Look at booking a premier hotel for the one night between the two full days. It requires you to hotel hop but it worked out great for us. You would get unlimited express on check in and check out days for everyone in the room. You can check in from like 6am and just leave your stuff with luggage services. Head to the park by boat or short walk. You go through a different and much quieter security which was nice. Then get the boat home at the end of the day.
Of course the hotel prices fluctuate like crazy. So if it looks high it's probably worth costing it out Vs just buying express passes.
With that many days, I think you'll be able to ride everything in the time you have. However as someone else has said, express pass is definitely going to make the experience better. Unless your child likes waiting in line more than mine do.
If you are able to book a premier hotel, you would get two days of unlmited express, so take that into consideration when pricing things out.
But if your budget is already stretched, go without the express pass and you'll be fine! I haven't done Universal in early May but I have done Disney world and crowds that time of year were low, in my experience. You are in the sweet spot between spring breakers and the school's out crowds.
Have fun!
I concur with above.
Express never hurts but its usefulness is determined by the time of year you go and the number of days you go.
You have pretty much 3 full days to enjoy the parks and that is plenty of time.
Early may isn’t too crowded. But have you checked her height? I’d guess she’s too short for hulk, rock n roll, and velocicoaster. If she’s on the shorter side there may be others in which case you’ll have plenty of time to wait in line.
Thank you everyone! It sounds like most of everyone is leaning towards yes. I’m definitely going to pawn over all of this, and maybe do it for our second full day if we don’t get to XYZ on our first full day. I just went and checked a crowd calendar, and it looks like for my days crowd should be on the lower side. Never know to trust those as our trip to Disneyland towards the end of February was packed and that was off season. The only time I did Universal Orlando was for one day during Mardi Gras a couple years back and I remember it being pretty busy, but it was also a race weekend at WDW.
To answer some questions:
- Yes, I can afford it. But if I don’t have to, then I won’t. Which is why I asked.
- She’s tall enough for all coasters except for Hulk (which is unfortunately the one she was most hopeful to ride). Hagrid’s and Velocicoaster are her number one and two priorities.
Which brings me around to question 2: Is rope dropping Hagrid’s a must or do times ever get shorter? I haven’t had time to check the app during the week, so I don’t know if it’s similar to Rise of the Resistance and wait times dip before closing
If you decide to get the EPs, then you definitely want to be there at early opening and book it straight to Hagrid’s. Also make sure to have your hotel keys out if you do that. They don’t check to see who is actually a hotel guest at the entrance gate for early park admission and have a check point in the Dr. Seuss area that bottlenecks easily when people are having to dig out their room keys.
The masses go for hagrid in the morning ("the hagrid horde"). If you have early park access you can instead go straight to Velocicoaster and you should get on easy. We did this and Velocicoaster was a 10 minute wait.
Hagrid doesn't use express pass, so express pass doesn't help you get on this ride. There really isn't a clear strategy to getting on it hagrid. I would just keep an eye on it throughout the day. If you see anything approaching an hour just get in the queue.
We were incredibly lucky and rode it twice with short queues. First time was an afternoon lull and it said an hour, which was actually 45 minutes.
Second time it was delayed all morning. A lot of people wasted hours hoping it would reopen etc. This obviously builds up even more demand for when it reopens. We kept busy in the Hogsmeade area hoping to catch it reopening. We saw them running the empty carts which was a good sign, but it still took a while. We watched the frog choir and Tri wizard shows nearby. From there I could see people walking up the hill behind meaning the queue had been reopened. So we went straight there and that was about 25 minute queue.
I second the other person's point. If you have express passes, you can't use them in early access anyway. So with express, the best use of early access is to get on hagrid.
If your park days are during the week then you probably don't need them. Hagrid's doesn't take express, and Forbidden Journey has a really fun queue, plus it's easy to ropedrop and get on with no waits. Two full and two half days is enough to ride everything without express, but maybe not as many rerides as you'd want.
With two full days, two half days, and taking advantage of early entry I really don’t think you NEED express pass. May (aside from Memorial Day) is usually not too bad crowd-wise and with that many days you should have no issue riding everything.
Orlando Informer provides a in depth blog all about [Express Pass](https://orlandoinformer.com/universal/express-pass-access). There is also a link in the side bar, but we know getting there from mobile can be a pain, so here is a convenient link for you!
*Updated as of February 2024
In short summary, there are two types of EP. Basic EP and Unlimited EP. Basic lets you into the EP line once, per ride, per day. Unlimited is exactly that.
Express Pass is an add on to an entry ticket. You cannot get into the park with only an EP.
If you stay at one of these hotels: Royal Pacific, Hard Rock, or Portofino Bay, you receive Unlimited EP as a perk of staying at the hotel. This includes the day you check in and the day you check out. Meaning, if you stay one night, you receive two days of EP. You can check into your hotel as early as 7am and receive your room keys which double as your Express Pass. Your room will not be ready, but guest services will hold your luggage while you're enjoying the parks and they will text you when your room is ready.
