New York Pass

This pass is a waste of money if you plan on using it to go to the most popular attractions in NYC (Statue of Liberty, Rockefeller, World Trade Museum, Yankee Stadium, Empire State). Due to the distance between these places and the long lines which you cannot skip, there is virtually no way you will get your money’s worth out of the pass. You will wind up running from attraction to attraction, spending little time at each, and having to settle for missing some attractions/​paying for them separately later on in your trip instead of enjoying yourself.
However, a friend I traveled with spent more time in museums than I and definitely got her money’s worth! With her one day pass, she saved roughly $ 100, so if you wish to spend a day or two touring these types of less crowded locations, then I guess the pass works great!

We were in NYC for about 2.5 days from Thursday noon to Saturday afternoon so we decided to purchase the 2-​day pass for $ 119/​person on Expedia since it’s cheaper than the one directly on NYP website (I think around $ 130 or $ 140) and Expedia did not have a 1-​day option. We figured that as long as we got to see around 5 places or more, we would at least break even. We planned our itinerary for 2 full fun days but we did not realize the waits are still very long for most of these attractions. There were only few with fast track, and those could still take long since we went during New Year.
The pass pickup was such a bad experience… I went to the pickup location at a gift shop and the lady there was already looked annoyed when she saw us. Then I told her that I got tickets on Expedia and showed her the vouchers on my phone. She then said that I needed to give her the printed vouchers… What age is this? It’s 2015! Why do you need anything printed anymore? Save some trees! I asked her why and she said she doesn’t know why, this is her first time at this location, blah blah blah… And I just stood there, dazzled! The shop doesn’t have printers so I had to run around trying to find a place to find a printer to get these vouchers printed. Such aweful experience! I give 1 star for this alone.
In the morning around 9:10 AM we were in line waiting for the Ride tickets and the line had about 100 people in front of me already. They’re open at 9 AM so these people must have lined up since 8. I got to the front where a rep was standing to ask him how long it would take… He said tickets for New York Pass holders are running out, there were only 30 left for the whole day, and you can only do same day… So I would have to come the next day… This was terrible since I really wanna try the Ride! And he doesn’t make it seem like he will inform the people who are in line who most likely will not be able to get a ticket either!
We decided to go see the Intrepid Museum which was really cool! There was a separate line for us, and we even got the free audio tour. The Circle Line sightseeing tour was right next door so that was pretty convenient. The Liberty tour at 10 AM was cancelled on the first so we had to take the Liberty tour at noon. It took 2.5 hours so it’s actually a waste of time! We didn’t really care after the first hour pretty much. I napped for the rest of the tour. Then we went back to Discovery Times Square to see the Star Wars Power of Costumes exhibit which was very awesome as well. We also went next door to Bowlmor to get the free game and free rental for bowling. We also stopped by Dave and Buster’s to get the $ 20 free game with $ 20 purchase, with $ 3 for the power card when you first get it.
We went for dinner and then ended the night with Empire State Building. The wait was an hour total from the point where we first got in line til we got to the 86^th floor. We did not want to spend $ 20 more to see 102^nd since we figure it’s probably the same thing pretty much! Oh man it was freezing and windy that night! There were too many people and we were so tired since it’s already 11 pm. We took a few pictures since the scene was so beautiful but of course the pictures couldn’t do it justice!
The next day we went to Madame Tussauds. The line was so long and it’s a nightmare trying to navigate inside with so many people surrounding you! Later in the afternoon we went to try Top of the Rock, only to find out that it is based on a time ticketing system so the next available one would be 8:20 pm but our bus back to Boston is at 6 pm so unfortunately we won’t be able to make it. So overall we were only able to see 5 places but I think we got our money worth at least… It’s definitely a bummer that we didn’t get to see the Ride or go to more places but I think it’s worth it to do in the future. We just need to keep in mind the waiting and travel times between places.

