Theme park visits are magical. Family time, character greetings, fun rides and shows, holiday festivities….and waiting in line.
Let’s call it what it is. Waiting in line is unfortunately a part of all theme park visits, especially during the busy times of year. The most popular attractions at Universal and Disney theme parks – and other theme parks and amusement parks – can command wait times measuring well over an hour or more, which will eat up your magical park time more quickly than a Minion munching on a banana.
Of course, there are ways to mitigate your time waiting in line. Early starts and strategic timing help us spend a little less time in line. But the most effective way to save time in line is also the most expensive – purchasing the privilege to skip most of the line and get on the rides quickly.
Universal and Disney both have their own programs offering guests the (expensive) opportunity to pay to skip most of the lines. Universal offers Universal Express Pass and Express Pass Unlimited, which allows guests to skip near the front of the line for most theme park attractions. Disney offers Disney Genie+, which has a lower base cost, but requires constant attention throughout the theme park visit to scout out favorite attractions and reserve a spot in the short line for a later return. Genie+ also reserves select attractions for separate paid front-of-line access, which can add a bit to the cost as well.
In this article, I’ll explain a bit about Universal’s refreshingly simple Express Pass System, how the pricing works, and how to score huge savings using a method you may never have thought of. Let’s dig in!
Universal Orlando Express Pass
Universal Orlando’s Express Pass is quite a simple concept. A guest pays a sum of money (separate from the cost of the theme park ticket itself) to add Express Pass to their ticket and therefore gain near-front-of-line access to most theme park attractions. Express Pass is divided into two categories:
Universal Express Pass
Also called “Base” Express Pass, this program allows guests to skip the regular lines at most popular rides and attractions once per ride. Separate theme park admission is required.
As of the date of this article publishing, the price for Universal Express Pass ranges from $80/day to a hefty $320/day, depending on the park’s seasonal pricing (i.e. it’s more expensive during busy times of year and less expensive during quieter times of year).
Universal Express Pass Unlimited
This program allows guests to skip the regular lines at most popular rides and attractions as many times as they want. Separate theme park admission is required.
As of the date of this article publishing, the price for Universal Express Pass Unlimited ranges from $110/day to a whopping $350/day, again depending on the park’s seasonal pricing.
Prices Adding Up
Remember, the cost for Universal Express Pass is in addition to the cost of the park ticket itself, which starts at $119/day for a one-park base ticket. If you are doing the math, you’ll quickly get frightened by the total cost building up. But fear not – Universal offers many ways to build multi-day vacation packages, which helps keep the overall cost manageable. The most common way is to reserve a multi-night stay in a Universal resort, coupled with multi-day theme park tickets which are heavily discounted when purchased alongside a hotel stay. That is not the focus of this article, but please reach out to me if you are interested in a multi-day stay at Universal Orlando Resort. I can help you plan out an excellent (and reasonably priced) vacation.
Some guests are looking to spend just a couple days in Universal Orlando theme parks. Maybe they are staying off-property doing other things in Central Florida. Perhaps they are staying at Walt Disney World for the week, and only want to tack on a couple quick days at Universal to see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Or maybe they are Florida residents just looking for a weekend in the Universal parks.
Whatever the case – not everyone wants a multi-day Universal Resort package, and simply wants a couple days in the theme parks without spending most of those days in line. Purchasing tickets and Express Pass upgrades a la carte is super expensive. A short and sweet ticket package (scored by a vacation planner like me) pulls the cost down significantly. But there is another way as well. Adding in a Premier-level hotel room for the night will decrease the total price even more! They’re called “Ghost Rooms”, and I’m gonna show you how it works. Let’s go through the pricing so you can see the savings.
Here’s How to Save Big Money on a Two-Day Universal Theme Park Visit With Express Pass
So let’s see exactly how this works. I’ll price out three two-day theme park scenarios using the following three methods:
- A la carte purchase of tickets and Express Pass.
- Ticket/Express Pass package deal using a Universal-Authorized vacation planner.
- Ticket and Premier resort stay package deal using a Universal-authorized vacation planner.
For all three of these purchase methods, we’ll use the same vacation scenario:
- Scheduled visit – Memorial Day weekend 2024: May 25 (Saturday) and May 26 (Sunday).
- Family of four – all adults (all age 10 or over).
- Tickets will be the two-day, two-park, park-to-park tickets.
- Express Pass will be the Unlimited option.
A La Carte Purchase From Universal Orlando Consumer Site
For this method, I visited the Universal Orlando website, navigated to the “Tickets and Passes” menu, and purchased the following:
- Four two-day, two-park, park-to-park tickets – $1,516 (before tax)
- Four two-park Universal Express Pass Unlimited for May 25 – $1,160 (before tax)
- Four two-park Universal Express Pass Unlimited for May 26 – $1,160 (before tax)
Subtotal = $3,756
Tax = $244
Total (including tax) = $4,000
When we break this price down, it equals $1,000 per person total, or $500 per person, per day. Yikes!
