The ULTIMATE Guide to Universal Studios Orlando

we've heard your requests in the comments thank you for those by the way and we're here to give you an Ultimate Guide to Universal Studios Florida Today on dfb [Music] guide hey everybody it's AJ for Disney food blog we are thrilled to be making our first ever Ultimate Guide over on the universal side of things which has been a long time coming this is groundbreaking for us and now I finally get to talk about how much I love the ET ride even though I was genuinely terrified of ET as a child and thought he was going to come out of my closet in the middle of the night no joke sometimes I even saw a red glow coming out from under the door so Universal Orlando is made up of two theme parks the City walk shopping district and one majorly immersive water park like the best water park in Orlando no contest we're not going to talk about that today today's focus is going to be all on the Universal Studios Florida Park we've also got an ultimate Islands of Adventure guide coming out or already out if you're watching this from the future but if you want a free free guide that covers both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure like a free printable whatever PDF guide be sure to scan the QR code that you see on the screen right now or head to disneyfoodblog tocom Universal so we can send you our new Universal based digital Park companion come right to your inbox okay lights cameras action let's take a quick stroll around Universal Studios Florida just so we can get a good lay of the land when you enter through the front Gates just past that massive Universal Studios Archway you'll start off in what's actually a brand new area of the park illuminations minions land while the headliner ride of this area Minion Mayhem has been around since 2012 the rest of this land opened in August 2023 bringing with it some new places to snack and eat yes you probably saw like zillions of the minions snacks all over your social media as well as a revolutionary attraction called illumination villain con minion blast where you'll shoot targets while standing on a moving walkway word of warning those blasters are really big but they're not super heavy so kids should still have a good time trying this one out now if you keep on walking straight ahead you can rip yourself away from the minions you'll wind up in production Central which is home of Hollywood Rip Ride rocket Transformers the ride 3D and the music Plaza stage which rotates out popular artists and bands all year round on certain dates now Rip Ride rocket looks terrifying it is terrifying I'm not going to lie that is probably the ride that has made me cry the most in my life and then once you walk a few steps further you'll arrive in the New York area which is where you're going to find rides like race through New York stirring Jimmy Fallon and Revenge of the Mummy past the mummy coaster you'll eventually get to the San Francisco area which will be the quickest way you'll ever get from New York to California in your life San France Got The Fast and Furious supercharged attraction that well I wouldn't call the Park's strongest suit by any means but if you're a fan of The Fast and Furious films and I know some of you are dedicated then it may be still worth checking out and now we're coming up to the most immersive area of the park The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Dagon alley there are lots of magical things to see and do here like ride Harry Potter and The Escape from Gringotts try a cold or hot mug of butterbeer which one is your favorite please let me know and cast spells with those interactive wands if you choose to purchase them and stand in that really really long line outside diagonale is a small blink and you'll miss it section called World Expo where you'll find another Blaster attraction Men In Black alien attack but you can sit down and spin during this one continue following along the pathway you're going to arrive at Springfield USA home of The Simpsons here you can experience The Simpsons 3D ride jump aboard the Kang and Cotto's twirl and hurl aerial Carousel and Munch on some eats Straight Out of The Simpsons Universe if you really want to now this next section of the park isn't exactly at its prime right now but it's about to become something entirely new for 2024 the former Kid Zone play area will transform into an immersive land centered around the DreamWorks characters like Kung Fu Panda trolls and Shrek we're not exactly sure when this area of the Park's going to be open but we'll absolutely keep you updated once we hear more in the meantime you can still check out the dark ride et Adventures yay I hope that my editor plays a big round of applause right now for the ET ride which does not get enough love especially now that it's over there kind of in the weeds anyway ET will remain open during constructions you can ride it over and over and over again and finally we're making our final stop in Hollywood to complete our Universal Studios Florida Circuit Hollywood may not have any big rides for us to shout out but it does have a few fun shows that we'll talk about more later on as well as some unique places to grab a quick bite to eat now FYI we interrupt this Universal Studios Florida tour to bring you some exciting news in 2 Universal of Orlando will be opening its third theme park gate epic Universe if you haven't heard about this where have you been crawl out from under that rock this is important epic universe will introduce guests to four new lands