
I remember visiting Universal Orlando a couple of years after opening, before City Walk existed… I remember visiting Nickelodeon Studios (before it was Blue Man Group) and touring the Clarissa Explains It All set… I remember visiting the first year Islands of Adventure opened up and I thought The Hulk was the coolest roller coaster ever.
You could say I grew up going to Universal and then when I grew up, I went even more!
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The Ultimate Tips and Tricks for Universal Orlando
*WARNING Story Time*
I worked on Universal property for 6 years and went to the parks at least once a week… some days I wouldn’t even go on the rides and I would just eat at the different outlets and restaurants, some days it was just to see a Mardi Gras concert, other days it was just to walk around because I was bored, or I had friends in town and they had never been to Universal, and some days it was just the employee preview of a new ride.
Needless to say, I’ve been to Universal more than the average tourist…
A LOT more than the average tourist, so I’ve picked up a few Universal Orlando tips and tricks for you to take with you on your next vacay to the city beautiful.
This is a SUUUUUUPER long post with a lot of information, but this is the perfect resource for you to use before you go to Universal Orlando Resort.
I also have a post on Universal Orlando Resort’s NEED TO KNOW info before you go!
The Basics
A lot of people call it Universal Studios, but it’s actually Universal Orlando Resort…. Universal Studios is one of the parks
You can visit their main website here!
City Walk
This is the HUB for Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. You have to walk through City Walk to get to these parks. There is only one entrance to City Walk from the parking garages (and two other entrances from the on-site hotel walking paths. This is a great spot for dining, drinks, speciality shops, and nightlife.
There are 3 parks (soon to be 4!):
- Universal Studios (Diagon Alley, Rip Ride Rock-it, The Mummy, Transformers, Minion Mayhem, Springfield)
- Islands of Adventure (Hogsmeade, The Hulk, The Adventures of Spiderman, the water rides, Seuss Landing)
- Volcano Bay (Water Park and the newest addition to Universal Orlando)
- Universal Epic Universe (COMING MAY 2025)
Parking fees:
- General parking starts at $32.00
- After 6pm: FREE
- Volcano Bay: You have to park in the same garage as Islands and Studios, but let the parking attendant know you are going to Volcano Bay and you will follow the signs to the ground floor of one of the garages (even if the traffic for the other parks is going to the other garage)! The shuttle buses are frequent and leave from the ground floor of the parking area. Unless you are staying at an on-site hotel, this is the ONLY way to get to Volcano Bay.
Walking to the Parks
Once you park in the garage, it will take you about 20-30 minutes to walk to Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure (depending on where your parking spot is). There are moving walkways throughout the parking garage if you wish to use them. Once you have reached the HUB and gone through security, you are still about 10 minutes away from the parks. So allow extra time for walking through the garage and getting through security because it will take longer during peak hours.
How to Get Free Parking
Ok, technically not free, but a good deal.
I’m not saying do this every day, but it’s good if you are going to spend money on dinner anyway.
Park at the Hard Rock Hotel or Portofino Bay, they are within walking distance from City Walk (or you can take the water taxi), take your parking ticket with you (don’t lose it, it’s more expensive to park at the hotels than the parking garage), and then when you are finished exploring the parks, eat at one of the restaurants in the hotel. If you spend over $25.00 then the restaurant will validate your parking.
This does NOT work with overnight parking and you’re not guaranteed to find a parking spot during the peak season with the hotels at 100% occupancy.
Only some restaurants will validate, so you can call ahead and double-check. You CANNOT go to the pool bars, you must be a guest. Your parking cannot be validated if you are staying at the hotels.
My recommendations are The Kitchen restaurant at Hard Rock and Mamma Della’s at Portofino.
Download the Official App
First order of business… download the Universal App. The is literally one of the best Universal Orlando tips! There is free WiFi around all the parks and in the hotel lobbies, so you can stay connected your entire trip.
The app will let you check out park maps, ride descriptions, park and restaurant opening and closing times, parade and show times, and you can even set up a virtual wallet and make express pass purchases or manage your meal plan.
