Universal Orlando Discounts and Deals

LAST UPDATE: 11/25/24

If you’re looking for Universal Orlando discounts, this is the right place! Universal Orlando includes two major theme parks: Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure (with a third coming in 2025: Epic Universe), plus a beautiful water park: Volcano Bay. You can easily spend two or more days exploring them. Fortunately, there are many, many Universal discounts and special offers, which change constantly. On this page you’ll find Universal Orlando ticket discounts, special deals on Universal Orlando hotels, advice about saving money on meals and merchandise at Universal Orlando and lots more!

Universal Orlando’s newest park, Universal Epic Universe will open May 22, 2025. Select multi-day tickets and packages are available. Reservations for the new Universal Helios Grand Hotel, with its own entrance to Epic Universe, are available to book for stays starting May 22, 2025. Epic Universe will have 5 areas: Celestial Park; The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic; Super Nintendo World; How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk and Dark Universe. There is an interactive preview center at Universal CityWalk with more details and a sneak peek at this new theme park. There will be 2 additional new Universal hotels opening in early 2025, located adjacent to Epic Universe: Universal Stella Nova Resort and Universal Terra Luna Resort. 

All offers are subject to change without notice. Always call ahead and confirm before driving out of your way to take advantage of a particular offer! 

Jump to:

• Universal Ticket Discounts & Deals
• Universal On-Site Hotels: Tips, Discounts & Deals
• Nearby Hotels: Tips, Discounts & Deals
• Booking A Universal Orlando Vacation With a Travel Agent
• Dining, Entertainment & Merchandise Discounts
• Getting to Universal Orlando from Walt Disney World
• Parking Deals
• Universal Express Passes
• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
• Annual Special Events

Universal Orlando Ticket Discounts & Deals

Jump to:

• Regular Gate Prices for Universal Orlando Theme Parks
• Discount Tickets from Undercover Tourist
• Advance Purchase Tickets – Universal Website or Hotel Desk
• Power Annual Pass Deals
• Annual Passholder Ticket Discounts
• AAA/CAA Ticket Discounts at the Gate
• AAA/CAA Ticket Advance Purchase Discounts
• Warehouse Club Ticket Discounts
• Florida/Georgia Resident Ticket Discounts
• Military Ticket Discounts
• University of Central Florida Ticket Discounts
• Using Award Points for FREE Tickets

Regular Gate Prices for Universal Orlando Theme Parks

Regular ticket prices for Universal Orlando last went up in October 2023. Annual Pass prices last went up in April 2023.

Universal Orlando sells tickets that vary in price depending on the specific dates you plan to visit. You must select your start date and how many days you want to visit to see a final price for your tickets.

One-day tickets are valid only on the specific date you select. Multi-day tickets are valid for three days longer than the number of days of admission, to allow for breaks or visiting other attractions. In other words, if you get a 4-day ticket, you can visit Universal on 4 different days within a 7-day range. Once you’ve visited the 4th day, or the full 7 calendar days have passed, the ticket is expired and no longer valid.

You can change your ticket to new dates, or add days, any time up to the end of the day on the last day the ticket is valid. For example, if you buy a 2-day ticket, and on the 2nd day you visit you decide you’d like to add one more visit to your trip, you can go to a guest services location or ticket window and add a day to your ticket, by paying the difference in price between the ticket you currently have and the ticket you are buying. If you bought your existing ticket from a discounter like Undercover Tourist, they will credit you the full price for the ticket towards a new one.

A Useful Money-Saving Tip

If you are buying multi-day tickets, there may be multiple ticket date ranges that will work for your trip, and each of those date ranges could have a different price! For example, say you want to visit Universal on February 9, 10, and 11, so you need a 3-day ticket. A 3-day ticket is good for any 3 days of admission within a 6-day range. You don’t have to get a ticket that starts on the 9th. There are actually four different date ranges that will work! You can get a ticket that starts on the 6th, 7th, 8th or 9th, since all of them will be valid for the 9th, 10th and 11th. By checking the prices of all four options, you can choose the one that costs the least. At times (such as right before a holiday), that can save you $40 or more on each ticket!

Here’s another example in the table below, using prices from 2024 for a 3-day park-to-park ticket. Let’s imagine you want to go November 22-24. Four different tickets are going to be valid on the three dates you want to go, but the price difference is a whopping $49 between the lowest and highest prices. The key is that you don’t have to actually start using a ticket on the first day it’s valid! Even if your ticket starts on November 19th, you don’t have to enter that day. You can just show up for the first time on the 22nd and start using it.

We’ve bolded the three days you want to go in each set of dates below:

PRICES BELOW INCLUDE TAX

One Park Per Day Tickets (No Epic Universe, No Volcano Bay)

These tickets are valid for visiting either Universal Studios Florida or Universal Islands of Adventure (but not Epic Universe or Volcano Bay) each day. You can’t visit more than one park in a single day or ride the Hogwarts Express with these tickets.

We give price ranges for all tickets, representing the lowest and highest prices seen as of the last time we checked park prices. Usually the lowest prices can be found in the fall and early and late spring, and the highest prices are for long holiday periods like spring break, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

One Park Per Day Tickets (No Epic Universe, Includes Volcano Bay)

These tickets are valid for visiting either Universal Studios Florida or Universal Islands of Adventure or Volcano Bay Water Park (but not Epic Universe) each day. You can’t visit more than one park in a single day or ride the Hogwarts Express with these tickets.

We give price ranges for all tickets, representing the lowest and highest prices seen as of the last time we checked park prices. Usually the lowest prices can be found in the fall and early and late spring, and the highest prices are for long holiday periods like spring break, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

One Park Per Day Tickets (Includes Epic Universe, No Volcano Bay)

These tickets are valid for visiting either Universal Studios Florida or Universal Islands of Adventure or Universal Epic Universe (but not Volcano Bay) each day. You are limited to ONE day at Epic Universe. You can’t visit more than one park in a single day or ride the Hogwarts Express with these tickets.

We give price ranges for all tickets, representing the lowest and highest prices seen as of the last time we checked park prices. Usually the lowest prices can be found in the fall and early and late spring, and the highest prices are for long holiday periods like spring break, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

One Park Per Day Tickets (Includes Epic Universe & Volcano Bay)

These tickets are valid for visiting either Universal Studios Florida or Universal Islands of Adventure or Universal Epic Universe or Volcano Bay each day. You are limited to ONE day at Epic Universe. You cannot visit more than one park in a single day or ride the Hogwarts Express with these tickets.

We give price ranges for all tickets, representing the lowest and highest prices seen as of the last time we checked park prices. Usually the lowest prices can be found in the fall and early and late spring, and the highest prices are for long holiday periods like spring break, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Park-To-Park Tickets (No Epic Universe, No Volcano Bay)

These tickets are valid for visiting Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure (but not Epic Universe or Volcano Bay) each day. You can visit both parks in a single day, and you can ride the Hogwarts Express with this ticket.

We give price ranges for all tickets, representing the lowest and highest prices seen as of the last time we checked park prices. Usually the lowest prices can be found in the fall and early and late spring, and the highest prices are for long holiday periods like spring break, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Park-To-Park Tickets (No Epic Universe, Includes Volcano Bay)

These tickets are valid for visiting Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay Water Park (but not Epic Universe) each day. You can visit all three parks in a single day, and you can ride the Hogwarts Express with this ticket.

We give price ranges for all tickets, representing the lowest and highest prices seen as of the last time we checked park prices. Usually the lowest prices can be found in the fall and early and late spring, and the highest prices are for long holiday periods like spring break, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Park-To-Park Tickets (Includes Epic Universe, No Volcano Bay)

These tickets are valid for visiting Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure (but not Volcano Bay) each day, with ONE day at Universal Epic Universe. You can ride the Hogwarts Express with this ticket. On the day you visit Epic Universe, you cannot visit the other theme parks using this ticket.

We give price ranges for all tickets, representing the lowest and highest prices seen as of the last time we checked park prices. Usually the lowest prices can be found in the fall and early and late spring, and the highest prices are for long holiday periods like spring break, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Park-To-Park Tickets (Includes Epic Universe & Volcano Bay)

These tickets are valid for visiting Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay Water Park each day, with ONE day at Universal Epic Universe. You can ride the Hogwarts Express with this ticket. On the day you visit Epic Universe, you cannot visit the other theme parks using this ticket.

We give price ranges for all tickets, representing the lowest and highest prices seen as of the last time we checked park prices. Usually the lowest prices can be found in the fall and early and late spring, and the highest prices are for long holiday periods like spring break, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Volcano Bay Only Tickets

A 1-Day Volcano Bay Ticket costs $85.20 Adult (10+) or $79.88 Child (ages 3-9), tax included. During high waterpark season (summer), the price is $5.33 higher.

If you are already buying a 2-day or longer 2-park Universal Orlando ticket (either one-park-per-day or park-to-park), switching to a 3-park ticket and adding an extra day is always cheaper than buying a one-day Volcano Bay ticket, and gives you extra flexibility.

