Universal Express Pass

Every time I read postings about this I get irritated. I think it is a very unfair system although many people seem to buy into it.

Personally I hope Disney do not jump on the bandwagon and start making a similar charges and just stick with the fastpass system.

Do other posters think they will?

Universal Express Pass

Yes, I think eventually Disney will also exchange the free ';Fast Pass'; system for a paid ';express pass'; type of system like Universal has. They may also include the ';pass'; as a resort perks as well, just like Universal does.

However, with the price of a Disney ticket being so much more expensive than the Universal tickets, they kinda already have this built in, to a certain degree. You%26#39;re really ';paying'; for your free Fast Pass with the higher ticket price.

As Harry Chapin once sang, ';I guess only time will tell.';

Universal Express Pass

I agree that Disney may jump on that bandwagon someday, however Universal tickets are already high. For a 1 day ticket it%26#39;s $64...same price as Disney. Universal just can%26#39;t compete with Disney so they have to charge more somewhere. Universal does have a lot more deals and special promotions which keep people coming to the parks.

I agree also. The fast pass room key for Universal is a massive draw for people to stay at the hotels, even if its only for one night. I think Disney charging extra for a fast pass ticket or to encourage people to stay on site will vastly increase their profit. Whilst Disney is the happiest place on earth it is a business and their main objective is to make a lot of money.

Disney is actually dirt cheap if you get the ten day package, although ten days at even the happiest of places is probably too much, at least in one stretch.

As we get older, I thing being able to buy the Express Pass up front and save the legs and feet is worth it over the Fastpass system that runs you back and forth all over the park and then often when you get to the Fast Pass location, they are already gone for the day.

Last trip we were lucky enough to get the Year of a Million Dreams fast pass lanyard/cards given to us at the Drew Carey attraction. It sure made the day go easier.

i have to disagree that the express pass system is unfair. both the fast pass and express pass systems have their pros and cons. consider:

-disney park tickets tend to be more expensive overall. for example compare the price of the park hopper ticket or annual pass with both companies. it could be argued that universal is much more fairly priced, in general.

-there are fewer fast pass attractions at the disney parks (save magic kingdom). universal has at least a 2 to 1 ratio of fast pass attractions over every disney park except magic kingdom. it may be that disney would charge for fast passes if they had as many E-ticket attractions.

-the universal express pass can be bought for as low as $15 during some parts of the year. it is only outrageous during busy seasons - when prices go up for hotels as well, even disney ones, which no one seems to find unfair.

-most importantly, the fast passes at disney can be a big hassle. there is a ton of backtracking involved, and you have to work out fast pass times for everything. the fact that fast pass attractions are very widely spread throughout the disney parks, you can only fast pass one attraction every 2 hours, and fast passes can sell out, makes for a pretty stressful day at a busy disney park. i had a really nice time at epcot on memorial day waiting 80 minutes in line for soarin%26#39; (fast passes were gone) while i caught up to my 7:05 fast pass time for test track. yeah you could say i should have gotten there exactly at park opening and rushed to every popular ride, but, hello, i could have done the exact same thing at universal without buying express passes. anyone who considers themselves familiar with the fast pass system could EASILY figure out how to work their way around the universal attractions on a busy day.

express passes cost money, fast passes cost time and effort. i%26#39;d rather pay for leisure than get hassle for free.

Excellent post - I agree 100% Orlandonative08. Holidays/vacations are all about the leisure time and if it costs that bit more then it%26#39;s worth it ( only to a point though!)

100% agree!

imo it IS worth every penny!

I always stay at a universal hotel just to have advantage to skip the lines...

but I also understand if anyone doesn麓t agree and doesn麓t want to pay extra!

It is just a matter of opinion and everyone thinks different though!

It麓s like buying a car...

Someone WANTS to have everything included and someone don麓t... That is nothing UNFAIR but just different opinions what is needed or not!

Great one Orlandonative08!

If, as we do, you go in July/August like the majority of people then Express Pass is an absolute must. We always get them for 2 seperate days within our holiday, on the basis that we refuse to spend so many hours of a well deserved and expensive holiday in a queue.

If Disney had a similar scheme, we would buy their passes also. However, we are smart to the Disney Fastpass system and general timings and spend hardly any time queueing in Disney parks as a result.

It is a matter of personal choice whether to take these passes, but I have to say I have a totally non-smug ';Homer moment'; (whooo-hooo!!!) whenever I Express a ride with a 90 minute grumpy looking queue!