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Universal Orlando offers a variety of services designed to ease your day, from photo services to Express Passes, and Single Rider queue lines to package delivery.
My Universal Photos is a photo collection system that allows you to get all your in-park photos in one place.
You can get a My Universal Photos card from any in-park photographer. Each time you take a photo, hand the photographer this card - they will scan it, and your photos will be grouped.
Before the end of the day, visit one of the My Universal Photos stores where you can choose the best pictures and have them printed.
You will need a new My Universal Photos card for each day of your vacation unless you purchase a Photo Package. All in-park photos are deleted at the end of the operating day.
Although superficially, the system seems to be reasonably similar to Disney’s Photopass system, there are not as many in-park photographers (though the number of on-ride photos is impressive).
Photo Package:
The My Universal Photos Photo Package is a way to pre-pay for all your in-park photos. When you buy the Photo Package, you will get two My Universal Photos cards on a lanyard that you scan any time you have your picture taken in the park.
All these photos are automatically uploaded to the My Universal Photos website, where you can later download them.
My Universal Photos includes on-ride photos, character photos, and in-park photographer photos on the same account!
To get a Photo Package, visit the My Universal Photos stores at the entrance to each park – these are well signposted. Alternatively, after riding an attraction with an on-ride photo, visit the ride’s photo desk to purchase the Photo Package.
You can use your Photo Package at the following locations:
Universal Studios Florida:
• On Location (Park Entrance Photos)
• E.T.’s Toy Closet & Photo Spot
• SpongeBob SquarePants Meet and Greet
• MEN IN BLACK Alien Attack
• Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
• Shutterbutton’s Photography Studio (with the Shutterbutton’s package)
• Revenge of the Mummy
• Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
• Donkey Photo Op (near Shrek 4-D)
• TRANSFORMERS Photo Op
• The Simpsons Photo Op
• Roaming characters where applicable
• Despicable Me Store Photo Op
Universal’s Islands of Adventure:
• DeFotos Expedition Photography (Park Entrance Photos)
• Spider-Man Photo Op in Alterniverse Store
• In-Queue Photo Op at The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
• The Incredible Hulk Coaster
• Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls
• Jurassic Park River Adventure
• Raptor Encounter
• T-Rex Automated Photo Capture in Jurassic Park
• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
• Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
• The High In The Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride! In-Queue Photo Op
• Roaming characters where available
• The Grinch Seasonal Photo Op
Photo Package Pricing:
There are a few different Photo Packages to choose from, depending on how long you visit (prices ex-tax):
• One day – $69.99 online, not sold in-park
• Three consecutive days – $89.99 online, and $99.99 in-park
•30 consecutive days – $119.99, online only
• 1 year – $139.99, annual pass not required
• 3-Day Shutterbutton’s Photo Package – $139.99
For most visitors, the 3-day package is the best value.
As well as the digital photos obtained via a website, the price of the package also includes the Amazing Pictures app to view your photos on your smartphone; and discounts on in-park ride photo prints.
The three-day package also includes these additional benefits: 1 free 5x7 or 8x10 print in a folder; 1 free 4x6 print; $5.00 5x7 or $10.00 8x10 prints at participating My Universal Photos locations; and $2.00 4x6 prints at participating locations.
The Shutterbutton’s Photo Package includes unlimited Digital Downloads for 3 consecutive days; one 5x7 print; one 4x6 Print, and a Shutterbutton’s DVD.
Top Tip: To pre-purchase Photo Packages before you go, visit https://presale.amazingpictures.com/UniversalFlorida.aspx. Certain options such as the 1-day and 14-day packages can only be bought online.
Many of the rides at Universal do not allow you to take your belongings onto them; loose articles must be placed in free ride lockers.
How to use the in-park ride lockers:
• Approach a locker station. These are by the entrance to all rides that require their use;
• Select ‘Rent a locker’ from the touch screen;
• Scan your park ticket to be assigned a locker; Keep this ticket with you on the ride to unlock the locker later.
