Universal Studios Florida has become such a popular theme park destination with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter along with newer rides like “Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Plus, the brand new 30-acre water park, Volcano Bay is a must see!
We have visited Universal Studios Florida on multiple occasions and have had the opportunity to experience it as a family – on a budget as well as like a celebrity or a more deluxe trip. We thought it would be helpful to showcase the various ways in which you can plan your vacation: on a Deluxe, Medium, or Budget level. Note that prices will vary depending upon off season vs peak season travel. For the best prices you will want to travel off season during the months of January and February.
1. Ticket Options:
Deluxe: If you truly want to feel like a celebrity, then get the VIP Tours (from $190). VIP Tours are more than just an express pass that get you to a shorter line, they get you to the very front of the line with no wait at all. You may get some ugly stares as you pass everyone else in line, but just soak it up like a true celebrity.
You will have a tour guide that takes your party around the park and offers all kinds of insider information about the park along with backstage access. Some extra perks of a VIP Tour are that you will also receive: complimentary valet parking, reserved seating at shows, and an extra 10% off Universal stores. Your tour guide may even provide you with a free poncho for wet rides or if an afternoon shower hits.
Medium: If you want to cut your wait time down, then you will want to consider getting the Universal Studios Express Pass or Express Pass Unlimited. Both Passes allow you to skip the regular line and join a much shorter Express Pass line. The basic Express Pass is good for ONE use per ride only. The Unlimited Express Pass allows you into a shorter line as many times as you want. There is an extra fee for the Express Pass in addition to regular admission.
Tip: Universal Orlando has three on-site hotels that offer complimentary Unlimited Express Passes with your stay. Details on these hotels are below in the Hotel section.
You may debate whether the Express Passes are worth it. We have done Universal Orlando both ways and my personal opinion is that it is well worth it to pay extra for Express Passes. We went one year in the beginning of May when all the schools were still in, thinking that it wouldn't be that crowded, we opted to NOT get an Express Pass. We then traveled at the beginning of August when school was out and DID get the Express Pass. We assumed that our wait time during August with Express Passes would be similar to a visit while school was still in. Even with the extra crowds in August, we never waited more than 10 minutes for a ride – thanks to our Express Passes. This was a huge improvement over our wait time in May when the crowds were much smaller.
Budget: The budget option would be to just get the the regular admission tickets. There is an option to get a Park to Park admission that allows you admission to both parks in one day and also allows you to take the Hogwarts Express between parks. You can not ride on Hogwarts Express without a park to park ticket. You will pay a little extra for the park to park ticket. You can also save money on tickets by buying them online, over the phone, or at a Universal Hotel ticket desk – rather than at the gate.
2. Hotel:
There are many options for lodging from staying on site vs off site.
Deluxe: There are five, soon to be six, on-site hotels at Universal Orlando. You can choose from the Cabana Bay Beach Resort, Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, and Universal's Adventura Hotel opening August 2018. Prices range from $112-$256 per night.
Universal's deluxe hotels automatically include Universal Unlimited Express Passes that allow you to skip lines along with early entry to the parks. Note that the Unlimited Express Pass does NOT apply to guests staying at Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort, Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, and Universal’s Aventura Hotel or for Universal’s Volcano Bay. Valid for the number of guests staying in the room for the length of hotel stay. This is a huge BONUS and when you add up the cost of an Unlimited Express Pass for each guest, this can be a great cost saving while enjoying your stay at a 4-diamond luxury resort just minutes from the parks. We think this option is absolutely worth it!
Here's some of the extra perks we experienced while staying at an onsite resort:
-Being so close to the parks is a huge benefit. We were able to separate in the evening for those that wanted to go back and swim at the hotel while others in our party stayed at the park to view the evening firework show. This would also be great for those with little one's that may want to take a break for naps in the afternoon and then head back to the park. All the hotels are only about a 5-10 minute walk away from the parks.
-We stayed at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort and loved their new texting feature. Once you check in, they ask if you'd like to receive texts from the hotel while you stay. This was such a wonderful service. If we had any questions, needed more towels, wanted to know what time check out was, etc. – we just texted the hotel and received an answer within minutes.
