How to Visit Universal Studios and Epic Universe Using Points

A trip to Orlando, Florida, isn’t complete without a visit to Universal Studios—even for House of Mouse loyalists. And with Universal Orlando Resort having recently opened its newest park, Epic Universe, things just got a whole lot more awesome.

Just like with a trip to Disney World, it’s easy to think that a family holiday to Universal is designed to break the bank. When you add up the cost of flights, hotels, transportation, tickets and meals, it’s easy to throw in the towel altogether and wave goodbye to your chance to “ride the movies.”

However, with the help of credit card rewards, you can have your hotel and flights paid for entirely using points. Likewise, with a little points and miles hacking, you can offset the cost of Universal tickets using points. And for any remaining expenses you can’t fund with points, you can charge them to a credit card with a high baseline rewards rate, earning you thousands of additional points toward your next Universal vacation.

Here’s a full breakdown of how to visit Universal Orlando Resort, including Epic Universe, using points and miles.

Universal Orlando Resort: Overview

Universal Orlando Resort immerses you in the worlds of your favorite movies and movie characters with an array of attractions from family-friendly rides to adrenaline-pumping rollercoasters. Universal Orlando Resort spans across four parks, including the newly opened Epic Universe.

In Universal Studios Florida, you can dive head first into the action with attractions like Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, Revenge of the Mummy and Transformers: The Ride 3D.

In Islands of Adventure, you can expect high-speed thrills with rides such as the VelociCoaster, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure and The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man.

Over at Volcano Bay water park, you can escape the Floridian heat and cool off with the help of attractions, including the Ko’okiri Body Plunge, TeAwa The Fearless River and the Krakatau Aqua Coaster.

Last but far from least, Universal’s newest park—Epic Universe—offers a range of immersive worlds, including Super Nintendo World, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, Dark Universe and more in addition to cutting-edge attractions, such as Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge.

In short, there’s something for every movie fan, adults and kids alike.

Let’s now look at your options when it comes to buying tickets for Universal.

Universal Orlando Resort Ticket Types

When deciding on which type of ticket to buy, you’ll need to consider how long you’re planning to stay for as well as which parks you want to visit and whether you want the ability to visit multiple parks per day.

The cheapest tickets are one-park-per-day tickets that allow access to one of Universal’s four parks—Universal Studios Florida, Epic Universe, Islands of Adventure or Volcano Bay. The most expensive tickets are multiple-parks-per-day tickets that allow access to all four of Universal’s parks. Mid-range tickets offer one-park-per-day access but include all of Universal’s parks.

As of now, Epic Universe is available for tickets of two days or longer in duration only and allow for a maximum of one day in the park.

The longer your ticket duration, the lower the price per day will be. For example, a three-day ticket to all four parks costs $150.67 per adult per day while a five-day ticket to all four parks costs $104.40 per adult per day.

Similarly, Universal also offers annual passes, which can be a valuable investment if you plan on staying more than five days or if you visit Universal two or more times within a year.

Universal annual passes come with varying levels of yearly access—Seasonal, Power, Preferred and Premier—as well as with different parks and perks included. For instance, Premier Pass holders can enjoy discounts on dining and merchandise purchases in addition to a free ticket to annual Halloween Horror Nights.

You can find Seasonal annual passes for as low as $252.94 with 11 monthly payments of $23 each thereafter and Premier annual passes for as high as $1,094.99.

When deciding which type of ticket to get, consider how long you’re planning to stay, how you’ll break up your days schedule-wise and whether or not you’ll be visiting again within a year. Do the math and see which ticket option offers the most value at the lowest cost.

Best Times to Visit Universal Orlando Resort

Universal Studios welcomes an average of more than 20 million guests per year. Put simply, it’s a popular place where long queues and busy crowds are the norm.

If you’re tied by school schedules or strict vacation periods, there’s not much you can do to avoid the crowds. However, if you have flexibility in your schedule, you can minimize the amount of time spent queueing and maximize your time spent on rides by visiting Universal during an off-peak season.

For example, January, February and September tend to offer fewer crowds and lower prices. Likewise, certain weeks in the year, such as just before the holiday rush in December or just after Spring break, can offer fewer crowds.

