The Better Way to Spend Your Money At Universal Than Getting “FREE” Express Pass
Hot Take… That "Free Express Pass" perk you get when you're staying at select Universal Resorts? I don't think it's actually the best bang for your buck anymore… at least not the way most people end up using it. But how could turning down a free perk worth several hundred (or more) dollars a day possibly be a bad move? Let me explain.
What is Express Pass?
For any of this to make any lick of sense, we've gotta talk about what this Express Pass thing even is. Express Pass is Universal's 'skip the line' pass for a majority of their attractions. You can purchase the regular Express Pass to do each ride once, or the Unlimited Express Pass where you can ride the attractions as many times as you want using the Express (aka fast) lane.
The catch… This is going to run you a couple hundred dollars per person, per day. Sometimes… it can be even more than the actual park ticket itself!
Three of Universal's hotels offer Express Pass Unlimited for every day that you are staying at that resort! Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort, and Loews Portofino Bay Hotel. Even though these are Universal's top tier resorts as far as price, for families of 4 or 5, staying a night or two at these resorts was often a better price than buying Express Pass for the whole family for all of those days!
It was honestly a win-win, you got a good deal, AND you get all the perks.
Until things changed…
Epic Universe
With the opening of Universal's newest theme park - Epic Universe - we also got three new hotels: The Helios Grand, Terra Luna, and Stella Nova. The Helios Grand is actually in the same category as the other Signature Hotels, BUT it doesn't include the complimentary Express Pass. And to top it all off, NONE of the hotels offer complimentary Express Pass for Epic Universe. So what does that mean?
Now, if you are planning on visiting all three of the theme parks and still thinking you want to stay at those Signature Hotels that offer the Express Pass Perk, you would STILL have to buy Express Pass for Epic Universe. Not only that, but now that you have three parks to explore (plus that water park if you're going in the summer), you're going to need more days to see what all Universal has to offer.
Now I'm not saying you can't do that, and for some situations it can still make sense! But honestly, I think chasing that free Express Pass has us all asking the wrong question. It's not "which hotel gets me free line-skipping," it's "how do I actually experience everything Universal has to offer" — and once you start asking that question instead, the whole plan changes.
Universal's VIP Experiences
This is probably one of my personal favorite splurges at Universal and I could honestly go on and on and on about them! Not only do you get to skip the lines (even more than you do with Express Pass), but you also get meals included, discounts on merch & snacks, ride photos, and other great perks! Including Express for the time after your tour.
You can opt for the Private VIP Experience for an all-out day, or go with the non-private tour, which lands in a similar price range as Express Pass Unlimited but gets you SO much more than just skipped lines. For the non-private version, you are in a group of around 12 guests and your guide takes you around to hit up as many rides as possible. You'll even get to go behind the scenes of a few attractions too.
Again, I could tell you all about it, but the best is to show you. We did the private version of this tour and it was one of the BEST theme park days I've ever had! Check it out in this YouTube video and then keep reading:
Universal is more than just the rides
Believe it or not, some of my favorite parts of Universal aren't even the rides! It's the shows & live entertainment, the special events, and the incredibly unique shops that they have all around the parks.
Again, when you are trying to cram that all in a day or two, you probably end up skipping some of the best parts! Taking time to wander through Diagon Alley trying out the spells, or staring at the fountains in Celestial Park, or playing in the splash pad at DreamWorks land when it's a thousand degrees, or even getting lost in the highly themed tribute store they do throughout the year. These can be some of the most memorable moments of your vacation and the last thing you want to do is rush by those.
Let's Put It All Together!
Ok, so I'm talking about all these pieces, but you may still be wondering what I'm getting at. So I want to give you a couple of scenarios.
The 'old' way of doing Universal. Let's say we want to hit all three parks, but you maybe only have two park days. You do Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure one day and Epic Universe the next day. You stay at Royal Pacific to get that Express Pass Perk and then buy Express outright for your Epic Universe day.
There's nothing wrong with this, but you're probably missing out on a lot of what we just talked about — the shows, the shops, the wandering. PLUS, if anything goes awry, like rain or ride closures, it's tricky to make up for that when it's your only day in that park. You're moving so fast through three parks in two days that it can start to feel like you're checking off a list instead of actually being on vacation.
So what would I do instead?
I would opt for one of the lower-ish tier hotels - maybe Sapphire Falls if I still want something that feels nicer, or Cabana Bay for something that feels family friendly. I would extend my trip by a few days and actually make Universal the whole vacation. Trust me, there is plenty to do that could fill a whole week of fun!
I would be intentional and choose one or two days to do the non-private VIP tours so that I can hit up the bulk of my rides. It's more of an experience, and personally, I'd rather spend my money on something that gets me MORE out of my day than just skipped lines. BTW, because you get discounts on merch with your VIP tours, I would make sure to snag my merch those days too!
The other days I would use as my slower days to wander the small corners of the park, see the shows, talk to characters, do a nicer sit down meal, and of course still pop in a ride or so when the line isn't too crazy.
Because at the end of the day, this was never really about whether the free Express Pass is a good deal or not — it usually still is! It's about whether you're planning a Universal trip, or just squeezing Universal into a Disney trip. And once you start planning for the whole vacation, that free perk stops being the whole strategy.
Still trying to figure out how to piece together a Universal Vacation that will be right for your family? Luckily that’s exactly what I do! Click the button below and let’s get that Universal trip on the calendar.