Annual & Seasonal Passes

Two-Park Passes are valid for visiting Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure. Three-Park Passes are valid for visiting Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay. Prices are the same for all ages (3+).

†Seasonal Pass has black out days (mainly Christmastime, Spring Break and mid-summer for Universal Studios Florida or Universal Islands of Adventure). Includes discounts at on-site resort hotels and discounts on select theme park & special event tickets. Not valid for separately ticketed special events. Does not include parking or food/merchandise discounts. The 3-Park Seasonal Pass also has black out dates for Volcano Bay Water Park (mainly Spring Break, late spring and summer).

^Power Annual Pass has blackout days (mainly Christmastime and Spring Break for Universal Studios Florida or Universal Islands of Adventure). Includes discounts at on-site resort hotels; 50% off regular daytime self-parking (after your first visit); admission to Mardi Gras and discounts on select theme park & special event tickets. Not valid for separately ticketed special events. Does not include food/merchandise discounts. The 3-Park Power Annual Pass also has black out dates for Volcano Bay Water Park (mainly late spring and summer). There are frequently deals on the Power Annual Pass.

^^Preferred Annual Pass gives admission every day to Universal Studios Florida or Universal Islands of Adventure for 365 days. Not valid for separately ticketed special events. Includes early park admission on select days for Universal Studios Florida or Universal Islands of Adventure; free self-parking (after your first visit); food and merchandise discounts; discounts at on-site resort hotels; admission to Mardi Gras and discounts on select theme park & special event tickets. The 3-Park Preferred Annual Pass also has black out dates for Volcano Bay Water Park (mainly summer).

^^^Premier Annual Pass gives admission every day to Universal Studios Florida or Universal Islands of Adventure for 365 days, plus Unlimited Universal Express Plus after 4:00 pm and early park admission at Universal Studios Florida or Universal Islands of Adventure only. Not valid for separately ticketed special events. Includes free valet parking or prime self-parking (after your first visit); one ticket to Halloween Horror Nights, admission to Mardi Gras; discounts on select theme park & special event tickets; food and merchandise discounts and discounts at on-site resort hotels. The 3-Park Premier Annual Pass also gives admission for 365 days to Volcano Bay Water Park. 

Advance Purchase Tickets – Universal Website, Phone Order or Hotel Desk

Save $21.30 (tax included) off the gate prices of multi-day tickets when you buy online at the Universal Orlando website, over the phone, or in person at a Universal Hotel ticket desk. When purchasing online, you can print them yourself, use kiosk pickup (go to the park and get them out of a machine), or use ticket-booth pickup. All of those options avoid shipping charges.

Prices displayed on Universal’s site do not include 6.5% tax, which is added further along in the transaction. Once you get to the final price, it’s always a better deal to buy tickets from Undercover Tourist, which displays its real prices up front, with all taxes and shipping included.

Power Annual Pass Deals

This deeply discounted Annual Pass has blackout days (mainly Christmastime and Spring Break at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventures and late spring and most of summer  at Volcano Bay for the 3-park passes). It does not include parking or food/merchandise discounts.

• You can order it online at the Universal Orlando website. Florida residents pay a lower price.

Annual Passholder Ticket Discounts

Holders of Universal Premier, Preferred and Power Annual Passes get 15% off the gate price of multi-day tickets when purchasing at the front gate. Seasonal Passholder get 10% off the gate price of multi-day tickets at the front gate. For most tickets this is less than the regular advance-purchase discount for buying online, and usually much worse than the Undercover Tourist discount. There is no discount for 1-day tickets.

AAA/CAA Ticket Discounts at the Gate

All AAA (American Automobile Association) and CAA (Canadian Automobile Association) members can save $4 on a 2-Day/2-Park ticket and $5 off a 3-Day/2-Park ticket when purchasing tickets at the gate. Valid for up to six people per membership card. This is less than the regular advance-purchase discount for buying online, and much worse than the Undercover Tourist discount.

AAA/CAA Advance Purchase Ticket Discounts

Each AAA (American Automobile Association) and CAA (Canadian Automobile Association) region has different Universal offers. Some have deals that are available to all US and/or Canadian members; some have deals available only to local members; a few (particularly in the West) don’t offer any Universal Orlando deals at all. The prices vary tremendously from region to region and change all the time, so contact your local AAA office to check. 

Warehouse Club Ticket Discounts

The membership warehouse store Costco sometimes has great deals on Universal tickets, so it’s always worth checking at your local store, particularly if you live in the Midwest and Eastern US. At times Costco offers discounted tickets on its website and you don’t even have to be a Costco member to buy through the site. (Non-members pay a 5% surcharge, however.) There is a shipping charge, which varies.

Florida/Georgia Resident Ticket Discounts

Universal often has special ticket promotions and offers for Florida (and sometimes Georgia) residents.

Military Ticket Discounts

Universal Orlando has special tickets for military personnel. Active duty and retired military personnel should also check with their local MWR/ITT office or with Shades of Green at Walt Disney World for discounted ticket prices.

Military Freedom Pass

2025 Military Freedom Pass

Active duty, retired US military members and their families can purchase a 2025 Universal Orlando Military Freedom Pass. The Military Freedom Pass is valid most dates November 14, 2024 through December 19, 2025. Blockout dates are December 25, 2024 – January 2, 2025 and April 14-20, 2025. The Military Freedom Pass can be added to a Military Vacation Package. 

• The 2-Park Military Freedom Pass costs $210 per adult ticket + tax (age 10+), and includes admission to Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure. Valid in both parks on the same day. The Military Freedom Pass for children (age 3-9) costs $205 per child + tax.
• The 3-Park Military Freedom Pass costs $245 per adult ticket + tax (age 10+), and includes admission to Universal Studios Florida, Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Universal’s Volcano Bay (open seasonally). Valid in all three parks on the same day. The Military Freedom Pass for children (age 3-9) costs $240 per child + tax.

The Military Freedom Pass is only available for purchase at your authorized Military Ticket and Travel Office. You may purchase up to 6 passes. You must present a valid Military ID at time of purchase, when activating the pass at a Universal Pass Sales window, and when entering the theme parks.

These passes must be activated before you can enter the parks. To activate your pass, go to any Universal Pass Sales window and present a valid ID. The military member or spouse must be present when the passes are activated and use one of the tickets.

• To book the Military Freedom Pass as part of a Universal Orlando Military Vacation Package, we recommend contacting a travel agent who specializes in Universal travel.

Questions about the Military Freedom Pass?

• More details about the Military Freedom Pass are available on Universal Orlando’s Military Deals & Specials page. 
• Another great resource is Military Disney Tips; they have a detailed post about these passes.

University of Central Florida – Universal Ticket Discounts

Students, faculty and staff at University of Central Florida can purchase 1-Day/1-Park, 2-Day/2-Park and 1-Day Park-to-Park Universal Orlando tickets at a significantly reduced rate. There is a limit of 2 tickets per 30 days. Tickets can be purchased through the SGA Ticket Center located on the first floor of the Student Union. Be sure to buy in advance because they do sell out at times. Thanks to Amanda for info.

Using Award Points for FREE Tickets

Many different credit card rewards, hotel points and other awards programs allow you to redeem an award in the form of Universal Orlando tickets. Below are the ones that have been reported to us:

• If you have the type of American Express charge card that earns Membership Rewards points, you can sometimes redeem those points for Universal Orlando tickets (availability comes and goes on the Amex site). Thanks to Amy H for info.
• You can redeem Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards points to purchase adult or child 1-Day Park-to-Park Universal Orlando tickets on the Rapid Rewards site. Thanks to Donna I for info. 
• You can redeem IHG Rewards Club points for Universal Orlando tickets. See the IHG Rewards Club site for details. Thanks to Lori B for info.
• The Chase Ultimate Rewards program has Universal Orlando tickets as an award option. Thanks to Drew H for info.
• You can sometimes redeem Regal Crown Club credits for Universal Orlando tickets. Thanks to David A for info.
• Readers report that Canadians can redeem Air Miles for select Universal Orlando tickets. Thanks to Dawn N for info.

On-Site Hotels: Tips, Discounts & Deals

Jump to:

• Universal On-Site Hotels Overview
• Room-Only Versus Package
• Undercover Tourist Hotel Discounts
• Universal Orlando Dining Card Promotional Package
• CheapTickets and Orbitz Hotel Discounts
• Book Directly with Loews Hotels
• Book Directly with Universal Resort
• AAA Hotel Discount
• Booking Universal Orlando Resort Hotels through Hotwire
• Florida, Georgia and Alabama Resident Hotel Discount
• Annual Passholders Hotel Discount
• Military Hotel Discounts
• American Airlines AAdvantage Miles Hotel Discount
• Portofino Bay Hotel – Benefits for Platinum Card from American Express

Universal On-Site Hotels Overview

The official Universal Orlando hotels are all operated by Loews Hotels. The three deluxe resorts (Portofino, Hard Rock and Royal Pacific) are all AAA Four Diamond Award winners. They also have Prime Value hotels and Value Inns & Suites. See below for benefits of staying at the on-site Universal hotels.