-Your card key will give you access to all Universal On-Site Hotel pools.
–City Walk is just minutes away with multiple restaurant and shopping options. Not to mention each hotel has an onsite restaurant along with markets for quick snacks or cheap breakfast options.
-We had no need for a rental car. During our last visit we only visited Universal Orlando attractions and since we stayed on-site, everything during our trip was within walking distance. We only paid for a taxi to and from the airport. This also saved some money.
-Any souvenir purchases that you make can be sent to your room. It does take a day for it to be sent over, so you don't want to use this option if you are checking out soon. This is such a nice perk so that you don't have to carry around any souvenirs while at the parks.
-Free shuttles and boat rides are provided from hotels to the parks.
Medium-Budget: You could certainly find cheap or moderate hotels nearby. You could even rent a house and save money by cooking most of your meals. Most moderate hotel options will cost around $100 a night. Plus, you would need to rent a car to get to and from the parks as well as pay for parking.
3. Volcano Bay:
Volcano Bay opened May 2017 and is Universal Studios newest water park with 18 attractions. Our visit to Volcano Bay was my kids' favorite part of our whole trip to Universal. We really enjoyed this water park because unlike many other water parks, most of the slides have tubes that seat 4-6 people, so you are able to experience the slides together as a family.
They also offer wristbands for everyone to wear during your visit. The wristbands are called Tapu Tapu that allows you to virtually wait in line. If there is a big line for a slide, you just scan your Tapu Tapu for that slide and it will hold your place in line while you visit other slides. Your Tapu Tapu will then notify you when it's time to go back to that slide without having to wait in an extra long line.
Deluxe: If you want to have all that Volcano Bay has to offer, then you'll want to rent one of their Private Cabanas. These offer towels, locker service, padded chairs, complimentary fruit and snack basket, mini refrigerator stocked with waters, and concierge service. Plus, you don't have to go around the park swiping your Tapu Tapu for rides, you get your own tablet that allows you to book your place in line from your cabana. Note that these Cabanas are in high demand and it is recommended that you book them as early as possible.
Keep in mind that those staying at on-site hotels can also get early entrance to Volcano Bay, which is a huge benefit with the big crowds they have been experiencing.
Medium: You can reserve Premium Seating for a much lesser price than a Cabana. This includes two covered loungers, a lock box, and an attendant that will take your order for food within the park.
Budget: If you arrive at Volcano Bay early enough in the day, you can find plenty of lounge chairs with umbrellas that will provide you with shade at no extra cost.
4. Extra Things you can do to feel like a celebrity, but on a budget:
–Snacks shipped to your hotel – We ordered various snacks and even items we forgot like sunglasses from Amazon Now. Amazon Now provides free 2-hour delivery and you can even shop from local restaurants. This is only available in certain zip codes and was available in Orlando. We were able to get breakfast items, fresh fruit, cookies, popcorn snacks and more shipped to our hotel. If you use the Amazon Now App, you can actually track your driver and you will be notified when they are near your hotel. You may want to check with your hotel to see if they charge extra to accept packages or just make sure you are available to meet your driver out front to retrieve your delivery. This was a huge benefit to us since we did not have a rental car and it was cheaper than getting an Uber to take us to the store.
–Get a cool water bottle with a mister – If you are unfamiliar with humidity, like those of us living in a dessert, you will definitely want something to keep you cool – especially during the Summer months in Florida. My husband would walk out of the hotel and within five minutes be dripping wet from the humidity. These water bottles saved our lives. I wanted a mister that didn't require batteries that we would have to worry about replacing. These were perfect because there are no batteries and they double as a water bottle.
–Water Proof Phone Case Pouch – These are a total must have for theme parks. We keep our phone, theme park tickets, credit card and more inside of these to keep everything dry, especially from those rides that will soak you. This is Amazon's best rated Water Proof Phone Case and it comes with Two.
Hope these tips help you whether you're wanting to have a deluxe trip or looking to cut back and keep to a budget. Have fun!
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