Universal Express Pass: Is It Worth It for Universal Orlando, Islands of Adventure & Epic Universe?
Universal Express Pass can be one of the most expensive add-ons you’ll buy for a Florida holiday.
Depending on when you travel, Express Pass can add hundreds of pounds to the cost of a family trip and, once Epic Universe enters the equation, the total can become even more significant. For many families, it’s one of the biggest decisions they’ll make after booking flights, hotels and park tickets. That makes one question incredibly important. Is Universal Express Pass actually worth it?
We’ve now visited Universal Orlando both with and without Express Pass, including Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Epic Universe. We’ve stayed at one of Universal’s deluxe hotels and enjoyed the benefits of Express Unlimited, but we’ve also tackled all three parks without paying for Express at all.
Interestingly, those experiences left us with a much more balanced view than we expected.
If this is your first Universal Orlando holiday and your budget comfortably allows it, we’d probably still recommend considering Express Pass. However, after our Summer 2025 trip, we’re more convinced than ever that careful planning can often achieve far more than people realise.
If you’re still planning your overall Florida holiday, our Florida Planning Guide covers everything from budgeting and flights to Disney, Universal, transport and accommodation.
What Universal Express Pass Actually Does
Most people think Universal Express Pass is simply a way of skipping queues. Technically that’s true, but it isn’t really why people buy it. The biggest benefit isn’t the shorter queues themselves. It’s the flexibility that comes with them.
Without Express Pass, your day often revolves around attraction wait times. You’re checking the Universal Orlando app regularly, adjusting plans as queues rise and fall and trying to decide whether to ride now, eat now or come back later. With Express Pass, the entire day feels different.
You can stop for lunch when you’re actually hungry rather than when a queue happens to be short. You can take a break from the Florida heat without feeling guilty about losing valuable ride time. You can revisit favourite attractions and generally move through the parks at a much more relaxed pace.
For many families, that’s where the real value sits. It’s less about riding more attractions and more about reducing stress.
The Universal Studios Globe, outside Universal Studios, Orlando.
One important thing to understand is that Universal Express Pass is not an unlimited pass to every attraction. There are exclusions.
The biggest and most important of those is Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, which remains one of Universal Orlando’s most popular rides and still uses the regular queue.
Epic Universe also works differently, something we’ll discuss later because it changes the value equation considerably.
Why We Originally Thought Express Pass Was Worth Every Penny
Before Epic Universe opened, we stayed at Loews Royal Pacific Resort as part of a wider Florida holiday. Like many families, we were trying to balance Universal Orlando alongside everything else Florida has to offer. Time felt limited and we wanted to make the most of every park day.
One of the biggest benefits of staying at Royal Pacific is that Universal Express Unlimited is included with your stay for Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. At the time, it felt like an excellent decision. Rather than worrying about wait times all day, we could simply enjoy the parks. We re-rode attractions we loved, adjusted plans throughout the day and generally experienced Universal at a much more relaxed pace than we’d experienced previously.
Although the time at Universal felt easier, it doesn’t mean Express Pass is essential, but it certainly highlighted why so many people swear by it.
If you’re considering staying there yourself, we’ve put together a full review of Royal Pacific, including the rooms, location and whether we think it’s worth the extra cost.
Loews Royal Pacific Room
What surprised us most wasn’t simply how useful Express Pass was. It was how quickly the included benefit changed the maths of the holiday.
Once you start pricing Express Pass for multiple family members, the difference between purchasing Express separately and upgrading to a deluxe hotel can become much smaller than people expect.
The Deluxe Hotel Strategy That Many Families Overlook
Before purchasing Express Pass separately, it’s always worth comparing the cost of Universal’s deluxe hotels.
Currently, three hotels include Universal Express Unlimited:
Loews Royal Pacific Resort
Hard Rock Hotel
Loews Portofino Bay Hotel
All three provide Express Unlimited for Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, allowing guests to bypass many of the regular queues during their stay. This doesn’t mean they’re automatically cheaper.
You’ll still need park tickets and, importantly, Epic Universe attractions are not covered by the complimentary Express benefit. However, for families, the overall value can sometimes be surprisingly competitive.
Instead of simply buying queue-skipping privileges, you’re also receiving a deluxe hotel, premium facilities and one of the most convenient locations on Universal property. That’s why we always recommend pricing both options before making a decision. The cheapest option isn’t always the one that initially appears cheapest.
