You know, I'm glad I watched this. I just crunched the numbers for the days I want to take my family of 3 and get express passes, and it's actually CHEAPER to get us all the Premier Passes for the whole year! And we're staying on-site and get the hour early admission.

Something you guys glossed over was the blockout dates for Volcano Bay. They work differently. 3-Park Preferred actually does have blockouts for VB. July 1st through the middle of August. Only the 3- Park Premier has zero blockouts for all 3 parks.

Your videos are always informative. I'm so glad we have annual passes. They have been life changing for us.

wish theyre passes let you bring guests like six flags and sea world

Excellent information. I make that research for my last trip and we upgrade our tickets to AP. We are from outside states and evaluated the blockout dates, cost of hotels and travel and decide for Seasonal for the family with 1 preferred pass for the free parking and discounts. Now we are planning our next trip within the year.

Great information guys. Love you guys

Thank you for this great pass information!

well spoken and informative! thanks

Thank you so so much guys 😊

Keep the good work up great information.

good video and timely for us. Considering getting APs for the first time.

Started with the seasonal pass as I stayed at a universal hotel and didn’t need parking and came again during non peak times. Next year upgraded to preferred for the parking alone. Just used it to get a discount on hotels for September.

Thankyou very helpful

Great information! We live in the Cincinnati area, and visit UOR usually twice per year. We always stay at Royal Pacific (17 times so far since the parks opened), so we don't need the Pass benefits offered by the Premier passes. However, we usually get one Seasonal and one Preferred Pass so we get the discounts. The Passes are cheaper when you want to visit the parks more than 3x per year. We always travel during "slow" periods, so the blackouts don't apply to us either.

Thanks for the info. 👍

Universal Premier pass is less expensive than cheapest Disney AP. Back when they sold them. I love my premier pass. Team member said it also works for early admission at Volcano Bay.

Great video! I’ve done a lot of research on this to make sure I’m getting the right passes and this video would’ve been really helpful. I have preferred and the rest of my family has seasonal so I get the discounts for all purchases and my family has the cheap passes - we don’t want to go during the black-out dates anyway. Works for us, but definitely worth looking at again from time to time. Thanks!

Thanks for this video ! My husband snd I moved here last year and want to go more often. It’s too bad parking is not included in more lower cost passes and food and merchandise discounts . This was so helpful! ❤️

I LOVE this video it made a world of difference in our pick! How do you feel about seaworld? Is it worth getting both passes??

Just bought season passes thanks for the information

This comment has nothing specific to this video, but I have to compliment you on your selection of topics. All the other Orlando theme park youtubers seem to have run out of subjects and are now producing restaurant or hotel reviews, in the majority. You can only watch so many of these before they start sounding all the same. On a vacation you stay at one hotel and go to a half dozen restaurants, no need to review dozens of hotels and many, many more theme park eateries. You guys always produce great content that is informative, but more importantly, entertaining. Keep up the exceptional quality and quantity.

I am soooo disappointed, but we are canceling our trip to Universal. It is just too risky to travel to Florida right now. So, I will virtually visit Universal through your videos. Stay healthy.

Definitely food for thought in this video.

Thanks AJ👍

You guys are cool… thank You

I’d say get an annual pass even if your only visiting once.. but it depends on HOW long you’re visiting. If it’s a day or two, just buy park tickets. If it’s 3+ days, buy the pass! That’s how I got my annual pass. First time down we stayed 4 days and the pass was cheaper then daily tickets! Plus, it might encourage you to visit more, that’s how they got me haha. I’ve been 15+ times since my first pass.

Im really interested in these annual passes. As usual. More informative videos from you guys! Thank you for sharing this information. Im debating on the preferred and premier. Fingers crossed we get either or both of those as we move to florida. My husband and I are always like 3 theme park people. The volcano bay is something we really like because of the lazy river.

I have the premier annual pass and getting into express line after 4 pm I feel like pays for itself we come into the parks after 3 usually and we just spend the day riding rides with no need for long waits

As a Florida resident we don’t go to theme parks during the crazy summer months and stuff so mom and dad we have preferred and the kiddos have seasonal anyways. It works out for us. Just depends on your needs like y’all said

I love your videos! What do you recommend, for a stay in one of the 3 big hotels to enter the parks in a stay longer than 7 days: a preferred annual pass or a 14-day ticket?

Thanks.

I currently have the Preferred pass, but plan on upgrading to Premier simply for the after 4pm Express pass.

My wife and I where at universal last year we feel in love with universal so we. Bought there annual passes for there too park’s. Not with there water park. We actually live in Pennsylvania. Where coming and using our passes this June. Hopefully we’ll see you both in person. It’ll be my birthday also.we love watching you you guy’s . I love my butter bear. . I’m the only in my family who love’s butter bear.

