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wdwluv
04-14-2011, 11:28 AM
Looked at Universal website, for our November time frame, it says the pass is at it's lowest at $29.95. Is that a price that could change as we get closer to the date? Like a buying in advance, kind of deal? So that I should grab it now? Will it still be $29.95 if I decide to buy one in the park on the day I am there? (week before Thanksgiving)

And it looks like I have to enter a date...do I have to pick one specific date, right now? So that I can't change my mind on the day I want to do Universal during our WDW resort stay?

WDWfanatic742
04-14-2011, 11:41 AM
I'm about as sure as I can be that you have to pick the day you want because they only sell a certain amount each day. Once they are all sold you can't buy them anymore.

On the ticket pricing page it lists every day with a different price. I'm guessing that once a certain amount of tickets are sold, the price goes up. So buy them as soon as you can...

dyin tago
04-14-2011, 12:01 PM
Remember also that the express pass is not valid for harry potter or the rip ride rockit coaster.

joonyer
04-14-2011, 01:39 PM
And I think weekends cost more than weekdays, holidays cost more too. And they vary by season (off-peak, peak, etc.) So the actual cost you'll pay depends on the day you are buying it for.

wdwluv
04-22-2011, 11:30 AM
Harry Potter is the most important part of our visit. I imagine that is the case with alot of visitors now, and all of us in line at rope drop will be heading straight there! eek! At least I am going to be there a quiet week - I'll cross my fingers that the Universal Crowds are as low as WDW usually is for the pre-thanksgiving week. Bummer that the pass doesn't work for anything there. But I have also heard that the wait queue is interesting for the castle attraction. That and the wand shop are the two top on our list. I'm not sure my kids will even want to do the coasters! (there's two, re-themed, right?) Heck, they might even chicken out for the castle one. Is there a baby swap like at WDW? I hope so!

Dad & mom are probably the only ones heading for the Mummy or Spiderman or any of the other non-kiddie rides! Does the express pass even apply for the kiddie rides?

Seems like I should hold off on anything else and just focus on doing WWoHP for our trip and anything else will be icing.

Rockstar Boyfriends
04-25-2011, 08:41 PM
IHMO, I wouldn't bother buying the Express passes for pre-Thanksgiving week. Crowds are usually low. If you need them, you can buy them at the park. If you're looking to do the Harry Potter ride, try to hit it first as the lines tend to get very long due to its popularity.

Universal Express is good for all the rides and attractions except:

IOA: Front rows of Hulk and Dragon's Challenge, Pterandon Flyers, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

USF: Rip, Ride, and Rockit and Fifel's Playland slide

mahannie
06-03-2011, 03:33 PM
I also went on a day that the express pass was $29.95 and didn't really have long waits, so I didn't buy it. That was on a Thursday and I rode Forbidden Journey multiple times and the crowds weren't bad in the Wizarding World, and felt even lighter elsewhere in the park(s), then when I went back on the following Sunday, there were much more people there.

Tips for the Wizarding World:
-do the Forbidden Journey ride first thing
-go through the regular line the first time, for any repeat rides use the single riders line (the ride is fashioned such that you can't see the other people riding it with you.)
-don't bring any bags, purses, etc with you (you will have to stow these inside lockers, and from personal experience, sometimes the lockers can be a challenge to open up after your ride- this rule is for both the forbidden journey ride and both dueling dragon coasters)
-try both kinds of butterbeer:thumbsup: go inside the Hog's Head entrance and buy it at the bar, virtually no wait, whereas the carts outside usually have long lines.

White Rose
06-06-2011, 05:24 PM
Actually, you can use the Express Pass option on the web site to gauge what the crowds will be like on a particular day in US/IOA. When the pass is more expensive, that's generally a good indication of an anticipated "crowded" day. When I went in January for the day to IOA, I did briefly consider buying one for $25.99, but once I determined you couldn't use it for anything in WWOHP (which, to be frank, was all I really cared about) I decided not to.

Honestly, I would wait until a little bit closer/until the week before/of your trip to decide whether to purchase one or not. Also, if you do happen to see the price of it spike, possibly consider going on another day to avoid the crowds/save some cash on the pass. If you like, I can PM you a link to a message board I followed a few weeks before I left so I could gauge the crowds. My friend and I were there on Thursday, January 13th and really, except for WWOHP, which we hit RIGHT at park opening (we were there an hour and half before opening AND were the first people in line for general admission...I don't actually recommend this) crowds were nil to none from park opening to when we left at 3pm. But, just the week before, there had been MASSIVE crowds and they had to actually shut down WWOHP due to reaching capacity. But, you had looked for that week, Express Pass prices were through the roof at $50-$80 if I remember correctly. I'd have to double check.

