An Idiot’s GUIDE TO UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT

whilst not as big and complicated as the  competition down the road universal orlando   is the fastest growing theme park resort  in florida with several new attractions and   hotels opening in recent years with more on the  horizon which may be a bit daunting for newcomers hi i'm the frugal brit and for this video  i'm going to provide an introduction to   universal orlando resort that  is aimed mainly for first timers   or anyone that's looking for a bit of a refresh  as part of that i'm going to provide a brief   history and give a guide a tour of all the  main elements that make this incredible   holiday destination this video is divided  into seven parts so do use the timestamps   in the video description to skip through any  parts of the video that are not of interest   if you're headed to universal or disney world  anytime soon don't forget to subscribe and hit   the bell so you don't miss out on future news  reviews tips and other orlando vacation content to start with i'm going to cover the most basic  information relating to universal orlando resort   which is commonly known as universal orlando  or even just universal it is located a short   distance from the interstate 4 highway and  international drive it is completely separate   from walt disney world however many vacationers  will combine a visit to both resorts due to their   relatively close proximity in central florida  i have previously done a similar guide to walt   disney world which you can access here a common  misconception is that universal orlando resort is   the name of a theme park which is not correct  universal orlando resort is the name of the   entertainment resort complex which includes two  theme parks those being universal studios florida   and universal's islands of adventure you also have  universal's volcano bay water theme park within   the complex and i'll be taking you on a brief  guided tour of all three parks later in part three   you also have universal city walk orlando which  operates primarily as a nighttime entertainment   complex lastly universal orlando features eight  hotel resorts which we'll cover later within this   section i'll be covering a very brief history  of universal orlando it might not be everyone's   cup of tea as we say in the uk so feel free to  skip straight to part three if you're not in the   mood for history so back in 1982 plans were made  for a universal studios florida theme park and   a working studio which would mark the first time  that universal had constructed an amusement park   prior to this universal studios over in hollywood  was mainly focused on its flagship studio   tour attraction where a lot of special effect  exhibits and encounters were built into the tour   for example in hollywood the studio  tour trams travel close to the shoreline   and are attacked by jaws before they  travel to the next part of the tour   whereas for florida plans were made  for a designated jaws attraction   however the project was put on hold in 1986 when  co-founder steven spielberg realized that with a   bit more ambition and by building a back to the  future attraction specifically then universal   would be able to compete with the very successful  and fast-growing resorts at walt disney world and   seaworld unfortunately this led to disney stealing  the concept and opening its own movie-based theme   park mgm studios in 1989 which is now known as  disney's hollywood studios universal studios   florida was eventually opened in 1990 with its  main opening attractions being nickelodeon studios   confrontation earthquake the big one and jaws all  of which have since been replaced unfortunately in   1997 universal announced that universal studios  florida would be expanded into the universal   studios escape to include islands of adventure  universal city walk orlando and several hotels   this would be later renamed to universal  orlando resort in 2002 in 2007 universal   announced a section of universal's islands of  adventure would be rethemed to harry potter   this would later be named the wizarding world  of harry potter which opened on may 28 2010   in 2014 the hogwarts express was introduced  allowing guests to travel between hogsmeade   based in islands of adventure over  to king's cross and diagon alley   over in universal studios in 2017 the tropical  themed water park known as universal's volcano   bay was officially opened replacing wet n wild  as universal orlando resort official water park so i've introduced you to the basic info  and history of universal orlando but now   i'll take you on a brief guided tour of the  three parks starting with universal studios   florida theme park and production studio  themed around the entertainment industry   in particular movies and television and  encourages its guests to ride the movies   it features eight themed areas all  situated around its large lagoon   the first area is production central which sits at  the front of universal studios florida this is the   first area guests will see upon entering the park  after passing through the front lot whilst not one   of the most visually appealing sections as it is  intended to show the working side of the studios   it remains a very popular area of the park as  it contains some of the park's best attractions   which include the shrek 4d show