New Annual Passes and timing?

[BBL]

I’ve gone to Universal Orlando many times over the years, but this is the first time I’m considering purchasing annual passes. We are planning to go on June 2022, and if my calculations are correct, it will work out cheaper to buy my kids the seasonal passes and myself the preferred pass than to buy all of us the explorer tickets (which is what I’ve always done). While the preferred pass is $80 more than the explorer ticket, I will more than make up for that by saving on Uber fees as well as using the food discount. My question is this- is there a usual time/month when universal raises the cost of the passes? All of my calculations are based on the current listed prices, and I want to be sure to purchase them before costs go up. That leads to my second question- I was holding off purchasing them now because I was hoping there would be a chance universal would offer the three free months for new pass holders (this would give us the possibility of being able to use our passes at least twice making them an even better deal financially). Anyone have any guesses whether this offer is likely to happen before summer or before pass prices go up? Finally, the seasonal passes will work for my kids bc there are no blackout dates in June 2022. However, before I purchase them, I want to make sure it’s not common place for universal to add in blackout dates. I already have our vacation dates and hotel worked out, so I can’t switch our dates. Thank you!

 

[JoeCamel]

I’ve gone to Universal Orlando many times over the years, but this is the first time I’m considering purchasing annual passes. We are planning to go on June 2022, and if my calculations are correct, it will work out cheaper to buy my kids the seasonal passes and myself the preferred pass than to buy all of us the explorer tickets (which is what I’ve always done). While the preferred pass is $80 more than the explorer ticket, I will more than make up for that by saving on Uber fees as well as using the food discount. My question is this- is there a usual time/month when universal raises the cost of the passes? All of my calculations are based on the current listed prices, and I want to be sure to purchase them before costs go up. That leads to my second question- I was holding off purchasing them now because I was hoping there would be a chance universal would offer the three free months for new pass holders (this would give us the possibility of being able to use our passes at least twice making them an even better deal financially). Anyone have any guesses whether this offer is likely to happen before summer or before pass prices go up? Finally, the seasonal passes will work for my kids bc there are no blackout dates in June 2022. However, before I purchase them, I want to make sure it’s not common place for universal to add in blackout dates. I already have our vacation dates and hotel worked out, so I can’t switch our dates. Thank you!

I can do one of the above. Before the pandemic it was mid to late January when the price changed. Once you purchase you have a year from date of first use if you pay in full so the time only tolls from first use.

 

[fryoj]

Something else you can do is you can upgrade tickets to AP's on site. You get credit for the full gate price on them regardless what you paid, so if you can get discounted tickets somewhere, it can save you money to go that route. In my case, I used Chase Ultimate Rewards points to buy my tickets and then upgraded them to passes on our last day at the parks. That gives us a year from that date.

 

[BBL]

Something else you can do is you can upgrade tickets to AP's on site. You get credit for the full gate price on them regardless what you paid, so if you can get discounted tickets somewhere, it can save you money to go that route. In my case, I used Chase Ultimate Rewards points to buy my tickets and then upgraded them to passes on our last day at the parks. That gives us a year from that date.

Im not sure this would work for my plan as a big part of the reason it works out better financially for us to get passes is that I would get free parking and save on the Uber fees every day. Thanks for your response!

 

[fryoj]

Im not sure this would work for my plan as a big part of the reason it works out better financially for us to get passes is that I would get free parking and save on the Uber fees every day. Thanks for your response!

You can buy/upgrade to the preferred at the beginning of the trip. Really you can do all of them that way, Waiting till the end just adds a few days to your expiration.

You can actually buy the rest of the tickets with the AP discount and save like 15%, then upgrade them to AP's. Granted you are stuck with whatever the prices are at the time of your trip then.

 

[n i c k]

Something else you can do is you can upgrade tickets to AP's on site. You get credit for the full gate price on them regardless what you paid, so if you can get discounted tickets somewhere, it can save you money to go that route. In my case, I used Chase Ultimate Rewards points to buy my tickets and then upgraded them to passes on our last day at the parks. That gives us a year from that date.

I have also used Chase points to do this exact thing, but checked a couple of times over the past few months and it seems as if Universal has stopped partnering with Chase for tickets.

 

[fryoj]

I have also used Chase points to do this exact thing, but checked a couple of times over the past few months and it seems as if Universal has stopped partnering with Chase for tickets.

They are still showing in my UR portal.

 

[sparky]

You can buy/upgrade to the preferred at the beginning of the trip. Really you can do all of them that way, Waiting till the end just adds a few days to your expiration.

You can actually buy the rest of the tickets with the AP discount and save like 15%, then upgrade them to AP's. Granted you are stuck with whatever the prices are at the time of your trip then.

Would I need to have an activated season pass to buy the rest of my park tickets with the pass discount? I was not planning to activate my pass till we visit, but would like to buy the park tickets for everyone else in our family soon.

 

[fryoj]

Would I need to have an activated season pass to buy the rest of my park tickets with the pass discount? I was not planning to activate my pass till we visit, but would like to buy the park tickets for everyone else in our family soon.

My understanding is yes. Once you have the pass activated, you can buy the tickets at the park gate. I don't think you can buy them anywhere else.

 

[n i c k]

They are still showing in my UR portal.

Interesting. What type of card do you have?

 

[fryoj]

Interesting. What type of card do you have?

Sapphire Reserve.

I checked my Ink UR portal, and it is different. It's missing a "things to do" category under travel. I never would have guessed they would be different.

 

[anihilnation]

How long after your pass expires can you still renew? Just a month, not?

 

[JoeCamel]

How long after your pass expires can you still renew? Just a month, not?

To get the "discounted" rate it is a month. Like $20?

 

[anihilnation]

To get the "discounted" rate it is a month. Like $20?

Thanks, yeah was afraid it is just a month, can't swing it until later in 2022, been using way too much credit. So it's just $20 you really save?

 

[JoeCamel]

Thanks, yeah was afraid it is just a month, can't swing it until later in 2022, been using way too much credit. So it's just $20 you really save?

That has been my experience, I'm not sure what this years offer

 

[JonsMovies]

My preffered pass recently renewed on FlexPay and I automatically received the 3 free months (15 months total) promotion, so that promo should be active currently.