FAQ about the Hotel Express Pass - AKA FOTL

[vellamint]

Q i tried this @ Margaritaville last trip (on Saturday) and was told it isn't valid on the weekends or holidays? so we moved on to NASCAR is this true,if so, are there any other restaurants with the same restriction?

Always wondered which restaurants participate in this @ Citiwalk tooassume Bubba Gumps doesnt (they weren't taking ressies when we were there, not sure if it has changed) anybody have a list?

Oh!! Planning on Marguritaville this Saturday or Sunday night! Can anyone else confirm or deny the FOTL priviledges for this restaurant?

Thanks

 

[macraven]

they will tell you they don't honor the fotl on weekends and it will be an hour wait if you go around 7ish.

put your name on the list anyway.

usually the people at the on site hotels never have that type of wait.

some in their trippies stated their wait was a reasonable time of close to 10-15 minutes.

i guess they really can't let the hotel guests in when they arrive as the groups that are waiting would riot....

once people have their names on the wait list and walk away, no one really knows how long you all have been waiting.

maybe that is why the lesser wait of the hour guests are being told...

 

[goofy!]

Q i tried this @ Margaritaville last trip (on Saturday) and was told it isn't valid on the weekends or holidays? so we moved on to NASCAR is this true,if so, are there any other restaurants with the same restriction?

Always wondered which restaurants participate in this @ Citiwalk tooassume Bubba Gumps doesnt (they weren't taking ressies when we were there, not sure if it has changed) anybody have a list?

I wouldn't put it past Margaritaville putting this in place recently. Perhaps it is a summer thing? I know they don't honor it for parties over 7.

However, back in March, they did honor it on a weekend. We walked up when there was an hour and a half wait. Showed our hotel key and they told us it might shave half an hour off. Ok, we had no problem grabbing a Margarita and plopping in the chairs for an hour to people watch. They gave us the beeper, we turned to head down the stairs into the gift shop (on our way to the outside bar), and we literally did not get down the steps. Beeper went off and they seated us at a great table.

 

[vellamint]

Thanks!!

 

[Cheryl N. WI]

This is an excellent, imformative thread Thank you, thank you, thank you! This has answered alot of teh questions I had and I have now decided it is worth it to pay the extra money to stay at the RPR for our Dec. trip, (now I just need to decide on 1 night or 2). I didn't know that FOTL would possibly help you get a table quicker at some of the CityWalk restaurants too

 

[GrumpyFamilyof5]

hello, I've been reading through this and have a few questions...
I've seen alot of you say leave your luggage with the bellhop, you don't have to right, can't we just put it in our vehicle??
Most likely we will be staying 2 nights anyway, as in your really tired after a long day at a park, but if we did decide on 1 night, you can still check in early that morning and use you key that day, check out the next morning and it is still good til the end of that day? I just want to make sure, I had read somewhere else someone saying they didn't let you do that anymore?
Not sure how busy CityWalk is the end of Mar. going into April, but will we have a problem with the Nascar Grill, can you show your key there as well?
Thanks!

 

[Bluer101]

hello, I've been reading through this and have a few questions...
I've seen alot of you say leave your luggage with the bellhop, you don't have to right, can't we just put it in our vehicle??
Most likely we will be staying 2 nights anyway, as in your really tired after a long day at a park, but if we did decide on 1 night, you can still check in early that morning and use you key that day, check out the next morning and it is still good til the end of that day? I just want to make sure, I had read somewhere else someone saying they didn't let you do that anymore?
Not sure how busy CityWalk is the end of Mar. going into April, but will we have a problem with the Nascar Grill, can you show your key there as well?
Thanks!

We leave our luggage in the car until the room is ready and when we checkout we bring it to the car then go to the park for the rest of the day. Besides we travel light normally on big rolling bag.

Your key for FOTL is good from the time you check in til the next day at park closing. We normally check in around 6-7 am even though the room is not ready till past 4pm. But most of the time when its slow they give you the room at that time also. If the room is not ready they give you your keys and call you later with a room #.

