Universal Orlando Resort: Guide to a Great Day Out
Visiting the theme parks linked to the cinema is a very emotional experience. Keys to fully enjoy Universal Studios in Orlando..
The magic starts as soon as you park the car and immerse yourself in the fantastic world of Universal Orlando Resort. In this famous Florida theme park, emotions are ignited by the best of cinema, in a ride that goes from Harry Potter to Jurassic Park, King Kong, the Simpsons and Men In Black. For all ages, for all tastes, we share a tour that will take you non-stop from tears to laughter.
Universal Orlando Resort: a world of emotions
To begin with, we tell you that this park is divided into eight areas:
- Central production
- New York
- San Francisco
- The Wizarding of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley
- World Expos
- Springfield: Home of the Simpsons
- Woody Woodpecker's KidZone
- hollywood
Although some recommend visiting this park in the order in which we have just listed the areas, we took another route, prioritizing fun for the little ones and more family experiences at the beginning of the day.
Guide to visit Universal Studios in Orlando
The first thing we did when we entered the park, after taking a dozen incredible photos, was to enjoy a first attraction that welcomed us with the best horror movie secrets: Universal Orlando's Horror Make-up Show. In this show, a hilarious presenter was showing, in a really fantastic show, the backstage of some of the special effects of famous Universal Studios horror movies. Safety pin.
We continue our walk until we reach the thematic area dedicated to the little ones, where you can enjoy exciting attractions such as E.T, a family roller coaster with Woody Bird, a Barney dinosaur corner and an entertaining Curious George baseball player. A good corner to visit if you have small children: they will not want to leave for the world and it will be difficult for you to get them out of there to continue.
On our way out, we find the famous De Lorean and Professor Brown's locomotive from the Back to the Future saga. After taking photos with these icons, we realized that we had arrived in Springfield. There we enjoyed two very fun attractions: Kang and Kodo's Twirl 'n' Hurl, similar to a merry-go-round, and The Simpsons Ride, a fun roller coaster simulator with the crazy family escaping from Sideshow Bob.
To sit down for a while, we join the show Fear Factor Live, an acrobatics show where you will be surprised when you run into your worst nightmares. A few meters away, was Men In Black Alien Attack. In this attraction for the whole family, you will have a great time as a Man in Black whose mission is to shoot aliens that invaded the city.
The magic of Harry Potter
After lunch, it's time to head to the park's newest themed area, where The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Diagon Alley truly leave you speechless. The atmosphere, the shops and the attractions immersed us non-stop in the magical world of Harry and his friends. You won't believe how it feels to be there, centuries ago, in England, surrounded by all those fantastic things you see in the movies.
If you are a fan of the saga, you should know that The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is divided between Diagon Alley, at Universal Studios Florida, and Hogsmeade, at the company's other park, Universal's Islands of Adventure, and both are connected by the incredible Hogwarts Express. Please note that you will need tickets to both Universal Orlando Resort theme parks to experience all of these attractions.
A Park-to-Park ticket or an Annual pass allows you access to both parks. With a Single Park ticket, visitors can visit some of the two lands but will not be able to experience Hogwarts Express without a ticket that includes both
If you're a big, big fan, here's a secret for you: if you're staying at one of the hotels inside the Universal Orlando Resort, you can enter The Wizarding World of Harry Potter an hour early.
The Hogwarts Express is a train ride like no other and is one of the most comprehensive experiences in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The entire experience is captivating.
Roller coasters and more
Heading to the New York area, we stopped at Fast and Furious, an incredible high-speed adventure. Then Revenge of The Mummy awaited us. In this indoor game, the evil mummy Imhotep took all our screams into his dark abyss. Only suitable for the brave.
When we were already finishing our tour at Universal, and about to continue the afternoon at Adventure Island, we found ourselves with a challenge: the most radical attraction in the park awaited us. The fearsome Hollywood Rip Ride RockIt roller coaster, after climbing a few meters at 90 degrees, took us to more than 100 kilometers per hour in a descent as terrifying as it was amazing.
What to see in each area of Universal Studios
Central production
Despicable Me Minion Mayhem: Wonderful 4-D simulator, where you will be immersed in the incredible world of the Minions.
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit: Very strong Roller Coaster with a top speed of 105 km/h.
Transformers The Ride 3-D: One of the best attractions, without a doubt, in the entire park.
New York
Race Though New York Starring Jimmy Fallon: It is a 3-D attraction. Very good.
Revenge of The Mummy: Another superb Roller Coaster: Shuttle that will take you at a speed between 64 and 72 km/h.
The Blues Brothers Show: Show based on the famous film.
San Francisco
Fast and Furious – Supercharged: Up on a tram, you will see action scenes, explosions and action totally based on the mythical saga.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley
Diagon Alley Universal Studios Orlando
If you have tickets for both parks, don't miss the magical train: Hogwarts Express – King's Cross Station.
Knight Bus: Get on a three-decker bus and immerse yourself in a world of wizards and witches.
Harry Potter and The Escape from Gringotts: Themed Roller Coaster.
Ollivanders: Buy your magic wand and perform magic tricks throughout the Harry Potter area.
Gringotts Money Exchange: Exchange your dollars for magical money. By switching to Gringotts tickets, you'll be able to pay at Diagon Alley, as well as at many points at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal's Islands of Adventure.
The Tales of Beedle The Bard/ Celestina Warbeck and The Banshees: Relax and listen to the best tales of magic.
World Expos
Men in Black: Interactive attraction themed on the famous Will Smith movie, where you will have to fight against an alien epidemic.
Springfield–Home of the Simpsons
The Simpsons Ride: The Simpsons-themed virtual reality roller coaster with Krusty the Clown as the main character.
Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ’n’ Hurl: Hop inside flying saucers.
Woody Woodpecker's KidZone
Animals Actors on location: Attend a show with animals.
Curious George goes to Town: Playground and water for children.
Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster: Small Roller Coaster for children.
Fievel's Playland: Play area, slides and bridges for children.
E.T. Adventure: Get on Elliott's bike and fly over the wonderful world of E.T.
Hollywood
Universal Orlando's Horror Make – Up Show: Learn how the most unique creatures in the movies transform.
Universal Orlando Resort
Remember that Universal Orlando Resort is a complex of three theme parks (Universal Studios Florida, Universal's Islands of Adventure and Universal's Volcano Bay) and a famous place for nightlife, called City Walk, where there are restaurants, shops, cinemas, mini golf, discos and four hotels.
Universal Orlando is far from the Disney area. It is located north of the International Drive area, in an area bordered by Interstate 4 to the south, State Road 435 to the east, Vineland Road to the north, and Turkey Lake Road to the west.
The complex can be accessed from Interstate 4 via exit 74B, which exits east onto Universal Boulevard and west onto Hollywood Way.
Universal Studios Florida Hours
The park is open from 9 am to 10 pm during summer time, but it is best to check hours and other details on the website before visiting them.
Universal Orlando 2023 Ticket Prices
The prices to visit Universal Studios in Orlando vary a few dollars in the different months of the year and there are promotions that it is good to attend. A 1-day Park-to-Park (both parks) ticket costs around $170 per adult and $165 per child (plus tax). The 1-day Single Park ticket costs $115 adult and $100 child (plus tax). And the 2-day Park-to-Park (both parks) ticket is $285 adult / $275 child (plus tax).
I have given you information about Universal Orlando Resort: Guide to a Great Day Out so if you read this post till the end, then your Thanks.
