Rant - Universal Studios Express Plus system

[Guest]

We've just retunred from our 3rd trip to Orlando and had a great time.

The only part of the trip that really annoys me is the Univeral / IOA Express Plus ticket system.

We made three trips to these parks, getting there first thing to do some of the most popular rides first thing - this works quite well.

However, by mid morning the queues for all the popular rides was 40 minutes minimum and most went over the 60 minutes mark, up to 120 minutes for some. At this point there's no way you can get value for money for your ticket and you simply are not going to get on the attractions on your list.

So, Universal's solution to this over-crowding is to encourage you at every available opportunity around the park to purchase their Express Plus tikcet. This is going to cost you another $30 - $50 per person on top of your regular ticket price.

So, by this time, you'll see two separate queues for the rides - one for normal punters and one for Express Plus holders. On all the rides I saw, the Express Plus people were taking half the capacity of the ride, making the queueing time for regular ticket holders much, much worse - encouraging more and more people to shell out extra money for the EP passes.

In my opinion, a service that allows you to buy an (expensive) ticket in good faith, but then operates a system that makes it practically impossible for you to get anything like the full benefit of that ticket UNLESS you shell out even more money (making the plight of the regular people even worse in the process) is a very shoddy customer practice indeed. I can't think of any other business model that would allow it. Can you imagine if Tesco permitted you to go to the front of the checkout queue if you pay an extra fiver? Or similar at petrol stations if you paid an extra 20p per litre? There would be riots - but this is exactly what Universal are doing.

In contrast, Disney's Fastpass system is open and fair to all and it works brilliantly. Universal could and should do the same, but instead some genuis decided that they would rake in millions of extra profit by making people pay again for what they've already paid for.

Anyone agree / disagree?

[Guest]

Originally Posted by mickeypops

We've just retunred from our 3rd trip to Orlando and had a great time.

The only part of the trip that really annoys me is the Univeral / IOA Express Plus ticket system.

We made three trips to these parks, getting there first thing to do some of the most popular rides first thing - this works quite well.

However, by mid morning the queues for all the popular rides was 40 minutes minimum and most went over the 60 minutes mark, up to 120 minutes for some. At this point there's no way you can get value for money for your ticket and you simply are not going to get on the attractions on your list.

So, Universal's solution to this over-crowding is to encourage you at every available opportunity around the park to purchase their Express Plus tikcet. This is going to cost you another $30 - $50 per person on top of your regular ticket price.

So, by this time, you'll see two separate queues for the rides - one for normal punters and one for Express Plus holders. On all the rides I saw, the Express Plus people were taking half the capacity of the ride, making the queueing time for regular ticket holders much, much worse - encouraging more and more people to shell out extra money for the EP passes.

In my opinion, a service that allows you to buy an (expensive) ticket in good faith, but then operates a system that makes it practically impossible for you to get anything like the full benefit of that ticket UNLESS you shell out even more money (making the plight of the regular people even worse in the process) is a very shoddy customer practice indeed. I can't think of any other business model that would allow it. Can you imagine if Tesco permitted you to go to the front of the checkout queue if you pay an extra fiver? Or similar at petrol stations if you paid an extra 20p per litre? There would be riots - but this is exactly what Universal are doing.

In contrast, Disney's Fastpass system is open and fair to all and it works brilliantly. Universal could and should do the same, but instead some genuis decided that they would rake in millions of extra profit by making people pay again for what they've already paid for.

Anyone agree / disagree?

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Eekkk, not good, nothing like stress on holidays eh.

At least you had a good time apart from that and everyone is back in your family safe and well.

Sadly it boils down to a 4 words you used in your last sentance and that is... "millions of extra profit"

Money talks i guess!

[mobeckwith]

i aree with what you say,but disney tickets are twice the price in the first place,so in fact you are kind of paying for the fast pass system. mo.

[Guest]

Originally Posted by mobeckwith

i aree with what you say,but disney tickets are twice the price in the first place,so in fact you are kind of paying for the fast pass system. mo.

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Yes, but Disney's ticket gives you entry to four theme parks and two water parks, versus Universal's two theme parks. Disney tickets are entitled to be twice the price IMO.

[Guest]

Originally Posted by mickeypops

Yes, but Disney's ticket gives you entry to four theme parks and two water parks, versus Universal's two theme parks. Disney tickets are entitled to be twice the price IMO.

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That's true... but realistically how many parks are you going to go to each day? Two? Same as Universal.

[Essex Benjy's!]

Originally Posted by mobeckwith

i aree with what you say,but disney tickets are twice the price in the first place,so in fact you are kind of paying for the fast pass system. mo.

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Sorry-how'd you work that one out?

[tonymc]

Originally Posted by mobeckwith

i aree with what you say,but disney tickets are twice the price in the first place,so in fact you are kind of paying for the fast pass system. mo.

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Would agree with this, but if you then take into account having to buy the Express Pass for each day you are in the park, it then adds anything between an extra $175 and $350 for 7 days depending on the dates you travel.

Universal's advertising is slightly misleading as they state for the $99 2 Park ticket that it is "Less than a WDW 1 Day ticket with park Hopper option" - not strictly true as it does not take into account the additional charge for the Express Pass, so not comparing like with like. However, you are not guaranteed to get a fastpass at Disney either!

I do recall some time ago a rumour that Disney may have been starting to look into a similar set up (e.g. top-end WDW hotel guests getting FOTL equivalent and others paying for Fastpasses) but I suspect that this has gone by the board now.

[Bozza]

Originally Posted by tonymc

I do recall some time ago a rumour that Disney may have been starting to look into a similar set up (e.g. top-end WDW hotel guests getting FOTL equivalent and others paying for Fastpasses) but I suspect that this has gone by the board now.

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I've heard the same and I would be absolutely amazed if Disney have not, are not and will not consider options to offer additional benefits to those who stay in their hotels, particularly the deluxe resorts.

However it is obviously an incredibly sensitive subject, as this thread illustrates, so they would not implement such a scheme until they had absolute surety that it won't disenfranchise other customers too greatly.

[blackbird]

Originally Posted by Bozza

However it is obviously an incredibly sensitive subject, as this thread illustrates, so they would not implement such a scheme until they had absolute surety that it won't disenfranchise other customers too greatly.

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not so sure they would be bothered by that judgeing how they are dealing out upgrades

[Jollymon]

I found Universal's customer service was poor on my last visit. From the minute I entered the park we had problems.