Just minutes from CDG, Paris Disneyland is the perfect one-day layover for hard-core Disney fans. If you’ve always wanted to visit an overseas Disney park, your flight through Charles-de-Gaulle can absolutely take you there. Here’s what I learned when I did Paris Disneyland in one day from CDG airport.

Paris Disneyland is only nine minutes from CDG

Closer to its home airport than either Disney World or Anaheim’s Disneyland, Paris Disneyland is only a nine-minute train ride from Charles-de-Gaulle.

Paris Charles-de-Gaulle airport has its own vast train station, located below terminal 2. Trains depart constantly for the city of Paris, all over France, and beyond.

There are several rail options to get from CDG to Paris Disney, but the quickest is the TGV. On the route from the airport, Disneyland is the first stop, just nine minutes away.

English is widely spoken at Disneyland Paris

A quick word about a very commonly-asked question. Even if you speak no French, you will have no problem at the Paris Disney parks. All the cast members speak English, the signage is in French and English, and there are lots of English-speaking guests.

Signage at the train stations and Paris airport also include English, so you should be able to find your way around fairly easily.

Stay at an airport hotel

This plan works best if you literally stay at the CDG train station. By which I mean the airport.

If you have a layover at CDG, schedule your flights so you have a free day between them. You’ll need to spend two nights at the airport.

Why stay here instead of at Disneyland? It’s simpler, and you can get more sleep. Read on to see how this works.

I stayed at the Sheraton Paris Charles-de-Gaulle Airport Hotel. It’s located at the top of the stairs directly above the TGV train station. The hotel has a restaurant and a bar with good food, it’s remarkably quiet for being next to a runway, and you can watch the planes from your room.

Here’s an Orbitz link to the Sheraton at the CDG Airport.

TGV to Disneyland quick tips

Paris Disneyland is located in the town of Marne-la-Vallée, about 25 miles from Charles-de-Gaulle. When you look for train tickets, Marne-la-Vallée is your destination.

The TGV trains leave, and return to, CDG frequently during the day. Most of them are going much farther than Disneyland. My train was heading all the way to Marseille!

The train station at Disneyland Paris is truly just outside the park gates. You’ll have a quick walk to either the Disneyland or Studios park.

Since you’re only riding a few minutes, and getting off at the first stop, you don’t really even need to take your seat. There are jump seats right next to the doors at the end of each car. Just hang out here and hop right off at Marne-la-Vallée.

Buy your TGV tickets in advance

As you’ll see throughout this post, a day at Disneyland Paris requires plenty of advance planning. One of the first things you need to do is get your train tickets.

Charles-de-Gaulle’s TGV trains transport passengers from all over France. Which means a lot of competition for seats. If you’re looking for a specific departure, don’t wait to buy your tickets. I waited until about a month before my visit and had to alter my timeline because a couple of the trains were already sold out.

You can check departure times and prices here. Don’t forget to look at both directions of your trip!

Delays are possible

Be aware that circumstances beyond your control can delay the trains. Both my morning and evening train had 20 minute delays due to some unknown factor.

When you only have a few hours at a park, every minute counts. Don’t waste it standing on the platform at the airport. So when you choose the train to get from CDG, give yourself whatever buffer works for your comfort level.

Luckily, I booked a train about 30 minutes earlier than I thought I needed.

Worst-case scenario is an unanticipated rail strike. If your train just doesn’t come, it will ruin the whole day. You could potentially salvage this situation by grabbing an Uber or taxi at the airport, but it takes a lot longer to get there, especially during a rail strike. Cross your fingers and toes that this doesn’t happen.

By the way, this is exactly why my advice is to fly out of CDG the day after your Disneyland day, not the night of. You do not want to be stuck at the Disneyland train station when you’ve got a plane to catch.

Two nights at CDG, one day at Disneyland Paris

When you schedule this out, you’ll need to spend two nights at CDG. It looks like this:

• Fly into CDG – late in the day if you have the option
• Spend the night at CDG
• Train early to Disneyland Paris
• Spend the night at CDG
• Fly out of CDG – early in the day if you have the option

Staying at CDG keeps things simple and might save you money on your flights

When you split up your flights to include a stop in Paris, it can add some additional perks besides a day at Disneyland. You may actually find that your plane tickets cost less when you don’t just fly to CDG, connect, and fly out.

When you don’t have to directly connect the flights, you’re freed up to choose different flight times and maybe even a different airline for the second leg. This can often be cheaper than just connecting on the same airline on the same day.

Staying at the airport means you wake up there for your flight out. So there’s no worries about getting there on time, no additional travel time on the day of that flight, and a generally more chill airport experience.

Paris Charles-de-Gaulle is also just an incredibly confusing airport to navigate. If you don’t have to rush to connect to a flight it will be much less stressful.

A few cautions about doing one day at Disneyland Paris

Before I jump into the actual logistics of your day at Disneyland Paris, let’s talk about why you might NOT want to do this. Plus some advice about how to best explore Disneyland Paris as a quick stop on your European vacation.

Do it at the end of your trip

First of all, if you really just have a day for the parks, don’t do it the first day you fly into Europe.

Jet lag is the real deal, and the last thing you need is an intense 10+ hour day right when you get there.

If you wait until the end of your European vacation, not only will you have the chance to get a good night’s sleep, you will also be familiar with the currency and maybe even the language.

This will be very difficult to do during the Paris 2024 Olympics

If you’ll be visiting Paris during the 2024 Olympics, you should expect big crowds at Disneyland, every day of the week. So a one-day strategy could be extra difficult. Set your expectations accordingly and be sure to buy your train tickets as far in advance as possible.

Don’t try to do any Disney destination in one day if…

Just like every Disney parks resort, Disneyland Paris is not a place you can completely experience in one day. If you’re a hard-core, frequent theme park visitor like me, you can make a pretty good run at it. With some planning, as you’ll see below. But do consider these cautions:

It’s your first day on the continent

If you’re exhausted from a long flight, plus jet-lagged, but the beginning of your trip is when you can fit it in, make the effort to stay on-site at DLP. This way you’ll be able to return to your room when you really need a break, and hopefully you can allot more than one day to explore the parks.

You’re traveling with little kids

If you’ve got a little one with you, don’t even think about seeing both Disney Paris parks in a day. The sheer distance you’ll need to walk is hard enough for grown adults. Little ones need to go at a slower pace, and so do grown-ups who are traveling with little ones! Better to make a trip of it and stay on-site for two or three nights.

You haven’t been to a Disney park since pre-2020

If it’s been awhile since you’ve been to a Disney park, this may not be the time to try to do it in a day. Things have changed a lot since the old paper FastPass days.

If you’re determined to make it work, be sure to do your homework about the Disneyland Paris app, learn about Premier Access, and brush up on your ride etiquette.

You are exhausted from the rest of your vacation

If any of the above are true for you, consider spending several nights on-site at Paris Disneyland

Touring tactics for a single day Disneyland Paris visit

Make a plan

Advance planning is crucial for any one-day theme park visit. Disneyland Paris has two theme parks, including about 50 attractions, 25 restaurants, shows, character meets, shops, and plenty of other random diversions. It’s of course impossible to do all these things in one day.

If you’re really going to see anything, you’ll need to prioritize and plan your touring. I literally made a minute-by-minute spreadsheet, but you don’t have to go that far.

Start by researching what’s in the parks, then decide if you even want to visit both of them on your day. This will dictate what type of ticket you’ll need.

Once you know where you’ll be, start looking at the lands and attractions. Make a list of your top priorities and try to estimate a time for each thing. You’ll need to figure out if you can realistically do everything in the time you have.

Want to see a discussion about how my plan came together? Watch here.

Here’s a 60-second look at Paris Disneyland Resort

How to save time in line at Disneyland Paris

There are some tried-and-true theme park hacks that can help you beat the crowds at Disneyland Paris. Here are my top tips, which really helped me make the most of my day.

Rope Drop

Rope drop means being at the park gates when they open. Preferably at the front of the line.

If you’re first in the park, you can be first in line and maybe even walk on to your top priority attraction. The key to this tactic is to get to the park well before the gates open, usually at least 30 minutes early. So be sure to factor this in when you buy your train tickets.

I have tons of advice about doing rope drop right – and wrong – here on the website and in my email newsletter. Here are a few resources:

• Post/Podcast – How to rope drop
• Post/Podcast – Master your theme park morning
• Newsletter – Top two rope drop FAILS

Be aware of Disneyland Paris Extra Magic Time

Rope drop at Disneyland Paris is complicated by early entry for hotel guests. Hotel guests can get into the park an hour earlier than day visitors, which means there will be people already on the rides when you get to the gate from your train.

Even though you don’t get this magical extra hour, it still really pays to be first for the general entry. The first hours any park is open have the lowest crowd levels and the lowest ride wait times. So you can do more in less time.

Premier Access

Premier Access is Paris Disney’s paid skip-the-line system. It’s not cheap, but it can be a great way to get a ton of stuff done in just one day.

There are two Premier Access options: Ultimate and One. Premier Access Ultimate lets you skip the line once per ride on about 16 attractions. Premier Access One is a one-time skip-the-line for a specific ride.

If you’re familiar with Disney’s old FastPass system, this is the same thing except now you pay for it. Free FastPass is a thing of the past – you either buy the Premier Access or you go through the standby queue.

Ride single

A free way to avoid a long wait is to use the single rider queue. Major attractions like Ratatouille, Crush’s Coaster, and Hyperspace Mountain have single rider lines.

Riding single is just what it sounds like. You’ll be loaded onto an attraction without your group, to fill in an empty space in the ride vehicle.

Wait times for single rider can be significantly quicker than the regular standby queue. A 50 minute standby wait could be just 10 minutes riding single.

If a ride has a singles line, you’ll see the wait time displayed at the queue entry and also on the app.

Click here for more tips about riding single at Disney.

Make a lunch reservation

Paris Disney has some really cool themed restaurants, and if sitting down for an hour in the middle of the day sounds good to you (it sure will when you’re there!), you should choose a restaurant and make a reservation.

You can book your Disneyland Paris dining reservation up to two months ahead. If your top choice isn’t available right away, keep trying. Reservations seem to appear randomly and odds are you’ll be able to snag a time that works for you.