several new rides a new hotel and loads of other new attractions and restaurants and gift shops in highly immersive areas so far the only confirmed land we know of for sure that'll be included in Epic universe's Super Nintendo World which we saw open at Universal Studios Hollywood for the first time in 2023 they also have it in Japan however the three other rumored lands for this park might also include How to Train Your Dragon Dark Universe featuring classic Universal monsters and a third Wizarding World section based on the ministry of magic which is very cool if you've gone through the Harry Potter like Studio Tour thing in any of the cities that it's currently in there's like a big giant section that looks very Ministry of magicky and that would be interesting if they kind of brought that vibe but again these other areas haven't been officially confirmed by Universal yet we're excited to learn more about epic universe as more is announced but if you're planning on visiting the universal bubble in 2024 you're not going to have to worry about planning around a whole other theme park yet that may be good news for you if you don't want to deal with all the extra crowds that are bound to follow epic universe's grand opening but it may also be bad news for you if you don't want to miss out on all the new stuff by planning your Universal vacation too early to get a better idea about when you should plan a vacation to Universal Orlando check out our recent video should I go to Universal Orlando in 2024 how about that we got that for you already so we can help you decide if the pros of a universal trip this year outweigh the cons or vice versa okay I said I was done with the tour but there's a bunch of other stuff that happens at Universal that I need to tell you about real quick before we get to Big tips and eating and all the rest of the hot Goss that we're going to talk about with Universal Studios Florida so one of the main draw for the Universal Parks is of course all of the rides The Coasters the 3D attractions there's a lot of 3D attractions just FYI if you get motion sick however Universal Studios Florida does manage to offer a lot more experiences outside of its ride so we're going to go over those real fast for you character zones they allow you to meet and greet with characters you're absolutely not going to find at Disney like Scooby-Doo and the Mystery gang the minions both good and purple Larger than Life Transformers The Simpsons SpongeBob and friends and other fan favorites that you'll recognize from those classic movie and TV series that both kids and adults have grown to love now if you're looking for a sitdown show to get a breakaway from the massive ride lines in Florida heat you got options the born stunt tacular in the Hollywood area for example is one of those sit on the edge of your seat acrobatic and stunt performances where you'll follow Jason Bourne during an action-packed live show it's got motorcycles it's got helicopter it's got lots of danger but if stunts done by humans aren't thrilling enough for you then you may prefer checking out the animal actors on location instead don't worry no life-threatening stunts are going on over here just some good entertainment where you're going to get to watch a variety of animals have a fun time playing with their trainers on stage who doesn't want to do that now one of the most unique shows that you're going to find not just in this park but across theme parks Nationwide is universal Orlando's horror makeup show which takes you behind the scenes to show you how Universal's classic action movie monsters are created before the camera crew yells action show times for these performances can be found on the free Universal Orlando resort app which you should definitely download that's V important meanwhile over in Diagon Alley you can also check your Universal app for those open a performances that happen throughout the day like the musical stylings of celestina warbach and the Banshees or a slightly Eerie puppet show retelling the tales of beetle The Bard Street mosphere is Alive and Well in Universal Studios Orlando thank goodness cuz we have very little of it over in Disney other show performances that you can catch several times during your visit include the beat Builders which is a show that transforms construction site equipment into a full-on percussion set the Blues Brothers show which yes will perform that soulman song you probably best know these guys for Marilyn and the diamond Bellas bringing you the glitz and glamour of Marilyn Monroe to present day for us to enjoy live and many other musical performances that once again you can check out on the universal app when you get the chance I'd recommend downloading that app before your next visit you can get a good idea of what you want to add to your daily itinerary besides just the rides now let's talk about the Trinity of Universal Studios Seasons that could affect your choice of when to go to this park the first is Marty Gro International flavors of Carnival which will run from February 3rd to April 7th in 2024 during Marty grow you're going to be able to try a bunch of limited time Cajun inspired eats and drinks from select restaurants and vendors you're going to be able to catch colorful beads during an over-the-top per parade that does not hold back on the Frills and fun but don't worry this is all very familyfriendly the tops are definitely still up you won't have to do anything extra to receive those Marty Gro beads if you're picking up what I'm putting down Universal