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Florida Travel With Kids

Exploring the best things to do in Florida with kids

15 Amazing Volcano Bay Tips and Volcano Bay Hacks

15 Volcano Bay Tips

If you’re planning a Universal Orlando vacation and want to visit Volcano Bay, this is for you. After these 15 Volcano Bay tips, you’ll be a Volcano Bay pro!

If you rent a car for your Orlando vacation, you want to save as much money as possible, right? I recommend renting a car from Discount USA Car Rental.

I highly recommend buying tickets through Undercover Tourist to get the best deals . There are a lot of really scammy sites out there, so make sure you’re booking through an approved partner (like Undercover Tourist) or an approved Travel Agent!

Now that you have tickets and a rental car, on to the Volcano Bay hacks. When you’re done here, don’t miss our 2023 Universal Orlando Planning Guide.

What is Volcano Bay?

Volcano Bay is Universal Studios’ third theme park in Orlando, Florida. I have lots of Volcano Bay tips for first-timers to share today. I will even let you in on some secrets, including Volcano Bay hacks. 

But first, a little background on Volcano Bay. 

This is not the first water park for Universal Studios. Before opening this park, Universal purchased and operated the Wet ‘n Wild Water Park. (Fun fact! Now you can share your knowledge with your new friends at Universal.) 

Volcano Bay opened to the public in May 2017, shortly after they closed Wet ‘n Wild. The entire park was designed with the artificial volcano, Krakatau, in mind. That volcano is 200 feet tall. It is the main feature of this water park. 

Krakatau currently features waterfalls all day and night. There is a fiery lava flow once the sun goes down. I say now because Universal could make changes to this volcano at any time. After all, they want to keep things exciting for visitors like us! 

Rides at Volcano Bay

This volcano has four different rides/slides. The first is the Krakatau Aqua Coaster. Climb into the 4-person canoe to go uphill. Once you reach the top, you will twist and turn through the volcano until you plunge to the bottom pool through a waterfall. 

The Krakatau Aqua Coaster is unique and unlike anything, you’ll see at another water park.

Exploring the underwater sea caves is easy on the Punga Racers. The Kala & Tai Nui Serpentine Body Slides drop guests straight down into the pool below.

The Ko’okiri Body Plunge will have you going down a 125-foot-long slide at a 70-degree angle. I will be honest, I have not done this one, but Kainan has and says it’s fun but terrifying.

Other water rides can be found within Wave Village, Rainforest Village, and River Village. 

I could go on and on about the rides, but this wouldn’t be just a post on Volcano Bay tips! 

So, to keep me on track, I will start sharing my favorite Volcano Bay tips for first-timers! 

Volcano Bay Tips

Here are 15 Volcano Bay Tips and Volcano Bay Hacks on your next Universal Orlando vacation. Check out First Timer Tips for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for even more Universal Orlando tips!

1. Stay at a Universal Orlando Resort Hotel

You can easily stay at any Universal Orlando Resort Hotels and have a fantastic time at Volcano Bay. But one of my best Volcano Bay hacks is to encourage people to stay at Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort. 

You get early park admission half an hour before Volcano Bay opens (you can get this with all Universal hotels), but there’s also a short walkway from Cabana Bay right to Volcano Bay! 

Although I recommend staying at Cabana for easy access to Volcano Bay, you can’t go wrong with any Universal hotel! Universal Orlando is home to eight resorts; Hard Rock Hotel ,  Loews Portofino Bay ,  Loews Sapphire Falls Resort ,  Loews Royal Pacific ,  Aventura Hotel ,  Cabana Bay Beach Resort , and  Universal Endless Summer Resorts – Dockside Inn and Suites and Seaside Inn and Suites .

You can also check out  The Ultimate Guide to Universal Orlando Hotels to learn more! Or, Cabana Bay vs Aventura Resort to lean more about Universal’s Prime Value resorts.

Click on any of the links to check pricing during your vacation dates. Remember that Hard Rock Hotel ,  Loews Portofino Bay , and Loews Royal Pacific  all include free Express Passes for your entire group, which can be A huge savings in both money and time on a busy day.

Pro Tip: Early in the day is when to go on Kala & Tai Nui Serpentine Body Slides, Krakatau Aqua Coaster, and Ko’kiri Body Plunge. There won’t be long lines since everyone staying off-site can’t enter the park early.

2. Purchase a Multi-Day Park to Park Ticket

It can take two days to see and experience everything in Volcano Bay. Therefore, it is best to visit the park at least twice. You can do a full day and then a few hours another day after seeing the other Universal parks.

If you’re visiting during a slow time, it may not be necessary to spend two full days at Volcano Bay. However, there’s hardly any slow times at Universal Orlando anymore!

3. Always Arrive Early When Possible

Arriving at Volcano Bay early ensures you can enter the park. This water park can reach maximum capacity quickly. When that happens, no one else is allowed to enter until later in the day when people begin to leave. 

If you are not planning on spending all day at Volcano Bay, you still have options. For later in the day arrivals, I recommend waiting until mid-afternoon for your arrival. This will give you a better chance of walking right in and enjoying the water rides. 

You can also call 407-817-8317 to see Volcano Bay’s current capacity before heading to the park. 

4. Create a Universal Account

One of my favorite Volcano Bay tips to give first-timers is creating a Universal account. Once you have your account, you must connect your credit card. 

Your account will then be used when you utilize Tapu Tapu at Volcano Bay. Tapu Tapu has a tap-to-pay capability. Renting a locker, paying for food and drinks, and shopping are so much easier when you simply tap to pay!

5. Always Choose a Locker Away from the Entrance

The entrance can become quite crowded, especially around the locker areas. If you want to avoid the crowds (trust me, you do!), I recommend choosing a locker away from the entrance area. 

Another Volcano Bay locker tip includes only having one person visiting your locker. The lockers can be difficult to reach when entire families are crowded around a single locker. You do not want to be that person who blocks other people from their locker. 

Reserve Those Cabanas and Premium Seating Options in Advance

There are plenty of places to sit between being in the water and on the rides at Volcano Bay. One of the best Volcano Bay tips I can share with you is to make sure you reserve a cabana or premium seating in advance. 

Those areas are out of the sun, so they disappear quickly! 

I prefer the cabanas because they are private. They come with snacks, a personal server, and other amenities. The premium seating is worth it, too, with the attached safe and canopy. 

And if you don’t want to reserve seating, all I can say is to arrive at the park as early as possible. This way, you can secure the perfect beach chairs for your day. 

6. Have a Plan in Place

One of the biggest Volcano Bay tips is ensuring you have a plan. The worst thing you can do is arrive at Volcano Bay and have no idea what rides you want to go on. Or simply wander and walk past multiple rides as you check the park out. 

You must have a plan to know which rides are at the top of your list. Then make reservations through Tapu Tapu to get into virtual lines. Make sure you allow for downtime in one of the pools or your chairs. 

7. Always Pack Essentials

Sunscreen, towels, hats, sunglasses, and even waterproof cases for your phones are necessary. You can easily purchase all these items and many more within the stores at the park. However, you will pay a premium for each one. I recommend buying any necessary items, including a fuel rod to charge your phone (there is a fuel rod swap station at Volcano Bay) in advance.

And no, you won’t need to purchase towels. But you will need to rent them if you do not bring your own. 

8. Stay When It Rains

As soon as a bit of rain starts to fall, most people will begin to run out to their cars to leave. One of my favorite Volcano Bay hacks is to stay put and wait. You’re probably wet from the rides anyway, so a bit of rain won’t hurt you. 

Besides, most rain in Florida ends after a short period. If you leave, you may not find yourself lucky enough to get back into the park. 

9. Stay Late at Volcano Bay

Like the other theme parks in Orlando, many people choose to leave Volcano Bay by late afternoon. They are all tired and ready to eat dinner. 

You can take advantage of that and see another side of this theme park. The volcano will light up and change colors if the park is open late enough. 

Of course, the lines for the rides are much shorter later in the day. So, you should be able to go on a few extra rides when you stay later than everyone else. 

10. Be Prepared to Walk a Lot

The rides and slides at Volcano Bay are all spread out. So, you must be prepared to do a lot of walking when you are there. Flip flops are the shoe of choice for obvious reasons. 

If you are tempted to walk around without shoes, you can. Just remember that the walkways can get hot under the Florida sun. 

11. Beware If You are Claustrophobic or Afraid of Heights

If you happen to be a person who is afraid of tight spaces, or heights, you will want to be cautious of which rides you go on. Anyone who dislikes small, tight spaces will want to avoid the Kala & Tai Nui Serpentine Body Slides. 

And any rides at the top of the Krakatau Volcano might be out if you don’t like heights. 

These two things may not be amazing Volcano Bay tips. But they are helpful to those people who have those two fears!

12. Bring Pre-Packaged Snacks

Pre-packaged snacks are allowed inside Volcano Bay. So, if you have children that are always hungry, take advantage of this Volcano Bay hack to save a little money. 

Remember that you cannot take in coolers unless they are soft-sided and no bigger than 8.5” x 6” x 6”. 

You can also take in water bottles, as long as they are not glass. 

13. Save Time and Use Mobile Ordering for Food

Sitting down to grab a bite to eat will sound wonderful during the day. The restaurants at Volcano Bay can get crowded, though, especially if you decide to eat during regular meal times. 

I recommend using the Universal Orlando app and ordering your food. You can show up when it is ready instead of waiting in line for an hour. 

14. Bring a FuelRod to charge your phone

I mentioned this already, but one of my top Universal Studios tips is having a portable phone charger. This is a good tip for Volcano Bay too! Universal has FuelRod rental stations on site where you can swap out your fuel rod for a new one. There is even one station at Volcano Bay inside Waturi Marketplace.

I recommend buying your own on Amazon (it’s cheaper!) and then switching out at the parks if you need to.

15. Volcano Bay Tips for young children

You might think of water parks as more fun for adults or “big kids,” but Volcano Bay has lots of things for the younger kids too!

If you happen to be traveling with little ones, your options for some of the slides at Volcano Bay will be limited.

That doesn’t mean your little ones won’t have fun, though! There is still plenty to keep them happy and occupied for hours. 

If you have littles, I recommend checking out Waturi Beach and The Reef within the Wave Village. Anyone under 48 inches must wear a life vest in those pools. 

Over in River Village, the Runamukka Reef is a play area complete with slides for kids under 54 inches. The Tot Tiki Reef is another play area for any child under 48 inches. The Kopiko Wai Winding River is a personal favorite. Just make sure your children under 48 inches have their life vests on. 

The Puka Uli Lagoon in Rainforest Village is always a hit with the younger kids. Anyone under 48 inches must also wear a life vest in this pool.

There you have it, 15 Volcano Bay Tips and Volcano Bay hacks. Which one was your favorite?

Many times, I am asked, “Is Volcano Bay worth it?”. My response is always, “YES!”. This waterpark is truly unique, and I promise there is something for everyone!

Have you visited Volcano Bay? If so, what is your favorite ride or slide? If not, which ride or slide are you looking forward to the most? Let me know in the comments! 

You also won’t want to miss the 10 best thrill rides at Universal. (Two of them at are Volcano Bay!)

About Florida Travel With Kids

Florida Travel with Kids was started by a family who loves to travel the state of Florida with kids! This site will help you explore the fun state of Florida and all of the kid-friendly activities you’ll find here.

Did you enjoy this post? I would love it if you would pin it for later! Or, make sure to share it with your friends on social media if they are looking for things to do in Florida with kids. 

Florida Travel with Kids was started by a family who loves to travel the state of Florida with kids! This site will help you explore the fun state of Florida and all of the kid-friendly activities you’ll find here.

Reader Interactions

July 6, 2022 at 7:03 pm

A few major things is get your place in line before the park opens like 30 minutes for the best shaded spots. This means arriving at the park early to go through parking, security, bus to the park (7 min. ride), and scanning to get into the park. Click your tapu-tapu for the Krakatau aqua coaster ride when the park opens on the back side of the volcano. When the park opened it was a 35 minute wait and later in the day a 4 hour wait. It fills up fast. After getting that place in line on your tapu-tapu then go to the lounge chairs under the wooden structures in the fearless river area. There are 3 wooden shaded areas which is perfect with your towels on them. There is no extra charge and that is your camp for the day. Put your valuables in a locker $10 for the day for a small locker. The closest locker to that area is back around the volcano towards the left from the fearless river. You can open the locker using your tapu-tapu as many times as you wish. From there you are ready for no waiting lines until your time for the Krakatau ride is ready. Have fun!!!

July 6, 2022 at 7:13 pm

Thanks for these great tips!! We don’t go when it’s busy (on purpose), so we’ve never experienced crowds like that but those are excellent tips for busy times!! I also agree on the locker tip. It’s not worth it to leave your stuff laying around, in my opinion!

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24 Amazing Tips for Universal Volcano Bay [Video Included!]

There were a few things that gave us problems when we headed to Universal Volcano Bay in Orlando, Florida  with our 4 kids that we want to highlight right away so you can avoid them and enjoy your time at Volcano Bay. Things like how to get there , where to park , can you bring food , where do we put our stuff when we are on the rides (do they have lockers and storage), when should we go and what is this TapuTapu watch all about??

Then we will jump into all the coolness and some tricks we learned from spending the day there with 4 kids, one who doesn’t like scary rides, two that are up for almost anything and one that was only 5, so wasn’t sure about the bigger rides.

We love Universal Orlando Resort so we figured the new Volcano Bay had to be amazing. We weren’t disappointed! This water theme park gives you an overall vacation vibe with the scenery and all the sand. You wouldn’t believe you are right smack in the middle of a city.

Table of Contents

Things To Be Aware Of

Yup, we started the day arguing since we tried to follow the directions on our phone instead of following the signs. The address is:

6000 Universal Boulevard Orlando, FL 32819.

If you follow this in Google Maps it will take you to the wrong place. Instead when you get close, look for the signs and follow those for Volcano Bay or Cabana Bay (the hotel attached to Volcano Bay).

Then once you turn onto the street you will see signs for where to go for Volcano Bay. You will have to make a turn so drive slow and look for the signs. Don’t follow your map on your phone – darn Google Maps!

Parking is in a parking structure and then you will have to take a bus to get to Volcano Bay. A hassle, yes, but they do a pretty good job with the setup. They offer regular parking, prime parking and RV parking. Don’t forget to take a picture of where you parked so you remember when you leave.

I am not sure what the official rule is, but we brought in food and only bought a snack for the kids. We didn’t bring in a big cooler or anything, but instead had a bag in our backpack with a cooler pack and put the food in there.

With 4 kids it just makes sense to bring in your own food. Plus they are all pretty picky so hate to spend money on food they won’t eat. In any case they inspected our bag and no one said anything.

We kept the backpack with us at all times and just discreetly ate when the kids were hungry sitting by our lawn chairs. No one seemed to care.

I have heard lots of reviews about people waiting in line and only getting on a couple rides all day. I would have expected that when they first opened – and wouldn’t have gone then. Same thing for major school holidays. No thanks.

Like with any amusement park, they are going to be busy in prime time. Want to enjoy yourself more? Go in the off season. Yes, I am saying take your kids out of school and go. The memories are more important than missing a few days of school.

Plus the lines are way better and everyone will have a much better time. We were just there in November the week before Thanksgiving and there was barely anyone there. It was awesome! We also went in January and timed it so we could visit on the warmest day that we were there.

It was not open every day in January – so be sure to check the schedule! It was cold for Mom and Dad but the kids loved it and they didn’t have to wait in line more then 10 minutes for any rides!

**Take note that sometimes in the off season rides are closed and it is hard to predict or know what will be closed.** They may also shut down early in the off season. So you take a chance but if you get a good day and it is open and most of the rides are open it is awesome to be there with less people!

We went in the middle of November. We had 3 days to pick from and purposely picked the day that was in the mid 80’s. Had it been in the 70’s and cloudy it would not have been as an enjoyable. I recommend sunny and 80’s if possible.

We have gone when it was 60 and sunny in January. The kids didn’t mind and were in the water all day. It was a little cold for my husband and I. The biggest benefit was there weren’t many people there when it was 60 degrees out! For that reason we would go on a 60 a degree day again.

Florida weather fluctuates day to day so try to set it up to give yourself some choices on what day you go when you get to Orlando. Or if you can handle being cold, go on a cooler day and the crowds are usually better.

What To Do With Your Things

We have done this 2 ways. The first time we didn’t use a locker. The second time we did. See below for more details.

Not Using A Locker

I was totally stressed about this . . . We brought towels, a swim bag and a backpack. Just like any waterpark you go to, they have lockers. But I hate having to go back and forth and I wanted my phone for pictures and videos.

What we did was find a spot to claim as ours. Basically grabbed a view lawn chairs by the rapids lazy river (I will get to what that is). We put our bags down and our towels and reserved these seats for the day. We were there with our friends so between all of us, someone was normally by the stuff or close to it.

Did we take a risk leaving our stuff sitting out? Yes we did. Before you go you can set your credit card up on the TapuTapu wristband (more on this later) you get when you go in. So technically we could have done that and put our wallet into a locker. Probably would have been smart, but we still would have had our phone and camera.

In any case that is what we did. It was nice to have a “spot” as a home base that we kept meeting at as people went off and did their own thing.

Using A Locker

The next time we went we did get a locker. This time we didn’t bring food with us and just planed to eat in the park (a lot more expensive this way but also a lot easier). We just had towels, a change of clothes and our wallets/purse.

I took videos and pictures for the first hour and made sure our credit card was set up on our TapuTapu’s (more on this below). Then we put everything – minus our towels and shoes – into the lockers. Your TapuTapu is your key for your locker. It really was great! Now that we have done this I would highly recommend it. Especially if you have older kids so everyone is going to be going on the rides.

Volcano Bay does have towels to rent but you will be paying for them. For this reason we brought our own towels. Also note that the Universal hotels do NOT want you bringing their towels to Volcano Bay. We of course saw people doing this . . . but if you like to follow the rules know that the rule states you can’t bring them into Volcano Bay.

Getting There

Like I mentioned above you park in the parking structure, take a bus for about a 5-minute ride then walk into the park. It is all a pretty simple and quick process and they keep things moving.

If you stay at Cabana Bay you can walk right over to Volcano Bay. Yes, I was jealous of people that could do this. Plus, they got in an hour early to the park. Something to keep in mind for next time.

You can also stay at the Endless Summer resorts and take a quick shuttle over and get in to the parks early on certain days. If you aren’t going to have a car and are just coming to do Universal this is a great option and may end up being a cheaper hotel option compared to staying at another hotel and renting a car.

If you are thinking you could park there and walk over don’t do it. A friend of ours tried and she was denied since you need to show your room key to get into Volcano Bay.

If your pet travels with you, they do have a kennel by the parking structure. We didn’t look into it but thought it was worth noting especially if you travel with a pet in your RV.

TapuTapu Wristband

When you give your ticket to get into the park they give you a TapuTapu wearable wristband. The wristband is connected to your ticket. You can then use your ticket number to setup your TapuTapu account on the Universal App so you can add your credit card.

I was able to do this for all 6 of us in the time it took us to get on the bus and into the park. If you have your tickets ahead of time you can set this up then.

You can set limits on your wristband based on the ticket. So for the kids I set it that they had $15 each to spend. In order to access it they needed to remember a code/pin – which you setup yourself.

You also use your TapuTapu to access your locker.

The TapuTapu is what you use to reserve your spot in line for the rides where there is a line. You walk up to the ride scan your wristband and it give you a time – 30 minutes, 90 minutes, 100 minutes. It then counts down for you and eventually says Ride Now. It is like you are in a virtual line!

When it says Ride Now, you head over to the ride to get in line. In our case we waited about 15 – 20 minutes in line once we got the Ride Now notification. The Ride Now doesn’t expire so if you are doing something else you don’t have to rush over. Just go when you are ready.

If you buzz in for one ride and get a time set you can’t add any more rides until you use that one or delete it. So basically for 100 minutes or whatever the time is you have to find other things to do. But don’t worry there are plenty of things to do.

We lost 3 TapuTapus during the day we were there. Yup 3 . . . I lost one off of my wrist in the rapids of the lazy river and then 2 kids lost theirs at some point. Probably at the same place.

I was a little worried about the whole credit card thing being attached to the lost wristband. Then was reminded about the code needed to use it. So it was all good. We walked over to a customer service desk and they asked for our name and then gave us a new wristband. Good to go! *Update* It seems like they were annoyed with this happening so they have added a rubber band piece to help hold the watch latch in place.

Buying Volcano Bay Tickets

If you have to pick up tickets at will call or are planning to buy them that day the best place to do this is at the parking structure. Instead of going straight to the bus, head over to the ticket booth and get your tickets there. We didn’t wait in line at all and the lady was super helpful.

Or to make it even easier and cheaper buy tickets online from Undercover Tourist – they are the cheapest tickets we have found for Volcano Bay and Universal. You can’t buy Volcano Bay on it’s own but will instead have to buy multi day tickets – just make sure the ones you get include Volcano Bay!

Alright, now that we have those things out of the way lets get into all the fun there is to have here! And there is a lot. Seriously when we went to Universal the next day I wanted to just leave and head back to Volcano Bay. We LOVE Universal, but Volcano Bay was so relaxing and fun!!

On To All The Cool Things

The volcano.

By far the coolest looking thing in the park is the Volcano. It is massive and is the center piece of the whole park. It really is quite the sight and sets the ambiance right away for being at Volcano Bay. This is also called the Wave Village area and the beach is called the Waturi Beach.

The wave pool is located right below the Volcano and there are a couple of rides inside of the volcano. We didn’t get a chance to try any of them this time . . . umm yeah that is why we didn’t do them . . . I wasn’t scared, I swear . . .

Ok I was a little scared. These rides are the ones you go into a tube and they drop you straight down the Volcano it is called the Ko Okiri Body Plunge. Sound fun to you?! If it does then go for it and leave a note in the comments about how it was. Maybe I will try it next time. . . .

Ok I tried the Ko Okiri Body Plunge the last time we were there! It was scary and fast and I won’t do it again but I am glad I tried it. Getting up there and standing in the tube and having the floor drop is a crazy experience! As you are rushing down the slide water is getting in your face and you better not open your mouth or it will get filled with water. It was a rush that’s for sure.

There is a walk you can take through the Volcano and there are a variety of buttons for kids to push from shooting water out at the wave pool to pushing a button and seeing a lights display appear on the wall. A fun thing to do while you are waiting for a ride or just looking for something else to do.

Where We Spent A Lot Of Our Time

This is the ride we spent most of our time on: TeAwa The Fearless River™

It is a lazy river with rapids and quick moving water. So, no, it isn’t lazy – you have to put a life jacket on then you just float/bob down the river. It was a lot of fun and everyone in our party enjoyed it. But be aware the current is strong!

We went around the river multiple times and multiple times throughout the day. The entrance to the river is where we grabbed our chairs for the day so some of the time the kids just hung out in the water out of the current and other times we all headed into the current to go on a ride around the river!

My Daughters Favorite Ride

This was Melia’s favorite ride. It was also the one with the longest line. But even with 100 minute waits she went on it about 4 times while we were there. The ride times fluctuated throughout the day.

*Note on the 60 degree day there was NO LINE for this ride. The kids road it like 10 times that day!

The Krakatau™ Aqua Coaster. This water roller coaster goes into the volcano and out and splashes down a big drop! She loved it. The rest of us – minus the 5 year old liked it too.

A Fun One – Ohno Drop Slides

The ohyah and ohno drop slides are so much fun! Just be sure you can swim as at the bottom of the slide you fall into a deep pool. We saw someone go on that couldn’t swim. . . hmm . . . we don’t recommend that!

A single person goes down the twist and turns slide just like you would at an outdoor park and when you come to the bottom you drop a good 10-15 feet – depending on which color slide you choose!

The kids did this one over and over again.

We learned a trick on this ride. I wanted to head to the ride, because in all honesty, I thought I could get a good picture to use on Instagram of the kids coming out of the slide . . .

We got there and it said a 20 minute wait. Since we already had rides saved on our wrist band so we didn’t want to scan them. Then all of a sudden the ride display popped onto RIDE NOW.

That meant we could get right in line. Sweet!! We jumped in and everyone went down and I did get some great pictures and video.

Not everyone was with us when we went so we went back to get the others who hadn’t gone on. When we came back the time was back at 25 minutes. What I noticed is there weren’t a lot of people going into the ride . . . hmm does that mean it will change to Ride Now again??

We stood there and waited for about 5 minutes and no one was really coming to go onto the ride and guess what it turned to Ride Now – score!

Tip: If a ride is under 30 minutes, stand there and keep an eye on it if it doesn’t seem busy there is a chance it will turn to Ride Now and you can jump on right away.

Just be aware it will only say Ride Now for a little bit so don’t go run off to find someone because by the time you come back it probably won’t say Ride Now anymore.

Rides Our 5 Year Old Liked

Our 5 year old really enjoyed the Taniwha Tubes. They weren’t too fast or crazy and you go on with someone. There are 4 slides to pick from. It was the perfect ride for him.

We went on this one multiple times as it normally was in Ride Now mode. Want more on visiting with young kids check out: 6 Tips On Visiting Volcano Bay With Young Kids .

Other Rides

There are water slides, body slides and rides with large circle tubes like the Puihi of the Maku Puihi Round Raft Rides™ located at the back of the park. The Punga Racers were you go down with a mat. And the Honu of the Honu ika Moana™ that takes you flying up the side of the slide. And if you are looking for a crazy ride check out the Kala Tai Nui Serpentine body slides! There is a trap door involved in this one . . .

