Univ Express Pass Questions

[underminer]

I'm a newbie to the site but appreciate all the great info! We are going to Orlando Thanksgiving week and will probably go to the 2 universal parks the friday and saturday after thankgiving....Will the crowd levels be crazy? Would it be worth investing in the express passes on those days? Can you use the express pass allow multiple times on each ride or just once per ride?
Thanks for the help!

 

[jillybeene71]

We are going to Universal that week also...Im not sure about the crowds, I had a question about that also. One person said that the beginning of the week is not at all crowded, but getting to thanksgiving day and the Friday and Sat. there were more people. She said it still wasn't bad. But as for the express passes you can only use them once per ride.

 

[bubba's mom]

underminer--you didn't say how many people in your party. If you are planning 2 days at the parks, it might be worth the money to get an onsite hotel. If your party is larger, by the time you buy an express pass for everyone (1X per ride), it might cost the same as your off-site hotel + cost of buying passes. You can use your room key the day you check in and the day you check out...all day...as many times on the rides as you like. I guess it depends on the number of peeps in your party. It will prolly be crowded, and just a "head's up"...EP's are first come, first serve....they only sell "so many".

 

[phamton]

The Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving are very, very busy.

 

[underminer]

Thanks for the advice...If you stay just one night at a universal resort hotel, do you still get the express pass benefits or does it need to be multiple nights? Same question for "kids play free"...is that only for multiple nights?

 

[gschmerl]

One night at an on site hotel gets you two full days of express access.

 

[rcraw45425]

You get express FOTL from the morning of the day you check in until closing the day you check out is my understanding. The kids play free is a package, I would assume it's for a set number of nights. We are doing the play four free promo, stay four nights and your tickets (2 adult, 2 kids) are "free". We are using PBH as our home base and squeezing in the MNSSHP at Disney one evening instead of the US HHN, which is too intense for our kids.

 

[underminer]

Thanks for the info...i need to learn the lingo here....what does MNSSHP, PBH and US HHN stand for?

 

[gschmerl]

Thanks for the info...i need to learn the lingo here....what does MNSSHP, PBH and US HHN stand for?

MNSSHP---Mickey's Not So Scarey Halloween Party.
PBH--Portofino Bay Hotel
US--Universal Studios
HHN-Halloween Horror Nights.

 

[underminer]

Ok at the risk of beating this to death.... So if you stay at a US hotel on site do you get FOTL privileges everytime you ride an attraction or only once per attraction like the express pass? Will it be so busy the friday and saturday after thanksgiving that it would be worth staying onsite one night? We already have a timeshare reserved offsite but im just wondering if it would be worth the extra cost just to get FOTL privileges. What do you think?

 

[rcraw45425]

unlimited is my understanding

 

[phamton]

It will be unbelievably busy on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving. So yes, it would be worth the extra cost.

 

[bubba's mom]

My DBIL & family (of 5) live in Fla. and have AP to Universal. A lot of the time they will visit UO for the day and get a hotel room onsite just so they don't have to stand in line! A lot of the time they don't even use the room, they just want the key for the all day EP!

 

[underminer]

My DBIL & family (of 5) live in Fla. and have AP to Universal. A lot of the time they will visit UO for the day and get a hotel room onsite just so they don't have to stand in line! A lot of the time they don't even use the room, they just want the key for the all day EP!

So if you just need a room key for FOTL priviledges, how many people in your party can you get in with one room key? Do they allow 4 or 5 people per key?
And if you stay just one night...say Friday night...do you get to use the key for FOTL all day Saturday or do you have to turn it early when you check out?
Sorry lots of questions!

 

[Amity 3]

So if you just need a room key for FOTL priviledges, how many people in your party can you get in with one room key? Do they allow 4 or 5 people per key?
And if you stay just one night...say Friday night...do you get to use the key for FOTL all day Saturday or do you have to turn it early when you check out?
Sorry lots of questions!

the room key is good for the day you check in and the day you check out for all of the people registered to that room.

 

[bubba's mom]

the room key is good for the day you check in and the day you check out for all of the people registered to that room.

which is usually no more than 5 for a standard room......you keep your key, as your name is printed on it (like at Disney) because if you stay, you can charge merchandise and dining on your key back to your room....(but, if you're staying Friday nite, you will have FOTL Fri & Sat, but NO charging privleges on Sat. after you check out)

 

[goofy!]

We are also staying onsite during Thanksgiving. We have a family reunion at Disney, but prefer to stay at Universal for the FOTL and drive to Disney. We usually go during the summer or Christmas, so this will be our first time during Thanksgiving. However, we are anticipating very large crowds.

FOTL is wonderful. It is definitely worth it.

You are allowed up to 5 people in a room. A combination of 2 adults and three children under the age of 18 does not incur any extra costs. If your combination incudes more adults, there will be an extra fee for any adult over the max of 2.

If you are planning the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving, you should plan to check in early on Friday. Your room may not be ready yet, but you can leave your luggage with the bellhop or in your car. They will call you when your room is ready. But upon check-in, they will give you your room keys so you can head over to the parks.

When you check out on Saturday, you again can leave your luggage with the bellhop. You keep your room keys. They are good for FOTL until the park closes the day you check out.

So, one night at a Universal hotel will get you 2 full days of unlimited FOTL. You can use the express line at each ride as many times as you want. There is no limit.

 

[underminer]

...Wow that sounds like a pretty sweet deal! So can you check in even before the park opens so that you get a full day of FOTL on that day? And also do you know how much extra it is for an extra adult in the room?

 

[bubba's mom]

... So can you check in even before the park opens so that you get a full day of FOTL on that day?

yes...you can check in as early as you want to get your key....you can have FOTL all day.....and even the entire day you check out!

And also do you know how much extra it is for an extra adult in the room?

I believe $25 pp/nite??? somebody may come along and confirm or correct me

 

[macraven]

it is a different amount per hotel when you have more than two people 18 + in the room

you can check in early to the hotel.
you ARE giving a room key.
you need for the fotl

also, you do not need to go back to the front desk when you come back to hotel from the park/city walk/pool...etc.

you can call the number that was issued to you for you to check on your room.
once you have received a room number, it is carded into the system and your room key wil work immediately.

go to your room, use the room key, then call for your luggage to be sent up