despicable  me minion mayhem hollywood rip ride rocket   and transformers the ride as we continue  north we'll arrive at the new york section   which takes guests back to the classic new york  of the 1930s 40s and 50s be sure to explore the   crooked alleyways between the main streets  for some authentic looking urban backdrops   new york contains the blues brothers show the  race through new york starring jimmy fallon   and also one of universal orlando's  best coasters revenge of the mummy   heading east of the park we have the san  francisco section which unfortunately is but a   shell of what it was formerly amity and jaws were  replaced by the wizarding world of harry potter   the main attraction in this section  is fast and furious supercharged next in my tour is the hollywood section which  is close to the park entrance over the lagoon   this area aims to recreate the glamour and  energy of southern california from the 1930s   through the 1950s with some of the most  stunning architecture at universal orlando the main attractions in hollywood are universal's  horror makeup show and the born stuntacular   heading east will arrive at woody woodpecker's  kids zone obviously geared towards universal's   youngest guests this section provides a variety  of playgrounds and live shows including a day   in the park with barney you'll also find  the woody woodpecker nut house coaster   and the classic e.t adventure dark ride  which is no longer in operation at universals   parks in hollywood or japan just above  woody woodpecker's kid zone you'll find   the brightly coloured springfield which  is based on the simpsons tv show of course   you'll find a recreation of moe's tavern fast  food boulevard and many other cartoon landmarks the main attraction within  springfield is the simpsons ride   whilst great not quite as good as  the ride it replaced in my opinion   above the simpsons you'll arrive at world expo  which used to also contain the simpsons area   but was separated in 2017 this section  stretches around universal studio central lagoon   and contains the fear factor live stage show and also the men in black alien attack shooting  dark ride moving towards the final section of this   park tour you'll arrive at the wizarding world  of harry potter diagon alley one of the most   immersive theme park experiences in orlando once  inside you'll find plenty of shopping experiences   including the famous olivanders as well as unique  dining experiences such as the leaky cauldron   the main attraction within diagon alley is  harry potter and the escape from gringotts after you've finished you can make  your way back to king's cross in london   cross through platform nine and three  quarters and take a ride to universal's   neighboring theme park islands of  adventure via the hogwarts express as you're trained apart the busy london  streets quickly turn into the idyllic british   countryside once exiting you'll arrive at  hogsmeade station which is located right   outside the entrance to the hogsmeade village  worth mentioning that you can actually ride   back in the opposite direction via the  hogwarts express where the train journey   is equally entertaining and the queue is  also much shorter heading in that direction the hogsmeade area features snowy rooftops  through the village containing several storefronts of course taking center stage  is the majestic hogwarts castle the main attractions within hogsmeade include the  flight of the hippogriff junior roller coaster   hagrid's magical creatures  motorbike adventure which is the   newest attraction within the  wizarding world of harry potter lastly you have the harry potter and the forbidden  journey which is the signature attraction for the   area and located inside hogwarts castle as you  exit hogsmeade you'll realize that you are now   in a completely different theme park which  is universal's islands of adventure modeled   after a journey of exploration where guests  embark on an adventure to visit a variety   of themed islands of course the hogwarts express  is not the only way of entering this theme park   but it is certainly the most fun if you  choose to enter through the main entrance   you'll arrive at the port of entry home to several  shops and services and it also contains the faros   lighthouse which in the evenings sends a bright  beam to lead visitors to and from the park's gate next on my tour we're going to head over  to the richly themed lost continent which   is just south of hogsmeade this area is  themed to ancient myths and legends since   the park's opening much of the lost continent  was re-themed to the wizarding world of harry   potter its only main attraction left today is  the poseidon's fury indoor special effects show it's also home to the mythos table service  restaurant a strong contender for best theme park   restaurant in central florida heading clockwise  away from the lost continent you'll arrive at soos   landing which is based on the work of dr seuss  it features several themed attractions especially   geared towards small children the area is home to  a variety of dining outlets and merchandise shops   you'll also find playgrounds and a stage show  based on dr seuss books and characters the main   attractions are the cat in the hat ride which  sees visitors whisked through the pages of a book   and the high in the sky seuss  trolley train