What could be better than a day mingling with minions in the morning, experiencing behind-the-scenes movie magic in the afternoon, followed by the wonders of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in the evening? The only thing we can think of would be to do all of that without waiting! With the Universal Studios Hollywood Express Pass (formerly known as the Universal Studios Hollywood Front of Line Pass), you can breeze through all of your favorites with priority access. Having this gem is just one part of a fun day here!
The Frog Family jumped at the opportunity to use the Universal Express Pass in the past, and it toadally made our day. Even though these tickets cost more than regular admission, the benefits are well worth it, especially if you are taking that once-in-a-lifetime trip. The park limits the number of Universal Studios Hollywood Express Passes sold each day, so the awesome perks are always maintained. This post will explain all of the Universal Studios Hollywood Express Pass benefits!
But what about now? Wait times are not bad during the week and at quiet times, but things pick up on weekends and holidays, which is when you will be glad to be able to bypass the line with Universal Express.
You can check wait times in the Universal Studios Hollywood app from home throughout the day on days leading up to your trip to get a sense of wait times. (Check it in early afternoon to get the best sense of peak wait times.) That being said, we have never regretted having Universal Express, even on a non-busy day, because shaving even 30 minutes off the wait here and there quickly adds up to hours of time, allowing us to do everything we want to do in the park.
We also arrive before park opening and follow a touring plan. The taller, older frogs in the family hop in the Single Riders line for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and Lower Lot attractions when available. These tools help us maximize our time whether we use the Universal Express Pass or not.
It's important to note that a Universal Express Pass purchased in advance is a full ticket that includes admission to Universal Studios Hollywood, plus one-time access to most rides and the WaterWorld show, which is different than the add-on passes sold in the Orlando parks.
When you enter the park, you present your park ticket from Undercover Tourist (printed out or from your device). The turnstile attendant will issue you a paper Express ticket (about the size of a credit card). You will present this small ticket to be scanned at each ride.
You may purchase a regular ticket and upgrade to Universal Express Universal Studios Hollywood — more on that further below. In that case, that Express ticket will not include your park admission (as shown in the photo).
Universal Express is a perk of having a Platinum annual pass. Those guests can only get Express access starting at 3 p.m. each day. Other passholders can upgrade the Box Office.
Do You Need Universal Studios Hollywood Express Passes?
We get lots of people asking if they really need Universal Studios Hollywood Express Passes to enjoy their day at the park. And the answer really depends on when you are going. You don't usually need Universal Studios Hollywood Express Pass on weekdays and even some weekends in the off-season, but you'll sure thank your lucky stars for having it on peak summer days, Saturdays and school holidays. Some weeks of spring break can be busy. Other week not so much. It varies based on the local spring breaks for large school districts.
Even though the lines are shorter in the off-season, the park hours are shorter, too, so shaving off wait times with Universal Express can still come in handy if you want to squeeze it all in during less crowded times. (Need help deciding when to visit? Check out this post on the best and worst times to go to Universal Studios Hollywood.) We sell the Universal Express Pass for 1-Day tickets (save up to $140!). If you purchase the regular ticket without Express and change your mind, you can upgrade your ticket in the park when you arrive.
We also sell the VIP Experience (save up to $140!). That ticket comes with Unlimited Express access to rides and participating shows.
Even though Universal Studios Hollywood Express Pass costs more than a normal ticket, the benefits can toadally make the expense well worth it. Using the Universal Express Pass is just one of the ways to maximize your time at Universal Studios Hollywood. On peak days in the afternoon, the lines can reach up to two or three hours long for big draws such as Jurassic World — The Ride. But if you have a Universal Express Pass, you walk — or, in our case, hop — right onto rides without even having to wait. That is what sets Universal Express Passes apart from other parks that have plans to reduce your wait time, but do not send you straight to the front of the line.
What's Not Included With Express?
Most rides and seated show (such as WaterWorld) are included. Wand Pairing at Ollivanders is not. The newest ride, Mario Kart Bowser's Challenge (open as of Feb. 17, 2023) is excluded from Universal Express. The new land opens with a reservations system. The good news is that Universal Express provides reservation-free access to Super Nintendo World whenever reservations are required to access the land. Universal Express ticket holders get one-time (per day) reservation-free access to Super Nintendo World.
If you upgrade to Unlimited Express, you have unlimited access to Super Nintendo World but still not Mario Kart Bowser's Challenge. Platinum passholders have received an email that says Express access will not be valid for the ride. Instead the passholders can use Express for reservation-free access to Super Nintendo World after 3 p.m.
Enhance your show experience.
The Universal Studios Hollywood Express Pass gets you one-time priority access to each show. It also gets you priority seating. You should still arrive early to access this seating before other guests enter the stadium.
As of Jan. 9, 2023, Animal Actors and the Special Effects Show are permanently closed to make way for a new attraction. That means WaterWorld is the only show on the Express Pass.
Consider buying Universal Express Pass strategically.
While it's always great to spend time together as a family, your whole family might not need to purchase Universal Studios Hollywood Express tickets. If your family is only interested in rides, but you have some younger children who won't meet the height requirements (or might be too frightened for the big rides), you probably don't need to purchase Express for them. Or, if you are prone to motion sickness like Flora, you might buy just your older kids an Express Pass and opt out of the pass and thrill rides for yourself. With the much shorter waits thanks to the Universal Studios Hollywood Express Passes, the family will be reunited in no time!
One of the season pass options includes Express access. The Platinum Season Pass comes with one-time per day Express access to each ride, attraction and seated show after 3 p.m. People with other passes may choose to upgrade to a Universal Express ticket for the day (subject to availability) at the Box Office.
Use Universal Studios Hollywood Universal Express only during long wait times.
