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From thrilling curler coasters to the immersive Harry Potter world, there’s lots to get pleasure from on the movie-themed Universal Studios Orlando.
We love exploring the totally different lands—hopping from Diagon Alley, London to Springfield, USA, strolling on San Francisco’s wharf and thru the streets of New York.
In this put up, we share our rankings for the very best rides at Universal Orlando plus suggestions for different should do actions.
Contents
What is Universal Studios Florida?
The Universal Orlando Resort consists of two theme parks—Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure, plus the water park Volcano Bay.
This put up focuses on the very best rides at Universal Studios Florida.
Be certain to take a look at our information to the finest rides at Islands of Adventure, because it’s house to our three favorite points of interest in the entire resort—Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, Jurassic World VelociCoaster, and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.
The Islands of Adventure put up additionally has suggestions for avoiding strains at Universal, what to pack, the place to remain and extra.
Note that each parks have Harry Potter Worlds—Hogsmeade is in Islands of Adventure and Diagon Alley is in Universal Studios Florida. Both are wonderful so it’s value visiting each parks with a Park-to Park ticket.
Most Popular Rides at Universal Studios Orlando
These are the highest Universal Studios Florida rides which have the longest strains with their common wait occasions over a 12 months:
- Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts – 62 minutes
- Despicable Me Minion Mayhem – 46 minutes
- Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit – 46 minutes
- Revenge of the Mummy – 39 minutes
At busy occasions of the 12 months, contemplate buying an Express Pass to skip the strains on nearly all points of interest at Universal Orlando (together with all of the rides beneath).
It’s included in case you keep at certainly one of Universal’s Premium motels (we liked our keep at Portofino Bay a 10-15 minute stroll from the parks).
You also can scale back your wait occasions by becoming a member of the Single Rider strains for Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, Revenge of the Mummy, and Transformers.
Best Rides at Universal Orlando
1) Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
Type of Ride: Thrill Ride, 3D Motion Simulator
Minimum Height: 42 inches (107cm)
Express Pass: Yes
Locker Required: Yes for baggage (free)
Location: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley
Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts is by far the very best journey at Universal Studios Florida—don’t miss it!
As quickly as you stroll down the splendidly detailed Diagon Alley in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, you discover the massive dragon on prime of Gringotts Bank—that is the place the journey takes place.
Even the queue is a part of the expertise as you stroll into the grand foyer previous goblin financial institution tellers. It appears a lot just like the film and the goblins are extremely reasonable.
The journey itself is a mixture of curler coaster and movement simulator with 3D screens as you be a part of Harry and pals as they attempt to escape from the financial institution. There are some enjoyable thrills however it’s not too intense.
Harry Potter followers will love being a part of key scenes from The Deathly Hallows Part 2.
As Escape from Gringotts is the preferred journey within the park, you’ll need to journey this primary factor. It’s behind the park so energy stroll straight over there as quickly because the gates open.
It’s included in Express Pass so we walked proper on.
2) Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
Type of Ride: Thrill Ride
Minimum Height: 51 inches (130cm)
Express Pass: Yes
Locker Required: Yes for baggage and all unfastened objects together with telephones (free)
Location: Production Central
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is the one outside curler coaster at Universal Studios Florida. It’s a scary one starting with a vertical climb as much as terrifying heights adopted by a large drop.
One of probably the most enjoyable points of the journey is selecting a music as your private soundtrack (don’t take too lengthy to decide on otherwise you’ll find yourself with the default!).
Simon liked Rip Ride Rockit, however I discovered it too jolty. VelociCoaster in Islands of Adventure is a a lot smoother (and much more thrilling) coaster.
3) Revenge of the Mummy
Type of Ride: Thrill Ride
Minimum Height: 48 inches (122cm)
Express Pass: Yes
Locker Required: Yes for baggage (free)
Location: New York
Revenge of the Mummy is a enjoyable indoor coaster that takes place largely at midnight with some cool particular results.
While it doesn’t go the other way up, it may be fairly scary as mummies attempt to assault you and you are feeling the warmth of fireside.
It’s top-of-the-line rides at Universal Studios Orlando, a basic that’s a should do for many guests.
The single-rider line is helpful for this in style attraction.
4) Hogwarts Express – Kings Cross Station
Type of Ride: Family
Minimum Height: Children beneath 48 inches (122cm) have to be supervised
Express Pass: Yes
Locker Required: No
Location: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley
Hogwarts Express is each a journey and transport between King’s Cross Station at Universal Studios Florida and Hogsmeade in Islands of Adventure.
