18 Universal Orlando Tips for a Great time (Harry Potter fans rejoice)

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especially when they enter the wizarding world of harry potter if they are big harry potter fans like our eldest daughter

it was like we were stepping into the movie. universal has done an incredible job bringing the harry potter series to life

in this post i'm sharing our top tips

universal's volcano bay

universal studios harry potter world as i ke calling it pre-trip. but i soon got that out of my system

tips

this would be one of our top tips

we spent our first full-day at universal's volcano bay

then we had two days hopping between islands of adventure and universal studios on a multi-day pass

get a multi-day ticket

regular lines be anything from 45

universal express pass - skip the regular line one time

universal unlimited express pass - skip the regular lines an unlimited number of times at participating rides and attractions

single park universal express - you buy one of these add-on passes only

wondering what rides and attractions you use your universal passes at to beat the long lines

i believe so. i don't like standing in long lines

obviously the extra costs of these passes on top of your admission tickets and accommodation adds to your budget

find a way to cut back in other ways in your travel budget to free up money

staying in a star hotel

cabana bay beach resort

our best tips

cabana bay beach resort

loews royal pacific hotel

rock hotel

loews portofino bay hotel

tip: traveling

cabana bay beach resort

when you stay at any on-site hotel you get early park admission to the wizarding world of harry potter and volcano bay one hour before the theme park opens

guests who choose to stay at select universal resort hotels get free universal unlimited express passes!

shuttle bus. cabana bay and aventura hotel are by shuttle bus only

you even get these benefits the day you check-in and the day you check-out. cool

loews royal pacific hotel

rock hotel

loews portofino bay hotel

cabana bay beach resort and the newly to open aventura hotel do no come

you get these passes even if you book via a third party

hotel has a section in their lobby where you take your room key to access the express pass card

we stayed at cabana bay beach resort and loved the retro 50's vibe here - super colorful and vibrant

cabana bay is right next door to volcano bay and there's a designated walking path from the hotel direct to the park which takes minutes

so if you plan to spend a lot of time at volcano bay

whilst cabana bay beach resort is one of the cheapest of the universal properties

as soon as we entered volcano bay using early admission

then we headed to ollivanders to buy wands . see down below f tips on buying wands

elderberry cider from the dancing dragons boat bar and let the kids swim and relax

get up to date opening and closing times

to get up to date information

are you an american express card owner

american express is the official card of universal orlando resort

the american express lounge is open seven days a week from pm and subject to availability. entrance to the lounge is across from shrek's ye olde souvenir shoppe

this was awesome! and another great way to skip the long lines

our kids are aged 6

whoever created the recipe

ice-cream soda

the drink is drawn from a tap

butterbeer ice-cream

butterbeer potted-cream

the hopping pot

florean fortescue's ice-cream parlor

the staff at cabana bay beach resort said they went from being completely full over halloween to one of their quietest times to visit universal orlando

but of course peak periods mean high prices

available on google play and in the app store

your kids are big harry potter fans

kalyra had her heart set on getting a wand. she's a big hermione jean granger fan and so wanted a hermione wand

ollivanders is a cool shop

what should i pack

sneaking away to a club in city walk

sun protection

it's florida. they get a lot of sun down there. don't forget your hat

can you bring food into universal studios

bottled water

food required

food required

baby food/baby formula

your kids will be full of energy and excitement when you walk through the gates and they'll want to race around and do everything at once

use the universal orlando app to keep an eye on wait times and to decide where to go next

top attractions at universal orlando

here are our tips

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home >> destinations >> north america >> usa >> southeast usa >> florida >> orlando

march 15

craig makepeace

looking

arriving in hogsmeade

in fact

but universal orlando resort is much more than harry potter

we had an incredible three days exploring everything that universal orlando resort has to offer

universal studios florida

universal's islands of adventure

then there is the wizarding world of harry potter

so you have three universal theme parks plus city walk. you find the best combo park hopper tickets here

we visited universal florida in mid-november 2017

read this guide to universal orlando so you learn all the things you need to know before you visit universal orlando florida

plan

coming from a family of four

essentially we spent one day at each of the three parks

our kids have different levels of bravado when it comes to what rides they will go on

so three days gave us ample time

you know what theme parks are like

as mentioned

ride hogwarts express

our eldest daughter kalyra is a massive harry potter fan

our youngest savannah is getting there

it's a fun and convenient way to move between the parks. we park hopped several times using hogwarts express and it worked out perfectly

but you'll need a park-to-park ticket

from hogsmeade

from diagon alley

to ride to hogsmeade

what if you only have one day

if you only have one day at universal studios orlando resort

this ticket gives you access to both universal studios and islands of adventure including both lands of the wizarding world of harry potter: hogsmeade and diagon alley

