If you’ve been to Universal Orlando recently, you may have noticed a new Express option inside the Universal Orlando app. Universal Express Now gives guests the option to purchase Express access for one specific attraction instead of paying for a full-day Universal Express Pass.
Universal officially rolled out Express Now earlier this year, and while it hasn’t gotten nearly as much attention as the traditional Express Pass, I actually think it could be one of the more useful options Universal has introduced, especially for people who visit often and don’t necessarily need Express for an entire day.
If the idea sounds familiar, that’s because Disney introduced a very similar concept several years ago. When Genie+ and Lightning Lane launched in 2021, Disney also introduced Individual Lightning Lane, which allowed guests to pay separately for access to some of the most popular attractions. That option was later renamed Lightning Lane Single Pass in 2024.
So, in a way, Universal is taking a page out of Disney’s book. The idea is pretty simple: instead of buying a larger line-skipping package, you pay for the one ride you really don’t want to wait for.
And I’ll admit, I wasn’t a huge fan of this concept when Disney first introduced it. You already paid hundreds of dollars to get into the park, and now you’re paying again because one of the most popular rides has a massive wait. It can definitely feel like nickel-and-diming.
At the same time, I understand why people use it. If you only have one day in the park and your must-do attraction has a two-hour wait, paying a little extra suddenly starts sounding a lot more reasonable.
The biggest difference between Disney and Universal is how much planning is involved. At Walt Disney World, Lightning Lane Single Pass can be purchased before your park day, with Disney Resort guests getting an earlier booking window than other visitors. Universal Express Now is much more spontaneous. You have to actually be inside the park, open the Universal Orlando app and see what is available at that moment.
Personally, I think I prefer Universal’s approach.
One of my biggest complaints with Disney is how much planning can go into simply riding attractions. Between dining reservations, Lightning Lane selections, return times and park plans, sometimes it feels like you need a spreadsheet before you even leave for vacation.
Universal Express Now feels much simpler. You see a ride with a ridiculous wait, check the app and decide whether paying extra is worth it. That’s it.
I just hope Universal keeps it that simple, because one of the things I’ve always preferred about Universal is that it doesn’t require nearly as much advance planning as Disney. I like having the option to pay for one ride. I don’t want Universal to eventually become another system where you feel like you have to spend half your park day looking at your phone just to experience the attractions.
How Universal Express Now Works
Universal Express Now is essentially an à la carte version of the traditional Universal Express Pass.
Instead of purchasing Express for the entire day, you choose one participating attraction, pay for that attraction individually and receive a specific return window. When your return time arrives, you enter through the Universal Express queue rather than the regular standby line.
That doesn’t necessarily mean you walk directly onto the ride. Express queues can still have a wait, but they are typically much shorter than standby.
There are also a few limitations. Universal Express Now can only be purchased while you are physically inside the park, and everything is handled through the Universal Orlando Resort app. Availability also changes throughout the day based on attraction capacity and demand, so you shouldn’t go into the parks assuming every attraction will be available.
Express Now can currently be offered at Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Epic Universe, but participating attractions can vary.
How Much Does It Cost?
Pricing varies by attraction and demand, with reported prices generally landing around $20 to $30 or more per person, per ride.
That may sound expensive for one attraction, but it really depends on the situation.
If you’re at Islands of Adventure and almost every wait is manageable except for one attraction sitting at 90 minutes, spending around $25 could make more sense than paying well over $100 per person for a full Express Pass.
For one person or a couple, I can definitely see the appeal. For a family of four, though, that same $25 ride becomes a $100 decision pretty quickly.
That’s why I think Express Now is something you have to evaluate in the moment rather than automatically purchase.
Would I Pay $25 to Skip One Line?
For me, it completely depends on the wait.
If a ride has a 30-minute standby time, absolutely not. I’d rather save the money, enjoy the queue and grab a snack afterward.
But if I’m visiting for one day, the park is packed and something I really want to ride has a 90-minute or two-hour wait, then I’d definitely consider it.
I could especially see Express Now being useful toward the end of the day. Maybe you’ve done almost everything you wanted, there’s one attraction left and you don’t want to spend the final hour of your park day standing in line. Paying for that one ride suddenly makes a lot more sense.
That’s really where I think this option works best. It isn’t something I would build my entire park day around. I’d treat it as a backup plan.
The Biggest Catch
Of course, the attractions you want Express Now for the most may also be the attractions least likely to have availability.
Universal releases Express Now based on attraction capacity and Express availability, which means the most popular rides aren’t guaranteed to appear.
So while the concept sounds great in theory, you shouldn’t walk into Epic Universe expecting to open the app, pay $25 and bypass every huge line you see. Availability can appear sporadically throughout the day, and participating attractions can change.
That unpredictability is probably the biggest downside.
Who Express Now Makes the Most Sense For
I think Express Now is best for people who generally don’t need a full Express Pass.
Maybe you’re visiting during a slower time of year and most waits are reasonable, but one attraction suddenly jumps to 80 minutes. Maybe you only have a few hours in the park. Maybe you’ve already ridden everything else and there’s only one major attraction left on your list.
Or maybe you just refuse to stand in a two-hour line.
In those situations, spending $20 to $30 on one ride could be a lot easier to justify than purchasing Express for the entire day.
My Take
Overall, I actually like the addition.
Would I use Universal Express Now for every ride? Definitely not. But would I pay $25 to save myself an hour or more in line for something I really wanted to ride? Probably.
Traditional Universal Express has gotten expensive, and for frequent visitors especially, it can be hard to justify paying for a full-day pass when you may only need it once or twice.
Express Now gives guests another option without replacing anything that already exists. You can still wait in standby, purchase a traditional Express Pass or stay at an eligible Universal hotel that includes Express Unlimited at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.
Now you can also pay for the one ride that is completely throwing off your park day.
And I’m all for having the choice.
The bigger question is whether Universal keeps Express Now as a simple, optional convenience or whether this is the beginning of Universal slowly moving closer to Disney’s pay-per-ride model.
For now, I think it strikes a pretty good balance.
Would you pay $20 to $30 to skip one really long Universal line, or are you sticking with standby?
| Hot Mess Express |
Leave a Reply