Universal Studios rolls out pricey new $1,000 annual pass as park numbers plummet and fans complain

Taken for a ride?

As the park bleeds visitors and battles angry neighbors, Universal Studios Hollywood is introducing its most expensive annual pass yet.

The theme park’s brand new Diamond Annual Pass offers fans a suite of premium experiences for a one-time payment of $999.95 — or monthly payments of $50. The pass claims to offer the ultimate Universal experience, but even the park’s most loyal fans aren’t convinced.

With new Diamond Annual Pass, fans will receive admission to Universal Studios Hollywood on any day of the year and free general parking, excluding after 6 p.m. on Friday through Sunday during the months of April, May, September, and October.

The pass also comes with year-round Universal Express access, which will allow passholders to enter the park early and bypass regular stand-by lines, and a VIP Experience ticket, offering a guided tour of the park, behind-the-scenes backlot access, and the ability to skip to the front of the line.

A standalone Universal Express ticket goes for $189.95 per person, while a standalone VIP pass sets you back $359.95.

As for the park’s famed Halloween Horror Nights and Universal Fan Fest Nights, the Diamond pass comes with one admission to each event.

Other perks of the pass include 20% off in-park food, beverages and merchandise.

Universal also offers a Platinum Pass for $599.95 per year, a Gold Pass for $299.95, a Silver Pass for $219.95, and California Neighbor Pass $179.95.

Loyal parkgoers aren’t swooning over the new deal.

“As a platinum owner for years, this does not seem worth it. 850 sounds more right. Universal isn’t Disneyland, I don’t need a full day with express,” one fan wrote under .

“Would be nice if they added a bigger discount if you buy tickets for friends and family,” another said.

“I don’t think making an even more expensive pass is a good thing – guaranteed that lower passes will get benefits stripped – this is a red herring,” said a third.

The pricey new pass comes as the park sees a steep decline in visitors. Attendance at Universal Studios Hollywood fell by 8% in 2025, according to an annual park attendance report from the Themed Entertainment Association. The park welcomed 8 million visitors last year, down 700,000 from the year before.

Universal Studios Hollywood experienced the biggest attendance drop among the most popular North American theme parks, according to the report, which ranked Disneyland in Anaheim as the #2 most visited theme park worldwide in 2025.

The park’s newest attraction, “Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift” —which opened in September after a trial run over the summer bring new visitors.

But even that has caused a headache for the park, as residents whose homes border the park have been complaining for months about the murderous screams that come from the attraction.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters