TRAVEL
UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT CONT .
FIRST STOP …
Universal Studios Florida
Think of your favourite movie , the kids ’ favourite TV shows and then , with some Hollywood magic , bring them together in a miraculous combination of rides , shows and parades in one insanely brilliant place , and you ’ ll be just about a fraction of the way there to imagining what ’ s on offer here . Throw in a real life Hogwarts Express™ steam train , a firebreathing dragon , moving velociraptors , a can of Duff beer , and the thrill of walking through in-reallife film / TV sets , and you ’ ll be getting closer to a day at Universal Studios , Florida !
Zoned into easy to recognise TV / movie favourites , the park is easy to navigate and offers a good mix of thrill-seeking roller coasters alongside child-friendly ride ons , character meet and greets , some live action shows and an eclectic mix of eating and drinking options , all with a little theme of course .
Now the biggest top tip for a trip here is to get to the fun faster with the Universal Express Unlimited Pass . With the exception of just a couple of rides , this fast pass offering is by far the best we have ever experienced . With separate Express Pass entrances you simply skip the standard queues at most of your favourite rides and attractions , including both lands of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ , without the need for a degree in navigating pre park opening booking systems , complicating time slot bookings , or downloading apps ! Simply walk up , tap , and enter - it is frankly brilliant and utterly worth the upgrade cost to your standard park tickets .
With Potterhead children and exclusive early access it made perfect sense for us to begin our day at
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ - and it is AMAZING ! At Universal Studios you ’ ll find yourself right in the action of Diagon Alley™ where , alongside finding your wand at Ollivanders ( and then using it to cast spells throughout the park !) you ’ ll find a real fire-breathing dragon , whose flames reach an astonishing 1960 º C !, guarding the entrance to Gringotts . At Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts™ you ’ ll journey deep underground to board a multi-dimensional thrill ride , navigating the perilous subterranean vaults to encounter Harry , Ron and Hermoine . But beware ! You ’ ll need to evade the wrath of Voldemort™ , Bellatrix , trolls and more as you bid for a safe return to Diagon Alley™ - and this one was even suitable for the smallest Ready - who loved the rides , the characters and , of course , that dragon !
Now , from here you have two options , stay at Universal Studios and explore more or , wait for it , board the Hogwarts™ Express to nip across to Islands of Adventure !
Yes , that ’ s right you can travel from King ’ s Cross Station right across to Hogsmeade™ and each way is a different adventure ; delight in the thrill of walking through Platform 9 3 / 4™ as well as seeing characters and creatures from the films ! We decided to come back later in the day for this one and also made sure we made the return journey too , you will need park to park tickets to enjoy this ride .
Back in the heart of the action of Universal Studios Florida , our smallest minion was enroute to find his people , well if people were small yellow creatures of mayhem of course … Want to be a Minion too ? Then head straight for Despicable Me Minion Mayhem™ to join Gru , his daughters and those mischievous Minions for an unpredictable ride which is great for all ages .
From here it was an easy walk to the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit™ a large roller coaster with a musical twist , a rendezvous with Megatron on TRANSFORMERS : The Ride-3D , a whirlwind ultra-immersive thrill ride featuring Optimus Prime and Bumblebee too . Quickly followed ( thank you Express Pass !) by a very interesting journey through New York in Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon !
Keen to keep the kid-friendly balance we ventured next to Springfield , you guessed it , home of The Simpsons™ . We recommend you board The Simpsons Ride™ , where you ’ ll crash through Krustyland on this indoor simulated roller coaster and Kang & Kodos ' Twirl ' n ' Hurl a little-y friendly flying saucer spin through space , before pit stopping at Moe ’ s Tavern for a refreshing Duff and some grab and go food . Don ’ t miss the giant donuts and photo ops with all your favourite characters here , from Millhouse to Homer you ’ ll find them all .
Ready for some more action and with lasers at the ready , we joined MEN IN BLACK™ Alien Attack™ blasting aliens back to oblivion , before moving on to aliens of the more friendly kind , as we boarded our flying bike , dodging the bad guys and soaring into the stars with E . T . Adventure to get E . T back home ! Before a little Revenge of the Mummy and a ride like no other courtesy of Fast And Furious - Supercharged .
But it ’ s not just rides here . There ’ s the incredible stunt show The Bourne Stuntacular - expect fistfights , shootouts and danger at every turn ! As well as the fantastic Universal ' s Superstar Parade where the streets come alive with floats , music and performers .
DIAGON ALLEY
HOGWARTS EXPRESS
56