I think it is also important to note that for the three park preferred pass all of July and the first half August is blocked out from Volcano Bay. The 3 park premier pass has no block out dates for any of the parks

My first year with the preferred is winding down. I'm back and forth on renewing for the premier or the seasonal. I live out of state and fly in and always stay on site so the early park admission and parking are no use to me. I will for sure never go around christmas and will do whatever I can to avoid spring break and the busiest time (July). I like to take trips in Feb/March and Sept/Oct. The express pass with premier would be nice, but it is not unlimited and usually when I am at the parks they close at 6pm or 7pm so I would kinda miss out on using that since it doesn't start until 4pm. For the discount with the premier pass to make sense I would need to spend over $3000 in merch, which I won't get close to.

I might not go for 5 days to universal but I live in Tampa like an 130 min from the parks so my plan is to go every 2 or 3 months to enjoy

Hi, thank you so much for this video. We just moved here 5 months ago and cant wait to be annual pass holders. We have a big f350 truck. Do they have outdoor parking for preferred parking or valet parking or is it like Disney Springs in the tiny garage?

Hey Rick & Nikki! Since Universal has put up their HHN tickets now with Frequent Fear Pass. Can you and Nikki do a video like this one going over the different HHN ticket packages? It would be very helpful!

We just got a season pass for my bf and it did let us do flex pay for it. I think it was like $100 down and $15 a month for a Florida resident.

I would get the seasonal. We live in IL and wouldn't go during block out dates. Maybe only go a few times a year.

It has been easy choice for me, even I live in Finland and always travel during slow periods about 3 times a year. Even for me, premier 3 park was the choice becouse of all the other benefits. Sadly still grounded here and waiting US borders to open.

The Seasonal Pass fell into my lap, saving me money on my upcoming vacation while staying at Aventura. It’s too bad it doesn’t offer food/beverage discounts. I assume, and really hope, it does offer merchandise discounts. I will look it up. I really hope so! I’m in MA, so I wouldn’t be going as often as I’d like to. Especially with the blockout dates. Thanks for the info, Nikki & Rick! Hope to see you while I’m there first week of December! 💜💜💜 Okay, I just checked. If this pass didn’t save me money on my vaca, I don’t see the perk of getting it. Especially if you aren’t a Florida resident. This is disappointing! But I’ll still have an awesome time!

Saw a comment from "Diabetic Muscle" asking what you need to prove you're a new Florida Resident; last year (Feb 2020) when I moved down, I just took a utility bill and copy of my lease/mortgage. Keep in mind, when you go in, they will want to see proof again when scanning into a park. Getting a FL Drivers Lic or State ID is easy. Look up your Tax Collector office, make an appointment, and you will be in and out of the Tax Collectors office in 20-30mins. Make the appointment, otherwise you could wait 2-3hrs

Great information. Do you think it would be a good idea for me to get one premier pass to get better hotel and parking rates (we will need a car rental) and get the seasonal passes for the rest of my family? We don't plan to go back during blackout dates. Any insight would be appreciated. Thank you

Hi Rick and Nikki i went to get a drink of sharks

I upgraded the preferred pass

Thanks so much for this video. My husband and I were thinking between the preferred and the Premier, would you happen to know if the price will increase in February? And if it’s best to buy them before the month of January is up? Also if we get the preferred and decide to upgrade to Premier, would we pay the $100 difference as well as the monthly increase or just the monthly increase?

hey rick, is there a seasonal drink cup? I was down there 2 weeks ago with my son and we had the drink cups for the days we were there but i was not aware if there was a seasonal cup. Thank you !!

Seems like seasonal or preferred would be best for non residents which are the 2 I was thinking of The discounts are why I'm going with preferred though

What would you recommend for UK visitors? We are coming over next August (🤞🏻) for 2 weeks, is any of the AP worth our while?

So with Valet parking you still tip the Valet? Do you have access to your vehicle throughout the day? Like sometimes go back to the car for lunch or something.

Seasonal you can put on flex pay if ur a fl resident

They do allow flex pay we went aug 1-4 and got ours on the flex pay just wanted to let you know unless they have changed it since the end of July

There are black out dates on preferred on Volcano Bay. July through early August

If you go for the preferred or premier, is the a limit as to how many days you can go? Or any other fine print b.s. i should be made aware of? I couldnt find this info in the link in the description

If you have an annual pass and stay at one of the hotels will you get free parking if it’s included in your season pass

Im a proud Preferred (soon to be premier) passholder 😁😁

For the free horror night with the premier, universal gives you any date or selected days since I am really thinking to get it since I will be going to horror nights

Is there a time of year when prices are cheaper on passes? Black Friday deals?

Premier for the win!

Just a quick question , I have the premier pass and I know it comes with the one free ticket of Halloween horror nights but do you also get the express pass for Halloween horror nights or would I have to buy an express pass ticket?

