28. Smart Strategies: 5 Ways to Save Money on Your Universal Orlando Vacation

Think waiting for a discount is the best way to save money at Universal Orlando? Think again. In this episode, Holli turns the key on the real strategies that keep more dollars in your pocket — without cutting corners on the fun.

From dynamic hotel pricing and why booking early really matters, to the difference between packages and stand-alone reservations, to the smartest ways to use Express Pass, Holli shares insider knowledge that most guests (and even some influencers) don’t explain.

Whether you’re planning for the holidays, spring break, or beyond, this episode will help you unlock the value in your Universal Orlando vacation.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why Universal’s dynamic pricing makes booking early the smartest strategy
• The advantages of booking a package vs. separate hotel + ticket reservations
• How longer stays stretch your ticket dollars further
• The flexibility of Universal add-ons vs. Disney’s “all-or-nothing” approach
• The best ways to save on Express Pass, including the ghost room trick and the 2025 multi-day Express test

Resources & Links:

• 🎧 Listen to Episode 18: Unlocking Express — Your Key to Shorter Lines at Universal Orlando for a full Express Pass deep-dive
• 🔑 Grab your free Express Pass Cheat Sheet ➡️HERE
  
  
• 📱 Follow along on Instagram: @unlocking_universal

🎇Grab ALL my freebies HERE🎇

🌟 As a senior travel consultant and trainer with The Magic For Less Travel, a top U-Preferred agency, I specialize in Universal Orlando vacations—When you're ready to go from dreaming to doing, I'm here for you. My services are free, my excitement is contagious, and your countdown to Epic could start faster than a VelociCoaster launch.

🎆Get a No-Obligation Quote HERE!

💌 Let’s Connect:

📧 Email me: holli@themagicforless.com

📲 Instagram @Unlocking_Universal

📺 YouTube @Unlocking_Universal

Let’s unlock your best Universal Orlando vacation together!

This podcast is fan-created and not affiliated with Universal Destinations & Experiences.

Transcript

You think you've got the secret to saving money on your next Orlando trip? Maybe you're waiting for a discount, hoping for that big promotion to drop. Convinced that holding out will save you big bucks. But here's the truth. That strategy can cost you more than you realize. Prices here move in real time.

They can change between morning and night and waiting. It rarely pays off. Today we're turning the key on some real ways to save money at Universal Orlando, no coupon clipping, no cutting corners on the fun. Just insider knowledge that can keep hundreds of dollars in your pocket while unlocking your best vacation yet 

 Welcome back to Unlocking Universal, your Key to all things Universal Orlando and beyond. Now here's your guide and unfair advantage Holli.

 Today we're talking about one of my favorite topics. 

No, not Horror Nights. We're gonna give that a break for now. Today we're unlocking how to actually [00:01:00] save money on your Universal Orlando vacation. This isn't about skipping churros or buying fewer souvenirs. This is about booking smart, knowing how Universal's pricing really works, and using that knowledge to your advantage.

By the end of this episode, you'll know the strategies that make the biggest difference in your budget and your experience.

Let's start with one of the biggest things most people don't realize, Universal. Orlando's hotels work on dynamic pricing. Now, Walt Disney World uses a version of this too. Their hotel rates are date based and they do shift. But I'd call Disney Dynamic Light. If dynamic pricing was beer, Universal would be drinking Guinness.

While Disney's knocking back Miller Light. Disney pricing tends to hold steady longer, and their price adjustments are slower and more predictable. Universal, on the other hand, or really Loews hotels, since they own and operate Universals resorts, they [00:02:00] play with a much more flexible system. Prices here can shift not only by day or season, but also by demand occupancy, even market conditions.

If a bunch of people start booking the same hotel, rates can jump within hours. I've even seen small changes tied to weather or just how far out people are booking. Here's a real example. I quoted a client earlier this week and less than 24 hours later when the family had made their choices and decided to lock it in. The room in their package

it had gone up about 25 bucks, and in the same family's case, they were also adding a room only reservation with an Annual Pass discount. That one went down about 20 bucks. Will that always be the case? No, but it shows just how fluid the system is.

 At the end of the day, it's about revenue optimization. 

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but neither Universal nor Disney drops prices out of the goodness of their hearts. Discounts happen to fulfill occupancy goals when they need to fill rooms [00:03:00] or sell tickets, as the case may be not as a gift to their guests. That's why waiting for promotion is so risky because it may never come, and meanwhile, the rate you saw two months ago has already gone up significantly.

So when you book early, you're not just getting peace of mind, you're locking in the lowest available rate. And if something does change later, we can always price check it to see if it's to your benefit and adjust accordingly. But in my experience, nine outta 10 times, guests who book early? Come out ahead.