I use the app for checking out ride times. You could take away all the other functions of the app, because having the current ride times in the palm of your hand is gold! There are a couple of boards scattered throughout the parks with ride times on, but this makes it SO MUCH EASIER! And don’t you want easier when you are on vacation?
Express Passes
This is literally the worst-kept secret at Universal… and for good reason. Each ride has a separate express pass line (except one or two) and if you have an express pass, then you get to skip the regular line and cut your wait time down to almost nothing. You can purchase a regular express pass which allows you to use it once on every participating ride or you can get the unlimited express pass and ride as much as you like, you can purchase them for one park or combine the parks together.
Here’s the kicker… if you are staying at Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Portofino Bay, or Royal Pacific Resort, then you get 5 unlimited express passes INCLUDED with your room! I kid you not! The extra cost you pay for the room makes up for the fact that you get free express passes. Not just for one day either, for your entire stay! For a family of 4, that can make all the difference!
If you are visiting during the off-season (I’ll get into that later), you do not need an express pass. Wait times will be 5-10 minutes and that’s normally the long walk through the queue to get to the boarding zone. You will -no doubt- be wasting your money.
Also, the express line skips the regular queue and takes you through a different entrance to the boarding zone, so if you were expecting the heavily themed queue (like walking through Hogwarts Castle for the Forbidden Journey), you will miss out on that experience and the story for the ride.
Early Access
If you are staying at an on-site hotel (any of the 8 hotels), you get early access to the parks. It’s only an hour before the parks open and it’s only for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (with a couple of other select attractions), but totally worth getting there if you want to hit that ride before the crowds start and you’re at a hotel that doesn’t offer express passes.
Just because it’s early access, doesn’t mean it won’t be busy. There are over 11,000 rooms with the on-site hotels and that’s the potential for over 44,000 people to have early access to the parks if each room has 4 occupants and all the hotels are at full occupancy. Highly unlikely all those people will show up to the Wizarding World at the same time, but I’m just giving you a reality check.
You need to get there a little bit earlier than the early park admission so you are one of the first people in the park.
Make sure you check with the concierge or front desk for what park is admitting the early access. It changes year to year and season to season… so one day it could be Universal Studios and then the next month, it could be Islands of Adventure.
Stay at One of the On-Site Hotels
I’ve already told you about the free express passes for three of the hotels and you get the early access no matter what hotel you stay at… but there are so many other perks to staying at an on-site hotel and they include quite a few tips for Universal Orlando.
You are right next to Universal! RIGHT NEXT TO IT! If you stay at the Hard Rock Hotel, it’s literally a six-minute walk to get to City Walk. You can also walk from Portofino (you will walk right by Hard Rock) and Royal Pacific (you’ll enter City Walk at the side of Margaritaville).
If you stay at Sapphire Falls, you can take the super convenient water taxi and if you stay at Aventura then you can take the shuttle or walk a few feet to Sapphire and take the water taxi. There is a shuttle from Cabana Bay, however, if you are going to Volcano Bay, you can walk there and take the hotel guest-only entrance to the park.
The resorts in the International Drive area are Universal’s Endless Summer Resort (with Surfside and Dockside) and Universal’s Stella Nova and Terra Luna, both next to Epic Universe.
Stay on the club level (only available at select hotels) and you’ll receive free continental breakfast, snacks throughout the day, bottled water and soda cans, a club lounge for relaxing outside of your room, OH, and happy hour – FREE beer and wine!
You don’t have to rent a car. Universal Orlando Resort is actually located in Orlando (unlike Disney, which is in its own world), but you have access to I-Drive, downtown Orlando, and Mall at Millennia if you stay at one of the hotels. So you can skip out on that ungodly parking fee in the Universal garage… and the parking fees for the hotels (yes, even if you are a guest, you have to pay for parking) and opt for Uber or a taxi to explore outside of the Universal area.
Also, if you’re buying souvenirs at the parks, then you can send them to your hotel and not have to worry about carrying it around the park with you. You can also attach your credit card to your room key and use that to make all your purchases in the hotels and in the parks!
And they are PET FRIENDLY, so Rover can come too! (If you bring your pet, your room will most likely be on the first floor).