• Go to the locker, put your belongings inside, and press the green button next to the locker to lock the door.
Some attractions still feature an old locker system where you use your fingerprint to verify your identity instead of scanning your park ticket.
Small lockers are complimentary (14” in width by 5.5” in height by 16.9” in depth); these will easily fit purses, wallets, cell phones, Potter wands as well as drinks containers on their side. Larger lockers, big enough to fit a backpack or a drink standing upright, cost $2.
The small lockers are free for a certain period. This is always longer than the posted wait time. For example, a 90-minute queue for The Incredible Hulk Coaster would typically allow you 120 or 150 minutes of locker rental time to allow you to queue, experience the ride, and collect your belongings.
If you keep your belongings in the lockers longer than the free period, charges apply. The cost is $3 for each additional 30 minutes, up to a maximum daily fee of $20.
Lockers for the water rides are not free - they are $4 for a set period (the wait time plus a margin), and $3 for each extra 30 minutes, up to a maximum of $20.
Top Tip 1: If your free locker time expires because the queue line took longer than expected, tell a Team Member. There should usually be a Team Member for each ride’s lockers.
Top Tip 2: To avoid paying for a water ride locker, walk to another ride where lockers are free. Forbidden Journey often has long rental times, for example. We expect Jurassic World: Velocicoaster lockers to be popular with guests riding the water rides.
All-day park locker rentals:
Non-ride lockers are available at the entrance to each park – the cost is $10 per day for a standard locker or $15 for a family size locker (Universal Studios Florida only for family-sized lockers). You may access these lockers as many times as you want throughout the day, though their non-central location can be a pain.
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Universal Express Pass allows you to skip the majority of the queue lines in both parks for a fee.
The Express Pass is a ticket that allows you to enter a separate shorter attraction queue line with drastically lower wait times. At shows, you enter before guests who do not have an Express Pass so you can get the best seats – usually 15 minutes before show-time.
Express Pass access costs between $40 and $190 per person per day. The pass is complimentary for those staying on-site at Hard Rock Hotel, Portofino Bay Hotel, and Royal Pacific Resort.
Rides that are not included:
Express Passes are valid on all attractions at both theme parks, except Ollivander’s Wand Shop (both IOA and USF), Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure (as of late 2020), and Pteranodon Flyers.
How do I use it?
At an attraction entrance, show your Express Pass to the Team Member. They will scan it, and you will be directed to a separate queue line from non-Express Pass guests. Typical waits are 15 minutes or less, even on the busiest days, and are often shorter.
As you will be in a different queue line to the main one, Express Pass guests may lose part of the storyline told in the queue. This is particularly evident at Revenge of the Mummy, TRANSFORMERS, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, and MEN IN BLACK: Alien Attack.
The 4 types of Express Pass:
• Universal Express Pass: Sold in the parks and online. It allows one ride per participating attraction.
• Universal Express Unlimited: Sold online and in the parks. It allows unlimited rides on each participating attraction.
• Park-To-Park Ticket + Universal Express Unlimited: Sold online or over the phone (407-224-7840) and includes a regular park admission ticket for both parks and Universal Express Unlimited access every day. These tickets are available in one-day or multi-day versions. The ticket expires when all admission days on the ticket are used or 14 days after the first use, whichever is first.
• On-site Hotel Universal Express Unlimited Pass: This is a perk for on-site hotel guests from the three most expensive hotels. This pass is included for everyone in the hotel room for the whole stay, including the entire check-in and check-out days. It allows unlimited rides on each attraction. A photo of each guest is printed onto this pass.
Each member of your party needs their own Express Pass. If you are not using an On-site Hotel Universal Express Unlimited Pass or a Park-To-Park Ticket + Universal Express Unlimited, you will need to purchase a separate Express Pass for each day of your trip.
At Volcano Bay, Express Pass allows you to skip the Virtual Line once per selected attraction. Hotel Express Passes are not valid at Volcano Bay and start at $20.
