Annual Pass upgrade on UK tickets

I’ve just asked this on chat, but I’m trying to get to grips with the forum so I’ll ask here too…

I have already purchased the 14 day UK tickets for our July trip. I’m looking into the possibility of upgrading one of our tickets to preferred AP to get free parking. It looks like the only downside to this is that the AP ticket only allows entry to VB after 4pm.

I have some specific questions to help me decide if this is something to pursue or not.

What time does VB generally close in summer?

I know it used to be best to arrive early to VB, but if we can’t access the park until after 4pm, what can we expect the crowd level and wait times to be like?

If we got a 2 park AP for the free parking, would that allow any kind of discount for daily VB admission?

Is it possible to upgrade a ticket AFTER you’ve started using it? What I’m wondering is if we hit VB using our UK ticket on the first couple of days (paying for parking), could we then upgrade for the remainder of our trip giving VB access after 4pm with free parking?

How do you actually go about upgrading? Can it be done in advance on the phone or do I need to do it in person at the park?

I’ve already booked and paid for a room using hotels.com. Can I apply for an AP room discount or has that ship sailed?

Any other advice or experience with upgrading to AP and accessing VB after 4pm would be welcome.

I can only answer 2 of your questions…in December we upgraded to annual pass on our last day and we did it at the customer service desk outside Universal studios. I am sure some others that are more knowledgeable then me will chime in :slightly_smiling_face:

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It’s been a few years since I’ve visited Volcano Bay, but in August of 2017 the closing time was between 9 pm & 10 pm (I have a photo I took that has a time stamp of 9:05 pm), and I recall a late closing time.

There’s no set discount for AP holders for day tickets to Volcano Bay. They do on occasion run discounted ticket specials for AP holders, though it’s usually not during the summer months.

Yes, you can upgrade a ticket after you’ve started using it. Just keep in mind that if you’re using the Volcano Bay entitlements you then have to upgrade to the 3 park pass. One thing to keep in mind, Volcano Bay doesn’t have a separate parking lot, you park in the main parking structure and then take a bus to Volcano Bay.

I’ve always upgraded in person either at the hotel or at the ticket booths. While the hotel lines tend to be shorter, I’ve found the team members to be more knowledgeable at the ticket booths. Be aware of how much the upgrade should cost you and if you’re quoted a different amount walk away and try someone else.

I think all AP discounted rooms have to be booked through the Universal or Lowe’s Hotel sites. AP room discounts are usually available about 60 days in advance. If you can cancel your booking through hotels.com without penalty and there’s an AP room available your should be good. I’d personally book the AP discounted room before cancelling my other booking just to be sure it’s available.

The only other thing I would think about would be considering the 3 park premier pass. I have the 2 Park version and it’s already paid for itself with the after 4 pm Express Pass and free valet parking, not to mention the other discounts. While is $150 more for the 3 park version, a single day ticket to Volcano Bay is $80, so by doing theme park math (read justification) if you go to Volcano Bay 2 days before 4 pm you’ve paid for the upgrade.

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Thank you. Good to know that you can upgrade even after using ticket.

Thanks @Jadesfire21. Great info.
I don’t think the premier would be cost effective for us and it would just be annoying to have one of us able to use EP and not the rest of us! Lol.
It would be a three park one I’m looking at upgrading to, but will need to consider the VB time restriction and decide if we can work with that.

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I upgraded my tickets to an AP last summer. I actually had to wait till my last day at the parks to do it because the AP I chose (the three park seasonal, which was the cheapest) would not have been valid during the dates I was there (summer blackout). It cost about $50.