Questions about Premier Pass. Is it worth it?

[Disxuni]

In the past, I've always gotten the preferred pass so I do not have to deal with blackouts and have free parking (mainly free parking as that saves alone). I've been looking at the passes again as I plan to get a Universal pass by the end of the year.

I forgot how much more Premier was compared to Preferred, which is due to the HHN ticket and the free preferred / valet parking, but those who have it, does it make it a better experience / deal?

Also, what are the "restrictions apply" for the EP after 4pm, as well as early entry? And for the HHN ticket can you elect any day, or do you have to do it for one of the more inexpensive / slower days (Weds, Thurs, Sunday for example)?

For the money, it makes sense, as HHN can be between $60-100 (with tax) depending on the day and the preferred and valet is expensive. Guess I need reassurance it's worth it, or just glide by with what I usually do, which is a great option too.

 

[kelleybean]

I have only ever had the premier pass so I can't compare to the one below but we like it. We really love the express after 4:00p. We are local and like to go often but just for a few hours. It allows us to manage during really busy times like Mardi Gras and the holidays. The only "restrictions" I've ever encountered is that you can only use the express line once per ride after 4:00, and not every ride may have it (for example, in the past some of the HP rides were excluded and I suspect the new roller coaster won't have it right away). We don't use valet but the preferred parking is a nice feature because you can choose your parking spot vs them directing you (it feels like we always get stuck with starting a new row in regular parking). Although the parking feature is a nice perk it isn't a big deal to us.

For our family the convenience of express is the reason why we went with the Premier. We switched from Disney because we kept having trouble getting fast passes for the rides that we really wanted and the crowds were crazy during my son's school breaks which is when we wanted to go the most. The additional six months free they included sold us. Hope this helps!

 

[only hope]

The parking alone makes it worth it in my opinion. From
the time I exit the parking toll station to the time I reach the preferred parking is normally less than five minutes, no matter the time of day. Regular parking frequently takes 15+
minutes, plus of course you are
farther away. It’s super easy to get back to I-4 from the normal
preferred section too.

The daily early entry and express after 4 are nice too. I usually do one or the other. I like the flexibility of being able to do low crowds in the morning or skip most of the line in the evening.

If you frequently buy food and/or merch, there’s a big difference in discounts too. 15% vs 10% on merch and Universal owned food. Citywalk premier gets 15% almost all restuarants while preferred mostly gets 10%.

The HHN ticket is on specific datas, but it has included weekend nights in September in the past.

 

[mamapenguin]

Without a doubt worth it!

 

[Disxuni]

Thanks for the insight!

I didn't realize, or think about there being a bigger discount. The parking is definitely a big deal to me, since that's the main reason why I did preferred originally, because at least I got regular parking for free and that saves $20 automatically. So, if you go just 10 times that's $200 your saving. I'll more than likely be utilizing going to EE more than EP, although the idea of EP after 4pm sounds awesome. I was just curious about the "restrictions" since I know for preferred there was black out dates and at the beginning, they didn't officially have it that way, it seemed as if they just felt like choosing whether you could, or not that day. It says "restrictions apply" even though Premier gets it so I was curious about the "restrictions". EP being limited to once per ride makes sense. Also, HHN is just an added bonus if I feel like going. Still thinking about it, but I'm thinking if I can afford it, I'll want to go for it. It would be awesome to get the added 6 months, but I'm thinking about purchasing during the fall, which means by then it could possibly be done with.

 

[Douglas Dubh]

We got the Premier for the after 4 EP. but then we’re locals now so most likely will just go for evenings and won’t stay at a deluxe hotel.

 

[nedac]

Dumb question but with the 6 months free promotion, does that mean you get 18 mos total?

Anyone have any info on available discounts with the pass?

 

[Douglas Dubh]

https://www.universalorlando.com/we...ses/uoap-types/index.html#premier-annual-pass

 

[Douglas Dubh]

Dumb question but with the 6 months free promotion, does that mean you get 18 mos total?

Yes

 

[nedac]

Yes

Thanks!

 

[SusanDK]

Silly question, but does the Premier pass still include 8 bottles of water? We haven't had Universal passes for a few years but were thinking about springing for them before the 6 months free promotion ends this week. We appreciated the water in the past!

 

[TheBuckman22]

If you have American express card there's free water in their lounge