Universal Express Pass at Universal Orlando – Complete Guide
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The Universal Express Pass is Universal Orlando’s paid queue-skip product. This pass gets you into a shorter Express line at all eligible rides, typically cutting a 60-minute standby wait time to 15 minutes. On peak days that saves you three to five hours of queuing across a day.
I’ve used Express Passes extensively across my Universal Orlando trips. It’s worth it on peak days and short 1-2 day trips. It’s harder to justify on quiet weekdays or long stays where the queues even out.
Methodology: Based on my own repeat visits to Universal Orlando over the last decade, most recently in May 2026 on a press trip. Prices and product tiers verified against Universal Orlando’s official UK and US websites in July 2026. Ride eligibility confirmed against the Universal Orlando app on the same day.
The Five Express Products in 2026 (with Prices)
There are five different Express Passes available at Universal Orlando.
| Product | Price (from) | Parks | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | £84 / $90 | USF or IOA | Once per ride |
| Unlimited | £127 / $120 | USF + IOA | Unlimited re-rides |
| Express Pass Now | $20 to $30 per ride | USF, IOA, Epic Universe | Pay per ride |
| Volcano Bay Basic | $20 to $117 | Volcano Bay only | Day wristband |
| Epic Universe | $190 to $360 | Epic Universe only | Single-use per ride |
Universal Express Pass (Standard)
💷 1-park, from: £84 (USF) / £89 (IOA) / $90 per person off-peak, up to around £180 / $230 on peak days
📍 Parks: USF or IOA (choose one when you buy)
📱 Where to buy: Universal Orlando website (UK or US), in-park guest services
Standard Express Pass gives you one skip per eligible ride. You can use it once at each ride, then you’re back to standby. This is the best Express Pass if you’re trying to visit Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure in one day since you typically won’t have the time to do any re-riding.
Universal Express Unlimited
💷 1-park Unlimited, from: £127 / $120 per person off-peak, up to around £250 / $250 on peak days
💷 2-park Unlimited (USF + IOA): from around $150 per person off-peak, up to around $280 on peak days (US site only)
📍 Parks: USF, IOA, or both
📱 Where to buy: Universal Orlando website (UK or US), in-park guest services
Unlimited lets you skip as many times as you want on every eligible ride. This is a great option if you have been to Universal Orlando before and have favourite rides that you’d like to go on more than once.
Upgrading Standard to Unlimited typically adds $10-$30 per day. In my opinion this upgrade in Express Passes is worth it if you want to re-ride some of the scariest rides at Universal Orlando where you’ll save yourself a lot of time, otherwise skip it.
Universal Express Pass Now (Launched April 2026)
💷 Per ride, per person: around $20 to $30, dynamic by ride and day
📍 Parks: USF, IOA, and Epic Universe
📱 Where to buy: Universal Orlando app only, in-park only (GPS-gated)
Express Pass Now launched on 13 April 2026 and it works like Disney’s Lightning Lane. You pay per ride, per person, and get a timed reservation window at that specific attraction. It is only sold through the Universal Orlando app, and only while your GPS shows you inside the park containing the ride.
This is a great option if you want to skip just one or two big rides on an otherwise low-crowd day. However, the full-day Express Pass is better value once you’d skip more than about four rides.
Attractions rotate in and out of Express Pass Now availability based on capacity throughout the day, so it can disappear from your ride’s listing mid-afternoon.
During peak times Express Pass Now can sell out by early afternoon. If you’re relying on it for a big-ticket ride, buy it the moment you enter the park via the Universal Orlando app.
Volcano Bay Express Pass
💷 Basic tier: from around $20 off-peak, up to $117 on peak days per person
💷 Plus tier: from around $30 off-peak, up to $149 on peak days per person
📍 Parks: Volcano Bay only
📱 Where to buy: Universal Orlando website, or in-park at the upgrade kiosk
Volcano Bay’s Express Pass is a separate wristband-based product exchanged at the park’s upgrade kiosk. Basic tier covers some Virtual Line slides. Plus tier covers every Virtual Line slide, including the big ones like Ko’okiri Body Plunge.
