Question about switching park tickets to AP

[mya1k9]

So I bought a 3 day park to park ticket through universal. It looks like I could get a seasonal AP for 30.00 more. However we are going during Mardi Gras and while there is no blackout dates there are concerts. So would I not be allowed in the parks those days? And how do I know when the concerts are? Is this a bad idea? I would just be doing this for a room discount and hopefully merchandise and food discounts. Are all the AP passes the same discount wise? And can I upgrade without a penalty? Any and all advice welcome and appreciated. My husband doesn't understand what I want to do and he thinks I am buying a annual pass on top of my existing ticket and I am trying to reassure him that it will be only 30 extra dollars. Thanks so much for your advice!!!!

 

[bumbershoot]

There is no penalty. The most basic way to look at it is that they take the pass you want and subtract the cost of the ticket you have to get the difference. Now the pass will expire a year after the first use of your ticket.

I would just be doing this for a room discount and hopefully merchandise and food discounts. Are all the AP passes the same discount wise?

No.

https://www.universalorlando.com/Theme-Park-Tickets/Annual-Passes/Non-FL-Annual-Passes.aspx

Food and merchandise discounts only come into play with the Preferred and Premier. Hotel discounts can be had with any.

If you're only going to move up to the Seasonal, make sure that you have a good enough room discount before finalizing plans to upgrade. In case you don't know how to find the discount, go to the Loews hotels website and put "APH" into the code field. If there's a discount at that time for the timeframe you're booking, it will show up. If it doesn't show, keep checking. Maybe it'll show up later. We have a thread here about AP discounts and when they are being offered.

 

[damo]

Mardi Gras concerts should be posted soon. They are mostly Saturday nights, so you wouldn't be able to go to that park that day.

 

[Toy Story Fan]

Just to let you know, we were just at Universal at the beginning of December, and exchanged our 3 day park to park tickets for seasonal passes and it was a difference of $10.60 , tax included. The gal exchanging them for us kept looking at the screen kind of confused, then she said to me "why doesn't everybody do this if its only $10.00?" I'm not sure if this will change soon, but this was our experience.

 

[ljmclin]

If I buy park tickets from a 3rd party site, can I upgrade one of them to an AP ticket and will I have to wait and do that once I get to the parks? How do I get the hotel discount when booking if I don't upgrade the ticket until I get to the park?

 

[bumbershoot]

You don't need the ap to book the hotel with aph rate if it's available for your dates.

With any ticket you have to wait until you're there to upgrade.

At checkin just ask when they will need to see the ap. They'll let you know.

Don't worry.

 

[mya1k9]

Thank you for the replies!! I feel a little better about it now!

 

[kohlby]

If I buy park tickets from a 3rd party site, can I upgrade one of them to an AP ticket and will I have to wait and do that once I get to the parks? How do I get the hotel discount when booking if I don't upgrade the ticket until I get to the park?

You can upgrade while there. When you check in, let them know you're getting your AP when you go to the park. you just need to show it before checking out.

 

[ljmclin]

My 3 park 4 day ticket will be $283.65 each from the 3rd party vendor. When I upgrade one of my tickets to AP in the park, I will pay the difference between the current AP price and the current Universal park ticket cost correct? That means that the 3 park 4 day ticket at Universal would cost me $324.81 online ($344.81 in the park) and the annual preferred pass is $349.99 online (in park ???). So I would be paying around $20 to upgrade to an AP? I'm sorry for all the questions. We have never been to Universal and i'm just learning. I want to make sure I understand everything! Thanks for all the help so far.

 

[iivye]

Wait until the last day of your trip to upgrade before you leave the park. Then the concert dates won't matter. We were there in Dec and had the same issue. I bought tickets that I wanted to upgrade to seasonal passes but had to wait until the last day to upgrade because both the Sat and Sun we were there had concerts. Mine were $30 to upgrade.

 

[mya1k9]

Wait until the last day of your trip to upgrade before you leave the park. Then the concert dates won't matter. We were there in Dec and had the same issue. I bought tickets that I wanted to upgrade to seasonal passes but had to wait until the last day to upgrade because both the Sat and Sun we were there had concerts. Mine were $30 to upgrade.

I was under the impression that once the tickets were used you couldn't upgrade them????

 

[damo]

I was under the impression that once the tickets were used you couldn't upgrade them????

Which tickets are these? A flex ticket?

 

[mya1k9]

Which tickets are these? A flex ticket?

3 day park to park bought on universals site

 

[damo]

3 day park to park bought on universals site

You can certainly upgrade those as long as you do so before they expire.

 

[ljmclin]

mine are 4 day park to park bought from SAMs

 

[bumbershoot]

I was under the impression that once the tickets were used you couldn't upgrade them????

It's just like Disney. You can upgrade them while they are active. So doing it on the last day is legit.

Now for you that is solely for hotel discount if you can get it. Season pass doesn't give you food and merchandise discounts.

 

[mya1k9]

It's just like Disney. You can upgrade them while they are active. So doing it on the last day is legit.

Now for you that is solely for hotel discount if you can get it. Season pass doesn't give you food and merchandise discounts.

Yup, just for the hotel discount. The rates are out and we booked at Cabana bay but for 150ish more I am thinking of switching to RPR. Decisions....

 

[iivye]

mine are 4 day park to park bought from SAMs

I upgraded the Sam's Club 3 day park to park ticket so you shouldn't have a problem.

 

[grantforrest]

I have universal tickets that I have bought in the UK - would I be a able to upgrade these to AP? They are different though in the sense that they allow me 14 days park to park from activation.