Universal Kids Resort Gold Annual Pass: Is It Worth the Upgrade?

Universal Kids Resort has added a new annual pass option, and for families who have been frustrated by Silver Pass blockout dates, this may be the pass they were waiting for.

The new Gold Annual Pass costs $199.99 and includes 12 months of admission with no blockout dates, regular self parking, discounts on food and merchandise, Friends & Family tickets and several additional perks.

Existing Silver Annual Passholders can upgrade now by paying the difference in price. Gold Pass sales are expected to open to the general public on September 29.

But is the Gold Pass actually worth the upgrade?

For some families, we think the answer is absolutely yes. For others, keeping Silver may still make more sense.

Here’s how we would decide.

How Much Does the Universal Kids Resort Gold Pass Cost?

That means existing Silver Passholders can upgrade to Gold for $70 if they have the basic Silver Pass or $35 if they have Silver with Parking.

Universal originally launched Universal Kids Resort with only the Silver Annual Pass, offering 12 months of admission with blockout dates and an optional version that included parking.

For families who already have Silver with Parking, we think the most interesting comparison is Gold.

Because this is really a $35 decision.

Universal Kids Resort now has three Annual Pass options:

What Does the Gold Annual Pass Include?

Gold includes:

• 12 months of General Admission with no blockout dates
• Regular self parking
• 10% off eligible food, beverage and merchandise purchases at select theme park and hotel locations
• 10% off eligible 1 Day and 2 Day General Admission tickets for Friends & Family, with a limit of six tickets per visit date
• 10% off the Universal Kids Resort Private VIP Experience and Private VIP Experience Add On Guest Ticket
• Complimentary hotel room upgrade for the full length of a previously booked stay, subject to availability at check in
• $20 off Premium Parking, subject to availability

Some benefits have exclusions and additional restrictions, so always check Universal’s current terms before purchasing.

The Biggest Question: When Do You Actually Visit?

Before looking at food discounts, merchandise or hotel upgrades, look at the Silver Pass blockout calendar.

This may be the single biggest reason to upgrade.

Silver Annual Passes include blockout dates. Gold does not.

And that distinction matters particularly at a theme park designed for families with young children. School calendars dictate when many families can visit.

If your family tends to visit during school holidays, holiday weekends, Christmas break, spring break or busy summer weekends, look closely at the Silver calendar and ask yourself:

Are the days we actually want to visit blocked out?

If the answer is yes several times throughout the year, Gold becomes much easier to justify.

On the other hand, if you’re local, have a flexible schedule and usually visit on quieter weekdays anyway, don’t pay extra simply because Gold exists. If Silver’s available dates already work for your family, the no blockout benefit may have very little practical value to you.

FQC Tip: Before upgrading, compare the Silver blockout dates with your school calendar and any dates you already know you’d like to visit Universal Kids Resort over the next year.

Is Gold Worth $35 More Than Silver With Parking?

This is where we think Gold gets particularly interesting.

The Silver Annual Pass with Parking costs $164.99.

Gold costs $199.99.

Both include regular self parking.

So for an additional $35, Gold removes the Silver blockout dates and adds the food, beverage, merchandise, Friends & Family, VIP, hotel and Premium Parking benefits.

For some families, the math is surprisingly easy.

Do You Eat and Shop at Universal Kids Resort?

Gold Passholders receive 10% off eligible food, beverage and merchandise purchases at select Universal Kids Resort theme park and hotel locations.

If your family spends $350 on eligible purchases over the course of the year, a 10% discount represents $35 in savings.

You’ve essentially recovered the difference between Gold and Silver with Parking without using another Gold benefit.

And $350 over an entire year isn’t necessarily a huge amount for a family making multiple visits. A few meals, snacks, drinks and the inevitable merchandise purchases can add up quickly.

If you’re the family who walks through Barg’N Mart and somehow leaves without a SpongeBob plush, congratulations on your extraordinary self control. This particular benefit may be less compelling for you.

