Universal Orlando Resort

Overview of Universal Orlando

Universal Orlando has three Theme Parks, one water Park, a shopping, entertainment and dining complex, and a range of hotels. The first Universal Theme Park, Universal Studios Florida® (USF), opened in June 1990, followed by Islands of Adventure® (IOA) in 1999. CityWalk® and Volcano Bay® joined the family soon after and the newest addition, Epic Universe® (EU), opened on May 22^nd 2025.

Useful Information for planning your trip to Universal Orlando

Where to park at Universal Orlando?

The Universal Parks are an easy 30-40 minute drive from WDW, and there is plenty of parking (priced from $32 per vehicle) in the huge car parks. Guests heading to USF, IOA, Volcano Bay or CityWalk use the same covered car park, located at 6000 Universal Boulevard, Orlando, FL32819. Guests visiting EU will use a dedicated surface car park (single level, not covered), which is 2-3 miles from the other Parks at 1001 Epic Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32819.

Guests undergo a security check upon arrival inside the parking complex. USF and IOA are accessed via CityWalk.  

To speed up entry into the Parks, you can enrol, a few days in advance of your visit, for Photo Validation on the Universal app. Once enrolled, you will be able to experience Effortless Entry (facial recognition) at the park entrance, removing the need to scan a physical ticket to enter. We used this on our last visit and it worked really well. Find all the details on how to enrol on the Universal app’s home page (scroll down toward the bottom).  

What Universal Orlando offers and what type of visitor it appeals to

Universal is tiny compared to Walt Disney World, covering 1291 acres compared to Disney’s 27,000+, and EPIC Universe will be by far its largest Park at 750 acres. Universal strives to keep its line-up of Characters and attractions up to date because space is at such a premium. The customer service is generally very good but is distinctly different from the Disney experience, with a more ‘grown-up’ approach that reflects the demographic Universal is aimed at: tweens, teens and young (at heart) adults.

This difference is reflected in the attractions, too, as many are based on PG13 films and franchises, with plenty of thrill rides in the mix.

Planning park days at Universal Orlando

Park hopping is much easier at Universal, especially between USF and IOA, as they are next door to each other and you can walk between them (provided you have a Park-to-Park ticket). Alternatively, you can hop within the Parks by jumping on the Hogwarts® Express! Park hopping is now available at Epic Universe, with specific tickets types. If you have a Park-to-Park ticket that includes Epic Universe, you can use the on-site buses to get there (approx. 15-20 minute ride away).

Universal Hotels are within easy walking distance, though with the opening of the new Epic Universe, you may need to hop on a complimentary bus to take you to the Parks, depending on where your hotel is located.

Visitors tend to agree that Park planning is much easier at Universal, as the scale is more manageable. Their ‘Fast Pass/Lightning Lane’ system is straightforward to navigate, mainly because there are fewer visitors; if you purchase a Universal Express Pass® it covers all participating attractions (with a few exceptions including Ollivanders® Wand Shop (both Parks), Pteranodon Flyers (IOA), NEW (July 2026) Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure® (IOA) and the Horror Make-Up Show® (US); in EU Dragon Racer’s Rally is currently excluded) and you can use it once on any ride, whenever you like! No need to book a return/arrival time, simply walk up and ride. The Unlimited Express Pass means you can ride as many times as you want, though the aforementioned rides are still excluded. The passes start from $79.99 per day plus tax but are priced dynamically so at peak times of the year, they will be significantly more and are on top of your admission.

NEW: Universal has launched ‘Universal Express Now®’, a single-attraction, one-time-use express pass for popular rides. Similar to Disney’s Lightning Lane Single Pass, you can only purchase this line-skipping pass via the Universal app on the day of your visit, while physically in the park. Availability is limited, and participating attractions may change daily. Each pass costs $25 per person, per ride.

Guests staying at any Universal Hotels will also benefit from Early Park Admission to the Theme Parks, typically one hour before official Park opening. This includes EPIC Universe and either IOA or USF, though not all attractions will be available; check the Universal app for details.

We recommend downloading the Universal Orlando App ahead of time, as it includes maps (no printed maps are available in the Parks) and details for every Park. Spend some time getting familiar with it before you visit.    

