Theme park adventures can quickly become expensive, especially when you add flights and hotels to the mix. But with a few savvy strategies, you can stretch your vacation budget and enjoy more days of fun each year.

Here are our favorite Universal Studios Orlando tips to help you save money on your next visit.

Universal Studios Orlando Tips

Grab This Free Harry Potter World Souvenir 

Even if you don’t purchase an interactive wand, you can request a map of the interactive wand locations from any of the stores where the wands are sold. They’ll give you one for free.

It’s a beautiful souvenir with wall decor aesthetic and one of my favorite Universal Studios Orlando tips. 

We bought frames, matted to 11×17″ and turned two of them into beautiful wall art. (One side of the map is Hogsmeade, the other Diagon Alley.

Review the Express Passes Price Calendar 

Checking the Express Pass Price Calendar is one of my favorite little known Universal Studios Orlando tips because it can help in a couple ways. 

First, even if you aren’t planning to purchase an Express Pass you can glean when the park is going to be less busy based on the lower cost Express Pass dates.  When purchasing your daily park passes, you’ll also noticed some demand-driven variation in the ticket price based on the first day of your visit.

The list price for the Express Pass may also help you decide if there’s a particular day having one will be most beneficial.  

You can always wait to purchase the Express Pass at the gate, but you run the risk of them being sold out.  

Note: Express Passes are not good on Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure, Pteranodon Flyers, Horror Make Up Show, or Ollivanders.

Use the App to Save Money 

You can browse food menus on the app before deciding where to head for your next refuel. The price of a burger or pizza varies based on where you eat it!

While we are talking about the app, you can save time by ordering for pickup! Pre-select your menu items and as soon as you’re in the vicinity of the restaurant, check in and they’ll start preparing it. 

There’s a ton of useful info in the app, so go ahead and start the download while you finish reading our Universal Studios Orlando tips.

Consider Pre-Owned Interactive Wands

Now, I know this won’t work for all kids, but hear me out. This is a huge money saver if you or your kids won’t feel they’ve missed out on selecting a specific wand inside the park. 

There are lots of Interactive Ollivander wands on Facebook Marketplace for $15-20.

We snagged ours for $15 (vs spending $60-75 in the park).  

One of our wands ended up not working (the tip had gotten scratched), but a quick transaction at Ollivander’s had us on our way with a brand new one (at no cost) in minutes. Since the wand we’d purchased was no longer sold, they pointed my son to a whole wall to choose from. 

I’m relieved we didn’t spend full price on a wand as my son got tired of doing the spells after about 20 minutes.

Drink at Starbucks

A shocking statement, I know, but inside Universal Orlando, Starbucks actually has some of the most affordable beverage prices in the park! The menu prices are comparable to any other Starbucks location. 

Coca-Cola Freestyle Cups

If you’re a soda drinker, you may find good value with the $18.99 all day drink cup.  The plastic souvenir cup can be filled at any of the Freestyle machines throughout the park. You can use it on additional days for about $12 per day.

You save a little money per cup if you’re buying multiple cups. However, I’ve seen some families purchase a single cup and divvy out the beverage into smaller cups. 

Refillable Popcorn Bucket 

The next topic on our list of Universal Studios Orlando tips is about the cheapest snacks in the park.

One of the best ways to stretch your snack budget is with the Refillable Popcorn Bucket. The Bucket costs $12.29 for the first purchase.  Then only $2.19 for each refill. 

Bring disposable plastic cups or baggies if you need to divide up the snack amongst your party. (A single popcorn is $5-7 dollars.)

Use the Freestyle Machines for Water 

You don’t need to have the Freestyle cup to use the Freestyle Machines for water. So don’t waste money on bottled water in the park and simply bring your own refillable water bottle! 

I usually pack a few Liquid IV packets to add to my water and keep hydrated.

Purchase Souvenirs/Themed Merchandise Beforehand 

My kids are young and shopping is not “part of the experience” for us. So, I did the shopping ahead of time on Amazon/eBay and found products for half of the price they ended up being in the park.

For example, I bought a Marauder’s Map, a golden snitch keychain, Harry Potter Pins, and plenty of Harry Potter Candy.  

A chocolate frog inside the park will run you between $14-$30.  I found them at Party City and Five Below for between $4-5.  You just don’t get the fancy purple box.  I also picked up Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans and Gummy Slugs to pack for the park.

Locker Hack 

The free lockers that are provided outside the thrill rides will only fit a small backpack. (14 in x 5.5 in x 16.9 in)  Larger lockers are available, but for a fee.  

To open a free ride locker, the display instructs you to scan your park ticket. 

The hack is that you can actually use any barcode (i.e. the QR on the back of a photo card) to open and utilize the space of a second locker. Typically though, families will have enough park ticket barcodes to divide items amongst several lockers.

Setting Kids’ Budgets 

There are a few creative ways to set expectations with kids on their pocket money for souvenirs and treats inside the park. 

