How to Choose Your Universal Orlando Tickets (Plus How to Save!)

Hello, I am planning on visiting Universal Studios in March. However I was wondering if I by the two day base tickets will I be able to visit both parts of the Harry Potter park? From my understanding if I buy the 2 day park to park tickets the only other advantage im getting is the Hogwarts Express so my question is do I necessarily need the park to park tickets in order to visit the Harry Potter theme parks? I'm looking for the cheapest option but we are really just going for the Harry Potter parks.

Bring three children Jan 24-26. The crowd calendar says 3/10 for both days at the top, but Universal is listed as yellow and red. Can you tell me why? And, I was thinking we would not need express passes, but thinking I do now. Thoughts? Mainly wanting to do Harry Potter themed rides.

My family of 6 is planning a trip to Orlando this March (spring break). We are only planning to spend one day at Universal Studios/ Island of Adventure, primarily for the Harry Potter attractions. I know it will be super busy. We are trying to decide wether or not to pay extra for the VIP tour/tickets or just get the express passes and try to get to the Harry Potter stuff early? The VIP tour sounds great but kind of hard to swallow at $550/day/person.

Hi! My family will be driving down to catch a cruise at Port Canaveral that leaves on April 18. I was thinking we might drive in a day early and spend the 17th visiting one of the Harry Potter parks. Which is better?? I thought about the Park-to-park but it is so expensive. Remember...we just paid for a cruise too! :) But since we're going to be down there...I know we can't do Hogswort Express without the park-to-park ticket. Which park would you suggest for our family (kids are 10 and 13? Thanks!!

Hi! We are a group of 10, with two 13 years old.

We are going to Orlando on February 12-21.

Is it convenience for us to buy the 3-Park Unlimited Universal Ticket? Does it include the Express Unlimited to skip the regular lines? Is it convienience for us in the week we are going? Does it include the Hogwarts Express?

We are staying in the Disney's hotels and going to Disney's parks. Is it so crowded in the dates we are going that you will recommend us to skip the parks with extra hours to avoid crowds?

Thank you in advance!

Hi so me and my family are going to orlando next summer 9 june - 20 june and we were thinking of going to 4 parks, magic kingdom , islands of adventure, universal studios and a water park. Me and my sister love crazy big rides and would like to do a lot of rides so my question is what is the best to buy? is it enough to visit both island of adventure and universal studios on the same day, especially if we want to do a lot of rides? we have not decided yet which waterpark we would like to go to so if you have any recommondations that would be great :) thank you for your help.

Hi, I will be travelling to Orlando for a 2 day business meeting in Feb. I have around 5 hours with me after the meeting before i leave for the airport. I really want to visit the Universal Studio. Is 5 hours a decent time to go around in Universal Studio? What all are the must see things which i should cover? I am assuming Universal Studio would be a better option than Island of Adventures given the time i have. Please help me plan this trip. Also how can i get the Express pass to beat the rush.

We are 2 adults, both in early 30, planning to visit Orlando Disney parks for 2 full days. Please suggest which are 2 best parks to choose. Can I hop and cover more than 2 parks in a day. I am interested in rides, 3d simulators and dont really prefer shows (like fairy etc). I want to know of a cheap accommodation nearby Disney parks and want to know how far is each park from other. Does disney provide hopping rides across parks ? I wish to cover most top attractions in 2 days.

I have been to Universal and Islands of adventure and dont want to go there again.

Thanks for all your blog information, will be great to hear your advise for my queries.

I will be in Orlando Feb 10-15 2016 with my wife and 4 kids (ages 8-12). Our rough plan:

Feb10: Animal Kingdom

Feb11: Magic Kingdom

Feb12: Universal Islands of Adventure

Feb13: Universal Studios

Feb14: Epcot?

Feb15: SeaWorld (we fly home mid-afternoon)

Does this plan seem reasonable? What kind of Universal ticket should I buy? Park-to-park or base ticket? Do I need Universal Express?

Thanks!

We are planning a trip for 2016. Nov. 24th - Dec. 3rd.

If I buy tickets now through your site will they still be good to use next year for our trip? I will be buying 3 day Disney tickets for 4 and 2 day park to park Universal for 4.

Hi, my wife and I are in the 20's and will be in Orlando from 20-27 Oct. Here's our plan:

20 (red-eye flight): Epcot (or other Disney Park)

21: Magic Kingdom

22: Epcot

23: Disney Hollywood

24: Animal Kingdom

25: Seaworld

26: Universal Studio

27: Morning flight

Since I will be arriving in a red-eye flight on the first day, do you suggest going to a Disney Park or Universal studio? Or other suggestions?

Thank you very much. Your website is my bible!

