10 Tips for Your First Visit to Universal Orlando...

So many who travel to Orlando, Florida, go to Disney but have never experienced Universal Resort. This is a theme park that should not be overlooked. For first-time visitors, the experience, just like at Disney, can be a little overwhelming. Here are ten tips to help you make the best of your first Universal Orlando vacation.

1. Three theme parks, all kinds of amazing. Universal Orlando’s three theme parks are Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay (and one more on the way- Epic Universe in 2025!). Universal Studios is home to the classic replicas of movie sets, Diagon Alley, The Mummy Returns, Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon, Fast & Furious – Supercharged, Hogwarts Express and many other thrilling attractions. Islands of Adventure is where you will find Hogsmeade, Hogwarts, Jurassic Park, Seuss Land, The Hulk and much more to keep the entertainment going all day long. Looking for a day in the water? Head on over to Volcano Bay for some of the most exhilarating water slides around.

2. Single Park or Park-to-Park – which ticket is for me? If you want to ride Hogwarts Express, then the answer is simple. You will need a park-to-park ticket to ride this train. Hogwarts Express carries passengers between Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Your park ticket will be checked upon entering King’s Cross Station (Universal Studios) or Hogsmeade Station (Islands of Adventure).

3. Universal Express Pass vs. Universal Unlimited Express. Universal Express Pass is a ticket add-on that allows visitors to bypass the regular lines at most rides throughout Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios. Universal Express is good once per ride per day. Universal Unlimited Express is good multiple times on the same attraction each day. You may purchase this ticket add-on through your travel advisor. Guests staying at one of the Universal premier hotels will receive this complimentary add-on (approximately $129 per person value) as part of their room package.

4. On-Site Hotels vs. Off-Site Hotels: How Do I Decide? Universal has a hotel for every style and budget. The hotels are broken down into 3 categories:

   1. Value: These are budget-friendly properties a bit further away from Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios and City Walk. However, they give you direct access to Volcano Bay. The hotels in this category are Universal’s Aventura Hotel, Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort, and Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn & Suites, and Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn & Suites.

   2. Preferred Hotels: This level of property is a step-up to the value properties. It is a bit closer to the parks compared to the value properties. Water taxi service is available for the preferred hotels. The only property in this category is the Lowes Sapphire Falls Resort.

   3. Premier Hotels: As the top hotel category, you will have bigger rooms, more luxurious amenities, closer proximity to the parks, water taxi service from your hotel to City Walk, and complimentary Universal Unlimited Express Pass. The three properties in this category are Hard Rock Hotel (which is the closest to the parks), Lowes Portofino Bay Hotel, and Lowes Royal Pacific Resort. In addition, guests staying at any of the Universal hotel properties will receive early entrance one hour before normal opening time at Universal Studios and complimentary package delivery to your room when you purchase from the souvenir shops throughout the parks.

      Personally, I always reccomend that you stay on site! From the transportation, to the budget options there is truly something for everyone!

5. Ticket Add-Ons. There are all kinds of add-ons to make your Universal Orlando vacation even more awesome. There’s the Marvel Character Dinner, photo packages, VIP experiences and more. Be sure to talk to me for details about these options when you are ready to book your Universal Vacation.

6. Dining Plans. There are dining plans available. You are a bit more limited to where the plan can be used, and you cannot make advanced dining reservations like you can at Disney. However, you can use third-party services for making reservations for up to a month in advance. You can purchase a Coca-Cola Freestyle souvenir cup for unlimited refills throughout Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. You pay a set fee for the first day which gets you the souvenir mug with unlimited refills for 24 hours. Then each day thereafter it is a lesser fee (every 24 hours) for unlimited refills. You can use this mug for soft drinks, Icees and water. Volcano Bay has its own refillable mug. Feel free to bring your own snacks into the park to keep you energized throughout the day. If you would rather, there are plenty of snack carts located throughout each park. Sometimes Universal even adds dining package deals to vacation packages, so be on the look-out for those kinds of deals!

7. Upgrading to an Annual Pass- when purchasing a vacation package, or just tickets in general it might be worth choosing to get an annual pass (especially if you're stay is longer than 5 days, or you plan on going back within a year). There are different tiers of annual passes, which all come with different perks such as discounts on dining, hotels, and even express pass after 4 pm.

8. Choosing which park to go to first- the hardest decision. Ahhh, choosing which park to go to first can such a hard choice! If you stay on site, you will have early admission, so when choosing which park to go to you will want to go to whichever has the early admission for that day (usually Islands of Adventure). If you don't have early admission this is all going to depend on what you want to do for the day. Make a list of your priority rides, and start with the park that has the most of those rides on your list. Personally, I love to hit Diagon Alley first thins in the morning and do the magic before the crowds pour in.

9. Early Admission. Ok, this is one of my favorite perks of staying on site! This can be a great opportunity to hit some of those rides (I'm looking at you Hagrid's) that can get really long lines. It's also a great time to stroll through the parks, enjoy the scenery, and do magic in Harry Potter lands. Early Admission is the perk of getting to go into the parks a whole hour (YUP 1 WHOLE BEAUTIFUL HOUR) before the parks open.

10. Don't miss the shows. It's tempting to ride all the rides and run yourself ragged, but don't miss the shows. Some of the street preformances, the scheduled shows, and even the parades are some of the most fun parts of Universal. The Jason Bourne Stuntacular, the Horror Make-Up Show, the Harry Potter performances are absolutely incredible.