Jump to:

• Value Inns & Suites
• Prime Value Hotels
• Signature Collection Hotels

Value Inns & Suites

• Cabana Bay Beach Resort is a Prime Value hotel, featuring a hip, vintage look, with 900 family suites and 900 standard guest rooms. The family suites are exceptionally nicely designed, with a three-way split bathroom (toilet in one room, sink/shower in another, and a separate sink outside). We were impressed by the nostalgic mid-century modern décor (think space-age 1960’s/Jetsons). The resort has much more extensive amenities than Disney’s value resorts, including a lazy river, two main pools, a water slide, and a bowling alley.
• Endless Summer Resort has two Value hotels: Surfside Inn & Suites and Dockside Inn & Suites. Surfside, with 750 rooms, has beachy, surfing-themed décor. Dockside, with 2050 rooms, has more of a beach retreat feel. More than half of the rooms in both hotels are 2-bedroom suites. These suites feature two separate bedrooms, a kitchenette and dining area, and a bathroom with a separate shower and vanity. The 2-bedroom suites sleep up to six people. Surfside amenities include a pool, and a food court. Dockside has 2 pools, a splash pad and a casual dining restaurant (which also has grab and go items). Both have pizza delivery and a game room. 

Prime Value Hotels

• Aventura Resort is a Prime Value tower hotel with a contemporary, clean feel. There are standard guest rooms, as well as 13 kid suites that sleep 5 and have a special interior area for the kids, for a total of 600 rooms. Prices are similar to Cabana Bay Beach Resort. Amenities include a pool, a splash zone and a virtual reality game room. There’s a rooftop bar and grill (Bar 17 Bistro), a modern food hall (Urban Pantry). In-room tablets allow guests to order pizza delivered to their room and to control rooms’ features like the TV and room temperature controls.
• Stella Nova Resort (opening January 21, 2025) will be a Prime Value hotel, with 750 standard guest rooms. The exterior is covered with color-changing tiles and the interior décor is inspired by the stars. It will have a quick service restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, along with a poolside bar and grill, plus a bar in the lobby. The pool area includes a 10,000 square foot pool, a kids’ splash pad, outdoor games, a hot tub, fire pit and poolside movies (weather permitting).
• Terra Luna Resort (opening March 25, 2025) will be a Prime Value hotel, with 750 standard guest rooms. The exterior is covered with color-changing tiles and the interior design takes its inspiration from the planets and terrain in our solar system. There will be a restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner; a bar and grill; and a lobby bar. The pool area has a zero-entry pool with a hot tub, lounge and table-top seating and select outdoor games.

Signature Collection Hotels

• Hard Rock Hotel is designed to look like a classic California mission-style hotel from the outside. Inside are the usual rock star memorabilia and signed pictures associated with the Hard Rock Café brand. The music is loud and continuous, but the amenities and food are quite good. It is the closest walking distance from Universal Studios Florida (about 4-5 minutes walk). It has 650 rooms, including 29 suites.
• Portofino Bay Hotel has an elegant coastal Italian theme and is the most luxurious of the hotels. It offers the most amenities, including a spa, and more restaurants. It is the furthest deluxe resort from the major parks, which means the longest walk or boat trip. That said, you can walk from the boat dock to the parks in 10-12 minutes of brisk walking, or it’s about a 6-7 minute boat ride. It has 750 rooms, including 45 suites.
• Royal Pacific Resort is a tropical paradise with a South Seas theme (primarily Balinese and Indonesian). It has lovely grounds, including a lagoon-style pool with a white sand beach. While this is usually the least-expensive of the Universal deluxe resorts, it is in our opinion the most attractive of the resorts, with our favorite on-site lounge (Jake’s American Bar). It is also the closest walking distance to Universal Islands of Adventure (about 4-5 minutes walk). It has 1000 rooms, including 51 suites.
• Sapphire Falls Resort is a modern resort with some nice Caribbean-themed touches here and there, lush landscaping and, of course, lovely waterfalls. A large lagoon pool area has a sand beach, water slides, a kid’s water play zone and rockwork that is reminiscent of an old Spanish fortress. There’s a rum bar with a massive wall of vintage rums to try and Caribbean cocktails, plus the Amatista Cookhouse, which serves Caribbean-influenced food like jerk chicken and conch chowder. The amenities are roughly comparable to Disney’s moderate resorts, although with interior corridors and rooms that are more like a modern business hotel.
• Universal Helios Grand Hotel (available to book for stays starting May 22, 2025) will be located at Universal Epic Universe theme park. This 500-room Mediterranean themed resort will have several dining options, a rooftop bar and its own dedicated entrance to Universal Epic Universe. Also unique to this hotel will be How to Train Your Dragon-themed Kids’ Suites. Other amenities will include a zero-entry pool with underwater speakers, poolside cabanas available for rent, a hot tub, poolside movie and other activities.

Room-Only Versus Package

Universal offers bundled Vacation Packages that combine a stay at one of their on-site hotels and park tickets. A hotel stay by itself, without tickets, is called a “room-only” reservation. Most of the time there is no real discount for buying everything together as a package, though typically if there are any current room discounts they’ll apply to packages as well, and sometimes Universal offers very good deals on package bookings. 

When Universal is not offering a special package deal, you’ll usually save the most by putting your own package together from the best deals in each category: book a room-only (non-package) hotel reservation and buy your tickets from a discount vendor such as Undercover Tourist. It does take some time and energy to put together the pieces yourself, so it’s really a judgment call for each person as to whether the savings are worth it.

Our recommendation for booking Universal vacation packages is always to book using a good full-service travel agent. You get significantly better service than from Universal’s own sales people, and it doesn’t cost you a dime; the prices are exactly the same as booking directly with Universal.

Our recommendation for booking hotels & tickets separately (i.e. room-only) is to look for the best available discounts from online travel agencies for the room (or take advantage of one of the other discounts below), and buy tickets from a reliable discount vendor. And you may also want to consider looking at off-property hotels near Universal; the savings can be considerable.

Universal Orlando Dining Card Promotional Package

For a limited time, you can book a Universal Orlando Resort vacation package for most stays November 7, 2024 – April 10, 2025 and get one $300 – $1,000 Dining Card per room, good at select food & beverage locations at Universal Orlando Resort.* Blockout dates are December 20, 2024 – January 4, 2025. There is a minimum 4-night stay and 4-day promo ticket required.

• Get a $300 Food and Beverage Card when you book a 4-night stay at Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites, or Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites
• Get a $400 Food and Beverage Card when you book a 5-night or longer stay at Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites, or Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites
• Get a $400 Food and Beverage Card when you book a 4-night stay at Aventura Hotel, Stella Nova Resort, or Terra Luna Resort
• Get a $500 Food and Beverage Card when you book a 5-night or longer stay at Aventura Hotel, Stella Nova Resort, or Terra Luna Resort
• Get a $500 Food and Beverage Card when you book a 4-night stay at Sapphire Falls Resort or Cabana Bay Beach Resort
• Get a $600 Food and Beverage Card when you book a 5-night or longer stay at Sapphire Falls Resort or Cabana Bay Beach Resort
• Get a $800 Food and Beverage Card when you book a 4-night stay at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, or Loews Royal Pacific Resort
• Get a $1,000 Food and Beverage Card when you book a 5-night or longer stay at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, or Loews Royal Pacific Resort

Ticket options for this package are:

• 4-Day/2-Park (Park-to-Park) Ticket (No Volcano Bay)
• 5-Day/2-Park (Park-to-Park) Ticket (No Volcano Bay)
• 4-Day/3-Park (Park-to-Park) Ticket (Includes Volcano Bay)
• 5-Day/3-Park (Park-to-Park) Ticket (Includes Volcano Bay)

Package also includes Early Park Admission. Early Park Admission begins one hour prior to regular scheduled park opening at one Universal Orlando theme park. Check Universal Orlando’s park hours to see which park is going to be open early. Valid at selection attractions at each park.

*Dining Card cannot be used for mobile food & beverage orders, hotels room service or in-hotel pizza delivery. 

Offer excludes all suites except for 2-bedroom suites at Endless Summer Resort and family suites at Cabana Bay Beach Resort. The number of rooms available with this promotion are limited. As with all Universal promotional discounts, some resorts, room types and date combinations will not be available. This offer is cannot be combined with any other discounts or offers.

Offer subject to end at any time. 

CheapTickets and Orbitz Hotel Discounts

CheapTickets and Orbitz are operated by the same company (and are owned by Expedia), but they don’t always offer exactly the same deals. CheapTickets and Orbitz only offer “room-only” reservations. It’s definitely more work than using a full-service travel agent, but if you’re comfortable doing your own research, the savings can be worth it. Be sure to read the caveats in this section carefully, as well as our general advice about booking with online travel agencies, and compare different options before booking. 

When you check out, they will typically offer you park tickets as an upsell, but typically you can get better ticket prices from other vendors. Be sure to compare prices before you throw those tickets into the cart. If you want to book a Universal Vacation Package with tickets and a hotel stay, you’ll want to use a full-service travel agent.

