Your Guide to Orlando's Universal Studio Theme Parks

​Growing up in Canada, Florida always seemed like a magical enchanted land of warm weather and theme park thrilling rides, which transported you out of this world. While visiting theme parks may seem like something reserved for kids and their parents, it’s not quite the case. Take us for example; we are in our thirties and still loving it! Expect to experience some adrenaline rush in the most awesome rides and great adventures with your favourite television and movie characters.

Unfortunately, most theme parks come with a steep price. Traveling cheap is great, so theme parks require additional planning tips and tricks in order to enjoy the experience within a limited budget. If you find yourself in the area, don’t let that deter you! Here's a quick guide to help you plan your day at Universal Studios and Island of Adventure in Orlando.  ​
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YOUR GUIDE TO ORLANDO'S UNIVERSAL STUDIO THEME PARKS

What is Universal Orlando

​This exciting theme park located in Orlando, Florida, actually consists of two separate parks: Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. There is also an affiliated water park, Volcano Bay, and an entertainment complex named Universal City Walk Orlando. The Universal Orlando Resort includes five hotels. The park, which first opened in 1990, offers various themed events throughout the year, as well as great entertainment (such as their Blue Man Group shows, which are available at an additional cost) and character dining opportunities.
 
Generally speaking, this park was opened to compete with Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Luckily, its wait times for rides are typically shorter than those at Disney. Islands of Adventure already has obtained great new rides in the last few years, including Harry Potter and The Hulk, while the Universal Studios’ recent rides include Minions Mayhem, Harry Potter World and Jimmy Fallon, with new ones still being built (such as Fast and Furious).

Crowd walking through City Walk

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​Where to stay  near UNIVERSAL ORLANDO

Where to stay will completely depend on your budget and what types of deals are available when you are ready to book. Sometimes there are amazing deals for the Universal Studios resort hotels, which includes your tickets, express passes and early access to the parks. If you happen to be fortunate to have the right timing and get good discounts, then the resorts would be best. However, if you're on a very limited budget, your best accommodations will depend on whether you have access to a vehicle or if you're relying on public transport.
 
With a rental vehicle, we suggest you consider staying in accommodations such as Airbnb or similar outside of the Orlando area, such as in Kissimmee. Staying in this area will typically also mean having access to a kitchen, which will help you save money off of restaurants since you can make your meals and eat the leftovers during your stay, like you would do at home!
 
If you want to avoid driving in the rush hour, or simply want to be closer to the action, consider staying at a hotel on International Drive. Public transportation is easily accessible to get you to the theme parks as well as restaurants. Things to keep in mind when making your reservations include whether transportation to any theme park is offered (and perhaps free of cost); distance to the attractions which interest you and time it'll take to travel there and back. ​

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​How to get to UNIVERSAL ORLANDO

​Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure Orlando are located between downtown Orlando and Walt Disney World Resorts, right off International Drive. Universal’s resort guests can get free transportation from their hotels to the theme park grounds, typically by bus or water taxi. Individuals staying in hotels on International Drive might be able to obtain free or cheap transfers to most of the major theme parks (Universal Studios and Islands of Adventures Orlando included) from their hotels.
 
Otherwise, you can drive there and pay 20$ per day for general parking or 30$ for preferred parking (as of April 2017), or consider taking a bus. In the past we’ve opted for the I-Drive Trolley, which drops you off near Wet’N’Wild Waterpark, a mere 10 minutes walk to your destination!
 
Once you’re parked or dropped off, make your way towards security where the insides of your bags will be checked. Conveyor sidewalks and elevators line the path to make it easier. Once you pass the security checkpoint, keep walking and you will soon find yourself in the Universal’s City Walk. There are two bridges, make your way either towards Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure – and voilà!
 
Bonus tip: We recommend arriving 30-45 minutes prior to the park’s opening time. This way, you will have time to find your way around, get through security, and will hopefully get to complete a ride or two with near empty line ups before the wait times start to climb quickly with the arrival of the crowds.

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Universal City Walk

Tickets for UNIVERSAL ORLANDO

​Tickets can be purchased for one or both parks, and on site or ahead of time. Compare the current available deals as sometimes it’s cheaper to do the two parks over 3 days than it is to do one per day! Also, there are often discounts for purchasing tickets online as opposed to in person, and you will save yourself some time from having to stand in the line up before even making it into your chosen park. You can also opt to purchase express passes, but these can quickly double the admission prices or more, which is why we tend to avoid these. They are not always worth it either as you will often still wait a long time during the busy hours.
 
We recommend you avoid the companies selling tickets in the streets or in random stores in Orlando. As tempting as the offer may be, they can often be already used tickets that have some time left to them. A fingerprint check is required when using a multiple day ticket to get in, and if your fingerprint doesn’t match the original owner’s, you will be escorted to a long line up where you must then purchase new tickets at full price.
 
Bonus Tip: Harry Potter fans, don’t forget that you will be required to have a pass for both parks on the same day in order to ride the Hogwarts Express!
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KrustyLand ride inside Universal Studio

How to Dress for UNIVERSAL ORLANDO

Before packing for the day, you must be aware of a few essential things: you are going to be doing a lot of walking, in (likely) very warm temperatures, and be exposed to a significant amount of direct sunlight. This means that it’s important to wear comfortable shoes and clothing suited to the day’s weather forecast. Think about layering if the weather is cooler, as you may get really hot once the sun is at its highest.
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What to Bring to UNIVERSAL ORLANDO

Other than bringing a sweater if it’s not too warm or it’s expected to cool down, you should always bring some spare sunscreen. The sunscreen available in the park is at exorbitant prices and the layer applied in the morning will only last so long, whether because of time or the water from the rides washing it away.
 