Hi... We are going to universal in less than a month and I would like to know... if i buy 1 day 2 parks ticket and by the end of the day I was not able to see everything, would I be able to upgrade my ticket for a 2 days ticket before I leave the park, or I would have to buy another one day ticket to come back next day?

My mom, daughter (age 8) and I are going to FL for 4 days the 2nd week in November. We are trying to figure out how to split the days. Not sure if we need two days at Universal? We do want to see all of Harry Potter so we would get the park hopper if we did just one day. She's tiny (under 48" so I know there will be some rides she can't go on). The other two days I was thinking of 1 full day at MK and one day split between MK and Epcot. We don't want to do AK at all.

Hello, We are traveling to Universal in April 2016 from 4-16 through 4-20. Debating staying on site to get the express pass benefit versus staying in a timeshare but then having to pay per ticket for the express pass (5 tickets, 4 adults and 1 child). Any thoughts? Is it very busy? That's our school vacation week.

Also, if I buy tickets from Undercover Tourist does that affect whether or not the Universal hotel gives us the express pass? or do I have to buy directly through Universal?

I'd appreciate some advice. I'm trying to decide if the Park to Park option is worth it. We are traveling in late October/early November and will also be going to Disney and spending one day at Legoland. We have a 4 and 7 year old. Our 7 year old is a Harry Potter fan and I'd love to be able to experience all of the Harry Potter area at once and ride the train, but it will add an additional $150 to our ticket price to get Park to Park. Is it really worth it?

Hi,

I, with my girlfriend will be visiting Orlando on September 25th and we only have one day there. Will we be able to cover both the parks in one day ? The crowd calendar says that it is neutrally crowded on September 25th. If not, which of the parks will you suggest us to take ? We are a big movie fan and definitely don't want to miss the Harry Potter ride.

Cheers,

Manoj

We are visiting Universal October 14 and 15. We are trying to decide if the Express Passes are really worth it. They are quite expensive. We visited last time in May and found we did not need them. Any advice?

How do you decide if a day is red, yellow, or green? They days in particular we are going are yellow but the park is red. I know the overall day matters most so I am just curious how you figure it. Thanks.

We are planning a trip for Spring 2016. Our main objective is to experience everything Harry Potter. Is it possible to visit both UA & IOA in one day? Thanks ;)

We're going to Islands of Adventure on Monday, 12/20 and have to decide whether to pay an extra $85 for the standard Express pass (1 use/ride). It seems so expensive but we also don't want to spend our day in lines. Is it necessary this time of year. It's right before a holiday but it's also on a Monday....? Thanks for your advice!

Hi Leap,

My husband and sister in law and I will be heading to a wedding in Florida in early September but we plan to stop by Orlando first and go to US and IOA. We will only be there for 1 day so plan on getting 1 day 2 park ticket. I'm debating on whether or not we should stay at any of the onsite hotels to get the Early admission and express passes but not sure if it's worth it. Based on your experience, do you think it's worth it based on the crowd level? I am a Harry Potter fan so I'd even just setting for staying at Cabana Bay with only the early admission. Or I guess other option is to stay at a cheaper hotel without either of those 2 benefits. Any advice would help.

Thanks!

Angeline

hi! We´re celebrating my sons 8th birthday at Universal, We´re planning to buy the 3 day single park option.

We´re travelling fron august 22nd to 29th. In your crowd calendar says is 6/10 even 3/10 one day, but some parks are red.

Question 1: on a Green Day but a Park in Red, what could we expect?

Question 2: Is the Express Pass worth it for those days?

Thanks!

Hi- We are planning to go to only 1 Universal Studios park on Aug 11, 2015. My husband and I will be traveling with our two children ages 18 and 14, Which park would you recommend. We are on a budget so we will not be purchasing any fast passes. Thank you

Hi there. I will be travelling to Orlando for 1 week with my parents and younger siblings (aged 17 and 9). As we'll only have 5 days free to go to the parks, and are trying to keep on a budget, which tickets would you recommend? We're interested in going to both Universal parks, as well as Busch Gardens, Wet + Wild, and possibly Sea World as well. Many thanks!

Hi there. My parents, myself and my two younger siblings (17 and 9) are going to be in Orlando for just under a week, allowing for 5 days to spend in the parks. We're looking mainly at covering the Universals , Busch Gardens, and maybe Wet + Wild and Sea World.

What would be the cheapest way to do this, keeping in mind that we'll only have 5 days? Thanks!

If I purchase a two day Universal park to park ticket and decide on that 2nd day I want to add a 3rd day can I upgrade during the day? If I can do this would the cost be the difference between a two and three day park to park or would I have to purchase a single day ticket for that 3rd day?

Thanks Tray

Would the 4-Day Base Ticket work as a 2-day park-to-park ticket? For instance, suppose I start at Island Adventure in the morning then go to Studios in the afternoon. Theoretically this should use up two days of my four day ticket. Is this correct, do they allow this?

