What are the perks of becoming an Annual Passholder at Universal?

ParentsOf4

ParentsOf4

Well-Known Member
*Grand Admiral Thrawn* said:
My family is thinking of getting AP's for our upcoming trip. My question is what are the perks and benefits of getting one?
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IMO, the best perks are:
  1. Free parking.
  2. 10% to 20% food and merchandise discounts.
  3. Early park admission. (There are blockout dates.)
  4. Some deep discounts on onsite hotels, especially Sunday to Thursday nights.
Many buy a single Annual Pass so they can get a discounted rate at Universal's 3 Deluxe Resorts (Royal Pacific, Hard Rock, Portofino Bay), which includes Express Pass Plus. You also can get Endless Summer for as low as $69 per night and Cabana Bay for as low as $89 per night. Depending on how many nights you stay, a single Annual Pass can more than pay for itself, especially if you stay at a Deluxe Resort.

With this in mind, buy Annual Passes for everyone only if you plan to visit at least twice in 12 months. Otherwise, consider a single Annual Pass for a stay at one of Universal's Deluxe Resorts.

Or you can buy a single Preferred Pass for the above discounts, and less expensive Seasonal or Power Passes for everyone else, depending on if the blockout dates work for you.

Here are some sample Sunday-to-Thursday rates for mid-September:

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jonnyc

jonnyc

Well-Known Member
Regular parking is $26 at the moment I think. You get free parking with the Preferred and Premier passes. So the savings in parking will cover the full cost of the annual pass on the 18th trip (Preferred) or 25th trip (Premier).

Combine this with the hotel discounts detailed by Parentsof4 above and if you go frequently enough you can easily recoup the cost.

In terms of soft benefits, both parks have AP lounges, you get some freebies throughout the year, access to exclusive merch, passholder appreciation days, stay and scream for HHN, one night free at HHN etc.
 

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