10 Best Tips for Universal Studios

Here are 10 Best Tips for Universal Studios that will help make your family vacation an epic adventure and a little more relaxing for the parents.

We stayed with our kids for 5 nights—6 days at Universal Studios. From the thrill rides to our stay at Cabana Bay Beach Resort to the most amazing meal at Chocolate Emporium to Butterbeer, our kids are still dreaming about Harry Potter and Superheroes.

Like every vacation, you learn the dos and don’ts along the way. From places to eat to worthwhile theme park rides to what to pack, there are always things that you know. So today, our family is sharing our 10 Best Tips for Universal Studios. Since our family’s ages range from 6 to 38, we have every group covered, from the little ones to preteens, teens, and adults.

So, save this post if you are thinking about traveling to Universal Studios or are headed there soon. These tips will help make your trip more enjoyable and memorable for all the right reasons. 

TIP #1 – Stay on Property

There isn’t a better way to get the most out of your stay at Universal Studios than to stay onsite at one of their hotels (there are different perks depending on where you stay). It will change your entire vacation and what you get out of it.

For sanity’s sake. The ability to get into the park an hour earlier than everyone else is a huge reason why staying onsite is essential. You beat most people entering the park and get first access to the rides before the crowds arrive. We first hit up the Harry Potter rides when we entered Universal’s Islands of Adventure. We walked in and got on Dragon Challenge in less than five minutes. We rode the other side immediately (the kids wanted to compare the two) afterward without waiting and could’ve ridden it four more times with no line. It was nice to get a couple of must-do rides done early, leaving us with less stress and tons more time to squeeze in all the must-do rides for all 5 of our kids.

Naps for all. By the time 2 PM rolled around, everyone – even Jake and I – was exhausted and tired from the heat, people, and humidity. We typically left the park between 12:30-2 pm, stopped by City Walk for lunch, and then returned to our hotel for a cool down. It always ended up with all 7 of us falling asleep. One day, we even hit up the pool first for a swim for a quick cool-off, heading to the room afterward for a swift and much-needed snooze. Refreshed, we headed back into the park for more rides and entertainment. Staying all day was not stressful because we knew we could quickly leave and return. If you weren’t waiting on the property, this could not have been done with such ease.

It’s all about the kitchenette. While eating at some fantastic eateries along City Walk was a huge perk, eating at “home” was lovely when we wanted to. We brought some of our food to our hotel and had breakfast every morning in our PJs while coordinating all 7 of us getting ready. We eliminated the groaning and complaining, “I’m hungry” or “When are we going to leave?”. For the most part, everyone could get ready at their own pace. {Psst, there is a full-service Starbucks in the lobby at Cabana Bay} The kitchenette had a microwave and mini-fridge – enough for milk, yogurt, jelly, cheese, and other necessities like bottled water. In the morning, we had cereal, yogurt, and granola. We ate lunch twice in our room, making PBJs with fruit and chips. Another perk that can be a real money saver.

TIP #2: express pass

I love the Express Pass; it is worth every penny! The longest line we stood in was about 30 minutes, but that was the exception. Typically, our wait was 15 minutes or less, including the Harry Potter rides.

It was fantastic to get in line knowing that you’d be able to get on the ride quickly. Sometimes, the line wait was much longer than we could’ve waited with five kids, especially in the heat. In addition, in some of the rides, you have to remove everything from your pockets and body to be able to ride. And I mean everything, including phones, pocket change, and anything else that falls out. Don’t try to cheat this – you must go to the end of the line. They have convenient lockers near each thrill ride’s entrance, allowing you to store your stuff for free for a short time. If you keep the locker longer than this, you get charged hourly until a daily maximum is reached. That means you could pay a small fee to stand in line – so put those few dollars towards an express pass instead. There is an option for all-day lockers, but I suggest paring down what you bring to the necessities.

While the Express Pass is expensive, it’s a must if you only have one day to be there. That way, you can ride all the rides you want and enjoy a few shows while at the show. Otherwise, you’ll be going from line to line, feeling more stressed about trying to get everything in and, well, the complaining alone from the kids instead of enjoying the experience. If you’re staying a few extra days, the express pass isn’t as necessary as a perk. Remember, if you’re staying on property at Royal Pacific, Hard Rock Hotel, and Portofino Bay Hotel, the Express Pass comes with your stay.

TIP #3: Use child swap

The Child Swap has to be my favorite thing Universal Studio offers. Many of our friends worry about taking their family to Universal while having small ones because they don’t want the family to have to split up on rides and in the park. With child swap, having a small one almost serves as an advantage. We’d wait in line with the whole family, and when it was our turn to ride, I would stay in the child swap room with Cannon (our 6-year-old), watching a movie they had constantly been playing while Jake rode the ride with the other four kids.

When they’d finish, I’d swap and immediately ride. Because they didn’t want the swapper to ride alone, they let our four kids ride the ride again with me, meaning our kids got to double-dip every thrill ride. This resulted in fewer requests for repeats later in the day, allowing us to explore more parks.

TIP #4: Buy the Refillable Park Cup

This cup helps you stay hydrated. We preferred purchasing the cup at our hotel, Cabana Bay. It was a great afternoon treat with unlimited Slurpees or an ice-cold drink. While in the park and the hot sun, we kept hydrated with water bottles we brought and would just re-fill them as needed.

