I went to the USSSA site and there was this quote under the ticket price:
ALL UNIVERSAL STUDIO AND IOA TICKETS READ "YOUTH" ON THE BACK OF THE TICKET THIS IS JUST A CODE AND THE TICKETS ARE GOOD FOR GUESTS OF ALL AGES
That tells me that they are expecting us to purchase youth tickets to use for adults. Otherwise why would the tickets read "Youth" on the back? I would be concerned about the ethics of doing so as well as whether they would even be accepted.
I went to the USSSA site and there was this quote under the ticket price: ALL UNIVERSAL STUDIO AND IOA TICKETS READ "YOUTH" ON THE BACK OF THE TICKET THIS IS JUST A CODE AND THE TICKETS ARE GOOD FOR GUESTS OF ALL AGES That tells me that they are expecting us to purchase youth tickets to use for adults. Otherwise why would the tickets read "Youth" on the back? I would be concerned about the ethics of doing so as well as whether they would even be accepted.
If I recall correctly, our first universal tickets were coded with a tour/travel agent group, that I wasn't a part of, on the back. Worked just fine, no problems. These groups buy tickets from universal and aren't going to ruin their future relationships with universal by doing something silly. And remember, if that info is there for you to read, it's there for universal to read. They aren't hiding it, have the info right there. I'm sure it's just a quirk of the tickets purchased.
You can purchase EPs at Universal regardless of your theme park tickets. Its a separate ticket and has nothing to do with the park tickets. I don't think UT sells EPs on their site.
Just wanted to add, another reputable place to buy both WDW and Universal tickets is through AAA, if one has a membership.
They offer some discounts, but the discounts vary depending on time of year and which AAA area. The Orlando area AAA offices supposedly offer decent deals, but if you are not in that area, you can only buy in person.
One advantage of AAA, over mail order is that you can get the tickets faster; assuming you buy them in person.
Either way- if you buy tickets from an offsite place- make sure to copy the ticket ID numbers! You may also want to use your phone to carry a receipt of your purchase. If you need to get the tickets replaced, that's one way to prove they are yours, and prove what you paid for them, and WHEN you legitimately bought them. Though I suppose linking WDW tickets through MDE may partly replace the benefit.
I'm researching the best ticket prices and I have found that orlandofuntickets(dot)com and officialticketcenter(dot)com have the best prices. I don't have any experience with either of these websites. However, officialticketcenter(dot)com apparently has an actual storefront in Orlando that got okay reviews.