Our priority was to explore Harry Potter World, so I exchanged muggle money for wizard money and that amount became their fun money. 

Another family favorite works best if you’re road tripping to Orlando and it requires that you pack A LOT of $1 bills.  Kids earn dollars along the way for beating challenges. “First one in the car gets a dollar!,” “No whining for 1 hour gets a dollar!,” “If your seatbelt is on in one minute you get $1!”

Pack a Dry Bag / Waterproof Phone Case

One of the most important Universal Studios Orlando tips for summer visits is to be prepared for water fun!

Whereas the thrill rides require bags to be stored in a locker, the water rides allow bags to be carried with you and therefore the lockers in the area are NOT free. ($5 per hour for a small locker.)

To skip this expense and keep your pack from getting soaked, bring a dry bag. 

Also consider a waterproof phone case to wear on water rides.

Prepare for Rain or Shine

Ponchos and Sunscreen are sold at a premium in the park. Surprise surprise. So, carrying these items in with you can save you a ton of money. 

Ponchos are also useful for the water rides. 

We like to pack rash guards for the whole family too, for UV protection and quick dry features.

It was over 90 degrees during our most recent visit and we saw many people carrying umbrellas with them for shade in the long, sunny lines. I’d consider this for next time.

Avoid this Footwear Failure

If you plan to partake in the water rides on a given day, consider quick drying footwear like Oofos sandals or Crocs. 

You won’t want to be stuck in soggy sneakers all day long and staff REQUIRES that you keep your shoes on during water rides.

This is more of a comfort hack than a money saving hack – unless of course you’re forced to buy $30 flip flops from a merch stall because you’re miserable in your damp socks.

BYO Stroller 

Strollers can be handy not only to give little legs a rest and some shade, but also as a place to stow your stuff. There’s a ton of stroller parking available outside rides and restaurants. 

Bring your own stroller to save $15 (single) to $25 (double) per day on a Stroller Rental at the park.

Skip the Location Specific Postcard

Universal Studios and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter only sell postcards by the 10 pack ($14)! 

Consider bringing your own letter or cards to mail from the Owl Post inside Hogsmeade. You can plaster it in cool stamps to add a special look. We opted to get a generic Florida postcard (purchased outside Universal) to send home. 

Carry In Food / Snacks

We carried in Gatorades without issue every day and plenty of snacks so that we only purchased one meal in the park per day. 

You can find their official carry in policies, here.

Grocery Delivery 

If you don’t have a rental car or are staying near a grocery store, try Instacart.

It’s fast, efficient and other than adding a tip for the driver, it doesn’t result in excess expense for the convenience.

Stay On Property 

Yes, you’ll pay a little bit more per night to stay at a Universal Property, but it may end up being more affordable in the end if you consider a few expenses it will cut out. 

You may not need a rental car or countless ride-share rides as Universal Resorts provide shuttles all day to and from the theme park (as late as 1am) departing every 10 minutes or so. 

The chance to enter the park one hour before official opening may give you the chance to get on the A-List rides that you’d otherwise want to invest in an Express Pass for.

We stay at Endless Summer – Surfside Resort for $99 per night plus fees. On our most recent trip, our total for three nights was $383.85. (Standard, 2 queen bedroom)

Staying nearby worked really well for luggage storage on our first and last day so we could squeeze in as much park time as possible between our flights.

If you want to spend a bit more for convenience, the Hard Rock Resort is closest to the park.

Compare Uber vs. Lyft 

Check both ride-share apps to compare pricing when you need to get around. I also noticed that sometimes when I close the Uber app without requesting a ride, I’ll get a 10% off discount a few minutes later.

An Uber/Lyft to and from the Airport to the Universal Properties is between $18-$30 depending on time of day. (Try to avoid rush hour from 4:45pm-6pm if possible.) 

Choose the Optimal Ticket Type 

The number of ticket options for Universal Orlando is overwhelming at first. We suggest browsing the attractions within each park and deciding which are MUST DOs and which are WOULD LIKE TOs and then estimate how many days it’d take to see them. 

The second decision to make is whether you want to enter more than one park on any given day. This would require a park-to-park type of ticket. 

The main reason we purchased the park-to-park ticket is that we knew we wanted to ride the Hogwarts Express between the two parks. 

Watch for special pricing, like Buy 3 Days, Get 2 Free!  Those extra 2 days can really help make your stay feel more relaxed and less structured. It allowed me to follow my kids’ lead instead of being on a mission to be as efficient as possible with our visit. 

Finding Ticket Discounts

The best place to find discounted tickets for Universal Orlando is Undercover Tourist. I received my digital tickets within minutes of booking. 

Closing Thoughts on Universal Studios Orlando Tips to Save Money

These Universal Studios Orlando tips are sure to enhance your theme park experience while keeping your wallet happy. Our family saved an average of $50 per day using these Universal Studios Orlando tips.

These tips also apply to Islands of Adventure which is the sister park to Universal Studios and requires a separate entry ticket.

Enjoy your adventure!

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