2026 Universal Orlando Planning Guide
Our Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Epic Universe planning guide offers park & ride strategy. It features tips & tricks to help you save money & time, avoid crowds, and have the best vacation or side-visit from Walt Disney World as possible.
We’re Universal Orlando Annual Passholders and huge fans of those parks in addition to Walt Disney World. Universal has improved a ton and upped its game in the last decade. This began with the Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade lands of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, accelerated with Jurassic World VelociCoaster, and culminated with Epic Universe.
Epic Universe is the elephant in the room, and there’s a good chance you’re reading this guide in order to plan the perfect visit to experience the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, and Dark Universe. Fortunately, we’ve already spent several days in Epic Universe (with many more to come) and have strategy, reviews, tips & tricks, etc. Sign up to receive our FREE Email Newsletter if you’d like to receive updates about Epic Universe (and obviously, Disney as well).
Suffice to say, we highly recommend spending at least a couple of days at Universal when vacationing at Walt Disney World. The question becomes, do you reallocate time from Universal’s existing gates or Disney’s? And do you stay on-site at Disney, Universal, or do a split-stay at both?
This is guide to Universal Orlando Resort attempts to assist you in answering some of those questions and everything you’ll need to know about UOR. Whether you’re doing both parks in a single day or making a trip of it with an on-site hotel stay and multiple days in the parks, we have you covered with info and advice about attractions, dining, resorts, strategy, crowds, and more.
Let’s start with Epic Universe, since that’s the big new thing–and reason why many of you are likely reading…
Epic Universe Everything…
If you’re planning a 2026 vacation to Central Florida, the biggest thing to know is that Epic Universe is now open. This is Universal Orlando’s third theme park, and is a blockbuster expansion containing revolutionary attractions and major lands based on Harry Potter, Nintendo, Universal Monsters, How to Train Your Dragon, and more. Epic Universe is a game-changer, featuring lands on par with Disney’s best.
Epic Universe should be the overriding consideration if you’re visiting Central Florida. One thing to note up front is that there are major downsides to visiting this highly-anticipated new park right now, as laid out in Why You Should Skip Epic Universe (or Wait to Visit Until 2026).
This new park is going to have growing pains, and its envelope-pushing attractions are already plagued by downtime and unreliability. If you visit Epic Universe during its debut season or even first year, you’re likely to encounter technical difficulties and other frustrations. With that said, there are also great reasons to visit ASAP, and dedicate more of your Florida vacation time to the new park–Here’s Why You Need 2 Days at Epic Universe.
The very good news is that it’ll be easier to spend multiple days, or portions of days (we’re big fans of mornings and evenings–do the other parks during the middle of the day, or take a resort break) at Epic Universe in 2026. After a long delay, 2026 Epic Universe 1-Day, Multi-Day, Park Hopper & Discount Tickets Are Now on Sale!
Starting in 2026, Epic Universe is part of regular tickets. This means you can visit for as many days as you want or, if you purchase the park-to-park option, you can bounce around between the other two parks and Epic Universe. This is an absolute game-changer that should relieve a lot of the stress from the experience.
Park Hopping and more open access to Epic Universe might also have negative consequences. Namely, larger crowd levels as guests won’t be limited to a single day in the park. People purchasing 5-day or 14-day tickets, for example, could elect to spend every single day in Epic Universe, when previously, they were limited to 1-day.
Our expectation is that there’s an uptick in attendance as a result, but it’ll mostly self-regulate. The average guest is not going to do 2+ days at Epic Universe, let alone 5-14 days. That’s just not a normal use case.
If you do opt to visit Epic Universe, the good news is that we have plenty of strategy to help plan your visit. For starters, we’d recommend staying at Helios Grand Hotel if Epic Universe is a priority.
Its location and ease of access should give guests of that hotel a strategic advantage. Helios Grand Hotel does not offer unlimited Express Pass to any park, which is undoubtedly a drawback, but its advantage at Epic Universe (and competitive price) more than makes up for that.
If you’re on a tighter budget, we recommend Stella Nova or Terra Luna Resorts, which are value hotels within walking distance of Epic Universe. This trio of hotels is at the Epic Universe ‘campus’ of Universal Orlando, which is a decent distance from the other parks and resorts. If you’re spending equal time at all 3 parks, you might want to stay on the main campus–but we recommend focusing on Epic Universe.
At opening, Epic Universe features 11 rides and two major shows, plus a wide variety of atmospheric entertainment, play areas, and more. This includes 4 roller coasters, two blockbuster dark rides, and more. If you’re looking for a detailed look at attractions, consult our Ride Rankings & Reviews for Epic Universe.
If you’re trying to plan the perfect day in the park, check out our new 1-Day Universal Epic Universe Itinerary: How to Beat Crowds at Florida’s Busiest Park! That was written months after Epic Universe opened, after we had the chance to field test a variety of options and park operations had (somewhat) settled in. With that said, note that things will continue change in the months to come. Our plan is to revise that sometime in 2026 after experiencing Epic Universe a few times post-park hopping.
