Universal introduces $1,000 annual pass amid theme park attendance struggles
Attendance at Universal Studios Hollywood has declined, but the theme park is introducing its most expensive annual pass yet. Priced at nearly $1,000, the new Diamond Annual Pass bundles VIP treatment, front-of-line access and admission to special events into a premium package.
The $999.95 pass arrives as Universal’s parent company, Comcast, faces challenges across its theme park business. Universal Studios Hollywood attendance fell approximately 8% in 2025, while Comcast reported a 4.4% decline in theme park revenue during the third quarter of 2026.
At a time when attracting more visitors remains a priority, Universal appears to be pursuing another strategy as well: encouraging its most dedicated guests to spend more.
Photo by Jeff DePaoli
What’s included with a Diamond Annual Pass?
The Diamond Annual Pass includes a complimentary VIP Experience, Universal Express access from park opening and tickets to both Halloween Horror Nights and Universal Fan Fest Nights.
The pass includes:
- No theme park blockout dates: Passholders can visit throughout the year, subject to park operating schedules and any applicable reservation requirements.
- Universal Express from park opening: One-time daily Express access to participating rides, attractions and seated shows. Unlike Platinum Passholders, who must wait until 3 p.m., Diamond members can begin using Express when the park opens.
- One complimentary VIP Experience ticket: A guided premium experience that ordinarily costs hundreds of dollars. Advance reservations are required, and numerous dates are excluded.
- One Halloween Horror Nights ticket: General admission to Universal’s separately ticketed Halloween event on select nights.
- One Universal Fan Fest Nights ticket: General admission to the spring event, which returns April 16-May 16, 2027, on select nights.
- Complimentary general parking: Available throughout the day, with restrictions on certain dates and evenings.
- 20% off select food, beverages and merchandise: A higher discount than the Platinum Annual Pass offers.
- 10%-15% off at participating Universal CityWalk locations: Additional savings outside the theme park.
- Other passholder benefits: Discounts on select tickets for friends and family, invitations to special events and other passholder offers.
The VIP Experience is one of the biggest perks — with restrictions
Universal’s VIP Experience ordinarily includes a guided tour, priority attraction access and opportunities to explore areas of the working movie studio that regular theme park guests cannot access.
A single VIP Experience ticket starts at approximately $360, meaning this benefit alone could account for most of the $400 price difference between Diamond and Platinum. Reservations must be arranged in advance, availability is limited, and several major holiday and vacation periods are excluded.
For 2027, the complimentary VIP Experience cannot be redeemed Jan. 1-7, March 20-April 4, June 18-July 25, Nov. 20-27 or Dec. 20-31.
Universal Express begins earlier, but isn’t unlimited
Platinum Annual Passholders receive Express access beginning at 3 p.m., so Diamond members gain several additional hours to experience attractions with shorter waits.
However, Express access is limited to one use per participating attraction each day. It does not mean unlimited front-of-line access, and the benefit does not extend to separately ticketed events such as Halloween Horror Nights.
Two special-event tickets are included
Diamond Passholders also receive one general admission ticket to Halloween Horror Nights and one to Universal Fan Fest Nights. Both events normally require separate admission, even for annual passholders. The included tickets are subject to availability, eligible dates and reservation requirements.
The addition of Fan Fest Nights is particularly notable because the event is relatively new to Universal Studios Hollywood’s annual calendar.
Together, the event tickets, VIP Experience and earlier Express access are intended to make Diamond more than a traditional annual admission product. Universal is packaging several of its premium offerings into one membership, with a price to match.
It’s a substantial collection of benefits, but one that raises an interesting question: Will guests pay nearly $1,000 for a year of premium access to Universal Studios Hollywood?
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