💰 How to save a bundle on your Universal Orlando vacation

Unlock big savings when you buy an annual pass

Have you ever considered buying an annual pass for your theme park vacation?

Returning to our favorite park with no further cash outlay, it’s definitely a fantasy for many of us. But did you know an annual pass can actually pay for itself, and even save a bundle on your complete vacation, even if you only use it for one trip?

It can if you’re going to Universal Orlando.

Save hundreds on your stay at Universal Orlando

This is not an exaggeration. It’s a hack I have used many times, and it really works.

Universal Orlando annual pass discounts often add up to 35% off hotel room rates. That’s 35% off special rates, not just some inflated rack rate.

The best part is that you can see AND BOOK the annual passholder discount rate without already having a pass. So you can decide if it makes sense to invest in the pass, before you lay out the funds.

You just need to have the pass when you check in to the hotel. And, only ONE person in your room needs to have a pass.

I have done a little math to illustrate how this works.

Cost of a Universal Orlando annual pass compared to a regular ticket

Here’s an example, for travel in April. You can check the Universal website for the exact dates you’d like to travel.

Note that there are blackout dates on this pass, you may need to pay more if your dates fall in the blackout. But of course the regular ticket price will be higher on those dates too.

Universal is currently running a fantastic deal on park tickets - buy a 2-day ticket, get 2 more days free. Otherwise it would cost a lot more than $364.99 for that 4 day ticket.

In this example, the annual pass costs about $60 more than the regular ticket. Even without the hotel discount, this could make sense for you. Right now all the Universal Orlando annual passes are good for 15 months instead of 12. If you’re planning a return trip in the next 15 months, you should definitely buy a pass!

Now let’s compare room prices with and without the annual pass discount

Here are the numbers for a 4 night stay beginning on April 7, 2024. I’ve included Endless Summer Dockside, the least expensive hotel on-property, and Royal Pacific Resort, the least expensive Express Pass hotel on-property.

Even if you choose the least expensive hotel option, your savings more than makes up for the $60 extra you’d pay for the annual pass.

If you go for the higher-end hotel, you’ll be saving more each night than the premium you pay for the annual pass.

How to find out if this will really work for you

I’m keeping it simple here with just the one example, but you can do your own math for your own situation. Here are some resources to get started:

• Universal Orlando annual pass prices and blackout date info

• Universal Orlando hotel reservation search with annual pass discount

• Universal Orlando ticket prices

• My much-more comprehensive (if a little outdated) post about this same topic

• My post about how to choose your Universal Orlando tickets

• Listen to me discuss how to save money using a Universal Orlando annual pass, on Go Informed Podcast episode 40

What if you’re going to Disney, or Universal Studios Hollywood?

The short answer is, it’s probably not worth it to buy an annual pass at any other theme park resort, unless you’ve got a return trip already planned.

For the Disney parks, passes are scarce and the prices are high. Yes, there are hotel discounts but it probably won’t make up for the added cost of the pass. You’ll only want to consider an annual pass if you’ll be visiting multiple times in the same year.

At Universal Hollywood, if you’ll be visiting on a couple of separate occasions in the same year, it may make sense to get a pass. But watch the blackout dates - the cheapest passes exclude many weekend days.

Here’s my comparison of Universal Orlando vs Universal Hollywood.

Let’s hear your thoughts

Do you think this tip could work for you? What questions do you have? Let me know in the comments.