“Wow, the tickets to Universal Orlando are so cheap!”
I can’t imagine anyone has ever said these words before.
Universal Orlando Resort is an incredible place to visit for many reasons. However, one thing that’s shocking is the price of tickets! Often, people get sticker shock looking at the costs and decide to spend less time in the parks or put off their trip altogether. Luckily, there are ways to save on tickets to Universal Orlando.
The first thing you need to know is that Universal Orlando is actually three parks in one: Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay. Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure are traditional theme parks, and Volcano Bay is a waterpark. Most people choose a park-to-park ticket, which allows you to move between the parks on the same day.
Below, you will learn 8 places you can purchase discounted Universal Studios Orlando tickets.
We will explore many options, including authorized resellers, along with some lesser-known strategies. I made sure only to include reputable options you can trust, so don’t expect me to recommend Craigslist or eBay to find tickets!
Lastly, before you begin, let me temper your expectations slightly. You are not going to receive massive discounts from any of the options below, such as 20% off or more, as these discounts simply don’t exist. But as you will see, saving a bit of money without putting in much extra effort is definitely possible.
Where to Buy Discounted Universal Orlando Tickets:
#1. Undercover Tourist
Click HERE to see how much your tickets with Undercover Tourist will cost.
A great place to buy cheaper Universal Orlando tickets is Undercover Tourist!
They are known for their incredible customer service along with a generous REFUND policy. Here is how it works:
- You can return your Universal Orlando tickets up to ONE YEAR after you buy them. This is a huge benefit, as even Universal doesn’t offer refunds if you purchase directly from them.
- And just so you know, Undercover Tourist refunds 95% of your purchase amount. The other 5% goes toward handling and processing fees.
Below, you will see my comparison of buying Universal Orlando tickets from Undercover Tourist versus if you got them directly from Universal. I used the following assumptions:
- 4-day, 3-park, park-to-park tickets between June 16-22.
- A family of four, including two children between the ages of 3-9.
For almost no extra effort, Undercover Tourist saves $168.10 for these tickets to Universal Orlando!
Undercover Tourist provides peace of mind with no hidden fees or additional taxes. I even made sure to get to the end of the checkout process to make sure the $1736.08 was the exact amount, and it was!
How can Undercover Tourist offer tickets for Universal Orlando at a reduced price?
Honestly, I thought these deals seemed too good to be true when I first found them. Often, I would get nervous and just pay full price on the Universal Website because of this!
To get more comfortable with discount sites (and hopefully help you as well), I learned how Undercover Tourist provides their savings. Their system actually makes perfect sense: they purchase theme park tickets in very large quantities, which gives them a discount. From there, Undercover Tourist resells them and passes those savings on to us! 🙂
One important point is that Universal Orlando tickets that are purchased from Undercover Tourist have all the same benefits as those bought directly through Universal. Once you buy the tickets, just log in to your Universal Account and enter the numbers off your tickets to make reservations, etc.
#2. OrlandoVacation.com
Click HERE to see how much your Universal tickets with Orlando Vacation will cost.
OrlandoVacation.com is owned and run by Affordable Travel of Orlando, a company that specializes in helping people plan their trips to Orlando.
It’s a great thing that they cater to Orlando-area activities, like Universal Studios, instead of trying to become experts at every theme park in every city. In addition, all of their representatives are located in the Orlando area, so they’re knowledgeable about local activities and have great information to share.
Even though the Universal tickets from OrlandoVacation.com were a bit more expensive than other discount sites, their local knowledge might make those extra dollars worth it! To find this price, I used the following assumptions:
- 4 Day, 3-park, park-to-park tickets between July 23 – August 2.
- A family of four, including two children between the ages of 3-9.
There are two negatives when purchasing Universal tickets through OrlandoVacation.com. Firstly, you can only purchase tickets for up to 6 months from the current date, instead of a year. This isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker, but it can make planning a bit more difficult. Secondly, there is no refund or return policy on tickets purchased through OrlandoVacation.com.
As with other options, Universal Orlando tickets that are purchased through OrlandoVacation.com have all the same benefits as those bought directly through Universal. Once you buy the tickets, just log in to your Universal Account and enter the numbers off your tickets to make reservations, etc.
#3. Get Away Today
Click HERE to see how much your Universal tickets with Get Away Today will cost.
Get Away Today is an Authorized Reseller for Universal Orlando, meaning you get extra peace of mind when buying these tickets!
As an authorized reseller, Get Away Today prides itself on its customer service. If you need to make a last-minute change or have additional questions, their travel experts are ready to help.
Trusting the place you buy your tickets is incredibly important, which is one big reason Get Away Today is highly recommended. They’ve been around for over 30 years and help thousands of people every year save money on admission to Universal Orlando.
The big question is, how much money can you save on Universal Studios tickets with Get Away Today?
Well, it depends on many factors, including the length of your stay, how many people are in your party, and the type of ticket you want to purchase.
As an example, I compared the prices of buying tickets to Universal Orlando Resort with Get Away Today and if you bought them directly from Universal. Here are the assumptions I used:
- 4-day, 3-park, park-to-park tickets between June 16-22.