Fun “Ride” at night rides

The kids loved going on the Kopiko Wai Winding River™ in the River Village at night when everything was lit up. They had fun running/swimming and sometimes floating on a tube around the river. This was not a rapids river, but more a traditional lazy river.

The Waturi Beach is where we ended our day and it was perfect. As it started to get dark out the Volcano lit up and the kids played in the sand and heading out into the wave pool.

Beware, they do close down the wave pool to check the chemical levels multiple times a day. So if you want to do the wave pool, don’t save it for the last thing in case it is closed.

Where To Get A Drink

While the kids were at the Waturi Beach we headed over to the Dancing Dragons Boat Bar to get a beer and specialty drink. It was such a fun tiki bar and overlooked the beach and the volcano. We felt like we were on vacation at a tropical island!

Where To Get The Kids A Treat

We had heard about the delicious ice cream so we headed to Koka Poroka to get the kids an Ice Cream Kona. You can pick whatever flavor you would like but if you are looking for the signature colorful one go with the Waturi Fusion – a mixture of banana, blue raspberry, orange and strawberry.

When 7pm rolled around we were not ready to leave. We really enjoyed our time at Volcano Bay and would highly recommend that you add it to your list of places to visit in Orlando. Dare I say skip Disney World and head here instead. Yup I said it. You can thank me when you are drinking your cocktail watching your kids play in the sand and water at the end of the day at Waturi Beach.

Where To Stay

No doubt the best place to stay would be Cabana Bay. Volcano Bay is on the same property and you’re just a short walk from your hotel room to the waterpark and vice versa. If you need a break in the middle of the day, head back to your room for some rest.

The hotel is amazing and has a great waterpark of it’s own. It has a cool teal and orange decor with a retro style to it!

Universal’s Endless Summer Resort

We stayed here for 3 nights and it was great! It is considered one of Universal’s discount hotels so prices should be less than other Universal properties. They have large rooms with 3 beds so our family of 6 had plenty of room. Plus there is a second bedroom so Craig and I had our own room!

They have fridges and microwaves in the room and a fun picnic table for eating on. Plus there is a grill downstairs where you can order breakfast, lunch and dinner. And a Starbucks on site as well.

We really enjoyed the Endless Summer Resort and want to go back again!

Benefits of Staying At A Universal Resort

It is always a tough call to decide if it is worth it to spend money on a on property hotel. I use to think it didn’t really matter. But now that we have done it a few times I am changing my tune. If you can stay on site. It is worth it. Here is a list of things you get:

• Early admission to parks. Be sure to ask at customer service which parks you can get into early.
• Bus access to and from the parks that run every 15 minutes.

Additional Hotels

There are definitely other options nearby as well. It is Orlando after all. Some others include Best Western , and The Enclave. Here are some great deals on Orlando hotels from Undercover Tourist!

Campgrounds

If you plan to come to Orlando in an RV we have the perfect spot if you plan to visit Universal Studios. It is just a few miles from the parks and you don’t even have to go on the highway (which means you can avoid some of the traffic!). It is called Bill Fredrick Park At Turkey Lake . The reservations are a bit of a hassle – but it is worth it.

Mill Creek RV Resort in Kissimmee is about 30 minutes from Volcano Bay and offers over 150 full hook-up sites. Elite Resort at Citrus Valley in Clermont is also about 30 minutes from Volcano Bay and would be a good option if you’re not looking for a bunch of amenities.

Want even more tips? Check out this post from our friends at Global Munchkins: Ultimate Guide To Volcano Bay Rides, Food, Cabanas and More !

Universal Studios Orlando

If you are looking for the fun to continue be sure to check out Universal and Harry Potter World! There is so much fun to be had at the parks and we had a blast visiting both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Here are our  16 Tips For A Magical Visit To Universal Orlando Resort!

If you are here in October don’t miss Universals Halloween Horror Nights !

More posts on Florida to check out:

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The Ultimate Florida Road Trip: 31 Places Not To Miss

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21 Fun Things To Do In Port St Joe Florida

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DISCLOSURE : This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

40 thoughts on “24 Amazing Tips for Universal Volcano Bay [Video Included!]”

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I LOVE how comprehensive your review is! We’ve been once, but only for a couple hours. I’m definitely pinning this to go back to later when I’m planning our next trip back to Volcano Bay! Thank you for sharing!

Thanks Taryn!

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Hi can you run around to all of the rides and get wait times or just one until you ride? Also can you use this option more than once on a ride?

You can only have one ride at a time on your wristband. So you can’t use another one until you use that one or cancel it. You can go on other rides you just have to wait in the normal line. You can use the option on the same ride if you want to – at least when we were there.

So if you are waiting in a virtual line on your watch and you pass by another ride that has a 30 min wait time, if you want to you can actually physically wait in line or would you have to cancel the other virtual line you were in prior and start a new virtual line? I am confused on if you can physically wait in lines for rides while you’re waiting virtually for other rides? I hope that makes sense lol

You can physically wait in line, but that is always longer. With the virtual line, when your watch notifies you that you can get in line, you bypass the “physical line” and go almost to the front. It’s confusing at first, but you’ll get the hang of it.

If you reserve premiu seats can I still get into Volcano even if if it reaches full capacity??

Alan that is a great question. I tried to find the answer but I could’t find it and I don’t want to give you the wrong answer. Here is a number to call for reservations maybe someone there can help you: 1-877-489-8068

Yes. If you buy the “premium seating” option, you are guaranteed entry for the number of seats you buy. To repeat: it’s only guaranteed for how many seats you buy. For example, if you have a party of 3 and you buy premium seating for 2, then your third person will not be let into the park if it is at capacity. They do not play around with this since people complain about the park being too full. If you are visiting during peak season, I recommend paying the extra money for premium seating.

I agree, express passes are always worth it in our opinion.

yes! we booked premium and we were guaranteed access

Very cool. Good call on that. We’ll have to try it next time.

What’s the prem seating, is that fast pass?

Yes, express pass.

Do Express Passes work at Volcano Bay?

No, they didn’t have that option when we were there.

You may buy a specific express pass just for Volcano Bay (see their website for details). There are two levels (one more expensive than the other). Keep in mind that the express pass only lets you skip the virtual waiting time. You’ll still probably end up waiting between 20 to 40 minutes for a ride even with an express pass during peak season. People without express passes will wait between 60 to 100 minutes. Lastly, you can only use the express pass ONCE for each ride. It’s not unlimited.

Thanks for the info Raws. Here’s the link to Universal’s ticket & info page: https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/tickets-packages/express-passes/index.html . If you scroll down a bit you’ll see the 2 packages for Volcano Bay’s express pass options.

Thank you for the very helpful info!

You’re welcome!

Hey, can anyone give me info on where specifically the booth is inside the parking structure she is referring to? I would like to pick our tickets up there but dont want to be walking around forever looking for the station.

It was just to the right of the shuttle line. You can’t miss it.

Thank you for your valuable resources keep share the information like this…

We are planning to go the first weekend of November this year. Was the water heated at Volcano Bay? We went in August 2017 and although it was extremely hot outside- the water at the wave pool was freezing cold where I was screaming and shivering. Didn’t last long in there at all but the rest of my family did ok. I’m just super sensitive.

Not sure if it was heated, but it felt fine for all of us – mom and dad included. We had a nice day with lots of sun and relatively warm for November.

do i have to put my credit card in the tapu tapu wristband? can i purchased food there with cash? also the admission price includes the rides right?

You don’t have to but you can if you want your wristband to be your money while there. You have to set up a code so when you use it to buy food you have to enter the code in. You can purchase food with cash or card too. Yes admission includes all of the rides.

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Thank you, great tips on here! I wanted to say definitely don’t leave your valuables unattended, we were distracted with our kids and someone took our bag. Definitely use the lockers.

Great tip, thanks!

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27 Easy Volcano Bay Tips For Your First Visit (2024 Guide for Beginners)

Are you ready for the ultimate trip to Volcano Bay at Universal Orlando Resort?

As you might already know, Volcano Bay Water Park is the third and newest water park in Universal Orlando’s theme park family.

Just a short shuttle bus ride away from Universal’s CityWalk parking, there’s a lot to love about this awesome water park!

From virtual lines to private cabanas, let’s go through all the reasons you’re going to love Volcano Bay at Universal Orlando!

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY  DISCLOSURE  FOR MORE INFO.  Which means if you click on certain links, I may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you.

1. Know the Backstory of Volcano Bay Orlando

Every good water park comes with a remarkable backstory, and Volcano Bay Water Park is no different!

The History of Volcano Bay Florida

Volcano Bay opened on May 25, 2017, and has impressed guests ever since!  

As you explore Volcano Bay Water Park , the Hawaiian, New Zealand, and Bali beach theming will become quite obvious.

But like any good theme park , the inspiration behind the design of Volcano Bay goes far beyond visual aesthetics…

Origin Story of Volcano Bay Orlando

Volcano Bay legend says that the God Krakatau could not control his daughter, Tai Nui . So when he discovered her love for Kala , he banished him to the sky.  

And as the folklore story goes, Kala became the moon, and Tai Nui’s tears became the ocean.

Regretful of his actions, Krakatau tried to pull the land to meet the sky so that Tai Nui and Kala could become lovers again.  

When Krakatau elevated the land, he created a volcano to store his anger.

Just after these events, Volcano Bay legend says, the Waturi family was in search of a new home.  

And you guessed it; they settled on Volcano Bay – where you, too, will be welcomed as a member of the Waturi Tribe!

Get up to 25% off of your Universal Orlando Vacation with Groupon TODAY!

2. Plan Your Day at Volcano Bay Orlando

Typically, Volcano Bay at Universal Orlando is open from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday through Sunday.  

You can always check Volcano Bay’s hours ahead of time here or on the Universal Orlando app.

As per usual, my recommendation is to arrive a few minutes prior to the park opening.

Why? Well, there are two reasons:

• One: The earlier you get there, the more time you have to enjoy all Volcano Bay has to offer!
• Two: You can start your day by hitting up all the rides that accumulate long lines. This way, you can spend more time having fun and less time anxiously awaiting to board your favorite ride.

You should consider early park arrival in order to claim the best spot in the park! 

What do I mean by that? 

Well, Volcano Bay encourages guests to have a “home base,” so to speak.  

Or an area in the park where they can leave their towels and shoes to attend to throughout the day.  

Choosing the best Spot in the Park

You might prefer this area to be in the main Wave Village area (right in the midst of all the park action) or on the more secluded Hammerhead Beach at the back of the park surrounding the TeAwa River.

But regardless of your favorite spot, you certainly won’t be able to pick your preferred home base area if you’re strolling into Volcano Bay Water Park well past the park opening!

Just like with the regular Universal Orlando parks, one of our most crucial Volcano Bay tips is to stay at a Universal Orlando hotel. 

This way, you can enjoy one-hour early park entry! (Only available to guests staying on property.)

After all, you know what they say – the early bird gets the worm… Or, in this case, the early ThemeParkHipster gets the best beach lounger!

5 Best Hotels Near Universal Orlando for Solo Travelers (2024)

3. Know the Volcano Bay Prices

Of course ThemeParkHipster, I know that no one can start planning their day at Volcano Bay Orlando without having a clear picture of pricing.  

So, let’s talk about admission!

How much are Volcano Bay tickets?

For adults, a 1-day ticket to Volcano Bay starts at $70.00 , and a 1-day ticket to Volcano Bay Water Park for a child (ages 9 & under) starts at $65.00.

How Much Does an Express Pass Cost at Volcano Bay?

If you’re a fan of the Universal Orlando Express Passes or the PLUS Passes, I have the Volcano Bay prices for you. 

A Universal Express PLUS Pass will be $39.99/per person , and the regular Universal Express Pass is priced slightly lower, at $19.99/per person.

These passes are great because, for that one day that you purchase the pass, you can skip lines and wait times on select rides (Express Pass) or all rides (PLUS Pass.)

For a photo pass, the “My Universal Photos at Volcano Bay” package is $49.99. This package includes downloads at the end of the day!

Popular Vacation Packages for Universal Orlando Resort

It’s no secret that the Volcano Bay price is somewhat high – so one option you might look into is a vacation package to help with the cost.

The Park Prodigy (or Hotels…think) offers a vacation package for around $245. Save money and get a better deal for your trip! Click Here to book your hotel and tickets today.

How Much Does It Cost To Visit Volcano Bay?

If you plan out tickets, food, merchandise and extras , you can expect to spend around $170 per person at Volcano Bay in Universal Orlando.

Just know that you can bring light snacks and water inside the park to help you save on money. We’ll talk more about this later.

Ready to start planning your next Universal Orlando vacation? Listen to the  latest podcast episode on Apple  or on your  non-Apple  device now!

4. Where to Find the Best Volcano Bay Tickets

I’ve rounded up the best sites for you to purchase your Volcano Bay tickets! 

Sometimes, there are even special deals on Volcano Bay Tickets for Florida residents and/or Volcano Bay military discounts! 

Check out the links below for the best discount Volcano Bay tickets available:

• Universal Orlando Resort
• The Park Prodigy
• Undercover Tourist

Don’t forget to check back often, as these sites are constantly being updated.

Top 10 Ways to Find CHEAP Universal Orlando Tickets (2024)

5. Volcano Bay’s Hours & Seasonal Changes

As a refresher, the Volcano Bay hours of operation are 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9:00 a.m to 8:00 p.m. Friday through Sunday.  

You can always check Volcano Bay’s hours ahead of time here or on the Universal Orlando app!

You may also be wondering if Volcano Bay is open year-round? 

And the exciting news is…it IS! 

The only times you might find Volcano Bay closed are if the weather is really bad or during the winter on significantly colder days!

Ready to plan your theme park trip? Watch the best vacation planning tips on YouTube. Get started here!

6. Know Where To Park At Volcano Bay

You’re probably wondering how parking at Volcano Bay Orlando works, and I’ve got the answers!

It’s always a good idea to be prepared and know where you’ll need to park in advance – especially at theme parks or water parks.

The crowds will get heavier as the day goes on, and you’ll be so glad you set a plan in place for parking.

Parking Address for Volcano Bay

To self-park, you’ll want to park in the Main Parking Garage for Universal CityWalk. The address of this garage is: 6000 Universal Boulevard Orlando, FL 32819

How to Park at Volcano Bay

Let’s go over five quick and easy steps for parking at Volcano Bay.

Step 1: Head Towards the Garage

Upon arrival, follow signs directing you to the parking garages specifically designated for Universal Orlando/Volcano Bay.

Step 2: Pay the Parking Attendant

You’ll then arrive at the parking attendant where you’ll let them know that you’re having a day at Volcano Bay.

Step 3: Head Right

The parking attendant will then direct you to the garage for Volcano Bay which is the one on the right-hand side driving away from the attendant.

Step 4: Take a Photo of Your Parking Space

Once you park, make sure you take a picture or write down the level you parked on and your row number!

The worst feeling is forgetting where you parked your car in an oversized garage like that.

Step 5: Hop on The Shuttle

After you park, you’ll catch the Universal Orlando shuttle from the parking lot over to Volcano Bay.

How much does Volcano Bay parking cost?

Well, inside the garage, you have a few options. If you choose “Regular Parking,” you’ll pay around $30 to park.

However,iIf you choose “Prime Parking,” you’ll pay a fee starting at $50.

If you’re driving a bus or RV, the cost will be $40 for you. The garage also offers valet parking! This can be pricier, though.

However, if you’re going to Volcano Bay, then the “Regular Parking” fee is fine for your visit.

Don’t Forget This For Parking at Volcano Bay

A key thing to know about parking for Volcano Bay is that no matter what parking pricing level you choose or where you park inside the garage, all guests will still need to shuttle (it’s free!) over to Volcano Bay.

It’s the only way to get there unless you take a bus from your Universal Hotel!

2024 Complete Guide to Parking at Universal Orlando Resort: FREE Options, Prices, Hotels, and more!

7. Know the Best Time To Visit Volcano Bay

Check out our guide to using the Universal Orlando Crowd Calendar here as a resource!

Keep checking back leading up to your trip for any times that may have potentially changed.

The Crowd Calendar also has the predicted Volcano Bay Weather for each day. This can be really useful when determining the best days to go to Volcano Bay.

At the current moment, there is not any scheduled downtime for maintenance.

However, it’s a good idea to stay up to date by researching before your trip to make sure you can still visit Volcano Bay when you plan to!

Recommended: Ultimate Florida Packing List: What to Pack for Your EPIC Trip!

8. Keep My Best Volcano Bay Tips and Tricks Handy

Make the most of your visit to Volcano Bay at Universal Orlando, and plan your day in advance! 

My best Volcano Bay tips include: 

Plan where you’ll want to eat a meal and what snack stops are closest to your seating area. 

Prioritize which water slides and rides you want to do during the first half of the day so that you don’t miss them!

Start with what’s most important to the group. 

Get Early Access

If you stay at one of the Universal Orlando Resort hotels, you can even get access to early admission into Volcano Bay Water Park !

Stay Hydrated!

No one wants a heat headache or a sunburn. So be sure to cool off in between fun activities and stay hydrated. 

Map of Volcano Bay Before You Go

I’ve attached a link for you here to the Volcano Bay map. It’s wise to get an idea of where the slides and snack stands are located throughout Volcano Bay Water Park .

Know where the closest bathrooms are and even the nearest exits!

Figure out how you’ll get to the shuttle that takes you to the parking garages at the end of the day if that’s your mode of transportation.

Otherwise, make sure you take a mental photo of where the bus stations are.  

Book Your Cabana ASAP

You also might consider renting a cabana for the day. Volcano Bay cabanas come in a few different sizes and can be booked by phone.

You can even choose between a one-level cabana or a two-level.

The prices vary but will include complimentary snacks, waters, comfortable seating, and towels, and an attendant will see to your group throughout the day.

How much are cabanas at Volcano Bay?

Also, the cabanas can go anywhere from $159.99 to $599.99. Check Universal Orlando’s website for more details on sizing and pricing!

Volcano Bay cabana rentals go fast, so that’s why I highly recommend that if you’re considering booking one for the day, book it sooner rather than later.

This way, you’ll have your pick out of the options! When booking a cabana at Volcano Bay 

Take a look at the options for Cabana rentals here .

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9. Upgrade Your Day

Did you know that you actually have several different options for passes and packages that will help make your day at Volcano Bay, Florida, the best that it can be?

Volcano Bay Express Pass

The Universal Express Pass can be purchased for $19.99 

Universal’s Express Pass allows you to skip long lines and have more fun because you’ve optimized your day!

The Volcano Bay Premium Seating

Lounge in the premium seating offered at Volcano Bay and relax in the shade. For more about pricing and reservations, click here .  

Volcano Bay Seasonal Pass

You may not have realized, but you can also purchase a 3-Park Annual Pass which will allow you to have unlimited visits throughout the year.

This pass also includes Universal Hotel discounts, which can be really helpful!

There are some additional pass options that may benefit you. Click here for more information and price comparisons. 

Recommended: 1 Day in Orlando Itinerary: What Should I Do That’s NOT Theme Parks?

10. Know How to Use the TapuTapu Band at Volcano Bay

You’ll need your TapuTapu band throughout the day to use for your entrance into the park, to pay for meals and your souvenirs, and to utilize for the Virtual Lines.

If a ride line looks too long, you simply tap your TapuTapu at the entrance to the attraction, and then when your wrist accessory vibrates, that’s how you know to head back to your attraction! 

The TapuTapu wrist accessory can be set up on your Universal Resort app. And, the best part? It’s waterproof!

What else can you do with the TapuTapu?

Lock your lockers, use them for photos on rides, and even to access special surprises throughout Volcano Bay!

7 BEST Photo Spots in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter that are Instagram-worthy!

11. Know What to Pack for Volcano Bay

We know that packing can be a colossal part of your to-do list leading up to your Volcano Bay trip.

So, I wanted to help you out!

I’ve put together the top items everyone should bring to a water park.

More specifically, these should be the top items on your “Volcano Bay What To Bring List.” Read on:

Volcano Bay Packing List 

• Sunglasses 
• Refillable Water Bottle
• Rash guards for the kids
• Extra clothes  
• Waterproof case for your phone  
• A Waterproof disposable camera 
• Water shoes
• Towels (if you prefer)

21 Top Theme Park Packing List Items (How to Pack for an Amusement Park)

12. Bring Your Own Towels to Volcano Bay

So far, we’ve given you a bunch of Volcano Bay Tips and Tricks . But you may be wondering if Volcano Bay provides towels.

Do you need to bring towels to Volcano Bay?

No if you don’t mind paying for them. Volcano Bay provides them for $6 a towel (prices subject to change at anytime).

However, for some, that’s an additional fee that they don’t want to pay. I totally understand!

If you prefer not to pay the $6 per towel fee, just remember to bring your own to your day at Volcano Bay in Florida. 

13. Save Your Spot for the Day

As mentioned earlier (I can’t stress it enought), don’t forget to mark your territory upon arrival to Volcano Bay.

You have a better chance of getting the best spot the earlier you get to the park! So, my advice?

Get there at the opening, if not slightly before. Mark your spot first thing. Then, from there, start your fun day! 

SAFETY TIP: Make sure you don’t leave any valuables behind at your “headquarters spot” if you don’t have someone to watch them. We’re just thinking ahead!

14. Purchase A Waterproof Phone Case For Volcano Bay

Listen – too many of us have been there. You’re at the water park , and you or your child drops your phone.

It gets wet because it’s a water park, of course. And what do we know about technology and water? They doooon’t mix.

So! Take it from us and look at Amazon before you go. Order a waterproof case for your phone. You’ll be so thankful that you did!

I recommend Amazon because phone cases at the park are quite expensive.

The best thing about having a waterproof case for your phone is that on select rides at Volcano Bay Orlando , you can bring your phone!

I recommend that you make your choice based on reviews, prices, and descriptions. BUT, to help you out a bit, here are my top 3 picks for waterproof phone cases: 

• Hiearcool Waterproof Phone Pouch
• Pelican Marine Waterproof Phone Pouch
• Ly Lanyos Waterproof Underwater Snorkeling

So having a protective waterproof case will allow you to have your phone with you without getting damaged.

15. Skip the First Lockers

Volcano Bay Lockers are located in four spots throughout Volcano Bay: Wave Village East, Wave Village West, River Village, and Rainforest Village.

Head to the lockers when you enter the park to drop off anything you don’t want to carry around with you in the water park!

If you are getting a locker, go straight to the back lockers near River Village.

In my experience, everyone goes straight to Wave Village East and then West near the front, so they end up being the most crowded! To avoid this, head to the back!

How much are the lockers at Universal’s Volcano Bay?

Lockers usually end up being $16 or under, so you never have to worry about being too pricey (prices can change at anytime).

Plus, there are three sizes of lockers if you didn’t bring much with you and you only need a smaller locker. 

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16. Get on the Best Rides at Volcano Bay

Out of all the Volcano Bay rides and slides , it can be tricky to distinguish which ones are going to be your favorites.

If you’ve never been to Volcano Bay, I’ve got you!

Volcano Bay Rides List: Top 5 Attractions You Must Experience!

I’ve compiled a list of (in my opinion) the absolute best rides at Volcano Bay.

The Ko’okiri Body Plunge 

A 125-foot tall, 70-degree drop slide. Make sure you’re up to the challenge!

Kopiko Wai Winding River (Lazy River)

The casual float down the river that everyone needs at a water park mid-afternoon.

Take a break, float along with your family, and enjoy the Kopiko Wai Winding River!

The Onyah & Ohno Drop Slide

More drop slides! These two are thrill rides, for sure. Are you brave enough?

Located in Rainforest Village , they have fast twists, and the splash at the end is abrupt! Prepare yourself for some fast-moving excitement!

Maku Puihi Round Raft Rides

Gather up the group… grab your raft …and see if you can handle the ups and downs, turns, and drops of the amazing raft ride! 

Water will splash all around you, and you’ll need to decide… Will it be the Maku path or the Puihi? Or…both?

Krakatau Aqua Coaster

Get ready for the aqua coaster! You’ll board a canoe with three other guests, and you’ll shoot through the volcano (Yes, THE Volcano.)

Hold on!!! This one’s fast.

Volcano Bay Water Slides are some of the most fun at Volcano Bay. But don’t skip the Aqua Coaster if you love a good thrill!

Plus, if you need a more chill afternoon, float down the Winding River for a relaxing time. 

Get your  discounted HHN Tickets on Groupon TODAY!

17. Don’t Miss the Volcano Bay Lazy River

Kopiko Wai Winding River… NOT to be confused with TeAwa , The Fearless River… is a lazy river at Volcano Bay, Florida.

I say this because the two “rivers” are at very different speeds.

The Fearless River is a fast-paced ride , while the Winding River is a relaxing Lazy River for swimmers of all ages! 

The Kopiko Wai Winding River is a fan favorite, and it’s ideal for everyone.

Everyone needs a nice cool down after running around the different slides and coasters at Volcano Bay. So, don’t skip the Lazy River (it’s my favorite)! 

18. Have the Best Tips for the Rides at Volcano Bay

An overlooked fact is that the Volcano Bay water temperature is heated to around 80 degrees!

It means that even when it’s a chilly day outside, you can absolutely go and have an amazing time at Volcano Bay.

This is unique to this park, and I love that we don’t have to worry about the water being too cold. 

Volcano Bay Weight Limits

You’ll always see signs if there is a weight limit on any particular slides or rides at Volcano Bay.