Another place where I see visitors either overspend or box themselves into a corner is how they book. When you book a vacation package, which would be a hotel, and components like tickets together, you're choosing flexibility, those features inside a package can be modified if your plans change. And packages themselves, they're 100% refundable right up to 46 days prior to your arrival.

That's a big window and it gives us plenty of wiggle room if a new promotion comes out or something shifts in your schedule.

Now, if you [00:04:00] book a hotel in one reservation and get tickets separately, those tickets are non-refundable the minute you hit purchase. No flexibility there, no price checks later. You're basically locked in.

And here's something else most guests don't realize , Universal actually allows us to stack certain discounts, but the way we can do that is inside packages, not on separate standalone rooms or tickets. So while it might look like booking everything a la carte gives you more control, it usually does exactly the opposite.

A package keeps doors open, gives you more time to pay it down, and it doesn't cost you a penny more.

 Here's another insider tip. The longer you stay, the cheaper it gets on a per day basis. This is true at Universal, Disney, SeaWorld, Legoland even- you name it. Their sales models are designed to reward guests who stay on property longer. Because they want you in their bubble spending money on their food and their merchandise.

So what does this mean for you? It [00:05:00] means that the two day ticket will always cost you way more per day than say, a five day ticket. Sometimes that fourth or fifth day only adds a few dollars compared to the first couple of days. Universal often does this with their rooms too. And because they let us stack their discounts, you can often save big on both room and tickets when you combine them in a package.

 When we're considering length of stay, this is where folks sometimes run into trouble. Trying to split time between Universal and Disney in the same visit. It feels like you're getting the best of both worlds, but you are just paying more per day at both and ending up feeling rushed.

So if you wanna experience both resorts, and I totally recommend it, the better value is to do a complete Universal Orlando vacation at one point and a complete Walt Disney World vacation another time. That way you're stretching your precious vacation dollars further and giving yourself a better overall experience at both resorts instead of cutting both short.

If you'd like, I can [00:06:00] help you maximize both, by the way. Universal is my one true love, but I'm pretty close with Mickey and the gang.

Now let's talk about one of those spots where people can get lost in the weeds really fast. The add-ons and features that go into a Universal package. This is one of the biggest differences between a Universal and a Walt Disney World vacation, which is why it confuses folks. More visitors are just used to Disney packages, and that's okay.

At Disney, it's all or nothing. If you add a park hopper, everyone in the room has to have it. If you want a dining plan, but your friends don't, tough luck. There's no mixing and matching with my mouse friends. Everyone in the package is required to have the same components.

At Universal though, packages are way more flexible. You don't have to add the same features for every person. Want Universal Express Unlimited for just one day, you could do that. Wanna add one or all three of the Wizarding World breakfast experiences for just a couple of [00:07:00] people in your room? You can do that! Coming down for a week and bringing grandma, but she only wants to join you in the parks for a day or two.

Guess what? You can totally do that too. And that kind of flexibility can save you money, but it can also create uncertainty. It's like Uncle Ben says, with great power comes great responsibility.

Having those options means you need to know how to make them work in your favor because it's easy to end up overpaying. Or adding things you really don't need.

This is where working with a travel professional makes a difference. It's why I'm a travel professional actually, and I'm not even gonna apologize. I spend a lot of time running numbers and looking at the details of each package, each feature, Brian calls me the 'Queen of Scenarios', and I will wear that crown proudly.

But here's an example. In 2025, after Epic Universe opened, Universal released a Three Park Multi-day Express Pass. For many of my guests for the remainder of 2025, it has been [00:08:00] far more cost effective than paying for express other ways. But if you didn't know how to properly compare that with the other express options or the complimentary Universal Express unlimited that comes with the OG three hotels, you might have easily spent more for less coverage and tanked the value with it.

So my advice here is simple. Don't assume you have to cookie cutter your package the way you do with Disney. Universal gives you the flexibility and with the right guidance, you can use that to your advantage.

Alright. Let's tackle one of the coolest, but possibly most confusing and definitely one of the most expensive add-ons of a Universal Orlando vacation. Universal Express Passes. Did you know that at the time of this recording there are 13 different variations to the Universal Express Pass program. Yeah, you heard me right 13!

Express Passes Rock because they let you skip the regular lines on most attractions, even at Hagrid's Magical Creatures [00:09:00] Motorbike Adventure. 

And here's the thing, there are smart ways to buy it and there are ways to overspend really quickly. So let's do a little breakdown. First, the basics. You can either buy express as a standalone add-on , you have 12 choices, or you can get Universal Express Unlimited included as a perk for staying at one of the Universal's original three hotels, Royal Pacific Hard Rock Hotel, or Portofino Bay.

But let's not kid ourselves. It's included as a perk, but we're paying for it one way or another. And here's the really important detail a lot of people miss now that we have the amazing Epic Universe...

That Express Unlimited perk only applies to two parks, Universal Studios, and Islands of Adventure. It does not include Epic Universe or Volcano Bay.

