To Buy or Not to Buy Online Tix

[Doctor 10]

In another thread l alluded to a trip for IOA/USF for May l. Reading on other threads one person recommended 100 % purchasing online tix . Necessary? What will crowds be like l wonder.

PLAN :
1. WWOHP - FJ
2. ( may /may not skip Dragon Challenge )
3. Reasonable to have lunch @ Three Broomsticks ? Or is it a time waster in terms of waiting?
4. Spiderman
5. Mummy
6. Men In Black
(unsure can fit Despicable Me )

All this before leaving by 5:30 P coz of reservations at DTD dinner @ 7p . We're staying at French Quarter

l really wish the others on this trip allotted more dates so we didnit feel so compressed. Shrugs. The package has been confirmed already so just working with what we got.

Live in the present judging no one by his or her past nor expecting less for his or her future.-alm

 

[Boatingmom]

Buy online at Undercover tourist. That site also has crowd calendar.

 

[Doctor 10]

Thanks . Btw how do we interpret numbers re: crowd level on calendar? Is it like weather forecast berg subject to change as get closer to day ?

Live in the present judging no one by his or her past nor expecting less for his or her future.-alm

 

[Doctor 10]

The crowd calendar is helpful but has me worried for MK + Epcot as we planned in reverse to recommended days . I planned using Disney's Crowd Calendar Confused

Live in the present judging no one by his or her past nor expecting less for his or her future.-alm

 

[macraven]

you can buy park tickets at UT cheaper than the UO online.
UT tix include the taxes in their costs.


go to the www.universalorlando.com for more info.

click on tickets.
you will see the tab at the top of the UO website.

check out express pass ticket costs.

put in the date and park.


if you see a price of less than $30 for the express pass that date/park, that will be a gauge of what type of crowds to expect.


at the cost of $30 & under, there will be no crowds.


if the passes cost about or more than $45, you will have moderate crowds.


as the express pass price increases, so will the crowds.

UO 's charges for express is increased if they expect more in the park that date.

the higher the price, the more peeps in the park.


i do the motherland and the darkside.
i have found that josh's site for crowd predicitions reliable for the motherland but not for the darkside.


in fact, i have not found any sites so far that are as helpful on determining crowd levels in the darkside parks as the Express Pass cost site.

don't buy the express pass until you are in the parks to see what time of line waits you are facing.

if you go on a low day or if it rains, you won't be needing the ep's.

hth!

 

[Doctor 10]

l did read somewhere to buy eXpress passes @ park itself judging unpredictability of how busy parks will be .

PS ... Learnin abbreviations here. What is UO ?

Live in the present judging no one by his or her past nor expecting less for his or her future.-alm

 

[bumbershoot]

UO = Universal Orlando. The overall place, including both parks. website is universalorlando.com


That's really too bad about the dining reservations at DTD!


I don't know about crowds in May, but on our trips there hasn't been much of a wait at 3 Broomsticks. They actually start serving lunch foods at something wild like 10:30am, so if you get an early start and get those two rides in nice and early, you could then start lunch before the crowds get hungry.

 

[Doctor 10]

UO = Universal Orlando. The overall place, including both parks. website is universalorlando.com

That's really too bad about the dining reservations at DTD!

I don't know about crowds in May, but on our trips there hasn't been much of a wait at 3 Broomsticks. They actually start serving lunch foods at something wild like 10:30am, so if you get an early start and get those two rides in nice and early, you could then start lunch before the crowds get hungry.

What does UT then refer to ? It's no biggie about DTD. The parkS @ Universal IOA l thank closes by 7pm & l think were only into The Mummy & MIB. Is Despicable Me worth it?

Live in the present judging no one by his or her past nor expecting less for his or her future.-alm

 

[Doctor 10]

I'M aware UO closes by 9pm but no big deal as I said : )

Live in the present judging no one by his or her past nor expecting less for his or her future.-alm

 

[Doctor 10]

you can buy park tickets at UT cheaper than the UO online.
UT tix include the taxes in their costs.

go to the www.universalorlando.com for more info.

click on tickets.
you will see the tab at the top of the UO website.

check out express pass ticket costs.

put in the date and park.

if you see a price of less than $30 for the express pass that date/park, that will be a gauge of what type of crowds to expect.

at the cost of $30 & under, there will be no crowds.

if the passes cost about or more than $45, you will have moderate crowds.

as the express pass price increases, so will the crowds.

UO 's charges for express is increased if they expect more in the park that date.

the higher the price, the more peeps in the park.

i do the motherland and the darkside.
i have found that josh's site for crowd predicitions reliable for the motherland but not for the darkside.

in fact, i have not found any sites so far that are as helpful on determining crowd levels in the darkside parks as the Express Pass cost site.

don't buy the express pass until you are in the parks to see what time of line waits you are facing.

if you go on a low day or if it rains, you won't be needing the ep's.

hth!