Typically, it’s only the “body slides.” In the case of a weight limit, it will usually be 275 pounds. Something helpful to know in advance!

If you’re taller than 4 feet, congratulations! You’re eligible to ride almost every slide and thrill ride inside Volcano Bay.

Some things are only designated for children under 4 feet so that everyone is able to have fun.

Always check the signs before jumping in line if you have guests under 4 feet tall.

The Volcano Bay Height Requirements

Volcano Bay Height Requirements will apply to the Ko’okiri Body Plunge, all of the Body Slides, the Krakatau Aqua Coaster, and the Runamukka Reef, to name a few.

There are others with height requirements as well, so be sure to look it up on this guide and/or ask an employee in advance!

Recommended: The Solo Theme Park Traveler’s Guide

19. Choose the Best Hotel for Volcano Bay

When booking your trip, you might consider staying at a resort hotel that is nearest to the parks you plan to visit.

In my opinion, Cabana Bay Beach Resort and Aventura Resort are the best Volcano Bay Hotel options to stay at near Volcano Bay Water Park .

Cabana Bay Beach Resort

If you stay at Cabana Bay Beach Resort, you HAVE to check out the bowling alley!

It’s so much fun for everyone. The Cabana Bay Beach Resort’s aesthetic will take you back in time to the good ole 1950s! Enjoy the vintage colors and designs.

I specifically love the Cabana Bay Volcano Bay View Room. Try to get a reservation if possible! 

Complete with great décor inside every room and easily accessible within walking distance to each of the Universal Orlando theme parks , especially Volcano Bay!

The resort also has an exceptional view of the Volcano Bay Water Park. So look out your window at the monstrous volcano and enjoy the view!

Aventura Resort

Suppose you prefer to stay at the Aventura Resort.

In that case, you’ll be able to enjoy the incredible rooftop bar, Bar 17 Bistro , a full Starbucks in the lobby (yes, please!) and plenty of other fabulous amenities they offer.

The trendy-looking resort hotel offers an ultra-close walking path from the resort to Volcano Bay. The pool at Aventura Resort is one of the guests’ favorites.

There’s even a fire pit for people to sit back and lounge after a busy day at the parks. 

You can’t really go wrong with either of these Volcano Bay hotels, but we do recommend that they are the best options to stay at if your priority is Volcano Bay. 

5 BEST Orlando Family Resorts with a Water Park Close to Disney World

20. Decide What You Want Before the Attendant Returns to Your Premium Seating Spot

I have the ultimate pro tip for you regarding food if you’re sitting in a premium seating area.

Nobody likes a hangry park-goer, but we’ve all been there!

Want to know how to maximize your ordering and get food in front of you as fast as possible?

Well, keep in mind that it takes a minute for your attendant to get to you once you sit down and park your belongings.

So, take it from me and try to order everything you need as soon as you have an attendant standing in front of you.

Check the menu before you go, if you can!

Don’t forget to request any condiments or sides simultaneously, so there’s less waiting overall for you!

Check out my latest theme park adventures on Instagram TODAY!

21. Best Places to Sit in Volcano Bay

I’ve chatted about the seating you can purchase in the park, but for free seating around Volcano Bay, you might find that it’s less in the shade.

But never fear! There are still some shade options.  

The best seating areas are under some great shaded “huts” that you’ll find can be found throughout the park.

If you’re lucky, you’ll sit right under the fans! Relax in a chair for a bit and take it easy. 

If you prefer to sit nearby the pools , where you can still watch your kid splish-and-splash, there are some non-shaded seating areas throughout the park as well!

2024 Universal Orlando Trip Report: What It’s REALLY Like!

22. Where to Get the Best Food in Volcano Bay

I know from experience that one of the first things we think about when planning our day at a water park is what we will have for food.

If you’re wondering, “Can you bring food into Volcano Bay?”

The answer is, Yes! Food must be brought in a see-through bag, and you shouldn’t bring any food that would need to be refrigerated. 

You can bring:

• Bottled water 
• Snacks that you may need for a food allergy or medical purposes 
• Baby food or formula 

As for my favorite places to get Volcano Bay food , check out the list below for some of the best food, snacks, and drinks in the park and where to find them: 

Kohola Reef Restaurant and Social Club 

You’ll find Kohola Reef in the Wave Village area of the park. Try their burgers, the amazing Hawaiian ribs, or the Coconut Crusted Fried Chicken!

Whakawaiai Eats

Located in the River Village, this spot has some delicious options, including incredible Island BBQ Chicken Pizza and Jerk Shrimp Mac-n-Cheese. Yummm!

The Feasting Frog 

Appropriately placed, The Feasting Frog can be found in the Rainforest Village.

The Feasting Frog has some of the best tacos you can imagine – and a fantastic Poke Bowl! Don’t skip it for lunch or an afternoon snack.  

Koka Poroka

We know you’ve seen that iconic colorful ice cream in everyone’s Instagram pictures.

Well, you, too, can try the Waturi Fusion (the popular ice cream treat) and take a pic for your followers at Koka Poroka! Head to the Wave Village and try the famous ice cream. 

7 Best Universal Orlando Restaurants for Solo Travelers

Bambu 

Check out Bambu in the Rainforest Village for a delish Mahi Sandwich Combo or some Chocolate Pineapple Upside-down Cake. 

Honorable Mention: Dancing Dragons Bar !

I love Dancing Dragons so we couldn’t leave it off the list! You’ll find it near Kohola Reef in the Wave Village. Their beverages are refreshing and delightful. 

These are just a few of the options, so feel free to make your own selections when looking at the Volcano Bay menus. Happy snacking!

Read Next: How to Find the BEST Vacation Home Rentals Near Disney World

23. Where to Take the Best Pictures in Volcano Bay

Every parent loves a family group photo when everyone is playing at the water park.

What better opportunity than Volcano Bay for a fun family picture?

Especially with the massive Volcano in the background! Picturesque. 

For the most gorgeous volcano pictures, I recommend first thing in the morning or at sunset for a stunning background at none other than a water park! 

I also think that the “Selfie-Posts” you’ll find around the park are excellent opportunities for quick and cute Kodak moments. 

If you need any assistance with the purchased photos or photo packages that you’ve selected, go to Waturi Marketplace and visit their photo counter.

The Universal Orlando Team Members will be there and will help you!

25 Mistakes You MUST AVOID for Universal Orlando Resort in 2024!

24. Look Out for Volcano Bay Discounts

If you are the lucky owner of an Universal Orlando Annual Pass , you may also find great discounts for things such as tickets, food, merchandise, photos, etc., at Volcano Bay!

This could include a 15% discount on any restaurants or snack stands at Volcano Bay (not including alcohol.)

You may be eligible for discounts on My Universal photos if you ride any rides that take pictures and choose to purchase. 

You also may receive discounts on any and all Volcano Bay merchandise for being an Annual Passholder!

Make sure to always ask your cashier if they offer any Annual Pass discounts! You wouldn’t want to miss a good perk. 

Join the Conversation on the  Solo Theme Park Traveler’s Community on Facebook!

25. Know the Best Things to Do for Toddlers in Volcano

Typically, here at ThemeParkHipster, I focus on the adult solo traveler.

But, if it’s a family day at the park, I’ve rounded up the best things to do at Volcano Bay for toddlers.

Volcano Bay Universal Orlando rides suitable for toddlers include:

• Tot Tiki Reef : One of the two main toddler-friendly water areas!
• The Reef (pool) : Enjoy a leisure pool and take a break while your kids enjoy swimming in a pool that’s more their speed!
• Runamukka Reef : The other main toddler-friendly water areas!
• Kopiko Wai Winding River : Make sure they have you as a chaperone, of course!
• Waturi Beach : Everyone loves a wave pool.
• TapTu Play Spots : These fun spots require your toddler to tap their TapuTapu band! Sometimes water will squirt out, and other times there’s a fun, reactive experience to observe. Kids will love finding these and seeing what happens. Find them all!
• Puka Uli Lagoon : Leisure pool located in Rainforest Village

Keep in mind that toddlers or any kids under 48 inches are required to wear life jackets at Volcano Bay! Safety first. 

Surviving the Day at Volcano Bay with Your Toddler

If you find a shaded seating area at the beginning of the day to leave your things, this is also the perfect spot for your kiddos to pause, take a snack break, or rehydrate. 

The best part about Tot Tiki Reef and Runamuka Reef is that older kids are too tall to be in these areas, so it’s just for the tots!

I think this is nice so you know your kiddos won’t miss their chance to slide down the fun slides and splash zones.

Another great reassurance? Lifeguards are all around, of course!

Rest assured that your toddlers will have a safe place to play with you nearby, making sure they’re alright!

Your BEST Wizarding World of Harry Potter Itinerary (How to Do it in a Day)

26. Other Water Rides (Non-Thrill Rides)

The truth is we don’t all love thrill rides. Some of us love a water park but prefer the calmer experiences and attractions (shamelessly raising my hand over here).

If you’re not into high-thrill rides or giant drop slides, there’s still plenty of fun waiting for you at Volcano Bay!

Best Things to Do to Relax in Volcano Bay at Universal Orlando

A few unique things to do at Volcano Bay that you might want to check out.

Whether you’re avoiding the thrill rides or simply killing time until your TapuTapu wristband vibrates next, check these out.

Kopiko Wai Winding River

First, on the list, we highly recommend the Kopiko Wai Winding River. Because who doesn’t love a lazy river? Take this opportunity to relax and float down the winding river. 

Taniwha Tube Water Slides

The Taniwha Tube Water Slides are also considered relatively tame, as they can be ridden with a buddy or alone if you prefer.

Each rider will board an inner tube, down the slide, and into the pool. It’s a low-thrill but still a super exciting experience, in my opinion.

The best of both worlds! Plus, there are four different Taniwha Tube slides, so you can take your time trying each one.

TeAwa the Fearless River

Although we previously described TeAwa the Fearless River as a faster-paced river versus the lazy river, I want to be clear that it’s definitely not a thrill ride.

Moreso, TeAwa the Fearless River adds some entertainment to the experience when the waves pick up, and you find yourself being pushed through the currents.

This river is a splash! It’s not too much for a chill slider, though. 

Last but not least, I recommend the wave pool ! There’s nothing like a splash in the wave pool to cool off and chase some waves.

Or rather, be chased by a few waves!

Are you planning a Universal Orlando vacation soon? Get the  Universal Vacation Planning Guide  for your next dream trip!

27. Have Fun!

My most important advice of all? Have fun, fellow Hipster!

Enjoy your day in the sun at one of the best water parks in Orlando, Florida.

Volcano Bay at Universal Orlando really does have it all. With delicious snacks, amazing water slides, thrill rides, a lazy river, and photo-ops, there’s nothing missing here. 

I hope you’ll refer to this all-encompassing guide I’ve prepared for you filled with our best Volcano Bay Tips and Tricks. Please share this with others who you think it could help.

Your biggest takeaways on Volcano Bay at Universal?

• Book in advance, prepare in advance, and don’t forget those waterproof phone cases!
• There’s so much to do at Volcano Bay; there’s no way you’ll be bored for even a moment.
• Live it up at the coolest volcano in Orlando, enjoy a Waturi Fusion for me.
• And get ready to slide , slide, slide!

Until next time, Happy Park Hopping Hipsters!

About the Author

My name is Nikky. I’m a wife, a mother, a pharmacist turned theme park blogger, USA Today 10Best Contributor , and a writer who loves ALL things amusement park related!

Traveling alone to the parks has changed my life and I want to show how you can create your own solo theme park memories.

Connect with me on Instagram!

(Original Article Date: May 9, 2023/Updated on February 24, 2024)

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SMACKDOWN! Universal Studios vs. Islands of Adventure: Which is Better in 2024?

Ranking the 10 best rides at universal orlando in 2024, leave a comment cancel reply.

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Global Munchkins

Travel + Global Inspired Lifestyle

July 10, 2021

5 Ways to Get Discounted Universal Volcano Bay Tickets

Florida is known for a lot of things but two things that are sure to come to mind – sunshine and theme parks. Combine the two and what do you get? Waterparks! Now, there is a new Universal Studios Waterpark, Volcano Bay ! This is probably my favorite waterpark of all time. From the moment you walk in and see the massive wave pool underneath a giant volcano, you know you are in for a full day of fun. That being said, tickets are not cheap for volcano bay, so here are 5 Ways to Get Discounted Volcano Bay Tickets.

Best Options for Discounted Universal Volcano Bay Tickets

Ares travel.

My personal favorite option for discounted Volcano Bay park tickets is ARES Travel. They almost always have the best pricing out of any of the discount ticket companies. Also look at their travel bundles as they offer great combo deals with hotels and other park tickets.

For Universal Volcano Bay, again, the discounts are focused mainly on multi-day and multi-park bundles. These not only offer better per day prices but also give you the chance to see Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure in addition to the Volcano Bay park.

2 day Universal Park-to-Park Tickets plus 3 Days FREE 

With all Universal Park-to-Park tickets, you can again visit any of the three Universal properties, with the option to visit multiple parks each day. Since adding extra days to Universal park tickets is relatively affordable, the aRes deal prices out 2-day Park-to-Park tickets with 3 extra days added, all for the price of a standard 2-day pass. What that means is you get 5 days total at any of the parks with an average savings of around $50 on each adult ticket.

2 day Universal Base Tickets plus 3 Days FREE 

Offering a similar deal on a Universal Base Ticket, aRes Travel prices out 5 full days at the Universal Parks. You will get Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay – for the price of a 2-day pass. With the base ticket, you can visit one park each day. The average savings here comes out to around $27 per adult ticket!

Check Current Prices Here!

Undercover Tourist

Undercover Tourist is a great option when you are looking for discounted tickets to any theme parks. They provide discounted Florida park tickets and great travel advice since 2000. Plus, Undercover Tourist offers really nice extras like free shipping on your tickets and a 90-day refund or return policy. They also have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

Another great feature of Undercover Tourist is their park calendars. Using insider information, Undercover Tourist provides a ranking for every day of the year. The ranking takes into account a number of criteria. It includes average crowd size, park hours, and even the weather at Volcano Bay. Using the ranking system, you’ll know exactly which day is the best day to visit.

2, 3, 4, or 5 days Universal Park-to-Park Tickets

With these tickets, you can visit all the Universal Orlando parks, including Volcano Bay, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, with the option to visit multiple parks on each day. The savings on each adult ticket range from $40 on the 2-day pass to $67 on the 5-day ticket option.

3 or 5 day Universal Base Tickets

With these tickets, you can again visit all the Universal Orlando parks. Of course, this includes Volcano Bay, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. The difference is that you are only able to visit one park each day. The savings here range from $29 to $41 on each adult ticket.

Disney or SeaWorld Bundle

For an additional $5 savings, Undercover Tourist will let you combine any of there above Universal Volcano Bay discounted tickets with a discounted Disney or SeaWorld ticket.

Best of Orlando

Another company offering great discount tickets to Orlando theme parks is “Best of Orlando”. Focused on Orlando in particular, they offer amazing deals. Their website offers deals on almost anything you’d want to do or see in the city and surrounding area.

Best of Orlando has been around for years and is well trusted in the market. They do not charge any sort of convenience fees, administration fees, or credit card fees.

Their Universal park ticket discounts are also great with one discount offered on Volcano Bay in particular.

5 day Universal Park-to-Park Ticket

With the Best of Orlando deal, you can visit all the Universal Parks – Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay – and hop around to any combination of parks each day for 5 full days. The savings on each ticket bundle is over $70 making this a particularly great deal if you will be staying in Orlando awhile.

Getting an Annual Pass

For the true, committed fans, no deal on tickets to Volcano Bay or any Florida theme park is going to be better than what you’ll get with an annual pass . Offered directly from Universal, the annual park tickets are a great option for anyone living in Florida or visiting often. Even if you are taking a couple of vacations each year to Orlando, this pass is still a good deal. Keep in mind, you will need 3-park pass to get into Volcano Bay.

In addition to getting admission directly to the parks, with some Universal Annual Passes, you’ll also score additional benefits and discounts. For example, at Volcano Bay, a Premier Annual Pass gets you 15% off all restaurants, Universal Photos, and Universal merchandise and the Preferred Annual Pass gives you 10% off as well.

As of July 2021, the annual pass options for Volcano Bay include:

Premier Annual Pass, Preferred Annual Pass, Power Annual Pass, and the Seasonal Pass – Each pass at Universal offers slightly different access and benefits. On the higher end, you have no blackout dates, extra discounts on special event tickets, no blackout dates, etc.

Even with the base Seasonal Pass, you have entry to all the parks, including Volcano Bay, and additional savings on special events. The average savings will really depend on how much you visit the parks. If you fall in love with Volcano Bay and want to visit often, definitely check out the Universal annual passes.

Additional Options to Save

We have covered a number of ways to save money on your Volcano Bay tickets. From multi-day passes to bundling with other theme parks to annual passes, there are plenty of money-saving options.

In addition to the companies above, we wanted to mention a few other ways to save a bit of cash. First, Florida residents get special offers at all the major theme parks, including Volcano Bay. Whether you are going for just a day or want to buy an annual pass, don’t forget to mention you live in Florida and be sure to bring along a Florida ID.

Another super simple option to save, even if you want to order directly through Universal, just order your tickets online. On the Universal website, you can save up to $10 on each adult ticket to Volcano Bay, just by ordering your tickets online.

With all the saving options above, we know you can score a great deal on your Volcano Bay visit. We hope you enjoy the water!

Why We Love Universal Volcano Bay

Volcano Bay is a massive waterpark that goes above and beyond with dozens of rides, real sand beaches, and a volcano complete with a lava light show each night.

Luckily, Universal Volcano Bay has everything you need to cool off on a hot Florida day. Whether you are into relaxing and floating down a lazy river or prefer the adrenaline rush of a huge water slide, the park has you covered. Also, there are over 20 waterslides and rides ranging from kiddie pool options to massive drop slides. You will also find a number of more creative waterpark rides.

Universal Volcano Bay Best Rides!

Ko’okiri Body Plunge  –  This slide drops you down through a trapdoor at a crazy 70° angle for over 100 feet. Keep in mind, it’s ot for the faint of heart.

Krakatau Aqua Coaster – This water roller coaster is just as much fun as a traditional coaster. With sharp turns and steep drops, the coaster will have you screaming before plunging you into a waterfall. This waterfall will completely soak you.

Kopiko Wai Winding River – If you need a break from the waterslides, this lazy river is a great option. The river runs all around the park and is also the perfect place to relax

Waturi Beach – Located at the base of the volcano, this is a real beach, complete with sand! Grab a beach lounge chair, a specialty Volcano Bay tropical drink, and enjoy.

Check out all the rides at volcano bay here.

You Can Check Out My Full Review and list of all the best of Volcano Bay Here!

Year Round Fun

Thanks to Florida’s beautiful weather, you can visit Volcano Bay nearly year round! Not to mention the fact that the water at Volcano Bay is heated to comfortable 85° Fahrenheit. During the cooler winter months, the park does close earlier. There are occasionally days that are just too cold where the park will be forced to close. In general, though, visiting is possible basically year round.

Whether you are visiting in the off-season winter months or in the height of summer though, saving on your Universal Volcano Bay park tickets is super easy. Savings are a great way to maximize your vacation budget.

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Undercover Tourist Review [Discounted Tickets, Hotels, and Car Rentals]

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What is Undercover Tourist?

Paper tickets vs. e-tickets, refundable tickets, travel insurance, undercover tourist crowd calendar, the frog guarantee and frog family promise, price comparisons, earning points on tickets, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

Undercover Tourist is a popular website for purchasing theme park tickets at a discount. If you’ve planned a trip to Walt Disney World , Universal Studios, or SeaWorld, you’ve probably come across Undercover Tourist. But did you also know you can use this website to book hotels and rental cars, too?

In this post, we’ll go over what you need to know to use Undercover Tourist to find the best prices on amusement park tickets, hotels, and rental cars. Plus, we’ll go over some of the popular features of the site like the Crowd Calendar.

Undercover Tourist is a website that that’s been around since 2000 and is known for offering discounted tickets to theme parks across the U.S. The site is an authorized seller of tickets for all the major theme parks you know and love:

• Walt Disney World Resort in Florida
• Disneyland in California
• Universal Orlando Resort
• Universal Studios Hollywood
• SeaWorld Orlando
• SeaWorld San Diego
• LEGOLAND Florida Resort
• LEGOLAND California Resort

Undercover Tourist also has discounted tickets to non-theme park attractions like Ripley’s Believe It or Not, ski resorts, zoos, movie theaters, and lots more! Plus, it acts as an online travel agency for hotels and car rentals.

While Undercover Tourist offers a ton of ticket, hotel, and car options, the site is limited in the number of destinations it covers. You’ll only find options in the following cities:

• Breckenridge, CO
• Chicago, IL
• Los Angeles, CA
• New York City, NY
• Orlando, FL
• Park City, Utah
• San Antonio, Texas
• San Diego, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Washington, D.C.

Options in Seattle, London, and Paris are coming soon.

Bottom Line: Undercover Tourist is a resource for discounted tickets to theme parks and other attractions in select cities across the U.S. It’s best known for offering discounted tickets to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios theme parks.  The site also acts as an online travel agency for hotel reservations and car rentals in these select cities.

Discount Tickets

Let’s review the steps to using Undercover Tourist to purchase discounted tickets.

You can start your search for discounted tickets from many different places on the home page. Click on Discount Tickets in the top menu bar, click on a logo underneath the menu bar, or click on any of the featured tickets in the middle of your screen to start your search.

After choosing your destination, you’ll be able to see lots of information about your chosen theme park, including maps, hotels, tips, and more. Scroll down a bit to find the availability calendar and ticket options.

The tickets you buy through Undercover Tourist are exactly the same as if you purchased them directly from the park, except you’ll probably save some money.

After choosing the type and number of tickets you need, you’ll be able to see your final price and choose your travel dates. The price you see is what you’ll pay — taxes are included and shipping is free!

Hot Tip: Are you on a tight budget? Check out our full guide to using visiting Disney World for cheap using points and miles.

You may be inclined to have your tickets emailed to you, but there are some risks. E-tickets are non-refundable, and you’ll need to stop at Will Call at the gate to pick up your physical tickets. For Disney tickets, if you have a MagicBand, you can add the e-tickets to your account and proceed directly to the gate, but they’ll still be non-refundable.

Instead, it may be a better idea to have the physical tickets mailed to you. This option is also free and the tickets will be eligible for a refund. Plus, you’ll be able to go straight to the gate at the park which can be a huge timesaver.

Many tickets sold on Undercover Tourist are refundable within 90 days of purchase. To get a refundable ticket, you’ll need to have tickets mailed to you vs. opting for email delivery. Refundable tickets will be clearly marked. Be sure to confirm the return policy for your specific tickets before completing your purchase.

If you need to return tickets that you purchased, you’ll be charged a 5% fee to cover the return.

Hot Tip: E-tickets are non-refundable. To get a ticket that is eligible for a refund, you’ll need to select the Mailed To Your Door  option.

Before finalizing your purchase, you’ll be prompted to add travel insurance. Before choosing whether or not to add insurance to your purchase, you’ll want to learn about all of your options.

Undercover Tourist offers insurance through Allianz Global Assistance , a popular travel insurance company. However, the policy offered by Undercover Tourist covers lots of areas that may already be covered through your credit card including trip cancellation and interruption , lost or delayed baggage, and travel accident insurance, so it may not be needed.

If you purchase tickets that are eligible for a refund, insurance is probably not necessary. If you’re also booking a hotel or rental car, take a minute to determine if you have a credit card with rental car insurance  before purchasing a separate policy.

The Undercover Tourist Crowd Calendar is a popular feature on the site that helps you identify the least and most crowded times to visit a specific park.

To access the Crowd Calendar, just click on Crowd Calendar in the top menu bar of the website.

You’ll be able to look at specifics for a handful of the most popular destinations:

• Discovery Cove
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Magic Kingdom Park
• Universal’s Islands of Adventure
• Universal Studios Florida
• Universal’s Volcano Bay

Hot Tip: The Undercover Tourist Crowd Calendar is a color-coded chart that helps you predict which parks will be more or less crowded on a specific day.

If you’re headed to Orlando, be sure to download the Undercover Tourist Orlando Planning App, free for iOS . This handy app will take the stress out of trying to navigate the parks on your own with features like an interactive map, up-to-date park information, park plans, and estimated wait times.

The app covers Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld Orlando.

The Frog Guarantee and Frog Family Promise are not price guarantees, rather they’re guarantees of quality and customer service.

When purchasing amusement park tickets through Undercover Tourist you’ll always receive:

• Authentic tickets from an authorized seller
• Free standard shipping
• No hidden fees
• 90-day refund/return policy (not applicable to e-tickets)
• RFID enabled and Genie+ eligible Disney tickets
• Next-day pickup or delivery availability

So, let’s answer the question you really want to know, “Can Undercover Tourist save me money?”

To do this, we priced out some ticket options for 1 adult on Undercover Tourist and compared those to what we could get directly from the park’s website.

In every single example we priced out, Undercover Tourist was the cheapest option! If you’re looking for discounted tickets to Walt Disney World and other popular theme parks, you’ll probably save money by using Undercover Tourist.

Hot Tip: You can NOT use Disney gift cards to pay for tickets through Undercover Tourist. So, if you’ve been collecting gift cards from stores with high points bonuses (like grocery stores ), you’ll need to purchase your tickets directly through the park.

Purchasing tickets to an amusement park can be expensive. So, of course, you’ll want to make sure you’re earning as many points as possible on your purchase.

