Considering which annual pass to get. its for two weeks starting 17th Dec and then three weeks August 2022 visiting all 4 parks.
2 adults one 11 year old( in aug 2022).
we will be off site for both and it will be our first annual pass at any parks.
worth it?
If I was going to get a new AP, I would get that one- 2 park version.
we ecpect to be in volcano bay a fair bit though so assume thats worth it once we start getting up to 5 or 6 visits there?
Dumb question - are you really going to UO for two full weeks in December and three more in August??
I only ask because I LOVE Universal and even I think both of those are way too long for a single visit.
Or are you mixing a few days of Universal into your trip?
If you are sincerely going for multiple weeks at a time, then you do not “need” UXP. It will be busy that time in December. August will still be busy, but fluctuates depending on school return dates. (Typically the last couple of week are slower until the Thursday before Labor Day.
Universal is definitely a “locals” park. It gets massively busier on the weekends.
The best advice I can give you on getting a Universal AP is this…
You can ALWAYS upgrade your AP. You can not downgrade it.
Get the least expensive pass that doesn’t have blackout dates for your trip(s). If you think you are missing out on benefits then spend more.
Fair question we are there from Uk and we will split 50/50 with Disney. It’s actually just over that many days but we will if we get top pass do mostly RD Disney parks and then head over to universal for afternoons.
My son is the age where I think he is going to love the more thrill rides at universal.
The problem with tour suggestion is if a week in we decide we should have had the top level pass… well that’s 1/5th of our total time gone without those benefits… and it was the busy week during new year.
I personally never found value in the 3 parks AP but maybe it will work for you?
I double checked your December dates for blackout times. The only APs that will let you in at that time are the Preferred Pass (US$475 / ÂŁ348 - taxes included) and Premier Pass (US$665 / ÂŁ487 - taxes included)
The “extras” you get with the most expensive pass versus the one below it -
After 4pm Express Pass
Free “prime” Self Parking and access to Paid Valet parking
A ticket to a Tuesday - Thursday HHN event
IMHO - In your situation, where blackout dates are going to be the deciding factor, I’d go ahead and buy the Priemer (most expensive). As long as you are visiting for at least 5 park days then it will pay for itself.
Something to keep in mind is the Universal parks tend to close at 8pm. So you will get use out of the 4 hours of UXP each day, but don’t expect it to be something that’s going to be a “game changer”.
I choose to get the “basic” Seasonal Pass because don’t live in FL and I go when there are no blackouts. I go enough that I don’t “need” the UXP after 4pm. I think you are your 11 year old are going to love it. There’s plenty of immersive / themed entertainment and rides while having some major coasters / rides
Considering your situation, I’d get the premier. Particularly with split days with Disney.
We adore Volcano Bay.
thanks yes the parking alone for what will be at LEAST 10 visits means premier pass makes most sense irrespective of even the UXP access.
we last visited in 2017 and he was a bit too small for a lot of the universal rides.
@shawthorne44 agreed we havent done volcano bay yet but seems like there is a chance it may even be open through winter?? so hoping to go soon.
If you have never done VB, and half of your days will be in December (when it might not be open every day) I would still run the numbers on how many single day tickets you would need to make the 3 park “worth it”. There was a discussion on this on the Uni chat a couple of years ago- I can’t remember….
Is there an AP discount on VB tickets?
It was open Dec pre-lockdown, but it closed last year for several months in the middle of winter. So, … who knows?
With USF it is easy to upgrade your passes. One idea would be to get the two-park premier now. Then upgrade when you are there and are ready to go to volcano bay.
VB is weather dependent. It closes when the temperature drops to a certain point. It could be open, it could be closed at any point during the colder months.
Completely agree! I believe the upgrade “pays for itself” on the second visit to VB…
(VB is open in December… it’s often in the 60s and chilly, but it’s open if it’s not raining)
One thing to keep in mind for the August part of your trip. I assume you’ll be doing several VB trips then. Have you ever been to VB? Because of how the ride reservation works, mornings are much better. You can even stack reservations there with the right technique. But, reservations run out at some point.
I did a search and it was reported it has been open at 58 degrees and closed at 65 degrees but generally if the temperature is expected to be 60 or below it will not open?
Well we just got back from wales and went swimming in the sea so if it is open we would definitely visit.
I was just listing to the Unofficial Universal Podcast. Seth was reporting that Volcano Bay closed on November 6th and to keep an eye on the forecasts because it won’t be open if the weather dips into the 60s. I don’t know if they are closing at a higher temperature point these days, but you might want to start watching it.
Thanks, I think it will be a case of going if we can, we have committed to buying annual pass as eve if we dont get to go in december we definitely will in August.