The Showdown: Disney's Fastpass Vs. Universal Express

Once upon a time, Universal Orlando offered it's 'Universal Express'* as something accessible, for free, for all guests, which operated similar to Disney's FastPass** system. However, one day, Universal woke up and found a new way to get even more money - charge for the Express pass! The humble Disney kept its system and still to this day does not charge its adoring guests for this service.

So the FastPass seems better right? Well, the best benefit is that it is absolutely free! It is a virtual queing system and relatively fair as only one ticket can be used to get one fast pass (tip: read the fast pass! It has the time on which you may get another fast pass, which may well be before you have been on the attraction you have the FP for!) Though, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. And here's why.


The FastPass is free so it is used by EVERYONE (except for those tourists who do not even bother to read a park map!) hence the ques for the FastPass aren't always that 'fast'. The tickets for the major attractions run out very early on in the day, I can recall running to get ToyStory mania tickets 10 minutes after opening, only to find out my return time was 7pm! Twenty minutes later, there were no FastPasses left for this attraction. So the system isn't amazingly beneficial to those who wish to park hop around Disney, hitting its major attractions.

Whereas the Universal Express Plus, means only those who are willing to depart with even more cash (on top of the admission, parking, drinks, food, souvenirs, Shrek ears and butter beers...) and those staying on property (more $$$ for Universal!) get to use this service. So on the one hand, this is bad for us mere commoners, too poor or stubborn to splash even more cash at the park, but it is very beneficial to those who are willing, who will endure shorter ques due to the limited numbers on the passes available each day. 


However, Universal Express Plus gives only one ride per attraction, unlike the FastPass system where if you please, you could get FastPasses for the same attraction all day! Though, yet again, those staying onsite at Universal get UNLIMITED priority access (Wowsa!) so perhaps staying onsite might be worth considering if you want many of the perks Universal offer, including priority access.


So who wins? For those Disney lovers who refuse to admit such a thing as Universal is even a theme park, FastPass by a long shot - it is free afterall! And those Universal purists will claim Universal Express is the best thing since sliced bread and the money deters people making the system more effective.


Me? I'm willing to wait in long lines to spare a few Dollars and enjoy the themeing of the que. I also know the parks well enough to know how to minimise my wait time.


Oh I love you Single Riders....


* Universal Express is a premium service that guests pay on top of admission in order to gain access to attractions faster. Prices may vary from each visit and are highest during peak periods. Only one use per attraction. However, on-site guests have unlimited use for free (included as an on-site perk). More information can be found here
** Disney's FastPass is a free virtual queing system in which guests put their admission ticket into a booth near the attraction they wish to ride. A ticket is printed that gives the guest a return time to the attraction and they use an alternate que, skipping the long line of the stand-by que. Each ticket has a time on which the guest may get another FastPass ticket. More information can be found here


Tomorrow: Que jumpers - What should the parks do?