How To Buy Costco Universal Studios Tickets

Costco is one of our favorite stores to shop at! You can get almost everything you need in one trip and it will last you a long time! Of course most people shop at Costco for food, clothes and electronics. But did you know they sell tickets to theme parks including Costco Universal Studios tickets?!

They do and they can be a great deal! We’ve written a whole page about these tickets and how to get them. We also offer alternative options incase you don’t have time to visit a store or wait for shipping.

Best Price and Options Online

When compared all the wholesalers who sale discounted Universal Studios tickets online there are two that stand out to us. First is Costco which is why you’re here. We have all the details below on how to purchase them with Costco online and in stores. Keep in mind that Costco typically only carries 1 type of ticket which is a 3 day visit. So if you’re looking for 2 days or less you may want to try our other recommended supplier.

Undercover Tourist has been selling tickets for over 20 years to all the major theme parks and currently has the best prices on Universal Studios Hollywood tickets from 1 to 2 days. We highly recommend them when comparing to Costco because they have a bigger selection and a Best Price Guarantee.

Purchasing Costco Universal Studios Tickets

If you’ve been to Costco before then you’ll be somewhat familiar with their layout. The only problem is that every store is different! Basically what you want to do is find your stores gift card section. Almost every store we’ve visited in the USA has put gift cards and theme park tickets together in the same section so you should be pretty safe requesting this.

Once you find it just walk around the stand or section until you find the Universal Studios section. Depending on where you live in the United States you may be offered Costco Universal Studios tickets for Hollywood or Orlando. You can read all about the differences in the internets #1 Universal Studios guide.

You’ll notice that the stand doesn’t actually carry the tickets on the stand but only a cardboard piece that needs to be taken to a register for redemption and pick up of your actual tickets. After paying a guest services member will go grab your tickets and bring them out to you.

Current offers for Costco Universal Studios tickets Hollywood include:

Universal Studios 3-Visit Ticket – $139.00

Features:

• 3 Visits
• Valid 12 months from selected first visit date
• Advanced registration required for each visit
• Register multiple visits at once, or one visit at a time

The Costco Universal Studios tickets are a great offer and almost act like an annual pass in the sense that you don’t have to use all the days consecutively. Since you’ll receive your actual tickets at Costco after purchasing them you won’t have any issues registering them and choosing your dates online. You’ll take your actual tickets received from the store to the parks and have them scanned at the entrance at time of redemption.

Don’t forget to pre-register your dates before arriving!

Purchasing Costco Universal Studios Tickets Online

If you can’t make it into a store or need to buy your tickets last minute then you can go online to costco.com and complete your purchase of Costco Universal Studios tickets. The process is pretty simple but can be hard to find the right category initially. Here’s a step by step guide to finding and purchasing them.

1. Head to Costco.com.

2. You’ll want to open the Shop All Departments menu link on the left side of the screen. It looks like a hamburger with three – lines. You’ll see a bunch of categories and department links listed.

3. You’ll want to select the “Floral, Gift Cards & Baskets” menu option. Once you select that option you’ll see another menu with more options. Select the “Theme and Water Parks” option.

4. After selecting the Theme and Water Park option you’ll be taken to a selection page. From here you’ll see all your options for Universal Studios and more. Simply select the tickets you want and add them to your cart.

Keep in mind that offers and savings are always changing so there may be different offers depending on when you visit the website. After purchase, you’ll receive a confirmation email with your ticket printout and redemption instructions.

Comparing Online Prices

Although there are great options for Costco Universal Studios tickets they may not have them at certain times or they may not be the best value for you depending on how many days you want to visit or when you want to visit. We’ve listed the current pricing of Universal Studios Hollywood and Orlando in the tables below so you can compare pricing and find the best ticket for you.

2021 Universal Studios Hollywood Ticket Pricing

How To Purchase Costco Universal Orlando Tickets

Are you a Costco Member looking to purchase Costco Universal Orlando tickets for your Florida vacation? It’s a great idea to check because you can find some serious savings when Costco has them available to purchase. As a discount website for all major theme parks we like to make sure we’re staying on top of the best deals for tickets.

In this article we’re going to be comparing to of the top discounters in the market to which one has the best price and options for your Universal Orlando vacation.

How Can I Buy Costco Universal Orlando Tickets?