Best Ways to Fly to Universal Orlando

If you don’t live within driving distance of Universal Orlando, you’ll need to fly to Orlando. Thankfully, there are a ton of affordable options when it comes to getting to Orlando and back on points.

For the cheapest airfare, you’re best off looking for fares with Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways. However, if you have a stash of miles or frequent-flyer status with Delta Air Lines, United Airlines or American Airlines, you’ll also be able to take advantage of these airlines when getting to Orlando.

Here are some of the best options for using points to get to Orlando and back.

Southwest Airlines

Southwest is one of your best options when flying to Orlando. Given that Orlando is one of Southwest’s hubs, it offers an expansive number of routes across the country, including both nonstop and connecting flights.

You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points and Bilt Points to Southwest Rapid Rewards points at 1:1 ratios. Similarly, if you’re equipped with a co-branded Southwest credit card, you’ll be able to earn Rapid Rewards points through the card’s welcome offer as well as on everyday spending.

One of the unique selling points of Southwest is its coveted Companion Pass. When you earn 135,000 Rapid Rewards within a calendar year, you’ll automatically receive a Southwest Companion Pass, valid for the remainder of the calendar year you earned it plus the following calendar year. So for those who play their Companion Pass strategy right and earn it in January, you could enjoy it for almost two years.

Equipped with a Companion Pass, you can fly your nominated companion with you for an unlimited number of times for just $5.60 in taxes and fees each way (on domestic U.S. routes). If you’re a family with two kids, it can be well worth it for each parent to earn a Companion Pass. This way, each parent can nominate one child as a companion, cutting your airfare costs by almost 50%.

When searching for flights with Southwest, you can take advantage of its Low Fare Calendar to find the cheapest fares. You don’t need an account to use the calendar and can search by the month. Southwest prices its fares dynamically, so you’ll always find the cheapest fares in periods of low demand.

For example, you could fly from New York-La Guardia (LGA) to Orlando (MCO) for just 5,000 Rapid Rewards points each way.

Similarly, a flight from Chicago-O’Hare (ORD) to Orlando could cost as few as 5,000 Rapid Rewards points each way.

You could also fly from Denver (DEN) to Orlando for just 6,000 Rapid Rewards points each way.

These are just a few examples of the rates you can expect to find when flying Southwest. If you’re bringing the whole family to Universal, flying Southwest can be particularly cost effective. In fact, you could easily fly a family of four or more to Orlando and back using the welcome offer of the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card.

JetBlue Airways

JetBlue is another low-cost carrier that offers affordable fares to Orlando. Just like with Southwest, Orlando is one of JetBlue’s hubs, offering an extensive number of routes across the country.

You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points, Chase Ultimate Rewards points and Citi ThankYou Points to JetBlue TrueBlue.

However, you’re best off sticking to Chase and Citi when it comes to point transfers to JetBlue. American Express charges an excise tax offset fee of $0.0006 cent per point transferred to domestic airlines.

You can use JetBlue’s Best Fare Finder to search for the cheapest award fares by the month. JetBlue uses dynamic pricing, so you’ll find the cheapest award fares during off-peak travel dates.

If you’re based in Boston (BOS), you could fly for around 7,700 TrueBlue points each way to Orlando.

Similarly, a flight from Newark, New Jersey (EWR), to Orlando costs around 4,900 TrueBlue points each way.

And if you’re based on the West Coast, you could hop aboard a flight to Orlando from Los Angeles (LAX) for just 9,800 TrueBlue points each way.

Just like with Southwest, these rates make JetBlue a convenient option for flying the whole family out to Universal and back without breaking the bank.

United Airlines

United is another solid option when it comes to getting to Orlando in style.

You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points and Bilt points to United MileagePlus at a 1:1 ratio.

Co-branded United cardholders can take advantage of special benefits when booking and flying with United. For example, holders of the New United Explorer℠ Card can enjoy priority boarding and a free first checked bag for themselves and up to one companion, saving up to $160 per round-trip journey. Similarly, if you hold the Explorer Card or any higher-tier co-branded United card, you’ll receive access to expanded Saver award availability when searching for United award flights.

This makes United perfect for couples, solo travelers and families alike, offering affordable award rates, free checked bags to eligible cardholders and other exclusive perks.

