Things to Know About Universal Orlando
Heading to Universal Orlando Resort this summer? We’re here to help with our top 10 list of things to know before you go.
We absolutely love Universal Studios and Universal’s Islands of Adventure in Orlando Florida.
So, we want to make sure that you get the most enjoyable experience possible from your visit – that’s why we have these top tips for you.
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1. You will Need Both Park Tickets to Transfer Between Universal Orlando Parks
If you are planning on transferring from Universal Studios Orlando and Islands of Adventure, the easiest way is the catch the Hogwarts Express.
Just like Harry Potter in the series, you can catch the Hogwarts Express from Hogsmeade Station in Islands of Adventure or Diagon Alley in Universal Studios.
But, bear in mind that you will need tickets to both theme parks in order to transfer between Universal Orlando theme parks.
How Do I Catch the Hogwarts Express at Universal?
It works in pretty much the same way as riding any of the rides.
Simply present your ticket to the person at the entrance, they scan your (valid) park ticket, and then you just head into the queue.
It is well worth doing this ride if you are a fan of the Harry Potter books and film series.
It’s a real immersive experience that will make you feel that you are right in the middle of the wizarding world.
No spoilers here though of course!
2. Download the Universal Orlando App
Next on our ‘things to know before heading to Universal’ list is: downloading the Universal Orlando app.
The Universal app has a few really useful functions that will enhance your experience within the park.
Firstly, you can add your park tickets to the app.
This might seem slightly trivial but adding your tickets to the Universal Orlando app is something we always do.
It means that you don’t need to have physical tickets or print-outs of the tickets with you all day long.
From experience, these printed tickets often get damaged or (almost certainly) wet on Universal’s water rides.
Also speaking from experience, Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges in Islands of Adventure will get you absolutely soaking wet.
Keeping your ticket on the app is also useful when it comes to our next item on our list – lockers.
Can I Check Wait Times Using the Universal App?
Yes, the Universal Orlando App allows you to check the current stand-by line wait times for rides.
Simply open up the app, hit the map icon at the bottom of the page, and select your current park.
This will then open up rides and wait times. In this way, the app makes it quite easy to plan your day and prioritise which attractions you want to prioritise throughout the day.
Can I use the Universal App to Book a Table?
Yes! You can reserve a table at restaurants throughout the Universal Orlando theme parks. The app also allows your to order food to your table.
Just scroll through the food and drink options, enter your table number, pay, and wait for it to be handed to you.
We recently used it at Illumination’s Minion Cafe – which is definitely one of the best restaurants in the two parks for food quality.
Attraction Experiences
You’ll also need to register on the app to make the most of rides such as Villain Con in Universal Studios.
Using the app on Villain Con allows you to keep score and battle to be top dog amongst your friends and family groups.
Plus, for 2025, you’re now able to unlock spells and quests in both the current parks and in the new Harry Potter area at EPIC Universe.
3. Using Ride Lockers at Universal Orlando
Next up on our list of things to know before heading to the Universal Orlando Parks for the first time: Ride Lockers.
Look out for lockers next to some rides as you will need to place your loose articles into them before getting into the queue.
In fact, this goes for the vast majority of the rides at both parks and is taken very seriously.
The big thrill rides such as Hulk even have a metal detector in the early part of the line that you have to pass through before riding.
If you have something in your pockets, you’ll have to empty them and go back to the very start.
It should be noted that Velocicoaster has its locker station within the ride queue itself. It’s a similar situation to rides such as Tron at Magic Kingdom (IYKYK).
How Do You Activate Your Locker?
To activate your locker, you’ll need to scan your park ticket on the scanner provided.
Just scan and one will pop open.
Scan again to retrieve your items once you have finished on the ride.
This is handy system as it means you don’t have to remember your locker number!
There are different sized lockers, the smaller ones are free for the duration of the ride, larger lockers carry a rental cost.
This was 2 dollars at the time of writing but as with everything, it is likely to increase in the future.
