RPR APH rate - when can we show the AP?

[nkereina]

Having a small logistical problem I'm hoping someone can help with. We booked an APH rate at RPR for late March, and I'll be buying the seasonal annual pass within the next few days. We'll be flying into Orlando around 6pm and have hired a car to drive us to RPR. The Universal folks on the phone told me I need to present the AP at check-in, and the AP needs to be picked up at the ticket window at one of the parks. It can't be mailed to me in advance, and I can't show the AP later in the day after check-in at RPR. Is this all accurate?

Since we'll be arriving in the evening, our plan was to just go to City Walk so we'd like to check-in, get settled, and freshen up before going out for the evening. But I'm guessing we will just need to have bell services store our bags, and we'll have to check-in after we get back from City Walk. Any better ideas? Is it impractical to have our driver bring us to the park first? Never driven there, but I'm thinking the only drop off point is back by the mini golf right?

Thanks all!

 

[macraven]

Don't fret about this

Check into the hotel and show your voucher/paid AP order

Tell them you will show the actual AP once you go to guest services

There is a UO guest service in city walk

General info and sale of tickets for city walk can be done there

 

[cmarsh31]

Wasn't a big deal at all when we went in October - in fact, they never asked me to show my AP at all (I panicked, checked my cc statement, was billed for the AP rate).

 

[nkereina]

Great! Thank you both - I was hoping the hotel would be more laid back than the Universal rep was making them sound Thanks for your help!

 

[oumagic]

I too hope that we don't have to show it at check-in like they say on the phone. I just booked an APH rate for March and intend to upgrade my already purchased ticket when we visit. We are on a Disney cruise from Miami that returns Friday morning and we decided to add a few days onto vacation for Universal. We will rent a car Friday to drive to Orlando and we are staying Friday/Saturday at RPR and then driving back to Miami Sunday night after a day at the park (our flight is Monday at 2pm from Miami).

There are so many unknowns that I told my wife to expect to pay a higher rate and we will be happy/surprised if they let us stick to with the APH rate. The rate without AP was $454/night and $319/night with AP (total cost includes taxes). A few of my unknowns and I don't necessarily need answers soon:

We are there 3/17 thru 3/19 during Universal Mardi Gras: Friday, Saturday, and checkout on Sunday . We are happy that there is Mardi Gras, but it kind of messes with planning and the seasonal AP when we don't know the concert schedule. If they have concerts on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, I may not want to upgrade to the seasonal APH and it may not make sense to pay more for the other pass (we live in Arizona and probably won't make it back before expiration).
1. If there is no concert on Sunday, can I upgrade then and show the annual pass before we checkout on Sunday?
2. How much will it be to upgrade my ticket and can it even be upgraded? I bought the 4 day Undercover Tourist ticket on Black Friday for the price of two days and intended on changing flights to be able to hit parks on Monday, but the change fees for airline were cost prohibitive. I am just not sure what the upgrade cost will be or if they let me upgrade. I hold out hope because the vouchers just say "2 Park 4 Day PTP"

I may cancel the APH rate and move to CB, but am hoping to make it work so that we can have express passes. I really think it all depends on if they must see it at check-in and the concert schedule. My plan is to just wait on the concert schedule and then go from there. I also will keep an eye on the standard rate maybe dropping, but am doubtful with it being a weekend, St. Patrick's Day, and Mardi Gras Universal weekend (concerts).

 

[bumbershoot]

The Universal folks on the phone told me I need to present the AP at check-in,....and I can't show the AP later in the day after check-in at RPR.

Is this all accurate?

NOPE.

Just ask them at checkin when you need to show them the AP. You might be surprised how they answer.

And you can absolutely show the AP later on. Even days into the stay if that's when you upgrade and they tell you to show it to them.

This is a non issue. Sorry the Universal phone people are panicking you.

 

[damo]

I swear the phone reps make crap up off the top of their heads. They should have to study the disboards as required training

 

[bumbershoot]

This is a question that needs to be answered so I'm pulling it out. I know there was one ticket that couldn't be upgraded and I want those who know to see this in case they didn't.

...can it even be upgraded? I bought the 4 day Undercover Tourist ticket on Black Friday for the price of two days .....I hold out hope because the vouchers just say "2 Park 4 Day PTP"

 

[Seeker615]

One more AP question. Can you get the APH rate for a club level room?