Thanks for all your tips to everyone. I'm still learning lingo here so forgive me for repeated threads or stupid questions. I just want to maximize highlights given limited time frame we have.

Judging by UO site the express pass is 46 $!!! Looks like it might be quite crowded. Gonna go to FJ first thing as there's no Express pass for that! SRL may be an option but if there early might not have to

Upon arriving at park what waiting interval would indicate need for Express pass?

Live in the present judging no one by his or her past nor expecting less for his or her future.-alm

 

[Doctor 10]

This is a no brainer perhaps but one member in my party has the impression that we can get tix for Universal @ our DISNEY resort. l find that hard to believe as they are competitors

Live in the present judging no one by his or her past nor expecting less for his or her future.-alm

 

[Metro West]

The best thing about buying ahead of time online? Not having to stand in line at the ticket windows which will save you lots of time especially during a busy travel period.

 

[damo]

I just want to clarify that there are entrance tickets to get into the parks...buy them online because they are cheaper.

There are also the express passes which we always say to wait until you get at the parks to purchase. The express passes are available at many places INSIDE the parks. Wait until you are INSIDE and have determined the lines are too long for you before you get them.

Your friend seems to be confusing Disney's Hollywood Studios with Universal Studios. You can't buy Universal tickets at Disney and you can't buy Disney tickets at Universal.

 

[chs27]

Always buy online. I forgot that rule this Saturday, thinking since the price was exactly the same for the attraction I was visiting, why take the time? Well, the line to buy tickets was an hour long. Oh yeah. Now I remember why! This was for the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, but the same logic stands. Especially during busy times, don't stand in any more lines than you HAVE to!

 

[macraven]

UT is undercover tourists.

mousesavers is a monthly newsletter that comes by email on the 15th of the month.

there is a special link in those newsletters that directs you to the UT website.
if you order from UT, go thru the link in the mousesavers email to get a discount on park tickets.

UT sells park tickets to most of the Florida entertainments.


what are the dates of your vacation?

there are some dates that UO does have larger crowds.


if you are going to the darkside/universal in May, fridays tend to become crowded as local schools do field trips to the UO parks.

 

[bumbershoot]

The OP's day for Universal is May 1st.

This is a no brainer perhaps but one member in my party has the impression that we can get tix for Universal @ our DISNEY resort. l find that hard to believe as they are competitors

You are correct.


undercovertourist.com is the place many people buy tickets, but if it's just a ONE day ticket I'm not sure you'll find any sort of discount for said ticket.

 

[Doctor 10]

UT is undercover tourists.

mousesavers is a monthly newsletter that comes by email on the 15th of the month.

there is a special link in those newsletters that directs you to the UT website.
if you order from UT, go thru the link in the mousesavers email to get a discount on park tickets.

UT sells park tickets to most of the Florida entertainments.

what are the dates of your vacation?

there are some dates that UO does have larger crowds.

if you are going to the darkside/universal in May, fridays tend to become crowded as local schools do field trips to the UO parks.

Excellent tips as always! I discovered UT through some others

Live in the present judging no one by his or her past nor expecting less for his or her future.-alm

 

[Doctor 10]

UT is undercover tourists.

mousesavers is a monthly newsletter that comes by email on the 15th of the month.

there is a special link in those newsletters that directs you to the UT website.
if you order from UT, go thru the link in the mousesavers email to get a discount on park tickets.

UT sells park tickets to most of the Florida entertainments.

what are the dates of your vacation?

there are some dates that UO does have larger crowds.

if you are going to the darkside/universal in May, fridays tend to become crowded as local schools do field trips to the UO parks.

Sorry the send button pushed early. Anyway I signed up for newsletter & should get message about 15 days before we leave. Do theg get mailed reasonably fast? We leave April 30 & intend for Universal May 1

Live in the present judging no one by his or her past nor expecting less for his or her future.-alm

 

[BamaPrincess]

I got my tickets from UT within a week of ordering both times I ordered.

 

[LBIJim]

This is a no brainer perhaps but one member in my party has the impression that we can get tix for Universal @ our DISNEY resort. l find that hard to believe as they are competitors

One of my co-workers INSISTS that Disney Park Hoppers are vaild for entry into Universal. She KNOWS this for a FACT because that's exactly HOW she got into Universal for FREE.

Even better, if you don't go into a Disney park that day, the Universal day is free and a Disney day IS NOT deducted from the park hopper.

But it ONLY works with Disney park hoppers, not base tickets. That's why Disney charges more for them.

Jim