Upgrading UT tickets to AP

[jimandami]

Hi all,

I have purchased UT Disney tickets and price bridged to an AP many times, but have never attempted to do so at Universal. We purchased 3 day, 3 park promo tickets with 2 free days from UT. I would now like to upgrade those to an AP but have a few questions if anyone can help please.

1) Our tickets start July 10, but we would now like to visit on the 8th and possibly 9th. Can I go to guest services and upgrade these tickets before they are technically valid? If I can, would I then lose out on price bridging because I didn't use them first? I guess I could change the dates if I needed to.

2) At Disney, if you had say, a water park fun and more ticket with PH, you had to upgrade to the AP that included water parks. If I have a 3 park Universal ticket, must I upgrade to the 3 park AP?

Thank you for any help you can give.

 

[lisam70]

Hi all,

I have purchased UT Disney tickets and price bridged to an AP many times, but have never attempted to do so at Universal. We purchased 3 day, 3 park promo tickets with 2 free days from UT. I would now like to upgrade those to an AP but have a few questions if anyone can help please.

1) Our tickets start July 10, but we would now like to visit on the 8th and possibly 9th. Can I go to guest services and upgrade these tickets before they are technically valid? If I can, would I then lose out on price bridging because I didn't use them first? I guess I could change the dates if I needed to.

2) At Disney, if you had say, a water park fun and more ticket with PH, you had to upgrade to the AP that included water parks. If I have a 3 park Universal ticket, must I upgrade to the 3 park AP?

Thank you for any help you can give.

1) Not exactly sure but I don't see why you couldn't upgrade them early-maybe call and doublecheck
2) If you have a 3 park ticket you have to upgrade to a 3 park AP
You can do this at guest services in the parks or at ticket counter at any of the onsite hotels

 

[CAPSLOCK]

1) They won't price bridge as 5 day tickets. You get credit for the Universal promo price on them (2 day tickets). I don't see why you can't upgrade early but I agree w/ @lisam70 to call & confirm. And probably just to do the upgrade then if possible.

2) Once you go to VB you must upgrade to 3 park. Not sure if you buy 3 park but don't actually go to VB.

 

[Juventus]

1) They won't price bridge as 5 day tickets. You get credit for the Universal promo price on them (2 day tickets). I don't see why you can't upgrade early but I agree w/ @lisam70 to call & confirm. And probably just to do the upgrade then if possible.

2) Once you go to VB you must upgrade to 3 park. Not sure if you buy 3 park but don't actually go to VB.

2) I emailed UO and they responded it would be OK as long as u haven't gone to VB yet. I will be doing this with airmiles ticket vouchers in August.

 

[jimandami]

So, I called universal and they said you cannot upgrade Undercover Tourist tickets at all. Now, I feel this is probably incorrect and that if I used the ticket first, we could do this. Here is the issue: our tickets are not valid until July 10 and we would like to go the 8th, so I cannot test this theory, unless I request a date change if that is even possible, but if I then cannot upgrade, I risk our tickets not being valid on the 17th, which would have been a full park day (we are going for a dance competition so are busy with that most days). Any ideas?

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Are you going to be in Orlando anyways on the 8th (ie, is it flexible if you ask in person and you can't do it?)?

I know for sure you can upgrade UT Buy 2 Get 3 tickets, I did so, although it was a few years ago. You just only get "promo" value for them. Yours is the first post I've seen of Universal giving someone a hard time about it. Hopefully it's an underinformed TM, not just a really new policy

 

[jimandami]

Are you going to be in Orlando anyways on the 8th (ie, is it flexible if you ask in person and you can't do it?)?

I know for sure you can upgrade UT Buy 2 Get 3 tickets, I did so, although it was a few years ago. You just only get "promo" value for them. Yours is the first post I've seen of Universal giving someone a hard time about it. Hopefully it's an underinformed TM, not just a really new policy

I suspect you are right and it would have been just fine, but I decided to just take the 95% refund from UT and just buy the passes from UO. I can now re-book our rooms for next weekend with the AP discount and it saves more than the difference in the UT tickets and passes, and saves me the hassle of trying to upgrade when we get there.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

I probably would have done the same, so I wasn't worrying about it the whole time leading up to it...

Have fun with your extra days!

 

[jimandami]

Thank you!

 

[wilckepedia]

I either got the same TM, or Universal has enacted a new policy. I had already purchased my tickets from TicketsAtWork when the Annual Pass Promo came out. Called today to try to upgrade in advance. TM advised that you can upgrade 3rd party tickets on site, but not in advance.

