A common question people have is, “If I visit Universal Studios Hollywood several times, is an annual pass really worth it compared to purchasing individual tickets?”
Another common question people have is, “how does the Universal Studios Hollywood Annual Pass compare to the Disneyland Magic Key?”
We at MickeyVisit are huge fans of both the Universal and Disney theme parks. In fact, we’re such big fans that we’ve been annual passholders to both Southern California theme parks for several years. We’ve had plenty of time to test out the benefits of each pass and whether or not they are worth it – even with the increase in prices over the years.
So, is it worth it to purchase a Universal Studios Hollywood Annual Pass? Read on to find out, including a breakdown of prices, annual pass options, and benefits!
Benefits of having a Universal Studios Hollywood Annual Pass
All Universal Studios Hollywood annual passes come with shared benefits, with each individual pass having additional benefits depending on its specific tier.
Here is the list of benefits shared among all annual passes:
- Invitations to Special Events
- Discounts on General Admission for Friends and Family
- Sweepstakes Opportunities
- Discounted Halloween Horror Nights Tickets
- 10-15% Discounts at Participating CityWalk Locations
The major difference between the annual passes are their blackout dates and pricing.
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Types of Universal Studios Hollywood Annual Passes
Universal Studios Hollywood offers 4 types of annual passes to guests.
In general, the higher the Universal Studios Hollywood annual pass tier, the more perks you receive, such as fewer blackout dates and more weekend access.
Let’s go over each type of annual pass and their benefits.
California Neighbor Pass ($179 at gate, $169 online)
The cheapest annual pass of the 4 offered by Universal Studios Hollywood, the California Neighbor Pass is only offered to California Residents – as the name implies.
At about $179 at the gate and $169 online, the California Neighbor Pass allows you to visit Universal Studios Hollywood on about 150 days of its 9-month validity period. This equates to the California Neighbor Pass coming with the most number of blackout dates, or dates that you are not able to use your annual pass to enter the Universal Orlando theme parks. Click here for a list of blackout dates for 2024 and 2025. This also means that this pass has the most amount of weekend blackout dates.
No additional benefits other than what are common among all Universal Studios Hollywood annual passes are included with the California Neighbor Pass. Additionally, the FlexPay option is not currently available for this pass.
Silver Annual Pass ($239 at gate, $224 online)
The Silver Annual Pass is the next level above the California Neighbor Pass and features significantly less blackout dates.
At about $60 more than the California Neighbor Pass, the Silver Annual pass allows you to visit the theme park on about 275 days of its 12 month validity period. This equates to the Silver Annual Pass coming with the next highest number of blackout dates. Click here for a list of blackout dates for 2024 and 2025.
No additional benefits other than what are common among all Universal Studios Hollywood annual passes are included with the California Neighbor Pass. However, unlike the California Neighbor Pass, the FlexPay option is currently available for this pass.
All in all, the Silver Annual Pass is a significant step up in terms of amount of blackout dates.
Gold Annual Pass ($329 at gate, $309 online)
The next level up from the Silver Annual Pass is the Gold Annual Pass, which features even less blackout dates and slightly more perks compared to the Silver Annual Pass and California Neighbor Pass.
At about $90 more than the Silver Annual Pass, the Gold Annual Pass allows you to visit Unviersal Studios Hollywood on about 325 days of its 12 month validity period. This includes over 75 weekends that are available. Click here for a list of blackout dates for 2024 and 2025.
Unlike the Silver Annual Pass and California Neighbor Pass, the Gold Annual Pass has 2 additional perks. The Gold Annual pass gives you a 15% discount on in-park food, beverages, and merchandise. It also gives you free general parking as long as you enter the Universal CityWalk garage before 6pm. Additionally, the FlexPay option is also available for this pass.
All in all, the Gold Annual Pass is a significant step up in terms of benefits.
Platinum Annual Pass ($629 at gate, $579 online)
The highest annual pass is the Platinum Annual Pass which features the most benefits for guests.
At about $300 more than the Gold Annual Pass, the most significant feature for Platinum Annual Pass is that it has no blackout dates over its 12 month validity period. Similar to the Gold Annual Pass, the Platinum Annual Pass also features a 15% discount on in-park food, beverages, and merchandise, as well as free general parking as long as you enter the Universal CityWalk garage before 6pm. Additionally, the FlexPay option is available for this pass.
In addition to these benefits, the Platinum Annual Pass includes Universal Express access after 3pm to participating rides, attractions, and seated shows. It also includes one free Halloween Horror Nights ticket (select nights only; advance online reservation required).
While a big jump in price from the Gold Annual Pass, the lack of blackout dates makes this pass much more valuable.
Compared to Disneyland’s Magic Key Program, Universal Studios Hollywood Annual Pass Price Point is Much Lower
Identical to the 4 tiers of Universal Studios Hollywood annual passes, Disneyland Resort also offers 4 annual pass tiers in its Magic Key program.
Additionally, similar to the California Neighbor Pass in Universal Studios Hollywood, the most affordable Disneyland Resort annual pass tier, the Imagine Magic Key, is for California Residents, but with 1 major difference. The Imagine Magic Key is specifically for Southern California residents who reside in the ZIP codes 90000 to 93599. Finally, all Magic Key tiers include the benefit of 20% off the purchase of Disney Genie+ service on days when you use your pass for park admission.