We also have both an Early Park Admission Epic Universe Strategy Guide and Epic Universe Morning Strategy for Rope Drop & Beyond. That will get you through the first few hours of the day, and should assist you in beating the lines at roughly your first half-dozen attractions.
If you’re looking for something rough, here’s the outline for a day at Epic Universe:
- EPA: Super Nintendo World or Roller Coasters or BatM (if operating early)
- Rope Drop: How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk
- Midday: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic
- Lunch: Cafe L’air De La Sirene (see My Favorite Foods at Epic Universe & Must-Eat Restaurants)
- Afternoon: Stage Shows
- Afternoon/Early Evening: Celestial Park
- Dusk: Dark Universe
- Night: Super Nintendo World
Note that if you are eligible for Early Park Admission, starting in Super Nintendo World is the popular choice. However, you might want to think twice about that (see Why to Skip Super Nintendo World’s Morning Madness During Epic Universe’s Early Entry).
Another option is saving Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge and Donkey Kong Mine-Cart Madness until the end of the evening. You also might consider skipping Mine-Cart Madness entirely, for the reasons explained here. If we had to cut one headliner from our day, it’d be that. (Sorry, DK!)
Even if you’re eligible for EPA, you probably won’t be able to experience all of Super Nintendo World during that hour-long head-start. In which case, return at night and enjoy the vibrant atmosphere, mini-games, Yoshi’s Adventure, and more. (You also might want to re-ride Mario Kart to beat your high score!)
Here’s what you need to know for planning your bigger-picture Universal Orlando vacation…
Walt Disney World vs. Universal
In this guide, we’ll cover how to make the most of a visit to Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Epic Universe. We’re going to take a counterintuitive organizational approach to this guide, as we’ve found that many readers consult it while visiting Universal rather than during the planning stages of a trip. Accordingly, we’re going to front load with info you need to know if you’ve already touched down in Central Florida.
If you’re a Disney fan simply trying to determine whether a trip to Universal Orlando Resort is right for you in the first place, you might start by reading our Universal vs. Walt Disney World post, which covers some of the pros and cons of each, plus the differences between the two vacation destinations.
Although they’re all theme parks located in Central Florida, each have strengths and weaknesses that will make them better or worse for certain types of families–ages, demographics, etc. Right off the bat, we recognize that many of you will need to “sacrifice” a Walt Disney World park in order to accommodate Epic Universe. Should You Skip Animal Kingdom? might help with that.
Similarly, if you’re debating between resorts at the two main theme park complexes, see our comprehensive breakdown: Universal Orlando vs. Walt Disney World Hotels. That should help you determine which is the better option for your vacation–or if a split stay might be best!
Universal Orlando Deals & Prices
One commonality between the two is that both Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando have gotten more aggressive with discounts in an attempt to entice more people to visit their parks and stay in on-site hotels. We’ve mentioned repeatedly that Walt Disney World already has released several different discounts for 2026.
Universal has followed suit, shifting from discounts aimed almost exclusively at Annual Passholders and Florida residents to general public offers. There are currently ticket deals, resort discounts offering 20-35% off, and package deals offering “Free” Dining (sound familiar?).
These are worth pricing out for yourself, but we should warn that many have length of stay requirements of 5 days. That’s longer than most people will spend at Universal Orlando (which is part of why it’s being offered–to increase visit durations).
There are some special offer and pricing quirks, so we’d direct your attention to our new post: How to Get Cheapest Pricing on 2026 Universal Orlando & Epic Universe Vacations. That covers everything you need to know, including Universal’s one huge pricing policy that is dramatically different from Walt Disney World.
Suffice to say, we highly recommend using Be Our Guest Vacations to price out different packages and deals, and help you figure out the best way to save, plan your trip, etc. Request a free, no-obligation quote from them, and then let them do the work of planning for you.
Where to Stay at Universal
There are a number of questions you have to ask yourself when planning a trip, and many of them will dictate where you stay. Do you want Unlimited Express Pass by staying at an eligible Universal Orlando hotel? Do you want to stay at a Walt Disney World hotel for the duration of your trip, or change hotels? Do you want to stay an an off-site hotel in the general vicinity of both Universal and Disney to save money?
We’ve recently stayed at every single on-site hotel at Universal Orlando Resort–here are our reviews:
- Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando Review (recommended)
- Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando Review (highly recommended)
- Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando Review (good Express Pass eligible “budget” pick)
- Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando Review (highly recommended)
- Universal Helios Grand Hotel Review (good but pricey pick for proximity to Epic Universe)
- Universal Helios Grand Hotel – Club Level Review
- Universal Terra Luna Resort Review (fantastic budget-tier hotel within walking distance of Epic Universe)
- Universal’s Aventura Hotel Review
- Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort Review
- Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn & Suites Review (good budget pick)
- Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn & Suites (2-Bedroom) Review (good for larger families)
For insight into all of these hotels, their pros & cons, and how they compare and contrast with one another, see our Universal Orlando Hotel Rankings & Reviews.