And while you'll see a lot of speculation online, every bit of information we've gotten from Universal consistently tells us that this perk will not be extended to Epic for various reasons. Could Universal work a magical deal with [00:10:00] Loews again and surprise us someday? Of course. How amazing would that be?

However. I know for a fact that Universal is highly committed to preserving the guest experience at Epic Universe. They found that guests act differently at Epic. They go earlier, stay later, stay longer. That's why the 2025 ticket options have been so different, and also why we don't have all the ticket and Express options for 2026 yet.

So unless you heard a message from Future Holli at the beginning of this episode. Keep wishing, keep your fingers crossed, but I wouldn't plan on it.

Right now in 2025, Universal is testing something brand new. I mentioned it earlier. That's the Three Park Multi-day Express Pass. I told you for many of my guests, it has been a quantum leap.

Here's why. Normally, if you wanted the convenience of Express, a no-brainer option was to price out a stay at one of the OG three hotels that include the unlimited use version. That's again, Royal Pacific Hard Rock [00:11:00] and Portofino Bay. But with the Multi-day Express Pass, guests are able to choose any of the other resorts.

And add-on express across all three of the dry parks. Yes, including Epic Universe. Staying at an OG three, they'd have to add express for Epic individually.

Which, as we know, is the most expensive way to add it.

The way that Multi-Day express is priced, the more days you add, which runs from two to five, the deeper the discount. It goes without saying that the value compared to buying Express day by day was immense. However, the difference was also staggering when I compared packages for many families staying at Sapphire Falls, which is also a signature resort and my favorite.

Paired with a Multi-day Express Pass came out hundreds of dollars cheaper than staying at one of the OG three even before considering adding a Single Day Express for Epic.

And here's the thing about that. Apples to apples, the only thing you're giving up for that savings is the Unlimited part of the Universal Express Unlimited. The Multi-day Express [00:12:00] is one use per attraction per day. For a lot of my guests, the question became, is it really worth spending $800 more just so we can ride Hagrid's 53 times in one day?

For most people, the answer is no. The value was far better in staying at a non OG three hotel and adding the Multi-day Express. Turns out you can have your churro and eat it too. Let's collectively cross our fingers Universal blesses us with those beautiful Multi-day Express Passes in 2026.

 There's also a little bonus insider strategy I wanna share with you that we call the 'Ghost Room'. If you book just one night at one of those three premier hotels, my OG three that include Express as a perk. Your whole family gets two full days of Universal Express Unlimited. The day you check in and the day you check out.

Now I say check in and check out, but you don't even have to move your luggage or ever step foot in the room if you don't want to. You just pick up your key cards at the front desk and those become your Express [00:13:00] Passes. And yes, Universal is fine with this. It's not 'gaming the system'. Loews knows as long as they get paid for the room, they don't care if you sleep in it.

Depending on your family or group size, this strategy can save you massively compared to buying Express Unlimited a la carte.

The bottom line here is that Express Pass is not one size fits all. Sometimes the best value may be booking one of the OG three hotels. it could be the Multi-day Express product if it's offered, and sometimes it's using the Ghost Room strategy. There's a lot of nuance, and this is exactly where having a travel professional really makes a difference because we can run all those numbers and figure out which option saves you the most for your trip, serves your specific vacation goals best, thereby creating the most total value for you.

If you want a full breakdown of 2025 Universal Express options, go ahead and scroll back to episode 18 of Unlocking Universal. I devoted an entire episode to this exact topic. And while you're at it, grab my free [00:14:00] Express Pass Cheat Sheet guide from Unlocking Universal.com.

It's linked in the show notes.

Let's put a bow on this.

The number one way to save money at Universal Orlando is to book early. Dynamic pricing means those rates aren't sitting still, and waiting for a discount can actually bite you in the butt.

book a package instead of piecing things together if you can. That flexibility with modifications, stack discounts, and full refunds, it's worth its weight in gold. stay longer. Not only are you stretching your vacation dollars further, you are giving yourself a better overall experience instead of short-changing both resorts by trying to split your time.

use add-ons wisely. Universal doesn't force every member of your party into the same features, which means you can customize your package to match your family and save money in the process.

Last, but not least, be strategic with Express. Whether that's taking advantage of the OG three parks, using a [00:15:00] Ghost Room, or snagging those sweet, sweet Multi-day Express Passes. There's a smarter way to do it than buying Express day by day.

The big takeaway, saving money at Universal isn't about cutting the fun. It's about being intentional, booking smart, and knowing where the value really is.

If today's episode helped you unlock a smarter way and plan your vacation, share it with your park buddy. Until next time, save your dollars for the snacks that matter, and I'll catch you in line for a voodoo donut.

I do like a grape ape every now and then. See you soon. 

Thanks for hanging out with us. Now, get out here and go do something nice for someone.