What Is The Best Age To Take A Child To Universal Studios?

Blog Posts

universal Orlando holidays are popular with every age group. From young children to mature adults that have been on numerous occasions. If you are planning to take children, you may be wondering as to what is the best age to take your children to universal. In this post we cover the situations and what you should consider before traveling to universal Orlando.

First thing to note is that you may find Universal Studios can be a tad edgier than say Disney World and they have a lot more attractions that teens and adults like a lot more than the younger kids, however, don’t be discouraged, there still is a lot for the younger ones to enjoy here as well. To be honest, just about any age is going to find something they’ll enjoy here.

Planning For A Trip To Universal

One important thing to remember to make your planning easier is that you shouldn’t be overzealous when it comes to planning a trip to Universal Studios like you would have to for Disney World.

• There’s no need to book any FastPasses instead when you get there you can buy their Express Passes for shorter wait time and if you’re staying in one of their resorts, it’s free.
• Most of the time you won’t need reservations for any of their restaurants.
• They have great transportation and nearly everything is very walkable if you don’t want to use their transportation because they’re not at big as Disney World.

Best Places To Stay At Universal 

They offer several different resorts to stay out while visiting that include:

• Cabana Bay Beach Resort – This is probably the best one for families with younger families because of the way it’s set up for all types of fun and it’s the most affordable for families.
• Sapphire Falls Resort – This is another good one for the whole family if you’re looking for a more relaxing stay.
• Royal Pacific Resort – This one is catered more for adults and can cost quite a bit for the tropical experience.
• Hard Rock Hotel – This is great if your kids are older because of it’s rock music theme.
• Portofino Bay Hotel – This one is definitely caters to adults who want a romantic getaway.

What To Do At Universal With Little Ones

Universal Studios is broken down into three different parks, their main one of course is Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay. We’ll break the rides down so you’ll know which ones are best for what ages. Note: make sure that you measure your younger children before going to the park because rides do have height limits. We’ll just focus on Universal Studios rides.

• A Day in the Park with Barney – Great for ages 4-7.
• Curious George Goes to Town – Great for ages 4-7
• Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem – Great for ages 4-7
• T. Adventure – Great for ages 7 and up.
• Fear Factor Live – Great for older kids and adults.
• Fievel’s Playland – Great for ages 4-7
• Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringorts – Great for older kids and adults.
• Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit – Great for older kids and adults.
• Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ‘n’ Hurl – Great for ages 4-7
• Men in Black: Alien Attack – Great for older kids and adults.
• Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon – Great for older kids and adults.
• Revenge of the Mummy – Great for teens and adults.
• Shrek 4-D – Great for kids 4-7.
• The Blues Brothers Show – Best for older teens and adults.
• The Simpsons Ride – Great one for older kids and adults.
• Transformers: The Ride-3D – Good one for older kids and adults.
• Universal Orlando’s Horror Make-Up Show – Good for teens and adults.
• Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster – Great for kids 4-7.
• Hogwarts Express – Great for everyone.

Home Of The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter

A lot of kids including younger ones really enjoy visiting Diagon Alley in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It’s a beautiful replica of all that you saw in the movies. Some of the things you can enjoy include:

• Leaky Cauldron Restaurant
• Olivander’s Wand Shop
• Escape from Gringott’s
• Florean Florescue’s Ice Cream Shoppe
• Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes
• Plus tons of other themed shops

The best ride in this themed area would be Escape from Gringott’s, however younger kids aren’t allowed on it unless they meet the height requirements, but older kids, teens, and adults will find it exciting and many claim it’s one of the best roller coasters they’ve ever ridden.

A great family ride, is Hogwarts Express, especially if you want to relax and also want to go from Universal Studios to Islands of Adventure. To ride this you will need to buy park to park tickets for the family, but it’s highly suggested that you do visit at least Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure for the complete Universal Orlando experience.

Quick Overview of Islands Adventure

This is where you can enjoy the following:

• Harry Potter’s Hogsmeade
• Three Broomsticks Restaurant
• Flight of the Hippogriff
• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
• The Frog Choir at Hogsmeade
• Seuss Landing
• Toon Lagoon
• Marvel Super Heroes
• Camp Jurassic
• Jurassic Park
• Discovery Center

Note – If you have kids under the age of 10 then Seuss Landing, Toon Lagoon, and Hogsmeade are key places that you should take them to enjoy. These areas are extremely little kid friendly and they’ll have the time of their lives.

 As you can see, even if you have younger kids, you’ll find plenty of things for them to experience as well as plenty of things for older kids and adults to enjoy.

What Is The Best Month To Go To Universal Studios?

