Heading to Universal for the first time! Looks like Universal is open until 1:00am on New Years Eve. Will it be crazy busy late night or a good time to get some rides in?
Also I’m finding the express pass thing so confusing! Could they really be an extra $159 per person each day??
Thanks for any tips or hints or might have!
Yes express passes can definitely be that price. They are more expensive during busy times. The high cost is one reason Liners advise staying onsite in one of the 3 deluxe hotels to get it included. But it’s probably too late to book a room now. I’m assuming you’re not already staying in one of those since you mention the cost.
No 
We had a ton of Hilton points so are staying at the Doubletree. I think we get early entry as it’s a partner hotel. I guess I need to decide which days to get express pass for… ( and I keep wanting to say Fastpasses!)
Early entry will help! Hopefully someone who has been there on NYE can give you more advice.
Welcome @magjoy
I wrote an article on Universal’s holiday offerings, check that out.
Second, you do not NEED ExpressPass like you NEED FastPass at Disney. It’s handy, for sure, and really does help make the vacation more relaxing. But if you arrive at least an hour early for opening, have a touring plan, and take breaks you can see a lot of the attractions even on a busy day like New Years Eve.