Traveling alone to the parks has changed my life and I want to show how you can create your own solo theme park memories. Utility bills, auto insurance policies, and homeowner’s insurance are also applicable. My name is NikkyJ and I’m the owner of ThemeParkHipster. It does not include parking or food/merchandise discounts. How To Start A Disney Travel Blog With Bluehost. That makes Universal unique among all major theme park chains in the United States in that it does not have a chain-wide annual pass option. A two day, two park pass, which would allow you to go between Universal Studios and Universal’s Islands of Adventure for two full days, costs $295 for non-Florida residents or $227 for Florida residents. Let’s say you’re an out-of-stater, you purchased your annual pass in January (before the rates were raised for the coming year), and you didn’t actually visit Universal Orlando until May. 5 Solo Travel Essentials You MUST HAVE to Stay Safe at Walt Disney World, 7 Wizarding World of Harry Potter Food You MUST Try On Your Next Universal Orlando Resort Trip, 45 Amazing First Timer Tips for Cedar Point (The Ultimate Guide), May the 4th Be with You! Due to the evolving nature of the phased reopening of Universal Orlando Resort, some benefits may be unavailable. If you’re currently visiting Universal Orlando Parks and have a park ticket that is still valid i.e. Like any visit to an Orlando theme park it helps to go in with a basic plan. Is a free Halloween Horror Nights calling your name? To make Annual Passholders’ returns “easier and even more fun,” Universal Orlando has added some new, limited-time perks to the pass: Dedicated Passholder Parking, and Security Lanes You won't have to pay that fee on future visits once you buy an annual pass. Finally, Universal Studios Hollywood's "Premium Star Pass" costs $179 online and … In the end we decided to upgrade our tickets to the three park pass for $99 per person. That’s because from now until September 30, 2020, Universal Orlando is upgrading 12 month annual passes to 15 months, for free! As you can see from our pricing breakdown above, discounted Florida resident pricing does apply to Universal Orlando’s Annual Passes! And the good news is, we’ve already done all the research for you! Thank you! Ordinarily, your one-year block of admission would kick off in May 2021 and last until May 2022, but because you’ve opted to pay using FlexPay, once February 2022 comes around you move from a … 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). Zach and I did the pros and cons all throughout our trip an debated the best way to go. At any point you can pay the difference and upgrade your two park pass to a three! $5 off on all Classic Albums Live concert tickets purchased at the Hard Rock Live® Orlando box office (must present a valid photo ID and valid Annual Pass at the time of purchase) $3 off admission to after 6pm showings at Universal Cinemark for Passholder and up to one guest (excludes Senior Mondays, $5 Tuesdays and matinées). If you buy one of those tickets now, you not only get the rest of 2014, you get all of 2015 at no extra charge, too. Now that we have the basics out of the way, let’s go through a few tips to help your decision. Our point? Fortunately, the decision on whether to buy a Universal Studios Hollywood annual pass is absurdly simple. A 3 Park Pass allows for unlimited entry to Universal’s Volcano Bay water park (opened in May 2017)  in addition to their traditional Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure Theme Parks. To take advantage of … If you're looking to hop back and forth between the parks, you'll want a park-to-park ticket; if you'd also like to head to the water park, Volcano Bay, you'll want to purchase a ticket that specifies entry in the name. The priority boarding for the Studios Tour will not apply to them, but I don't think its a deal killer. This post contains affiliate links. I am curious on this! Before exiting the park on your final day, visit Guest Services,The Box Office, or the Ticket Counter to ask about upgrading to an annual pass by simply paying the difference. What Universal does not offer, however, is an annual pass that's good for both Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood. The good news is though, if you’re still unsure, go with a two park pass for now. And to make the most of your passholder experience, periodically check back here to get the latest Universal Orlando passholder perks! In fact, there's no free parking even for annual passholders in the evenings, ever.) Turned out less that what I paid for another family members power pass online! What’s Included Besides Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure Park Admission: Read how to find your perfect vacation home rental in Orlando by Clicking HERE! The single best justification for a Universal Annual Pass is the substantial savings you can obtain on Universal Orlando Resorts (Hard Rock Hotel, Royal Pacific Resort, Portofino Bay Hotel and Cabana Bay Beach Resort). Or, if none of the above are in your wallet, don’t fret. Mardi Gras, Discounts on select food and drink in-park, One hour early park admission to Universal Studios or Universal Island of Adventure (check