Universal Studios Florida – 1 Day Itinerary (With Times!)

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As a Universal Orlando annual passholder, I visit Universal Studios Florida regularly. I’ve stayed on-site and off-site, visited with babies, kids, and elderly parents, and been during peak and off-peak seasons.

What I’m trying to say is that I’ve experienced Universal Studios Florida in every different scenario. So, if I went to this theme park for just one day, how would I do it?

I’ve broken down my one-day Universal Studios Florida itinerary below. However, here are a couple of things to note:

Before spending a day at Universal Studios, be sure you’ve read through my guide on things to do before your trip. This includes:

• Reviewing the most popular rides
• Reviewing ride heights – important if you’re travelling with younger kids
• Deciding how you’re going to get to the theme park
• Checking the weather so you can plan outfits and pack appropriately
• Reviewing the theme park opening hours
• Buying your theme park tickets

This itinerary is based on staying in a hotel or villa outside of the Universal Orlando Resort. However, I always suggest staying in a Universal Orlando hotel where possible.

If you are staying in a Universal Orlando hotel, you will get early entry into one of the theme parks. If it’s Universal Studios Florida, you want to shuffle all the times in this itinerary back by one hour.

This itinerary does not include Universal Express Passes. I recommend getting a Universal Express Pass in most cases. However, I also understand this isn’t always financially feasible.

8:40am – Arrive at Universal Studios Florida Gates

Assuming Universal Studios Florida opens at 9:00am then you will want to arrive at the park gates by 8:40am.

If you’re driving to the resort then you’ll need to walk from the Universal Studios parking garage. Be sure to factor this, and going through security into your morning to ensure you arrive on-time.

Pro Tip: You should also make sure you’ve had breakfast before arriving at the theme park!

The first hour inside Universal Studios is the quietest, so this is the best time to arrive at the theme park – especially if you don’t have an Express Pass.

9:00am – Universal Studios Florida Opens

When the theme park opens, you have two options depending on your interests:

1. Go on the most popular rides
2. Take photographs in Diagon Alley

Diagon Alley is a relatively small and narrow area of the theme park. If you’re a Harry Potter fan and want photos of this area with as few people as possible, this is the best time.

Once you’ve taken your photos, I suggest staying here and going on Escape from Gringotts. From there, you can return to the main itinerary and go on the most popular rides from there.

9:12am – Rip Ride Rockit

This ride is super close to the theme park entrance and is due to close in September 2025. As such, it’s expected that it will only get more popular until then.

If you don’t want to go on this ride and you’ve got kids, I suggest replacing it with Despicable Me Minion Mayhem. If you want to do both, then do Rip Ride Rockit first, and we’ll come back to Minion Mayhem later in the itinerary.

9:25am – Revenge of The Mummy

Revenge of the Mummy is another popular ride. Better still, it’s just across from Rip Ride Rockit, making it the second-best ride once inside the park.

Much like Rip Ride Rockit, Revenge of the Mummy has a strict bag policy. If you’ve got anything larger than a fanny pack you’ll have to put it in a locker. The ride lockers are free but putting stuff in and taking stuff out can easily add 5 to 10 minutes onto the ride.

9:37am – Transformers

If Transformers: The Ride – 3D is a ride you want to go on when visiting Universal Studios Florida, now is a great time to do so.

This ride is located in the building across from the entrance of Revenge of The Mummy. However you’ll need to walk around to the other side of the building for the ride entrance.

Pro Tip: This is one of the rides I skip when visiting Universal Studios as it gives me terrible motion sickness.

9:55am – Escape from Gringotts

If you didn’t go to take photos inside of Diagon Alley then now is the time to visit. You’ll want to head to the very back of this area of the park to go on the ride Escape from Gingotts.

10:12am – Men in Black

When you come back out of Diagon Alley you’re going to want to follow the lagoon anti-clockwise. This will lead you to the family-friendly ride Men in Black.

10:27am – The Simpsons Ride

When you come out of Men in Black, you want to follow the lagoon round into Springfield, home of The Simpsons.

The first ride you come to in this land is The Simpsons Ride. Again, this is a ride I personally skip due to motion sickness. However, if it’s a ride that you want to go on, now is the best time to do so.

10:45am – Kang and Kodos Twirl’ n’ Hurl

As it gets later into the day, wait times for rides will begin to increase. Meaning the gap of time between you going on rides will begin to get bigger.

Kang and Kodos Twirl ‘n’ Hurl typically has a maximum standby wait of 20 minutes. Meaning that it’s a ride you could easily go on later in the day. That being said, I’d suggest going on it now if it’s a ride you’re interested in. That way, you don’t have to walk back to this area of the theme park.

