Universal Orlando Resort has been known as an altogether less complicated experience than that of Disney World, but is that about to change?
Universal’s Epic Universe is slated to open in 2025 and while we are incredibly excited about the future of the park thanks to all the teases and information coming out about Universal’s newest theme park, we aren’t without worry. In fact, Epic Universe’s existence could cause some ticket complications.
When Epic Universe opens next year, the entire Universal Orlando dynamic will dramatically change. The resort will then feature THREE major theme parks (Epic Universe, Universal Studios Florida, and Universal’s Islands of Adventure) in addition to a fan-favorite water park (Volcano Bay). Not only will there be way more to do and see, but the ticket situation is likely to get more complicated, especially for Annual Passholders.
When the initial Epic Universe ticket rollout plan was revealed, we mostly learned about third-party sellers and what those restrictions would look like.
People who buy tickets from Universal’s sales partners must buy a “multi-day Orlando ticket package with a three-day minimum” and park-hopping is not allowed.
That park-hopping bit is a major tidbit, especially when it comes to Annual Passholders. Will they be restricted on that front as well? It’s certainly possible.
When tickets launch, there will be no option to purchase a stand-alone, single-day ticket to Epic Universe from third-party providers, which could ultimately extend to direct sales from Universal.
Universal Orlando has indicated that Epic Universe will be rolled out in a phased approach, but that means ticket options will be limited when the park first opens. The resort has also alluded to more options becoming available to passholders in the future, but the short-term could wind up being a complicated mess.
When Epic Universe opens, it will have severe demand. Dennis Spiegel, CEO of International Theme Park Services, said Epic Universe is “going to be slammed. Universal needs to control the spigot, especially early on. I was at Universal when the Wizarding World Harry Potter opened and once you got through the lines, you still had to wait for another six hours to get into Harry Potter. We don’t want that again.”
Attendance limitations will likely spread out to Annual Passholders as well in an effort to control crowds. So that all-inclusive pass you have might not be totally all-inclusive or non-restrictive next year. If tourists are forced to limit their Epic Universe visit to only one day, that could bode poorly for passholders and what might be their new restrictions.
All in all, what happens next with Epic Universe tickets and Annual Passes is purely speculative. The trends suggest that passholders will have to make some sacrifices during the infancy of Epic Universe, but we also hope that any restrictions are temporary and that it will be business as usual once the crowd levels and demand become more manageable.
We’ll keep you in the loop regarding Epic Universe and Universal Orlando developments, so stay tuned right here at AllEars for the latest updates.
It Might Be a LOT Harder Than We Thought To Visit Epic Universe When It Opens
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Are you worried about Universal tickets and passes once Epic Universe opens? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
They will probably have some early access opportunities for APs, but the current passes do not include Epic and it is highly likely they’ll include Epic during the first year
I am not concerned with what Universal does. They will do right by their pass holders they always do. Not sure why everyone is in an uproar when we don’t really know anything at this point.