Amusement park tickets usually code as “entertainment,” so if you’re purchasing them directly, you’ll want to use a credit card that offers bonus categories on entertainment purchases . The Citi Premier ® Card earns 2 points per dollar spent on entertainment purchases, including tickets to amusement parks.

However, purchases from Undercover Tourist code as “travel” which opens up the door to earn points on a variety of different credit cards. These credit cards all earn bonus points on the travel category, which will include amusement park tickets purchased from Undercover Tourist.

Earn 3x points on travel purchases with these credit cards:

• Ink Business Preferred ® Credit Card
• Chase Sapphire Reserve ®
• Citi Premier card

Earn 2x points on travel purchases with these credit cards:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred ® card
• Capital One ® Venture ® Rewards card

Hot Tip: If you have an American Express card, check to see if Amex Offers has any current money-back offers from Undercover Tourist. 

While Undercover Tourist is known as the place to buy theme park tickets, the site also acts as an online travel agency for booking hotels.

To get started, click on Hotels in the top menu bar. Then select your destination from the drop-down box and enter the number of travelers and your travel dates.

Your search results will be displayed in a format similar to other hotel booking websites that you may be familiar with (like Expedia , Priceline , Hotels.com , etc). Filtering options will be available on the left side of your screen and sorting options are located on the upper right-hand side, above the results.

Unlike with tickets on Undercover Tourist, the prices you see initially don’t include tax. You’ll have to click through to the payment page to see the full price with taxes and fees included.

Cancellation policies will vary by the hotel but will be clearly displayed once you add an item to your cart.

Hot Tip: If you’re traveling to Florida to enjoy the theme parks, check out these places to stay in Orlando for your Disney vacation!

Let’s take a look at a couple of examples to see if booking a hotel through Undercover Tourist can save you money. For both of these examples, we priced out a week-long stay for 2 adults and 1 child. Prices include taxes and fees and are for the hotel stay only (tickets are not included).

The results are typical of most price comparisons we do — they aren’t consistent! Undercover Tourist had the best price for the first option, but Trivago came out with the best price in the second example. The bottom line is that you can definitely save money by using Undercover Tourist for your hotel stay, but not always.

The car rental search functionality on the Undercover Tourist website is pretty limited. You’ll only be able to search for car rentals at Orlando International Airport (MCO) from only 5 car rental companies — Alamo, Avis , Budget , Enterprise , and National .

We did a couple of searches to find out if booking your Orlando car rental through Undercover Tourist could save you money. We searched for the cheapest price for a week-long rental on 2 different dates.

In both of these examples, Undercover Tourist came out as the second most expensive option. Interestingly, Momondo  had the lowest price and Priceline had the highest price in both examples.

Undercover Tourist may be a great place to purchase theme park tickets, but it’s not a great option when you’re searching for a rental car.

Undercover Tourist is a popular website for purchasing theme park tickets on the cheap. It also acts as an online travel agency for hotels and car rentals, but only in select cities.

It’s a great site to use to save some money on theme park tickets, but the savings on hotels and cars aren’t as consistent.

Before you head to Disney, check out some of our helpful guides including re-opening plans , packing lists , and even how to visit virtually .

The information regarding the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does undercover tourist give refunds.

Yes, most ticket purchases are eligible for a refund within 90 days of purchase if you choose to have your tickets mailed to you. E-tickets are usually non-refundable. If you choose to return tickets, you’ll be charged a 5% fee.

What is the Undercover Tourist crowd calendar?

The Undercover Tourist Crowd Calendar helps you identify the least and most crowded times to visit a specific park using a color-coded system.

Is Undercover Tourist legitimate?

Yes, Undercover Tourist is a legitimate website that sells discounted amusement park tickets and it acts as an online travel agency for hotels and rental cars. It’s an authorized seller for tickets to some of the most popular parks in the U.S. including Walt Disney World and Universal Studios.

Why is Undercover Tourist cheaper?

Undercover Tourist buys tickets at a wholesale price from the theme parks so they’re able to re-sell them to you at a discounted price. Plus, they don’t charge any additional fees so the price you see is the price you’ll pay.

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About Katie Seemann

Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure, Forbes Advisor, and Fortune Recommends.

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The Family Vacation Guide

How Much Do Volcano Bay Tickets Cost & Where Can You Buy Them?

posted by James Brockbank on June 2, 2022 // last updated on June 2, 2022

What comes to mind when you think of Florida ? Theme parks and sunshine, right? Indeed, it’s a great place to be, especially when you crave to have fun and relax in waterparks , and the Universal Orlando Resort has recently added Volcano Bay to its wonderland environment. 

From the moment you walk into the Volcano Bay, you will be intrigued by the beautiful aesthetics that this environment brings to you. 

But you’re probably wanting to know how much it cost to get Volcano Bay tickets and where you can get tickets.

Keep reading to find out.

Volcano Bay; Your Ticket To Ultimate Thrills

Cost of volcano bay tickets, buying volcano bay tickets at discounted prices, exciting things to do at volcano bay, where can you buy them volcano bay tickets.

If you’ve been to the Universal Orlando Resort, their new addition, Volcano Bay, will blow your mind. The bay presents you with a new way of enjoying yourself in the water. Right from the tall heights of the 200-foot-tall volcano, this location allows you to let loose and have fun to the fullest.

Perhaps you’ve been thinking of a place to unwind. If this is the case, Universal’s Volcano Bay is the place to be. You have all the time to enjoy the slow tube ride that goes through the Kopiko Wai Winding River. Well, that’s just the tip of the iceberg of what you will be getting here.

With so much excitement waiting for you at the Volcano Bay, you might be interested in knowing how much you will spend here. This varies depending on a couple of factors, as detailed below.

One Day Fun Time

If you’re only wanting to visit Volcano Bay and you won’t be visiting other Universal Orlando parks, tickets cost $80 on most days. However, tickets cost $85 all through the summer and in peak periods.

Guess what? TapuTapu wearable device is included with the admission price. Unfortunately, you won’t be keeping it.

Multiple Days, Volcano Bay, and Other Areas

If you prefer to settle for a multi-park route and include other adventure destinations in your journey, you will have to dig deeper into your pockets. The online store tickets are currently priced at $349.99 for an adult. This ticket gives you access to three parks and a two-day park-to-park pass. For children, tickets go for $339.99.

The multi-park route ticket gives you the advantage of roaming around from one park to another for two days. The good news is that these days don’t have to be consecutive days, but your ticket should be used within seven days. 

For instance, you could start your trip by touring Volcano Bay and Universal Studios on Monday, taking a break on Tuesday, and visiting Islands of Adventure on Wednesday or Thursday. But this doesn’t limit you in any way. You can enjoy yourself as much as you want. It’s all up to you.

You can also go for the multi-day ticket option, the three-park, three-day ticket. With this ticket, you can hit up one park per day. The ticket costs $359.99 for children and $369.99 for adults. You can choose any park (including Volcano Bay) that you want to visit for the day. 

The only limiting factor here is that you will be confined to one park per day. So, you need to make a wise decision when deciding where you want to spend the rest of the day.

Note: Free admission for children under the age of 3.

It’s worth splashing some money when you want to have fun . However, tough economic times call for stringent measures. The following are the top ways to save some money by buying Volcano Bay tickets at discounted prices.

ARES Travel

ARES Travel gives you the advantage of saving a lot while at the same time touring Volcano Bay with your family. They offer the best pricing compared to other ticket companies. Their travel bundles are enticing with their pocket-friendly combo deals with park tickets and hotels.

For Universal’s Volcano Bay, you can get discounts only on multi-park and multi-day bundles. These tickets give you cheaper per day prices. The best part is that you also tour some of the most exciting places, including the Volcano Bay, Islands of Adventure, and Universal Studios.

If you opt for the Universal Park-to-Park tickets, you also have the liberty to visit any of the three Universal sceneries. You can see more than one park daily. ARES Travel deal here is that it adds an extra day to your Universal tickets, which makes it affordable. Therefore, you can save up to $50 on every adult ticket you pay.

Best of Orlando

Best of Orlando is another great option to get discounted prices on Volcano Bay tickets. The company offers fantastic deals on any exciting activity you want to try out in Orlando. With their solid reputation in the market, they certainly don’t disappoint when offering you fantastic discount offers.

You can use the 5-day universal park-to-park discounted ticket, which allows you to tour all of Universal’s studios. Plus, you can hop around other parks by combining them for five days. For each bundle, you will save about $70. If you prolong your stay in Orlando, this deal is worth utilizing.

On the other hand, an annual pass is the perfect discounted option for Universal Studios’ yearly fanatics. If you tour this area more often, the discounted offers here will ensure you save a lot and gain other benefits. For instance, a Premier Annual Pass will save you 15% off all restaurants, Universal merchandise, and Universal Photos. The Preferred Annual Pass saves you 10% off from the mentioned offers.

Undercover Tourist

Undercover Tourist also comes recommended when in search of Volcano Bay discounted tickets . They have been offering attractive discounts since 2000. Besides getting discounts, Undercover Tourist also offers unique extras such as free shipping on your tickets. The company has a 90-day refund or a return policy.

You can opt for the 2,3,4 or 5 days complete park-to-park tickets. These tickets allow you to visit all the Universal parks. The offer also allows you to visit more than one park each day. You will save about $40 for each adult on the 2-day pass. 

For the 5-day pass, you can save up to $67. 3 or 5-day universal base tickets also allow you to visit all of Orlando’s parks. The main difference with this ticket option is that you can only tour one park each day. With the discounts you will get, you will save about $29 to $41 on adult tickets.

You still have the option of saving an extra $5 by combining any of the tickets above with a discounted SeaWorld or Disney ticket.

Now that you know how to cut ticketing costs on Volcano Bay tickets, it’s essential to look at some of the exciting activities to try out. Doing this ensures that you get the most out of your tickets.

The Kopiko Wai Winding River

There is no better way to float the day at Volcano Bay than relaxing as you float through the Kopiko Wai Winding River. You will be amazed by the plenty of surprises that the landscape offers. The surprising sprays of water along the way will give you every reason to enjoy the ride.

Soak and Busk on Waturi Beach

You can swim, splash, and enjoy the relaxing mood that Waturi Beach offers. The Krakatau volcano view and its fantastic waterfall series will give you some unique kind of breathtaking experience you’ve never had before.

Race on the TeAwa, the Fearless River

The Fearless River is worth trying for a more thrilling adventure, racing on the TeAwa. You will be racing down through the Rainforest Village, which presents you with beautiful scenery to enjoy.

Take a Plunge on the Krakatau Aqua Coaster

If you love water slides, then this is a must-do ride. You will cruise upwards within the volcano before finally taking the big plunge through the shimmering waterfall.

Brave the Volcano

Your adventure at Universal Studios won’t be complete until you brave the incredible Ko’okiri Body Plunge. This is a 70-degree fall, making it a great place to deal with your fear of heights.

Splash on the Ohno and Ohyah Drop Slides

Just as the name suggests, these are splash areas that will leave you screaming “Ohno” and “Ohyah” throughout the splashing experience. Before you swirl into the water pools below, you will enjoy the smooth ride downhill.

There is so much to enjoy at the Volcano Bay and other Universal Studio parks. While it might be costly to relax and have fun here, there is no doubt that it’s worth the price. So, where can you buy the Volcano Bay tickets?

You can purchase your tickets at Universal’s Volcano Bay. The tickets vary depending on the number of parks you will be touring.

Park-to-Park

A park-to-Park ticket allows you to visit the parks listed on the ticket you buy. Florida residents can use this ticket.

2-Park-1-Day Ticket

With this ticket, you have admission to Universal Studios and the Islands of Adventure on the same day.

1-Day Volcano Bay Ticket

This ticket gives you admission to the Volcano Bay for one day. You can only use the ticket during the specific day it’s valid.

Let’s take a look at some common questions regarding Volcano Bay tickets:

Can Florida Residents Get Volcano Bay Discounted Tickets?

Yes, Florida residents can buy Volcano Bay discounted tickets. However, this requires proof of residency before you can use these tickets. Depending on the calendar demand to visit Volcano Bay, the price for one-day tickets will vary. Usually, one-day price tickets range between $70-$85.

You can get lower prices during the late winter months. Ticket prices tend to shoot during the summer season. You might be lucky enough to get $75-$80 tickets at certain times during spring and fall.

It’s worth noting that the prices mentioned only apply to one-day Volcano Bay tickets. If you want to hop around for a few days, it’s better to opt for bundled offers that give you additional discounts and benefits.

Can You Get into Volcano Bay With an Annual Pass?

The addition of Volcano Bay to Universal Studios made it possible to purchase either a 2-park or 3-park annual pass. To visit Volcano Bay, you must have a 3-park pass. The 3-park pass comes with other excellent benefits on all levels, including the Power, Seasonal, Preferred, and Premier tiers.

How Does Volcano Bay’s Universal Express PLUS work?

The Universal Express PLUS is a ticket that gives you admission into Volcano Bay. Prices start at $39.99 to $109.99. Higher prices are normally experienced during peak summer days. Take note that this price is on top of your normal park admission. 

Nonetheless, the advantage of using the Express PLUS is that you can skip the virtual lines at different attractions. The Express PLUS can be redeemed once daily for every park.

Can You Buy a Ticket for the Volcano Bay?

If you’re only interested in touring the Volcano Bay and not other parks, you can pay for the 1-day Volcano Bay ticket. The ticket cost varies depending on the demand and the season.

Is it Cheaper to Get Volcano Bay Tickets Online?

Even if you want to buy your Volcano Bay tickets from Orlando, it’s better to get your tickets online. The Universal website allows you to save some money for every ticket you purchase through their website. Combine this with other money-saving tips, and you will be saving a lot of money for other exciting activities.

Do you need to make reservations for Volcano Bay?

While you don’t need to make a reservation for Volcano Bay, it’s important to check Universal’s website to know more about the ticketing information and any prerequisites.

Florida’s beautiful weather allows you to visit Volcano Bay almost all year round. You now know how much the tickets cost and where you can get them. There is so much you can do at this waterpark. Your best move should be to find the best-discounted ticket prices that will help you save some money.

More about our TFVG Author

James Brockbank

A seasoned traveller, Dad, and avid sports tourist, James foundered The Family Vacation Guide to share his expert vacation experiences- especially when it comes to being a travelling family man.

Featured in Travel articles such as Travel + Leisure, TripSavvy and SFGate, you know you're reading some of the best vacation tips online.

Key Information

Download our printable guide.

Volcano Bay Water Theme Park opened on May 25th 2017. It was built to replace Wet 'n Wild, Orlando which closed in December 2016. The main feature of the park is a 200 foot tall (artificial) volcano named "Krakatau", which itself houses three drop slides. Park visitors can wear a wristband (called Tapu Tapu) which they can use to reserve their place in a line without having to stand in long lines in the hot sun.

Park History

Plans for Volcano Bay were submitted by Universal Orlando in February 2015 and construction had started by the time the project was officially announced in May 2015. In June 2015 it was revealed that it would replace the closing Wet 'n Wild water park. Volcano Bay was designed around a Polynesian Island theme, with four themed areas, Krakatau, Wave Village, River Village and Rainforest Village. The park cost an estimated $600m to build on 53 acres of Universal's land.

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Universal Orlando guide: Tips from frequent visitors

When I was a kid, we went to an Orlando theme park at least once a year. You had to plan a few things in advance, but visiting an amusement park wasn't what it is today. With all the apps, reservation timelines and rules, planning the "perfect" trip to any major theme park has become a massive endeavor.

Just thinking about planning the trip is enough to give me hives. The stakes are so high — pricey admission, reservation deadlines for everything from character breakfasts to dinners at popular restaurants and all sorts of add-ons to get into the theme parks before the masses and skip the lines. There's so much to know.

However, we really wanted to visit Universal Orlando on a family vacation , so I needed to overcome my planning paralysis. I'm happy to say that — with some strategic decisions upfront — we were able to execute an awesome visit to Universal with a minimal amount of advance planning.

If you're a first-time visitor to Universal Orlando, here's what you need to know to plan your own vacation.

Sign up for the free daily TPG newsletter for more travel news, reviews and tips!

When to visit

The date for your visit to Universal Orlando may not be entirely up to you.

If you're traveling with school-age children, you're likely locked into visiting during school vacations, long weekends and summer break. If that's the case, you'll probably visit Universal when it's at its busiest. That's not the end of the world, though, since there are ways to reduce the waits for lines. More on that in a minute.

You can check expected crowd levels at crowd calendars like the ones at Undercover Tourist, Touringplans or Orlando Informer .

The slower times of the year are Labor Day through the first two weeks of November (before Thanksgiving) and the first two weeks of December (before the holiday rush). Note, though, that if you visit close to Halloween, it will be busier because of Universal's Halloween Horror Nights .

Most of January, except for the first week, is also relatively quiet, as is the first week of February. But then it gets crazy with spring breakers. Crowds thin out a bit after Easter and through May, then ramp up again for the summertime. June, July and August are always busy. Always. And, as an added bonus, it's extremely hot.

For our first visit in a zillion years, I picked a quiet time in early November so any planning blunders on my part would be minimized by the lack of intense crowds.

Related: 10 things no one tells you about Orlando

Where to stay during a Universal Orlando vacation

Once you've ironed out when you plan to visit Universal, you'll want to determine where to stay.

You have a ton of options, from hotels right on Universal property and nearby points hotels to rental homes and Airbnbs . There are so many choices that TPG wrote an entire guide to choosing the best Universal Orlando hotel for your trip .

Let's recap the high points here.

Benefits of Universal hotels

If you only have a few days to explore Universal and don't mind the cost, an on-site property may be your best bet. That's because guests of all Universal hotels receive early entry into the parks for specific attractions.

Which parks open for early admission vary by day and only certain attractions are available. However, they tend to be the popular rides with lines that grow once the gates open to regular parkgoers. There's a helpful page on the Universal site to figure out what's available to on-site hotel guests. With some rides in each of the two parks available, that should also help spread out the crowds just a bit.

It's a nice freebie, and it's the best strategy if you have your heart set on riding Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure without spending hours in line. Currently, this ride does not participate in Universal's Express Pass skip-the-line program.

If you stay in one of Universal's on-site hotels, you can take advantage of the park's complimentary transportation options to get between CityWalk, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and your hotel.

Some hotels, including Loews Portofino Bay Hotel , Loews Royal Pacific Resort , Hard Rock Hotel and Loews Sapphire Falls Resort offer complimentary boat shuttles.

Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort , Universal's Aventura Hotel and the above-mentioned hotels have peaceful walking paths and all resorts, including Universal's budget-friendly Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites and Dockside Inn and Suites, have complimentary shuttle buses.

The downside of staying at a Universal hotel is often the price. Rack rates are usually relatively high, though Universal's Endless Summer Resort — Surfside Inn and Suites and Dockside Inn and Suites — have rates that start at $91 per night on off-peak dates.

The mid-tier resorts, Aventura and Cabana Bay, start at closer to $130 per night.

Related: How to use points to save money at Universal Orlando

But if you prefer to stay at one of Universal's top-end Premier hotels (Royal Pacific, Hard Rock or Portofino Bay), you're probably looking at starting rates around $325 per night. However, you'll also get complimentary Universal Express skip-the-line passes for every guest staying in your room.

We'll explain that in more detail down below, but it's a huge timesaver and may be worth the extra per-night cost of staying on-site.

If you have The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum® Card from American Express , a great way to maximize a stay at Loews Portofino Bay is to book via the Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts collection .

This will get you not only the Express Passes for all guests of that hotel but also full daily breakfast for two, a $100 property credit, late 4 p.m. checkout and more.

Staying off-site

Universal is surrounded by plenty of points hotels, so if you'd prefer to stay off-site — on points or cash — you can easily do so. Some of TPG's favorite nearby points hotels are even within walking distance of Universal.

Related: Splash into fun: The 14 best hotel pools in Orlando

Here are a few points hotels within walking distance of Universal:

• Hyatt Place Across From Universal Orlando Resort (Category 2, from 6,500 World of Hyatt points per night).
• Hyatt House Across From Universal Resort (Category 3, from 9,000 World of Hyatt points per night).
• DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando (Around 30,0000 Hilton Honors points per night).

And some great points hotels that are just a short drive away:

• Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress (Category 4, from 12,000 World of Hyatt points per night).
• Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld (From 34,000 Marriott points per night on standard dates).
• The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes (From 52,000 Marriott points per night on standard dates).
• JW Marriott Grande Lakes (From 40,000 Marriott points per night on standard dates).
• Hilton Orlando (40,000 to 60,000 Hilton Honors points per night).
• Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek (40,000 to 60,000 Hilton Honors points per night).
• Waldorf Astoria Orlando (63,000 to 80,000 Hilton Honors points per night).

Related: Choosing the best Universal Orlando hotel for your trip

All about Universal tickets

Visitors have a lot of options when it comes to buying Universal tickets, from the type of ticket to how you'll pay for them. Here's the skinny.

FOR NO-COST ASSISTANCE WITH PLANNING AND BOOKING YOUR NEXT UNIVERSAL VACATION, CHECK OUT TPG'S THEME PARK BOOKING PARTNER, MOUSE COUNSELORS .

Universal ticket types

There's a variety of ticket types at Universal Orlando. You can buy tickets that get you into one, two or three theme parks (i.e., Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay water park).

You can purchase tickets for one, two, three, four or five days. The cheapest tickets allow access to one park per day. So, if you start your day at Universal Studios, you can't use the same ticket to get into Islands of Adventure in the afternoon. You're limited to one park per day. This sounds good but isn't always a great choice.

Alternatively, you can buy the pricier Park-to-Park tickets that allow you to bop between the theme parks as you wish. These tickets may be more expensive, but they give you the greatest amount of freedom to visit more than one park on the same day.

Related: From Butterbeer to magic wands: Everything you need to know about Universal Orlando's Wizarding World of Harry Potter

If you want to ride the Hogwarts Express between Hogsmeade Station and Kings Cross Station, you need a Park-to-Park ticket or an Annual/Seasonal Pass.

There's no way around that requirement since Hogsmeade Station is in Islands of Adventure and Kings Cross Station is in Universal Studios. Basically, Universal's got you cornered on this one.

If you're going to visit for more than a couple of days or potentially twice in 12 months, consider a Universal annual pass .

When I planned our trip, Universal was running a promotion that would have given us extra days in the parks for free. But when I crunched the numbers, a Florida resident annual pass was only $8 per ticket more expensive than the tickets for one trip, so we went with the annual pass.

Buying direct from Universal

Universal Orlando almost always has ticket specials on its website. Read the options carefully to see if any of the promotions make sense for you. The special may throw in a free day at the park(s), an Express Pass or discounted admission to the Volcano Bay water park .

Related: How to get the most out of one day at Universal Orlando

Buying tickets from other vendors

You can also buy tickets from reputable vendors like Undercover Tourist . What's great about Undercover Tourist is that it often has some older tickets available so when prices increase each year, you can often still buy a cheaper ticket from them.

It's worth bookmarking their site to comparison shop. Purchases from Undercover Tourist code as travel for the purposes of using a travel credit card or earning extra points.

Related: Best credit cards to use for Universal Studios

And although you can't typically purchase stand-alone Universal tickets at Costco, Costco Travel does sell Universal vacation packages that include tickets and on-site hotel nights.

You'll even get a Costco Shop Card after your visit. Check out pricing for your dates to see if it represents a better deal versus booking through other methods.

Using points to buy Universal tickets

Historically, it was possible to use Chase Ultimate Rewards and Citi ThankYou points to purchase your Universal Orlando theme park admission , though our most recent searches didn't turn up any availability.

Upgrade to skip the lines

Like so many amusement parks around the world that have skip-the-line passes , Universal has its own version called Universal Express. There are a few ways you can get Universal Express passes.

Related: Is Universal's Express Pass worth it? TPG tested how much time it really saves you in line

The best way is often to get it included in your stay, as mentioned above. Guests staying at any of the three top-of-the-line Universal Premier hotels — Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel and Loews Royal Pacific Resort — get Universal Express Unlimited for free as registered guests.

This is huge as the starting cost if purchased separately is more than $100 per day, per person. For a family of four, getting it with your room rate is almost certainly a better deal than buying it.

Note: The Premier level of the Universal annual pass includes Express Pass access beginning at 4 p.m.

Another option is to simply buy an Express Pass when you need it. How much you pay depends on the type of pass you buy and when you visit Universal, as passes cost more when crowd levels are high. Here are the three types of Express Passes you can buy:

Universal Express: This is the base version of the skip-the-queue pass. It allows you to skip the regular line one time per participating ride at both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure theme parks. Prices start at $79.99 per person, per day for one park and go up from there — sometimes as high as $279.99 per day.

Universal Express Unlimited: The unlimited pass lets you skip the regular lines at participating rides as many times as you wish at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.

Passes for that privilege start at $109.99 per person, per day. Pricing for the unlimited passes seems to be running about $30 more per day than the normal express passes, which may make them the better value (assuming you can afford a second mortgage).

Volcano Bay Express: This pass is solely for use at Volcano Bay water park, where it allows you to skip the regular line one time per participating ride. The pass starts at $19.99 per person, per day, but you won't find that rate very often.

Participating rides and attractions are subject to change, so it's best to consult Universal Orlando's website before your visit.

When I visited, just about every ride we wanted was included in the Universal Express Unlimited, with the exception of Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.

Hagrid's is an incredible ride that has also seen some incredible wait times since opening. Alas, unless you purchase a VIP tour, your anticipation of rides that aren't included in Universal Express like Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure will be rivaled only by your time waiting in line.

