Uni Annual Pass for dummies

[ShyMiss]

Hello! These Uni boards were amazingly helpful as we prepared for our first visit to Universal last year. Thus, I'm wondering if any experts want to share an abbreviated Annual Pass explanation & recommendation for someone who is clueless about APs.

On our first visit we used the stay more/ save more package & stayed 8 days in Nov 2017. (family of 4 in Cabana Bay) Didn't need express passes with all that time. I was looking to repeat this for our 2nd visit next year but the AP with 6 months free caught my eye.

The options looked a bit overwhelming to this AP newbie.

Anyone care to advise or explain the options (as if you are talking to an elementary aged child? lol)

We live far from FL but I think this offer applies to non-residents?

We would probably be looking at visiting in 2019. Is that too far out to consider AP? Could do a summer 2019 visit. Definitely want to visit in November 2019. If we got an AP, we'd probably also go late March/Early April, and maybe one other time? Summer or fall. I think we'd probably look at APs for all 4 family members. But the teens may not accompany us for one of the visits.

Should I even be considering this? What hard math should I use to decide if it is a "deal" for our family?

Thanks in advance to any who'd like to share advice.

 

[damo]

As long as you are doing more than one 3 day visit in the allotted period of time, it is to your advantage to purchase the AP. You will get the same hotel discount with each pass.

With the seasonal, there is no free parking at the parks and you have to watch for blackout dates: https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/tickets-packages/annual-passes/blockout-dates/index.html

With the power, there is no free parking at the parks and the blackout dates are not as many and you will also get some food discounts:
https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/tickets-packages/annual-passes/blockout-dates/index.html

With the preferred, there is free parking at the parks, food discounts and there are no blackout dates and you get food discounts

With the premier, there is free parking at the parks, food discounts and there are no blackout dates and you get unlimited express after 4pm.

That is it in a nutshell. There are also smaller perks that you can research on the website. You can see that with each pass you get a few more perks.

 

[married2mm]

May I kindly jump in here as an universal dummy also?

Which levels give merchandise discounts?

 

[schumigirl]

May I kindly jump in here as an universal dummy also?

Which levels give merchandise discounts?

https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/tickets-packages/annual-passes/uoap-types/index.html

Tells you everything here.........

 

[married2mm]

https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/tickets-packages/annual-passes/uoap-types/index.html

Tells you everything here.........

Thank you very much.

Quick add on question-
With the preferred annual pass and early entry to WWoHP..
Which dates are not included?
Are they the same dates as blackout periods?

 

[cschaaf]

Thank you very much.

Quick add on question-
With the preferred annual pass and early entry to WWoHP..
Which dates are not included?
Are they the same dates as blackout periods?

https://www.universalorlando.com/we...ses/early-park-admission/index.html#preferred

 

[ShyMiss]

Hhm. Thanks, for the replies, explanation, and the link to benefits! I am out of state, so I would always be staying at a Universal hotel and parking there. Thus, I wouldn't use the parking at the parks benefit. I don't think we'd go to any of the special events. But I don't want a lot of blockout dates (limited by school calendar) So maybe I "need" the preferred. (The premier jumps up about $1000 for us so not sure if it'd be worth it? though the express pass after 4 sounds nice; we didn't need it when we stayed a week last visit. We just came back when the line was shorter. Don't know if it was a fluke.)

If my math is right, I could purchase the preferred AP for 4 people & a room only stay for the same price as a one week package with stay-more/save-more. Even if we only did 2 trips in an 18 month time period, it would save us money. (Goal would be 3-4 visits.) Unless I am missing something?

From the link, I'm seeing the preferred only has a few blackout dates for VB only, right?

Also curious, any out of state AP holders here?
If you have AP, what did you choose and why?

Thanks again!

 

[ShyMiss]

Oh. One more question. I am reading "when you purchase and activate by..."

Do you have to be at Universal to "activate" the AP?

 

[skylock]

Oh. One more question. I am reading "when you purchase and activate by..."

Do you have to be at Universal to "activate" the AP?

Yes

 

[ShyMiss]

Yes

So if I wanted to purchase 4 APs, I assume all 4 of my family members have to be present & activate before the April deadline?
If so, that's the only thing that may throw a monkey wrench into the hypothetical plan.

 

[skylock]

Actua

So if I wanted to purchase 4 APs, I assume all 4 of my family members have to be present & activate before the April deadline?
If so, that's the only thing that may throw a monkey wrench into the hypothetical plan.

I think so, because you have to scan your finger when you use them.

 

[ShyMiss]

Okay. Thank you.

 

[damo]

You activate a pass by actually going through the park gates.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

There really are very few blackout dates for the power pass. Unless they effect your plans, you could do one preferred pass for the food discounts (your whole party gets the discount when you dine) and the rest power passes to save some money.