Bring a Backpack/ Hip Pack
Wanna feel like a super tourist? Wear a hip pack! It’s super convenient when you don’t have to stop by the ultra-busy lockers to drop off your bag (with the exception of some of the coasters) and you can take it on with you. It’s perfect if you are staying at an on-site hotel and you don’t have to bring as many “park survival items”.
If you’re not staying on property or you need to carry extra items (reusable water bottle, change of clothes, flip flops…) then you should bring a small backpack. Don’t bring a large over-stuffed bag, because it will be a struggle pushing it into the lockers.
Free Lockers
Lockers for the rides are free for the duration that you are on that ride. Universal is in the process of switching to a locker system that uses your ticket to get in and out of the locker, but right now, you use your fingerprint to gain access to a locker.
If the wait time for the ride is 30 minutes, then the locker will be available for about an hour. If you get stuck in the line, the ride breaks down, or any other unforeseen circumstances happen and you go over the locker time, just let the attendant know and they can bypass the system.
Also, if you are using the fingerprint lockers then you need to remember your locker number (DON’T WORRY: if you forget it, the locker attendant can help you)
Lockers are unfortunately NOT free for the water rides, so you will need to take all your items on the ride with you, unless there is someone in your group who is not riding and can hold all your items (or you want to pay of course).
You WILL Get Wet
This is a good follow-up to the previous statement. YOU WILL GET WET on the water rides. There are three. Jurassic Park’s River Adventure, Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls, and Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges. They are all located in Island’s of Adventure.
The River Adventure (located in Jurassic Park, pictured on the left) is the most tame out of the three, you have the best chance of drying after riding this one. There are no hidden drops to get you more wet and if you are in the center of the boat, then your chances of staying dry are higher. The wettest seat is in the front, at either end.
Ripsaw Falls (pictured on right) *SPOILER ALERT* is in Toon Lagoon and can be deceiving. From the outside, it looks like a super fun log flume with a steep, but tame drop… tame meaning, it doesn’t look like you get that wet… LIES! Once you get on the ride, there is a drop in the back (away from the view of unsuspecting riders) that will get you SOAKED… no one is safe. If you don’t get a locker, your bag WILL GET WET, and all of its contents… you’ve been warned, but this is such a fun ride!
Popeye’s is also located in Toon Lagoon and you shouldn’t be deceived by this one because you will see the poor, drenched people walking out of the exit for this ride (and all you can think of is “crap, that’s going to be me). There is a waterproof bag holder in the center console, so you can put your belongings in there to keep them from getting wet. *Make sure you secure all your loose articles in a bag or backpack, you don’t want any loose articles in the center*. Out of all the rides, this one is the equivalent of jumping into a pool with your clothes on… I’m not joking. You get absolutely soaked and if you think there is any way around it – there isn’t. You literally go underneath a waterfall during the ride, but also such a fun ride!
Bring a Change of Clothes
If you’re planning on staying at the parks all day and going on the water rides, then I recommend that you prepare. I just explained how soaked you get from these rides and if you don’t want to be uncomfortable, then I recommend bringing flip-flops for the water rides, dry-fit clothes, and a change of underwear (or wear a swimsuit). There is nothing worse than walking around a busy theme park for hours while you are soggy. And don’t be fooled by thinking you will dry out in the Florida sun quickly, because *guess what* the air is humid and wet.
Also, you might want to eat at City Walk for dinner and you don’t want to smell like a theme park… bring a little toiletries bag with you with wet wipes, deodorant, and a waterless disposable toothbrush so you can “freshen up” before dinner…. you’ll thank me later!
Bring a Poncho
Unfortunately, this won’t help you on the water rides (even though you see people wearing them)… however, it will work on Jurassic Park. But the poncho is for the downpours that happen -almost- every day in the summer.
Do you think I’m joking? One year, there was a thunderstorm every day in July… EVERY DAY.
It can put a damper on your day if you’re not prepared/scared of the rain. I cannot tell you how many people think that they will melt if they get caught in the rain. Everyone runs for cover wherever they can find it. However, if you have a poncho, then you can walk around freely and not get soaking wet so you can get in line for that ride that everyone was rushing to, but now are not because they are stuck under an awning in Hogsmeade.
Weather and Ride Closures
That being said, make sure you keep an eye out for the weather and have a plan.
