Growing up in Orlando, I got to go to USO plenty of times and saw attractions come and go. I watched the Back to the Future ride become the Simpsons land (not complaining, Simpsons are cool. It's sad to see my childhood go though). Seeing the Jaws ride go was sad too. The addition of the Simpsons area and Harry Potter were really cool though! read more

Though I'm a routine Disneyland fanatic, I throughly enjoyed the Universal Orlando Resort and long to return. My parents and I visited December 2024 to celebrate my mom's successful battle of breast cancer and my tumor being benign. Life can be fleeting and you never know what to expect, so let's be off to a theme park! Since a kid I've been theme park obsessed, and I was excited to try the other coast's Universal Park. I'll never look at Hollywood the same as Universal Orlando is hands down the superior park! I definitely think if you have the means to do Orlando versus Hollywood, I'd choose this park! Less congested with people, more rides, better dining, and there are water taxis! My favorite mode of transportation. Definitely worth a visit at least once in your life if you enjoy theme parks. read more

See all

Universal is fun, and if you go during the summer stay hydrated. Theme parks can be tiring throughout the day but I highly recommend. Definitely check out Halloween horror nights for spooky season. read more

Had to share my favorite food at universal. This was at how to train your dragon world. It is a pizza cone with Mac n cheese, bacon, pork and jam! I believe it's called the PB&J. Epic world was amazing! Universal was wild. They need to do something when their lines exceed 3 hours!!! That's too long. read more

Universal Orlando Resort - How to train your dragon - Amusement Parks Near Me - Orlando, Florida

We had a great time at Universal Orlando Resort. Personally, I had a blast. This was my second time visiting and it was completely different than my first time because it had been so long. My first visit was in the early 90s when I was a kid. At that time, Universal Studios Florida had just recently opened (June 7, 1990) and it was the only Universal theme park in Orlando. My second visit was earlier this year (2025). We stayed at the "Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando" and visited the Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure theme parks (two different theme parks) as well as the Universal CityWalk shopping and entertainment district. Universal properties have really grown over the last 35 years. Along with the aforementioned Loews Sapphire Falls Resort (opened July 7, 2016), Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure (opened May 28, 1999), and Universal CityWalk (opened May 1993), Universal Orlando Resort also consists of 10 other hotels and Universal Volcano Bay (water theme park, opened May 25, 2017). Soon, a fourth theme park will open: Universal Epic Universe on May 22, 2025. Needless to say, there's so much to see and do. My wife and I stayed for two nights in a Two Queen Bed Room at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort for $665.98. My wife picked this hotel because: (1) we got a $200 credit with our American Express Platinum Card, (2) it's within walking distance to the parks, and (3) we got a $100 credit for purchases inside the parks. To use the in-park credit, we had to make charges using our hotel room key card. You can read my review for the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/universal-orlando-loews-sapphire-falls-resort-orlando Our friends, who visited the parks with us, also got a room at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort. The main reason for our visit was to experience the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. For those unfamiliar with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort, it consists of two areas in two separate parks: (1) Hogsmeade at Universal Islands of Adventure and (2) Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida. A third Harry Potter area, Ministry of Magic, will open at the new Universal Epic Universe on May 22, 2025. In order to get the full Harry Potter experience, our group of five purchased the "2-Park 1-Day Park-to-Park Dated Adult" for $194.00 per person plus the "2PK Express" for $149.99 per person. $343.99 per person total. Those gave us all-day access to Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure, and the 2-Park Universal Express Pass for express ride access (fast pass). The Express Pass saved us a lot of time. It enabled us to see and do more things. Therefore, I think it's worth the extra cost. In the morning, my wife and friends took the shuttle boat from our hotel to Universal CityWalk, which is centrally located between the entrances to Universal Studio Floridas and Universal Islands of Adventure. I joined them later by walking over. We all walked back to the hotel together at night. To get between the two parks, we rode the Hogwarts Express, the train from Harry Potter. You can read my review for the Hogwarts Express here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hogwarts-express-orlando My wife and I both thought Diagon Alley was better than Hogsmeade. For more details on the Wizarding World and things we did there, check out my reviews for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter ( https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-wizarding-world-of-harry-potter-orlando-5 ) and Diagon Alley ( https://www.yelp.com/biz/diagon-alley-orlando ). While there are four Wizarding Worlds around the world (Orlando, Hollywood, Osaka, Beijing), only Universal Orlando Resort has Diagon Alley and Hogwarts Express. We also spent some time at Universal Studios Florida outside of Diagon Alley. Highlights for me included Springfield, U.S.A: Home of the Simpsons, E.T. Adventure (the oldest active ride at Universal Orlando Resort, very nostalgic for me), and Men in Black Alien Attack. See my review for Universal Studios Florida for my thoughts on that park, those rides (with links to my reviews of those rides), and more: https://www.yelp.com/biz/universal-studios-florida-orlando-2 Shout-out to my favorite ride as a kid, Back to the Future: The Ride (opened May 1, 1991; closed March 30, 2007). My wife's main criticism of Universal Orlando Resort is that it's not as polished nor unique as Walt Disney World Resort, which she visited three times in 2024-2025. That goes for the quality of the rides, level of customer service, and the attention to detail in pretty much all aspects of the theme park experience. Also, CityWalk is only a quarter of the size of its Disney counterpart, Disney Springs. So, if you're visiting Universal after Disney, brace for a step down. That said, I still enjoyed Universal Orlando Resort very much and wouldn't mind returning in the future. read more

