pls help! First time with kids!

[Momma2PrinceNPrinces]

Hubs and I haven’t been to US in years (pre kids). We moved to FL over the smmmer and just got a great FL res promo deal...4 days 1 park pass. Passes can be used any time between now and Dec 21, and doesn’t have to be used all at once, plus no blackout dates. We’re thinking of taking 2 weekend trips (we live 1.5-2 hrs from Orlando). Any suggestions on when to go? I’ve tried looking at some of the free crowd calendars but not sure how reliable they are. Also I didn’t realize we can’t ride the Hogwarts train if we only have 1 Park per day pass...can you upgrade when you get there?
Thanks for any help!

 

[Lynne G]

I’d try to stay onsite at one of the three that give you the express pass for the day you check in through the day you check out. Will make any weekend more enjoyable.

And yes, you can upgrade your tickets to a park to park at any guest service inside or outside the parks.

Finally, depends on what you are interested in, seasons to consider. Since you have until right before Christmas, and unless your kids like horror, I would go the second weekend in November and the first or second weekend in December. That way, you would be done with the horror nights and would enjoy Christmas stuff, that I really like, and is kid friendly.

And congratulations for being new residents and maybe if you enjoy the parks enough, upgrade to at least a seasonal pass, but make one a preferred. The preferred will get you free parking in the parking garages, and 10 percent off food and merchandise in parks and in most City Walk locations.

If I lived that close, I would be visiting quite a bit, with and without my kids.

 

[skylock]

I imagine you could upgrade one of the one day single park tickets to a park to park, but honestly, I think that is going to be costly.

It is approx $60 per ticket for a single day ticket to upgrade to park to park.

I think your best bet would be to upgrade your tickets to an annual pass.

I don't know what you paid for your tickets or what the resident rates are, but judging what non resident rates would run, I think upgrading to an annual pass would be the most cost effective.

Upgrade them before you use them, because once you use that ticket, the value goes down. In other words, if you use two tickets then decide to upgrade, you have lost a lot of value.

If you decide not to go for the annual pass, I would skip the upgrading to park to park because that would be a costly 5 minute train ride.

 

[damo]

I second the upgrading of the tickets to an annual pass. Take a look to see which ones fit better in your timeframe but it will enable you to visit more than just twice and will give you hotel discounts and park to park access. You'll be surprised at how reasonably priced the APs are at Universal.

 

[bumbershoot]

Upgrade them before you use them, because once you use that ticket, the value goes down. In other words, if you use two tickets then decide to upgrade, you have lost a lot of value.

That’s not how upgrades have traditionally worked at universal (or Disney).

I think the OP doesn’t have single-day tickets, fwiw.

 

[Momma2PrinceNPrinces]

We ended up upgrading our passes to park to park. It was $170 total for 4 days (for the 4 passes). The universal agent told me we could upgrade to Res AP at anytime before we use the last day. She said nothing about it dropping in value as days are used. We have to pick the tickets up there so I’ll ask about that