Universal and the Universal hotels work in weather codes. They range from plain old rain, to lightning within 5 miles. When they get that call for lightning, all the outdoor roller coasters will shut down, all the hotel pool decks will shut down, and Volcano Bay will completely shut down.
NOTE: It can be SUNNY or NOT raining outside, but even if there is a potential for lightning in the area, everything will shut down. So please listen to the team members who are trying to make sure you get under shelter safely.
If you see a storm coming (which you will be able to see the dark clouds rolling in most of the time), make sure you have your plan. If you are in the parks, I think it’s time to figure out which indoor ride you’re going to. Are you at one of the hotel pools? Maybe start packing up and head out for an early dinner before the rush.
All the places you would expect to get busy, get 10 times busier than you would expect. So plan ahead.
Pace Yourself with Rides
Universal Orlando has A LOT of simulator rides and it seems like they just keep adding more and more each year. They are dominating the parks. If you are prone to motion sickness, then it might not be a good idea to go on these rides all on the same day. I don’t get motion sickness, but after a day at the parks, I start to feel a little “off” the more simulators I go on.
I’ve rated them from almost no motion sickness to potential motion sickness
- Hogwarts Express (both directions)
- Skull Island: Reign of Kong
- Fast and Furious: Supercharged
- Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
- Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringotts
- Transformers
- The Adventures of Spiderman
- The Tonight Show’s Race Through New York
- The Simpson’s Ride
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Single Riders
This is a great trick to know if you don’t want to fork out the cash for the express passes, but don’t want to wait in a super long line. Most of the rides have a single rider line and they are clearly marked.
If you don’t mind being split up from your group on the ride, then this is the way to go. It can cut down your wait time by more than half. You can stay with your party for the duration of the line and will only get split up once it’s time to ride. (Sometimes they need two or three people for the same car, so you could end up going on the same ride together).
Visit the Mystic Fountain at Islands of Adventure
If you’re heading to Hogsmeade, you will more than likely walk through the Lost Continent. To the average tourist walking through, it’s where Mythos is located and that Poseiden’s Fury you always said you wanted to check out, but now it’s too late because it’s shut down. Keep walking and you’ll see a lone fountain.
If no one is around, it’s probably not doing anything… but walk closer and the mystic fountain will start to talk to you. Don’t make them angry or toy with them because it will squirt water at you.
It’s fun to stop by and say “hi” as this is a normally overlooked attraction. If it’s your birthday or anniversary, let the Mystic Fountain know!
Butterbeer
Nope, there’s no alcohol in Butterbeer… sorry guys. However, if you ask for an alcoholic Butterbeer inside Diagon Alley, you’ll get some funny responses from the team members if they feel like playing along that day.
*If you ask for a shot in your Butterbeer, then everyone will turn you down. Butterbeer is supposed to be served a certain way and taste a certain way and the team members will not destroy the integrity of the drink.
When the Wizarding World first opened, you could only get regular or frozen, but now there are several ways to enjoy butterbeer. Don’t forget to ask for your souvenir Butterbeer glass!
- Regular: Plain ol’ simple way of serving Butterbeer. This is a classic. The drink tastes a lot like cream soda, but it’s the whipped froth on top that is the star. It’s got a creamy, marshmallow-y texture to it… can I just get a cup of that? *If you are in Hogsmeade, pop into the Hog’s Head bar because they serve it and most of the time there is no line (or the line is shorter).
- Frozen: I prefer frozen over the regular (but I don’t like cream soda… sorry people), so this version doesn’t taste as much as cream soda and has more of a butterscotch taste to it, but IT IS SWEET! Oh, and it comes with the same creamy topping.
- Hot: This is great for those cooler days in Orlando (it does happen, I promise), but not recommended after walking through the parks all day in 90-degree weather… it’s not refreshing. *Hot Butterbeer is only available during the winter.
- Ice Cream: This is my favorite way to enjoy Butterbeer. This is soft-serve ice cream and it’s delicious! You can find it at Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour in Diagon Alley and if the line is too long (sometimes it is), you can grab your Butterbeer ice cream from The Hopping Pot at the other side of Diagon Alley. If you have a craving over in Hogsmeade, don’t worry, you can get some at The Three Broomsticks.