goes through a bit of a dry spell though after Marty Gro wraps up but once we get into the fall they do a 180 on us and put on their biggest event of the Year Halloween Horror Nights unlike Marty gr Halloween Horror Nights is a separately ticketed event from your regular Park ticket and it allows you to stick around the park after hour hours to explore its very very very dark side you know how I was talking about the horror makeup show earlier Universal shows off those skills to the extreme during this event with their multiple scare zones and live shows and highly immersive haunted houses they are some of the best in the business some of them are themed around popular Thriller TV shows and scary movies like in 20123 with the Last of Us stranger things in The Exorcist While others have completely original story lines made specifically for the horror nights event and this is a huge huge huge deal y'all people can actually buy a ticket and they do buy a ticket that lets them go to all the horror nights it is like the Super Bowl for people who love to be scared unlike Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party though you can't wear a costume to Halloween Horror Nights so come dressed as you're ready to be scared self or wear a spooky bounding outfit that still gets you into the spirit of the Season you're also not going to find any no boo land for sale here like some other non-universal Parks have for their Halloween events so a warning to all parents out there anyone who walks into this event is free game for the scare actors to terrify Universal recommends that kids under the age of 13 might want to hold off on this one because seriously it is very very scary I personally can't do this event I had nightmares after watching like I Am Legend So we did send our social media Queen Cassie out out there to scope out the scene this year with our friends over at allers thanks for taking one for the team Cassie but to be fair I think Cassie loved it so when you get the chance to jump over to the allers YouTube to scream along with the AE crew while still learning plenty of tips and tricks along the way I know for a fact that Emma over at all ears was unbelievably terrified at this event so I mean just kind of watching her just in absolute terror is kind of a very clear indicator of what happens to people at this event anyway after Halloween things get a whole lot less spooky as universal celebrates holidays of course they've got lots of live performances plenty of U tide day core to keep you in the spirit Universal Studios Florida also puts on their very own Macy's Parade featuring Decked Out floats and massive character balloons themed after characters from illuminations and DreamWork studios Okay now we've gone through some of the rides we've gone through the other attractions you know what time of year you might want to go to Universal Studios Florida now it's time to talk about the express pass right let's figure out how to get you to the front of the line as cheaply as possible much like Disney Universal's got a way to pay to skip the lines that you can add on to your trip it's called The Universal Express Pass Universal alandro offers two types of Express passes the standard Universal Express Pass allows guests to skip the lines one time per ride and ranges from $89.99 to $349.99 per person depending on the season and the Universal Express unlimited option ranges from $99.99 to $379.99 per person on top of your regular Theme Park admission and allows unlimited ride skipping privileges for every participating Ride Now skipping the line doesn't mean you go to the very front of the line you basically enter into a separate express pass line and then you're mixed in with everybody else when you get to the pre-show room but you're still going to wait a lot less than everybody else now don't worry I'm not going to glaze over that astronomical price tag during the busiest times of the year getting an Express Pass could mean more than double the price you were originally going to spend on just a standard ticket per person now spending $15 to $35 on Genie plus isn't looking so bad anymore right but here's the thing some folks still actually do prefer the express passes over at Universal to the genie plus add-ons at Disney World for a few key reasons one of those biggest ones it's just an easier system to use in general while Genie Plus's lightning Lanes take a lot of strategizing throughout day and pre-planning before your visit the express passes are more straightforward as in you can literally walk up to whatever ride you want to skip the line for in Universal whenever you want and just get on the ride it's as simple as that that high price actually handles the supply and demand situation and not as many people pay for it so not as many people are fighting the Battle of getting to the front of the line and better yet if you're planning on staying at one of universal Orlando's Premier tier Resorts aka the Hard Rock Hotel Royal Pacific resort Pino Bay you'll actually be given complimentary Express passes so you might be able to skip over the 90 to $380 expense in general just by staying on universal property but I haven't really answered the question yet right are Express passes worth having inside Universal Studios Florida well if you're getting them for free while staying in a premier tier Resort then absolutely they are but if you're having to pay for them out of pocket I guess it all really depends most times of the year you should be able to get on the Universal Studios Florida