United’s search tool enables you to search for award fares by the month, making it easy to find the cheapest fares available. While United uses dynamic pricing for its award fares, you can still find Saver award fares through its search tool, ensuring you get the best rates.

For example, a Saver award economy fare from Newark to Orlando costs 9,100 miles while a first-class fare costs 31,900 miles each way.

Similarly, a flight from Houston-Bush Intercontinental (IAH) to Orlando costs 9,100 miles in economy each way or 30,000 miles in first class each way.

If you’re based on the West Coast, a flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Orlando would cost you just 15,000 miles in United economy each way or 61,300 miles in first class each way.

These affordable rates and options for first-class travel make United a solid choice for getting to Universal Orlando Resort from across the country.

Delta Air Lines

Delta has an expansive footprint in the United States, making it a great option for getting to Orlando. If you have flexibility with your dates, you can score yourself low-level award fares.

For instance, you could fly from Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) to Orlando for 13,000 Delta SkyMiles each way.

Similarly, you could fly from New York to Orlando for just 6,100 SkyMiles each way.

You could also fly from Seattle (SEA) to Orlando for as few as 9,900 SkyMiles each way.

While American Express is Delta’s only credit card transfer partner, you can take advantage of Delta’s membership in the SkyTeam alliance and book your Delta flights through Virgin Atlantic. You can transfer Bilt Points, Chase Ultimate Rewards points, Citi ThankYou Points and Capital One Miles to Virgin Atlantic, making it more accessible than the Delta SkyMiles program.

Likewise, you can sometimes find cheaper rates by booking your Delta flights through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. For example, a flight from Atlanta (ATL) to Orlando would cost you 8,500 SkyMiles booked directly through Delta or 7,500 Virgin points when booked through Virgin Atlantic.

Eligible co-branded Delta credit cardholders can also benefit from a range of perks when flying Delta, including priority boarding, a 15% discount on Delta award travel (when booked through Delta.com), an annual companion certificate and even complimentary Delta SkyClub access. Check out the best Delta credit cards to see which one fits your travel goals best.

Overall, flying Delta is guaranteed to get you to Orlando in style and at affordable rates.

American Airlines

If you have elite status with American Airlines or a stash of AAdvantage miles waiting to be used, you could fly with American to Orlando.

Award flights start at 7,500 miles per way for economy fares and 15,000 miles for business fares. You can search for award fares by the month, making it easy to find the cheapest fares out there.

You can earn AAdvantage miles by spending with a co-branded American Airlines credit card. Unfortunately, American Airlines doesn’t have any major credit card transfer partners.

If you’re booking during a period of peak travel, you can take advantage of American Airlines’ partnership in the Oneworld alliance and book your American Airlines-operated flights through Alaska Airlines MileagePlan instead.

Alaska uses a dynamic zone- and distance-based partner award chart to price its flights, with the following starting rates for American Airlines flights:

• Fewer than 700 miles: Economy fares starting at 4,500 miles per way and business fares starting at 9,000 miles per way
• 701 – 1,400 miles: Economy fares starting at 7,500 miles per way and business fares starting at 15,000 miles per way
• 1,401 – 2,100 miles: Economy fares starting at 12,500 miles per way and business fares starting at 25,000 miles per way
• 2,101 – 4,000 miles: Economy fares starting at 17,500 miles per way and business fares starting at 35,000 miles per way

If you’re based on the West Coast, you may already have a stash of Alaska MileagePlan miles. Otherwise, you can transfer Bilt points to Alaska at a ratio of 1:1.

While Alaska’s partner award pricing is still affected by dynamic pricing, you can sometimes find cheaper fares than you would when booking directly with American Airlines. Similarly, nonstop flights operated by American Airlines can often be cheaper to book through Alaska while connecting flights are typically cheaper when booked directly.

For example, a connecting flight from New York to Orlando could cost as few as 5,000 AAdvantage miles per way while a nonstop flight costs 9,000 miles per way.

If you booked the same nonstop flight through Alaska Airlines MileagePlan, it would cost you just 7,500 miles each way.

The savings can be even greater depending on your departure city.