Is Universal Orlando suitable for younger children?

If you are visiting with young children, it is useful to know that Universal operates an easy-to-use Child Swap scheme (this is similar to WDW’s Rider Switch option). As most Universal attractions have minimum height requirements, this enables families with children who are too small to participate still. Provided there are 2 adults in your group, speak to a team member at the entrance to an attraction and say you wish to use the Child Swap. You will go through the queue together before splitting up near the loading area. The non-riding adult and child wait in a designated Family Room, where there is usually seating and some form of entertainment (toilets with changing tables are sometimes available too), whilst the other adult rides. Once the riding party returns, they can switch places with anyone wishing to ride. Anyone not riding can use these areas, whether they just don’t like thrill rides or they are the designated bag holder!

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Universal Studios Florida® (USF)

USF offers guests film and TV-themed rides and shows, alongside some limited opportunities to observe actual filming or preview upcoming productions. It is laid out in a P shape and incorporates a man-made lake, where the majority of the shows and attractions are located.

As you arrive in USF you immediately see Minion Land, which includes Despicable Me® Minion® Mayhem: minimum height 40”/102cm, a motion- simulator ride that is good for all ages and is very popular! Across the street is Villain-Con Minion Blast: no minimum height requirement, but children must be able to stand up on their own, and children under 48”/122cm must be accompanied by an adult. This is similar but inferior to the WDW Buzz Lightyear ride with riders standing on a moving walkway, gliding past and shooting (it feels) somewhat randomly, at huge video screens. It still gets busy due to its location, though the queue moves quickly!

Further down the street is New York, where previously Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit® stood; a new attraction called Fast & Furious®: Hollywood Drift will open sometime in 2027.   However, you will find another headliner, Revenge of the Mummy®: minimum height 48”/122cm, a combination dark ride roller coaster featuring scarab beetles with plenty of high-speed drops and tight turns but no loops or inversions… and, maybe more than one clever ending! You will also find Transformers®: The Ride – 3D: minimum height 40”/102cm in New York, which is a super-headliner! This is a moving, multisensory 3-D dark ride that is both intense and immersive! Next, you come to San Francisco, where Fast & Furious-Supercharged® has now closed. Its replacement hasn’t been announced.

At the top left-hand side of the lake past New York is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter® – Diagon Alley, a self-contained 7-acre area featuring 2 London sites from the Harry Potter saga: Diagon Alley and King’s Cross station. There is much to appreciate in this fabulously immersive area, so take your time exploring. Look out for the secret entrance in the middle of the London street scene (easily identified by the muggles making their way in and out!) and the triple-decker Knight Bus; try dialling MAGIC (62442) in the red phone box and listen to the message and see if you can spot Kreacher in a window above 12 Gimmauld Place.

Beyond the Wizarding World, you’ll find the entertaining Men in Black Alien Attack®: minimum height 42”/107cm. This is a thrilling, interactive ride where you have fun zapping aliens; there is a lot of spinning, so beware if you suffer from motion sickness.    

Next, you come to Springfield: Home of The Simpsons, though it’s rumoured this may close at some point in the future. Here you will find The Simpsons® Ride: minimum height 40”/102cm (not recommended for pregnant women or anyone prone to motion sickness). This headliner is a motion simulator coupled with an animated film (the screen is similar to Soarin’), with many jokes (Simpsons style) that you may get, but which will probably go over your children’s heads.

The Hollywood area is where Universal’s shows are, so when you need some time in the air-conditioning, this is where to head. All the shows rate highly, including Animal Actors on Location (closing November 2nd 2026 to make way for a new experience; no details revealed as yet), The Bourne Stuntacular® (this is very cleverly done!) and Universal Orlando’s Horror Make-Up Show® (closed May 12th, but returning later in 2026 with a reimagined show), which is very funny but is probably not for younger family members. The last ride to mention is a classic E.T. Adventure®: minimum height 34”/86cm, which is based on the iconic movie. It isn’t worth a long wait, but this indoor adventure is charming and a firm family favourite.

