Universal Power Pass

[WDWFOREVER]

Have any of you in the UK bought the Universal Power Pass direct from Universal Studios web site? I am really tempted since the blackout dates do not coincide (apart from 2 days) of our 18 day holiday and they would seem really good value at $99 plus tax each. However, I am just a bit nervous about buying online and wondered if anyone else had done it and what the procedure was.

Thanks for any help you can give!

 

[UKDEB]

I haven't bought the Power Pass online, but I have just bought APs, and have done so in the past. I opted for the ceTicket (will-call) option this time.

 

[kazzie]

Hi,

I bought a preferred annual pass ( to use for the discounts) and three annual power passes on 9th April from the Universal site.I decided to pay to have them delivered rather than pick them up when I get there.I received the tickets yesterday,brilliant service.And you get the actual ticket and not a voucher.

I would definitely say go for it,it is outstanding value.You can't get a 2-day pass in the UK for that money

Hope that reassures you.

Do you know about the offer on the Sea World site? For a couple of $$ more than a day visit you can buy a pass valid from now up to December 31st.I bought these the same day as Universal tickets and have paid £36 per ticket,another brilliant deal.These you print out the receipt and pick the tickets up at the gate.This easy ticket system must save the companies a lot of money which they hopefully pass on to us!

 

[WDWFOREVER]

Thanks so much for your replies Debbie and Karen. I'm definitely going to order them.

Karen - we considered buying one regular annual pass and two power passes but decided we wouldn't make enough use of the extras available to make the extra outlay worthwhile. We will probably only go to the parks 3 times. Thanks for the heads up on the Sea World tickets. However, I haven't been there for about 4 years now and I doubt we will go again. I have a 9 year old son who cannot cope with animals in cages or tanks. In fact, my husband calls him "Swampy" (do you remember the ecowarrior?)!

 

[kazzie]

LOl about Swampy!

The only reason I thought it was worth the extra for the prefered pass is you get up to 45% on VIP tours and I'll be doing HHN VIP tour.If it is 45% that will already make the pass be worth the extra .I only got on preferred pass for the discount and the rest were power passes!

Good luck with the ordering I kept going through the motions of ordering but always backed off from completing it,I wish I just done it sooner now,while the rate was a bit better

 

[WDWFOREVER]

I know what you mean about the rate - it went up to 1.61 at one stage. I did think about grabbing some cash out of our savings and getting some travellers cheques (lets face it, the rate of interest on savings isn't very good is it?!) but kept leaving it and leaving it. Wish I had now though. Also, we didn't book up until about 8 weeks ago. Was going to give it a miss this year as we have bought new bedroom furniture and had the front garden block paved ... all that expense ... but then I thought hey, thats what credit cards are for!

We were waiting to do the VIP tours until DS was older since I thought he would appreciate them more then. We thought once he was a bit older and didn't want to overdose on Disney quite as much as he does now, we would introduce a stopover somewhere (say New York or Las Vegas) and adding to the Disney/Universal experience by doing the VIP tours. That way, it will keep his interest. Do you have young children doing the VIP tour?

Jackie

 

[UK Valerie]

We bought power passes and preffered passes on line. The preferred passes were worth it because you get free parking $7 a time and discounts on food and drinks in each of the parks.

Check the blackout dates when you are there because each time we used them in March we were told the blackout days for Easter and April had been lifted (probably due to lack of crowds)

Karen the passes you have received are only valid for 1 days entry to the parks, you need to exchange them for your passes inside the parks. Take photo ID and be prepared for a long wait.

 

[kipper]

I agree with the previous posting .Do get a preferred pass as it will save you on parking.You will also find that because you have the pass you are not obliged to stay the whole day and waste a days ticket if you exit tyhe park early. we use to enter the park at opening time exit when the crowds came at lunch time ,go and chill out at the pool then in the early evening return refreshed again to a not so crowded park. Using your ticket this way was are best evrr trip experience and we look forward to using it again this year (going earlier than last year hencew getting two trips out of our ticket enabling use to afford sunshine first class tickets from travel city direct for flights)

 

[rob@rar.org.uk]

The last time we bought Universal annual passes we needed too have our photos taken, as each AP has its owner's photo on it. If you can now buy these passes online, has the photo requirement been changed?

Regards

Rob

 

[kazzie]

Thanks Val,
I had no idea the ticket I have isn't the actual pass,at least I know now I need to change it up when I'm there the first day.Oh and to remember to take my passport So thanks for that.I must admit I was surprised when I recieved it I thought 'Oh is that it!'

Jackie,
Mine are now 13 and 16,the first time we did a VIP tour they were 9,12 & 15!My eldest doesn't want to come with us for the first time this year,he's 18

How old are your children?

 

[WDWFOREVER]

Karen - I can't believe your eldest doesn't want to go with you this year! I would (and will) find that so hard when my son (my one and only child who is 9) decides he doesn't want to go and see Mickey with us!

With the VIP tours I thought I would wait until he is about 12 - what do you think? I'd be interested to know what your youngest thought about it as, at 9, he/she was the same age as my son.

Jackie

 

[kazzie]

Jackie,

12 is a great age to go on a VIP tour.If you are thinking of the HHN tour though that will depend much more on the actual child,are they a nervous child etc.

My son said he didn't want to come last year and ended up coming so I think we got an extra year out of him! I did put a post on here saying how difficult I found the idea of one of my children no longer coming on holiday and got lots of very supportive replies from people who had alreday been through that.We are staying in a villa in Spain for a week in the May holiday and although I paid a deposit on a flight for him last year,when it came to paying the balance last month he was absolutely adamant he doesn't want to go there either.I asked him so many times as did my DH who my son works for.In the end I was thinking who is this for,can I not let go because I think he is missing lovely holidays or is it because I can't let go?Then decided it was me

Time to move on,but it will hit is in May I know as he is very close to DH and does all the swimming and macho stuff with him

When you have one child as you do I know I would be like you are coming on holiday with us until you're in your twenties

 

[kazzie]

Sorry everyone to have sidelined this thread!

Jackie,

Where in London are you? I live in Crouch End,North London

 

[WDWFOREVER]

Karen - I have sent you a PM.

Jackie

 

[UKPhil]

Re. use of vouchers, on our last trip to Universal we purchased annual passes beforehand. The vouchers we got were tickets of a sort as they get you into the park just once - they have to because the place you get your photo taken is inside. You can enjoy the park and go to the photo window at any time during your visit to get your permanent tickets with the photo on. We found it quite a slow process so check the queue first and come back later if there are more than half a dozen people there.

 

[kazzie]

Good idea

Maybe it will be busy first thing but as we don't stay all day should be quiter when we leave