Ticket vs. annual pass... seems too good to be true

[jerseygal]

Just want to clarify my plan for tickets..If we purchase the 3 park buy 2 days get 2 days free from UT, the price with tax is $307.95. The 3 park to park ticket through Universal 2 day ticket is $340.80 with tax. SO, if we wanted to upgrade to AP, we want to upgrade to 2 adult tickets AP Power 2 park pass, which is $378.07. Am I correct that at upgrade, Universal would apply the $340.80 toward the $378.07, thus we would owe $37.27 additional for each adult AND we would get a total of 15 months(3 months FREE)? THANKS in advance for clarification!

 

[jerseygal]

3 months free,(Not bad, total of 15 months) for new AP Seasonal and Power Pass, but if upgrading from another ticket, say the buy 2 days, get 2 days promotion, you get the extra 3 months ONLY IF you purchased directly from Universal, not from places like Undercover Tourist. I believe for the other two more expensive AP, you get 6 months free for new AP.

Okay, I called Guest Services this morning. The customer service agent checked with her supervisor and this is what I was told. On either a seasonal or power pass, you only get the extra 3 months if you purchase the AP. I asked the question IF I purchased a 3 park, buy 2 get 2 free promotional ticket from UT, the price is $307.95 with tax. IF I chose to UPGRADE while we were there, to say an AP Power 2 Park Pass(the cost is $378.07 with tax), Universal would use the "starting point" of the cost through Universal of a 3 park, 2 day pass(which is $340.80)and I would pay the difference of $37.27($378.07 less $340.80) per ticket, BUT I would NOT get the extra 3 months. If I wanted the 15 month promotion, I would have to get the AP through Universal and pay $378.07, rather than "upgrade" the existing ticket purchased through UT.

 

[damo]

Okay, I called Guest Services this morning. The customer service agent checked with her supervisor and this is what I was told. On either a seasonal or power pass, you only get the extra 3 months if you purchase the AP. I asked the question IF I purchased a 3 park, buy 2 get 2 free promotional ticket from UT, the price is $307.95 with tax. IF I chose to UPGRADE while we were there, to say an AP Power 2 Park Pass(the cost is $378.07 with tax), Universal would use the "starting point" of the cost through Universal of a 3 park, 2 day pass(which is $340.80)and I would pay the difference of $37.27($378.07 less $340.80) per ticket, BUT I would NOT get the extra 3 months. If I wanted the 15 month promotion, I would have to get the AP through Universal and pay $378.07, rather than "upgrade" the existing ticket purchased through UT.

There have already been people who have upgraded Undercover Tourist tickets and got the extra months. So it is all fine and good that Guest Services is telling you that, but that is not what they are doing.

If you purchase a 3 park b2g2 pass and don't use the ticket at Volcano Bay, I suspect you will be given credit for the same value ticket at Universal (so their equivalent of the promotion, so $319.99 plus tax) and then have to pay the difference to get your 2 park annual pass.

If you use the ticket at Volcano Bay, you can only purchase a 3 park annual Pass.

That is what they did to the person who reported back the other day. She had purchased the b2g2 from tickets at work and upon upgrading was quoted the difference between the AP and the promotion ticket price on the Universal website.

 

[jerseygal]

Thanks for your help. Since the Guest Services Ticket Associate specifically told me that I can upgrade to an AP 2 park Power pass from a 3 park buy 2 get 2 days free, think in the next few days, I will e mail Guest Services so that I have in writing the policy. If I can’t upgrade, guess I will just purchase the 2 park AP power pass and get the 15 months. There is a special for AP at VB, that I saw this morning, buy 1 day, get 2nd day free for AP, think it was $80 before tax. Doing it that way, depending on the weather mid December, we could then get 2 days at VB for $80 before tax, and I will still get the 2 Park AP, 15 months.

 

[ICan'tWait]

So if it’s working like I think it is I can still buy a regular 5 day, 3 park to park ticket from Undercover Tourist and upgrade it. The value they would give me upgrading to an AP would be gate price of a 5 day 3 park to park ticket (which would save me over $100 on three tickets ). And finally I should still be able to get the 3 months free on those 3 seasonal AP’s. Im not going until March , but I do want to purchase my kids their tickets to wrap up for Christmas.
So I have until December to watch what people are reporting just in case in varies depending on who does the upgrade or the policy changes.

I emailed guest services about upgrading a park ticket and the promo. When I didn't hear back for a couple days I called. The phone person told me yes when upgrading you could get the promo 15 months for the seasonal. Today I finally received an email back and they stated in the email that upgraded tickets could not get the 15 month promo ticket. Frustrating. I too hope more people report back their actual experiences at the park.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Technically the 3 park tix can be upgraded to the 2 park pass, so that is accurate. BUT only if you don't go to VB. Once you go to VB, you can only upgrade to a 3 park pass. Otherwise, everyone would go to VB with their tix then upgrade to the 2 park pass, making VB free (ie, non-profitable).

The 3 free months is a different issue.

 

[jerseygal]

I emailed guest services about upgrading a park ticket and the promo. When I didn't hear back for a couple days I called. The phone person told me yes when upgrading you could get the promo 15 months for the seasonal. Today I finally received an email back and they stated in the email that upgraded tickets could not get the 15 month promo ticket. Frustrating. I too hope more people report back their actual experiences at the park.

Thanks for updating on the e mail from Guest Services.

 

[luvsvacations]

Is there someplace that has the 2019 concert dates. I booked a room at RP for Feb 25th which is a Sunday - does anyone know if there will be a concert that night ??

 

[damo]

Is there someplace that has the 2019 concert dates. I booked a room at RP for Feb 25th which is a Sunday - does anyone know if there will be a concert that night ??