TIP #5: pack a day pack

If you are headed anywhere with your kids, you have probably learned that you always need a purse, backpack, or an entire suitcase to fit the needs of everyone in your family. So while you’d like to take your wallet, you must take a small backpack. Besides the obvious, like your wallet, phone, and keys, we have about 10 essential things to pack when spending the whole day at Universal Parks.

TIP #6: Ride Hogwarts Express between Parks

We loved Wizarding World, the interactive wands that allow ordinary muggles like us to do spells around Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. The wands cost $45+ each, and you can choose from character wands or wands with themes based on your birthday. All around the wizarding parks, you’ll find plaques on the ground showing how to do the spell and where to aim your wand. Helpful park wizards are also on hand to help you get the spells just right.

Not only do you get a unique souvenir, but walking around casting spells is a magical experience that made me feel like a wizard. You can purchase the interactive wands at Ollivanders in either Hogsmeade (Islands of Adventure) or Diagon Alley (Universal Studios). Purchase your wand immediately – once you start using it, you’ll want to try all the spells.

TIP #7: Use the Universal Park App

Universal provides free WiFi throughout the park, so bring your device loaded with the Universal Orlando Resort App, which is free to download. This allows you to check out the rides online before heading to the park, making it easier to have a plan. It also is invaluable, showing real-time wait times for rides. It also allows you to set reminders so you don’t miss a show. It’s essential.

TIP #8: Eat at City Walk

Our family preferred eating at the restaurants along City Walk for two reasons.

First, the selection. There were so many places to choose from, and there was something to please everyone, which was a miracle since there were 7 of us. Second, we found it so much cheaper for our family.

The theme parks didn’t have a large selection of kid’s meals. Almost everywhere we went for a meal, no kids’ menu was inside the park. That meant adult prices for a meal usually ended up with leftovers that would go to waste. Along City Walk, plenty of restaurants and every place we stopped at offered a kid’s menu. Not only did we save money, but we also wasted less food. While you could split meals inside the park, we opted to eat most of our meals along City Walk to keep everyone happy and on their plate. Plus, it was a nice air-conditioned break.

Our family favorite was Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Savory Feast Kitchen! This will be a long-time favorite for the appetizers and desserts alone. We’ll share more details on our meal there.

TIP #9: Arrive Early for Volcano Bay

Since Volcano Bay just recently opened, this place has been getting much attention. The park fills up quickly to its capacity, so be sure to get there early – about 30 minutes before it opens. If you are staying on the property, you get that extra hour, which is enormous because this place fills up to capacity sometimes only an hour after it opens to the general public. At one point, the most popular ride, Ko’okiri Body Plunge, was a 380-minute wait. So get that one out of the way along with Honu.

Also, as soon as you are in, run and claim your spot for the day. If possible, try to get chairs on the north side of a tree and in the shade. Don’t leave valuables at your spot without you there. We found people desperate enough for spots in the shade that they’d move our stuff.

You must also learn how to use the bracelet effectively to maximize your time there.

TIP #10 – Top Attractions worth the line

Now, this last tip is solely based on our families personal opinions – lots of opinions. Therefore, if you are not a thrill ride seeker, I would only check out the rides with the * as most of the following rides are for people who love to have their stomachs in their throats. The following opinions range from age 6 to 38.

1. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit™ – the kids’ favorite and probably the scariest {Mom was too chicken to ride it}! You pick your favorite song to listen to as you enjoy one of the longest rollercoasters we’ve been on.

2. The Incredible Hulk Coaster® —5 stars in all of our books! We used the kid swap on this ride because Cannon (6 years old) wasn’t tall enough to ride.

*3. Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts™ – great ride for all of our Harry Potter fans! {Includes mom too!}

4. Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls® – a great water ride that you will not be dry after riding. We all loved this; riding on a hot afternoon was especially significant.

*5. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™ – did someone say Harry Potter? Of course, this made the Top 10!

*6. Fear Factor is not a ride but a live interactive show. If you want to be a contestant, you need to show up early to audition and sign your life away with waivers. But in the end, it’s worth it if “fear is not a factor for you.” It wasn’t a factor for my husband, who auditioned and won the live show while we were there. I am not sure who was more proud, the kids or me.

7. Transformers 3D Ride—We love Transformers, so this ride was one we were all looking forward to, and it did not disappoint.

*8. Hogwarts™ Express: Hogsmeade™ Station – Harry Potter fans, this is a must! All your Potter dreams will come true. According to my daughter Jordan, the only downside is that they don’t serve chocolate frogs.

9. Jurassic Park River Adventure™ —My kids loved this classic ride and the dinosaur exhibit outside of it. The instant we got off the ride, we got back on. The drop at the end of the ride and the splash of the water made this ride amazingly fun.

10. Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon™ —This ride made the top 10 not really because of the ride itself but more because of the funny and entertaining capella “rap” group singing to you while you waited.

BONUS TIP: Mix in a show when you start to feel hot. It’s a fabulous break from the heat. Also, don’t be afraid to sit out Storm Force Acceleration if spinning around in a circle for a minute might ruin the rest of your day.

Honorable Mentions: Men in Black Alien Attack, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Skull Island: Reign of Kong, Ollivander’s, Universal Orlando’s Horror Make-up Show, & Doctor Doom’s Fearful

BONUS TIP: Watch the movies or read the books before going. This makes the entire experience more fun. Using single-rider lines is a great option too if you’re about maximizing time. We used them, letting my husband go first, which allowed him to wait for the kids as they came off, and myself or the oldest going last. Mix in a show when you start to feel hot; it’s a nice, great break from the heat.