See all

A fun ride for the entire family. A short and quick coaster trip with leans and curves. Located in the DreamWorks Land area of the resort, the theme is trying to escape from spiders along with Poppy, Tiny and the twins. There are no upside down loops or inversions. It's one speed only at about 20 miles an hour for about 1 minute around the full track. The height is about 25-30 feet high but most of the ride is below the peak. It's a fun ride, read more

Universal Orlando Resort - Amusement Parks Near Me - Orlando, Florida

See all

Had a nice experience for Halloween horror nights! Only complaint is the lines for each house are extremely long compared to prior years. They really stepped up their game with the food offerings during HHN, I've bought food every time we've come which I haven't done in the past. Overall, a fun experience and we look forward to coming back!! The five nights at Freddy's house, the galkn and el artista have been our favorites this season. read more

I enjoy going to Universal Orlando Resort three times a year four fun hanging out with friends and riding the rides and having great food I love staying on property so I'm close to the action every day from Erie Park admission at 8 AM at Islands adventure read more

See all

Universal needs to disclose ticketing information way better! My family went to Epic (Universe? more like sucksville) and Studios in one day, and assumed that the next day we would be let into the park because we bought 2 day plus Epic tickets. Apparently one of your two days is Epic and by going to Studios we effectively used both days. We entered all happy go lucky without realizing until they wouldn't let us in the next day. I really wish the front gate workers would have let us know or the ticket be better worded for guests to understand. So in total we had to spend over $3000 for 2 days at Universal. And that was with a discount! Everything costs way too much and the food isn't even that good to be costing as much as it does. Take your money elsewhere to Disney where they actually care about their customers and their money. read more

The shops around here are great! The Heavy rain made us run into here. While waiting the weather out we loaded ourselves with candy and goods, plenty of Universal souvenirs! A great store. read more

Universal Orlando Resort - Deshara - Amusement Parks Near Me - Orlando, Florida

I honestly enjoyed here more than Disney. Universal Orlando had more rides and activities that aren't strictly dedicated towards kids. A lot of the themed areas and rides I was able to refer to more than Disney, but it may be because I'm more of a Marvel and Harry Potter person than Disney. I purchased an express pass for Universal, which can be used everywhere except Hagrid's Motorbike. I'd say it's worth it if you wish to focus on rides as many of them were 2+ hour lineups. Universal is smaller than Disney, so you could definitely finish the park within a day with the express pass. Universal is open longer than Disney, but from what I saw fireworks aren't featured here. Aside from the area around Hogsmeade I found there to be quite a lot of room to move around, which is good. I would recommend Universal over Disney if Disney is not your type. read more

Went with family and friends, group of 20, on a gorgeous Sunday between Christmas and New Years. Had a great mix of things between a "thrill seeking" roller coaster loving group and the group with the baby and "non roller coaster riders". The lines were long compared to the length of the rides, but the rides, although short, were amazing on graphics. We rode the Harry Potter coaster and the Return of the Mummy. I surprisingly really enjoyed the Jimmy Fallon ride through New York, especially since the line was more comparable to the experience! The Minions/Dispicable Me was not a ride, but a shooting/ real life arcade experience. The food was fairly disappointing. Lastly the parade towards the end of the day was the cherry on top and ultimately ushered the majority of everyone out afterwards; so tip of the day... wait to ride the roller coasters AFTER the parade and you will still have about 2 hours with the park practically to yourself! read more