You can save a lot of money using the New York pass! Even after accounting for the free museums, we still saved about 156 dollars across two people by buying the discounted 5 day pass. However, you need to plan out what you’re doing each day to maximize the amount saved! We didn’t get the hop on hop off; we just used the subway for transport

I live in NYC and have had waves of friends and family members coming to visit recently. As most of you may or may not know, NYC is an expensive place. Often, when people come to visit, they want to see EVERYTHING (obviously). So I looked around to see if there was something that would allow them to do so and found the NY Pass.
With the pass, we were able to go to the Empire State Building and the Top of the Rock for great views, rent bikes to ramble around Central Park all the way down to Battery Park and everything in between. We could hop on and off of busses (those touristy double decker, sightseeing ones) but we really only did that once. We went to every museum some more than once (come to Brooklyn and check out the Brooklyn Museum, it’s beautiful!). We took tours of Radio City Music Hall and Yankee Stadium, and checked out the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island… and a plethora of other things I don’t care to list because we would be here all day…
Now the reason I list these off is because all of that added up is a ridiculous amount of money. We were able to do it all for $ 300 bucks! Thats equivalent to a dinner for four… if you’re lucky…
Anyway, to sum things up: This pass will save you money FOR SURE. My wife and I are actually planning on buying one just to use for a «date weekend» sort of thing where we spend three days hanging out throughout the city.
Also, I’d like to address the idiocy I see in the comments. If you buy a pass expecting to get carried around on a golden litter from site to site, your brain is small. This is New York City. You have to fend for yourself and plan ahead/​come up with a new plan if your plan doesn’t work. If it’s raining, guess what, you chose to come to NY when it happened to be raining. Deal with it and go to museums. If the place you want to go to right now is booked, go somewhere else. There are literally thousands of things to do in this city throughout all times of the day (and night). Also, again, this is New York City… if you go to the Empire State Building and there is a 30 minute wait, you’re lucky! Do you expect people to air lift you to the top in a Wonka elevator? /​end rant
Anyway, as someone who lives in NY and has bought this pass for friends, relatives, and himself over and over again, I definitely recommend it.

Even though I’ve been to NY several times, the crew I went with have not. So, I bough the NY Pass to give them peace of mind. They were told purchasing this pass is a great option to see NY. Sigh… amateurs, right? JK
If it’s your first time in NY and you are unsure about which subway to take or where to go and you have no social skills or are afraid to ask the locals for help, then buy the pass. However, if you are feeling more adventurous, take the subway — NO, you will NOT get mugged like what you see on TV (IMO, this is the best and super cheap method of transportation around the city). Most tourist attractions in NY are within walking distance anyway.
You do get unlimited pass to many attractions in NY. But again, you don’t have that much time in the day to experience everything. Most of the time you will find yourself standing in line for each tour/​attraction. One perk to carrying this pass is that you do get front of the line pass to most attractions (but… there’s still a wait).
TIP: Purchase the pass online (cheapest cost) and have it sent to you. Forking up a few dollars to do this is so worth it. Picking up the book and pass (credit card looking thing) at one of the kiosks they provide is a huge hassle and very cumbersome. If you purchase the pass, opt to get the on and off bus tour option — don’t be cheap. Go Big! Honestly, head straight to the Gray Line NY Visitor Center. All other kiosks to pick up your book are unpredictable and inefficient. They will give you a plastic card and a receipt (and won’t mention that that’s the bus ticket)… so read everything they provide because they don’t give you any guidance.

Buyer BEWARE! You have been warned! Waste of time and $$$!!! Got up early as told (8am) to be in line for «The Ride» and were told they were sold out. I asked if I could purchase tickets at reg price ($ 74) to see what response I would get and surely enough the person said «we still have those available». What a rip off and shame! I’ll be posting on Google as well! It’s the age of technology and businesses whether it’s NYC or tiny town USA cannot and should not get away with this!!! My generation my hard earned money-​I decide who takes it!!! U should too!

I purchased the 2 attraction pass for AMNH and Statue of Liberty/​Ellis Island. I was looking for a deal on the AMNH knowing that, if you wait in line, it is actually a suggested donation price. I thought I would purchase tickets in advance to avoid the line. Apparently you still have to wait in line for ALL attractions using this type of pass. I have previously used the New York CityPass and did not need to wait in line. If I had known this was not going to save me ANY time in the line, I would not have purchased it and would have paid my «suggested donation» after waiting in line. Oh, and it also did not provide access to any of the special exhibits.

A phenomenal resource. We used it ‘full bore’.
We had been to NYC before, but wanted to really explore the city this time. We bought 7-​day passes without the hop-​on bus and then started researching. On arrival we bought a 7-​days Metro pass and were equipped to start.
We did several of the walking tours included, even though the booking process was a little convoluted. The tours really gave an insight. Seeing Harlem with a local was eye-​opening.
We did quite a few activities which we would not have bothered to do had we had to pay individually. Some of these were way above expectation.
The card was readily accepted at all points.
After a week in the Big Apple we left exhausted, but having had a sensational experience.

