Universal Florida Basics: Part 4: Universal Express Pass
This is part 4 of my Universal Florida Basics series, if you’ve missed parts 1-3 here they are:
Part2: Rides at Universal Studios
Part 3: Rides at Islands of Adventure
What is Express Pass?
Express Pass is Universal’s version of a “Fastpass”. This pass allows you to enter a different line from the standby line, and only people with an Express pass can enter that line. Universal officially says that Express will cut your wait time to half of what the posted standby time is. However, I’ve never waited that long in an Express line, and usually the wait is around 20-30 minutes if the standby time is high.
Some shows also take Express Pass. Before they begin seating the general audience, if you have Express Pass, they will tell you to line up in a separate line and you will enter the theater first. This only works if you get to the theater before the show seating has started, if you get there after the theater is open, you will need to enter with everyone else.
Types of Express Pass
You can buy One Park or Two Park Express pass, or Express pass for Volcano Bay. For the One Park or Two Park passes, there are two types: Universal Express and Universal Express Unlimited.
The Universal Express pass allows for one use per ride per day. The Universal Express Unlimited Pass allows for unlimited use each day.
All types of passes can be bought on the Universal website, or at the gate. However, some days Express pass will sell out if enough are sold online, and will not be available to buy at the gate. Prices will go up as more people buy them, and peak days are more expensive than slow days.
Premier Hotels
Here is my best hack for Universal Express Passes: Stay at a Premier hotel. The Loews Royal Pacific Resort (click here for my video tour!), Hard Rock Hotel, and Loews Portofino Bay Hotel all include Universal Express Unlimited Passes for everyone on the reservation, for each day of the stay, including check-in day and check-out day. So if you stay just one night at one of these hotels, then you would get Express Unlimited Passes for two days for everyone on the reservation. Considering (during non-peak times, with Florida resident pricing) that a night at one of those hotels is be around $250 a night, and Express Unlimited can be around $100 or more per person per day, that’s $400 worth of Express Passes (two people) AND a hotel stay for $250. (All prices are approximate, check the Universal website for pricing.)
Virtual Lines and Express Pass
If a ride has a virtual line (and it’s not Hagrid’s or the VelociCoaster), you do not need to have a Virtual Line Pass to get in line. Just show your Express Pass and you’re good to go. Make sure you get in the Express Pass line when the line splits though, because sometimes it’s not right at the beginning of the queue if they’ve extended it.
Rides That DO NOT Have Express Pass
Right now, There are a couple of rides that do not allow Express Passes. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, Pteranodon Fliers, and the VelociCoaster do not take Express Pass. Additionally, The Bourne Stuntactular does not allow for early seating with Express Pass. There is a special type of Express Pass called a Ruby Pass, that is given out if Hagrid’s breaks down. This type of pass can be used on Hagrid’s to skip the standby line. If you’re lucky, sometimes people might give them out if they have extra, I was given one by a nice couple that had an extra while waiting to get into Islands of Adventure one day! To read more about the Ruby pass, click here.