Blog Posts

Before booking your holidays to universal studios you may be wondering as to what month is the best to visit the universal resort. In this post we aim to cover this question and give you a better understanding so that hopefully you can book your universal trip for the best available month that suits you.

If you are planning a trip from the UK to Florida and want to visit Universal Studios, you more than likely are wondering what is the best month to go to Universal Studios? To be honest, that is a tough one to answer because of where they’re located, there really isn’t a bad time to visit this theme park. However, we will cover some of the better times and even some of the cheaper times to go and visit Universal Studios in order to help you plan out your trip better. Just note that things are done a little differently during this pandemic, so make sure to check with their official website to see any limitations there might be.

Planning Around Crowds

A while back, Universal Studios used to just be a one day stop on tourists way to Disney World, but over the years this has really changed. This is because they’ve added Volcano Bay and Islands of Adventure which has made Universal a lot more popular than it once was. The biggest draw has been their addition of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter which is located in both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.

When planning a trip to this theme park and choosing the best time to go is going to save you a lot of time planning and will help you have a better experience and can sometimes even save you some money and if you’re on a budget this could be important. It’s important to note that Universal does offer vacation packages and theme park tickets that go up and down based on the time of year that you want to visit. This means that if you decide to visit during less crowded months, you’ll save yourself some money.

Best Times To Visit

Most people who visit Universal Studios will say that any time is a good time to experience the magic and adventure this theme park has to offer. However, if you want to save some money and have more time to enjoy it due to shorter lines, then you may want to come during those times that the crowds are less. Below are the best months to visit:

• January
• February
• September
• April
• Early to Mid May

After school is back in session you’ll find that the middle to end of September is often one of the least crowded times to visit. Except for Easter, you’ll also discover that during the months of April and May the crowds are less as well. Then there’s January and February when the crowds again are much less and that’s mainly because this is right after the holiday rush and people are most often lower on money and travel time because they spent all of it during November and December.

Best Dates To Visit

If you need more specific dates that are best to visit for your vacation plans, here are a few suggested dates that might make it easier for you to plan out your trip to Universal Studios.

• January 7 – 10, January 13 – 19, and January 27 – 31 (Best times to visit Harry Potters World)
• February 1 – 13 and February 18 – 28
• March 1 – 5
• April 26 – May 1
• May 10 – 16
• All of September
• October 1 – 9, 13 – 17, 18 – 23, and 25 – 30
• November 1 – 7, 9 – 13, and 25 – 30 (Avoid trying to visit during Thanksgiving)
• December 1 – 4 and 6 – 11 (Avoid trying to visit during Christmas and New Years)

Cheaper Times To Visit

If you are on a budget you’ll want to know when the prices might be cheaper so that you can get the most bang for your money. You’ll quickly discover that the lower prices often go right a long with the least crowded times mentioned above. You’re going to be able to pay less during September and late January along with February. The only problem with going during these months, depending on when your kids are in school, you may need to take them out of school in order to visit during these times.

Best Times To Visit Based On The Weather

Many people only think about the crowds and prices but another important thing to take into consideration is the weather. This is especially true if you want to include Volcano Bay on your trip to Universal Studios. Even though during the winter months the waters are well heated at Volcano Bay, during the spring and summer months there tend to be a lot more fun things to do at Volcano Bay.

Now, if you really don’t like super hot and humid weather, you may not want to book your trip to Universal Studios during the peak summer months because the average temperature is often found to be in the 90’s compounded with high humidity. If you have young children, you might discover that this can create a very unpleasant experience because high temperatures and high humidity can cause tempers to flare and you don’t want to ruin your trip. If you are looking for more comfortable weather then you’ll want to visit between the end of April to the end of May or from the middle of October to the beginning of December.

Worst Times To Visit Because Of Weather

The weather any time of the year in Orlando can be quite unpredictable and you need to be wary of occasional hurricanes as well as tornadoes during the months of August and till the end of September. You’ll also find that the heat and humidity can often be nearly intolerable during these same months. It’s always a good idea to check the weather that’s predicted for that time of year prior to finalizing your trip to Universal Studios.

As you can see, planning on when you want to visit Universal Studios can depend on a variety of different things such as crowds, weather, and prices. Depending on what you prefer, what you can afford and who will be traveling with you is going to influence you on when you visit and how long you want to stay.

What Are The 3 Parks At Universal Studios Orlando?

Blog Posts

When looking to book your universal holidays you may be thinking what are the 3 parks at universal studios and exactly what they entail. Well to give you a better understanding this post breaks down this question to help you get a better understanding before you book your universal holiday.

