Costco Universal Studios Tickets | 2024 Review + Pros & Cons
Costco is known for its great deals on everything from toothpaste to hot dogs and to the surprise of many, they often also carry Universal Studios tickets!
While most items at Costco require you to purchase in bulk, their Universal Studios tickets are a bit different than buying anything else at Costco stores.
In this guide, we'll explain what you need to know about purchasing Universal Studios tickets from Costco including if their ticket offers are a good deal!
Frequently Asked Questions About Costco Universal Studios Tickets:
- Does Costco Sell Tickets To Universal Studios?
- Can You Buy Universal Studios Tickets From Costco Online?
- Can You Buy Universal Studios Tickets At Costco For Friends & Family?
- What Deals And Savings Does Costco Offer on Universal Studios Tickets?
- Pros & Cons Of Buying Universal Studios Tickets From Costco
- Are Costco Universal Studios Tickets A Good Deal?
Does Costco Sell Tickets To Universal Studios?
At the time of this writing, Costco sells tickets to Universal Orlando year-round, but not Universal Studios Hollywood.
However, season passes to Universal Studios Hollywood, also known as the California Neighbor Pass, have recently been spotted in stores throughout Southern California.
Costco has previously sold single-day tickets to Universal Studios Hollywood and we expect to see them at Costco again sometime in the future with season passes now popping up again in stores.
We typically see Universal Studios Hollywood tickets arrive at Costco just after the holidays when attendance at the park is typically lower.
While we typically only see Universal Studios Hollywood tickets or passes in physical Costco stores and never online, Universal Orlando is the opposite!
You can find tickets as part of a vacation package throughout the year online, but hardly ever in actual Costco stores.
As soon as Universal Studios Hollywood single tickets are available at Costco we'll be sure to update this section of the guide, but for now, you'll only be able to purchase season passes and Universal Orlando tickets.
TIP!: If you want to buy tickets individually without a vacation package, while still saving some money, then we recommend checking out Authorized Sellers like:
- GetYourGuide Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Florida
- Theme Park Center for Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Florida
- As well as Costco's big competitor Sam's Club!
Can You Buy Universal Studios Tickets From Costco Online?
Universal Studios tickets can be purchased online from Costco when bought as part of a vacation package.
This means that if you're open to purchasing your tickets AND hotel stay from Costco you'll be able to buy tickets as part of these packages.
Keep in mind you'll need a Costco membership to take advantage of most travel deals - you can see the latest promotions on Costco memberships here as they become available!
Costco has tons of hotels available for you to choose from including almost every hotel on Universal Orlando property, as well as many hotels in the neighboring area as well.
If you don't want to book your hotel stay through Costco then you aren't going to be able to buy Universal Studios tickets individually from Costco.
This policy is the same in stores as well!
Universal Studios tickets can only be purchased from the "Costco Travel" desks inside Costco stores as part of a vacation package.
Can You Buy Universal Studios Tickets At Costco For Friends & Family?
Many people buy tickets to theme parks like Universal Studios for their friends and family to simplify the buying process.
Luckily, you can do this at Costco as well. If you need to purchase a bulk amount of tickets on behalf of your friend and family you'll have no issue doing this at Costco.
After purchasing your tickets you can simply hand them over to whomever you would like!
The one caveat here that is a policy at nearly every theme park is the ticket must be used by the same person on all days the ticket is valid. This means once the ticket is used to access Universal Studios, it cannot be given to someone else!
What Deals And Savings Does Costco Offer on Universal Studios Tickets?
Universal Studios ticket deals and savings offered through Costco vary throughout the year, but we've detailed some of the best deals we've seen below!
Buy 2 Days Get 2 Days Free: Buy a two-day ticket to Universal Studios through Costco Travel and receive two extra days for free. This is essentially a four-day ticket for the price of a two-day ticket!
Buy A Day Get A Day: Similar to the "Buy 2 Days Get 2 Days Free" offer, you'll get two days for the price of one with this ticket deal. This offer is much less common than the 2 Days Free offer.
Free Volcano Bay Admission: Volcano Bay admission has been included for free on higher priced ticket options (usually 2 park for 3+ days).
Free Costco Shop Card: Purchasing a Universal Studios vacation package often comes with a free Costco Shop Card (Costco's equivalent of a gift card to their stores) with varying values, typically starting at $25.
Pros & Cons Of Buying Universal Studios Tickets From Costco
There are a handful of pros and cons to consider before purchasing your Universal Studios tickets from Costco to decide if they're best for you.
We've broken down some of the key reasons to buy, and not buy, tickets from Costco below.
PROS
Costco Ticket Prices Are Some Of The Best: Costco's prices at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando are some of the most competitive around. We've consistently seen some of the best offers and prices on Universal tickets at Costco
Tickets Can Be Purchased Online: This one only counts if you'll be going to Universal Orlando. You don't need to worry about heading to a Costco store and searching for tickets - they can simply be purchased online with your vacation packages.
Hotel Deals: Likewise to Universal ticket prices, the hotels that are packaged with Universal Studios tickets also see some of the best prices around.
CONS
Tickets Aren't Sold Year Round: Now this is a big one. If you're looking for Universal Orlando or Universal Hollywood tickets not tied to a vacation package then you'll either have to wait until they go on sale or jump on them quickly. This is pretty unpredictable and the biggest downfall of buying tickets from Costco at the moment.
You'll Need A Costco Membership: Purchasing tickets from Costco can often be worth the membership fee, but it might eat into your savings or entirely negate your savings.
If you don't have a Costco membership be sure to run some numbers on how much money you'll be saving on Universal tickets with the membership cost included. If you don't already have a membership, can see the latest promotions on Costco memberships here as they become available
Are Costco Universal Studios Tickets A Good Deal?
Costco Universal Studios tickets are typically a great deal with the caveat in mind that you typically will need to purchase an entire vacation package to get these ticket deals.
If you're planning on booking one of the hotels that Costco offers in their vacation packages then you'll likely benefit greatly by purchasing from them and getting access to a ticket deal.
If Costco doesn't offer a hotel you were looking to stay at (or you weren't planning to stay at a hotel at all) then we recommend comparing prices to see if you'll get any sort of value booking through Costco.
While many of these ticket and hotel offers are good deals, you may end up spending more money than you originally planned by booking a more premium hotel or ticket because you wanted to take advantage of a certain deal.
Be sure you compare all of your options and what you'll be spending with and without a Costco vacation package to see if these Universal Studios ticket deals are right for you!
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