What to Do at Universal Studios

Image Credit: Matt Handle

Updated based on a new visit Oct. 5, 2018.

Having done Disney World multiple times (and written about it), we decided to change things up this summer and took the kids to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure instead. As with just about all things in life, we learn through trial and error. I thought I’d offer some advice to those that follow in our footsteps so you can get the most out of the park(s) without making some of the same mistakes we made.

Your first decision will be which of the two parks to choose or to splurge on both. We chose to do both but that’s not cheap. If you don’t want to pay for both, I’d suggest sticking with Universal Studios if your kids are under 10 or going with Islands of Adventure if they’re over that age. If they’re big Harry Potter fans, you have a dilemma. The folks that run these parks aren’t dumb. The Potter rides are split between the two parks and the Hogwarts Express train (very cool) is only available to those that pay for both. This is what sold us on buying the two-park ticket. My seven-year-old is a Harry Potter fanatic. I wasn’t going to get away with skipping any of his favorite stuff.

Your other ticketing decisions will be related to their Universal Express options. Like Disney’s FastPass, you can pay extra to get much shorter lines for most of the rides. As much as I dislike paying even more for tickets than the current $179 one-day multi-park pass price, I highly encourage you to buy the Express option. There’s just no way to ride all of the rides in 10+ hours without it. The lines aren’t quite as bad as Disney World, but they’re still brutal. We've visited on both a weekend and a weekday and we still had to skip a couple rides even with Express both times exploring the 200+ acres of parks. What I don’t recommend is the Unlimited Express. Unlimited allows you to skip ahead in the lines as many times as you like per ride. This sounds good, but if you want to ride the majority of the rides, you just won’t have time to take advantage of this perk. If you’re set on riding as many of the attractions as possible, it’s cheaper to just purchase the one-time Express option.

One other thing to note is that both of these parks offer a fantastic option for parents of children that are two small or too scared to ride on some rides that their parents or siblings want to enjoy. Child Swap allows one parent to sit in a waiting room with their child near the front of each line while the other parent/children ride. Then the riding parent can swap with the waiting parent afterward without the waiting parent having to stand in line again. We took advantage of this on our first trip when our youngest was only four years old on a few of the bigger rides and considered it a huge benefit.

Now, what to wear and bring with you. If you go during summer break or really any time before Halloween, it’s going to be hot in Orlando. REALLY hot. Bring sunscreen, wear light-colored clothes, the skimpier the better, and wear a hat. Sunglasses are a good idea too. None of those tips are all that unique, but one that might be is to also consider bringing a change of clothes in a small bag. Two of Islands of Adventure’s best rides, Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls and Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges will absolutely soak you. I’m not just talking wet. I’m talking clothes sopping wet from hat to socks. Walking around like that is miserable and the $5 People Dryers don’t really do squat. Save your money on those and just bring something to change into.  Traipsing around for miles in squishy socks is a bummer. You might also consider bringing along some snacks and water in that bag. Like all parks, those things are really expensive inside.

Ok, you’ve packed the proper gear, gotten through security, emptied your wallet at the ticket counter, and you’re finally inside the gates. Now what? I can’t speak to the shows. We skipped them all. Remember, we still didn’t manage to ride all the rides in 10 hours. Plan your time wisely! Here's my advice on what to ride and what to skip:

Universal Studios to Ride:

Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit

Revenge of the Mummy
Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon

The Simpsons Ride

Hogwarts Express

Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster
Kang & Todos' Twirl 'n' Hurl

Universal Studios to Skip:
Transformers: The Ride-3D
Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem
Men in Black: Alien Attack
Shrek 4-D
Fast & Furious: Supercharged
E.T. Adventure

Islands of Adventure to Ride:

The Incredible Hulk Coaster
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Dragon Challenge - now closed 

Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls
Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges
Flight of the Hippogriff
Doctor Doom’s Fearfall

Jurassic Park River Adventure
Pteranodon Flyers (children only)

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-man

Skull Island: Reign of Kong

Islands of Adventure to Skip:
Storm Force Accelatron
The Cat in the Hat
The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
Caro-Seuss-el

Image Credit: Matt Handle

We really enjoyed both our visits and I’m betting we’ll be back for a third trip sometime in the next few years. If you've been there recently or decide to visit soon, I hope you'll post a comment telling me what your favorite rides were!

Disney World Ride Rankings

Image Credit: Disney

I took the family on yet another trip to Disney World this past week. Now that I'm back, I thought I'd provide some guidance to park newbies. I'll start off by saying that the park is just as magical for little kids as the commercials make it out to be. Anyone taking kids under age 13 or so are just about sure to make some good memories. That said, from the very moment you reach the entry gate traffic, you might find Disney World to be a bit daunting. The place is huge. The place is packed. And the place is expensive. So in an effort to ease some of the confusion you're likely to feel as you make your way through the throngs toward the monorail, here is my short guide to the park including a ranking of every ride, from the gotta-ride-it to the meh-I'll-skip it.

