Family Fun at Universal Orlando Resort

While Disney might be your first thought when someone says “theme park vacation in Orlando, Florida,” they are by far not the only game in town! Families can enjoy more movie-themed fun at the Universal Orlando Resort as well.

What started as one small park that guests could see in one day has grown into a vacation destination unto itself. Planning a vacation to the Universal Orlando Resort can feel a bit overwhelming, but here’s what you need to know before you go…

THEME PARKS

Universal Orlando Resort boasts three unique theme parks – Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay as well as CityWalk, a shopping, entertainment, and dining promenade.

The original theme park, Universal Studios Florida, feels like you’ve walked into a film set that just so happens to have some rides and attractions! Where else can your family facing a fire-breathing dragon, take part in a car chase with characters from Fast and the Furious, defend the earth from an alien attack, and join forces with Gru and friend to become an actual minion all in one day?

Universal Studios Florida has seven distinct areas that each have a unique look and feel. 

The park is home to the extremely popular Diagon Alley section of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter where you’ll want to be sure to experience the Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts attraction.

Universal’s Islands of Adventure is full of adventures featuring superheroes and favorite cartoon characters. The younger guests will fall in love with the whimsical Suessland while older kids and teens will find no shortage of thrill rides such as the Incredible Hulk Coaster and Doctor Doom’s Fearfall. There is lots of fun for the entire family on attractions such as Jurassic Park River Adventure and Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls (yes, you WILL get wet… there is a chance you might get soaked!).

Probably the most popular area of the park is still Hogsmeade Village, a part of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Muggles get their chance to visit Hogwarts on Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Even if you don’t want to experience the ride, it’s worth going through the queue to explore the incredible detail within the castle! There is a viewing area you can sit in and wait for members of your party who do want to hop on board the ride.

Guests with a park-to-park ticket can experience the Hogwarts Express train ride between Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme parks. The enchantment of boarding at Platform 9 ¾, watching the quaint English countryside roll by outside your window, and the surprises in store make this quite a memorable train ride!

The newest addition to Universal Orlando Resort is Volcano Bay, a top-notch water park that makes you feel like you’ve been transported to an island in French Polynesia! There are rides and attractions for guests of all ages, or if you prefer, you can find yourself a beach chair and relax in the sun (or the shade!).

photo ©Universal

A unique addition to Volcano Bay is the fact that each guest is given a Tapu Tapu band when they enter the park. This free service allows you to hold a virtual space in line for attractions and lets you spend your time exploring the park rather than waiting in line. The bands will also activate interactive surprises around the park, open rental lockers, and allows you to leave your wallet behind by enabling cash-free payments to your account.

Be sure to experience the Krakatau Water Coaster inside the park’s iconic volcano for a thrill you won’t soon forget!

RESORT HOTELS

Universal Orlando Resort features six onsite resorts operated by Loews Hotels, with two additional resorts opening in mid-2019. The resorts are categorized into Value Hotels (Universal's Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites, and Universal's Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites, both of which open in June 2019), Prime Value Hotels (Universal's Aventura Hotel, and Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort), Preferred Hotel (Loews Sapphire Falls Resort), and Premier Hotels (Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Hard Rock Hotel, and Loews Portofino Bay Hotel).

Guests at all of Universal Orlando Resort’s onsite hotels can access early entry into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Each morning either Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade Village will allow resort guests to enter one hour before the general public. This onsite hotel benefit will not only save you a significant amount of time waiting in line for the park’s most popular attractions but will also give you the chance to explore the incredible detail in these areas with limited crowds.

Guests of Universal’s Premier Hotels (Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Hard Rock Hotel, and Loews Portofino Bay Hotel) also receive unlimited front-of-line access to most of the rides and attractions in the parks. Universal Express Unlimited passes are included in the price of your resort stay. This benefit is invaluable, especially during peak attendance times such as early summer and the holiday season. During the busiest travel times, Universal Express Unlimited passes can cost up to $150 per person so a family of 4 will save up to $600 per day!

photo ©Loews Hotels

All of the onsite resorts are beautifully themed and decorated and are close to all the action of CityWalk and the theme parks. Complimentary transportation is available to all onsite resort guests.