The Hotel Upgrade Could Be a Sleeper Benefit

One of the more interesting Gold benefits is the complimentary hotel room upgrade.

Gold Passholders may receive a complimentary upgrade for the full length of a previously booked stay at Universal Kids Resort Hotel. You’ll need to request the upgrade at check in, and it is subject to availability.

We would never purchase Gold assuming you’re guaranteed an upgraded room. You aren’t.

But if you’re already planning a hotel stay and an upgrade is available, this could potentially provide significant value from a single use.

What About Friends & Family?

Gold Passholders also receive 10% off eligible 1 Day and 2 Day General Admission tickets for Friends & Family, with a limit of six discounted tickets per visit date. Tickets must be purchased at Guest Services and additional restrictions apply.

That’s another benefit that won’t matter to everyone.

But grandparents visiting? Cousins coming for the weekend? Friends joining your family at the park?

For a local Passholder who regularly brings other people along, this benefit could make Gold considerably more useful.

Who Should Upgrade to Gold?

We think Gold makes the most sense for families who already have Silver with Parking and check one or more of these boxes:

You want to visit during dates that are blocked out for Silver Passholders. You regularly eat at Universal Kids Resort. Your kids love park merchandise. You bring Friends & Family who need tickets. You occasionally stay at Universal Kids Resort Hotel. Or you simply want the flexibility to visit whenever the park is operating without planning around a blockout calendar.

If several of those describe your family, $35 is a pretty small premium for the additional flexibility and benefits.

Who Should Keep the Silver Pass?

Gold isn’t automatically the better choice.

If the Silver blockout dates don’t interfere with your schedule, you don’t spend much money on food or merchandise, you don’t need Friends & Family tickets and you’re unlikely to stay at the hotel, Silver may still be perfectly adequate.

That’s particularly true for local families with flexible schedules.

The cheapest Silver Pass remains $129.99, making Gold a $70 jump for Passholders who don’t currently pay for parking.

Don’t upgrade because the word Gold sounds better.

Upgrade because the benefits solve an actual problem for your family.

Already Have a Silver Pass? We Would Make the Decision Now

Existing Silver Annual Passholders have an advantage: they can upgrade before Gold becomes available to the general public.

We would use that window to make the decision, rather than automatically upgrading.

First, pull up your family’s calendar for the next year. Compare school breaks, holidays and weekends you might realistically visit against the Silver blockout calendar.

Then think about your spending habits at the park.

If you look at those two things and Gold clearly makes sense for your family, we wouldn’t see much reason to wait.

There is an important caveat here.

Universal has not announced how many Gold Annual Passes will be available, and we have no confirmation that Gold will sell out.

However, there is some history worth considering. Universal Kids Resort’s original Silver Annual Passes sold out after their initial release and were unavailable for a period before becoming available again.

That doesn’t mean Gold will do the same.

It does mean that if you’ve already decided you want Gold, waiting until sales open to everyone doesn’t really gain you anything.

Our Take: Is the Universal Kids Resort Gold Pass Worth It?

For many existing Silver with Parking Passholders, we think it is.

The jump from $164.99 to $199.99 is only $35, and both passes include regular self parking.

The difference is what that additional $35 buys you.

No blockout dates may be the most valuable benefit of all for families whose visits revolve around the school calendar. Add 10% discounts on eligible food, beverages and merchandise, plus Friends & Family savings and the possibility of a complimentary hotel room upgrade, and Gold can earn back that price difference surprisingly quickly.

But we wouldn’t tell every Silver Passholder to upgrade.

Start with your calendar.

If Silver lets you visit when you want to visit, and you don’t spend enough in the park to care about the discounts, keep it.

If you’ve already found yourself frustrated by Silver blockout dates, particularly around school breaks and holidays, Gold solves one of the biggest limitations of the original Universal Kids Resort Annual Pass.

And for only $35 more than Silver with Parking, that’s a pretty compelling upgrade.