If you are looking for teachable tidbits, educational experiences, or scholarly stories at Universal Orlando Resort, you’ll find plenty! Universal Orlando hides its learning possibilities in plain sight, from the physics of roller coasters to the marvels of dinosaurs to life-size renderings of some of the most popular novels ever written.
When my kids happen to miss a bit of school for a family getaway, they make up any schoolwork they miss and often take scheduled tests and quizzes early. But I still want to give them opportunities to learn, even on vacation. Luckily, Universal Orlando fits the bill perfectly.
Like my own, most kids enjoy education when wrapped in an entertaining package. They don’t even know they are learning. (I won’t tell your kids if you won’t tell mine!) Families can easily find math, science, literature, art, geography and history lessons at Universal Epic Universe, Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure, and Universal Volcano Bay… as long as you know where to look. To help you, we have created a cheat sheet to easily add educational elements to your next family vacation.
12 Ways to Learn While You Play at Universal Orlando
Learn About Science and Math
At Universal, kids of all ages can use the science and technology principles they are learning in school to better understand how to design and build their favorite rides and attractions. Talk to your kids about the physics behind a roller coaster. Ask them to research why coasters can go upside down or how they can achieve such high speeds.
- Visit Epic Universe to check out the new dual-launch roller coaster, Stardust Racers. This ride can be more than a thrilling adventure, though: it’s a chance to talk about physics (acceleration, launch mechanics, inertia), engineering (how coasters are designed, force management, materials), and even astronomy (stardust, comets, speed in space vs. speed on Earth). Before you ride, challenge younger kids to predict how the dual launch will feel, or have teens calculate G-forces from the speed changes. After the ride is over, reflect on which parts of the coaster created the most significant acceleration or how the design ensures safety at high speed.
- Before you experience the awesomeness of Men In Black: Alien Attack in Universal Studios Florida, take some time to talk about space. What do your kids know about the solar system? Do they believe there is intelligent life out there? What have scientists found (so far) regarding the existence of life on other planets? Put those googling skills to work!
- While you’re in line for Revenge of the Mummy, encourage your kids to look up the history of mummies. I bet they will be surprised — my kids didn’t know they were actually real! We talked about the ancient Egyptians, and my youngest made the connection that the ride looked like a pyramid from Egypt. After “surviving” the swarms of scarab beetles on this ride, families can use the experience as a starting point to talk about Egyptology and the real-life history behind this attraction.
- Plan to spend some time in the Jurassic Park Discovery Center. This interactive, indoor activity center in the Jurassic Park area of Universal Islands of Adventure is a wonderful place to get out of the sun or rain and learn more about prehistoric times. My kids were awed when they examined the giant T. rex skeleton and had fun trying to name the bones. Kids can also play You Bet Jurassic and examine “dinosaur eggs” that are nearly ready to hatch into baby Velociraptors.
Learn About Culture and the Arts
Experiencing culture in its many forms at Universal Orlando Resort helps kids connect book-learning to the real world. From Francophile fun to the architecture of a vintage European village, the theme parks bring language, history, design and creativity to life in ways textbooks can’t. These immersive details spark curiosity and encourage families to talk about culture before, during and after their trip.
- Walk through Volcano Bay and experience the merging of Polynesian cultures and architecture from across the South Pacific. They can compare these design choices with parts of the resort representing other geographic regions, such as the Mediterranean feel at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel or the South Seas-inspired Loews Royal Pacific Resort.
- Parents can encourage kids interested in drawing, illustration or comics in the Toon Lagoon and Marvel Super Hero Island areas of Islands of Adventure. The lagoon’s bright colors, exaggerated lines and comic-worthy architecture will make you feel like you stepped into the funny pages. Look for references to “The Family Circus,” “Betty Boop,” “Flash Gordon” and “Popeye” at Toon Lagoon. Plus, some of my (and my kids’!) favorite Marvel Comics Super Heroes and Villains are found in Marvel Super Hero Island. Like today’s graphic novels, Marvel comic books are a fantastic foray to get kids excited about reading. They make excellent souvenirs, too!
- Visit the New York section of Universal Studios to catch the Beat Builders in their super entertaining show. Four people who look like construction workers on a typical NYC scaffold stop their “work” and put on an ingenious percussion show. Kids will love seeing (and hearing!) how the performers use everyday things like buckets and wrenches to make some hot beats. Hearing live music is great, but experiencing it live in front of you is much more enriching. Why not push your kids to see if they can recreate some sounds using unlikely “instruments” themselves?
Learn About History and Geography
If you and your family sing the old song, “don’t know much about history…don’t know much about geography,” then you can learn something at Universal Orlando. Give your kids an opportunity to see the past and different cultures come alive around them. These experiences make the subjects more engaging, helping families connect to people, destinations and stories from a different time and place in memorable ways.
- Look for iconic American cities represented at Universal Studios. Meander through the streets of Chicago by catching the soulful tunes of the Blues Brothers Show. (Insider tip: look for the City of Chicago sewer covers to know you are in the Windy City section.) See New York by enjoying Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon or grooving in the street with the cast of ¡Vamos! – Báilalo. And experience the glamour of Los Angeles in Hollywood by shopping at the Brown Derby Hat Shop or eating at Mel’s Drive-In. You can experience parts of the greatest American cities without leaving the theme park!
- For those yearning to examine cultures outside the United States without having to get on a plane, Universal Orlando Resort can help you there, too. Enjoy the Italian Riviera by strolling the cobblestone streets of Loews Portofino Bay Hotel. An elaborate painting technique known as trompe l’oeil was used to paint the exterior of the hotel. This technique involves extremely realistic imagery to create the optical illusion that the depicted objects appear in three-dimensions instead of being a two-dimensional painting. It has been in the real Portofino since the 1500s.
My family loved having a gelato break in the Harbor Piazza, listening to the delightfully romantic Italian music (Musica della Notte), which happens nightly at sundown. Similarly, get a taste of the South Pacific at Loews Royal Pacific Resort. The statues and wood panels around the hotel were hand-carved by artisans in villages throughout Indonesia!
Explore Literature
Let your kids step directly into the worlds they’ve read about or seen on screen. All of Universal’s theme parks highlight the power of storytelling in all its forms. Learning about literature at Universal can encourage kids to read more, compare adaptations, and see how imagination can turn words into immersive adventures.
- While the movies are well known, remind kids that the world of How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk is originally based on a series of books. Compare the two narrative structures. What changes when adapting a book to a film? What was added or omitted when creating the world in Epic Universe? How do visuals in the theme park help bring characters and settings to life?
- Head to Seuss Landing in Universal Islands of Adventure to explore the imaginative world of Dr. Seuss. For those ready for more challenging books, stop by the Owl Post in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade for all kinds of stationery supplies as well as the “Harry Potter” book series. I was very happy to learn that a trip to experience The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was enough to entice my kids to start reading the seven-book “Harry Potter” series.
Group Experiences
Explore everything and more in vivid, hands-on ways through a VIP experience. Let an expert deepen your learning!
- Check out a VIP Experience guided tour. On a recent visit, my family got a taste of dedicated, hands-on learning, which included a private VIP tour. The kids were excited to learn from our guide and experience an exclusive, behind-the-scenes peek at how their favorite rides work. Riding a roller coaster is even more fun when you have just discovered the physics behind why it works! (It also made the ride less scary for my less-adventurous child.)
At Universal Orlando Resort, kids of all ages can expand on the skills from their classroom to discuss and think critically about them using real-world examples. Plus, I found everyone learns best when they don’t know they are doing it!
Let us know in the comments below what teaching moments you’ve found at Universal Orlando!