Universal Studios Hollywood does not charge one flat rate. Universal Studios Hollywood tickets prices vary by date, ticket tier, and how much queuing you are willing to do. The gap between the cheapest and most expensive way to spend the same day can run into hundreds of dollars per person.
Here is how the pricing actually works.
Universal uses date-based tiered pricing. The same 1-Day ticket costs more on a July Saturday than a February Tuesday, sorted into value, regular and peak days on a calendar that reshuffles each year.
If your dates are flexible, shifting by a day or two is the single biggest saving available — bigger than any promo code.
Age brackets matter: adult pricing applies from age 10, child pricing covers ages 3 to 9, and children aged 2 and under don’t need a ticket at all. Every guest aged 3 and over needs their own admission, including for Express.
| Ticket | What’s included | Typical official price |
| 1-Day General Admission | All rides, shows, Studio Tour, Super Nintendo World, Wizarding World; standard queues | $109–$149 |
| 2-Day General Admission | Two visits, second within 90 days of the first | $149–$194 |
| Early Access add-on | One hour in select areas before general opening | From ~$20 |
| Universal Express | Admission plus one-time skip-the-line per ride and show | $199–$309 |
| VIP Experience | Unlimited Express, guided backlot tour, meals, valet parking, VIP lounge | $369–$519 |
Annual and season passes run four tiers — California Neighbor, Silver, Gold and Platinum — with increasing access and fewer blackout dates. Published pass pricing varies considerably between sources and changes with promotions, so check Universal’s current rates directly rather than relying on a figure from a guide.
The baseline, and the right answer more often than people assume. Full-day access to every ride, show and the Studio Tour, plus Super Nintendo World and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. You queue normally throughout.
New for 2026: Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, the park’s new coaster, opened over summer. Expect it to carry the longest waits in the park through its first season.
Who it suits: anyone visiting on a weekday in January, February, September or October, when most rides run 15 to 25 minutes anyway. Also families with young children, who’ll be taking breaks regardless.
Bundles admission with one-time expedited access to each major ride and seated show. On busy days, Mario Kart, Jurassic World and the Harry Potter rides can exceed 60 to 90 minutes; Express brings that to roughly 10 to 15.
The catch: one time per ride. If you want three consecutive laps of a favourite, Express covers one. It’s built for seeing everything once, not for repeat riding.
When it’s worth it: weekends, summer, school holidays and public holidays. On those dates it’s the difference between finishing the park and finishing half of it. On a quiet January weekday it buys you very little.
Parents, check heights before buying Express for a child. A child under 40 inches (102cm) can access only two rides in the whole park. As a rule, if your child clears the height requirement for fewer than five rides, general admission is the sensible choice — you’d be paying for line-skipping they can’t use.
The top tier, and a genuinely different day. Unlimited Express all day, a small-group guided backlot tour into areas closed to general guests, continental breakfast and a gourmet lunch, reserved show seating, VIP lounge access and valet parking. Groups are capped at around 13 guests per guide, and the guided portion runs roughly six hours, after which you continue in the park independently.
Age rules: children must be at least 5. Guests under 17 need an accompanying adult.
Terms: valid only for the selected date and time, non-transferable and non-refundable, though rescheduling is generally possible with 48 to 72 hours’ notice depending on where you bought it.
Your first visit is locked to the date you select; the second must be used within 90 days. Per-day cost drops meaningfully against two separate 1-Day tickets, which suits anyone with a few days in LA who’d rather split the park across two unhurried visits than compress it into one.
Around $20 as an add-on, not a standalone ticket. Gets you into select areas an hour before general opening — enough to get a head start on Super Nintendo World or the newest coaster before the crowd arrives.
It pairs best with general admission specifically: it narrows the wait-time gap without the Express price tag.
Two different products, and they’re easy to confuse.
Universal Express (the ticket) bundles admission and line-skipping in one purchase.
Express add-on layers line-skipping onto admission you already hold — useful if you have an annual pass or a separately purchased ticket.
Buy the wrong one and you’ve either paid twice for admission or bought line-skipping with no way into the park. Also, you can book Universal Studios Hollywood Express Pass Tickets through TickYourList.
Not included in general admission or Express. Standard self-parking typically runs $30 to $35, with preferred and valet higher. Valet is included with the VIP Experience, and the upper annual pass tiers include parking. Add it to your total before comparing tiers.
Worth stating plainly since it causes confusion every autumn: Halloween Horror Nights runs 3 September to 1 November 2026, is a separately ticketed after-hours event, and is not included with any day admission. It’s also restricted to ages 13 and up.
You can book Universal Studios Hollywood: Halloween Horror Nights Tickets through TickYourList.
Weekday outside summer and school holidays: general admission. Lines are manageable and there’s no speed worth paying for.
Weekend, summer or holiday: Express earns its price. Without it you’ll spend the day queuing.
Special occasion, or you want the studio history narrated: VIP.
Young children in the group: general admission plus Early Access usually beats Express, because height limits cut how many rides they can use.
Universal Studios Hollywood tickets and the Express Pass are both bookable online with mobile delivery and free cancellation, which matters on a date-tiered ticket where plans can move.
Compare the total against Universal’s own rate for your specific date before booking anywhere — with date-tiered pricing, the right answer changes depending on when you’re going.
The question is not what a ticket costs, it’s what kind of day you are buying. General admission covers everything at a walking pace. Express buys back your time on a packed day.
VIP turns it into a guided studio visit. Match the tier to your date and your patience, and check your date’s specific price before committing.
1-Day General Admission typically runs $109 to $149 online depending on the date. Express with admission runs roughly $199 to $309, and the VIP Experience $369 to $519.
Yes. Child pricing covers ages 3 to 9, adult pricing applies from age 10, and children aged 2 and under enter free. Every guest aged 3 and over needs a ticket.
On weekends, summer and holidays when queues pass an hour, yes. On quiet weekdays when most rides run 15 to 25 minutes, no. And for a child under 40 inches, who can access only two rides, it’s poor value regardless of the date.
Yes. Universal runs value, regular and peak date tiers, so the same ticket costs more on weekends and holidays.
90 days from your first visit. The first visit is locked to the date you select.
A small-group guided backlot tour, meals including a gourmet lunch, reserved show seating, VIP lounge access and valet parking, on top of unlimited Express.
No. Standard self-parking runs about $30 to $35 and isn’t bundled with general admission or Express. It’s included with VIP and the upper annual pass tiers.
No. It’s a separate after-hours ticketed event running 3 September to 1 November 2026, for ages 13 and up.