Then Epic Universe Opened
When Epic Universe opened in May 2025, the conversation around Express Pass changed. Suddenly Universal Orlando wasn’t operating with two major parks; It has three.
Visitors are now spreading themselves across Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Epic Universe, creating a completely different dynamic to the one we’d experienced previously.
At the time, nobody really knew how this would affect crowd levels at the original parks or if Epic would become impossible without Express Pass (initially it wasn’t available at Epic). Like everyone else, we were curious to find out. So when we returned in Summer 2025, we decided to do something very different. We stayed at Stella Nova as it was the closest new hotel to Epic Universe and we didn’t buy Express Pass at all.
Our Summer 2025 Universal Trip Without Express Pass
With Stella Nova Resort as a base we planned to spend one day in each park. Unlike our previous visit, we weren’t relying on Express Pass to help us navigate the parks. Instead, we relied on planning, early starts and flexibility. To be completely honest, we expected to miss quite a lot. After all, this was July.
Epic Universe had only recently opened and we’d deliberately chosen not to pay for the very product Universal markets as the solution to long queues. What happened next genuinely surprised us.
Stella Nova - A value resort with EPIC location
The trip became one of the most useful planning experiences we’ve ever had at Universal Orlando because it allowed us to answer a question that many families ask. Can you actually do Universal Orlando without Express Pass and still have a great holiday?
The answer turned out to be far more interesting than we expected.
What We Actually Managed Without Express Pass
Across the three days, we achieved far more than we expected. At Islands of Adventure we rode all the big hitters; Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, VelociCoaster and the Incredible Hulk Coaster .
At Universal Studios Florida we managed attractions including Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit before its closure, alongside many of the park’s other major rides.
Epic Universe was perhaps the biggest surprise. Going into the trip, we expected the newest park to be the most difficult to manage without paying for Express Pass. Instead, with an early start and a flexible approach to the day, we managed nine of the eleven rides available.
Across the day we rode Battle at the Ministry, Mario Kart and spent time exploring Super Nintendo World, had lunch at Toadstool Cafe, dinner at Bar Helios and even a break back at the Stella Nova before returning later in the day. Express would have helped and we certainly could have achieved more with it, but the important point is that we never reached a stage where we regretted not buying it. For a trip taking place during the summer holidays, in a year that saw Universals first new major park in decades, that genuinely surprised us.
Our Universal Studios Florida Day Without Express Pass
One of the biggest assumptions many visitors make is that Universal Studios Florida becomes frustrating without Express Pass. Our experience was very different.
By arriving early, keeping an eye on wait times and remaining flexible throughout the day, we managed far more than we expected and never felt as though the day was dominated by queues.
If you’d like to see exactly what that looked like in practice, including the rides we experienced and how the day unfolded, you can watch our full Universal Studios Florida vlog below.
The reality is that planning often matters more than people think. A well-timed rope drop can sometimes save more time than hours of queue-skipping later in the day.
Our Islands of Adventure Experience
If there is one park where people often feel pressure to buy Express Pass, it’s Islands of Adventure. After all, this is home to some of Universal Orlando’s most popular attractions.
VelociCoaster consistently attracts long queues. Hagrid’s remains one of the most sought-after rides anywhere in Florida. Add in attractions such as Spider-Man, Hulk and Forbidden Journey and it’s easy to understand why many guests immediately start looking at Express Pass prices.
However, our experience showed that Islands of Adventure can still be extremely enjoyable without it. The key is understanding your priorities and starting the day with a clear plan.
If you’d like to see exactly how we approached the park and what we managed to fit into our day, you can watch our full Islands of Adventure vlog below.
Hagrid’s Problem
There is one attraction that changes the value equation more than any other. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.
Despite being one of Universal Orlando’s most popular rides, Hagrid’s no longer accepts Express Pass. That’s important because many first-time visitors assume Express Pass provides access to shorter queues everywhere. It doesn’t.
Even if you’ve spent hundreds of pounds on Express Passes, you’ll still join the same queue as everyone else for Hagrid’s. For many families, Hagrid’s sits right at the top of the must-do list.
It’s one of the reasons we think the Express Pass conversation is more nuanced than it used to be. While Express can dramatically improve the experience across much of Universal Orlando, it doesn’t completely eliminate waiting and it doesn’t guarantee access to every headline attraction.
