How Much Will Express Pass Cost at Universal’s Epic Universe?

Alright, Universal — we have some questions!

Universal’s Epic Universe has garnered massive hype a year out from opening in Orlando.  While we know quite a bit about the new park, we still have a lingering question surrounding a major add-on perk that has us scratching our heads.

Universal Orlando Resort offers a Universal Express Pass ticket add-on for both Univeral’s Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida that allows you to skip regular lines one time per participating ride for an additional fee. So what could the Epic Universe price be? Let’s take a look at all the possibilities!

One option is that Universal maintains the status quo. The current price of a basic Express pass ranges from $79.99 to $289.99 and those numbers may look similar when Epic Universe opens.

Universal Orlando also offers the Universal Express Unlimited Pass (removes the once-per-ride restriction) from $109.99 to $319.99 per person and the Volcano Bay Express Pass (skip the Virtual Line once per participating ride) at Universal’s Volcano Bay for $19.99 to $149.99 per person. It’s unlikely that an Express Pass would fall into the latter’s range.

There is also a chance that you could get a Universal Express Unlimited Pass for free at Epic Universe. Universal Orlando currently offers the Universal Express Unlimited Pass for guests staying at its Premier Hotels, which include Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Hard Rock Hotel®, and Loews Portofino Bay Hotel.  With three new hotels coming to the resort, we could see this perk expand to one or more properties.

If Universal Orlando takes a page out of its existing U.S.-based Super Nintendo World and Universal Studios Hollywood, the Express Pass could get a little tricky.

Currently at Universal Studios Hollywood, the price of an Express Pass is roughly an additional $100 (or in that ballpark) on top of the base park ticket, which is more expensive than what Universal Orlando is offering for its base Express Pass.

The other catch is that Universal Studios Hollywood’s Express Pass isn’t eligible for Super Nintendo World’s big attraction, Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge. Instead, they offer an extra ticket (that starts at an additional $20) that allows access to the land one hour before the park opens. These extra fees and red tape could also be introduced with the opening of Epic Universe.

Other options include the Express Pass getting completely reworked to adjust to new ticket prices and an increase in experiences as Universal is likely to get a bit more expensive next year as demand increases.

Or the new theme park could be absent of the Express Pass/do its own thing. While this is the most unlikely scenario, it’s still a possibility as Universal tests the waters and figures out the best operational future of what will be its most popular theme park for a time.

All in all, we’re purely speculating what the future holds for Epic Universe’s Express Pass offerings. With that said, we’ll be sure to bring you any breaking news and updates from Universal Orlando and what will become of its Express Pass offerings, so stay tuned here at AllEars for all the latest!

FIRST LOOK at NEW Souvenirs Coming to Universal’s Epic Universe

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Are Express Passes a MUST for you when you visit Universal Orlando or do you generally do well without them? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments below!