Nick Wilde
Well-Known Member
It's free for three rides, then more during the day, so up to about 6. Plus, how many rides at Universal constantly have a 45 min or more wait? 45 min and up warrants a FP. Below that, not really.
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Why not do what Universal does?
- Thread starter JusticeDisney
- Start date
Not sure why you select 45 minutes as acceptable, but using that as a barometer, I've seen Transformers and Despicable Me at almost 2 hours. And the Simpsons is often close to an hour. Same goes for the Mummy. If you don't want to lay the extra cost, I totally get that. But make no mistake, EP saves you a TON of time.
And once you use your initial three FPs at Disney, good luck getting even one more good one for that day, let alone three more as you suggest.
Bairstow
Well-Known Member
Pay-to-line-jump systems are gross. ALL of them.
I've used them, but only with a certain degree of self-loathing.
Disney's system is, if nothing else, far more egalitarian and respectful of guests that are already paying through the nose just to get in.
The day they move to a pay-to-jump scheme of any sort will be a sad day indeed.
I've used them, but only with a certain degree of self-loathing.
Disney's system is, if nothing else, far more egalitarian and respectful of guests that are already paying through the nose just to get in.
The day they move to a pay-to-jump scheme of any sort will be a sad day indeed.
Nick Wilde
Well-Known Member
I had an AP to Uni in 2014, and Transformers was normally around 15-30 minutes, and if it was longer than that, you can just take the single rider line, and you'll probably end up in the same car anyway. Despicable Me was an average of 45 minutes, and a FP for that would be nice. Simpsons was around 45 minutes too, and a FP would be in order. But that's only 2 rides. I can get 3 FP at Disney for rides that really need it, and for free too. I've gotten 6 FP in one day, and I average 4. So you said before that you're only getting three rides with the free FP, and said Uni was better because of that, but you only listed 3 rides that need Express, and I don't believe one of them even needs it. So I still don't see how Express is better....
Nick Wilde
Well-Known Member
I forgot to mention Mummy, that one averages a 30-45 min wait time, so yes it could use a FP, SOMETIMES. But not all the time.
Chef Mickey
Well-Known Member
Why not just go to Universal? Fewer people for us to worry about at WDW.
Why not go to both?
jloucks
Well-Known Member
Well said!!
I'd add time is extremely valuable, more so than money for many people. Heck, for everybody towards the end.
TXDisney
Well-Known Member
The one and only thing universal has/does that I like that Disney doesn't is the amount of thrill rides. That being said we're going to WDW in early December and with infants so Disney makes more sense bc it's designed for adults and kids. Where universal isn't very kid based.
And I've been to DW at times where there wasn't a ride in the park that had a wait time of more than 30 minutes. I agree with you that if you are at a particular park when the wait times are not bad, then you don't need a FP or an EP. But that's not really the point. The point is, assuming that the rides DO have long wait times, which system do you prefer. I understand that it's subjective, but even though I greatly prefer the Disney parks, I also think the EP system is better because it doesn't limit me like the FP does and I don't have to lock into one hour windows.
Again, if you can't live with the added cost, I get that completely. And if you feel that the standby times aren't that bad and you don't mind waiting, I get that too. However, if the cost doesn't bother you and you feel that the wait times are more than you want to endure, why would you prefer a system that limits you to three rides and locks you into preset times versus a system that allows access to many more rides and at your own convenience?
ninjaprincesst
Well-Known Member
And Universal totally excludes the most popular thing in the whole park. And Disney does things like what they are doing for us on our upcoming trip we have 2 fastpasses per person per day that can be used for any ride at any park at any time with no prior reservation and they are free. And as far as those other rides yes, locals probably do go to them more but when your visiting from out of state you prioritize and Harry Potter pretty much eats up an entire park day by itself because of the no fastpass, no way, can't even buy it.
And if you go to Epcot, you are going to eat up an entire day, as you say, to do Test Track or Soarin (depending on which one you don't pick with your FP). So if you have such a problem with Universal on this issue, then you must have the same problem with Disney.
