Universal Orlando Resort just made a move that longtime theme park fans are going to recognize immediately—and yes, it feels very familiar.After years of sticking to its own Express Pass system, Universal is now stepping into territory that Disney has been refining for a while. The result? A brand-new offering that looks and feels a lot like a Lightning Lane Single Pass, but with a Universal twist.It’s not a full copy. Not even close. But it’s clear what direction this is heading in.Credit: Lee, FlickrA New Kind of Express Pass ArrivesUniversal has officially introduced something called Universal Express Now, a new option that allows guests to skip the line for a single attraction during a designated return window.If that sounds familiar, it should.Disney guests have been using Lightning Lane Single Pass to do essentially the same thing—paying for access to individual rides without waiting in the standby queue. Now, Universal is testing a similar concept inside its own parks.But here’s where things start to feel different.Unlike Disney’s system, which allows guests to plan ahead and secure ride times before they even enter the park, Universal is keeping things much tighter and more spontaneous.How Universal Express Now WorksRight now, Universal Express Now is designed to be same-day, in-park purchase only.That means:You can’t buy it in advanceYou must already be inside the parkAvailability is limited and can change throughout the dayGuests open the Universal Orlando app, choose from participating attractions, and receive a return window to use the Express queue. It’s simple on the surface, but there’s a catch—availability isn’t guaranteed.In fact, it’s being rolled out in a much more controlled way than anything Disney has done with Lightning Lane.Access is based on capacity and wait times, meaning rides may offer Express Now passes sporadically rather than consistently throughout the day.So while Disney’s system is built around planning, Universal’s version leans heavily into real-time decision-making.It’s More Restrictive—By DesignIf you’re expecting this to fully replace Universal’s traditional Express Pass, that’s not happening.At least not yet.Universal Express Now is clearly being positioned as a supplement, not a replacement. The standard Express Pass and Express Unlimited options are still available, giving guests the ability to skip multiple lines throughout the day.This new system is more targeted. More limited. And honestly, more experimental.There are a few key restrictions that stand out:Only one attraction per purchaseA specific return window must be usedAvailability can disappear quicklyAttractions can be added or removed at any timeAnd if a ride goes down during your return window, Universal may extend your access through the rest of the day, which is a nice built-in safety net.Still, this is not the kind of system you can build your entire day around.Credit: UniversalA Familiar Strategy—With a Universal SpinIf you’ve been covering theme parks for a while, this move feels inevitable.Disney has leaned hard into paid line-skipping options over the past few years, and whether fans love it or hate it, it’s changed how people tour the parks. Lightning Lane Single Pass, in particular, gave Disney a way to monetize its most popular attractions individually.Universal has largely resisted that level of granularity—until now.This is the first real sign that Universal is exploring a similar path.But instead of jumping all the way in, they’re easing into it.During earlier tests, this concept appeared at attractions like Revenge of the Mummy and Skull Island: Reign of Kong, with pricing hovering around the mid-$20 range per ride.Now, it’s expanding.And that matters.What This Means for Guests in 2026For guests visiting Universal Orlando in 2026, this introduces a completely new layer of strategy.You’re no longer just deciding whether to buy Express Pass or not. Now, you may find yourself making real-time decisions throughout the day:Is this ride worth paying for right now?Will availability disappear if I wait?Should I save this for later?It creates a more dynamic park experience—but also a more complicated one.And that’s where comparisons to Disney really start to come into focus.Disney’s system can feel overwhelming because of how much planning it requires. Universal’s version flips that idea. Instead of planning ahead, you’re reacting in the moment.Both approaches have pros and cons.The Bigger Picture: Epic Universe and BeyondThis move also comes at a very interesting time.With Epic Universe now open and drawing massive crowds, Universal is under more pressure than ever to manage wait times across all three parks. A system like Express Now gives them another tool to control flow without overhauling their entire line-skipping model overnight.It also opens the door to something bigger.If this system proves successful, it’s not hard to imagine Universal expanding it:More attractions participating regularlyWider availability windowsPotential pre-arrival purchasing down the lineRight now, it’s a test.But it doesn’t feel like a small one.Credit: UniversalIs This the Future of Universal’s Line-Skipping?That’s the big question.Universal Express Now isn’t a full Lightning Lane clone—but it’s the closest the company has come to adopting that style of system.It’s more limited. More unpredictable. And in some ways, more guest-friendly because it avoids heavy pre-planning.At the same time, it introduces a new pay-to-skip dynamic that will definitely get people talking.For fans, this is one of those moments where you can see the industry shifting in real time.Disney changed the game.Now Universal is starting to respond—on its own terms.And if this rollout continues to expand, this may only be the beginning of a much bigger transformation across Universal Orlando Resort.The post Universal Orlando Confirms Launch of Disney-Style Lightning Lane System appeared first on Inside the Magic.