My day at Paris Disney

All these tips come from my real-life experience visiting Paris Disneyland in September 2023. Here is what my day looked like.

Have a plan but be flexible

You don’t have to make a plan as detailed as this one, but it really did help me stay on track. As you can see, I actually accomplished almost everything on my list. The biggest thing that I skipped was the railroad. The waits were long and not all the stations were open.

I spent a lot of time finessing this plan. And I asked for help. If you’d like to see the process, check out this video.

Staying flexible when you’ve got a plan like this is not easy. I really wanted to do everything on the list in the order I’d planned. But mostly because of wait times I switched a few things around.

When you go for just one day, you have to be in the mindset that you won’t be able to do everything. Be realistic about how long it’s going to take to get places, and be sure to prioritize your top experiences.

For me, lunch at Walt’s Restaurant was an absolute must-do. I knew that it’s a multi-course meal and it’s in France, so I planned for 90 minutes there. This is a big chunk of the day but I really didn’t want to rush it, and the timing turned out to be perfect.

Single rider & Premier Access

What really made it possible for me to get on so many rides was riding single and using Premier Access One. When the waits were just too long, I paid the fee and skipped the line. There were only two rides I had to do this on: Crush’s Coaster and Big Thunder.

Weekdays are less crowded

Besides the fact that I was solo, and thus nimble, I went to Paris Disneyland on a Monday in September. Crowds were relatively low, which made it easier to get around and kept ride wait times down. If I’d been visiting in the summer or on a weekend, I would’ve expected to get on fewer rides.

Bring an external battery

At Disneyland Paris your phone is absolutely essential. It is your park ticket, your train ticket, and the only way to get Premier passes for the attractions. If the battery goes dead, you don’t have a train ticket to get home.

The Disneyland app uses a ton of power, and I found my battery drained 50% by lunchtime. Luckily I had a back-up power bank with me.

Even if your phone is brand-new, be prepared to top up the battery during the day. Your best bet is a small power pack like this. If you bring a charger instead, make sure it can plug into a European power outlet.

Click here to find this power pack at Target

Click here to find it at Amazon

My Disneyland Paris in one day video trip report

Here’s the live discussion on Facebook where I explain exactly how my day at Disneyland Paris turned out. It was an incredible day and I hope you have as much fun as I did.

I’m sure there are tips in the video that I’ve left out of this post. Click here to watch, or just click below.

Have you conquered Disneyland Paris in a day?

Have you experienced a day at Disneyland Paris? What went right? What went wrong? Share you thoughts in the comments below.

More theme park tips from Go Informed

Here on the site you’ll find tons of advice to help make your next theme park vacation the best ever. Here’s a few of the top posts:

• Universal Orlando vs Universal Hollywood
• How one-star TripAdvisor reviews can make your vacation better
• How to rope drop like a pro
• Theme park etiquette tips

Do Disney like a pro!

Subscribe to my theme park tips newsletter and get simple, actionable advice delivered straight to your inbox. Join the list and check out the archives here.

Here are a few popular past newsletter editions:

• Should you pay to skip the line?
• 6 tips to make your next flight easier
• 10 park touring mistakes I’ve made

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The post How to Conquer Disneyland Paris in One Day from CDG appeared first on Go Informed.

Want a quick answer to some of the most frequently asked questions about Disney and Universal? These are my theme park quick start guides.

When you want to dive deeper into a topic, just tap the links on the slides, or check out the resource list below.

Theme park quick start guides

Harry Potter World Quick Guide

By Sue Winter

Disney World Quick Guide

By Sue Winter

Universal Orlando Resort Quick Guide

By Sue Winter

Universal Orlando vs Hollywood Quick Guide

By Sue Winter

Disneyland Avengers Campus Quick Guide

By Sue Winter

Paris Disneyland Quick Guide

By Sue Winter

Disney Genie Fast Facts

By Sue Winter

Disney World Christmas Quick Guide

By Sue Winter

View all stories

Direct links to each quick start guide

• Universal Orlando vs Universal Hollywood quick guide
• Wizarding World of Harry Potter quick start guide
• Disney World quick start guide
• Universal Orlando quick start guide
• Avengers Campus quick start guide
• Disney Genie quick start guide
• Christmas at Disney World quick start guide
• Disneyland Paris quick start guide

Looking for another fun destination? Here’s my Bora Bora quick start guide.

Go Informed theme park tips

With a little planning and strategy, you can have a fantastic theme park vacation. Check out these resources to get started:

• 33 things to know before you visit Universal Orlando
• 55 things to know before you visit Disney World
• Universal Orlando complete hotel guide
• Disney World complete hotel guide
• Disneyland walking distances and training tips
• Universal Orlando vs Universal Hollywood
• How to do Disneyland Paris in one day

Exclusive bonus tips in your inbox

Want to save money, avoid hassles, and have more fun on your theme park vacation? Sign up now to get two bonus mini-posts every month, exclusive to the Go Informed mailing list!

Click here to join now.

This post contains affiliate links.

The post Go Informed Theme Park Quick Start Guides appeared first on Go Informed.

These are the show notes for Go Informed Podcast episode 78. Click below to listen, or find it on your favorite podcast app, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.

Want some quick Disneyland advice? Here’s ten things to know before you go.

Go Informed Podcast episode 78: Disneyland Christmastime trip report

These photos are from my November 2022 trip to Disneyland. The holiday season was in full swing, officially starting in the middle of November each year.

We spent 4 days at Disneyland, staying in the Grand Californian Hotel. Here are a few things I highly recommend, based on our experience on this trip.

As always, we made a few blunders on this trip, which you’ll hear me discuss on the podcast. A couple of them even made my top ten park touring mistakes list here. If you want to know what NOT to do, be sure to check it out.

Stay in a Disneyland hotel

The hotels

The Disney-operated hotels at Disneyland are:

• Disneyland Hotel
• Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel
• Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel

Early theme park entry every day

Guests staying in one of the three Disney-operated hotels receive a 30 minute early-entry into the parks every day. Even though it doesn’t seem like much time, it’s actually a huge advantage.

We were able to leverage early admission to get a double rope drop each day. This gave us a head-start on Radiator Springs Racers and Rise of the Resistance, even though these two headliners are not included in Disneyland’s early entry. Find out how we did it here.

Convenience

The Disneyland hotels are all within easy walking distance to both the Disneyland and California Adventure theme parks. Disney’s Grand Californian hotel is the closest to both parks and even has its own entrance into California Adventure.

Fly into John Wayne/Santa Ana airport

The closest airport to Disneyland is John Wayne/Santa Ana (SNA), less than 30 minutes from the resort. If your trip is only to Disneyland you won’t even need to rent a car, just catch a quick Uber or Lyft ride, then do everything on foot.

How far apart is everything at Disneyland? Check out this post for maps and common Disneyland walking distances.

Use Genie+ at Disneyland

Genie+ is Disney’s new version of FastPass. It allows guests to reserve time slots to skip long attraction wait times (this is called Lightning Lane). It’s not free, and you’ll have a less-than-simple app to deal with, but it really does make Disneyland touring much easier.

The first day of our trip was during a holiday weekend but we still had no problem reserving Lightning Lanes for top attractions. You can add Genie+ to your Disney vacation package so it’ll be activated automatically on every day of your trip.

At Disneyland, Genie+ also includes unlimited PhotoPass photos, which includes ride photos and those taken by the PhotoPass photographers around the parks.

Quick start guide to Genie+ and Lightning Lane

Disneyland Christmastime photos

Here are photos of some of the locations and Disneyland Christmas decorations mentioned in this podcast episode.

The Disneyland Christmas tree

Disneyland’s Main Street USA at Christmastime

The Disneyland castle during Christmastime

Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion Holiday

BTW, Halloween is also an amazing time to visit Disneyland. Here are 13 reasons why you should consider visiting Disneyland during Halloween season, from my newsletter.

The spectacular holiday lights on It’s a Small World

The Disneyland castle Christmas lights

Trader Sam’s Tiki Bar at the Disneyland Hotel

Disneyland’s Blue Bayou restaurant

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel lobby Christmas tree

Giant gingerbread house in the Grand Californian Hotel

Christmastime in California Adventure’s Cars Land

Disney’s California Adventure Festival of the Holidays

Early theme park entry for Disneyland hotel guests

More theme park touring tips

Here on GoInformed.net, and on the Go Informed Podcast, you’ll find tons of tips for your trip to Disney and Universal. Here are a few of the most popular posts:

• Top ten all-time Disneyland tips
• All about Avengers Campus at Disneyland
• Disneyland walking distances and training tips
• How Universal Studios Hollywood compares to Universal Orlando
• How to rope drop
• 8 Disney park reservation quick tips

Join the mailing list for twice-monthly bonus tips

Want more tips, delivered straight to your inbox? Be sure to join my email newsletter list here!

Catch my weekly live Disney parks discussions on Facebook

This post and podcast episode were originally shared in a live Facebook chat. Tune in to my @goinformednet Facebook page Thursdays at 11am Pacific to join the conversation!

Thank you Joey McGirr, also known as The Disney Hack, for joining me in the live discussion. You can find more of Joey at TheDisneyHack.com.

This post contains affiliate links.

The post My Epic Disneyland Christmastime Photos and Trip Report appeared first on Go Informed.

Your theme park vacation may be the most intensive walking experience of your year. Now’s the time to get a handle on just how far you’ll go and learn how to be ready. Here are some common Disneyland walking distances, along with tips to help you get in shape for your trip, plus a fun Disneyland-themed bingo card to track your training.

Want to find out about walking distances at Disney World and Universal Orlando? Check out this post.

Audio tutorial

Go Informed Podcast episode 77 is a discussion of how to train for your Disney vacation. Find it on your favorite podcast app, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.

Get ready to walk

A day at Disneyland can easily add up to a half-marathon of walking. Get familiar with the distances so you’ll be ready to go.

Keep in mind that the distances you see here are just one-way. Running around inside the parks can add up quickly, so be sure to have a plan to avoid a bunch of backtracking.

One of my favorite resources for planning a trip to Disneyland is the Unofficial Guide. Find it on Amazon here.