Neither is included with any USF/IOA Premier hotel Express Pass, and the USF/IOA Standard, Unlimited, and Express Pass Now don’t cover Volcano Bay.
Epic Universe Express Pass
💷 Per person per day: from around $190 off-peak, up to $360 on peak days
📍 Parks: Epic Universe only
📱 Where to buy: Universal Orlando website, in-park guest services
⚠️ Not included with: any Universal Orlando hotel stay, even Premier hotels
Epic Universe has its own separate Express Pass, sold single-use only. There is no Unlimited tier at Epic Universe. Unlike USF and IOA, no Universal Orlando hotel stay includes Epic Universe Express Pass, not even the Premier hotels (Portofino, Hard Rock, Royal Pacific).
Universal Express Pass Now also covers Epic Universe if you’d rather pay per-ride.
Important 2026 change: The Standard, Unlimited, and Express Pass Now products use facial recognition at ride entrances, so each pass is locked to one guest. You cannot buy one pass and share it between family members during the day. If you’re travelling as a group, everyone needs their own pass (or their own free hotel Express, if staying at Portofino, Hard Rock, or Royal Pacific).
Rides That Accept Express Pass in 2026
Not every ride at Universal Orlando accepts Express Pass. Here’s what’s currently eligible and what’s not.
Islands of Adventure
Express Pass eligible:
- Jurassic World VelociCoaster
- The Incredible Hulk Coaster
- The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
- Doctor Doom’s Fearfall
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
- Skull Island: Reign of Kong
- Flight of the Hippogriff
- Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls
- Popeye and Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges
- Storm Force Accelatron
- Seuss Landing rides (Caro-Seuss-el, One Fish Two Fish, The Cat in the Hat, High in the Sky Trolley Train)
- Hogwarts Express (Park-to-Park ticket required)
Not eligible at Islands of Adventure:
- Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure (removed from Express Pass on 1 July 2026)
- Pteranodon Flyers
- Ollivanders Wand Shop (Hogsmeade)
- Meet-and-greets
- Jurassic Park River Adventure (closed for refurbishment 5 January to 19 November 2026)
Universal Studios Florida
Express Pass eligible:
- Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
- Revenge of the Mummy
- Transformers: The Ride 3D
- MEN IN BLACK Alien Attack
- The Simpsons Ride
- Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
- Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast
- E.T. Adventure
- Race Through New York with Jimmy Fallon
- The Bourne Stuntacular
- Fast & Furious: Supercharged (until 16 August 2026, ride closes permanently the following day)
- Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster
- Kang & Kodos Twirl ‘n’ Hurl
- Hogwarts Express (Park-to-Park ticket required)
Not eligible at Universal Studios Florida:
- Ollivanders Wand Shop (Diagon Alley)
- Meet-and-greets
- Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit (permanently closed on 18 August 2025)
Epic Universe
Express Pass eligible:
- Stardust Racers (Celestial Park)
- Constellation Carousel (Celestial Park)
- Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge (Super Nintendo World)
- Yoshi’s Adventure (Super Nintendo World)
- Mine-Cart Madness (Super Nintendo World)
- Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment (Dark Universe)
- Curse of the Werewolf (Dark Universe)
- Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry (Ministry of Magic)
- Le Cirque Arcanus, stage show (Ministry of Magic)
- Hiccup’s Wing Gliders (Isle of Berk)
- Fyre Drill (Isle of Berk)
- The Untrainable Dragon, stage show (Isle of Berk)
Not eligible at Epic Universe:
- Dragon Racer’s Rally (Isle of Berk, excluded due to low capacity and queue design)
Volcano Bay
Volcano Bay uses two tiers of Express Pass:
Basic covers some Virtual Line slides:
- Krakatau Aqua Coaster
- Punga Racers
- Honu ika Moana
- Maku Puihi Round Raft Rides
- Tonga and Raki of Taniwha Tubes
Plus covers every Virtual Line slide, including the biggest drop slides:
- Ko’okiri Body Plunge
- Kala & Tai Nui Serpentine Body Slides
- Ohyah & Ohno Drop Slides
Free Express Pass at Universal Hotels
Three of Universal’s on-site hotels include free Express Pass Unlimited for every guest, every day of your stay:
- Loews Portofino Bay Hotel
- Hard Rock Hotel
- Loews Royal Pacific Resort
Important 2026 note: The free hotel Express Pass covers USF and IOA only. It does NOT cover Epic Universe, Volcano Bay, or Halloween Horror Nights.
