How to Skip the Lines at Islands of Adventure
By the BeatTheCrowd team · Updated 20 October 2026 · 3 min read
Quick answer
Use Early Park Admission if you can get it, and be at the gate early to ride VelociCoaster or Hagrid's first. Universal Express (from about $115, up to about $380 on peak days) skips most regular lines, and it's included free with the top Universal hotels. Hagrid's isn't part of Express, so ride it at opening or use the single rider line where available.
At a glance
- Universal Express
- From about $115 per day for one park, up to about $380 on peak days
- Free Express
- Express Unlimited with Hard Rock, Royal Pacific and Portofino Bay hotels
- Early entry
- Early Park Admission for Universal hotel guests and some tickets