Walking distances inside Disneyland

While Disneyland is far from the largest of Disney’s parks, there is still a lot of ground to cover. Here are some common Disneyland walking distances:

• Disneyland main gate walking distance to:
  • Sleeping Beauty castle: 0.25 miles
  • Space Mountain: 0.3 miles
  • Splash Mountain: 0.4 miles
  • Millennium Falcon: 0.5 miles
  • It’s a Small World: 0.4 miles
  • California Adventure main gate: 250 feet
• Loop around Disneyland: 1.5 miles
• Disneyland monorail stop in Tomorrowland to Haunted Mansion: 0.3 miles

Want quick answers to your top Disney parks FAQ’s? Check out my theme park quick start guides here.

Walking distances inside Disney’s California Adventure

California Adventure is a compact park, with even the farthest attractions only around a half-mile from the gate. However, California Adventure doesn’t have the hub-and-spoke layout you’ll find at Disneyland. This means more meandering pathways and not always direct routes across the grounds.

Here are some common California Adventure walking distances:

• California Adventure main gate walking distance to:
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout: 0.2 miles
  • Web-Slingers: 0.2 miles
  • Radiator Springs Racers: 0.3 miles
  • Incredicoaster: 0.4 miles
  • Soarin’ Around the World: 0.1 miles
  • Grizzly River Run: 0.2 miles
• Loop around California Adventure: 1.2 miles
• Grand Californian Hotel to Radiator Springs Racers, via the hotel’s direct entrance to California Adventure: 0.3 miles

Getting ready to walk is on my list of 8 things to do before your trip. Click here to find out what else to do before you go.

Walking between Disneyland and California Adventure

Because of the proximity of the two parks, most guests opt to park-hop, which means going back-and-forth between Disneyland and California Adventure. This can add significant distance to your total for the day. For instance, you’ll walk a full mile between Midway Mania in California Adventure to Rise of the Resistance in Disneyland.

Heads-up: At Disneyland you need an advance reservation to get into the park. Get my 8 quick Disney park reservation tips here.

Walking distances from Disneyland area hotels to the park gates

In addition, there are many hotels, both Disney and non-Disney, within walking distance of the park gates. Consider this distance when you choose your hotel. Here are a few landmarks to help you judge where to stay.

The Disneyland Esplanade is the plaza between the park gates for Disneyland and California Adventure. It’s about the width of a city block.

• Disneyland Esplanade walking distance to:
  • Disneyland Hotel: 0.5 miles
  • Grand Californian Hotel: 0.1 miles
  • Paradise Pier Hotel: 0.6 miles
  • Best Western Plus Park Place: 0.3 miles
  • Hyatt House: 0.6 miles
  • Anaheim Marriott: 1 mile
  • Best Western Plus Pavilions: 1 mile
  • Residence Inn Anaheim Resort Area: 1.6 miles

Get your feet ready to walk at Disneyland

One of the best ways to set yourself up for success on a Disneyland vacation is to train for your trip. Add walking into your routine weeks, or even months, before your trip. The more miles you do at home, the more miles you can do in the parks.

Start with your shoes

Make sure you have good walking shoes, and put some mileage on them before your vacation. The best shoes for Disneyland are the type that you could run a marathon in.

Two pairs of running shoes are even better than one. If you’ve got a second pair, you can rotate between them each day. And if you run into wet weather, you can change into dry shoes with no hassle.

You should also bring along some blister bandages just in case.

Think it never rains in Disneyland? Here’s the post I wrote after we experienced extreme weather there.

Track your progress

One of my favorite ways to track distance is in terms of the parks. Instead of counting miles on your neighborhood walks, imagine how many times you’ve walked to the castle.

Disneyland neighborhood walk Bingo card

I’ve created a Bingo card you can print to track your training. Use your phone or a fitness watch to see how far you walked today, then mark off those distances on the Bingo card.

There are about 13 miles total, which is easily how far you could walk in just two days at Disneyland. See if you can do this distance within a week at home.

Get your whole family walking

Make sure the rest of your group can go the distance too. If you’ve got kids in strollers, include them on your training walks. They’ll need to be ready for all that extra time in the seat.

Be realistic

It’s also important to recognize any limitations in your group. If you just know all this walking is going to be a difficulty, start working on a mobility plan B. It’s easy to rent a wheelchair or scooter right at the Disneyland main gate. Prepare for it ahead of time so everything goes smoothly.

Don’t miss my TOP TEN Disneyland tips right here!

Get theme park tips while you walk

Listening to a podcast is a great way to pass those training miles. Check out the Go Informed Podcast on your favorite podcast player. You get tips like:

• Super-quick guide to Disney Genie and Lightning Lane
• My Christmastime at Disneyland trip report
• Everything you need to know about Avengers Campus
• How to get your family to the park in time for rope drop
• How Universal Studios Hollywood compares to Universal Orlando

and lots more! Search your podcast app for Go Informed: Build A Better Vacation now.

Recent Go Informed Podcast episodes

Printable park maps and Disneyland walking distance bingo card

Here are the links to get PDF versions of the park maps and bingo card:

• Disneyland park maps with walking distances
• Disneyland-themed neighborhood walk bingo card

Want an Orlando parks bingo card too? Head over to this post for a Disney World/Universal Orlando themed bingo card.

Bonus tips delivered straight to your inbox

Be sure to join the Go Informed newsletter list to get twice-monthly bonus tips delivered straight to you. Sign up here.

Is Paris Disneyland on your bucket list? Click here to find out how you can do it in just ONE day!

60-second guide to Paris Disneyland

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The post Disneyland Walking Distances appeared first on Go Informed.

In 2021, Disney unveiled a major revamp of its long-standing FastPass system. Gone are the Disneyland days of running across the park to get paper tickets, and the months-in-advance Disney World FastPass reservations. Guests can still skip the regular line, but the system has a new name, new technology, and a new cost. Here is a bare minimum guide to Disney Genie and Lightning Lane.

July 2024 note: Disney has made some updates to the Genie+ system, including changing the name! Read this post first.

Go Informed Podcast episode 76

These are the show notes for Go Informed Podcast episode 76. Click below to listen to the audio tutorial.

1 – Goodbye FastPass, hello Lightning Lane

FastPass has existed long enough that it’s become part of our everyday language, a brand-name like Kleenex or Band-Aid. Which makes it extra surprising that Disney has chosen to abandon this term.

If you’ve been to a Disney park in the last twenty years, you will recall FastPass as the system that allows guests to skip the regular line. It’s essentially a reservation to get in a shorter line at a specific time, thereby allowing more time to explore the park and skip a long queue.

During the 2020 park shutdowns, and subsequent reopening, Disney completely eliminated FastPass as an option. All guests waited in the same line for however long it took to ride.

It’s called Lightning Lane Now

Today FastPass is back, but without its legendary name. When you skip the regular queue, it’ll be a Lightning Lane you use. And you’ll get your Lightning Lane access using the Disney Genie app.

What else has changed since 2020? Here’s my glossary of the most commonly used Disney Parks words and phrases.

You can only book your Lightning Lane selections using Disney Genie

Disneyland’s paper FastPass kiosks are gone. If you want to get into the Lightning Lane you’ll need to use the electronic Disney Genie system. And it will not be free.

Got 60 seconds? Here’s a super-quick look at Genie and Lightning Lane

2 – Disney Genie is part of the Disney World and Disneyland app

You can access the Disney Genie system through the official Disneyland and Disney World park apps. It is not its own app.

As soon as you log into the park app, you’ll see the Disney Genie button. There is not a dedicated app called Disney Genie.

3 – Disney Genie is free, Disney Genie+ is not

Adding to the confusion, there are several different levels to the Disney Genie app.

Disney Genie provides tips and access to Individual Lightning Lanes

The basic Disney Genie service is free. It offers “plan your day” tips for where to go at the park. If you tell Disney Genie what you want to experience it’s supposed to give you a detailed park itinerary to make your day efficient and easy.

As of this writing, I do not recommend using Disney Genie to plan your day. The suggestions are not useful and won’t maximize your park time.

You can also use the free Disney Genie service to make Individual Lightning Lane selections. These are different from Lightning Lane, as you’ll see below.

Use the TouringPlans app to plan your day instead

TouringPlans.com offers a hugely useful free in-park touring app called Lines. This app really will help you get the most out of your day, including on-the-fly touring plans, ride wait times, dining info, and a lot more. It runs circles around Disney Genie’s functionality and will for sure make your day better.

You can also improve your park experience by getting an Unofficial Guide from TouringPlans.

4 – Disney Genie+ provides access to Lightning Lane reservations

Disney Genie PLUS is a paid add-on to the Disney Genie service. There is a daily charge to use this service, and every guest must have paid Disney Genie+ to get Lightning Lane reservations. (But not Individual Lightning Lane. Why Disney why??)

Disney Genie+ cost

Currently the cost to use Disney Genie+ is $20 per day at Disneyland and $15 per day at Disney World. Per person. Disneyland’s Genie+ includes the entire day’s PhotoPass photos but Disney World’s doesn’t.

Lightning Lane selections using Genie+

This is a bare-bones Disney Genie post so I will not get into step-by-step instructions. The main thing to know is that if you have paid Genie+ you can get Lightning Lane selections throughout the day, just by using the app.

Once you use a Lightning Lane reservation you can get another one. And since there’s no more running across the park to get a FastPass ticket the app is really quite convenient. You can get your next Lightning Lane pass while standing in line to ride something else.

Almost every attraction at Disneyland and Disney World has a Lightning Lane option, so if you really know your stuff you can avoid long lines most of the day.

5 – Individual Lightning Lanes using Genie

So, to recap: Lightning Lanes are the new version of FastPass, which you need to pay a daily fee to access. But there is also something else called Individual Lightning Lanes.

The top attractions in each park will not be available using the regular Genie+ Lightning Lane service. Yes, you can still get on these rides by standing in the regular standby queue. But if you want to skip the long line you will need to spend your way into the Individual Lightning Lane queue.

Individual Lightning Lanes are pay-to-ride for headliner attractions

The types of rides that require Individual Lightning Lane are Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Avatar: Flight of Passage. For most guests, these are the must-see attractions in each park. Especially during peak season, lines can be very long – sometimes two hours or more – for these rides.