For example, you could book a nonstop flight from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Orlando for 15,000 miles in main cabin or 31,000 miles in first class each way.

That same flight booked through Alaska Airlines would cost you just 7,500 miles in main cabin or 15,000 miles in first class.

So if you’re considering flying American to Orlando, be sure to check the rates through Alaska Airlines MileagePlan to help you secure the lowest-priced award fares.

On-Site Universal Orlando Resort Hotels: Options and Benefits

Universal Orlando Resort boasts a total of 11 official hotels. Six of them are spread out between Universal Studios Florida, Volcano Bay and Islands of Adventure while three are to be found in and around Epic Universe. The remaining two are located on the other side of Interstate-4, just outside of Universal Studios.

Unfortunately, Universal’s hotels don’t belong to any major hotel chain, meaning you can’t transfer points to a loyalty program to book them. However, some of these hotels are bookable through certain bank travel portals, enabling you to either earn or redeem points on your hotel stay.

Likewise, holders of The Platinum Card® from American Express (see rates and fees) or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (see rates and fees) can book the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort hotel through the Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts program. This way, you can unlock a range of benefits, including a full daily breakfast for two, late 4 p.m. checkout, a $100 property credit and other exclusive perks.

Here’s an overview of Universal’s 11 hotels, listed from highest to lowest price category:

Value and Prime Value hotels have rates similar to other non-Universal hotels in Orlando while Signature Collection properties charge significantly more. However, Signature Collection properties boast a solid list of perks, making them well worth the extra premium in many cases.

Arguably, the most significant perk of staying at any of Universal’s hotels is Early Park Admission privileges.

As a Universal hotel guest, you can enter Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure, Volcano Bay and Epic Universe up to one hour before the parks open to the general public. That translates into huge time savings when it comes to hitting headline attractions like Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure or VelociCoaster.

The specific parks and attractions available for Early Park Admission can vary daily based on operational considerations, but you can expect to get anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour’s worth of early access privileges.

Similarly, all Universal Orlando Resort hotels offer complimentary transportation to the parks—whether by shuttle, water taxi or dedicated walking paths. If you’re staying at Premier and Preferred hotels, such as Loews Royal Pacific or Sapphire Falls, you can be at the park gates in under 10 minutes. Compare that to the time and cost of driving in from an off-site hotel—in addition to daily parking fees—and the convenience becomes a real benefit.

Likewise, if you stay at one of Universal’s three Premier hotels—either Loews Portofino Bay, Hard Rock Hotel or Loews Royal Pacific—you’ll receive complimentary Universal Express Unlimited passes.

These passes are valued anywhere between $119.99 and $319.99 per person per day, depending on the season, and allow you to skip the standard lines at most attractions in Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. If you’re going during peak seasons or have limited time, this perk and the savings alone can justify forgoing an award stay elsewhere.

If you’re staying at Premier Universal hotels, you’ll enjoy complimentary priority seating at select restaurants throughout Universal Orlando Resort. This can save you significant amounts of time, particularly during peak dining hours when wait times at CityWalk or inside the parks can push well more than an hour.

Additionally, most Universal hotels feature character appearances, offering meet-and-greets with your little ones’ favorite characters.

One of the more practical conveniences is complimentary merchandise delivery, allowing you to shop in the parks and have your items sent directly to your hotel room. Universal also makes it easy to handle ticketing logistics with guest services desks and ticket kiosks located in its hotels’ lobbies. Need to upgrade your pass or troubleshoot the app? You can take care of it before breakfast, saving you time and effort.

As a Universal hotel guest, you’re also allowed to pool-hop between most on-site hotels, unlocking access to a wider range of resort amenities. If you’ve had enough of the rides, you could spend your morning on the water slides at Cabana Bay and your afternoon lounging at the quiet villa-style pool at Portofino Bay.

Some properties, particularly in the Premier category, also offer room service or in-room delivery from select CityWalk restaurants, allowing you to dine from the comfort of your own room (or even bed).

Best Places to Stay Near Universal Studios on Points

Universal hotels have a lot to offer and can be a solid choice, depending on your goals for the parks. If you want to enjoy as much of the parks as possible, reduce the time spent waiting in lines and immerse yourself in the full magic of Universal, staying in an official Universal hotel is the way to go.