That is during Mardi Gras time. Hard to know yet if there are any concerts. However, concerts are usually not on Sunday nights.

 

[luvsvacations]

Thanks

 

[jacksdadcan]

Is there someplace that has the 2019 concert dates. I booked a room at RP for Feb 25th which is a Sunday - does anyone know if there will be a concert that night ??

Don't forget, IoA is still open on days that concerts happen at USO.

 

[luvsvacations]

Are you able to use both parks during the day until a certain time?

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Are you able to use both parks during the day until a certain time?

Not on a concert day - they would have no way of enforcing specific people leaving by a certain time. You can access IOA only the whole day. Or upgrade your pass.

 

[CrabbyPatty]

Wow - as a WDW veteran, Universal is a whole new world to me. DD and I are thinking of a short trip in January of 2019 and Universal for the first time. So I apologize if this has been asked before .... but .... if we get a seasonal pass with this new offer and we are new passholders, we will get the 6 months free? And since we would go back to Universal prolly in August, we would not need to upgrade to a higher level AP since there are no concerts that month. AND we can book a hotel room now and get AP rates using the seasonal pass? THANKS for your assistance on this!

 

[jerseygal]

Wow - as a WDW veteran, Universal is a whole new world to me. DD and I are thinking of a short trip in January of 2019 and Universal for the first time. So I apologize if this has been asked before .... but .... if we get a seasonal pass with this new offer and we are new passholders, we will get the 6 months free? And since we would go back to Universal prolly in August, we would not need to upgrade to a higher level AP since there are no concerts that month. AND we can book a hotel room now and get AP rates using the seasonal pass? THANKS for your assistance on this!

New Seasonal Passholders get 3 months free. The AP rates can be used to book a hotel room also. Go in the Universal Resorts Website and there is a tab at the top of AP. If you click on that, then click on hotels and you can find the AP rates for your dates. You may want to consider the Power Pass where
Universal Parking at the park(if that is a consideration) is half off and there are no block out dates, still 3 months free. The Preferred AP comes with 6 months free, free parking, early entry, no block out dates AND 10% off at selected Citwalk and Park Restaurants. We started out intending to purchase the promotional buy 2, get 2 days free for our upcoming Dec trip, but after analysis, decided that we would be purchasing the Preferred AP with 6 months free and free parking, stay one night using the AP rate at Sapphire Bay and enjoy the 1 hour early entry, then enjoy the benefits of the Preferred AP for the remainder of our trip . Enjoy your trip!

 

[NHdisneylover]

Hi everyone--I am new to the Universal board, I have never been to Universal.

I am tagging along with my husband on a two week work trip to Orlando in Januaryand am finally going to check out Universal while I have several days to myself.

It looks like getting an annual pass is the best bet---as I am likely to spend 5-6 days at the park and will have a rental car, so need parking. So I think the preffered annual pass makes the most sense---I was thinking of buying it online soon, while they are offering the added 6 months (who knows? Maybe I will make it back)---the only delivery option I am getting is "pick up at ticket window"

I am wondering if they have a pick up/ticket window at City Walk (or in one of the hotels, that those of us not staying onsite can still use) or is it only at the parks when they are open? We'll land mid afternoon on a Monday and would like to head over and use the free parking after 6, pick up my AP and then use the discount for dinner at City Walk, but I worry I will not be able to actaully get the AP until the enxt morning as park closed is listed for 7 pm that night.

 

[macraven]

There is a guest service located in City Walk

Your Preferred AP would be needed in hand for the free parking at the UO garage

If you get the lower prices ap, the parking in the garage has a discount

You can have someone drop you off at city walk and go to gs to pick up the ap

Some peeps have their ride wait at Walgreens parking lot and return to pick up the person they dropped off

Once you have the activated ap, you can use that perk for free garage parking

 

[NHdisneylover]

There is a guest service located in City Walk

Your Preferred AP would be needed in hand for the free parking at the UO garage

If you get the lower prices ap, the parking in the garage has a discount

You can have someone drop you off at city walk and go to gs to pick up the ap

Some peeps have their ride wait at Walgreens parking lot and return to pick up the person they dropped off

Once you have the activated ap, you can use that perk for free garage parking

Thank you!

I thought everyone got free parking in the garage after 6 pm? Is that not accurate?

W thoguth we'D arrive sometime after 6 (probably 6:30 to 7 based on when we land, by the time we get luggage and checked in at our hotel and get there)---use the late arrival free parking, then get the AP (so it will be in hand for me to use the next morning) and have dinner (using the AP disount).

Kniwing we can pick up the AP from Guest Services in City walk is very helpful---I appreciate that

 

[skylock]

There is free parking for all after 6, but for free parking the next day, you will need to have your AP activated, ie, use it to enter a park, not just pick it up.

Your plan should still work, you will just have to make sure you use the AP to enter a park before they close.

I think I would check in to the hotel after you pick up the AP and activate it. I don't know the park hours on your intended day to visit, but as I said, it would need to be activated.

 

[chicagoshannon]

There is free parking for all after 6, but for free parking the next day, you will need to have your AP activated, ie, use it to enter a park, not just pick it up.

Your plan should still work, you will just have to make sure you use the AP to enter a park before they close.

I think I would check in to the hotel after you pick up the AP and activate it. I don't know the park hours on your intended day to visit, but as I said, it would need to be activated.

Do you really need to use it to enter a park for it to work for parking? In the past I've dropped my DH off and waited in the drop off area. He got his pass, did not enter a park, and then we went into the garage and got the free parking. This was in 2016. Did they change things since then?