To skip the regular queue, guests must use Disney Genie to buy access to the Individual Lightning Lane on these headliner attractions. You will pay somewhere between about $7-$15 per person to get those Individual Lightning Lane passes, regardless of whether you’ve also paid for Genie+ or not.

Note that Individual Lightning Lanes can sell out early in the day. If you plan to use this service, be ready to book those attractions first thing in the morning.

Quick look at Disneyland’s Avengers Campus

6 – The paid Lightning Lane system can be worth it

Yes, FastPass isn’t free anymore. But the new paid Lightning Lane system can be worth it. You will definitely save time in line, and using the app makes getting your next pass easy. Do your homework to decide if you’ll need to buy Genie+ for every day of your trip, or maybe just a day or two, and whether you’ll want to use Individual Lightning Lanes.

Check out this issue of the Go Informed newsletter for more Genie+ cost/benefit analysis.

7 – Disney Genie is new and evolving

Be sure to check for current information about which attractions have Lightning Lanes and Individual Lightning Lanes. As the system has rolled out, Disney has begun adding fireworks and parade viewing, and character meets, to the Lightning Lane options. Individual Lightning Lane attractions are subject to change too.

The cost to use Genie+, and the functionality will all be evolving as well. Be sure your research includes up-to-date information from several sources.

Disney Genie Bonus tips

• Plan ahead
  • If you spend the money for Genie+, having a plan will maximize your investment. As these illustrative TripAdvisor reviews demonstrate, showing up with no preparation can lead to disaster.
• Bring an extra battery
  • You’ll be on your phone a lot to get those Lightning Lanes. Toss an external battery into your park backpack.
• You don’t have to get Genie+ for every day
  • Check a crowd calendar to see if some days are busier than others. You may be able to just use the standby lines for part of your trip.
• Follow my Pinterest boards for more info
  • There’s a ton of great info out there about Disney Genie. I’ve shared some of my favorite resources on these Pinterest boards:
    • Go Informed Disneyland Pinterest board
    • Go Informed Disney World Pinterest board

More tips for your Disney vacation

Here on GoInformed.net, and on the Go Informed: Build a Better Vacation podcast, you’ll find lots of tips to make your theme park vacation the best ever. Check out these posts:

• 55 things to know before you visit Disney World
• How to get your family to the parks in time for rope drop
• Disney World complete hotel guide
• All about Avengers Campus at Disneyland
• 33 things to know before you visit Universal Orlando

Bonus tips delivered straight to your inbox

Join the mailing list to get my twice-monthly bonus tipsheet. It’s like a little blog post made especially for you! Get your bonus tips here.

Here’s an archived newsletter you might like: 8 Ways to Skip the Line at Universal and Disney

The post 7 Disney Genie and Lightning Lane Bare Essentials to Know Now appeared first on Go Informed.

Marvel fans: assemble! Disneyland’s Avengers Campus brings the MCU multiverse to life, and it’s a must-see destination for every Marvel fan. The land combines immersive theming with the living presence of favorite heroes and two headliner thrill rides. Here is everything you need to know about Disneyland’s Avengers Campus.

These are the show notes for Go Informed Podcast episode 75. Click below to hear the show now, or search for Go Informed: Build A Better Vacation on your favorite podcast app!

Avengers Campus is in Disneyland’s California Adventure theme park

The newest land at Disneyland resort, Avengers Campus is located in the California Adventure theme park. Disney’s imagineers have cleverly converted some old spaces and added new to create an immersive land straight out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The land is themed to resemble the Avengers Campus that Marvel fans are familiar with. Huge-scale buildings sprawl through what purportedly was an old Stark Industries factory site. Looming above it all is the Collector’s fortress.

Just exploring the land can take hours because big and small details are everywhere. On top of the Headquarters building sits a full-size Quinjet. Around the corner you’ll find Doctor Strange’s ancient sanctum with its supernatural Orb of Cagliostro. Keep a sharp eye for the many Spider-Bots that have escaped the WEB workshop.

Plan your Disneyland vacation like a pro with these top ten tips!

Disneyland’s Avengers CAMPUS backstory

How did all this get here anyway? The story goes that this site was known for its mystical properties going back centuries. Back in 1940’s Los Angeles, Stark Industries built a factory complex on this property. Then, years later, Tony Stark invited Doctor Strange to the abandoned site. That’s when he unveiled the ancient sanctum, opening up the multiverse and allowing Avengers superheroes to visit the campus across time and space.

The CAMPUS name is actually an acronym for “Centralized Assembly Mobilized to Prepare, Unite and Safeguard.” Part of its purpose is to train new recruits, so be prepared for a few challenges – especially on the Web-Slingers and Mission: Breakout rides.

Marvel character interactions and shows

At Avenger’s Campus you can meet a ton of Marvel characters. Watch for Captain Marvel and Black Widow prepping the Quinjet. Loki and Thor may appear on the Headquarters rooftop too, bantering with recruits below. Other regular visitors include Ant Man, the Wasp, Captain America, Iron Man, and Black Panther. You’ll see them both on the rooftop and on the street greeting guests.

Spider-Man performs his fantastic feats on the WEB labs rooftop. This stunt show takes place multiple times during the day and is definitely worth stopping for. After Spidey climbs down from the roof he hangs around to meet the new recruits.

At the ancient sanctum, Doctor Strange captivates guests with an impressive display of his powers. The show is even better at night when lighting effects intensify the wonder.

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Be on the lookout for seemingly random character processionals too. One of the most impressive is the Dora Milaje, who put on a demonstration several times a day.

Did you know you can also experience Marvel attractions at Universal Orlando and at Disney World? Here’s my post about where you can find Marvel in the US theme parks.

The rides at Disneyland’s Avengers Campus

There are two major attractions at Disneyland’s Avengers Campus. Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout is a top-tier thrill ride, while Web-Slingers is an interactive dark ride. Both are well-worth rope-dropping for.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout

While technically not a new ride, Mission Breakout takes on a new sense of place now that it’s surrounded by the Avengers Campus. The attraction was originally the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, but got its new Marvel theme back in 2017.

Just like the original, inside the tower is an intense drop ride. Unlike the original, Mission Breakout places a lot more emphasis on the “up” part of the ride rather than “down”. Just like the Guardians movies, soundtrack plays a big role here. The drops are timed to flow with some of the best music from the movies and the story features all your favorite Guardians characters and plenty of humor.

Backstory for this ride is that the Collector has captured the Guardians and locked them away in the tower. You are part of the mission to break them out. How did the Collector end up putting his fortress right in the middle of Avengers Campus? Apparently Tony Stark gave him permission to put it there.

Web-Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure

Web-Slingers is a brand-new ride with lots of technical bells and whistles. A supercharged version of Toy Story Midway Mania, Web-Slingers challenges guests to capture an onslaught of rogue Spider-Bots while zooming around underneath Avengers Campus.

The attraction starts with an amusing introduction to the WEB workshop, hosted by Peter Parker. Something goes terribly wrong and suddenly spider-bots are everywhere. It’s up to the tour guests to help Spider-Man capture the bots and save the day.

In an incredible display of theme-park technology, riders zap the spider-bots using only hand-motion. The ride zips from scene to scene and there are seemingly an endless number of loose spider-bots to capture. Guests with lots of gaming experience will do best here. Think of this attraction as a 21st century shooting gallery. It’s both a ride and a game.

Big warning to arachnophobes out there – while the spider-bots definitely look mechanical, they move like real spiders. Depending on your sensitivity, you may want to completely skip the Web-Slingers attraction.

Avengers Campus Dining Options

Avengers Campus offers some of the most interesting and heavily-themed dining options at Disneyland. While there is no table-service restaurant, there are several quick service options and a cocktail bar.

Pym Test Kitchen

Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the Pym Test Kitchen offers unusual twists on typical theme park food. Since it’s the Pym test kitchen, this is a place for giant pretzels and tiny eggs. All of the food is delicious and definitely a step above the usual quick-service offerings.

For breakfast, try the Calculated Breakfast, which features a very tiny fried egg.

For lunch and dinner, get the Not-so-Little Chicken Sandwich, which is basically a huge piece of delicious chicken schnitzel on a slider bun. Or, if your group – or your appetite – is big enough, order the gigantic Family Size Pym-ini. It’s big enough to serve 6-8 adults!

Shawarma Palace

A Tony Stark favorite, Shawarma Palace has been invited to set up two shawarma carts at Avengers Campus. If you like gyros, you’ll love the pita wraps filled with chicken shawarma. Plant-based fans can get the equally delicious falafel wrap.

Shawarma Palace is great for a light meal or a quick pick-me-up anytime of day. You’ll find the carts at both ends of Avengers Campus – near the WEB labs building and near Mission Breakout.

Pym Tasting Lab

Located right next to the Pym Test Kitchen, Pym Tasting Lab focuses on artisan beer and cocktails. An open-air space, the tasting lab is a great place to stop for a cold drink and take in the Campus atmosphere. And it’s one of my top 5 places to get a drink at Disneyland.

Terran Treats

Get your sugar fix at the Terran Treats cart near Mission: Breakout. Here you’ll find churros, cream puffs, and bottled soda.

Shopping at Avengers Campus

There are of course several shops at Avengers Campus where you’ll find Marvel gear. For Spider-Man merch, and accessories you can use inside the Web-Slingers ride, check out WEB Suppliers. The Mission: Breakout ride gift shop is your source for Guardians gear.

Hidden underneath the Quinjet you’ll find Avengers Vault, a collectables shop with all sorts of Marvel gadgets and gear.

Touring tips for Avengers Campus

Visit Avengers Campus in daylight and after dark

Be sure to make time to see Avengers Campus both during the day and at night. The nighttime lighting and sound effects make the campus completely different than during the day. I especially recommend catching the Doctor Strange show at night.

Rope drop Web-Slingers

Make Web-Slingers a priority if you’re planning to rope drop at California Adventure. As a new ride, this one will be very popular almost anytime you visit. Getting there first will save you a lot of wait time.

Mission: Breakout is also a solid choice for rope drop. Get there first and you may be able to ride multiple times before a real queue even starts to develop.

What’s rope drop? It’s when you arrive at the park before the gates have officially opened, and it’s a great way to save a ton of time waiting in line later. Here’s how to do it.