And if you can book your hotel stay through your credit card issuer’s travel portal, you’ll be able to earn or redeem points for your stay.

However, if you want to leverage elite status benefits with mainstream hotel chains or redeem hotel points and credit card points for a higher value than that offered through your card issuer’s portal, then you’ll likely want to stay at an off-site property. Luckily, many hotels near Universal are Universal Partner hotels, unlocking benefits including free shuttle transportation to and from Universal—that means you can ditch the rental car and say goodbye to exorbitant daily parking fees.

While there are many great hotels to choose from around Universal, here are some of the best hotels near Universal Studios that you can book using points. We’ve selected these hotels based on their balance between comfort, location, price and perks.

Hyatt Place Across From Universal Orlando Resort and Hyatt House Across From Universal Orlando Resort

Both the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House Across From Universal Orlando Resort offer comfortable amenities combined with convenient locations.

Both hotels are situated next to one another and are about a 15-minute walk from Universal Studios. As they’re both Universal Partner hotels, you can take advantage of free shuttle transportation to Universal parks.

You can also take advantage of a free daily breakfast, ensuring your fit for a day in the parks. And if you’ve grown weary of the rides and many attractions, you can chill by the pool or break a sweat in the gym.

The Hyatt Place Across From Universal Orlando Resort is a Category 2 hotel with nightly rates for a standard room starting at 6,500 points on off-peak dates, 8,000 points during standard season and 9,500 points during peak season.

The Hyatt House Across From Universal Orlando Resort is a Category 3 hotel with nightly rates for a standard room starting at 9,000 points on off-peak dates, 12,000 points during standard season and 15,000 points during peak season.

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando

The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando is situated just a short walk away from Universal Orlando Resort.

The resort offers multiple dining options, from an American grill to its very own Starbucks, ensuring you never leave hungry (or decaffeinated) for a day at Universal. It also includes a pool, fitness center, complimentary Wi-Fi and a shuttle service to Universal, Sea World, Wet ’n Wild and Aquatica.

Hilton prices its award nights dynamically, so rates will vary depending on when you visit Universal. For the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando, award nights start at 31,000 points per night for a standard room but can easily go up to 50,000 points per night.

Hilton also offers every fifth consecutive night free on award stays of up to 20 nights for elite members. You’ll need to have at least Hilton Honors Silver status to enjoy this benefit, which you can get by holding the right credit card or by staying 10 or more nights per year with Hilton. This way, you can make your Universal Orlando vacation both cheaper and longer.

Overall, the DoubleTree is a solid budget-friendly choice for a trip to Universal Studios Orlando.

Hotel Landy Orlando Universal Blvd., a Tribute Portfolio Hotel

Hotel Landy Orlando Universal Blvd., a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, is part of the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio and offers a luxurious stay for Universal fans.

As a Universal Partner hotel, it offers complimentary access to a free shuttle service to all Universal parks, including Epic Universe.

You’ll never go hungry here with multiple dining options to choose from, including Émilie Bar + Lounge, Liquid Sunshine and Orly’s Market. Likewise, with its own pool complete with poolside cabanas, lawn games, a fitness center and games room, there’s something for everyone at Hotel Landy.

Marriott Bonvoy prices its award nights dynamically with award stays at Hotel Landy Orlando Universal Blvd., a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, starting at 22,000 points per night. Nightly rates can go as high as 43,000 points per night at this property but tend to stay between 22,000 and 30,000 points, making it an affordable option for longer stays.

You can take advantage of Marriott’s “Stay for 5, Pay for 4” policy, enabling you to get the night requiring the lowest number of points for free on award stays of five nights or more.

Holiday Inn & Suites Across From Universal Orlando

The Holiday Inn & Suites Across From Universal Orlando offers affordability and convenience, being situated just a 15-minute walk away from Universal Studios and CityWalk park.

This Holiday Inn offers a bunch of amenities, including a fitness center and pool. It also has its own on-site TGI Fridays where kids 11 and under eat for free, which offers significant savings for families.

It’s also a Universal Partner Hotel, so you can take advantage of the Holiday Inn’s complimentary shuttle service to Universal Studios.

