10 Tips to Survive Universal Studios Orlando if you are not into theme parks

I guess this title is a tad dramatic but this is my blog and I was dreading this trip. I haven’t read a Harry Potter book. I am probably the only person I know who hasn’t read a Harry Potter book. I have nothing against the series, deep down I am a rebel and I think I have been resistant because I want to buck authority with the least risk to my physical well being.

The youngest member of my family is a middle school girl who loves Harry Potter, has read all of the books multiple times and has long conversations with me about the personalities and difficulties of the various Potter People. Even though I haven’t read the book, I nod along and throw out the few words I know, “Muggles, all of them!”

The magic of Disney is something I don’t understand. Perhaps I was brainwashed as a child by parents who were rebelling in their own way to be anti-Disney. I don’t particularly love crowds and the few times I have been forced to go to Disney World (it’s a thing) I was hot, tired and underwhelmed. I am also very cheap and the little adding machine in my brain kept tallying up all of the people I was fighting my way through, times hundreds of dollars a ticket, adding food and souveniers. It’s hard to imagine that all of the people I saw had retirement and or college savings but I know that sounds judgmental so we will stick to the “I am not a theme park person.”

What to do then when your wonderful little girl wants nothing more in the world, or for her birthday and Christmas, than to go see The World of Harry Potter? We put aside our personal feelings and stoicism and minimalism and we plan a trip to Universal.

I am not a guidebook writer so I will not go into great detail but I will share some helpful tips, some were even gleaned from a Fodor’s guide given to me by my Disney loving mother-in law.

Tips to Survive Universal Studios Orlando if you are afraid of theme parks

1. Stay on property. Not having to deal with the parking situation is reason enough but the perks of staying in Universal are huge. The biggest perk being early park admission and EXPRESS PASSES for each person!
   
2. Get the Universal express pass, it was the best thing I did for the whole trip. Money wise, staying in one of the premium hotels where an express pass is included is a huge savings. Don’t let the $400 a night price scare you. You can use the express pass from the moment the park opens on the day of your check-in till the time the park closes on your day of check out. So even if you only book the fancy hotel (some aren’t really fancy) for one night you essentially get express passes for everyone (in our case 4 to a room) for 2 days! And these are the unlimited use passes costing over a hundred dollars a person per day!
   
3. Bring a very small back pack, I have a foldable hiking bag that worked perfectly. Universal provides free lockers at all rides where belongings are prohibited but they are not very tall, maybe 4 inches high? We placed our cell phones, keys, etc. I also packed granola bars and 4 empty water bottle into my small hiking bag. Fill empty water bottles at fillings stations or if you don’t want to carry anything around, there are cups of water available at most food/drink stands
   
4. Take the Hogwart’s Express, both ways. It is worth it and so easy with the Express Pass. The attention to detail is amazing and this is from someone who didn’t even care about the books!
   
5. Buy a lanyard/badge holder (or if you are like me and you have 4 Busch Gardens lanyards that confused everyone who saw them, bring those). Your hotel key becomes your express pass and it will be scanned every time you get in line. I thought lanyards seemed lame when I read it in the Fodors book but it made it so much easier than fumbling around in a pocket for our pass and definitely reduced our fear of losing it. Lanyards are sold in the park but like everything else they are overpriced so I would look on Amazon first.
   
6. If there is any chance of rain, bring those cheap, disposable ponchos. It poured while we were visiting the park, the ponchos made it bearable. Throwing them away when we left the park was even better! Not wet luggage!
   
7. Use the Universal app, you will have up to the minute ride opening and wait times. This was huge for us when rides would re-open after rain storms.
   
8. The food is pretty terrible and expensive. It was just as terrible and expensive in the City Walk so if you are looking for convenience and to save time, stay in the park to eat. If you are close enough to walk to your hotel, make sandwiches and salads there to save money.
   
9. There is hand sanitizer everywhere so if you bring some with you, it doesn’t need to be much, wipes are probably a better option.
   
10. All the lines get longer throughout the day even with the Express Pass. This is not the time to sleep in. You are paying good money to see everything you can in the park, take advantage of the early admission! Go early especially if you are using the perks of staying on property. Go straight to Harry Potter and then work your way towards the front.
    

