USH Price Increase!

[Jon Fu]

Now here's a question: would you be willing to pay $699 for a Premium Annual Pass from Universal?

 

[Allen The Actor]

Hell no. That's really pushing it. Not with the amount of attractions USH has to offer, even with Potter. They would first also have to improve their customer service. I'd only consider a pass of that price with monthly payments and lots of perks...

 

[Allia]

I'd consider it, also depending on the perks.

 

[DonRaf]

At $699 I feel it is too close to Disney's top tier pass, and at least Disney has two gates and real costumer service. Universal would REALLY have to kick in the perks and such, as of right now universal makes it hard to get value out of any of the passes if you work a 9 to 5 job to pay for it. As a guy that has to work a 9 to 5, 5 days of the week I feel universal is pushing me out of the park and it makes me really sad. 

 

[RyanTTD]

$699 for a Premium Pass? Sure....if it included every night of HHN, and Front of Line access to every ride.

 

[Jon Fu]

Their latest renewal emails to pass holders are cringe worthy at best. "Only renew your Pass if you're super cool and you don't hate fun" - really?

 

[Allia]

They definitely spent alot of time thinking that one up . So when they say "renew" I'm assuming they mean "buy one of our overpriced passes with the lack of perks" and not renew the one we currently have?

 

[sickle_claw]

Their latest renewal emails to pass holders are cringe worthy at best. "Only renew your Pass if you're super cool and you don't hate fun" - really?

Im not so sure their marketing department really thinks it thorough.

 

[Freak]

Now here's a question: would you be willing to pay $699 for a Premium Annual Pass from Universal?

This can't be a serious question. For what USH offers now, including Potter, no. Like someone else said, unless it included every night if HHN, unlimited FoL for everything, and free parking, that's a ridiculous price. That's too close to Disney's higher tier passes with so little to do with mostly simulators. And for that renewal notice....holy crap that is awful. Clearly an older PR person trying her cringeworthy best to be hip. Do they fail to realize the lack of value in the new passes?

 

[Wesker69]

Um... wait.. APs now have to be renewed in January!? WTH... my AP doesn't expire until February! <_<  I hope that is just for your AP...

Also... it will be a cold day in hell before I'd pay $700 for a USH AP... that better include access to Universal Orlando as well for that price!!

 

[Chris]

On a different topic, has anyone who's been holding onto a Premium Star Pass voucher redeemed it yet in December? Or are we all waiting for Dec. 31 to get the maximum available time in 2016 with it? I'm just curious if anyone has activated their pass recently and what the reaction (if any) was from the gate attendants, or if there were any issues in getting the passes at all. 

I have activated mine on December 27 with no issues at the turnstiles.

-No Black out days

-Free Parking before 5pm

-10% discount on food and merchandise

-Studio Tour priority boarding

-Added $32 photo pass

It almost sounds like an awesome annual pass!

 

[Armadillo4]

I have activated mine on December 27 with no issues at the turnstiles.

-No Black out days

-Free Parking before 5pm

-10% discount on food and merchandise

-Studio Tour priority boarding

-Added $32 photo pass

It almost sounds like an awesome annual pass!

Chris, thanks for sharing your activation experience here. It's good to know there's no issue at the turnstiles in recognizing the vouchers. I was a bit nervous that maybe the pass type had been "purged" from Universal's ticketing system. I'm happy to hear that's not the case. 

I'll find out soon enough tomorrow, but I was wondering what is the photo pass that you added for $32? It sounds like an add-on feature that you can buy and apply to the pass. Is that right?

 

[Jon Fu]

^ It allows you to download your park photos for one full year. Just show your pass to any photo counter or ride photo opportunity and they will send you an email.

 

[Allen The Actor]

For to finally activate my Premium Star Pass yesterday! The girl activating it for me at the turnstiles was pretty shocked and impressed that I "gamed" the system haha.

Definitely gonna take advantage of using the pass as much as possible! So happy I bought an extra.

Now, to go on a Wizarding Shopping spree...

 

[RyanTTD]

Universal added more blackout dates to the lower two tiers of Annual Passes:

CA Resident Plus:

Was 236 valid days. Now its 235 valid days.

CA Resident:

Was 175 valid days. Now its 168 valid days.

 

[HereWeGo]

What if I had already bought the CA resident Plus before they did this? Do I get to keep the original blackout dates that I paid for? Seems like they need to be adjusting the price with these as well. 

 

[chris.g]

^ You'd get your original blackout dates. 

 

[Wesker69]

Universal is really screwing over the people who help pay their bills & employees. Its making it more & more difficult to justify the price for either of these two CA resident APs...

sigh... Universal, you have lost your way... please find your way back before you destroy all that is good.

 

[Allia]

My pass expires in March and I plan on "renewing." If I get a pass and Universal ends up coming out with a real premium pass (yes, it's unlikely), do they allow us to pay the price difference to upgrade?

Also how many of you plan to get (or have already purchased) the top pass? I'm considering it since it has the least amount of weekends blocked out and thats the only time I'll be able to visit when I start pharm school but the price still doesn't seem worth it, I'd rather go to Orlando..

 

[Wesker69]

Yes you can upgrade your AP to a different one.. This is Universal we're talking about, they will gladly take your money.

My AP expires next month & honestly, renewing will only happen IF I have the money to do so, and even then I'd probably just get the cheapest one until I know what the crowds will be like because these APs are a total rip-off.