Cut the Cost of Express Pass:
Guests of select on-site hotels get Unlimited Express Pass during their stay. This means that staying at the Hard Rock Hotel, Portofino Bay Hotel or Royal Pacific Resort is the best option if you want Express Passes for your entire stay. These are luxury resorts with fantastic amenities, located right next door to the theme parks. Queue-cutting with Express Pass is a bonus!
Take a look at the money you can save: One night at Royal Pacific Resort during the busiest season (Holiday) for two adults is $494 including complimentary Hotel Unlimited Express Passes for your entire stay, including check-in and check-out days.
Buying the same Express Passes separately for these days costs $190 per person, per day. For two days, you would be spending $760 on Express Passes. So, by staying at the Royal Pacific Resort you save over $250.
The price gets even better when more people stay in the same room – one night for 4 people at the Royal Pacific Resort during the holiday season costs $564. In this case, your hotel stay would save you $956 on the cost of Express Passes. Even if you don’t need the hotel room, it is cheaper to book one, check-in, get your Express Passes and leave straight away.
If you are a family of five, you can get roll-away beds at the on-site hotels for an additional $25 per night, reducing the effective price per person.
Savings are available year-round. During the Value Season in late January, two adults pay $299 for a one-night stay at the Royal Pacific Resort. The Express Passes for these dates cost $100 per person, per day. You save $101. Four adults would pay $369 for one night, saving $431.
Generally, stays longer than one-night become poorer value as these hotels are pricey. To take advantage of this tip, you should stay at these hotels for one night. Two days is usually enough to see everything with Express Pass access! If you want to stay longer, we’d suggest spending the other nights at a cheaper hotel.
Do I need an Express Pass?
During peak periods, an Express Pass is almost essential. It guarantees you will save hours waiting. However, Express Passes are expensive and will often double the cost of your visit.
With careful planning, and by following our touring plans, you can experience most rides without an Express Pass, even during busy seasons.
If you are visiting outside of the peak times of school breaks and holidays, an Express Pass is not as useful. Outside of peak periods, you often wait less than 20 to 30 minutes for most attractions.
To do both parks in one day, you’ll need Express Passes.
Finally, if you get an Express Pass, we recommend the ‘Unlimited’ version. You will want to ride attractions as many times as you wish, not just once each.
If you can’t afford it, skip the Express Passes. You will not miss out if you get up early and follow our touring plans – you will wait, but you will save hundreds of dollars too.
Top Tip 1: Do not buy Express Passes in advance unless the parks will be busy. If unsure, wait until you are at the parks to see the wait times.
Top Tip 2: If buying Express Park tickets at the parks, don’t buy them from the kiosk outside the park gates – the wait here is usually longer than inside the park.
Top Tip 3: At certain times of the year, there are ‘after 4:00 pm’ Express Passes sold for $40. Ask for these, as they are not advertised.
Top Tip 4: The Park-To-Park Ticket + Universal Express Unlimited ticket bundle is cheaper than buying park admission and the Unlimited Express Pass separately.
Top Tip 5: The free Hotel Express Pass only applies during regular park hours. During events where a separate admission ticket is required, such as Halloween Horror Nights, you will need to buy an event-specific Express Pass. The Hotel Express Pass is also NOT valid at Volcano Bay.
An excellent way to reduce your time waiting in queue lines is to use the Single Rider line instead of the regular queue line.
This is an entirely separate queue that is used to fill free spaces on ride vehicles with guests riding alone. E.g., if a ride vehicle can seat 8 people and a group of 4 turns up, followed by a group of 3, then a Single Rider will fill the free space on the ride. This makes the wait times shorter for everyone as all spaces on ride vehicles are filled.
Everyone benefits from the system: single riders typically get on much more quickly than the standard wait, and the regular queue line moves marginally quicker as all those single riders aren’t in it!
If the parks are very busy, then Single Rider (SR) lines can close when the wait in the SR line is the same or greater than the regular line.