Immediately, we can see how the price point for each tier of Magic Key is much higher than those of the Universal Studios Hollywood annual passes. However, each Magic Key also offers some sort of discount on theme park parking, dining, and in-park merchandise. These benefits are only seen on the higher tiers of Universal Studios annual passes.
Additionally, in contrast to 3 of the 4 Universal Studios annual passes that have a payment plan offering, all tiers of Disneyland Magic Key passes offer a payment plan. And, most importantly, each Disneyland Magic Key annual pass gives access to both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure – 2 parks with 1 pass. The Universal Studios annual pass only gives access to 1 park.
Let’s briefly go over each Magic Key tier and their benefits.
Imagine Key Pass ($499)
As mentioned earlier, the Imagine Key Pass is only available for Southern California Residents residing in ZIP codes 90000 to 93599.
The Imagine Key Pass includes 25% off standard theme park parking, up to 10% off select dining, and up to 10% off select merchandise. Finally, with the Imagine Key Pass, you are able to hold up to 2 park reservations at a time.
Make sure to check out our full breakdown of blackout dates for each tier of Magic Key passes.
Enchant Key Pass ($849)
The 2nd tier annual pass, the Enchant Key, has the 2nd most blockout dates of the 4 annual passes.
Additionally, the Enchant Key Pass includes 25% off standard theme park parking at the Toy Story Parking Area (excluding blockout dates), up to 10% off select dining, and up to 10% off select merchandise. Finally, with the Enchant Key Pass, you are able to hold up to 4 theme park reservations at a time.
Make sure to check out our full breakdown of blackout dates for each tier of Magic Key passes.
Believe Key Pass ($1,249)
The 3rd tier annual pass, the Believe Key, has the 2nd least blockout dates of the 4 annual passes.
Additionally, the Believe Key Pass includes 50% off standard theme park parking at the Mickey & Friends Parking Structure, Pixar Pals Parking Stucture, and Toy Story Parking Area (excluding blockout dates), unlimited Disney PhotoPass digital photo downloads, and up to 10% off select dining, up to 10% off select merchandise. Finally, with the Believe Key Pass, you are able to hold up to 6 theme park reservations at a time.
Make sure to check out our full breakdown of blackout dates for each tier of Magic Key passes.
Inspire Key Pass ($1,649)
The highest tier annual pass, the Inspire Key, has the least amount of blockout dates of the 4 annual passes.
Additionally, the Inspire Key Pass includes free standard theme park parking at the Mickey & Friends Parking Structure, Pixar Pals Parking Stucture, and Toy Story Parking Area (excluding blockout dates), unlimited Disney PhotoPass digital photo downloads, up to 15% off select dining, up to 20% off select merchandise. Finally, with the Believe Key Pass, you are able to hold up to 6 theme park reservations at a time.
Make sure to check out our full breakdown of blackout dates for each tier of Magic Key passes.
Is the Universal Studios Hollywood Annual Pass Right for Me?
Whether or not the Universal Studios Hollywood Annual Pass is worth it for you depends on 2 factors.
First, you must consider how often you plan to visit Universal Studios Hollywood. To break even on the California Neighbor Pass, you need to visit the theme park only once. This means that if you visit 2 or more times, you’ve made your pass worth your money.
On the other hand, to break even on the top-tier Platinum Annual Pass, you need to visit around 6 times. Even if you only visit the Universal Studios Hollywood 6 times with the Platinum Annual Pass, the 15% discount on food, beverages, and merchandise, free general parking, and free Universal Express access makes the top-tier pass worth your money.
Second, you must consider your overall budget when visiting Universal Studios Hollywood. Aside from the Platinum Annual Pass’ Halloween Horror Nights benefit, the Universal studios annual passes only grant you access to the theme park. They don’t include the price of food, beverage, or merchandise during your visit. For those from out of town, travel costs must be considered too.
However, if the price of the annual pass fits your budget and you plan on visiting Universal Studios Hollywood enough times to break even, the annual pass might just be right for you!
Plan Your Universal Studios Hollywood Vacation
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- Discount Universal Studios Hollywood Tickets
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- Universal Studios Hollywood Guide 2024
- Disneyland Planning Guide
- Universal CityWalk Hollywood Guide
Is Universal Year Pass worth it?
Whether or not the Universal Year Pass is worth it depends on 2 factors: how often you plan to visit Universal Studios Hollywood and what your overall budget is when visiting. If the price of the annual pass fits your budget and you plan on visiting Universal Studios Hollywood enough times to break even, the annual pass might just be right for you.
Is Universal California Pass worth it?
There are several benefits that make the Universal California Pass worth it, including access to the theme park and discounts at Universal CityWalk. Additionally, higher tiered annual passes include free general parking and discounts on in-park food and merchandise.
Is it worth it to buy Universal Express Pass Hollywood?
Especially since many rides and attractions tend to have long wait times, it is worth it to buy the Universal Express Pass at Universal Studios Hollywood. The Universal Express Pass allows you and your party to experience most if not all of the rides and attractions long before the park closes.
Does Universal Annual Passes get cheaper with renewal?
The Universal Annual Pass does get cheaper with renewal. In fact, if you renew or upgrade your annual pass within 60 days of your pass’ expiration date, you can save 15% off your total price as long as you pay in full.
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