Epic Universe Ticketing Info, Advice, & Speculation

[DeadSexeh]

Do we have any reason to actually believe that they are bleeding passholders? The stuff I keep seeing on here is my friend canceled their pass so therefore passholders are leaving in droves. From all the data I am seeing, USF and IOA are doing fine. When it comes to Epic universal would rather have a park full of day guests than a park split with day guests and passholders.

 

[JustLikeMe]

If Epic's capacity really is a problem for adding AP's to the mix, I wonder if, as a short term solution, they could offer an "Epic Nights AP". A couple nights a week, close the park at 6 and let those AP's in from 6-12. Kind of a splitting the baby solution, but it might string things along until they can increase capacity.

Alternatively, they could offer an Epic add on which includes a certain number of visits per year which need to be booked in advance?

Or, just allow passholders to buy bundles of Epic tickets at a discounted rate. It currently costs substantially less to buy a five day park to park ticket that includes unlimited visits to Epic than the same number of discounted AP tickets.

Personally, I gambled on Epic being added to APs at the beginning of next year and it looks like I’ve lost. My wife and I renewed our three park APs a few months ago when we could have just let them expire and bought the UK fourteen day ticket which includes unlimited access to all four parks for just under $660 each including tax.

We’re coming over for 14 nights in March and if we want to visit Epic more than three times the most cost effective way is to buy the fourteen day four park ticket regardless, effectively making our APs redundant.

I completely understand the capacity concerns regarding allowing APs unlimited access to Epic at this point, but it does feel like passholders are currently being offered worse deals than non passholders.

 

[SeventyOne]

If Epic's capacity really is a problem for adding AP's to the mix, I wonder if, as a short term solution, they could offer an "Epic Nights AP". A couple nights a week, close the park at 6 and let those AP's in from 6-12. Kind of a splitting the baby solution, but it might string things along until they can increase capacity.

But what price do you put on that upgrade, with only two nights a week? Price it too low, both nights will go to capacity by 6:02 p.m., alienating everyone who paid an upcharge and can't get in. Price it too high, you alienate the bulk of your APs even more--"$500 to go a couple nights a week????"--and the only APs who end up taking you up on it are the "whales" who love UOR, have money, and were never going to give up their APs anyway.

A reservation system potentially solves this, but in three decades UOR has never implemented a true reservation system on that level. Not with COVID, not with insane HHN crowds, not with Mardi Gras concerts that go to capacity before the parade starts. It's just not in their corporate DNA.

In the meantime, they have a park that goes close enough to full every day with all full-price tickets. Fans love to hate it, but UOR making money, and if we're being honest, it keeps that special "new park feel" a lot longer. If anything, there's probably a lesson for HHN here.

Do we have any reason to actually believe that they are bleeding passholders? The stuff I keep seeing on here is my friend canceled their pass so therefore passholders are leaving in droves. From all the data I am seeing, USF and IOA are doing fine. When it comes to Epic universal would rather have a park full of day guests than a park split with day guests and passholders.

This. Let's see how Mardi Gras and Spring Break look next year before we start writing the original parks' obituaries. Even without Epic, a UOR pass is still the more affordable mid-tier option between the dumpster fire of Sea World and the extravagance of a WDW AP (or Magic season tickets or whatever).

 

[Mad Dog]

But what price do you put on that upgrade, with only two nights a week? Price it too low, both nights will go to capacity by 6:02 p.m., alienating everyone who paid an upcharge and can't get in. Price it too high, you alienate the bulk of your APs even more--"$500 to go a couple nights a week????"--and the only APs who end up taking you up on it are the "whales" who love UOR, have money, and were never going to give up their APs anyway.

A reservation system potentially solves this, but in three decades UOR has never implemented a true reservation system on that level. Not with COVID, not with insane HHN crowds, not with Mardi Gras concerts that go to capacity before the parade starts. It's just not in their corporate DNA.

In the meantime, they have a park that goes close enough to full every day with all full-price tickets. Fans love to hate it, but UOR making money, and if we're being honest, it keeps that special "new park feel" a lot longer. If anything, there's probably a lesson for HHN here.

