Universal Orlando Resort Overview
Universal Orlando Resort encompasses more than 500 acres, two theme parks, a water park, a shopping and dining district, and eight on-site hotels. The resort is often compared to Walt Disney World, which is located just a few miles down the road. Unlike Disney World, Universal has a much smaller footprint, making it easier to navigate.
The resort is targeted to a slightly older demographic of teenagers and young adults. However, there is a lot to learn before your first visit, so let’s take a close look at the basics.
Universal City Walk
City Walk is a shopping and dining area similar to Downtown Disney or Disney Springs. There is a wide variety of restaurants and retail locations. The area serves as a connection between the transportation hub and the two theme parks. A waterway runs through the middle of City Walks and connects the area to the Preferred and Premier on-site hotels.
Universal Orlando Resort Parks
Universal Orlando Resort’s two main theme parks are connected by the City Walk shopping and dining district. After parking your car, you will pass through City Walk on the way to Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.
Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida is themed to movie production. The park features action-packed rides and shows based on hit properties like The Simpsons, Despicable Me, and Transformers. Universal Studios is home to Diagon Alley, which is part of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Islands of Adventure
Islands of Adventure puts visitors in the middle of their favorite film franchises. The original Harry Potter land, Jurassic Park, and Marvel superheroes all coexist side by side. The park also has a lot more thrill rides than its sister park, including three great water rides.
Volcano Bay
Volcano Bay is Universal Orlando’s water theme park. In fact, Universal actually calls it their third theme park, but I’m going to continue calling it a water park. Unlike other water parks, there are no lines. Guests are handed a wristband when they enter the park. You simply tap the wristband at the touch point for the ride you want to go on and a return time will appear on the wristband’s small display. While waiting, you are free to enjoy other areas like the lazy river.
Getting to Volcano Bay is a little confusing since it’s actually behind Cabana Bay. Only Cabana Bay and Aventura guests can walk to the park via special walkways which require room keys. Everyone else will have to take a shuttle from their resort, or the parking bus stop at the parking garage.
Epic Universe
Epic Universe is an upcoming theme park with five unique lands that is located several miles down the road from Universal Orlando. Busses will connect guests to the new area, just like they do with Volcano Bay. The park will be home to awesome lands themed to Harry Potter, Mario, How to Train Your Dragon, and Universal Monsters. There will also be an on-site hotel. The park is set to open in Summer 2025, so keep your eyes out for new info.
Wizarding World of Harry Potter
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is not technically a theme park, but it encompasses lands in each Universal Orlando park. The original land is Hogsmeade, which is located in Islands of Adventure and includes Hogwarts Castle and Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure.
There is another land located next door at Universal Studios themed to Diagon Alley and includes the Escape From Gringotts coaster. The Hogwarts Express connects the two parks and is available to anyone with an annual pass or park-to-park ticket. Epic Universe is also set to have its own Harry Potter-themed land, but this one is presumed to be based more around the Fantastic Beasts franchise.
Universal Orlando Resort Ticket Options
There are a few different options when you go to buy tickets at Universal Orlando. It is very important to consider the number of days you plan on visiting because it is often cheaper to buy a Seasonal pass than three or more days of park-to-park tickets. Annual passes provide other benefits, like steep hotel discounts.
Single and Multi-Day Tickets
The simplest and cheapest option is a single day one park ticket. These are date-based and only allow entry into either Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure. From there you can also add extra days, which are sold as multi-day tickets. Multi-day tickets get cheaper with every day you add and Universal frequently offers discounted tickets, like buy two days and get one free.
Whether you purchase a one-day ticket or a multi-day ticket, there is a park-to-park add-on. Although it comes at a pretty high price, the add-on lets you visit Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure on the same day. More importantly, a park-to-park ticket lets you ride the Hogwarts Express between the park.
Single and multi-day tickets are available as part of resort packages sold by Universal Orlando. You may be able to save even more by bundling your tickets and hotel stay. To find the latest discounts, be sure to visit the Universal Orlando website.
