My family loves thrill rides, water parks, and all things Harry Potter! When we were invited to visit Universal Orlando Resort with 29 other Macaroni Kid publishers (and their families), I'm not sure who was most excited ... my energetic boys, hubby, or me! With three theme parks — Universal Studios Florida™, Universal's Islands of Adventure™, and Universal's Volcano Bay™ — our dream vacation was coming true!
Our visit more than lived up to our expectations. The attention to detail is impressive; even the lines are an interesting part of the experience. Pay attention, and you'll find lots of references back to the movies as well as some inside jokes. Many of the rides use a combination of movement, video technology, and sensory experiences (think heat, puffs of air, droplets of water, and more) to create a truly immersive experience. In addition to rides, we saw exciting shows, met our favorite characters, and watched a parade.
Universal Studios Florida
We began our adventure at Universal Studios, where the rides made us feel like we were inside some of our most-loved movies. Our favorite rides here included:
- MEN IN BLACK Alien Attack - Ride through New York shooting at aliens ... and competing with another car for the highest score.
- Despicable Me Minion Mayhem - Get accidentally turned into a minion and then take a wild 3D ride with the rest of the yellow folks who like to shout BA-NA-NA!
- Shrek 4-D - Tag along with Shrek and Donkey as they try to rescue Princess Fiona from Lord Farquaad ... you'll see, hear, and feel everything they do.
- Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit - This roller coaster is unbelievably fast and scary, not for the feint of heart or queasy of stomach. It was a blast!
- Revenge of the Mummy - An exciting and slightly scary indoor roller coaster that takes you through swarms of bugs, fire, mummies, and other dangers as you flee from Imhotep.
- Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon - This park's newest ride begins at 30 Rock where you meet up with host Jimmy Fallon, then race him through (and under and over) the streets of New York on the craziest sight-seeing tour you'll ever take.
- Diagon Alley - The Wizarding World of Harry Potter really could be its very own theme park ... aren't we lucky that we can experience that and so much more all in one place?
Universal's Islands of Adventure
Full of superheroes, dinosaurs, and three fun water rides to cool you down in the hottest part of the day, this park was a huge hit with my crew! But it isn't just for the big kids ... there are plenty of rides and entertainment for younger ones too, plus amazing photo ops in Seuss Landing™ and Toon Lagoon™. Some of our favorites:
- The Incredible Hulk Coaster - This roller coaster was so fast and fun and exciting. Only the truly brave should board ... and I'd ride it again in a second!
- Jurassic Park River Adventure - This was practically a walk-on ride with our Express pass ... so we rode it five times in two days! It was the least splashy of the water rides ... but we did still get wet, and some folks got REALLY wet!
- Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls - This water ride was just what we needed to cool off. Starts off slowly, then a fast drop and a huge splash at the bottom.
- Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges - A round water raft that holds 10 (or so) people and gets you drenched, top to bottom, all the way through to your undergarments.
- Skull Island: Reign of Kong - We never saw the movie that inspired this ride, but that didn't take anything away from the excitement of it. And now my kids want to see the movie.
- Dragon Challenge - There are two dragon coasters that run the tracks here ... and we definitely had a favorite. It was just one more thing to love about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Volcano Bay
Since Orlando is inland, it isn't always easy to get to the beach so Universal has brought the beach to Orlando with Volcano Bay! Brand new (it just opened in June of this year) and totally different from any other water park we've ever visited, this was definitely a highlight of our trip. From the music to the decor to the rides to the food, it really does feel like an island getaway. This water park has it all: thrill rides, a lazy river, a wave pool, comfy beach chairs, and real sand!
Its opening season has been pretty packed, and the park has reached capacity many days, but Universal has employed a new technology that allows you to do more, see more, and play more instead of standing in line. The TapuTapu™ wearable lets you hold a virtual spot in line, then notifies you when it's your turn (and which ride). In the meantime, you can explore the rest of the park, hop on any ride without a line, float down a lazy river, have a snack, get a drink, play in the sand ... anything except stand in line! BRILLIANT!