My boyfriend and I are going to Orlando beginning of August. I have been to Universal and all of the Disney Parks but he has not been to any so this is very exciting for him : )

We both like thrill rides but we are on a budget. I was thinking of doing the 2 day Universal park to park + Wet-N-Wild and then maybe a 1 day Disney Park hopper and hitting Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. My question is for the 2 day Universal Park to park and wet-n-wild would that allow us to say for example on Monday go to Universal Studios then ride the train to Island of Adventure, then Tuesday do the same thing, then Wednesday do Wet-N-Wild? Please help

My husband and 3 children 10 - 16 will be going to Universal Studio's Florida.

They want to do both parks and hogarts express.

Possibly water park what is the best ticket to buy.

Leaving Aug. 2.

Anything else they should see. While in Orlando

My family and I (2 adults, an 11 year old and a 9 year old) are going to Universal on Aug. 19, 2015. We have already purchased park to park tickets. We have never been to Universal, but are experienced theme park "goers". Since we are covering both parks in one day, would you recommend buying the express passes in advance, or should we wait to see what the lines are like once we get there. The crowd rating is moderate (6/10) that day. I don't want to spend the money if we don't have too, but I do want to be able to see/do everything. Is there any chance that the express passes will be sold out if we wanted to purchase them on the day of our trip? What would you recommend?

Thanks for your thoughts.

Kelly

you guys are great! I have already purchased my 3 day, 2 park universal tickets from you for my family of 4. We will be there for 14 days 8/7-8/21. Is it okay to wait to add on the express pass at the park in the morning we visit? The site says the have a limited number. Will I be in danger of having them sell out? Just want to do the right thing, but given the number of days we are there I'm a little afraid to commit to a date for the pass. Any of your great advice is appreciated!

Thanks!

I have 5 kids from 9-21 coming with me next Friday July 24th and we only have one day to go. I already bought the tickets and they are park-to-park passes. My question is since i only have 1 day to do both parks, how should I attack the parks to get the most out of my trip? I plan on getting there at 7:30am and already have tickets. Do you suggest going to one park first and then buying a fast pass for park i visit in the afternoon? Any advice would be helpful. Thanks.

When I buy tickets for Universal Studios Orlando through this site, do I have to exchange them for other tickets at Universal (much like Disney)? Just wondering, as I have a trip planned in August and I'm very excited.

We have a 1-day base ticket for Islands of Adventure that we will use sometime the week of July 27th (except Wednesday). From what I am reading it sounds like the Express Pass will be worth it, but there are six of us and the price is too high for my budget. I have a six year old daughter and I am wondering if many of the busiest rides may not appeal to her anyway, or she may not reach the height requirement. So an Express Pass may not be worth it for her, in which case I would not get one for myself. What are your thoughts---would it be a bad idea just to get the Express Pass for my husband and 3 older kids?

Hi Leap!

Greetings from Peru!!! My boyfriend and I will be travelling to Orlando the second week of September but we will only have 3 days to visit Parks. We were planning on visiting Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Magic Kingdom but we were also interested on Hollywood Studios. Do you think its possible to visit either of these parks on the same day or would you recommend us to allow one day for each park? Also, would you suggest another park instead of either of the ones we have in mind? We are both 26 years old and of course looking for thrilling rides.

Thanks for the help!!

Planning a trip with my girlfriend - both in our mid-20's - trying to decide the best ticket to buy. We're mostly interested in Harry Potter World, so a Park-to-Park seems like a good option - but I just realized you cannot get into Epcot or Magic Kingdom? Being an adult now, I would like to be able to visit night time hot spots and maybe spend a day "drinking around the world" at Epcot. What is the best / easiest way to accomplish this? Thank you!

HI!

You are SO Aweome to answer everyone's questions, Thank you so much! We are going to Universal Studios Orlando for just one day (3 days at DW). Which of the two parks do you recommend for our kids: 9yo girl and 7yo boy (who may not hit the 48" height by then....he's 46" now). We are going either Nov 5th or 6th, is one of those days better than the other?

P.S. My kids have watched all of the Harry Potter movies, so definitely want to see the HP attractions....which park is better for that?

Also, my son LOVES the marvels (esp Spiderman and Hulk).

THANK YOU!!!!

Hey

I am visiting Orlando in early September and I was wondering if I buy a "Park to Park" ticket, am I able to go back and forth between US and US IofA as many times as I would like?

i.e. go to Hogwarts in the morning, hop on Hogwarts Express back to the US, do Universal Studios rides, then go back to Islands of Adventure after I finish what I want to do there, etc....

Or does the park-to-park ticket work that once you leave the first park you visit, there is no re-entry?

