25 Must-Have Universal Orlando Tips & Tricks

Universal Orlando Resort is a super popular park to visit, and I want to make sure you have all these tips and tricks in your back pocket to make the most of your time!

On our visit to Universal, we definitely learned some lessons. So take some of my mistakes (like not being fully prepared for the water rides) and learn from them! I’ll tell you how to pack (and why the size of your bag matters), what to expect on rides, and how to save money on your Universal trip.

These 25 Universal Orlando tips will help you save time, avoid stress, and squeeze every bit of fun out of your trip!

Large rotating globe fountain at the entrance of Universal Studios Florida, featuring the word “UNIVERSAL” in bold gold letters. The globe is surrounded by mist and decorative fencing, with palm trees, landscaped greenery, and theme park buildings in the background under a clear blue sky.

Universal Orlando Parks Tips

Weekdays are Cheaper Than Weekends

Generally, admission to Universal Orlando Parks is going to cheaper on weekdays than on weekends. Lots of locals love to visit Universal, plus travelers don’t have to take off work, so it can drive the prices up.

For example, in mid-September 2026, a 3-day Park-to-Park ticket (including taxes and fees) starting on a Monday is $404, while the same ticket starting on a Friday is $457.

And save even more on your tickets by buying them through Undercover Tourist. I use them all the time, and you can get both Disney and Universal tickets there. Just be sure to compare the prices!

In the example above, the Undercover Tourist ticket starting on Monday is more expensive, but the one starting on Friday is $20 cheaper.

Buy Express Pass If You Can

It’s for sure a splurge, but if you can swing it I would consider buying Express Pass, especially if it’s your first time visit Universal!

We bought Express Pass for all the days of our trip (except for Volcano Bay) and I’m super glad we did! However, on a return trip I’m not sure I would get Express Pass again, at least not for every day, simply because I’ll be more okay with missing some of the rides I’ve done before.

If you don’t want Express Pass every day, I think it’s easiest to skip getting it at Universal Studios because the wait times here usually aren’t as bad.

Download the App Ahead of Time

Download the Universal Orlando Resort app ahead of your trip and get used to using it. Explore the map so you know where the rides are. Check out the menus. Start checking in on wait times.

Once you are in the park you can use the app to check wait times, order food, alert you when a closed ride reopens, and scan your tickets and Express Passes.

Pack Light in the Parks (No Big Bags!)

Many of the rides in the Universal parks require you to put your belongings into a locker before you get on a ride! Some of the bigger coasters even have metal detectors to make sure you are bringing NOTHING on with you.

Some of the lockers are pretty small too! A fanny pack will fit fine, and I used this backpack and was able to squeeze it in.

These lockers are free, but if you have a bigger bag that won’t fit you’ll have to pay for a larger locker. So be sure to pack light!

Know Which Ride To Head to First

Dramatic interior of the Ministry of Magic at Universal Epic Universe, featuring a giant banner announcing "Dolores Umbridge Stands Trial Today" beneath a dark, enchanted sky ceiling. The scene includes glowing windows set in glossy red and green tiled walls and a striking golden statue of a wizard seated above the crowd. — The inside of the Ministry of Magic is incredible!

You really want to use your morning time wisely! So know which ride you want to head to first to minimize your waits.

If you have Express Pass, there is a little less pressure on this though.

You also want to have two options so that if one ride is down you have a back up!

Here are my tips:

In Universal Studios head to Escape from Gringotts (and have Despicable Me Minion Mayhem as a backup plan).
In Islands of Adventure head to Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure or VelociCoaster.
In Epic Universe head to Battle at the Ministry or Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge.

Know What Your Must-Ride Attractions Are

Especially if you don’t have Express Pass, you’ll want to make sure you know what your must-do attractions are. Because you might not be able to get to every ride and attraction!

Before you go, for each park, make a list of 3-5 rides and/or shows that you most want to do. This can help manage your expectations and helps you prioritize your plans.

Know Which Rides to Skip

A family roller coaster train curves along an elevated track above trees at a theme park, with riders raising their hands as it turns under a clear blue sky. — Flight of the Hippogriff is a cute kiddie coaster, but it is not worth a long wait!

