YAY! YOU’RE GOING TO UNIVERSAL ORLANDO! Do yourself a favor – print this list and watch these movies (and read these books) before you go. It will make your visit to Universal Orlando even better!
PRO TIP: Download the printable checklist at the end of this post!
Universal Orlando is so much fun! One detail that makes it extra fun is that the rides and park areas are based on popular movies, TV series and books.
Here’s the thing. If you are not familiar with these movies or haven’t read these books, you will still have a good time. But if you have watched the movies and read the books beforehand, you will have an even better time there.
Seriously! You will walk around in a state of awe as you notice all the small details throughout the park!
In fact, I suggest that you watch these movies with friends or family… especially if they are going to Universal Orlando with you. (Family movie night, anyone?) It’s a fun way to bond with others, and it will enhance your Universal Orlando vacation experience.
Let me share what our family watched (and read) before our Orlando trip and our recommendations for you. Plus, don’t miss the printable copy of our recommendations at the end of this post!
RELATED: Helpful Tips For your First Visit to Universal Orlando
What Our Family Watched and Read Before Going to Universal Orlando
If you know me, then you know that I love to turn our family vacations into meaningful experiences. One way that I make travel meaningful for my family is to research our vacation destinations and get books or movies related to those destinations.
So before our family’s trip to Universal Orlando, I did the same thing. Actually, the entire family researched it together – what the different park areas are, what rides are there, the places to eat, etc.
We quickly realized that practically everything in the Universal Orlando theme parks is inspired by an actual movie, TV series or book. So, obviously, we decided to watch and read several of the movies and books related to the various Universal attractions… starting with Harry Potter. Lots of fun-filled family movie nights!
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).
Harry Potter Movies and Books
We started reading the Harry Potter books as a family and watching the movies about a year before our trip. (We had been planning our Universal Orlando vacation about two years ahead of time.)
We began with reading the books. As we finished each book, we would have a family movie night to watch the corresponding movie. My teenage son read the books on his own while I read the first three books aloud to my youngest children. (The little kids and I especially love the Harry Potter books illustrated by Jim Kay
We ended up reading the first three books (our teen read all seven) and watching all of the movies before our visit. We felt that was perfect! It perfectly prepared us for all the magic of Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Movies and Shows We Watched
In the 2-3 months before our Universal Orlando vacation, we watched several other movies as well including Men in Black, Jurassic Park, E.T., Despicable Me, and Shrek.
Additionally, we watched a few episodes of the Simpsons and Popeye.
I felt as though all of these enhanced our theme park experiences. Afterall, the Springfield USA area of the Universal Studios Florida park wouldn’t have been nearly as amusing to my children if they had never watched The Simpsons. And, while it would have been a fun and entertaining ride, many aspects of the E.T. Adventure ride wouldn’t have made sense if you weren’t familiar with E.T. the movie.
Books We Read
Besides the Harry Potter books, we also read a couple of Dr. Seuss books. I think it was hugely helpful to be familiar with The Cat in the Hat and The Sneetches before visiting Seuss Landing in Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure park.
Two of the most popular rides in Seuss Landing are The Cat in the Hat Ride and High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride.
As you may suspect, The Cat in the Hat Ride takes you right into the The Cat in the Hat story.
High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride tells the story from The Sneetches. (This ride also gives you a bird’s eye view of one of our family’s favorite dining experiences at Universal Orlando! So fun!)
What YOU Should Watch (and Read) Before Your Universal Orlando Vacation
Obviously, you don’t HAVE TO read or watch these books, movies and TV shows… but you may want to.
I have broken this list into four categories: Required Reading/Watching, Highly Recommended, Other Suggestions, and Special Seasonal Recommendations.
Additionally, you can download a printable copy of this list at the end of this post.
Required Reading/Watching
At the bare minimum, I would recommend that you read the following books, watch the following movies, and catch a couple episodes from the following TV series:
- The Sneetches
by Dr. Seuss (book)
- The Cat in the Hat
by Dr. Seuss (book)
- Harry Potter
(movies 1-3)
- Jurassic Park
(movie 1)
by Dr. Seuss (book)
by Dr. Seuss (book)
(movies 1-3)
(movie 1)
Highly Recommended
Beyond the few recommendations above, I highly recommend watching and reading the following:
- E.T.
(movie)
- Despicable Me
(movie)
- Shrek
(movie)
- Men in Black
(movie)
- The Simpsons
(TV series)
- Harry Potter
by J.K. Rowling (books 1-3)
- Harry Potter
(movies 4-8)
(movie)
(movie)
(movie)
(TV series)
Add some adventure to your Universal Orlando vacation by watching these movies first!
Other Suggestions
If you really want to geek out before your visit to Universal Orlando, here are several more books, movies and TV shows for you to check out.
- The Mummy (movie)
- Fast & Furious (movie)
- Popeye (TV series)
- The Lorax by Dr. Seuss (book and/or movie)
- An American Tale (movie)
- Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss (book)
- Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling (books 4-7)
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (movie)
- The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (TV series)
- Jurassic Park (movies 2-3)
- Jurassic World (movie)
- The Incredible Hulk (movie)
- Spider-Man (movie)
- Captain America: The First Avenger (movie)
- The Simpsons (movie)
- Curious George (movie)
- Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (movie)
Special Seasonal Recommendations
Here are a few special recommendations if you plan to visit Universal Studios during Halloween Horror Nights or Christmas.
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas
by Dr. Seuss (book and/or movie)
- Stranger Things (TV series)
- Ghostbusters (movie)
- Alien (movie)
- Bioshock
(video game series)
by Dr. Seuss (book and/or movie)
(video game series)
Get the Printable Checklist
For your convenience, I have compiled all of these recommendations into a printable checklist (PDF document).
What Will You Be Watching Before Your Trip To Universal Studios?
I’ve told you what we read and watched, and I shared several great recommendations. Now, I would love to hear from you!
What will you watch or read before your visit?
For more helpful tips before your visit to Universal Orlando, check out our First-Timer’s Guide to Universal Orlando.
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What a fun idea! I definitely would want to watch several of these movies before I went to Universal. It’s on my someday list!
Watching these movies beforehand really added to our overall theme park experience! Especially for the kids. Now, we are starting to think about a trip to DisneyWorld. Any suggestions on what we should watch before going there?