Disney World and Universal Trip Cost (With Epic Universe)
By Julie Elster
Last reviewed: October 2026
For a family of four, Universal tickets that include Epic Universe start at $530 for one day, $996 for two days and $1,188 for three, plus tax. Those are Universal's lowest prices, on select dates only. On a sample November night, the cheapest Universal hotel was $175 with tax. Here is each cost, from Universal's own prices.
So you're planning Disney World and you want to add a day or two at Universal. Maybe it's Epic Universe. Maybe it's Harry Potter.
The question is what it adds to the bill.
Here I'll walk you through each piece: tickets, Epic Universe, Express Pass, hotels and parking. Every price comes from Universal's site and was checked October 11, 2026.
For the Disney half of your trip, use my Disney World trip cost calculator.
What Does Adding Universal Cost?
This is for 2 adults and 2 kids ages 3 to 9. Your tickets include Epic Universe. The hotel is Universal's Endless Summer Resort, Dockside Inn and Suites, the cheapest Universal hotel on the sample dates below.
| Universal days | Tickets (from, plus tax) | Hotel nights (with tax) | Together |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $530 | $175 (1 night) | $705 |
| 2 | $996 | $350 (2 nights) | $1,346 |
| 3 | $1,188 | $525 (3 nights) | $1,713 |
The tickets are a 1-day Epic Universe ticket, a 2-day ticket with one day at Epic Universe, and the Special 3-Day Ticket. Each one is explained below.
These are floors, not quotes. Universal's ticket prices change by date, and the lowest prices are on select dates only. The hotel rate is for Sunday, November 8 to Tuesday, November 10, 2026.
Not included: your food, Express Pass and getting between Disney and Universal.
Universal Ticket Prices
Universal shows you a "starting from" price for each ticket. That is the price on its cheapest dates, so your dates may cost more. All prices are per person, plus tax.
| Ticket | Adult (10+) | Child (3-9) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 day, Epic Universe | $134.99 | $129.99 |
| 1 day, Universal Studios OR Islands of Adventure | $124.99 | $119.99 |
| 1 day, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, park-to-park | $179.99 | $174.99 |
| 2 days, 1 at Epic Universe and 1 at Universal Studios OR Islands of Adventure | $254 ($127 a day) | $244 ($122 a day) |
| Special 3-Day Ticket, 1 day each at Epic Universe, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure | $297 ($99 a day) | $297 ($99 a day) |
| Special 3-Day park-to-park, 1 day at Epic Universe plus 2 park-to-park days at the other two parks | $357 ($119 a day) | $357 ($119 a day) |
| 3 days, park-to-park at all three theme parks | $431.01 ($143.67 a day) | $420.99 ($140.33 a day) |
| 4 days, park-to-park at all three theme parks | $446 ($111.50 a day) | $436 ($109 a day) |
| 5 days, park-to-park at all three theme parks | $461 ($92.20 a day) | $451 ($90.20 a day) |
So the Special 3-Day Ticket is the cheapest way to see all three theme parks. The catch is one park per day, and each day has to be a different park.
Volcano Bay, the water park, is NOT in the table. It closes for maintenance on October 26, 2026. Universal's pages give two reopening dates, March 24 and April 1, 2027, so check before you plan a water park day.
Which Tickets Include Epic Universe?
Not all of them. Universal says to pick a ticket option that includes Epic Universe if you want to go.
Here is how the tickets above work:
- The 1-day Epic Universe ticket gets you into Epic Universe only.
- The 2-day ticket in the table includes one Epic Universe day.
- The two Special 3-Day Tickets include one Epic Universe day.
- The 3-, 4- and 5-day park-to-park tickets let you visit Epic Universe every day of your stay.
- A 1-day or 2-day ticket for Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure does NOT include Epic Universe.
If Epic Universe is the reason you're going, read the ticket name before you buy.
Express Pass vs a Universal Hotel
Universal Express lets you skip the regular line. There are two kinds you can buy before your visit:
- Universal Express: one use per ride, at all four parks, including Epic Universe.
- Universal Express Unlimited: as many uses as you want, at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure only.
Express Unlimited is NOT valid at Epic Universe or Volcano Bay.
