Universal Studios Orlando is a glorious theme park that has made it’s Florida location one of the preeminent tourist destinations in America. With a surplus of rides and attractions based around a host of popular properties aimed at kids and adults alike, there is quite a bit for families to do when visiting the park. From a visit to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to getting your picture taken with Blue from the Jurassic World movies, join ViewCation as we explore the best things to do at Universal Studios Orlando.
Take Your Picture by the Universal Sign
Of course, a vacation to Universal Studios Orlando isn’t complete without getting your picture taken next to the iconic globe from the venerable production company’s logo come to life! The sign is one of the first things that you’ll see when coming into the theme park’s entrance, and families are oftentimes so overwhelmed with excitement at the attractions that await them further into the park that they forget to stop and take a picture with the park’s iconic globe.
Hang Out at Production Central
After making your entrance into Universal Studios Orlando and passing the iconic globe sign, you’ll make your way to Production Central! Production Central is home to some of the park’s more family-friendly attractions, including Despicable Me Minion Mayhem. The ride is a motion-simulator experience, meaning that you won’t have to worry about whether it’s too intense for little ones. Other motion-simulator experiences that can be found at Production Central include Transformers: The Ride 3D and Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon. There’s plenty of family-friendly entertainment to explore at Production Central, but try not to spend your whole vacation there! There is plenty more to do and see further into the park, so oftentimes families will make their excursions to Universal Studios Orlando a multi-day experience.
Explore The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
One of the main reasons that visits to Universal Studios Orlando have become multi-day excursions for the majority of families is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The expansive themed area is essentially a park unto itself, and families may find that they’re able to spend the entire day experiencing everything that the impressive park area has to offer. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a completely immersive experience meant to make you feel like you’re inside the world of the Harry Potter franchise. Because of this, there’s much more to do here than just rides.
One of the main attractions that exists within The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is Diagon Alley. The location is meant to mirror where wizards in the franchise buy their wizarding supplies, and those visiting are able to purchase such things as wands, moving pictures, and wizarding beverages. Visiting Olivander’s Wand Shop is a must while at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and your kids may even be picked out to take part in a small show that recreates the scene in the first film when Harry got his wand. The wands at Olivander’s Wand Shop are interactive and make the perfect souvenirs for visitors to the park to take home.
Once you’ve gotten your interactive wand, another fun thing to do at Diagon Alley is to visit Shutterbuttons! The location allows you to create real-life moving picture, just like the ones that can be seen in the Harry Potter films! As with the aforementioned interactive wands, these moving pictures make fantastic souvenirs for visiting families. While exploring Diagon Alley, you’d also be remiss not to make a wrong turn like Harry Potter and end up in the comparatively seedy Knockturn Alley, where dark wizards peddle their wares.
If you find yourself getting thirsty, there are numerous locations around The Wizarding World of Harry Potter offering “butterbeer”, which is meant to represent the iconic beverage of the same name depicted in the Harry Potter books and films. Although butterbeer is traditionally a thick and slightly alcoholic beverage, the version of the beverage sold at Universal Studios Orlando is much closer to a cream soda and can be enjoyed by all demographics.
There are also rides to enjoy while visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, including the recently added Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. The thrilling rollercoaster offer an exciting experience for fans of the franchise, while those looking for a more family-friendly and lackadaisical experience may want to try the Flight of the Hippogriff. Other rides present at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter include the adventure ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, as well as the motion-simulator experience Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts.
When you combine all of the aforementioned wizarding activities with such food locations as the Leaky Cauldron Restaurant and Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlor, it’s no surprise that families can often be found spending entire days and more just at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. However, there’s still plenty more to do at Universal Studios Orlando once you’ve gotten your fill of wizarding!
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Visit Universal’s Volcano Bay Water Theme Park
Another area of Universal Studios Orlando families often find that they’re easily able to spend a whole day in is Universal’s Volcano Bay Water Theme Park. As the name suggests, the area is an entire water theme park existing within the great location of Universal Studios Orlando, and it features some incredibly exciting attractions, including wave pools, two separate lazy rivers and the Krakatau Aqua Coaster.