you'll also be able to ride the hogwarts express connecting these two parks

ticket information

see all ticket prices

get a universal express pass

what is a universal express pass

first off

you still have to buy your theme park admission ticket first

basically

so you get “express access

you may be familiar

depending on the time of year and day you visit

there are different types of express passes

park universal express - use at both islands of adventure and universal studios

park park-to-park

park park-to-park

participating rides & attractions

there are participating attractions at universal studios

are universal express passes worth it

but if your budget allows

seriously

without these passes there would have been a lot of precious time wasted

flying business class

eating out three times a day

shopping at the outlets

having the best universal experience

when you really look at your expenses and consider your priorities

read more - the ultimate guide on when to use universal express

more info

see all the options and prices

stay on-site at a universal resort hotel

there are key benefits to staying on-site as i will explain below

staying on-site be the best way to experience all that universal orlando resort has to offer

surfside inn and suites

dockside inn and suites

universal s aventura hotel

loews sapphire falls resort

i know

benefits to staying at an on-site universal hotel

is staying on-site worth the money

you might find cheaper accommodation elsewhere in orlando

if you are a family of four like us

even $

every guest in your room gets a universal express unlimited pass. but the limit is five

you do no have to book directly through the hotel when staying at one of the universal studios orlando hotels to qualify

just by staying at the qualifying hotel gets you these passes

contact each hotel to verify

where did we stay

we enjoyed the fact that this hotel has family suites

it also has a lazy river and bowling alley

make use of early park admission

as mentioned

krakatau aqua coaster

ko'kiri body plunge

kala & tui nui serpentine body slides

honu of the honu ika moana

krakatau aqua coaster

at universal islands of adventure

this is the most popular ride at the park

harry potter and the forbidden journey is inside hogwarts castle

at universal studios we headed straight to the wizarding world of harry potter to ride harry potter and the escape from gringotts

both hogsmeade and diagon alley is a much nicer experience if you get there before the crowds. their shops are much calmer and it's easier to take photos and video

on the flip side

even if you decide not to stay at a universal on-site hotel

traffic in orlando be unpredictable and congested

get there early so you get the best available parking spot

sometimes

don't start off your dream visit flustered and annoyed - get up and get going

universal orlando opening times

early park admission times and the attractions that are open varies by park-to-park based on operational and weather considerations

buy tickets online to save money & time

when you buy your tickets online through undercover tourist there are no hidden fees

print your tickets at home and go straight to the front gate to save time

by purchasing tickets online

i like saving money and time

here you enjoy complimentary snacks

how's that

original recei plus your amex card to gain entrance. nice perk

see all the current amex offers here

take advantage of the child swap pro

watching caz and kalyra at the start of the incredible hulk coaster from child swap area

don't want to go on a particular ride

ride has a “child swap room” where one parent wait

once they are finished

the designated child swap area is usually a room right near where you actually board the ride

you simply walk to the front of the line in the “child swap” area

the child swap room typically has a movie playing to keep the younger ones entertained. win-win

the incredible hulk coaster - thanks to child swap we went on this multiple times

when you to any ride

we used this pro many times throughout the day

no one misses out

try all the butterbeer options

three and it comes

what is butterbeer

before our trip to universal orlando

butterbeer

butterbeer

butterbeer

where you get butterbeer

when you enter hogsmeade you'll see a wooden barrel that bears the word “butterbeer” and you buy it from the street cart

hog's

broomsticks

the fountain of fair fortune

leaky cauldron $

my favorite version was and

what time of year is best

we visited in mid november 2017

mid-january is apparently a less crowded time to visit too

obviously the parks will be crowded around main holidays and school break times

speaking of thanksgiving

but it all comes down to your desires and tolerance

i'm sure visiting universal over one of the main holiday periods like thanksgiving and new years would be spectacular

download the official universal orlando app

see the latest wait times

find show times and dining venue hours

set alerts

locate restrooms

access maps

purchase and redeem select theme park tickets and express passes

more

take time to explore the wizarding world of harry potter

like i said

read the books

shame on this daddy

get your kids a wand

savannah wanted a luna lovegood wand

they purchased their own unique wands at ollivanders in diagon alley

buy an interactive wand

this was one of our kids favorite things to do at universal studios

there are plaques on the ground spaced out around the park showing how to cast the spell and where to aim your wand

get your wand first thing on the first day

comfy shoes

dress

hanging by the hotel pool

snacks that do not require heating

have a plan

i know our kids did. and it's to contain their excitement and know what to do and when

so have a rough plan of what you want to do

prioritise the rides and attractions you mos want to do and focus on those first

purchase universal express passes

have a plan

the incredible hulk coaster at islands of adventure

the incredible hulk coaster

harry potter and the forbidden journey

harry potter and the escape from gringotts

krakatau aqua coaster

butterbeer

revenge of the mummy

ko'kiri body plunge

rip ride rockit coaster

buying wands and being a wizard

flight of the hippogriff

don't forget travel insurance

as we always say…“if you can't afford travel insurance

not having travel insurance is not worth the risk

you need to cancel your trip unexpectedly

hurricane damages your destination

there is a terrorist event

injured on your trip

your luggage is lost

travel insurance is designed

anything will

this post is sponsored by our partner allianz global assistance and we have received financial compensation as ambassadors. but all opinions universal orlando are our own

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craig makepeace

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