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How to use points and miles to save money at Universal theme parks
As a senior writer for TPG, Tarah Chieffi helps readers travel better, more often and within their budget.
June 26, 2026 • 12 min read
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Quick summary
Families can use points and miles to offset costs for Universal theme park vacations, including hotels and tickets.
Universal Orlando offers on-site hotels with perks like early park access or skip-the-line passes, while Universal Studios Hollywood has nearby points hotels but no on-site options.
Universal Kids Resort in Texas has an on-site hotel bookable through select travel portals, with potential for broader availability as the resort matures.
Major hotel loyalty programs and flexible travel rewards can be used for both on-site and nearby accommodations, with value and redemption rates varying by program.
What to consider
Redemption values for points and miles differ by program and booking portal, so comparing options is essential for maximizing value.
Some hotel perks, such as complimentary skip-the-line passes or breakfast, are only available through specific booking channels or loyalty programs.
Availability of Universal Kids Resort's on-site hotel is currently limited to select travel portals, but this may change over time.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed breakdown of which points and miles strategies best fit different Universal destinations and how to maximize in-park perks.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
Theme park vacations aren't all fun and games. Between park tickets, hotel rooms, skip-the-line passes and souvenirs, the expenses add up quickly. In the search for savings, families can use points and miles to book trips to theme parks like Universal Orlando, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Kids Resort, which just opened in Texas.
You can use points to cover things like hotel stays, theme park tickets and more. One thing to note, Universal Studios Hollywood does not have any on-site hotels at this time, but there are a handful of points hotels within walking distance. Universal Kids Resort has an on-site hotel, but it is currently only available through the Amex Travel portal. (It only recently opened, so it could become available through other booking portals in the near future.)
Here are some ways to save at Universal theme parks throughout the United States.
Use Chase Ultimate Rewards points
Redeem Ultimate Rewards points for Universal hotels
The Chase Ultimate Rewards program can be a jack-of-all-trades for covering the costs of a Universal Orlando vacation. Let’s consider your lodging.
Loews Portofino Bay Hotel. TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY
Reservations at Royal Pacific, Hard Rock and Portofino Bay include Universal Express Unlimited, Universal Orlando’s skip-the-line pass. So, if you want Universal Express Unlimited, it’s worth doing the math to see if you can save (or at least break even) by staying at one of these properties.
Helios Grand is Universal's newest hotel and is located inside the new Universal Epic Universe theme park. While it doesn't come with Universal Express, staying here is worth it for the theme park views and proximity alone.
Universal Helios Grand Hotel. TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY
The lower tiers of Universal Orlando hotels don’t include Universal Express Unlimited passes but do offer early access to select Universal theme parks each day, allowing you to get into popular areas like The Wizarding World of Harry Potter before they become super crowded.
Some of the Universal hotel options can also be really family-friendly. For example, Universal Endless Summer Resort's Dockside and Surfside properties and Universal Cabana Bay Beach Resort have roomy two-bedroom suites at budget-friendly prices.
Universal Orlando's hotels can often be booked through the Chase Travel℠ portal. The value of your Chase points will vary depending on your card.
You’ll get the highest value if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see ), as your points are worth up to 2 cents each toward booking travel, depending on the specific redemption (see your rewards program agreement for full details).
Universal Endless Summer Resort — Dockside Inn and Suites. SUMMER HULL/THE POINTS GUY
Lastly, the Chase Freedom Flex® (see ) will provide you with a value of just 1 cent per point. However, if you have the Sapphire Reserve, you can transfer the points you have earned on your other Chase Ultimate Rewards cards, like the Freedom Flex, to your Sapphire Reserve account and then redeem them at up to 2 cents each, depending on the specific redemption. See your rewards program agreement for full details.
CHASE.COM
Points prices and cash prices vary by date. On a test date in mid-September, the Universal Orlando hotels ranged from 21,038 to 86,962 Ultimate Rewards points per night for a user with the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.
Buy Universal tickets with Ultimate Rewards points
You can purchase a variety of Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood park tickets through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. When doing so, you’ll get the same redemption rates as you’d get when booking hotels through the Ultimate Rewards portal.
CHASE.COM
If tickets are available, you can find them in the "Activities" section of the travel portal. Search for "Orlando," enter your dates and any available ticket options will populate in the search results.
Use Citi ThankYou Rewards points
Just as you can use Chase Ultimate Rewards points at a fixed value to book an official Universal Orlando hotel room, you can use your Citi ThankYou Rewards points to do the same via the Citi travel portal. You can also purchase Universal Orlando tickets through the Citi travel portal and even take advantage of some of the limited-time offers that Universal frequently advertises to save money on multiday trips.
