Universal Orlando Hotels With Express Pass
Did I ever think I would happily pay over $900 for a one night stay at a hotel? Heck no! That is what I am about to tell you right now though, as crazy as it sounds. My most recent, and insanely priced, hotel booking is one I would do again tomorrow and twice on Sunday. Even if I never laid my head on the likely undersized and woefully under stuffed pillow, it would be worth it. Why? Because my booking was one of the Universal Orlando hotels with Express Pass perks. That means that we will get to ride till my kids pass out from exhaustion because of this overpriced hotel reservation. The real kicker is that it is actually cheaper than just buying express passes directly with Universal. It doesn't make sense, I know, but it actually does the deeper I dig.
While Hotels In Orlando Come With Universal Orlando Express Passes?
Long ago Universal paired up with some Loews hotel properties to offer the best deal in the theme park business. They wanted to build some “on property” resorts where they could offer excellent perks to park goers who stayed there. Universal Orlando was smart enough to know that they are not in the hotel business, unlike Disney who tries and mostly fails, and brought in an industry expert in Loews. With this approach Loews owns and operates the hotels, but they are tied into Universal Orlando so that resort guests get those extra perks. They offer similar things that Disney does, like easy access to the parks and early entrance privileges, but Universal went a country mile further than that. Universal Orlando also offers guests at these three hotels a Universal Unlimited Express pass for the parks too!
I think they realized that this was much too valuable a perk after the initial hotels got rolling, and that is why newer ones do not get express pass as a part of their stay. To be fair, the other hotels charge a tiny fraction of what these hotels charge because of it. Here are the hotels that come with Universal Orlando Express Passes:
This deal can get even better with proper stacking too, but more on that in a bit.
What Kind Of Express Pass Do Universal Orlando Hotels Get?
Now that we know which hotels are eligible for this amazing perk, we should discuss which version of the Express Pass they actually get. There are two options for the Universal Orlando parks (not including the next level VIP access ticket):
- Universal Express
- Lets you skip the general line at most attractions once
- Universal Express Unlimited
- Lets you skip the general line at most attractions as many times as you want
The hotels come with the better Universal Express Unlimited pass. That means you can hop through the line as often as you want. The really cool part? The pass is your room key, so there is no need to carry anything extra in your pocket etc. I really loved the unlimited pass that came with our VIP experience at Universal Hollywood. It was the best later in the day, when most people had already used their once per ride standard Universal Express pass. That meant the Express lines got shorter and shorter as the day grew long.
The most unheralded (or unknown) part of getting the Universal Express Unlimited pass from your hotel stay is that it works on check in day, and check out day. That means you can get up to two days full of line cutting for the price of one. That is like a BOGO coupon right there if you play it right. You heard that right, they will give you your keycards to go have fun well before your room is ready too.
Comparing The Express Cost Versus The Hotel Rates
For our travel day, which was a nondescript midweek day, the cost of the hotel was basically the same cost as buying a Universal Express Unlimited pass for the four of us. The value will be a bit different depending on how many people are traveling with you. If you are by yourself, then this wouldn't be as smashing of a deal.
Above you can see the booking cost for the hotel. A one night stay at the astounding cash price of $928.13. I never thought I would be happily shelling out almost $1,000 for a one night hotel stay, but here we are. These rooms used to be around $400 a few years ago, which was a truly a jaw dropping deal.
Here is the cost for four of the Universal Express Unlimited passes for the same day we would be going to the park. The price is on the Undercover Tourist site, which I often use so I can wipe off the charge on my credit card. The prices are pretty much the same, but that is just for one day though. The value gets a whole lot better if you plan to go to the park for two days, since the hotel gives you access on the day of check in and check out. Plus, we get a hotel for a night that is right on property and gives us access an hour early. That is great and all, but we can stack these deal even higher!
Use Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts To Slash The Cost More
What if I told you there is a way to slash that $900 cost by several hundred more dollars? In walks the Amex Platinum card and the Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) benefit. I have this card right now because of the no lifetime language offer I was targeted for a few months back. One of the perks that helps offset the annual fee is the Amex FHR credit.
You can get up to a $200 credit on your Platinum card each calendar year if you book a Fine Hotels & Resorts hotel. Wouldn't you know it, some of the Universal Orlando hotels that include Universal Unlimited Express are in the program. It used to be all three, and I imagine at times there still are, but Portfino Bay was the only one listed for the date I needed. One is better than none, and beggars can't be choosers after all.
By booking through the Amex FHR program you get other on property perks too though. They include:
- 12 PM check in, when avaialable
- Room upgrade, but who cares since it won't be a suite
- Complimentary breakfast for two people – which is more like a $60 breakfast credit
- $100 property credit – hello pool umbrella drinks!
- 4PM late checkout – which means we can take a midday snooze before heading back to the park
- Free WiFi (which should be free anyway)
I don't give a ton of value to early check in or the better view “room upgrade”. The property credits are a different story though, and they should be really easy to use.
How Much Did Our Universal Express Unlimited Passes Actually Cost?
Let's break down the math for this, assuming I use a lot of these perks. If you remember, the alternative was to buy Universal Express Unlimited passes directly for $925.88. Let's see how much better I did overall.
- Hotel cost – $928.13
- -$200 Amex FHR Amex Platinum credit
- -$100 on property credit
- -$60 in breakfast credits
- Total cost = $568.13
That is a savings of over $350 versus just buying the express pass. I also get a “free” night at a hotel AND I could cut the lines at the park another day if I wanted to.
Universal Orlando Hotels With Express Pass: ToP Thoughts
As the cost of the Universal Express Unlimited pass has continued to rise every year, so has the cost for rooms at these properties. Sadly, the value proposition is not quite what it once was, but it is still a pretty nice win. That is before you throw in the potential savings of an Amex FHR booking, which lowers the cost several dollars more. This is the best way to visit the Universal Orlando theme parks if your goal was to maximize all it has to offer.
Let me know what you think about booking Universal Orlando hotels with Express Pass over in the ToP Facebook Group.
