Passholder Appreciation has come a little early this year at Universal Orlando Resort! In addition to our typical Passholder Appreciation Month, Universal has decided to share the love a little more with this month’s event, granting Passholders of all tiers some extra “bonus benefits” that are the perfect way to kick off the new year!
Throughout January, guests who hold an Universal Orlando Annual Pass are able to find deals, discounts, and exclusive buys at Universal Orlando Resort as an extra thank you for being an Annual Passholder!
In addition to deals like saving 40% on rooms at select Universal Hotels, or 35% off the new “My Universal Photos” annual package, guests can also enjoy exclusive dining experiences, food and beverage items, and unique Passholder merch and freebies that await you at the park!
While many guests may be familiar with Confisco’s Grille at Islands of Adventure, fewer are familiar with the Navigator’s Club, an exclusive upstairs patio dining area that Passholders will have access to throughout January. This dining space, while functionally the same as the lower-level dining within Confisco’s Grille, offers incredible views of the theme park’s skyline and a unique old-world decor that is sure to make you feel like an adventurer!
However, this exclusive space isn’t the only perk that Passholders can find at Confisco’s! This month, the Port of Entry restaurant will also be serving exclusive menu items that Passholders can purchase, not listed on the standard menu.
At Confisco’s the item this month is the Wagyu Beef Sliders. These sliders are made with coffee bacon jam, aged cheddar cheese, hot honey mayonnaise, arugula, and crispy onions served on a pretzel bun.
Exclusive Passholder menu items are also found throughout Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and CityWalk – like the new Peanut Butter Explosion at The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen – a decadent mixture of chocolate ice cream, peanut butter, and chocolate sauce with chocolate whipped cream, Reese’s Pieces, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and chocolate peanut butter pie. (Contains nuts.)
If you’re looking for a new dessert at Toothsome, but a peanut-related trip to the ER isn’t on your 2025 bingo card, you could try the Crème Brûlée, served on French toast with vanilla maple syrup and Grand Marnier macerated berries – also a new, Passholder-exclusive food item for this month!
Or, for those who prefer savory over sweet, check out the new Seafood Risotto at Lombard’s Seafood Grille – lobster, clams, mussels, shrimp and crème fraîche finished with parsley oil.
New offerings can be found at the NBC Sports Grille, as well, with the Grand Slam Burger – a patty burger topped with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, BBQ ranch and onion rings, served on a brioche bun.
Once you’re done with all that, you can head over to the Croissant Moon Bakery in Port of Entry for the S’mores Croffle Sundae. This sundae is made with vanilla ice cream, toasted marshmallow topping, chocolate and caramel syrups, and graham cracker crumbles all served in a croissant waffle (the ‘croffle’ part!) with Hershey’s chocolate.
And last but not least, with locations all across park property, guests can find the new Vanilla Frosted Brew as their exclusive Passholder menu item this month – a Vanilla Frosted Brew, available in three sizes.
And perhaps the most exciting part of this year’s offerings is the brand new Passholder Lanyard being given out at the parks as this month’s freebie! This lanyard can be found either at the UOAP Lounge in Toon Lagoon at Islands of Adventure OR at The Tonight Shop – the giftshop of Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon – at Universal Studios Florida.
Plenty of Passholders this month have already made that mistake – myself included! – since Passholder freebies are usually given at the Five and Dime on Hollywood. Head over to The Tonight Shop with your Universal Orlando Resort Annual Pass to pick up your lanyard! It’s one per person per pass, and the Passholder does have to be there to pick it up!
All of these offerings are available until January 31st, so hit the parks and see what kind of special exclusives you can get as part of your Passholder Bonus Benefits, and start 2025 off right!