We are big fans of Universal’s hotels, and are particularly partial to Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, which rivals some of our favorite resorts at Walt Disney World. Since Epic Universe opened, that new park has been our focus, and we’ve stayed exclusively on the new campus at Helios Grand Hotel and Terra Luna & Stella Nova Resorts.
Universal’s hotels provide great bang for buck, and even those that don’t include free Express Pass do offer Early Park Admission one hour before those parks open. That can be absolutely huge! Between these perks and the low rates of Universal’s budget tier hotels, we cannot imagine staying off-site.
With that said, we do have an Off-Site vs. On-Site Walt Disney World Hotels article that goes into greater depth about the pros and cons of staying off-site, and it’s applicable to Universal, as well. You can also check out our Walt Disney World Hotel Reviews page, which includes a ton of options around Central Florida–well beyond just WDW property!
Ride Strategy for Universal Orlando
Next, what to know while you’re at Universal Orlando. For starters, we strongly recommend that you do not “wing it” for your daily itinerary due to the aforementioned crowd issues. You don’t need to plan every movement so that there’s no spontaneity in your trip, just make sure you have at least a loose plan of what you’re going to do.
We have the following plans for each park that cover our perfect days:
- 1-Day Epic Universe Itinerary
- 1-Day Universal Studios Florida Park Itinerary
- 1-Day Islands of Adventure Park Itinerary
- 1-Day Universal Park Hopping Itinerary (both Islands of Adventure & Universal Studios Florida)
Those offer step by step touring plans for both theme parks at Universal Orlando, prioritizing the most popular rides and skipping what isn’t worth your time. Those will help you do Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Incredible Hulk Coaster, Jurassic Park River Adventure, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, and other must-do rides.
If you’d prefer to create your own itineraries and want an overview and review of every attraction at each of the parks, consult our Islands of Adventure Ride Guide and Universal Studios Florida Ride Guide. If you’re a fan spinners, you might want to check those out, as we don’t waste your time with that nonsense in the itineraries.
When to Visit
If you’re adding on a Universal Orlando visit to your Walt Disney World vacation, the answer to this is easy…whenever you’re visiting Walt Disney World. Crowd patterns at Walt Disney World translate pretty similarly to Universal Orlando.
The reasons are two-fold: first, because crowds tend to be predicated upon school schedules, which are the same for both; second, because Walt Disney World is the ‘whale’ in the Orlando market, so crowds for all theme parks are dictated by when guests plan their Disney vacations.
In other words, you can refer to our 2026 Walt Disney World Crowd Calendars post to determine when to visit, as that’s roughly applicable to Universal Orlando as well. At least, when it comes to Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida.
There are some exceptions to this, and they’re largely predicated upon special events that are unique to each of the parks. For example, Walt Disney World sees its crowds spike due to runDisney events, when its hotels are hosting conventions or youth sporting events, or during EPCOT festivals. By contrast, Universal sees its own spikes around Mardi Gras and Halloween Horror Nights.
In general, though, the big driver of attendance at both is school breaks. In particular, those of Orange County and other counties throughout Florida and the South. Of course, both are vacation destinations, so breaks for school districts in the Midwest and Northeast also have a significant impact. The obvious times like Spring Break, Easter, Summer, Fall Break, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve are all busy.
More under the radar timeframes like MLK Day, Presidents’ Day, Mardi Gras, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, and more also see pronounced spikes in crowds. Again, reference the aforementioned crowd calendars if you’re looking to choose the best times to visit Universal Orlando.
Due to a surge of locals on weekends, we strongly recommend avoiding Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure on Saturdays and Sundays.
Mondays through Thursdays are the best days to visit, with much lower crowds then. However, that goes out the window during holiday weeks or anytime school is out of session, when it’s disproportionately tourists and every single day of the week is busy.
The bigger exception to this is Epic Universe. Due to the lack of Annual Passes, which are unlikely to be offered for the next year or longer, there are divergent demographics between the newest park and the legacy ones. See our Secrets to Conquer Crowds at Epic Universe: Best Dates to Visit in 2026 for recommendations.
While there’s no guarantee that’ll continue to be foolproof, I’ve managed to do it all at Epic Universe by targeting the least-busy days and avoiding the bonkers ones. That’s really important at Epic Universe, since the crowds can be so much worse than any other theme park at Universal Orlando or Walt Disney World.
Then there are special events at Universal Orlando. There are only three noteworthy ones: Mardi Gras, Halloween Horror Nights, and Christmas.
During Mardi Gras, guests can experience a food festival with cuisine and entertainment inspired by international Carnaval celebrations. Food booths serve up the flavors of Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Germany, Spain and other regions including, of course, New Orleans. Plus enjoy spectacular floats on display, street entertainment, music, beads and more throughout Universal Studios Florida.
During HHN, you step onto the set of some of your favorite horror movies, and walking through those sets as actors attempt to scare you. This event is not for children under the age of 13, and has absolutely nothing in common with Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World. See our Guide to Halloween Horror Nights for more.
