Universal Orlando’s new Epic Universe opened in May 2025 to massive crowds and rave reviews. But while Epic Universe is a must-visit destination for families and thrill seekers alike, the premium theme park experience also comes with a premium price tag.
Thankfully, with a combination of credit card rewards, cash back, and a bit of points strategy, my family turned a multigenerational Universal Orlando trip into a luxury vacation. And we did it all without overspending our travel budget.
Here’s how my family used credit card rewards to enjoy a luxury vacation to Universal Epic Universe for less, and how you can do the same.
Why Epic Universe is worth the hype
Universal’s Epic Universe is easily one of the most anticipated theme parks to open in years. On our recent multigenerational trip to the new park, we found plenty of thrill rides, interactive attractions, shows, and characters to keep everyone entertained—from preschoolers and teens to parents and grandparents.
Some of the park’s highlights include:
- Super Nintendo World: From the interactive Power-Up Bands to the innovative Mario Kart ride and whimsical Toadstool Cafe, this land was our family’s favorite.
- The Wizarding World of Harry Potter—Ministry of Magic: As huge Harry Potter fans, our only regret here was not having more time to explore. In my opinion, Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry is the most impressive ride at any Universal theme park.
- How to Train Your Dragon—Isle of Berk: This world is full of family-friendly Viking fun, including multiple rides my preschooler could enjoy and a chance to meet our favorite dragon, Toothless.
- Dark Universe: This eerie yet beautiful land featured several stand-out attractions and surprisingly delicious treats.
- Celestial Park: The park’s central hub offered shopping, dining, a stunning carousel, and a roller coaster that my teens wanted to ride again and again.
Our family was fortunate enough to visit Epic Universe during its opening month (and during the summer peak season). Lines were long, but Express Passes helped maximize our time. And, thankfully, our credit card rewards strategy helped us accomplish this goal without blowing our budget.
Our Epic Universe credit card strategy
Long before I booked our Universal Orlando trip, I mapped out which rewards currencies would work best for our summer vacation. As a travel rewards enthusiast, I aim to maximize the points, miles, and cash back I earn throughout the year and redeem them for travel whenever possible.
For our Universal Orlando trip, my go-to rewards credit cards were as follows:
- card_name: This card was key to helping me earn Ultimate Rewards® Points and unlock premium travel perks.
- card_name: As a small business owner, this card offers me 5% cash back at office supply stores, on internet, and phone services (on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year). And because I hold the Sapphire Reserve, I can transfer rewards to Ultimate Rewards Points for more redemption options.
- card_name: For purchases that don’t fit into any of the bonus categories I’m earning on the cards above or my other premium credit cards, my Citi Double Cash® Card earns 2% cash back—1% when I buy and 1% when I pay for my purchases (on time). I later cashed out rewards to help cover extra travel expenses like meals, souvenirs, and more.
By using a mix of these cards and maximizing bonus category spending throughout the year, we racked up enough points and cash back rewards to offset thousands in travel expenses.
Hotel: Staying at a luxury resort for less
Universal Orlando Resort has some fantastic hotels you can book using credit card rewards. For reservations at Universal’s on-site hotels, you can use:
- Chase Ultimate Rewards (through the Chase Travel portal).
- American Express Membership Rewards points (through the American Express Travel portal).
- Citi ThankYou® Points (through the Citi Travel portal). Citi is a CardRatings advertiser.
- Capital One miles (using a statement credit to cover the charge).
Three of Universal’s Signature Collection hotels—Loews Royal Pacific, Loews Portofino Bay, and the Hard Rock Hotel—include a Universal Express Unlimited Pass with your stay (valid for Universal Studios and Universal Islands of Adventure only, not Epic Universe).
