Universal Tickets On The Rise, But Deals Aplenty

ORLANDO (CBS4)—Too bad Hogwarts doesn't teach a spell for making money out of thin air, because theme park goers will be paying more for their tickets this summer at Universal Studios in Orlando.

Sparked by the sky-high numbers of visitors coming to see the park's Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal has raised its ticket prices to match Disney's.

Visitors will see some steep increases in price, between 3.7% and 11.4%, depending on the ticket. On three and four-day tickets, prices have gone up by about $15. A four-day, one-park ticket now runs for $166 compared to $150 before the increase.

But just because prices are going up, doesn't mean you have to pay more.

If you visit the park frequently enough, an annual pass, which hasn't increased in price, may be well worth the investment. Or, if you'll be at the park for more than four days, the two-park, fourteen-day pass is a steal at $195 compared to the $176 price tag on the two-park, four-day pass.

Another way to get around increased prices? Shop online. Compared to the $85 one-day, one-park ticket bought at the gate, you can get a Florida resident ticket of the same kind for $75 online.

Also, Universal has doubled their discount for purchasing tickets online from ten dollars to twenty. For example, a three-day, one-park pass goes for $156 at the gate. But, if you buy the same pass online, you can get it for $136 which is less than the $140 the ticket sold for before the increase.

Looks like Florida residents can work a little bit of magic after all.