Take a VIP tour

Another way to avoid the lines is to take a VIP tour. There are small group and private VIP tours at Universal and both will help you cut the line.

Summer Hull, a director at TPG, took her family on a private VIP experience at Universal and it included walk-on ride access during the tour, as well as Express Passes and dining credit after the official tour was over.

A private tour will cost a few thousand dollars for the day for your group, but small group VIP experiences can be much less expensive, starting at less than $200 per person.

The primary difference between the two tours is the amount of access. The group tours are obviously less private but also only guarantee that you'll experience front-of-the-line access for eight to 10 rides. A private VIP tour is charged by the hour and operates at a faster or slower pace as you prefer.

Whether you decide to purchase an Express Pass or take a VIP tour will likely be determined by how crowded the park is during your visit, as well as your budget.

If it's off-season, you may be able to get away without a skip-the-line pass. But if you're visiting during a holiday week or school vacation, be prepared for long lines without a pass. On those dates, having an Express Pass will allow you to ride more attractions in less time.

Universal's child-swap policy

If you travel as a family, you know that not everyone will want to go on every ride. And some of your kids may not yet be old or tall enough to ride some attractions that your other kids are dying to try.

Universal solves the problem of the entire family having to choose between experiencing a ride or not with its child-swap program.

In fact, Universal's child swap is the best in the business as there are (air-conditioned) waiting areas in some key attractions. Most even have televisions showing whichever movie the attraction is based on.

This allows one member of your party to watch over small children while the rest of the gang waits in line and rides. Then you can swap places so the other member can enjoy the ride too, without another long wait. Just ask the attraction attendant to point you toward the designated waiting spots.

What's at Universal Orlando?

Although it's not as large ( yet ) as Walt Disney World , Universal Orlando has plenty for your family to see and do for several days. There are two theme parks, a water park and an entertainment, dining and shopping complex.

Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and CityWalk are arranged in a triangle around a small lake. The Volcano Bay water park is separated a bit from these three destinations.

Universal Studios

One of Universal's two theme parks, Universal Studios has eight sections. You enter through an impressive arch and, if you walk straight, are immediately in Production Central with attractions like Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit and Transformers: The Ride-3D.

If you take a right after you enter the park, you're in Hollywood, where you'll find the NBC Media Center, Universal Orlando's Horror Make-Up Show, the Bourne Stuntacular and the Character Party Zone.

A lot of the attractions in both Production Central and Hollywood are better saved for when the day starts getting hot. You get to sit in blissful air-conditioning at these shows: Minion Mayhem, the Bourne Stuntacular and the Horror Make-Up Show.

If you've got little kids, turn right upon entry and walk through Hollywood so you can start immediately at Woody Woodpecker's KidZone.

From there, enjoy Springfield: Home of the Simpsons. I'm no kid, but I loved Kang & Kodos' Twirl 'n' Hurl ride!

If your kids are older, bypass those kid-centric areas and make Men in Black Alien Attack in World Expo your first ride of the day. After you ride, you are perfectly positioned to enter The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Diagon Alley first thing in the morning.

Get in line for Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts before the line gets too long.

Then, explore Ollivanders and Gringotts Money Exchange and see a few shows (we saw The Tales of Beedle the Bard and Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees). Kids love talking with Stan and the Knight Bus conductor. Don't miss a meal at the Leaky Cauldron or ice cream at Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour.

If you have a Park-to-Park ticket, you can decide to take the Hogwarts Express from Kings Cross Station (next to Leicester Square) to Hogsmeade Station in Islands of Adventure.

If you have a one-park ticket, you won't be able to ride the Hogwarts Express and will instead continue your exploration of Universal Studios.

As you depart The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Diagon Alley, keep to the right to enter San Francisco.

If you didn't opt for a butterbeer in Hogwarts, this is a fantastic spot to stop for lunch or a snack since most of what you'll find here are restaurants, including the city's famous seafood restaurant, Lombard's. There is also one ride here: Fast & Furious — Supercharged.

From San Francisco, continue on to New York, where you don't want to miss Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon (another great get-out-of-the-heat, rest-your-feet experience) and Revenge of the Mummy. Hang around, too, to see some shows like the Blues Brothers or Marilyn & the Diamond Bellas.

Once you've had your fill of the Big Apple, continue back along the main thoroughfare to Production Central and Hollywood, if you skipped those in the morning.

In the evening, don't miss Universal Studios' nighttime extravaganza. Called the Cinematic Celebration and centered at the theme park's lagoon, it combines music, films, water and light.

You can also see a daytime fountain and music show at this same lagoon. Check the daily program or official Universal Orlando app for times.

Islands of Adventure

The second Universal theme park is Islands of Adventure. Your best call here is to arrive as soon as the gates open and walk quickly to Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure or Jurassic World VelociCoaster. Both are at the opposite end of the park from the entry gates, so it will be a walk but enjoying the busiest rides in the park without crushing crowds is worth it.

If roller coasters aren't your thing (and you aren't prone to motion sickness), get in line instead to see Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. This is where you'll ride a broomstick and it really is a fantastic attraction.

After that, ride Flight of the Hippogriff, a gentler roller coaster. (If you can ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disney World, Flight of the Hippogriff will be no big deal). Or you can simply walk around Hogsmeade for some fun photos without throngs of other guests in the background.

After you've done the ride, explore Hogsmeade itself and see some shows (we saw the Frog Choir and the Triwizard Spirit Rally) and watch a wand choose a wizard at Ollivanders (if you didn't see the same experience at Diagon Alley already).

Grab a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks or adjacent Hog's Head and then continue on to the other lands of Islands of Adventure.

When you leave The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, you can go in either direction. For our purposes, let's pretend you walk to Jurassic Park first. Here you'll visit Camp Jurassic where kids will enjoy the Pteranodon Flyers. You can also take the Jurassic Park River Adventure and have a "raptor encounter."

There are plenty of places to pick up fast food here, from pizza and ribs to burgers and nachos.

Next up, you can ride Skull Island: Reign of Kong before hitting Toon Lagoon, where your kids can cool off in some sprinklers, or you can all ride Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls flume (warning: you will get very wet).

As you dry off from that heart-pounding experience, head to Marvel Super Hero Island, where you can meet Marvel characters and ride The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk Coaster (it's an intense one).

If you have some daredevils in the family — or Marvel fans — you'll spend a good amount of time here.

Beyond the Incredible Hulk coaster is the entrance to the park. Continue from there to Seuss Landing.

Even though we didn't have any kids in tow, we still enjoyed walking through this bright and cheery land and we even rode the Caro-Seuss-el merry-go-round and The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride.

There's also a Seuss character zone and plenty of other rides and attractions that are specifically designed for the little ones.

The Last Continent is just beyond Seuss Landing. There's a neat interactive experience called The Mystic Fountain. Seriously, start talking to it and you'll be mesmerized.

You can also take on Poseidon's Fury in a special-effects guided tour or stop to dine on Mediterranean-style food at Doc Sugrue's Kebab House, Fire Eater's Grill or Mythos Restaurant.

Volcano Bay

Volcano Bay is Universal's water park. This park can close because of chilly weather or during lightning storms. Check Universal's schedule to see if it is slated to be open during your visit. Volcano Bay has everything you'd expect of an exceptional water park, like Waturi Beach with a fantastic lagoon for swimming and Kopiko Wai Winding River.

There are also some incredible waterslides and drops and the Ko'okiri Body Plunge that features a 70-degree fall through a drop door and 125 feet of what Universal calls "white-knuckle fun."

Thrillseekers love the Krakatau Aqua Coaster, where you plunge right through a waterfall, and TeAwa The Fearless River whitewater ride through churning rapids and waves.

COVID-19 restrictions are pretty limited at Volcano Bay. Masks are required when entering and exiting the park, as well as in restaurants (when you're not actively eating) and in retail locations. They're not permitted on the water rides themselves.

As if two theme parks and a massive water park weren't enough, Universal also offers CityWalk.

This complex of restaurants, shops and clubs is open during the day, but it really heats up at night with free self-parking after 6 p.m. You don't need tickets to enter, but you can buy tickets for shows at the Hard Rock Cafe.

You'll also find restaurants such as Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, Bob Marley — A Tribute to Freedom and Pat O'Brien's that offer live (and recorded) music. There's a movie theater (free parking with the purchase of two movie matinee tickets), karaoke club (CityWalk's Rising Star), miniature golf and the Red Coconut Club and The Groove for dancing.

There are plenty of spots to dine too. You can grab snacks like pizza, hotdogs and Panda Express Chinese food and sweets from Voodoo Doughnuts.

Or you can have a more substantial meal at restaurants like the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen, NBC Sports Grill & Brew, VIVO Italian Kitchen, The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and more.

We had a fantastic dinner at Bigfire, where the pork chop was the juiciest I've ever eaten.

Universal's boat shuttles that take you back to its resorts are right at CityWalk so it's convenient to spend the day at Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure and then have dinner at CityWalk and go shopping before heading back to your hotel for the night.

And a third park coming …

Universal Orlando announced a new theme park, a third gate at Universal Orlando, back in 2019. A massive 750-acre tract of land located not far from the two existing theme parks was to be the site for the new park.

Dubbed Epic Universe , the new park is rumored to house franchises like Fantastic Beasts, a Harry Potter spin-off, Super Nintendo World and Universal Classic Monsters. Construction was delayed due to the pandemic, but the new park is on track to open sometime in the summer of 2025.

The best credit cards to use at Universal

Now we get to a hot topic for points-and-miles travelers who are planning a trip to Universal Orlando. Which credit card should you use? That depends.

For example, how and where you purchase your theme park tickets will dictate how the charge will be coded. Historically speaking, Universal theme park tickets and VIP tours purchased directly from Universal have coded as "entertainment."

However, tickets purchased at an on-site Universal hotel and charged to the hotel have coded as "travel." Depending on how you purchase your ticket, you'll want to select either a card that rewards you for entertainment spend or travel purchases.

If you think your purchase will code as entertainment, two good credit card options are:

• Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card — 4% cash back.

If, however, you know your charge will code as travel, you're better off using:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve — 3 points per dollar spent.
• Chase Sapphire Preferred Card — 2 points per dollar spent.
• Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card — 2 points per every dollar spent.

The information for the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Bottom line

Universal is packed with rides, attractions, character meet-and-greets and more. Yet it's compact enough for you to cover a lot of ground in just a few days.

Universal Orlando can be a pricey but incredible adventure for your family. If it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience you're seeking, you may be best waiting until the pandemic restrictions are lifted.

However, if you're more "go with the flow," Universal Orlando has plenty to offer for fans of Harry Potter, Marvel and so much more.

Additional reporting by Edward Pizzarello.

23 Tips For Visiting Universal Orlando Resort: Know Before You Go

P lanning to visit Universal Resort Orlando but never been before? Then you’ve come to the right place, as we’ve got some of the best tips for visiting Universal Orlando Resort to make sure you make the most of your experience.

With so many theme parks and attractions to explore in Orlando, you’re going to want to make sure you’re well clued up on what to expect beforehand so you don’t a) get overwhelmed and b) can enjoy the experience.

Below you’ll find all the things you need to know before you visit Universal Orlando Florida.

This post is sponsored by our partner  Allianz Global Assistance (AGA Service Company) and we have received financial compensation as ambassadors, however all thoughts, opinions and ideas about Universal Orlando are our own.

• 1. Understand It's Three Theme Parks

2. Prepare for Excitement!

3. plan for 3 days, minimum, 4. get a multi-day ticket, 5. ride hogwarts express, different types of express passes, are universal express passes worth it, 7. join the single rider line, 8. stay on-site at a universal resort hotel, 9. make use of early park admission (and stay late), 10. arrive as early as possible, 11. buy tickets online to save money & time, 12. get an american express, 13. take advantage of the child swap program, where can you get butterbeer, 15. visit during the winter.

• 16. Avoid the Holiday Period (Unless You Don't Mind Crazy)

17. Download the Official Universal Orlando App

18. take time to explore the wizarding world of harry potter, 19. get your kids a wand, 20. know what to pack, 21. have a plan, but stay flexible, 22. bring your own snacks and water, 23. list the top rides and attractions at universal orlando resort you want to do.

• Don't Forget Travel Insurance

Universal Orlando Videos

Pin to share on pinterest, tips for visiting universal orlando resort, 1. understand it’s three theme parks.

First of all, in case you are confused like I was before visiting, Universal Orlando Resort consists of three theme parks:

• Universal Studios Florida
• Universal’s Islands of Adventure
• Universal’s Volcano Bay

And then there is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which is located in both Universal Studios (Diagon Alley) and Islands of Adventure (Hogsmeade).

No, it is not called Harry Potter World, or Harry Potter theme park, or Universal Studios Harry Potter World as I kept calling it pre-trip – but I soon got that out of my system.

So you have three Universal theme parks plus City Walk. Don’t worry, it’s easy to get around all three by using the Park Hopper Shuttle Bus which comes with your tickets. You can find the best combo Park Hopper tickets here. 

You’ll probably never see your kids more excited than when you first walk through the gates to Universal Orlando, especially when they enter The Wizarding World of Harry Potter if they are big Harry Potter fans like our eldest daughter!

I’ll never forget the look on Kalyra’s face as we entered Hogsmeade on our very first day at Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park. She’s read all the books and watched all the movies, and I think she could have cried.

In fact, we all couldn’t believe how magical it all made us feel. It was like we were stepping into the movie. Universal has done an incredible job bringing the Harry Potter series to life.

But Universal Orlando Resort is much more than Harry Potter! As adults, we expect it to be just exciting for kids, but it’s even exciting for adults too.

At the end of our trip, there was this feeling of sadness that it was all over. Of course, we adults got over it and moved on, but our kids still talk about our time there and consider it a cherished memory. Have this in the back of your mind when visiting as there may be times where you want to savor the moment.

Making sure you spend the right amount of time at each theme park would be one of our top tips for Universal Orlando.

We had a 3 day park-to-park ticket so we could explore all of the Universal Orlando Resort parks, and I think that was a perfect amount of time (Undercover Tourist provide authentic attraction tickets at discounted prices! )

Coming from a family of four with kids aged 10 and 6, I highly recommend you also plan for a minimum of three days!

Essentially, we spent one day at each of the three parks!

Our kids have different levels of bravado when it comes to what rides they will go on, and our 6 year old was restricted due to height requirements for some rides as well.

So three days gave us ample time to cover all the rides and attractions for everyone to enjoy.

You know what theme parks are like, they can be long and tiring days, especially if you are dragging younger kids around with you, so don’t try and do it all in a sprint.

We spent our first full-day at Universal’s Volcano Bay , which was awesome and the best water park we have ever been too.

Then we had two days hopping between Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios on a Multi-Day Pass (see tips down below).

As mentioned, we had a 3-Park hopper ticket  which allowed us to visit Volcano Bay + Islands of Adventure + Universal Studios at any time each day over 3 days!

There are several options available for Multi Passes. You can also get a 4 day ticket + 3rd park free , and a 5 day ticket + 3rd park free .

So if you plan on visiting all three parks, I recommend you choose one of these tickets!

Our eldest daughter Kalyra is a MASSIVE Harry Potter fan!

Our youngest Savannah is getting there, and one of our kids favorite Harry Potter experiences at Universal Orlando was riding Hogwarts Express.

By getting a Park-to-Park ticket, it allows you to ride the Hogwarts Express between Hogsmeade Station (Islands of Adventure) to King’s Cross Station in London (Universal Studios) unlimited times in either direction.

It’s a fun and convenient way to move between the parks. We park hopped several times using Hogwarts Express and it worked out perfectly.

I won’t spoil it for you, but  you never know who – or what – you might see out the trains window during the journey.  And it’s a different experience going from Hogsmeade to Diagon Alley, and vice versa. So do both!

But you’ll need a park-to-park ticket.

To ride from Hogsmeade to London in Universal Studios, head to Hogsmeade Station inside Islands of Adventure. When you arrive in London, pop around the corner to find the secret entryway into Diagon Alley.

To ride to Hogsmeade, head to London in Universal Studios and board the train at King’s Cross Station. 

6. Get a Universal Express Pass

First off, a Universal Express Pass is an Add-On ticket that allow you to skip the regular lines at select attractions, including The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

So you get “express access”.

You may be familiar with these types of passes from other theme parks who call them Fast Passes etc. At Universal, they are called Universal Express.

Depending on the time of year and day you visit, instead of standing for hours in the regular queue, with an Express Pass you could only be waiting 5-15 minutes (or less).

Regular lines can be anything from 45+ minutes, and Universal Express Passes allow you to go on your favorite rides multiple times and maximize your time.

• Universal Express Pass – Skip the regular line ONE TIME PER TIDE at participating rides and attractions each day that your pass is valid.
• Universal Unlimited Express Pass – Skip the regular lines an UNLIMITED NUMBER OF TIMES at participating rides and attractions.
• Single Park Universal Express – You buy one of these Add-On passes only for either Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, or Volcano Bay.
• 2-Park Universal Express – use at both Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios.
• 2-Park Park-To-Park + Express Unlimited –  admission to Universal Studios and Universal’s Islands of Adventure, plus Universal Express Unlimited access.
• 3-Park Park-To-Park + Express Unlimited –  admission to Universal Studios Florida, Universal’s Islands of Adventure, and Universal’s Volcano Bay, plus Universal Express Unlimited access.

I believe Universal Express Passes are worth it. I don’t like standing in long lines, especially with kids, and especially in the heat – you all know Florida!

Obviously, the extra costs of these passes on top of your admission tickets and accommodation adds to your budget, especially if you are a family of four.

But if your budget allows, and this is your dream trip, having these passes can dramatically improve your overall experience at Universal so you have the vacation of a lifetime!

Seriously, I don’t know how many times we said to each other as we walked past the long regular lines that we were so glad we had these passes.

Without these passes there would have been a lot of precious time wasted, and restless and frustrated kids.

Find a way to cut back in other ways in your travel budget to free up money for Express Passes. What are your priorities?

• Staying in a 5 star hotel?
• Flying business class?
• Eating out three times a day?
• Shopping at the outlets?
• or having the best Universal experience?

When you really look at your expenses and consider your priorities, you can find a way. And I have more tips on accessing these passes for better value down below!

Read More: The Ultimate Guide on When to Use Universal Express

If you’re not visiting as a family, then you can save time on queuing by joining the “single rider” line for some attractions.

This is a special line for people who don’t mind riding along, or joining another group.

For those who want to maximize time when visiting Universal Orlando, then our top tip would be staying on-site at one of the Universal Orlando Resorts.

There are key benefits to staying on-site as I will explain below, and these benefits can make a world of difference to your family’s Universal vacation.

Staying on-site can be the best way to experience all that Universal Orlando Resort has to offer.

Here are some of the most popular Universal Resort Hotels to choose from (in order of Budget to Luxury):

• Surfside Inn and Suites ( See prices and availability on Booking.com )
• Dockside Inn and Suites ( See prices and availability on Booking.com)
• Universal s Aventura Hotel ( See prices and availability on Booking.com)
• Cabana Bay Beach Resort ( See prices and availability on Booking.com )
• Loews Sapphire Falls Resort ( See prices and availability on Booking.com )
• Loews Royal Pacific Resort ( See prices and availability on Booking.com )
• Hard Rock Hotel ( See prices and availability on Booking.com )
• Loews Portofino Bay Hotel ( See prices and availability on Booking.com )

I know, figuring out where to stay on any family vacation can be stressful, especially in Orlando where there are endless options!

HOT TIP: Traveling with a large group of friends or family? Consider staying in one of these at one of these vacation homes near Disney World in Orlando

The Universal Orlando Resort Hotels are conveniently located and come with some nice perks:

• When you stay at any on-site hotel you get Early Park Admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Volcano Bay one hour before the theme park opens.
• Guests who choose to stay at select Universal Resort Hotels get FREE Universal Unlimited Express Passes! (learn more down below)
• Free transportation to the theme parks from each of the hotels via either water taxi or shuttle bus. Cabana Bay and Aventura Hotel are by shuttle bus only!

You even get these benefits  the day you check-in and the day you check-out. You DO NOT have to book directly through the hotel when staying at one of the Universal Studios Orlando hotels to qualify for the free Universal Express Passes. You get these passes even if you book via a third party, like Booking.com.

As mentioned, by staying at a Universal Hotel you get early park admission, one hour before the theme park opens to other regular paying guests.

As soon as we entered Volcano Bay using early admission, we found sun lounges and a place to base ourselves for the day.

Then we made us of early entry and headed for the most popular slides:

• Krakatau Aqua Coaster
• Ko’kiri Body Plunge
• Kala & Tui Nui Serpentine body slides
• and Honu of the Honu Ika Moana

At Universal Islands of Adventure, we headed straight to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Hogsmeade) to ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.

This is the most popular ride at the park, and regular lines can be a long wait, so head straight there.

At Universal Studios we headed straight to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Diagon Alley) to ride Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts.

Then we headed to Ollivanders to buy wands (this store gets really busy). See down below for more tips on buying wands.

Both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley is a much nicer experience if you get there before the crowds. Their shops are much calmer and it’s easier to take photos and video.

On the flip side, the crowds at the parks tend to die down later in the day shortly before closing which means shorter wait times for rides and less crowded shops.

At Volcano Bay, most people disappeared before closing so we had the gorgeous Volcano and Waturi Beach almost to ourselves. It’s pretty at sunset, especially with the volcano lighting up in rainbow colors.

Grab a cocktail, or elderberry cider from the Dancing Dragons Boat Bar and let the kids swim and relax with the views.

Even if you decide not to stay at a Universal on-site hotel, another one of our important tips for Universal Orlando would be to still plan on arriving at the theme parks early before opening time.

Traffic in Orlando can be unpredictable and congested, so you don’t want to be delayed and get there after park opening times.

Get there early so you can get the best available parking spot, so that you aren’t rushed, and so that you can be close to the front of the lines!

And sometimes, they actually open the park gates 15-minutes early and you could be riding the popular thrill rides before the masses turn up!

Don’t start off your dream visit flustered and annoyed – get up and get going!

I don’t think there is such thing as cheap Universal Orlando tickets, but a few tips here to save money and time:

• When you buy your tickets online through Undercover Tourist there are no hidden fees with free shipping and tax included!
• Print your tickets at home and go straight to the front gate to save time!
• When you purchase any multi-day ticket online , you get a Coupon Book with up to $150 value in savings at select in-park restaurants, shops, on-site resort hotels, and free admission to select Universal Citywalk venues. 

By purchasing tickets online, you’ll avoid waiting in line at the gates to purchase tickets. I like saving money AND time.

Are you an American Express Card owner? American Express is the official card of Universal Orlando Resort, and AMEX Card Members enjoy special in-park privileges.

If you purchase your Universal Orlando tickets with an AMEX card, you get access to the AMEX Lounge inside Universal Orlando when you buy any Multi-Park Ticket or Annual Pass with any AMEX Card at UniversalOrlando.com or at the Universal Orlando Resort ticket window.

Here you can enjoy complimentary light snacks, drinks, a full-time concierge and more.

The American Express Lounge is open seven days a week from 12pm – 5pm and subject to availability. Entrance to the lounge is across from Shrek’s Ye Olde Souvenir Shoppe

Present your confirmation page or original receipt plus your AMEX Card to gain entrance. Nice perk!

See all the current AMEX offers here. 

The child swap system was awesome! And another great way to skip the long lines.

Our kids are aged 10 and 6, and whilst our eldest daughter Kalyra went on every ride, 6 year old Savannah was either too short for adult rides, or not brave enough.

So, if your children are too small or don’t want to go on a particular ride, take advantage of the “child swap” program.

Each ride has a “child swap room” where one parent (or member of your party) can wait with the little ones, while the other parent and older child goes on the ride.

Once they are finished, the adults can simply switch roles.

The designated child swap area is usually a room (or an area) right near where you actually board the ride, so you don’t have to go outside and come back in again.

You simply walk to the front of the line in the “child swap” area.

The child swap room typically has a movie playing to keep the younger ones entertained. Win-win!

14. Try ALL the Butterbeer options

Whoever created the recipe for Butterbeer is a GENIOUS!! Talk about addictive!!

And just in case you don’t know, it’s non-alcoholic so your kids, and you, can have a Butterbeer or three and it comes with a compulsory foamy mustache!

Butterbeer is a very popular wizarding beverage that tastes a bit like butterscotch, or icecream soda.

The drink is drawn from a tap, just like a beer, and the dense, whipped topping is added from a separate tap.

Apparently two of the ingredients are of course butterscotch and marshmallow cream. Not sure what else is in it, but I’m guessing a good serving of sugar – be warned!

Before our trip to Universal Orlando, I had no idea you could have Butterbeer in so many different styles!

You can get:

• Cold Butterbeer
• Frozen Butterbeer
• Hot Butterbeer
• Butterbeer ice cream
• Butterbeer potted-cream

When you enter Hogsmeade you’ll see a large wooden barrel that bears the word “BUTTERBEER” and you can buy it from the street cart.

Other places you can get it in Hogsmeade:

• Hog’s Head (Hogsmeade)
• Three Broomsticks (cold or frozen  is $6.99, as ice-cream it’s 45.49,  and as potted cream it’s $5.29)

In Diagon Alley:

• The Hopping Pot (walk-up counter)
• The Fountain of Fair Fortune
• Leaky Cauldron
• Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlor (butterbeer ice-cream in a cup, in a waffle cone, in a souvenir glass)

My favorite version was cold (on a hot day) and hot (when the weather got cool. Kalyra loved it hot, Savannah and mommy frozen!