Listen, I’ll be honest. Not every ride in Universal is created equal. So know which rides you’re okay with skipping. Or at least which rides you won’t ride unless there is a super short wait.

For me, I’m not sure you could pay me to go on Fast & Furious: Supercharged or The Simpsons Ride again at Universal Studios.

At Islands of Adventure, Flight of the Hippogriff is just really not worth the long wait time it can often have and if you get easily motion sick, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey may not be for you (although we loved it!).

And at Epic Universe, Yoshi’s Adventure, while cute, it not worth more than a 15 minute wait.

You Need Park to Park Tickets to Ride Hogwarts Express

Full view of the iconic red Hogwarts Express steam engine inside King’s Cross Station at Universal Studios Orlando, with guests lining up along a railing to board. The train’s number 5972 is visible on the front, along with its bright headlamp and classic black and red detailing under a tall arched glass ceiling. — Hogwarts Express in the Diagon Alley Station

If you want to ride the Hogwarts Express, you need to make sure you have a Park to Park ticket!

This train takes you back and forth between Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, so you need valid admission into both parks.

And if you have time, ride it both ways! The Harry Potter scenes on the train are different in each direction.

Be Prepared For LOTS of Motion Simulation Rides

One thing that Universal does a lot of is motion simulation rides, especially in Universal Studios! So if you are someone who gets motion sick on those kinds of rides be prepared to either skip some of them and/or take the precautions you need to mitigate the motion sickness.

At Universal Studios, these rides are mostly motion simulations:

Minion Mayhem
Jimmy Fallon’s Race Through New York
Fast and Furious – Supercharged
The Simpsons Ride
Transformers: The Ride 3D are all largely motion simulation.

And even Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts has motion simulation elements.

At Islands of Adventure, there are less, but still several:

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Skull Island: Reign of Kong

At Epic Universe, there are still several motion simulator rides, but they are taken to a whole new level!

Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry
Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge

Be Prepared For LOTS of Thrill Rides

Sweeping view of the Jurassic World VelociCoaster at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, with its towering black track looping over a serene lagoon. The sleek roller coaster twists through lush palm trees and past the iconic Jurassic Park Discovery Center under a clear blue sky. — Islands of Adventure with VelociCoaster towering in the distance.

You’re going to find A LOT more thrill rides at Universal than at a park like Disney. So be prepared!

While there definitely are rides for kids at Universal, most of the rides are geared toward older kids and adults. There are several big coasters, intense dark rides, and rides with scary elements.

If you’re visiting with kids, my advice is to try to balance thrill rides with the less-thrilling rides to keep kids happy. This might mean bouncing around the park a little bit more, but the whole family will be happier if a whole afternoon isn’t spent on rides younger kids can’t do.

Use Family Waiting Areas

One great thing about Universal is that they have fantastic family waiting areas!

Pretty much every ride has a set-aside family sitting area in the ride queue so that parents can swap out watching kids who can’t ride. And many of them (especially for the bigger rides!) have water fountains and even televisions in the waiting area.

Here’s how they work: The whole family can wait in line together. Then one parent rides while the other parent stays with the kids in the family waiting area. When the first parent gets off the ride, the second parent can hop right on the ride without having to wait in line.

Just make sure you talk to a team member to let them know you’d like to utilize this so they can make sure the second parent doesn’t have to wait.

Many Rides Have Single Rider Lines

LOTS of rides at Universal also have single rider lines, which can cut down on your wait times!

If you’re by yourself or if you’re party doesn’t mind riding the ride separately (you’ll still get to wait in line together though!) you can ride though the single rider line.

Do note that not all single rider lines are available all the time though. For example, we tried to ride Hagrid’s through the single rider line, only to get up to it (it’s a little later after you enter the queue that you split off for it) and see that it was closed.