- Butterbeer Potted Cream: I think this is supposed to be a take on British clotted cream, however, the Brits don’t eat clotted cream by the spoonful (it goes on scones) and it’s not really sweet, but this is a great dessert for the kids (or adults!!). You can find them in the Wizarding World restaurants (Three Broomsticks and The Leaky Cauldron).
- Butterbeer Fudge: This is a yummy caramel/butterscotch/shortbread-tasting fudge. You can get it at Sugar Plum’s or Honeydukes!
Ride the Hogwarts Express (Both Ways)
*You will need a Park-to-Park ticket to ride the Hogwarts Express*
Take the Hogwarts Express from Diagon Alley to Hogsmeade, and then when you take it in the other direction you’ll get a completely different experience. It’s an immersive experience that’s the perfect way to get you from one park to the next. You’ll see your favorite characters make an appearance, ride by Malfoy Manor, see Hogwarts Castle in the distance, and even watch a dementor battle.
If you have a small group, then you will more than likely be placed in the same compartment with another group and there are no windows in the compartment, so if you are uncomfortable with enclosed spaces, this might not be the train journey for you.
*For a great photo op with the Hogwarts Express engine, take the train from Kings Cross to Hogsmeade (Studios —> Islands) and as you are exiting the first flight of stairs before you go down the second flight, you can walk straight to the front of the train. Everyone is too busy going with the flow of people to notice they are passing a photo op. You have to be exiting the train, you cannot get there through the entrance at Hogsmeade.
Where to Eat
There are TONS of places to eat in the parks… and we can’t forget outside the parks on City Walk… or even at the on-site hotels. So finding somewhere to eat can be confusing.
The quick service and cafeteria-style eateries serve your everyday average regular park food – pizza, chicken tenders, burgers, hot dogs, salads, fries… the usual. To change it up, visit the Three Broomsticks or The Leaky Cauldron in the Wizarding World and you’ll get a selection of popular British foods – fish and chips, bangers and mash, fish pie, toad in the hole, and more!
There are also grab-and-go food carts that sell pretzels or hot dogs and chips. In my experience, sometimes it’s faster to stop by a quick service restaurant instead of the carts (if there is a line) because there’s only one person manning the carts and several in the restaurant. You’ll also have more options.
*A hot dog at one of the carts is more expensive than a burger from a quick service outlet – FYI.
You can also choose to have a sit-down serviced meal in one of the parks. Mythos by far surpasses that of any other theme park restaurant I have been to… it won best theme park restaurant a few years in a row! The mix of Asian, Mediterranean, and American is perfect for a light lunch and the indoor mystical cave feel of the restaurant is magical. Definitely make a reservation so you’re not stuck on an hour wait!
Here’s a list of my absolute favorite places to eat at Universal Orlando Resort
- Richter’s Burger Co – Universal Studios
- Lombard’s Seafood Grille – Universal Studios
- Bumblebee Man’s Taco Truck – Universal Studios
- Mythos – Islands of Adventure
- Margaritaville – City Walk
- The Cowfish – City Walk
- The Kitchen Restaurant – Hard Rock Hotel
Universal Dining Plan: There are multiple options with this one. You have to book with a vacation package or stay at an on-site to participate in some of the meal plans. Depending on which option you choose, you can get a quick service meal, unlimited soft drinks, full-service meals, and snacks for one inclusive price per adult/child, per day.
So do I think it’s worth it? NOPE. Sorry guys, I just don’t think it’s worth it for the price. Although, for $15.99 plus tax, you can get 1 day unlimited Coca-Cola freestyle beverages (with a massive souvenir cup).
City Walk Post: The Most Instagrammable Spots at City Walk
Where to Drink
Here’s one for the adults. Sometimes you just want to take a break from the parks and the rides and the heat and sip on a cold one. There’s no shortage of places to grab a beer or a cocktail… you can even take them to go.
If you get a to-go drink somewhere at City Walk, you cannot take it into the parks with you. Same as if you get a drink in the park, you cannot take it out to City Walk with you…. HOWEVER, you can take a drink with you on the Hogwarts Express.