A Park-to-Park ticket is required to journey, and also you’ll need to journey it each methods for various experiences.
Starting from Kings Cross has the benefit of departing from the iconic Platform 9¾—on the prime of the steps watch different company disappear by way of the wall!
The video screens within the home windows and doorways of the prepare make it really feel like you might be actually using the Hogwarts Express together with Harry and pals.
5) Transformers: The Ride 3D
Type of Ride: 3D Motion Simulator
Minimum Height: 40 inches (102cm)
Express Pass: Yes
Locker Required: No
Location: Production Central
Transformers is a 3D movement simulator the place you be a part of Optimus Prime and Bumblebee in a battle towards Megatron.
It’s an exciting journey with some enjoyable results (really feel warmth and water) and reasonable moments (when robots are thrown towards the car).
Motion illness will be a problem on this one. It was for me in Universal Studios Singapore, so I skipped it in Orlando. Simon at all times enjoys it, although.
Look out for the Transformers character meet and greet exterior.
6) The Simpsons Ride
Type of Ride: 3D Motion Simulator
Minimum Height: 40 inches (102cm)
Express Pass: Yes
Locker Required: No
Location: Springfield, U.S.A: Home of The Simpsons
On this simulated curler coaster, you be a part of the Simpsons household on a visit to Krustyland.
Simon thought it was a enjoyable journey for Simpsons followers however not a should do.
It’s notoriously dangerous for movement illness, so I skipped it.
The Springfield space is certainly value visiting, although. It’s cool to see areas from the TV present like Moe’s, Krusty Burger, and Kwik-E-Mart. You can play carnival-style video games too.
7) Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
Type of Ride: 3D Motion Simulator
Minimum Height: 40 inches (102cm)
Express Pass: Yes
Locker Required: No
Location: Production Central
Despicable Me Minion Mayhem is among the hottest rides at Universal Orlando, however we rank it decrease. It’s a better precedence with youngsters.
It’s one more 3D movement simulator journey the place you be a part of Gru and his daughters to coach to turn out to be a minion. When it goes mistaken, you comply with the household by way of all types of risks.
It’s a cute journey however perhaps skippable for adults if strains are lengthy, except you’re a huge minion fan.
If you actually need to journey it and don’t have an Express Pass, I’d head again right here (it’s close to the doorway to the park) after using Gringotts and Rip Ride Rockit.
8) Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon
Type of Ride: 3D Motion Simulator
Minimum Height: 40 inches (102cm)
Express Pass: Yes
Locker Required: No
Location: New York
Simon loved the Jimmy Fallon journey greater than he anticipated—it’s foolish however pleasurable and value doing if strains aren’t lengthy whenever you’re in New York.
Jimmy Fallon followers will particularly recognize the jokes, however it’s a family-friendly attraction appropriate for many, except movement illness is a matter (yep, it’s one other movement simulator).
9) Men In Black Alien Attack!
Type of Ride: Interactive Shooter Dark Ride
Minimum Height: 42 inches (107cm)
Express Pass: Yes
Locker Required: Yes for baggage (free)
Location: World Expo
Men in Black is a welcome break from the movement simulators as you journey in automobiles making an attempt to shoot aliens and rack up the very best rating.
While it’s not as nicely carried out because the interactive shooter rides at Disney like Buzz Lightyear at Magic Kingdom, it’s value doing if in case you have time.
It’s a superb possibility within the afternoon when you’ve ridden the extra in style rides.
10) E.T. Adventure
Type of Ride: Dark Ride
Minimum Height: 34 inches (86.36cm)
Express Pass: Yes
Locker Required: No
Location: Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone
Another low-key darkish journey is E.T. Adventure. It’s the one actually mild journey within the park, so it makes a superb break from thrills and 3D simulators.
You journey on flying bikes within the sky after which, unusually, go to E.T.’s house planet. It’s dated however cute.
11) Fast and Furious – Supercharged
Type of Ride: 3D Motion Simulator
Minimum Height: 40 inches (102cm)
Express Pass: Yes
Locker Required: No
Location: San Francisco
Fast and Furious is among the least in style rides within the park.
The varied pre-stories really feel unnecessarily lengthy and the journey itself is brief, shaky, and simply not that thrilling.
Unless you’re a fan of the franchise or a automotive nerd (there are tons within the queue), this one is skippable.
Other Top Things to Do at Universal Studios Orlando
For me, the very best issues to do at Universal Studios Orlando aren’t rides in any respect.