Note that Orbitz has their Orbitz Rewards program that rebates 1%-5% of your booking cost back as “Orbucks” you can use for future travel. This can make the Orbitz deal come out ahead, if you can use the Orbucks before they expire.

For a long time, Orbitz/Cheaptickets overcharged for children because of a glitch in their booking system. When we have checked recently, the glitch appeared to be fixed and we were able to book children normally without being overcharged. However, we’re still getting intermittent reports of readers being charged extra for children under 18 at Universal hotels, which is not Universal policy. It may be that Orbitz is still working out the kinks from their merger with Expedia, and depending on your exact browser, device or something else, you may be getting the old booking engine with the old behavior. Just in case, if you are booking an official Universal hotel with children under 18, check if the price goes down if you remove the kids from the booking. If it does, book with just the adults listed, but make sure you’re booking a room that can hold the whole family. When you get to the hotel to check in, tell them the total number of people you have. As long as you booked a room that can hold everyone, there’s no problem with adding children at check in. You can also call or chat with Orbitz/Cheaptickets customer service to add the children in advance, but it’s not really necessary.

Booking Directly with Loews Hotels

The four Universal Orlando resorts are operated by Loews Hotels, so always check the Loews website. Often you’ll find special deals on the Universal Orlando resorts.

Booking Directly with Universal Resort

The online rates and specials you’ll see by checking Universal Orlando’s site are the same as the Loews Hotel site, so it’s generally not worth checking the Universal site if you’ve already checked Loews.

Sometimes it’s worth calling the Universal Orlando Resort directly at (877) 589-4783 (or have your travel agent do so) and ask if there are any “promo” rates for the time of your stay. There may be discounted rates available to the general public that aren’t listed online — you just have to ask! Thanks to Danielle for info.

AAA Hotel Discount

The AAA discount is usually available, but the amount of the discount varies by season. To book with the AAA discount, you must call Universal at (877) 589-4783, or a travel agent can book this rate for you.

Booking Universal Orlando Resort Hotels through Hotwire

Three of the official Universal Orlando hotels (Portofino Bay Hotel, Royal Pacific Resort and Sapphire Falls) sometimes show up on Hotwire at bargain rates (this is more likely in the extreme off-season, such as January or September).

The Hotwire Hot Rates option (which will pop up once you enter Orlando and your dates on the front page and start your search) allows you to get some amazing deals on hotel rooms, but you aren’t told the hotel’s name up front. You select the general location and then Hotwire gives you a list of prices for unnamed hotels in various star categories (i.e. a 5-star hotel will be a luxury resort, while a 1-star will be a low-end motel) and with specific amenities. At that point you can choose to accept or reject the offered price for a hotel that has a rating and amenities you want. Once you have accepted the price, you are charged in full. It is only at that point that you’re told the hotel name. There are no refunds or exchanges.

Although the names of the hotels aren’t listed, it’s sometimes possible to tell if it’s a Universal Orlando hotel being offered in the Hotwire listing. This information is subject to change and there is never any absolute guarantee that you’ll get a specific hotel, but here are some hints that have worked for many people:

• On the map, select only the “Universal Orlando” area.
• Select only 3, 4 and 5 star ratings. Portofino Bay is rated 5 stars, Royal Pacific and Sapphire Falls are 4 stars and Cabana Bay is 3 stars. The Hard Rock doesn’t tend to show up, but if it did we would guess it would be 4 or 4.5 stars.
• You’ll see some hotel selections. The listings displays star ratings, amenities and prices.
• Portofino Bay will have at least Golf, Tennis, Business Center and Spa (plus other amenities)
• Royal Pacific Resort have at least Golf, Tennis, Business Center and Resort (plus other amenities)
• Sapphire Falls will have at least Pet Friendly and Smoke-Free (plus other amenities)
• Cabana Bay will be listed as a Resort and will have Golf and Free Internet (plus other amenities)
• Universal Orlando hotels will NOT list “Kitchenette.”
• These hotels aren’t available through Hotwire for all dates! You may find just one or none of them being offered for a particular set of dates. They tend to show up only in the short term – less than 2 months before arrival.

Remember, this information is subject to change and there is never any absolute guarantee that you’ll get a specific hotel when using Hotwire!

Florida, Georgia and Alabama Resident Hotel Discount

A discount for local residents is not always available, and varies by season. At times this may be the deepest discount available. Call Universal Resort directly to book, or a travel agent can book this rate for you.

Florida residents should ask for discount code FLO — you won’t necessarily get the best discounts just by going to the Florida Resident section of the Universal site or calling without the code.

Annual Passholders Hotel Discount

Discounts for Annual Passholders are not always available, and vary by season, but sometimes these are excellent deals.

Call Universal Resort directly to book Annual Passholder rates, or a travel agent can book these rates for you. Or go to the Loews website, fill in your reservation details and type APH in the promo code box. You must show your annual pass at check-in.

Military Hotel Discounts

Eligible US service members can get a discount at Universal Orlando hotels – up to 40% off stays at Cabana Bay Beach Resort and up to 30% off stays at other Universal Orlando hotels.

• To reserve a room with the military discount, contact your Military Ticket and Travel Office. 
• To book a Military Hotel Discount as part of a Universal Orlando Military Vacation Package, we recommend contacting a travel agent who specializes in Universal travel.

American Airlines AAdvantage Miles Hotel Discount

If you have an American Airlines AAdvantage membership, using their special hotel booking web site to redeem for discounts on hotels can produce some really great results with certain hotels at certain times. The best deals seem to come up on short notice bookings (<3 months away). Sometimes the best value is by using their minimum point spend (1000 per trip) plus cash to effectively get a discount on the room. The typical rule of thumb is that airline miles are worth an average of $0.02/mile, so any use that nets you more than that per mile is typically a good use, and a deal where you get less than that per mile is not as good.

When we do sample bookings at the various Universal hotels, we’ve seen situations where you could spend 1000 points to get one of the Deluxe Universal hotels for $206/night instead of $358/night, which means you’re saving $152, or $0.15 per airline mile! Before you get too excited, that’s unusual: as you increase the number of points you use, the cash cost goes down, but the effective discount per point goes down as well. To book that same $358 room with all points and no cash is a whopping 35,400 points per night, which is only about 1 penny per mile. We’ve seen other bookings where your points are only worth $0.005 (half a cent) per airline mile. So it’s worth checking, but get out your calculator and figure out what you’re saving, and always consider whether you could make better use of your miles some other way. Thanks to reader Edwin M for info.

Portofino Bay Hotel – Benefits for Platinum Card from American Express

If you have the Platinum Card from American Express*, you can book Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando through the Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) program*. By booking through this program, you get:

• A room upgrade when available, upon check-in.
• Daily Continental breakfast at Trattoria del Porto for 2 adults.
• $100 food & beverage credit, good at Mama Della’s, Trattoria del Porto, Sal’s Market Deli, Splendido Bar & Grill, Room Service, Bar American and/or Thirsty Fish.
• Guaranteed 4:00 pm late check-out.

Note that the FHR rates are sometimes higher than rates you might find elsewhere, so you’ll have to weigh that against the value of the extra benefits. MouseSavers.com founder Mary Waring used FHR to stay at this hotel and for the date she selected in early October 2010, it was a great value. She got a $259 rate for a Bay View room, with all those extras.

*The FHR program is only available to those who have the Platinum Card® from American Express. This is a charge card that requires a substantial annual fee and is NOT the same as an American Express Platinum credit card, such as the Optima, Costco or SkyMiles Platinum cards, which do not qualify for FHR.

Nearby Hotels: Tips, Discounts & Deals

Staying off-site at a hotel near Universal can be a great way to save money. Compared to the on-site hotels you can get a room that is just as good, and in some cases better, at a price that’s significantly easier on the wallet. All of these hotels offer FREE scheduled transportation to and from Universal Orlando.

Our top choice for offsite stays near Universal is the Drury Inn & Suites near Universal Orlando Resort. It offers excellent value and in a great location for exploring Orlando. We’ve negotiated special offers for MouseSavers readers that make this hotel hard to beat.

If being within walking distance to Universal is important to you, check out the Doubletree by Hilton at the Entrance to Universal Orlando.

Jump to:

• Drury Inn & Suites near Universal Orlando Resort (Intersection of Sand Lake and Turkey Lake Roads)
• Doubletree by Hilton Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando is the closest of the hotels located off Universal property. It’s an easy walk of about a half-mile to the entrance of Universal Studios. There is FREE scheduled shuttle service to Universal, SeaWorld (which also provides easy access to Discovery Cove and Aquatica) and Wet ‘n Wild. The hotel is located on the I-Ride Trolley route, which gives you access to a wide variety of restaurants.