If you want liquor drinks then you can go to Finnegan’s or Chez Alcatraz, both in Universal Studios, Backwater Bar in Islands of Adventure, and Dancing Dragons Boat Bar in Volcano Bay.
For beer, you can go to Finnegans, Moe’s in Springfield, The Hopping Pot in Diagon Alley, and Hog’s Head in Hogsmeade.
The carts around the parks will sell beer by the can and if you want a different selection of canned beer, go to the Kings Cross Station mini mart that’s a quarterway through the line, they have a small selection of British beer and cider, and you won’t find it anywhere else in the park.
Finnegans is a great place to take a time out for an hour. There’s good food, good drinks, occasionally live music, and they have their own bathrooms.
Beer You Can’t Find Anywhere Else
Universal is lucky enough to have Florida Brewing Company on their side that brews several beers unique to Universal Orlando Resort… tips for drinking at the theme parks? Don’t OVER DO IT! It’s hot and you’re going on a lot of rides!
Duff Beer: Found in Springfield, Universal Studios. Ever watched The Simpsons and wanted to know what the world’s most famous beer tastes like? Well now you can! Coming in three different styles: Duff, Duff Lite and Duff Dry, you can have the first two on tap (pay a little extra for a take-home souvenir glass -it’s actually plastic- Duff beer or Moe’s pilsner) and the dry is a dark beer that comes in a bottle. I prefer the lite, if you are wondering.
Hog’s Head Brew: Found at the Hog’s Head, Hogsmeade, Islands of Adventure. This is a Scottish ale that was the first exclusive beer made for Universal. It’s a little malty and bready, but somehow refreshing on a hot day. This is the only place you can find this beer, it does not make an appearance in Diagon Alley at the other park.
Dragon’s Scale: Found in the Wizarding World, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Amber lager that’s a little hoppy with caramel malts.
Wizard’s Brew: Found in the Wizarding World, Universal Studios. This is a dark stout with hints of chocolate and coffee, so if you’re a Guinness fan, then you’ll be thrilled with this one.
Volcano Bay
- Tapu Tapu: The wristband that you receive as soon as you enter the park. It is connected to YOUR ticket, so don’t trade wristbands with someone because you want a different color. You can connect your credit card and use it for purchases, use it to unlock your locker, and use it to tap into ride queues (at the totems – you can’t miss them!) throughout the park.
- Take advantage of the early access if you are staying at an on-site hotel.
- Get there for opening time, especially in the summer. The park reaches max capacity almost every day in the summer and they can refuse you entry.
- No drop-off zone, if you are taking a taxi or Uber, then you need to get dropped off at the main parking garages and take the shuttle from there. Don’t try to walk through Cabana Bay, you need a room key.
- BRING YOUR OWN TOWEL! If you want to RENT a towel, you have to pay a non-refundable $5.00 fee per towel. If you are staying at an on-site hotel, you can take towels from the pool deck, just ask the pool attendant!
- Get a locker! There are three different sizes of lockers and you literally leave everything in there because you open your locker with your Tapu Tapu wristband. You can hook multiple Tapu Tapus to a locker so you don’t have to be the person going back and forth to open it. This should be the first thing you do when you get to the parks, there have been times when the lockers have reached capacity. You can pay for your locker by credit card or cash and there is an attendant there at all times to help you.
- Finding Chairs. Believe it or not, it’s quite simple to find chairs if you arrive at a decent time. There are tons of chairs all over the park, so venture outside of the wave pool area and you can find some more secluded areas with chairs.
- Cabanas and Preferred Seating. There are several options for cabanas (some are even on the second level) and you get towels included, your own locker in the cabana and you can TAP into any ride around the park without visiting the totem! Preferred seating will get you some nice chairs with umbrellas. Make sure you reserve a few weeks prior to arrival, but they get booked up quickly!
- RIDE NOW! If the ride doesn’t show a wait time, then you don’t have to tap into it, you can ride it now. If you are already in a virtual line with your Tapu Tapu then it will NOT affect that wait time if you go on a ride now. If you see a ride now that you want to go on and you haven’t tapped into another ride with a wait, then I recommend you walk around and find a ride with a wait time and tap into it because it’s more efficient.