Although HHN gets all the attention from the fan community, the final popular seasonal event of the year is Christmas at Universal Orlando. We’d argue that Christmas is superior to HHN, with the latter being much more taste-specific and having a faithful fan following. If you’re not part of that fervent fanbase, HHN can actually be a bit off-putting.
During this, Grinchmas and Universal’s Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s are the main entertainment draws. There’s also the Christmas Tribute Store, which is essentially a walk-through exhibit, plus Universal Studios Florida’s iconic Christmas Tree.
Perhaps the biggest draw is Winter in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which features unique decor and projections on Hogwarts Castle. There are also decorations around both parks in Seuss Landing, Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley, Hollywood, New York, and San Francisco.
How Many Days?
This one is going to vary widely based on a few variables. The biggest one is how receptive your party is to the type of attractions that are prominent at Universal Orlando Resort, namely, roller coasters and screen-based simulators.
That’s reductionist, and there are many more things at Universal than those types of rides, but if your party is averse to either, doing more than 2 days at Universal is going to be tough. If you love coasters or have teens, you can easily spend 3 days or more at Universal Orlando.
In our view, the average guest will want at least 2 days at Universal Orlando in 2026. One for Epic Universe, and another 1-2 days for the other two parks. It’s possible to do Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida in the same day, but it’s not possible to do Epic Universe and another park in the same day. In our view, 3+ days is optimal.
With park hopping now available to Epic Universe in 2026, we’d advise purchasing at least 3-day tickets with the park-to-park option. Universal Orlando tickets dramatically decrease in price for 4-day and 5-day tickets, so you may want to upgrade to those. Again, this will really relieve the pressure when it comes to Epic Universe, which is still a challenging and frustrating park to visit.
Theme park enthusiasts could be able to spend 2 full days at Epic Universe and another 2 days at the other parks. Epic Universe has an exceptional restaurant roster, and its roller coasters have a lot of re-rideability, as do Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, and Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment.
There’s also the question of whether you’re planning a Central Florida trip with some time at Universal, or a vacation to Universal Orlando. If the former, 2 days is probably all you have–one for Epic Universe and one for the rest. If the latter, you could do 5+ days, with 4 in the 3 theme parks, another at Volcano Bay water park, and perhaps some time at CityWalk.
Then, there’s also the question of how much “extra” vacation time you have. Assuming you’ve already allocated your time at Walt Disney World and are looking at “other stuff” to round out your trip to Florida, I’d probably look to spending more time at Universal than other parks like SeaWorld or Busch Gardens. That’s personal preference and all of these parks definitely aren’t trying to accomplish the same thing, but I find the Disney and Universal parks to be in a different league than all of the rest.
Universal Orlando Park Tickets
If you’re looking for a deal on park tickets, Get Away Today will save you the most money on Universal Orlando tickets. This is especially true if you’re doing a longer trip, as Get Away Today often has a ‘Buy 2 days, get 3 days free’ special. With more and more to do at Universal Orlando, spending several days in the parks is highly recommended–especially if you’re staying in a nearby hotel and want to do some partial days (also recommended).
I am a fan of the Park-to-Park tickets if you can swing spending extra. This is because Universal did something really ingenious when it built Diagon Alley, and that was connecting the two Wizarding Worlds of Harry Potter via the Hogwarts Express.
You can only ride this train from Hogsmeade to Diagon Alley (or vice-a-versa) if you have the Park-to-Park ticket. I’m no Harry Potter fan, but the experience of entering a train station in London, walking through a wall, and then taking a train to Hogsmeade is pretty awesome.
If you’re going for just one day and don’t want the park-to-park tickets, the best way to save money on Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida tickets is simply going to be buying tickets online on Universal Orlando’s website. The Universal tickets purchased online can be printed at home and used at the turnstiles–meaning no waiting in line to purchase tickets or exchange vouchers.
Express Pass
Express Pass is Universal Orlando’s version of Lightning Lanes (a way to skip the lines) and is available as a ticket add-on or with select hotel stays. You can purchase two varieties of Express Pass, regular or unlimited. Almost all of the most popular attractions in each park offer Express Pass.
The regular version allows you to skip the line once per eligible attraction in either park, and costs $90 to $350 per person depending on the date. Universal Express Unlimited offers line-skipping privileges, as the name suggests, an unlimited number of times per attraction, and costs between $150 and $400 per person. Even at its most expensive, Lightning Lane Multi-Pass at Walt Disney World costs under $50 per person. So, what’s the difference? Well, a lot.
Unlike Lightning Lanes, there is no tech component to Express Pass. While it’s significantly more expensive, it’s also frictionless. You simply go up to the attraction and use your Express Pass entitlement. There’s nothing to reserve or hassle with in an app. Express Pass involves zero screen time and headaches–but you’ll pay a lot more for it!
Whether Express Pass is worth the money largely depends upon what day of the week and season you’re visiting, and how you value your time versus your money. Personally, we would not pay for Express Pass most days. However, we also avoid weekends and holidays, arrive for park opening, and utilize an efficient park itinerary.