As a Costco member you can purchase your Universal Orlando tickets online at Costcotravel.com. It may take you a few clicks to find what you’re looking for but we’ll guide you through it:

1. Once you landed at costcotravel.com look for a submenu that says “Theme Parks & Specialty.” Don’t click on it but just hover your mouse over it.
2. You’ll see a drop down menu appear and on the right hand side you’ll see Universal Orlando. Go ahead and click on this.
3. You’ll see a box that says “Click for Deals” and it will take you down the page to where they have their current offers.
4. Choose which offer you like and be aware that most or all of them will be package offers. As of Dec. 9th, 2019 they do not have ticket only options.
5. Now book your offer by choosing dates and filling in the rest of the information they need.

You may take away from this that Costco doesn’t always offer Costco Universal Orlando tickets separately. Most of the time you can only purchase a package.

We too have been disappointed in the offerings as many times guests are staying off property already and only need 2 day tickets to Universal Orlando without a package.

That’s why we decided to compare two online companies so that you have the two best options depending on what you’re looking for.

Undercover Tourist Universal Orlando Tickets

The second company that we’re comparing here is Undercover Tourist who has been selling discounted theme park tickets for over 20 years. Purchasing from them is very simple, all you need to do is visit their online website for current pricing. Here’s a quick walkthrough:

1. Go to the Universal Orlando tickets page for UCT. Once it’s loaded you’ll see some ticket options.
2. Before you do anything be sure to choose your arrival date at the parks on the left hand side. This may display more ticket options for you and different pricing.
3. Now click on the ticket that you want. They are split up by number of days and ticket type including Base and Park to Park.
4. From here all you need to do is select your specific ticket, add how many adults and children and add them to your cart.
5. The checkout process is quick and simple and you will receive your tickets via email after purchase.

Like most ticket vendors UCT’s ticket options and price change from time to time so if you see a deal that you really like I would highly recommend buying it in case it disappears.

Remember that Universal Orlando is made up of 3 parks, 2 theme parks and 1 water park called Volcano Bay. When you’re looking at tickets be sure to check if the ticket is 1 park, 2 parks or all 3 parks. Most tickets don’t include Volcano Bay so if this is a park you really want to visit then make sure your ticket says it’s included.

Who Has the Best Price Online?

The two companies that we’ve been comparing today is Costco and UCT. The comparison is easy right now because Costco.com isn’t currently offering Costco Universal Orlando Tickets for individual purchase. You have to purchase a package with them that includes hotel and tickets.

If this changes we will update this article to include their pricing. For now, UCT has the best pricing for Universal Orlando tickets. As of today you can save up to $43 per ticket when you purchase from them. The more days you play the more you save. This rule applies to not just the ticket discount but the ticket pricing as well.

A 2 day park to park ticket costs $147.50 per day but if you purchase a 5 day park to park ticket the cost per day is only $67. That’s a huge difference! So if you have the chance to spend more time at the parks I highly recommend it.

Here’s a snapshot of what you can expect to save with UCT vs. Gate Pricing:

When is the Best Time to Use Costco Universal Studios Tickets

Not only are Costco Universal Studios, and UCT tickets great for a discount, they also let you choose when you want to travel to your park of choice. This means you can focus on dates that will not only work best for you but will also allow you to beat the crowd. For Universal Studios Orlando and Hollywood alike, the best months are typically January and February with a few caveats. You want to avoid the days immediately after the New Year, as well as Harry Potter weekend which takes place from January 26th to the 28th. Other than that this period of time is relatively slower and cheaper. Additionally, September is actually a great month to plan for as the business of the summer dies down and is well before Universal switches into Halloween mode with their extremely popular Halloween Horror Nights. So as long as you aren’t attending a specific event, aiming for these dates allows for a vacation that will be a little less crowded. 

Discount Universal Orlando Tickets

While it may seem a bit scary to purchase from someone other than Universal themselves, there are authorized wholesalers out there and many of them offer some great savings on tickets.

We already mentioned 2 of the best discounts with Costco Universal Orlando Tickets, and, UCT discount tickets.. There are others though and they are mentioned above in our price comparison chart.

So while there’s a great list of where to purchase discount Universal Orlando tickets, there’s another list I feel to mention and it’s all about where not to buy your tickets.

This list is just as important as the one above because it could mean the lost of hundreds of dollars if not done correctly.

Before I dive into that though let me tell you the golden rule when it comes to discounted tickets for theme parks. If it’s too good to be true, it is! That’s nothing you haven’t heard before. Wholesalers don’t offer 50% off tickets. You can expect to save around $10 to $50 per ticket but certainly not half off.