Just like Hilton and Marriott, IHG prices award stays dynamically with nightly rates starting at 11,000 points for the Holiday Inn & Suites Across From Universal Orlando. During periods of peak demand, rates can go up to 24,000 points per night, making this an affordable and family-friendly property, particularly for longer stays.

IHG also takes it up a notch by offering eligible IHG co-branded credit card holders every fourth night free on consecutive award stays. That makes this Holiday Inn even more affordable for longer stays.

The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes

For those looking to combine the family fun of Universal with a luxurious hotel getaway—all while being paid for using points—The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, offers exactly what you’re looking for.

This property is set on 500 verdant acres at the headwaters of the Florida Everglades and plays home to a 582-room Ritz-Carlton, a 1,010-room JW Marriott hotel and a 40,000-square-foot Ritz-Carlton spa.

You can choose from standard rooms and suites to luxury residences accommodating up to 10 guests. In addition to three on-site pools including an adult-only lap pool, a waterpark, a full service spa with 40 treatment rooms and a fitness center, you can partake in a number of other activities, including kayaking, Everglade wildlife safaris, golf, archery and even falconry.

Similarly, you’ll be spoilt for dining options with 13 to choose from, including a Michelin-recommended steak house, authentic Southern fare and cocktails, and farm-to-table cuisine.

The resort also offers exclusive deals and packages for Universal visitors with free shuttle transportation, daily park credits and more.

Award rates here start at 61,000 points per night and can easily reach up to 98,000 points per night during peak travel seasons. If you stay for five nights, you can take advantage of Marriott’s fifth-night-free policy to score yourself a free night at the Ritz-Carlton—a particularly lucrative deal during peak travel seasons.

How to Pay for Universal Studios and Epic Universe Tickets with Points

Covering your flights to and lodging in Orlando with points takes a significant strain off your bank balance. If you want to reduce that strain even further, there are a few ways you can use transferable credit card points to cover the cost of Universal Studio theme park tickets.

While it’s not the best use of your points in terms of redemption value, it can still save you out-of-pocket costs.

Here’s an overview of your options.

Citi ThankYou Points

The Citi Travel portal enables you to buy Universal Orlando tickets at a rate of 1 cent per 1 Citi ThankYou Rewards point. This is a solid option when it comes to using your points to offset the cost of Universal tickets.

However, if you’re not against paying cash for your Universal tickets, an even better option would be to cover the cost of tickets using the Citi Strata Premier® Card. The Strata Premier earns a whopping 10X points per dollar spent on attractions booked through Citi Travel, meaning $2,000 spent on tickets would earn you 20,000 Citi ThankYou Points—worth at least $200 or more, depending on how you redeem them.

Not to mention, the card also earns 10X points per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Citi Travel, making it a powerhouse when it comes to funding your holiday to Universal Orlando and earning a return on your spending.

Bilt Points

The Bilt Mastercard® (rates & fees) isn’t just good for paying rent. You can purchase Universal Orlando tickets through the Bilt Travel Portal and cover the purchase using your Bilt Points at a rate of 1.25 cents apiece. So, each $100 spent would require 8,000 Bilt points.

If you’ve got a stash of Bilt points in the bank, put those monthly rental payment-earnings toward a good cause—like a Universal Orlando vacation. Note that Universal tickets are not always available through the portal, availability can vary.

Capital One Miles

While you can’t buy Universal tickets directly using Capital One Miles, you can still cover the purchase using your miles. Capital One Miles can be redeemed for 1 cent apiece toward travel purchases within 90 days of the purchase.

That means you can pay for your Universal tickets with an eligible Capital One credit card and redeem your miles to offset the cost of the tickets. While the miles you earn on the tickets won’t be enough to offset their cost entirely, you might be able to offset the entire cost if you have Capital One Miles left over from a welcome bonus.

Keep in mind that the purchase needs to code as “travel” for you to be able to redeem your Capital One Miles. Tickets bought directly through Universal Studios typically code as “entertainment,” meaning you’re better off booking through an online travel agency or third-party service, such as Undercover Tourist. This way, your ticket purchase will code as “travel” and you’ll be able to redeem your miles to offset the cost.

Chase Travel℠

Chase Travel℠ is your best friend when it comes to buying Universal tickets using points.

