Universal Orlando Review
Hello dear readers! Today I am going to give a general overview and review of my latest visit to Universal Orlando Resort. I get a lot of people who ask me if this is a good vacation destination for their family, and I am hoping to help answer that question for you!
First of all, if you answer yes to any of the following questions, Universal Orlando is for you:
Do you like the Harry Potter book and/or movie series?
Do you like to ride roller coasters?
Do you like water rides?
Are you a fan of Dr. Seuss?
Do you like waterparks?
Do you like having fun?
Okay, I kid a little about the last one because I do realize there are some people out there who don’t like theme parks. I am not that girl, but I respect your choice.
I personally think the addition of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is the reason this park is still open. The things they were able to accomplish to basically bring the movies to life are nothing short of amazing.
I have been an avid Harry Potter fan since I read the first book in 8 hours my junior year of college (only 4 books were out by that point in time…I am old LOL). The first time I stepped into the Wizarding World it took my breath away. The attractions did, too. Escape from Gringotts is still one of my top rides ever and walking through Hogwarts Castle will always amaze me.
Top that all off with the latest (and my new favorite Wizarding World attraction), Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure and you have some top notch experiences that anyone can enjoy. Does it help to be a fan? Yes. Is it necessary? No.
This most recent trip was for my youngest daughter’s 11th birthday. If you aren’t a Harry Potter fan, that is the year children get their invitation letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, so I started the tradition with my oldest daughter to take their first trip to Universal Orlando during that birthday year. Both of my girls are avid Harry Potter fans (my oldest might be a bigger fan than I am) and they were very excited to get their wands.
My daughter and I chose to stay at Royal Pacific Resort for the added bonus of the Express Unlimited Pass and the proximity to the parks. This was my first time staying here and I will definitely be back. It took us less than 10 minutes to walk to the CityWalk entrance. I love this option because security is a breeze since there aren’t as many people trying to get through at this access point. It also took us closest to Islands of Adventure, which happened to be the park with early admission for resort guests. While it is one of the more expensive resorts on Universal property, the convenience is totally worth it in my opinion.
Royal Pacific Resort
Walking path back to the resort after a successful first park day
We got up early each morning to make sure we were in line for early admission. We arrived about 30 minutes before open and were fairly close to the front of the line. Within 10 minutes the line was significantly longer, so if maximizing time and minimizing wait time is important to you, I always suggest showing up early. This allowed us to go right to Hagrid’s and have a minimal wait since this is currently the only attraction that does not have an Express Pass lane.
We had 3 days in the parks so we weren’t in a rush to get everything done. We love to re-ride, though, and the Express Unlimited Pass allowed us the opportunity to experience our favorite attractions multiple times. We still would have been able to do this without the Express Unlimited Pass, but we would have had to make a few more choices on what to do again versus being able to do everything we wanted.
I am a huge roller coaster enthusiast and have been for basically my whole life. I love them, especially the bigger, faster, more thrilling ones. If you also love thrill rides, you definitely need to experience both parks at Universal Orlando. The top coaster I have ever ridden is located at Islands of Adventure. The Velocicoaster fits all my good coaster requirements: fast, big drops, and loops. I am not going to lie that it looks a little terrifying when you first sit down because the seats and restraints seem very minimal. But you are super secure and the ride is so much smoother than other coasters, so you forget all about once you are on the ride. Technology constantly amazes me and this coaster is definitely a reflection of it.
The other coasters at Universal Orlando are also great and are definitely much better than Disney on the thrill ride component. The Incredible Hulk has been a favorite of mine since my first visit in 2003 (though my older daughter thought it was kind of lame, but she rode Velocicoaster first so I can understand the let down in this case).
I love the song choice option on Hollywood Rip Ride RockIt, and one of my very favorites is The Mummy. It is short, but fast and fun. It is also indoors so the weather won’t shut it down. Same with Escape from Gringotts since it is also indoors. The 3D tech and interactive story is so much fun.
I mentioned water rides because I hear they are some of the best at any theme park. I actually can’t tell you about them because I really dislike water rides and have never ridden them here. This is for a couple of reasons: the first few times I visited it was December/January so it was way too cold for water rides. The other reason is I very much dislike wearing wet clothes around the park and these rides WILL drench you. The wait times in the summer are long (obviously…Florida heat and humidity are no joke). I get a chuckle out of the people who look like they got caught in a downpour when they get off the ride, but you will probably never see me on one. But, if you like them, definitely go! The themes are fun since two are located in Toon Lagoon and one is Jurassic Park themed (Side note: This one you will probably not get me on even if you don’t get totally drenched. I have a weird phobia of animatronic dinosaurs on rides. Not getting into that but if you want to know more I will give you the backstory LOL).
Fans of Dr. Seuss will love the attractions here. This is the most family friendly part of the park and has smaller and more traditional theme park kid rides. So, if you go with younger kids (or if you are just young at heart) definitely don’t miss this part of Islands of Adventure!
Volcano Bay is a MUST do location for any water park fan. Even if you aren’t a water slide fan and just want a relaxing day, this is still a great stop. I have very much enjoyed both of the times I spent here and think the slides and waiting system are amazing. It is definitely worth a day of your time! We did a half day and were able to do pretty much everything, but we were moving pretty quickly since we wanted to get back to the theme parks in the late afternoon/evening.
My only real complaint about Universal Orlando is that beyond the attractions I have already mentioned, most of them involve 3D technology that my body doesn’t love. I can handle Gringotts fine and can do Transformers and Spiderman once, but the ones with large screens and moving seats are kind of no go for me. It is amazing technology, but I am basically done after one of those and need a long break. If you are the same, I caution you! And I am going to tell you to never go on The Simpsons Ride. I know some people love it and are big fans, but I can’t do it. I end up closing my eyes for a good portion of these rides to calm the nausea.
Food at Universal Orlando is pretty much standard theme park fare, with the exception of the 2 Wizarding World restaurants. I personally like The Leaky Cauldron the best and have enjoyed every meal I have had here.
Shepherd’s Pie and kids fish and chips at The Leaky Cauldron
If you like cream soda and/or butterscotch flavors, do NOT miss having a Butterbeer in the Wizarding World. I have had all the forms available and here is my order of favorites: frozen, hot, ice cream, cold, potted cream. Always get frozen unless you are there when it is cold and they have the hot version. Just take my word for it, okay?
There are some great sit down restaurant options, especially in CityWalk, which is free to anyone. Toothsome Chocolate Emporium is a fun stop and I really enjoyed Cowfish and Vivo during our trip this summer.
One other thing to keep in mind when you are thinking about a Universal Orlando vacation is that this theme park takes much less planning overall than Disney. It is more of a traditional theme park in this aspect. I find it much more laid back overall!
Do you have any questions about Universal Orlando? Or if you have been, what is your favorite attraction? Let me know in the comments!