- Want an adult beverage? Put it in a souvenir cup, not only do you get to keep the cup, but you also get money off future beverages!
Stay At Least Five Days
To make your visit actually count and to pace yourself so you don’t need a vacation from your vacation, I recommend spending five full days at Universal. You’ll be able to enjoy the parks, experience some of the great restaurants and nightlife at City Walk, and enjoy a day lounging by the pool.
If you are pressed for time and want to take it all in, then you can spend three full days. One day dedicated to the Wizarding Worlds in both parks and then Islands of Adventure (it’s easy to complete it within half a day), one day for Universal Studios, and the last day for Volcano Bay.
What Time of Year to Visit
This is going to be very detailed, so bear with me (but you wanted all the Universal Orlando Tips). You would think that peak season is the summer and off-season is everything outside of that, but it’s a little more complicated.
Off-season: Second week of January – February (with the exception of President’s Day weekend in mid-February), the last 3 weeks of September, October excluding weekends, first 3 weeks of November, first 3 weeks of December
Average: Presidents Day weekend, March, first 2 weeks of June, October weekends
Busy: April, Memorial Day weekend (end of May), mid-June – first week of September, Thanksgiving week, Christmas week – first week of January
During the off-season and average times, it’s always better to go during the week because a lot of locals will go on the weekends. During October, Halloween Horror Nights dominate Universal Studios, so keep that in mind for the weekends and select Thursdays and Fridays.
Holiday weekends will always be busier, so if you are arriving from another country, you should always check just to make sure. Christmas is the busiest time for the parks and try to avoid them at all costs.
Special Events
Universal knows how to have a good time and they want you to join them.
January: Harry Potter Weekend: A weekend dedicated to all the Potterheads. The weekend is filled with seminars, Q&A’s from some of the actors, and classes, potions classes, flying lessons, special dinners, and all of your new Potterhead friends.
January: Rock the Universe: A super popular 2-day Christian music festival that hosts the biggest names in Christian rock music.
February-Beginning of April: Mardi Gras: On select nights only. The streets get filled with New Orleans cuisine, Mardi Gras dancers, floats with plenty of beads to catch (you can even have the chance to get on the float and throw some beads yourself!!!), and a big-name concert from major bands and artists! (My faves include Matchbox 20, Kelly Clarkson, Ne-Yo and Fall Out Boy) Want a front-row “seat” (no seats, you stand) to your favorite band? You’ll need to set up camp first thing in the morning – around 9am-10am.
May-June: Summer Concert Series. They haven’t done this since 2015, but I’m adding this in case they decide to have a change of heart and bring it back because this was one of my favorite events. Every weekend was a big-name band, some of my faves have been Huey Lewis and the News, Pitbull, Goo Goo Dolls, and Lifehouse). The best part? The concert was included in the price of your park ticket!
September-November: Halloween Horror Nights: By far the best Halloween celebration I have been to. Universal Studios is turned into one giant scare zone after 6pm on select nights. Walk through several houses all themed to famous horror films, scary movies, and thrilling TV shows.
November-December: Holiday Celebrations: The parks get decked out for Christmas, Grinchmas will be your favorite show, the Christmas parade was just re-vamped and it’s better than ever, and watching the holiday light show at Hogwarts Castle is magical.
Movies and TV Shows: It shouldn’t be a surprise that Universal Studios is also a working film studio. It might not produce as many movies as it used to, but from time to time, you will see “hot set” signs posted up. Jimmy Fallon came with Tonight Show and gave guests the opportunity to get tickets to his late night show! Universal has also seen the Today Show set up shop a few times and Ellen even dropped by for a week of shows. ALWAYS find out what’s going on and see if you want to participate in anything.
Free Express Passes
This is not something I recommend ALL THE TIME, but if you have a genuine issue, then it’s worth asking, and one of my best Universal Orlando tips I can give you!
Let’s say you’ve been waiting in line for the Rip Ride Rockit for an hour and all of a sudden they close for lightning. It looks like the storm is sticking around for a while and you don’t have time to hold your place in line while the storm passes… ask one of the ride attendants for an express pass to come back later.
