Everything You Need to Do Before Visiting Universal Orlando
Planning a trip to the Universal Orlando Resort can feel overwhelming—there’s so much to think about and do before you even arrive. Plus, there are so many things unique to a Universal Orlando vacation.
But after several trips, I’ve developed a tried-and-tested planning routine that works every time. In this article, I’ll walk you through each step of preparing for your Universal Orlando vacation so you’re ready for the adventure ahead.
I’ll cover:
- When to do each task
- How to tackle each task
- Why each task is important
By the end, you’ll be set to make the most out of your Universal Orlando vacation—or even just a single day at the theme parks.
Decide When You’re Going
📆 When: As far in advance as you can
💻 How: By looking at your availability, events & crowd calendars
🙂 Why: So you can visit Universal Orlando at the best time
The first thing you will want to do when planning a trip to Universal Orlando is decide when you want to visit.
This might already be fixed because you’re visiting friends and family nearby or have set days off work or school. However, it’s worth looking at events and crowd calendars if you have some flexibility.
For example, Halloween Horror Nights between August and early November makes this an excellent time for horror fans to visit. But if you’re not interested in horror this can be a bad time to visit. Universal Studios Florida closes earlier and the parks can be busier.
Book Your Transport To Orlando
📆 When: As far in advance as you can
💻 How: By deciding how you’re going to get to Orlando
🙂 Why: So you’ll be in Orlando
Once you’ve decided on your dates, it’s time to book your transport to Orlando. This is a little easier if you’re travelling by car, although you may still need to book a night in a hotel at the halfway point if it’s a long journey.
But if you’re flying to Orlando, you’ll typically find the best prices, and availability is as far in advance as possible.
Buy Travel Insurance
📆 When: As soon as you’ve booked your flights
💻 How: VisitorsCoverage
🙂 Why: So you’re protected if anything goes wrong
Now that the first part of your Orlando vacation is in place, it’s time to buy travel insurance. I get our travel insurance from VisitorsCoverage.
Travel insurance will protect you if anything before and during your trip to Orlando.
- Your kid gets sick, and you can’t travel – travel insurance. This one has happened to us a few times.
- Your parent falls and has to stay in hospital – travel insurance.
- You’re an international visitor to the US, get sick, and must go to the doctor – travel insurance.
You don’t have to buy it for a trip to Universal Orlando. But personally, I’d never travel without it.
Choose Your Hotel
📆 When: After you’ve booked your flights
💻 How: By working out what you want from your accommodation
🙂 Why: So you’ve somewhere to stay while on vacation
There are two parts to choosing & booking your hotel:
- Do you want to stay on-site at Universal Orlando
- Choosing the hotel you’d like to stay at
I’ve got an entire post dedicated to the benefits of staying on-site at Universal Orlando. But in short:
- It makes your trip so much easier
- There’s budget and luxury options
I used to say you’ll save money at Universal Orlando by staying outside of the resort. However, that’s no longer the case with the recent expansion of the Value Inns and Suites range.
However, if a trip to Universal Orlando only makes up part of your vacation, you might find staying elsewhere easier. Even if this means you must commute to Universal Orlando when you visit.
Decide on a Rental Car (or Alternative)
📆 When: When you have booked your accommodation
💻 How: Discover Cars
🙂 Why: So you can travel around Orlando
Unless you drive to Orlando, you’ll need to figure out how to get around once you arrive. The main decision is whether you should rent a car during your stay.
If you’re staying on-site at Universal Orlando Resort, renting a car is unnecessary. Especially given the high parking fees at Universal Orlando hotels. However, you’ll still need to plan how to get from Orlando airport to your hotel.
A rental car might be a good option if you’re staying off-site. Just be sure to factor in the entire rental cost—such as insurance, fuel, and parking—before making your final decision.
Buy Your Universal Orlando Theme Park Tickets
📆 When: When you have booked your accommodation
💻 How: Undercover Tourist or AttractionTix
🙂 Why: So you’re prepared to visit the theme park
While Universal Orlando theme park tickets can be bought at the gate, I’d advise against doing so. After all, who wants to waste time standing in line on vacation?
Instead, I suggest researching the different Universal Orlando ticket options in advance. This includes:
- Ticket Duration
- Theme Parks Included
- Park-To-Park Tickets
- Universal Express Tickets
Once you’ve decided on your ticket type, it’s time to buy. If you’re from the UK, buy your Universal Orlando tickets from AttractionTix. If you’re from anywhere else, buy your Universal Orlando tickets from Undercover Tourist.
