Universal's version of fast pass unlimited - Worth it?

[PaulaSue]

Has anyone done it? Was it worth it to you and your family?

I think I read that it is not good on HP stuff but what is it good on?

TIA

 

[bumbershoot]

We get it by booking a deluxe onsite hotel. It comes with such stays at no extra cost. You get two days' worth of it for a one night stay.

It's immensely worth it IMO, and it's hard for me to imagine Universal without it (it's impossible for DH and DS to imagine it...I wanted to try out Cabana Bay this trip and they absolutely refused to consider it since EP doesn't come with that resort). Many others have gone at less busy times and have been fine without it; we love it even if it turns a 10 minute line into a 5 minute line.

It works on Flight of the Hippogriff and Dragon Challenge (the two proper HP coasters). It doesn't work on Gringott's, Forbidden Journey, Hogwarts Express, or the Ollivander's Wand Shop show. There's one new ride in the Simpsons area that it doesn't work on, or so I've read. Other than that, it works on everything else. Which is awesome.

If you're considering buying it, depending on the size of your family, you might look at an onsite deluxe stay, just in case. I use this site to book: http://uo.loewshotels.com/en/booking/uo?hotel=UEPBH,UEHRH,UERPR Depending on when you're going, if you're doing one or two days, what you want, and how many of you there are, it *could* turn out to be cheaper to rent an onsite deluxe room and get the unlimited Express Pass included, rather than buying it for your party for a day or so.

 

[damo]

Also not good on Pteranodon Flyers..... but it can be very worth it depending on when you go.

 

[carmelhp]

We got back after spending 9 nights at RPR from 12/3-12/12 and rode Springfileld a half dozen times with it, Spriderman about 12 (my daughter loves Spidey), MIB at least 10, Mummy (only once was I could take, it's intense), Transformers a half dozen times. No waiting, bypassing big standby lines, it was great.

 

[PACVII]

For sure yes, however as stated above it come with deluxe room and overall well worth booking the hotel and getting this perk with it.. Much better then disney FP if you have experience with that. Can use on just about all the rides the ones not incite de are covered above so if your thinking about it do the math with booking on site hotel vs purchase outright for a family it can run the cost up.

 

[bumbershoot]

Also not good on Pteranodon Flyers..... but it can be very worth it depending on when you go.

I've got to remember that one. DS is too tall for it and therefore it's not a part of our trips anymore (OP, you have to be with a kid that's between a minimum and maximum height for it...if you don't have a kid in those ranges, you don't get to go on it), so I've erased it from my brain.

 

[RMulieri]

We get it as a perk of staying at one of the deluxe resorts, and it is worth EVERY bit of it.It isn't good on the 2 big Harry Potter rides, Ollivanders or Pteranodon Flyers but good on all other shows and rides ..Plenty worth it and far superior than Fastpass at Disney

 

[MisWal]

We had EP with our on-site stay at RPR. We went when crowd levels were 2-3 and it was great even in those low levels. I won't even consider going again without EP. If we ever stay off site, I will buy EP without hesitation.

 

[johde]

I have never had it. But I can agree with most everyone else here. Having it is definately worth it. The question is whether paying for it is worth it. I am going to say at this point with a little bit of planning for most families NO. If you noticed everyone above got unlimited express because they stayed onsite at a deluxe hotel. Nobody has said they regularly pay out of pocket to buy express passes. Beyond the fact that most of them enjoy staying onsite at the deluxe hotel it's because with a little planning.

I'm going to Universal Jan 6-11th so using those dates as an example. Assuming 2 people wanted to go to the theme parks for 2 days. The price of unlimited express passes would be.

$319.96 2 people * 2 days of unlimited 2 park express passes purchased individually at $79.99 each
or
$268 if they purchased a 2 day ticket plus unlimited express ($309.99 total -$175.99 credit for 2 day ticket) Note: right now could get 3rd day free for same price.

Or

$154 1 night Royal Pacific APH rate
+40 Upgrade 1 ticket from 2 day ticket to Power Pass
$194 Unlimited express for 2 days plus a nights hotel stay and Early Park Entry not available in the previous 2 examples.

With a family of 4 the first 2 double but the third one stays the same.

Without staying onsite, unless you go sometime that you know will be busy (christmas/spring break etc). Most people recommend waiting until you get there to decide if it's worth the money for express passes.

 

[carmelhp]

Plus the on-site Luxury hotel guest passes are unlimited, meaning you can go through the same line multiple times which I understand that the purchased passes do not allow.

 

[lazer]

Plus the on-site Luxury hotel guest passes are unlimited, meaning you can go through the same line multiple times which I understand that the purchased passes do not allow.

It depends on which one you purchase. You can purchase an unlimited pass (if you're not an on-site guest).

 

[HM]

I've never purchased FOL passes at Universal and have had great days in the parks even if we had to stand in lines. To me it's not worth paying for separately. When we stay in one of the deluxe hotels and get it as part of the stay, then yes we use it and love it.

 

[PaulaSue]

For us it would be family of 5 (2 plus 1 day free tixs) unlimited passes for $500 extra since we are staying on Disney. Mid Jan I am just having a hard time justifying it. I am thinking I will pass and save the $.

Thanks for all the thoughts!

 

[Bluer101]

For us it would be family of 5 (2 plus 1 day free tixs) unlimited passes for $500 extra since we are staying on Disney. Mid Jan I am just having a hard time justifying it. I am thinking I will pass and save the $. Thanks for all the thoughts!

You can always book 1 room at one of the deluxe hotels. This then gives you express passes for the 5 of you for 2 full days. The day you checkin and the day you check out.

People book a room and never use it. Or pack some overnight bags and stay the night would be my idea. Then it gives you s mini vacation too.

 

[HM]

If you plan three days at US/IOA, you won't need the FOL, you can do everything in that time staying offsite. I would not pay $500.

 

[PurpleMouse]

Just back from a trip where we purchased the unlimited express pass. All crowd level 2-3 days. So incredibly worth it!

 

[RMulieri]

For us it would be family of 5 (2 plus 1 day free tixs) unlimited passes for $500 extra since we are staying on Disney. Mid Jan I am just having a hard time justifying it. I am thinking I will pass and save the $.

Thanks for all the thoughts!

We are going Jan 18th and staying onsite.JUst a heads up..While crowds aren't huge, there are ALOT of LARGE tour groups at Universal through Jan..We find the express pass very handy in avoiding them

 

[nkereina]

If you decide to purchase it, I might recommend reviewing the cost of Express Pass plus your offsite hotel against the cost of booking an onsite hotel. If the price difference is negligble, it would behoove you to move to an onsite hotel for closer proximity. We loved being able to walk to and from RPR at our leisure and not be slaves to the bus service. That was worth the extra bucks alone, say nothing about the perk of EP (plus early entry too!).

 

[bumbershoot]

If you decide to purchase it, I might recommend reviewing the cost of Express Pass plus your offsite hotel against the cost of booking an onsite hotel. If the price difference is negligble, it would behoove you to move to an onsite hotel for closer proximity. We loved being able to walk to and from RPR at our leisure and not be slaves to the bus service. That was worth the extra bucks alone, say nothing about the perk of EP (plus early entry too!).

Exactly. It behooves you to at least compare the prices.