Wondering if a Universal Orlando Resort vacation might be right for your family? Planning the perfect experience begins with scheduling your vacation consultation call. Click here to request a time for us to meet. We'll discuss the details and what you are looking for in your dream vacation. I'll give you my suggestions and explain how we can best work together to plan the vacation of your dreams. Plus we'll show you how to get a picture like this.

Do Harry Potter Right: Stay on Site!

     
 Not to long ago, the words Orlando and Disney World were interchangeable, when you described taking a family vacation to Orlando Florida.  If you mentioned the Universal theme parks in Orlando, it was only as an after-thought; a quick day trip if you had the time - but not anymore.  Led by the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Diagon Alley attractions, along with a growing number of other state of the art attractions; the two theme parks at Universal Orlando, Universal Studios Florida and Universal's Islands of Adventure, have become vacation destinations themselves.  Over the past 4 years, each park has seen attendance grow from around 5 million, to over 8 million each.  Attendance in 2014 in each park is expected to grow to near 9 million in 2014.  The result of this growth in popularity has been disappointed park visitors, who are not expecting to see the long lines at the popular attractions at the parks, with lines at the popular Harry Potter attractions, Forbidden Journey and Escape from Gringotts, having common multi-hours line waits soon after the parks open to the general public.

        Fortunately, Universal Orlando has developed several programs for park visitors to to avoid the long lines.  For visitors staying off site, Universal offers the Universal Express Pass.  For a fee above the cost of park tickets, families can go to the front of any line of most major attractions at either park, except for the Harry Potter attractions.  With a variety of options available, including an unlimited use option, you can design your Express Pass to meet you needs.  Unfortunately, in addition to not being able to use to passes on the Harry Potter attractions, the cost of going to the front of the  line can be steep.  Prices start at $29.99 per pass and go up from their, and are in addition to the price of admission.  For guests who hate waiting in long lines, the price may be worth it.  But for most people that is an expensive option, and does not include the main Harry Potter attractions at the Wizarding Worlds, which is a main reason many guests want to visit Universal Orlando for.  The great thing is Universal Orlando offers an option, that more park guests are taking advantage of, where they can get FREE  Express Passes for the length of their park attendance, and and early admission to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

       For guests staying on site at 3 of the 4 hotels and resorts at Universal Orlando, get free unlimited Express Passes for their stay.  Anyone staying at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Hard Rock Hotel, or the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, get an unlimited Express Pass which would cost an off site guest nearly $90 per day.  In addition to the passes, staying at any of these resorts allows you into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, 1 hour before the park opens to regular park guests; and it allows you priority dining reservations at most of the excellent restaurants at the resort.  Each of the 3 deluxe, 4 star resorts offers great accommodations and attractions themselves, and are a great place to stay for your Orlando visit even without the added benefits.  The other hotel on site, is Cabana Bay Beach, a recently opened moderate priced resort.  While staying at Cabana Bay Beach Resort, you will not be eligible for the free Express Pass or dining priority.  You will  have early entry privileges at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter attractions, and this resorts offers something special that every growing family wishes they have on a vacation; space.  Cabana Bay Resort is the only resort on site at Universal Orlando to offer large Family Suites with their own kitchenettes, so families can spread out and prepare some of their meals if they like.

       For many guests, the chance to see and do the Harry Potter attractions is their only initial reason for going to Universal.  But once they see and experience  some of the other new state of the art attractions like Transformers: The Ride 3D, Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, or Revenge of the Mummy; the they want to try everything over and over.  That is the main benefit of staying on staying on site and using the free Express Passes.  Your family gets to do the Wizarding World and the other great attractions, instead of waiting and waiting.  Plus, add in all the other great features that Universal Orlando resort has to offer on site guests, a world class water park at Wet'nWild, with great nighttime dining and entertainment at Universal City Walk.
Add it all together, great parks, great hotels, world class food, and great benefits; Universal Orlando has become a vacation destination that is making more and more families forget that Orlando also has that place with the mouse.