Cabana Bay Beach Resort
Universal's newest hotel, Cabana Bay, has a really cool retro vibe and a ton of great amenities for families. We stayed in a Family Suite with two queen beds, a pull-out sofa, a kitchenette with a microwave and mini fridge (no freezer), and a divided bathroom so more than one person could get ready at the same time. We had some groceries delivered via Amazon Prime NOW, mostly healthy breakfast items, fruit, and drinks. The room was very spacious and comfortable and completely fit the theme of the hotel, down to the VO5 shampoo and conditioner! Some of the other perks:
- Early admission to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Volcano Bay means you can beat the crowds on the most popular rides.
- Volcano Bay is just a short walk away and frequent, complimentary shuttles will take you back and forth to Universal CityWalk and the Universal theme parks.
- Theme park characters hang out on Fridays ... we were greeted by Woody Woodpecker on the day of our arrival!
- The pool is awesome and huge, with a water slide, fire pit (for s'mores!), hot tubs, and food/drink service available.
- A few restaurants and bars, a Starbucks, an arcade, a souvenir shop, and a bowling alley are all located on site.
Thanksgiving Break is coming up. The theme parks at Universal Orlando Resort — including Volcano Bay — are open year-round. You've got time to plan a fabulous family trip. Florida is still plenty o' sunshine and warmth in November. It honestly was one of the very best vacations we've ever taken, as much fun for Dear Hubby and me as it was for the kids. We're already planning for a return trip in the not-too-distant future!
Know Before You Go:
- You will need a minimum of two days to thoroughly explore Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure; three is even better! Both theme parks are completely different, so definitely purchase a park-to-park ticket ... you'll want to explore it all. Plus, it's the only way you can ride the Hogwarts™ Express.
- Get the Universal Express Unlimited pass. Yes, it is an extra cost, but we rode so many more rides than we would have been able to if we were in the regular lines. We often were in line for less than ten minutes when the regular line was an hour or longer.
- If you really don't want to spend the extra money on an Express pass, go in the off-season and stay at an on-site hotel, which will allow you to enter the park an hour early.
- Purchase a 3-Day My Universal Photos package. It is only $90 if you purchase online (slightly more expensive if you purchase at the park) and it is the most convenient way to capture your experience. You'll find photographers throughout the park, can easily add your ride photos to your account, and there are various self-serve photo opp locations throughout all the parks, including Volcano Bay. When you get home, you can download and share all the pictures (we ended up with more than five dozen!). Plus, you get a few ready-to-frame souvenir prints.
- Bring lanyards to wear, especially if you purchase the Universal Express pass and/or photos package. They both have to be scanned any time you are using them and a lanyard provides quicker and easier access than a purse or wallet.
- A Dining Plan can save you money on food. We chose the Quick Service + Coca-Cola freestyle Souvenir Cup, which covered a quick lunch (think burger and fries), afternoon snack (including the Big Pink donut!), and all we could drink (including water). We ate breakfast in our hotel room as we were getting ready and enjoyed dinner each night at one of the full service restaurants on site.
- Florida is prone to summer showers, especially in the afternoon. Purchase some inexpensive disposable ponchos and bring them with you to the park.
- Wear waterproof makeup and quick-dry clothes if you plan to ride the water rides. These are not the "maybe your left arm will get sprinkled" rides ... you will get drenched! And Florida is so humid, your clothes will never dry. I definitely regretted my choice of denim shorts one day.
- Wear excellent walking shoes. My FitBit logged more then 19,000 (!!!) steps in one day.
- If you are a Harry Potter nerd like me, read Your MUST-DO List for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for extra tips for that area of the parks.
Disclaimer: We were provided with a discounted hotel room rate and admission to all three parks for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was provided. Opinions expressed are 100% my own.