We visited in mid November 2017, just after the craziness of Halloween had died down at Universal.

The staff at Cabana Bay Beach Resort said they went from being completely full over Halloween, but after its one of their quietest times to visit Universal Orlando.

Mid-January is apparently a less crowded time to visit too, but of course it will be cool if you’re considering Volcano Bay!

Obviously the parks will be crowded around main holidays and school break times.

Historically, September is one of the better months to visit Universal Orlando because the kids have just returned to school and families have either visited Orlando over summer.

16. Avoid the Holiday Period (Unless You Don’t Mind Crazy)

Thanksgiving, we were told, is the worst time to visit. The same goes for the weekend straight after Thanksgiving – it’s just nuts.

But it all comes down to your desires and tolerance for crowds level.

I’m sure visiting Universal over one of the main holiday periods like Thanksgiving and New Years would be spectacular with holiday lights and parades etc.

But of course peak periods mean high prices for flights, accommodation and other travel related expenses.

If you are a fan of using apps, download the Universal Orlando app which can help you plan your trip, and whilst you are inside the park:

• See the latest wait times for rides
• Find show times and dining venue hours
• Set alerts for when wait times are low and for show start times.
• Locate restrooms
• Access maps
• Purchase and redeem select theme park tickets and Express passes

Available on Google Play and in the App store.

Like I said, Universal has done an AMAZING job with both sections of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley are magical and the detail they have gone into creating them makes it feel like you are part of the movie.

And I say that without having even seen all the movies yet, or read the books!

Shame on this daddy, I know! But I too was blown away with how special it all was, and got inspired seeing families dressed up in the house gear.

So if you, or your kids are big Harry Potter fans, you want to allocate plenty of time for these lands. I’m sure my kids could have spent all day just in here.

Kalyra had her heart set on getting a wand. She’s a BIG Hermione Jean Granger fan and so wanted a Hermione wand.

And Savannah wanted a Luna Lovegood wand.

They purchased their own unique wands at Ollivanders Wand Shop in Diagon Alley, makers of fine wands since 382 BC.

Ollivanders is a cool shop with towering walls filled with thousands of boxes of wands stacked to the ceiling, but it gets super crowded inside with not a lot of room to move!

You can purchase character wand replicas or buy an Interactive Wand for $50 like our kids and cast spells like a wizard to create amazing magical experiences throughout Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade.

This was one of our kids favorite things to do at Universal Studios, as they brought aspects of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter park to life.

There are plaques on the ground spaced out around the park showing how to cast the spell and where to aim your wand, plus helpful park wizards on to help – a few of them were a little tricky!

Get your wand first thing on the first day, so you have time to play.

Comfy shoes are a must. If you do all three parks, you’ll be spending a lot of time on your feet walking from ride to ride and waiting in lines. Heels are probably not a good idea, and it might be best to wear shoes that can handle getting wet.

Florida weather can change often, depending on time of year. It could be warm during the day, then you encounter an afternoon shower in the spring and summer. Or an evening chill in the fall and winter.

If you plan on getting wet on rides, or doing Volcano Bay, or hanging by the hotel pool, don’t forget your swimwear. You can even wear your swimsuits under your clothes at the parks.

And if you plan on dining out at a nice restaurant, or sneaking away to a club in City Walk, pack something a little dressy.

Pack sun protection – it’s Florida and they get a lot of sun down there. Don’t forget your hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.

Your kids will be full of energy and excitement when you walk through the gates and they’ll want to race around and do EVERYTHING at once.

I know our kids did. And it’s hard to contain their excitement and know what to do and when.

So have a rough plan of what you want to do.

Prioritise the rides and attractions you MOST want to do and focus on those first.

• Use the Universal Orlando app to keep an eye on wait times and to decide where to go next
• Purchase Universal Express Passes
• Have a plan, but be flexible

There is a limit on what you can take with you into the park, but acceptable items you can take inside include:

• Bottled water
• Small snacks that do not require heating
• Food required for medical purposes
• Food required for special dietary needs
• Baby food/baby formula

Pack small snacky things to eat throughout the day so you can save time and money by avoiding the restaurants and dining options.

Make sure you pick what rides you want to see and do in advance, so you can tick them off while you explore Universal Orlando Resort.

Here are some of the best rides and attractions that we loved!

• The Incredible Hulk Coaster (Islands of Adventure)
• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (Islands of Adventure)
• Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts (Universal Studios)
• Krakatau Aqua Coaster (Volcano Bay
• Butterbeer (both parks)
• Revenge of the Mummy (Islands of Adventure)
• Ko’kiri body plunge, Kala & Tui Nui Serpentine Body Slides (Volcano Bay)
• Rip Ride Rockit Coaster (Islands of Adventure)
• Buying wands and being a wizard (both parks)
• Flight of the Hippogriff (Islands of Adventure)
• One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish (Islands of Adventure)
• The Simpsons Ride (Universal Studios)
• Despicable Me Minion Mayhem (Universal Studios)
• Transformers: The Ride – 3D (Universal Studios)

Final Thoughts

So there you have it, those are our top tips for visiting Universal Orlando Resort. We hope this guide helped you plan your visit and gave you some inspiration for visiting.

Universal Orlando Resort was one of our favorite theme parks in Orlando and one that we have cherished memories of visiting.

We hope that you enjoy it as much as we did!

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance

As we always say…“If you can’t afford travel insurance , then you can’t afford to travel”. It’s that simple.

Not having travel insurance is not worth the risk, and this is one of our important tips for Universal Orlando.

What happens if:

• You need to cancel your trip unexpectedly
• A hurricane damages your destination
• There is a terrorist event
• You get sick or injured on your trip
• Your luggage is lost or stolen

Travel insurance is designed to cover unexpected medical emergencies and events such as those.

Anything can, will, and sometimes goes wrong. If it does and you are not insured, you can be up for a lot of money AND inconvenience.

Watch our video for more tips on visiting Universal Orlando Resort!

Watch our list of favorite things to do at Universal Orlando Resort!

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Universal Orlando Discounts and Deals

LAST UPDATE: 4/12/24

If you’re looking for Universal Orlando discounts , this is the right place! Universal Orlando includes two major theme parks:  Universal Studios Florida  and Islands of Adventure, plus a beautiful water park: Volcano Bay . You can easily spend two or more days exploring them. Fortunately, there are many, many Universal discounts and  special offers , which change constantly. On this page you’ll find Universal Orlando ticket discounts , special deals on Universal Orlando hotels , advice about saving money on meals and merchandise at Universal Orlando  and lots more!

Universal Orlando is building a new theme park scheduled to open in Summer 2025: Universal Epic Universe. Epic Universe will have 5 areas: Celestial Park; The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic; Super Nintendo World; How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk and Dark Universe. Sometime later in 2024 there will be an interactive preview center at Universal CityWalk with more details and a sneak peek at this new theme park. There will also be 2 new Universal hotels opening in early 2025, located adjacent to Epic Universe: Universal Stella Nova Resort and Universal Terra Luna Resort.

All offers are subject to change without notice. Always call ahead and confirm before driving out of your way to take advantage of a particular offer! 

• Universal Ticket Discounts & Deals
• New! Universal On-Site Hotels: Tips, Discounts & Deals
• Nearby Hotels: Tips, Discounts & Deals

Booking A Universal Orlando Vacation With a Travel Agent

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• Regular Gate Prices for Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure

Discount Tickets from Undercover Tourist

• Advance Purchase Tickets – Universal Website or Hotel Desk

Power Annual Pass Deals

Annual passholder ticket discounts, aaa/caa ticket discounts at the gate.

• AAA/CAA Ticket Advance Purchase Discounts

Warehouse Club Ticket Discounts

Florida/georgia resident ticket discounts, military ticket discounts.

• University of Central Florida Ticket Discounts

Using Award Points for FREE Tickets

Regular gate prices for universal studios florida and islands of adventure.

Regular ticket prices for Universal Orlando last went up in October 2023. Annual Pass prices last went up in April 2023.

Universal Orlando sells tickets that vary in price depending on the specific dates you plan to visit. You must select your start date and how many days you want to visit to see a final price for your tickets.

One-day tickets are valid only on the specific date you select. Multi-day tickets are valid for three days longer than the number of days of admission, to allow for breaks or visiting other attractions. In other words, if you get a 4-day ticket, you can visit Universal on 4 different days within a 7-day range. Once you’ve visited the 4th day, or the full 7 calendar days have passed, the ticket is expired and no longer valid.

You can change your ticket to new dates, or add days, any time up to the end of the day on the last day the ticket is valid. For example, if you buy a 2-day ticket, and on the 2nd day you visit you decide you’d like to add one more visit to your trip, you can go to a guest services location or ticket window and add a day to your ticket, by paying the difference in price between the ticket you currently have and the ticket you are buying. If you bought your existing ticket from a discounter like Undercover Tourist, they will credit you the full price for the ticket towards a new one.

Important Money-Saving Tip

If you are buying multi-day tickets, there may be multiple ticket date ranges that will work for your trip, and each of those date ranges could have a different price! For example, say you want to visit Universal on February 9, 10, and 11, so you need a 3-day ticket. A 3-day ticket is good for any 3 days of admission within a 6-day range. You don’t have to get a ticket that starts on the 9th. There are actually four different date ranges that will work! You can get a ticket that starts on the 6th, 7th, 8th or 9th, since all of them will be valid for the 9th, 10th and 11th. By checking the prices of all four options, you can choose the one that costs the least. At times (such as right before a holiday), that can save you $40 or more on each ticket!

Here’s another example in the table below, using prices from 2024 for a 3-day park-to-park ticket. Let’s imagine you want to go November 22-24. Four different tickets are going to be valid on the three dates you want to go, but the price difference is a whopping $49 between the lowest and highest prices. We’ve bolded the three days you want to go in each set of dates. The key is that you don’t have to actually start using a ticket on the first day it’s valid! You can just show up on the 22nd and start using it.

PRICES BELOW INCLUDE TAX

One Park Per Day (Base) Tickets – 2 Park (No Volcano Bay)

These tickets are valid for visiting either Universal Studios Florida or Universal Islands of Adventure (but not Volcano Bay) each day. You can’t visit more than one park in a single day or ride the Hogwarts Express with these tickets.

We give price ranges for all tickets, representing the lowest and highest prices seen as of the last time we checked park prices. Usually the lowest prices can be found in the fall and early and late spring, and the highest prices are for long holiday periods like spring break, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Park-To-Park Tickets – 2 Park (No Volcano Bay)

Valid for visiting Universal Studios Florida  and  Universal Islands of Adventure (but not Volcano Bay) each day. You can visit both parks in a single day, and you can ride the Hogwarts Express with this ticket.

One Park Per Day (Base) Tickets – 3 Park (Includes Volcano Bay)

Valid for visiting either Universal Studios Florida  or Universal Islands of Adventure or Volcano Bay Water Park each day. You can’t visit more than one park in a single day or ride the Hogwarts Express with these tickets.

Park-To-Park Tickets – 3 Park (Includes Volcano Bay)

Valid for visiting Universal Studios Florida  and  Universal Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay Water Park each day. You can visit all three parks in a single day, and you can ride the Hogwarts Express with this ticket.

Volcano Bay Only Tickets

A 1-Day Volcano Bay Ticket costs $85.20 Adult (10+) or $79.88 Child (ages 3-9), tax included. During high waterpark season (summer), the price is $5.33 higher.

If you are already buying a 2-day or longer 2-park Universal Orlando ticket (either one-park-per-day or park-to-park), switching to a 3-park ticket and adding an extra day is always cheaper than buying a one-day Volcano Bay ticket, and gives you extra flexibility.

Annual & Seasonal Passes

Two-Park Passes are valid for visiting Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure. Three-Park Passes are valid for visiting Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay. Prices are the same for all ages (3+).

†Seasonal Pass has black out days (mainly Christmastime, Spring Break and mid-summer for Universal Studios Florida or Universal Islands of Adventure). Includes discounts at on-site resort hotels and discounts on select theme park & special event tickets. Not valid for separately ticketed special events. Does not include parking or food/merchandise discounts. The 3-Park Seasonal Pass also has black out dates for Volcano Bay Water Park (mainly Spring Break, late spring and summer).

^Power Annual Pass has blackout days (mainly Christmastime and Spring Break for Universal Studios Florida or Universal Islands of Adventure). Includes discounts at on-site resort hotels; 50% off regular daytime self-parking (after your first visit); admission to Mardi Gras and discounts on select theme park & special event tickets. Not valid for separately ticketed special events. Does not include food/merchandise discounts. The 3-Park Power Annual Pass also has black out dates for Volcano Bay Water Park (mainly late spring and summer). There are frequently deals on the Power Annual Pass.

^^Preferred Annual Pass gives admission every day to Universal Studios Florida or Universal Islands of Adventure for 365 days. Not valid for separately ticketed special events. Includes early park admission on select days for Universal Studios Florida or Universal Islands of Adventure; free self-parking (after your first visit); food and merchandise discounts; discounts at on-site resort hotels; admission to Mardi Gras and discounts on select theme park & special event tickets. The 3-Park Preferred Annual Pass also has black out dates for Volcano Bay Water Park (mainly summer).

^^^Premier Annual Pass gives admission every day to Universal Studios Florida or Universal Islands of Adventure for 365 days, plus Unlimited Universal Express Plus after 4:00 pm and early park admission at Universal Studios Florida or Universal Islands of Adventure only. Not valid for separately ticketed special events. Includes free valet parking or prime self-parking (after your first visit); one ticket to Halloween Horror Nights, admission to Mardi Gras; discounts on select theme park & special event tickets; food and merchandise discounts and discounts at on-site resort hotels. The 3-Park Premier Annual Pass also gives admission for 365 days to Volcano Bay Water Park. 

More often than not, we find that the best overall discount on multi-day Universal Orlando tickets is from Undercover Tourist , a highly reliable ticket broker that sells substantially discounted Universal tickets (and other Florida attraction tickets). Undercover Tourist sells real tickets that you can take straight to the gate (not vouchers you have to trade in when you arrive) and its prices include tax and FREE shipping , so be sure to account for that when comparing prices. If you’d like to know more, take a look at  why we recommend Undercover Tourist .

Undercover Tourist Universal Orlando tickets are refundable! This is a huge benefit — even Universal doesn’t offer refunds on tickets! There is a 5% restocking fee, so most of the time it’s better to change the tickets rather than refund them, but for those cases when you really won’t be able to use the tickets at all, it’s great to know you can get 95% of your ticket cost back. To be eligible for refund, your tickets must be unused and unchanged. Check Undercover Tourist for the full terms and conditions.

• Save money on Universal Orlando tickets with Undercover Tourist!

Have some time before you need your tickets? Undercover Tourist offers its best deals on tickets exclusively for MouseSavers Newsletter subscribers. These special prices are not available to the general public and are not published here on MouseSavers.com. They are provided ONLY through a “secret” link in the monthly newsletter. They also run special limited-time sales on a few tickets (often including Universal Orlando) in a Hot Deals newsletter once per month, so if you want to see those special sales you’ll want to subscribe to the Hot Deals alerts as well.

• Subscribe to the FREE MouseSavers Newsletter . The newsletter comes out on the 15th of each month (or the next business day) and we do not send out the “secret” link separately from the newsletter, so please plan ahead.

Advance Purchase Tickets – Universal Website, Phone Order or Hotel Desk

Save $21.30 (tax included) off the gate prices of multi-day tickets when you buy online at the Universal Orlando website, over the phone, or in person at a Universal Hotel ticket desk. When purchasing online, you can print them yourself, use kiosk pickup (go to the park and get them out of a machine), or use ticket-booth pickup. All of those options avoid shipping charges.

Prices displayed on Universal’s site do not include 6.5% tax, which is added further along in the transaction. Once you get to the final price, it’s always a better deal to buy tickets from Undercover Tourist , which displays its real prices up front, with all taxes and shipping included.

This deeply discounted Annual Pass has blackout days (mainly Christmastime and Spring Break at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventures and late spring and most of summer  at Volcano Bay for the 3-park passes). It does not include parking or food/merchandise discounts.

• You can order it online at the Universal Orlando website. Florida residents pay a lower price.
• The Orlando Auto Club South (AAA) office usually offers an extra discount or sometimes extra months on the pass.

Holders of Universal Premier, Preferred and Power Annual Passes get 15% off the gate price of multi-day tickets when purchasing at the front gate. Seasonal Passholder get 10% off the gate price of multi-day tickets at the front gate. For most tickets this is less than the regular advance-purchase discount for buying online, and usually much worse than the Undercover Tourist discount. There is no discount for 1-day tickets.

All AAA (American Automobile Association) and CAA (Canadian Automobile Association) members can save $4 on a 2-Day/2-Park ticket and $5 off a 3-Day/2-Park ticket when purchasing tickets at the gate. Valid for up to six people per membership card. This is less than the regular advance-purchase discount for buying online, and much worse than the Undercover Tourist discount.

AAA/CAA Advance Purchase Ticket Discounts

Each AAA (American Automobile Association) and CAA (Canadian Automobile Association) region has different Universal offers. Some have deals that are available to all US and/or Canadian members; some have deals available only to local members; a few (particularly in the West) don’t offer any Universal Orlando deals at all. The prices vary tremendously from region to region and change all the time, so contact your local AAA office to check. Other AAA/CAA advance purchase options:

• Auto Club South offices in Florida, Georgia and western Tennessee allow AAA members from any region to purchase discounted Universal tickets on a walk-in basis (no phone orders). The nearest office is located at 783 South Orlando Ave in Winter Park (note that this is not very close to Universal — it’s about 25 miles away). Call (407) 647-1033 for hours and directions.(You can check the Auto Club South website , but only Auto Club South members can order online, and the prices are sometimes higher online.) Note that sometimes there is a delay of up to several days to get tickets, depending on the specific tickets you need, so definitely call ahead to make sure they have tickets in stock before showing up at their office.

The membership warehouse store Costco sometimes has great deals on Universal tickets, so it’s always worth checking at your local store, particularly if you live in the Midwest and Eastern US. At times Costco offers discounted tickets on its website and you don’t even have to be a Costco member to buy through the site. (Non-members pay a 5% surcharge, however.) There is a shipping charge, which varies.

Universal often has special ticket promotions and offers for Florida (and sometimes Georgia) residents .

Universal Orlando has special tickets for military personnel . Active duty and retired military personnel should also check with their local MWR/ITT office or with Shades of Green at Walt Disney World for discounted ticket prices.

Military Freedom Pass

2024 Military Freedom Pass

Active duty, retired US military members and their families can purchase a 2024 Universal Orlando Military Freedom Pass. The Military Freedom Pass is valid most dates November 16, 2023 through December 20, 2024. Blockout dates are December 25, 2023 – January 2, 2024 and March 25-31, 2024. The Military Freedom Pass can be added to a Military Vacation Package. 

• The 2-Park Military Freedom Pass costs $210 per adult ticket + tax (age 10+), and includes admission to Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure. Valid in both parks on the same day. The Military Freedom Pass for children (age 3-9) costs $205 per child + tax.
• The 3-Park Military Freedom Pass costs $245 per adult ticket + tax (age 10+), and includes admission to Universal Studios Florida, Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Universal’s Volcano Bay (open seasonally). Valid in all three parks on the same day. The Military Freedom Pass for children (age 3-9) costs $240 per child + tax.

The Military Freedom Pass is only available for purchase at your authorized Military Ticket and Travel Office. You may purchase up to 6 passes. You must present a valid Military ID at time of purchase, when activating the pass at a Universal Pass Sales window, and when entering the theme parks.

These passes must be activated before you can enter the parks. To activate your pass, go to any Universal Pass Sales window and present a valid ID. The military member or spouse must be present when the passes are activated and use one of the tickets.

• To book the Military Freedom Pass as part of a Universal Orlando Military Vacation Package , we recommend contacting a travel agent who specializes in Universal travel.

Questions about the Military Freedom Pass?

• More details about the Military Freedom Pass are available on Universal Orlando’s Military Deals & Specials page . 
• Another great resource is Military Disney Tips ; they have a detailed post about these passes.

University of Central Florida – Universal Ticket Discounts

Students, faculty and staff at University of Central Florida can purchase 1-Day/1-Park, 2-Day/2-Park and 1-Day Park-to-Park Universal Orlando tickets at a significantly reduced rate. There is a limit of 2 tickets per 30 days. Tickets can be purchased through the SGA Ticket Center located on the first floor of the Student Union. Be sure to buy in advance because they do sell out at times. Thanks to Amanda for info.

Many different credit card rewards, hotel points and other awards programs allow you to redeem an award in the form of Universal Orlando tickets. Below are the ones that have been reported to us:

• If you have the type of American Express charge card that earns  Membership Rewards points, you can sometimes redeem those points for Universal Orlando tickets (availability comes and goes on the Amex site). Thanks to Amy H for info.
• You can redeem Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards points to purchase adult or child 1-Day Park-to-Park Universal Orlando tickets on the Rapid Rewards site . Thanks to Donna I for info. 
• You can redeem IHG Rewards Club points for Universal Orlando tickets. See the IHG Rewards Club site for details. Thanks to Lori B for info.
• The Chase Ultimate Rewards program has Universal Orlando tickets as an award option. Thanks to Drew H for info.
• You can sometimes redeem Regal Crown Club credits for Universal Orlando tickets. Thanks to David A for info.
• Readers report that Canadians can redeem Air Miles for select Universal Orlando tickets. Thanks to Dawn N for info.

On-Site Hotels: Tips, Discounts & Deals

• New! Universal On-Site Hotels Overview

Room-Only Versus Package

• Undercover Tourist Hotel Discounts

CheapTickets and Orbitz Hotel Discounts

• Book Directly with Loews Hotels
• Book Directly with Universal Resort

AAA Hotel Discount

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The official Universal Orlando hotels are all operated by Loews Hotels . The three deluxe resorts (Portofino, Hard Rock and Royal Pacific) are all AAA Four Diamond Award winners.

• Portofino Bay Hotel has an elegant coastal Italian theme and is the most luxurious of the hotels. It offers the most amenities, including a spa, and more restaurants. It is the furthest deluxe resort from the major parks, which means the longest walk or boat trip. That said, you can walk from the boat dock to the parks in 10-12 minutes of brisk walking, or it’s about a 6-7 minute boat ride. It has 750 rooms, including 45 suites.
• Hard Rock Hotel is designed to look like a classic California mission-style hotel from the outside. Inside are the usual rock star memorabilia and signed pictures associated with the Hard Rock Café brand. The music is loud and continuous, but the amenities and food are quite good. It is the closest walking distance from Universal Studios Florida (about 4-5 minutes walk). It has 650 rooms, including 29 suites.
• Royal Pacific Resort is a tropical paradise with a South Seas theme (primarily Balinese and Indonesian). It has lovely grounds, including a lagoon-style pool with a white sand beach. While this is usually the least-expensive of the Universal deluxe resorts, it is in our opinion the most attractive of the resorts, with our favorite on-site lounge (Jake’s American Bar). It is also the closest walking distance to Universal Islands of Adventure (about 4-5 minutes walk). It has 1000 rooms, including 51 suites.
• Sapphire Falls Resort is a modern resort with some nice Caribbean-themed touches here and there, lush landscaping and, of course, lovely waterfalls. A large lagoon pool area has a sand beach, water slides, a kid’s water play zone and rockwork that is reminiscent of an old Spanish fortress. There’s a rum bar with a massive wall of vintage rums to try and Caribbean cocktails, plus the Amatista Cookhouse, which serves Caribbean-influenced food like jerk chicken and conch chowder. The amenities are roughly comparable to Disney’s moderate resorts, although with interior corridors and rooms that are more like a modern business hotel.
• Cabana Bay Beach Resort is a Prime Value hotel, featuring a hip, vintage look, with 900 family suites and 900 standard guest rooms. The family suites are exceptionally nicely designed, with a three-way split bathroom (toilet in one room, sink/shower in another, and a separate sink outside). We were impressed by the nostalgic mid-century modern décor (think space-age 1960’s/Jetsons). The resort has much more extensive amenities than Disney’s value resorts, including a lazy river, two main pools, a water slide, and a bowling alley.
• Aventura Resort is a Prime Value tower hotel with a contemporary, clean feel. There are standard guest rooms, as well as 13 kid suites that sleep 5 and have a special interior area for the kids, for a total of 600 rooms. Prices are similar to Cabana Bay Beach Resort. Amenities include a pool, a splash zone and a virtual reality game room. There’s a rooftop bar and grill (Bar 17 Bistro), a modern food hall (Urban Pantry). In-room tablets allow guests to order pizza delivered to their room and to control rooms’ features like the TV and room temperature controls.
• New! Stella Nova Resort (opening January 21, 2025) will be a Prime Value hotel, with 750 standard guest rooms. The exterior is covered with color-changing tiles and the interior décor is inspired by the stars. It will have a quick service restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, along with a poolside bar and grill, plus a bar in the lobby. The pool area includes a 10,000 square foot pool, a kids’ splash pad, outdoor games, a hot tub, fire pit and poolside movies (weather permitting).
• New! Terra Luna Resort (opening February 25, 2025) will be a Prime Value hotel, with 750 standard guest rooms. The exterior is covered with color-changing tiles and the interior design takes its inspiration from the planets and terrain in our solar system. There will be a restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner; a bar and grill; and a lobby bar. The pool area has a zero-entry pool with a hot tub, lounge and table-top seating and select outdoor games.
• Endless Summer Resort has two Value hotels: Surfside Inn & Suites and Dockside Inn & Suites . Surfside, with 750 rooms, has beachy, surfing-themed décor. Dockside, with 2050 rooms, has more of a beach retreat feel. More than half of the rooms in both hotels are 2-bedroom suites. These suites feature two separate bedrooms, a kitchenette and dining area, and a bathroom with a separate shower and vanity. The 2-bedroom suites sleep up to six people. Surfside amenities include a pool, and a food court. Dockside has 2 pools, a splash pad and a casual dining restaurant (which also has grab and go items). Both have pizza delivery and a game room. 