This can make one of these premium hotels great value for a family, since you’ll be getting three or four Express Passes for the cost of one room. Here’s the breakdown for a family of four on a three-night trip:
A family of four visiting Universal Orlando for three days when the Unlimited Express Pass costs $200 would spend $2,400 on Express Passes.
During this time you can expect three nights at an on-site hotel that doesn’t include Express Passes such as Loews Sapphire Falls to cost $275 a night ($825 total). Meanwhile, a hotel that includes Express Passes such as Loews Portofino Bay will cost around $475 a night ($1,425 total).
The extra cost of upgrading from Loews Sapphire Falls to Loews Portofino Bay is $200 a night ($600 in total) but you’ll save $2,400 on Express Passes, a net saving of $1,800.
Is Universal Express Pass Worth It in 2026?
Regardless of when you visit an Express Pass always enhances your visit to some degree. However, that experience enhancement it offers varies depending on who you’re visiting with, how long you’re visiting for and when you’re visiting.
When Express Pass Is Worth It
- You’re on a short trip (1-2 days): it makes seeing more during a short space of time possible.
- You’re visiting on a peak day: July, August, Christmas, Easter, and Halloween Horror Nights.
- You want to re-ride the big coasters (Unlimited only): VelociCoaster, Hulk, and Mummy all take Unlimited.
When to Skip Express Pass
- You’re on a long trip (4+ days): queues even out across multiple days and you’ve got the time to spare.
- You’re visiting in low season: mid-January to mid-February and the first two weeks of December have short standby queues.
- You’ll use the single-rider queues: Hulk, VelociCoaster, Mummy, and Fast & Furious all have single-rider queues.
Consider Express Pass Now Instead
Express Pass Now is worth considering if you just want to skip one or two specific rides. At $20-$30 per ride per person, skipping VelociCoaster and Hulk for a family of four costs around $200 total, versus $720+ for full-day Unlimited on peak days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions I get about buying and using Universal Express Pass.
Does the free hotel Express Pass cover Epic Universe?
No. The free Express Unlimited at Portofino, Hard Rock, and Royal Pacific covers Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure only. Epic Universe has a separate Express Pass sold individually.
Can I still use Express Pass on Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure?
No. Hagrid’s was removed from Express Pass eligibility on 1 July 2026. The single-rider queue and Early Park Admission are now your best options for shorter waits.
Is Universal Express Pass worth it in 2026?
Yes, on peak days and short trips. On peak-season Saturdays a family of four can save 4-6 hours of queuing. On mid-January weekdays with short standby queues, skip it and use single-rider queues instead.
How much is Universal Express Pass in 2026?
1-park Standard Express Pass runs £84 to £180+ per person per day. 1-park Unlimited runs £127 to £250+. 2-park Unlimited (USF plus IOA) runs $150 to $380 per person per day. Prices are dynamic and vary by date.
What is Universal Express Pass Now?
Express Pass Now launched on 13 April 2026 as a pay-per-ride, single-use version of Express Pass. It costs around $20 to $30 per person per ride and is only sold through the Universal Orlando app, in-park.
Can I share an Express Pass with someone else?
No. As of 2026, Universal Orlando uses facial recognition at ride entrances, so each Express Pass is locked to one guest and cannot be transferred between people during the day.
Can I use Express Pass at Halloween Horror Nights?
No. Halloween Horror Nights has its own separate Express Pass product. The USF/IOA Standard, Unlimited, Express Pass Now, and free Premier hotel Express do not cover HHN houses or scarezones.
