Help With Ethical Express Pass Question

[Genie+]

Sounds like the friend has the 1BR booked as a couple. Now the kids are definitely coming she’s decided to try and have them stay in the room without changing the occupancy from 2 to 4 people, and also attempting to get them fraudulent access to Express Pass.

As others already described, the hotel key thing isn’t going to work. I’d tell her there are 2 options:

She pays the $50 each daily extra occupancy charge. Gets EP. Enjoys their stay without worry and stress.

She doesn’t pay the charge. At some point it will get caught. That risks having the roomrate reset to full current non-discounted rates plus the $50 each/day, or Universal can tell them too bad your room was only booked for 2 people and anybody else needs to buy EP at full price. Pretty sure however Uni decides to handle it will end up more expensive than just doing the right thing to start. Surely they want to discourage the practice so making it as easy as paying $50pp/day after the fact is not likely.

Call Universal anonymously and ask how they handle this. They probably have an answer. Let friend know.

eta - Universal can revoke the passes that are caught being shared.

 

[shh]

eta - Universal can revoke the passes that are caught being shared.

Frankly, I'd just tell them: a. I already called and this is exactly what they told me and b. I'm not comfortable taking this risk.

 

[Miffy]

OP, Just tell your friend no, that it cannot be done and that if they can't afford the additional cost of taking their 2 children, they should either move to a less expensive resort, a less expensive room type, or perhaps not take these 2 children or maybe not even go at all.

Above all, do not get involved with their scheme in any way--and tell them that you want no part in it.

 

[mrd7896]

And as for the friend who wants to try it, she is unlikely to be swayed simply by OP saying it’s immoral, but she might be dissuaded by OP pointing out the ways in which it’s unlikely to work and too risky to be worth it.

THANK YOU! I obviously know what is right, which is why i told her just pay for her dang children. Now i can simply tell her "they won't give you extra room keys or else everyone would be doing what you are trying to do. Even if you 'lose' a room key they will deactivate the 'lost' one so that no one else tries to use it" I think that is much more of a "REASON" than saying that they scan fingerprints (but don't end up doing that) or that they take photos (but don't end up doing that). I could obviously fib, and sic her with any and all reasons, but i was looking for an actual 'you won't get away with it'

That is precisely why I came to this board, and i appreciate the back and forth. and as ^^^ said i knew no one would actually tell ME to tell HER to do it. I just wanted some other (what should be unecessary and redundant) reasons to back up my response to her.

And in case anyone is confused. My family is all set, no changes were going to be made to us and that's not what she is asking. Her room can TECHNICALLY fit 5 people, according to the hotels website. She does not have 5 people in her room currently, and asked the hotel to add 2 people so that her room would have 4 in it instead of just her and her husband. When she was told the price difference to add them (because they need tickets and express and to be added ot the room in general) she started thinking of ways to cheat the system.

 

[Genie+]

When she was told the price difference to add them (because they need tickets and express and to be added ot the room in general) she started thinking of ways to cheat the system.

She should realize she’s not the first trying to cheat the system to save $100/day. Universal is well aware some people cannot resist the temptation. They don’t sit there and shrug oh well, they actively pursue methods to stop it and discourage others. The methods keep changing and can vary ride to ride.

It’s alot of money to visit. Does she really want to spend that time stressing over their every move just to save $100/day. Then risk if/when they get caught losing her pass and be faced with spending more than that $100/day to rectify the situation.

 

[mrd7896]

Update: i mentioned that the hotel simply won't give her extra room keys and that surely she isn't the first one to think about doing this, they have ways to prevent exactly what they are asking about.
I also added exactly what Genie mentioned--that even IF she could get another room key or not ride something so her child could, I don't think she is going to want to stress outside of all of these attractions hoping you sneak a fast one.
She wouldn't be testing fate once, it would be repeatedly over 3 days.

she said she will call back Universal today

dumdumdumdumdum

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

What’s funny to me is that the only “cheat” I would be considering is “who else can I book into my room so they can get $150 Unlimited Express passes for only $50?”. I can’t even imagine trying to go the route that the OPs friend is doing. Different mindsets completely.

