I’ll never forget walking out of Universal Islands of Adventure in 2022, drenched from head to toe after riding Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barge.
It was my first trip back to Universal Orlando Resort in years, and I learned some things the hard way, which I gladly shared with fellow travelers, hoping that they’d avoid my mistakes.
Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to visit the Florida resort several times a year. And while I stand by my earlier tips, I’ve learned a few others.
Here are my top tips for first-timers visiting Universal Orlando.
1. Stay on property
From RV parks to vacation rentals, there’s no shortage of places to stay in Central Florida, but it can pay to stay on property when visiting Universal Orlando. Not only are prices comparable to off-property hotels with Endless Summer Surfside and Dockside starting at $99 a night, but all of Universal’s resort hotels offer 30 minutes of early entry to select parks, which vary depending on time of year.
They also provide free resort transportation, so you can get back to your room fairly quickly after a long park day. That free transportation can be clutch in the mornings, particularly at pricier Loews Sapphire Falls, Loews Royal Pacific, Loews Portofino Bay, and Hard Rock Hotel, which offer water taxis that drop you off closer to the parks than you can get arriving by car or bus. Cabana Bay Beach Resort and Aventura Hotel guests can walk over to Sapphire Falls for water taxis, but the extra time and steps added may make it not worth skipping the resort shuttle bus.
Walking paths are also available to the parks from every resort hotel except the Endless Summer ones. Cabana Bay guests also have a dedicated walking path to Universal’s Volcano Bay water park.
Guests staying at Royal Pacific, Portofino Bay and Hard Rock also get free Universal Express Passes, which dramatically cut waits for most rides and normally start at $79.99 per person. Free package delivery is also available to all resort hotels, if guests don’t want to lug park purchases around all day.
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2. Buy a popcorn bucket
Snacking at the parks can get expensive. Guests are welcome to bring their own snacks, but there’s one crowd-pleaser that won’t break the bank.
A plain popcorn bucket costs a little over $12, and you can keep getting refills throughout your trip. Refills cost around $2 each, making popcorn among the cheapest, most shareable snacks on property. On our last trip, my family and I got multiple refills for the price of one pretzel with cheese dip.
3. Bring a light, refillable water bottle
Staying hydrated is always important, particularly on hot park days.
You can fill water bottles with free ice-cold water at any of the many Coca-Cola Freestyle machines across the property. Cups of ice water are also available for free anywhere dispensed soft drinks are sold.
Leave big double-walled stainless steel tumblers at home. Not only will they feel heavy, carrying them around all the day, but if they aren’t leak-proof, they’ll make a mess when you tip them on their sides to fit in lockers for thrill rides.
4. Bring a medium-sized bag to carry your stuff
Numerous attractions, from Jurassic World VelociCoaster to Men in Black Alien Attack, require guests to store loose articles in lockers provided for the duration of the ride.
I previously recommended keeping most of your things together to avoid having to empty every pocket each time. That’s still true, but I want to add a caveat on size.
The free lockers aren’t very big. They can fit a Loungefly-style mini backpack or empty popcorn bucket, if you squish them down, but they’re not large enough for packed full-size backpacks. Keep that in mind unless you want to pay for larger lockers.
5. Bring ponchos
Ponchos don’t take a lot of space and can save you from getting soaked like me on Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barge, Dudley Do-Right’s Rip Saw Falls, and Jurassic Park River Adventure.
Even if you skip water rides, ponchos are good to keep on hand for rainy park days.
6. Use single-rider lines
Many attractions have a single-rider lane. If you’re traveling alone or don’t mind your party being split up, you can save time using the single-rider lane, if it’s open. They’re not always offered.
It doesn’t guarantee a short wait, but it’s usually shorter. On our latest trip, my middle schooler still waited at least 45 minutes for The Incredible Hulk Coaster and an hour for Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. That was about as long as the regular standby wait for Hulk but shorter than the standby wait for Rip Ride Rockit.
The following attractions have single-rider lanes, though availability varies.
Universal Studios Florida
- E.T. Adventure
- Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
- Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
- Men in Black Alien Attack
- Revenge of the Mummy
- The Simpsons Ride
- Transformers: The Ride-3D
Universal Islands of Adventure
- Doctor Doom's Fearfall
- Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls
- Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
- Jurassic Park River Adventure
- Jurassic World VelociCoaster
- The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
- The Incredible Hulk Coaster
7. Use child swap
If someone in your party doesn’t meet ride requirements for an attraction or simply wants to sit it out, you can ask for a child swap. It’s particularly helpful for families with young children because it allows parents and caregivers to take turns riding the ride and staying with whoever is sitting it out.
On our most recent trip, my youngest didn’t want to ride Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, so we all waited in line together, but then she and I peeled off to a designated waiting room while my middle schooler and mother-in-law went on the ride. When they were done, my mother-in-law stayed with my youngest while I went on the ride. My middle schooler lucked out, getting to ride it twice.
Not all attractions have waiting rooms, but they all offer swaps. Just let team members know you need one.
8. Take breaks
Theme parks can be exhausting. Not only are you on your feet all day, but they can be loud, crowded and overstimulating.
When possible, I like to plan for at least one sit-down meal in the day. This way, I can take my time and recuperate in air conditioning away from crowds. I’ll typically splurge on one table-service meal, but there are several medium-priced, quick-service restaurants across both theme parks where you can grab a lighter snack and relax.
Really, any cool spot where you can sit down works. Knockturn Alley in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida is always refreshing, though dark. Jurassic Park Discovery Center in Islands of Adventure is a great place for kids to explore while adults unwind.
9. Watch the shows
Rides get a lot of the love, but Universal Orlando’s live entertainment is top tier. You can find showtimes on the free resort app or simply stop to watch performances you stumble across while roaming the parks.
The only year-round shows with dedicated seating are at Universal Studios Florida: Animal Actors On Location!, The Bourne Stuntacular, and Universal Orlando’s Horror Make-Up Show, which is more funny than scary.
10. Let little ones stretch their legs
There are several play areas across both theme parks for little ones to burn off energy.
This summer, a new DreamWorks Land will open at Universal Studios Florida with a “Kung Fu Panda”-themed play area.
At Islands of Adventure, kids can explore Camp Jurassic in Jurassic Park, If I Ran a Zoo in Seuss Landing, and Me Ship, The Olive in Toon Lagoon. There are also splash pads and water features across Toon Lagoon; just make sure to either bring swimsuits or backup clothes for those.
Bonus: Don’t sleep on Volcano Bay
You’ll definitely want to pack swimsuits if you’re heading to Volcano Bay, which regularly ranks among the best water parks in the country and adds a completely different experience to vacations.
It’s themed like a tropical paradise, with plenty of trees and an iconic volcano that houses multiple water slides. The water park can get crowded, but you never spend too much time standing in line because every guest gets a Tapu Tapu wearable bracelet that lets them join one virtual queue at a time.
Single-day tickets start at $80, which is considerably less than the $119 starting price for guests age 10 and up at Universal Studios Florida or Islands of Adventure, but still not cheap. However, if you’re already planning to buy multi-day tickets for both theme parks, tacking on Volcano Bay is not much more.
Article From & Read More ( Universal Orlando Resort tips to make the most of your first trip - USA TODAY )https://ift.tt/vwaWbyB
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