Theme Park Ticket Package Through Universal-Authorized Vacation Planner
Here, I package together a park ticket/Express Pass package for the same family, on the same dates:
- Package for four two-day, two-park, park-to-park tickets plus two-park Universal Express Pass Unlimited for both days
Total (including tax) = $3,190
For the sake of simplicity, let’s call it $3,200. When we break this price down, it equals $800 per person total, or $400 per person, per day. This is 20% cheaper than the a la carte pricing. Much better, but still fairly expensive.
One-Night Universal Premier Resort Stay and Two-Day Theme Park Ticket Package Through Universal-Authorized Vacation Planner
Here, I put together a one-night stay in a Universal Orlando Premier resort hotel, which includes free Universal Express Pass Unlimited from check-in day through check-out day (both days in this scenario):
- Hotel room – Loews Portofino Bay Hotel – $813 (includes tax)
- Four two-day, two-park, park-to-park tickets – $1,614 (includes tax)
- Universal Express Pass Unlimited for both days – complimentary with Premier hotel room
Total (including tax) = $2,427
For the sake of simplicity, let’s call it $2,400. When we break this price down, it equals $600 per person total, or $300 per person, per day. This is 40% cheaper than the a la carte pricing, and 25% cheaper than the ticket/Express Pass-only package pricing. $300 per person to skip most of the lines, on a very busy, very expensive holiday weekend is a very reasonable price. Now we’re in business!
Don’t Forget About Your Room
The addition of a one-night Premier hotel stay used to lower the total cost has led to many instances where guests don’t even bother to stay in the hotel room they booked – coining the term “Ghost Room.”
The one-night Premier hotel, two-day ticket package is a great deal unto itself, but let’s not overlook one additional, amazing benefit. You get to stay in a gorgeous Premier-level hotel room, located only a short walk – or a pleasant water taxi cruise – from Universal’s two theme parks.
Loews Portofino Bay Hotel – the hotel used in this scenario – offers guests surroundings inspired by the beauty, romance, and charm of the picturesque seaside village of Portofino, Italy. The grounds are gorgeous, and the rooms are top-notch.
If you prefer a different scene, Universal offers two other Premier-level options: Loews Royal Pacific Resort and Hard Rock Hotel. All three hotels are fabulous, and will offer a posh accommodation – even if only for the one night.
So why not use the room? You’ve already paid for it! Aside from the complimentary Express Pass Unlimited and the beautiful hotel room, here are several other reasons why staying at a Premier resort for the night (or more) will be worth your while:
- Avoid the mad rush and traffic of Universal’s central parking structure by leaving your car in the hotel parking lot (at a reduced rate for hotel guests).
- Get back to your room quickly after day one using the short walking path or by taking the water taxi. Same goes for getting back to the parks quickly and easily on day two.
- Early theme park admission – Select parks (currently Universal Islands of Adventure and Universal Volcano Bay Water Park) offer admission up to one hour early for guests of Universal Resort hotels, with select attractions available to enjoy. Early access is very helpful for guests wanting to ride Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure (one of only three attractions in the Universal theme parks not included in the Express Pass system, with the others being Ollivander’s Wand Shop and Pteranodon Flyers). The details of early entry are subject to change, so it’s best to check Universal’s website (or check in with me) in the days leading up to your trip, to confirm that your park plan is still accurate and beneficial.
Quite a Deal at Universal Orlando Resort
Who would’ve thought adding an expensive hotel room would drastically lower the total cost of a quick two-day getaway to the Universal Orlando theme parks? This is an excellent option for guests who just want to dip their toe in the Universal Orlando pool, without committing to a full vacation there (trust me, you’ll want to go back again, and when you do, I can help you get a great deal on your trip).
Of course, the total price of the trip and the total savings available varies by the season. Applying this same strategy in September, when crowds and prices are both lower, will reduce the benefit of using this strategy. But the overall trip price will also drop accordingly, so this strategy is still a win-win no matter how you slice it!
Are you interested in visiting Universal Orlando? If you are looking to travel later in 2025, I can help you enjoy Universal’s new Epic Universe Theme Park – scheduled to open in 2025. Or how about Universal Hollywood, where you can visit the all new Super Nintendo Land? Contact Facts and Figment Vacation Planning to start the process. There are great deals to be had, and I can help you find them. My vacation planning services are absolutely FREE, and I can help you score the best, hardest-to-get deals to make your vacation more affordable.
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