Welcome back to the final post of the Disney Den! Today we will be talking about a magical vacation, however, it won’t be at Disney. This is because we are exploring another fun theme park located in Central Florida – Universal Studios! Although I absolutely love Disney World, I have shared so much about each park, event, and food item on this blog and thought that it was about time to share the other Orlando theme park that holds my heart.
So, if you’re in the mood for a different kind of magic (Harry Potter, anyone?) keep reading for your guide to Universal Studios Orlando.
Wait – they’re not the same place?!
No – Disney and Universal Studios are both owned by different companies (The Walt Disney Company and Universal) and both own and showcase different franchises in the parks. This is why you will find Pixar, Disney princess, and Star Wars themed attractions in Disney World, while you will find anything from Despicable Me, to Minions, to Jurassic Park, and even Harry Potter in Universal Studios. There is just so much to explore in each park!
Map of Universal Studios (and Islands of Adventure)
Although Universal has a City Walk shopping area (very similar to Disney Springs) and an entire water park, today we will solely be focusing on the two theme parks: Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.
Universal Studios Florida
There is so much to do in this park, and in this post I will share my favorites. If you are looking for a one day itinerary of how to best spend your day in the park, check out this link!
My Favorite Attractions:
This is a 4D simulation ride that is located very close to the front of the park. Guests get to join Gru, his daughters, and the Minions on a ride where you are recruited to become a Minion; however, like most adventures, it certainly does not go as planned.
I enjoy this ride a lot, since it is very immersive and the queue is so detailed. However, the lines have been so long lately that I haven’t been on this attraction in a few years. My best suggestion is if you truly want to ride, get there early, or buy an Express Pass to skip the line. Otherwise, I have found that it is not worth it.
This is also a 4D simulation ride that is located close to Minions. In this ride, Megatron and his Decepticons are fighting for the AllSpark, and it is up to the guests, Optimus Prime, and Bumblebee to keep it away from him. It’s a fun battle that “blurs the lines between fiction and reality.”
I think the longest I waited for this ride was 75 minutes, and that was just because it was having some technical difficulties. I don’t like waiting a long time for rides (for me that’s probably an hour or more), but the special effects of this ride are so fantastic that it was definitely worth it. Ride this attraction if you can!
Revenge of the Mummy is by far my favorite ride in all of Universal Studios. It is a thrilling indoor roller coaster where guests flee from the evil Mummy Imhotep (inspired by “The Mummy” movie). It is just so fun and it’s almost impossible to tell what is going to come next.
I love this ride, and fortunately for me, it seems that not many other people like it as much as I (by that I mean that the line is not usually very long). If you are a roller coaster lover like myself, take advantage of this attraction and ride it several times in a row – you never know if you’ll have the same luck with the wait times later!
The Hogwarts Express is a slow moving train ride (and yes it is a real train!) that takes guests from park to park (between Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure). Since there is only one train, the wait can be lengthy, but it helps to save time when traveling between parks, and is also a genuinely fun ride!
In order to ride this attraction, you do need Park-to-Park tickets, however, it is so fun. You get to see a different storyline out the “window” depending on what direction you are traveling in (to Diagon Alley/London or Hogsmeade/Hogwarts). You even walk through Platform 9 3/4! This attraction is definitely a must-do.
This attraction is an exhilarating mix of a thrilling roller coaster, motion simulation, and a 4D experience. Guests are able to journey deep underground and explore the vaults of Gringotts, while encountering Voldemort, Bellatrix, trolls, and other creatures that stand between a safe return to Diagon Alley.
I adore this attraction – it is the perfect mix between an engaging simulator ride and thrilling coaster. It is on a track, as you are supposed to be riding the carts at Gringotts, and features so many different characters. The line can get quite long, so I suggest making this one of your first or last stops of the day to avoid the crowds; however, it is definitely worth the wait!