It can also be helpful to bring a poncho, which will come in handy if it starts raining and also for the water rides if you don’t want to find yourself drenched! A change of clothes is a good idea if you intend to take advantage of the water rides.
 
Evidently, don’t forget to bring any pre-purchased tickets, you camera, and sunglasses. Just be careful to keep these safe from the splashing water and gravity during wild rides. Also, make sure to charge your cell phone and bring it with you – there’s free wifi within the parks and you can download a really helpful app which gives you the updated wait times for all the rides!
 
Other than that, you can bring a cooler with some snacks and beverages to hydrate, but note that no outside alcohol is permitted past security. If you don’t feel like bothering with all this equipment, we recommend at least bringing a few snacks and an empty water bottle to fill up at the drinking fountains available throughout the park in order to save some money!

Inside the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade

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Things to do at UNIVERSAL ORLANDO

​Generally speaking, the Islands of Adventure rides tend to be more adrenaline inducing. There are a few amazing water rides, but keep in mind that you will likely be drenched after going in these! On the opposite side, Universal Studios has tamer, but still great rides, including many simulators. Know also that the theme parks aren’t only limited to rides; they have great shows (check the schedules accordingly), City Walk which offers delicious cuisine, great entertainment, music events, and so much more!
 
Since most people do choose to come here for the rides, here’s a quick highlight of what both parks have to offer!

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Universal Studios
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There are many wonderful rides, but our favorite one is definitely the new 4D ride Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringott. Though we’ll admit Revenge of the Mummy is a close second! If you’re looking for that extra adrenaline rush, make sure to check out Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, which is this park’s only outdoor rollercoaster. The kids (and kids at heart) will love Despicable Me Minion Mayhem as this simulator provides a great laugh. KrustyLand (the Simpsons ride) and Transformers are also worth checking out, along with the Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon, which is not only a great ride but has online check in (so no line ups to deal with!)
 
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Diagon Alley : From the best ride in the park to Olivander’s wand shop, you’ll want to make sure to have extra time for this one, especially if anyone in your group is a Harry Potter fan! Don’t forget to grab some of the best food in the park at The Leaky Cauldron, and give a Butterbeer a try (we absolutely loved it, but it is very sweet).
 
Bonus Tip: Did you get access to both parks on the same day? Make sure to hop onto the Hogwart’s Express for a ride that will take you all the way to Hogsmeade in Island of Adventure!

Diagon Alley

Universal’s Island of Adventure

This side of the park has many wonderful adrenaline pumping rides, such as The Hulk. This rollercoaster will give you the biggest adrenaline rush in the park, and is tied in first place as best ride, along with the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.
 
If you’re looking to cool off, head over to Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls and Popeye and Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges, which are both great wet rides. For other intense rides, try the Dragon Challenge and make sure to stop at Jurassic Park River Adventure, which is an absolute must! If time is running low and you must skip something, we recommend avoiding Poseidon’s Fury, which we’ve never really enjoyed.
 
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Hogsmeade: Again here, if someone in your group is a big Harry Potter fan, you will want to make sure to spend some extra time exploring Hogwarts and the Hogmeade shops while perhaps sipping on a butterbeer. 
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​General advice regarding UNIVERSAL ORLANDO

- To save time, ride single when/if you can, especially for those rides with long wait times.
- Free lockers are provided when going on the more intense rides, as you aren’t allowed to bring loose items. You can also rent a locker for 10-12$ USD for the day if you’d rather not carry your items around.
- Water rides get really wet, so avoid them if you don’t want to walk around soaked afterwards. Taking a change of clothes is a good idea.
- Strollers and wheelchairs are permitted, and often people choose to leave them by the entrance of the ride’s line up.
- For the cheapest, most filling food on site, go with the smoked turkey legs. They are huge and one leg usually fills two to four of us!
- When the park opens, it can be tempting to run to the biggest, newest rides – and sometimes that works if you’re early enough. However, if you only make it into the park an hour past opening time or later, we recommend keeping these attractions for later in the day. Everyone tends to throw themselves at these first thing in the day, which means that wait times decrease in the early afternoon on most days.
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​Do you or someone with whom you're traveling suffer from allergies? Make sure to check out our Traveling with Allergies section for great tips and tricks!

Buildings in Universal Studio

​Bottom Line for Orlando's Universal Studios

-  Your day at the park is going to be long, filled with lots of walking and physically draining, so make sure to hydrate ahead of time, eat throughout the day and take breaks. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen and use other sun protection.

- Bring your cell phone and use the park’s app to see updated wait times for all of the rides. This will help guide you when deciding where to go next.

- Don’t miss out on The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade) as these are the newest additions to both sides of the park and offer amazing rides!

​- The most important thing is to have fun and enjoy the magical experience that is your visit at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure Orlando!
 
J&C

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Have any other tips and tricks to share with your fellow travelers to help save money at Orlando's Universal Studios? Make sure to add them in the comments and we will try to add them to our guide to Orlando's Universal Studio theme parks!