Universal Studios Hollywood Tickets | Ultimate Deal Guide & Tips
There are more ways, places, and types of tickets to purchase from Universal Studios Hollywood than ever which makes the ticket purchasing process not nearly as simple as it once was.
Our Universal Studios Hollywood Ticket Guide simplifies all of the different ticket types available, where you can purchase tickets from, and details the different ways you can save some money on your ticket purchase!
Frequently Asked Questions About Universal Studios Hollywood Tickets
- What Types Of Tickets Are Available?
- How Much Do Universal Studios Hollywood Tickets Cost?
- Where Can Universal Tickets Be Purchased?
- Are Universal Studios Hollywood Tickets Refundable?
- Can I Buy Universal Tickets For Someone Else?
- Annual Pass vs Standard Tickets
How To Save Money On Universal Studios Hollywood Tickets + Best Places To Buy Tickets From
- How To Save Money On Universal Studios Hollywood Tickets!
- Where Is The Best Place To Buy Universal Tickets?
What Types Of Tickets Are Available?
Universal Studios Hollywood primarily sells two different types of tickets: 1-Day Admission and 2-Day Admission.
There are also add-ons to your Universal Studios Hollywood tickets including Universal Express and VIP Experience
1-Day Admission and 2-Day Admission tickets are relatively straightforward - you either get one or two days of access to Universal Studios Hollywood.
If you purchase a 2-Day Admission ticket you'll have a 7-day window to visit Universal Studios Hollywood after you use the first day.
This means you don't have to use your second day immediately following your first day, but you do need to make sure you visit within the 7-day window or your ticket will expire.
You will not be able to get a refund for the second day if it goes unused!
You can also purchase a ticket that includes Universal Express Pass and park admission for a single price. Universal Express will allow you to use the Express Pass entrance one time at nearly every ride at Universal Studios Hollywood (excluding Mario Kart).
The Universal Express entrance is separate from the general lines and significantly reduces the amount of time you'll spend in line waiting for a ride.
The VIP Experience is an even further step up from a Universal Express ticket! We've listed all of the benefits included with the VIP Experience below:
- Complimentary Valet Parking
- Unlimited Universal Express access to every ride and show
- A guided tour of the entire park
- Snacks and refreshments
- A private gourmet meal
- One-day admission to Universal Studios Hollywood
You may also want to consider an annual pass to Universal Studios Hollywood which gets you multiple days (and in the case of some passes, unlimited) admission to the park throughout the year.
We'll discuss annual passes in more detail later in the guide!
How Much Do Universal Studios Hollywood Tickets Cost?
Universal Studios Hollywood tickets vary in price depending on what ticket type your purchase as well as what day of the week you visit.
Universal uses a dynamic pricing model which means that prices can change day-to-day and pricing frequently changes. Weekends will typically be more expensive than weekdays and you'll also see higher prices during the summer months and around major holidays.
Below are some of the prices we've seen most often for the various ticket types at Universal Studios Hollywood for peak and non-peak times of the year.
- 1-Day Admission
- Non-Peak Pricing: $109, $114, $124 or $129
- Peak Pricing: $134, $139, $144, $149
- 2-Day Admission
- Non-Peak Pricing: $149, $154, $164, $169
- Peak Pricing: $174, $179, $184, $189
- Universal Express + Admission
- Non-Peak Pricing: $199, $209, $219, $229. $239, $249
- Peak Pricing: $259, $269, $279, $289, $299
- VIP Experience
- Non-Peak Pricing: $369, $379, $389, $399
- Peak Pricing: $419, $429, $439, $449, $459, $469, $479
You'll want to check directly on a ticket pricing calendar which is kept up-to-date daily by Universal Studios Hollywood to see the exact price of a ticket for when you plan to visit.
Where Can Universal Tickets Be Purchased?
There are three main places you can purchase Universal Studios Hollywood tickets from: online from Universal, at the front entrance of Universal, or an Authorized Ticket Seller.
We recommend purchasing your Universal Studios Hollywood tickets either online directly from Universal or from an Authorized Ticket Seller like us here at Theme Park Center!
If you purchase your tickets online from Universal Studios directly then you'll save a bit of money compared to the prices at the gate! The prices you see online could be marked up anywhere between $10-$30 more if you wait to purchase your tickets physically at Universal.
You can also sometimes save even more money by purchasing from an Authorized Ticket Seller like Costco, Sam's Club, Theme Park Center, and aRes Travel.
Authorized Ticket Sellers are permitted by Universal Studios to sell their tickets - usually at a discounted price. You'll find deals and special offers at Authorized Ticket Sellers that are different from what's available directly from Universal, so we always recommend shopping around.
We can't recommend under any circumstances purchasing Universal Studios Hollywood tickets from a business that is not an Authorized Ticket Seller or from individuals selling tickets on platforms like eBay or Facebook Marketplace.
It's nearly impossible to confirm if these tickets are legitimate and if you purchase a ticket that isn't valid Universal won't be able to help you get any of your money back - and yes, you'll have to pay full price for a new ticket!
Are Universal Studios Hollywood Tickets Refundable?
Universal Studios Hollywood tickets are extremely difficult to get refunded. There are very few rare circumstances in which Universal Studios will provide you with a full or partial refund of your ticket.
Universal evaluates all ticket refund requests on a case-by-case basis, but more than likely you shouldn't expect to get your tickets refunded though you may have some luck getting your ticket extended.