12) See the Knight Bus
While I discover the rides at Universal Studios Florida much less interesting than at Islands of Adventure, the realm I actually love is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley.
You begin in London with the Georgian townhouses of Grimmauld Place and Kings Cross Station, the place you catch the Hogwarts Express.
One of the highest points of interest on this space is the purple triple-decker Knight Bus, one of many precise prop buses used within the Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban movie.
You can peek inside, meet the conductor, and sometimes watch him converse with the shrunken head that hangs above the dashboard.
13) Explore Diagon Alley
This is the place it will get actually good. See if you could find the hidden entrance to Diagon Alley then emerge into one other world.
This immersive space is extremely detailed with tons to discover. You should purchase a wand in Ollivanders, jokes at Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, Every Flavour beans at Sugarplum’s Sweetshop and feather quills and parchment at Scribbulus.
While the shops promote loads of souvenirs, the decor feels genuine and there’s a number of cool stuff to see, even for non-shoppers.
The road is dominated by the large dragon on prime of Gringotts Bank, which breathes precise hearth once in a while.
Diagon Alley will get actually busy so it’s finest loved on the very starting or finish of the day.
We got here right here very first thing to journey Gringotts and go searching after which returned for lunch after looping across the park. It additionally appears particularly magical after darkish.
14) Wander Down Knockturn Alley
At the tip of Diagon Alley, you could find the doorway to Knockturn Alley, house to distributors specialising in darker types of magic.
It is actually darkish down right here with a genuinely creepy vibe that doesn’t really feel like a theme park in any respect.
Make certain to go inside Borgin and Burkes to see every kind of highly effective Dark Arts objects.
15) Watch the Wand Ceremony at Ollivanders
Watching the wand ceremony at Ollivanders Wand Shop is a should do at Universal Studios Orlando.
The darkish retailer in Diagon Alley feels so genuine with its towering piles of wand containers on dusty cabinets.
One particular person is chosen from the room to be paired with their excellent wand by conducting spells. They can then select to buy the wand subsequent door, as can anybody watching.
You also can go to Ollivanders in Hogsmeade in Islands of Adventure, however clearly, the Diagon Alley location is most genuine.
16) Cast a Spell with a Wand!
Buying an interactive wand (from $63) is a enjoyable approach to improve your expertise at Harry Potter world. You can forged spells in Diagon Alley and over in Hogsmeade in Islands of Adventure.
We liked creating wand magic on our Universal Studios Japan go to!
Look out for the gold medallions on the ground that present you the place and forged a spell.
It may take follow to get the wand actions excellent to create magical results like making it rain, illuminating lanterns, and levitating a quill.
17) Eat within the Leaky Cauldron
The Leaky Cauldron pub is the primary place to eat in Diagon Alley. It serves British fare like fish and chips and bangers and mash.
Vegan choices embody Irish Stew and Shepherd’s Pasty Pie (with meatless beef crumbles and greens), which Simon loved.
Accompanying your meal with a glass of Butterbeer (sizzling, chilly or frozen) is a ceremony of passage. We additionally tried a Fizzy Orange Juice however regretted it.
18) Enjoy a Butterbeer Ice Cream
The Butterbeer beverage is tremendous candy and I want it in soft-serve ice cream kind, which you’ll be able to get pleasure from from Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour in Diagon Alley.
19) See a Show
For a change of tempo, there are two indoor exhibits at Universal Studios Florida.
The Bourne Stuntacular is a live-action stunt present as you watch Jason Bourne on his adventures.
Universal Orlando’s Horror Make-up Show offers you the chance to see how make-up and particular results are created for the massive display screen together with make faux blood.
20) Look out for Street Entertainment
You also can discover road leisure all through the park—examine the app for schedules.
In Diagon Alley, you may watch musical sensation (and Molly Weasley’s favorite singer), Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees, and revel in storytelling and puppets with The Tales of Beedle the Bard.
In New York, pay attention out for the soulful sounds of The Blues Brothers.
Is Universal Orlando Worth Visiting?
Universal Orlando is certainly value visiting—it’s a should for film followers.
While we want the rides at Islands of Adventure, we wouldn’t miss Universal Studios Florida for the extremely immersive Diagon Alley and the wonderful theming all through the park—from New York to London to San Francisco.
Try to spend a day at every of the parks in case you can, though with a Park-to-Park ticket you may see the highlights in someday, particularly if in case you have an Express Pass.
Don’t miss our information to the should do Islands of Adventure rides.
Other Universal and Disney Posts
Read our guides to different Universal Studios and Disney parks in Orlando and past.
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