 

[davper]

I too hope that we don't have to show it at check-in like they say on the phone. I just booked an APH rate for March and intend to upgrade my already purchased ticket when we visit. We are on a Disney cruise from Miami that returns Friday morning and we decided to add a few days onto vacation for Universal. We will rent a car Friday to drive to Orlando and we are staying Friday/Saturday at RPR and then driving back to Miami Sunday night after a day at the park (our flight is Monday at 2pm from Miami).

There are so many unknowns that I told my wife to expect to pay a higher rate and we will be happy/surprised if they let us stick to with the APH rate. The rate without AP was $454/night and $319/night with AP (total cost includes taxes). A few of my unknowns and I don't necessarily need answers soon:

We are there 3/17 thru 3/19 during Universal Mardi Gras: Friday, Saturday, and checkout on Sunday . We are happy that there is Mardi Gras, but it kind of messes with planning and the seasonal AP when we don't know the concert schedule. If they have concerts on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, I may not want to upgrade to the seasonal APH and it may not make sense to pay more for the other pass (we live in Arizona and probably won't make it back before expiration).
1. If there is no concert on Sunday, can I upgrade then and show the annual pass before we checkout on Sunday?
2. How much will it be to upgrade my ticket and can it even be upgraded? I bought the 4 day Undercover Tourist ticket on Black Friday for the price of two days and intended on changing flights to be able to hit parks on Monday, but the change fees for airline were cost prohibitive. I am just not sure what the upgrade cost will be or if they let me upgrade. I hold out hope because the vouchers just say "2 Park 4 Day PTP"

I may cancel the APH rate and move to CB, but am hoping to make it work so that we can have express passes. I really think it all depends on if they must see it at check-in and the concert schedule. My plan is to just wait on the concert schedule and then go from there. I also will keep an eye on the standard rate maybe dropping, but am doubtful with it being a weekend, St. Patrick's Day, and Mardi Gras Universal weekend (concerts).

My 2 cents: The room at CB felt claustrophobic and it was just my wife and I. We had a standard 2 queen room. It is also a long walk from the park.

 

[damo]

This is a question that needs to be answered so I'm pulling it out. I know there was one ticket that couldn't be upgraded and I want those who know to see this in case they didn't.

Good question. There were rumors that it was not upgradable, but who knows. Somebody had stated that it said so on the website, but I don't think that was the case.

 

[macraven]

I know any ticket listed as complementary can not be upgraded

Have read past boards that free tickets also were not upgradable

Vendors that sell buy two day park ticket get 1 ( or 2) days free were discussed before

The purchased days could be upgraded but not the free days

 

[oumagic]

From research here and elsewhere, I think I will be able to upgrade, but just not sure what the upgrade charge will be. Some have said that they will give me credit for the 2 day ticket (probable outcome) but a few say maybe the full 4 days since it is printed as a 4 day ticket and not a 2 day ticket with 2 free days. It doesn't matter too much to me; I was originally going to buy the 2 day tickets from Universal because we will only be there 2 1/2 days but then saw the 4 day for same price at UTourist and figured I would get the extra 1/2 day for our scheduled stay. This is the post that makes me think I will get credit for the 4 day ticket because my tickets say they are 4 day, 2 park PTP tickets:
http://disboards.com/threads/seasonal-vs-annual-pass.3567512/#post-56902656

The bigger issue for me is the concert schedule and if the seasonal pass will be blacked out on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. My guess is that they will have a concert 2 of those 3 days. If there is a Friday and/or Saturday concert (St. Patrick's Day is Friday), I should be fine to upgrade on Sunday and show the AP at checkout from hotel. The only thing that could be a problem is if there is a concert Sunday or if they insist on seeing it at check-in (most indicate that is not the case).

I do not want to spend $454/night on RPR (non AP rate for my nights). Once the concert schedule is released, I think I will be fine staying where we are and upgrading to seasonal but if I have any doubt, I will probably move hotels. There is definitely more question marks planning this trip and trying to save money than I am used to. I cannot get the same answer twice when I talk to people on the phone, but that seems to be the case with most customer service on the phone nowadays.

Off topic, but worth mentioning: I have a total of roughly $1500 on my credit card right now from booking/cancelling and they say it will take 7-10 days to credit me the $1200 from cancelled reservations. Not a huge deal for me, but might be for others. The charges go on the card in 15 minutes but take a week to 10 days to come off the card. Originally, I booked one night at CB and one night at RPR so they charge one night deposit for each. Then I booked one room at each under AP rate and then finally 2 nights at RPR on AP rate.