Hi! I've been reading some of the questions you've answered so far (Thank you!!) and I just wanted to know what the best deal would be for us. It's 2 of us but we're staying in separate rooms so we thought booking an onsite hotel may not be a good idea. Now I'm confused about the express passes they provide. Do they include admission to the parks? Or do you have to purchase your own park-to-park tickets and the complimentary express passes are a bonus they give you?

We're paying $426 for each 4-day Express Unlimited ticket (Dec16-19) and that is a lot of money but I keep reading about the lines and wait times and I guess we do need them as I dont want to wait that long in line. I thought maybe booking a room at one of Lowe's hotels and using it as a day room might be cheaper since it'd mean we'd book it for 2 people and get 2 passes out of it (for 2 days) but if it's just for the express bonus, and does not include admission then im not sure it's worth it for us since we still have to pay for a room at Drury's that night as well. Any advice? Also, do you know if other hotels have ticket kiosks to pickup tickets too, or is that exclusive to onsite hotels? One last question, are Fridays busier than Saturdays or Sundays? just wondering which day we should take a break. Thanks so much!

My family and I are planning a trip to Orlando in May 9-14 2016. We have 2-3 days for Universal. We will have a group of 4 adults, 3 teenagers, 3 kids and 1 toddler. Can we experience both Universal parks in two days, or should we plan on three days? If we use only 2, that opens up a day for us to visit some other area attractions, but I don't want to shortchange Universal.

Going to Universal Sat. Aug. 8 with 5 students. Trying to decide if we will run out of things to do if we only buy the One Park ticket. But park to park ticket is quite a bit more money. Thoughts? When you are there, can you buy the park to park half way through the day? And is it more $ because you are there and not buying online??

Hello, my family of 3- my husband, myself, and our 4month old will be visiting universal mid July. My question is, since we will have our son and he is so small, should we do the 2 park 2 day pass where we can jump to both parks or just do the 1 day 2 park ticket. We know we won't be able to do much, but also want to have a good time. Thanks in advance.

I will be visiting Orlando with my boyfriend from September 1st-7th. We were hoping to visit both parks using the park-to-park tickets and was wondering whether 2 adults could do both parks in 1 day or whether a 2 day ticket would be necessary? The 1 day ticket would be more suitable for our plans (we are mainly visiting for Harry Potter World)

Hi Leap!!!

I have been to Disney and Universal many times, however we are going in August for 4 days only for my 30th Birthday this year. Our dates are August 19-23 2015. We will be both US/IOA on Thursday August 20th with a park-to-park ticket. My question to you is, my friend will be joining myself and my mother on this trip and she's never been to any of the Disney or Universal park. I want her to be able to experience it all but I know it's getting towards the slower end of the "moderate" crowd levels for that month in the parks. Would you reccommend us getting the express unlimited passes (they are quite pricey...I believe an extra $115 for the day we would need them), or getting to the parks when they open and taking our chances on getting on everything? I went back in August of 2011 and I feel like lines for pretty much everything besides the Harry Potter ride wasn't very bad at all?

Thanks in advance for your advice!!

Hi,

We're a family of 3 adults going to the 2 parks Dec 13-17ish. Can we enjoy both parks at a leisurely pace in 3 days/4 nights , or should we get a 4-day pass & stay 5 nights? Thanks!

We have been to Universal Studios once before and loved our time in Wizarding World of HP. We are returning this summer but only for one day - want to see 2nd park and new HP features, but struggling whether Park to Park tickets are worth it since we've been to the other park and also have limited time (probably can't get to the park before 11). Appreciate your advice.

Hello,

We are planning an Orlando Vacation, which will not include Disney, but will include Discovery Cove and all Sea World parks(including Busch Gardens Tampa) and All Universal Parks(including Wet and wild) I was thinking of getting the flex plus ticket since we want to ride the Hogwarts Express and wanted to be flexible to be able to visit some parks only half a day and return another day. We have 13 days. But I found out that when you buy discovery cove tickets, it includes Seaworld and Aquatica and then you can add busch gardens at an additional $25. Now I don't know what kind of ticket to buy for Universal, Island of Adventure and Wet and wild.

Hello, we are a 4 people family, i would like to ask, if we can buy only 2 express pass, and use them interchangeably among family members?

Thank you

Hi,

I am going to universal for 1 day on July 4 ( WE ARE 4 ADULTS) and booked the Loews Royal Pacific to get early entry and unlimited express pass. On the crowd calendar it shows that day will be very busy. Is it worth it to buy park to park tickets or should I just go to one park?

Hi,

Me and 4 friends are planning on going to Universal, they're coming from Boston and staying from Aug 6 to 10. However we can only choose one day for park visiting since we have family compromises. Would you recommend us to buy a one day Park to Park or a base ticket? And which day will be less crowded out of the ones we have available for visiting? Also do you guys recommend the Fast Pass? If so should we buy it for just Island of Adventure (since it has more attractions) or for both?