Our experience

Never one to keep things simple, I changed my reservations around a few times. The tickets are sold in 5 day blocks so I knew roughly the days I would go. Our flight landed in the morning and I had originally planned on going to straight to the park for the first of our 2 Day 2 Park tickets. Upon further reading, it seemed crazy to squander the Early Admission and not get a full day out of the park so I decided we would stay in the “premium” hotel the following day. The Portifinio is a beautiful hotel and where I had originally booked but it was not available for the following day so we had to stay at the Hard Rock. I was not impressed, the property is pretty run-down, there were scaffolds everywhere for repainting. If I had the choice, I wouldn;t stay there again, I would try the Portofino or the Royal Pacific.

The biggest surprise was where we stayed the first night. I didn’t need to be on property but after comparing prices, reveiws and the ease of getting to our “final destination” of the Hard Rock, I opted to stay at the Aventura. This hotel is conceptualized as a modern/futuristic design. I loved how quiet and calm, espcially when I later compared it to the Hard Rock which was very noisy.

Thr rooms at the Aventura were just my style. Minimalist. No extra throw pillows, no pictures on the walls. Huge floor to ceiling windows, wood plank flooring and very clean. No shower curtain, just glass. It was probably one of the cleanest hotels I have ever stayed in and I am very much a germaphobe. The beds were also wonderful, they were firm without being too hard, I find most hotel beds much too soft. It was a very reasonable price and I could walk to Universal if needed. We spent the day at the pool ( they let you use the hotel facilities upon arrival even though check in is later in the afternoon.) We also explored the other “theme” hotels nearby, the decor of the Cabana Bay was fun to see, they had an arcade and a bowling alley as well.

First thing in the morning, we drove to the Hard Rock, got my Universal Express passes, which also serve as your room keys. We left our luggage in the car, but could have checked it in the lobby, and walked over to Universal! The rest is history!

During our two days, my kids rode every single ride in the park (excluding kiddie rides.) Even my teenage son enjoyed the park. Even I enjoyed the park, especially the Simpsons! The roller coasters were top-notch and the set design and theming was incredible. Harry Potter World is truly amazing and for kids, I can only imagine that it is truly magical. I had no desire to go to Universal Studios, hiking and quiet places are my preferred way to spend a vacation, but I am so thankful to have had this experience with my family. Sometimes you have to be a little impractical. Comfort zones are meant to be abandoned, wear those ponchos and convention hall-style lanyards proudly!

Highlights of Universal Studios/City Walk

All rides are not created and equal and two people on the same ride can have a very different experience. With that said, here were some of out highlights:

• Perhaps the most visually stunning ride is Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™ in Hogsmeade. We actually went on this one more than once, there is so much to see and the ride itself is enjoyable
• I enjoyed the Cat in the Hat, it is very basic but manages to capture the absurd and surreal quality of the book. My kids thought it was weird but I think it’s worth seeing.
• Butter beer is pretty “meh.” I guess you need to try it, but one shared between us was enough! Go buy a 6 pack of ICB Cream soda instead.
• Better yet, walk into City Walk and have dessert at the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium. Though expensive, the quality and quantity are huge. I found the sundaes to be a better value and easier to share. We had the Chocolate Brownie Bark which consisted of several whole brownies and lots of ice-cream. A family of 4 could split this dessert which made it pretty inexpensive by comparison to most of the food we ate during this adventure. The building itself is a cool “steam-punk” chocolate factory and worth a look!
• The Hulk Coaster was fun, even I went on that one. My kids loved the Velocicoaster, I sat that one out but even my husband raved about how smooth it was. Pass! The Velocicoaster was their favorite coaster in the park. I held the ponchos.
• The Shrek 4-D movie was fun, I find that series to be entertaining and this movie didn’t disappoint. ]
• One of our least favorite was The Fast and the Furious, super cheesy. Really, I am on a party van? Luckily we didn’t wait long.
• Escape From Gringotts was also really well done, even the line has plenty to see. The set of Diagon Alley is pretty incredible, you can even find the dark passage in Knockturn Alley which we found was the best place to shelter during the downpours!
• We bought a wand. It was hard to use. There were too many people waiting to perform the magic. Much like the butter beer, we did it but I am glad we only bought one!

I turned our passes into a Christmas ornament so that we can always remember the time we braved the crowds and the rain to visit Universal!