First, the dress code. No matter how cute you dress your kid, they're going to want you to buy them a shirt, hat, or both at one of the park's dozens of shops. Then they're going to insist on immediately changing into that new item. It's an unwritten rule. Also, teen to grown men wear baseball caps and teen to grown women wear booty shorts. Hey, I don't write these rules, I just report them.

Next, the employees. Almost all of them are friendly, helpful, and smiling. The exception to this rule is the stroller police. I suspect this is the assignment given to the buttholes that are on their way to being fired for poor soft skills but haven’t quite gotten kicked off payroll yet.

Then, the grounds themselves. Awesome. There's so much to look at and do, the day flies by and your kids are never bored.

And lastly, FastPass. It's the biggest negative in the Disney experience in my opinion. Watching people skip you in line because they paid more sucks. Especially after paying the standard (and steep) $99-105 to get in. They might as well label the “Stand-By” wait lines “Plebe” lines instead. If you can afford to chip in another $30 for the FastPass, do it. Sure, it's robbery, but some of the wait lines are brutal and your kids will complain bitterly about being passed over by those that paid more.

Now, onto the rides from my least favorite to the best…

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – Even spending 11 hours in the park, I still didn't manage to ride this one. I kinda dig Tigger so I'll try to catch this one next time around.

Astro Orbiter – This is the other ride I didn't get a chance to try. Next time!

Stitch's Great Escape – I'm not even sure this one belongs on the list as it's really more of a show than a ride, but it has a height requirement so I included it. Regardless, it's lame. I've never seen the Lilo & Stitch movie, but if it's anything like this attraction, I'm glad I've managed to avoid it.

Prince Charming Regal Carrousel – It's a carousel. You can find them in half your city's shopping malls these days.

Carousel of Progress – This one is also more of a show than a ride, but I include it because Walt Disney himself played a significant role in its design and that alone is reason enough to check it out. They really ought to rename it “Carousel of History” at this point. It's a kitchy look at Walt's view of the past and potential future circa 1964.

Mad Tea Party – After walking for hours in the scorching Orlando sun eating nothing but fried foods and sugary soft drinks, what better way to relax than spinning in circles?

Under the Sea – Even my little girl was less than impressed and she liked the movie.

Dumbo the Flying Elephant – This one lets you fly around in slow circles while you decide on which better ride you want to try next.

Walt Disney World Railroad – Similar to the PeopleMover but longer and louder.

Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover – This is just a relaxing ride around part of the park as you take in the view from above the attractions.

It's a Small World – Bigger kids don't like this one much, but it's a nostalgic boat trip through our world cultures as Disney wishes they were. Cute, friendly, and conflict free. 

Peter Pan's Flight – I don't understand why this one so often has a massive wait line, but it's a cute little flying tour of J.M. Barrie's version of London.

Magic Carpets of Aladdin – This is essentially just a variation on the Dumbo ride, but for some reason, I like it much better. Maybe it's the music.

Haunted Mansion – Sure, even my three year old isn't scared by this ride, but it's still fun and on hot days, the air conditioning is a welcome respite.

Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin – This ride is a Toy Story themed moving shooting gallery. Kids love this one.

Tomorrowland Speedway – It's race cars on a long winding track at a speed that's safe enough to let your little one take the wheel.

Jungle Cruise – This slow boat ride through animatronic jungle animals and natives is full of bad puns from the tour guides but I bet you laugh at least once.

Pirates of the Caribbean – This one is currently closed. I suspect they're updating it based on the newer film entries, but based on past experience, I still consider this ride one of the park's best. It's a boat tour through pirate ship battles, sing-alongs, and general sea-faring mayhem.

Barnstormer – This little roller coaster is a blast. Too bad it's so short!

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – A fun roller coaster that's a bit rougher than the Mine Train and Space Mountain offerings.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – This junior roller coaster is the park's newest ride. It's a great addition but you'll want to go early in the morning or late at night to avoid the long lines.

Space Mountain – Before this most recent trip, Space Mountain was my favorite ride. It's a nearly-pitch black indoor roller coaster and probably the scariest ride in the park. This time around though, the posted 25 minute wait turned out to be 70 minutes. And the line offers no way to turn back and leave. After a hot, sweaty, claustrophobic hour plus, I walked away much less of a fan.

Splash Mountain – My new favorite ride in the park. Brer Rabbit and pals are fun and the big, wet drop at the end of this one is always refreshing.