Spending hundreds of dollars to avoid theme park lines isn't realistic for every family visiting Universal Orlando Resort.
That's why a newer Express option at Epic Universe could completely change how some guests approach their day.
Universal Express Now has been operating for several months, offering individual Express access to select attractions instead of requiring guests to purchase one of Universal's broader Express products.
With traditional Express prices reaching several hundred dollars per person on certain dates, the newer system provides a dramatically cheaper entry point. Guests have recently seen individual Express Now selections priced around $20 to $25 per person.
There's just one complication: you can't assume the ride you want will be available.
Traditional Express Can Get Expensive Fast
Universal Express has traditionally offered two primary choices.
Regular Universal Express gives guests one-time Express access to participating attractions. Universal Express Unlimited allows repeated Express access at included attractions.
The convenience comes at a price.
Depending on the date and park, regular Express has been reported between roughly $119.99 and $359.99 per person per day. Express Unlimited has reached approximately $379.99 per person per day.
For one person, that's already substantial.
For a family, the numbers become much more intimidating. Four guests paying nearly $380 each would spend more than $1,500 on Express access alone.
Express Now gives those visitors another choice.
Pay for the Ride You Actually Want
Instead of buying Express access across a larger collection of participating attractions, Express Now allows guests to purchase one-time access for an individual ride through the Universal Orlando app.
Recent prices have generally fallen around $20 to $25 per person.
The difference is enormous.
Imagine visiting Epic Universe and finding reasonable standby waits across most of the park. Purchasing an expensive traditional Express product might feel unnecessary.
Then you reach the one attraction everyone in your group desperately wants to experience and discover a lengthy standby line.
Express Now gives you the ability to pay for that particular ride without purchasing Express access for everything else.
For budget-conscious guests, that's an attractive compromise.
The Ride Selection Can Suddenly Change
This is where Express Now becomes more complicated than it initially appears.
Not every attraction is necessarily available whenever you want it.
Express Now inventory can change during the day.
During a recent example, Yoshi's Adventure, Fyre Drill, and Hiccup's Wing Gliders appeared as available Express Now selections.
Then the app refreshed.
The available lineup changed, removing Yoshi's Adventure and adding Mine-Cart Madness.
Considering Mine-Cart Madness can experience some of Epic Universe's longer standby waits, that was a much more appealing option.
But it revealed something guests need to remember: Express Now availability isn't something you should check once.
Refreshing the App Could Save You Time
Guests interested in Express Now should periodically check the Universal Orlando app throughout their visit.
If the available attractions don't interest you, waiting and refreshing later could produce a different lineup.
However, that strategy carries some risk.
Seeing your must-do attraction available and deciding to wait could mean losing your chance to purchase Express access for it. There's no guarantee an attraction that disappears will return later.
That makes Express Now almost a real-time decision.
Guests have to consider the attraction, current standby wait, price, and how badly they want to ride before deciding whether to purchase.
It requires more thought than simply walking into the park with traditional Express already attached to your day.
Universal Is Changing the Express Equation
Express Now doesn't mean Universal has completely abandoned its traditional Express products.
Guests who want broader Express access can still find considerable value in those options, particularly during crowded periods or when they're trying to accomplish as much as possible in one day.
But Express Now provides an alternative to spending hundreds of dollars per person.
That could be particularly important at Epic Universe.
Instead of paying for line-skipping access across numerous attractions, visitors can use standby for much of the park and save their money for one or two rides with especially difficult waits.
The biggest challenge is knowing when to buy.
Wait too long and the attraction could disappear from Express Now. Buy too quickly and you might spend $25 skipping a line that wasn't particularly bad.
Universal has given guests more control over how much they're willing to spend to avoid lines.
Now visitors have to learn how to use that control.