If you really want Express Pass, staying at an on-site hotel that offers Express Pass with your stay is absolutely the way to go. Unlimited Express Pass is available at the Universal Premier category resorts–meaning Royal Pacific, Hard Rock Hotel, and Portofino Bay–which are Universal’s most expensive hotels. Honestly, this is the only way we’ve ever “bought” Express Pass–we couldn’t justify the cost any other way.
All three of these hotels are nice, on par with Walt Disney World’s Deluxe Resorts, and generally cost less. They’re still pricey, but they’re cheaper than Disney’s higher-end hotels, and absolutely worth the money–especially if you want the Unlimited Express Pass perk or a good location within walking or boat distance of Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida. If you’d be staying at a nice hotel anyway, this trio is definitely worthy of your consideration.
If you’re debating paying extra for Epic Universe line-skipping, see Should You Buy Express Pass at Epic Universe?
Transportation
By far the most common questions we get concerning Universal Orlando Resort is: “what’s the best way to get from Walt Disney World Universal.” The answer is that there are a lot of options, but by far the best is Uber. We covered this in depth in our Uber vs. Rental Cars at Walt Disney World article. Here’s the pertinent portion of that post:
In the past, the best option we’ve found for those who don’t have rental cars the duration of their trips is either renting a car on-site for the day, or taking a pricey shuttle. Neither is cost-effective or all that appealing, especially when you add on that parking fee.
For those who aren’t renting a car for the duration of their trip, Uber or Lyft are the unquestionable best options for getting from Walt Disney World to Universal. The one-way cost of an Uber or Lyft from Walt Disney World will vary depending upon your exact location, typically costing under $25 each way and taking 20-25 minutes.
Dining
There are some good restaurants in Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, but as a whole, the culinary experience is not on par with Walt Disney World’s. The unquestionable highlights, in my mind, are the counter service restaurants in Diagon Alley (Leaky Cauldron) and Hogsmeade (Three Broomsticks) and the table service restaurant, Mythos, which is a great value.
Other in-park restaurants at Universal Orlando that we like include the Today Show Cafe (for lighter options) and Krusty Burger (for the exact opposite). Actually, there’s something for everyone in the Springfield area, which has a variety of dining options drawn from The Simpsons.
On the snacking front, you’re obviously going to want to try Butterbeer–perhaps all three varieties (frozen, hot, and regular). Most of the other snacks we enjoy are also in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour and Honeydukes.
Another thing you might want to consider is purchasing a refillable Coke Freestyle mug. I’ve done this, but I can really put down the Cokes to make it worth the money. I’m sure some day I will be toothless, but hopefully that’s at least 5 years away. These Coke Freestyle machines located throughout the parks are also a convenient way to get free water that’s cold and tastes great.
Epic Universe is a totally different story, at least until the ‘new park smell’ wears off. Epic Universe has fantastic food that’s easily on par with Walt Disney World. Epic Universe might even be the best food park in Orlando!
Other Things to Do
Volcano Bay is Universal Orlando’s water park. It’s themed to the South Seas and features a giant volcano (hence the name) in the middle with water slides in it. For Walt Disney World fans, it’s a bit like Typhoon Lagoon water park mixed with Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Adventureland.
With four lush, tropical areas inspired by the Pacific Isles, 21 different attractions, and a number of dining & shopping options, Volcano Bay offers something for everyone. We don’t have enough extensive experience with Volcano Bay to offer strategy, but our rough approach mirrors that of other parks.
Take advantage of Early Park Admission if eligible, prioritize the high-profile thrill rides and slides in the first hour of the day, then do more relaxed experiences. If arriving late, head to the back of the park first, try to outlast the crowds, and enjoy shorter lines at the end of the day.
Volcano Bay is seasonally closed on selected dates between now and February 2026, and is always subject to weather-related closures. Additionally, Volcano Bay will be closed for maintenance beginning October 26, 2026, with a current planned reopening on or before March 24, 2027.
In addition to the two theme parks and Volcano Bay water park, there’s CityWalk. This is Universal Orlando’s shopping, dining, and entertainment complex, which is a lot like Disney Springs. The big difference is that you walk through CityWalk to access Universal Studios Florida or Islands of Adventure, and it’s incredibly easy to exit the parks and eat lunch or dinner at CityWalk. No bus necessary!
There’s also a lot of relatively new dining at CityWalk, such as Red Coconut Club, Bigfire, Voodoo Doughnut, Toothsome Chocolate Emporium, Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar, and VIVO Italian Kitchen–among other things. Toothsome is a fan-favorite for its over the top milkshakes and dessert concoctions (as well as the fun steampunk theme), and Voodoo Doughnut is a fun spot. With that said, we think both are slightly overrated.
For our money, the sleeper hits of the list are Bigfire and Cowfish, both of which offer great food at reasonable (by theme park standards) prices. We’d also give honorable mentions to Vivo and Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food. While the latter is not our personal favorite, it’s better than the “blockbuster” touristy restaurants like Hard Rock Cafe, Margaritaville, and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Nothing against any of those–but they’re essentially Applebee’s with more wow-factor. Good enough for predictably-prepared comfort food, but absolutely nothing special.