 

[nifty16]

In the fantastic FAQ on FOTL, it notes that the name of each guest in the room will be on each person's room key. Does that mean that you provide the name of each guest when booking? There doesn't seem to be anyplace to do that when booking on the Royal Pacific site.

 

[ATAfamily]

In the fantastic FAQ on FOTL, it notes that the name of each guest in the room will be on each person's room key. Does that mean that you provide the name of each guest when booking? There doesn't seem to be anyplace to do that when booking on the Royal Pacific site.

When you check in they will ask for the names of the people in the room and then print out the key cards.

 

[nifty16]

Thanks.

 

[Beckles]

Is it really FOTL or Front Of The Line?

No. On these boards, we use the acronym FOTL to differentiate the hotel perk from the Express Pass that you can buy. While we call it FOTL, you might still have to stand in a short line.

To expand on this answer, the reason the FOTL designation came about in the first place is that in the early days of the Loews Hotels (and someone may know the timeline more exact, but I believe it changed between HRH and RPR opening or shortly after the RPR opened), showing your room key was truly FOTL access and not just Express access. You would show your room key to the greeter at the head of the line and they would direct you up the exit ramp or some other side/back entrance to get to the FOTL. This was before Universal offered any sort of Express Pass type service. Once Express was introduced (or shortly after Express was introduced maybe) hotel guests received Express access without having to get Express passes. At this point FOTL became a misnomer but still stuck.

 

[macraven]

i stayed in the "early" days and used the express line for the rides.
that was with using the hotel key card.

 

[Hedy]

Is it an issue if the other person in your party isn't there at check in?

 

[macraven]

not really.
just have them check in when they do arrive so they can get the room key.

as long as you only have 2 adults in your room, it won't effect the room rate.

 

[cyrus12009]

Thanks for positn these FAQ's. I was searching for it.

 

[jimpossible87]

I used to stay offsite when I went to Universal but ever since my first trip staying at the Hard Rock I just have to stay on site. The room key fast pass privelege and the bot transportation make it worth the extra money by miles!! no going through that giant garage on those long walkways and fast pass all day every day. I cant say enough how worth the money it is. Portofino Bay Sept 29th for me cant wait!!! I wasnt sure if you could still use your key at the restaurants. Seems like I always get a stupid face when Ive tried in the past and I havent seen anything about it lately. SO its still part of the perks?

 

[teacher100]

This may have been asked before, I apologize if it has. Will FOTL pass work for Harry Potter attractions? We are big Disney fans and have never been to Universal because my oldest who is Autistic doesn't like wild rides (except for Space Mountain because he is into Space things). This is a graduation trip for him. We are debating if it would be worth staying in one of the onsite hotels for our family of five to get FOTL. We are also thinking about getting the 1 day 2 park tickets, but we are going in the first two weeks of August so we don't know how much we can cover.

 

[damo]

This may have been asked before, I apologize if it has. Will FOTL pass work for Harry Potter attractions? We are big Disney fans and have never been to Universal because my oldest who is Autistic doesn't like wild rides (except for Space Mountain because he is into Space things). This is a graduation trip for him. We are debating if it would be worth staying in one of the onsite hotels for our family of five to get FOTL. We are also thinking about getting the 1 day 2 park tickets, but we are going in the first two weeks of August so we don't know how much we can cover.

It won't be available immediately. They never open a ride and have FOTL available for a few months until the craziness wears down.

 

[snookhams]

we are travelling in August, do you think that we will be able to use FOTL then for Harry potter and do the parks open early for hotel guest (like at Disney) Thank you

 

[Metro West]

we are travelling in August, do you think that we will be able to use FOTL then for Harry potter and do the parks open early for hotel guest (like at Disney) Thank you

It depends on how things are running in August. Express is not usually available for new attractions for a while but if everything is running smoothly with WWoHP, it may be available. Universal sometimes does an early entry promotion but it's mainly for passholders and only includes a couple of attractions.