EDITOR’S NOTE: This blog was originally published in February of 2019 and then underwent extensive updates and editing in the fall of 2020 to remain current and relevant.
I personally think you should see it all when you come to Universal Orlando Resort. But knowing there’s SO much to do, these are my top suggestions for unforgettable moments you definitely won’t want to miss.
That moment when you realize you’re going to Hogwarts castle
Location: Universal Islands of Adventure
When I first stepped into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade, my heart skipped a beat. The land is absolutely beautiful! Then I turned the corner and Hogwarts castle was revealed, I definitely shed a tear. It’s truly an amazing sight.
That moment when you catch some serious air on Jurassic World VelociCoaster
The newest attraction at Universal Islands of Adventure has several exhilirating moments, but going over that 155ft tall “Top Hat” is one you’ll never forget.
That moment when Optimus Prime says Greetings…
Location: Universal Studios Florida
What’s cooler than seeing your favorite Transformer give you a warm welcome as you step up to pose for a photo? Next to TRANSFORMERS: The Ride-3D is a photo opportunity to meet Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and Megatron.
That moment when you meet a Raptor
Location: Universal Islands of Adventure
One of the absolute must-get photo ops at Universal Orlando is meeting Blue or one of the other Raptors from Jurassic World at Raptor Encounter. Here you’ll get to learn some interesting Raptor facts about this clever girl and if you’re brave enough, you can even grab a quick photo with her.
PRO TIP FOR DINOSAUR LOVERS: Book a room at Lowes Royal Pacific Resort and the kids can even sleep in their very own gyrosphere bed in our Jurassic World Kids’ Suites.
That moment when you fly up in the air 185 feet
Location: Universal Islands of Adventure
Doctor Doom’s Fearfall will have you screaming way more words than you even knew you had in your vocabulary. No fear of heights? This attraction was built for you. Fear of heights? Buckle up because this launch uses more thrust than a 747 jet.
That moment when your flying motorbike goes into a 17-foot vertical free fall
Location: Universal Islands of Adventure
It’s hard enough trying to choose between all the can’t miss moments you’ll experience on Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. But this was the first coaster in the U.S. to feature a free-fall vertical drop and I think that’s pretty rad. You won’t even know it’s coming, but when it happens, grip that handlebar tight and enjoy the ride.
That moment when you take an 85-foot plunge to escape a large T. rex
Location: Universal Islands of Adventure
Jurassic Park River Adventure takes you on a lovely scenic water cruise where you come across some nice herbivore dinosaurs. All of a sudden, you’re taken off course and end up staring down the massive jaws of a HUGE T.rex before plunging 85 feet. It’s so awesome!
That moment when you see a volcano through your hotel window
Location: Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort
Picture this… You walk into your room at Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort for the first time and open the blinds to discover one of the most breathtaking views on property. Our Volcano Side Rooms give a bird’s eye view into Universal Volcano Bay. Let me tell you, these views are absolutely out of this world. Plus, being a hotel guest gives you access to Volcano Bay an hour before the park opens with Early Park Admission.
That moment when you come face-to-face with Kong
Location: Universal Islands of Adventure
Are you brave enough to step foot into this mysterious island at Skull Island: Reign of Kong? Inside, you’ll encounter a few frightening creatures and prehistoric predators. But at the end of your journey, you’ll come face to face with the mighty Kong himself. This moment is definitely worth the trek.
That moment when you step inside the tube at Kala & Tai Nui Serpentine Body Slides
Location: Universal Volcano Bay
These body slides at Universal Volcano Bay are sure to make your jaw drop when the floor disappears, sending you plummeting down intertwining tubes through the Krakatau Volcano.
That moment when your wand actually does magic
Location: Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure
One of the most unique experiences in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is enjoying the Interactive Wand spots. With the flick of your wrist, your Interactive Wand can bring to life magical moments throughout Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. The wands are available in both lands or online.
That moment when you climb 90 degrees straight up on Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
Location: Universal Studios Florida
In my opinion, the most intense part of Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is the moment you’re 90 degrees looking straight up at the sky, your stomach turning from anticipation. At least you have some music playing to ease your nerves.
That moment when you realize it’s time for a tasty snack
Location: Universal Studios Florida
This. Donut. Is. Amazing! Find this delicious giant pink-iced sprinkled donut in Springfield, U.S.A. at Lard Lad Donuts.
That moment when you eat a sushi roll that’s actually a burger
Location: Universal CityWalk
Two of my favorite meals are sushi and a good burger. At The Cowfish, my two favorite meals collide. You can literally eat what they call Burgushi. It’s either a burger made with sushi or sushi that’s actually a burger. It is all SO good!
That moment when you Hulk out
Location: Universal Islands of Adventure
Shooting out of the tunnel and racing up to 67 miles per hour on The Incredible Hulk Coaster is INTENSE. And so much fun! This roller coaster has a total of seven inversions and will make you want to come back for more.
That moment when you see the Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon breathe fire
Location: Universal Studios Florida
Sitting on top of Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, at the far end of Diagon Alley, is a massive fire-breathing dragon. One of my favorite moments is stepping into Diagon Alley and catching the dragon growl and blast fire out of its mouth.
Fun Fact: The fire out of the dragon’s mouth reaches temperatures of 3,560°F!
