Universal Orlando: Universal Express℠ Passes

This spring break, my family visited Universal Orlando. While we have been to Disney many times as a family it was my daughter's first visit to Universal and the first trip since 2000 for my husband and I.

The last time my husband and I had been to Universal Orlando was when they were testing the idea of how to expedite the lines. At the time of our visit, they were giving out handwritten paper passes similar to Disney's Fast Passes to return at a specified time to ride the ride. Basically the passes were distributed from a folding table across from the line entrance and they were logging them in a paper notebook.  I remember we were able to sign-up for a pass for Jurassic Park and use the expedited line 15 minutes after getting our pass despite the 40 minute line at the time.

Since that time, Universal Orlando has adopted the Universal Express℠ system which provides "front of the line" access for most rides (only Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™ and Jurassic Park Pteranodon Flyers® are currently excluded). They have two varieties of Universal Express - Standard which is valid for once per ride and can be purchased for either park or both parks and Universal Express - Unlimited which is valid for unlimited times per ride across both parks. Currently unlimited Universal Express℠ is free to Universal Orlando Resort guests*.

Universal Express℠ is an additional cost if you do not stay on site. The cost varies based on projected crowd levels that day. So if you are visiting at a crowded time of year when the pass will be more. We were there the Thursday/Friday before Easter and a one time use pass would have been $89.99/person each day. Since we were visiting at a busy time of year, we felt that Universal Express℠ was going to be a requirement and decided to stay on site since it was less expensive than staying off-site and buying a one-day front of the line pass for three people. We stayed two nights at the Loews Royal Pacific hotel. Hotel guests also receive one hour early admission to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. This was key for us as we arrived 30 minutes prior to regular opening and waited 45 minutes to ride. When we exited the ride the line was 90 minutes long and quickly rose to over 2 hours where it stayed most of the day. We did get in line at 11p with another 45 minute wait to ride it again (we rested mid-day).

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With Universal Express℠, you use a separate ride entrance that has a shorter queue. On some rides the Express entrance has its own loading area, on others it merges with the regular line near the loading area. We are very glad that we stayed onsite. While we still waited 15-30 minutes for many rides with the Express pass, some had upwards of 2 hour waits without the pass. We probably saved an average of one hour per ride. It definitely helped us finish both parks in 1.5 days.

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A good way to judge predicted crowd levels is to look at the daily pricing of Universal Express℠. While we were at Universal Orlando, we used Universal Orlando Maps Free by VersaEdge Software, LLC for our iPhones to find ride wait times. We found it to be reasonably accurate in wait times (The wait times are user submitted, so I would submit wait times as well.). The paid version ($1.99 currently), Universal Orlando Maps, is the same app but without ads which leads to more visible space on the map. They also offer the Universal Orlando Magic Guide (currently $3.99) which adds food and dining information to the paid program. You do not need to be in the parks to see wait times, so you could download the program before your trip to see what typical wait times are like and decide if you want Universal Express℠.



*Currently Universal Orlando has three resorts - Loews Portofino Bay, Hard Rock Hotel®, and Loews Royal Pacific which are all deluxe resorts. In 2014, they are opening a moderate resort, Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort. Universal Express℠ will only be provided free to the deluxe resort guests. Guests at all resort levels will receive one hour early admission to Wizarding World of Harry Potter.