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Thrills! Action! Transformers! Butterbeer! We always look forward to hopping down to Universal Orlando Resort. Between Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure and Universal Volcano Bay, we have plenty of places to play. One of the ways we experience more and wait in line less is with the Universal Express Pass. Universal's skip-the-line access is a big help in the parks, especially on crowded days. But it isn't free — unless you stay on-site at select Universal hotels. Understanding how and when to use the Express Pass at Universal Orlando is your key to a great visit. This post explains everything you need to know! And in some hopping good news, you can save up to $19 per Express Pass when purchasing through Undercover Tourist!
What Is Universal Express Pass?
Universal Express allows you to skip the lines at most Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure attractions and access priority seating at shows. (It is a separate purchase to include Universal Volcano Bay.)
Universal offers Universal Express Passes for most of the popular Wizarding World of Harry Potter rides, including Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts. The only rides that do not have Express access in either park are Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure and Pteranodon Flyers at Universal Islands of Adventure. That means even the all-new Trolls Trollercoaster ride and Imagination Celebration show in DreamWorks Land are offered on Express!
For a quick and easy visual breakdown of Universal's Express pass, download our infographic, which is filled with need-to-know info and a list of attractions included with Express for easy referencing on the go.
How Express Pass Works at Universal Orlando
When you approach a ride with Universal Express, show your pass to the attendant. Some rides (mainly those with short, outdoor queues), such as Flight of the Hippogriff, will scan the pass right then and there as you arrive at the ride entrance.
For popular rides with more elaborate and longer queues, a team member will check the pass and let you enter the Express queue. Then, closer to the ride loading area (this distance varies by ride), a second team member will scan your pass, so hold on to your pass and keep it ready. Some Universal Express queues will eventually merge with a ride's standby queue, such as Illumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast. On the flip side, other Express queues are entirely separated from a ride's standby queue, such as Skull Island: Reign of Kong.
Know that the Universal Express Pass is not a group pass. Everyone in your party will need their own Universal Express Pass. Also, the passes are non-transferable. If you're staying at a Universal hotel that offers the free Express Pass benefit, your hotel room key will act as the pass. Each person will have a personalized hotel key.
It's also important to note that for rides with metal detectors, such as The Incredible Hulk Coaster, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit and Jurassic World VelociCoaster, all of your belongings must be stowed away in a locker except for your Express Pass (which you'll need to get into the corresponding line). Make sure at least one frog in your party has pockets or a place on their clothing to store your passes. Lanyards with pouches can go through the metal detectors but must be tucked into your shirt prior to boarding the ride vehicle.
Universal Express Pass Options
There are two types of Universal Express Passes:
You can use the Universal Express Unlimited Pass an unlimited number of times at participating rides and attractions each day that your pass is valid. You can use the Universal Express Standard Pass one time per ride each day that your pass is valid.
While it is slightly more costly, the Unlimited option can be invaluable depending on your needs and priorities. We recommend opting for Unlimited if you:
- Want to ride the Hogwarts Express both ways more than once instead of wasting time and energy walking from park to park
- Struggle with screen rides and/or have a history of motion sickness so you can get on the rides you better tolerate as many times as you want
- Are not particularly into roller coasters and want to re-ride attractions you love over and over again
- Have tadpoles attached to specific Express Pass accepting rides to avoid potential future meltdowns
- Have tadpoles at a restrictive height so they can enjoy the rides they can get on more than once
- Are visiting with a large group since it gives you the flexibility to split up and ride more or less of your favorite rides
Additionally, Florida is notorious for its thunderstorms — especially in the summer. Many outdoor Express Pass accepting rides will close if there's thunder or lightning in the area. If you went with Standard Express and didn't hold onto your one-time ride on an indoor attraction, you'll have to wait in the longer standby queue when the rain hits at rides you already utilized Express on. Opting for Unlimited allows you to re-ride to your heart's content!
On the flip side, we'd recommend Standard Passes if you:
- Want to hit all of the attractions
- Are limited on the time you can spend at the park(s) — for instance, if you are arriving later in the day or need to leave early
- Want to save some money and are not staying at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel or Loews Royal Pacific Resort
Both types of Universal Express Passes are available for one park per day or both parks per day. It can be purchased online ahead of time through us or Universal directly, or while you're at the parks. We like this flexibility. Sometimes you don't know you want an Express Pass until you're already in the parks!
Universal offers separate passes for Universal Volcano Bay. These are per day, and you have the option of skipping the virtual lines at select rides and attractions, or you can pay more with an Express Plus Pass to skip the virtual lines at all rides and attractions inside the water park.
Will Epic Universe Have Express?
Express Passes including Universal Epic Universe will be offered at a later date.
How Much Is Universal Express Pass?
Ultimately, it depends.
If you are staying on-site at one of Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel or Royal Pacific Resort, Universal Express Unlimited is included with your stay for every day of your visit. That includes your date of check-in and departure. The value of this cannot be underestimated, especially during busier times. Yes, hotels are priced based on expected crowds, but if you are already considering purchasing Express Passes, you should do the math and see if it makes sense to stay on-site. For larger groups of three or more, it is often still cheaper to stay on-site with Unlimited Express versus staying off-site and purchasing Unlimited Express separately. You get the added benefit of being so close to the parks when you stay on-site, plus access to all of the fabulous pools, plush rooms and other on-site amenities. If you are staying at Portofino Bay, Hard Rock or Royal Pacific and are planning on hitting the parks on your arrival day, no worries! The front desk can help you get your Express Pass so you're ready to roll, while the Bell Desk safely stores your luggage.
