Maximize Your Time: Express Pass vs. Strategy

It’s the age old question – are express passes worth it? My answer: it depends.

In the context of Universal Orlando, I rarely find value in getting an express pass because I find it usually isn’t needed and I end up missing great parts of the ride queues. However, it all depends on when you go. I love to go in the fall and end of winter; the flights are cheaper, Halloween Horror Nights takes over, and there’s just less people. In the case of Epic Universe, however, I absolutely took the opportunity of getting an express pass because I have one day there to hopefully try out everything I can!

For Halloween Horror Nights, I never get an express pass. I truly believe you don’t need one if you plan ahead and create a strategy to maximize your time (budget, and travel 😝 – yes, I’m going to plug in my own tagline!). I highly recommend checking out my page for Halloween Horror Nights to get started!

Disney World is a park in which I am a huge proponent for their Lightning Lane Passes. In parks like Animal Kingdom and EPCOT, time is of the essence. You can either rope drop certain rides and hope you get on or schedule ahead of time and have little to no worry about your itinerary. My guides on Optimistically Orlando are set up to help YOU find success in planning your own trip; find out what works best for you and your needs during travel. For me, I have gone to these parks many times so I know what I want to prioritize and what to completely gloss over.

Cost plays a huge role in determining whether or not to go with express passes. For Universal, the costs are dependent on the time and amount of parkgoers, so it can be very expensive! Disney does a similar strategy, however, I usually pay less than $30 for the Lightning Lanes Multi-Pass versus Universal’s $100+ express passes.

One tip I have if you are a Universal Orlando Annual Passholder is to utilize your AP rate in getting a hotel that provides express passes (Hard Rock, Portofino Bay, Royal Pacific) and split the room cost with a group. That way you are staying at a closer hotel that guarantees express pass access. You could even stay there one day and then book Dockside for the rest of your trip if you really wanted to! Another tip if you purchased an annual pass, then the tickets to the park are free so you could spend more on a hotel or upgrades (#girlmath, right?)!

If you have any questions, I’m going to respond to the comments! Let me know your thoughts on express passes 😄

I’ll be updating you all on my experience at Epic Universe (Express Pass included!)

Stay tuned!

– Bridget