Here are the rides that have single rider lines:

Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
MEN IN BLACK Alien Attack
Revenge of the M ummy
Transformers: The Ride 3D
Fast and Furious Supercharged
The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman
Doctor Doom’s Fearfall
The Incredible Hulk Coaster
Skull Island: Reign of Kong
Jurassic Park River Adventure
VelociCoaster
Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge
Mine Cart Madness
Stardust Racers
Battle at the Ministry
Monsters Unchained
Curse of the Wereworlf

Consider a Refillable Souvenir Drink Cup

I’m not usually one to get a refillable souvenir drink cup because I try not to drink a lot of soft drinks. In fact, we didn’t get one at all on our trip.

But I’ve since realized that these refillable drink cups can do more than just soft drinks…you can also use them to fill up on Powerade, which can be a huge help in keeping you cool and hydrated on a hot Florida day! So it’s definitely something I would consider next time.

Don’t want to get a souvenir cup? You can still use the Freestyle machines around the park to fill you reusable bottles with water for free!

Bring Your Own Towel to Volcano Bay

Towering artificial volcano at Universal’s Volcano Bay water park, surrounded by lush tropical landscaping and palm trees. Water cascades down the rocky surface into turquoise pools, with colorful lounge chairs and umbrellas dotting the sunny scene below. — My favorite view in Volcano Bay!

If you’re heading to Volcano Bay, Universal’s water park, try to bring your own towels! You have to pay to rent towels at the park: $7 a piece.

I honestly didn’t realize this before we went and I was kind of bummed to realize we were going to have to spend over $20 on towels. We lucked out though and the credit card reader at the desk wasn’t working, so the attendant just gave us the towels for the day instead of having to pay for them. But next time I would try to bring our own!

Universal Orlando Hotel & Resort Tips

Remember That Certain Signature Hotels Come With Express Pass

If you’re debating about which Universal Hotel to stay in, know that some of the Signature Collection Hotels come with the Express Unlimited Pass. This means you can go through the Express Pass line as many times as you want in a day!

These are the hotels that include Express Unlimited:

Loews Portofino Bay Hotel
Hard Rock Hotel
Loews Royal Pacific Resort

Note that even though Loews Sapphire Falls Resort and Universal Helios Grand Hotel are both part of the Signature Collection, they DO NOT come with Express Pass.

These hotels are definitely more expensive than the other resorts, but if you wanted to buy Express Pass anyway, you may still come out ahead.

For us, since we are a family of three, it was still cheaper to stay in one of the Value Resorts (we stayed at Endless Summer Surfside) and buy regular Express Pass (we didn’t feel like we needed Unlimited).

But if you are a bigger family, it may be cheaper for you to stay at a nicer resort that includes Express Pass. Just do the math!

Drop Your Bags at Luggage Services If You Arrive Early

Modern hotel room with two neatly made beds, white bedding, and light wood furniture. Above the beds are three surf-themed artworks. A large window with sheer blue and white tie-dye curtains lets in natural light. The room also includes a flat-screen TV, a wooden dresser, a wicker chair with an orange cushion, and light wood flooring. — Our room at Endless Summer Surfside

If you arrive before check-in time at your hotel, drop your bags at Luggage Services and go out and enjoy your day! They will store your bags until your room is ready.

You can even do a full day at one of the parks if you arrive in the morning! Although we just dropped our bags and then went to explore and have lunch at CityWalk while we waited for our room.

Universal Hotels Come With Early Park Admission

While you can definitely stay “off-property” at Universal (and it’s super easy to do because there are LOTS of hotels nearby) remember that staying at a Universal Hotel means you get Early Park Admission.

Most parks open 30 minutes to 1 hour earlier for hotel guests, which means you can get a head start on your rides for the day!

Universal Orlando Packing Tips

Bring a Reusable Water Bottle

Staying hydrated in the Florida heat is super important! Bring a reusable water bottle, and you can continuously fill it throughout the day with free water at the Freestyle machines.

Another tip: bring powder Gatorade packets to add to your water for electrolytes!

Just make sure that you have one that seals well and won’t leak when you have to turn it sideways to put it in the lockers!

Bring Cooling Towels and/or Fans

Another way to stay cool in the parks: cooling towels and fans! These are absolute Florida theme park essentials for me!