ride raises guests up   20 feet traveling through book based scenes  and giving a spectacular view over the park moving over to the west side of the park you have  the marvel superhero island which is based on   superhero characters featured in the marvel comics  some of you may be thinking doesn't disney own   marvel which is right however before disney did  marvel did sell the theme park rights in florida   to universal its main attractions include dr  dooms fearful the iconic incredible hulk coaster   and lastly you have the amazing adventures  of spider-man virtual reality ride just north of marvel superhero island is  toon lagoon based on cartoon characters   this area features a playground  built in and around popeye's ship   as well as two water-based attractions  you have popeye and pluto's bilge rap   which is a river rafting water ride  themed after popeye the sailor man and the main attraction at toon lagoon is dudley  do right ripsaw falls a traditional log flume   combined with roller coaster track moving now  to the newest section of the park you have   skull island this area contains  the skull island reign of kong   which is its sole attraction guests enter  under an intimidating sculpture of king kong   before heading to the dark heart of  the jungle surrounded by prehistoric predators heading over to the final section of my tour will  arrive at the immersive and deceptively large   jurassic park set after the events of the first  steven spielberg movie filled with exhibits one   would expect to find in a recreated jurassic park  the iconic visitors center is one of the first   things guests will see across the lagoon after  walking through the port of entry this center   provides interactive educational exhibits which  mixes in fiction from the jurassic park movie   including an animatronic raptor being hatched  the main attractions include pteranodon flyers then there's jurassic park  river adventure water ride   where guests board tour boats for an aquatic  tour through the grounds of jurassic park   you also have the upcoming jurassic  world veloci coaster coming summer 2021 the third park in my tour is  the polynesian-themed universals   volcano bay situated near international drive  and separated by the interstate 4 highway   one of the most unique things about this park  is its taputapu system which is an interactive   bracelet allowing you to tap into a virtual  ride cube before we get into this volcano bay   tour i should highlight that this is largely taken  from my volcano bait review and tips video so if   you've already watched the tour section of that  video then you may want to skip to this section all right so now i'll give you a full tour  of the four separate villages at volcano bay   including the 14 separate attractions in order of  popularity so ending with the thrill rides in and   around the volcano so with that said let's  head over to wave village located between   the park entrance and the base of the krakatoa  volcano designed for sunbathing and relaxation   in my opinion the most picturesque section of  the park with the lush tropical landscaping and   stunning views of the volcano the centerpiece  of this village is the waturi beach wave pool   with a stunning series of waterfalls that  pour into the sparkling lagoon adjacent   to the waturi beach is the reef which provides  guests with a more relaxing pool area featuring   its own private waterfall and an impressive  view of the kokiri body plunge drop slide   moving over to the north east section you'll  arrive at river village most suitable for families   and young visitors first up is kopico wai winding  river which is the centerpiece of this village   and passes through the tropical landscape of  volcano bay including the krakatau volcano for those of you with any young children  in your group you'll want to check out   runamaka reef this super  playful area which features   overflowing twisting slides bubbling  geysers water slides and more if you have any toddlers too small for all the  chaos of runamaka reef then you have top tiki reef   right next door with a top sized water volcano  splash slides and a family of friendly tikis with   spraying fountains lastly at river village you  have onu aika moana which features two twisting   and turning multi-person raft slides despite  being located in the child friendly village   these stomach dropping slides are  certainly not short on thrills nestled along the shores of a river rainforest  village contains an impressive assortment of   attractions for thrill seekers starting this  era you have maku and puihi which are two   multi-person raft slides maku features three high  banked saucer elements and then over on puihie   you'll careen through a dark winding cavern before  exploding out into the far side of its funnel   on the southern end of rainforest village you  have the oh no and oh yar drop slides where you'll   plummet down through twists and turns and saw out  into the waters at the base of the krakaau volcano   definitely not for the faint-hearted these are  known to take people by surprise as you're thrown   out six feet above the water into a 10-foot deep  pool at the heart of the rainforest village is   the tiawa the fearless river which you'll need  a life vest for you will soon understand why   as this is one of those lazy rivers but without  lazy with its churning