From what to bring with you to how to manage the inevitable child meltdown and a whole lot of other good information, here are 20 helpful tips to make your family’s first vacation to Universal Studios Orlando a success!

Are you planning a trip to Universal Studios in Orlando? Awesome!

Our family just returned from our first visit to Universal Orlando, and it was ahh-maze-ing.  Seriously. So much fun!

Before you go, check out our helpful tips including the following topics:

• What to bring into the park with you
• What splurges are worth the added expense
• What types of tickets will you need
• How early should you arrive at the park and various attractions
• Planning (and preparing for) your day at the theme park
• What things you should NOT stress out over
• What to wear
• Using the Child Swap Program
• How to manage meltdowns

20 Helpful Tips for Families Visiting Universal Studios Orlando

Here are 20 things we did (or wish we had done) to make our 2.5-day Universal Studios visit a success.

 

Bag It

1. Bring a lightweight bag.

When traveling with children, there are just certain things that you always need to have on hand. Families need stuff, right? You can try to shove all that stuff into your pockets or you can opt to bring a bag. We brought a lightweight backpack with pockets, and we were really glad we did.

DISCLOSURE: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you make a purchase through any Amazon links in this post, I receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

Here’s our theme park backpack packing list:

• A few snacks (We brought individually packaged snacks like breakfast bars and animal crackers.)
• Water (Universal Studios allows you to bring up to 2 liters of water into the park with you.)
• Hand sanitizer
• Sunscreen
• Cash and/or credit card
• Hats and/or sunglasses
• Rain ponchos
• A handful of band-aids (for blisters from all that walking)
• Camera (I like to keep my camera in a resealable sandwich bag for a little extra protection from water.)
• Park map

We used this compact backpack, and it worked great for us. It’s lightweight and flexible, it has side pockets the perfect size for water bottles, and we liked that it has extra compartments for small items.

PRO TIP:  Don’t want to hassle with stowing your bag in lockers when riding the big rides? There is no need to bother with those lockers if you are using Universal Studios’ Child Swap program. See tip #19 below for more details about this handy program for families.

 

Splurge a Little

2. Get the Express Pass and Park-to-Park Pass

I highly recommend splurging to get the Express Pass and Multi-Park Pass. The Express Pass allows you to skip long queue lines for most rides, and the multi-park pass allows you to go between the two parks (Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure) within the same day.

HINT:  A multi-park pass is required if you want to ride the Hogwarts Express. The Hogwarts Train transports its passengers from one park to another. You won’t want to miss out on any of the Harry Potter magic at Universal Orlando!

We used these lanyards to carry our express pass and tickets around the park. You will need to show these two items to park staff often throughout the park so it’s handy to just wear it around your neck. We loved that the pouch was resealable so it also protected our passes from water damage.

By the way, we found great deals for tickets and resort lodging through Undercover Tourist.

 

3. Stay at an On-Site Resort

Be sure to look into the on-site resorts. Many of the on-site resorts offer deals that include express passes and early park admission with your stay.

At first glance, they may seem pricey. But if you factor in the added bonuses, you may find the on-site resorts are actually your best deal.

We stayed at the Royal Pacific, and it was great. The rooms were clean, the beds were comfy, and we appreciated the free (and relaxing) water taxi service to and from the parks. We booked our resort stay through Undercover Tourist.

 

Be Early

4. Visit the most popular rides early.

Forbidden Journey, Escape from Gringotts and Minion Mayhem are rides known to develop long lines as the day progresses. Even the Express Pass lanes.

Your best bet is to ride those particular rides first thing upon park opening.

On our first day, we took advantage of the early park admission and rode Escape from Gringotts first. Immediately afterwards, we wandered over to Minion Mayhem. We had little to no wait for either ride.

On our second day, we went straight to the Forbidden Journey ride. Again, we had no wait.

5. Eat early to avoid long restaurant lines.

People tend to eat later in the day at theme parks. If you don’t mind eating a little early, you can avoid long restaurant wait times.

We ate lunch at 11am and dinner at 4pm at the theme park, and we didn’t have to wait for any of our meals. No crowds and no waiting – it was wonderful! We passed the same restaurants a couple of hours later, and they were super crowded.

RELATED POST : Our Favorite Universal Orlando Restaurants for Families

 

6. Arrive early for the evening shows.

Certain shows – Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle and Cinematic Celebration – are only at the end of the day. Because of the limited show times, crowds form early for these particular shows. Thus, if you want a good view, you should arrive early as well.

