Fast Passes - Cost ????

I am getting a little confused about fast passes on reading about the prices of them here. I thought if you buy tickets from this site that fast pass is included in the ticket price ?

It may be different at Universal but when we went to IOA last year you had to pay extra for the fast pass. They were selling them as you went throught he gate and had a limited number. We didn't bother, I think they were about $15 each!! Not a lot for one but when there are 7 of you it adds up!!

Someone else may know if it is different now..

Fastpasses are free at Disney

Disney Fastpasses are free and you pick them up as you go round the park for selected rides.
Universal has a completely different system, they charge extra per person to buy a fastpass and the price varies dependant on how busy they expect the park to be. You can buy them in advance on their website and it will give you the rates PREDICTED for that day, some days it's as high as $50 a person. I personally will never buy them and have told Universal as well that I believe they charge more than enough for entrance and if it gets to the stage that when I visit the parks the queues are excessively long and I am unable to go on the rides I want then I will take my money elsewhere, I certainly won't be forced into paying extra for it.

The Universal ones are called Express Plus and these are the rates they are offering at the moment for are between $19.99 a $45.99 + tax. Buying them online you have to pick which datee you want to go so if you want more flexibility to allow for weather, how everybody is feeling etc., then you may be better getting them at the gate, if you are going to get them.

Thanks to everyone for clarifying the situation re fast passes. What a great forum this is for information. Thank God it's free fast passes at Disney. No way will I pay for them at Universal on a matter of principal. This holiday for our family of 6 is costing a small fortune as it is, hence us living on bread and butter until July!!

"This holiday for our family of 6 is costing a small fortune as it is, hence us living on bread and butter until July!!

And around £1.20 a loaf now (not sure in Ireland what the price is), even that's not such a cheap option now is it? :)

What I would also suggest Ebony is that if, when you visit Universal, you find that it is not possible to get onto sufficient rides because of queue times, that you take the time to go to Guest services and tell them before you leave that you are unhappy at the situation. Unless they are aware there is an issue they will not be doing anything to rectify it.

There is a difference between Universal and Disney Fastpasses. At Disney, I think you can only have two valid at any time. At Universal, the Express pass is the same as at Disney. The Express plus is the paid for pass.

The disney fast pass, you can only have one at any time.

And they have taken away the Express pass now Mark, they only offer the paid for Express plus pass which gives you a one off fast pass to each of the selected rides.

There is a way of having more than 1 at a time Wilf, if, once the allocated time has come for your Fastpass to be used, you go to another ride and get a pass for that before you go on the ride you currently have the Fastpass for , it will let you book another, (saves time if the queue/ride you have the fastpass for is still going to be another 20 mins or so before you can get to the other machine).

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by steph_goodrum
And they have taken away the Express pass now Mark, they only offer the paid for Express plus pass which gives you a one off fast pass to each of the selected rides.[/quote]Aah, didn't know that. [msnembarrased]

Sounds as though the Universal fast pass is a bit like the Alton Towers one, although there you have a choice of different ones depending on which combination of rides you want the pass to be valid for.