My brother visited town and he suggested we purchase this. I got the 7 days pass for each of us. I have to say that it gave us the opportunity to explore the entire city. It’s not true that the lines are faster, I felt like it was the same wait for everyone. We saved $ 50 each. I am not sure if less than 7 days pass is worth it.

We haven’t used the pass yet, but we are very upset over pricing.
We purchased a 5-​day pass online this afternoon. Within two hours of making the purchase, we received an e-​mail for a discount code that would have lowered the price quite a bit. I immediately called, but New York Pass would not honor the new price. I feel like I’ve been cheated!

Used this pass on everything, 3 day pass and got to see
rockafellar center– did the tour, learned a lot about the place and then top of the rock, by far the best view in the world !!
Empire State — the gated windows ruin the site but still pretty at night time
Natural history museum — took the longest! Half day
Central Park sight seeing bike tour– DONT DO THE TOUR, just a ride your self
Museum of sex– really fun
Statue of Liberty and the ferry ride — one of the most interesting rides every best weather too so amazing

We purchased the 2 day pass which I’m sorry to say was not a money saver. First we arrived to pick up our tickets and had to wait in line for 45 minutes even though we already paid on-​line. Why can’t they offer 2 lines. One line for the people who pre-​ordered and another line for the people who were purchasing that day. It’s ironic that one of the benefits of the card is to avoid lines at many places however we had to wait in a long line to pick up the pass.
I was not aware that we would be treated differently with the pass. Three different places (The Ride, 911 Museum and Top of the Rock) could not let us see the attractions when we arrived because they only allotted a limited amount of openings to people with the pass even though they had plenty of vacant spots but only for people that would be paying them directly. The ride had spots at 1pm and said they were sold out to people with the NY Pass. We arrived at the 911 memorial which had a showing at 12:30 however they had no available openings for people with the pass. The Top of the Rock were letting «paying» customers take the elevator at 6pm but we were told we had to return at 9pm since we had the Pass.
If you use the pass during a time in NY that’s not as busy you may have better luck. We definitely lost money on this deal but not for a lack of trying!

NY Pass is good to see the city. Would be awesome if they had more options in other parts of NY beside, Manhattan and Brooklyn.
The Pass should not expire, because after having it, I am not sure I would get it again unless I am going to the top attractions.
More shopping and restaurant options would be ideal.
There also should be a bus specifically for NY Pass holders because at times it was too hectic to get on and off the bus with people who didn’t have the pass.

Bought a three-​day New York Pass. VERY much worth it. Plot your days out so you can be efficient. Pleased with how many things we were able to do with this one simple pass.
BUT, like the entire city of New York, they will try to scam you into additional add on up charges that are *NOT* worth it!
First we bought the On/​Off bus option. A waste. We tried it on day 2, but it was VERY inefficient! Went a few blocks and rather than stopping and letting people hop off and on, as advertised, they SAT there for at least ten minutes at each stop. At that rate it would have taken HOURS to get very far. So we hopped OFF and never used the bus again!
And while picking up the pass, the bored and hurried attendant conned us (yes, I’m gullible and wanted the best experience) into paying ANOTHER $ 50 for the «VIP Pass.» All kinds of neat things, all worthless, are printed on this. DON’T FALL for this New York trick. You do *NOT* need this VIP stuff… silly.
The BEST thing we added onto this pass was an unlimited subway pass! The NY subway system is overwhelmingly efficient, clean, and FAST. If you’re from out of town and «afraid» of the subway, don’t be. Just study the map ahead of time, plot your trip, and know what line you need! It’s not hard, and it’s VERY fast and efficient!
Bottom line: New York Pass WORTH it. On/​Off bus NOT, «VIP» up-​sale a scam, NY subway fantastic!

Great option! Customer service ppl were idiots. Thank goodness I only had to see them once. 3 agents were there when I arrived then they went down to 1 as I was still in line. So I had to wait and wait some more. The Asian guy was rude. You would have thought we were exes the way he talked. Sir please just give me what I paid for so I can be on my way.
After that silliness everything else was a snap. EVERY attraction recognized the pass without incident. Saved Soooo much money. In Vegas we have nothing like this… yet.

