Originally Posted by
stravels
Thanks everyone! Hope the lines won't be too long as we are using a Marriott certificate and earning Hilton bonus points so we won't be staying on property.
I don't think I can stress enough how much better your trip to the parks will be if you stay on site, you will literally save several hours each day of waiting in lines at rides. Alternatively you can purchase Express passes, but they are limited to one use per ride (though it is not always enforced at every ride) and you will spend as much on four passes (2 passes x 2 days) as you would for the room at one of the Loews hotels. I am Diamond with Hilton and Hyatt, but when I go to Universal, I stay on-site even though I get no benefit from the Loews program (they don't provide benefits or elite credit in the Loews First program on Annual Pass Holder or AAA rates, which is about all I ever use at the hotels). The HHonors bonus points you're earning can not possibly make up for what you're giving up not staying on site.