See all

Just writing this review wishing I was at Universal Orlando right now. This place is just so freaking fun! My friend and I recently went and signed up for the Universal VIP Experience. It's seriously the real place where dreams are made. We had an amazing tour guide and got to skip the line and ride 10 rides in our eight hour window. This included all the hot spots including Hagrid's Motorbike ride and the VelociCoaster, both of which had over 100 minute waits. Your tour guide literally walks you to the ride through the exit, it's literally magic. Both rides were the best rides I've ever been on. I mean a rollercoaster that goes upside down and has a 90 degree drop with only a lap belt, it was insane! Harry Potter will also continue to just be the best place ever. I can never get over the theming and the rides are pretty amazing too. I was a little bummed the Universal Studios side closed so early for Halloween Horror Nights, but just be aware of that if you go during that time of year. Looking forward to my next trip. read more

See all

This was our second time (period) to visit this park. We visited many years ago, but due to an unfortunate family emergency (not caused or on Universal's properties), we never returned. Upon returning, Universal remembered our situation, and did something TOTALLY unexpected and nice for us that showed they cared about their customers. I wish I could say more. The main park is vast. We did not get to experience Epic Universe, but I hear it's pretty awesome. We enjoyed some eateries, went on some rides. Mostly, we went on the Transformers 3D ride because I got my daughter into Transformers and at 16, she still loves it. We rode it over and over - well, she did, I had to stop due to motion sickness (my problem, not Universal's). She went on it so much, the cast members started to recognize her. We did the annual pass because for us, it just makes sense. The annual pass covers parking, gets us a discount in the park, they also have a members area for snacks and refreshments and even a members only clearance store where, when we went, merch was 60% off. SCORE! As mentioned, I get motion sickness now in my older age, but some of the roller coasters - I would have been all over those in my youth. They are quite possibly the BEST roller coaster rides around and I love the park 10 miles away too, but with the exception of 1-2 roller coasters there, I feel Universal has the superior, thrill seeking, vomit inducing rides that any thrill seeker would be fortunate to experience. Sadly, when it rains, some rides get delayed or shutdown, but there's other things to do. And of course, there's the city walk with lots of shops and restaurants to visit without having to pay to go into the park. I would give yourself 3-5 days to see and experience it all. read more

I decided to visit Universal Studios and celebrate Mardi Gras to see the parade and get good food. The parade was amazing. All the artist gave their 100% and more to make a good show. Everything was well organized, and the staff helped to ensure that everyone was safe. The food was delicious. I got the sweet & savory gouda & onion waffle (Belgium), Potstickers (China), Currywurst (Germany), and the Roman Suppli (Italy). All of them were delicious, I couldn't select only one as my favorite. The Mardi Gras celebration is still going, so I'll be going back to keep trying more food! read more

Universal Orlando Resort - Amusement Parks Near Me - Orlando, Florida

See all

Absolutely love paying premium resort prices and still getting nickel-and-dimed like I'm renting DVDs from a 2006 hotel minibar. Next they'll probably charge extra if I dare to look at a poster for one of their films for more than three seconds. read more

Great Experience. Awesome Rides Amazing Restaurant's Roller Coasters and Thrill Rides are amazing. read more

See all

Universal Orlando should be absolutely ashamed of how they treat disabled guests especially autistic children. My daughter is autistic (Level 2 ASD) with Tourette Syndrome. She has a fully established AAP profile from our last visit in 2023, when Universal's accessibility program actually worked. This year, the program is completely broken discriminatory, misleading, and emotionally damaging for families who depend on disability support. We had a 1 PM appointment at Guest Services. The employee "Chris" immediately lied and claimed Universal never offered the accommodations we used in 2023. When we corrected them, they changed their story proving they either didn't know their own policy or were intentionally misrepresenting it. After wasting over 30 minutes of our day, Universal informed us that they removed the ability for autistic guests to use a reasonable accommodation. Instead, they now offer a so-called "return time" system that STILL forces a child with autism to stand in lines, endure crowds, and wait in environments that trigger sensory overload which defeats the entire purpose of an accommodation. This is NOT an accommodation. This is NOT ADA-aligned. This is NOT autism-friendly. This is a downgraded system disguised as policy, and it puts disabled families at a clear disadvantage. The new AAP caused my daughter distress that the old system prevented. Instead of help, we received misinformation, rudeness, and a complete lack of empathy. Universal advertises inclusion but delivers the opposite. For the amount of money families pay to be here, and the expectations Universal created based on their former AAP system, this was a violation of trust. It ruined our day, created stress for our daughter, and showed that Universal prioritizes crowd management over basic disability rights. Universal has taken a massive step backward in accessibility, transparency, and compassion. Their AAP program no longer meets the needs of autistic guests and does not reflect what they promise the public. Until Universal restores reasonable accommodations not watered-down policies that do not help disabled children I strongly advise families with autistic or disabled children to think twice before visiting. Universal Orlando: We deserve acknowledgment, accountability, and corrective action. Families like mine deserve MUCH better than this. read more