Early entry for Disney hotel guests is a huge advantage for the Avengers Campus attractions

If you stay in one of the Disney hotels (Grand Californian, Disneyland Hotel, or Paradise Pier), you’ll get a 30-minute head start in the parks every day. This extra-early rope drop will put you in a virtually empty Avengers Campus.

Check out this post and podcast episode to find out how we used our early entry to walk-on to Mission Breakout, have a leisurely stroll around the campus, then beat the crowd for Radiator Springs Racers. It’s Go Informed Podcast episode 78.

Here’s a quick look at what makes staying on-site at Disneyland totally worth it.

Disneyland is now undeniably a multi-day destination

With the addition of Avengers Campus at California Adventure, and Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland, you absolutely cannot see it all in one day. To truly experience everything Disneyland resort has to offer, give yourself at least three days.

Three-day park hopper tickets will give you lots of time to explore Avengers Campus day and night plus check out the new Star Wars offerings at Disneyland. Even with just two parks compared to Disney World’s four, Disneyland has almost the same number of rides. Do yourself a favor and book a nearby hotel for a few nights.

More places to find Marvel and the Avengers

Anaheim is not the only home for the Avengers. Disneyland Paris opened its version of Avengers Campus in the summer of 2022. Disney has said that the Avengers need more than one campus worldwide so Paris is a companion to Disneyland, but not exactly the same.

Here’s my post about how to visit the Disneyland Paris parks on your European layover. Yep, you should definitely add this to your bucket list.

You can also find Marvel-themed attractions in Florida. Universal Orlando has a Marvel-themed land at Islands of Adventure, and in summer 2022 there will be a new Guardians of the Galaxy themed coaster at Disney World’s Epcot.

Learn more about Marvel in the US theme parks here.

More theme park tips

Here on GoInformed.net you’ll find lots of tips to improve your theme park vacation, including:

• Top ten tips for Disneyland
• Universal Hollywood vs Universal Orlando
• How to get your family up early for a day at the park
• How to use the single rider line
• 55 things to know before you visit Disney World
• 33 things to know before you visit Universal Orlando

The Go Informed Podcast

This post is based on episode 75 of the Go Informed Podcast. Catch that episode, and the rest, on your favorite podcast app, including:

• Apple Podcasts
• Google Podcasts
• Spotify

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The post Live Your Superhero Life at Disneyland’s Avengers Campus appeared first on Go Informed.

Way more than a zoo, Disney World offers an abundance of adventures for animal lovers. The resort boasts an entire theme park designed around the wonder of animals, an aquarium full of aquatic friends, horse-drawn carriage rides, and a safari lodge complete with grazing zebras and giraffes. Here are some of the many places to find animals at Disney World.

These are the show notes for Go Informed Podcast episode 74. Click below to listen to the episode and get the complete details.

Watch this chat on Facebook video

This post and podcast episode were originally produced as a Facebook live chat. You can watch the original video here.

Enchanting animal encounters at Disney World

Animal Kingdom theme park

Celebrating creatures of all stripes, Disney’s Animal Kingdom park is a must-see for every animal lover. The largest theme park in the world, Animal Kingdom houses about 300 different animal species in a lush natural setting.

Kilimanjaro Safari

A huge highlight in Animal Kingdom is the Kilimanjaro Safari ride. Open-air vehicles carry guests though the African savanna for close-up views of everything from lions to rhinos to bighorn Ankole cattle. Using the best of Disney magic, even the cheetahs appear to have no boundary between them and the guests.

The safari is a real treasure for photographers. For the best shots, sit on the side or in the back row. Often the animals come right up to the safari trucks and sometimes stop in the road, bringing the whole tour to a halt.

Because the animals are free to go about their business, every safari ride is different. Make time to try a few different times of day. Early and late are especially interesting on the savanna.

Watching the animals can be a great way to slow down and relax during your busy day. Here’s a list of 7 more ways to find some Zen on a theme park vacation.

Animal Kingdom walking trails

With so much space, Animal Kingdom offers miles of walking trails to explore. The trails are highly themed and feature all sorts of animals. For tiger fans, be sure to venture through the Maharajah Jungle Trek. To see gorillas, hippos, and a very cool aviary, take the Gorilla Falls trail near the safari.

The area around Animal Kingdom’s Tree of Life also offers the chance to discover animals. Check out the Oasis and Discovery Island trails to see exotic birds, lemurs, and wallabys. You may also run into a famous Disney character here, like Mogli, or Kevin from Up.

You may have guessed, there is a lot of walking at Animal Kingdom. Here are my tips for how to get ready to walk at Disney, along with some common distances you’ll want to prepare for.

Conservation Station

For a behind-the-scenes look at animal care, hop on the Wildlife Express steam train to the Conservation Station. On this end of the park you’ll see cotton-top tamarins – basically the cutest monkeys on the planet – as well as an indoor education center.

The Conservation Station features windows into a veterinary lab, science center, and a kitchen where food is prepared for the animals. Animal caretakers are often available to interact with guests and answer questions. This is a must-see for any aspiring veterinarians in your group.

Tours at Animal Kingdom park

If you really want to get up-close, consider booking a special tour at Animal Kingdom. Disney offers several options daily. Here are the current tours at Animal Kingdom park:

• Caring for Giants – an up-close look at the elephants on the savanna
• Savor the Savanna – you’ll have a picnic amongst the animals!
• Up Close with Rhinos – behind-the-scenes tour of the rhino enclosure
• Wild Africa Trek – a privately-guided walking tour through the savanna

Get more info about the tours on Disney’s website here.

There are more than just animals at Disney’s Animal Kingdom park. Listen to my virtual audio tour of the park right here.

Epcot’s Seas Pavilion

Animal Kingdom isn’t the only Disney World park where you’ll find wild animals. Epcot is home to one of the largest aquarium tanks in the world. It’s part of the Seas with Nemo and Friends attraction and is a must-see for anyone who loves fishy friends.

Epcot’s aquarium

Epcot’s main aquarium tank is home to over 2,000 sea creatures, ranging from tropical fish to rays and sharks. Cast members are almost always on-hand to answer questions about what’s swimming by. Be sure to look for a hidden mickey on the bottom of the tank.

You may also see snorkelers or scuba divers in Epcot’s aquarium. This is because guests can take guided tours inside the tank. Learn more in this post I wrote for my friends at Disney Park Princess.

Dolphins

Dolphins also live at the Seas pavilion and frequently during the day you’ll see them swim into view. Watch for training sessions where the dolphins’ human assistants demonstrate the incredible brain power of these sleek swimmers. You’ll see it in the main tank area.

Manatees

Epcot is home to a couple of rescued manatees named Lou and Lil’ Joe. These quiet giants love to paddle around their tank, which you can view from above and below. The manatees are tucked away in a corner of the building, so be sure to seek them out.

Coral Reef restaurant

Stop for lunch at Epcot’s Coral Reef restaurant, which has windows that look straight into the main aquarium tank.

Animals at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom

Main Street horses

Even at Magic Kingdom guests can encounter live animals. Watch for horses pulling old-fashioned trolleys down Main Street USA. You can hop on for a ride and enjoy a throwback form of transportation found these days pretty much only at Disney.

Fantasy animals

Magic Kingdom is of course home to a menagerie of fantastical animals. Not only will you encounter a very famous mouse, but almost every attraction includes an animal element.

Some of the best places to see Disney animatronic animals include the Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain, the Enchanted Tiki Room, and the Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

You could even make your own scavenger hunt by trying to find all the animals in Magic Kingdom.

Animal experiences at the Disney World resorts

Besides the parks, Disney World’s hotels offer some delightful animal encounters. For animal lovers, it’s hard to beat a stay at Fort Wilderness, Wilderness Lodge, or especially Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Want to learn more about the Disney World hotels? Be sure to read my Disney World hotel guide here.

You don’t have to be staying at these resorts to visit the animals, so these are great activities for non-park days.

Animals at Disney’s Fort Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge

Tri-Circle-D ranch

The Fort Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge resort area has a working horse stable, called the Tri-Circle-D ranch. This is where Magic Kingdom’s Main Street horses live. Guests can walk through the stables to view the many horse breeds, including Clydesdales, Belgians, Appaloosas, and Shetland ponies.

From the ranch, guests can take guided horseback and pony rides.

Wagon, carriage, and sleigh rides

Take a quiet horse-drawn carriage ride through the Fort Wilderness landscape, or go with a bigger group on a horse-drawn wagon. During the holidays, your carriage becomes a festive “sleigh” ride.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge savanna rooms

Animal lovers of all ages will delight in the savanna view rooms at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. Built in homage to the great African safari lodges, Animal Kingdom Lodge features a soaring lobby with open fire and a backyard filled with African wildlife.

All of the savanna view rooms look out onto the open prairie where zebras, giraffes, kudu, and exotic birds roam. It’s hard to beat waking up right on the savanna, especially for an animal lover.

Dine with the animals at Animal Kingdom Lodge

Guests at Animal Kingdom Lodge can also book a special safari dinner that takes place on the savanna. Or just make a reservation at the excellent Sanaa restaurant and watch the animals while you eat.

Horse-drawn carriage rides at Port Orleans resort

At Disney World’s Port Orleans Riverside resort, guests can take a relaxing horse-drawn carriage ride along the shore of the Sassagoula River.

Get ready for your Disney vacation

Here on GoInformed.net and on my Go Informed podcast, you’ll find tons of tips to help you have a fantastic Disney vacation. Start with these recommend posts:

• 55 things to know before you visit Disney World
• Disney World walking distances
• How to add Universal to your Disney World vacation
• 33 things to know before you visit Universal Orlando

Join the mailing list

Join the mailing list to get my twice-monthly bonus tipsheet delivered straight to your inbox. Here’s where to sign up.

Live Disney chats

This post and podcast episode were originally produced as a live discussion on Facebook. You can join me, along with my friend Joey – the Disney Hack – most Tuesdays at 11:00am Pacific time on my Facebook page. Scroll up to the top of the page to watch the video.

You can catch all our archived discussions here.

The post Where to find animals at Disney World appeared first on Go Informed.

These are the show notes for Go Informed Podcast episode 73. Click below to hear the show now, or search for Go Informed: Build A Better Vacation on your favorite podcast app!