If you are planning to travel from the UK to Orlando and are interested in visiting Universal Orlando, you want to know that there are three distinctly different resort parks to enjoy on your visit. So, what are the 3 parks at Universal Studios Orlando? The three themed parks you’ll find there are called Universal Studios, Volcano Bay, and Island’s of Adventure. Almost all who visit say each one is fun, packed with rides, and very exciting. They all have plenty to offer adults and kids a like, so it might be difficult for you to decide which ones to visit if you have limited time for your vacation.

There is so much to do and see at all three of these parks, learning what the differences are and which one might be best for you and your family it’s important that you know what each park has to offer in order for you to get the best experience for your time and money.

Each Park Is Different

The different attractions, rides, and experiences are all quite different in each of the individual parks. One of the easiest ways to tell the difference is to know that Universal Studios attractions are all based on TV shows and movies and the park Islands of Adventures attractions are basically thrill and fantasy rides. The third park which is the most unique of them all is Volcano Bay because it’s a fully themed water park that makes you feel like you are on a paradise island.

TV And Movies Fans

For those that prefer TV and movies, you more than likely will prefer Universal Studios because they focus more on TV shows and movies that have been popular over the past. The rides aren’t as scary as some of the ones found at Islands of Adventure. But they still have enough for a few thrills.

Thrill Seekers

If you love thrill rides, then Islands of Adventure is going to be the park you’ll want to hit first because it has a lot more rides that offer some pretty scary stuff with the Incredible Hulk Coaster being the big thrill ride there.

Paradise Seekers

If you would rather have a little taste of some pool side relaxing and a taste of paradise, then Volcano Bay is more your style of a theme park. You feel as if you are in your own paradise and have not only the chance to just lounge around but can enjoy a variety of different exciting water rides.

A Little About Universal Studios

Here’s just a little bit of what you can expect when you visit Universal Studios park:

Production Central – Here are some of the attractions to enjoy:

• Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
• TRANSFORMERS: The Ride -3D
• Shrek 4-D
• Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
• Universal Music Plaza Stage
• Universal’s Superstar Parade

New York – Here’s what you can expect in this section:

• Revenge of the Mummy
• The Blues Brothers Show
• Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon
• Delancey Street Preview Center

San Francisco – This is what you’ll find here:

• Diagon Alley (this is where the original Jaws ride used to be, but the shark is still around for people who still want to see it and take pictures of this once popular ride.
• Fast & Furious: Supercharged

Hollywood – Attractions that you’ll find here:

• Universal Orlando’s Horror Make-up Show
• Terminator 2:3-D
• Lucy: A Tribute

World Expo – Attractions you will find here:

• Men in Black Alien Attack
• The Simpsons Ride
• Fear Factor

Woody Woodpecker’s Kid Zone – Attractions found here are:

• Animal Actors on Location
• A Day in the Park with Barney
• Curious George Goes to Town
• Woody Wookpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster
• Fievel’s Playland
• T. Adventure

Diagon Alley

This is a must see for all Harry Potter fans. This is probably what draws most people to Universal Studios to begin with. It completely transports you into the world of Harry Potter.

Islands Of Adventure

As soon as you enter you are transported to a magical world where you can immediately start shopping or find a place to eat, or you can choose to go to Seuss Landing or go right to Marvel Superhero Island.

Marvel Superhero Island – Here’s what you can expect to experience here:

• The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman
• Doctor Doom’s Freefall
• The Incredible Hulk Coaster
• Storm Force Accelatron

The most popular attraction here for thrill seekers would be The Incredible Hulk Coaster. For coaster fanatics, some of them say this is one of the best coasters ever.

Toon Lagoon – Here are the attractions you can find here:

• Dudly Do-Rhight’s Ripsaw Falls
• Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges
  

Skull Island

This attraction is all things King Kong.

Jurassic Park – Here’s what you’ll find in this area: 

• Camp Jurassic
• Pteranodon Flyers
• Jurassic Park River Adventures
• Jurassic Park Discovery Centre

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Here’s what to expect here:

1. Dragon Challenge
2. Flight of the Hippogriff
3. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

When it comes to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure the two most popular areas of both parks are their Wizarding World of Harry Potter areas. These are the main attractions in both parks for all Harry Potter fans and this is why they are connected with the Hogwart’s Express.