Universal Studios Recap Stayed at Royal Pacific (deluxe) for unlimited fast past and early hour. *unable to review hotel at this time due to some serious issues; but the fast pass and early entry were fabulous. We would have probably only ridden 8-10 rides without the unlimited fast pass. We also utilized single rider lines a few times (this saved over an hour on Hagrid's). Islands of Adventure Hours: 9am-7pm *early hour for Islands of Adventure, enter at 8am Universal Studios Hours: 9am-9pm 19 rides in 13 hours (8am-9pm) 11 miles walked Bold = Express Pass, ?/10 = my rating Islands of Adventure * Hagrids 10/10 *split up and used single rider line *must use lockers for stuff * Velocicoaster 10/10 *must use lockers for stuff * Forbidden Journey 7/10 *must use lockers for stuff (left for Hippogriff) * Flight of the Hippogriff 5/10 * Lunch: Rice Bowl at Thunder Falls Terrace 8/10, better than Qdoba! * King/Skull Island 4/10 * Rip Shaw Falls 10/10 * Popeye's Barges 10/10 * *Dried off, stopped for frozen lemonade * Spider-Man 8/10 * Hulk 10/10 *must use lockers for stuff * Beef Kabob at the Kabob Hut * Hogwarts Express to Universal Studios 6/10 Universal Studios * Arrive on Hogwarts Express * *stopped for Starbucks * Revenge of the Mummy 8/10 but we got stuck multiple times, including in the 'hot room.' * Jimmy Fallon 7/10 *delayed for a bit due to someone throwing up * despicable Me 10/10 * *Stopped at Chez Alcatraz for drinks - 8/10 * Hogwarts Express back to Islands of Adventure; different experience *missed the rain! 8/10 IOA Part 2 (closes at 7) * Delayed for hour due to tropical downpours * Drinks at Hogs Head - drinks 5/10, 8/10 for cover come the rain * Hogwarts express - back to US US Part 2 * Escape from Gringotts 9/10 *delayed * Explore Diagonal Alley 10/10 * Explore Knockturn Aley 10/10 * Men in Black 5/10 * Fast and Furious 6/10 *multiple issues, not worth riding in my opinion * Transformers 9/10 *single rider line Did not ride or missed on my list: * Pteranandon Flyers - skipped * River Adventure - closed when we went through * Storm Force - skipped * Missed food at Mythos -*too busy * Missed Leaky Cauldron - Pumpkin Juice * Florian Fortescues Ice Cream *line crazy long * Skipped all of the Simpson Area * ET - skipped, then closed early * Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket - down almost all day Overall review of Universal Studios: very clean, mostly friendly staff, and Harry Potter was incredibly immersive! Hagrid's, Velocicoster and Hulk are my favorite thrill rides. Hill was the first upside-down coaster I rode over 20 years ago! Despicable Me was my favorite normal ride, SO SO CUTE. Transformers was a surpassingly fun ride as well! We would likely skip some rides next time and ride our favorites multiple time (this was our plan, but the rain messed that up and basically closed those rides due to proximity to closing time). Jimmy Fallon gets my honorable mention! Harry Potter and the forbidden journey defiantly made me queasy - only ride that threw me off a little, but I was ok after a few minutes back outside. When we come back with kid, I'll definitely do multiple days and plan water rides with a 'nap break' to change. Even using the dryers we were basically wet for hours (and I love the water rides). Obviously, our hotel experience was not great. Still resolving this, but I have to say, I am so happy to be home and I plan to hermit myself away from people for a week or two to recover. Best food: Jack's American Bar at Royal Pacific Thunder Terrace Frozen lemonade was DELISH Worst food: CowFish Butterbeer (I know this is an unpopular opinion but just yuck ) That's all, folks! read more

See all

For starters, we took a shuttle from a Universal bus from our local Orlando hotel to the park, so can't comment on parking but I think this is always a good idea to avoid parking nightmare. Second, we did not stay at ba Universal hotel so we didn't know about the "early"pass. If you want to get in early, you will need this early pass, otherwise stay in bed otherwise arriving early is pointless waste of time. Take collapsible water bottles and use sunscreen read more

