Did you know there’s a way to get the Universal Express Pass for free?
Guests staying at one of Universal’s Premier Hotels receive complimentary Universal Express Unlimited Passes as part of their stay. The value of these passes is nearly equivalent to the total cost of a hotel stay.
Let’s take a closer look at the Universal Express Unlimited pass and how receiving complimentary passes renders staying at a Premier Hotel nearly FREE!
Complimentary Express Pass – Universal’s Best Keep Secret
Many people visiting Universal Orlando Resort already know that the Express Pass is the best way to avoid waiting in lines. But many don’t know about an Express Pass hack to essentially pay for your hotel stay. All you have to do is stay at one of the on-site Universal Premier hotels and receive complimentary (free!) Universal Express Unlimited (w/ valid theme park admission) as part of your stay!
Depending on your situation, booking a hotel with Express rather than buying Express Pass separately might be the most cost-effective way to enjoy Universal.
Here’s why…
How Much Do Universal Premier Hotels Cost?
Let’s take a look at what it costs to stay at one of Universal’s Premier Hotels.
- Loews Royal Pacific Resort – From $165.00 (per person, per night, based on a family of four)
- Loews Royal Pacific Resort – From $165.00 (per person, per night, based on a family of four)
- Loews Royal Pacific Resort – From $165.00 (per person, per night, based on a family of four)
That means a family of four can expect to pay $660+ per night.
This may seem expensive on the surface but here’s what you get
Perks of Staying at a Universal Premier Hotel
- FREE Universal Express Unlimited Passes
Guests of your party will receive FREE Universal Express Unlimited for every day of your day (including check-in and check-out). This perk allows you to skip the regular lines for the entire day. You can ride the same attraction as many times as you’d like. Valid theme park admission is required.
The 2-park Universal Express Unlimited pass costs between $119.99 and $239.99 per person per day. That means a family of 4 could save well over a thousand dollars on passes by choosing this hotel tier!
- Prime Locations
Premier hotels have a short water taxi ride to and from the parks. This means you can breeze back and forth between your room and all the action on quick and free transportation.
- Early Entry
Premier hotels guests can get inside the theme parks an hour before the other guests. This means you’ll have more time in the park than regular guests, and fewer crowds to compete with (for an hour, at least). Valid theme park admission is required with early entry.
- Universal’s Best Hotels
Premier Hotels are the best hotels at Universal Orlando Resort. They offer excellent dining, spacious rooms, fun pools, and close proximity to all the action!
- Great Value (surprisingly)
Universal’s Premier Hotels provide the best experiences, but also provide you with the best value. As you mentioned before, Universal Express Unlimited passes are included in your stay. That means a family of 4 can save over $2,500 on a 5-night stay!
Stay at a Premier Hotel and Save Money
When you stay at either Loews Portofino Bay, Loews Royal Pacific, or the Hard Rock Hotel, you’ll receive complimentary Express Unlimited Passes included in the price of the room.
This is the highest tier, two-park Universal Express Unlimited Pass. These normally cost between $119.99 to $239.99 per person per day depending on the day you go.
The complimentary passes are valid for every person staying in the room for every day of your stay. You’ll also receive tickets for the day you check in and the day you check out.
Let’s Do the Math
Let’s assume your party has 4 guests and you spend three days and two nights at Universal. We just checked Loews Royal Pacific and plugged in a few dates. The cheapest Premier Hotel we see is two nights for a total of $1320 (with taxes and fees included).
Now let’s check to see what the 2-park Universal Express Unlimited Pass costs for 4 people. We came up with an average of $140 per person per day, then multiplied that by 4 people ($560). We then multiply that by 3 days worth of passes (since we can use passes on the day we check-in and the day we check out).
The 3 day total for Universal Express Unlimited passes comes out to $1680 for 4 people….and that’s before taxes and fees. That’s more than our hotel stay!
Conclusion: If you plan on buying the Express Pass anyway, it certainly makes sense to stay at one of the three Premier Hotels.
With this said, the cost-saving you get with the passes might not always be greater than the cost of your Premier Hotel stay. It will be close for most days, and thus, we think it’s definitely the way to go.
Also, keep in mind that Florida Residents and Univeral Annual Passholder can save up to 30% on their stay. And for that matter, Universal hotels are often cheaper than a comparable Disney hotel.
Thanks for reading our “How to Stay at a Universal Premier Hotel For Free” article.
Do you have questions about Universal Express Passes? Are you ready to book your Premier Hotel stay?
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See our Is the Universal Express Pass Worth It, Best Universal Studios Rides, Universal Studios Map, Wizarding World of Harry Potter Tips, Universal Studios vs Disney World, How to Get from Disney World to Universal, How Much Do Wands Cost at Universal, and Universal Studios Orlando Transportation for more on Universal!
Enjoy your trip!
