 percent discount. Every annual pass gets the hotel rate bonus.

You aren't really getting any saving on the Horror Nights tickets because its a limited one that is only good certain nights to begin with (you cant use it on Halloween itself), and you can snag a cheaper tickets from Sams Club. So ignore that from your calculation. You probably with a family of 4 aren't going to get value out of the 5 percent extra discount. So the only thing that should decide if you want Premier is the black out dates. I would recommend the Preferred because you will make it up in 2 decent length park visits. (you can also only have 1 person get it and the rest get normal/power and that person can slide their pass for everyones discounts)

 

[Ross Kratter]

As a local, the Premier pass is amazing.
Valet parking (otherwise $75 each visit) is included, as is Prime parking if you don’t want to valet your car.
Express after 4 is a huge perk, as are the food and merch discounts.