rides in one day no problemo but if you're going during Peak travel times like spring break and the Christmas season well you should still be able to get on all the rides but you will be waiting in long lines now if you're wanting to jump between Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure for one Epic day across both parks that's when the express pass expense starts to become more worth it since it'll help you accomplish as much as possible in a single day that being said you will not be able to use your express pass on Hagrid's motor bike Adventure over in the Islands of Adventure so if that's one of the key reasons you want to buy this pass just keep that in mind before you click purchase moving on to food we may be called Disney food blog but that doesn't mean we can't hit you with the best places to eat in Universal as well we are all about theme park food we don't care where it is now for quick immersive eats Universal Studios is made up of on the-go counter service places where you'll order dine and get back to the park as soon as possible and while not every Universal fast food joint is going to knock your sock Bo off the creativity and Unique Eats featured at some of them can be impressive we're going to start with the Leaky cauldron straight out of the Harry Potter books and films this place puts you in a spacious and slightly grungy looking restaurant that serves up British favorites like bangers and mash and Fisherman's pie and Scotch eggs and other quirky cozy eats but many of you know that my big big problem with any sort of Harry Potter land institution over there at Universal is that they don't have typical soft drinks on the menu you can't get a Coke you can't get a Diet Coke you can't get a Sprite they only have their special Harry Potter drinks like your pumpkin juice your butterbeer stuff like that so if you or a picky kid is not going to be up for that stuff then BYO C next Cafe labomba this keeps things classy and quick with its menu of Southern California Mexican inspired eats so burritos tacos Trace Lees and the like oh and don't don't forget about the walk up Mimosa window right outside the restaurant which often has seasonal Mimosa varieties too minions Cafe is next that's Universal studios's newest Quick Service this has a very sort of Japanese theme park food Vibe where everything is just totally totally themed to the max if you can't get enough of those cute little yellow pill-shaped Sidekicks then dining at a quick service completely devoted to them is going to add more fuel to your minions Obsession the food here is really colorful and creative without being being so out there that picky eaters aren't going to want to touch it now some of our favorite minion inspired eats that we've tried so far are stuff like Lucy's top secret salmon with coconut blue rice the steak and cheese Ray sandwich and the Mel's meatball Mountain AKA a wood oven baked stuffed pizza with meatballs basil fresh mozzarella and marinara oh and expect lots of banana stuff going on here instead of fries you're going to get green banana chips on the side in several different Entre because of course you are this is the minions next up is cletus's Chicken Shack several of The Simpsons based quick Services aren't exactly phenomenal cletus's Chicken Shack does have some pretty tasty Fried Chicken Entre that help make up for it this includes options like the chicken and waffle sandwich and double batter chicken platter and the today Cafe is themed around NBC's morning news program and offers fresh salad sandwiches coffee all day long the salads here are made with mixed greens fresh veggies and Quality Meats which is a nice alternative to your typical theme park fried situation plus you you also get to watch Snippets from The Today Show because why why wouldn't you want to do that after you spent a lot of money to be in a theme park who doesn't love the Today Show okay important note many of these quick services use the mobile order feature found on the Universal Orlando resort app that's going to help you skip over the main physical restaurant standby line and notify you when your food is ready for pickup so familiarize yourself with it and use it it's going to save you a ton of time now how about a sit down meal again Universal Studios Florida is more about Speedy Food Service than sit down dine experiences but with that being said this park still manages to have a couple table services that you might want to make time for during your next visit first finnean bar and grill this is a cozy Irish Pub it serves beer on tap and comfort food Galore one of the best things to order here is the famous potato and onion web apps made with thinly sliced potatoes and onions that are hand dipped in beer batter then fried to crispy golden brown Perfection and Lombard Seafood Grill if you love all things Seafood then Lombards is the Universal restaurant for you this table service spot themed to look like an old timey ship serves up monstrous lobster rolls and crispy fried fish and chips and tons of other fish shrimp and lobster Entre for your Seafood love and needs now maybe you want to escape the park if you're looking for more table service options just step outside the universal Park Gates and check out the CityWalk scene for a larger variety of sitdown meals Bubba Gump Shrimp Co this is a chain it's a popular Forest Gump themed restaurant can be found in several tourist locations around the country including right here in CityWalk this kitchy table service is all sorts of seafood goodies