Universal Guests Now Face up to an $80 Upcharge Before Entering Park

Universal guests will now need to pay an upcharge of up to $80 – and that’s before they even enter the park.

Theme parks are a lot of things, but they’re rarely a cheap day out. Both Disney and Universal have increased prices for everything from park tickets to merchandise in recent years, with Disney hitting peak one-day ticket prices of over $200 for both Disneyland and Magic Kingdom.

For example, at Universal Studios Hollywood, Butterbeer prices were hiked from $9 to $9.50 per drink in September. Universal Orlando Resort has hinted at wider price increases in 2026 as the Florida destination potentially prepares to introduce an annual pass that includes its newest theme park, Epic Universe.

Parking Prices Soar at Universal Studios Hollywood

Universal Studios Hollywood – the first Universal theme park, which originally opened as a backstage studio tour – also introduced higher parking rates back in September. Preferred and Front Gate parking prices soared to $80 and $60, respectively, with general parking sitting at $40.

While some originally theorized that these price increases were temporary, it seems like they are now permanent.

That means some guests are not only paying for their tickets, but shelling out an exorbitant fee on top to park for the day.

Universal has permanently raised Preferred and Front Gate parking prices.
@UniStudios

Universal has permanently raised Preferred and Front Gate parking prices. @UniStudios pic.twitter.com/qgdqie5TG7

— Inside Universal (@insideuniversal) December 22, 2025

Unsurprisingly, guests aren’t overly impressed with these price hikes.

“$80 to park LMAOOO,” wrote one X, formerly known as Twitter, user.

“It was 25 just 4 years ago,” pointed out another user.

One said that the changes were “bloody outrageous,” while another said that Uber was the better solution.

For many, these hefty parking fees make it easy to justify paying for a Universal Studios Hollywood annual pass.

At the time of writing, a Platinum Annual Pass is reduced from $609 to $599 and provides unlimited access with no blackout dates and three extra free months. Most critically, guests can park for free, whether they’re visiting Universal Studios Hollywood or just popping into Universal CityWalk Hollywood to visit the likes of Raising Cane’s, the Universal Cinema, or the Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe.

Even Universal Studios Hollywood’s cheaper pass – the Gold Annual Pass, which costs $299 right now – offers free parking. Only the two lowest tiers of the pass, the Silver Annual Pass and the California Neighbor Pass, don’t provide free parking.

However, anyone hoping to visit the park this holiday season may want to think again. The park has already hit capacity multiple times this month, with guests reporting extremely long lines for the likes of the Universal Studio Tour.

What do you think of Universal’s parking fees?