Here, you’ll also find the new Universal Mega Movie Parade, which features floats from ‘Back to the Future®’, ‘Sing®’, ‘Minions’, ‘Ghostbusters®’, ‘Jaws®’ and more. It travels clockwise around the Park, starting at Esoteric Pictures gate, near Café La Bamba, from around 6pm daily. 

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Universal Islands of Adventure® (IOA)

IOA is made up of 8 lands which are placed around a lagoon, and you walk through one land to get to the next. As is often the case, some of the most popular rides are on opposite sides of the Park.

You enter IOA through the Port of Entry, the insignia for which is a scaled-down version of the Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandra, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Beyond the turnstiles, you’ll find guest services, restaurants and shopping.

If you like rollercoasters, add The Incredible Hulk Coaster®: minimum height 54”/137cm, to your list! This is one of the most powerful coasters in Florida and includes 7 upside-down experiences, 1 zero-gravity barrel roll, an underground tunnel and a launch which takes you from 0 to 40mph in 2 seconds! Doctor Doom’s Fearfall®: minimum height 54”/137cm has you blasting up in the air and rocketing back to earth at stomach-dropping speed; the queue moves slowly, but the views can be fabulous, especially in chambers 3 and 4, as you get a great look at the Park.

The next area is Toon Lagoon, where cartoon art comes to life. This is home to two of the wettest water rides in Universal and Disney so be warned: you may need a change of clothes or simply ride shortly before leaving if the weather is on the cooler side! Dudley Do-Right Ripsaw Falls®: minimum height 44”/112cm, this headliner log flume ride has several medium-sized drops throughout its 5-minute duration, and there is a huge 75-foot one at the end! You will get wet, so consider a poncho. Your feet will likely get wet too, so think carefully about what shoes you will wear.

Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges®: minimum height 42”/107cm. You will definitely get wet on this white-water rapids ride, especially from the knees down, but there is a covered central console on the barge where you can store backpacks, shoes, and socks! For electronics, use lockers or a waterproof case. This area has an interactive playground and splash pads for little ones. 

Skull Island: Reign of Kong®: minimum height 36”/91cm is the next attraction. This is an indoor-outdoor truck safari with motion simulator. Don’t be fooled by the low height requirement; it’s incredibly intense, with a scary queue.

Moving on from the tiny Skull Island, you next arrive at Jurassic Park, where there are two big headliner attractions: Jurassic Park River Adventure®: minimum height 42”/107cm (closed January 5^th until November 19^th 2026 for a refurb), an indoor-outdoor river raft ride where everything starts peacefully enough until it goes horribly wrong! This is a great, immersive ride! You may get wet as you descend the 85-foot drop, especially if you are sitting at the front or in an outside seat. This ride may be too much for young children, what with dinosaurs on the loose and the big drop. Jurassic World VelociCoaster®: minimum height 51”/130cm is Universal Orlando’s most extreme roller coaster and is a no-go for little ones and the more faint of heart! Riders will experience 2 high-speed launches, 12 out-of-your-seat moments, a 155-foot dive and a top speed of 70 mph, so be sure you want to ride before embarking. Remove any loose-fitting eyewear; all loose items must be stored in lockers before you board. Elsewhere on this island, you will find an excellent interactive play area, Camp Jurassic®, which will appeal to those under 12, a history exhibit, a Raptor Encounter®, and a child’s suspended coaster.

The original Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Hogsmeade® will be instantly recognisable to Potter fans. You can enter either from Jurassic Park or, more impressively, from The Lost Continent® through a stone archway. This leads to a fabulously immersive snow-covered Hogsmeade and the Hogwarts Express (to your right), a wonderful spot to take some photos.

Again, this whole area is magical, and the attention to detail is superb. J.K. Rowling insisted that everything should be kept small and intimate, as it was in the films, which is quite an achievement within a large, crowded Theme Park environment.

Here are a few highlights not to be missed: Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure®: minimum height 48”/ 122cm. This hugely popular (there will always be a long queue!) indoor/outdoor roller coaster is regarded as the best ‘story coaster’ in Orlando and one of Universal Orlando’s best rides. A family-friendly thrill ride featuring the loveable Hagrid is fabulously themed, with guests sitting on either Hagrid’s bike or in the sidecar as they are propelled through the Forbidden Forest by a series of high-speed launches. Featuring close encounters with animatronic beasties, it is exhilarating but not too extreme. A single-rider queue is available, but check that it is operating.