with Universal Orlando for specific operating hours of each park, which change on a daily basis due to certain events and offerings), Free self-parking and discounted prime parking, One Halloween Horror Nights admission (valued at $85 per person), One Universal Express pass after 4pm (express line for reduced wait time, valued at approximately $50). But you can buy a Universal Orlando annual pass for far less than the cost of a Disney World AP. The largest length of time Universal offers tickets for (outside of an annual pass) is 5 days. Plus, the additional savings thru food and merchandise discounts really add up. You can use the Universal Express Standard Pass one time per ride each day that your pass is valid. They quickly pay for themselves if you plan on driving to Universal Orlando and self-parking. Universal Orlando is one of our favorite theme parks. Additional restrictions may apply and are subject to change without notice. Now through April 4th, guests can take advantage of up to six months FREE on Universal Orlando Resort Annual Passes. Venue operating hours may vary and are subject to change. The only question is: which one? Annual Pass Cost Savings. That’s right, for no upcharge your 12 month Universal Orlando Annual Pass will become 15 months of theme park fun! Universal annual passes renew at a big discount over the initial price. 5 Ways To Celebrate Star Wars Day At Home, Discounts on Blue Man Group Tickets and Universal Orlando Hotels, Access to the Universal Passholder Lounge daily, Blockout Dates Apply: December 19, 2020 – December 31, 2020, Select Special Event Admission i.e. To be honest, right now is the best time to buy your Universal Orlando Annual Pass if you plan on visiting within the next 15 months. Learn More! a multi-day pass, there is still time to upgrade that pass into an annual pass! Choose the FlexPay option and you can spread out your Annual or Seasonal Pass payments over 11 months, after an initial down payment. All you need to know about Wi-Fi at Universal Orlando – and more! Here is something very few guests know: to purchase passes in advance, you do not necessarily have to buy them 24 hours or more before you arrive – you can literally be standing at the gates of Universal Studios Florida and get them on your phone instead of waiting in the ticket line (and you’ll get that $20 discount off of a multi-day ticket, as we just discussed!). If you’re planning your trip far in advance, don’t buy your park tickets until you see the annual passholder hotel rates. You can usually get a minimum of 10% off the rack rate at any of the hotels any time of the year. Our 14 and 11 year olds enjoyed the parks, as they had last year, so we had decided to buy a "preferred" annual pass, no blockout dates. We have visited many times as annual pass holders the last few years, and today I am sharing our 7 things to know for your first visit to Universal Orlando. Do you have a Universal annual pass? If this proves to be problematic, you will then have to present a photo ID that matches the name on your annual pass and your face. It is also important to get the Park to park pass to go on the Hogsmeade train, an enjoyable experience and it is different in each of the 2 stations. When I went to upgrade they credited the current price for three day hopper after price increase, not what I actually paid. We don't get that much out of the hotel discounts -- they're usually the same as Florida resident -- but the passholder discounts for HHN tickets are BETTER than resident rates. Additionally, keep in mind that Universal Orlando can update the terms and prices of the passes on January 1 of every year. Keep reading below for our easy-to-understand annual pass breakdown by price and perks, starting with the most inexpensive two park pass and going to the most comprehensive. This special offer is valid on 2-Park and 3-Park Seasonal and Annual Passes. Special Offers. Typically open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., this air conditioned lounge offers an ice-cold Coca-Cola cooler, phone charging stations, and exclusive passholder merchandise for purchase! Take a starring role in some of the biggest movies and TV shows ever created at Universal Studios ™. Insider's Update: Fix 'er Up and Let 'er Fly. We knew for sure we’d be upgrading to some sort of Universal Orlando Annual Pass because the cheapest option was only $4 per person. Tell us in the comments which ticket you bought, and if you're happy with it. When Should You Buy a Disney Annual Pass? (Universal Studios Hollywood no longer offers AAA discounts inside the park.) Upon purchase, you will be asked to provide your full name and fingerprints. At these prices, the Universal Orlando annual pass becomes a better deal than buying four one-day tickets for any out-of-state visitor, and a better deal than buying just three one-day tickets for a Florida resident. Is the Universal Annual Pass worth it? Just returned from a trip to Univeral Orlando. All links that go to Amazon are affiliate links. The three day hopper for an adult is now same as power pass! If you buy your pass between now and September 30, 2020, you’ll get 3 extra months on your annual pass for free! You can buy Universal Express Pass online, via the Universal Orlando app, at the gate, or at select spots within the parks. