New York Pass, are they worth the price?
 

Everybody has told me a NYP is an essential. I just wanted to ask the experienced New Yorkers their opinion. Would a 3 Day be enough or should i opt or the 7 day one as im in the city for 9 days? And do you really benefit and save money from having one? I do not intend to go Lady Liberty or Ellis Island (instead we will take the staten island ferry one moring as it free and easy!) but i do intend to go the Empire State Building Observation Deck early one morning, Museum of Modern Art, Top of the Rock (at night), Radio City Music Hall Tour, The Met and the WTC Visitor Center maybe the NBC Studio Tour. Would i be better off just going to these places alone and paying then, as the MoMa is free on Fri etcs
And is there a limit on how many places you can go with the pass in one day, i read somewhere it is three places, that wouldn't suit me and my travelers as we would like to do the sight seeing in a bundle together?
Does the 'fast track' really save you time?
Thank you all so much =)

Thanks you, yes I just your read your advice this minute and I checked the website, thank you =)
Yeah im still unsure what to do, whether to buy one or not? As the savings do seem to be greater than the ones on the website. Or maybe its good advertising on the New York Pass website!
Ive been advised to not go near the hop-on hop-off buses and just use the public transport - the metro, not the cabs. As the buses tend to be stuck in traffic alot and with the open top ones, I would die in the Summer. Im from Ireland and very very pale xD

My honest opinion is that it's not a very good deal for most visitors. It's a particularly distinct rip-off for the 1- and 2-day versions. However, the return on your investment is much expanded with the 7-day pass, especially at the reduced rates I'm seeing online now. For someone coming on a 9-day trip, if you can get the pass for $175 (and if you really plan on seeing at least 1 or 2 included things each and every day when you are in the city), then you should buy it.

I've never been in any one city for 7 or 9 days, so can't tell you specifically how that pass would work out.

But every time I evaluate one of these passes, it doesn't make sense to me. I make a list of every place I'm likely to possibly visit, add up the admission prices, and compare them to the Pass price. The admission prices, for me, are always cheaper. Partly because I'm specific about what I want to see, and tend to spend a long time at certain places. So I'm unlikely to ever do 2-3 of the covered attractions every day. So if you want to decide, add your possibilities, and compare them to the price of a 7-day pass.

Also, if you're worried about lines, at least some places (such as the Met) offer the option to buy your tickets in advance, so you can skip ticket lines that way.

The jump the line benefit is illusory. Most activities don;t have long lines. For the ones that do you can buy tickets in advance and avoid the ticket buying line (which is all the pass let's you skip_. The places with long lines - like the ESB - usually have them AFTER you buy the ticket - and these passes don;t get you pst that line. The worst lines are for the Statue of liberty and you have to get those tickets from the Park Service.

I think these pases make sense only if you spend very little time in each place and bounce madly about like a ping pong ball to "hit" enough places to make it pay. If you spend any substantial time at any sight (SoL and Ellis Island takes about 6 hours) and you can't see the Met or Natural History in 30 mminutes) you won;t get to enough placs for the pas to pay.

I have no idea who you think is recommending them. No New Yorker is.

I'm a New Yorkers, and I recommend the weeklong lass under two specific instances.

1. You must be able to get it for a discounted price.
2. You must be interested in the museums and expensive attractions that are included.

under those cicumstances, i recommend the pass.

but NEVER the 1 or 2 day version.

Also, i went to the Statue of Liberty yesterday. If you use the pass there, you have to wait in the LONG line to get on a ferry with no reserved time. So you have to count on at least 1 to 2 hours in line. With our reserved tickets, we waited about 15 minutes for our time and 5 minutes in line. Security there takes the same amount of time regardless. The line to buy unreserved tickets was about 5 minutes. Shorter actually than the line to pick up reserved tickets. So you dont really save much time. Dont buy the pass to save time. Plan your trip in advance to do that.

The Met is "pay what you wish". Not only is MOMA free on Fridays after 5 pm but there's also a combo MOMA/Top of the Rock pass you can buy in person if you want to go another time. Don't know about limits but do the math with what you know.

Doug_Stallings, thank you for your advice on the S of L. We plan to go in late June (when everyone is done with school!) with son, d-in-law and 4 little ones 7 and under. You answered our question about the necessity of reserving tix and time for this. My reaction was same as yours: how could you obtain an 'unreserved' space on ferry if days were already blocked out with 'reserved' tickets-- they must keep some available but couple hours in line with this crew is not feasible.

We tour NYC ourselves regularly (from just across the Hudson) and would agree that these passes are not worth what you actually want. We feel this way generally with tours-- go to see what you want. ArtyJones, not sure when your trip is, but know that although MOMA is free on Friday evenings, every tourist coming knows this and the lines for admission are very long. Go somewhat late, i.e., do not line up for 5pm admission as it has run for some blocks as I've seen. Show up maybe 6:30 or after. Good luck!