That moment when you take in the view from a rooftop bar
Location: Universal’s Aventura Hotel
You’ll definitely want to check out Bar 17 Bistro at Universal’s Aventura Hotel. This is the first rooftop bar at Universal Orlando Resort, and these views (and bao buns) are absolutely incredible.
What’s your favorite moment when you visit Universal Orlando Resort? Tell us in the comments!
21 Comments
Can’t wait! I’ll be there in six weeks!
Thank you for the heads up on things to see and do. Keep sending updates.
Hi Sharon! Thank you for your kind words.
excited will be there in august. thanks for keeping me up to date with the latest happening.
I know this is probably not the right way to do this, but we have just returned to England after two glorious weeks in Florida. We visited universal studios and found it to be exceptional. The working staff there were the nicest, kindest and most helpful and couldn’t fault them in any way. However, the queues for the rides were horrendous. Some of them were almost two hours wait. We were with my daughter, son-in-law and 18 month old grandson, so we couldn’t go on rides together, one couple having to babysit. I know that’s not your problem but perhaps it would be a good idea to pre-book times for rides. I hear they do that in Euro Disney and works well. Also perhaps a reduced rate for people not going on rides. I just thought someone should know our feelings regarding this problem.
Regards Lorraine Gordon
Hi Lorraine, thank you for providing us with feedback regarding your experience. We are very sorry we did not fully meet your expectations. We will be documenting your feedback and if you would like to provide further information, please give us a call at 407-224-4233 option 4 or send us an email at GuestServices@universalorlando.com. We hope you will come visit us again soon.
I love rocking out on the rocket coaster, and Spiderman is always a party ride – Universal is the winningest place ever! The staff is so kind and fun, thank you all so much and best wishes!!
We will be there in December. Excited to see it all! Staying at the new Surfside which is opening soon. My grand daughter is so excited to see Harry Potter World. Been watching all the videos on YouTube. Can’t wait!
I would love to see a pedestrian bridge crossing from the newer buildings at Cabana to the Adventura. I’m certain that Adventura and Sapphire guests would love a better way to get to Volcano Bay, and the bridge that crosses from Cabana to Sapphire is a long walk for those of us staying in the southern buildings. Other than the prohibitive walking distance to get places, we loved our stay. The two bedroom suite was perfect for us and our two grown children. It gave us a quiet place to meet together in the living room area to discuss the day’s events, and private corners to escape from each other to unwind after a long day of ride lines and massive crowds. I bought cereal, milk, and juice each night to put into the refrigerator so that we could get up early and catch a quick breakfast before going to the parks. The beds were comfortable and we did have good views from each of the windows.
Hi Lois!
Thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback. We are glad you enjoyed certain aspects of your visit, and we will be sure to document your concerns. We look forward to your next visit.
Not only the parks are a lot of fun but so is the staff they are great also and very accommodating.
I am here nearly every year. You guys are LITERALLY my favorite vacation!
Hi Kaitlyn!
WOW! Thank you so much! We will see you on your next visit.
We just returned home from Universal Studios and Universal Islands of Adventure today.
It was the most fun I’ve had in a long time. I didn’t think I would be riding any rides but
ended up pretty much on all of them with my 13 yr old.
And we had one little issue and when I mentioned it to one of the gift shop areas,
the employees told me to please go let Customer Service know.
I reluctantly went and left out of there very satisfied with how they made it right.
We are already planning on coming back June 2020.
Hello Michelle, thank you for this feedback, it’s great to see that you were able to enjoy our attractions and that our Guest Service Team was able to accommodate. We are very excited to welcome you back to our resort!
We’ve just returned from our 4th trip to Universal, and this time the highlight was surely Hagrid’s motorbike. We used the Universal app to alert us when the wait was not too terrible, and then totally lucked into the first car. What a thrill, with many surprises. This year was our first time at Volcano Bay, which was also tremendous fun. I wish the parks would adopt the tapu-tapu wrist watch/virtual queue. It was smartly done.
Hi Judy!
Thank you for the kind words, and we are thrilled to hear you had a great time. Hope to see you again soon!
Os parques da Universal são maravilhosos, muito bem organizados, as montanhas russas sensacionais, equipe de funcionários muito cordial, amei tudo, voltarei em breve. Super indico
We just returned from our staycation at Cabana Bay with family from out of town, our first stay at a Universal Resort. We had 3 rooms and saw the family suites and regular rooms. We loved having so much to do there and the path that led to City Walk area. Picking up tickets at the hotel that we had booked for a 2 park ticket day with express passes was great! With the shuttles and paths to Volcano Bay and City Walk it was a wonderful 4 day adventure in our backyard!!
Hi Wanda, we’re thrilled to hear of the wonderful stay you and your family had! We hope to welcome you back again soon, so you can create more epic memories!
Hey Lori,
We’re sorry for any inconveniences you might have experienced during your most recent visit! We strive to provide our Guests with a quality experience, and we sincerely apologize for any inconsistency you might have encountered. Please rest assured this feedback has been formally documented, to be shared with the appropriate teams. Furthermore, we would like to learn more about your visit to ensure these concerns can be properly addressed. At your earliest convenience, please contact our Guest Services Department at 407-224-4233, or via email at GuestServices@universalorlando.com. When contacting, please provide your review username. We look forward to hearing from you.