hooray for Florida?! I was a bit skeptical and apprehensive about spending a day at Universal Orlando as I didn't have the greatest experience at Universal Hollywood in 2021 (see my review). However, I was assured by my friend that the Florida park is better and much grander than Hollywood. And, thankfully, he was correct. NOTES: 1. Universal Orlando Resort is comprised of 2 parks: Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. 2. Separate tickets for each park will need to be purchased. 3. Park-to-park tickets are required for those interested in riding the Hogwarts Express between parks. fyi. 4. I spent 1 day at the Universal Orlando Resort in November 2022 visiting both parks. For ticket info, please visit: https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/tickets-packages/park-tickets PARKING: 1. $27 for self park. Valet available for a higher fee. 2. The staff are quick to assist guest to the correct section and stalls in the lot. Very efficient. 3. Follow signs to the escalators and park entrance. Guests will have to pass thru a security check point before walking thru to the parks. Bags will be checked as well. And just like Hollywood, guests will have to walk thru the Universal Citywalk to access the park entrances. I'll briefly mentioned the attractions I experienced in both parks. Since I was only there for 1 day, there wasn't enough time to ride all or most of the attractions (sadly). ***U N I V E R S A L S T U D I O S***: *NEW YORK*: 1. Race thru NY w/ Jimmy Fallon: A 3D journey ride thru the streets of New York that takes the rider on a tour of NYC's famous landmarks. It was ok. *SAN FRANCISCO*: 1. Fast & Furious - Supercharged: Another 3D type or ride involving racing, chases, and explosion with the crew from Fast and the Furious. *WOODY WOODPECKER'S KIDZONE*: 1. E.T. Adventure: This was cool! Although the ride is clearly in need of an update (it is showing its age), fans of the movie will no doubt revel in this experience of flying with E.T.! *WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER - DIAGON ALLEY*: 1. Knight Bus: Very cool! Although the bus is just stationary and you can't ride it, it's cool just to take pictures and speak with the conductor too. 2. Leaky Cauldron: The real life watering hole from the movie. We had lunch here (please see my separate review). The detail is extraordinary, I felt like I walked onto the movie set. 3. Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts: Amazing, amazing ride! I loved it! Waiting for the ride was exceptional as well, as the waiting area proceeds thru the main floor of the Gringotts bank, goblins and all. I wouldn't recommend this ride to those that are prone to motion sickness. 4. Hogwarts Express - King's Cross Station: All aboard for the Hogwarts Express, first years this way! As a fan of the HP series, I felt utter joy and excitement on being able to set foot in King's Cross and board the Hogwarts Express. Although not truly a "ride" per se, it was such a great experience. No spoilers about the train ride here.....you'll just have to see for yourself. Catch the train at platform 9.75. Lastly, I LOVED the fact that I took a picture knocking on the door of Number 12 Grimmauld Place!! ***I S L A N D S O F A D V E N T U R E***: *SKULL ISLAND: REIGN OF KONG*: This entire section is just the 3D ride itself. And it is quite the spectacle. Hang onto something as Kong takes you on an adventure all over his island! *JURASSIC PARK*: 1. Jurassic Park: River Adventure: The classic ride from the classic movie. Cruise thru the jungle and view the dinosaurs before the river gets rapid. You will get wet at some point, you have been warned! Recommended. 2. Jurassic World Velocicoaster: As I am writing this, I still can't believe I agreed to getting on this ride.....especially after hearing all the screaming going on from other riders. Life finds a way I guess (to convince me). There were many, many twists, turns, screams, loops, and even more screams from me. I survived to tell the tale as I am sure you will too. Recommended for those that have a thrill and affinity for rollercoasters. *THE LOST CONTINENT*: 1. Poseidon's Fury: An archaeology journey that incorporates history, water and special effects, and live storytelling. The water tunnel was the coolest thing about this adventure! *THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER - HOGSMEADE: 1. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey: Much like escape from Gringotts, there is much rough motion and effects on this ride. If you're sensitive to motion sickness, I wouldn't recommend this ride. We wanted to ride Hagrid's Motorbike Adventure, but the wait time was 170 minutes. BOTTOM LINE: Overall, it was a great day at Universal Orlando. I definitely prefer this park over Universal Hollywood for sure. For those with families, it might be advantageous to spend 1 day at each park. read more

See all

We got rained out due to a thunderstorm. All rides closed and all gift shops and restaurants are requiring people to spend money or leave. We are soaking wet & were only able to experience 1 ride before this huge inconvenience. read more

Vacation mode activated! So overwhelmingly excited that I got to come to Universal Orlando for the first time ever. I haven't been to Florida in general since it was my 7th birthday and my whole family went to Disney. This year however it's my husband, my best friend and myself, my created family venturing our first theme park together. Harry Potter was an obvious draw for us and was or main destination. However, we also were looking forward to the Jimmy Fallon ride, the Jurassic Park area, the Dr. Suess bookstore and all the glorious food. Having the chance to explore Universal Studios Resort for 2 days was an absolute pleasure and I hope to come back sooner than later. Thanks for the exemplary visit and experience! read more

