Park reservations have been a big part of the theme park experience since they reopened amidst the pandemic. Although Universal Studios Florida moved away from requiring theme park reservations quickly, they are putting this system back into place in the coming years.
Park Reservations
When looking at the Premier Pass, the highest Annual Pass for Universal Orlando Resort, a change to the language was noticed regarding one significant feature.
The Premier Pass includes perks such as early daily park access, a Universal Express Pass after 4:00 p.m., discounts on food and merchandise, and a complimentary ticket to the extremely popular Halloween Horror Night.
This complimentary ticket to Halloween Horror Night has a change that could impact guests’ experience. Previously, passholders could use their complimentary ticket any night the event took place. According to the language on Universal’s site, this seems to be changing:
“One (1) free night admission to Halloween Horror Nights (on select nights only)^. Advance online reservations are required starting with the 2025 event. Reservation is subject to event capacity. One (1) reservation per valid Premier Annual Pass. To redeem, you must present your valid Premier Annual Pass at any Universal Studios Florida turnstile.”
Based on this language, it would seem that guests with a Premier Pass in 2025 will be asked to make a reservation for Halloween Horror Nights.
Halloween Horror Nights is one of the most popular events at Universal Studios, and many pirates hit capacity. Because of this, it makes sense that Universal Studios would ask guests to make a reservation to secure a spot at the event.
The system doesn’t look like it will be implemented for another year, so 2024 passholders don’t need to be concerned.
As the theme parks continue to try to manage crowds, we will be interested to see how park reservations will be used in the future.
Related: Universal Orlando Announces Closure For Extended Period