Make sure you have plastic bags to put your wet cooling towels into when you’re done using them too.

Get a Lanyard

Universal still uses paper tickets and paper Express Passes. While you can use your phone, I liked just having my tickets on a lanyard I wore so it was easy to scan into rides with our Express Passes and I wasn’t having to scramble around on my phone trying to open the app (especially because it seemed to keep signing me out!).

Also, I could use my tickets for lockers and didn’t have to get a paper locker ticket (and find a place to keep up with it!).

Be Prepared for Rain

It is going to rain at some point during your trip! Especially if you visit in the summer!

Even on a sunny day, you are probably going to have an afternoon rain shower around 2:00 or 3:00. So be prepared!

Here are a few tips for rain:

Plan some indoor attractions for the afternoon, when it is most likely to rain.
Bring ponchos and/or umbrellas.
Wear shoes that can get at least a little wet and/or bring a change of socks.

Get Shoe Ponchos!

Sunny view of Toon Lagoon’s cartoon-style lumber camp area at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, featuring the entrance to Me Ship, The Olive and Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges. The playful, hand-drawn aesthetic includes wooden signs, colorful buildings, and whimsical props inspired by classic comic strip characters. — Approaching Bilge Rat Barges. I cannot even explain to you how wet you might get on this ride.

There are a few rides, especially in Islands of Adventure, where you are going to get absolutely soaked! And I REALLY wish I had had these shoe ponchos with me on my trip.

Because wringing out my socks after a ride on Bilge Rat Barges was not my most fun experience.

Pack Snacks and Food to Save Money

Close-up of a bread bowl filled with creamy mac and cheese and topped with a generous handful of cheddar Goldfish crackers. The soft, seeded bread has a golden crust, and the dish is held in one hand against a blurred outdoor background. — There is some food that is worth getting (like this mac and cheese cone is Isle of Berk!), but you can also save money bringing your own snacks.

You are allowed to bring your own food into the parks as long as it doesn’t need to be refrigerated! So plan to pack some of your own snacks or maybe even some sandwiches for lunch to save money on park food.

Then be judicious on what you spend your money on food-wise in the park. There is some good food for sure! Get a mac and cheese cone at Epic! Try a Butterbeer!

But also know that there aren’t a ton of dishes that you will be absolutely missing out on if you bring your own food to save money.

Bring a Portable Power Bank

You are going to be on your phone a lot! You’ll be taking pictures, checking ride wait times, looking at the park map, and more! So make sure you bring a portable charger/power bank like this one to keep your phone charged.

Bring Plenty of Sun Protection

That Florida sun can be intense! So be prepared!

Make sure you have sunscreen, sunglasses, and hats. And reapply your sunscreen throughout the day!

Where to Stay at Universal

Grand hotel with a domed clock tower and large arched windows, framed by a wide fountain pool with decorative jets and landscaped greenery in the foreground. The building features a symmetrical design with warm terracotta roof accents and a clear blue sky overhead. — The Grand Helios Hotel is literally inside Epic Universe!

There are lots of options for where you stay at Universal Orlando Resort!

Remember that if you stay on-property, you get access to Early Park Admission and park transportation!

We stayed at Universal Endless Summer Resort Surfside and thought it was great! It is a Value Hotel, but I thought it was a better quality than some of the Disney Value Resorts we’ve stayed at, even popular hotels like Pop Century.

You can also stay off-property at Universal pretty easily! There are recognizable hotel brands all around Universal and interspersed within Universal area. For instance, there was a Homewood Suites we passed on our way to the parks from our hotel and Hampton Inn just around the corner.

Find more spots to stay near Universal on this map:

Buying Tickets for Universal

Remember that you can save money buying your Universal tickets through Undercover Tourist!

Save up to $89 on Park-to-Park tickets by buying them here!

What’s Next?

Like this post? Save it for your Universal Orlando trip!

A collage of Universal Orlando scenes including a Viking statue at Epic Universe, Hogwarts castle, a looping roller coaster over the lagoon, and the Universal globe with the text “Tips & Tricks for Universal Orlando, FL” and “flyingoffthebookshelf.com.”