1 night stay Vs Express Tickets

scritchell

Active Member
Original Poster
All,

I will be visiting with my 7yo son in August, we want to visit the parks for 2 days (maybe one night stay over)
Can anyone give any tips on how to keep the cost down regarding Express tickets...
I already have purchased park tickets, but would need to purchase express tickets.....
The express unlimited are coming up as roughly $650 dollars for my son and I for 2 days, an overnight stay is showing $470, but apparently a one night stay only gives us unlimited passes for 1 day?
Can anyone assist please

TYIA

Scott
 

trr1

Well-Known Member
All,

I will be visiting with my 7 yo son in August, we want to visit the parks for 2 days (maybe one night stay over)
Can anyone give any tips on how to keep the cost down regarding Express tickets...
I already have purchased park tickets, but would need to purchase express tickets.....
The express unlimited are coming up as roughly $650 dollars for my son and I for 2 days, an overnight stay is showing $470, but apparently a one night stay only gives us unlimited passes for 1 day?
Can anyone assist please

TYIA

Scott
the express pass works for the day you check in and the day you check out if you stay overnight at one of the three premier hotels(Loews Portofino Bay Hotel ,Loews Hard Rock Hotel , and
Loews Royal Pacific Resort) it is a perk of staying at those hotels
 

scritchell

Active Member
Original Poster
the express pass works for the day you check in and the day you check out if you stay overnight at one of the three premier hotels(Loews Portofino Bay Hotel ,Loews Hard Rock Hotel , and
Loews Royal Pacific Resort) it is a perk of staying at those hotels
the website says its only for departure day?
 

trr1

Well-Known Member
A link would educate us all.
I found this on the Universal Orlando website for hotels found here so I believe we are correct
Your Universal Express Unlimited™ Benefit
When you stay at Loews Royal Pacific Resort, you'll receive free* Universal Express Unlimited™ to skip the regular lines at participating rides and attractions at Universal Studios Florida™ and Universal's Islands of Adventure™. Not valid at Universal's Volcano Bay™. Your room key is your Universal Express Unlimited™ Pass and is valid from the time it’s issued to you until Universal Orlando Resort™ theme parks close on the day of your check-out/departure. Separate theme park admission is required.
 

JoeCamel

Well-Known Member
I found this on the Universal Orlando website for hotels found here so I believe we are correct
Your Universal Express Unlimited™ Benefit
When you stay at Loews Royal Pacific Resort, you'll receive free* Universal Express Unlimited™ to skip the regular lines at participating rides and attractions at Universal Studios Florida™ and Universal's Islands of Adventure™. Not valid at Universal's Volcano Bay™. Your room key is your Universal Express Unlimited™ Pass and is valid from the time it’s issued to you until Universal Orlando Resort™ theme parks close on the day of your check-out/departure. Separate theme park admission is required.
Sounds like what the OP saw, I think the wording is awkward but that is how it works in practice.
 

JoeCamel

Well-Known Member
I have an AP which shouldn't be different than two tickets. I have checked in the afternoon, heading right out to the parks using an express also using the express pass on my check out day multiple times. It always worked for me. I have stayed for one night and gone to the parks for two days.
it says that in the verbage @trr1 posted above but it is worded poorly IMO
 

Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
OP, while you're at it, run the numbers and compare the cost of a 2-Park Seasonal Annual Pass with the park tickets you've bought. (You'd have to pay the cost difference to upgrade your current tickets to 2-Park Seasonal Annual Passes.)

Assuming you're not visiting during blackout dates (FWIW, for 2019, there are no blackout dates in August for the 2-park Seasonal Annual Pass), the Seasonal Annual Pass can get you a significant discount on your on-site hotel -- generally more than enough to pay for the cost difference between the annual pass and standard tickets, plus you'll be able to return to Universal again if you wish in the coming months (again, subject to blackout dates), without paying more for tickets.

For example, my family paid $285/pp for 2-park Seasonal Annual Passes (before the price went up to its current rate of $298) -- just a few dollars more than any multi-day park-to-park ticket at that time. Thanks to our annual passholder discount, we're saving $134/night on our 4-night stay at the Royal Pacific Resort (paying $275 a night at the passholder rate, instead of the $409 rack rate for a standard room), PLUS by staying there we're each getting Unlimited Express Pass every day of our stay (at a value of over $100/person/day).