One final note on attractions is that there are numerous attractions that don’t allow bags, but provide free lockers nearby for storing backpacks, cameras, small children, and whatever other random junk you might have on you. These are pretty convenient and there are larger lockers you can pay for at the front of the park, but the point here is for those of you who are used to bringing a small U-Haul worth of stuff into the Walt Disney World parks: you can’t do that at Universal. Pack for the parks a little lighter.
I think this is probably a good starting point if you’re planning on visiting Universal Orlando Resort as an add-on to your Walt Disney World vacation. If you would like to see some of these topics covered in greater depth, please let me know in the comments. We’re planning to tackle more on dining, special events, and Universal Orlando news in the coming months, so stay tuned for more of that!
Need trip planning tips and comprehensive advice for your visit to Central Florida? Make sure to read our Walt Disney World Vacation Planning Guide for everything about those parks, resorts, restaurants, and so much more. For regular updates, news & rumors, a heads up when discounts are released, and much more, sign up for our FREE email newsletter!
Your Thoughts
Are you visiting Universal Orlando Resort in 2026? Excited for Epic Universe or other rumored additions in the next few years? What about Jurassic World VelociCoaster, Hagrid’s, or the new rides that have recently opened? Have a favorite on-site hotel at Universal? Do you prefer staying on-site at Universal, or commuting from Walt Disney World? If you’re a first-timer, is there anything else you’d like to know? Chances are if you have questions still, so does someone else! Please share your thoughts in the comments
Tom- thanks for the article, this is a good read. How bad do you think thanksgiving will be here? Given how crowded the weekends are with the haunted houses, it makes me nervous that it will be uncontrollably crowded and lines for hours.
We normally stay in Disney and lately have been taking Mears to get to Universal for two days. I found we have had to use Mears because we have a party of 10 people… Is there an Uber option for a party of ten?? We would be traveling from Yacht Club (our first time there – can hardly wait!!) to Universal for two days – probably with a party of 9 people this time… We would rather avoid taking 2 cars to get there which is why take Mears.. Tom (and Sara!) what would you recommend??
Whichever of the parks drops the mask requirement first…my family is there.
Is it recommended to pack a change of clothes for the water rides? Should we bring extra shoes that we don’t mind getting wet too? Or is this over kill as I have read do not pack a lot of stuff. Thanks for anyone’s help that has been on the water rides at Universal and Islands of Adventure.
We pack clothes for the water rides, towels too. They are great fun and will leave you completely soaked. Especially Bilge Rat Barges. Have fun!
I feel like it comes down to personal preference. Would you rather be wet for a good portion of the day or have to deal with lugging around extra clothing all day? Unlike Disney you cannot take a bag on a lot of the rides at Universal, so if you have one with a change of clothes you will spend a lot of time going back and forth from ride lockers. Last time I visited (pre-COVID) I remember the locker areas being crowded and kind of a free for all, so to me the less you have to keep track of the better. But if you’ll really hate being wet all day then it may be worth the added effort.
Hey, just wanted to add that if anyone lives in Georgia or is driving down from up north (like say, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky or Tennessee), I’ve noticed the Kroger grocery stores in Georgia carry Universal Orlando gift cards for $50 and $100 denominations. I snagged one at the Dalton, GA location on Walnut last week and was able to use it in both theme parks and at CityWalk shops like Voodoo Donuts. Plus, I got 2X’s fuel points with Kroger for the gift card purchase. It was a win-win!
We have gone to Universal with nearly every WDW trip (using Lyft to move hotels from one site to the other), and last year did our first Universal-only long weekend trip. We’ve stayed at Portofino, Hard Rock, and Royal Pacific. Portofino Bay is our favorite by far. The theming is amazing. We love the pool with the beach area next to it. The increased cost of the room more than covers the cost of the express pass, which is a great bonus.
Universal is so different from WDW. There is little planning needed, particularly if you have the express pass. We’ve also had club level the last several visits, and can eat breakfast as well as dinner in the club lounge. Saves us even more.
Our boys (now 10 and 12) really get immersed in Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. We can spend so much time there that the rest of the park is just bonus. And of course the park-to-park is important so you can experience Hogwart’s Express. The trip is different depending on which direction you are going.
Overall it is a wonderful trip that my boys, husband and I look forward to as much as WDW or DL. And almost no advanced planning required, which most of us Disney fans can appreciate!
Oh! I forgot to mention that opera singers often serenade you at night on the plaza as you are disembarking the boats at Portofino. Truly wonderful and captivating!
Thanks for the information and the positivity! This will be our first trip after visiting Disney World the last 2 summers. We love Disney, but are looking forward to something different this year! Less planning is a bonus!!
