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Credit: Universal Universal Pass Members have been met with hours of headaches while attempting to get a ticket for the Pass Member preview of the reopening of Universal Studios Hollywood.
Related: How Universal Hollywood Will Adapt to New Guidelines
Universal Studios opened their website up today for Annual Pass Members to be able to make park reservations for a Pass Member Preview, a chance for Universal Pass Members to go into the park a day before it officially opens to the public.
Pass Members could also make reservations for “Bonus Days”, which are free days when they can enter the park without needing to reactivate their pass. The new sale of Annual Passes are currently been on hold due to the Covid-19 shutdown.
The official Twitter account for Universal Hollywood tweeted this morning:
Pass Members rejoice! Online reservations are NOW AVAILABLE for the April 15 Pass Member Preview and select Bonus Days through May 16. We can’t wait to see you! spr.ly/6019HIM3X
Pass Members rejoice! Online reservations are NOW AVAILABLE for the April 15 Pass Member Preview and select Bonus Days through May 16. We can’t wait to see you! https://t.co/wRLhYVg9A7 pic.twitter.com/b0V7jdqlm2
— Universal Studios Hollywood (@UniStudios) April 5, 2021
Unfortunately, the ticket launch did not go as smoothly as hoped. Multiple Passholders were being told that their request for tickets could not be processed. The prompt told them to contact the help desk for assistance with their ticket purchase. However, the site provided no number. Upon Googling a phone number, Guests were disconnected no matter what option they were given to choose.
This process request error occurred for about 45 minutes. The Universal ticket website then crashed. Most Guests trying to get tickets clicked on the reservation link, only to be told that the page they needed was an “unknown client”.
The multitude of problems frustrated Guests who were trying to reserve tickets, and they went to Universal’s Twitter to demand answers.
Twitter user Ashley Brown (@ms_ashleybrown) was one of many upset Guests trying to receive some form of help from Universal:
1. It is saying the platinum pass I bought in July before the shutdown, and paid in full, is invalid. 2. It is saying the email address you send my USH Passholder news to all the time is invalid 3. Your customer service hangs up on me. Fix. This.
1. It is saying the platinum pass I bought in July before the shutdown, and paid in full, is invalid.
2. It is saying the email address you send my USH Passholder news to all the time is invalid
3. Your customer service hangs up on me.Fix. This.
— Ashley Brown (@ms_ashleybrown) April 5, 2021
Amber Keppler Ghilici (@amberkep) also voiced her frustration with the whole process, tweeting at Universal:
You really screwed passholders over with this. Website didn’t go live and midnight and now there’s error messages no matter what date you pick. So annoyed.
You really screwed passholders over with this. Website didn’t go live and midnight and now there’s error messages no matter what date you pick. So annoyed.
— Amber Keppler Ghilici (@amberkep) April 5, 2021
On its website, Universal stated that its ticket sales would begin at midnight, but the sale did not go live until 9:30 a.m., but Universal never told its Pass Members about the change.
Currently, Pass Members on the Universal site are being told to remain patient as they deal with a high volume of requests and check back throughout the day for tickets.
There is currently no word from Universal about when problems with the website will be fixed.
Universal did not have this issue when they sold tickets to the Taste of Universal event. The sale of Taste of Universal tickets was notably relaxed compared to the serious wait times and website crashing sales of Disneyland’s A Touch of Disney tickets.
Tickets for non Pass Members wanting to visit the Universal Hollywood will begin on April 8 for the park’s official opening date of April 16.
Did you have success reserving tickets for Universal’s Pass Member Preview? Let us know in the comments!
Click here to get started booking your Universal Studios vacation!