for you to choose from including you guest it tons of shrimp it's everybody's dad's favorite restaurant and then there's the toothsome chocolate Emporium this is a restaurant it's a bar it's a confectionary it's a steampunk Paradise tooth suum is the most immersive dining experience in CityWalk serving up a variety of dishes and desserts that cater to a bunch of different Petes we're talking steaks and seafood chocolate bread Artis Al shakes and so much more and you may also get to meet the creator of this establishment Penelope p toothsome and her right-hand robot jacqu during your meal now I've had good and bad experiences here so I would love to hear your reviews in the comments as well do you recommend toothsome do you not recommend toothsome what do you think moving on to Cowfish if you can't decide whether you're craving Sushi or Burgers why not go somewhere that does both Cowfish is an underrated spot that can be the perfect place for your group to agree on if your group consists of both picky and adventurous eaters your choices include everything from fried calamari to jalapeno bacon Burgers to burgushi rolls that combine burgers and Sushi together to create this mad scientist likee concoction that's so Innovative and weird it might actually work Margaritaville much like Bubba gumps and Cowfish Margaritaville is another one of those touristy chain restaurants that'll tempt you to dine there simply because the Vibes scream vacation you can probably guess what Margaritaville is fam famous for and if you can't well it's their Frozen margs that's okay we're going to help you out here at dfb and along with the booze and the blender you can get specialty food items here that are also based after iconic Buffet songs like volcano nachos and the Cheeseburger in Paradise and if you see that colorful tie-dye building in the distance that's an toito a table service that serves authentic Mexican Cuisine like shrimp tostadas and chili Rano and street tacos and many other satisfyingly filling Mexican inspired Entre but if you don't want to sit down and have a full meal and you also don't want to deal with the time it takes to have a quick service meal let's talk some snacks some of these are Hardy enough to become a meal in and of themselves and they're super quick others are great little afternoon pickme ups when you're in need of a little Savory or sweet snack to keep you going either way you're going to want to add these Universal Studios Florida snack locations to your list Central Park Crepes is it Blasphemous to say we may like the Crepes at Central Park Crepes better than the ones at Epcot cuz I think the Cal Central Park Crepes really do something great here each crepe is loaded with sweet and savory ingredients making the portions huge and the flavors tasty some of our favorite flavor combos from the past have included the chicken and goat cheese the strawberry and Nutella and the lemon blueberry and next to turns out I do have one more Simpsons themed food recommendation up my sleeve the Bumblebee man taco truck doesn't leave what it sells to the imagination you're going to find street tacos here with options including Korean beef carneada and marinated chicken now if you're looking for Homer simpsons's favorite food lard Lads got those giant Pink Donuts that the dude would sell his soul for as well as a few other doughnut options like the maple bacon doughnut the Oreo doughnut or the simple chocolate glazed now these are doughnut King Donuts which is a very popular local kind of bakery that creates these and they're actually really really good floran for escuse is the ice cream parlor for wizards and witches all right and Muggles too you can try out their specialty butterbeer ice cream here but we highly recommend the chocolate strawberry peanut butter Sunday made up of strawberry peanut butter ice cream and topped with hot fudge whipped cream and shortbread crumbles and we're back to the land of gibberish speaking yellow dudes at Freez Ray pops you can order several different popsicle flavors including specialty options based off of popular characters from the Despicable Me franchise this includes a Nutella flavored Gro pop an orange cream Vector pop and of course the blue banana minion pop and then the London taxi Hut so right outside Diagon Alley sits in on assuming kiosk that pedals jacket potatoes those baked potatoes now Ria and I weren't sure if we should include this in the list but honestly if I can find a good baked potato I'm definitely going to tell you about it you can choose from a classic loaded potato bean and cheese broccoli and cheese or one with shepherd's pie toppings piled with lots of meat and veggies so food taken care of you are satiated you have ridden a bunch of rides you have cried on RI ride rocket it is time for pro tips before before you head into Universal Studios Florida Ready To Conquer it all in a day there are some important fact toids you need to know to help you master this park Pro tip number one bring a smaller bag or backpack several popular Universal rides across both of their Parks require you to use their provided lockers to store your bags and other belongings it's a super handy system I really really like it but that means your stuff has to fit in locker so you have to store your stuff before you ride R ride rocket Revenge of the Mummy Harry Potter and the escape from grots and Men In Black alien attack because I guess Universal scared the aliens will abduct your stuff I don't know anyway the standard size lockers are free and will easily