The world of theme parks has been in flux for some time. We have seen rapids response to virus conditions. We have seen changes made during this time in which some are good, and some are questionable. Often new policies are put in place but then not enforced or vary from official policy. Universal Orlando Resort is excellent at changing policies for the sake of the customer. However, this can be stressful for guests (and theme park writers) to keep straight. So today, we have four updates regarding Universal Orlando refill programs.
There has been a slight increase overall in freestyle cups. The fee to recharge a freestyle cup is now $10.99 for use for an entire day. This is an increase of $1 but it is still la good deal in terms of them park pricing. In addition, the discount for purchasing three or more freestyle cup at once has increased to $13.99 (another $1 increase). These increases may be related to the second update.
In February 2021, a new policy was introduced that freestyle cups may no longer be refilled at the one-time refill rate of about $1.59. Now, you will still find food and beverage team members (TM) that will tell you that is “official” policy. In practice, the one-time refill has returned. If you desire to just fill your freestyle cup for a one-time refill, you will need to go to a location with a team member (TM) and ask for a one-time refill, not a recharge. Please be careful in language choice since the TMs are great but like entire country understaffed now. Do not be surprised if you must speak with more than one staff member to fulfill this one-time refill due to procedure and policies.
Though I must have missed the announcement, water seems to be available at freestyle stations without the need to activate your cup. This is a change from a few years ago when water as only available with an activated freestyle cup.
Flavored popcorn has returned to the stand near front of Universal Studios Florida. You can once again get refills using your refillable popcorn bucket. The refill price is $3.69.
Many thanks to Seth Kubersky, The Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando, for helping with these updates. I hope this help your with your next trip to Universal Orlando
Pirates & Princesses (PNP) is an independent, opinionated fan-powered news blog that covers Disney and Universal Theme Parks, Themed Entertainment and related Pop Culture from a consumer's point of view. Opinions expressed by our contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of PNP, its editors, affiliates, sponsors or advertisers. PNP is an unofficial news source and has no connection to The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal or any other company that we may cover.