If you’re going to be in NYC and want to visit all the tourist sites, definitely purchase the New York pass and make sure to get it shipped to your house so you don’t have to line up to pick up your passes. We purchased the 2 day New York pass along with the 2 day bus pass. We visited the Top of the Rock, Empire state building, rode the New York Skyride (Not worth it if you’re purchasing separately but since you have a pass just do it), went on the walking tours etc. Make sure you plan out your visit so you get the most of your pass and as others have said, plan out your visits to most of the tours/​sites are close to one another and you make the most of your time.
It’s pricey up front but if you plan out your visit you may be coming out on top. Recommend but make sure you do your research and as I already mentioned definitely plan.plan.plan your visit. Have a great time! Oh and don’t forget to download the app which is very helpful!

If you’re wanting the NY tourist experience, this pass is well worth it. This pass grants you access to 80 attractions and more so than the City Pass (yes there is a difference)
I bought my passes in June and the booklet and cards came in. The booklet holds a bunch of other information and tips to the attractions. You can also download the app on your phone.
Plan your trip to NY because once they slide this card in an attraction, the time starts ticking. You slide it at 11pm on a Monday, your 5 day pass starts on a Monday.
If you love museums you can get to the major ones for free with this little life saver. Ie– coming off the subway to the American Museum of Natural History we were already faced with a huge line to get in. The NY pass helped us get in a little faster and was well worth the wait.
We also managed to get in Guggenheim, MoMA and Met easily.
Getting into the Empire State and Top of the Rock was also well worth the pass. Try to be efficient in planning your trip. The Empire State closes later and so does the Top of the Rock. If you want to avoid lines, go at night as the lines are faster. Check weather conditions too because when we were on Empire State it was raining and the visibility was covered by the clouds at time.
The views are still worth it despite the rain.
Also check out the Circle Line Cruises on 42^nd street, you’ll get a 2.5 –3 hour tour that is so worth the views of Manhattan, Statue of Liberty, and Brooklyn Bridge that you won’t get on a walking tour.
Get yourself a camera because this pass is worth it.

Worth the money. You’ll do better if you order it before your trip and plan the places you want to see. They gave us a handy book that tells the neighborhoods of each attraction. You may have to make reservations ahead of time for some attractions. We had no problems getting into any of the places listed. Get in as much as you can and get more than your money’s worth! Also check the reviews on some of the attractions to be sure it’s worth your time. Don’t just go because it’s included because you may end up wasting time. There are plenty of things included to fit anyone’s interest.

The New York Pass worked great for our family. We bought the five day pass were able to see all the highlights: Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, The Met, MoMA, Top of the Rock, etc. But with the pass were also ended up doing a lot of things we probably would not have spent money on: speed boat trip on the Hudson River, Madame Tussauds, Guggenheim Museum, Discovery Times Square, bike rental in Central Park, etc.
I wish that the New York Pass drops the TERRIBLE «New York Sky Ride» (located in the Empire State Building). It’s SO BAD that even though it was included in the New York Pass (and thus free), it cheapens the New York Pass experience. Don’t even waste your time on this!
Aside from that, I would recommend getting the pass. They have a good app, which was also helpful.

We got the One-​Day Pass and figured as long as we got see at least 3 attractions then we got our money’s worth! And sure enough we managed to knock out 5! Had we gotten up earlier that day we probably could have knocked out a few more. Now I admit there are only two of us, so it made coming and going a lot easier than trying to plan for an entire group.
This was my second visit to NYC so I knew taking the bus tour was definitely NOT going to happen since I didn’t really enjoy it the last time I was here. And to be honest we didn’t use the hop on/​hop off pass although I’m pretty sure it was included, but we never used it. I highly recommend using the Water Taxi … that one was fun and you get to see a lot in all directions. And we used the subway.
If you plan on your day based on closest attraction to the next closest attraction, then you can really make the most out of the New York Pass. A lot of people try to go from one end of the city to see one thing and then back to the other to see a different attraction; only later realize that they spend most of their time commuting or waiting in lines. So I highly recommend you planning your itinerary the best you can. We used the process of elimination and just crossed out everywhere we didn’t really care to visit and focused on the things we circled.
Attractions we saw/​did:
Water Taxi
Trade Center Memorial
Pulse Bodies Exhibit
Top of the Rock
Bike Rentals in Central Park
So I thoroughly Recommend getting the New York Pass. We had a great time using it!