Universal Studios Florida - Theme park in Orlando - 6000 Universal Blvd, USA

I loved Universal, I haven’t been there in the last 6 years because I thought my kids were to small for the rides but I can tell you that I was wrong because they really enjoyed the parks and they are 7 and 6. We as a family ditched Disney after this trip to Universal, we even bought annual passes. They came with a lot of benefits, like fast passes after 4 PM. Universal parks are less crowded than Disney’s plus I don’t like the path Disney has gone, especially for my kids. This visit was on Thanksgiving week but we return on Christmas week because we had an awesome trip and the kids wanted to return.

Wonderful presentation for the holidays, the shops, shows and entertainment were all on point. Staff, merchants and performers had beautiful tailored attire, which was much appreciated. The Christmas tour was awesome with plenty of private encounters. We enjoyed the treats, The Grinch and Santa. Harry Potter Castle Display ended our evening perfectly. The park is full of adventures, shopping, character meetings and delicious food. This made our time enjoyable and we felt special at each new place. Our family enjoys the holidays so all the lights, ornaments and special events made this the perfect destination for us this year. Highly recommended you will find something for everyone.

The Non-Private VIP experience is worth the extra amount you pay. The ability to see parts of the park you would not otherwise see, you are fed two full meals (breakfast and lunch - these are quality meals presented in professional and friendly manner ) and there is reserved seating to watch the parade at the end of your tour, are just some of the reasons this tour is worth the money. You also get 10% off throughout Universal for the rest of the day, which is nice too, since you have been eyeball shopping through the day as you toured the park and rode the rides. Our Tour Guide Jen was fantastic! Friendly, joyful, knowledgeable, funny, energetic, and all around she just seemed to really love and appreciate her job. We were able to ride all the major rides with little to no wait time and when Jen discovered that one in our group could not do the rides and was looking for more of a Universal Hollywood experience Jen, Jen's supervisor, and a colleague of Jen's went the extra mile to accommodate the guest. Jen was intentional about understanding the likes and dislikes of our group and to see that each person had a special, individual moment during the day. Our last ride of the day was the ET ride (which as someone who was born in 76' I had a full appreciation for this ride and it was a great way to wind down an otherwise exhilarating day) and Jen had ET say bye to each of us by name! It was terrific and such a nice personal touch. After this experience, you aren't going to want to do this any other way than the VIP way. You can easily spend the same money on food and souvenir in a day, this way gets you on the rides, without waiting, with meals included, designated space for the parade, and 10% off throughout Universal...it's worth it. Date of experience: December 2023

First visit was 7 years ago thinking it was a one and done and been most years since with the exception of the travel restrictions 2020-2021. I find Universal more friendly for solo travellers compared to Disney where I felt lost amongst the numbers and families. Making the most of the early entry when staying on site, I was able to achieve a lot before the wait times got too much, then either chill in the park with the entertainment or head back to the hotel to chill by the pool before heading back to fit in some nighttime. Staff members are amazing and I have been lucky enough to have some amazing experiences at the parks including being a balloon bearer for the Macy’s Holiday Parade. I can not recommend the parks enough and I am excited for the future expansion when Epic Universe is added to the parks available in the Orlando area.

Still a great place to visit. In my experience winter and more specifically weekdays towards the days leading up to Christmas have had the lowest pedestrian traffic. With that said wait times were significantly less than summer times with the exception of the most popular rides. Had a great experience. Still wish the staffing within the wait lines were more present. Safe place to take the family.

I hadn't been to Universal in many years. I was surprised how much I enjoyed myself yesterday! The rides are fantastic! I love that they let you get a locker for free at rides that require you to secure loose items. I dislike that parking is $30 but the process itself worked very well. You have a decent walk from the parking garage to the park entrance. We ended up getting tickets for Rock the Universe while we were here and thought they did a great job with clearing the park at closing and keeping it moving for event ticket holders. I expect to come back again next year for this same event.

Ticket prices are pretty steep, and if you want to include the skip the line pass your ticket prices could easily double. Tickets START at $119, but no dates for the next 6 months are actually $119. You're most likely looking at $140 per person per ticket for single day tickets. Express passes pricing is similar with "starts at" pricing from $109, but rarely if ever is it actually $109. Holiday or special events I've seen as high as an extra $250 per person. The only way to feel like you are getting value tickets is to stay on site over multiple days. Inside the park itself could use some better food options. Outside the park at City Walk their are numerous different eating options. Park is more catered to older kids and young adults as opposed to Disney. There are more thrill rides and things to do for the older crowd than at Disney.

They have figured out how to give their guests a perfect experience. The parks are beautiful and the staff are all on point. You shouldn't need more than a few days to visit both sides of the park and the city walk area. The rides are thrilling and a lot of fun. The Harry Potter world and castle are out of this world. Be sure to get a park hopper and take the train between Kings Cross and Hogsmead. If you're lucky enough to be there around Christmas time, the Grinch is on point and will be sure to make sure the wait in line is worth it.