11:03am – E.T. Adventure

E.T. Adventure is the only ride in Universal Studios that dates back to when the theme park first opened in 1990. This ride is located at the entrance of the new DreamWorks Land so if it’s a ride you want to go on, now is the best time to do so.

11:22am – Trollercoaster

If you’re visiting Universal Studios with little kids, the Trolls Trollercoaster is a must. This is Universal Studios’ newest ride in the new Dreamworks Land. As a result, it has rather long wait times, so I suggest going before lunch if you can.

11:45am – Lunch

If you’ve had a good morning, you should have done 9 of the 14 rides inside Universal Studios and be ready for lunch.

You can bring your food to Universal Studios Florida. However, given the heat and humidity, I recommend bringing snacks and paying for lunch. Some of my favourite places to eat inside the park include:

• Today Café
• Leaky Cauldron
• Lombard’s Seafood Grille
• Finnegan’s Bar & Grill
• Mel’s Drive-In

Lunch is also a great time to review the afternoon show schedule on the Universal Studios mobile app.

There should be at least two times available for each show in the afternoon. However, given the conflicting schedules, you won’t be able to see them all. The shows currently available at Universal Studios Florida include:

• DreamWorks Imagination Celebration
• The Bourne Stuntacular
• Animal Actors on Location
• Horror Make-Up Show

There’s also the Universal Mega Movie Parade that runs at different times throughout the year. Alternatively, if you’re visiting during Christmas, the Universal’s Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s.

If you want to go to any of these shows you’ll want to adjust the afternoon itinerary below accordingly.

1:30pm – Despicable Me Minion Mayhem

If you haven’t yet ridden Despicable Me Minion Mayhem in replacement of Rip Ride Rockit, then now is the time to do so. This ride is located at the theme park entrance, and since it’s midday, most people will be at the back of the theme park.

2:00pm – Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast

Villain-Con Minion Blast is also located in Minion Land. This is a relatively new ‘ride’ that has no height requirement, making it a great choice for young families.

2:20pm – Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon

Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon is a low-priority ride. However, it’s across from Minion Blast and often has a standby wait time of less than 20 minutes. So, if it’s a ride you want to go on, now is a great time to do so.

2:45pm – Fast & Furious

Heading back past Revenge of the Mummy, you’ll see the Fast & Furious ride on your left. Again, this is a low-priority ride. However, if you want to go on it, now is a great time.

Much like Race Through New York, the standby wait time for this ride shouldn’t be more than 20 minutes. Personally, I’d never wait longer for this ride.

3:30pm – Diagon Alley & Hogwarts Express

Next to the Fast & Furious ride is Kings Cross Station for the Hogwarts Express and Diagon Alley.

You went inside Diagon Alley for the Escape from Gringotts ride earlier. However, this theme park area has so much to offer that it’s worth returning to appreciate it at a slower pace.

You will need a park-to-park ticket to go on the last ride at Universal Studios, the Hogwarts Express. That’s because this ride takes you across to Islands of Adventure. It also means that you’ll want to spend some time exploring Diagon Alley before going on the Hogwarts Express.

4:30pm – DreamWorks Land

If you’ve not got a park-to-park ticket then you should be finished in Diagon Alley after about an hour. If you’re travelling with young kids then from here you’re going to want to go back across to DreamWorks Land.

I suggest going here at the end of the day for a couple of reasons:

1. This area is relatively close to the theme park exit.
2. There’s a giant splash pad in this area of the park.

Pro Tip: If you want to go on the Hogwarts Express and visit DreamWorks Land, go to DreamWorks Land after lunch and shift the rest of the itinerary by an hour.

5:30pm – Dinner

If you want to have dinner at the Universal Orlando Resort, then you have two options:

1. Inside Universal Studios Florida
2. At CityWalk

CityWalk has better restaurants, so I’d suggest eating here unless you don’t want to leave – you can always re-enter the theme park later that evening.

However, I suggest reserving a table in advance if you want to eat at CityWalk. Despite the size of the restaurants here, they can get busy quickly – especially at peak times. Some of my favourite places to eat include:

• Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen
• The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar
• Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food

8:00pm – CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular

Universal Studios Florida has a closing show at certain times of the year. Be sure to check the calendar in advance. This show features fireworks, music and projections and is the perfect way to end a day at Universal.

If the show is taking place, it will begin at the park’s closing time, which is often 8:00pm. But again, be sure to check the times in advance.

If I finished my dinner at CityWalk within 30 minutes of the show, I’d return to the theme park to see it. However, it’s not a show I’d personally wait around for.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the questions I get most often about planning a one-day itinerary at Universal Studios Florida.