If the Single Rider queue line is full and cannot accept more guests, it will also be temporarily closed. If the parks are empty, then sometimes Single Rider lines do not operate either, as there is no need for them.
Some rides have hidden Single Rider lines that are not advertised - in this case, ask the first attraction host you see (usually at attraction entrances) if the Single Rider queue line is open. If it is, then they will direct you accordingly. One example of this is the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey Single Rider line, which is easy to miss.
If you are traveling as a group, you can use Single Rider – you will ride separately from the others in your party.
Single Rider lines are available at:
• The Incredible Hulk
• The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
• Jurassic Park River Adventure
• Dr. Doom’s Fearfall
• Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls
•Skull Island: Reign of Kong
• Transformers: The Ride
• Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
• Revenge of the Mummy
• Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
• Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
• Men in Black: Alien Attack
Sometimes when visiting a theme park, two adults want to ride an attraction but have a child that is not tall enough. Universal Orlando has a solution that allows you to take turns riding, but only queue once – Child Swap.
Simply ask a Team Member at an attraction entrance to use Child Swap.
Generally, one or more adults go in the standard queue line while another adult is directed to a child swap waiting area.
Once the first group has queued up and ridden the attraction, they proceed to the Child Swap area. Here the first group stays with the child, and the person who sat with the child gets to ride straight away without having to wait in the queue.
This procedure may vary between attractions and can be combined with Express Pass – ask Team Members at attraction entrances about the specific procedure.
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Internet access has become indispensable over the past few years – whether you need to send a business email, check the route to your next destination, book a hotel room, check your credit card bill or upload a photo to Instagram.
You can find free Wi-Fi throughout both theme parks and the CityWalk area to connect to. The network is called “Universal”. Xfinity cable customers can simply login with their account credentials. Non-Xfinity customers get free Wi-Fi by providing their zip code and email address. Non-US users can just use a random five-digit number such as 32820.
In-room Wi-Fi access is offered at no cost to hotel guests for the “standard” level. If you require higher speed access, there is a “premium” option available for $15 per day. The lobby and pool areas in all the on-site hotels have free Wi-Fi that you can access regardless of whether or not you are staying at the hotel.
The Official Universal Orlando Resort App, available for free on smartphones, allows you to: access wait times for all attractions when inside the parks, get Virtual Line passes, get directions to attractions with step-by-step visual representations, see showtimes and special events, get custom wait time alerts, see park and resort maps, find guest amenities, see park hours, set showtime alerts, share on social media, and locate food items.
You can even buy park tickets and Express Passes right in this app.
Universal Orlando’s package delivery service allows you to purchase any item in the park and have it stored until later in the day when you can pick it up. This means you won’t have to carry it around all day.
You can choose to have your purchase sent to one of two locations:
• The front of the park – By each of the theme parks’ exit turnstiles and Volcano Bay, you will see a small shop that is accessible both from inside and outside the park. Purchases made throughout the day are sent here for you to pick up. Allow at least 3 hours for delivery here. CityWalk purchases also have a dedicated pickup location in the parking garage hub near the security check area.
• Your hotel room – At on-site hotels, you can also have the package delivered to your hotel room (or a collection point at some hotels). It will be delivered the next day between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm. This service is unavailable the day before checkout or the day of checkout itself, so it is only suitable for stays of 3 nights or more.
Both theme parks offer stroller, wheelchair, and motorized ECV rentals to the left side of each theme park’s turnstiles.
Rentals Prices (per day):
• Single Stroller – $15
• Single Kiddie Car – $18
• Double Stroller – $25
• Double Kiddie Car – $28
• Wheelchairs – $12, plus a $50 deposit.
• ECVs – $50, plus a $50 deposit.
The kiddie car is a stroller designed to look like a car with an enclosed front foot area, to stop kids slipping out. It also has a steering wheel to play with.
ECVs must be operated by a single person aged 18 years old or over.
Wheelchairs can also be rented in the parking rotunda area.
Chapter 11