Standard rooms are good-sized (about 350 sq ft) and equipped with Sweet Dreams plush-top beds (either one King or two Queen beds), 32″ flat screen television, mini refrigerator, voicemail, in-room safe, iron and ironing board. The guest rooms have floor to ceiling windows, some with views of Universal. The DoubleTree offers Starbucks Coffee in the lobby, warm chocolate chip cookies upon check-in and a junior Olympic-sized heated pool. There is a lobby bar, a restaurant and a deli.

Booking A Universal Orlando Vacation With a Travel Agent

If all this information about Universal is making your head swim, consider consulting a travel agent who knows Universal and can book your vacation without any extra cost to you. Whether you want to book a trip to both Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World, or a stand-alone Universal Vacation Package, our recommended travel agency, Small World Vacations, can help you.

Small World Vacations agents are required to experience the destinations they sell. They are extremely knowledgeable about Universal Orlando and oriented toward saving you money. They understand the various discounts that are available, and they know the best tricks for maximizing your time and money when planning a Universal vacation.

Dining, Entertainment & Merchandise Discounts

Jump to:

• Tips for Eating at Universal
• The Great Feast Platter at Three Broomsticks
• September is Orlando Magical Dining Month
• Refillable Drinks & Popcorn Buckets
• AAA/CAA Discounts
• Annual Passholder Discounts
• Restaurant.com
• Deals at The Palm in the Hard Rock Hotel
• Costco Deals on Restaurant Gift Cards
• Mandara Spa Discounts

Tips for Eating at Universal

MouseSavers.com reader Jen W offers these great tips on Universal food and drink, plus an edible souvenir idea:

• Buy your butterbeer in a souvenir mug ($9 for an empty mug, $14 filled with butterbeer), or buy one of the many other souvenir mugs throughout the park, and use it to get soft drink refills for $1.19 (plus tax) at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. Sadly, butterbeer refills are not discounted, just coke products, tea, lemonade and apple cider. Icees and slushies are also discounted, but cost about $3 (about $1 off). Check before you buy the mug. Some mugs are part of the refill program, and some (like the Hog’s Head mug) are just souvenirs.
• While in The Three Broomsticks, ask a server for a free soft drink refill before you leave. This may work at other restaurants, but we didn’t try it.
• Fresh whole fruit is the cheapest food in the park at $1.79 plus tax.
• Order the kids burger at Captain America Diner. For $7 it’s exactly the same as the adult burger, but you’ll have a side option of fries, grapes or apple sauce. Adult burgers have a choice of fries or side salad — but you have to ask for the salad.
• Head straight to a sit-down restaurant at non-peak meal times. We were approached by staff all three times we did sit-down restaurants and were amazed by their friendly and accommodating attitudes. If nothing else, it’s faster than quick service or a cart.
• Consider lunch or an early dinner at Mythos Restaurant. The theming is incredible and it’s a welcome respite from the crowds. Even if you don’t want to pay the reasonable prices, ask if you can walk through and take pictures of the amazing pizza oven and other details.
• Check the candy shop in Seuss Landing for affordable souvenirs without the long lines of Honeydukes. We spent $10 on 4-packs of rice krispy treats with “Thing 1” through “Thing 4”, or just $2.50 per kid.

The Great Feast Platter at Three Broomsticks

MouseSavers.com reader Jatinder reports: “the family dinner at Three Broomsticks in Harry Potter was a great bargain and decent food for an amusement park. For $60 (10% off with AAA) you get a large salad with Italian dressing, 4 pieces of chicken (2 each breast/wing and leg/thigh), 4 ribs, sautéed vegetables and roasted potatoes. Nothing fried and all quite tasty, both rare in an amusement park.”

MouseSavers.com reader Jen W agrees: “The Great Feast at The Three Broomsticks was such good food (and such a good deal w/AAA discount) that we had it twice during our 3-day visit.”

September is Orlando Magical Dining Month

Each year for the entire month of September, and sometimes late August,, participating high-end Orlando restaurants feature three-course, prix fixe dinners at an exceptional value. Typically some of the top restaurants at Universal Orlando participate.

Visit Orlando Magical Dining’s website for details.

Refillable Drinks & Popcorn Buckets

For cheap snacks, you can’t beat the refillable soft drink mugs and popcorn buckets available at Universal Orlando. Prices below are subject to change at any time:

• Many locations throughout both theme parks and CityWalk sell a refillable souvenir cup. The basic model costs $8.99 plus tax and you get refills for $1.19 forever. There are other souvenir cups (like a butterbeer mug, Minion-shaped bottle, etc.) that are refillable that cost more but are refillable under the same system, and some souvenir cups that are not refillable; they’re just souvenirs. Be sure to ask before purchase if a particular cup/mug/bottle counts as a refillable soda cup.
• There is also a separate Coke Freestyle Souvenir Cup program, which costs more (about $17), but offers FREE refills, only from the Coke Freestyle machines, and only for that day. You can pay a fee on subsequent days ($5.99 last we checked) to reactivate your Freestyle souvenir cup for another day. Thanks to Clement P for info.
• Many locations throughout both theme parks (but not CityWalk) sell refillable buckets of popcorn for $5.99 plus tax. Refills cost $1.29 plus tax, refills on flavored varieties cost $2.99 plus tax. Although the signs suggest that the refills are good on the day of purchase only, in reality you can bring your bucket back on future days and get the cheap refills.

AAA/CAA Discounts

Members of the American Automobile Association (AAA) or the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) save 10% at select dining and merchandise locations. You may be asked to show a special “Discounts & Rewards” voucher along with their membership card. You receive the voucher from participating AAA clubs when you buy tickets or a vacation package from AAA. It still may be worth asking for a AAA discount even if you don’t have the voucher, especially at independent restaurants like Margaritaville and Hard Rock Cafe.

• 10% off select locations in the two theme parks. (Offer excludes merchandise or food carts, tattoos, alcohol, tobacco, candy, film, collectibles and sundry items.) If you belong to AAA or CAA, be sure to ask at every theme park restaurant and shop whether there is a discount.
• 10% off Universal Orlando CityWalk restaurants and shops. (Offer excludes merchandise or food carts, tattoos, alcohol, tobacco, candy, film, collectibles or sundry items. Discount on food, non-alcoholic drinks and merchandise at all CityWalk restaurants and shops with the exception of Emeril’s, Bubba Gump, Fossil and Fresh Produce.) Valid up to six people per AAA membership card. Show your membership card to get the discount.

Annual Passholder Discounts

Holders of the Preferred Annual Pass (but not the Annual Power Pass) get a host of meal, merchandise and entertainment discounts.

Restaurant.com

Save money at some Universal-area restaurants by purchasing discounted certificates from Restaurant.com. Most certificates are for a specific amount (usually $25) and you get them at a discounted price (usually $10 or less).

The Universal Orlando area restaurants offered through Restaurant.com change frequently (search for restaurants near zip code 32819).

• Read more details about Restaurant.com and possible discount codes that can save you even more!

Deals at The Palm in the Hard Rock Hotel

Check The Palm’s website to see their current offers.

If you plan to be a repeat customer (at any of the locations of The Palm), consider joining the 837 Club for $25 and receive a $25 gift card towards your next meal or happy hour bar visit. Once you become a member, you’ll receive Club Points every time you visit The Palm that can be redeemed for special rewards ranging from a complimentary dessert to a weekend getaway for two.

Costco Deals on Restaurant Gift Cards

If you are a Costco member and you plan to eat at one or more restaurants that are part of a chain, it’s always worthwhile to check out the restaurant gift cards available through your local warehouse, which are typically discounted by 20%. Keep in mind that a gift card for a particular restaurant brand in the chain might also be accepted at other restaurant brands owned by the same chain.

Mandara Spa Discounts

Mandara Spa at Portofino Bay Hotel offers the usual massages, facials, and pedicures, as well as exotic therapies such as the Elemis Stone Therapy (small stones placed on key energy points during your massage) and Elemis Aroma Spa Ocean Wrap with Massage (using seaweed, sage, and essential oils to wrap your body, followed by a body massage). For reservations call (407) 503-1244.

• Check the Mandara Spa website for specials (select the Offers tab).

Getting to Universal Orlando from Walt Disney World

If you plan to book a Universal vacation package (such as the Harry Potter Vacation Package), your travel agent can add transfers from any Walt Disney World resort to any Universal resort and between any Universal resort and the Orlando International Airport.

If you’re not booking a vacation package and only want to visit Universal for one day, the cheapest way is usually to rent a car. Often you can get a one-day rental for as little as $30 plus tax, which is usually cheaper than the other options and gives you tons more flexibility. You will have to pay the current parking charge when you get to Universal, but even with that figured in this is usually the best value (though Lyft can be pretty close, depending on where you’re staying and what kind of rental deals you can find). Driving to Universal is very easy – take I-4 East and three or four exits away there will be signs telling you to exit for Universal. Follow the signs and they will lead you directly to the parking garage. Your hotel can give you specific instructions for how to get to I-4, or there are road signs on all the major Walt Disney World routes that will direct you.