Annual Passes
Universal Orlando annual passes are a great value if you plan to visit the park more than once in a year. Universal offers four tiers of annual passes including:
- Seasonal
- Power
- Preferred
- Premier
Each annual pass tier has its own benefits. For instance, the Premier Pass includes valet parking, Express Pass after 4 PM, and one ticket to Halloween Horror Nights. The Seasonal Pass is the cheapest option, and it is perfect for those visiting from out of town who always stay at an on-site resort hotel.
I have a Seasonal Pass because I visit several times throughout the year. However, I always stay at one of the on-site hotels, so I don’t need the free parking benefit. All annual pass tiers include the same hotel discounts, which can save you upwards of 35% off the rack rate.
Express Pass
Finally, there is Express Pass, which is actually a ticket add-on to skip the line on many popular attractions. The main exception is Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure, which still doesn’t have Express Pass. With Express Pass, you present a special ticket at the ride entrance to use a faster queue, similar to Disney Lightning Lane lines. However, no reservations are needed and you can ride as many times as you want.
Because Express Pass is so flexible, it has to come at a hefty price tag. Universal bases Express Pass pricing on anticipated crowds. Some days Express Pass Unlimited can cost upwards of $300, so it is not realistic for many families. However, it may be a good option if you only have one day.
The best option to get Express Pass is to stay at one of the Premier on-site hotels. Hard Rock, Portofino Bay, and Royal Pacific all included Express Passes for each registered guest. Guests receive an Express Pass for each day of their stay, including check-in and check-out days.
Universal Orlando Resort Hotels
Universal Orlando Resort has eight on-site hotels with three more set to open next year. The hotels are separated into four categories based on amenities and luxury. Value hotels are the cheapest options, but they have bus transportation. Meanwhile, the Premier hotels include Unlimited Express Pass, water transportation, and more.
Value
- Universal Endless Summer Resort – Surfside & Dockside
Prime Value
- Universal Cabana Bay Beach Resort
- Universal Aventura Hotel
- Universal Stella Nova & Terra Luna
Preferred
- Loews Sapphire Falls Resort
Premier
- Loews Portofino Bay Hotel
- Hard Rock Hotel
- Loews Royal Pacific Resort
Universal Orlando Resort Map
Maps coming soon, until then check out the interactive map on the Universal Orlando website.
How to Get Around Universal Orlando Resort
Universal Orlando Resort is very similar to Disneyland in Anaheim, CA. The two parks are connected via City Walk and everyone (except for hotel guests) parks in one of two giant parking garages. Getting between the two parks is done simply by walking. Boats connect the Preferred and Premier hotels to City Walk, while busses drop guests off coming from the other hotels.
Anyone can board the boats and busses to the Universal hotels, so even if you aren’t staying on-site you can still check them out or go eat. Busses also connect the parking hub to Volcano Bay, which is separate from the main theme park area. Universal’s newest park, Epic Universe, will have busses going between it and the original resort area.
FAQs
Which Universal Orlando Park is better?
Everyone has different opinions on which Universal Park is better, but Islands is often ranked above Universal Studios in polls. Theme Park Insider does a yearly ranking of the best theme parks in the US, and Islands is frequently ranked #1. However, I prefer Universal Studios as it is faster to navigate and has more shows.
How to get from Disney World to Universal Orlando Resort?
Unfortunately, there aren’t many great options to go between Universal Orlando and Disney World. Your best bet will likely be Uber or Lyft if you have multiple people traveling. Mears taxis are also frequently available at both Disney and Universal. You will also find plenty of shuttle services that offer transportation between the parks and also the airport, but these services often charge by the person, which can get expensive for a family.
Should you go to Universal Orlando Resort with toddlers and young children?
As a longtime visitor to Universal Orlando, I’ve noticed a large uptick in the number of young children in the parks, but I really don’t recommend it. Nearly every ride at Universal has a height requirement, and there are few attractions that everyone will enjoy. I advise checking the height requirements to see what your child can ride before planning a trip. Even then, you may want to consider only a single day between both parks.
Is Express Pass at Universal Orlando Resort worth it?
Express Pass is worth it if you only have one day to spend between both parks. However, I would try to get a room at Royal Pacific or one of the other Premier resorts to save money if you are traveling with more than one person. If you have multiple days to explore the parks, then consider foregoing Express Pass and try to arrive at park opening to avoid the longest lines.