See all

While this is a really fun theme park with some real great rides, I have to say that I don't think I would go out of my way to spend the money to come here again anytime soon. In the future I will be back but this park is not something I could see myself having an annual pass for like I do with Disney. Parking is one thing I am not a fan of here, because the garages are so far away and you need to walk quite some distance before you reach the main entrance to the theme parks, so if you are disabled or have difficulty walking, this is a problem that you can not avoid unfortunately. The park itself is clean and there are always janitors walking around picking up trash any cleaning tables or wiping seats down making sure everything is clean and trash free. The workers here also (for the most part) seem to like what they do and some even get into character making jokes or talking as if they are part of the ride itself. My main concern about this park is that way too much of it has to deal with sitting down and watch a screen while you are jostled and jerked around to make it feel like you are moving. Transformers is a great ride because it has a cool show and ride aspect but things such as the Minion ride is okay, where as the Jimmy Fallon ride and the Fast and Furious ride are atrocious and should never have been made. Pricing for food is generic but there are some locations here that have some real top notch quick service food so I do commend them on that. Overall though I do like the roller coasters they have and the theming they have for the rides and areas of the park are amazing but I have to say nothing here really wows and blows me away. read more

See all

Good theme park to go to with your family there's restaurants fun rides and overall really fun. read more

See all

Overall we had a blast, but I wish it was easier to tell in the app when buying tickets what to get before you go. They have 2 separate parks one called Universal Studios and the other Islands of adventure. Harry potter world is cut into two pieces and we wanted to do all of Harry Potter world so we had to upgrade to a 2 park pass. If you get an express pass I would recommend you use it for Islands of Adventure. There is one singular app so the thought is that it is all included. I saw so many people walking up to Hogwarts Express to cross over that were turned back due to having the wrong ticket. They were so dissapointed. We lost a bit of time in the day trying to decide if we wanted to upgrade, but we ended up doing it because there were things we wanted to do in both parks. As a pretty good travel preparer and amusement park enthusiast I would have thought I would have noticed these things before the day of the visit. My favorite ride on this side was ET because it is such a classic! read more

Universal Studios Orlando is a must in my opinion. Since I lived in South Florida off and on forty years I have visited on numerous occasions. It's really 3 and 1/2 stars compared to my first visits. I took my daughter at least once a year when she was growing up. It's a fun and educational experience for movie lovers. I always enjoyed the interactive exhibits and the behind the scenes information about my favorite movies. There's a lot of good food nearby so we don't eat anything at the park. We bring snacks and drinks and credit cards! If you enjoy movies and television I'm sure you will find some of your favorites here. I enjoy the Minions and King Kong, my daughter is a Harry Potter fan. read more

So good! Just like Disney they do so much right if not better than Disney. They have free lockers, kind employees, great rides, and more tolerable lines. Ive always loved coming here because unless you cant handle thrill rides this place is a must do. read more

I'm not a thrill seeking coaster guy so Universal Orlando with its central Florida overcrowded cage match accoutrements is not my style. It's all a matter of degrees as the Universal Orlando Resort is a theme-park first and a studio second meaning the rides take precedence. In Los Angeles, Universal is a working studio with a theme-park afterthought. As a movie fan, the latter is far more appealing since one has the option of their VIP studio tour which is far more free-form and immersive than the tram drive-by could ever be. Standing under the Clock Tower made famous in Back to the Future is far more thrilling than having my hips reduced to sawdust by some Cuisinart coaster out for blood. No judgement, but if you want coasters and a shot of Harry potter whiplash, head to the Sunshine State. I'll be hanging with Doc Brown in California working on the Flux Capacitor. Whatever you're into. read more