So, yes. I'd consider waiting and watching before purchasing those passes so far in advance. :)

ETA: I double checked, just to make sure, and it looks like for most of November, you'd have the option of the $25.99, except for the week of Thanksgiving. I definitely, like I stated, wait to buy and keep watching this list for as you get closer. If it still is at a $25.99 option, I'd DEFINITELY not buy as it will be a low crowd day. It looks like the highest it can go too is $69.99. Yowch.

DizneyFreak2002
06-07-2011, 11:05 AM
My friend and I are heading down in October... We considered buying the Express Pass... However, after discussing it, we think it wouldn't be worth it... Everything in Universal is a walk on, except maybe Mummy, and during October, even Mummy isn't crowded... In Islands of Adventure, Spiderman usually has the longest wait, along with Potter... And as you all said, Express Pass can't be used on Potter anyway, so we'd be paying to use it on Spiderman only.. Makes no sense to me...

John
06-07-2011, 11:33 AM
During peak times - we ALWAYS purchase it. It's worth the money. Off peak, depending on the park and the wait times, not so much.

You can pretty much tell when you need it by when it gets more expensive ;)

BTW, I have paid for a family of four the highest price and still swear by it. We had a limited amount of time and on the busiest day of the year, got on EVERY major attraction in both parks - and that was when IOA was closed for capacity.

Life Saver.

NJGIRL
06-08-2011, 09:04 AM
Everything in Universal is a walk on, except maybe Mummy, and during October, even Mummy isn't crowded... In Islands of Adventure, Spiderman usually has the longest wait, along with Potter.

I do not find this to be true and we have gone every other year in Oct since the early 90's. While I find the wait times in Oct (even in Disney) not to be too bad I don't find they are walk on's. I have never walked on to Jaws, JN (now closed), MIB, Simpsons, Disaster, Shrek, Twister, the Mummy (already mentioned). The same goes for IOA. I have never walked onto Spiderman (also already mentioned), Jurassaic Park, any of the water rides or rollercoasters etc. Now whether it is worth purchasing Express Passes depends on your family and how much time you have to spend.

We have never purchased an Express pass, but did get them for free on our last visit so we have done the parks with and without them. I have found the average wait time in Universal without them in Oct to be around 30 mins (after 11:00). It was really nice to have them and not have to wait at all. Would I ever purchase them in Oct? Probably not but that is why we are going to stay onsite again this year to get them at no additional cost.

One tip that I have found on our trips. Universal is empty first thing in the morning for some reason. You can get in a couple of rides by 10:00 if you get there when they first open.

DizneyFreak2002
06-08-2011, 07:02 PM
I do not find this to be true and we have gone every other year in Oct since the early 90's. While I find the wait times in Oct (even in Disney) not to be too bad I don't find they are walk on's. I have never walked on to Jaws, JN (now closed), MIB, Simpsons, Disaster, Shrek, Twister, the Mummy (already mentioned). The same goes for IOA. I have never walked onto Spiderman (also already mentioned), Jurassaic Park, any of the water rides or rollercoasters etc. Now whether it is worth purchasing Express Passes depends on your family and how much time you have to spend.

We have never purchased an Express pass, but did get them for free on our last visit so we have done the parks with and without them. I have found the average wait time in Universal without them in Oct to be around 30 mins (after 11:00). It was really nice to have them and not have to wait at all. Would I ever purchase them in Oct? Probably not but that is why we are going to stay onsite again this year to get them at no additional cost.

One tip that I have found on our trips. Universal is empty first thing in the morning for some reason. You can get in a couple of rides by 10:00 if you get there when they first open.

Maybe I hit it lukcy??? But any time I went, I walked onto everything except, like I said, Mummy, and the wait for Mummy was minimal... Spiderman, at IOA, was the exception there... 90 minute waits all the time... Other than that, walked on everything else, or had a minimal wait (5-10 minutes)... Guess it is luck of the day...

NJGIRL
06-08-2011, 08:10 PM
That is lucky! I know we walked onto ET once but that was about it. Now Disney is another story, most times we have been able to walk on Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Star Tours, Tower of Terror and alot more, especially in the morning.