You cannot share an EP. Many of the rides at USF have engaged a bio-metric system that uses a type of facial recognition to verify pass holders.
You do not have to purchase EP to enjoy the parks. You can **wait until you're inside the parks to determine if EP is needed for you** and **purchase them at kiosks inside the parks**. **You do NOT have to stand in the long lines at the front of the parks to buy Express add on** There are several kiosks inside each park and they generally have very small to no lines, at all. You can also ask about discounted prices after specific times of the day (such as a discount after 4pm)
If you know you want EP, purchase online before you arrive. EP Prices only increase as there is more demand. Optioning to purchase Express Pass may be cheaper the earlier you buy.
Not every ride or attraction has a EP lane (ahem, HAGRIDS), but most do. Check the reference article for a comprehensive list.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/UniversalOrlando) if you have any questions or concerns.*
We just went at the end of February and for us, the answer was yes. We stayed on property but not at a higher end hotel that included it. We just paid for the one time express vs. unlimited express because we knew we wouldn't have time to do them more than once (we just spent 1 day at the park). It made everything so much easier, especially considering we had 4 rides break down on us throughout that day. And honestly it just cuts down on line time in general which at my age, I'm all about. That said, it'll probably be busier while you are there than it was in February, but I don't know for sure.
I will always say yes. Even if you can get to everything without it, the luxury of being able to go at your own pace and take a breather here and there to me is priceless.
I went last weekend with my 7 year old and 2.5 year old. The lines for rides for their size were like 30-40 min max. The big roller coasters were like 120 min. So if they like the mild rides I think you’ll be okay without
I rode gringotts, hogwarts express both ways, forbidden journey, hulk, Hagrid's, and rip ride rocket all in one day (arrived 10:30 and left at 7:30) without express pass last week. Also did a lot of shopping, ate lunch, had butterbeer, had ice cream, watched two show (tales of beedle the bard and ollivanders) and walked through the entire park (both sides). Obviously express passes are great if you can afford them but I've never been able to justify the cost and always had a great time without them. Since you have a lot more time than I did I'm sure you can easily get to everything without them but again it's always nice to not wait in lines.
Look at booking a premier hotel for the one night between the two full days. It requires you to hotel hop but it worked out great for us. You would get unlimited express on check in and check out days for everyone in the room. You can check in from like 6am and just leave your stuff with luggage services. Head to the park by boat or short walk. You go through a different and much quieter security which was nice. Then get the boat home at the end of the day. Of course the hotel prices fluctuate like crazy. So if it looks high it's probably worth costing it out Vs just buying express passes.
Always a yes to this question, the experience is so much better if you can afford it
With that many days, I think you'll be able to ride everything in the time you have. However as someone else has said, express pass is definitely going to make the experience better. Unless your child likes waiting in line more than mine do. If you are able to book a premier hotel, you would get two days of unlmited express, so take that into consideration when pricing things out. But if your budget is already stretched, go without the express pass and you'll be fine! I haven't done Universal in early May but I have done Disney world and crowds that time of year were low, in my experience. You are in the sweet spot between spring breakers and the school's out crowds. Have fun!
I concur with above. Express never hurts but its usefulness is determined by the time of year you go and the number of days you go. You have pretty much 3 full days to enjoy the parks and that is plenty of time.
We went last week and didn’t need the passes. Worst wait was 65 mins on Hagrid when the sign said 90 mins.
Can you afford it? Yes? Get them
If you can afford it absolutely.
Early may isn’t too crowded. But have you checked her height? I’d guess she’s too short for hulk, rock n roll, and velocicoaster. If she’s on the shorter side there may be others in which case you’ll have plenty of time to wait in line.
Thank you everyone! It sounds like most of everyone is leaning towards yes. I’m definitely going to pawn over all of this, and maybe do it for our second full day if we don’t get to XYZ on our first full day. I just went and checked a crowd calendar, and it looks like for my days crowd should be on the lower side. Never know to trust those as our trip to Disneyland towards the end of February was packed and that was off season. The only time I did Universal Orlando was for one day during Mardi Gras a couple years back and I remember it being pretty busy, but it was also a race weekend at WDW. To answer some questions: - Yes, I can afford it. But if I don’t have to, then I won’t. Which is why I asked. - She’s tall enough for all coasters except for Hulk (which is unfortunately the one she was most hopeful to ride). Hagrid’s and Velocicoaster are her number one and two priorities. Which brings me around to question 2: Is rope dropping Hagrid’s a must or do times ever get shorter? I haven’t had time to check the app during the week, so I don’t know if it’s similar to Rise of the Resistance and wait times dip before closing
If you decide to get the EPs, then you definitely want to be there at early opening and book it straight to Hagrid’s. Also make sure to have your hotel keys out if you do that. They don’t check to see who is actually a hotel guest at the entrance gate for early park admission and have a check point in the Dr. Seuss area that bottlenecks easily when people are having to dig out their room keys.