Seuss Landing – The attractions here are all wonderful for the younger kids: 

• Caro-Seuss-el
• The Cat in the Hat
• If I Ran the Zoo
• One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
• The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride

Volcano Bay

This theme park is only open from spring through the summer so if you want to visit you’ll need to make sure your vacation is during these times. Here’s some of the attractions you’ll be able to enjoy:

• The Volcano – 200 foot replica of a real volcano
• Wave Village – This is at the foot of the volcano that features gentle soothing waves to relax in
• Ko’okiri Body Plunge – 125 foot drop into a pool of water
• The Reef – Peaceful leisure pool
• Waturi Beach – Beach area to float, splash or swim in
• Honu ika Moana – A raft ride that has twists, swells, and turns

 As you can see, it all depends on what you are looking for in a theme park. However, if you can spend enough time in Orlando, you should try to visit all three parks.

How Many Days Do You Need For Universal Orlando?

Blog Posts

universal holidays are becoming ever popular with Brits year on year and it’s not hard to see why. It evokes a lot of nostalgia of universal movies which have made it into the theme parks that offer incredible rides and experiences for all that visit. If it is your first time and wondering how many days you need for universal studios than carry on reading the post below to gain a better understanding of how many days you typically need.

If you are planning a trip to Universal Orlando from the UK, you’re going to need to do a lot of planning in order to make sure that you get the most out of your vacation to the area. Universal in Orlando is comprised of three different theme parks and it also has a good number of shopping areas, restaurants, and hotels. It’s the three different theme parks that people from all over the world flock to see and the most common question asked by visitors is how many days do you need for Universal Orlando? Depending on what you want to see and do is what’s going to determine how long you might consider staying to see what you want to see.

Main Theme Parks And Suggested Time To Spend

There are two major parks that most people visit and that would be Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios. Both of these parks are connected by what’s known as the Hogwarts Express which is located in Diagon Alley and Hogsmede. Even though it’s possible to both of these parks in just one day, it’s really not something we’d advise doing.

If you really want to be able to enjoy both of these parks and make it worth your while and money, generally it’s suggested that you plan to spend three days at Universal Orlando. This can you one full day for all three theme parks or if you want to skip the water park it gives you a day and a half for the two major theme parks. And if you are coming from a long distance, jet lag can really be an issue so you may even want to add an extra day so that you can have a day of rest if needed.

Various Factors

When you are planning your trip and how long to spend at Universal Orlando, there are a variety of factors you’ll want to take into consideration that should help make it easier for you to decide the length of time you’ll want to spend at these parks in order to get the best experience out of your visit. This way instead of rushing around like a wild man trying to take in everything with limited time, you might want to consider staying longer so you can leisurely explore these theme parks.

Consider Staying On Site

One of the major bonuses of staying on site at Universal Orlando is the fact that resort guests are allowed into the parks an hour before the general public. This could help you get on the more popular attractions before the huge crowds get there. You also don’t have to worry about paying an extra $25 for parking if you stay on site.

Include Volcano Bay Or Skip It?

Volcano Bay is their themed water park and if you are really into water parks, you may want to include it as part of your trip. This is especially true if you are also staying on site at Universal Orlando. You may not think a water park might need an entire day, but this particular one could actually take up an entire day of your time, so you’ll want to consider that fact when figuring out how long you want to visit the theme parks.

Maximizing Your Time

If you really want to enjoy your experience, most people recommend that you stay an entire day for each park, especially for the two major parks. You really want to make sure that you give yourself plenty of time to ride all the rides you are interested in, you’ll want time to have lunch as well as snacks and to take in all the sights, especially the Wizarding World of Harry Potter because there is so much to see there. This is actually one of the main reasons most people visit Universal Studios.

It’s important to note that you can save yourself a lot of valuable time if you buy your tickets ahead of time instead of wasting a lot of time buying tickets when the gates to the parks open. But, if you don’t buy them online you’ll want to make sure that you get there much earlier than opening time so that you are at the start of the ticket line.

Final Note

If you don’t have three days to spend there, it’s advisable that you either get an early entry pass or purchase the Express Pass tickets.

Which Orlando Universal Park Is Better?

Blog Posts

When it comes to booking your universal studios holidays you will most likely have questions about the resort and what it has to offer especially if it’s your first time. One such question we get asked at the house of travel is ‘which Orlando universal park is better’? So, in this post we break down the question and give you an insight as to which park may be best suited for to visit before you book your holiday

Best Choice

The obvious answer would be that they are both worth it and the ideal choice would be to try and spend one day at each of these parks. Unfortunately, for a lot of people they either don’t have the time or they just may not be able to afford both of them. Because of this, we’ll explore the pros and cons of both. We’re not including Volcano Bay because it’s really not considered a theme park because it’s really a water park and it has a different set of expectations and requirements. However, if you have time, it’s a great place to go visit on a really hot and humid day in Florida.