Hotels with Universal Express Unlimited:
Select Signature Collection Hotels (Formerly Premier Hotels)
Universal Cabana Bay Beach Resort, Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, Universal Aventura Resort, Universal Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites & Dockside Inn and Suites, Universal Stella Nova Resort (opening Jan. 21, 2025), Universal Terra Luna Resort (opening March. 25, 2025) and Universal Helios Grand Hotel (opening 2025), do not offer Universal Express Unlimited, but they do offer Early Park Admission to select rides inside Universal Volcano Bay water park and Universal Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Florida and/or Universal Epic Universe when it opens in 2025. Keep in mind that you still need regular admission to enter the park.
If you are not staying on-site and wish to purchase Universal Express Passes, the cost varies by day and expected crowds. So during peak times, prices will be higher. Keep in mind that Universal Express Passes could sell out, but this is likely only during the very busiest times. Universal Express is separate from regular admission. It doesn't matter which tickets you have purchased ... you can add on Universal Express as needed. If you aren't sure you will need or want the passes, we recommend you hold off purchasing until you arrive (though it will cost you more, as the price tends to increase as the date gets closer, leading up to the day of). Note that Universal Express is date-specific, so you will need to know what days you plan to be in the parks if you plan to buy the passes ahead of your visit. If traveling during a peak time, there is also the possibility that Express Passes could sell out.
When to Use Express Passes at Universal Orlando
Finally, we get to the most important part of the post — when to use Universal Express. Our recommendations are fairly simple.
Anytime It's Free
OK, it's never really FREE, free, but if you are staying on-site at a Portofino Bay, Hard Rock or Royal Pacific, you don't need to purchase separately. Even if the parks aren't super crowded, you will still save time by using Universal Express Passes. And there is nothing better than skipping the regular line! If you're a regular, the Premier Passholder level grants you unlimited Universal Express access after 4 p.m.
When the Parks Are Expected to Be Busy
When our Crowd Calendar predicts crowds of 8, 9 or 10, these are prime times to consider Express Passes. You might even consider it on 7 if you are particularly crowd-averse. If you're visiting during the peak of summer or around the major holidays (especially the week between Christmas and New Year), you should give this serious consideration.
If You Only Have a Day and Want to See as Much as Possible
Do you have a short trip (or only a day for Universal) and want to experience one or especially both parks? Then Universal Express Passes are a good idea. If you are going during one of those super busy days, the pass is a must to get the most done during your time.
Is the Universal Express Pass Worth It?
No matter when you visit, having Universal Express will be a time-saver — how much time can depend on the ride and certain situations. If you do purchase an Express Pass, avoid using it (especially if you have the standard, one-time-use pass) immediately after a ride reopens if it's been down. Many people will then get in line and inflate the wait time for both standby, Express and even Single Rider queues. Just come back to the ride later in the day.
On a recent visit, Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure was delayed during Early Park Admission, causing the Single Rider line to drastically back up throughout most of the morning. We got in the Single Rider line at 11:45 a.m. and didn't get off the ride until 1 p.m. That being said, the wait was less than the posted standby which read 100 minutes. However, the standby line was significantly shorter later in the day just minutes before park closing as we waited less than an hour. (Don't count on your last ride being at night, though, in case the coaster closes due to weather and doesn't reopen.)
On that same visit, though, we found Express to be incredibly beneficial. We entered the Express line for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey when standby said it was a 95-minute wait. We ended up getting on and off with Express in just 10 minutes! The same hoppened at Kang & Kodos' Twirl 'n' Hurl — it was a 45-minute standby wait, and we hopped on and off with Express within 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, for the Hogwarts Express in Hogsmeade, we waited about 10 minutes in the Express Pass queue, when standby said 15 minutes. Also with the Express Pass, we waited 35 minutes for Despicable Me Minion Mayhem when standby said 50 minutes. Even though these ones moved a bit slower, it's still time saved!
The big question is really how much you value the time you save. During less busy times, we think it's nice to have, but not a must-have. You may feel differently. It's all about what you value!
Are There Other Ways to Save Time in the Parks?
If you don't want to spring for Express Passes, or they are just out of the budget, do not fret! There are still great ways to save time in the parks. If you follow us frogs often, you probably know these by heart.
Buy Your Tickets in Advance
You do not want to waste any of your precious time standing in line to buy tickets at the gate to start off your day. Plus you will save more money if you buy in advance.
Arrive at the Parks Ahead of the Official Opening Time
The gates often open even before their official opening time, so you can get a hop on your day. This is the least busy the parks will be all day, so it is the best time to visit the most popular rides such as Jurassic World VelociCoaster. If you are staying on-site at one of Universal's hotels, take advantage of Early Park Admission to the parks, especially Universal Volcano Bay. While it may just be an extra hour, we've been able to hop to three different roller coasters before the park officially opens using this epic benefit!
Follow a Park Plan
We have several park plans for Universal that were created with families in mind. You can see them here or via our app (you can also tailor one of our preset plans to your own needs using the app).
Use the Single Rider Lines
The Single Riders line is often even faster than Universal Express. As long as you're fine with splitting up the group, Single Rider lines can be major time-savers.
Whew! We've covered a lot of ground here. Have questions about the Universal Express Pass that we haven't answered? Share them in the comments below!
Related: Top Tips to Maximize Your Time at Universal Orlando Resort
Keep hopping!