Afterwards, you can take the Hogwarts Express to USF (as long as you have Park-Hopping tickets), visit Ollivanders, or explore Hogsmeade in more detail. On select evenings throughout the year, ‘Hogwarts Always’ brings the façade of Hogwarts to life, with a colourful 7-minute celebration accompanied by John Williams’ stirring score. 

The last two Islands include the area previously known as The Lost Continent; construction work is currently underway here; however, no announcement yet from Universal as to what will replace it. There is still a great restaurant called Mythos, which we highly recommend; it won’t close until sometime in 2027.

And finally, Seuss Landing, a themed area based on Dr Seuss’s famous children’s books.

This is a whimsical, cartoon-style land without a single straight line!

As you may have guessed, this land is very child-friendly and has no thrill rides. Enjoy The Cat in the Hat®: minimum height 36”/91cm an indoor cartoon dark ride, where the story is told in different scenes as you pass by on ‘sofas’. The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!®: minimum height 36”/91cm is an elevated train ride through and around buildings in Seuss Landing, accompanied by a Dr Seuss story that is played through the train’s speakers. At the boarding station, you can choose from two train tracks, each offering a different view and story.

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Universal’s Epic Universe® (EU)  

Universal’s newest Park, Epic Universe, opened in May 2025. We visited on our recent trip in December 2025, but unfortunately, we didn’t have the best experience: several headliner attractions were down for long periods of the day, resulting in really long queues when the Park was actually quiet. Hopefully you will have a better experience than us. We also felt it needed more to do throughout.

We did observe (as we had already heard) that guests need to be prepared for lots of stairs and minimal shade, as the trees in the Park will take a few years to mature enough to provide shaded areas. Also, a lot of walking between the different worlds, and we found it annoying that you couldn’t easily move between worlds!

Epic Universe comprises 5 incredible themed worlds, where you can race comets, soar with dragons, ride with Mario, travel magically from Paris to London or be cursed by a Werewolf! 

The Park is laid out in a similar format to Magic Kingdom, featuring a hub and spoke configuration. However, each world has only one entrance and one exit, which returns you to the hub (which definitely proved annoying as you are forced to return to the central hub every time you want to enter another portal). The central hub, Celestial Park, acts as the grand entrance to the Park and represents a world in between worlds. Here, you will find guest services, a large gift shop, a coffee shop and a sweet store. Guests then pass through the Chronos portal inscribed with the words ‘BEYOND THIS GATE FIND GARDENS GREEN AND EPIC WORLDS TO FILL YOUR DREAMS’.

Passing through this portal takes you further into Celestial Park®, home to several full-service restaurants, shopping, entertainment and two rides.

The star (sorry) attraction in this area is Stardust Racers®: minimum height 48”/122cm, Epic Universe’s fastest and most thrilling attraction: high-speed duelling roller coasters. Riders climb aboard a comet and race across the stars, reaching speeds of up to 62mph and heights of up to 133 feet. The second ride in this area is the much tamer family-friendly astronomy-inspired merry-go-round, Constellation Carousel, which features animals inspired by real constellations. Nonrotating seats are available on request. There is no height requirement, but children must be able to sit up unaided.

Super Nintendo® World

Going clockwise around the Park, you will enter the Super Nintendo® World portal. As you may guess, this is based on settings and characters from Super Mario Bros. and its spin-offs. After entering the portal, inscribed with the word ‘HERE WE GO!’, guests go up an escalator and are transported into a Mushroom Kingdom®-inspired courtyard with Princess Peach’s Castle® on one side and Bowser’s Fortress® on the other. We found this world incredibly noisy and overwhelming – a complete assault on the senses, and it also felt quite claustrophobic. In addition to three rides, there will be opportunities to meet Nintendo Characters, including Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach. Here are the details for the rides:

Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge®: minimum height 40”/102cm, an augmented-reality ride that blurs the lines between the real and virtual worlds. You are in a kart race with Mario and his friends, racing through flaming lava fields, floating clouds, and other tracks featured in the games.