We have gone multiple times now at the beginning or end of our Disney week. Our family is totally split down the middle as to which is better Universal 1st or last. We have always stayed at the Royal Pacific because it is the cheapest hotel that offers the express pass and you can walk to the parks which we do. I always wanted to check out the Portofino but it is always the most expensive and we were not looking for Italian food living in an area with lots of good Italian food and having been to Italy several times that’s not our typical go to in Florida.
We have really enjoyed the Royal Pacific and like having the express pass. Some rides you don’t need it but other times it is great.
Thank you for the info! We have a trip planned late August and go back and forth about still going. I heard Hagrid Motorbike virtual passes run out and you may not get one. This would be very disappointing to the kids. Do you have any more info on Virtual Passes and/or strategies. Also, we are staying onsite at Loews Royal. Will our express passes still work?
Classically Royal Pacific is one of the 3 onsite hotels that has offered free universal express unlimited passes to its guests. I’m not sure if anything has changed since the reopening though. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you!
We were just at Universal this week. Hagrid’s virtual queue opens right around 9. We had our pick of time slots at 8:57am, going on the app at the pedestrian security gate by IOA. It does not work from the hotels or Garden Walk, and did not work inside the gates at 7:30 or 8 (I went for a run and did lots of experimenting.)
I’m definitely interested in more in depth information about Universal. I appreciate both of your perspectives on WDW, so why not Universal? We had plans to be there in a week for a few days and planned on staying one night in a deluxe hotel for the two days of VIP passes for “free”. We were then going to spend a week at WDW for my daughter to participate in a dance workshop in Epcot and perform at Disney Springs. Maybe 2021 will finally be the year.
Thanks Tom. I’m looking forward to your reviews on Hard Rock and Portofino and how they compare to Disney.
We would love your updates on how to navigate Universal as it reopens. We are avid Disney fans and travel to WDW every year, following your blog for the best info! This year however we have our first Universal trip planned for October 2020 staying at one of their resorts. We would really appreciate your insight on how that will all work with their hotels and express passes. We haven’t heard much information from Universal but just read your blog on Disney canceling FPs, free dining, etc so we figured we’d try here to get the most up to date info! We read your Disney blogs all the time and they really helped us navigate through RoR last December since we were there 3 days after it opened! Thank for all your hard work in sharing all of this great information!
Omg same please update us after your trip! I’m so sad to skip wdw but I’m not willing to hang out in lines all day either :/ time to try something new excited but a little sad too… thinking of bipping over to Epcot for food and wine festival (i wish they would give us a concrete date so I could even consider it)
I have visited Universal Orlando lots of times and just about nearly every time during my 7 holidays to Orlando Florida experienced Universal, however I have begun to get very board of just about nearly every ride, most of the rides are very old and are not very attractive as well as what they could be as tourists want to experience something new during there visit back to Universal every 3 to 5 years. I therefore feel that Islands of Adventure Marvel Land is in need of a major development, as is the original Universal Studios in need for a major huge development. I paid to get into both parks during the November late period of 2019 and was out of them both within 5 hours tops. To be honest I really did not feel that my time was worth the money, they also have to consider fixing there staff as they are not welcoming towards there guests and don’t encourage them to stay long enough. My advise to anyone when visiting Orlando Florida is to go to Walt Disney World instead, as their is lots to do to keep you and your family happy and put a smile on your face whilst seeing and experiencing new things that will make your dreams come true. If Universal Orlando where to consider making any sort of updates to Islands of Adventure, I would highly recommend, turning the marvel land into a DC Land and bringing the films to life instead of comic characters.
We are planning a trip in August, can you please send me info on Universal Studios, dining, rentals etc
Love your trip blueprints ! Would love to see one for Universal 🙂
Me too! Tom, if at some point, you could do touring plans like you do for Disney that would be very much appreciated! One day, two day, etc. plus volcano bay
Thanks for all your helpful reports
We just got back from Universal. We had a pretty solid park plan based on these tips, but the Christmas crowds were overwhelming, especially at Hogwarts. Crowds were so bad for the first nightly Christmas showing at the castle that they were diverting foot traffic. You couldn’t move anywhere. At 8pm the crowds were thinner. We tried to ride Hagrid’s coaster several times. Wait times were consistently 280min all day. We went back at 8pm as suggested (park closed at 10) and the had shut the line down due to capacity so we never got to ride . I would definitely go right when the park opens and wait. The single rider line was closed all day.