See below for benefits of staying at the on-site Universal hotels.

Universal offers bundled Vacation Packages that combine a stay at one of their on-site hotels and park tickets (and an optional dining plan , if and when those become available). A hotel stay by itself, without tickets or dining, is called a “room-only” reservation. Most of the time there is no real discount for buying everything together as a package, though typically if there are any current room discounts they’ll apply to packages as well, and sometimes Universal offers very good deals on package bookings. 

When Universal is not offering a special package deal, you’ll usually save the most by putting your own package together from the best deals in each category: book a room-only (non-package) hotel reservation, buy your tickets from a discount vendor such as Undercover Tourist , and use our tips to save money on food . It does take some time and energy to put together the pieces yourself, so it’s really a judgment call for each person as to whether the savings are worth it.

Our recommendation for booking Universal vacation packages is always to book using a good full-service travel agent . You get significantly better service than from Universal’s own sales people, and it doesn’t cost you a dime; the prices are exactly the same as booking directly with Universal.

Our recommendation for booking hotels & tickets separately (i.e. room-only) is to look for the best available discounts from online travel agencies for the room (or take advantage of one of the other discounts below), and buy tickets from a reliable discount vendor . And you may also want to consider looking at off-property hotels near Universal ; the savings can be considerable.

Undercover Tourist Hotel Discounts

Long-time MouseSavers favorite Undercover Tourist also offers hotel bookings at the official Universal Orlando Resort hotels! Their base rates typically reflect the existing Universal/Loews discounts, plus they offer an additional discount on at least some resorts and room types. The biggest discounts seem to be on the Deluxe resorts, as you’d expect, but we’ve seen some discounted rates for the Cabana Bay and Sapphire Falls resorts as well.

Compared to other self-service travel websites like Expedia or Orbitz, Undercover Tourist has good prices year-round with no messing around with special codes, as well as friendly customer service with live human beings. They offer the same generous cancellation and change policies as Universal Orlando with no extra fees.

Undercover Tourist is a great company that we have recommended for years for  Universal Orlando Tickets and other Florida attraction tickets as well as car rentals ; they’re well worth considering for hotels as well. Read more about why we love Undercover Tourist .

• Book a stay at an official Universal Orlando resort with Undercover Tourist!

CheapTickets  and  Orbitz  are operated by the same company (and are owned by Expedia), but they don’t always offer exactly the same deals. CheapTickets and Orbitz only offer “room-only” reservations. It’s definitely more work than using a full-service travel agent , but if you’re comfortable doing your own research, the savings can be worth it. Be sure to read the caveats in this section carefully, as well as our  general advice about booking with online travel agencies , and compare different options before booking.  

When you check out, they will typically offer you park tickets as an upsell, but typically you can get better ticket prices from other vendors . Be sure to compare prices before you throw those tickets into the cart. If you want to book a Universal Vacation Package with tickets and a hotel stay (and an optional dining plan , if and when those become available), you’ll want to use a full-service travel agent .

Note that Orbitz has their Orbitz Rewards program  that rebates 1%-5% of your booking cost back as “Orbucks” you can use for future travel. This can make the Orbitz deal come out ahead, if you can use the Orbucks before they expire.

For a long time, Orbitz/Cheaptickets overcharged for children because of a glitch in their booking system. When we have checked recently, the glitch appeared to be fixed and we were able to book children normally without being overcharged. However, we’re still getting intermittent reports of readers being charged extra for children under 18 at Universal hotels, which is not Universal policy. It may be that Orbitz is still working out the kinks from their merger with Expedia, and depending on your exact browser, device or something else, you may be getting the old booking engine with the old behavior. Just in case, if you are booking an official Universal hotel with children under 18, check if the price goes down if you remove the kids from the booking. If it does, book with just the adults listed, but make sure you’re booking a room that can hold the whole family. When you get to the hotel to check in, tell them the total number of people you have. As long as you booked a room that can hold everyone, there’s no problem with adding children at check in. You can also call or chat with Orbitz/Cheaptickets customer service to add the children in advance, but it’s not really necessary.

Booking Directly with Loews Hotels

The four Universal Orlando resorts are operated by Loews Hotels, so always check the Loews website . Often you’ll find special deals on the Universal Orlando resorts.

Booking Directly with Universal Resort

The online rates and specials you’ll see by checking Universal Orlando’s site are the same as the Loews Hotel site , so it’s generally not worth checking the Universal site if you’ve already checked Loews.

Sometimes it’s worth calling the Universal Orlando Resort directly at (877) 589-4783 (or have your travel agent do so) and ask if there are any “promo” rates for the time of your stay. There may be discounted rates available to the general public that aren’t listed online — you just have to ask! Thanks to Danielle for info.

The AAA discount is usually available, but the amount of the discount varies by season. To book with the AAA discount, you must call Universal at (877) 589-4783 , or a travel agent can book this rate for you.

Three of the official Universal Orlando hotels (Portofino Bay Hotel, Royal Pacific Resort and Sapphire Falls) sometimes show up on Hotwire at bargain rates (this is more likely in the extreme off-season, such as January or September).

The Hotwire Hot Rates option (which will pop up once you enter Orlando and your dates on the front page and start your search) allows you to get some amazing deals on hotel rooms, but you aren’t told the hotel’s name up front. You select the general location and then Hotwire gives you a list of prices for unnamed hotels in various star categories (i.e. a 5-star hotel will be a luxury resort, while a 1-star will be a low-end motel) and with specific amenities. At that point you can choose to accept or reject the offered price for a hotel that has a rating and amenities you want. Once you have accepted the price, you are charged in full. It is only at that point that you’re told the hotel name. There are no refunds or exchanges.

Although the names of the hotels aren’t listed, it’s sometimes possible to tell if it’s a Universal Orlando hotel being offered in the Hotwire listing. This information is subject to change and there is never any absolute guarantee that you’ll get a specific hotel, but here are some hints that have worked for many people:

• On the map, select only the “Universal Orlando” area.
• Select only 3, 4 and 5 star ratings. Portofino Bay is rated 5 stars, Royal Pacific and Sapphire Falls are 4 stars and Cabana Bay is 3 stars. The Hard Rock doesn’t tend to show up, but if it did we would guess it would be 4 or 4.5 stars.
• You’ll see some hotel selections. The listings displays star ratings, amenities and prices.
• Portofino Bay will have at least  Golf, Tennis, Business Center and  Spa (plus other amenities)
• Royal Pacific Resort have at least  Golf, Tennis, Business Center and  Resort (plus other amenities)
• Sapphire Falls will have at least  Pet Friendly and Smoke-Free (plus other amenities)
• Cabana Bay will be listed as a Resort and will have Golf and Free Internet  (plus other amenities)
• Universal Orlando hotels will NOT list “Kitchenette.”
• These hotels aren’t available through Hotwire for all dates! You may find just one or none of them being offered for a particular set of dates. They tend to show up only in the short term – less than 2 months before arrival.

Remember, this information is subject to change and there is never any absolute guarantee that you’ll get a specific hotel when using Hotwire !

A discount for local residents is not always available, and varies by season. At times this may be the deepest discount available. Call Universal Resort directly to book, or a travel agent can book this rate for you.

Florida residents should ask for discount code FLO — you won’t necessarily get the best discounts just by going to the Florida Resident section of the Universal site or calling without the code.

Discounts for Annual Passholders are not always available, and vary by season, but sometimes these are excellent deals.

Call Universal Resort directly to book Annual Passholder rates, or a travel agent can book these rates for you. Or go to the Loews website , fill in your reservation details and type APH in the promo code box. You must show your annual pass at check-in.

Eligible US service members can get a discount at Universal Orlando hotels – up to 40% off stays at Cabana Bay Beach Resort and up to 30% off stays at other Universal Orlando hotels.

• To reserve a room with the military discount , contact your Military Ticket and Travel Office. 
• To book a Military Hotel Discount as part of a Universal Orlando Military Vacation Package , we recommend contacting a travel agent who specializes in Universal travel.

If you have an American Airlines AAdvantage membership, using their special hotel booking web site  to redeem for discounts on hotels can produce some really great results with certain hotels at certain times. The best deals seem to come up on short notice bookings (<3 months away). Sometimes the best value is by using their minimum point spend (1000 per trip) plus cash to effectively get a discount on the room. The typical rule of thumb is that airline miles are worth an average of $0.02/mile, so any use that nets you more than that per mile is typically a good use, and a deal where you get less than that per mile is not as good.

When we do sample bookings at the various Universal hotels, we’ve seen situations where you could spend 1000 points to get one of the Deluxe Universal hotels for $206/night instead of $358/night, which means you’re saving $152, or $0.15 per airline mile! Before you get too excited, that’s unusual: as you increase the number of points you use, the cash cost goes down, but the effective discount per point goes down as well. To book that same $358 room with all points and no cash is a whopping 35,400 points per night, which is only about 1 penny per mile. We’ve seen other bookings where your points are only worth $0.005 (half a cent) per airline mile. So it’s worth checking, but get out your calculator and figure out what you’re saving, and always consider whether you could make better use of your miles some other way. Thanks to reader Edwin M for info.

If you have the  Platinum Card from American Express *, you can book Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando through the Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) program*. By booking through this program, you get:

• A room upgrade when available, upon check-in.
• Daily Continental breakfast at Trattoria del Porto for 2 adults.
• $100 food & beverage credit, good at Mama Della’s, Trattoria del Porto, Sal’s Market Deli, Splendido Bar & Grill, Room Service, Bar American and/or Thirsty Fish.
• Guaranteed 4:00 pm late check-out.

Note that the FHR rates are sometimes higher than rates you might find elsewhere, so you’ll have to weigh that against the value of the extra benefits. MouseSavers.com founder Mary Waring used FHR to stay at this hotel and for the date she selected in early October 2010, it was a great value. She got a $259 rate for a Bay View room, with all those extras.

*The FHR program is only available to those who have the Platinum Card® from American Express. This is a charge card that requires a substantial annual fee and is NOT the same as an American Express Platinum credit card, such as the Optima, Costco or SkyMiles Platinum cards, which do not qualify for FHR.

Nearby Hotels: Tips, Discounts & Deals

Staying off-site at a hotel near Universal can be a great way to save money. Compared to the on-site hotels you can get a room that is just as good, and in some cases better, at a price that’s significantly easier on the wallet. All of these hotels offer FREE scheduled transportation to and from Universal Orlando.

Our top choice for offsite stays near Universal is the Drury Inn & Suites near Universal Orlando Resort . It offers excellent value and in a great location for exploring Orlando. We’ve negotiated special offers for MouseSavers readers that make this hotel hard to beat.

If being within walking distance to Universal is important to you, check out the Doubletree by Hilton at the Entrance to Universal Orlando .

• Drury Inn & Suites near Universal Orlando Resort (Intersection of Sand Lake and Turkey Lake Roads)
• Doubletree by Hilton Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando

Drury Inn & Suites near Universal Orlando Resort

The Drury Inn & Suites near Universal Orlando Resort  is at the intersection of Sand Lake Road and Turkey Lake Road, and is an easy 5-10 minute drive to Universal Orlando; about 10-12 minutes to SeaWorld   (as well as Discovery Cove and Aquatica ).  This well-managed and maintained 238 room property offers  exceptional value , particularly for the area near Universal Orlando. Your room rate includes  FREE hot and cold breakfast, FREE evening “Kickback” with assorted hot and cold foods and beverages including soft drinks and alcoholic beverages (beer, wine & mixed drinks) , FREE Wi-Fi, FREE parking, and FREE shuttles to Universal Orlando. Rates are low to moderate, and there is no added daily resort fee. MouseSavers readers get an extra 10% off best available nightly room rates!

Drury Inn & Suites near Universal Orlando Resort is a Universal Orlando Partner hotel , which means the hotel offers FREE scheduled transportation to Universal Orlando , and there is an on-site Universal Orlando desk where you can purchase tickets and get bonus benefits including discounts on merchandise at selected theme park locations, and discounts on food and non-alcoholic beverages at select Universal CityWalk and theme park locations. These bonus benefits are available even if you’ve already purchased your Universal tickets!

Comfortable  king rooms  or queen rooms that sleep up to 5 include Wi-Fi, 32″ LCD flat-screen TVs, a microwave and mini-fridge, coffee maker, hairdryer and an iron and ironing board. Larger 1-bedroom suites can sleep up to 6 people (not including a child in a crib). The 1-bedroom suites feature a separate living room with a pull-out queen sofa sleeper and a private bedroom with two queen beds or one king bed an an additional TV.

In addition to the FREE hot breakfast, the FREE evening “Kickback” includes soft drinks and alcoholic beverages as well as salads, soup and a light entree such as a penne pasta with pesto or make-your-own beef tacos– easily enough to constitute a free dinner! If you don’t want to dine at the hotel, you are within easy walking or driving distance to Sand Lake Road’s “Restaurant Row” – where you’ll find numerous casual and fine dining options. Read more about what the Drury Inn & Suites near Universal Orlando Resort has to offer.

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando is the closest of the hotels located off Universal property. It’s an easy walk of about a half-mile to the entrance of Universal Studios. There is FREE scheduled shuttle service to Universal, SeaWorld (which also provides easy access to Discovery Cove and Aquatica ) and Wet ‘n Wild. The hotel is located on the I-Ride Trolley route, which gives you access to a wide variety of restaurants.

Standard rooms are good-sized (about 350 sq ft) and equipped with Sweet Dreams plush-top beds (either one King or two Queen beds), 32″ flat screen television, mini refrigerator, voicemail, in-room safe, iron and ironing board. The guest rooms have floor to ceiling windows, some with views of Universal. The DoubleTree offers Starbucks Coffee in the lobby, warm chocolate chip cookies upon check-in and a junior Olympic-sized heated pool. There is a lobby bar, a restaurant and a deli.

If all this information about Universal is making your head swim, consider consulting a travel agent who knows Universal and can book your vacation without any extra cost to you. Whether you want to book a trip to both Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World, or a stand-alone Universal Vacation Package, our recommended travel agency, Small World Vacations , can help you.

Small World Vacations agents are required to experience the destinations they sell. They are extremely knowledgeable about Universal Orlando and oriented toward saving you money. They understand the various discounts that are available, and they know the best tricks for maximizing your time and money when planning a Universal vacation.

If you want to book a combination Universal Orlando & Walt Disney World vacation , Small World Vacations has agents who are experts on both destinations and can handle everything, including transferring you and your luggage between the two resort areas. Read more about why we recommend them wholeheartedly! To book a Universal Orlando add-on of as little as two nights (on-site Universal hotels only) to a Walt Disney World vacation:

• Go to the Small World Vacations’ Walt Disney World request a price quote form. Fill it out with the details for the Walt Disney World portion of your trip. When you reach the “Special Requests” section, add a note saying that you’d like to add days at Universal Orlando and which on-site hotel you are interested in. A Small World Vacations agent will get back to you, usually within one business day!

Small World Vacations can also book a stand-alone Universal Orlando vacation package , including the popular Wizarding World of Harry Potter Vacation Package or a custom package with the exact tickets and hotel options that work best for you. (On-site hotels only. 3-night minimum for hotel and ticket packages.) To book a stand-alone Universal Orlando vacation:

• Request a price quote from Small World Vacations  and a Small World Vacations agent will get back to you, usually within one business day!  Please note:  Small World Vacations has a minimum booking requirement of 3 nights at  on-site hotels only.

Tips for Eating at Universal

The great feast platter at three broomsticks, september is orlando magical dining month, refillable drinks & popcorn buckets.

• Universal Dining Plan

AAA/CAA Discounts

Annual passholder discounts, restaurant.com, deals at the palm in the hard rock hotel, costco deals on restaurant gift cards, mandara spa discounts.

MouseSavers.com reader Jen W offers these great tips on Universal food and drink, plus an edible souvenir idea:

• Buy your butterbeer in a souvenir mug ($9 for an empty mug, $14 filled with butterbeer), or buy one of the many other souvenir mugs throughout the park, and use it to get soft drink refills for $1.19 (plus tax) at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. Sadly, butterbeer refills are not discounted, just coke products, tea, lemonade and apple cider. Icees and slushies are also discounted, but cost about $3 (about $1 off). Check before you buy the mug. Some mugs are part of the refill program, and some (like the Hog’s Head mug) are just souvenirs.
• While in The Three Broomsticks, ask a server for a free soft drink refill before you leave. This may work at other restaurants, but we didn’t try it.
• Fresh whole fruit is the cheapest food in the park at $1.79 plus tax.
• Order the kids burger at Captain America Diner. For $7 it’s exactly the same as the adult burger, but you’ll have a side option of fries, grapes or apple sauce. Adult burgers have a choice of fries or side salad — but you have to ask for the salad.
• Head straight to a sit-down restaurant at non-peak meal times. We were approached by staff all three times we did sit-down restaurants and were amazed by their friendly and accommodating attitudes. If nothing else, it’s faster than quick service or a cart.
• Consider lunch or an early dinner at Mythos Restaurant. The theming is incredible and it’s a welcome respite from the crowds. Even if you don’t want to pay the reasonable prices, ask if you can walk through and take pictures of the amazing pizza oven and other details.
• Check the candy shop in Seuss Landing for affordable souvenirs without the long lines of Honeydukes. We spent $10 on 4-packs of rice krispy treats with “Thing 1” through “Thing 4”, or just $2.50 per kid.

MouseSavers.com reader Jatinder reports: “the family dinner at Three Broomsticks in Harry Potter was a great bargain and decent food for an amusement park. For $60 (10% off with AAA) you get a large salad with Italian dressing, 4 pieces of chicken (2 each breast/wing and leg/thigh), 4 ribs, sautéed vegetables and roasted potatoes. Nothing fried and all quite tasty, both rare in an amusement park.”

MouseSavers.com reader Jen W agrees: “The Great Feast at The Three Broomsticks was such good food (and such a good deal w/AAA discount) that we had it twice during our 3-day visit.”

Each year for the entire month of September, participating high-end Orlando restaurants feature three-course, prix fixe dinners at an exceptional value. Typically some of the top restaurants at Universal Orlando participate.

Visit Orlando Magical Dining’s website for details.

For cheap snacks, you can’t beat the refillable soft drink mugs and popcorn buckets available at Universal Orlando. Prices below are subject to change at any time:

• Many locations throughout both theme parks and CityWalk sell a refillable souvenir cup . The basic model costs $8.99 plus tax and you get refills for $1.19  forever. There are other souvenir cups (like a butterbeer mug, Minion-shaped bottle, etc.) that are refillable that cost more but are refillable under the same system, and some souvenir cups that are not refillable; they’re just souvenirs. Be sure to ask before purchase if a particular cup/mug/bottle counts as a refillable soda cup.
• There is also a separate Coke Freestyle Souvenir Cup program, which costs more (about $17), but offers FREE refills, only from the Coke Freestyle machines, and only for that day. You can pay a fee on subsequent days ($5.99 last we checked) to reactivate your Freestyle souvenir cup for another day.  Thanks to Clement P for info.
• Many locations throughout both theme parks (but not CityWalk) sell refillable buckets of popcorn for $5.99 plus tax. Refills cost $1.29  plus tax, refills on flavored varieties cost $2.99 plus tax. Although the signs suggest that the refills are good on the day of purchase only, in reality you can bring your bucket back on future days and get the cheap refills.

Universal Dining Plan

Universal Orlando has stopped offering all of their dining plans, including the standard plan and the quick-service plan, as of July 2, 2021. If you have an existing package booking with a dining plan, the price of the package will be adjusted accordingly and any amount you’ve already paid towards the dining portion of the package will be refunded.

Members of the American Automobile Association (AAA) or the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) save 10% at select dining and merchandise locations. You may be asked to show a special “Discounts & Rewards” voucher along with their membership card. You receive the voucher from participating AAA clubs when you buy tickets or a vacation package from AAA. It still may be worth asking for a AAA discount even if you don’t have the voucher, especially at independent restaurants like Margaritaville and Hard Rock Cafe.

• 10% off select locations in the two theme parks. (Offer excludes merchandise or food carts, tattoos, alcohol, tobacco, candy, film, collectibles and sundry items.) If you belong to AAA or CAA, be sure to ask at every theme park restaurant and shop whether there is a discount.
• 10% off Universal Orlando CityWalk restaurants and shops. (Offer excludes merchandise or food carts, tattoos, alcohol, tobacco, candy, film, collectibles or sundry items. Discount on food, non-alcoholic drinks and merchandise at all CityWalk restaurants and shops with the exception of Emeril’s, Bubba Gump, Fossil and Fresh Produce.) Valid up to six people per AAA membership card. Show your membership card to get the discount.

Holders of the Preferred Annual Pass (but not the Annual Power Pass) get a host of meal, merchandise and entertainment discounts.

Save money at some Universal-area restaurants by purchasing discounted certificates from Restaurant.com . Most certificates are for a specific amount (usually $25) and you get them at a discounted price (usually $10 or less).

The Universal Orlando area restaurants offered through Restaurant.com change frequently (search for restaurants near zip code 32819).

• Read more details about Restaurant.com and possible discount codes that can save you even more!

Check The Palm’s website  to see their current offers.

If you plan to be a repeat customer (at any of the locations of The Palm), consider joining the 837 Club for $25 and receive a $25 gift card towards your next meal or happy hour bar visit. Once you become a member, you’ll receive Club Points every time you visit The Palm that can be redeemed for special rewards ranging from a complimentary dessert to a weekend getaway for two.

If you are a Costco member and you plan to eat at one or more restaurants that are part of a chain, it’s always worthwhile to check out the restaurant gift cards available through your local warehouse, which are typically discounted by 20%. Keep in mind that a gift card for a particular restaurant brand in the chain might also be accepted at other restaurant brands owned by the same chain.

Mandara Spa at Portofino Bay Hotel offers the usual massages, facials, and pedicures, as well as exotic therapies such as the Elemis Stone Therapy (small stones placed on key energy points during your massage) and Elemis Aroma Spa Ocean Wrap with Massage (using seaweed, sage, and essential oils to wrap your body, followed by a body massage). For reservations call (407) 503-1244 .

• Check the Mandara Spa website for specials (select the Offers tab).

If you plan to book a Universal vacation package (such as the Harry Potter Vacation Package ), your travel agent can add transfers from any Walt Disney World resort to any Universal resort and between any Universal resort and the Orlando International Airport.

If you’re not booking a vacation package and only want to visit Universal for one day, the cheapest way is usually to rent a car . Often you can get a one-day rental for as little as $30 plus tax, which is usually cheaper than the other options and gives you tons more flexibility. You will have to pay the current parking charge when you get to Universal, but even with that figured in this is usually the best value (though Lyft can be pretty close, depending on where you’re staying and what kind of rental deals you can find). Driving to Universal is very easy – take I-4 East and three or four exits away there will be signs telling you to exit for Universal. Follow the signs and they will lead you directly to the parking garage. Your hotel can give you specific instructions for how to get to I-4, or there are road signs on all the major Walt Disney World routes that will direct you.

If you don’t want to rent a car, other good options are a taxi (about $30-$45 each way plus tip, depending on traffic and where you leave from) or a chartered limo, sedan, or van . Usually a chartered sedan will be fairly competitive in price with a taxi. With chartered cars you know the price up front, while the price of a ride in a taxi varies depending on traffic and the specific route the driver chooses. On the other hand, there are always taxis available immediately at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, whereas with a chartered sedan you need to schedule a time to be picked up. Most limo services will pick you up earlier or later if you find that you get tired or need more time to see everything, but it depends on them having a car and driver available.

Lyft is a viable in Orlando now, and it works fine. Cost will be around $16-$35 each way depending on where in Walt Disney World you’re coming from and which Lyft variant you select. For more information and tips, see our complete guide to using ride services (i.e. Lyft) in Orlando .

Technically, you could take the city bus . This is really cheap, but not recommended. It takes about 1.5-2 hours each way from Disney’s Transportation & Ticket Center to Universal and requires you to change buses at the Orlando Central Bus Station, which feels more than a little sketchy.

Regular Parking Prices at Universal Orlando

Check the current parking rates at Universal Orlando.

Discounts/Deals on Parking at Universal Orlando

If you leave and return on the same day, present your parking receipt and you won’t have to pay again.

Avis and Budget car rentals from the Orlando International Airport can get a FREE upgrade to Prime Parking. (Voucher required.)

Self-parking is FREE after 6:00 pm (except during Halloween Horror Nights ). This is primarily intended for those planning to eat/shop/go to a movie in CityWalk, but you can, of course, go into the theme parks if they are still open.

Power Annual Passholders get 50% off regular daytime self-parking after their first visit (except on holidays & special events) at the theme parks every day.

Preferred Annual Passholders get FREE self-parking after their first visit (except on holidays & special events) at the theme parks every day.

Premier Annual Passholders get FREE valet or Prime self-parking and FREE valet parking (except on holidays & special events) at the theme parks every day.

