The famous 7-Eleven shops in America currently have a major money-spinning promotion on the go at the moment, insisting customers should “run, don’t walk!” to get in on the $5,000 prize handout action, which offers that big cash prize at random every day.
And that’s exactly how we feel at the moment about Universal Orlando’s big ticket promotion for 2026, which is fast galloping up on us with the usual holiday advertising frenzy. “Now is the time,” they all insist. And, when it comes to Universal in 2026, they might just be right, and here’s why:
In simple terms, this is the best-value ticket for ANY of Orlando’s main theme park attractions since the long-ago days of the old Orlando FlexTicket, which bundled Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure with Wet ’n Wild, SeaWorld and Busch Gardens for one blockbuster, bargain basement price.
Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, this was the must-have ticket to buy in conjunction with the old 7-Day Park Hopper Plus for Walt Disney World. But, in the words of 1980s New Romantic pop legends ABC (remember them?), that was then, and this is now…!
Of course, the Orlando theme park empire is very different to what it was back in the 1990s. There was no Wizarding World of Harry Potter in either Universal park; Volcano Bay was scarcely a thought in Universal’s 20-year plan, and Wet ’n Wild was THE big water park draw along International Drive.
Sadly, the long-lived Wet ’n Wild was scrapped and built over in 2016, to become Universal’s extensive Endless Summer Resort, but the advent of Volcano Bay, more new hotels and the two Wizarding Worlds more than made up for it. And then, back in May this year, we had Universal Epic Universe, and the whole ticket dynamic changed.
While it was perfectly possible to fit each of Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay into a two or three-day visit, the dazzling newcomer ensured Universal could now be seen as a much longer and more rewarding option, adding the kind of immersive style we had seen with the Potter worlds, but on an even bigger scale.
In a bid to manage attendance and keep all its high-tech new elements in tip-top shape, Universal limited the number of tickets available on a day-to-day basis, slowly ramping up the levels of attendance from 25 per cent to around 80 and approaching full capacity. This Christmas will be the acid test, but the park supremos are confident Universal Epic Universe will come through with flying colours.
How do we know this? The brand new, all-singing, all-dancing All Parks Ticket for 2026, that’s how. It is a ticket that completely does away with any attendance limits and puts Epic on the same basis as its other two theme parks, and then some.
So, here’s what the All Parks option does for Universal:
- It provides 14 days of unlimited access to all FOUR of Universal’s parks, including the original two (Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure), plus Volcano Bay AND Epic Universe for the first time. *
- You can hop from park to park on all or any of the 14 days.
- You can compare all three Wizarding Worlds of Harry Potter back-to-back-to-back.
- You can also enjoy a wide variety of the many restaurants and taverns that make Epic stand out from the crowd (as it may just have the best theme park dining of them all).
- Most importantly, you can take your time to explore Epic Universe and its five dazzling “worlds” with the multiple days that it truly requires.
Just in case you missed it, our full review of the park was published back on May 27, and you can read it on this link. We think this is the most gorgeously themed park of any in the world and, while it doesn’t have as many main attractions as its Orlando counterparts (just 11 out-and-out rides and attractions), it more than makes up for it with the immersive theming, the incredible details and headline attraction in each world, and some fab extras with various character interactions, notably in Dark Universe and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, but especially in How To Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, where the lifelike dragons simply have to be seen to be believed.
This year, visitors could only buy a one-day ticket for Epic, which means that many of them probably missed out on the magnificent amount of detail, landscaping and architecture throughout. But not in 2026.
Plus, of course, there are the two other full theme parks to enjoy, as well as the watery fun of Volcano Bay. All for an incredibly low per-day price from just £36 per adult (£35 per child). Even at peak season, the pricing is still only £37.60/day, and that’s outstanding value in today’s world. OK, we hear you say, we still want to do Disney and SeaWorld in our two-week holiday, so we won’t be spending all 14 days at Universal. Fair enough, the majority won’t (although we can imagine a fair few will!).
But, even if you only do seven of your 14 days in Universal’s realm, it would still be just £72-£75.20 per day. Considering the single-day at-the-gate price for Epic is in the range of $184 (or £137) next summer (and the 14-day ticket is ONLY available in Europe), that’s a major bargain in anyone’s language. We think that more than stands up against any other price for a full day’s theme park entertainment, hence the All Parks Ticket earns our Ticket of the Year Award. **
So, when anyone asks you what you’d like for Christmas with next year in mind, you should have a very Epic answer!
PS: Our personal top tip is NOT to miss out on the Constellation Carousel in Epic Universe. It’s easy to think this is “just” another children’s ride, but it offers some of the most dreamy music and lighting, all synced to the carousel’s three-way revolving movements, which feel more like a ballet than a ride.
* Please note: From October 20, 2026, to March 24, 2027, the Volcano Bay water park will be closed for its first full refurbishment, hence the All Parks Ticket will only include Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Epic Universe at a reduced price of £457 for adults and £447 for children 3-9. For the full details of AttractionTickets.com’s Universal Orlando ticketing, see this link.
** PPS: Not a real award!
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