Something about Universal not having your payment information to charge the difference and not being able to take payment over the phone. Sounds like a bogus line to me because you can purchase APs over the phone. I really think it has to do with how they provide tickets to the resellers, and they don't want to upgrade something that hasn't been activated because they don't get paid from the reseller until the ticket is scanned in.

 

[Juventus]

I think it's mostly due to identification: I have ticket voucher from airmiles with a QR code and my name. It clearly states I have to show up in person with ID. Otherwise someone who somehow has my qr code ( if I printed it and lost it) could redeem the ticket and upgrade it. Not sure about that of course.
But not getting paid from reseller until activation seems more plausible.

 

[princesspeaony]

Update today: here at parks and attempting to upgrade a UT 2+3 promo and was told they can’t be upgraded because they are 3rd party. (At kings cross GS)

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Try the main GS at the front of the parks. I know the hotel ticket desks don't have quite as much capability for ticket upgrades as the main GS, might be the same for the Hogwarts desks also. Could be something that needs to be done at GS instead of a ticket desk.

 

[mamapenguin]

Update today: here at parks and attempting to upgrade a UT 2+3 promo and was told they can’t be upgraded because they are 3rd party. (At kings cross GS)

Main gate inside Islands has amazing GS staff. I upgraded my daughter’s 15month AP from seasonal to premier the day after we activated it (last week). I asked if we would lose the extra 3 months and was told yes, but they linked her pass to my account and she still has all 15 months. I think that team is very knowledgeable and helpful.

 

[georgina]

Update today: here at parks and attempting to upgrade a UT 2+3 promo and was told they can’t be upgraded because they are 3rd party. (At kings cross GS)

Yeah that doesn't sound right, definitely try elsewhere. I was able to upgrade a 3rd party 2+2 promo ticket at the Aventura desk in November to an AP.

(What type of AP were you trying to upgrade to? Seasonal APs are blocked out in July.)

 

[NYHeel]

Yeah that doesn't sound right, definitely try elsewhere. I was able to upgrade a 3rd party 2+2 promo ticket at the Aventura desk in November to an AP.

(What type of AP were you trying to upgrade to? Seasonal APs are blocked out in July.)

Yeah, I’ve upgraded undercover tourist promo tickets before with no issue. I actually have the 2+2 park to park promo ticket and plan to upgrade to the seasonal pass after I enter. I’m going in late August so no issues with blackout dates.

Do you remember what credit they gave you for the promo ticket? I’m assuming at a minimum they’ll give me the 2 day park to park gate price but hoping for a 4 day price.

 

[georgina]

Yeah, I’ve upgraded undercover tourist promo tickets before with no issue. I actually have the 2+2 park to park promo ticket and plan to upgrade to the seasonal pass after I enter. I’m going in late August so no issues with blackout dates.

Do you remember what credit they gave you for the promo ticket? I’m assuming at a minimum they’ll give me the 2 day park to park gate price but hoping for a 4 day price.

Interesting, I bought my ticket from Orlando Informer. Going back and looking at my records, it was a 3 day + 2 free, 3 park ticket, I had paid $386.84 (tax included) and the upgrade was $137.89. A 3 park seasonal AP is currently listed as $559, tax included. There may have been a price increase after I upgraded, but it looks like I was credited what I paid. That may have been the price of a 3 day ticket then.

Back in 2018 when there was a universal ticket promotion, we bought from UT on the first day of the promotion. Not sure if UT didn’t yet have the promo tickets or if there was a mixup, but a couple of the tickets they sent us were actual 4 day tickets and we were able to upgrade them at no cost. That was just a lucky accident though.

 

[barb969]

I can now re-book our rooms for next weekend with the AP discount and it saves more than the difference in the UT tickets and passes, and saves me the hassle of trying to upgrade when we get there.

You can book an AP discount room before you have it. You need to show them the AP before you check out.

 

[Princess2R]

So, I called universal and they said you cannot upgrade Undercover Tourist tickets at all. Now, I feel this is probably incorrect and that if I used the ticket first, we could do this. Here is the issue: our tickets are not valid until July 10 and we would like to go the 8th, so I cannot test this theory, unless I request a date change if that is even possible, but if I then cannot upgrade, I risk our tickets not being valid on the 17th, which would have been a full park day (we are going for a dance competition so are busy with that most days). Any ideas?

What ended up happening? Could you upgrade UT tickets?

 

[Princess2R]

Update today: here at parks and attempting to upgrade a UT 2+3 promo and was told they can’t be upgraded because they are 3rd party. (At kings cross GS)

That sounds stressful!!!
What happened?