Mine-Cart Madness®: minimum height 36”/91cm is a family-friendly ‘jumping’ roller coaster, on which your ‘out of control’ cart seems to jump over gaps in the track! You’ll meet characters from the Donkey Kong games on the ride and in the queue.

Yoshi’s Adventure®: minimum height 34”/86cm is a slow-moving indoor/outdoor dark ride over the Mushroom Kingdom.

Dark Universe®

The next portal you come to is Dark Universe, and the wording on the portal is appropriate: ‘IT’S ALIVE! IT’S ALIVE!’ This is home to Universal Classic Monsters, where guests will find the Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment® attraction and the Curse of the Werewolf® roller coaster. In addition to the rides, there are restaurants, a monster makeup experience (costs extra), and shopping opportunities. Watch out for the windmill that bursts into flames every 20 minutes! In Frankenstein’s Manor, you’ll find the ride getting all the initial hype:

Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment: minimum height 48”/122cm.

On this high-tech indoor dark ride, guests enter the manor and meet Victoria Frankenstein who invites you to witness her newest experiment as she attempts to control the world’s most dangerous monsters. There are some cool effects and maybe a jump-scare or two throughout the queue, but nothing too scary… until you head deeper into the manor! As part of the pre-show, you see the huge arm ride vehicle and how it moves you through the different areas of the manor. Seating on this ride is laid out in the same way as Forbidden Journey, with 4 people sitting side by side in each vehicle, but with more open views.

Further back in Dark Universe you will find the Curse of the Werewolf: minimum height 40”/102cm, a family-friendly-ish (watch out for the Wolf Man hiding in the barn) outdoor spinning roller-coaster (again, beware of motion sickness if you don’t like spinning).

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter® – Ministry of Magic®

Further into the Park, you will find the world we were most excited for: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic. And it didn’t disappoint! The portal, topped with a hand holding a wand, reads: ‘FOR IN DREAMS WE ENTER A WORLD THAT IS ENTIRELY OUR OWN’. This world is based on the Fantastic Beasts® spin-off series set in 1920s Paris and the British Ministry of Magic set in London, and it’s huge! You first arrive at a 1920s Parisian Métro station before walking under the Phoenix Arch, where you’ll find yourself in Place Cachée, a Parisian-style shopping district filled with beautiful stores, restaurants and bars, and home to a travelling circus of mythical creatures! You’ll find magical creatures, interactive portraits and, of course, Butterbeer – also known locally biére au beurre.

The stand-out attraction here (and possibly in the whole Park) is Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry®: minimum height 40”/102cm. This thrilling and wild state-of-the-art indoor dark ride sees guests take on the despicable Dolores Umbridge aboard a magical elevator that can travel in any direction. The queue, as you would expect, is exceptionally well themed (and long – to accommodate the high crowd volumes); guests enter the Métro-Floo station in 1920s Paris and emerge in the grand atrium of the British Ministry of Magic. Here, you tour different departments before you are invited to attend the trial of Dolores, who promptly escapes with the help of the Death Eaters.

The circus mentioned above, Le Cirque Arcanus® (no height restrictions), is an indoor live-stage show inspired by the circus featured in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. It has live performers, aerialists, superb high-tech puppetry, theatrical special effects and fantastic beasts! It may be too intense or frightening for younger children. The show lasts approximately 20 minutes.

How to Train Your Dragon® – Isle of Berk®

The final world is How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk. Here, the much-loved Dreamworks® films featuring the Isle of Berk’s 8^th-Century Viking village are brought to life, with Vikings and dragons living happily side-by-side. It is jam-packed with attractions, places to eat and, well, dragons, so the wording on the entrance portal is very apt: ‘WE, MY FRIENDS, HAVE DRAGONS!’ Set around a lagoon, complete with Viking ships, you’ll see iconic locations from the films, such as Gobber’s Forge®, Hiccup’s House and the Dragon racing bleachers.

