Premium Hotel and Express Pass

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07-31-2018, 02:07 PM
DonaldsBFF

Premium Hotel and Express Pass

Are you able to purchase park tickets separately and still get the express pass if you stay at a premium hotel? Or do you have to purchase a package?
08-01-2018, 12:44 PM
ThanxForNoticin

The Express Pass is a perk just for staying at their original hotels. Your park tickets will be separate - your choice to buy multiple days and/or multiple parks. The Express Pass is based on your length of stay at the Universal Resort. No package required!
08-01-2018, 01:28 PM
BriarRose0708

Tickets and Express Pass are two separate things when you stay at the three hotels that include EP. I was confuzzled by that at first, too! When you book a package with tickets, your room key is your key AND your Express Pass, but its NOT your park ticket. Your ticket is a separate paper ticket you pick up at Concierge. You will need to carry both with you - your room key AND your ticket - into the parks. Many guests will use lanyards with the clear inserts and put their ticket on one side and their room key card on the other. You won't need your ticket after entering the park to use EP, just your key card.
08-01-2018, 01:45 PM
The Hitchhiking Ghost

Quote:

Originally Posted by BriarRose0708

Tickets and Express Pass are two separate things when you stay at the three hotels that include EP. I was confuzzled by that at first, too! When you book a package with tickets, your room key is your key AND your Express Pass, but its NOT your park ticket. Your ticket is a separate paper ticket you pick up at Concierge. You will need to carry both with you - your room key AND your ticket - into the parks. Many guests will use lanyards with the clear inserts and put their ticket on one side and their room key card on the other. You won't need your ticket after entering the park to use EP, just your key card.

Curious, I just booked a 3 night stay/package thru MJ for the Royal Pacific. Do they have a means to prevent people from handing off their EP for multiple users. Having not been to Universal in 15 years or so, not familiar with their set up. Would hope they have something in place to control potential abuse.

Mechanically, how does the EP work, hold it up to a reader, or slide it?
08-01-2018, 02:17 PM
BriarRose0708

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Hitchhiking Ghost

Curious, I just booked a 3 night stay/package thru MJ for the Royal Pacific. Do they have a means to prevent people from handing off their EP for multiple users. Having not been to Universal in 15 years or so, not familiar with their set up. Would hope they have something in place to control potential abuse.

Mechanically, how does the EP work, hold it up to a reader, or slide it?

Yes, they do! The first time you use your key at Express Pass, they stop you in line to take your photo. Each time you use the EP lane, they verify your identity so people can't do what you described. There is always a Team Member at the verification to check this.
08-01-2018, 05:13 PM
DonaldsBFF

So just to get this right, do you get a room key for each person in the room that needs to be carried around in order to use EP?
08-02-2018, 08:34 AM
BriarRose0708

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonaldsBFF

So just to get this right, do you get a room key for each person in the room that needs to be carried around in order to use EP?

Correct. Each individual needs to show their room key every time you get in line.
08-02-2018, 02:27 PM
The Hitchhiking Ghost

Quote:

Originally Posted by BriarRose0708

Yes, they do! The first time you use your key at Express Pass, they stop you in line to take your photo. Each time you use the EP lane, they verify your identity so people can't do what you described. There is always a Team Member at the verification to check this.

Thanks for the info. Last time I took a cruise on Royal Caribbean (10 years ago) that's basically what they did. When you boarded, they took your photo, so any time you came back on board after an excursion you'd put in your card and they'd see your photo. I had this at Gatwick airport in London as well 15 years ago. Surprised more places are slow to do this. Magic bands don't prevent this, unless something has changed in the last 3 years.
08-02-2018, 03:15 PM
BriarRose0708

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Hitchhiking Ghost

Thanks for the info. Last time I took a cruise on Royal Caribbean (10 years ago) that's basically what they did. When you boarded, they took your photo, so any time you came back on board after an excursion you'd put in your card and they'd see your photo. I had this at Gatwick airport in London as well 15 years ago. Surprised more places are slow to do this. Magic bands don't prevent this, unless something has changed in the last 3 years.

Yes, it's just like reboarding a cruise ship!

With the Magic Bands, they instituted a new rule that Fast Passes won't be active if the park ticket linked to the band didn't get activated at the park gates. Since tickets are linked to the bio metric finger reading at the gates, in theory this should have prevented the band swapping and abuse from before the rule. However, we know that the bio metric scanners don't always work and I am not sure if the CMs just wave you through or if they send you to guest services?