Passholders can expect enormous wait times for Universal Epic Universe tickets

ORLANDO, Fla. – Universal Orlando Resort annual passholders had the opportunity Thursday to purchase day passes to the new Epic Universe theme park, set to open next May.

But what many experienced was an epic wait.

The Universal website takes passport seekers to a virtual waiting room and warns of a high number of requests, leading to long waiting times. In fact, the wait was more than an hour. Some News 6 employees who tried actually waited hours.

Once the wait is over, visitors will be taken to a reservation page where they can select an available day to purchase the day pass. Prices range from $150 to $170 for the first two months the park is open.

(RELATED: Epic Universe sets opening date. Here's what you should know)

But as Universal's X.com account showed on Thursday, many visitors were frustrated because they hadn't yet received their confirmation emails. Universal Account informs customers that tickets may take up to 24 hours to process.

Another thing visitors learn is that if you try to buy an annual pass online on Thursday to get the day pass, you're out of luck. The new annual pass must be active. The only way to activate the card is to go to Universal Orlando Resort.

Universal also sells a multi-day pass that includes one day at Epic Universe and two days at the other Universal parks. These tickets start at $117.33 per day, depending on which pass you choose.

If you were to purchase a three-day pass for May 22, 2025, the first day Epic Universe opens, the multi-day pass would cost $481.99 plus taxes. Tickets must be used over a period of six days and you can only visit one park per day.

(RELATED: What will transportation look like when Epic Universe opens?)

Visitors can also obtain four- and five-day passes. All of them only include one day in the Epic Universe. This is part of Universal's attempt to manage crowds.

We reached out to Universal Orlando to find out if any days or passes were sold out but have not yet heard back.

Epic Universe is Universal Orlando's fourth theme park and features over 50 attractions with groundbreaking technology in five different worlds, all connected by mystical portals.

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