As much as I like the TV show This is Us, this blog post is about a different US - Universal Studios! Sorry to disappoint those of you that were expecting info about the show! :)
I've done a blog post previously that is mainly about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - check it out here.
This post is about some of the other rides and attractions that Universal has to offer. My main reason for going will always be to hang out with Harry, but they've got a lot of other fun spots too.
First of all, something that seems to confuse a few people - Universal is not a part of Disney. They are two completely different companies. I think the confusion comes from the fact that Disney has a movie studios type park in Hollywood Studios. But Universal is not on Disney property - it's about 10 miles away.
There are 3 parks now at Universal Studios - Universal Studios Florida, Universal's Islands of Adventure and Universal's Volcano Bay (which is a water park). Both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure house Harry Potter areas - with delicious butterbeer at each! Universal Studios is home to Diagon Alley while Islands of Adventure is home to Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. To ride the Hogwarts Express between the two parks, you must have a park-to-park pass.
Universal Studios Florida
This is the newest part of The Wizarding World - Diagon Alley. It has the most incredible ride around - Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts. The ride is a huge thrill mixture of roller coaster and virtual screens. So. Much. Fun. And the line to the ride is really cool as you make your way through the bank lobby into the vaults.
Here are a few other rides at this park that I highly recommend:
- Revenge of the Mummy - really good and thrilling with a great surprise near the end.
- E.T. Adventure - I LOVE this ride. It is a super calm and pretty ride about the movie. I love that you ride on your bike through the ride.
- Transformers: The Ride
- The Simpsons Ride - made all of us nauseous but I know a lot of people love it!
- Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon - new!
- Rip Ride Rockit - only Don was brave enough to ride this one.
- Terminator 2
- Men in Black - fun and you can compete against your family!
- Shrek 4D - really cute and funny movie with 4-D effects.
There are also a lot of great places to eat - the food at the Leaky Cauldron is delicious. But save room for dessert - there's butterbeer ice cream or a giant donut in the Simpson's area at Lard Lad Donuts!
You're probably thinking this donut could feed more than 1 person. Hmm... Mine didn't. :)
Universal's Islands of Adventure
Islands of Adventure has the original Wizarding World - you can visit Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. Be sure to ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey - the line takes you through Hogwarts. Once you've explored all of this world (and had plenty of butterbeer), head on out to check out the rest of the park.
Here are the rides at Islands of Adventure you need to be sure and check out:
- Doctor Doom's Fearfall
- The Incredible Hulk Coaster
- The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
- Skull Island:Reign of Kong
- Jurassic Park River Adventure
- Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls
- Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges
We've been to Islands of Adventure a couple of times but our kids were too young to like the thrill rides. Plus this park has a lot of rides that are basically water rides and we're weird about not liking those. So while the Harry Potter area is AWESOME, if I had only one day, I'd spend the majority of it at Universal Studios Florida.
But if you're wise and have listened to me, you'll have a park-to-park pass so that you can ride the Hogwarts Express. If you hurry, you can hit a few rides here when you're done with the other park.
Speaking of ways to save time... Universal offers a little different take on the line skipping pass. Unlike Disney's FastPass, it is an extra charge. But you get to skip the line once on all the rides - where Disney just gives you 3 to start. If you're staying on-site at Universal, some of the resorts include an Unlimited Express Pass which is good on the rides as many times as you want to use them. Well worth the money if it's a crowded day - and if you're staying on-site it just might be included!
Volcano Bay
You've heard me say before that my family really doesn't do water parks. So while I don't have personal knowledge of Volcano Bay, I have done training on it from Universal Studios. It's an amazing park and if you're into water parks at all, it's a must-do!
Be sure to give me a call if you're interested in a Universal vacation. I'd love to plan and book your trip and make sure you're getting the best value for your money!!