Hahahah “but provide free lockers nearby for storing backpacks, cameras, small children, and whatever other random junk you might have on you…” this made me literally Laugh out Loud. Hilarious 😉
…. Anyway, I feel like the only time I’ve commented on your posts was to give praise and thanks for all your amazing articles, and ONCE AGAIN, don’t want to be creepy, but have to give you more props! We booked our trip to Disney for Christmas 2020, starting the Sunday after Thanksgiving for a week (as you have suggested, and also where we were 3 years ago this time when my husband proposed to me on the Boardwalk and we had the best trip ever thanks to all your advice!!!!) … and after booking this week had an epiphany that we really need to see/experience all that Universal has to offer, and I’m sooo happy that I have your blog as a stepping stone for advice on planning an Ultimate Christmas Disney/Universal trip!! (that may just be the last as only us as a couple before kiddos start popping up haha 😉
Thanks again for all your posts and hard work. I read this blog every day and enjoy every article, even if it’s about something I’m not particularly interested in; your photography and writing are just still so engaging 🙂
Thanks for being awesome Tom & Sarah!!! 🙂
We are going in August (yes I know it’s going to be SUPER hot but I’m a teacher and have to work around my school schedule). I’m hoping that many of the southern schools have already returned to school so it will help just a little with the crowds. I really don’t want to spend the extra money on the Express Pass. I have been to Universal about 6 years ago but this will be the first time for my girls, ages 10 and 12. We are currently reading Harry Potter with my oldest so I’m super excited to share the Wizarding World with her. We are going Sunday to Saturday with 3 days of tickets for Universal, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay. We have left one day open to take a side trip to Magic Kingdom (I can’t be that close to Disney and not go!!!). I’m nervous about using Uber or Lyft to get there but I hear it’s really easy. I like that we can do the dining plan just for certain people and certain days. I definitely want to look into that.
Tom, thank you so much for doing these reviews. I get so excited when I get them in my email. I love that you do various topics and even include Universal. I’m so jealous of all your experiences but love living vicariously through them.
August WILL be hot, but if you stumble into Knockturn Alley (in Diagon Alley), you will be pleasantly surprised with the “outdoor” air conditioning! We love Universal Orlando, especially Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade.
I heard that there’s a shuttle that will pick you up at your Disney resort and bring you to universal. Do you know if it’s still around?
Yes! We did this about 5 years ago. So, I’m not sure if it is still a thing or not. But you do have to set it up a few day’s in advance. It was a bit of a hassle so we actually ended up taking a Lyft the second time. Our next trip, we are actually staying at universal for 3 days before heading to Disney. I’m excited about experiencing one of universal’s resort.
We were at universal and Disney this past July… we were able to use express passes for all the Harry Potter rides except Hagrids. The only other ride that didn’t have an express line was the flyers.
I have been looking for a review of the Hagrid’s Motorbike adventure. Have you posted one yet? My family is doing an Orlando Informer Meetup at Universal in December. Have you ever done one? I’m guessing it will be something like the separate ticket parties Disney does. I’m hoping for shorter lines than we’d see in the park on a typical day. I’m wondering whether the better approach is to head to the Harry Potter attractions immediately when the exclusive party time starts or assume most people will do that and head elsewhere first, saving the HP stuff for later in the evening.
Sooo…if we are mainly interested in all things Harry Potter, what is your suggestion for getting that done? Can you visit both in one day?
I have seen some touring plans online for Universal. You CAN do a good bit in one day, though two would be better. You can absolutely do just the Harry Potter stuff in one day, though it might feel a little rushed, and you could easily wear yourself out.
If you do plan on just hitting the Wizarding World stuff and doing it all in one day, my suggestion would of course be to purchase the park-to-park ticket. It’s the only way you get to ride the Hogwarts Express, for one. And there are areas in both parks.
Hagrid’s ride is still going to be tricky as the line will be super long, and it’s still experiencing some hiccups. You will also not be able to use an Express Pass. I’d get that big wait out of the way ASAP. The other rides shouldn’t have super long waits if you’re going during a non-peak time of the year. If you’re going when school’s out, consider also purchasing an Express Pass if the lines look long. You can do this at any point leading up to your visit or even while you’re in the park.
Do the math a bit before you go and see if it’s worth it to get a Quick Service Dining Plan for the day. You might save a little money if you plan to eat at either the Leaky Cauldron or the Three Broomsticks. (Use your snack credit for a butterbeer.) They both have similar fair, so if you do one, you can probably skip the other.
Be sure to stay on top of the show schedules for both areas. Celestina Warbeck and the Tales of Beetle the Bard are both in Diagon Alley. Frog Choir and Triwizard Tournament shows are in Hogsmead.
Be sure to end your night in Hogsmead for the castle projection show.
Also be sure to download Universal’s app so that you can get an idea of the layout and ride times ahead of time.
On our last trip, we didn’t have time to go two days like we normally do. So my sister and I did BOTH parks in just one day. We were there opening to closing, but we did it!!! We did leave the the rest of the family back at Disney for a pool day, so it was pretty helpful to not be dragging kids around. We skipped the dr Seuss area to focus on rides and Harry Potter areas. We also go during “off season” so there weren’t long waits at any attraction. Ideally, 2 days is best, but if you only have 1 day, it CAN be done. Just prepare with a good touring plan in advance. If you are going at busier times, I would recommend buying the express pass, we bought it one year but ended up not even needing it because lines were so short (we go after spring breaks are over and before schools are out for summer) .
When you say, after spring break and before school is out for summer, do you think the week before Memorial Day weekend would qualify? I am trying to decide if we need express passes. We would arrive on Sunday and leave on Friday with Memorial Day falling on that coming Monday.