Comparing Universal Orlando to Universal Studios Hollywood

There are many factors to consider when comparing the Orlando and Hollywood Universal theme parks. Here we’ll look at how location, size, diversity of attractions, accommodations, and pricing stack up between the two destinations.

There are a lot of details here, so check out this table of contents if you want to skip to your top considerations.

A super-quick comparison of Universal Orlando vs Hollywood

Here’s a 60-ish-second guide to how Universal Orlando and Universal Hollywood stack up against each other

Location and size of Universal Orlando compared to Universal Hollywood

Let’s first start with the most obvious difference between Universal Orlando and Universal Hollywood: location. Location affects more than just how far you’ll travel to get to the park. It also includes the weather, the total size of the resort, and what else there is to do nearby.

Location

Universal Orlando is located about 20 miles west of Orlando’s airport (MCO). Universal Studios Hollywood is about 25 miles from LAX, but only 7 miles from Burbank airport (BUR).

Both Orlando and LA have plenty of other things to do and see besides the Universal theme parks. And visitors to these cities might consider Universal just a small part of a bigger vacation. However, Universal Orlando especially could be an entire destination on its own, as you’ll see below.

Weather

One of the big differences between Orlando and Southern California is the weather. Where LA spends most of the year moderately warm and dry, Central Florida weather is often exceedingly hot and humid.

Always take a look at the projected weather for your travel dates and prepare accordingly. You should have much less impact in the SoCal climate than in Orlando. If Florida is your destination, be sure to read my top weather tips and pack the right gear.

Proximity to a Disney park

Combining Disney with Universal is a natural fit for a theme park vacation. If you want to do both, know that it’s a LOT easier in Orlando.

Universal Orlando is not far from Disney World

Universal Orlando is only about 10 miles from Disney World. This is almost always less than a 30 minute drive, which makes it easy to add Disney World to your Universal Orlando vacation.

It’s a long car ride from Universal Studios Hollywood to Disneyland

In California, the Disney and Universal parks are not close to each other. Distance is about 35 miles, which in LA traffic will easily add up to much more than an hour drive. Park opening time, and often Universal Hollywood’s park closing time, will put you directly in LA rush hour traffic.

If you plan to combine Disneyland and Universal Studios on your LA visit, seriously consider splitting your stay. Spend the night close to whichever park you want to visit in the morning.

Quick look at Avengers Campus

If you’re heading to Disneyland you will definitely want to spend some time at Avengers Campus. Here’s a quick look.

Size

When it comes to size, Universal Orlando Resort dwarfs Universal Studios Hollywood.

Universal Orlando has two theme parks, a water park, eight Universal-owned hotels, and a large shopping and entertainment district. Universal has also begun construction on an enormous third theme park in Orlando, adjacent to the current resort.

Universal Studios Hollywood has one theme park, a working film studio, no Universal-owned hotels, and a large shopping and entertainment district.

Universal Orlando’s attractions vs Universal Studios Hollywood

Even though Universal Orlando is much bigger than Universal Hollywood, both have lots of world-class attractions. And each coast has unique offerings not found anywhere else.

Universal Orlando has two theme parks, plus a water park

The Universal Orlando parks are located right next to each other and are easy to hop between. A quick shuttle away is the extraordinary Volcano Bay water park.

In 2025, an entirely new third park will open at Universal Orlando. Dubbed Epic Universe, this addition will feature five new immersive lands and three new hotels. All indications is that it will be an incredible destination. Here’s a quick overview of what’s coming to Epic Universe at Universal Orlando.

Islands of Adventure

Islands of Adventure features themed lands ranging from Suess Landing to Jurassic Park to the Wizarding World’s Hogsmeade Village. If you like roller coasters, this is your park. Three major coasters – the Hulk, Velocicoaster, and Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure – are all at Islands of Adventure.

Here’s my audio tour of Islands of Adventure.

Universal Studios Florida

Like its Hollywood counterpart, Universal Studios Florida is themed after movies and TV. However there is no working studio here so therefore no studio tour. Notable attractions include the Mummy roller coaster, Race Through New York with Jimmy Fallon, Transformers, and the Wizarding World’s Diagon Alley.

Listen to my Universal Studios Florida audio tour here.

Volcano Bay

Volcano Bay is a highly-themed water park which Universal bills as their third Orlando theme park. A giant volcano houses three water slides and a water roller coaster, plus there are numerous raft rides, a lazy river, and a sandy beach for relaxing.

Here’s a 60-second look at Universal Orlando

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!

Universal Studios Hollywood is a single theme park

Universal Studios in Hollywood is one park that combines some of the best of the Orlando resort with a few unique attractions. It was the first of the Universal theme parks and was originally founded purely as a tour of the Universal movie and TV studios.

Attractions you’ll find at Universal Studios Hollywood but not at Universal Orlando

The Universal Studio Tour

Of all the world’s theme parks, Universal Studios Hollywood is the only one with a working film studio tour. You’ll ride a tram behind-the-scenes through famous movie and TV sets, learning about how and where many iconic scenes were staged. The backlot tour runs continuously throughout the day and takes about an hour.

Along with the informative tour, the trams take a few wild turns that Orlando’s Studio park has made into stand-alone attractions. Both the Fast and Furious and Kong attractions are woven right into the tram tour. These experiences exist in Orlando, but as their own rides.

The tour is a must-see for most visitors to the Hollywood park. It’s a great way to get off your feet for an hour and you never know if you’ll see an actual movie star.

Super Nintendo World

The world of Mario and his pals has come to life at Universal Studios Hollywood. This new land includes the super-headliner Mario Kart Bowser’s Challenge attraction, dining, shopping, and character interactions.

The land itself is also an immersive interactive game. Get yourself a power-up band to complete challenges and capture coins.

Super Nintendo World is anticipated to be a big hit, which means you should expect higher-than-usual crowds at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2023. Be sure to use my rope drop tips, know how to ride single, and consider Universal Express if you’ll be visiting in 2023.

Jurassic World – the Ride

Jurassic World is like a super-charged version of Splash Mountain. Guests ride boats through a jungle full of huge dinosaurs, culminating in a spectacular roller-coaster-style drop. Bring a poncho: you WILL get wet.

Orlando’s Islands of Adventure also has a Jurassic park water ride, but California’s is way more intense and at least as wet.

More rides you’ll find in California but not in Florida

Other attractions you can currently experience at Universal Studios Hollywood but not at Universal Orlando are Secret Life of Pets and the WaterWorld stunt show. Universal Studios Hollywood also has different walk-around characters than in Orlando.

Comparing the Wizarding World in Orlando vs Hollywood

One of the biggest differences between Universal Hollywood and Universal Orlando is the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. If you want to visit Diagon Alley you can only see it in Orlando. Both locations have Hogsmeade Village and Hogwarts Castle.

Did you know you can pre-purchase a photo package for Universal Orlando or Universal Studios Hollywood? Probably not, because Universal doesn’t make this easy to find. Never fear, here’s a quick look at how it works, where to get current prices, and how to buy the Universal Orlando photo package and the Universal Studios Hollywood photo package.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Hollywood

Hogsmeade Village at Universal Studios Hollywood is almost exactly the same as at Islands of Adventure in Orlando, often with lighter crowds.

Here’s what’s in the Wizarding World at Universal Hollywood:

• Hogsmeade Village
• Hogwarts Castle – including the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride
• Flight of the Hippogriff family coaster
• The Three Broomsticks and Hogs Head pub
• Shopping at Ollivander’s, Honeydukes, Zonkos, and more

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando

Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World is split between both the Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios parks. Hogsmeade Village is in Islands of Adventure, while Diagon Alley is in Universal Studios. The Hogsmeade Express runs between the parks.

Because of the layout, you’ll need a two-park ticket to see the entire Orlando Wizarding World. Be sure to read my post about Universal Orlando ticket options before you buy your park admission.

Here’s what’s in the Wizarding World at Universal Orlando:

• Hogsmeade Village – Islands of Adventure
  • Hogwarts Castle – including the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride
  • Flight of the Hippogriff family coaster
  • Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure roller coaster
  • The Three Broomsticks and Hogs Head pub
  • Shopping at Ollivander’s, Honeydukes, and more
  • Hogsmeade station – the Hogwarts Express runs between the parks
• Diagon Alley – Universal Studios
  • Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
  • Knockturn Alley
  • The Knight Bus
  • 12 Grimmauld Place
  • The Leaky Cauldron
  • Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour
  • Shopping at Madam Malkins’, Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, Borgin and Burkes, and more
  • King’s Cross station – the Hogwarts Express runs between the parks

Note that in 2025, a third addition to Orlando’s Wizarding World opens at the Epic Universe park. Learn more here.

Here’s a quick look at Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World

Listen to my audio tour of Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter here

Staying on-site at Universal Orlando compared to Universal Studios Hollywood

If you want to stay close to the park gates, Universal Orlando offers way more options compared to Universal Hollywood.

Universal Orlando hotels

The Orlando resort has eight Universal-owned hotels all offering guest perks such as easy transportation and early park admission. Several of these hotels are within a quick walk to the park gates and even offer free Express Pass to guests.

Here is my complete guide to the Universal Orlando hotels.

Universal Studios Hollywood hotels

Universal Studios Hollywood has several hotels within about a mile of the gate, but none are operated by Universal and there are rarely special guest perks like early admission. Closest to the main gate is the Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City.

Remember LA’s notorious traffic when you decide where to stay for your visit to Universal Studios. As mentioned above, Disneyland is a very long drive from Hollywood. Consider choosing a nearby hotel for the time you’ll be visiting Universal.

Can you do it in one day?

A lot of visitors are adding Universal to a larger vacation. How much of it you can see in one day is much different in Orlando than in California.

Universal Orlando is really a multi-day destination

Universal Orlando in one day

Yes, you can see a lot of Universal Orlando in one day. If this is your aim, you’ll need a solid plan of the top things you want to do, and you’ll need to be there from park opening to closing. Express Pass can also be your best friend if you only want to spend one day at Universal Orlando.