Islands of Adventure
While Universal Studios hosts themed areas and attractions based on Transformers, The Mummy, Despicable Me, Harry Potter, and Men in Black, Islands of Adventure offers more thrilling rides based on different franchises (with most of them focused on the water element of the park). In Islands of Adventure, guests can go through Cartoon Lagoon, find their favorite superheroes in Marvel land, see dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, stroll through Seussland, and see another side to the Harry Potter world. If you are looking for a one-day itinerary of what to do in this park, check out this link!
My Favorite Attractions:
This is one of the fastest and most thrilling roller coasters in the park, with a launch of up to 67 miles per hour as Hulk-like power propels you upside down into a zero-gravity roll. The story behind this ride is that guests are volunteers in a science experiment based on Dr. Bruce Banner’s research, where, you guessed it, they become Hulks.
This ride is so fun! When I rode it, we waited for maybe 30 minutes or so, in a queue that was not very interesting (so it made the waiting harder). I don’t think I would wait over an hour for this ride, but it is still a perfect option for those who seek a thrilling coaster.
This is one of the most underrated rides in the park, but definitely one of my favorites. It is a 4D simulator (very similar to the Transformers ride in Universal Studios) that takes guests on a “high-flying adventure” as Spider-Man soars above the streets of New York City to rescue the Statue of Liberty. One of the best things about this ride as well is that, like every Marvel movie, Stan Lee makes a cameo – so keep your eyes peeled!
For me, this ride is always a must-do. The attraction itself is spectacular and the line is usually short – making it a win-win situation to ride.
The VelociCoaster is the newest ride in Universal Orlando – and definitely the most thrilling. Guests board their vehicle for a high-speed dash through Jurassic Park’s raptor paddock, and can feel the rush of the hunt as they race alongside the predators and above the water. This coaster reaches a height of 155 feet and a maximum speed of 70 mph.
Although I have only ridden once, I had a fantastic time on this attraction! I waited about 40 minutes, and the ride was well worth the wait. It is not a long ride, but it is so thrilling that your heart will be racing for a long time afterwards. If you have the opportunity to ride this coaster, take advantage!
Hagrid’s is the second newest attraction in Universal Orlando, and like the VelociCoaster, is also a thrilling roller coaster ride. Guests are able to join Hagrid on his magical motorbike and fly deep into the Forbidden Forest on a ride that “plunges into the paths of some of the wizarding world’s rarest magical creatures.”
This coaster is ground breaking, for several reasons. First, there are animated versions of Hagrid himself, as well as so many life-size creatures throughout the ride. The coaster also travels backwards (still at high speeds) and even features a drop onto a lower track. The line, however, can get to be very long (even upwards of 5 hours!) so I would advise either going early in the morning or later in the evening.
- The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade
There is just so much to do in Hogsmeade that I thought I would make it one attraction. There are so many fun shops to check out, shows (such as Hogwarts Frog Choir and the Durmstrang students), and attractions. My favorite shop is definitely Honeydukes, where guests can buy all sorts of wizarding candy such as lemon drops, peppermint toads, fizzing whizz-bees, and the famous chocolate frogs.
The two attractions here (apart from Hagrid’s) are also spectacular. Flight of the Hippogriff is a short, but still fun, coaster that sits right across from the Hogwarts castle, where guests can learn how to train and fly on Buckbeak himself. Secondly, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey takes place in the Hogwarts castle itself, allowing guests to explore famous spots in the queue, and take a soaring adventure with the original trio themselves – Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
In conclusion … there are so many fun theme parks to visit and activities to do when in Orlando, it all just comes down to what your group prefers and what works the best for your party. Both Disney World and Universal Orlando have so much to offer – and the price points for tickets and skip-the-line passes are comparable. I enjoy both parks a lot, but usually end up spending more time in Disney World (simply because it is bigger).
Thanks for following along with the Disney Den this past year, and I hope that you were able to learn something fun from any of my blog posts! Like Mickey Mouse says, see ya real soon!