READ THIS - Express and On-Site Hotels

[johare]

DaveObrien,

I agree 100% with all 5 of your comments, however I would still add a few:

5) Large groups of students or foreign tourests who feel the need to scream and yell like fools while waiting in the queues.

6) People who don't realize that you can't bring cameras or bags on the coasters until they get to the point where an entire train is held up.

7) Grown adults arguing with employees as to why they aren't allowed to ride Pteranodon Flyers.

and sorry, but...

8) People who abuse the FOTL privledge and get on a ride 15 times in a row causing everyone else to wait longer, including hotel guests who just want to use their FOTL to get on a ride once.

Thankfully Universal is changing the wording for this perk so it will no longer say "unlimited rides", therefore Universal will decide how many re-rides is appropriate and this whole arguement will become pointless.

btw: You pay big bucks for a damn nice hotel room, NOT FOTL.

 

[xl]

When the HRH staff not only suggests, but encourages guests to ride their favorite rides "over and over" as much as you like, that's what the perk is, not what you people that don't happen to have that privilage decide it should be.

Johare, anyone who has FOTL privilages, and decides to just use it once, then stand in the regular line for subsequent rides is just an "IDIOT"!

SW fan, just what exactly does "you flaming people" mean? You no maked none cents.

 

[johare]

I don't disagree that blame for the current problem with FOTL lies mostly with Universal and how they promoted and described the perk to their guests. I'm just glad Universal realized that they need to do something about it.

Nobody expects someone to use the ride once and then wait in line, but there is nothing wrong with being courteous and waiting a little while before re-riding if there is a large line of guests waiting for the attraction. It shouldn't take too much common sense to realize that it wouldn't take too many guests repeatedly riding the same attraction to seriously impact the wait time for everyone else. Just 8 people doing it would represent 25% of the capacity of a train on the Hulk.

 

[Amusement Park Junkie]

First of all, let me thank Earl for the information. I realize it's not set in stone, but I'm very excited because I had resolved myself to the "rumors" of once per ride per day. Getting more than once per day is great.
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I have to agree with the side that believes it's ok to ride over and over, since that is what the policy is. If the policy was once per day but an oversight allowed multiple entries, I would only use the perk once. This is not currently the case. That being said, I certainly understand and believe this new policy is a great thing.
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BTW: I do pay the money for FOTL. When I heard about this policy last year on these boards, I canceled two days elsewhere and made a reservation at HRH. I'm sure this is exactly why they started the policy. There are additional perks, such as the short walk, the early entry, and it is a very nice hotel, but FOTL is the reason I made the reservation for March 2001. It is also the reason we are staying at HRH again for two nights next March before moving over to a WDW resort.

 

[Shamu Goofy and HCR]

I have to tell people that even though the hotels are nice. people stay there for the perks and one of the perks is fotl.. There is no person that can say I have fotl I like a ride but I will not go on it again because of others just like If you saw money on the floor and did not know who owned it you wouldn't leave it there because someone might need it more. Fotl is one of the main reasons people stay at the hotel . Universal knew this perk would draw people to their hotel or else they would not have done it.. they are starting to worry with more and more onsite hotels they need to adjust it but do not think for 1 minute that they know not to adjust it to much FOTL FOREVER!!!

 

[fboy9287]

maybe i should rent one day and do it now but hey if they say what is going to happen is true i am happy!

 

[DaveOBrien]

Since this policy is being changed to once per hour or something like that, that is still more than fair and I have no problem abiding by it. An earlier post suggested if the policy was once per day and a glitch in the system allowed unlimited rides, that would be abusing the system. I wholeheartidly agree. However, when commercials advertise "no line, no wait" if you stay onsite and all the fine print on ads states "unlimited rides for onsite hotel guests", then who is anyone else to say to someone how many rides they should do? Cry me a -------river if you don't like me riding the Hulk for an hour. I got the damn room so I could get FOTL. That is the ONLY reason I've ever paid $150 for a room when I could get a clean comfortable room someplace else for $50. So if my riding the Hulk for an hour straight bothers someone to the point of taking the time to write on this forum that I'm being unfair, well, I'm not going to lose sleep over your pitiful whining about how I had no consideration for others. I've never flown first class and somehow I survive not getting first class perks. I don't get them because I didn't pay for them. If I paid for them, I would make full use of them to my heart's content as much as I wanted. Well, the same applies here. You pay for the perk, it's yours to do with as you please.

 

[DanG]

Thanks for jumping in Dave, I have been restraining myself on this one.

I have two young daughters whose favorite rides in the world are the Caroseussel and the Cat in the Hat ride. They really don't care to go on almost any of the other rides.

So if I have unlimited access because I pay to stay in a hotel that advertises unlimited access and going on those rides 30 times in a row makes them happy, that's what we're going to do. And if they go to once an hour, I'm going to take them back and forth using whatever express passes I can get my hands on.

I still don't get what rule or implied rule or spirit of fairness we are violating. But that is just me and my perspective.