Obviously, it won't work for all dates and all people and party configurations, but do run the numbers! It's too early to tell now if APH rates apply to your dates, as they usually only come out 3-4 months ahead (the way you would check is to visit the loewshotels.com website, click "Book Your Stay," enter your details, click "advanced options," then "promotions," and enter "APH" in the promotions field). However, you can book the room you want as a placeholder (since you want Express Passes, you'll want it to be Royal Pacific, Hard Rock or Portofino Bay). Keep checking back on the Loews website. "Modify" your reservation to re-book it at the APH rate if and when APH rates come out, and THEN upgrade your tickets to Seasonal Annual Passes. (Anybody can book a hotel room at the APH rate, even if you don't have the annual pass yet -- you just need an annual pass in hand when you check in, in order to keep the rate.) If no APH rates come out for your desired dates/hotel, no harm, no foul - you can keep the tickets you have. Also note that only one person (preferably the one in whose name the room is booked) needs to have an annual pass, to qualify for the APH rates. Therefore, if you don't think you'd be back to Universal in time to make a second use of the Annual Pass but would still like to take advantage of APH room rates, you could upgrade to an annual pass just for yourself, and keep the regular tickets for your child.
 
Last edited:

JoeCamel

Well-Known Member
OP, while you're at it, run the numbers and compare the cost of a 2-Park Seasonal Annual Pass with the park tickets you've bought. (You'd have to pay the cost difference to upgrade your current tickets to 2-Park Seasonal Annual Passes.)

Assuming you're not visiting during blackout dates (FWIW, for 2019, there are no blackout dates in August for the 2-park Seasonal Annual Pass), the Seasonal Annual Pass can get you a significant discount on your on-site hotel -- generally more than enough to pay for the cost difference between the annual pass and standard tickets, plus you'll be able to return to Universal again if you wish in the coming months (again, subject to blackout dates), without paying more for tickets.

For example, my family paid $285/pp for 2-park Seasonal Annual Passes (before the price went up to its current rate of $298) -- just a few dollars more than any multi-day park-to-park ticket at that time. Thanks to our annual passholder discount, we're saving $134/night on our 4-night stay at the Royal Pacific Resort (paying $275 a night at the passholder rate, instead of the $409 rack rate for a standard room), PLUS by staying there we're each getting Unlimited Express Pass every day of our stay (at a value of over $100/person/day).

Obviously, it won't work for all dates and all people and party configurations, but do run the numbers! It's too early to tell now if APH rates apply to your dates, as they usually only come out 3-4 months ahead (the way you would check is to visit the loewshotels.com website, click "Book Your Stay," enter your details, click "advanced options," then "promotions," and enter "APH" in the promotions field). However, you can book the room you want as a placeholder (since you want Express Passes, you'll want it to be Royal Pacific, Hard Rock or Portofino Bay). Keep checking back on the Loews website. "Modify" your reservation to re-book it at the APH rate if and when APH rates come out, and THEN upgrade your tickets to Seasonal Annual Passes. (Anybody can book a hotel room at the APH rate, even if you don't have the annual pass yet -- you just need an annual pass in hand when you check in, in order to keep the rate.) If no APH rates come out for your desired dates/hotel, no harm, no foul - you can keep the tickets you have. Also note that only one person (preferably the one in whose name the room is booked) needs to have an annual pass, to qualify for the APH rates. Therefore, if you don't think you'd be back to Universal in time to make a second use of the Annual Pass but would still like to take advantage of APH room rates, you could upgrade to an annual pass just for yourself, and keep the regular tickets for your child.
Um, you do this for a living if I recall? Nice
 

thomas998

Well-Known Member
To the OP.. before you invest in a 2 day Express pass or change to a more expensive hotel just to get it for free. See how tall your son is and make sure he is tall enough to ride all the rides that the express pass works for and if he even has an interest in those rides. When we do Universal and want to keep costs down we stay at Cabana Bay which is much cheaper than the Deluxes and then just cough up the money for 1 days express pass. We then target the rides that are most crowded on that day we have the express pass and the other time we are there will just use the normal stand by line. The reality is Express pass doesn't always give you a hug advantage because on some rides the lines aren't that long, though on a few rides it is worth it but unless you want to do the rides over and over you can usually hit the major long ride lines on a single day.
 

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