PRO TIP:  Look up Universal Orlando show times ahead of time.

I suggest you aim to arrive 15-30 minutes early for the Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle Show . If it’s an especially busy day at the theme park, you may want to arrive even earlier. We got there 15 minutes early for the light show and were able to view it without difficulty.

I recommend arriving 30-45 minutes early to the Central Park area for viewing the Cinematic Celebration. Possibly even earlier if it’s an especially busy day at Universal. We arrived about 20 minutes early for this show, and I wish we had gotten there earlier. We struggled to find a space where our children could actually see.

 

Theme Park Fashion

7. Wear comfortable shoes

You are going to want a good pair of walking shoes on your feet. While at the park, you will be on your feet most of the day and you will do a lot of walking. Comfortable footwear is a must!

On our first day at Universal Orlando, my step tracker app said we had walked 23,000 steps! It registered 17,000 steps for our second day.

PRO TIP:  Bring along a few band-aids. These will come in handy if anyone gets a blister.

 

8. Bring head gear

Bring a hat and/or sunglasses.

I repeat. Bring hats or sunglasses (or both).

That Florida sunshine is no joke. It is bright and harsh. Somehow, those sun rays seem all the worse when they are shining directly on the top of your head as it brightly stings your eyes.

Beat the Florida heat by shading your head and eyes from the sun.

 

9. Wear sunscreen

A sun burn doesn’t look good on anyone. Not to mention, it’s painful. Don’t risk ruining everyone’s good time by not protecting your family’s skin.

Be sure to apply sunscreen before entering the park. And, don’t forget to reapply throughout the day. With the splashes from water rides and the spray misters to keep you cool, sunscreen can wear off quickly at theme parks.

HINT: If you forget to bring your own, you can find small bottles of sunscreen for sale throughout the park.

My fair-skinned family always uses this sunscreen in SPF 30 or higher.

 

10. Don’t wear white

Wearing white or light colors can look really chic in the summer… but it’s not practical attire for a theme park.

Avoid wearing any clothing that becomes see-thru if it gets wet. At some point, you will get wet from one of the rides or shows, and you will be much more comfortable wearing those wet clothes around the park if you feel as though your undergarments are not on display.

Additionally, beware of any clothing that shows stains easily (like white pants). Besides the constant risk of spilling food on yourself, your children will be hot and sweaty as the day progresses. Undoubtedly, your little darlings will wipe their grubby little hands on your beautiful crisp clean light-colored clothing at some point.

It’s best to steer clear of the light-colored garments and look for more forgiving colors to wear.

 

11. Avoid the wet look

Put on your rain ponchos before the water rides. Not only will the ponchos save you from Florida’s sudden afternoon rain storms, they can protect you on the big splash rides as well.

Certain rides will get you REALLY wet… which might feel like a nice cool down at first, but soon enough, the drenched clothing will start to feel really uncomfortable.

A lot of people choose to wear their ponchos on the big splash rides, and I think this is a great idea.  You might feel a little silly wearing a rain poncho on a bright sunny day, but it’s only for a few moments and it will save you a lot of discomfort later.

I would definitely wear rain ponchos for the following rides:

• Popeye and Bluto’s Bilge Rat Barges
• Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls
• Jurassic Park River Adventure

We purchased ponchos from the Dollar Store ahead of time. If I had it to do all over again, I would purchase these affordable rain ponchos instead. I like that they feature drawstring hoods and long sleeves.

 

Plan Ahead But Don’t Overplan

12. Don’t stress over your agenda

It’s good to have a game plan, right? Yes. Mostly. Not always. For your visit to Universal Orlando, I suggest that you keep your game plan as simple as possible.

You could easily spend weeks planning out the perfect agenda for your days at the theme park. Trust me. I know because my husband and I did that.

Shortly after arriving at the park, we came to realize that the rigid schedule we had planned didn’t help that much. It had us walking back and forth more often than necessary, and it detracted from our fun and spontaneity. Eventually, we tossed the agenda aside and our visit quickly became much more enjoyable.

Here’s what I suggest instead of overplanning a rigid agenda: plan your first 2-3 rides for each day, create a general timeframe of when/where you might eat, and have an idea of what nighttime/evening shows you want to attend. Otherwise, wander the parks and do whatever strikes your fancy.

Take advantage of your early park admission (from tip #3 above).