Another example: The ride wait time is 10 minutes, but then you get inside and it ends up being 45 minutes before you even get on the ride… ask the ride attendant for an express pass.
If you waited for a while and then the ride shut down due to “technical difficulties”, ask for an express pass.
This is not an unlimited express pass, but they will print off an individual pass on what looks like a receipt and it’s good for that day for one ride. (It doesn’t have to be the ride you were stuck on/had issues/had to wait extra in line).
This privilege is NOT to be abused. I’m sharing this because it’s an easy fix for team members to diffuse a situation. Sometimes they will give your party 2 single express passes each because you are nice and understanding. THAT’S THE KEY: Nice and understanding. Once you start getting angry and defensive, you will get nothing but a bad attitude.
*This is also NOT a guarantee every time (the team member doesn’t have to do anything for your ride time/ride failure issues), it’s just a nice gesture and guest “wow”.
Character Meet and Greets
When you think of characters walking around, you always think of the Disney princesses and Mickey and Minnie, but Universal has created quite the cast of characters over the past few years and it’s become a dominating part of the streets of Universal Orlando, here’s the tips…..
Some of the hot spots where you are guaranteed to walk by and see AT LEAST one character are:
- Marvel Super Hero Land in Islands of Adventure. Spiderman, Captain America, Wolverine and the rest of the X-Men crew are frequent visitors to this spot.
- Hollywood Blvd in Universal Studios. Popular characters are the Scooby Doo Gang (ALL OF THEM!), Marilyn Monroe, Betty Boop, and the Doc from Back to the Future.
- Shrek’s Swamp Meet in Dreamworks Land: Donkey, Shrek, and Fiona. Donkey will be ALL the time, and sometimes he’s with Shrek, sometimes Fiona. Donkey is fun and will talk to you and ask you questions about where you are from and how your day is going.
- Outside the Transformers store. This is on the same street as the Shrek gang, and right outside the Transformers store where you exit the ride. Only one transformer will come out at a time, but the costumes are super cool (and they interact with you!!!). You can catch Bumble Bee, Optimus Prime and Megatron here.
- Springfield. On the right side of The Simpsons Ride (across from the Kwik-E-Mart), the whole Simpsons gang can show up! Sometimes it’s just Bart and Homer or Bart and Lisa, but if you’re lucky, you’ll get everyone (and sometimes Sideshow Bob).
- Seuss Landing. In Islands of Adventure, you can catch The Lorax hanging out by the Truffula trees, the Grinch during Christmas time, and Thing 1 and Thing 2 wandering around.
- Outside the Hello Kitty store. You can catch Hello Kitty!! And she’s so cute!!
Keep watch for a more in-depth guide to character meet and greets coming soon!!
Buy Your Harry Potter Gear Prior to Your Vacay
One of the bigger Universal Orlando tips! It’s not cheap to buy a robe from Universal and I’m going to tell you, it’s not under $50.00. Harry Potter shirts are about $25.00-$40.00 and don’t even get me started on sweaters… then when you add hats, scarfs, passport covers, phone cases, jewelry, bags, backpacks, notebooks, pens, bookmarks, and Christmas ornaments.. it adds up.
The one purchase you NEED to make in the Wizarding World is the interactive wand. It’s so much fun to go around Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley and do “real” magic spells.. you feel like a real wizard!
Anything Else?
This just scratches the surface of everything that Universal has to offer and all of my Universal Orlando tips, but I’m already at 6,800 words! Sorry guys!
Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog so you know when I post new content (more Universal posts coming soon!!!!) and if you have ANY questions about your upcoming Universal vacay, leave me a comment or direct message me on social media!
If you’ve got your own Universal Orlando tips, lemme know!
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Universal Orlando Tips and Tricks
Want to read more about Harry Potter?
My 5 Favorite Harry Potter Filming Locations in England
Hiking Malham Cove: Harry Potter Filming Location
Tags : Florida, Universal Orlando
We are returning once again to universal. But this time, our daughter is bringing a friend who’s never been to Florida, much less Universal Resort. We are getting multiple day passes (starting Oct 14-17), so my question is, what would you recommend for an ultimate experience for a 20 year old guy’s first trip to Florida/Universal?