Universal Orlando can be a great destination during your Orlando trip as you are visiting Disney World. The resort is home to two theme parks, a water park, several resort hotels, and the dining and entertainment center Universal CityWalk Orlando.
Universal Orlando is filled with several immersive and thrilling attractions, from experiences like the popular Bourne Stunt Spectacular and Revenge of the Mummy at Universal Studios Florida to VelociCoaster and Hagrid's Motorbike Adventure at Universal Islands of Adventure. The resort continues to expand its offerings for guests by adding new experiences including a new theme park, Epic Universe, which will be opening in 2025.
We will share our top 5 Universal Orlando tips to help you enjoy your best vacation!
1) Opt for a small crossbody bag or fanny pack. Universal Orlando differs a bit from Disney World in that many attractions will make you store bigger bags or loose articles in a locker before you board. If you know you will just be carrying around the essentials and won’t need a lot of items, it’s worth it to make your park bag a fanny pack or a smaller crossbody bag to avoid the extra step of having to move your items in and out of the lockers.
It’s a good idea to look ahead at Universal Orlando’s bag policy to make sure you know the rules about what you can and cannot bring to the parks. Ultimately it’s up to you to determine what you’ll need during your park day. You can save money by bringing items like your own water bottles, but the Universal Orlando refillable cups can be worth it if you know you’ll be consuming a lot of sodas.
2) Plan ahead to familiarize yourself with the layout of the parks and prioritize your top experiences. Before your trip, it’s helpful to look at all of the offerings of the parks and decide which experiences you’d like to prioritize. It can be difficult to get to everything you want to between all of the great rides, shows, and dining options, so you’ll want to make a list of your must-do items. You can see our guides to the best Universal Studios Florida rides and best Universal Islands of Adventure rides for the ones you can’t miss.
Once you know the attractions you’ll be prioritizing, it’s helpful to familiarize yourself with the Universal Orlando maps before your visit so that you know where everything is located.
3) Stay onsite at a Universal Orlando Hotel. Guests who stay onsite will get various perks like early park admission, easy transportation/short walking distance to the parks, the ability to charge purchases to their room key card, and Universal Express Pass for certain hotels. These are significant perks that will help you to make the most of your experience! See our guide to Universal’s onsite hotels for details on the amenities offered at each and the ones that offer free Express Pass.
4) Get Express Pass if you can. Especially if you only have one day to spend at Universal Orlando, it’s worth it to get Express Pass, the paid service that gives you access to a shorter line for attractions and priority seating for shows.
This can help you make the most of your time at the parks to efficiently get on all of your top rides! There are two types of Express Passes offered at Universal Orlando, the Universal Express Pass which allows you to skip the line once per attraction, and Universal Express which allows you to use the Express Line at attractions an unlimited number of times. You can see everything you need to know about Universal Orlando Express Pass, including pricing and attractions that are included, in our full guide.
5) Plan a 2-day Visit. If you’re wondering how many days is ideal for Universal Orlando, we recommend visiting for 2 days to experience everything the parks have to offer, as there is so much to do and see. One of our top Universal Orlando planning tips for making the most of your trip is to spend a day at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure each so that you have enough time to fully enjoy the rides, entertainment, and more.
You can see our full guide to Universal Orlando for more information, tips, and guidance as you are planning your vacation!
At Mickey Visit, we share the most important tips for planning your trips to Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Universal, and beyond. Each week, we’ll share some of our top tips here on Laughing Place.