If you don’t want to rent a car, other good options are a taxi (about $30-$45 each way plus tip, depending on traffic and where you leave from) or a chartered limo, sedan, or van. Usually a chartered sedan will be fairly competitive in price with a taxi. With chartered cars you know the price up front, while the price of a ride in a taxi varies depending on traffic and the specific route the driver chooses. On the other hand, there are always taxis available immediately at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, whereas with a chartered sedan you need to schedule a time to be picked up. Most limo services will pick you up earlier or later if you find that you get tired or need more time to see everything, but it depends on them having a car and driver available.

Lyft is a viable in Orlando now, and it works fine. Cost will be around $16-$35 each way depending on where in Walt Disney World you’re coming from and which Lyft variant you select. For more information and tips, see our complete guide to using ride services (i.e. Lyft) in Orlando.

Technically, you could take the city bus. This is really cheap, but not recommended. It takes about 1.5-2 hours each way from Disney’s Transportation & Ticket Center to Universal and requires you to change buses at the Orlando Central Bus Station, which feels more than a little sketchy.

Parking Deals

Regular Parking Prices at Universal Orlando

Check the current parking rates at Universal Orlando.

Discounts/Deals on Parking at Universal Orlando

If you leave and return on the same day, present your parking receipt and you won’t have to pay again.

Avis and Budget car rentals from the Orlando International Airport can get a FREE upgrade to Prime Parking. (Voucher required.)

Self-parking is FREE after 6:00 pm (except during Halloween Horror Nights). This is primarily intended for those planning to eat/shop/go to a movie in CityWalk, but you can, of course, go into the theme parks if they are still open.

Power Annual Passholders get 50% off regular daytime self-parking after their first visit (except on holidays & special events) at the theme parks every day.

Preferred Annual Passholders get FREE self-parking after their first visit (except on holidays & special events) at the theme parks every day.

Premier Annual Passholders get FREE valet or Prime self-parking and FREE valet parking (except on holidays & special events) at the theme parks every day.

Universal Express Passes

Universal Unlimited Express and Early Entry For Universal’s Hotel Guests

Guests staying at Universal’s hotels receive special theme park privileges:

• Guests of all official Universal Orlando hotels get early entry to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (though in the off-season sometimes only one park is opened early each day).
• Guests of the three original Signature Collection Universal Orlando hotels (Royal Pacific Resort, Hard Rock Hotel and Portofino Bay Hotel) receive a Universal Unlimited Express Pass for both original Universal Orlando theme parks (Universal Studios Orlando and Islands of Adventure). Note that this Express Pass does not include Universal Epic Universe, and guests staying at the new Helios Hotel do not get this benefit.

The Universal Express Pass is a fantastic benefit that allows guests to use the Express entrance for attractions as many times as they want (for attractions that offer it, which now includes the main Harry Potter attractions). In our opinion, the Universal Express Pass feature alone is worth the extra cost of staying in one of the deluxe Universal hotels, because you to get a lot more access to the attractions in a lot less time.

While it used to be that Universal reserved the Unlimited Express Passes for the Deluxe hotel guests, now they are selling Unlimited Express Passes in limited quantities each day, allowing guests to stay anywhere they want and just pay for the Unlimited Express Pass separately (if they’re not sold out or blacked out on that day). Usually if you price it all out, it’s still cheaper for a family to stay in a Deluxe Universal resort, especially since you get one more day of Express pass than the number of nights you’re staying at the hotel (see below for more). But if it’s more convenient to stay somewhere else and you want the Unlimited Express pass, check and see if they have any available for the day(s) you’ll be there.

Guests at all Universal resorts get free transportation by boat, tram, and/or bus to and from the theme parks and CityWalk, package delivery to their hotel room and use of their hotel room key card to charge purchases. Guests at deluxe Universal resorts also get priority seating at select Universal Orlando restaurants.

Guests of the Deluxe Resorts do not get special express access at Volcano Bay, but there are Volcano Bay Express Passes that can be purchased separately.

Something useful to know: if you stay one night at a deluxe Universal hotel, you actually get two days of Unlimited Express Passes. That’s because you can check into your hotel early on the first day and collect your room key and Express Pass, which you can take into the park and begin using right away. (Your room almost certainly won’t be ready that early, but the front desk will store your luggage and you can call or come back in the afternoon and get your room number.) The room key remains valid for Express Ride Access even after check-out on the second day: you can use it until the parks close that night. This works for longer stays as well: if you stay two nights, you get three days of Express Ride Access.

There are many different hotel discounts at Universal Orlando — be sure to check them out.

Buying Universal Express Pass & Universal Unlimited Express Passes Separately

Universal Express Pass

The Express Pass gives you access to the Express entrance for each attraction that participates, though only one time per attraction. There is no need to pick up a separate pass or make a reservation for each attraction. You just show up, show the pass, and they send you through the Express line. Depending on the attraction, there still may be a wait, but it’s always substantially less than the regular line (except at off-peak times when neither line is very long). It does not include admission; you will still need a valid ticket to get into the park.

The Express Pass for one park (Universal Studios Florida or Universal Islands of Adventure) costs an additional $85.19-$276.89 (tax included) per person per day, depending on the time of year, when purchased in advance. For two parks (Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure) the price is $95.84-$287.54, about $10 more than a one-park pass. The price varies depending on season, with peak and holiday season prices the highest (naturally). It can also be purchased at the park. Thus if you’re not sure if you’re going to need it, you can go to the park, check out the wait times, and see if you feel like it’s worth buying. However, they sell out of Express Passes during peak periods, so if you’re going when it’s busy, it’s probably worth getting the pass in advance.

There is also a separate Express Pass and Express Plus Pass for Volcano Bay, which works slightly differently (see section below for more).

Universal Unlimited Express Pass

The Unlimited Express Pass is like the Express Pass, but lets you use the Express entrance for each attraction that participates as many times as you want. It used to be that the Unlimited Express Pass was only available as one of the Universal Deluxe Resort special benefits, but Universal now makes it available as a separate daily pass for people who already have tickets or an annual pass.

The Unlimited Express Pass for a single main park (Universal Studios Florida or Universal Islands of Adventure) costs an additional $117.14-$308.84 (tax included) per person per day, depending on the time of year, when purchased in advance. For both main parks (Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure), it’s $127.79-$319.49, only about $10 more than a one-park pass. The price varies depending on season, with peak and holiday season prices the highest (naturally). It can also be purchased at the park, though they can and do sell out of these passes during high season.

There is also a separate Express Pass and Express Plus Pass for Volcano Bay, which works slightly differently (see section below for more).

Volcano Bay Express Passes

The Express Passes for Volcano Bay work a little bit differently from the Express Passes for the two main theme parks. The standard Volcano Bay Express Pass gives express access once per day to a selected group of rides (all of them except a handful that are both popular and lower capacity). The Volcano Bay Express Pass Plus gives express access once per day to all of the rides. There is no Unlimited version of the Express Pass for Volcano Bay – they’re all good for one ride per day.

The regular Volcano Bay Express Pass varies in price from $21.29-$106.49 (tax included), depending on how busy they expect the park to be. The Volcano Bay Express Pass Plus varies between $42.59-$138.44 (tax included). These prices are subject to change at any time, but in general the Plus pass costs about $20-$30 more than the regular pass.

Combo Tickets That Include Express and Unlimited Express

You can also buy a combo with a park-to-park ticket and Express or Unlimited Express. You get Express or Unlimited Express on each day you use the ticket. The first ticket day must be used on a specific day you choose in advance, but any additional visits can be used on any day in the next 14 days after that.

The combo is almost always cheaper than buying the tickets and the Express or Unlimited Express Passes separately, but for one-day tickets, the savings may be almost nonexistent. You really save the most money with the multi-day bundles. However, there may or may not be a combo available for the number of days that you plan to visit the parks, as the offers change. If one is available that works for your travel plans, compare the cost of the combo with the cost of buying the items separately to see which is the lowest.

We think the Express and Unlimited Express passes are worth the extra money only if you’re visiting at peak times, or if you know you aren’t going into the park early. If either of those apply to you, an Express Pass or Unlimited Express Pass may be worth considering. In the lowest seasons, these passes generally don’t provide that much benefit, because most of the rides in the park just don’t have long waits until the middle of the day.

For most families of 2 or more, staying in a Deluxe resort is going to be cheaper than buying an Unlimited Express pass for everyone in your family plus staying in a Moderate or Value resort, and often even cheaper than buying regular Express Passes. When doing the price comparison, remember that a one-night stay in a Universal Deluxe resort includes two days of Unlimited Express Pass.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade in Islands of Adventure puts guests inside the magical world created by J.K. Rowling in the Harry Potter books and films. The fully immersive, themed land enables guests to visit the village of Hogsmeade, the mysterious Forbidden Forest, and even Hogwarts Castle itself. You can drink butterbeer and pumpkin juice, shop for wizard merchandise, and even experience a wand selection! The theming absolutely fantastic. The village is adorable: it’s like walking right into the books. The effects in Hogwarts Castle are amazing. If you are a Harry Potter fan, it is definitely worth a half-day of your time. On a weekday in the off-season you can do and see everything in about 3 hours.

