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Tldr; Epic Express saved us 760 minutes (approx 12.5 hours per person).

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If you’re planning a once in a lifetime trip to Universal Epic Universe and want to experience everything with a peace of mind, this is the exact express pass strategy I’d follow again especially during peak holiday crowds. Our group (two engaged couples with no kids) visited on Monday, December 29, 2025 - right between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, during Epic Universe’s first-ever holiday season.

Yes, Epic Express is very expensive. Ours was $340 per person (holiday pricing), and on average it’s closer to ~$200 for non-holiday. This guide is all about making every dollar count and helping you maximize your time. This itinerary is for people who:

• Preview every available tip, tool, and resource to maximize their experience
• Don’t mind walking a lot (we clocked ~24,000 steps each)
• Are okay NOT hyper-optimizing walking paths
• Want to soak in ambience, eat well, and still crush rides efficiently
• Want to get extra value out of Express by riding top attractions more than once (day and night hits differently)
• Planning to stay from park open to park close

Express Pass Hack 🎟️

Epic Universe was sold out online for our date, but we noticed Epic consistently releases Express passes morning-of around 8:15–8:30am. We bought ours directly in the Universal app.

Morning Strategy 🐉

Most early-entry guests sprint to Nintendo. We did the opposite. Park opens: 9:00am, but plan to arrive by 8:30am (park will open slightly earlier than posted time).

• Rope Drop: Dragon Racers Rally
  • Why first: Not included in Express due to low capacity (only ~24 riders per cycle). The ride also opened up early at 8:45am (instead of 9am opening park time).
  • Our wait: ~20 minutes
  • This ride balloons quickly later in the day - rope drop is non-negotiable. Historical averages hover ~40 minutes with peaks well over 2 hours during holidays.
  • After this, head straight into Dark Universe, which stays empty early.
• Curse of the Werewolf
  • Entered 9:25am, on ride by 9:50am
  • Posted waits later hit 50+ minutes
  • Strategy: Use standby in the morning and save Express for nighttime when crowds build. Ride once in daylight, then again at night with Express for maximum spookiness.
• Monsters Unchained (Frankenstein)
  • Standby only in the morning - save Express for nighttime when it gets busier
  • Entered 10:00am, on ride by 10:20am
  • Strategy: Use standby in the morning and save Express for nighttime when crowds build. Ride once in daylight, then again at night with Express for maximum spookiness.
• 🧀 Snack Break (Epic Food Is Legit)
  • Burning Cheddar Bites – ⭐️ 9/10 (must-get)
  • Hunter Garlic Stake – ⭐️ 4/10 (fine, skippable)
  • Oak & Star Tavern Mango Bread – ⭐️ 10/10 (elite snack)
  • Epic clearly invested in food quality - it exceeded expectations across the board.

Midday: Super Nintendo World (Where Express Prints Time) 🍄

Nintendo becomes chaos by late morning. This is where Express really earns its price.

• Yoshi’s Adventure
  • Entered 11:10am, on ride by 11:30am
  • Posted wait: 95 min
  • Time saved: ~75 minutes