Epic Universe, one of the most immersive and exciting theme parks ever created, is now open — but for guests with certain disabilities or special needs. Navigating a busy park day can be overwhelming, and possibly dangerous. Thankfully, Universal Orlando Resort offers the Attraction Assistance Pass (AAP) to help make the experience smoother and more inclusive for everyone in your group. We don’t mind sharing our journey, so I’ll let you know - my son has epilepsy and with that, certain factors inside the park could be a trigger for seizures. As with most parents and caregivers, we try to avoid things that could cause issues, but we still want him to have the same exciting experience that Epic was made for and with the AAP, we can help make that happen.
We recently returned from a Universal Orlando trip, where we utilized the Attraction Assistance Pass for my son. The AAP is designed for guests who cannot wait in traditional queues due to a disability. Rather than standing in a physical line, the pass allows you to receive a return time for attractions — so you and your party can rest, explore, or enjoy other areas of the park while you “wait.” There are two ways to obtain the pass - ahead of time, or in-person when you arrive at the park. Pre-registering and applying before you arrive is the preferred method, so you aren’t using precious park time. The process starts by applying for an IBCCES Accessibility Card (IAC). During the application process, you do need to provide detailed information as to why you are registering for the card. This can be done starting 30 days ahead of time or at least 48 hours before your visit. We applied online about 3 weeks before our trip. His IAC was approved quickly via email which also provided information for the next step. A few days before your planned travel date, you will receive a phone call from a Universal Orlando Team Member to discuss appropriate accommodations for the cardholders’ visit. *It is important to note that getting the IAC approved DOES NOT guarantee a Guest will receive an Attractions Assistance Pass. Universal Orlando will determine the appropriate queue accommodations based on the cardholder’s specific needs. In our case, my son was approved, and we again received an email with instructions about how to pick the card up once we arrived. The pass typically covers the guest and up to five companions, who will need to be named, for purposes of going through the lines. Your paper AAP needs to be picked up from a Guest Services location at one of the theme parks. They will scan each person’s ticket in the party which will attach to a bar code on the AAP.
All the pre-planning is now complete, and it is time to enjoy your day at Universal, so what’s next? To use the pass, go to the entrance of the ride or to a designated AAP kiosk. A team member will check the current wait time for the attraction and write down a return time, based on that wait, on your AAP, this is similar to a virtual queue. For example, if the ride has a 60-minute wait, they’ll tell you to return in 60 minutes. During that time, you can grab a snack, visit a quiet area, enjoy a show, or explore a nearby attraction. You can only hold one return time at a time, but once you’ve used it, you can move on to the next attraction and request another. When your return time arrives, go back to the ride entrance. You’ll enter through an alternate entrance, usually the Express Pass or ADA entrance, and wait a much shorter time to board.
Everyone’s needs will be different, but for my son, using the AAP during our day at Epic Universe made his experience much better. The ability to quickly walk through the ride queues was very helpful in one situation in particular. This was the first time I truly started to worry about the possibility of a triggered seizure in the park. Multiple strobe lights come from several different directions and are constant while walking or standing in the ride queue. Thankfully, we were able to quickly pass that location without any issues, but this was a prime example as to why the AAP can be a very important tool for certain individuals. We had nothing but a positive experience utilizing the Attraction Assistance Pass and with all the Team Members who assisted us in making our day EPIC!
