Universal Express Pass is Almost Always Worth it, Here’s Why…..
Want to know why, more than likely, you absolutely need an Express Pass when visiting Universal Studios Orlando? I’ll be happy to share all, but, first things first, if you’ve never been, or it’s been awhile, just look below to catch you up to speed on what Express Passes are.
WHAT ARE EXPRESS PASSES?
They are an optional add-on ticket (must still have a regular park ticket) that makes your wait time significantly less. These are either purchased or included with select on-site hotels. It’s not a true “front of the line”, but very close. You will use a separate entrance that is much, much faster. I think the actual language is 15 minutes or less, but it is typically 5 minutes or less, depending on number of people in the park(s).
There! Now let’s talk about exactly why you need them….
You see, I see a lot of talk online about Express Pass only being worth it if the Universal Studios parks are crowded, blah, blah, blah. For me, this is rarely true (and I’ve been when it was crowded and when it was really slow) and there are several reasons why.
First, Some attractions always have a longer line (like Harry Potter’s Escape from Gringotts to name just one ). Now that the Harry Potter attractions are included in Express Pass making virtually every ride included, I believe an Express is always worth it, here’s why:
YOU ARE NOT JUST SAVING TIME WAITING IN LINE – YOU’RE SAVING EXCESSIVE WALKING AND BEING WORN OUT.
And I go on vacation to have fun – not train for a decathlon. Sure, if you are used to running iron man competitions or are a marathon runner, it won’t make a difference to you. BUT it makes a big difference to me in my not-out-of-shape but definitely not-in-shape world.
And if you’re toting little ones (remember, those strollers have to be parked to go through the queues), or a backpack with sunscreen (which gets seriously heavy in a 12 hour day), you are going to feel it in your back, neck and feet.
See, I’ve got my park perusing down to a science using every shortcut and absolutely no backtracking. Also, I make both parks one big loop and ride (or don’t ride) each ride as I come to it. (See my Universal Orlando touring plan) Going back to the on-site hotel for the hottest part of the day and swim or nap so I make two trips, but still walk upwards of 8,000 steps each day. And that’s streamlined as much as I can.
IF YOU DON’T HAVE EXPRESS PASSES, YOU WILL BE LIKE A PINBALL IN THE PARK
I love the Universal app. The app is handy as can be. It lets you know the wait times of every ride. That’s great! EXCEPT now, you will go to a ride in the back of the park because of a short line, but then maybe you’ve been waiting all day to ride the Minion ride so you haul yourself to the front of the park, and then the line at Gringotts is short-ish so you drag yourself and your tribe all the way back.
See where I’m going with this? And no amount of Starbucks or Lard Lad’s Donuts is going to make you feel like you didn’t walk the earth 50 times.
And for those of you like me who think a few days or a week of such intense exercise will make you lose weight. It really won’t. I’ve never left Universal thinner than I arrived. Apparently, you must KEEP doing that intense walking to lose weight. Who knew?
So yes, Express Passes are definitely worth it if you would like to skip the hot sun for mostly air conditioned, short lines, and save your body excess walking and strain. In fact, I would even say that Unlimited Express Passes are the only way to go.
TWO TYPES OF EXPRESS PASSES
STANDARD – which lets you ride each ride once in the Express line; and UNLIMITED – which lets you ride everything as many times as you want.
There’s not much difference in price, but there’s a huge difference in benefit.
It’s easy to sit back and say “I would only want to ride once skipping the lines. And if I want to ride again I will just wait in line.” Perfectly plausible and makes perfect sense. Until you are in the park….
WHY YOU NEED UNLIMITED EXPRESS PASSES
Your Universal adventure will be much more enjoyable with unlimited Express Pass. Here’s just a couple of examples why:
First, we love the Men in Black ride. Seriously love it. You get a score on the ride and it’s a big deal in our family who gets the highest score. If I don’t do very well, maybe I challenge Mike to best 2 out of 3.
Plus, I just remembered one alien or one trick for maximum points and don’t want to forget it. The ride seems to average about a 30 minute wait. It loses the fun (and I forget the high scoring trick) by the time I get through the line.
Also, that’s like an hour and a half wasted on me being competitive. Usually, with unlimited Express Pass, we can have our best 2 out of 3 competition done and completed in 15 or 20 minutes. It’s just pure fun. Luckily, it’s close enough to Lard Lad’s Donuts that you can up the ante with loser buying the donuts.
Another example is my obsession with fun on-ride photos. (Yes, we buy the photo pass every time.) It usually takes one or two times on a ride to know where the camera is. And, maybe it’s just me, but I seem to forget fairly quickly.
If I take an awful picture (which happens quite often) or I want to try something cute or fun, I want to be able to get back on the ride quickly and take a better picture. It’s a small thing but I love having those fun or happy photos to share the memories of our trips. To me, they are priceless, tangible reminders of our trips.
A POSSIBLE CON TO EXPRESS PASSES
Even with so many reasons, there is one possible con – the Express Pass queue is a different line than the standard rider queue. It is much shorter, BUT you will miss much of the queue and the attraction’s back story.
Universal does a remarkable job with the queues. They are themed quite well and provide detailed back stories. This is truest on Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey where the queue goes through Hogwarts. Being rushed through the Express queue, you don’t want to miss all the details that make this attraction truly spectacular. If time permits, go through both the standard and the express lines to experience all each ride and attraction has to offer.
EXPRESS PASS IS NOT FOR YOU, IF…
Now that you know the reasons that Express Passes are worth it, there are some people that Express Passes would never be worth it. No judgement. We are all unique.
If you are what I call a “one and done” personality, an Express Pass will never be worth it to you. What I mean is, if you can see or ride something once, and even if you enjoy it, that’s all you want, then you would be wasting your money.
Aside from the time and walking aspect, the biggest draw to me is the ability to see or ride some attractions more than once. You will love exploring further details and sensations on the ride that multiple times allow. If that doesn’t interest you, then you probably won’t find Express Passes worth it.
Do you find Universal Studios’ Express Pass to be worth it? Please be sure to share your thoughts below.
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