First time at UO. Many questions in the comments

As far as the annual pass, think we are going to be eligible for the buy 2 days get 2 days free so it’s not worth it since we definitely won’t be back next year as we have another vacation already booked.
How much of a discount for a deluxe? We are trying to do this as cheap as possible but also get the most out of our park days.
As mentioned, the annual pass purchase is more for the benefit of the hotel discount than anything else. The annual passholder rates vary depending on time of year and, in normal circumstances, are released generally 3-4(ish) months in advance. There's an APH rate thread on the Universal Resorts board that I think would give an idea of historical discounts. You can also check rates for August (as an example) by entering "APH" in the promo code field, which will show you current passholder rates where available. The APH rate thread on the resorts board has more info on that.

When pricing things out, you should compare these 3 scenarios:

1. Staying at Cabana Bay with BOGO tickets and purchasing unlimited express pass
2. Staying at a deluxe resort with BOGO tickets (includes unlimited express pass) - Royal Pacific is the cheapest deluxe resort
3. Staying at a deluxe resort with an APH rate purchasing an annual pass (includes unlimited express pass)

When looking at annual passes, the seasonal pass will be the cheapest but take note of the blackout dates. I don't think early November would have any, but don't quote me.

Not to complicate it further for you, but two more options to consider that may be more budget-friendly:

1. Consider one night at a deluxe resort with the rest of your time at a cheaper resort. Spending one night at the deluxe resort will give you express pass all day on your check-in day and all day on your check-out day. So, you would get two full days of unlimited express pass and could use those days to ride and re-ride as much as possible. Of course, the downside is that a split stay on a shorter trip can be a hassle with having to pack and move everything to a new hotel.

2. Depending on the size of your family, many people find it cheaper to book a room at a deluxe resort for one night to obtain two days of express passes rather than purchase two days worth of unlimited express passes for everyone in their party. But, they do not want to do a split stay or leave their other lodging for whatever reason. So, people will often book a one night "throwaway" room at a deluxe resort. They will check-in to get the room key card (which acts as the express pass), but never actually set foot in the room. Or, they will use the room for a break during the day but do not spend the night there, choosing to go back to wherever they are staying. This eliminates the need to move luggage and pack everything. It also helps people retain whatever resort discounts they may have elsewhere - Universal resorts often have discounts for the more nights you stay, so it doesn't always make sense to do a split stay because you then may lose that discount.

Its a lot to consider and price out, but there's tons of threads about all these topics here. Its just a matter of doing the math, once we know how things will look this Fall.

Will they be dead and I won’t need the express pass?
If you decide not to stay at a deluxe resort and may want to purchase express pass, you can hold off on purchasing express pass and buy it when you get there only if you need it. It will give you a chance to assess the crowds and wait times and decide if its worth your money. That being said, we like having express pass no matter how busy it is. You can nearly walk-on almost every ride, so it requires no strategic plan and no early mornings. We sleep in and leisurely tour the parks. Because of that convenience and the fact that it makes touring the parks stress fee and more time efficient, express pass is always worth it to us.
 
As mentioned, the annual pass purchase is more for the benefit of the hotel discount than anything else. The annual passholder rates vary depending on time of year and, in normal circumstances, are released generally 3-4(ish) months in advance. There's an APH rate thread on the Universal Resorts board that I think would give an idea of historical discounts. You can also check rates for August (as an example) by entering "APH" in the promo code field, which will show you current passholder rates where available. The APH rate thread on the resorts board has more info on that.

When pricing things out, you should compare these 3 scenarios:

1. Staying at Cabana Bay with BOGO tickets and purchasing unlimited express pass
2. Staying at a deluxe resort with BOGO tickets (includes unlimited express pass) - Royal Pacific is the cheapest deluxe resort
3. Staying at a deluxe resort with an APH rate purchasing an annual pass (includes unlimited express pass)

When looking at annual passes, the seasonal pass will be the cheapest but take note of the blackout dates. I don't think early November would have any, but don't quote me.

Not to complicate it further for you, but two more options to consider that may be more budget-friendly:

1. Consider one night at a deluxe resort with the rest of your time at a cheaper resort. Spending one night at the deluxe resort will give you express pass all day on your check-in day and all day on your check-out day. So, you would get two full days of unlimited express pass and could use those days to ride and re-ride as much as possible. Of course, the downside is that a split stay on a shorter trip can be a hassle with having to pack and move everything to a new hotel.

2. Depending on the size of your family, many people find it cheaper to book a room at a deluxe resort for one night to obtain two days of express passes rather than purchase two days worth of unlimited express passes for everyone in their party. But, they do not want to do a split stay or leave their other lodging for whatever reason. So, people will often book a one night "throwaway" room at a deluxe resort. They will check-in to get the room key card (which acts as the express pass), but never actually set foot in the room. Or, they will use the room for a break during the day but do not spend the night there, choosing to go back to wherever they are staying. This eliminates the need to move luggage and pack everything. It also helps people retain whatever resort discounts they may have elsewhere - Universal resorts often have discounts for the more nights you stay, so it doesn't always make sense to do a split stay because you then may lose that discount.

Its a lot to consider and price out, but there's tons of threads about all these topics here. Its just a matter of doing the math, once we know how things will look this Fall.


If you decide not to stay at a deluxe resort and may want to purchase express pass, you can hold off on purchasing express pass and buy it when you get there only if you need it. It will give you a chance to assess the crowds and wait times and decide if its worth your money. That being said, we like having express pass no matter how busy it is. You can nearly walk-on almost every ride, so it requires no strategic plan and no early mornings. We sleep in and leisurely tour the parks. Because of that convenience and the fact that it makes touring the parks stress fee and more time efficient, express pass is always worth it to us.
wow. So many things to consider and so much math for my head to wrap around lol. Their deluxe resorts don't even seem too bad price-wise considering the prices at wdw. I will go and look at all the threads. I have to figure out the difference between savvy traveler and seasonal rates. Looks like I have a lot to read.
Thanks so much for the help!
 
wow. So many things to consider and so much math for my head to wrap around lol. Their deluxe resorts don't even seem too bad price-wise considering the prices at wdw. I will go and look at all the threads. I have to figure out the difference between savvy traveler and seasonal rates. Looks like I have a lot to read.
Thanks so much for the help!
There may be a thread on the Universal Resorts forum that discusses the rates. The savvy traveler one is newer, and I believe replaces the former "stay more save more" rate. In the past, the stay more save more rate gave you a discount for the more nights you stayed (i.e. the per night rate for 2 nights was greater than the per night rate for 4 nights). I *think* savvy traveler is in the same vein as that, whereas the seasonal rates are like Disney in that the per night rate may be cheaper in September (for example), which is a slower period, than it would be in March/April, which is Spring Break season.
 


Thanks! No, just IOA and UO. Didn’t realize city walk was right there with the parks. So it won’t take too much time getting there. We can actually just leave one of the parks and go to city walk for an hour just to check it out?

That is correct. City Walk also stays open later then the parks. You could easily park hop between City Walk, IOA and UO all in one day.
wow. So many things to consider and so much math for my head to wrap around lol. Their deluxe resorts don't even seem too bad price-wise considering the prices at wdw.

The main reason to stay at a deluxe resort is that you get Express Pass which gets into a shorter line at many of the popular rides. It can save time. Less time spent standing in line means more time for other rides, food, shows, or other fun things to do in the park.
 

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