What if you upgrade your season pass halfway through the year? Would you Pay a pro-rated amount to upgrade or would you pay the full amount

So what would you say is the minimum amount of days to go to Universal for it to be more cost effective per each type of Yearly pass ?

Thank you for clearing up so much. Lol

First we bought season we got power we now preferred we planning but premier cause always go every 2 months if I went every month we would bought premier

We have 14 day in tickets. Apparently we can change our tickets to annual passes as we are there longer than 14 days. People say it’s not much more

For the premier pass, do you get express line with the Halloween Horror Nights ticket?

Can you do an updated video on these annual passes?

So you get unlimited express pass after 4pm or just a one time express pass?

Do you still have to pay the big price once the year is done with?

When does valet parking typically open in the morning? We were at Universal in July and tried to access valet a little bit before 7am for early park admission. Sadly it was not opened yet and were forced to prime park instead.

The preferred pass has lots of black out dates for volcano bay and it's the summer month

Can you use a Season Pass while staying at a premier hotel and get those extra hours?

Does the preferred pass really have no black out dates?? (Not including valcano bay)

And also if I buy one preferred and three seasonal for my wife and kids- they can’t come with me on black out dates right?

I’m just jealous you’re living in Florida. I used to live in Tampa years ago. So if I can talk my wife in moving in moving to Florida. She’s a nurse to. I know we know great nursing is in Florida

💖

Don’t forget the free HHN ticket with premiere

I’m guessing the perfered pass is perfect if you live in Florida.

From what I’m hearing Nikki should get the Premier Pass. It seems like not having it causes complications between Rix’s pass and the Preferred Pass. Also the bump up to the Premier from the Preferred is not really that much if you’re going to go the parks enough, which you guys do. Additionally, the Express Pass after 4:00 is a great option, especially with Nikki working in a school. She can get out of work and meet Rix at Universal to ride some rides. Being Florida residents you get that discount, and you can pay over time which works out to be a very manageable monthly payment after the down payment. Splurge for the Premier Pass. Hook Nikki up, she’s earned it.

we paid $235 for the military passes , unlimited entry to all parks jan 1st - december 31st

If I live outside Orlando should I get a pass?

Is it even worth it if I work at Disney and have off days off while my ex has a set schedule and has weekends off? I live in Fullerton Ca and he’s in Whittier CA so I don’t know if it would be worth it if we both have different days off. We both have Knotts passes and I can get into Disney for free but don’t want to go there. Trying to figure out which would be better for the both of us.

Everyone doesn’t use parking. There are plenty of people that fly in and stay onsite. Then, parking is not a factor. You then have to weigh if the food/merch discount and blackout dates outweigh the lower rate on the Seasonal. We don’t go when it’s the busy times of the year. We were not going to get the difference back in food/merch discounts to make paying the higher rate worth it.

Hey!

Great info, thanks. Does the free parking extend to hotel parking? We usually stay at a universal hotel so parking is a massive cost but we use Universal buses for the parks.

I’m sure y’all won’t answer this in time lol but do Premier pass holders get valet parking free? Or how do we know when we do?

You always have the option to upgrade your passes. So if you’re not sure, you can start low and move up. Maybe you want to go on a blackout date or like the video mentioned, maybe you want to add the other park…..whatever the reason they can upgrade it for you. The only thing you’ll lose is the lost time of not having the said upgrade for the whole year. Also, they do deals often. All my annual passes have been for 15 months, so keep your eyes open for those.

I would love to know what is going to happen for annual passholders when epic universe opens

I want to purchase an Annual Pass and Ride Dudley Do Right’s RipSaw Falls all day, everyday!!! And, maybe spend time with the Character whom The Ride is named after, Dudley Do Right! I absolutely love Dudley Do Right!

Looks like your vid title and thumbnail don't match! Friendly heads up lol the thumbnail has annual passes and the title has express passes

Do you need to put a downpayment every year or just keep paying the monthly flex-pay? Does anyone know?

Is the annual pass only apply for 1 person or for a whole family

Hey Rick when do you think hagrid will go express pass

I think my grandma was thinking about switching To preferred pass

Perfered pass holder here and wdw pass holder fl resident I am upgrade to the premier pass

How much is each one in dollars

I’m paying $700 for a year “premier” pass and can only use express after 4 PM?!?!? 😂😂😂 Then there’s no point because Hagrid’s has no express, Velocicoaster has no express, the park closes earlier during the winter time so it’s literally one ride I can do at night. Velocicoaster is an hour to an hour 15 minute wait all day. Velocicoaster has delays every day. Hagrid’s is impossible to ride on because the wait is just tooooo long. So what am I supposed to do during the day?

How about the annual passes ?? What’s included??

🤣 I can’t give you the current prices as of X date but I can leave a link I’ll get commission off