 

[DisneyMom93]

We were there less than a year ago... when you enter the park the first time they take your photo and it's linked to your pass/room key.

When you enter Express Pass line they scan your pass/room key and they have a photo of the face that is associated with that pass/room key that comes up on their screen. They compare your face to the photo they have. And they do look most of the time. And they scan TWICE... first at the entrance of the EP line and again right before you go on the ride. It prevents people from hopping into the EP line after the first scan. (I've seen people hop over only to be stopped right before getting on the ride. They have to leave the line and then go back around to go on the regular line which is now longer and they have to wait all over again.)

Universal isn't stupid. They know all the tricks and prevent misuse/abuse of their system.

 

[Genie+]

She wouldn't be testing fate once, it would be repeatedly over 3 days.

In a nutshell, this.

 

[georgina]

And in case anyone is confused. My family is all set, no changes were going to be made to us and that's not what she is asking. Her room can TECHNICALLY fit 5 people, according to the hotels website. She does not have 5 people in her room currently, and asked the hotel to add 2 people so that her room would have 4 in it instead of just her and her husband. When she was told the price difference to add them (because they need tickets and express and to be added ot the room in general) she started thinking of ways to cheat the system.

As others have said, her reasoning makes no sense. The only real extra cost she is trying to avoid is the extra charge for 2 more adults in the room. That's a relatively small amount. The express comes free with being in the room and she could buy tickets anywhere but they still need tickets to get in.

 

[zavandor]

What's confusing is that she's paying for a 1bed suite at a Deluxe hotel, that must be a shocking amount by itself (for my standards). Is she fretting about additional $100 a day? She might nor realize the bulk of the cost is for the tickets she has to purchase anyway.

If she wants to save something, she can buy tickets from a third party like Undercover tourist (in itself some saving) and add the kids at checkin. I did it once for a couple of friends that joined me on a trip, fully expecting to pay the additional occupancy but they didn't charge me. The same may happen to her.

 

[MamaMermaid]

Repeat after me (say this to your friend): "it's too big of a risk. I love you but I'm not comfortable doing this."

 

[disneynp]

So we always book and when we arrive add whatever kids we decided to bring. As long as it’s less than five in a regular room then it’s fine. We usually do a throwaw Room and stay at dockside. So my husband or daughter won’t get added to the room with express pass because that would be six. But if you have left over space in your room then it’s not a problem. I’m not seeing what their issue is unless they have more kids than the room allows

 

[Miffy]

So we always book and when we arrive add whatever kids we decided to bring. As long as it’s less than five in a regular room then it’s fine. We usually do a throwaw Room and stay at dockside. So my husband or daughter won’t get added to the room with express pass because that would be six. But if you have left over space in your room then it’s not a problem. I’m not seeing what their issue is unless they have more kids than the room allows

As I understand it, the problem is that the people in question don't want to pay for the addition of their 2 children to the room, including the cost of their tickets.

 

[Chuck S]

Let me see if I understand this, as I'm not personally familiar with Universal's system

Your group and her group are staying at a Universal hotel that gets express pass for people staying in the room. She wants her kids to stay in her room, and not pay for them, but wants YOU to get extra room keys to YOUR room for them to use?

Nope, that would not happen. If they can't afford to go, they should not be taking the family trip.

Reminds me of a cousin my Mom and I took to Disney with us years ago. We were DVC, and at that time, we also got free park tickets, so all she had to pay for was her meals and airfare.
The whole trip she griped about the cost of food. Never invited her again.

 

[DisneyMom93]

She wants her kids to stay in her room, and not pay for them, but wants YOU to get extra room keys to YOUR room for them to use?

I think the original poster's friend wants to not add the kids to her own room, and also ask for 2 extra room keys for her own room. The original poster will not be involved in any of the fraud other than unfortunately vacationing with them while they try to scam Universal. Eek.

It won't work anyway.

 

[macraven]

Cheating the system never turns out well.
No sense in keeping this thread open.