Universal Hollywood unveils demand-based pricing
Save a few bucks by visiting on less-busy days.
- The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opens April 7 at Universal Studios Hollywood
- Wizarding World is a replica of the land that opened in summer 2010 at Universal Resort Orlando
If you’re planning a trip to Universal Studios Hollywood this year, you can save money if you’re willing to visit on less-crowded days.
A new advance-purchase plan was unveiled Tuesday, two months before the grand opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which is expected to draw some of the largest crowds the Southern California park has ever seen.
What does it mean? If you want to go at peak times - when everyone else wants to go - its going to cost you.
Under the plan, an adult ticket purchased at the gate costs $95. That's also the price if you buy tickets online that can be used any day.
Your first option to save a few bucks comes with the advance online purchase option for a ticket that's good only for a specific date during peak season, which runs mid-June through early September. Under that option you'll pay $90, a savings of $5. Those willing to put off their visit to a mid-week in September, after peak season ends, will pay $75, a savings of $15-$20 off peak admission.
The new ticketing plan, dubbed EZ Rez, also includes early admission once Wizarding World opens on April 7. Guests who buy date-specific tickets in advance may enter the new land an hour before the park opens.
April 7 also is the first date the park will charge its online peak price of $90.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter replicates the attraction that opened nearly five years ago at Universal Resort Orlando in Florida. Universal Studios Hollywood has rarely had to wrestle with overwhelming crowds, but Wizarding World may change that.
When the Florida attraction opened, guests camped overnight to be among the first inside. Long lines continue to be the norm during summer, even as the Florida resort expanded Wizarding World in 2014.
Wizarding World will include two thrill rides that also are in Orlando: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, where riders soar in and around Hogwarts, and Flight of the Hippogriff, a roller coaster. Visitors also will find food, drink and shops pulled from the pages of J.K. Rowling’s best-selling series.
Universal is the first large amusement park to charge daily admission prices based on expected demand. Disneyland recently offered a more expensive annual pass that includes the popular winter holidays.
Disneyland blogs are littered with rumors that the park is considering similar demand pricing, though daily admission remains $99 regardless of the date. That may change when Star Wars Land opens in mid- to late 2017, likely bringing crowds so large that not even the Force can control them.
Airlines and hotels long have based pricing on demand, but it’s a new concept for theme parks. As parks expand and visitation increases, variable pricing may become common because pricing is among the easier ways to manage crowd size.
With Universal and Disneyland competing for visitors, this is not the first time Universal has separated itself from its rival based on price.
For years, Universal has offered a front-of-the-line option for an additional charge. Those tickets also are priced according to demand under the new plan, ranging from $149 to $239. The most common price is $199, available June through September. Prices have not been announced for October and beyond.
Disneyland does not offer front-of-the-line options, save for a handful of guided tours. The park instead uses the FastPass system in which guests are allowed a certain number of ride tickets to bypass the standby lines.
Universal Studios Hollywood
What: Southern California theme park that includes such attractions as The Simpsons — the Ride, Fast and Furious — Supercharged and Transformers The Ride — 3D. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opens April 7.
When: Open daily. Hours vary based on season.
Admission: $95 at the gate or online for a ticket good on any date. $75-$90 based on demand for specific dates.
Details: universalstudioshollywood.com.
Universal Orlando looks back 25 years, more innovation ahead