The Universal Studios Hollywood Express Pass can only be used one time per ride. If you know your froglets want to ride a ride such as Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem twice, choose your ticket wisely. We rode Minion Mayhem early in the day when the wait was under 15 minutes without scanning our Express tickets. Then, Mommy Frog and Lily rode again later by utilizing Universal Express when the wait was over an hour.
Plan ahead.
Universal Studios Hollywood limits the amount of Express Passes sold each day, so if you are concerned about crowds, buy in advance. You can also wait until you are in the park to decide the lines are not for you, but we highly recommend purchasing in the morning as they may sell out. The good part of limiting pass sales is that it means you truly go to the front of the line. Plus, you'll get a better value experience when you use the pass.
Save money by visiting at "off-peak" times or less expensive days. The pass can help make your day much more enjoyable if you are visiting during a peak time. But if you purchase the Universal Studios Hollywood Express non-peak ticket, you can save money. Some other affordable time-saving tips include the following:
- Arriving at park gates at least 30 minutes before park opening (you may get in early).
- Staying until park closing.
- Utilizing Child Switch (where available).
- Using Single Riders line for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and Lower Lot attractions.
- Using the Virtual Line (available at certain times via the free Universal Studios Hollywood app or distribution machines) for Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash! (You can skip the exterior line for this ride with Universal Express, and also skip some of the indoor queue.)
- Use the Wait Time Alert feature in the app. You tap on a ride with a long wait, then "Wait Time Alert." Set what you feel is a reasonable wait time for the ride and tap "Set." The app will notify you when the wait time drops. You can hop in line!
- Set reminders for show times.
Upgrade in the park.
If you are really not sure if a Universal Studios Hollywood Express Pass is for you, or you already have your ticket or an annual pass without Express access, you can take a chance on upgrading in the park. Express tickets can sell out on crowded days. On a summer day, we noticed that it was up to $130 to upgrade to a Universal Express ticket for one-time use for each ride. Other days, it is about $69-$150. No matter how you bought your park ticket, you can purchase an upgrade in the park. The cost to upgrade is the same for everyone.
The price may vary — even throughout the day! If you are finding higher waits in the afternoon, on some days Universal may drop the price after 3:30 p.m. So definitely check back if you want to upgrade in the afternoon. You can't count on it being available, but it's worth looking into. You can purchase and upgrade in the Upper Lot at the Box Office or at a kiosk at the bottom of the escalator in the Lower Lot.
Upgrade to Unlimited Universal Express.
If one-time access is simply not enough, there is an Unlimited Universal Express option. Unlimited Universal Express is available in the park. You can upgrade a Universal Express ticket, a regular park ticket or a season pass (subject to availability). If you already have a Universal Express ticket, the cost to upgrade to Unlimited Universal Express is $30-$40. Peak days will be pricier than non-peak days, and they will sell out much faster on peak days.
If you have a regular park ticket, it can cost about $100-$170 to upgrade to Unlimited Universal Express. Prices can vary, depending on the day. Weekends are generally more expensive than midweek days. We recommend purchasing discount Universal Express tickets in advance (through Undercover Tourist, when available, of course!) to lock in Express access, and then if you decide you want even more access, you can inquire about Unlimited Universal Express early in the day inside the park.
Unlimited Universal Express is included with the VIP Experience, along with park admission, meals, valet parking and a behind-the-scenes tour. So if you are planning to upgrade to Unlimited Express, you might get the VIP Experience instead. Save up to $140 on the tour with Undercover Tourist.
Consider bringing a lanyard.
The old Front of Line tickets were given to guests as a lanyard worn around the neck. The current Universal Express Pass tickets are paper tickets about the dimensions of a credit card. You have to pull the pass out each time you need to have it scanned for rides or shows. It can be cumberome to always pull it out of pockets and backpacks. If you have a lanyard with a clear pocket, bring it along for quick, almost hands-free scanning. You can put two passes back to back in a lanyard for easy scanning if you like. Universal Studios sells souvenir lanyards in the park if you don’t have one.
Buy Universal Express for Horror Nights or special events.
Buy Universal Express for special events such as Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. We cannot stress this enough. Halloween Horror Nights draws scary huge crowds. Some of the most popular attractions can have waits that last two to four hours! We have been there without the pass, and it is frustrating. We have also been there with the pass and were able to hop through every house and ride. The pass was well worth it! It's really the only way to do Halloween Horror Nights.
These Universal Express Passes are limited, and they will sell out early. If you plan to attend Horror Nights, make sure to buy early and be sure to get a Universal Express Pass for each member in your party. And remember to bring a lanyard to simplify your night. Otherwise, you need to pull the Universal Express ticket out in the dark for scanning at each maze and risk dropping it in the dark. A lanyard makes your night so much easier! The only way to get Unlimited Universal Express at Halloween Horror Nights is to purchase the R.I.P. Tour.
In 2022, we saw an after 11 p.m. Universal Express pass come available. So keep an eye out for that if you are looking to skip some lines at the end of the night.
Should you get Universal Express?
The Universal Studios Hollywood Express Pass is a great way to help you manage your day. The Express Pass will allow you to experience everything in the park at least once. With the time savings that comes with the pass, you can hit your favorite attractions a second time. It also allows you to relax and enjoy more of the sights, take photos, see shows, meet characters, enjoy your meals, calmly sip Butterbeer, shop for treats and explore Universal CityWalk. Buying the Universal Studios Hollywood Express Pass buys peace of mind. That way, you know you can get it all in, and that equals a good family value.
Did you know the Frog Family offers discount tickets to Southern California attractions? You'll find discounts on Universal Studios Hollywood tickets, as well as more tickets for Universal and other Los Angeles and San Diego attractions.
Related: The Best Times to Visit Universal Studios Hollywood
Keep hopping!
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