I Spent $489 to Save Over 350 Minutes in Ride Lines at Epic Universe

In terms of theme parks, Epic Universe is still brand-spankin’-new…and it SHOWS.

Most of the time, the newest Universal Orlando park stays packed, even in the “off-season.” Because of this, you might find yourself waiting in many long lines to hit up the park’s various rides. The typical way to skip those waits is to purchase Express Pass…but recently, we decided to try the luxury route!

Our very own Fry Bucket recently made a trip to Epic Universe, and she did it up the fancy way…with a VIP Tour! On the day she visited, the tour cost $489 per person, but you also need to purchase your park admission. That meant that she spent $707.15 (including tax) to get the full experience. Was it worth it?

Well, first of all, she got to skip more than 350 minutes of ride waits throughout the day. And yes, it was BETTER than using Express Pass. Why? Because for some of the rides, you don’t use the Express Lane — you get taken directly to the ride exit or loading area to board. Even faster.

Also, she got the chance to ride Dragon Racer’s Rally, which isn’t included with Universal Express Pass. The only way to skip the line for that attraction is to do a VIP Tour.

In total, our group accomplished nine rides during the tour, which ran from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM. Fry was in a group of 12 people, but you can also spend more to pay for a private VIP Tour if you’ve got the budget. Essentially, you hit the ground running when your tour begins to accomplish everything.

Along the way, your tour guide will share fun facts about the park and behind-the-scenes info, so that’s a great bonus if you’re a theme park nerd like we are here at AllEars. Because you’re going through ride exits and skipping parts of the queue, it feels really special.

The line-skipping on the day that Fry Bucket visited included passing over an hour-long wait for Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, as well as 90-minute waits for both Mine-Cart Madness and Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry. That’s HUGE.

Once the tour is complete, your VIP lanyards allow you access to the Express Lanes for the rest of the day. You’ll get access to Express for each ride one time. This means that if you’re done mid-afternoon like we were, you’ll have time to go back and explore at your own pace. Fry was able to complete twelve more rides herself.

Also, with this VIP Tour, she had time throughout the day to eat a mac & cheese cone in Berk, drink Butterbeer, eat dinner in the Wizarding World, and watch the Celestial Park light show. She said at the end of the day, she definitely felt like she got her money’s worth. But…is it the right way to do the park for your group?

First of all, this probably isn’t for you if your group is on a tight budget. You could do Express Pass for cheaper, or opt to wait in standby and single rider queues throughout the day. In addition, we might not recommend this tour for your very first time in the park, unless your priority is rides.

If you want to slow down and soak in the atmosphere or spend time with just your family and friends during your day, this might not be your vibe. Doing the tour with strangers can be weird for some folks, and rushing through the park to get to each ride might be a bizarre first experience. However, if you don’t mind either of those things, this would be a great first-visit activity to get as much accomplished as possible.

We really appreciated the chance to enjoy the park without having to wait in a bunch of lines, and it was definitely a luxury experience. Shout out to Fry’s tour guide, Kavan, for a great VIP day!