10 Tips for a Great Universal Orlando Vacation

Universal Studios Florida and Universal's Islands of Adventure are much more than just theme parks. The Universal Orlando Resort has some amazing attractions, gorgeous hotel properties and superb restaurants! With the new Jurassic World's VelociCoaster and Hagrid's Motorbike Adventure, Universal Orlando is the hottest vacation destination for families this summer.

I have compiled a list of 10 must-do tips on how to maximize your Universal Orlando vacation. Be sure to ask us for the current Universal discounts available!

Top 10 Tips

10. Express Pass - Universal's Express Pass let's you skip the regular line for many attractions. It comes in two forms, Unlimited, or once per ride. You can add the Express Pass right to your ticket purchase. If you stay on-site at one of Universal's 3 Premier Hotels, you get the Universal Express Unlimited Pass free with your stay! These hotels include Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, and Loews Royal Pacific Resort. Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort, Universal's Aventura Hotel, Endless Summer Resort and Loews Sapphire Falls Resort do not offer this perk. I highly recommend having it, especially with kids, or if you're going during spring break or in the summer.

Islands of Adventure

9. Early Entry - Early Entry is a privilege only for guests staying at a Universal Resort hotel. You can enter the parks one hour before opening, and ride the big attractions such as Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey or Escape from Gringotts before the lines get very long. It was so nice being there for Early Entry, makes for great photos too!

8. Quick Service Dining - There are some great quick service restaurants in the parks such as the Harry Potter themed Three Broomsticks at Islands of Adventure and The Leaky Cauldron at Universal Studios. No need to book a reservation for every meal, there are many great quick service locations in each park. You can even mobile order on the app to save time standing in line.

7. Water Taxis - If you are staying on Universal property at Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Loews Portofino Bay Hotel or Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, the water taxis are an excellent way to get back and forth from your hotel to Universal Studios Florida, Universal's Islands of Adventure, or Universal CityWalk. The water taxis take you to CityWalk and then you can walk into the desired park of choice. Both parks are a very short walk from where the boat docks at CityWalk. You will go through a security check point before boarding the boat, so make sure to leave a few minutes for that.

6. Club Level - Upgrade your room to Club Level to enjoy the benefit of snacks and drinks in the lounge.  The concierge staff will answer any of your questions, give you bottled water, and even print your boarding passes for you. We loved their fresh baked cinnamon rolls! Also during breakfast hours there were bagels, danishes, croissants, and fresh fruit among other things. At night there were small appetizers and desserts such as cookies and cheesecakes.

Club Lounge at Hard Rock Hotel

5. Park Lockers and Metal Detectors - Each major thrill ride has free "digital" lockers located conveniently outside the entrance. They require ALL belongings to be stored in the free lockers, including cell phones, cameras and sunglasses on some attractions. The large rollercoasters such as The Incredible Hulk Coaster and Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit have metal detectors to ensure the safety of guests. Guests cannot ride if they set off the detectors. It's much easier and faster if you don't carry a purse, and just store your ticket, credit card, and dining card in a neck lanyard so you don't have to use a locker.

Digital locker bay 

4. Pool–hopping - When you stay at most of the on-site hotels, you can actually swim at the other Universal Resort pools! All you need is your room key to open the pool gate and you're good to go. Bring a backpack with your swimsuits to the parks and you can stop by a different pool each afternoon before heading back to your room. They even supply towels near the pools so no need to bring your own. Swim in a pool that plays music underwater at the Hard Rock Hotel, float down the lazy river at Cabana Bay, enjoy a relaxing dip at Portofino Bay and more. Guests staying at Endless Summer do not have pool hopping privileges, and are not within walking distance of other resorts.

Loews Sapphire Falls Resort pool

3. Hogwarts Express - The two parks are only connected by the train in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter known as the Hogwarts Express. The train takes "students" between Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. You can only board the train with a Park-to-Park ticket as you exit the train in a different park. If you have a base ticket (one park per day) you cannot ride the Hogwarts Express. The ride itself is so impressive! It's very authentic to the Harry Potter movies. The ride experience is different each way too! 

2. CityWalk - Universal CityWalk has so many shops and restaurants to check out. A favorite of the Kingdom Konsultant agents is Cowfish. It offers many varieties of burgers and sushi.  My kids love Toothsome's Chocolate Emporium too. CityWalk has so many unique stores, booths, and vendors. It also has street performers and a DJ to liven up the atmosphere. It's open later than the parks, so save it for nighttime.

Sushi burger at Cowfish

1. Volcano Bay - The icon of the waterpark is the 200 foot Krakatau Volcano, complete with waterfalls and volcanic eruptions! This is a THRILL park for sure! When it opened in 2017 it was home to 3 of the world's tallest slides. The Ko'okiri Body Plunge set the world record for tallest speed slide in the U.S. Your electronic bracelet called Tapu Tapu holds your place in line, so you don't have to freeze waiting for a slide. All Volcano Bay slides with rafts or tubes have conveyor belts, so there's no need to haul them up the stairs! 

Universal definitely isn't an "add-on" day to Walt Disney World anymore, but a vacation in itself! There is so much to see and do here, that a 4-night stay is barely long enough!

Summer Squires

Summer's favorite Universal ride is Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts. She is a member of House Ravenclaw. Email her at Summer@kingdomkonsultant.com.