Great Things About Universal Studios Florida

There are a lot of different lenses that you can take a look at when it comes to which is better and here are just a few:

• Selection of what can be seen as intellectual properties
• Food
• Meet and greets with characters
• Park layout
• Music
• Attractions

When it comes to who has the better rides, in the earlier days, Islands of Adventure would have easily won in a landslide. Islands of Adventure includes absolutely breathtaking adventures that include:

• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
• The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man

But even though Islands of Adventure is the younger park, over the past few years Universal Studios Florida has systematically replaced every single one of their attractions and now in the attractions category Universal Studios Florida has risen to the top. The attractions they offer cause many people to choose it over the Islands of Adventure park if they can only visit one of the two parks.

One of the most popular attractions at Universal Studios would be the entire themed area known as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley. This themed area is truly a marvel to see and might honestly take up nearly half a day to be able to experience it all, especially if you truly want to see everything.

Another wonderful spot to visit at Universal Studios is Springfield, USA. This is a place that’s loaded with fun and really shouldn’t be missed on your visit. Other wonderful attractions you can enjoy include the following:

• Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem
• Transformers: The Ride – 3D
• Universal’s Horror Make-up Show
• Men in Black: Alien Attack
• Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
• Revenge of the Mummy
• Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon
• Fast & Furious – Supercharged
• T. Adventure
• Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringotts

Universal Studios Florida Events

On top of all the different themed attractions, you can also enjoy a variety of different events that go on at Universal Studios. These events contain some of the best entertainment in all of the themed park world and most of these great events take place at Universal Studios Florida has a lot more of them than Islands of Adventure. Here are some annual events of interest:

• Rock the Universe – This is an after hours event they have every year and is billed as the biggest Christian music festival in the world. Whether that’s true or not, it’s a great event if you love Christian rock. It takes place every last weekend in January.
• Running Universal at Universal Orlando Resort – This is a series of fun runs that always take place all through the Universal Orlando Resort and they’re designed for all runners of all skill levels and backgrounds.
• Mardi Gras at Universal Studios Florida – They have this every spring to celebrate all the excitement you’d get from the “Big Easy” and it’s as authentic as the real one in New Orleans and the celebration completely transform the entire Universal Studios Florida theme park.
• Easter at Universal Studios Florida – Unfortunately this lovely event was canceled this year due to the virus but it’s their hope it will return in 2021.
• Fourth of July at Universal Studies Florida – During normal circumstances this is usually a three day long celebration of the independence of the USA.
• Halloween Horror Nights – When possible this is an annual event that offers what they call Haunted Houses Weekends and they are usually done during the last two weekends of September and then run through the first of November. The haunted houses are wonderful for those who love to be scared or get a great laugh.
• Thanksgiving at Universal Orlando Resort – Offers of wonderful Thanksgiving meals complete with pilgrims and Indians.
• Grinchmas, Universal’s Holiday Parade, Wizarding Christmas & More – These events are jam packed with a variety of Christmas and New Years celebrations and normally run from November 14^th through January 3^rd.

Great Things About Islands of Adventure

 If you are more interested in the quality of themes than that of specific park rides, then Islands of Adventure should be at the top of your list to visit. This park was specifically designed from the ground up to be Universal Studios own version of Disneyland. Islands is simply overflowing with wonderful themes that are both small and big. All guests are completely transported from one themed reality to another as they cross over bridges or go around a bend and each themed park is complete with very effective transition tools such as world class soundtracks as you enter into the different themes.

A great example of a wonderful themed area of the park is Jurassic Park. This is as good as it gets. Jurassic Park is one of the biggest “islands” in this park and it has some very impressive touches. This theme is complete with a towering entrance that is flanked with torches and you’ll encounter 65,000 different plants along with 2,000 different trees all of which are true descendants from the actual Cretaceous period. Guests truly feel as if they’ve been transported back in time.

Another great theme is Seuss Landing. This cute themed area doesn’t contain one single straight line and it brings to life all of Dr. Seuss’s characters and whimsical designs, it even includes trees imported from the hurricane Andrew ravaged areas of the state in order to have trees with zigzag designs.

Next door to Seuss Landing you’ll be again transported back in time by entering the Lost Continent. This park sends visitors back 2,000 years into the past so they can visit different ancient Western civilizations.

And let’s not forget The Wizarding World of Harry Potter-Hogsmead and Diagon Alley. These are a must for all Harry Potter fans.

As you can see, it depends on whether you’re more into rides or themes. If it’s rides, then Universal Studios Florida would be the pick. If it’s themed you are looking for, then Islands of Adventure would be the pick.