Universal Orlando is a great destination to visit with your family as it has something for everyone. You will never hear even the most choosy member of your clan complain.
People always ask me what they should do at the park, so I thought I’d write an article for you and any of your friends who might be planning a family vacation to Orlando!
As a part of the Family Forward bloggers, we get the inside scoop about what’s new and what is coming soon. I hope you enjoy this list of exciting things to do at Universal Orlando. Learn about some new attractions and also things that my family enjoys the best.
To help those who have already traveled to Universal Orlando, I’ll start with what’s new to the park and what I’m personally most excited to tell you about! I hope you enjoy these family vacation travel tips.
1. Get a Milk Shake at Toothsome Chocolate Emporium
For an extraordinary meal, you have to visit Toothsome Chocolate Emporium! Not only do they serve desserts to top all others, but also have delicious savory dishes. This new 19th century themed restaurant is right outside the park entrance in CityWalk.
Even if you don’t have time to eat a meal here, I recommend popping in to try one of their fantastic shakes. You’ll be amazed by these treats that are full to the brim with homemade whipped cream, sprinkles, syrup and even a cupcake or brownie depending on which flavor you choose. I loved them all, but my favorite was the banana split shake topped with a whole chocolate banana!
2. Visit Volcano Bay (coming 2017)
Friends, I can’t wait to go back to Orlando next year to visit Universal Orlando’s new Volcano Bay water park! We got a chance to talk with one of the designers of the brand new park being built right now near the Cabana Bay Resort.
You have to check out it here for more details. IT WILL BE AMAZING!
3. Do the VIP Experience
Before you start planning your Universal Orlando trip, I would highly recommend looking into the VIP Experience. If you can afford it, DO IT. I can’t say enough great things about this service. Being able to skip ALL of the lines with your very own tour guide is so worth it. Ride all of the rides in the first half of your day, and then enjoy the park at your own pace. New this year is a fantastic lunch!
Bonus, your guide is always there to hold your bags during rides and take your family photos! We have done the VIP Experience two years in a row now and absolutely love it. Here we are with Jill from Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons and her sweet family.
Here’s what you get with VIP:
- Priority Front of the Line Access to all rides and attractions including The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man®, TRANSFORMERS: The Ride-3D and all of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ attractions and experiences.
- Exclusive Behind the Scenes Tours
- Complimentary Valet Parking (1 Vehicle, Based on Availability)
- Continental Breakfast to start your day
- Reserved Seating at shows* and special viewing areas at Universal’s Superstar Parade®
- Tours are date and time specific.
- Lunch at one of Universal Orlando’s 50+ dining venues.
4. Ride the NEW Incredible Hulk Roller Coaster!
This newly designed super fast roller coaster is so fun! My daughter begged to ride it over and over again. It was definitely her favorite ride!
As for me, my favorite outdoor roller coaster is the Dragon Challenge in Hogsmeade. Siena was finally tall enough to ride it this year. She was so happy! Make sure to ride in the front row at least once. It’s like you are flying and so cool!
Our other family favorite rides are:
- The Revenge of the Mummy – Hands down… this is my favorite indoor ride!!! We always ride this at least 3 times!
- Skull Island: Reign of Kong – Fun for anyone in the family. Even my husband who can’t ride roller coasters, did it.
- Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts – This is SO fun and worth the wait!
- The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man – A classic 4-D ride that will have your kids wanting to go again and again.
- Jurassic Park River Adventure – Just know you WILL get wet. Be sure to meet a dinosaur while you’re there!
- Despicable Me Minion Mayhem – This is one of the cutest rides in the park. If you get dizzy easy, don’t do the 3-D glasses.
5. Do the Wand Experience in Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley.
For Harry Potter fans, getting an interactive wand is a must! Before you purchase a wand, make sure to do the wand experience. Your little one might get chosen as the wizard in the show! Then you’ll be whisked away to buy their wand, that of course chose them. We didn’t know about this the first year and had already bought our kid’s wands before doing the experience. Now you know!
6. Enjoy the Famous Butterbeer
While you are visiting one of the Wizarding Worlds of Harry Potter, you must make time time to enjoy some butterbeer! It’s very sweet, so one cup might be enough for two people to split. They have the best butterbeer ice cream in Diagon Alley. I highly recommend visiting the ice cream shop to try it.
7. Meet the Characters
My kids have always LOVED meeting characters and getting autographs. If they had to choose between meeting a Minion or a ride, I’m not sure which they would want to do first? From super heroes to your favorite comic book characters, there is someone fun to meet for both kids and adults! What I love about Universal Orlando is the characters are very easy to find and there are often short to no lines.
My daughter’s favorite character is Sponge Bob. He’s hilarious and since we had such a great time meeting him, I brought this photo home. Even though were soaked from the rain, it’s now framed in our home to remember our fabulous time!
8. Go to The Horror Make Up Show
While at Universal Orlando, you must visit one of the shows. Since my husband can’t ride roller coasters, we do a lot of shows. His favorite is The Horror Make Up Show. It’s basically a comedy show with a theme around Hollywood horror movie make up. The actors are hilarious and even though I’ve seen it several times, I still laugh out loud every time!
I’d recommend getting their early to sit close to the front. I won’t spoil the fun by telling you the reason why… you’ll just have to trust me. This is a can’t miss entertaining show!
9. Explore Knockturn Alley
Experience the darker side of magic in Knockturn Alley! We could spend hours in this creepy and fun area of Diagon Alley. It’s especially great when you’re hot and need a break from the sun. It’s by far our favorite area to explore… we must be dark wizards!
10. Make Moving Photos at Shutterbutton’s
We didn’t have time to do this, but my friends did and it’s such a fun keepsake! You can create your own moving photographs just like in the Harry Potter world at Shutterbutton’s located in Diagon Alley next to Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions. Check out this video…
Thanks to Universal Orlando and Family Forward for showing us the BEST time ever! Are you a blogger? Make sure to follow Family Forward to find out about their next retreat.
Photo Credits: Amy Locurto and Melinda Johnson from Melinda Jae Photography.
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