Check Your Kids Heights
📆 When: 2 months in advance
💻 How: With a tape measure & a lot of patience
🙂 Why: So you can see which rides they can and can’t go on
If you’re travelling with kids, check their height before you go to Universal Orlando. Some rides in theme parks have a height requirement. If your child doesn’t meet that height requirement, they won’t be able to go on the ride.
So, I suggest checking their height before your trip for two reasons:
- It gives you a chance to prepare them for the fact that they won’t be able to go on some rides. Sometimes, the surprise of this, coupled with the heightened excitement, can lead to a major meltdown.
- You can use this information when planning which rides you will go on during your visit. Especially the rides you’ll go on first since your first few hours are the most important.
Agree on ‘Must Do’ Rides & Experiences
📆 When: 2 months in advance
💻 How: With a list of rides
🙂 Why: So you can plan your time at Universal Orlando accordingly
Next, you’ll want to get this list of every ride at Universal Orlando. Go down this list together with your child’s height and work out which rides you want to go on during your visit.
This list will be unique to you and your family and make up your itinerary inside the theme park.
Once you have your list of ‘must-do’ rides, you should order them based on average wait time. Then, you should aim to go on the rides with the highest average wait time.
Check Theme Park Opening Times
📆 When: 1 month in advance
💻 How: Universal Orlando website
🙂 Why: So you can plan your time at Universal Orlando accordingly
The best time to arrive at Universal Orlando is when the theme park opens.
Rides that typically have a 90-minute wait time during the day will have wait times of less than 20 minutes. So, getting up early will save you a lot of time throughout the day and allow you to experience more of the park.
To plan for this, you should check theme park opening times before your visit. You can do this using the Universal Orlando website.
If you stay on-site at a Universal Orlando hotel, you’ll also benefit from early park admission. This gets you into selected Universal Orlando parks before the general public. The list of parks with early park admission can again be found on the Universal Orlando website.
Make Dining Reservations
📆 When: 1 month in advance
💻 How: Call the restaurant
🙂 Why: So you can eat where and when you want
Sadly, you can’t make dining reservations at any of the restaurants inside the theme parks at Universal Orlando. However, you can make dining reservations for the restaurants at CityWalk, and I highly suggest doing so.
Popular CityWalk restaurants such as Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and CowFish get booked up quickly. So without a reservation, you may have to eat dinner elsewhere or at an unsuitable time.
Check The Weather
📆 When: 1 week in advance & 1 day in advance
💻 How: Online
🙂 Why: So you can pack and dress accordingly
I suggest checking the weather twice before your Universal Orlando vacation.
First, around one week before you travel so you can pack your suitcase. Checking the weather this far in advance isn’t going to be super accurate (is it ever?), but it should give you an idea of what to pack in your suitcase.
I suggest checking the weather again the day before you visit Universal Orlando. This will help you decide what to wear and what to bring (jackets, raincoats, umbrellas, etc.).
Pack Your Day Bag
📆 When: The day before you visit
💻 How: By packing your bag
🙂 Why: So you’re prepared for your day at the theme park
Using the weather, you’ll want to pack the bag you’ll take to Universal Orlando.
This bag should include essentials such as park tickets, a power bank for your mobile phone, and any medication you might need. Depending on the weather, you might also want to pack a jacket or a raincoat.
Packing your bag before your visit prepares you for the following day. It also reduces the risk of forgetting something and either having to go back for it or buying it in the parks.
Decide When You’ll Need To Leave
📆 When: The day before you visit
💻 How: Checking opening times & reviewing transport
🙂 Why: So you can arrive at the theme park for when it opens
Using the theme park opening times, you’ll then want to decide when you need to leave your hotel to arrive at the theme park when it opens.
If you’re staying in an on-site hotel, this is easy since you’re already within the resort. However, exactly when you need to leave the hotel will still depend on the hotel you’re staying at.
For example, the Hard Rock Hotel is next to Universal Studios Florida. So, for that theme park, you’ll only need to leave 15 minutes before the park opens.
However, if you’re staying in a value hotel and need to take the free shuttle bus to the theme park, you’ll want to leave around an hour in advance.
If you’re driving to Universal Orlando, you’ll have more things to consider. This includes:
- The distance between your hotel and Universal Orlando.
- Traffic at that time of the morning.
- Parking your car at Universal Orlando.
- Walking from the parking garage over to Universal Orlando.