Edited to add: sorry OP for hijacking your thread. I will start a new one if needed. It was just that your biggest worry was also the one that would really derail my plans and I was told on the phone the same thing: you must show AP at check-in. But everything I have read on the forums indicates that is not the reality. I have not seen anyone say that they were denied the rate by not having their AP at check-in.

 

[damo]

They rarely even ask to see the AP at checkin so don't worry about it. Keep us posted about what happens with the upgrade.

 

[bumbershoot]

One more AP question. Can you get the APH rate for a club level room?

I have.


Oumagic, the speed at which refunds are made have almost everything to do with your cc or bank. Once a vendor hits that "refund" button it is on the company that controls the card/account.

Working at Amazon as I used to i would listen to complaints about refunds, but I knew from experience with MY bank account (I didn't have a cc them) that refunds were posted lightning fast. My bank did it fast while other banks didn't. And we didn't go through a special group for refunds; we had to (and Amazonians still do) go through the same official channels.

This isn't something that you can point at Loews hotels. All they can do is overestimate the time it might take and hope for the best.

 

[oumagic]

I have.


Oumagic, the speed at which refunds are made have almost everything to do with your cc or bank. Once a vendor hits that "refund" button it is on the company that controls the card/account.

Working at Amazon as I used to i would listen to complaints about refunds, but I knew from experience with MY bank account (I didn't have a cc them) that refunds were posted lightning fast. My bank did it fast while other banks didn't. And we didn't go through a special group for refunds; we had to (and Amazonians still do) go through the same official channels.

This isn't something that you can point at Loews hotels. All they can do is overestimate the time it might take and hope for the best.

You may be correct. Amazon credits my Disney Chase Visa rather quickly when I make a return, but I called Loews hotels and asked because I thought something may have went wrong on the refund, because normally with this card, refunds are quick. As I said, it doesn't matter much to me because I have a higher limit and I know that it will be refunded. But for some that may make a split-stay reservation and then cancel and try to rebook, it could cause them an issue. I just thought it was worth mentioning and is not a complaint.

 

[ljmclin]

This site and all you who post on a regular basis have been a WONDERFUL help to me as I plan my family's first Universal vacation. I have a a ticket question for you. I wanted to book a room only reservation and buy cheaper park tickets through SAMs club. I was then going to upgrade one of my tickets to AP once I got to Universal and use the AP discount on the hotel (If one is offered when I go 7/30-8/1). SAMs no longer does the travel stuff so those tickets won't happen. Since UT and Universal have the same price on the tickets I need, I decided to book everything through Universal. The lady on the phone said I could not upgrade tickets in a Universal package to AP. So I was going to just go back to Room only through universal and get tickets through UT. The phone lady then told me that there were no AP tickets available for the time I was going to be there. She said there are only a limited number of AP tickets that are sold and they have been sold out. I went ahead and booked my package and then started wondering if that was really true. I had never heard that before. Will you let me know if that is in fact true. If it is, I will stick with my package. If not, I want to change to room only and go with UT so I can upgrade when I get there. Thanks again for all your help

 

[bumbershoot]

Since UT and Universal have the same price on the tickets I need

Are you sure about that? Except for a 1 day ticket, UT generally does a few dollars better. Are you adding tax to the Universal tickets? (are you looking at the UO site to buy the tickets a la carte, vs through a package?)

The lady on the phone said I could not upgrade tickets in a Universal package to AP.

I doubt if that's true, once you have the tickets.

The phone lady then told me that there were no AP tickets available for the time I was going to be there. She said there are only a limited number of AP tickets that are sold and they have been sold out.

Are they restarting Candid Camera? Is this Punk'd? Where are they coming up with these things????


The issue with packages is that they have cancel/change fees and are just more limited. No AP rates with the packages. Some have reported that some normal packages have been the same or slightly better that a la carte recently, but I've never found it.

 

[macraven]

I steer clear of packages
Penalty fees for each change, payment due in advance, and not always a good deal
(More of a convenience for first timer guests)

When AP rates are available in the summer, they go quick

Many book with a rate they can live with then modify to the discounts if and when they come out

AP rates have not been released yet for July/August
It is always possible there could be some discounted rates come out later this year

Your trip dates are still in a busy time period

Take advantage of early entry which is a nice plus for staying at any of the five hotels

 

[damo]

I think the lady meant that there are limited rooms with the AP discount and that they were probably already sold out for your dates. However, if you are going in July, I don't believe AP rates are even out for those dates yet and when they do come out for those dates the discount usually is not very much since it is peak time.


You should be able to upgrade tickets from a package to an AP. They are normal tickets.