Universal Orlando Resort is broken down into two parks - Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. They are connected in the front of the resort by the CityWalk and in the back of the park by the Hogwarts Express since Harry Potter World exists in both parks (Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley). The two park in one park style of Universal is very unique to them, not many are like this where you can easily hop from one to another as they are adjacent to one another and it serves Universal well. It's ambitious to hit both parks in one day, but doable, especially if you get the fast pass, which I would strongly recommend you do if you're trying to do both parks in one day and are also trying to ride as many rides as possible. Fast pass allows you to "skip the line" and go through the fast pass lane once per ride. So if the ride has a long wait or you are pressed for time, you should definitely use your fast pass, but if the ride has a small wait (depends on your threshold but ours was anything under 20 minutes) we would wait in the regular line and use our fast pass later for when the wait time was super long and get to ride it again in under 20 minutes. With these strategies in place, my friends and I were able to hit about 75% of the parks. We started out in Universal Studios (it's to the right as you hit the fork in the road at the CityWalk and we were able to hit about 100% of this park and probably spent too long here. Then we took the Hogwarts Express in the afternoon on over from Diagon Alley at Universal to Hogsmeade at Island of Adventure, since this park was also open an hour later than the Universal side. We stayed here until well after close (got into a ride line as the park was closing), but we were only able to hit up Hogsmeade and Jurassic Park on this side of the park. We didn't get to the Marvel part of Islands of Adventure, which is something we had wanted to get to as well. The other parts of the park were less remarkable on our end, so we were able to hit basically everything we wanted, but this was definitely an extremely ambitious day that would not have been possible without the fast pass! If you're not going to do the fast pass, I would recommend two days here MINIMUM. 1 day or one park, 1 day for the other, and in fact - I might actually recommend a third day as well as a catch all park hopping day for all the rides you missed the first two days that you can target now, in addition to any amazing rides you want to ride again! CityWalk is massive as well and has a ton of incredible food and drink offerings available to you. It feels like a town in and of itself! We got breakfast at Voodoo Donuts and Starbucks and then on our way out of the park stopped by here for a quick pizza dinner as well. I also highly recommend getting the Universal Studios app to order ahead for dinner things and to check wait times in the maps for all the rides as well! read more

See all

Universal wait time is almost never accurate. Grossly under. Add on another 30-60% time for real wait times. Food lines are just as bad as the line rides. 30+ long everywhere you go. Even for a soda drink. I think they don't plan. There is only one girl at the kiosk serving and taking money. When I get there I get the last corn dogs. She tells everyone in line behind me and they're pissed understandably as they've waited forever just like me. At that point she makes a call and tells them she needs more dogs. Wait. What? Why are you only calling now when you're completely out? Call like in advance when you're running low on inventory dude. Just grossly incompetent staff all around this park. read more

Universal Orlando Resort - This is just the line from the parking lot to get into the city walk. After that you need to line up again for the park. - Amusement Parks Near Me - Orlando, Florida

See all

it was hprrible in the mario cart ride you think the ride ends because you just keeep on going i hated universal and disney is wayway better the workers were rude and theres no works in the ride compared to disney where theres workers greeting me and achally being nice i don't recamemend for younger kids or even older kids i hated it read more

Great park for adults and teens. Love how few strollers there are here rolling around and u don't have to walk around like an obstacle course There are 2 parks connected plus the city area for more serious eats and clubbing Just wished they had exit signs to the city Easy to get lost as some paths loop and dead end Lots of wet rides so bring a poncho or buy one for $5 here, worth it They have heaters and full body dryers but that costs too Love the vegetarian and vegan options Spacious enough to stroll esp around the studio park but be ready for crowds when you walk into Harry Potter world Come annually with my middle schoolers. They have fun workshops and educational sessions as well and of course they are extra but worth it read more

Universal Orlando Resort - Amusement Parks Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Not one but TWO parks! When you're visiting the Universal Orlando Resort you are actually enjoying two parks -- Universal Studios Florida AND Universal's Islands of Adventure. In California this is all combined in one park contained in a smaller real estate. The Orlando resort is massive!! UNIVERSAL STUDIOS FLORIDA pavilions Production Central New York San Francisco The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley World Expo Springfield: Home of the Simpsons Woody Woodpecker's KidZone Hollywood Park-Wide Performances UNIVERSAL's ISLANDS of ADVENTURE Port of Entry Marvel Super Hero Island Toon Lagoon Skull Island: Reign of Kong Jurassic Park The Wizarding World of Harry Potter -Hogsmeade The Lost Continent Seuss Landing We maximized our time and got to as many attractions and rides as we could, skipping the regular lines, by purchasing the Express Pass. The passes have a limited number to purchase and you have to have paid theme park admission. Expensive but, to us, it was worth it. We enjoyed our time at the park complete with a thunderstorm experience! I liked this place more than Walt Disney World.. please don't tell Mickey! Belated 91st Birthday Greetings, Mickey! [11/18]. Review #1603 read more

See all

It was my first time coming to Universal and honestly, I think the park is over hyped. I paid a lot of money for a mediocre experience, I wouldn't return. If you're thinking about coming to Universal Orlando, I would tell you to stay at one of the premier hotels so you can get a free express pass. I would strongly suggest not doing this without an express pass or just ride as single riders. I wish I would've gone to Disney read more

See all

This is our favorite amusement park for the roller coasters. We love the roller coaster and the Harry Potter world. You can find little pockets with yummy food experiences like the crêpe truck. It's beautifully kept grounds and fun atmosphere is one of our favorite parks. read more