Some website to avoid purchasing discount Universal Orlando tickets from:

• eBay
• Craigslist
• Classified ads
• In person from roadside stands
• Partially used tickets from friends or family

eBay is a big website that seems to sell everything. I see tickets on here all the time for Universal Orlando and it scares me because you just never know the condition of a ticket. Someone could be selling you a used ticket with 0 days left on it but say it’s brand new.

This of course applies to eBay, Craigslist and pre-purchased tickets. There is no way to verify if a ticket has days left or not without visiting a guest relations stand or box office. And because sharing or splitting tickets is not allowed with discount Universal Orlando tickets there’s no point in trying. They will catch you every time.

One question that I do get a lot about discount Universal Orlando tickets is if they are in any way less than buying regular tickets right from Universal. Basically does paying less for your ticket than box office price make it any less valuable or doesn’t give you as much. The answer is no. Purchasing a discounted ticket does not make it any less of a ticket other than price.

Options including Express Pass can be added to any ticket no matter how much you paid for it. You can also upgrade your discount Universal Orlando tickets to add additional days, options or even to a season pass. It’s all a round a great way to save when visiting the parks.

Conclusion

Here’s a breakdown of what I just covered:

• Costco Members do have access to Universal Orlando vacations. As of right now they cannot purchase tickets only for Costco Universal Orlando tickets.
• When comparing Costco to Undercover Tourist, the winner is clear with Undercover Tourist based on availability and price. They have the best discounts available for Universal Orlando tickets.
• Purchasing your discount Universal Orlando tickets is easy to do online and offers quick email delivery.
• Purchasing discounted tickets does not make your tickets any less valuable when you do it right. Make sure you purchase from an authorized wholesaler and never from eBay or Craigslist.
• You can upgrade your tickets at anytime during your visit by visiting a box office or guest relations.

• If you want to upgrade your Florida vacation you can also check out our

  guides

  to the perfect Disney World vacation.

Lastly, remember that Universal Orlando is located in Orlando Florida. It’s sister park is located in Hollywood California but is a much smaller park. I hope I was able to give you a good breakdown of Costco Universal Orlando tickets today. There are plenty of ways to save without having to pay gate pricing on your tickets!

Buying Discount Universal Studios Tickets

We’ve been going to Universal Studios for years now and it’s definitely one of our favorite theme parks to visit. Of course there are two locations for Universal, our favorite being on Orlando and then Hollywood. Universal offers guests access into the movies with several great attractions, shows, characters and dining. Since the opening of Harry Potter at Universal, many guests have started referring to Universal as “Harry Potter World.” While many guests may attend Universal for Harry Potter we personally think Universal is more than this. This guide is about purchasing discount Universal Studios Tickets but we also offer great insight into the parks themselves.

How To Buy Discount Universal Studios Tickets

We’ve been researching discount tickets for theme parks for over 10 years now and have found only one website that we love the most: Undercover Tourist

For over 20 years they have specialized in offering the best priced theme park tickets including Universal Studios. With offers including free days and over $20 off per ticket, you can’t find a better website to purchase from.

Purchasing from them is super simple and can be completed in less than 5 minutes.

Purchasing Discount Universal Studios Hollywood Tickets

1. Head to Undercover Tourists Universal Studios Hollywood tickets page.

2. Select your first day in the parks. This is important because it may change the selection and deals available to you. After selecting your date select the tickets you want to purchase. Typically for discount Universal Studios tickets Hollywood there are 1 and 2 day tickets available as well as a VIP experience. Simply select the ones you want, choose adults and kids and then add to cart.

3. The page you see will be an add-on’s page. This is where you can add additional tickets to your cart if you’d like to. If not go ahead and select Continue in the top right corner.

4. You will be given an order summary that shows exactly what’s in your cart as well as the opportunity to continue with Undercover Tourists insurance plan. This optional ticket insurance is up to you. You can keep it or remove it from your cart. Now click Go To Checkout to complete your order.

5. The last page is just your information including billing/shipping and customer information. Once completed you’ll receive a confirmation email for your tickets. That’s it! You just saved a bunch of money on your Universal Studios Hollywood tickets!

Purchasing Discount Universal Studios Orlando Tickets

1. Head over to Undercover Tourist’s Universal Studios Orlando Tickets page.

Select the tickets you’d like to purchase. They typically have 2 days and up with some very special offers including free days. Keep in mind that Universal Studios Orlando has two parks so guests tend to spend several days there.

2. Select your first day in the parks. This is important as it may update the tickets selection below. After choosing your date select the type of ticket you want, update the number of adults and kids and then click Add To Cart.