You can easily use your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to pay for Universal park tickets through Chase Travel℠. You can find Universal tickets by navigating to the “Activities” section of Chase Travel℠ and inputting Orlando as your destination.

If you hold the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you can redeem your points for 1.25 cents apiece through Chase Travel℠ toward your Universal tickets. If you’re a Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholder, you can redeem your points for 1.5 cents apiece through Chase Travel℠, making it even more lucrative to buy your Universal tickets with points.

Depending on which card you hold, you would need between 6,666 and 8,000 Ultimate Rewards points to offset each $100 spent on Universal tickets.

American Express Membership Rewards

While you won’t find Universal Studios tickets for sale through American Express Travel®, there’s an easy workaround that enables you to use your Membership Rewards points to cover the cost of tickets.

American Express partners with PayPal, allowing you to earn and redeem Membership Rewards points with any merchant that accepts PayPal. You’ll need to link your American Express credit card to your PayPal account and select Pay with Rewards at the online checkout. Note that not all Amex cards are eligible and Pay with Points must be enabled.

Luckily, Universal accepts PayPal as a method of payment, meaning you can use your Membership Rewards points to cover your ticket purchase. An even better option is to buy discounted Universal tickets through Undercover Tourist, which also accepts PayPal. This way, you can pay with your Membership Rewards points while saving hundreds of points on discounted tickets.

The only downside to this method is that you’ll get a value of about 0.7 cent per point. So unless you’re flush with Amex points, you’d be better off paying with a different rewards currency. That said, compared to redeeming your Amex points as a statement credit toward your balance, which offers an even worse rate of 0.6 cent per point, covering PayPal charges is slightly more lucrative.

How to Maximize Your Points at Universal Studios

No matter how hard you try, you can’t use points for everything, and a trip to Universal Studios entails some additional expenses that you’ll need to pay for upfront.

However, if you charge these expenses to the right credit card, you can earn a competitive return on your spending. Because theme park purchases are sometimes coded as “entertainment,” which isn’t a common bonus spending category, you’ll want to use a card with a high baseline rewards rate.

For instance, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® earns a baseline rewards rate of 1.5% cash back. If you also hold the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you can transfer your Freedom Unlimited earnings to one of the aforementioned card accounts, opening up your ability to transfer them onward to Chase’s full list of 14 airline and hotel transfer partners.

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is another solid choice for miscellaneous expenses, earning 2X points on all non-bonus category purchases. For an annual fee of $95, you can rack up thousands of points on your spending at Universal, which you can then transfer to any of Capital One’s 15+ transfer partners for lucrative award travel redemptions.

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (see rates and fees) also offers a strong earning rate of 2X points per dollar spent on up to $50,000 in spending per calendar year (1X points thereafter). For a $0 annual fee (see rates and fees), this card offers an unmatched combination of a high baseline rewards rate, lucrative transfer partners and low fees.

Admittedly, not all of your spending will take place within the parks. It’s likely that you may spend a few nights at off-site restaurants, whether it’s a local hibachi restaurant, a Floridian surf-and-turf diner or a trip to IHOP. In that case, a strong dining card, such as the American Express® Gold Card (see rates and fees) will be your best bet for maximizing the return on your spending. This way, you can earn 4X points on up to $50,000 spent at restaurants, including on takeout and delivery (and then 1X points thereafter).

By charging the inevitable extra costs of a Universal trip to the right credit card, you can make lemonade out of lemons and score yourself thousands of extra points in the process.

Final Thoughts

Everyone deserves to experience the magic of a Universal Studios vacation. Whether it’s a trip on the Hogwarts Express, first contact with E.T., adrenaline-filled Jurassic Park adventures or a day spent racing with Mario Kart, Universal offers adults and kids alike the chance to immerse themselves in the world of movies and videogames.

If you strategize correctly, you can cover more than half the cost of your Universal vacation, including flights, hotels and even the cost of tickets, using points. And for the money you do have to fork out, you can charge this spending to a credit card with a competitive baseline rewards rate, ensuring you earn a valuable return on your expenditure.

To learn how to earn thousands of points on your everyday spending and make your dreams of points-funded travel a reality, sign up to the free 10xTravel course today.