A new type of Universal Express pass option has debuted, called “Universal Express Now,” which allows you to purchase a single one-time use Express pass for individual rides.
Available for select attractions via the official Universal Orlando Resort app, these à la carte Express passes can only be purchased when inside of Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, or Epic Universe.
The system works by offering single use Express passes with a window of time you have to return to ride a specific attraction. Currently, Universal Express Now passes can cost around $20 or more each, per person.
Times cannot be modified once a pass has been purchased through the app, and if you do not show up within the window of time allotted, you forfeit your Express pass without refund.
The official website describes this new Express offering as the following:
Universal Express Now
Enjoy a shorter wait once at the participating attraction you’ve selected during a specific time window by entering the Express queue (instead of the regular line). Universal Express Now is exclusively available through the Universal Orlando Resort App in the park on the day of your visit (location services must be enabled). Download our App for iOS or Android to check for available Express Now offers.
Limited availability day-of at select participating attractions based on capacity and wait times. Offered sporadically when availability opens with limited entry windows at participating attractions in Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure and/or Universal Epic Universe, as capacity allows. Restrictions apply.
Universal Express Now can only be purchased while you are inside the participating park using the Universal Orlando Resort App. This means if you want to purchase a single-use Express pass for Yoshi’s Adventure in Super Nintendo World, you must be inside of Epic Universe.
Select the quantity of tickets you would like to purchase and add to cart. You will need to purchase a Universal Express Now pass for every member of your party. (If the system does not allow you to add a certain number of passes to the cart, they may not have enough inventory left to accommodate your full order, as pictured below, so try again at a later time or decrease the quantity to purchase.)
Universal says that the Universal Express Now option has limited availability at select participating rides and attractions. For Express access to all participating rides and attractions, consider purchasing the original Universal Express or Universal Express Unlimited.
When the system is offering new times, they appear to drop every 15 minutes, so if it was 12 o’clock right now there may be new Express Now drops at 12:00, 12:15, 12:30, 12:45, and so on. Only one return time option is available per attraction at a time.
The passes being offered will be available for purchase via the app until they sell out or 5 minutes before the ride window starts, whichever comes first.
These observations, as well as pricing so far, have only been observed in the first 48 hours since this new Express pass first appeared in the app this week, and may change as the new option evolves over time.
You can learn more specific details, as well as find links to download the official Universal Orlando app, at the official Universal Express website page.
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Alicia Stella has been covering new attractions since 2015, with her work cited by The New York Times, USA Today, CNN, and more. She specializes in reporting on new attraction development, and always looks forward to upcoming changes to the Orlando theme parks. She is also co-author of The Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando.