Looking at purchasing a 3 day pass which is 108 dollars pp, seems like a lot of places are free? just wondering if anyone has used one or if they can offer some more info.we are coming from 22nd feb-26th feb%26lt; does it help with wait time etc? thanks
New York pass, worth it? Any hidden catches?
I%26#39;ve researched the London Pass and reckon the NYPass is similar!
They tout FREE admission to certain attractions with the right to jump in front of queues/lines.
#1 if you have to pay for the pass, admission is not free, is it?
Secondly, many attractions are free as it is and to get your money%26#39;s worth on a pass of this sort, you have to meticulously plan your itinerary.
IMO I would shy away from these offers that tend to control your day time wise that is.
If you have to wait an extra 30 minutes or spend $108.00 for a pass, I%26#39;d wait the 30 minutes.
Just my opinion, do what you will.
Poppa
New York pass, worth it? Any hidden catches?
Having looked at the list of free attractions i think it is worth it, we will def do ESB and the sky ride, circle line sight seeing tour radio city hall and they offer a dscount on helicoptor flights, there are also some things i will probably do that i wouldnt if i didn%26#39;t have it such as central park zoo and madame tussards.There is also discount at places like juniors (love cheesecake) and some other shops.
I read in my Frommers guide that the disadvantage to the NY Pass is that you still have to line up to convert the vouchers into tickets, whereas with the Citypass you can skip the lines because what you have is already a ticket.
There%26#39;s a lot on offer with the NY Pass though, but you%26#39;d have to make sure you used it to make it worth it.
If you are planning to see alot of the attractions that are featured in the NYC Pass, then it is a good idea. My friend and I used it in June, and we went on a boat tour, bus tour, museum, etc., so for us it was useful. Also, we went up the Empire State Building on a weekday around 4 p.m., we went in to the News store to get the ticket (we had to show our NY Pass) and we were in and out of the ESB in about 45 minutes, which was nice, considering you read about people being in line for about 2 1/2 hours sometimes.
The pass also entitles you to discounts on purchases in some stores, like the Hard Rock Cafe gift shop, where I went a little nuts buying things, so it helped for me. To me the pass was worthwhile, as my friend and I looked at all the pass offered and compared that list to what we wanted to see/do, and for us it worked out fine. We also looked at the other pass, Citypass I think it%26#39;s called, and that didn%26#39;t offer things we actually wanted to see, except for maybe one or two attractions, so that would have been a waste of money for us. My advice is to do what we did...decide what you want to see, add up the costs, and compare that to what%26#39;s offered on the NY Pass to see if it works out as a discount that%26#39;s worthwhile.
Oh, and also, I forgot to mention, keep in mind that for some things, admission is ';free'; but for others, it offers just a discount. My friend got a little confused this way, as she thought that the NY pass offered a ';free'; helicopter tour, but it only offered a discount.
We have used the pass in the past and not gained benefit. However, this year we went museum crazy during our two week stay and could have saves a couple hundred dollars had we used the pass. So I guess it depends on what you want to see in the time frame you will be there.
Are these New York passes readily available when you get there or is it best to buy online beforehand? Which is the best value - I%26#39;ve noticed the prices vary.
My friend and I bought ours online, printed the voucher, and picked the passes up at Planet Hollywood in Times Square. The passes are cheaper if you buy them for only one day, but you%26#39;ll have more time to see the featured attractions if you purchase a three day pass. Check out this link:
http://www.newyorkpass.com/index2.asp
