Universal Express Passes 101

Do you LOVE amusement parks?
Do you dislike lines?
Do you love to feel like a VIP?
Universal Express passes are the PERFECT way to experience Islands of Adventure and Universal---without the long waits!

You can achieve this in a few ways!

The first and best option is to stay at an onsite Universal Hotel. 3 of the onsite hotels provide UNLIMITED turns in the express lines, simply because you are a guest of that hotel.

These hotels include:
Loews Royal Pacific Resort
Loews Hard Rock Hotel
Loews Portofino Bay Resort

The 2nd way is to purchase an express pass to work with your ticket for an added cost.

Universal Express Passes allow guests to skip the regular standby line – and use a special Express Pass line – at most of the attractions in the 2 park system.

Express Passes provide you a “cut the line” sort of VIP experience with around a 15 minute wait time. (In my experience, I have never waited over 10 minutes while in the Express Line.) There are basic Express Passes where you get 1 time to “skip the line” per attraction or the UNLIMITED skip the line Express Pass. When you stay at a Universal partner hotel, you get the Express Unlimited built in as part of your stay for everyone listed on the hotel reservation.

Most of the rides, attractions, and shows have an Express Pass entry line, just a few do not.
Which attractions offer Universal Express access?

There are currently about three dozen attractions between the three Universal Orlando parks that offer guests Express access.

Here is the full list:

Universal Studios Florida – attractions with Express access

• Production Central
• Despicable Me Minion Mayhem (Despicable Me Minion Mayhem is the only attraction whose Express Pass line routinely has a wait longer than 15 minutes)
• Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
• Transformers: The Ride – 3D
• New York
• Revenge of the Mummy (Virtual Line)
• Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon (Virtual Line)
• San Francisco
• Fast & Furious – Supercharged (Virtual Line)
• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley
• Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
• Hogwarts Express (park-to-park admission required)
• World Expo
• Men in Black Alien Attack
• Springfield: Home of the Simpsons
• The Simpsons Ride
• Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ‘n’ Hurl
• Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone
• Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster
• E.T. Adventure
• Hollywood
• Horror Make-Up Show

Islands of Adventure – attractions with Express access

• Marvel Super Hero Island
• The Incredible Hulk Coaster
• Storm Force Acceleration
• Doctor Doom’s Fearfall
• The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
• Toon Lagoon
• Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls
• Jurassic Park
• Jurassic Park River Adventure
• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade
• Flight of the Hippogriff
• Hogwarts Express (park-to-park admission required)
• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
• The Lost Continent
• Poseidon’s Fury
• Seuss Landing
• The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!
• Caro-Seuss-el
• Skull Island
• Skull Island: Reign of Kong

Attractions without Express access:

• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
• Ollivanders Wand Shop (both parks)
• Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure (Islands of Adventure)
• Rest of the parks
• Pteranodon Flyers (Islands of Adventure – Jurassic Park)
• Velocicoaster

Universal Express

The basic Universal Express Pass allows a guest Express access one time at each participating attraction, similar to how you can only use Disney’s FastPasses once per reservation.

If you want to ride anything again, you will need to use the standby line with regular waits.

Universal Express Unlimited offers unlimited Express access at each participating ride. This allows guests to ride and re-ride the participating attractions, and visit the shows an unlimited number of times.

Express Passes are sold separately from an entry ticket and are good for one day only. Each member of your party needs their own ticket and Express Pass, even kids (aged three years or older).

This means, of course, that if you are going to Universal’s theme parks for multiple days and you want Express access for each day, you will need to purchase multiple Express Passes for each person in your travel party.

Express passes add up fast in cost. Talk to your On The Road Travel specialist to work out the plan and cost scenario that works best for you! There are so many different ways to get you what you’d like for your park experience.

Express Passes are sold in both one-park and two-park varieties.

If you plan to ride the Hogwarts Express, you need the 2 park pass with the 2 park Express Pass. Your On The Road Travel Planner can assist you with all the pricing and mix of passes that you need for your family.

Tickets and express passes are DATE specific.

Pricing is variable around dates and time or travel.

Unlimited Express access is included with some Universal Orlando hotels

Remember: If you stay at one of Universal’s three premier hotels – Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, and Royal Pacific Resort – you will receive complimentary unlimited Express access each day of your visit, including your check-in and check-out dates. Yep, you CAN stay 1 night and get 2 days of Express.

Your room keys are shown and scanned at the ride queue, as the actual Express Passes.

Important to Note: The Express Passes offered at Universal Orlando’s three premier hotels do not cover Volcano Bay or separately ticketed events, such as Halloween Horror Nights. These events have their own dedicated Express Passes, and, even if you are staying on-site, you will need to purchase them separately if you want Express access at the water park or during a particular event.

Universal sets the price of its standalone Express Passes based on anticipated park attendance. Prices for the theme parks’ Express Passes fluctuate throughout each day of the year. Prices start around $69.99 for the basic Universal Express and $89.99 for Universal Express Unlimited.

Express Pass pricing varies. Today’s cost may be $129.99...While tomorrow, it’s possible that the price will go up.

IF you decide the cost of Express passes does not work for you, consider using single-rider lines, when available and/or travel at lower crowd times of the year.

Arrive early and Stay LATE---the parks are busiest from 11am-3pm and waits are longest in that span of time!

Please note again that Express Passes are the same price for all guests. Children's pricing is not available. Express Passes are never discounted in any way for anyone – sometimes, there are promotions on tickets, but Express Pass discounts are far and few between. Express Passes are only available for purchase directly through Universal and its partners like us, at On the Road Travel, LLC.

To start planning your trip, contact your On The Road Travel Agent. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.