- A family of four, including two children between the ages of 3-9.
As you can see, buying the tickets with Get Away Today instead of directly with Universal saves you $168.18!
One of the best things about Get Away Today is that taxes and fees are included in their price. So in the above example, $1736 is exactly what you would pay.
Finally, Universal tickets have the same benefits whether you purchase them from Universal or from Get Away Today. Once you buy the tickets, just log in to your Universal account and enter the numbers off your tickets to make reservations, etc.
#4. Buy discounted tickets directly from Universal Orlando
Although it can be cheaper to buy Universal tickets elsewhere, sometimes Universal’s website is the BEST place to find a deal!
Universal has a page titled “Ticket Deals & Specials.” There are always a few specials going on that might fit what you are looking for perfectly! For example, on the particular date of this writing, there were two offers:
- Get 3 Days Free with a 2-Park, 2-Day Ticket
-
Save 30% off a 3-Park, 5-night Vacation Package
Below is a screenshot of the specials from the Universal Orlando Resort Website.
If your dates are flexible, or the deal happens to fit what you need perfectly, these are great options! Just keep in mind there are usually date restrictions on the special deals Universal offers.
#5. Discounted tickets for members of the military!
As a thank you, Universal offers people that served in the United States military discounts and specials.
To see the current savings and specials, you will need to head to this page on Universal’s website. They have a variety of ticket, package, and accommodation options that can work with any budget or vacation plan!
To purchase these tickets, you need to head to your nearest US military sales outlet. The different locations are listed on this PDF.
#6. Purchase an ANNUAL Pass!
If you plan on visiting Universal Orlando multiple times over the next 365 days, purchasing an Annual Pass may make sense. In exchange for an annual fee, Passholders can visit the parks as often as they want throughout the year!
Without getting into complicated math, a Seasonal Pass (the cheapest option) typically pays for itself in four visits.Â
There are actually FOUR different annual pass options available from Universal Studios. Head to this site to learn the benefits of each and see how much they cost.
In addition to admission to the theme parks, here are a few other benefits of purchasing an Annual Pass:
- Free or discounted standard parking at the theme parks.
- Discounts on certain restaurants, activities, special events, and merchandise.
- Special rates on Universal Orlando Resort hotel rooms.
#7. Florida residents can save BIG on Universal tickets
If you live in Florida, make sure you look at the exclusive Florida Resident savings options!
Universal usually offers ticket and hotel discounts specifically for Florida residents. The only negative is there are some blackout dates.
For example, on the day this article was published, this was the ticket discount for Florida residents.
To qualify for these discounted Universal Orlando tickets, you will need to verify Florida residency. But to help save time, you can do this online before arriving at the parks.
Lastly, Florida residents also get big savings on Universal Annual Passes. They even offer some Passholder options that are only available to people that live in Florida. For example, at the time of this writing, Florida residents could get 3 months free on an annual pass! Check out this site for current Annual Pass deals.
#8. Government, Membership, or Corporate Discounts
Finally, you should check with your employer or any groups you might be associated with to see if they offer discounted Universal tickets.
Especially in the case of large corporations, there is usually a long list of businesses where employees get discounts. This can include cell phone plans, restaurants, and, yes, even theme parks!
Regarding memberships, two popular options include buying tickets with AAA or Sam’s Club.
To be honest, though, the discount tickets you can buy through Get Away Today, Undercover Tourist, or OrlandoVacation.com are usually comparable or better in price. So if you want to save time, I think it’s easier to buy your tickets through one of these options.
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As you shop for discounted tickets to Universal Studios Orlando, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Make sure you compare the prices of tickets in a few different places. You never know who will have the best rates for the days you plan on visiting.
- When you compare the prices of Universal Orlando tickets, it’s important that you use the EXACT same dates. This is because ticket prices vary by start date, depending on the time of the year and how busy the parks are expected to be.
- It’s also important to make sure you are selecting the same TYPE of ticket as you compare prices. For example, it’s very easy to select a single-park ticket in one place and then click on a park-to-park option elsewhere, which makes it impossible to know which tickets are cheaper!
- Children under the age of 3 are FREE, but make sure to think about the age your kids will be when you visit. Children between the ages of 3 to 9 qualify for a child ticket, while anyone 10 or older requires an adult ticket.
- If you are only visiting Universal Orlando for one day, don’t expect much of a discount. It’s hard to find much savings, and you’ll spend more time looking than it’s probably worth.
- Typically, the more days you plan to visit Universal Orlando, the bigger the discounts you can expect.
- It is almost always best to buy tickets as far in advance as possible. By doing this, you are locking in the current prices and avoiding future increases. Trust me, decreases in ticket prices are incredibly rare, so you shouldn’t wait around hoping for a better deal.
- It’s always going to be the most expensive to buy tickets at the gate on the day of your visit.
Where is your favorite place to buy discounted Universal Studios Orlando tickets?
Let us know what you think in the COMMENTS below!