• If early park admission is at Universal Studios Florida, head straight to the Escape from Gringotts ride. After that ride, head to the Minion Mayhem ride and hop into the Express Pass line.
• If early park admission is at Islands of Adventure, head straight to Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure or the Forbidden Journey ride.
• If early park admission is at one park but you want to visit the other park immediately upon opening, you may want to consider using your Multi-Park Pass (tip #4 above) to hop onto the very first Hogwarts Express train of the morning. This will transport you immediately to the back of the other park upon opening and allows you to be one of the first in line for the major Harry Potter themed rides at that other park.

Have a general time frame in mind for when and where to eat your meals. I recommend having lunch at 11am each day and dinner at 4pm each day (tip #5 above).

Plan to arrive early for any evening shows you wish to attend (Hogwarts Light Show, Cinematic Celebration, Superstar Parade, etc).

That’s it! Otherwise, live in the moment and just have a good time!

PRO TIP:  If you are planners like we are, we highly recommend The Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando. Of the many Universal Orlando planning books we read, we found this one to be the most helpful.

 

13. Get the app

Like with most other things in life, there’s an app for that. Universal Orlando offers a free app to help you plan your day and navigate the park as well as check wait times and show times.

• Download the free Official Universal Orlando Resort App from the Google playstore here.
• Download the free Official Universal Orlando Resort App from the Apple app store here.

By the way, Universal Orlando also offers free wi-fi. So there’s no reason to not use this great resource.

14. Find the elusive kid meals

We learned that at least a few of the Universal Studios restaurants offer kid meal options.

The Leaky Cauldron and the Three Broomsticks both offer kid meal options right on their menus.

PRO TIP:  The Great Feast at Three Broomsticks is another affordable way to feed the entire family.

However, we found very few other Universal Orlando park restaurants that advertise a children’s menu.

On a whim, I asked the staff at Thunder Falls Terrace (a Jurassic Park themed restaurant) if they offer any kid meal options. Guess what?!? They do! This makes me wonder how many other Universal restaurants also offer kid meals.

PRO TIP:  Some meals listed only as a “combo” on the menu at Thunder Falls Terrace are actually available as standalone meal options without the milkshake… even though it doesn’t state so on the menu.

The lesson I learned here is that it is always worth asking about kid meal options… even if the menu doesn’t show any.

RELATED POST:  Best Restaurants in Universal Orlando For Families

 

15. Read books and watch movies ahead of time

The Universal Orlando theme park experience can be greatly improved by familiarizing your family with the major scenes and characters represented in the park’s various attractions. That’s why I suggest hosting some family movie nights and bedtime story read-alouds BEFORE YOUR VISIT.

At the bare minimum, I would recommend the following:

• Watch the first three Harry Potter movies
• Read The Sneetches and The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss
• Watch the first Jurassic Park movie

Check out our other blog post for a full listing of what to read and what to watch before visiting Universal Orlando.

        

RELATED POST:  Movies to Watch Before You Visit Universal Orlando

 

Build in Some R&R

16. Take a mid-day break

Another great thing about staying on-site (tip #3 above) is that you can easily return to your room at anytime throughout the day to rest. A mid-day break back at the hotel room could be just what your family needs to cool off and get re-energized so that they can fully enjoy the remainder of their day.

PRO TIP:  Watch the local weather radar. You might be able to time your mid-day break with a sudden short-lived rainstorm passing through the area.

Back at your hotel room, you could enjoy a quick dip in the pool, a picnic lunch, a short nap, or just some restful quiet time.

If heading back to your hotel room is not an option, you might want to enjoy a sit-down meal in an air-conditioned restaurant for a refreshing mid-day break.

 

17. Wander and Be Awed

Universal Studios theme parks are way more than just a bunch of fun rides. It is a complete and total experience.

I encourage you not to rush from one attraction to another. Take time to wander and look around. Admire the small details of the scenery around you. Pay attention to your surroundings within the line queues. Notice the small stuff and be amazed.

In Universal Studios theme parks, it is easy to feel as though you are part of the show. Each attraction is designed to make you feel as if you are right there in the movie scene.

So slow down and allow yourself to fully experience the magic of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, delight in the imaginative Seuss Landing, make discoveries in Jurassic Park, and experience the thrill of being a superhero.

By the way, I dare you to do these five things while visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

18. Schedule a relaxation day

While a visit to Universal Studios is super fun, it is also exhausting. Be sure to schedule a day of rest and relaxation following your visit to Universal Orlando.