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer here: It’s going to … Both types of Universal Express passes are available for one park per day or both parks per day. I accidentally clicked on an annual pass link and realized that I am better off buying passes for the both of us. Universal Orlando Annual Passes are always valid for at least 12 months, so simply buy as close to your trip as possible. Universal CityWalk and the Universal Cinema are open. The best time to buy a Universal AP is now through September 30, 2020. Today we’re going to talk you through Universal Orlando Passholder perks, tips, and tricks so you can decide if an annual pass purchase is the right move for you! Universal Orlando's unrestricted annual pass costs $295 ($260 for Florida residents), which is less than half of the cost of Walt Disney World's $634 annual pass. Copyright © 2012-2020. Yes! Prices seem to go up after Disney makes its announcement to increase prices so try to time your purchase in early 2015 (perhaps April) or shortly after Disney makes its announcement in May or June. If you buy online or via the app, we recommend selecting a will-call or in-park pickup option, as we’ve had a lot of issues with the machines not being able to scan the QR code digital Express Pass. The power pass blackout dates do not appear to affect any of the dates we are going to be there, so that's not an issue. But, compare that with the completely free parking enjoyed by Preferred and Premier Passholders and see how quickly the savings add up! Whatever you choose to do, we’re sure you’ll enjoy your time at Universal Orlando. So, before deciding on the type of pass you choose to buy, know your intentions. Universal Studios Florida: DON'T BUY AN ANNUAL PASS FROM UNIVERSAL - See 40,063 traveler reviews, 27,919 candid photos, and great deals for Orlando, FL, at Tripadvisor. Discounts For Florida Residents. Terms & Privacy | Disclosure | Disclaimer | My Story | Contact Me. Amazing!! Are you going to visit the park for more than one day in a year? Only if you are certain that you will visit Universal Studios Hollywood only one day in the next year should you skip the annual pass options and instead buy a discounted one-day-only ticket online at universalstudioshollywood.com/tickets. Read: Universal Orlando Resort On-Site Hotels (Everything You Need to Know). Enjoy the day at the theme parks and then dance the night away at Red Coconut Club and the groove. How cool is that? Then it might be time to save all your pennies and go Premier. Traveling alone to the parks has changed my life and I want to show how you can create your own solo theme park memories. Then buy an annual pass. Unfortunately the Universal Orlando Annual Pass is called just that for a reason…it’s only applicable in Florida. The "Premium Star Pass" @ $179 seems like a good deal since it includes parking with no blockout dates. These tickets include, special theme park passes, regular theme park tickets, Florida resident tickets, and Blue Man Group tickets. This is one way that ThemeParkHipster is made possible. My question now is which pass to buy. (Parking at Universal Studios Hollywood costs $16 a day. (Blackout days apply on your future visits — 79 days in 2015, by my count.) As you may have already suspected, there is more than one Universal Orlando Annual Pass type. Don't forget to download the Universal Orlando app to see wait times and maps, set alarms for low wait times and such things. Choosing which one is right for you depends on what perks you are interested in and how much you’re willing to pay. Annual Passes are a crowd favorite among many theme park aficionados. Check out the different pass options below. So if you're considering a visit to Southern California and want to include a visit to Universal's original theme park, you'll have to consider that as a separate purchase from a Universal Orlando visit. To help you decide between a two and three park pass, keep in mind that Universal Volcano Bay is about a 12 minute ride from Universal’s other two theme parks, which makes it slightly less convenient if you’re hoping to park hop between the three parks. But here's a smart "bounce back" plan, if you decide you'd like to visit again: If you can plan your next visit to fall within the next 12 months, upgrade your current ticket to an annual pass before you finish the last day on your current ticket. You only pay the different between what you paid for the ticket and the cost of the pass ( please check this with Universal first to ensure this is still an option). Because, if you decide to visit Universal California, you can buy a separate ticket package as appropriate and likely pay less in the long run. Seuss Landing | Islands of Adventure. Universal Orlando offers a "Premier Pass" for $435, which adds a free Halloween Horror Nights ticket, an upgrade to free valet parking, CityWalk club access, and free Universal Express access after 4pm each day. If you hope to visit Universal Studios in Orlando, FL for three days or more, an annual pass is definitely the way to go! 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