The newest attraction is Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, a freewheeling coaster flight through the Forbidden Forest aboard magical motorbikes. Another big attraction is Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, a state-of-the-art thrill ride that brings the magic, characters and stories of Harry Potter to life.

On select nights there is a castle projection show with lights, music and fireworks. The current show, Hogwarts Always, features iconic moments of a school year at Hogwarts and has four different endings, one celebrating each of the four houses at Hogwarts. There are also two seasonal shows: Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle is shown during Halloween and Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts is shown at Christmastime.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley in Universal Studios Florida more than doubles the size of the area already dedicated to Harry Potter’s adventures, expanding it across both Universal theme parks. You can travel between the two areas aboard the iconic Hogwarts Express (a Park-to-Park Ticket is required to ride the Hogwarts Express).

Diagon Alley, a bustling, wizarding hub within the Muggle city of London, has shops and dining experiences. The main attraction, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, is a multi-sensory, multi-dimensional journey. You can visit Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, for all your magical joke needs; Borgin and Burkes, a shop specializing in a wide variety of Dark objects; and stop in for a meal at the Leaky Cauldron.

There is a greatly expanded Ollivanders wand shop that can handle many more people, which reduces the incredibly long lines that Ollivanders in Hogsmeade has had. The Ollivanders in Diagon Alley has exactly the same short but cute show, and it’s certainly worth seeing once, but if you’ve seen the Hogsmeade show, don’t bother with the Diagon Alley one.

At multiple times during the day several different shows are performed on a small stage in the back of Diagon Alley. A company of players will present one of two different Tales of Beedle the Bard, using bunraku-style puppets that are wonderfully detailed. And Celestina Warbeck (Mrs. Weasley’s favorite singer) performs a short set with a trio of backup singers. Both shows are well worth checking out.

Admission to either Wizarding World of Harry Potter is included with your Universal Orlando theme park admission or Annual Pass. To visit both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley on the same day and to ride the Hogwarts Express, you need a Park-to-Park Ticket or Annual Pass.

Jump to:

• Tips and Tricks for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
• Tips and Tricks for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
• Tips and Tricks for Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringotts
• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Vacation Package

Tips and Tricks for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

• If you plan to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley on a weekend, holiday or other busy time period, you would be wise to get in line at the front gates of Universal Studios Florida at least an hour before the official opening time. If you visit mid-week in the off-season, lines are not too bad.
• The crowds in Hogsmeade, the original Harry Potter area in Islands of Adventure, have dropped significantly since Diagon Alley opened. During peak periods, you still may want to get there before park opening, but lines build much slower than before, and on weekdays in the off-season you can show up in the middle of the day and not wait very long for anything.
• Especially during busy time periods, you may also want to consider staying at one of the official Universal Orlando resorts. Resort guest Unlimited Express Passes now give express access to the Forbidden Journey, Escape From Gringotts or Hogwarts Express rides, AND you get early admission (one hour prior to official opening) to either Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley (you don’t get to choose which one; there will be signs at your hotel saying which one is open early). If staying on site, it’s currently recommended that you line up outside gates of whichever park is opening early by 7:30 am for 8:00 am early admission to the park.
• For Hogsmeade, here’s our suggested order to visit to minimize waiting:
  1. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is the newest ride in Hogsmeade, so get in line for this first.
  2. Ollivander’s is a very cute 5-minute show that Harry Potter fans will enjoy. (If you’re not a Harry Potter fan, just skip it completely.) Due to the show’s small capacity, the line can be very long. If you want to experience the show, try first thing in the morning. If the line is already long when you get there, wait and try again at lunchtime, or in the last hour before the park closes.
  3. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is the “big” ride that you don’t want to miss. See below for tips and tricks.
  4. Shopping – All of the shops are small and there can be long lines to get in as the crowds build. If you want a wand, the same ones sold at Dervish and Banges (which almost always has a long line to get in) are for sale at a cart near Forbidden Journey.
  5. Three Broomsticks/Butterbeer – If you don’t care about eating a meal in Three Broomsticks, go in during a non-mealtime and get a Butterbeer. The staff in Three Broomsticks may tell you to go out on the patio if you “only” order Butterbeer. Try to ignore those instructions, because the patio is not themed to any degree. You want to be inside, where you can enjoy the owl special effects. (Note that during non-mealtimes, it’s MUCH faster to get a Butterbeer in Three Broomsticks than to wait in the long lines at the Butterbeer carts on the street! Also, almost everyone seems to like the frozen Butterbeer better than the regular.) There can be long waits at mealtimes for Three Broomsticks during busy times of year, so if you want to eat there, either book a vacation package that includes breakfast, or try to eat at an odd hour.
  6. Flight of the Hippogriff – The line for this ride, which is an old ride that has been re-themed, is usually not significant. If you’re staying at one of the official Universal Orlando resorts, you’ll get access to the Express Line anyway.

• For Diagon Alley, here’s our suggested order to minimizing waiting:
  1. Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringotts develops long lines early, and is a signature ride you don’t want to miss, so get in line for it right away.
  2. Ollivander’s doesn’t develop quite as long lines in Diagon Alley as the location in Hogwarts, as they actually have up to three shows running at a time in Diagon Alley. But it’s still worth doing early to minimize the wait.
  3. Carkitt Market shows – All of the shows are well worth seeing, so check out the schedule and make a point to come by when they’re happening. We especially liked the Tales of Beedle the Bard, but the Celestina Warbeck show is also quite entertaining.
  4. Shopping and sightseeing – All the shops are worth a visit. They’ve developed a really wide variety of souvenirs and each shop has at least a few things that are unique to that location. In addition, the theming and decoration of each shop is well worth seeing. Make sure to visit the money exchange, which has an animatronic goblin who will respond to questions.
  5. Leaky Cauldron – Definitely go in here even if you don’t need food, and admire the amazing attention to detail. But if you are going to have lunch in the park, this is one of the better choices. The pub-style food is tasty and not wildly expensive compared to other choices at Universal.

• If you are visiting for at least two days, we recommend doing each “side” of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter on separate days, so you can visit each of them first thing in the morning, then tour the rest of either Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure for the rest of the day. Do ride the Hogwarts Express on one of the days at your leisure when the wait time is posted at 20 minutes or less, and then turn around and ride it back.
• If you have only one day and have early entry, then go to whichever side has early entry and ride the main ride(s) (either Forbidden Journey, Gringotts, or Hagrid’s Magical Creatures) and go to Ollivander’s (it’s the same show in either location). If you’re in Hogsmeade, ride the secondary ride (Flight of the Hippogriff). In either area, spend the rest of the time sightseeing until the other park opens and you can ride the Hogwarts Express to the other area, then visit the primary attractions in the second park (skipping Ollivander’s unless you want to see it twice for some reason), then explore the whole Harry Potter area at the second park, and finally ride the Hogwarts Express back to the first park to finish your sightseeing.
• If you have only one day and don’t have early entry, generally your best bet is going to be to go to Diagon Alley first and ride Gringotts, then head immediately over to Hogsmeade and ride all the rides there, starting with Forbidden Journey. Then explore Hogsmeade thoroughly and head back to Diagon Alley to finish your sightseeing.

Tips and Tricks for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

• The single rider line for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey usually goes very fast. “Single rider” means you’re willing to fill any empty seat and not ride with the rest of your party. Everyone will get on the ride within a minute or two of each other, but you won’t ride together on the same bench. Signage is minimal for the single rider line: ask a Team Member at the beginning of the line outside the Castle.
• The single rider line bypasses the amazing Castle effects, which you will definitely want to see, but there may be a way around that. Depending on how they have the lines set up, they may be running a “tour” line for folks who want to see the castle interior but not ride. Ask any Team Member at the castle if the tour line is open. If it is, you can take your time, enjoy all the animations and stick around to see the multiple versions of each one. Then when you’re ready to ride, go in the single-rider line. MouseSavers.com reader Jeffrey L reports, “The normal line was 60 minutes or longer, but I took the tour and rode 3 times [in the single rider line] with almost no wait each time.”
• Lines for the lockers outside of Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey are long and cause big bottlenecks. To avoid this, try not to bring things like camera bags or day packs that will have to go in a locker. Alternatively, pay for an all-day locker at the front of the park. A small waist pack or small items (cell phone/camera/sunglasses) that you can stuff in a pocket will allow you to skip the lockers. However, if you are borderline on fitting into the seats (see below), you won’t want anything in your pockets or around your waist that could bulk you up.
• The Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey attraction has significant size restrictions. There is a minimum height requirement of 48 inches. Also, some larger-sized adults do not fit in the unusual overhead seat restraints. Seats on some cars now have modified restraints that accommodate more body types. If you are in the “obese” BMI category (check your BMI here), like more than 30% of American adults, you may need one of the seats with the modified restraints. People with large chests (about 48″ or more), large midsections and/or large thighs may also need to use the modified restraints. Sample seats are available at the front of the attraction and offer a “traffic light” system: red light, you can’t ride; yellow light, you can wait for one of the newly modified seats; green light, you can take any seat. If you think you may be borderline on fitting into the restraints, be sure to wear thin, stretchy clothing (synthetic workout gear is great) and put everything you’re carrying, including the contents of your pockets, into a locker before riding.
• Thanks to MouseSavers.com readers Lew C, Jeffrey L and Maria B for tips.

