Refillable Cups at Universal Studios Hollywood: Complete Guide
The only thing I buy every time I visit Universal Studios Hollywood is a refillable cup.
Universal Studios Hollywood refillable cups cost $19 and offer ‘unlimited’ drinks for the whole day.
For comparison, a regular fountain beverage at Universal Studios Hollywood is $5.00. So, you only need to buy four drinks in one day to break even on your refillable cup investment.
You can also bring your refillable cup with you again on future visits to Universal Studios and reactivate it for just $12, saving even more money.
What Are Universal Studios Hollywood Refillable Cups?
Universal Studios refillable cups are heavy-duty plastic cups. They have a lid, straw, and handle.
Standard Universal refillable cups have the Universal Studios Hollywood branding on the side. However, special events such as Halloween Horror Nights often have their own designs.
You can buy a refillable cup for $19 plus tax from most stores and food outlets at the Universal theme park. You can refill this cup every 10 minutes throughout the day. As such, it’s best to buy a Universal refillable cup as soon as you arrive at the theme park.
Pro Tip: You can also get two refillable cups for $34 ($17 each) when purchased in a single transaction.
You can fill your Universal Studios Hollywood refillable cup at:
- Coca-Cola Freestyle Vending Machines
- Restaurants
- Food & Drink Stands
Food stands and restaurants have basic Coca-Cola products such as:
- Coke
- Diet Coke
- Fanta
- Sprite
However, Coca-Cola Freestyle vending machines offer over 100 different drink combinations. This includes the basic Coca-Cola products mixed with fruit syrups, such as:
- Cherry
- Peach
- Lime
- Orange
How Do Universal Studios Hollywood Refillable Cups Work?
Inside each Universal Hollywood refillable cup is an RFID chip (that can not be accessed without cutting the cup open).
When you buy or reactivate a refillable cup, the cashier will place the cup on the RFID reader at the checkout. This RFID reader will activate the RFID chip inside your Universal refillable cup.
When you get a drink from a food vendor or a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine, your cup will be placed on an RFID reader. Once the chip has been verified, you can select/order your drink.
Reactivating Refillable Cups at Universal Studios Hollywood
If you return to Universal Hollywood for a second day or again in the future, you can bring your cup with you and reactivate it.
Reactivating a refillable cup costs $12 per day plus tax. You can reactivate cups at all major food stands inside the theme park in less than a minute.
Once reactivated, you’ll once again have access to drinks at Universal Studios Hollywood every 10 minutes.
The Difference Between Refillable Cups & Souvenir Sippers
There are two types of cups sold at Universal Studios Hollywood:
- Coca-Cola Freestyle Refillable Cups
- Souvenir Sippers
This article focuses on Coca-Cola Freestyle refillable cups. However, to avoid confusion, I wanted to touch on souvenir sippers and the difference between the two.
Souvenir sippers are character-themed cups that cost between $18 – $25. These cups are 3D moulded and come with one free refill available at any quick service location only.
Additional refills of a souvenir sipper cup must then be paid for and cost $1.50 plus tax.
Refillable cups are designed to help you save money at Universal Studios Hollywood while keeping hydrated. Meanwhile, souvenir sippers are practical souvenirs you can use at the theme park and at home.
Using Refillable Cups for Butterbeer & Other Themed Drinks
Sadly, you can not use a Universal Studios refillable cup for Butterbeer or other ‘themed drinks’. Instead, these drinks come in their own specially designed plastic cups.
It’s also worth noting that there are no Coca-Cola Freestyle locations inside:
- The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
- Super Nintendo World
As such, I highly recommend refilling your cup before entering these areas of the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park.