By the way, maybe you could share with the board how it is that you were able to obtain these extra fastpasses, because I'm quite certain Disney doesn't just do that for everyone.
ninjaprincesst
Well-Known Member
No, I never have any problems getting fourth and fifth same day fastpasses for both Soarin and Test track, and I have done soarin on stand by many times with a 20 minute or less wait. I have never had to waste an entire day waiting in line for these two rides at Epcot.
007mickey
Well-Known Member
We are a "on property" family so this is slanted because of Uni's policy of giving UEP to onsite families.
We love the UEP from Uni. We like to ride the Mummy, MIB, Hulk, Despicable Me, Transformers, Rip Ride Rockit and Spiderman multiple times (and back to back if we want). UEP allows us to do this which would otherwise be impossible without the waiting. The rides mentioned above all had waits of 45 min plus at the time of year we went. It is a time saver, money aside. As far as dealing with no EP for Gringotts, we took advantage of early entry and got our fill before the masses showed up. And Forbidden Journey, we just went there first and had minimal wait. No different than we would do for certain rides at Disney, big difference is it was only one attraction.
We love Disney, it is the first for our family but I'm not enamored with the FP+ system. I like to plan but securing FP so far in advance is a little much. And this idea of being able to get whatever you want the day you get to the park via kiosk was not our experience. We were able most days to get an extra FP and even two on a couple of days but I had to purposely book our first 3 for morning times everyday and then had to "settle" for whatever time (and whatever attraction) was left for our additional FP. It's fine and all but not near as good as Uni.
All of the above hasn't stopped us from going to Disney but I do appreciate what Uni has to offer. For our family, the two are just different experiences. We are happy they are both available.
We love the UEP from Uni. We like to ride the Mummy, MIB, Hulk, Despicable Me, Transformers, Rip Ride Rockit and Spiderman multiple times (and back to back if we want). UEP allows us to do this which would otherwise be impossible without the waiting. The rides mentioned above all had waits of 45 min plus at the time of year we went. It is a time saver, money aside. As far as dealing with no EP for Gringotts, we took advantage of early entry and got our fill before the masses showed up. And Forbidden Journey, we just went there first and had minimal wait. No different than we would do for certain rides at Disney, big difference is it was only one attraction.
We love Disney, it is the first for our family but I'm not enamored with the FP+ system. I like to plan but securing FP so far in advance is a little much. And this idea of being able to get whatever you want the day you get to the park via kiosk was not our experience. We were able most days to get an extra FP and even two on a couple of days but I had to purposely book our first 3 for morning times everyday and then had to "settle" for whatever time (and whatever attraction) was left for our additional FP. It's fine and all but not near as good as Uni.
All of the above hasn't stopped us from going to Disney but I do appreciate what Uni has to offer. For our family, the two are just different experiences. We are happy they are both available.
And I have been to Universal where the HP ride was 15 minutes. I think we can agree that if there is no line, then we don't need FP or EP, lol!
ninjaprincesst
Well-Known Member
I love Universal and Disney both , I just don't like the idea of having to pay extra for something that is free, and for a family of four that is a lot extra to spend at Universal.
Flippin'Flounder
Well-Known Member
Sometimes it goes higher than park tickets.
HauntedMansionFLA
Well-Known Member
I see a day when Disney does away with the stand by line and you pick out all of your rides for the day. No fast pass. They know how many people can go through the ride each hour and would allow that many people reserve a time each hour.
Or
No fast passes at all. Unless you stay on site and pay a premium for fast passes. Disney is seeing how much they can get away with at these special events that people pay money for , then turn around and want to have them pay extra for a cupcake party or a special seat for a parade.
I'm not the one who threw $20 out there. I simply responded to that number. Anyway, I agree that's not the norm, but neither is $65. Every time I've been to Universal, the EP have been around $40. And they were worth every penny given the amount of time they saved us. I know everyone isn't made of money (heck, neither am I), but when you consider the overall cost of visiting these parks, an extra $40 per person to save literally hours of time standing in lines seems well worth it to me.
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