33 Things to Know Before You Visit Universal Orlando

Universal Orlando Top Tips

Here are some of my top tips for planning your visit to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando Resort. Especially for Harry Potter fans, Universal’s theme parks are a must-see on your trip to Orlando. Here’s how to have the best vacation ever.

Quick look at all 33 tips

1 – Get there early

The Number One Thing you can do to see the most popular attractions at Universal Orlando is to arrive early.

My advice is to get there BEFORE the park opens. How far ahead? About 30 minutes early should do it – if you want to be close to the front of the line, more like 45 minutes ahead will be required.

Yes, you will stand around for a while, but you will be rewarded – the park gates almost always open 15 minutes prior to the official opening time. Whenever we’ve been there for park opening we have actually sat down on our first ride at opening time.

If you need tips to help get your family up early for your park day, here’s how to Master Your Theme Park Morning.

Want to see what an empty park looks like first thing in the morning? Here’s video of our early admission to Universal Studios Florida.

60-Second Quick Guide to Universal Orlando

2 – Stay in a Universal Express Pass hotel – Royal Pacific, Hard Rock, or Portofino Bay

Not only are the Universal Express Pass hotels convenient and nicely appointed, but your booking includes TWO fabulous perks that will more than double what you can see in the parks. As a guest at the Portofino Bay, Royal Pacific, or Hard Rock, you’ll not only receive early admission at one or more parks each day, every guest in your room will also get a free Unlimited Express Pass.

You get these perks for every day you are at the hotel – this means including the day you check-in and the day you check-out.

Express Pass hotels

To get the free Express Pass, you’ll need to stay at either the Royal Pacific, Hard Rock, or Portofino Bay. Universal charges other guests up to $379 per day for the same pass.

Rooms at these hotels aren’t cheap, but if you have 3 or 4 people in your room, do the math. The cost of your room might be LESS than the value of the Express Passes! Think twice about “saving money” by staying at the Cabana Bay, Sapphire Falls, or Aventura Hotel – you’ll still get early admission if you stay there but no free Express Passes.

Want to learn more about hacking your way to free Universal Express Passes? Check out this post/podcast episode to get started.

Booking.com

Why you want a Universal Express Pass

The Universal Orlando Unlimited Express Pass is AWESOME. It gets you into an “Express” line on almost every ride at Islands of Adventure and at Universal Studios.

Even on busy days you usually won’t wait in the Express Pass line longer than 15 minutes, while the regular standby line could be 45 minutes or more. Using the Express Pass you can really maximize your touring, and feel free to go on the same ride multiple times with minimal wait.

Want to know how Universal Express Pass compares to Disney’s Genie+? Check out this issue of the Go Informed newsletter for a quick look.

Stay on-site and get early park admission at Universal Orlando

Guests staying at any of the on-site Universal Orlando hotels get an extra hour in the parks each morning. Even hotels that don’t include Express Pass offer this perk to guests.

Here’s my guide to all the Universal Orlando hotels.

Early admission is for the Wizarding World at one of the parks each day. As mentioned in tip #1, you can use this early admission to be on the Forbidden Journey, Hagrid’s Coaster, or the Gringott’s Bank ride an hour before anyone else is let into the park. Especially if you have an Unlimited Express Pass or ride single, you can use this hour to ride these attractions as many times as you like.

Another good use of this early entry is to visit Ollivanders in Hogsmeade. The line here can get long very quickly – being early in line will save you a lot of waiting. Plus the shops and town of Hogsmeade are much calmer and more photogenic when you’re there before the mobs. And Diagon Alley is totally different when it’s empty compared to the usual crowds.

Seriously consider taking advantage of early admission to ride the Hagrid’s Magical Motorbike Adventure coaster. This is one of the few Universal Orlando headliner attractions without Express Pass, so getting to it early will give you the chance to ride with minimal wait. Here’s my post all about Hagrid’s Magical Motorbike Adventure.

Click here for my simple tip that can save hundreds on your stay at Universal Orlando Resort.

3 – Wear good shoes and get ready for lots of walking and standing

It’s the reality of theme-park touring – you’ll spend a ton of time on your feet. Before you go, get yourself some good walking shoes and put some miles on them. Go for long walks at home – 3 miles at a time is probably a good regular walk – and try to work up to where you can walk 5-6 miles in one stretch. And don’t forget to bring some good socks too.

Unlike many of the Disney parks, there’s really no transportation inside the Universal parks (except the recently opened Hogwarts Express which saves you from walking to the front of one park to get into the other one). Expect to do a lot of walking, along with plenty of standing in line if you don’t have an Express Pass.

Here’s my post, with maps, detailing just how far you’ll walk at Universal Orlando.