Either way, it’s a good idea to pack light or your day at Universal Studios and Universal Islands of Adventure.
Top Tip: Tanith wears a small bumbag (or fanny pack for our American visitors) which can be worn on rides.
This is an easy way to ensure you can keep your phone / ticket on you.
We’ve heard that at Epic Universe there will be a face recognition system for opening lockers, which sounds very cool.
4. Take Advantage of the Freestyle Refills
For us, this is one of the most important tips we have.
BUY THE REFILLABLE FREESTYLE CUP.
If you are planning on visiting one or both of the Universal Orlando Parks all day, it will save you a fortune in buying soft drinks.
A single fountain soda drink will set you back around $5, so the refill cups are the way to go if you’re planning on spending the day at the parks.
Coming in at $18.99 plus tax, these can be refilled an unlimited amount of times at the Coca Cola Freestyle stations.
Some of kiosks also allow refills too, so keep an eye out for them throughout the parks.
Refill cups can be used in both parks AND Volcano Bay. But, bear in mind that you do have to wait a minimum of ten minutes between refills.
They have various different designs to choose from – particularly at event times such as Halloween Horror Nights or Mardi Gras.
Can I Use My Universal Freestyle Cup Again?
Yes, you can bring your cup into the park forever, but the drinks are only unlimited ON THE DAY of purchase.
If you visit again during your holiday, you will need to reactivate the chip by visiting a kiosk. The cost for full-day refills is $10.99 plus tax after day of purchase.
There doesn’t seem to be a way of tricking those pesky machines.
Obviously, you can still get free refills on water at any point, because it’s so important to stay hydrated, especially during the summer.
Be aware though, if you’re staying at a Universal Orlando Resort hotels your in-park refillable drink will not work at the hotel.
Hotels have their own refillable drinks system that is separate to the parks.
5. You Have to Catch a Bus / Coach to Volcano Bay
When we first starting going to Volcano Bay, this one tripped us up.
Volcano Bay is Universal’s Water Park – as the name suggests it’s the one with a Giant Volcano in the middle that can be seen from the surrounding areas.
It’s located a short distance from the two Universal parks and city walk.
We spent a good 15 minutes trying to figure out why we couldn’t just get an Uber / Lfyt to Volcano Bay.
If only we had this article to help us!
The truth is, you will not be able to drive up to Volcano Bay OR get an Uber / Lyft to the water park.
To get there, go to the central bus station (near the parking garage and before security) and pick up a bus to and from the water park.
The pick up bay will be clearly sign posted and the coach arrives and departs frequently throughout the day.
6. The Parking Charges are Expensive
As with all of the Orlando Theme parks, parking is pretty expensive.
When we wrote this article in 2025, the standard / regular self parking charge was $32 (inc. tax) for non-annual pass holders.
This really begin to add up throughout your holiday, especially if you planning to hit them all hard.
How Long Does Parking Last at Universal Orlando?
Parking lasts for the whole day and you will be parked up in their massive multi story car park.
Each section of the carpark has its own theme based on Universal movies of the past including Jurassic Park, King Kong, and E.T – amongst others.
Top Tip: If you are staying in and around the area – such as on International Drive, it might be worth getting a taxi to Universal.
It usually works out cheaper than parking for the day and you can then enjoy a drink or two at one of the bars on City Walk!
The rideshare point is located on the highest floor of the parking garage in the Jurassic Park section.
From there, it’s just a short walk down a couple of sets of escalators and on towards City Walk.
7. Early Park Access for Universal Hotel Guests
Staying at one of the Universal Hotels can be pretty expensive compared to some of the budget options in and around Orlando.
However, one of the main perks to staying at one of the Universal Resort hotels is early access into a nominated park.
Early access means that you get entry into one of the Universal Parks 1 hour before general entry.
So, you can head to and cross off some of the more popular rides such as Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure or Velocicoaster.
Incidentally, if you want to ride along on these rides, we have some POV footage of both on Universal Vlog here >>
The park offering early entry does change regularly.