If you love the IP of Universal, this park is so fun. They have upped the immersive experience for guests. I think My daughter was a little young at age nine for these parks, and she'd have a much better time at age 12+ due to all the thrill rides. We spent one day The Universal Orlando Resort in early March 2022. Between 10 am - 6 pm, we explored both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure to enjoy three rides - ET, Hogwarts Express (both ways) and Despicable Me Minions Mayhem. Mainly, we were there to experience The Wizarding World of Harry Potter for the first time, and it was MAGICAL. The finish and detail in Diagon Alley are breathtaking. Make sure to go inside Hogwarts in Hogsmead even if you don't want to do the ride - the queue is so cool. We also explored Jurassic Park to see all the dino stuff. We spent most of our time shopping in all the Harry Potter shops and getting very excited about the Spongebob Storepants! We ate at the Leaky Cauldron and got snacks at the Mardi Gras booths scattered around the park. My dietary restrictions (gluten & dairy-free) was very hard at the Park. There were very few options for me and really didn't like to customize. They wouldn't serve me Butterbeer without the ice cream topping. We left early enough to eat dinner at the rental. It's hard to believe, but our tickets for one shorter day at Universal ($1,100) were about the same price as our two long days at Walt Disney World ($1,300). Our express passes (fast pass) essentially doubled the cost of our tickets. We obviously didn't get the value in rides, but getting in the front of the line on the ones we did was great. In early March 2022, there were tons of people in the park - the rides had a 30-60 min wait time without the express pass. read more

See all

Overall really loved the parks as usual. As a former passholder I have tried almost all the attractions, but first time riding Velocicoaster and was so impressed! So smooth and fast! Definitely my new favorite ride. Went to HHN and our favorite house was Weeknd for the music it was fun! Only complaint was the "ground princess" and "spoiled bear meat" they were terrible! I even went back to see if it was supposed to be so stale that the cheetos were chewy and hard and they just said that it says spoiled so that's how it comes. The princess was also stale and just fell apart. Cool to look at but a huge waste of money. I never waste food but the bear meat was inedible please don't waste your money! The description sounds good but it's deceiving! read more

Universal Orlando Resort - bear meat and princess - Amusement Parks Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Amazing I love it it was literally the best thing and it honestly changed my life. 10/10 take your family I promise you won't regret it read more

See all

I had a great time here and as I'd been wanting to come to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter since it opened, I was not disappointed. I enjoyed many of the park's rides, but the best were the Harry Potter-themed ones, including the Hogwart's Express. We had the fast passes (worth the extra money) and the new Hagrid's Wild Adventure Ride is well worth the repeated wait. The rollercoaster that lets you select your own song is definitely worth a couple rides as well. As I was all HP obsessed, I had to try all the fare and boy, was it good. Definitely try all the N/A drinks. The Fishy Green Ale doesn't sound appetizing but it was super sweet and kind of fun, with popping boba at the bottom. The pumpkin juice was awesome (I just have drank this several times a day): it's apple and apricot juices with pumpkin puree and it's so good. I wasn't a huge fan of cold butterbeer, but OMG...warm?? Think a hot chai that has a butterscotch flavor. It was ah-mazing. As for food, the Leaky Cauldron served up really great English pub fare. The Ploughman's Platter was a fave with its several types of cheese, mustard, sweet relish, scotch eggs, tomatoes. I wish it had ore bread with it, though. The Shepard's pie was also quite good. I'm not normally a fan of Toad in the Hole (is a "traditional English dish consisting of sausages in Yorkshire pudding batter, usually served with onion gravy and vegetables"-thanks Wikipedia), but my friends liked it. For dessert, my friends were huge fans of the desserts at the Italian Cafe across from Hogwart's Express (I didn't try them). I did get a pumpkin pasty from Honeydukes (think pumpkin pie in a pastry dough-quite good), the pumpkin cake was a spiced pumpkin cake with thick frosting; the ice creams were delicious: I got the sticky toffee pudding with Earl Grey and Lavender as my second scoop; my friends got the Strawberry Peanut Butter and Caramel Blondie. The beers and fire whiskey were really good. The Wizard's Brew is a delicious caramel porter; the Dragon Scale was a typical red, which I'm not a fan of in general and the fire whiskey was pretty much a shot of Fireball. So good! All in all, a fun three days, but I think 2 days was really all I needed to get a great experience. I highly recommend getting the fast pass and staying in a Universal hotel so you can enter the park early. We got to see so much without crowds because there were fewer people milling around. read more

See all