Universal Studios Express Pass: Is It Worth the Extra Money in 2026?
After you choose your dates, you still have one main decision. Should you get the Universal Studios Express Pass? If you pick right, you will spend more time on rides...
tyl
September 5, 2026
After you choose your dates, you still have one main decision. Should you get the Universal Studios Express Pass? If you pick right, you will spend more time on rides and less time waiting. If you pick wrong, you can end up paying extra for little gain, or losing a big chunk of your trip to lines.
If it is a weekend, a holiday, or summer, the pass usually helps. On busy days, standby lines can stretch past an hour. Express can cut the wait by a few hours. But if it is a quiet Tuesday in the off-season, you can skip it and still be okay.
What the Express Pass Actually Includes
At Universal Studios Hollywood, Express comes bundled with one-day admission in a single ticket. You’re not buying an add-on — you’re buying a different tier of ticket.
It gives you one-time priority access to nearly every ride, show and attraction, plus one genuinely underrated perk: reservation-free entry into Super Nintendo World. General Admission holders may be pushed into a virtual queue on busy days, which can fill before lunchtime. With Express, you walk in.
Covered attractions include:
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Forbidden Journey and Flight of the Hippogriff
Jurassic World – The Ride
Revenge of the Mummy – The Ride
Transformers: The Ride-3D
Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
The Simpsons Ride
The World-Famous Studio Tour
Seated shows including WaterWorld
Reservation-free entry into Super Nintendo World
What’s excluded
This is where people get caught out.
Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge is not covered. Not by Express, and not by Express Unlimited either. The only ticket with unlimited Mario Kart access is the VIP Experience.
Given it’s the signature ride of Super Nintendo World, that’s a significant gap — your Express gets you into the land without a reservation, then you queue standby for its headline attraction.
Ollivander’s wand experience in the Wizarding World isn’t included either.
Food, retail and parking were never part of the deal.
And it’s one-time per attraction. Ride it once with Express, and a second go means the regular queue, unless you’ve bought Express Unlimited.
One thing to check on your travel date: Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, the park’s first outdoor coaster, has been slated for summer 2026. It’s a 72mph Intamin multi-launch with 360-degree spinning vehicles and a 51-inch height minimum, and it’s expected to fall under Express access once operating.
It replaces Fast & Furious – Supercharged, which closed in March 2025 — so if you’re reading older guides that describe the Studio Tour ending with a Supercharged finale, that’s out of date.
How It Works on the Day
Simpler than most guides suggest.
Book online. Your Express Pass arrives by email.
Show the e-ticket on your phone at the entrance gate. No printing, and no separate wristband to collect from Guest Services — the pass is your ticket.
Look for the marked Express lane at each ride, attraction or show.
Once you’ve used Express on a ride, you’re in the standard queue for a repeat, unless you’ve got Unlimited.
Pricing in 2026
There’s no fixed price. Universal moves it with demand, so your date, day of week and season all matter.
Ticket
Typical 2026 range
What you get
General Admission
From $109
One-day entry, standard queues
Express Pass
$209–$309
Admission plus one-time priority access
Express Unlimited
Higher
Admission plus unlimited repeat priority access
VIP Experience
$369–$519
Guided backlot tour, unlimited Express including Mario Kart, meal, valet parking
Weekends, school holidays and summer push toward the top. A quiet February Tuesday lands near the bottom.
Compare like for like before you book anywhere. Express pricing swings by a hundred dollars across dates, so a third-party rate that looks high against a Tuesday in February may be fine against a Saturday in July — and vice versa.
Check the direct price for your specific date, then compare. Buying at the gate is the one option that reliably costs more, typically $10 to $20 per person above booking ahead.
Hollywood vs Orlando: Don’t Mix Them Up
This trips people up constantly. At Universal Studios Hollywood, Express is bundled into the ticket with admission. At Universal Orlando Resort, Express is sold separately from admission, so you buy both. The two resorts run entirely independent systems, and a Hollywood pass is worthless in Orlando.
Does It Sell Out?
Yes, and this catches first-timers out. Universal caps daily Express sales — that cap is exactly what keeps the Express lane faster than standby. On peak dates the allotment can be gone before the park opens, particularly around spring break, summer weekends and holidays.
You can sometimes upgrade from General Admission online or inside the park, but only if that day’s allocation hasn’t sold. Treat it as a fallback, not a plan.