Tips and Tricks for Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringotts

• The single rider line is a great option to save a lot of line waiting. “Single rider” means you’re willing to fill any empty seat and not ride with the rest of your party. Signage is minimal for the single rider line: ask a Team Member at the beginning of the line. You’ll all ride at approximately the same time, just not seated next to each other.
• You’ll need to put any backpacks or loose items like cameras in a locker. However, you can get in line first (especially if it’s in the morning and the line is snaking through the entire area) and when you get to the entrance of Gringotts ask a team member for a locker return ticket. One of your party can take the return ticket, go off with everyone’s stuff and put it in a locker, then show the ticket to the team members at the entrance, which will let them rejoin their party via the single-rider line, which runs parallel to the main queue.
• The size restrictions on Gringotts are not quite as bad as they are on the Forbidden Journey ride, but big or tall people should ask for the back row, which has a little more leg room than the other rows in each vehicle.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Vacation Package

This EXCLUSIVE vacation package includes:

• 5-Night hotel accommodations (available at the official on-site Universal hotels* and at Universal Partner Hotels)
• 2-Park/5-Day Park-to-Park ticket^
• Early Park Admission** to experience The Wizarding World of Harry Potter!
• Breakfast at the Three Broomsticks – one per person
• Breakfast at The Leaky Cauldron – one per person
• 8 days of admission to select live entertainment venues in Universal CityWalk
• A Shutterbuttons Photo Studio session to create a moving portrait, also includes a DVD photo album
• A themed Keepsake Box that includes a welcome letter, travel planning guide, luggage tags (one per person) and a Hogwarts Railways lanyard (one per person)

Note that this package offers the ONLY way to reserve breakfast at the Three Broomsticks, minimizing time in line. (Three Broomsticks is a counter-service restaurant at lunch and dinner, and lines can be long!)

4-Night minimum stay required. Travel must be completed by 12/31/24.

*If you stay at one of the official on-site Deluxe Universal hotels, you’ll get an Express Pass to most rides.

^The 5-Day Park-to-Park Base Ticket entitles one guest admission to 2 Universal parks (Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure) on the same day for the duration of ticket. Ticket is valid for any five calendar days during a seven consecutive calendar day period which includes the first day any portion of the ticket is used during normal operating hours. Unused days will be forfeited. Ticket excludes parking, discounts on food and merchandise, and separately ticketed events. Additional restrictions may apply which are subject to change without notice.

**Early Park Admission begins one hour prior to regular scheduled park opening at one Universal Orlando theme park. Valid at selection attractions at each park.

Annual Special Events

Jump to:

• Rock the Universe
• Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando
• Halloween Horror Nights
• Holidays at Universal Orlando
• New Year’s Eve at Universal Orlando

Overall Notes:

• Most events happen every year, so for annual events (or new events that we assume will become annual) we leave the information in place after the event is over, so you can see the time of year the event happens and what it was like the year before.
• Information on events that have already happened are colored gray. Once we get details about the next occurrence of that event, we update our information and change the text to black again.
• You can also take a look at the Universal Orlando’s seasonal events page to see current and upcoming special events.

Rock the Universe

In 2025, Rock the Universe will be held January 24-25. 

Rock the Universe is an after-hours event at Universal Studios and requires separate admission. Contemporary Christian music acts perform on three different stages for two nights. Select rides and attractions will be open throughout each night. Admission to the Sunday Morning Service is included with any Rock the Universe ticket, but reservations are required. 

2025 Rock the Universe Regular Ticket Prices

There are 2 types of tickets for this event. Event-only tickets allow you to enter Universal Studios after 4 pm and also attend the event. Rock Your Weekend tickets give you admission to the theme parks during the day (1 park per day and park-to-park tickets are available) and admission to Rock the Universe in the evening.

2025 Ticket prices, tax included are:

• 1-night Rock the Universe ticket: $94.84
• 2-night Rock the Universe ticket: $138.44
• 2-Park or 3-Park Rock Your Weekend Base Ticket (1 park per day): $174.65
• 2-Park or 3-Park Rock Your Weekend Park-to-Park Ticket: $217.25
• You can add a Rock the Universe Express Pass After 4 pm – One Time Per Ride for an additional $37.26
• You can add a Rock the Universe Express Pass After 4 pm – Unlimited Times Per Ride for an additional $47.91

These tickets are only good for the Rock the Universe Weekend dates. Annual Passes and Complimentary passes are not valid for this event, but Annual Passholders can get event-only tickets at a discount. 

• For more information about Rock the Universe and a list of performers, go to the Universal Orlando Rock the Universe page.

Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando

In 2025, Mardi Gras at Universal Studios will be offered on select nights February 1 – March 30.

The main attraction during Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando is an evening parade, with floats, street performers, stilt walkers and dancers. Beads are thrown to the crowd at this family-friendly event. During the Mardi Gras parade, most or all of the attractions are closed. 

Mardi Gras festivities are included in the regular price of admission to the park.

• For more information about Mardi Gras, go to the Universal Orlando Mardi Gras page.

Halloween Horror Nights

In 2024, Halloween Horror Nights was held select nights August 30 – November 3.

Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) is an after-hours event at Universal Orlando that is held on select nights in late Fall, including Halloween night. This is a scary event that is NOT appropriate for young children — we would not recommend taking a child under 12. It includes gruesome displays, actors with chainsaws and other intense stuff, in addition to haunted houses and a creepy parade. Park guests are not allowed to wear costumes. 

2024 Halloween Horror Nights Regular Ticket Prices

Specific date single night ticket prices start at $85.19, tax included, when purchased in advance.

Advance purchase single night ticket prices, tax included, are:

• $88.38 for September 4, 5, 8, 11, 12, 15, 18, 19, 25, 26; October 2
• $91.58 for September 22, 29; October 3
• $93.71 for October 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30, 31
• $99.03 for September 6; October 13, 20, 27
• $102.23 for September 13, 20, 27
• $104.36 for November 1
• $109.68 for August 30; October 4, 6, 11, 18, 25
• $113.94 for August 31; September 1, 7, 14, 21, 28
• $115.01 for November 2
• $125.66 for October 5
• $130.98 for October 12, 19, 26

Halloween Horror Nights requires separate admission. This event frequently sells out.

2024 Halloween Horror Nights Express Pass costs $138.44 – $255.59, tax included, depending on the date. This add-on allows you to skip the lines one time at all haunted houses and participating rides and attractions during HHN. Please note: this add-on does not include admission to HHN.

Holidays at Universal Orlando

In 2024, Holidays at Universal will be held November 22 through December 31.

Holiday events at Universal Orlando include the music and festivities of “Grinchmas” as Seuss Landing in Universal’s Islands of Adventure is transformed into a wintry wonderland. Enjoy the “Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular,” a live retelling of Dr. Seuss’s holiday classic, the Wonky Tree Lot, strolling Whos, and a chance to get your picture taken with the mean green one himself. The Universal’s Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s takes place in Universal Studios Florida, with floats and balloons, along with characters like the Minions from Despicable Me, DreamWorks characters from Madagascar and Shrek – and even Santa Claus.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter also celebrates the magic of Christmas. Diagon Alley and London have festive décor and special holiday treats and drinks. King’s Cross Station features buskers singing holiday favorites and Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees have a special show prepared just for the occasion. Hogsmeade shops are decorated with garland and lights. The Frog Choir sings seasonal melodies and there are special treats and drinks available. At night, a special projection show, The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle, transforms the castle and brings memorable Christmas moments from the Harry Potter series to life.

In-park holiday events are included with your regular Universal admission.

There is a Holiday Tree Hunt scavenger hunt. Use the Holiday Tree Hunt brochure to find themed holiday trees in Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Universal CityWalk and get a stamp in your brochure for each one you find. The Holiday Tree Hunt brochure can be purchased for $10.60, tax included, at select merchandise locations (while supplies last). Bring the brochure to one of the designated locations and exchange it for a holiday ornament. You do not need to obtain any tree stamps to exchange the brochure for an ornament. 

If you stay at one of the official Universal Orlando resort hotels, you will be immersed in the spirit of the season including Christmas tree lighting ceremonies, visits from Santa and Hanukkah candle lightings, holiday crafts and more. There are special menus for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. There are also special meals for the holidays which may require a ticket. 

• For more information about Holiday at Universal, go to the Holidays at Universal Orlando page.

New Year’s Eve at Universal Orlando

On December 31, 2024, New Year’s Eve will be as celebrated in Universal Studios Florida, Universal Island of Adventure. Both parks will be open through midnight that night and these celebrations are included with theme park admission. Universal CityWalk will be open until 2 am. Several of the Universal Resort Hotels will have family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebrations including special menus, live entertainment and midnight balloon drops.