The trade off is that it really is an “Express Pass” that will get you right in the queue as soon as you want to enter. Universal understands that if you charge a low amount, like $20 per person, for an Express Pass then everyone will buy it. Then it won’t really be an “Express” queue. They put the price point high to actively deter most people from doing it while making it worth their while to offer it. They also truly cap the number of sales. UXP does sell out, unlike WDW / G+
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We are staying at a universal hotel so we get express pass for USO and IOA and I get they are expensive.
But at VB you have tapu tapu to reduce queueing and there isn’t that much to do in a day that it’s a real struggle in my opinion.
Just over a $100 for the cheapest one with access to only some rides does seem too steep.
IME - Tapu Tapu is great until after the parks are open for about 2 hours. Then the queues all skyrocket, even on some slower days. I’ve been there multiple times when after 11:30am, every attraction is an hour wait. (Krakatau can be 3+ hours!! )
There’s only so many trips around the lazy / fearless rivers and standing in the wave pool I can do and still have a long wait for my next ride.
Totally understandable. I don’t ever buy Express Pass for the other two theme parks because of their high prices. I travel solo or no more than one other person. Staying at a deluxe hotel doesn’t give me the cost benefit to make the UXP “pay for itself” by investing in a room at those hotels. I go often enough with my AP that I’ve done everything that having an Express Pass in those parks doesn’t benefit me. I do think it works, for me, at VB though for the price.
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This is why I think VB should be a morning park. Then go back to hotel shower, change clothes and then go to one of the other parks for the rest of the day.
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That worked for us last time but today, absolutely not. Krakatoa was already 2 hours by opening and there wasn’t much under 50 minutes.
We left at almost one and I did two slides.
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Everybody must have had the same thoughts you did. Crazy busy day!
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I’m sorry VB was frustrating today. We are going next Friday, early entry is at 8am so an extra hour than today. Did you have to wait long for a bus this morning? We will be at Portofino but not sure how early we need to catch the bus.
The buses start running to VB one hour before EPA starts. So the first bus will be at your hotel at 7am. I highly recommend being on that first bus. Those EPA minutes at VB are so valuable! You can get set-up and going before most people are through the turnstiles / getting a locker!
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We have gone quite a few times before, but early entry was always at 9. 8 is so early for these west coasters!! But I hate to miss it.
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I let Joe sleep in a bit, I intended to get the 8.30 bus but we arrived at 8.32 and there were lots of people waiting. The bus came about 9.05 and left people behind. The lines outside when we arrived were huge.
I am going to struggle getting my kids out the door, especially Avery. At least I will be acclimated to the time change by then, but they won’t be since they arrive Wednesday. Thanks for the info, I hope your day got better. Are you still at UOR until tomorrow?
Poor Joe had been up at 5.30 the 2 previous days. He needed the rest. I did too!
Yes we will leave about 5pm tomorrow. Planning on HS later but we’ll see.
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I think we will sleep in both days we go to the dry parks, and just deal with whatever lines VC and Hagrids have later in the day. Everything else will have express. We need sleep to survive the heat. it sounds like we need to go early to VB though. I could buy express for VB but I am not looking to spend another freaking penny on this trip. 
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I wanted to wait to talk to my DD20 about getting UXP at VB for our upcoming trip. I didn’t want to “push” her into a “go-go” kinds of day of slides if all she wanted to do was sip tiki drinks and chill. She definitely wants to relax, but getting on with no wait / doing what you want at least once was a big deal to her.
I went to purchased just now & in only two days the price went up from $69.99 to $99.99 per UXP… At least we have it now and it won’t be $200+ / each on that day!! 
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It was at capacity that morning, you were right. We were so unprepared for UOR in general, we had no plan because we’ve never needed one with Express Pass.
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Are you back now?
Yes we came back to FQ yesterday afternoon.
One thing I wonder about with the VB UXP. Can you delay when it starts?
So, you arrive at the start of early entry and you ride Kraka-whatever as Ride Now because you were at the front of the pack. Then as you get off it says 10 minute wait. You tap to get that. Then when you ride will it use the 10-minute wait or the UXP ride? Because don’t you get just use on each ride with the UXP?
I’d be happy to get a UXP that had unlimited rides on just Kraka-whatever. We could happily spend the day on just that and the Fierce river.
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My most recent VB trip was last summer so this may be out of date but back then the express pass was just a paper wristband with each ride listed. The TM at the ride would x it out with a sharpie when you redeemed it. So, unless there is something more high tech going now, you can just abstain from that until you are ready.
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I’ve been searching everywhere for the answer to this myself. I bought it through the app. When I look at my Wallet of upcoming tickets and go to the QR code for my VB UXP it indicates that I have to “redeem” it somehow. (I’m guessing at the place that sells them on-site)
If so, then I don’t plan on redeeming it until after EPA when I have done a few slides without it.
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