Flights booked for dec 7 to 14th…plan is to do MVMCP, seaworld and a couple days at universal. Initially my plan was to book cabana bay for 7 nights because it’s a good price and I think my son will really like it. However, the express pass keeps calling my name. Too book 7 nights at one of the hotels that offers this it will cost about 1100 dollars more. I could look at doing split stay off site for 3 nights and 4 nights at universal for about 900 dollars more. I think it would cost about 350 dollars per day to get the express pass at the park. So would be 700 dollars more or less depending on cad dollar at that time. Some of what I read suggests waiting until you get to the park to see if you need it. Crowds are showing 2 and 3’s for that week and it would be weekdays not weekend that we would be going. This makes me think book cabana bay with fingers crossed we won’t need it. However, we have never been to universal before so wondering if we will be able to navigate and fit everything in without it? I could book a 3 day versus 2 day ticket which would give us more time to get everything in but I also don’t want to be stuck in lines for long times (over 20 mins).
I really don’t think you’ll need the express pass on those days, it’s after the Thanksgiving break crowds, but before the Christmas break. We’ve never used express pass, to be honest. However, if you really want it, would you be able to do one night in one of the express pass hotels?
Are you only doing 2 days at Universal? If you book 1 night at a EP hotel you will get EP for two days. You don’t even need to move, I am sure it would cost less to book one night than buy EP. We really liked having them and we were there on moderate crowd level days
Yeah that was what I was thinking, based on crowd level I think we should be ok. If we only did one night then that would mean 3 hotel moves for the week because it would be in the middle of our trip that we would go. I think that would be too much of a nuisance.
Where the days are in the middle of the trip we would have to book another hotel for the time before and after. I really did not want to do more then a split stay between two places. But if the days were at end of trip that definitely would have been a good idea.
Ah yes with it in the middle it does present a problem. If your CL go up you could look at booking one but still keeping your other. It will still be cheaper than buying EP outright
Keep in mind you could always book the room and not actually use it. You could “check in” and get your EP, but never actually sleep there. Maybe just freshen up or something. Yes, you are paying for two hotels for that one night, but the cost of that one night hotel gets you two days of Express Pass and may be worth it to you, if you feel you need EP.
Thanks. I think I am just going to go ahead book it for the last two nights of our trip which will give us 2.5 days for the parks. I was debating if I needed the EP at all but I think I won’t chance it 
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I think you will be very happy with that decision! Have a fantastic trip!
Agreed. You will not regret having EP