Three hotels include Express Unlimited for free: Loews Royal Pacific, Hard Rock Hotel and Loews Portofino Bay. Helios Grand, the hotel next to Epic Universe, does not. And because it's Express Unlimited, the hotel perk does not work at Epic Universe either.
What Express costs you per person, plus tax, on its cheapest dates:
- 1 day, Express, Epic Universe: from $199.99
- 1 day, Express, Universal Studios only: from $119.99
- 1 day, Express Unlimited, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure: from $174.99
- 2 days, Express, Epic Universe, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure: from $147.50 a day
- 3 days, Express, same three parks: from $125 a day
So can a hotel be cheaper than buying Express?
If your family is four people, a day of Express Unlimited costs you at least $699.96. On the sample November night, a room at Loews Royal Pacific cost $618 more than a room at Dockside Inn and Suites, with tax. On those dates, the hotel came out ahead for a Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure day.
For an Epic Universe day, the hotel perk doesn't help. You'd still need to buy Express for that park, which starts at $799.96 for four people.
Universal Express vs Lightning Lane
If you're used to Disney's Lightning Lane, here are the two side by side, per person per day, before tax:
| Product | Price |
|---|---|
| Disney Lightning Lane Multi Pass | $15 to $45 |
| Disney Lightning Lane Premier Pass | $119 to $449 |
| Universal Express, 1 park | $119.99 to $319.99 |
So Universal Express costs you far more than Multi Pass. Its price range is closer to Premier Pass.
The other difference is how you use it. With Universal Express you don't book return times. You walk up to the Express line.
Universal Hotel Prices Next to Disney
Here are the same two nights, Sunday, November 8 to Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at both resorts. Prices are the average nightly rate with the 12.5% hotel tax.
| Universal hotel | Per night | Disney hotel | Per night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dockside Inn and Suites | $175 | Pop Century | $252 |
| Cabana Bay Beach Resort | $184 | ||
| Loews Sapphire Falls | $368 | Caribbean Beach | $402 |
| Universal Helios Grand | $561 | ||
| Loews Royal Pacific | $793 | Contemporary | $784 |
| Hard Rock Hotel | $939 |
The Universal prices are the lowest room Universal showed for 2 adults and 2 kids on those dates. The Disney prices are Disney's full rack rates for a standard room (Garden Wing resort view at the Contemporary). Discounts and packages often come in lower.
So on these dates, Universal's value hotels cost less than Disney's. The three Express Unlimited hotels cost about the same as a Disney Deluxe Resort, or more.
Want to hear how other families split their stay? Listen to Cortney's Disney and Universal split stay and Michelle's split stay.
Getting Between Disney and Universal
If you drive your own car or a rental, Universal's regular self-parking is $35 a day, tax included. Prime parking is $50 to $60.
One parking payment covers your whole day at both Epic Universe and the main Universal garages. Keep your receipt to get back in.
Being dropped off or picked up by a ride app or taxi has no parking fee.
For transportation vouchers, rental cars and ride apps, see how to add Universal Studios to your Disney World vacation.
Is Universal Cheaper Than Disney?
Per ticket, not by much. On each resort's cheapest dates, before tax:
- A 1-day Disney ticket starts at $119 for an adult.
- A 1-day Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure ticket starts at $124.99.
- A 1-day Epic Universe ticket starts at $134.99.
For three days, a Disney ticket with Park Hopper starts at $471.43 for an adult. A 3-day Universal park-to-park ticket for all three theme parks starts at $431.01.
The bigger gap is hotels. On the sample dates above, Universal's cheapest hotel was $77 a night less than Pop Century.
These compare starting prices only. Your dates decide what you'll really pay, and the cheapest weeks for Disney are a good place to start.
Where These Numbers Come From
- Universal tickets, Express and hotel rates: Universal Orlando's online store and hotel booking pages, checked October 11, 2026.
- Universal parking and Express rules: Universal Orlando's parking and Express Pass pages, checked October 11, 2026.
- Disney tickets and Lightning Lane: the data behind my Disney World trip cost calculator, as of October 7, 2026.
- Disney hotel rates: MouseSavers rack-rate charts, the same data as my 2027 price calendar.
This is an unofficial estimate, not a quote. Universal and Disney change prices often. Food is not included.
For what my own Disney trips have cost, see how much a Disney World vacation costs.
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See you at the parks,
-Julie