Universal Express

[karl]

Universal Studios Orlando started Universal Express recently. This sounds like a variant of FastPass.

What has been your experience and does it work?

-- Karl

[CoasterMatt]

My fiancee and I visited Universal Orlando last week, and we had a great time with Universal Express. The biggest difference between Universal Express and Fastpass is that if you have a multiday pass for the Universal parks, you can get 3 express passes at once. We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel, in which case, our room key worked as an Express pass at all times
:D

[Napsto]

do you use your ticket or a room key for express tickets???????????/:confused: are they doing this at USH?

[CoasterMatt]

Originally posted by Napsto
do you use your ticket or a room key for express tickets???????????/:confused: are they doing this at USH?

Sorry I was a bit vague there, that's what staying up late and getting up early all the time does to your mind.

To get a Universal Express pass, you insert your ticket into one of the distribution machines, just like FastPass. The biggest difference, is that instead of having one set of machines for each attraction, Universal Express has distribution centers; so you can see return times for a couple of other nearby attractions and decide which one you want to get first.

Multiday passholders use their tickets to get Express passes, you can get up to 3 if you have a multiday. Guests of the Portofino Bay and Hard Rock Hotels don't need the Express tickets, they just show their roomkey at the Express return entrance.

[dgthx]

I've always thought that Disneyland should have fastpasses for a ride available at different locations. At least Universal is doing it. Maybe Disney will take a cue from Universal if it is successful.

[Gandalf]

Yes, the Geisel family would have the ultimate rights to the Grinch character and representations. However, they've licensed those to Universal and Carrey was able to negotiate a contract with Universal that dictated he was the ONLY face and voice of the Grinch as far as Universal was concerned. The Universal's rights lapse, I'm sure Carrey's will as well.



Originally posted by dgthx
I have a question about Universal Hollywood and decided to add it in here. An MP story said that Jim Carrey has the rights to the voice and character of the Grinch. How could he do that and block the use of the Grinch last Holiday season? Doesn't the original artist or the heirs retain all that?

[Willynate]

I was at IOA in March during spring break (a time of year where Disney is packed) and my wife and I didn't use the Universal Express once. It just wasn't crowded enough to make it seem worthwhile.
I did notice that more people were using the system later in the day but by then we had already seen everything there was to see and were content to actually stand in line just to see the incredible queue areas designed around the ride.
It would be interesting to go back in the summer to see if the Express actually makes much of a difference.

[Pomcoach]

My daughter is spending the next 3 days at Universal and IOA. She was so excited when I told her she could get 3 Express passes all at once! But then she called me back last night. She was disappointed because she said, "Yes, I could get 3 passes all at once. But then, that was all I could get for the whole day. Only 3 Express Passes for the whole day." Is that right? That doesn't sound so great. Anybody know if that's the way it works? Thanks! Pomcoach:confused:

[AnimeNut]

Hey, everybody!

Are USF and IOA still opening a couple hours early for multiday passholders this summer? They were doing this during my trip last August, and I couldn't believe what a great benefit it was. Imagine E-Ride nights at Magic Kingdom, except it's morning, and the entire park is open right from the start. Magic Mornings aren't quite the same, either. I loved the mere thrill of doing every single attraction at IOA at least once before the park opened to the single-day visitors. However, when I went back last December, the park didn't open early. I still got a Universal Express card, but it just doesn't work too well during regular park hours.

So now I'm reading that Universal Express distribution centers have been set up and are in use. Does this mean that last summer's Universal Express system is history?

[Dreamfinder's Shadow]

I've never seen consistency with their system. At Disney, I hate Fastpass since it increases wait times (Living with the Land now has longer lines than Test Track on some days!!!), but they do have clearly defined rules that they enforce consistently. At Universal, they don't have machines that scan your ticket so as far as I can see, you can get as many express passes as you want. They just have their employees handing them out like candy on halloween until they run out. I keep reading about some Express pass "Limits" and you can obtain more if you have certain tickets, but I've never seen that enforced. I'm assuming I just go when they don't check your tickets or something. Based on my experiences you can receive an unlimited number of passes (which kind of sucks when they run out if you get there late in the day for rides like Spiderman)

[JRob2k1]

Originally posted by AnimeNut
Hey, everybody!

Are USF and IOA still opening a couple hours early for multiday passholders this summer? They were doing this during my trip last August, and I couldn't believe what a great benefit it was. Imagine E-Ride nights at Magic Kingdom, except it's morning, and the entire park is open right from the start. Magic Mornings aren't quite the same, either. I loved the mere thrill of doing every single attraction at IOA at least once before the park opened to the single-day visitors. However, when I went back last December, the park didn't open early. I still got a Universal Express card, but it just doesn't work too well during regular park hours.

I went last summer and I was searching on the net before our trip and I found out about that early entrance thing. It said it was a trial thing being done for that summer.(which was last year)

What an amazing idea. We had finished the whole park before it even opened. There only had to be a few hundred people in the park for the early thing. When the park opened we had nothing more to do, so we came back at night because every park needs to be expereinced day and night!!

It was the perfect way to try out a new theme park.

-JRob