rapids and chopping waves next up we have taniwa  tubes which consists of four   separate easter island inspired slides  with rafts for single or double riders the last section of my park tour is the krakatoa  volcano which is of course the centerpiece of   this entire theme park standing 200 feet high  not everyone is aware that you can actually   walk inside the volcano and even interact  with the island spirit named vol who's been   known to crack a joke or two the first ride at  the volcano is hunger races where single rider   guests are sent on their manta ray mats sliding  down four lanes through underwater sea caves   and the first races across the finish line  receives a watery salute from ponga himself next   we have kala and tai nui which are two high-speed  twisting body slides with the trap door starts   these two slides happen to be the joint tallest  drop capsule slides in the world at 125 feet   next up is kokiri body plunge which just  like the previous two slides on this tour   can also claim to be the joint  tallest drop slide in the world   for those of you brave enough to take the plunge  you'll take a 70 degree fall through a drop door   and down 125 feet of slide and ending in a  pool filled with guests at wave village the   final ride on my park tour which is the signature  attraction at volcano bay is krakatau aqua coaster   this is a very unique attraction in that it  combines both roller coaster and water slide   elements this ride will propel your four-person  canoe uphill using induction motors and through   dark twists and turns inside the volcano before  emerging with a plunge to a shimmering waterfall so universal orlando offers eight different hotel  resorts ranging from value to premier hotels all   eight hotels are located in close proximity of  the parks they offer early park admission and they   offer guests free water taxi and or shuttle bus  service i'll give you guys a very brief overview   of all eight hotels starting with the value  resort the endless summer surfside inn and suites   which has a surfing theme and you can check  out my full tour and review of this resort here   you also have the much larger sister resort  which is the endless summer dockside inn   suite which has a coastal retreat theme   both resorts have great transportation however i  should highlight that they're technically not on   site as they're situated on international drive  and universal boulevard for a lot of people this   is actually a good thing although a bit of a  shame that the access to idrive is a bit awkward   moving on to the prime valley resort so first  you have the relatively small aventura hotel this   17 story glass tower is situated in between  the sapphire falls and cabana bay this resort   is known for its competitive value but less  appealing to guests with young children due   to its subtle theming next we have the most  popular resort choice at universal orlando   which is universal's cabana bay this has a vintage  1950s and 1960s theme unlike the previous resorts   mentioned the cabana bay features two large  and well-themed pools a slide and a lazy river   probably the biggest appeal of staying at  the cabana bay is that it is next door to   volcano bay and has its own dedicated entrance  the negatives include limited food options   moving on to the moderate resort category  or preferred as universal calls it   we have the sapphire falls resort which has  a sunny caribbean island theme this resort is   located in between the royal pacific and cabana  bay both in terms of geography and with price   one of the big highlights of this resort is  its complementary water taxi transportation   allowing you to take the trip over  to city walk within 10 minutes   the final category of resorts at  universal orlando is the premier resort   one of the main selling points for this category  of resorts is the free universal express pass for   use at participating rides at universal  studios florida and islands of adventure   so starting with the asian inspired lowe's royal  pacific resort at universal orlando which is the   least expensive of the premier resorts and also  very popular with young families this hotel boasts   very strong theming great dining choices and  is located very close to islands of adventure   the second premier resort at  universal is the hard rock hotel featuring california mission style theming with  rock memorabilia throughout this resort boasts   expensive but great dining options a stunning  pool area fantastic theming in particular the   lobby area and also has the shortest walk over  to universal studios the final resort in the   premier category is lowe's portofino bay  which is universal's top of the line hotel authentically themed to the  harbour in portofino italy   it offers large and up-to-date beautiful guest  rooms and has three pools two quiet ones and one   with a huge water slide which resembles a roman  aqueduct it does pretty much everything well but   it is pricey it lacks variety and dining and its  sprawling property can be difficult to navigate   so universal orlando's ticket options can be  quite confusing for newbies as it really depends   on how many days worth of tickets you require how  many parks you want to visit and whether you want   park hopping privileges do keep in mind that  prices are pre-tax and they do vary by season   so tickets range