Universal Studios Orlando

Should you consider a stop at Universal Studios Orlando during your Walt Disney World vacation?

This is something my family always used to do growing up, and it’s now become a very popular trend with my clients. There’s a lot to consider when deciding to spend a day at Universal Studios Orlando, because it’s not cheap! Read my thoughts and recommendations.

Our Experience

Growing up, we used to visit Disney World the first week of August every summer. When my youngest sisters got a bit older, we started breaking up the week by going to Universal Orlando for a day in the middle. Keep in mind, this was before The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened, so it was a totally different experience than it is now. I grew up reading the Harry Potter books (love them to this day) and am a diehard fan still, so when the new Harry Potter section of Universal opened we visited immediately! 

Even with the initial Harry Potter section, I was always drawn more to the Disney Parks than Universal. So a few weeks ago when we visited Universal Studios, I was blown away by the expansion to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Diagon Alley was more comparable to Disney than anything else at Universal. The sheer mass of the area of the park was impressive, and the entire experience made me feel transported completely into the Harry Potter universe I grew up imagining myself in. 

My husband and I visited both parks in one day and focused our time on Harry Potter so we could really take it all in! We started at Islands of Adventure so we could experience the new Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure (so cool) and then spent a little time in Hogsmeade before taking the Hogwarts Express to Diagon Alley in London. Walking in through the hidden entrance made me feel like I was walking into the “real” thing. I was overwhelmed by the amount of detail as we explored – which is why we spent most of our day there!

We rode all of the rides (of course), had lunch at the Leaky Cauldron (highly recommend the fish and chips), visited Ollivander’s Wand Shop for the show (mind blown) and then took the Hogwarts Express back to Hogsmeade for a drink at the Hogs Head before heading out! Since I have been to Universal many times over the years and ridden all of the thrill rides, we passed on most of that for our day there. We visit the parks more for the experience and less for the thrill rides, but if you and your family are going for the thrills, Universal is the place to visit. For us, Universal feels like a slightly nicer Six Flags Great America, and the thrill rides are awesome. For us, we loved exploring every corner of Diagon Alley and taking in the immense amount of detail in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. 

Ticket Options and Pricing

Universal Studios consists of three different parks: Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay (the waterpark). We visited the first two – these parks include the two Harry Potter sections. If you want to see ALL of the Harry Potter stuff, you need to visit both. 

A two-park in one day ticket starts at about $175 per person. The biggest difference from Disney is that Express Passes (Universal’s Version of FastPasses) are not included in the price of your ticket. Womp womp. To get one Express Pass per ticket (excluding the new Hagrid’s Motorbike ride), it’s an additional $75 if you’re visiting both parks. If you want unlimited Express Passes for each attraction, it’s an additional $90 per ticket if you’re going to both parks. 

So, for my husband and I to go to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure in one day, with one Express Pass per major attraction (excluding Hagrid’s Motorbike ride), it was almost $600. Crazy. Being Annual Passholders at Disney, this was a huge shock – for one day at Universal, it’s about half the price of our Annual Pass!

What I Say to My Clients Who Are Considering a Visit 

If your kids love Harry Potter, it’s worth considering a visit. It’s obviously a big line item in the budget, so something to really think about. You likely will need to take a rental car or Uber from Disney to Universal, so consider that in the budget as well. For Ben and I to go, it was about $30 each way to/from Disney to Universal.

Another consideration is how many days you’re at Disney. Think about how much you want to see and do at the Disney parks and resorts. If you’re trying to fit a lot in within a short amount of time, maybe reconsider Universal. If Harry Potter is the priority, however, then consider working Universal into your budget. 

My Favorite Parts

The Hogwarts Express was by far my favorite experience of the day. We rode it roundtrip (it’s different both ways) and I LOVED it. We were also pleasantly surprised by the experience at Ollivander’s Wand Shop – a client of mine had shared how great the wand “show” was, and it did not disappoint. 

Tips

After visiting both parks, we came up with a good strategy on how to tackle the day to get the most out of your time at Hogsmeade and Diagon Alleya. Thinking about going? Contact me and I’d love to talk!

If you are interested in riding Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, you NEED to ride it first and you NEED to get there early. Send me a message and I can share more 🙂