Here are a few resources to help you navigate Universal Orlando in a day:

• Single rider tips
• How to rope drop
• All about Universal Orlando Express Pass
• How to add Universal Orlando to your Disney World vacation
• The Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando

Two or three days is best at Universal Orlando

Because Universal Orlando is so big (see above), most guests have a much better experience by spending at least a night on-site and touring for two or three days. When you’ve got several days to see everything, it allows for a slower pace and the chance to loop back for a second ride.

Universal also often offers discounts on multi-day tickets, such as buy 2 days get 2 free, which can make adding a day or two to your trip a lot more affordable. Be sure to check out these resources when you start planning your multi-day trip to Universal Orlando:

• 33 things to know before you visit Universal Orlando
• How to choose your Universal Orlando park tickets
• Universal Orlando hotel guide
• Universal Orlando first-timer tips
• The Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando

You can do Universal Studios Hollywood in a day

Even with the hour-long studio tour, you can see most of Universal Studios Hollywood in just one day – if you visit on a relatively low-crowd day. Two days is more than enough time to see everything and even go back to some favorites.

Busiest days will be weekends and school holidays, so if you’ll be visiting then you’ll want to consider a second day, or utilize tactics like rope drop, single rider, and Express Pass.

Single rider is a good way to skip the regular lines, and several of the headliner attractions at Universal Studios Hollywood have this option. This includes Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, the Mummy, and Jurassic World.

Get a jump-start on your vacation research with my 60-second theme park quick start guides. Find them all here.

Comparing costs and ticket options between the Orlando and Hollywood Universal parks

Cost is of course a major factor in determining whether to include a Universal park in your vacation. Comparing Universal Orlando vs. Universal Hollywood ticket costs involves a few factors.

Multi-day tickets

How many days you want to visit will determine a lot of the cost difference between Universal Orlando and Universal Hollywood. While you may be satisfied just spending one day at Universal Studios Hollywood, a multi-day ticket often makes more sense for Universal Orlando.

If you’ll be staying on-site at Universal Orlando, I highly recommend considering an annual pass, even if you’re from out-of-state and don’t have a return visit planned. This is because Univeral Orlando’s annual passholder hotel savings often add up to much more than the added cost for the pass. Here’s a quick example of how it works.

Check for special ticket deals

Obviously, more days means more cost. But if you want to compare apples to apples, be sure to check the current ticket prices for Universal Orlando and Universal Hollywood before you make an assumption. Universal Orlando almost always has discounts on multi-day tickets.

Here is my complete guide to Universal Orlando park tickets

Spending more than one day at Universal Hollywood? Consider an annual pass

At Universal Studios Hollywood you won’t find a multi-day ticket option. Only single-day or annual passes. So if you plan to visit for two days, you’ll have to buy two one-day tickets. Or you might find it’s actually cheaper at Universal Hollywood to buy an annual pass! That’s because annual passes here are priced at around the cost of two one-day tickets.

Book in a hotel package and save on your total trip

If you’re planning to stay in one of Universal Orlando’s on-site hotels, or in one of the Universal Hollywood partner hotels, consider booking your room and park tickets together in a package. You can book a package through the Universal website or through a travel agent.

Universal’s hotel packages always offer whatever special ticket deal is available, so you won’t miss out on this by bundling everything together. There is often an additional discount built into the package price.

Another advantage to booking in a package is that you don’t have to pay for it all up front. You’ll just pay a deposit at booking, then the remainder 45 days prior to your trip. Compare this to purchasing your park tickets up front to lock in a deal, and a package may make more sense for you.

Comparing Universal Express Pass in Orlando vs Hollywood

Express Pass is Universal’s system that allows guests to skip the regular line. It’s an add-on that is like a VIP pass for most of the attractions both at Universal Orlando and Universal Hollywood. If you hate standing in line or just want to move through the park extra-efficiently, consider adding Express Pass to your park admission.

There are a few nuances to Express Pass which I cover in this post and podcast episode. The Express line works the same in both Orlando and Hollywood, with the main difference being how you acquire an Express Pass.

In Orlando, Universal Express is a separate ticket – and you can get it for free

At Universal Orlando, Express Pass is an add-on to your park admission. You’ll choose this option when selecting your tickets, along with how many days and parks to include.

Here’s my guide to how Universal Orlando park tickets are structured.

One crucial difference between Express Pass at Universal Orlando vs. Universal Hollywood is the opportunity for free Unlimited Express Pass. On-site guests at Orlando’s Hard Rock Hotel, Royal Pacific Resort, and Portofino Bay hotels automatically receive Unlimited Express Pass as part of their stay. There is no need to purchase this, your room key is your pass.

The free Express Pass perk in Orlando offers a huge touring advantage for these hotel guests, and should really be considered – especially if your trip is in the summer or another busy season.

Here’s more insight about the free Express Pass benefit at Universal Orlando’s hotels.

In Hollywood, Universal Express is its own one-day ticket

For Universal Studios Hollywood, the one-day park ticket with Express is called a “Universal Express” ticket. This admission includes once-per-attraction access to the Express line for the day. If you want Unlimited Express, which gives unlimited access to the Express line, you can choose to upgrade your park ticket after you add the Universal Express ticket to your cart.

Unlike Orlando, there are no free Express Passes offered for hotel guests. If you’re not sure if you want Express Pass, there is also the opportunity to upgrade once you get into the park. But beware that the cost will likely be higher than purchasing in advance online, and Express Pass can sell out.

More tips for your Universal theme park vacation

Here on GoInformed.net there are lots more tips to help you have a great vacation. Check out these other posts:

• 33 Things to Know Before You Visit Universal Orlando
• How to get your family up early for a day at the parks
• Getting ready to walk at the parks
• Universal Orlando hotel guide
• How to add Universal Orlando to your Disney World vacation

Are you a Marvel fan? Learn all about Disneyland’s Avengers Campus here.

The Go Informed Podcast

Get your theme park advice on the go! Listen and learn more on the Go Informed: Build a Better Vacation podcast. Catch my episode about Universal Orlando vs. Universal Hollywood on your favorite podcast app, including:

• Apple podcasts
• Google podcasts
• Spotify

Bonus content direct to your inbox

Want to save money, avoid hassles, and have more fun on your theme park vacation? Sign up now to get two bonus mini-posts every month, exclusive to the Go Informed mailing list!

Click here to join the list.

Add this to your bucket list: Disneyland Paris

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The post Universal Orlando vs. Universal Hollywood appeared first on Go Informed.

Meet Ric, a Disney World superfan who visits multiple times a year and even has his own Disney fan podcast. But he’s never been to Universal Orlando. On this episode of the Go Informed Podcast, we dive into all the Universal Orlando first-timer advice Ric should know for his long-overdue adventure.

These are the show notes for Go Informed Podcast episodes 69 and 70. Click below to hear the show now, or search for Go Informed: Build A Better Vacation on your favorite podcast app!

Go Informed Podcast episode 69

Episode 69 is my discussion with Ric before his first trip to Universal Orlando. You’ll hear lots of frequent first-timer questions answered here.

Go Informed Podcast episode 70

Episode 70 is Ric’s post-vacation trip report. Catch his stories and advice from his trip here.

Universal Orlando first-timer Ric’s trip plans

Ric’s heading to Universal for a 5 day stay in early August 2021. He’s visiting with his wife, daughters age 19 and 11, and son age 9.

As a huge Harry Potter fan, this visit to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is going to be the trip of a lifetime. With 5-day park tickets, Ric’s family should have tons of time to explore all of the Wizarding World along with everything else at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.

Staying on-site at Royal Pacific Resort

Ric’s family will be staying on-site at Universal Orlando’s Royal Pacific Resort. Royal Pacific guests receive free unlimited Universal Express Pass, plus an hour early park admission every morning. By choosing an on-site Express Pass hotel, theme park touring will be way more relaxed for the entire group.

Besides the Express Pass and early admission perks, Royal Pacific is one of the closest hotels to the Universal theme parks. Ric’s family can easily walk to the park gates in about 15 minutes, or take a free water taxi or paid pedicab.

How far apart is everything at Universal Orlando? Here are some common walking distances with maps.

My advice is to use that early park admission as many days as Ric’s family can manage it. Early admission is the perfect time to experience the Wizarding World before summer crowds roll in. It’s also the best time to encounter Olivander in his wand shop, and to ride the Hagrid’s Magicial Creatures Motorbike Adventure coaster, since these are among the few attractions with no Express Pass entry.

Early admission at Universal Orlando is different than at Disney World

For Disney World fans, Universal’s early admission is a bit different. Universal opens an hour early for on-site hotel guests, some annual passholders, and selected outside visitors. Even though one or both of the theme parks are open early, only a limited part of the parks will actually be operating during this hour. In general, this is the Wizarding World of Harry Potter attractions along with one or two other rides.

Be sure to consult Universal Orlando’s early park admission calendar to find out what attractions will be open early during your visit. If you notice both the Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios parks opening early, that’s an indication that Universal’s expecting a busy day – even more reason to take advantage of your head-start.

Click here for a great hack you can use if you’ve got early admission at Universal Orlando, from my Go Informed newsletter.

Universal Express Pass advice for Disney fans

Ric and I discussed Express Pass compared to Disney’s FastPass system. Here are a few things to keep in mind about Express Pass:

• Like Disney’s FastPass, Express Pass allows guests to skip the regular line and board an attraction within minutes.
• Unlike Disney’s FastPass, Express Pass is not necessarily free. Universal sells Express as an add-on to park admission. However guests staying at certain on-site hotels receive Unlimited Express Passes for free during their stay.
• Guests can use Express Pass throughout the day whenever it’s convenient. There are no assigned times to use an Express Pass.
• Almost every attraction at Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida has an Express Pass entrance. Notable exceptions are the Velocicoaster and the Hagrid’s Magical Motorbike Adventure coaster.
• Unlimited Express Pass, which hotel guests like Ric get for free, means you can ride any attraction through the Express Pass entrance as many times as you wish.
• The Volcano Bay water park also has Express Pass, which is purchased separately for that park.

Hey guys, since I first wrote this post Disney has re-vamped their skip-the-line system. Click here for a quick overview of how it works now.

Wizarding World advice for a first-timer

One of my top tips for Ric is to take it slow and really enjoy the immersive environment of the Wizarding World. Since he has five days in the parks, and Universal Express Pass, there is time to see and do pretty much everything.