hold small bags purses wands wallets and phones however if you're carrying around something bulkier like a giant backpack or like a big old popcorn bucket then you're going to have to splurge an extra two bucks for one of the larger lockers instead the lesson here bring as little as possible if you don't want to pay for a big Locker each time you get on one of those rides Pro tip number two track down those single Rider lines lots of Universal's rides have a single Rider queue that can help you cut down on those attraction weit times and while this can be a great way to save time without you having to spend an extra scent your party will be split up if you use these cues meaning parents and kids can't stick together unless they use the regular ride line so this is a good option if you're getting really really tired of like your spouse or the per your best friend the person you're with and your listen let's use the single Rider line and then you get like Blissful piece for a little while okay Pro tip number three consider investing in a reusable freestyle cup the universal reusable freestyle cups work very differently from Disney Worlds while Disney's reusable mugs only work at the hotels the universal mugs work anywhere inside the universal bubble that has a freestyle machine in both parks and the CityWalk district for a flat rate of $17.99 they also let you refill on ices too that is amazing the downside of the universal cups is that they only work for a day where Disney's cups are good for free refills for 14 days that being said the universal freestyle cup can be reactivated for any and all future visits for $10.99 all right now hold up everyone I got to warn you about some things that you're bound to come across during your next Universal Studios Florida visit this is yes this is the warning part of this video first of all you can find the Hogwarts Express over in the wood visiting World section but here is the kicker you must purchase a parkto park ticket to board this train which grants entrance to both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure on the same day basically it's a park hopper so in order to ride Hogwarts Express you have to have a parkto park ticket Hogwarts Express is a fun little ride it mostly serves as a way to connect the hogsmeade station at Islands of Adventure with Kings Cross station at Universal Studios Florida so if you don't have a parkto park ticket you won't be able to hitch a ride now is it a must do probably not but it's still cute and it's fun and if you're a Harry Potter fan then of course you have to do it a bonus tip have your park to park ticket out and ready as you approach the entrance to either station since it'll need to be scanned before you can board the train believe me you do not want to be that person rumaging through your bag frantically trying to find your ticket and feeling like you're holding up the line cuz I've been there it's awful don't do it secondly the park you're visiting could close early During certain times of the year both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure May close earlier than you could anticipate especially during events like Halloween Horror Nights fortunately you can check on those park hours ahead of your trip over on the Universal Orlando website and on the flip side of things you may end up getting more time in the park if you're eligible for early Park admission by virtue of being a universal annual passholder or a Universal resort hotel guest again early Park admission isn't a daily thing for both parks so it's important to check ahead of time and see when that Resort benefit will be available during your trip that way you can use it to get up to potentially an hour of extra time in your Park of choice and finally for all my folks out there who do empathize with that motion sickness situation prepare yourself because Universal has a bunch of rides that could trigger your head and stomach real easily like I'm mentioned before with the 3D rides lots and lots and lots of the attractions at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure are 3D screen experiences along with other ride elements that'll mess with various body parts so if those kind of ride style set you off then you're going to want to pack some non-d drowsy anti-nausea meds and patches just in case if you do forget to bring those and you end up feeling real lith hated after back-to-back 3D rides single doses of medication are available for free at Universal studi first aid location you can find first aid over at Family Services toward the front entrance of the park all right so we've covered food we've covered rides we've covered Express passes we've covered Pro tips we've covered warnings and this is only the beginning of our Universal tips and tricks and recommendations for this year so keep checking back in for more news and updates more detailed guides and information and don't forget to download our ultimate Universal Park guide over at disneyfoodblog docomo also let us know what else you want us to cover when it comes to the universal theme parks thanks for listening everyone and thanks for watching as always this is AJ for Disney food Vlog and we'll see you real soon

Channel: DFBGuide

Views: 183,691

Keywords: disneyfood, disney, disney world, disneyland, disneyvideo, disneyvacation, food, disney parks, disney travel, disney tips, disney guides, disney planning, disney trip, disney how to, disney vlog, disney vlogger

Id: 0C0LVR2OoKU

Length: 30min 30sec (1830 seconds)

Published: Tue Jan 16 2024