Express Pass

[GreatAuntie]

Going to US & IOA for our first time in mid November (not Thanksgiving). Do you think express pass would be needed? Is there an advantage to buying it before we go vs when we are there and see how crowded it is? We aren't staying onsite so we can't use the early admission perk.

 

[AJA]

I would wait and see. Download the app and get familiar with the parks and exactly what you want your priorities to be. You can also check wait times in the days leading up to your visit.

 

[mamapenguin]

Going to US & IOA for our first time in mid November (not Thanksgiving). Do you think express pass would be needed? Is there an advantage to buying it before we go vs when we are there and see how crowded it is? We aren't staying onsite so we can't use the early admission perk.

Around Veterans Day will also be busy. I don’t recommend waiting to see if you need Express or not, the price only goes up. I have seen many shocked families in the park when they find out that Express is $250 or more per person on the day they are there. I’m not saying that you need it, only that you should decide sooner rather than later. Have you looked at the price for the calendar dates that you want? I would start with that and go from there.

 

[musika]

Do you need it? Possibly no. Will you love it? Absolutely yes. For our family it was worth its weight in gold solely to avoid the "I'm borrrrrrred" arguments.

 

[barb969]

We won’t go without the express pass. It is much better than Disney. Most rides are at most 10 - 15 minute waits. Many are almost walk on. It is like going to Disney and having unlimited fast passes for almost all the rides all the time.

I just checked Portofino, Royal Pacific and Hardrock you can get a room between 275 and 400 a night. That includes the Express pass for everyone and early entry. One person would need an AP which is $429. Use the link https://res.windsurfercrs.com/ibe/default.aspx?hotelID=14841&lang=en-us&hgID=641&currID=1 to get AP rates.

 

[GreatAuntie]

Thank you everyone. We've decided we will purchase the unlimited express pass for one day. I'll probably buy it this week. Hoping we can do our second full day without the express pass.

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

If it’s even a remote possibility to reconsider your lodging situation, I’d strongly recommend looking into a deluxe hotel. You’d get early admission to the parks, and unlimited express passes. And these perks are for everyone register in the room, for two days (check in, and check out). Not to mention how close you are to the parks.

Not a necessity, but really a game changer for the experience, at a really reasonable price. If you’re considering express pass for one day for three people, that cost alone can pay for the room… plus you’d get an extra day of passes and early park admission.

 

[GreatAuntie]

If it’s even a remote possibility to reconsider your lodging situation, I’d strongly recommend looking into a deluxe hotel. You’d get early admission to the parks, and unlimited express passes. And these perks are for everyone register in the room, for two days (check in, and check out). Not to mention how close you are to the parks.

Not a necessity, but really a game changer for the experience, at a really reasonable price. If you’re considering express pass for one day for three people, that cost alone can pay for the room… plus you’d get an extra day of passes and early park admission.

Thanks for the tip. I did look into booking a deluxe for our first or last vacation day to get the express pass and early entry. The cost of the hotel room is just a bit more than paying for two days of passes for two of us. We are booked in a hotel with points so our hotel stay is essentially free. We decided to just stick with one hotel though I still have time to change my mind.

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

Yeah - hard to beat staying somewhere on points. On our upcoming stay, the first hotel (and flight) were all using points, so even though I kept seeing other great options/deals, I really couldn’t take advantage of them because the points had to be used.

The worst part is since the hotel was booked through Delta Vacations, they don’t qualify for Marriott qualifying credit, and I’m one night shy of the next tier! Guess I’ll have to plan a local staycation.

 

[wdwrule]

Thank you everyone. We've decided we will purchase the unlimited express pass for one day. I'll probably buy it this week. Hoping we can do our second full day without the express pass.

If you and your traveling companion are willing to go in the single rider line, that would be a great option during your second day. It bypasses pre-shows and some great sights, but you would’ve at least experienced that the day before. (Although some express lines bypass some of that too.) With some rides, especially during the morning hours, single rider is quicker than express. Single rider on Velocicoaster and Hagrids are sometimes very slow though, so keep that in mind.

Regardless, when touring without express, you can get a ton accomplished during the morning hours compared to the afternoon. For example, my DD and I walked right on to Velocicoaster using regular standby this morning around 9am.