This world has something for Vikings of all ages; you can spot dragons dotted around the landscape, maybe even in the sky – don’t forget to look up – and in person, as you meet Toothless in the flesh (this is very popular, so be prepared for a long wait, but he is cute)! One of the attractions is Hiccup’s Wing Gliders®: minimum height 40”/102cm. This family-friendly roller coaster is Hiccup’s latest contraption: a winged flying machine which creates the sensation of flying with a dragon.

Dragon Racer’s Rally®: minimum height 48”/122cm looks more exciting than it is as it’s practically identical to the Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride at Magic Kingdom, except you control how mild or wild you want the ride to be using the levers which allow you to do barrel rolls. Fyre Drill®: no height requirement (though hand-held infants are not permitted); board a colourful dragon-headed boat for this slow-moving interactive ride, where you blast water cannons at over 130 moving flame-like targets.

The Untrainable Dragon®: no height requirement; sit back, relax and enjoy this 20-minute, dragon-filled, heart-warming indoor show. This impressive spectacle features characters and locations from the films but tells an original story which sees the Vikings of Berk meet their greatest match yet.

Finally, Viking Training Camp is for junior Vikings. In this large play area kids can let off steam by climbing towers, exploring elevated walkways and slides, and learning about the different classes of dragons.

Based on our experience, if any attractions aren’t operational and you also want to see the Park at night, we recommend spending two days to explore this Park; if you want to do it in a day, you would probably need to purchase an Express Pass.

To complete our Guide to Universal Florida, we must also mention Volcano Bay, its Water Park, and CityWalk.

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Universal Volcano Bay®   

Universal Orlando describes Volcano Bay’s 28 acres as ‘a lush, tropical oasis that unfolds before you, instantly transporting you to a little-known Pacific Isle’. It sounds pretty idyllic! To get to the Water Park, you can take a complimentary bus from the designated Volcano Bay parking area within the Universal Orlando Resort car park (where you park for USF and IOA).  A complimentary shuttle service is available to guests of Universal Resort hotels.

Universal has announced Volcano Bay will undergo a five-month refurbishment from October 26th 2026 to April 1st 2027, during which time the Park will be upgraded and some rides may be replaced.

Volcano Bay is divided into four main areas, known as lands (of course!), each with its own theme. Because they all boast the same lush setting, it’s difficult to tell where one ends and another begins without referring to the map available in the app.

Guests arrive at Wave Village, whose main attractions include the Waturi Beach® wave pool, The Reef, a leisure pool, and Ko’okiri Body Plunge®. Walking clockwise, you first come to Rainforest Village, which is home to most of the thrill rides, including TeAwa the Fearless River®, Ohyah and Ohno Drop Slides®, Kala & Tai Nui Serpentine Body Slides® and Puihi Round Raft Ride®. Beyond this land, are the more family-friendly attractions in River Village, such as Krakatau Aqua Coaster®, Kopiko Wai® lazy river and Runamukka Reef®. At the heart of the Park is The Volcano, Krakatau®; at 200-feet tall, it houses hidden caverns and cascading waterfalls.

Take towels with you, or rent onsite for around $7 per towel (which, unfortunately, does not include the option to swap a wet towel for a dry one). Lockers are dotted around the Park and come in three sizes, priced from $14 to $25. You’ll need to carry a credit card with you in order to rent directly at the locker. Life vests of various sizes are available free of charge at the Park. You can bring your own, but they must be US Coast Guard-approved.

Important to know: if lightning strikes within 5 miles, everyone will be ushered out of the water.

Attractions here range from mild, family-friendly raft rides with convenient conveyor belts that carry rafts to the top, to wild, extreme drop slides. Ensure you read the warnings carefully before climbing up to 20 flights of stairs to the top. Be prepared for a discreet weigh-in before most slides to ensure your safety.

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Universal CityWalk®

The good news, if you want to dine here, is that table reservations are much easier to obtain at the Universal Parks and CityWalk than at Walt Disney World. During quieter times of the year, you can walk up and get a table with only a modest wait. Book through the Universal app, or some independent restaurants are available on OpenTable®.

Let us know your favourite Universal Park by tagging us at #fabparkdays.