For this trip, I opted to book with a Chase Travel partner. I transferred 120,000 Chase Ultimate Reward points to Hyatt (15,000 per night) for an 8-night stay at the Hyatt Grand Cypress Resort in Orlando—a beautiful property outside the parks. The family-friendly resort had everything we needed for a relaxing vacation, including a stunning lagoon pool, water sports, a private beach, a shuttle to nearby theme parks, and fireworks views from our room.
The cash price of the hotel stay would have cost $2,529. So, at 15,000 points per night, my redemption value was 2.1 cents per point, which is a solid value.
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Park tickets and Express Pass
Unfortunately, you can’t book Universal tickets directly with credit card rewards. But there are several flexible ways to reduce ticket costs, including:
- Redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards through the Chase Travel portal for tickets (based upon availability).
- Redeem Citi ThankYou Reward points through the Citi Travel portal for tickets.
- Leverage Capital One miles with eligible third-party ticket sellers, like Undercover Tourist, then apply a statement credit within 90 days to cover the charge.
We visited all three Universal Orlando theme parks, including Epic Universe, and CityWalk while on vacation. Plus, we enjoyed some much-needed resort downtime. While I didn’t use points to cover the cost of all of our tickets, I did cash in on some Chase Ultimate Rewards points to help reduce travel expenses here.
I redeemed 27,690 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per person (138,450 total) for our 3-Park, 2-Day Park-to-Park tickets. The redemption value (1.5 cents) was decent, but not great. There are certainly more valuable ways to redeem points. But I was quite happy with the nearly $2,100 savings, all the same, because it made a big dent in our vacation costs.
Dining and extras: Maximizing rewards while on vacation
Our family loves trying new restaurants and snacks, especially with fun themes. And Epic Universe had no shortage of tasty eats to please our entire group (including the picky preschooler and trend-savvy teens).
Here’s how we saved and earned rewards:
- Used card_name to earn 3X points on dining
- Redeemed card_name cash back rewards prior to the trip to help cover meals, treats, and extra purchases inside the park—like Butterbeers and Nintendo Power-Up Bands
Also, when we were outside of the theme parks, I managed to snag a Chase Offer that saved us $50 on a Universal-area restaurant. And while I didn’t take advantage of it on this trip, there were other opportunities through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel portal to redeem points for fun attractions like dinner shows, tours, and more.
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Can you do this too? A family-friendly guide to planning
If you want to splurge on an Epic Universe vacation without overspending, the right rewards credit cards could make a big difference. Below are tips that could help.
1. Start earning points early. Cards like the card_name and the card_name make it easy to rack up points on everyday spending. If you’re like me and don’t mind paying a higher annual fee for premium credit card rewards and perks, you can also consider cards like the card_name or the card_name. American Express is a CardRatings advertiser.
2. Be strategic with rewards transfers. Chase’s partnership with Hyatt offers solid redemption value. But you can find great transfer opportunities with other Chase, American Express, Citi, Capital One, Wells Fargo, and Bilt Rewards travel partners with a little research. Transferring points and miles to travel partners can be one of the most effective ways to maximize credit card rewards.
3. Look for deals. Whether you need to book flights, hotels, or theme park tickets, watch for deals in your credit card travel portal of choice. The earlier you start price shopping, the better.
4. Consider a new credit card. A generous welcome bonus could provide the extra points and miles you need to help offset costs for your upcoming vacation. Just make sure you choose a card that makes sense for your credit profile and spending habits. You should also be careful to select a welcome bonus spending requirement you can easily meet based on planned upcoming purchases.
Final thoughts
Our Epic Universe vacation was everything we hoped it would be—exciting and full of unforgettable moments. And because we paired points and cash back with smart credit card strategies, we turned a multigenerational family trip into a luxury vacation that felt even more rewarding.
With careful planning, you can enjoy all the magic Universal Orlando Resort has to offer, including Epic Universe, while keeping your budget in check. Whether you’re booking hotels, flights, buying tickets, or covering extra splurges, credit card rewards can help make a family theme park vacation even more memorable and affordable.