How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk. TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY
While you can book most Universal Orlando hotels through the Citi travel portal, you'll only get 1 cent per point in value. As of June 2026, TPG values ThankYou Rewards points much higher than that, so you'll want to consider if there are other ways to get better value for your Citi points.
The information for the Citi Prestige has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
CITI.COM
You can also book theme park tickets and other activities through the Citi travel portal, often with the same discounts you can get by booking directly.
All Universal hotels, including the one at the new Universal Kids Resort in Frisco, Texas, are bookable through Amex Travel.
Take advantage of American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts perks
Speaking of American Express, Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, one of the three hotels that offer complimentary Universal Express Unlimited passes, is bookable through the American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts program, available to those with the Amex Platinum or the Amex Business Platinum.
Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts welcome amenity at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel. TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY
When booking a stay at this property via the Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts program, you get Universal Express Unlimited passes for everyone staying in the room, a room upgrade (based on availability), daily complimentary breakfast for two, free Wi-Fi, early check-in (if available), late checkout and a $100 food-and-beverage credit per stay.
Plus, as an Amex Platinum Card or Amex Business Platinum Card holder, you'll get up to $600 annually (distributed as up to $300 in biannual hotel statement credits) when paying for your stay with your Amex card. These perks go a long way toward offsetting the lower redemption value.
Use Capital One miles
There are a few different ways you can use Capital One miles to help with a trip to one of Universal's theme parks.
UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT
First, you can book a Universal vacation package that includes lodging and pay with one of your Capital One Venture cards. That lets you use your Capital One miles to cover the charge at 1 cent per mile.
CAPITALONE.COM
You can also book Universal Orlando hotels through Capital One Travel using cash or miles. Best of all, you can earn up to 10 miles per dollar spent (depending on the card you use) if you pay with cash and still use your miles to cover the charge after it appears on your statement.
Remember to check the rates on Capital One Travel versus other online travel agencies and booking directly, though, as there can be price disparities.
This can be especially helpful for hotels that offer Universal Express Unlimited passes. While you'll still need park tickets, Universal Express Unlimited passes can be very pricey. Getting these included with your hotel room can be a great way to save money on your Universal Orlando vacation.
Universal Express Pass. TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY
Lastly, some third-party theme park ticket sites like Undercover Tourist code as travel. If you purchase your tickets through one of these companies and it codes as a travel purchase, you could also use miles to remove the transaction from your statement.
Use Universal Rewards points
Universal Kids Resort. TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY
There are two Universal Rewards credit cards: the no-annual-fee Universal Rewards Plus Visa Signature® Card earns 2 points per dollar on qualifying Universal purchases and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. The $99-annual-fee Universal Rewards Plus Visa Signature® Card earns 4 points per dollar on qualifying Universal purchases, 2 points per dollar on travel, gas and dining purchases, and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases, among other perks. You can add the points you earn to a Universal FUNds prepaid card to cover eligible Universal purchases.
The real value of these cards lies in the in-park discounts and welcome offers. Both come with access to perks like 10% off select merchandise and food and beverage purchases at Universal theme parks and a welcome bonus statement credit for new cardholders.
While not the most lucrative return, if you are planning a major Universal vacation, you may find value in the welcome offer for new cardholders, bonus points on Universal purchases and in-park discounts, such as 10% off select merchandise and food and beverage purchases at Universal theme parks.
The information for the Universal Rewards Plus and Universal Rewards cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Use hotel points for off-site Universal hotels
DreamWorks Land at Universal Orlando. TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY
Several chain hotels are located near Universal parks, giving you many opportunities to use points from all major hotel brands.
Hotel Landy is a Marriott Tribute Portfolio hotel less than a seven-minute drive from Universal Orlando. Nightly rates start as low as $95 or 25,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.
If you want to stay even closer to the parks and redeem Hilton Honors points, check out the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando (yes, that is the real name). Rates start at around $117 or 34,000 Hilton Honors points per night.
Though not technically a Universal property, the Hilton Los Angeles Universal City, is within walking distance of Universal Studios Hollywood and has rooms with spectacular park views. Rates start at $209 or 70,000 Hilton Honors points per night.
And, if you want to earn or redeem points near the Universal Kids Resort in Texas, check out the Courtyard by Marriott Dallas Frisco. It's only about a five-minute drive from the park. Rates here start at $148 or 14,800 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.
The cost of a Universal vacation (well, any vacation) can quickly surpass your budget if you aren’t careful. Leveraging points and miles to lessen the cash cost of your stay can make a big difference.
Beyond that, just having the right credit card in your wallet can make a difference when it comes to discounts and maximizing points for your next vacation. With each ice, cold Butterbeer costing about $8, you need all the help you can get.
