Universal express tickets

[peanut]

Are these only available to people staying in their Hotels? If not how much are they?

[Mike]

Ang.. UE tickets are free to all park guests, on a one at a time basis, like FastPases. You can buy a book of them for $25+ish dollars, although they are not always available.

If you are a Universal Hotel guest, you get FOTL (front of the line)access (ie, UE access) all day, all rides, by showing your room key.

Mike

[Stu]

No,
you can purchase them as you enter the parks. I think they were $19 each

[Bob_and_Dawn]

For people staying onsite you get front of the line access by showing your room key.
You can also purchase express tickets, but these only get you front of the line access to each ride once only and I think they were $14 each.

Universal also operate an express ticket service similar to Disneys fast pass.

Bob

[Bob_and_Dawn]

Sorry posted the same time as Stu and Mike and all of us have gave you a different price for the express pass.

Bob

[Stu]

It seems the price differs with the season and if you pre buy or buy at the gate.

official info

NEW! UNIVERSAL EXPRESS PLUS! - Universal Express is FREE. However, purchase a Universal Express PLUS pass and enjoy express access to each attraction all with a single pass! No pre-determined ride times. No need to pick up additional passes for each attraction. Limit one time only per attraction using the Universal Express queue. Price $25, $20 in advance, and $10, non-peak season.

[Mike]

:D..so everyone was more or less right then !

[Earthbound]

The book that you can pre-buy/buy is this the Universal Express Plus??? If you can pre-buy how do you go about it. I assume that it's one for each park i.e. US & IoA!

[gasmark7]

We bought the express plus passes at the gate and thought they were a brilliant idea. If you can pre-pay them does anybody know where to get them?

Thanks

Graeme

[jojj]

does it include IOA or is that a separate one.

do you need to buy one each or can you all use one?

what about children?

sorry lots of questions!

[gasmark7]

Unfortunately you need to buy one each - but I still think it was good value as you could still use your ordinary fast pass tickets as well.
DW thinks that the childrens fastpasses were cheaper but can't remember by how much.
I think you need to buy one for each of the parks - just think tho' sorry not much good really. :blush:

Graeme

[peanut]

I think with us going at xmas We willl be going with this..and using US Ioa fast pass system...then we get double the chance:)

[edie_w]

Peanut,

The Express Plus passes are the ones that give you one FOTL access for each ride that does Express. These used to be a booklet but are now like a park ticket I think.

They cost between $10 and $25 depending on the season. When we went in October they were $15, no discount for children.

We mixed and matched with these - the thrill seekers used their own and someone else's ticket for Hulk to ride twice. etc.

Your ticket is good for one day only, one park only. You can buy a 2-park ticket for less than twice the price of a 1 park ticket, but it must be used on one day.

You can also get Express tickets from the machines just like Fastpass. Word of caution - if you have a Flexticket these don't work so well in the machines. If you have trouble, go straight to the guy on the Express queue and tell him what's happened. He'll give you tickets or mark up someone else's Express ticket to admit 2.

[jojj]

si the ticket is not FOTL for all the attractions only the express ones?

that is a shame! - pity it is not all the rides!

[edie_w]

Most of the ones you'll queue for are Express. From memory:

IOA

Hulk
Spiderman
Dr Doom
Popeye & Bluto's
Dudley Do Right's
Jurassic Park
Flying Unicorn
Dueling Dragons (Fire or Ice, not both)
Poseidon's Fury
Cat in the Hat
(Can't remember about 1 fish 2 fish - I think not)

US

Shrek
Jimmy Neutron
Twister
Earthquake
Jaws
MIB
BTTF
ET
T2 3D
and I'm sure the Mummy will be included!

If it's busy, it's worth it. If lines are 20 mins or less it's probably not.

[Earthbound]

Guys- so can you only buy the Express Plus passes at the gate on the day, or can you buy them say a few days in advance??? :confused:

[edie_w]

Not sure, Earthbound. We bought ours there.

However, we did buy our HHN stay and scream passes and the HHN Express Plus passes from Guest Services inside US a few days earlier. I think the Express passes were dated (the HHN ones definitely were).

Which suggests you can get them in advance, if only at the parks.

Unless you are going at an insanely busy time it's best to see what the crowds are like on the day.

[Earthbound]

Thanks for that - we go in August so will make a point of going to US & IoA a few days before we go there to buy the books in advance (if they allow it that is!!) :thumbup:

[qegsbabe]

just come back, the wait for Shrek 4D was 120 minutes by 10am (Easter admittedly) and the express machines broke down for multiple rides on the 2 days we visited resulting in the attendants just handing out the expresses by handed, which meant people had multiple expresses which Universal had to honour which meant people queing normally had VERY long waits!!!!!!!!!!!!compared to fastpass it was a nightmare. I would definately buy the express plus book if you are going peak time.