Universal Unlimited Express and Early Entry For Universal’s Hotel Guests

Guests staying at Universal’s hotels receive special theme park privileges:

• Guests of all official Universal Orlando hotels get early entry to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (though in the off-season sometimes only one park is opened early each day).
• Guests of the Deluxe Universal Orlando hotels (Royal Pacific Resort, Hard Rock Hotel and Portofino Bay Hotel) receive a Universal Express Pass for both main Universal Orlando theme parks (Universal Studios Orlando and Islands of Adventure).

The Universal Express Pass is a fantastic benefit that allows guests to use the Express entrance for attractions as many times as they want (for attractions that offer it, which now includes the main Harry Potter attractions). In our opinion, the Universal Express Pass feature alone is worth the extra cost of staying in one of the deluxe Universal hotels , because you to get a lot more access to the attractions in a lot less time.

While it used to be that Universal reserved the Unlimited Express Passes for the Deluxe hotel guests, now they are selling Unlimited Express Passes in limited quantities each day, allowing guests to stay anywhere they want and just pay for the Unlimited Express Pass separately (if they’re not sold out or blacked out on that day). Usually if you price it all out, it’s still cheaper for a family to stay in a Deluxe Universal resort, especially since you get one more day of Express pass than the number of nights you’re staying at the hotel (see below for more). But if it’s more convenient to stay somewhere else and you want the unlimited Express pass, check and see if they have any available for the day(s) you’ll be there.

Guests at all Universal resorts get free transportation by boat, tram, and/or bus to and from the theme parks and CityWalk, package delivery to their hotel room and use of their hotel room key card to charge purchases. Guests at deluxe Universal resorts also get priority seating at select Universal Orlando restaurants.

Guests of the Deluxe Resorts do not get special express access at Volcano Bay, but there are Volcano Bay Express Passes that can be purchased separately.

Something useful to know: if you stay one night at a deluxe Universal hotel, you actually get two days of Unlimited Express Passes . That’s because you can check into your hotel early on the first day and collect your room key and Express Pass, which you can take into the park and begin using right away. (Your room almost certainly won’t be ready that early, but the front desk will store your luggage and you can call or come back in the afternoon and get your room number.) The room key remains valid for Express Ride Access even after check-out on the second day: you can use it until the parks close that night. This works for longer stays as well: if you stay two nights, you get three days of Express Ride Access.

There are many different hotel discounts at Universal Orlando — be sure to check them out.

Buying Universal Express Pass & Universal Unlimited Express Passes Separately

Universal Express Pass

The Express Pass  gives you access to the Express entrance for each attraction that participates, though only one time per attraction. There is no need to pick up a separate pass or make a reservation for each attraction. You just show up, show the pass, and they send you through the Express line. Depending on the attraction, there still may be a wait, but it’s always substantially less than the regular line (except at off-peak times when neither line is very long). It does not include admission; you will still need a valid ticket to get into the park.

The Express Pass for one park (Universal Studios Florida  or Universal Islands of Adventure) costs an additional $85.19-$276.89 (tax included) per person per day, depending on the time of year, when purchased in advance. For two parks (Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure) the price is $95.84-$287.54, about $10 more than a one-park pass. The price varies depending on season, with peak and holiday season prices the highest (naturally). It can also be purchased at the park. Thus if you’re not sure if you’re going to need it, you can go to the park, check out the wait times, and see if you feel like it’s worth buying. However, they sell out of Express Passes during peak periods, so if you’re going when it’s busy, it’s probably worth getting the pass in advance.

There is also a separate Express Pass and Express Plus Pass for Volcano Bay, which works slightly differently ( see section below for more ).

Universal Unlimited Express Pass

The Unlimited Express Pass  is like the Express Pass, but lets you use the Express entrance for each attraction that participates as many times as you want . It used to be that the Unlimited Express Pass was only available as one of the  Universal Deluxe Resort special benefits , but Universal now makes it available as a separate daily pass for people who already have tickets or an annual pass.

The Unlimited Express Pass for a single main park (Universal Studios Florida or Universal Islands of Adventure) costs an additional $117.14-$308.84 (tax included) per person per day, depending on the time of year, when purchased in advance. For both main parks (Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure), it’s $127.79-$319.49, only about $10 more than a one-park pass. The price varies depending on season, with peak and holiday season prices the highest (naturally). It can also be purchased at the park, though they can and do sell out of these passes during high season.

Volcano Bay Express Passes

The Express Passes for Volcano Bay work a little bit differently from the Express Passes for the two main theme parks. The standard Volcano Bay Express Pass gives express access once per day to a selected group of rides (all of them except a handful that are both popular and lower capacity). The Volcano Bay Express Pass Plus gives express access once per day to all of the rides. There is no Unlimited version of the Express Pass for Volcano Bay – they’re all good for one ride per day.

The regular Volcano Bay Express Pass varies in price from $21.29-$106.49 (tax included), depending on how busy they expect the park to be. The Volcano Bay Express Pass Plus varies between $42.59-$138.44 (tax included). These prices are subject to change at any time, but in general the Plus pass costs about $20-$30 more than the regular pass.

Combo Tickets That Include Express and Unlimited Express

You can also buy a combo with a park-to-park ticket and Express or Unlimited Express . You get Express or Unlimited Express on each day you use the ticket. The first ticket day must be used on a specific day you choose in advance, but any additional visits can be used on any day in the next 14 days after that.

The combo is almost always cheaper than buying the tickets and the Express or Unlimited Express Passes separately , but for one-day tickets, the savings may be almost nonexistent. You really save the most money with the multi-day bundles. However, there may or may not be a combo available for the number of days that you plan to visit the parks, as the offers change. If one is available that works for your travel plans, compare the cost of the combo with the cost of buying the items separately to see which is the lowest.

We think the Express and Unlimited Express passes are worth the extra money only if you’re visiting at peak times, or if you know you aren’t going into the park early. If either of those apply to you, an Express Pass or Unlimited Express Pass may be worth considering. In the lowest seasons, these passes generally don’t provide that much benefit, because most of the rides in the park just don’t have long waits until the middle of the day.

For most families of 2 or more, staying in a Deluxe resort is going to be cheaper than buying an Unlimited Express pass for everyone in your family plus staying in a Moderate or Value resort, and often even cheaper than buying regular Express Passes. When doing the price comparison, remember that a one-night stay in a Universal Deluxe resort includes two days of Unlimited Express Pass.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade in Islands of Adventure puts guests inside the magical world created by J.K. Rowling in the Harry Potter books and films. The fully immersive, themed land enables guests to visit the village of Hogsmeade, the mysterious Forbidden Forest, and even Hogwarts Castle itself. You can drink butterbeer and pumpkin juice, shop for wizard merchandise, and even experience a wand selection! The theming absolutely fantastic. The village is adorable: it’s like walking right into the books. The effects in Hogwarts Castle are amazing. If you are a Harry Potter fan, it is definitely worth a half-day of your time. On a weekday in the off-season you can do and see everything in about 3 hours.

The newest attraction is Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, a freewheeling coaster flight through the Forbidden Forest aboard magical motorbikes. Another big attraction is Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, a state-of-the-art thrill ride that brings the magic, characters and stories of Harry Potter to life.

On select nights, The Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle projection show runs every 15-20 minutes. This fantastic show celebrates the four houses of Hogwarts with lights, music and pyrotechnics. There are two seasonal shows that will be shown instead: Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle is shown during Halloween and Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts is shown at Christmastime.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley  in Universal Studios Florida more than doubles the size of the area already dedicated to Harry Potter’s adventures, expanding it across both Universal theme parks. You can travel between the two areas aboard the iconic Hogwarts Express (a Park-to-Park Ticket is required to ride the Hogwarts Express).

Diagon Alley, a bustling, wizarding hub within the Muggle city of London, has shops and dining experiences. The main attraction, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, is a multi-sensory, multi-dimensional journey. You can visit Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, for all your magical joke needs; Borgin and Burkes, a shop specializing in a wide variety of Dark objects; and stop in for a meal at the Leaky Cauldron.

There is a greatly expanded Ollivanders wand shop that can handle many more people, which reduces the incredibly long lines that Ollivanders in Hogsmeade has had. The Ollivanders in Diagon Alley has exactly the same short but cute show, and it’s certainly worth seeing once, but if you’ve seen the Hogsmeade show, don’t bother with the Diagon Alley one.

At multiple times during the day several different shows are performed on a small stage in the back of Diagon Alley. A company of players will present one of two different Tales of Beedle the Bard, using bunraku-style puppets that are wonderfully detailed. And Celestina Warbeck (Mrs. Weasley’s favorite singer) performs a short set with a trio of backup singers. Both shows are well worth checking out.

Admission to either Wizarding World of Harry Potter is included with your Universal Orlando theme park admission or Annual Pass. To visit both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley on the same day and to ride the Hogwarts Express, you need a Park-to-Park Ticket or Annual Pass.

Tips and Tricks for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Tips and tricks for harry potter and the forbidden journey, tips and tricks for harry potter and the escape from gringotts, the wizarding world of harry potter vacation package.

• If you plan to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley on a weekend, holiday or other busy time period, you would be wise to get in line at the front gates of Universal Studios Florida at least an hour before the official opening time. If you visit mid-week in the off-season, lines are not too bad.
• The crowds in Hogsmeade, the original Harry Potter area in Islands of Adventure, have dropped significantly since Diagon Alley opened. During peak periods, you still may want to get there before park opening, but lines build much slower than before, and on weekdays in the off-season you can show up in the middle of the day and not wait very long for anything.
• Especially during busy time periods, you may also want to consider staying at one of the official Universal Orlando resorts . Resort guest  Unlimited Express Passes now give express access to the Forbidden Journey, Escape From Gringotts or Hogwarts Express rides, AND you get early admission (one hour prior to official opening) to either Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley (you don’t get to choose which one; there will be signs at your hotel saying which one is open early). If staying on site, it’s currently recommended that you line up outside gates of whichever park is opening early by 7:30 am for 8:00 am early admission to the park.
• Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is the newest ride in Hogsmeade, so get in line for this first.
• Ollivander’s is a very cute 5-minute show that Harry Potter fans will enjoy. (If you’re not a Harry Potter fan, just skip it completely.) Due to the show’s small capacity, the line can be very long. If you want to experience the show, try first thing in the morning. If the line is already long when you get there, wait and try again at lunchtime, or in the last hour before the park closes.
• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is the “big” ride that you don’t want to miss. See below for tips and tricks.
• Shopping – All of the shops are small and there can be long lines to get in as the crowds build. If you want a wand, the same ones sold at Dervish and Banges (which almost always has a long line to get in) are for sale at a cart near Forbidden Journey.
• Three Broomsticks/Butterbeer – If you don’t care about eating a meal in Three Broomsticks, go in during a non-mealtime and get a Butterbeer. The staff in Three Broomsticks may tell you to go out on the patio if you “only” order Butterbeer. Try to ignore those instructions, because the patio is not themed to any degree. You want to be inside, where you can enjoy the owl special effects. (Note that during non-mealtimes, it’s MUCH faster to get a Butterbeer in Three Broomsticks than to wait in the long lines at the Butterbeer carts on the street! Also, almost everyone seems to like the frozen Butterbeer better than the regular.) There can be long waits at mealtimes for Three Broomsticks during busy times of year, so if you want to eat there, either book a vacation package that includes breakfast, or try to eat at an odd hour.
• Flight of the Hippogriff – The line for this ride, which is an old ride that has been re-themed, is usually not significant. If you’re staying at one of the official Universal Orlando resorts , you’ll get access to the Express Line anyway.
• Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringotts develops long lines early, and is a signature ride you don’t want to miss, so get in line for it right away.
• Ollivander’s doesn’t develop quite as long lines in Diagon Alley as the location in Hogwarts, as they actually have up to three shows running at a time in Diagon Alley. But it’s still worth doing early to minimize the wait.
• Carkitt Market shows – All of the shows are well worth seeing, so check out the schedule and make a point to come by when they’re happening. We especially liked the Tales of Beedle the Bard, but the Celestina Warbeck show is also quite entertaining.
• Shopping and sightseeing – All the shops are worth a visit. They’ve developed a really wide variety of souvenirs and each shop has at least a few things that are unique to that location. In addition, the theming and decoration of each shop is well worth seeing. Make sure to visit the money exchange, which has an animatronic goblin who will respond to questions.
• Leaky Cauldron – Definitely go in here even if you don’t need food, and admire the amazing attention to detail. But if you are going to have lunch in the park, this is one of the better choices. The pub-style food is tasty and not wildly expensive compared to other choices at Universal.
• If you are visiting for at least two days, we recommend doing each “side” of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter on separate days, so you can visit each of them first thing in the morning, then tour the rest of either Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure for the rest of the day. Do ride the Hogwarts Express on one of the days at your leisure when the wait time is posted at 20 minutes or less, and then turn around and ride it back.
• If you have only one day and have early entry, then go to whichever side has early entry and ride the main ride(s) (either Forbidden Journey, Gringotts, or Hagrid’s Magical Creatures) and go to Ollivander’s (it’s the same show in either location). If you’re in Hogsmeade, ride the secondary ride (Flight of the Hippogriff). In either area, spend the rest of the time sightseeing until the other park opens and you can ride the Hogwarts Express to the other area, then visit the primary attractions in the second park (skipping Ollivander’s unless you want to see it twice for some reason), then explore the whole Harry Potter area at the second park, and finally ride the Hogwarts Express back to the first park to finish your sightseeing.
• If you have only one day and don’t have early entry, generally your best bet is going to be to go to Diagon Alley first and ride Gringotts, then head immediately over to Hogsmeade and ride all the rides there, starting with Forbidden Journey. Then explore Hogsmeade thoroughly and head back to Diagon Alley to finish your sightseeing.
• The single rider line for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey usually goes very fast. “Single rider” means you’re willing to fill any empty seat and not ride with the rest of your party. Everyone will get on the ride within a minute or two of each other, but you won’t ride together on the same bench. Signage is minimal for the single rider line: ask a Team Member at the beginning of the line outside the Castle.
• The single rider line bypasses the amazing Castle effects, which you will definitely want to see, but there may be a way around that. Depending on how they have the lines set up, they may be running a  “tour” line  for folks who want to see the castle interior but not ride. Ask any Team Member at the castle if the tour line is open. If it is, you can take your time, enjoy all the animations and stick around to see the multiple versions of each one. Then when you’re ready to ride, go in the single-rider line. MouseSavers.com reader Jeffrey L reports, “The normal line was 60 minutes or longer, but I took the tour and rode 3 times [in the single rider line] with almost no wait each time.”
• Lines for the lockers outside of Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey are long and cause big bottlenecks. To avoid this, try not to bring things like camera bags or day packs that will have to go in a locker. Alternatively, pay for an all-day locker at the front of the park. A small waist pack or small items (cell phone/camera/sunglasses) that you can stuff in a pocket will allow you to skip the lockers. However, if you are borderline on fitting into the seats (see below), you won’t want anything in your pockets or around your waist that could bulk you up.
• The Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey attraction has significant size restrictions . There is a minimum height requirement of 48 inches. Also, some larger-sized adults do not fit in the unusual overhead seat restraints. Seats on some cars now have modified restraints that accommodate more body types. If you are in the “obese” BMI category ( check your BMI here ), like more than 30% of American adults, you may need one of the seats with the modified restraints. People with large chests (about 48″ or more), large midsections and/or large thighs may also need to use the modified restraints. Sample seats are available at the front of the attraction and offer a “traffic light” system: red light, you can’t ride; yellow light, you can wait for one of the newly modified seats; green light, you can take any seat. If you think you may be borderline on fitting into the restraints, be sure to wear thin, stretchy clothing (synthetic workout gear is great) and put everything you’re carrying, including the contents of your pockets, into a locker before riding.
• Thanks to MouseSavers.com readers Lew C, Jeffrey L and Maria B for tips.
• The single rider line is a great option to save a lot of line waiting. “Single rider” means you’re willing to fill any empty seat and not ride with the rest of your party. Signage is minimal for the single rider line: ask a Team Member at the beginning of the line. You’ll all ride at approximately the same time, just not seated next to each other.
• You’ll need to put any backpacks or loose items like cameras in a locker . However, you can get in line first (especially if it’s in the morning and the line is snaking through the entire area) and when you get to the entrance of Gringotts ask a team member for a locker return ticket. One of your party can take the return ticket, go off with everyone’s stuff and put it in a locker, then show the ticket to the team members at the entrance, which will let them rejoin their party via the single-rider line, which runs parallel to the main queue.
• The size restrictions  on Gringotts are not quite as bad as they are on the Forbidden Journey ride, but big or tall people should ask for the back row, which has a little more leg room than the other rows in each vehicle.

Fun idea shared with us by a reader: announce your visit to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter by sending your kids a Hogwarts Acceptance Letter !

You can buy a wide variety of Harry Potter merchandise, including wands , at HarryPotterShop.com , the official online store of Harry Potter merchandise from Warner Bros.

There is a somewhat different (but overlapping) selection of merchandise (including the interactive wands that work at Universal Orlando) available from the Universal Orlando online shop . Usually when something is available from both, we find it’s a little cheaper from HarryPotterShop.com, but take a look at both just in case.

If you’re looking for Harry Potter t-shirts for your family to wear when you visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, HarryPotterShop.com  has quite a few, as does  Zazzle.com .

This EXCLUSIVE vacation package includes:

• 5-Night hotel accommodations (available at the official on-site Universal hotels* and at Universal Partner Hotels)
• 2-Park/5-Day Park-to-Park ticket^
• Early Park Admission** to experience The Wizarding World of Harry Potter !
• Breakfast at the Three Broomsticks – one per person
• Breakfast at The Leaky Cauldron – one per person
• 8 days of admission to select live entertainment venues in Universal CityWalk
• A Shutterbuttons Photo Studio session to create a moving portrait, also includes a DVD photo album
• A themed Keepsake Box that includes a welcome letter, travel planning guide, luggage tags (one per person) and a Hogwarts Railways lanyard (one per person)

Note that this package offers the ONLY way to reserve breakfast at the Three Broomsticks, minimizing time in line. (Three Broomsticks is a counter-service restaurant at lunch and dinner, and lines can be long!)

4-Night minimum stay required. Travel must be completed by 12/31/24.

*If you stay at one of the official on-site Deluxe Universal hotels, you’ll get an  Express Pass to most rides .

^The 5-Day Park-to-Park Base Ticket entitles one guest admission to 2 Universal parks (Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure) on the same day for the duration of ticket. Ticket is valid for any five calendar days during a seven consecutive calendar day period which includes the first day any portion of the ticket is used during normal operating hours. Unused days will be forfeited. Ticket excludes parking, discounts on food and merchandise, and separately ticketed events. Additional restrictions may apply which are subject to change without notice.

**Early Park Admission begins one hour prior to regular scheduled park opening at one Universal Orlando theme park. Valid at selection attractions at each park.

• Request a price quote from Small World Vacations  and a Small World Vacations agent will get back to you, usually within one business day!

Please contact them at least 21 days in advance of your trip (45 days for international visitors). The Harry Potter package can also be booked as an add-on to a Walt Disney World package. Read more about booking a combination Universal Orlando & Walt Disney World vacation.

Rock the Universe

Mardi gras at universal orlando, halloween horror nights, holidays at universal orlando, new year’s eve at universal orlando.

Overall Notes:

• Most events happen every year, so for annual events (or new events that we assume will become annual) we leave the information in place after the event is over, so you can see the time of year the event happens and what it was like the year before.
• Information on events that have already happened are colored gray. Once we get details about the next occurrence of that event, we update our information and change the text to black again.
• You can also take a look at the Universal Orlando’s seasonal events page to see current and upcoming special events.

In 2024, Rock the Universe was held January 26-27.

Rock the Universe is an after-hours event at Universal Studios and requires separate admission. Contemporary Christian music acts perform on three different stages for two nights. Select rides and attractions will be open throughout each night. There are also autograph sessions where you can meet some of the performers. On Saturday evening at 11:45 pm there is a special Saturday Ceremony performed by one of the headline performers.

2024 Rock the Universe Regular Ticket Prices

There are 2 types of tickets for this event. Event-only tickets allow you to enter Universal Studios after 4 pm and also attend the event. Rock Your Weekend tickets give you admission to the theme parks during the day (1 park per day and park-to-park tickets are available) and admission to Rock the Universe in the evening.

2024 Tickets prices, tax included are:

• 1-night Rock the Universe ticket: $89.45
• 2-night Rock the Universe ticket: $133.11
• 2-Park or 3-Park Rock Your Weekend Base Ticket (1 park per day): $160.80
• 2-Park or 3-Park Rock Your Weekend Park-to-Park Ticket: $208.73
• You can add a Rock the Universe Express Pass After 4 pm – One Time Per Ride for an additional $31.94
• You can add a Rock the Universe Express Pass After 4 pm – Unlimited Times Per Ride for an additional $42.59

These tickets are only good for the Rock the Universe Weekend dates. Annual Passes and Complimentary passes are not valid for this event. Groups of 10 or more receive a discount on tickets, one FREE ticket for every 10 purchased and and access to Youth leader lounges with complimentary snacks and/or refreshments.

• For more information about Rock the Universe and a list of performers, go to the Universal Orlando Rock the Universe page .

In 2024, Mardi Gras at Universal Studios was offered every night February 3 – April 7.

The main attraction during Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando is an evening parade, with floats, street performers, stilt walkers and dancers. Beads are thrown to the crowd at this family-friendly event. During the Mardi Gras parade, most or all of the attractions are closed. 

On select nights there will be a concert on the Music Plaza Stage in Universal Studios. There may also be live performances in the French Quarter Courtyard and Cajun food is available for purchase.

Mardi Gras festivities are included in the regular price of admission to the park.

• For more information about Mardi Gras, go to the Universal Orlando Mardi Gras page .

In 2024, Halloween Horror Nights will be held select nights August 30 – November 3.

Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) is an after-hours event at Universal Orlando that is held on select nights in late Fall, including Halloween night. This is a scary event that is NOT appropriate for young children — we would not recommend taking a child under 12. It includes gruesome displays, actors with chainsaws and other intense stuff, in addition to haunted houses and a creepy parade. Park guests are not allowed to wear costumes. 

2024 Halloween Horror Nights Regular Ticket Prices

Specific date single night ticket prices start at $85.19, tax included, when purchased in advance.

Advance purchase single night ticket prices, tax included, are:

• $88.38 for September 4, 5, 8, 11, 12, 15, 18, 19, 25, 26; October 2
• $91.58 for September 22, 29; October 3
• $93.71 for October 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30, 31
• $99.03 for September 6; October 13, 20, 27
• $102.23 for September 13, 20, 27
• $104.36 for November 1
• $109.68 for August 30; October 4, 6, 11, 18, 25
• $113.94 for August 31; September 1, 7, 14, 21, 28
• $115.01 for November 2
• $125.66 for October 5
• $130.98 for October 12, 19, 26

Halloween Horror Nights requires separate admission. This event frequently sells out.

2024 Halloween Horror Nights Express Pass costs $138.44 – $255.59, tax included, depending on the date. This add-on allows you to skip the lines one time at all haunted houses and participating rides and attractions during HHN. Please note: this add-on does not include admission to HHN.

• Undercover Tourist sells HHN tickets at a discount . This ticket broker is completely reliable, prices include tax and shipping is FREE. If you’d like to know more, take a look at  why we recommend Undercover Tourist .
• For more information or to purchase tickets to Halloween Horror Nights, go to the Universal Orlando Halloween Horror Nights page .

In 2023, Holidays at Universal were held November 17 through December 31, 2023.

Holiday events at Universal Orlando include the music and festivities of “Grinchmas” as Seuss Landing in Universal’s Islands of Adventure is transformed into a wintry wonderland. Enjoy the “Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular,” a live retelling of Dr. Seuss’s holiday classic, the Wonky Tree Lot, strolling Whos, and a chance to get your picture taken with the mean green one himself. The Universal’s Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s takes place in Universal Studios Florida, with floats and balloons, along with characters like the Minions from Despicable Me , DreamWorks characters from Madagascar and Shrek – and even Santa Claus.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter also celebrates the magic of Christmas. Diagon Alley and London have festive décor and special holiday treats and drinks. King’s Cross Station features buskers singing holiday favorites and Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees have a special show prepared just for the occasion. Hogsmeade shops are decorated with garland and lights. The Frog Choir sings seasonal melodies and there are special treats and drinks available. At night, a special projection show, The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle, transforms the castle and brings memorable Christmas moments from the Harry Potter series to life.

In-park holiday events are included with your regular Universal admission.

There is a Holiday Tree Hunt scavenger hunt. Use the Holiday Tree Hunt brochure to find themed holiday trees in Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Universal CityWalk and get a stamp in your brochure for each one you find. The Holiday Tree Hunt brochure can be purchased for $10.60, tax included, at select merchandise locations (while supplies last). Bring the brochure to one of the designated locations and exchange it for a holiday ornament. You do not need to obtain any tree stamps to exchange the brochure for an ornament. 

If you stay at one of the  official Universal Orlando resort hotels , you will be immersed in the spirit of the season including Christmas tree lighting ceremonies, visits from Santa and Hanukkah candle lightings, holiday crafts and more. There are special menus for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. There are also special meals for the holidays which may require a ticket. 

• For more information about Holiday at Universal, go to the Holidays at Universal Orlando page .

On December 31, 2023, New Year’s Eve was celebrated in Universal Studios Florida, Universal Island of Adventure and Universal CityWalk. Both parks were open through midnight that night. These celebrations were included with theme park admission.