4 – Buy a Universal Orlando park-to-park ticket

If you plan to ride the Hogwarts Express to visit both Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, you’ll need a park-to-park ticket. Shrewdly, Hogsmeade (home of the Forbidden Journey ride) is in the Islands of Adventure park, and Diagon Alley (home of Gringotts Bank) is in Universal Studios. There are ticket booths at the train stations in both parks, but you’ll save money and time if you purchase your tickets for both parks ahead of time.

If you have the time and are a water park fan, you’ll want a 3-park park-to-park ticket that includes Universal Volcano Bay.

Or consider purchasing a Universal Orlando annual pass. Annual passholders receive substantial discounts on the on-site hotels, often enough to more than cover the cost of the pass.

Get familiar with the layout of Universal Orlando’s two theme parks before you go. You can listen to my audio tours on the Go Informed Podcast:

• Episode 3: Universal Studios Florida audio tour
• Episode 4: Universal Islands of Adventure audio tour
• Episode 5: Wizarding World of Harry Potter audio tour
• Episode 46: Hagrid’s Magical Motorbike Adventure audio tour

5 –  Explore the Universal Orlando park ticket options early

Find out how ticket prices work at Universal Orlando and watch for promotional discounts. Universal frequently offers extra days and other bonuses for guests who purchase tickets online in advance.

How many days you’ll plan to spend in the parks, where you’ll stay in Orlando – even which hotel you choose – can be influenced by the tickets you purchase. Be sure to read my step-by-step guide to Universal Orlando park tickets early in your planning.

Wondering how Universal Orlando compares to Universal Studios in Hollywood? Here’s my detailed comparison.

6 – Wash hands frequently

There is no way to avoid touching railings, seat belts, and restraints that every other rider has touched that same day. Do yourself and the rider behind you a favor and wash your hands as often as you can. I also like to carry a few individually wrapped antibacterial wipes for when soap and water is too far away.

7 – Know your park-related apps

Universal has a very useful app that includes wait times, maps of the parks, mobile ordering, and a lot more. Be sure to download it and create an account before you head to Orlando.

There are lots of third-party apps that can also help you figure out what to do next, plan for the day, and make your trip more fun and efficient. Be sure to check out my post Eight Essential Apps for your Universal Orlando Trip to get all my suggestions.

Want more Universal Orlando trip-planning resources? Be sure to check out these 5 websites.

8 – Have fun

It can be so easy to get overwhelmed by the crowds, the choices, your tired feet; so remember – this all about having fun with your friends and family. Slow down and take in the fantasy worlds the amazing designers have created. Smile and enjoy!

💎 Universal Orlando is so big that there are a bunch of cool things you could easily overlook. Check out this issue of the Go Informed newsletter to find out about 9 of my favorite Universal Orlando hidden gems. And don’t forget to subscribe!

9 – Bring a backpack

A backpack is a convenient way to keep all your stuff together and I think it’s easier to carry than the plastic shopping bags you’ll get when you buy souvenirs.

If you’ll be traveling around Christmas or Easter, consider adding some park-related supplies to an Easter basket or stocking. Get my suggestions for what to put in a Universal Orlando themed Easter basket, gift basket, or Christmas stocking here.

Click here for my ultimate Universal Orlando traveler gift guide.

10 – Get a wand

One of the coolest elements in the Wizarding World is the interactive wands that allow ordinary muggles like us to do spells all around Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. The wands cost about $60 each, and you can choose from character wands or wands with themes based on your birthday.

Not only do you get a unique souvenir, but walking around casting spells is truly a magical experience that made me feel like a wizard. Look for plaques on the ground showing how to do the spell and where to aim your wand. Helpful park wizards are also on hand to help you get the spells just right.

You can purchase the interactive wands at Ollivanders in either Hogsmeade (Islands of Adventure) or Diagon Alley (Universal Studios). Purchase your wand right away – once you start using it, you’ll want to try all the spells. You can also purchase your wand online ahead of time, but it’s way more fun to have the experience of buying a wand from the shops in the Wizarding World.

Is this your first time visiting Universal Orlando? Be sure to catch this post and podcast episode loaded with more Universal Orlando first-timer advice.

11 – Give tired kids a break

If you think you’re overwhelmed by a theme park, imagine how your ten-year-old feels. I know you spent a lot of time/money/effort to get here, but please cut your kid some slack.

If you’re touring with a younger child, know that you will probably not see everything in the park. Do some research ahead of time to see what attractions will most appeal to your kid, and use the child-swap or ride single if there’s a ride you want to do but your child doesn’t.

And just be patient – if you’re lucky one day you’ll have another trip to Universal with your teenager and they will be dragging YOU to delirious exhaustion.