Price hikes are nothing new for theme park fans, and though they used to occur with some regularity, in recent months Disney and Universal have been staggering their price hikes throughout the year, raising prices on different kinds of tickets, annual passes, and upcharges in the spring, summer, and fall months. And true to form, earlier this week, Universal Orlando very quietly raised their ticket prices with no advance warning at all, and in a very specific way…
1. Universal Orlando Resort hikes prices on single- and multi-day tickets
Earlier this week the price of several types of Universal Orlando Resort theme park admission tickets unexpectedly went up. An “Anytime” One Day, One Park ticket has gone up to $135 per guest, which is an increase of $6. A “Regular” One Day, One Park ticket has also gone up to $125, which is an increase of $3 over the previous price. Rounding out these basic tickets is the “Value” One Day, One Park ticket (which is only valid during the “off” season) has increased to $115, up just $1. All children’s tickets have gone up by the same amounts as well. In addition to the One-Day, One Park, variable pricing, here is the breakdown for multiple day, one park tickets:
2 day: $225
3 day: $245
4 day: $255
5 day: $265
In addition to the One Day, One Park ticket price hikes, Two Day, Two Park tickets have also increased by $10 and are now $285 for adults, $275 for children. Here’s the rest of the breakdown for longer park-to-park tickets:
3 day: $305
4 day: $320
5 day: $335
Although there isn’t too much you can do to save money if you purchase tickets at the gate, Universal Orlando Resort has announced that for a limited time guests can purchase theme park admission in advance for two days (one or two parks per day) and get three additional days for free. However, these special tickets must be purchased by June 12th and use by December 20th, 2019, and the entire month of July is blocked out.
Florida Residents and annual passholders are safe from price hikes, for now
Image: Universal
Interestingly, even though prices are going up for these very specific ticket types, Florida Residents who are looking to purchase the exact same tickets will not be affected by these increases just yet, and can still take advantage of substantial discounts.
In addition annual passholders are also not feeling price hikes this time around, which is good news for those who want to purchase or renew their pass before the opening of Hagrid’s Magical Motorbike Adventure, which is opening in just a few weeks.
Though we have no way to know for sure, we’d guess that Universal Orlando Resort will quietly raise prices for Florida Residents and annual passholders later this year, potentially as soon as this summer but almost certainly before the busy summer travel season. So if you’re on the fence about purchasing an annual pass, it would be in your best interest to decide on your purchase soon, as passholder prices are almost certain to go up in the near future, and your expiration date is determined by when you first use your pass (not when you first purchase it) so guests who are visiting later this year can get in front of the expected price increases by “locking in” their annual pass price now and then waiting to activate it until their first planned visit.
Though Walt Disney World has a reputation for being the most expensive theme park to visit in central Florida, if you look at just the cost of a single day’s admission to one theme park, Universal Orlando has been keeping pace with its next-door neighbor when it comes to single-and multi-day passes, and is now actually more expensive in some scenarios. Though the math changes substantially when you factor in multi-day deals and discounts, Universal’s rapid price increases are starting to outpace its nearby neighbor, which is certainly a change from a decade ago.
