Question about getting to hard rock before having park tickets

[Cj2017]

We will be staying for three nights in October at the Hard Rock hotel. Will we get our express passes even though we don't have tickets? We are getting there on a Thursday morning and not going to the parks till Friday/Saturday/Sunday. I'm waiting to buy the tickets because my brother who is a Florida resident is going to be checking in the same day and offered to buy my two kids their tickets kind of a way to help me out eat up the cost. He said to wait for him though so that he can get them the Florida resident deal, but I guess he has to do it that Thursday because he has to prove his residency. Just curious how it would work really with the express passes if we get there before we actually have tickets.

Thanks,
CJ

 

[macraven]

Your premier hotel room key is your ep for the parks
But you need park tickets to enter the parks

 

[cschaaf]

Yep, check into the hotel on Thursday and your room key is also your EP. When you go to the parks on Friday, you'll need park tickets to get in, then you can scan your hotel key at the rides to take advantage of the EP.

Lanyards are handy for this reason.

 

[Cj2017]

So then add his kids and my kids to the room reservation when I book. On Thursday when he comes down to bring me his kids he can just go over to the Universal Ticket booth show his ID and buy the kids tickets. Then they will already have room keys (which is their express passes).

 

[macraven]

As long as you only have 5 in a standard room, that would work