Passes, room cards and express passes, how to carry?

[cleopenn]

hello all!

We are planning our first trip to Universal and I have spent hours reading this forum.

I hauled a small backpack to Disney last year and it annoyed me. We want to travel light in the universal parks as I read about some rides being very restrictive about items.

How do you carry passes, room keys and express passes? We are staying at PBR.

I suspect (sometimes difficult) dear husband will complain about a lanyard. Is there another option?

If we do the lanyards, what do we do with them on rides that have restrictions? Tuck them inside our shirts?

I am paranoid about things around the neck. Are the lanyards available onsite the type with a safety release? Anyone have recommendations for advance purchase from amazon or the like?

 

[TommyJK]

We use lanyards and yes, tuck them in our shirts on rides.

 

[sillyyankee]

Buy them as you enter the park (or maybe at resort) I purchased mine on Amazon and wished I had waited. The park lanyards come with a horizontal zipper type holder. Mine came with a vertical holder that is just a tad too tight to get the cards out easily.

 

[Squirlz]

I use a lanyard but I loop it through a belt loop and stick in in my hip pocket. No awkward bending over at the turnstiles.

 

[bumbershoot]

I have a Ravenclaw "school tie" themed lanyard (and it does have a velcro release). Instead of using a ziptop flimsy plastic pouch, I have a Witz brand waterproof HARD plastic "See It Safe" case (I bought it from REI but they are available at a variety of places) that I hang from the lanyard.

I've done the belt-loop/pocket thing, and I've worn it around my neck. Works either way.

Oh and if you have the Express Pass facing out so it can be read, you don't have to take the EP out to enter the lines. Many people say the same thing about the ticket/AP, but I always just take out my admission in the morning.

 

[schumigirl]

We use lanyards too, so convenient and as bumbershoot said have the EP facing the front and then you don't have to keep taking it out at rides, it does scan through the plastic.

Ours are always resealable which protects tickets and EP if they get wet........we have EP, park tickets and room keys in them......

You are allowed lanyards on the rides with metal detectors, yes, we always tuck them into our tops on these rides, think most folk do........never had one fly off yet........

 

[bchbetha]

Never had EP but just kept everyone's stuff in my cross body purse. If no lanyards, I'd go with a zippered pocket in shorts, pants, jacket...

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

I use a lanyard with a WITZ case on it. You can find them on amazon.com. I find the waterproof case easier to get in and out of than the pocket style lanyards. There is a thicker version, too - at times, I have used it to carry everything for both DD and myself.

 

[bumbershoot]

Never had EP but just kept everyone's stuff in my cross body purse. If no lanyards, I'd go with a zippered pocket in shorts, pants, jacket...

You can't take that on all rides though.

 

[bchbetha]

No, not the purse. Hence the zippered pockets.

 

[nighttowll]

Lanyards, sometimes we use the small ticket kind. I've done both the zipper pouch and slide in pouch with these and never lost anything either way. Sometimes we do the waterproof phone cases. They are a little bigger so everything fits a little better, and I can add my phone or something else small if needed. We put the park ticket on one side facing out, the EP on the other side facing out, and then stick everything else, credit card, room card, or ID in between where no one can see them walking around. Then we just shove the lanyard in our shirt or sweatshirt if needed, simple. The only thing I suggest is to get either a lanyard with a longer string or one with the part that expands. This makes it easier to hand the ticket over to be scanned without needing to remove the lanyard. If the string is too short, you'll have to take the ticket out or take the lanyard off to get it in the right position to scan.

If you just really aren't ok with lanyards, a number of people have reported success with taking fanny packs on rides as long as they are the thin kind. I would think you could wear the safety travel ones on the rides no problem. Those are the ultra thin ones they make for you to wear under your clothes, and they are only large enough for a passport and a couple of card to fit in. They have no mettle in them and fit flat against you, so I can't see they'd make you take that off, a belt is thicker.

 

[FrankDIS72]

How much are lanyards at Universal?

 

[bumbershoot]

How much are lanyards at Universal?

Probably in line with what they sell on their website: https://www.universalorlando.com/Merchandise/Shop/Harry_Potter/Lanyards.html

Mine is the Ravenclaw striped tie lanyard. (but with Witz case, not a flimsy soft plastic pouch)

 

[cleopenn]

Probably in line with what they sell on their website: https://www.universalorlando.com/Merchandise/Shop/Harry_Potter/Lanyards.html

Mine is the Ravenclaw striped tie lanyard. (but with Witz case, not a flimsy soft plastic pouch)

Another question - are the Harry Potter lanyards available at the resort gift shops? Our trip is next week and I don't think I have enough time to order.

 

[schumigirl]

Yes they have some in the resort gift shops........

 

[Kate'sDad]

Anybody know rough dimensions of the passes, EPs, room cards, etc? I am looking online at some horizontal zippered badge holders and want to make sure they are big enough.

 

[TommyJK]

Anybody know rough dimensions of the passes, EPs, room cards, etc? I am looking online at some horizontal zippered badge holders and want to make sure they are big enough.

Room cards measure 3 1/2" by 2 1/8".

And from what I know the other items (EPs, passes) measure about the same

 

[snoopboop]

No, not the purse. Hence the zippered pockets.

No, you can't even take items in zippered pockets on all the rides. The paper stuff is fine, but any other items will need to be removed from zippered pockets before riding.

 

[Kate'sDad]

Room cards measure 3 1/2" by 2 1/8".

And from what I know the other items (EPs, passes) measure about the same

Thanks

 

[angierae]

Lanyard, but I hated it after using the magic bands at Disney. I hated having to keep track of so many different things, especially having to pull out tickets to go park to park. (I had my photo card showing on one side and my EP on the other, but then had to dig in the middle for my ticket to switch parks.

It's definitely something I wish Universal would consolidate somehow.