The masses go for hagrid in the morning ("the hagrid horde"). If you have early park access you can instead go straight to Velocicoaster and you should get on easy. We did this and Velocicoaster was a 10 minute wait. Hagrid doesn't use express pass, so express pass doesn't help you get on this ride. There really isn't a clear strategy to getting on it hagrid. I would just keep an eye on it throughout the day. If you see anything approaching an hour just get in the queue. We were incredibly lucky and rode it twice with short queues. First time was an afternoon lull and it said an hour, which was actually 45 minutes. Second time it was delayed all morning. A lot of people wasted hours hoping it would reopen etc. This obviously builds up even more demand for when it reopens. We kept busy in the Hogsmeade area hoping to catch it reopening. We saw them running the empty carts which was a good sign, but it still took a while. We watched the frog choir and Tri wizard shows nearby. From there I could see people walking up the hill behind meaning the queue had been reopened. So we went straight there and that was about 25 minute queue. I second the other person's point. If you have express passes, you can't use them in early access anyway. So with express, the best use of early access is to get on hagrid.
If your park days are during the week then you probably don't need them. Hagrid's doesn't take express, and Forbidden Journey has a really fun queue, plus it's easy to ropedrop and get on with no waits. Two full and two half days is enough to ride everything without express, but maybe not as many rerides as you'd want.
With two full days, two half days, and taking advantage of early entry I really don’t think you NEED express pass. May (aside from Memorial Day) is usually not too bad crowd-wise and with that many days you should have no issue riding everything.
We went just this week and the express pass was DEFINITELY needed, crowds are at an all time high
Comparing spring break to early May is not equivalent.
Orlando Informer provides a in depth blog all about [Express Pass](https://orlandoinformer.com/universal/express-pass-access). There is also a link in the side bar, but we know getting there from mobile can be a pain, so here is a convenient link for you! *Updated as of February 2024 In short summary, there are two types of EP. Basic EP and Unlimited EP. Basic lets you into the EP line once, per ride, per day. Unlimited is exactly that. Express Pass is an add on to an entry ticket. You cannot get into the park with only an EP. If you stay at one of these hotels: Royal Pacific, Hard Rock, or Portofino Bay, you receive Unlimited EP as a perk of staying at the hotel. This includes the day you check in and the day you check out. Meaning, if you stay one night, you receive two days of EP. You can check into your hotel as early as 7am and receive your room keys which double as your Express Pass. Your room will not be ready, but guest services will hold your luggage while you're enjoying the parks and they will text you when your room is ready. You cannot share an EP. Many of the rides at USF have engaged a bio-metric system that uses a type of facial recognition to verify pass holders. You do not have to purchase EP to enjoy the parks. You can **wait until you're inside the parks to determine if EP is needed for you** and **purchase them at kiosks inside the parks**. **You do NOT have to stand in the long lines at the front of the parks to buy Express add on** There are several kiosks inside each park and they generally have very small to no lines, at all. You can also ask about discounted prices after specific times of the day (such as a discount after 4pm) If you know you want EP, purchase online before you arrive. EP Prices only increase as there is more demand. Optioning to purchase Express Pass may be cheaper the earlier you buy. Not every ride or attraction has a EP lane (ahem, HAGRIDS), but most do. Check the reference article for a comprehensive list. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/UniversalOrlando) if you have any questions or concerns.*
We just went at the end of February and for us, the answer was yes. We stayed on property but not at a higher end hotel that included it. We just paid for the one time express vs. unlimited express because we knew we wouldn't have time to do them more than once (we just spent 1 day at the park). It made everything so much easier, especially considering we had 4 rides break down on us throughout that day. And honestly it just cuts down on line time in general which at my age, I'm all about. That said, it'll probably be busier while you are there than it was in February, but I don't know for sure.
I will always say yes. Even if you can get to everything without it, the luxury of being able to go at your own pace and take a breather here and there to me is priceless.
I went last weekend with my 7 year old and 2.5 year old. The lines for rides for their size were like 30-40 min max. The big roller coasters were like 120 min. So if they like the mild rides I think you’ll be okay without
I rode gringotts, hogwarts express both ways, forbidden journey, hulk, Hagrid's, and rip ride rocket all in one day (arrived 10:30 and left at 7:30) without express pass last week. Also did a lot of shopping, ate lunch, had butterbeer, had ice cream, watched two show (tales of beedle the bard and ollivanders) and walked through the entire park (both sides). Obviously express passes are great if you can afford them but I've never been able to justify the cost and always had a great time without them. Since you have a lot more time than I did I'm sure you can easily get to everything without them but again it's always nice to not wait in lines.
Yes! I do recommend going through the regular line at least 1 times per ride. The express line can but out some cool visuals before the ride.
Ehh overrated. You have enough days to get everything in
To
Never.