Has Epic Universe Changed the Value of Express Pass?
This is probably the biggest question facing Universal visitors today. Our honest answer is yes.
Before Epic Universe opened, Express Pass felt much closer to an automatic recommendation for shorter trips. Universal Orlando had fewer parks, crowds were concentrated into fewer spaces and queue management often played a much bigger role in how your day unfolded. Epic Universe changes that.
Visitors are now spread across three major parks and crowd patterns are still evolving. During our Summer 2025 visit, wait times felt more manageable than we expected and we achieved considerably more than we anticipated without paying for Express. That doesn’t mean everyone should skip it. It simply means the calculation isn’t quite as straightforward as it once was.
One thing that remains important is understanding that the complimentary Express benefit included with Royal Pacific, Hard Rock and Portofino Bay currently applies to Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. Epic Universe attractions are handled separately and should always be checked carefully before booking.
Yoshi’s Adventure at night - this park comes alive after dark.
So, Is Universal Express Pass Actually Worth It?
After visiting Universal Orlando both with and without Express Pass, our view is probably more balanced than when we first started researching it.
If this is your first Universal Orlando holiday and the budget comfortably allows it, we’d still lean towards Express Pass.
The reason isn’t that it’s essential but that first trips often come with a certain amount of pressure. You’ve spent a significant amount on flights, hotels and tickets, and most families understandably want the best possible chance of experiencing everything on their list. Express Pass reduces that pressure, gives you more flexibility throughout the day, and makes it easier to revisit favourite attractions. It removes much of the stress that comes from constantly checking wait times.
For shorter trips, particularly if you’re only spending one or two days at Universal Orlando, we think the value becomes much easier to justify. However, our Summer 2025 trip showed us the other side of the argument.
By giving ourselves one day in each park, arriving early and remaining flexible throughout the day, we managed far more than we expected without Express Pass. Across the three parks we experienced attractions including Hagrid’s, VelociCoaster, Hulk Coaster, Battle at the Ministry and many more, while still finding time for meals, breaks and exploring the parks properly. That’s why we no longer see Express Pass as an automatic purchase.
For some families it will be absolutely worth the money. For others, particularly those with three or more park days available, careful planning may deliver a very similar experience while leaving a significant amount of money available for other parts of the holiday. Ultimately, we’d suggest asking a simple question.
Would spending the additional money reduce stress and improve your holiday enough to justify the cost? If the answer is yes and the budget comfortably allows it, Express Pass remains a fantastic upgrade. If the answer is no, don’t assume you’ll have a worse holiday without it.
Our most recent Universal trip proved that with a good strategy, realistic expectations and a little flexibility, it’s still possible to experience a huge amount without paying for Express Pass at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Universal Express Pass worth it?
For many first-time visitors, yes. It can reduce waiting, improve flexibility and make a shorter Universal holiday feel much more relaxed. However, if you have three or more park days available, you may find you can achieve far more without it than you expect.
Does Universal Express Pass include Hagrid’s?
No. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure does not currently accept Express Pass and all guests use the regular queue.
Does Universal Express Pass include Epic Universe?
Epic Universe operates differently and Express products should always be checked carefully when booking. Complimentary Express benefits included with Universal’s deluxe hotels currently apply to Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.
Which Universal hotels include Express Pass?
Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Hard Rock Hotel and Loews Portofino Bay Hotel currently include Universal Express Unlimited for Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.
Is staying at Royal Pacific cheaper than buying Express Pass?
Not always, but the difference can sometimes be much smaller than families expect. That’s why we recommend pricing both options before making a decision.
Can you do Universal Orlando without Express Pass?
Absolutely. During our Summer 2025 trip we visited Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Epic Universe without Express Pass and still managed most of the attractions on our list.
How many rides did you manage at Epic Universe without Express Pass?
During our visit we completed nine of the eleven attractions we wanted to experience, explored the themed lands, visited Toadstool Cafe, enjoyed Bar Helios and still had time for a hotel break during the day.
If you’d like to see these trips for yourself, you’ll find all of our Universal Orlando videos on the Team Five Travels YouTube channel. From ride strategies and hotel reviews to Epic Universe and full park days, we’ve documented the journey so you can decide what works best for your own family holiday.