This. Let's see how Mardi Gras and Spring Break look next year before we start writing the original parks' obituaries. Even without Epic, a UOR pass is still the more affordable mid-tier option between the dumpster fire of Sea World and the extravagance of a WDW AP (or Magic season tickets or whatever).

Lots of good points. An important factor, probably overlooked, is that in 2023 and 2024 Universal had to sell 'heavily discounted' tickets to
get guests/tourists in the parks. 2025 is nearly full price tickets, except for mild package discounts. So, even though the Universal parks
aren't slammed like they were with huge crowds in 2022, they should be making lots of money.
As 2026 goes, as you say, let's watch Mardi Gras, and also Saturdays, to see how much effect AP cancellations will actually be.
I'm guessing cancellations will be significant, but not enough to be a game changer. They might just be one or two year pauses and
then they'll come back.
But the tourist whales like me will stay with the AP's. Heck, we were spending 2 week vacations at Universal Portofino before all the
new hotels were built. Hardly anyone was doing that back then. The only game changer for me is if they would get rid of AP hotel
discounts, since they don't always have Stay More Save More discounts across the board at all times like they used to. Then, I'd
go to WDW instead.

 

[jwbitterman]

This is just two people, but we are not renewing our AP.

It seems like every time I try to give Universal money, it's a giant hassle (see I.T. complaint below). Whenever there's an AP perk, it's a giant hassle (I.T. and poor comms). Any time I reach out to customer service, their response is a shrug. Universals communication and I.T. vendor are fighting it out for which is worse - and both are trash.

Ignoring that, Studios is often irrelevant (most newly added attractions are a minus) and the number of empty buildings throughout both parks is a tad ridiculous (Fast & Furious is the same as an empty building to me).

We were keeping the AP in case they allowed Epic after HHN. Since they are not, we're out until they do something big - like with Lost Continent. Thats probably 3-4 years from now.

 

[OLSinFLA]

Do we have any reason to actually believe that they are bleeding passholders? The stuff I keep seeing on here is my friend canceled their pass so therefore passholders are leaving in droves. From all the data I am seeing, USF and IOA are doing fine. When it comes to Epic universal would rather have a park full of day guests than a park split with day guests and passholders.

Several of my friends who work in admissions have told me there's been quite a lot of people not renewing. As for IOA and USF, HHN is keeping them busy but it is hurting attendance

 

[OLSinFLA]

But what price do you put on that upgrade, with only two nights a week? Price it too low, both nights will go to capacity by 6:02 p.m., alienating everyone who paid an upcharge and can't get in. Price it too high, you alienate the bulk of your APs even more--"$500 to go a couple nights a week????"--and the only APs who end up taking you up on it are the "whales" who love UOR, have money, and were never going to give up their APs anyway.

A reservation system potentially solves this, but in three decades UOR has never implemented a true reservation system on that level. Not with COVID, not with insane HHN crowds, not with Mardi Gras concerts that go to capacity before the parade starts. It's just not in their corporate DNA.

In the meantime, they have a park that goes close enough to full every day with all full-price tickets. Fans love to hate it, but UOR making money, and if we're being honest, it keeps that special "new park feel" a lot longer. If anything, there's probably a lesson for HHN here.

This. Let's see how Mardi Gras and Spring Break look next year before we start writing the original parks' obituaries. Even without Epic, a UOR pass is still the more affordable mid-tier option between the dumpster fire of Sea World and the extravagance of a WDW AP (or Magic season tickets or whatever).

Actually the weekday only WDW pass is quite a lot less and even better actually includes free parking. Sorry I didn't take th $99 down promo this summer

 

[DeadSexeh]

Several of my friends who work in admissions have told me there's been quite a lot of people not renewing. As for IOA and USF, HHN is keeping them busy but it is hurting attendance

Here is where my skepticism sets in. What do they consider a lot? If it is 100, that sounds like a lot but in reality it is a very small percentage. Also is it normal for there to be cancelations at this rate during this time. Until Universal makes a move I have a hard time believing there is a lot of pass nonrenewals.