Our family followed our visit to Orlando with a one-night stay at Daytona Beach, and it was the best thing we could have done. We did nothing but relax. We spent a little time on the beach, a little time in the pool, and a little time on our balcony. We ate snacks and ordered pizza delivery. It was just what we needed to recuperate from our 2.5 busy days at Universal Studios.

RELATED: How to make the most of your beach vacation

Child Swap Program

19. Use the child swap areas

The child swap program at Universal Orlando is seriously awesome. If your child is unable to ride (or does not want to ride) an attraction, the rest of the party can ride in turns without having to go through the line queue all over again.

Here is how the Universal Orlando Child Swap program works. Enter an attractions line queue (regular queue or express queue) like normal. As you work your way through the line queue, tell staff that you would like to use the child swap option. Once you arrive at the end of the queue, the staff will direct anyone not immediately riding (along with their responsible adult) to a themed waiting area. The remaining members of your party will ride on the attraction, and then, they will meet you in the child swap waiting area. At that point, the original non-rider may enjoy the ride (without having to wait in the line queue again). Additionally, every ride we went on allowed this second rider to bring someone else along for the ride… so no one ever had to ride all by themselves!

This is a great option for if you have a child that is too small to ride an attraction or too scared to ride an attraction. It is also great for any rider (no matter how tall or how old) who is unsure about riding. Part of the group may ride and report back to the non-riders. The non-riders can then decide if they want to ride or not.

Seriously, it’s a great program. It allowed the entire family to enjoy the rides as fully as possible.  We all got to experience the line queues together (and with Universal Studios, the line queues can be a fun part of the overall attraction experience). Additionally, some members of our party got an immediate bonus second ride on the attraction.

PRO TIP:  The Child Swap areas can also be used as a way to avoid using lockers to stow your belongings before rides. Several of the big rides at Universal Studios requires riders to stow ALL of their belongings, and free lockers are available for those purposes. However, if you are using the child swap program, you can skip the lockers entirely. Simply have the non-riders hold everyone else’s belongings.

 

Meltdown Management

20. Manage meltdowns

It’s inevitable. If you take children to a theme park, at least one of them will have a meltdown at some point during the day.

And, it is so frustrating to deal with a child having a meltdown… especially after you have spent so much time and money creating this amazing vacation experience for them.

But this is the thing… EVERYONE gets cranky when they are hot or tired or hungry. Even adults can become overwhelmed. If adults struggle with this, then it is no wonder that children (who lack the life experience and maturity of adults) have meltdowns.

I suggest considering what factors may be contributing to your child’s meltdown. Is your child tired? Hot? Hungry? Thirsty? Scared? Bored? Feeling ignored? Something else? Then, address those issues while modeling compassion and patience.

Here are a few ways that I manage child meltdowns:

• Take a break – Find a place to sit and talk calmly. Take a moment to focus your full attention on the upset child. Avoid lecturing/accusing the child. Instead, acknowledge their frustration and show empathy. Once the child shows signs that they are beginning to calm down, I often try to switch the conversation to something more positive. I might ask my child which ride they have liked best so far or comment on how cool something was earlier in the day.
• Eat a snack – Everyone (children AND adults) gets grouchy when they are hungry. Offer the child one of the snacks from the backpack (see tip #1 above).
• Get a drink – It’s easy to overheat and become dehydrated in that hot Florida sun. Encourage the child to drink some water or some other cold beverage.
• Try a change of scenery – If the above tricks don’t seem to be working, simply change course. If your child’s meltdown is related to walking too much, find a place to sit down for a while and maybe watch a show. If your child is terrified of a certain ride, find a different ride that he/she would enjoy. If you decide to try the scary ride again later, consider using the child swap program (tip #19 above).
• Be patient and be positive – Remind yourself that “this too shall pass” and repeat this mantra as necessary. Be patient with the child. If you lose your composure, you will further exasperate the child and the meltdown will become worse. Remain positive. Don’t let one or two meltdowns ruin the entire experience.

GUILTY MOM CONFESSION:  It’s not always the kids having the meltdowns. I had a total meltdown during our Universal Studios visit. I completely lost all of my patience one afternoon. I became unreasonably grouchy and irritable.  Fortunately, my husband quickly realized that I was overdue for my afternoon caffeine fix. He purchased me a diet soda, and we all sat down on a bench for a short break. Soon, everything was right with the world again. I guess the meltdown management tactics listed above work for adults as well as children!

 

Share Your Universal Tips

There you have it – my best tips for a successful visit to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Have you been there? What tips would you add to this list? Please let us know in the comments area below.

 

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Enjoy Your Visit to Universal Orlando!

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