I was really disappointed about buying this pass for four of us. At almost every attractions we were unable to book in advance, some allowed us 24 hours in advance so we could not plan out our trip. We could also not guarantee availability and we ended up buying other tickets to use instead. In my opinion a total waste of money.
There is a lot to see in the City, but using the NY Pass made all of the tours / cruises much more affordable! Even though the Pass gives you the reservation you need, you still have to stand in lines to secure your tickets for each event. I would recommend this to others, especially if this is your first trip to the City
I have just been to New York on a 5 day break, great time had by all.We purchased an explorer pass in the belief that there was a benefit of having this pre-paid pass, missing ques as we had the pass, cost reduction / discount of some sort because we were paying up front in one lot 232 for a 5 attraction pass for two people.
This was not the case, we had to que the same as everybody else, as you require a ticket to gain access to all attractions, it made no difference that we had the pass what so ever.
I also felt we over paid the cost of the five attractions, as the average cost per a couple was about 36-40 dollars, you have to pre book for entrance to the statue of liberty, you can only get access to the grounds with the pass , entrance into the statue is not covered with this pass.
Listening to other tourists, the city pass is the way to go if you are thinking of a pass.
My own experience is get up and out early, dont bother with any pass and you will be just as well off.
M.Madden Ireland.