Is It Worth It?
Buy it if:
You’re visiting on a weekend, holiday or during summer, when headline rides routinely run 60 to 90 minutes standby
You’ve got one day in LA and want to see as much as possible
You’re with kids whose patience for queuing is finite
Skipping the Super Nintendo World virtual queue matters to you
You want to ride the big three — Mummy, Jurassic World, Forbidden Journey — without losing the afternoon to lines
Skip it if:
You’re going midweek off-season, when waits often sit under 30 minutes anyway
Budget is tight and you’d rather trade time for money
You’ve got two or more days, since you can spread rides naturally
You’re mainly there for the Studio Tour and shows rather than thrill rides
Mario Kart is your priority — Express doesn’t cover it, so you’d be paying a premium for the one thing you can’t skip the queue for
The gut check: Express typically saves three to five hours on a busy day. If that’s worth the difference between a $109 ticket and a $250-ish one to you, buy it. If you’re happy strolling and taking what comes, don’t.
How Busy Does It Actually Get?
Universal Studios Hollywood draws close to 10 million visitors a year, and on peak days over 35,000 guests are in the park. That translates directly into waits, especially at Super Nintendo World and the Wizarding World.
Universal Studios Hollywood gets near 10 million visitors each year. On busy days, you can see more than 35,000 people inside. That kind of crowd level makes lines feel longer, mainly at Super Nintendo World and the Wizarding World.
The park starts at 9am every day. It stays open 365 days per year. On slower weekdays, it usually shuts around 6pm. On weekends and during summer, it often goes until 8pm or even later.
A couple of things about timing. Halloween Horror Nights and Fan Fest Nights are sold as separate events. They also have their own Express passes. These are not tied to regular daytime entries.
Also, some Fan Fest dates have an early close for daytime guests. So look up your exact day on the calendar instead of assuming the usual end time.
Express vs VIP
If line-skipping is the goal and the VIP price makes you wince, Express is the sweet spot. VIP at $369 to $519 adds a personal guide, backlot trolley tour, a meal and valet parking — a genuinely premium day, priced accordingly.
The one thing VIP has that Express doesn’t, beyond the extras, is unlimited Mario Kart access. If Super Nintendo World is the entire reason you’re going, that’s worth weighing rather than dismissing as a luxury.
Head to the Lower Lot first — Super Nintendo World and the Wizarding World build standby fastest.
Queue Mario Kart early, since Express won’t help you there and it’s the longest line in the park by late morning.
Book online and book early. Cheaper than the gate, and it beats the risk of selling out.
Ease off in the afternoon. Once the morning rush settles, plenty of standby lines aren’t much longer than Express ones.
Final Verdict
Packing Universal Studios Hollywood into one busy day in peak season? Express is one of the smarter upgrades available. On a quiet January Tuesday it won’t do much for you. On a packed July Saturday it’s the difference between doing everything on your list and spending the afternoon in a queue.
Weigh your dates, your patience and your budget — and check the price for your specific date before assuming any single figure is a good deal.
FAQs
Does the Express Pass include park admission?
Yes, at Universal Studios Hollywood it’s bundled into one ticket with one-day general admission. There’s no separate admission to buy.
Is the Hollywood Express Pass the same as Orlando’s?
No. Hollywood bundles admission into the pass; Orlando sells Express separately from admission. The two resorts run separate systems and passes aren’t interchangeable.
Does Express cover Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge?
No. It’s excluded from both Express Pass and Express Unlimited. Only the VIP Experience includes unlimited Mario Kart access. You still get reservation-free entry into Super Nintendo World itself.
Can I use Express more than once per ride?
Not on the standard pass — it’s one-time per attraction. Express Unlimited allows repeats.
Do I need to collect anything when I arrive?
No. Your Express Pass arrives by email and you show it on your phone at the gate. There’s no wristband or lanyard pickup.
Do children need their own Express Pass?
Yes, from age 3 up every guest needs their own. Check ride height requirements before buying for younger children — several headline rides have minimums they may not meet.
Can Express Passes sell out?
Yes. Universal caps daily sales, and on peak dates they can go before the park opens. Book a few weeks ahead for busy periods.
How much time does it actually save?
Typically three to five hours on a busy day. On a quiet off-season weekday, considerably less.
