Florida / Central Florida
Universal Orlando Resort
How to do Universal Orlando's three parks now Epic Universe has opened: which multi-day ticket to buy, when to go, and whether Express Pass is worth it for a UK family.
Where
Orlando, United States
Opening hours
Parks typically open 09:00 and close around 18:00–21:00 (often later in summer and at peak holidays); Volcano Bay runs shorter, roughly 10:00–17:00. Hours move week to week, so confirm your exact dates on universalorlando.com before you plan.
Tickets
From about $124 (~£93) for a 1-day, 1-park base ticket up to ~$200+ on peak dates; a 3-day Park-to-Park including Epic Universe runs roughly $300–$400 (~£225–£300); Express Pass is a separate ~$100–$230 per person per day (~£75–£173) on top. Under-3s free.
Time needed
A full day per park, so plan 3 days minimum across the three parks; add a fourth for Volcano Bay or a re-ride day.
In short
Visiting Universal Orlando Resort
Buy a multi-day Park-to-Park ticket before you fly — single-day gate prices are date-based and brutal, and the savings come from a 3- or 5-day pass bought ahead, not from turning up. Since Epic Universe opened in May 2025 it's three full parks (Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Epic Universe) plus the Volcano Bay water park, and Epic Universe now needs its own dated reservation on top of your ticket, so book that slot the moment it's released. Allow at least three park days, ride the headliners (Hagrid's, VelociCoaster, the new Ministry of Magic) in the first hour or last hour, and decide early whether the eye-watering Express Pass is worth it for your dates.
Which ticket to buy, and the Epic Universe catch
The mistake people still make is treating Universal as a one-day stop on a Disney trip. Since Epic Universe opened in May 2025 it’s three full parks plus a water park, and the value lives in a dated multi-day Park-to-Park ticket bought before you fly — a 3-day pass works out far cheaper per day than buying single gate days at $124–$200+ (about £93–£150) each. Park-to-Park matters here specifically: it’s the only way to ride the Hogwarts Express between Diagon Alley in Universal Studios and Hogsmeade in Islands of Adventure, which is half the point of the Wizarding World.
The catch that catches everyone out is that Epic Universe needs its own dated park reservation on top of your ticket, and the popular dates fill, so lock that slot the moment your dates open. Then weigh the Express Pass honestly: at $100–$230 per person per day (about £75–£173) it’s a serious add-on, it only skips the queue once per ride, and it pointedly excludes the newest headliner coasters like Hagrid’s. On a quiet day it’s money wasted; in peak summer heat it can hand you back half a day.
How many days does it really need?
Go late September to early November or in January if you possibly can — the same window that suits Disney. Park hours are longer and queues shorter once the US school summer ends, and you dodge the high-30s°C heat and afternoon storms that make a peak-summer park day a slog. Whenever you go, the move is the same: be at the gate for opening and ride the big-hitters — Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure, VelociCoaster, the new Ministry of Magic — in the first hour, or save them for the last hour when day-ticket crowds thin.
With teenagers, Universal now out-thrills Disney, and Epic Universe alone justifies the trip. Give it three days, not one — a single day spread across three parks means long queues and no time to actually ride anything twice. Pair the park days with a low-energy I-Drive afternoon or Volcano Bay rather than stacking three full parks back to back; this is a trip you pace, not sprint.
Planning the rest of your trip? See the Orlando city guide.
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