3. Unless you’re wanting to add additional Universal Tickets just click Continue on the next page.

4. The summary page will show you exactly what you have in your cart, the final price and the option to add Undercover Tourist’s insurance plan. It’s automatically added to your cart so if you think you don’t need it you can remove it. Now click Go To Checkout to finish your purchase.

5. Fill in all needed information and choose your ticket delivery method. Once you’ve completed your checkout you’ll receive a confirmation email. That’s it! You’ve just purchased discount Universal Studios tickets for Orlando!

Where Not To Buy Your Discounted Tickets

Not all online deals are legitimate. Many of them are too good to be true. Half-priced tickets don’t exist for Universal Studios and should be avoided like the plague.

Websites such as Craigslist and eBay should not be your go-to sites for purchasing discounted Universal Studios tickets. The biggest thing with these sites is verification. You can’t verify who’s selling them and you can’t verify if the tickets are new or used. We always suggest purchasing from authorized wholesalers like Undercover Tourist, or even Costco Universal Studios Tickets, and Costco Universal Orlando Tickets. 

Other classified websites should be avoided and meeting people in person to purchase discounted tickets is also not recommended. Handing over cash for a theme park ticket, in general, is not the greatest idea. You may never see that money again no matter what happens when you get to the gates.

Because Universal Studios recommends the same things, they do not have to replace or refund your money that you may have lost to a bad transaction. Purchase smart and use only authorized resellers such as Undercover Tourist or Costco. If nothing else, buy right at the gate. There won’t be any savings but there will be peace of mind.

Universal Studios Hollywood vs. Universal Studios Orlando

Yes, there are two separate resorts just like Disney. One is located in Hollywood California on a motion picture/studio lot and the other is on a massive chunk of land on Orlando. The original park is Universal Studios Hollywood and was built around an active movie studio lot. At first, it started out as a tour of a working lot but grew into something much bigger over time with attractions being added, shows, dining, and much more.

Universal Studios Orlando was built as an answer to Disney’s Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida. It started out as one theme park and one water park and has now grown into 2 theme parks (Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure) and 1 massive new water park called Volcano Bay.

Initially, Universal Studios has always been behind Disney when it came to theme parks. However, with the addition of Harry Potter to both their theme parks in Hollywood and Orlando, the game has changed. Crowds spiked at both parks and have continued to increase steadily over the years.

Universal Studios Hollywood is the smaller of the two resorts but features many of the same attractions and shows at Universal Studios Orlando. Harry Potter, the Simpsons, and Jurassic Park are just a few of the same offerings. In 2019 Jurassic World – The Ride opened up at Universal Studios Hollywood making it the only park with this brand new attraction.

Speaking of Harry Potter…the Universal Studios Hollywood park contains the castle attraction and the Hippogriff attraction along with several stores in one area. Due to limited room at this park, there has not been an expansion here as of yet.

At Universal Studios Orlando there are two separate Harry Potter parks including the Hogsmeade and the Castle in Universal Studios and Diagon Alley in Islands of Adventure. With two major areas to explore, most guests prefer to purchase a park-to-park ticket so they can enjoy both on the same day. Guests who have park-to-park tickets can enjoy a ride on the Hogwarts Express to go between the two parks.

Both lands here offer much more space and several different attractions including a Hagrid Motorcycle attraction and the Escape from Gringotts attraction. There are also different stores to visit in both areas because of the ease of space.

If you’re a big fan of Harry Potter we highly recommend visiting the parks in Orlando first. While it is a bit more expensive there is a lot more to do there. Keep in mind that Harry Potter tickets are really Universal Studios tickets. Many guests refer to them as Harry Potter tickets because that’s what they think Universal Studios is. And be sure to buy them for the right park!

How Can You Save at the Parks?

For starters, you can buy discount Universal Studios tickets from Undercover Tourist, as well as Costco Universal Studios tickets, and Costco Universal Orlando tickets. This will definitely save you some money. Once you arrive at the parks you can bring in your own food if you’d like. Pack a cooler with sandwiches, pizza, or whatever you want to bring in. Snacks are always a great idea.

You can save on water by asking any quick-service restaurant for a cup of water. This is a nice little trick that will save you $3 every time you’re thirsty. If you drink a lot during the day, at Universal Studios Orlando you can purchase a refillable mug for the day for about $22. It’s a pretty good option if you enjoy soda during your visit.

Sometimes Universal Studios offers free dining or discounted dining when you book a complete package with them including hotel and tickets. Both Costco Universal Studios tickets, Costco Universal Orlando Tickets, and Undercover Tourist offer these packages at a discount, and if you can score free or discounted dining, even better!