A little over 5 years after Disney Parks scandalized the theme park-going world by asking guests to pay hefty one-time charges for the privilege of waiting in a shorter line for the most popular rides—and getting guests to actually do it—the company's main rival has started implementing its own version.
On Nov. 2, Universal Studios Hollywood brought out an individual Express lane pass that's good only for a single ride on the park's new mountainside roller coaster, Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, which opened in September and looks like an absolute blast.
Guests can choose to add a per-person fee of $19.95 to $24.95, depending on the day, to schedule a time to wait in a shorter line. Theme park tickets ($100–$155 for one day) and parking ($40 per vehicle) cost extra.
The price range matches Disney's one-time ride fees that apply to one or two of the most popular attractions in its own parks.
Universal's naming conventions aren't as convenient as its line-jumping premium. The optional service is being called the Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift Timed Express Access Add-On.
Although the fees are similar to Disney's, Universal's pass is much easier to use. Guests may book the Express Access Add-On any day before their visit using an online calendar (you'll find it under the Extras section). By contrast, Disney's Lightning Lane Single Pass is only available for sale starting at 7am sharp between 3 and 7 days ahead, depending on the location of the guest's hotel.
For Universal's version, like Disney's, guests choose from several time slot options using the online calendar. But Universal also gives the option, at a cost of $1.40 more, to cancel for any reason for a full refund.
Disney does not offer no-strings refunds for the Lightning Lane Single Pass, which causes headaches on days when mechanical issues shut down rides.
According to Thrill Data, the average wait time for Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift without the Add-On is about 90 minutes.
Additionally, Universal sells an Express Pass starting at $190 per day (plus park admission) that includes quicker entry to most rides at Universal Studios Hollywood. But Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift is excluded from that package.
Universal describes the custom-built roller coaster as having "groundbreaking 360-degree rotation technology designed to create a seamless sensation of drifting cars as guests spin in motion at speeds up to 72 mph, while careening along 4,100 feet of elaborate aerial track—the equivalent of nearly 12 football fields—that winds its way over sections of the theme park."
Universal will open a different version of the Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift coaster in 2027 at its Universal Studios park in Orlando, but line-jumping surcharge options have not yet been announced for that.
Convincing guests to pay even more for rides that are already included in the price of entry tickets has become big business for the theme park majors. Leaked financial figures showed that Disney made $724 million in pretax revenue on Lightning Lane sales between October 2021 and June 2024.
Plenty of consumers are obviously willing to pay giant entertainment corporations up to $25 more per person, after tickets and other expenses, just to avoid waiting the standard length of time in a single line. Blame them.
