1. Download the Official Universal Orlando App.
It's free for both apple and android devices. I won't get too far into the app, but you can buy tickets in the app, set parking reminders (the parking garage is huge - lots of places to lose your car!), set time reminders for shows/parades, see where the closest bathrooms/refreshment stands/restaurants are, and most importantly, check wait times for your favorite rides.
2. Research your tickets. Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure are considered two different theme parks. If you want to ride the Hogwarts Express and enjoy both Diagon Alley (which is in Universal Studios) and Hogsmeade (in Islands of Adventure), you have to buy a park-to-park pass. You can go back and forth as much as you want. If someone said they could only do one park and asked me which one I would pick, I would have a really hard time choosing. There are awesome rides in both parks. And I cannot stress this enough - read the fine print - we got to Universal after a long morning of driving and flying and driving some more only to find out our tickets were Print at Home and not available at the Will Call desk. We lucked out and the customer service guy did us a solid and printed our tickets anyway. If you are not a Florida resident and will be at Universal Orlando for 3+ days in a calendar year, consider buying an annual pass.
3. Shop around for hotels. The first time we went, we rented an airbnb. It was a cute place, but we grossly underestimated the length of time it would take to get to the park each morning. Parking is $20 for regular parking with a regular vehicle. It's more for an RV or bus. You also have the option of paying $30 for "preferred parking" - I think it's just closer/more convenient access. The second time we stayed, we stayed at a hotel "walking distance" to the parks - it was 1-1/2 miles to get to the security checkpoint. Some off-site hotels offer free shuttles to and from the parks (including Disney, Epcot, SeaWorld, etc). I would recommend calling your hotel options and asking. We made the mistake of not remembering what time our shuttle left (it only made one trip to and from each park every day) and had to walk to the park. As I mention in #5, you are going to walk a lot so this added distance was definitely noticeable at the end of the day.
4. Or stay on-site. We plan on staying on-site when we go again. There are a handful of options for staying at a Universal Resort. Staying on resort has a lot of perks - getting into the Wizarding World an hour before general admission is open to the public, free shuttles or water taxis to and from the parks, you can send souvenirs from shops in the parks directly to your resort (then you don't have to carry extra stuff all day!), some resorts offer free express passes (more on those later), and convenience!
5. Pack appropriately. I would always bet that it will rain for a bit of your day(s) at Universal. The first day we went, we were stuck in a torrential downpour at the furthest back corner of the park. They sell rain ponchos in shops around the park, but I don't know how much they are because we read a bunch of helpful blogs (like this one!) before we left and they all insisted on bringing cheap ponchos from home. Also - you are going to walk. A lot. There are ladies walking around in heels and I honestly don't know how they do it. We had full days at the park and walked about 6-7 miles each day. I would strongly suggest you get a good pair of walking shoes and wear them.
6. Decide what is a priority for everyone in your group. Want to drink a frozen butterbeer while people watching in Hogsmeade? Want to eat a 5lb donut in Springfield? Want ET to personally thank you for helping him on a mission to his home planet? Want to dance with a minion? Want to perform magical spells with your very own wand in Diagon Alley? Want to ride every ride? Want to beat your high score on Men In Black: Alien Attack? Figure out what is a *must-do* for everyone in your group so no one is disappointed and you can plan your days appropriately.
(Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Universal Orlando or any aspect of the company whatsoever. I have never worked there or gotten paid to write anything for them. I'm just a lady who went on a couple fun vacations who wants to share some tips about my trips.)
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