You have to keep an eye on the Universal Orlando website or just ask one of the friendly people at the hotel reception.
Guests staying at one of the Universal properties also have access to their free shuttle services.
This might mean you can do away with hiring a car and make the hotel stay more budget-friendly. This obviously depends on what you are planning to do while in Florida.
The free shuttle drops you off right by the security station at City Walk.
Which brings us onto number 8
8. The Security Checkpoint at Universal Orlando
Something to know before you go to Universal: you will need to pass through a huge security checkpoint.
This is located just after the parking garage and at the top of the escalators from the bus station.
Basically, it resembles airport security where your bags will need to pass through a scanner, and you will go through a metal detector.
On busy days, this area can get SERIOUSLY crowded, so do allow extra time to make it through this section and be patient.
As always, our advice is to pack as lightly as possible for days at the Universal Orlando parks.
This will help get you through security and in line for the rides as quickly as possible!
9. Buy an Interactive Wand
This is an absolute must for any Harry Potter fans – seriously buy an interactive wand.
Yes, they are expensive but they enhance your experience of the wizarding world sections of the two parks in Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley.
The regular Gen 1 Interactive wands are $65 plus tax. They will work just fine throughout the wizarding world.
New for 2025 are the Gen 2 Interactive Wands – these are $85 plus tax.
These interactive wands offer an enhanced spellcasting experience with features like illumination effects, haptic vibrations, and Universal Play integration.
We’re going to write a piece about the differences between the two after we visit Universal Orlando again in June 2025, and we road test the new wand.
Why Buy a Wand at Universal Orlando?
With so many wand interactions to choose from, you might find yourself spending more time in wizard training than riding the rides!
There are a total of 30 wand magic locations in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando. This includes 14 in the Ministry of Magic at Epic Universe and 5 new locations in Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley.
We recommend this and it is an ideal side-quest to your day when the ride lines are huge or you’re looking to kill some time.
The sense of accomplishment when you actually get the spell to work is 100% real.
Wands can be picked up from many shops throughout the parks.
Particularly in the wizarding world, however nothing beats getting your wand from Olivander’s Wand Shop.
Inside, you’ll see a ‘wand choosing a wizard’ in an experience. This replicates Harry Potter’s first trip to Oliverander’s in the Philosopher’s Stone movie.
Very cool, recommend it.
More Harry Potter-Related Content
Anyone who regularly reads this blog knows what ‘Potter Heads’ we are.
So, if you are interested in checking out more Harry Potter-related content give these a try:
Harry Potter Studio Tour, London
Harry Potter Filming Locations in Gloucester Cathedral
Harry Potter Filming Locations in Lacock
10. Single Rider Lines are Available
Lastly, one for our solo travellers to Universal Orlando
There are single rider lines for many of the rides through the two parks.
Rip Ride Rockit and Hulk are two that spring to mind straight away, so look out for them.
Single rider lines can save you a lot of time vs. the regular stand-by lines. Obviously can be a god-send for people that are visiting on their own.
Couple of things to note here though. Firstly, when they say single riders, they mean single riders. Fine to keep each other company in the line, but you won’t ride together.
Secondly, they aren’t always open.
Particularly on quieter days or if the line hasn’t got a long wait time, they’ll keep it closed.
That’s All For Now
We hope you enjoyed this article and found it useful.
Of course, have a wonderful time at Universal Orlando – we always do!
If you have your own recommendations – please feel free to add them in the comment section.
And of course, if you liked this article, let us know in the comments.
If you would enjoy seeing more of our adventures, please do check out more weekend ideas on our blog or head over to YouTube and subscribe.
You can also check out more Florida content including our Universal blog, Discovery Cove, Busch Gardens, and Kennedy Space Center.
2 responses to “Universal Orlando: Things to Know Before you Go”
Great tips! This will come in really handy for our 1st ever trip to Orlando. The tip about getting to Volcano Bay is very helpful.
Thank you! Hope you have a wonderful time at Universal Orlando!