If you purchase a date-specific ticket and are unable to make it on your selected date Universal may be able to help transfer your ticket to another day so you can still use it.
Likely, you'll still be on the hook for any additional costs if the ticket needs to be transferred to a more expensive day.
Universal Studios Hollywood is open rain or shine, so there are no exceptions for bad weather.
With all of this in mind, we recommend only purchasing a ticket to Universal Studios Hollywood if you know you'll be able to use it!
Can I Buy Universal Tickets For Someone Else?
It's more than likely that you'll be attending Universal Studios Hollywood with friends or family members, and it's often easiest if one person buys tickets for everyone.
Universal has no issues with someone buying tickets on behalf of a large group or as a gift.
The only exception to this rule is you aren't allowed to resell your tickets. If your friends and family members are going to pay you back for the amount of money you spent buying tickets for them then there won't be any issues.
However, if you list your tickets on a place like eBay or Facebook Marketplace to sell a ticket to someone you don't know, then you'll likely run into some trouble. In the past, Universal has even gone as far as banning folks who have tried to resell tickets for a profit.
Annual Pass vs Standard Tickets
Depending on how often you plan to visit Universal Studios Hollywood, Annual Passes might be worth considering!
Annual Passes allow you to access Universal Studios Hollywood multiple times throughout the year on select dates. Certain passes even allow you unlimited admission to Universal for an entire year.
Annual Passes to Universal Studios are typically a good deal if you plan to visit the park more than twice. If you're a California resident there are often deals on annual passes that make them worth the investment even if you plan on visiting Universal Studios Hollywood once!
You'll also find other benefits to being an annual passholder including free or discounted parking, restaurant parking, complimentary express pass, and even private events and merchandise just for annual passholders!
Below are the types of annual passes currently being offered at Universal Studios Hollywood, along with each passes' perks and benefits:
Additional Universal Studios Hollywood Annual Pass benefits:
- Platinum Annual Pass: free Halloween Horror Nights ticket, free General Parking
- Gold Annual Pass: free General Parking
- Platinum, Gold, Silver, California Neighbor Passes: 10-15% discount at select CityWalk locations
How To Save Money On Universal Studios Hollywood Tickets!
There are only a handful of ways to save money on Universal Studios Hollywood tickets, but even though you're limited in options you can still save anywhere from $5 to $15 per person on tickets!
The three biggest ways to save money on tickets are going to be:
- Purchasing in advance, online directly from Universal Studios Hollywood
- Buying tickets from an Authorized Universal Ticket Seller
- Visiting during non-peak periods when Universal runs ticket deals
Tickets purchased online from Universal Studios Hollywood are going to be quite a bit cheaper than waiting to buy at the front gate of the park. We've seen tickets marked up as much as $20 when compared to the online prices!
You should also consider purchasing your tickets from an Authorized Universal Ticket Seller.
Authorized Ticket Sellers are approved by Universal Studios to sell tickets on their behalf. Authorized Ticket Sellers are often given ticket prices and special offers that you won't see directly from Universal. When Universal wants to deeply discount their ticket prices they often do so through their ticket selling partners.
Authorized Universal Studios Hollywood Ticket Sellers include big box retailers like Costco and Sam's Club as well as online retailers like aRes Travel and us here at Theme Park Center!
Lastly, you'll often see the cheapest prices and even special offers on tickets running during non-peak travel times. Non-peak travel times are typically mid-January through early March, most of May, and the end of September through October.
Not only will ticket prices be a bit cheaper, we often see deals like buy one day, get one free during these times of the year!
Where Is The Best Place To Buy Universal Tickets?
After learning just what type of ticket you want to purchase as well as how to save some money, you'll want to purchase your Universal Studios Hollywood tickets from the best place to suit your needs!
Below are our recommendations on the best places to purchase Universal Studios Hollywood tickets with some of the most common buying needs in mind,
Want To Purchase An Annual Pass?
If you decide on purchasing an annual pass over a standard ticket then you'll need to purchase directly from Universal Studios Hollywood. Unlike standard tickets, annual pass prices are the same whether you buy them in person or online.
Looking To Save The Most Money?
If you're looking to save the most money on your Universal Studios Hollywood tickets then you'll want to head to an Authorized Ticket Seller like Costco, Sam's Club, Theme Park Center, or aRes Travel.
Costco typically has the best prices and deals on tickets, but they aren't sold year-round, so you might have trouble getting your hands on their tickets. Sam's Club usually has better stock and their deals will be very close to what you'll find at Costco, if not the same.
Theme Park Center (us!) and aRes Travel always have tickets available to purchase online with deals competitive to Sam's Club and Costco, but not always as good!
Need To Pay With Cash?
If you need to pay with cash for your Universal Studios Hollywood tickets then purchasing directly at the park's front gates is going to be your best option. Just be aware you're going to end up paying more than if you use a credit or debit card to buy your tickets online.
You can also pay with cash at Costco or Sam's Club to save money.
Want The Most Simple Buying Process?
If you want to most simple buying process then we recommend buying your tickets online from Universal Studios Hollywood. Their online ticketing platform is straightforward to navigate!
LEARN MORE ABOUT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD!
Universal Studios Hollywood Costco Tickets Guide
How To Get Free Universal Studios Tickets
Is it Cheaper to Buy Universal Studios Tickets Online? | Explained