Universal Studios Florida. How To Have The Best Day.

Ticket prices are constantly going up along with crowd levels at the parks nowadays. Having the BEST day at the parks can be a challenge. But I’m here to show you that with good planning and if you follow my tips, it is easy to maximize your time and fun at Universal Studios Florida.

Whether you are looking for the most thrills, a fun day for the whole family, or just a relaxing time to enjoy some of the best theme park snacks, I got you covered.

Arrive at Universal Studios Early!!!

I cannot stress this enough! If you want to maximize the fun and get on as many rides as possible in your day, this is a must.

Typically guest start lining up an hour before the parks open for early park admission (or EPA, we’ll get into more detail on that later). One hour before EPA is when security opens and allows entry to the parking garage, City Walk, and both walking paths from the Universal Resort Hotels.

The gates will open about 15 minutes before EPA. Typically EPA is only available at Islands of Adventure except on busy holiday periods where they’ll also open up at Universal Studios as well. Guest are mostly run… (not running because running is not aloud :-D) walking to Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motor Bike Adventure and a small percentage to Velocicoaster.

If you have EPA , get in line early, and head to Hagrid’s first, then you should also be able to knock out Velocicoaster well within the first hour (maybe even two rides on Velocicoaster!)

EPA (Early Park Entry) is available for all Universal Resort guests, Premier Annual Passholders, and most of the time, Preferred Annual Passholders. If you are a Preferred Pass holder and need the most up to date information please visit https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/tickets-packages/annual-passes/early-park-admission .

If you do not have EPA, you can still enter the park early. You’ll be able to get coffee at Starbucks or breakfast the Croissant Moon Bakery. You will not be able to enter the past Suess Landing or the bridge to Marvel Island. When you get to either area, you’ll be directed to a roped off section Until the park opens.

Come prepared. 

There are a few essential things you’ll need in order to be sure that nothing ruins your perfect day.

Dress comfortably. Good walking foot wear is a must. I’ve tracked up up to 32,000 steps in one day at the parks. There will be plenty of walking! A hat and sunglasses is always a great thing to have with you. If you plan on getting on a water ride (There are three at Islands of Adventure), bring a change of clothes/footwear. I like to pack some water shoes or flip flops since they are light and don’t take up alot of room in my backpack.

Speaking of backpacks. Bring one! On amazon you can find really functional bags that don’t take up a lot of room. This is important so that your bag fits in the free ride lockers. If you must bring a bigger bag, there are bigger lockers that you can rent. The brand I always use is Zoemake.

Bring a poncho or umbrella. No matter what the forecast says, in Florida it can start raining at anytime. You can also use the poncho to aid in keeping dry during the water rides. Speaking of weather in Florida, don’t forget the sunblock.

Last and most definitely not least, bring first aid supplies and any medicine you may need. OTC drugs for Headaches, stomachaches, allergies, are a must! Water is free at all the Coke Freestyle machines so it is a great idea to bring a small water bottle so you can stay hydrated.

Have a plan.

Before you get to the park, you should have an idea of what you and your party would like to do. The Universal app is a wonderful tool that will give you live wait times for the rides, maps to all areas, times and locations of all the shows, and maybe most the most important, places to eat.

Try to stay on track with your plan and remember to save time for Picture taking and just soaking in the beauty of the parks.

I will be posting a more detailed plan of what I think is the most efficient order of rides and attractions you should go on in another post very soon. Stay tuned for that!

Try Food and Drinks that are exclusive to Universal Studios.

Butter Beer, Butter Beer, and more Butter Beer!!! Universal has a wide variety of treats and drinks that are exclusive. Have a Butter Beer at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter available as a carbonated, frozen, and hot beverage or eat it in the form of soft serve ice cream or fudge.

At Dr. Suess Landing you can have a Moose Juice or Goose Juice to wash down your Green Eggs and Ham Tator Tots!

Or take a trip to Spring field and enjoy a Duff Beer, or a Flaming Moe with a Krusty Burger. After that you can have a Delicious Giant Pink Donut from Lard Lads.

These are just a few of the endless treats that are exclusive at Universal Studios Orlando. Make sure to try as many as you can!

Shows and Meet and Greets

There are many shows to enjoy at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. There is live singing, dancing, drumming, and much more. All the showtimes can be found on the universal app.

And we can’t forget about all the character meet and greets. There are some interactions throughout the parks that are just ridiculously entertaining. The actors that portray these characters are so much fun to interact with. Save some time in your day to try and meet some of them. Where else could you meet Betty Boop and Beetle Juice all on the same day?

Well I think I covered everything….. Just kidding. There is so much more. I will be breaking down a lot of this information and more in detailed post in the future. What are some of your must do’s when you visit Universal? Please feel free to share in the comments below. I’d also be more than happy to answer any questions you may have. You can leave your question in the comment below or use the contact page to send me an email.