What are the best parks in Universal Studios? Orlando is the ideal destination for a family vacation: it does not experience harsh winters, there are many places to discover, it has some of the most famous amusement parks in the world, it has beaches nearby, among many other activities to share with the family…
The number of options and plans that Orlando offers in relation to theme parks to enjoy with the family, make fun not a problem, the great concern arises is to decide what to do taking into account your preferences, budget and the time of stay. This city in the state of Florida is home to some of the best parks in the world. Among these, Walt Disney World, which, for example, hosted the year before the pandemic 21 million visitors (Forbes Spain, 2023), and which in the years after this received no less than 15 million attendees, and Universal Studios, about it we will tell you everything you need to know in this article.
Among all the entertainment offerings, one of the most famous parks is the Universal Studios complex, which has attractions for movie buffs and lovers of more extreme emotions. It is made up of three parks, a corridor that connects them, bars, shops, relaxation options and several hotels. Next, let’s find out which is the best park in Universal Orlando.
Parques de Universal Studios: ¿cuál es el mejor parque?
To the question about which Universal park is better, it is necessary to understand that it is not about having preferences for one or the other, but rather, it is a good opportunity for you to understand what options each of the Universal Studios in Orlando offers, so that you can also make the right decision when deciding your visit once you know which parks are by Universal Orlando.
Many wonder Which is better? Universal Studios or Island of Adventure, the truth is that they all have incredible experiences, and the best part is that they are connected to each other. Just take a look and start planning your next vacation at one of the best theme parks in the world.
1. Universal Studios
The first park built by the studio, as well as the most famous in the complex. It is divided into the important places where some of his films take place such as New York, San Francisco, Diaggon Alley, Hollywood, Springfield and a world exhibition.
The main attractions are The Simpsons, Bourne Curious George, E.T., The Revenge of the Mummy, Diagon Alley from Harry Potter, Men In Black, Shrek, Despicable Me, Jimmy Fallon, Transformers, Fast and Furious. It is important to note that it has the best gastronomic offer of the parks in Orlando. It is true that restaurants there do not compete for Michelin stars, but they have many options for all tastes and budgets.
2. Volcano Bay
It is the water park of the complex, ideal to visit in summer and cool off from the high temperatures of the city. So far, eighteen attractions have been built around the Krakatau volcano, inspired by the culture of the South Pacific islands.
The park’s must-see attractions are Krakatau Aqua Coaster, Ohyah & Ohno Drop Slide, Kopiko Wai Winding River, Kala & Tai Nui, Honu Ika Moana, Ko’okiri Body Plunge and Teawa Fearless River.
3. Island of Adventure
Although its main attraction is roller coasters and the most extreme emotions, it continues the franchise’s spirit of recreating its most famous films.
Attractions include The Cat in the Hat, Harry Potter Hogsmade, Hagrid’s MotorBike Adventure, Jurassic World, The Amazing Spider Man, Hulk, Popeye, Doctor Doom’s Fear Fall, Island of Adventure and Stoam Force.
This park along with Universal Studios are the most visited, and it is difficult to determine which park is better: Universal Studios or Island of Adventura. For this reason, people who decide to travel to Orlando usually take a ticket that covers both parks in a single day so as not to miss any detail of either of them.
4. City Walk
It is the corridor that connects the Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios parks, although it is also linked by the Hogwarts Express (one of the must-see experiences if you are going to visit the park). There are bars, shops, shows, restaurants, cinemas… If you want to have a relaxing day, that would be the place to be. So if you’re still wondering which park is better, Universal Studios or Island of Adventure, you already know that you don’t have to worry about choosing one of the two, but you can organize yourself well to visit both.
Now then. If it were necessary to choose a single park this would be Universal Studios: it is the most varied of the three, offers the best restaurants (each section of the park has restaurants associated with the attraction) and is the most diverse in all. The Harry Potter attractions are divided into The Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios, so you won’t be without that part of the experience.
Be sure to also read: What is it like to live in Orlando: option to consider when investing
Recomendaciones para sacarle provecho al tiempo
There are several recommendations to follow to get the most out of your vacation, such as:
1. Subestimar el cansancio en los parques de Universal Studios
Visits to parks can be strenuous. If you plan to visit Universal, Lego Land and Disney, don’t do them all in a row, because tiredness can prevent you from enjoying them as you should. It is preferable to stop visiting one of the complex than not having a good experience.
2. Considerar todas las opciones
Such as staying at the resort’s hotels or budgeting for the Universal Express pass. In addition to the obvious advantage of saving time on travel, hotels offer other advantages such as including tickets to the parks, discounts in some restaurants in the park, etc. With the Express pass you avoid queues for attractions, but if you do a good planning you could avoid it.
An additional piece of information that you could consider is to take a rental independent of the complex in the area of what would be Orlando, Kissimmee, among others. These accommodations, which are usually a little further away from the parks, are usually a little cheaper, so you could save some money. Visit our website, www.pfsrealty.com and learn about different options.
3. No planear antes
As with the vast majority of things, good planning ahead is the key to success. If you are going to travel with children you must take into account the ages (there are age restrictions), not knowing which shows you want to see first and the order to follow, how much time you can spend in line between attractions, do not book the shows for free, do not download the app of the park where all the programming is located, etc.
4. No visitar atracciones importantes
Not visiting the illuminated City Walk, choosing a hotel far away from the parks, not budgeting for the cost of transportation (time, money, and whether you could rent a car) are all unforgivable mistakes.
5. Alimentación
Having a bottle of water is key, the city is very sunny and you will need hydration from time to time and Universal is full of places where you can fill it up. The same goes for meal times: if you do it a little before one o’clock you will save the lines and choose better. You can bring snacks to eat in the park, but not a lunch. You might also consider purchasing a Universal Dining Plan, which gives you access to more than 100 restaurants without queues and other perks.
6. Tiempo de visita
Ideally, you should dedicate a day to getting to know each park in depth. The earlier you arrive, the more time you’ll have to enjoy the attractions and find them relatively unoccupied. Getting up early is key, as well as having a schedule for the visit.
Finally, keep in mind that there are many Universal parks in the world. Determining which Universal Studios is best is no easy task, but we can guarantee that visiting Orlando and its attractions is an experience you won’t want to miss.
On the other hand, don’t forget that just like you, thousands of people want to visit the parks, and the demand for accommodation is very high in this sector. So it wouldn’t hurt to start thinking about investing in a vacation property that you could rent out on a short-term basis and thus start generating a return in dollars. Remember that beyond its tourist attractions, Orlando is an excellent opportunity for real estate investment, due to the high flow of visitors per year, the great economy in the city, medical services, among other aspects, all of them positive.
Of interest to you: Orlando: The Vacation Investment Destination
Don’t miss the opportunity and get to know the offer of houses and apartments for sale in Orlando and its surroundings. At PFS Realty Group we are focused on advising those individuals and families who are interested in making investments of this type in Miami, Orlando and South Florida.
References:
Forbes UK (2023) These are the ten most visited theme parks in the world
Universal Orlando Resort (2024)