A visit to Olivander’s Wand Shop will be top of the list on the family’s itinerary. I recommend picking up at least a couple of interactive wands to share. Experiencing the magic of casting spells in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade is a huge part of the Wizarding World atmosphere.

Since the Olivander’s Wand experience does not have Express Pass, this is a good thing to do first thing in the morning during Universal’s Early Admission. There is also no Express queue for Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure so this is another attraction best tackled first-thing during early admission.

If you want to ride the Hogwarts Express, which runs between the two parks, you’ll need a park-to-park ticket. Learn all about Universal Orlando’s tickets here.

Be sure to listen to the podcast audio from this episode, and also my audio tour of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for lots more advice about a first visit to this magical land.

Universal Orlando first-timer FAQ’s

Here are some of Ric’s questions, that are commonly asked by Universal Orlando first-timers.

Is early admission worth it?

Yes, early admission is a great way to beat the crowds at Universal Orlando. I advise taking advantage of this extra hour every morning. Guests at any of the Universal Orlando on-site hotels receive early admission throughout their stay.

Here’s a quick explanation of why staying on-site at Universal Orlando can make your day so much easier, from my Go Informed theme park tips newsletter.

What should we do first during early admission?

Go Informed Podcast episodes 23 and 26 are all about how to make the most of early admission at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. For advice specifically for early entry to Hagrid’s Magical Motorbike Adventure, check out episode 46.

Should we go to the parks on arrival day?

Especially for guests staying at one of Universal’s Premier resorts, it’s easy to visit the theme parks for just a few hours at the end of the day. In fact, on Sundays through Thursdays, after 4:00pm offers some of the lowest crowd levels of the day.

Can you dine in CityWalk & easily go back to the parks?

Yes, CityWalk is literally right outside the entrances to the two Universal Orlando theme parks. Click here to view maps and get more Universal Orlando walking distances.

Are the interactive wands worth it?

Oh yes, the interactive wands are pretty amazing. You get to do your own magic and add to the special atmosphere in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade Village. Plan to visit Olivander’s and buy at least one for your group.

What else is there to do besides Harry Potter?

The Universal Orlando theme parks include lands dedicated to Marvel, Jurassic Park, the Simpsons, Dr. Seuss, and many of your favorite movies and TV shows. There is definitely something for everyone.

Want to get the lay of the land? Check out my audio tours of Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. They are Go Informed Podcast episodes three and four.

Should we worry about motion sickness on the Universal rides?

Universal is known for it’s wide use of screens in many attractions. Especially on 4-D movie attractions like Minion Mayhem and Race Through New York, a lot of guests have issues with motion sickness.

If you have a sensitive member in your group, you can use Universal’s rider swap system to give the ride a test-run. Here’s how to do it.

Do we lose much experience by using the Express Pass queue?

Because you are skipping the regular line, riders using Express Pass may miss some of the pre-show queue experience. The regular queues for Skull Island: Reign of Kong and the Mummy coaster probably have the most detail you will miss. However, you will also be missing many minutes of waiting in line.

For the Harry Potter attractions inside Gringotts Bank and Hogwarts Castle, the Express Pass line goes through all the same detailed rooms as the normal line. The only thing you’ll miss here is the long, snaking queues outside the buildings.

What should we know about water rides?

Water rides at Universal Orlando are no joke. Be ready to get really wet. The worst (or best, depending on how you look at it) are Popeye and Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges and Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls. Not only are both of these attractions on/in water, there are water cannons to the side that other guests can use to drench riders passing by.

The Jurassic Park River Adventure can also be very wet. Although it looks like a Jungle Cruise type boat ride, the ending is more like Splash Mountain on steroids. Especially if you sit up front, be ready for wet shoes and probably much more.

Quick tips for a Universal Orlando first-timer

• When you first arrive at Universal Orlando, buy a lanyard for everyone in your group. This is a great way to keep your park ticket and Express Pass safe and accessible.
• For the attractions with a high degree of motion, especially the roller coasters, Universal requires all loose items to be stored in a locker. Free lockers are provided near the entrance to these attractions and anything you can’t fit in your pockets must be stashed away in a locker.
• The following attractions require EVERYTHING to be in a locker, not just in your pockets. You will pass through a metal detector to be sure there is nothing on your person.
  • Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
  • The Incredible Hulk Coaster
  • Jurassic World Velocicoaster
• There is a secret song list for the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. Here’s how to hack it.
• Go Informed Podcast episode 7 is all about what to expect on your first day in the Universal Orlando parks.

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!

Ric’s top Universal Orlando first-timer advice

I talked to Ric after his trip and these are the top tips he has for other first-time Universal Orlando visitors.

Use the hotel water taxi in the morning

The security line might look long for the early water taxi but it moves much faster than at the main entrance to CityWalk. Once you’re on the boat, you don’t have to go through any more security to get into the parks.

Express Pass is awesome

Because they had unlimited Express Passes, Ric’s family could tour the parks however they wished. This freedom was a huge perk, especially with a group of five.

Stay in an Express Pass hotel

By staying in the Royal Pacific Resort, Ric’s entire family got free Unlimited Express Passes for their entire vacation. Even accounting for the higher room rate, Ric figures he saved about $2000 over choosing a non-Express hotel and purchasing the passes separately.

Get a park-to-park ticket

Universal’s park-to-park ticket allows you to go between both parks on the same day. Ric’s family loved this option.”We could go back and forth without a second thought”.

Check out Ric’s Monorail Tales Podcast

Big thanks to Ric for sharing his trip plans with us! Be sure to check out the Monorail Tales Podcast, which Ric hosts with a delightful gang of Disney enthusiasts. You can even catch the episode featuring me!

Find the show on your favorite podcast app or at MonorailTales.com.

Follow Ric on Instagram and Facebook

Here’s Ric’s social media links:

• Monorail Tales Facebook page
• Monorail Tales Facebook group
• On Instagram: @MonorailTales and @MagicIntheHills

60-second quick guide to Universal Orlando

More tips for your first trip to Universal Orlando

Here on GoInformed.net and on the Go Informed Podcast, you’ll find lots of tips to help you have a fantastic first trip to Universal Orlando. Check out these top posts:

• 33 things to know before you visit Universal Orlando
• How Universal Orlando compares to Universal Hollywood
• Universal Orlando walking distances, maps, and training tips
• How to add Universal Orlando to your Disney World vacation
• Complete guide to the Universal Orlando hotels

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Join the Go Informed mailing list for twice-monthly topical tips delivered straight to you. Click here to sign up.

The post Universal Orlando First-Timer Advice for a Disney World Wizard appeared first on Go Informed.

As one of the biggest movie franchises in the world, Marvel is a natural for theme park attractions. In the USA, guests can experience Marvel attractions and meet characters in both Universal and Disney theme parks. Here’s where you can find Marvel and what to expect at each location.

These are the show notes for Go Informed Podcast episode 68. Click below to listen, or find the show on your favorite podcast player.

In the USA, Marvel attractions can be found at Universal Orlando, Disney World, and Disneyland

Good news for Marvel fans – whether you visit Disneyland, Disney World, or Universal Orlando you can rub shoulders with your favorite superheroes. Yes, Disney owns the blockbuster franchise today, but due to a pre-existing contract with Universal Orlando, there is an entire Marvel land located in the Islands of Adventure theme park.

Technically, Universal is supposed to have the theme park rights to Marvel in any park east of the Mississippi. However, Disney has found a loophole and is introducing selected characters at their Epcot park. So now Orlando visitors can experience unique Marvel attractions at both Universal and Disney.

On the west coast, Disney has opened a Marvel-themed land at Disneyland’s California Adventure. Dubbed the Avengers’ Campus, this land is an immersive visit into the MCU.

Why are all the parks working hard to bring Marvel to life? In our podcast chat, Joey shared some stats that show Marvel is by-far the highest grossing movie franchise of all-time.

Marvel at Universal Orlando

Marvel Superhero Island is Universal Orlando’s Marvel-themed land. It’s located in the Islands of Adventure theme park and feels like a journey into a Marvel comic book. Characters interact with visitors like action-figures come to life, rather than lookalikes from the movies. There are three major attractions in Marvel Superhero Island.

Marvel Attractions at Universal Orlando

• Incredible Hulk Roller Coaster
• The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
• Doctor Doom’s Fearfall

Listen to my audio tour of the Islands of Adventure theme park here.

Marvel at Disney World

Thanks to a complicated loophole, Disney is also able to offer Marvel attractions in Orlando. The big Marvel-themed ride at Disney World is Epcot’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. This highly-themed indoor roller coaster opened in 2022 and is by far the most popular attraction in the park.

Want an at-a-glance look at Disney World? Check out my 75-second quick guide right here.

Marvel at Disneyland

Avengers Campus

Located in California Adventure, Avengers’ Campus is Disneyland’s Marvel complex. Immersive theming includes a Headquarters building topped by a full-size Quinjet, an Ancient Sanctum featuring encounters with Doctor Strange, and two major attractions. Movie lookalikes interact with guests and perform stunts throughout the day.

Even the dining options are fully themed. At Pym’s Test Kitchen, guests can enjoy huge chicken sandwiches and giant pretzels.

Marvel Attractions at Disneyland

There are two major attractions at California Adventure’s Avengers Campus:

• Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout
• Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure

Disneyland Avengers Campus Quick Guide

Go Informed Podcast episode 75 is all about Avengers Campus. Click here to read the related show notes.

More theme park tips from Go Informed

Here on GoInformed.net you’ll find lots of info to help you have a great vacation in the Disney and Universal parks. Be sure to check out these posts:

• Universal Orlando vs Universal Hollywood
• 33 Things to know before you visit Universal Orlando
• 55 Things to know before you visit Disney World
• Park maps, walking distances, and how to train for your theme park vacation
• How to add Universal to your Disney World vacation

Bonus tips delivered straight to your inbox

Be sure to join the mailing list so you’ll get my twice-monthly bonus tipsheet, delivered straight to you. Click here to sign up for these exclusive tips, and to read what you’ve missed so far.

More episodes with The Disney Hack

• Christmastime at Disneyland trip report
• Comparing Disneyland and Disney World
• How to hack TripAdvisor One-Star Reviews

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