Opinion: Universal Orlando Resort Dropped Its Best Perk And Expects Annual Passholders To Just Accept It

ORLANDO, FL - Universal Orlando Resort recently updated its terms to state that it will be removing Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure from Express passes due to "operational" problems. The response has been mixed and ranges from theme park bloggers cheering the decision to others (myself included) disappointed in the decision. The two groups most impacted by the decision are annual passholders who have Premier passes and those staying at Loews Hotels that enjoy express pass perks.

The pushback from theme park bloggers against those who are concerned about losing the perk is frankly anti-consumer and quite unsettling. After I reached out to Universal Orlando Resort Guest Relations to pursue a refund or downgrade to my annual pass, the theme park bloggers proceeded to chide me online in the replies sharing my experience as if I am not entitled to customer support. It's typical behavior I have seen on my timeline over and over again whenever someone has any complaint about a theme park.

The worst part about this experience has been the poor communication and information regarding the change. The change was first reported on by journalists and bloggers with Universal Orlando Resort simply updating their website, like no one was going to notice that the most popular ride at their two theme parks was going to lose Express Pass access. Where is the blog post announcing the change, the messaging, the outreach. This is not a sophisticated operation.

To make matters worse, several people have commented and shared that their vacations were specifically planned with this attraction in mind. At this time, Universal Orlando Resort has not offered a resolution for those who are unhappy with the decision although some people commented on Reddit they were able to get a refund after calling support. I had no such luck.

Theme park bloggers argue that Universal has the right to make modifications to their Express Pass program and even if that were true, what about the overall customer experience and sudden cheapening of the Express Pass program and Premier annual passes? Do I really need a fast pass for rides that are over 15+ years old at these two parks?

Those who upgraded to Premier passes have spent over $700 on an annual pass. This isn't a regular consumer, this is a top-tier consumer that spends and spends heavily. If it's a Florida annual passholder, that means multiple trips to the theme park and dining around the theme park as well as inviting others to join. If it's an out of state passholder, that is easily over $1,000 in an annual pass plus dining and hotel stays. Do these customers matter?

Perhaps Universal Orlando Resort does not have to address these concerns if they do not want to and I won't hold my breath for a resolution, but the consumer can also choose not to support them in the future as well. One thing is obvious, there was not a plan for how this would addressed and the response is now a sloppy mix of theme park bloggers defending an amusement corporation from paying customers and people simply told to keep making payments while being unhappy with their customer experience.

About me: Hello my name is Carlos Hernandez and I am a writer with over 15 years of experience. I write the food and travel blog Carlos Eats (https://www.carloseats.com) and also contribute to several newspapers and magazines on numerous topics.