Dan

 

[johare]

If your daughters really enjoyed the water guns in Camp Jurassic or the egg scanners in the Discovery Center, would it be fair for them to use them for an hour straight while everyone elses kids waited just because you paid to get into IOA and that is one of the perks?

If your daughters really enjoy one of the interactive displays after exiting the Hanna-Barbara ride or Barney's Backyard, is it fair for them to play with it for an hour straight just because you paid to get into USF?

I think it's just a matter of common courtesy...if there isn't a big wait for an attraction, go ahead and go on it 30 times, but if other people are waiting with their kids then give someone else a chance every now and then.

Anyway, since the hotels will no longer be advertising unlimited access this shouldn't be a problem anymore.

 

[lookingforward]

Earl, thanks for the info. When we went in April they had several people inside the express line of Spiderman. They were taking aside those with resort cards (like myself) and writing down our info. When I asked why one of the men explained they were tracking our usage. Now I know why! Sounds like a fair deal at once an hour.

 

[Tony M]

By the way, I changed near future plans to stay onsite at that OTHER theme park when I found out that this policy is changing.
I still will stay onsite at Universal Orlando again, but this unlimited access thing is just too good to pass up.
Once an Hour is still better than a FastPass or Express Pass if that is what FOTL eventually evolves into. If you have ever been to Universal or IOA at Peak hours and walked up to the UE machine only to receive a ride ressie for four hours later you'll understand the comparison.
HAVE FUN

 

[Bob O]

I did make a typo and it should have been 5 or 6 times but 506 would be ok too! I agree with XL and Dave OBrien that you arent abusing a system that you are paying alot of money for. I stayed at portifino for fotl!!!!!!!!!! I didnt stay due to a nice room, big room even though it is a excellant hotel and o would recomend it. I hate lines so i paid for the privilege to avoid them which i did which is no abuse of the system at all, just getting your moneys worth!

 

[Shamu Goofy and HCR]

right on Dave Obrien we do not say anything when the airplane 1st class lady orders warm towels drinks by the boat load and more food then she can eat or the buffet family that stays for hours .. I stay on site to ride ride ride and ride FOTL FOREVER

 

[IOATech]

I may have misunderstood, but FOTL does not mean unrestricted use of the water canons, egg scanners, You Bet Jurassic, DNA scanners, or even Me Ship's water effects. The wait times in the regular queues have not been affected by the Express lines. Actually, Express riders see a lot less of the park's design by missing the queues altogether. As much as I know lines suck (I was in the military) our queues are LOADED with value-added gags, animations and effects.

 

[Beckles]

Originally posted by IOATech
Actually, Express riders see a lot less of the park's design by missing the queues altogether. As much as I know lines suck (I was in the military) our queues are LOADED with value-added gags, animations and effects.

It's not nearly as bad now with the Express Queue though as far as missing the theming as it was when FOTL was in effect. There you missed all of the queues for most of the rides!

 

[DanG]

Johare, you are remarkably considerate of your fellow park goers.

But as far as I understand it, anyone can pay to stay at the PBH or HRH and get whatever benefits are provided, including whatever form of Express access Universal provides. I have no problem using what is sold to me to the fullest extent permitted. As long as my use is within the permitted guidelines, I have broken no rule nor have I violated some fuzzy code of conduct to a bunch of people I don't know. The system rules were set up to enable guests to take full advantage of Express access.

Universal/Loews can charge what the market will bear for the room. If they did not have Express access-guess what. Fewer people would be willing to pay that price and Universal/Loews would have to reduce the price of the rooms to maximize utilization and revenue. Less revenue for Universal/Loews. That means that every guest of those hotels indirectly pays for Express access. So there is no reason for me to feel bad about using a benefit that I have paid handsomely for.

You can feel free to hop in the regular line, but whatever the rules permit me as a hotel guest to do, I will take advantage of in the way that best fits my family.

DanG

 

[Shamu Goofy and HCR]

right on Dan and if we didn't pay so much and the revenue was lower the service will suffer and the parks prices will also rise. so we are paying for the perks and we are making it easier for others to stand in line and wait for a cheaper price while we over pay for our nice rooms to use FOTL

 

[The Hunt]

What's happened here is that Universal created the equivalent of an "all-you-can-eat" meal, and discovered that people can eat more than you might expect. As a result, they're going to create some restrictions, which sound pretty reasonable to me.

A semantic issue--it's not "abuse" of the system to take multiple rides making hundreds of other people wait, because the system does allow that. However, it's pretty clear to me that it's abuse of all those people who are waiting. Restrictions are needed because of folks who can't understand that.

 

[johare]

Like I said before. I really don't blame people for taking full advantage of the system as it was designed and and advertised before (though it never hurts to be a little courteous). That system clearly had flaws though and Universal is doing the right thing by attempting to identify and correct the system in a way that keeps the most customers happy. I'm sure that once they do change the system over we'll still have some people crying that "when I booked my room FOTL was unlimited".

 

[Sherrilatte]

for the info...