from 109 for a one day one park  ticket to 391 for a five-day ticket for visiting   all parks including volcano bay i won't cover  all the options in between these two prices as   i'll leave a link to a full ticket guide in  the description but in a nutshell additional   days after day two tend to cost an extra 10  to 20 dollars per day and adding volcano bay   to your tickets costs about 55 to 75 and if you  want park to park privileges also known as par   hopping to disney guests that cost about 60 to  70 dollars for the total length of your ticket   it is difficult really to recommend what type of  ticket to buy because it does really depend on   how many days you have available and what you plan  to do but i'd be happy to give recommendations in   the comments based on your circumstances however  i will say that a park to park ticket is essential   if you want to ride the hogwarts express between  universal studios and islands of adventure which   is easily one of the best experiences at  universal orlando moving on to universal   express pass and express unlimited so express  pass is a paid add-on that allows you access to   an express line with a shorter wait time on most  universal attractions you have to purchase it for   specific days but guests of premier hotels get  the unlimited version for every day of their stay   personally i don't think it represents great  value for money in terms of what you get you can   have a great vacation without one one popular  way of getting express passes is to combine a   stay at both a value resort and a short stay at a  premier resort to get the express passes city walk   for those that don't know is a shopping dining and  entertainment district similar to disney springs   but unlike disney springs it's pretty much  impossible to avoid a city walk because all   entrances to the theme parks go through city walk  first also most guests will access the parks via   the parking and guest drop-off so we'll naturally  pass through pretty much all of city walk on   their way in and out city walk has a variety of  restaurants not quite on the same level as disney   springs but still great they already made a top 10  ranking of what i think are the best restaurants   to choose from at citywalk so you can check that  out if you'd like any help in picking do keep in   mind that at the end of the day as guests exit  the parks city walk becomes very crowded and the   restaurants do fill up so definitely recommend  making a reservation in advance some of you may   be interested in the universal dining plans which  can be accepted at over 100 locations throughout   the parks and city walk orlando do note though  that the table service option for the dining plan   is only available for resort guests i'll leave a  link in the description for a more detailed guide   so there's many different ways to travel to  universal orlando when heading to just the   parks and city walk you can park in one of  the two massive multi-story parking garages   signs will direct you from all four resort  entrances to the parking structures it's   very difficult to go wrong here self parking  does unfortunately cost 26 for cars at the   time of making this video but it is free after  6 pm after parking up you can then just head   out over to city walk there is also the option of  walking to universal orlando from a number of the   nearby offsite resorts the walk from the resort on  international drive may be a bit too far for some   but it is doable and can be an effective  money-saving strategy as covered earlier   resort guests have the option of universal's  shuttle bus transportation guests staying at the   portofino bay the hard rock hotel and the royal  pacific have the option to travel via water taxi   additionally walking from most resort hotels to  either theme park takes a maximum of about 20   minutes using the resort's winding garden pathways  if you're staying at walt disney world there are   a number of transportation services that will  take you over to universal orlando however i   would honestly just recommend getting an uber or  a lyft which costs between 20 to 40 with no hassle   but do obviously make sure there'll be enough  seats for your group transportation to volcano   bay is a little less straightforward assuming  you're not staying at an on-site resort then there   isn't a direct way of traveling over to volcano  bay as you can only do so via the shuttle buses   over in the main transportation hub near city  walk so do factor this into your travel time   that's all from me thank you for watching  if you're headed to orlando anytime soon   be sure to check out my hotel and theme park  reviews my restaurant ranking guides and lastly   if you're interested in future orlando  vacation content don't forget to subscribe

Channel: The Frugal Brit - Orlando

Views: 813,837

Keywords: Universal Orlando Resort, Guide to Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Studios Florida, Universal's Islands of Adventure, Universal's Volcano Bay, Universal Orlando Rides, first time at Universal Orlando, universal studios rides, orlando rides, the frugal brit, citywalk, citywalk orlando, endless summer resort, surfside inn and suites, dockside inn and suites, Universal's cabana bay, Universal Saphire Falls Resort, Hard Rock Hotel

Id: cGLhXR7ozWw

Length: 31min 3sec (1863 seconds)

Published: Sun Jan 31 2021