Universal and Disney express pass/lightning lane tips wanted 😁

[marc.knuckle]

Hi all

Last few days I've been looking into this. Apparently by staying at a universal premier hotel you get unlimited express pass and by doing so it should be cheaper than paying for the express pass seperately. So i had a few questions that hopefully someone can help with.

1) using a sample date next February a room at the premier hotel for 1 night, for 4 people, was just over ?400. Apparently this gives the UEP for each person staying in the room for both check-in day and check out day. Paying for UEP for 4 people for both days was about ?150pp so ?600pd for 4 so ?1200 for both days. I knew that what people were saying on their YouTube videos was this was the cheaper way to do it but that seems a huge difference? Is that right?

2) how does it work having the UEP both days? Surely having to check out you have to give the room key back early and that key is apparently used as the actual UEP so how can you carry on using it?

3) does Disney do anything similar? Any way of getting some sort of better/cheaper way of using LL?

Thanks guys, Marc

[Tiggers Friend]

Sorry can?t help you as we?ve not done the parks for a while, but spencem has practical experience of both systems and should be a long to help. Susan and Simon will also be able to help as well.

[Susan Veness]

Without running the numbers, the answer is yes, it's a big savings to stay even one night and get Express passes. You can make the most of it by checking in early in the morning and having them hold your luggage, then head straight into a park. On checkout day they can hold your luggage again, and you keep your room key (you'll always keep your room key; you won't have to turn it in) so you can head right into a park again.

Many people staying in a villa will book one night at a Universal resort for free Express passes. Some don't even stay in their room, but return to their villa (no packing!). I'd stay at Universal; the hotels are lovely, and it's easy just to flop into bed after a long day.

Disney does not have a similar bargain, but you can get extra time in the parks (one park per day, chosen by Disney) by staying at a Deluxe resort. For me, it wouldn't be worth the cost of the resort for so little time before the crowds show up, but it might be worth it to you.

Spencem is good with numbers. He'll surely be along soon to give you more detail.

[marc.knuckle]

Excellent guys so far. Yeah any more info is welcome.

[Simon Veness]

I can only echo what Susan has said. It is definitely a good deal at most times of the year, albeit, there ARE still times of the year when Universal Express isn't really necessary, and February would probably be one of them. It IS a great perk, though, and Disney doesn't really come close for a comparison. It is a rare case of something seeming too good to be true, but it isn't!

[spencem]

Sorry, real life and work have been getting in the way recently...

I think your questions have already been answered, yes the price of a hotel room against the price of buying Unlimited Express makes booking a room a no-brainer. As Susan said check-in as early as 7am to use your passes on your first day, and Early Entry and then also use it until midnight on the day you check out. I'll only add that those days you are at Universal will be the most relaxed park days of your trip.

For Disney the only real perks of staying on-site are the half-hour head start you get in all the parks each day and being able to book the Individual Lightning Lane rides at 7am, rather at park opening. The exception is that if you stay at a Delux resort or any of the DVC resorts, then you also get two extra hours in Magic Kingdom and Epcot one night each week, this is normally Monday for one and Wednesday for the other, but do double check the calendar. The parks are absolutely dead during this time, so it is a great perk.

If you want to take advantage then I would highly recommend renting DVC points to stay at a DVC resort over booking direct as you'll save hundreds if not thousands of dollars doing so.

For more in-depth explanations take a look at our last trip report, here.

[marc.knuckle]

Thanks mate. Getting excited now. Maybe too excited considering it's about 22 months away and we haven't booked anything yet ��