Ride the Rollercoasters!
Of course, a visit to any theme park isn’t complete without riding a couple of rollercoasters, and Universal Studio Orlando has some fairly impressive ones to entice visitors. One of the best rollercoasters currently available at the park is the Jurassic World VelociCoaster. The ride just opened up in June of 2021, and many park-goers have begun considering it the greatest coaster the park has to offer. The ride is not only a thrilling roller coaster experience, but also offers themed thrills in line with it’s iconic franchise.
Another rollercoaster at Universal Studios Orlando that often keeps visitors coming back for more is The Incredible Hulk Coaster. The thrilling rollercoaster has been one of the park’s preeminent attractions since it’s initial debut over two decades ago, and it still remains one of the most exciting rides in the park thanks to constant revamping.
Besides thrilling outdoor rollercoasters, Universal Studios Orlando also has some equally thrilling indoor adventure rides. The Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride has been one of the most popular rides at the park for nearly as long as The Incredible Hulk Coaster, having opened in 2004.
Get a Bite to Eat!
There are numerous restaurants existing within Universal Studios Orlando. Two of the most popular eateries for tourists to visit while at the park are the Mythos Restaurant and the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen. The Mythos Restaurant has developed a reputation for itself of being one of the best themed restaurants in the world. The restaurant is underwater themed and overlooks a part of the park known as the Great Inland Sea.
Besides the Mythos Restaurant, hungry visitors to Universal Studios Orlando may want to check out the steampunk-themed Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen. Whether you’re looking for a simple milkshake with some homemade whipped cream or a savory meal, the eatery remains one of the preeminent places at Universal Studios Orlando for tourists to get something to eat. There are also the aforementioned themed eateries in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and plenty of other uniquely themed eateries throughout the park.
Interact with the Characters
Interacting with the costumed character can be a treat for families visiting Universal Studios Orlando, particularly if they have younger children! Visitors to the park will get the chance to see numerous mascot characters wandering around the park’s various locations. Some of the most popular characters for fans to try and spot at the park include Princess Fiona from the Shrek franchise, SpongeBob Squarepants, and Dr. Emmett Brown from the Back to the Future movies. Other characters that can be seen throughout the park include Popeye and Olive Oyl, Hello Kitty, and various characters from The Simpsons.
Check Out a Show!
There are some notable shows that can be viewed by families while visiting Universal Studios Orlando, with the park’s most popular show arguably being Universal Orlando’s Horror Make-Up Show. The comedic show utilizes Universal’s classic monsters and make-up effects and has been keeping park audiences laughing for years! Another fun show to check out while visiting the park is The Bourne Stuntacular, which offers a stunt show based upon the adventures of the titular Robert Ludlum protagonist.
Get Your Picture Taken with Blue from Jurassic World
If you’re a Jurassic World fan that’s visiting Universal Studios Orlando, you won’t want to miss out on the Raptor Experience. The unique theme park attraction gives park-goers the chance to get their picture taken and interact with a staggeringly life-life animatronic of the raptor Blue from the Jurassic World franchise. It’s an incredibly immersive experience that takes the traditional notion of a meet-and-greet with a costumed character to a whole new level.
Visit Springfield
Finally, fans of The Simpsons will likely be able to get quite a bit out of visiting the Springfield area of Universal Studios Orlando. Although the area isn’t quite as expansive as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, it does give fans of the show a similarly immersive experience that allows them to try out Duff Beer and Lard Lad Donuts for themselves, as well as see numerous life-size statues of the show’s characters. There’s also The Simpsons Ride, which took over the location of Back to the Future: The Ride.
With all of the amazing things to do at Universal Studios Orlando, it’s no wonder that families have found themselves spending increasing amounts of time there! Now it’s time to hear from you: did you know that there are entire areas at Universal Studios Orlando dedicated to such properties as the Harry Potter franchise and The Simpsons, and that it also has it’s own water theme park? As always, like this video to show your support, and subscribe and hit the notification bell if you’d like to be among the first to know when more ViewCation videos are on their way!