The Unspoken Rules of Using Express Pass at Universal Orlando

Universal Orlando and Disney World are different in many ways, and one of those ways is how you can skip the lines.

At both parks, you’ll need to pay to skip the lines, but at Universal Orlando, it’s much more straightforward than Genie+ is at Disney World. If you’ve decided to head to Universal for your next vacation and get Express Pass, here are some unspoken rules you need to know.

It’s EXPENSIVE

If you think the top of Genie+ surge pricing is bad to pay per person, per day, then you may fall over at the price of Express Pass.

Universal’s Express Pass ranges from $79.99 to $289.99 per person, per day, while Universal Express Unlimited ranges from $109.99 to $319.99 per person, per day. The price depends on the day and time of year you’ll be going, but even the lower end of the scale is WAY higher than Disney World.

However, the system is MUCH easier to use. You don’t need to book a time for any rides — you just walk up when you’d like to skip it, and you can! You also don’t need to worry about the express line “selling out” halfway through the day, which is a relief.

We compared skipping the lines in Disney World vs. Universal Orlando to see which one is better!

You Can Only Do Each Ride ONCE…Unless You Have Unlimited

Something a lot of guests (especially Disney World guests) don’t realize is that with the regular Universal Express Pass, you can only use it on each ride once. If you want to ride it again, you’ll have to go through the regular standby queue or single rider line.

Now, if you purchase the Unlimited Express Pass, you can ride all the included rides as many times as you’d like, whenever you want, with no limit. While it can cost a good bit more, if you’ve got a family member who will have the time of their life riding each ride four times on the busiest day of the year, it’s worth it.

Check out our complete planning guide to Universal Studios Orlando!

Plan to Do Literally Everything, And Then 10 Extra Things On Top of That

When we say Universal Express will get you through those ride lines FAST, we mean it! Even on some of the most crowded days of the year. Yes, their price tag is way high, but that means they will MOVE you through that line as fast as humanly possible to make sure its stress-free and that you’re getting your money’s worth.

This means that we strongly suggest you plan to experience EVERYTHING the park has to offer — all the shows, check out lots of the dining, meet characters — because you will have the time to do so. Make the most of your day where you DON’T have to wait in line for hours!

Is it worth $170 to skip the lines at Universal Orlando? We found out!

It Might Be Worth It To Splurge And Stay at A Premier Category Hotel

Similar to Disney, Universal has multiple on-property hotels that are separated out by category. At the highest category, their Premier hotels, you’ll get Unlimited Express Passes each day of your stay for your whole family FOR FREE!

Well, it’s not technically free since you’re paying for the hotel to get it, but let’s break it down. The Loews Royal Pacific Resort starts at $337 a night. If you’re paying for 2 people to have Unlimited Universal Express passes for one day, you’ll already be paying a MINIMUM of $219.98 on top of your tickets. Spend $337(ish) instead and you’ll be staying close to the hotel, get the Unlimited Universal Express for free, and get early park admission, and water taxi service to the parks.

If You’re Going on A Weekday, It’s Not Worth It

HOWEVER, all of that to say, if you’re heading to Universal Orlando on a weekday that isn’t in the middle of a holiday season, or when a new attraction is opening, you do not need either version of the Express Pass.

Why? Because Universal is much more a locals park than Disney World is. Less people spend an entire week vacationing here (now, this may change when Epic Universe opens, we’ll see), so there will be less people in the parks during the week. Now, if you’re only going to be in Universal for one day, you’re visiting both parks, and you want to be sure you can do everything, then maybe we say grab yourself the regular Express Pass for one of the parks so you can move through it quickly, but otherwise, don’t waste your money!

Looking for more recent Universal Orlando news? Check out our posts below!

As always, stay tuned to AllEars for the latest Universal news!

How much will Universal Express Pass cost at Epic Universe?

What are your thoughts on the Express Pass? Tell us in the comments!

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