Universal Studios Tips and Tricks

Our trip to Universal was a whirlwind ... but I did learn a few things during the 2 1/2 days we spent there. So ... here are my tips and tricks to make your trip as fun as it can be!

• Buy your tickets online. They are cheaper online than they are at the gate. Look around for discounts - different groups may offer corporate discounts or loyalty programs.
• Bring water bottles and snacks. Universal is great in the way that it allows you to bring in your own water bottles, granola bars, fruit or vegetables. They will search your bags but they allowed us to bring in cliff bars and water bottles for lunch. 
• Download the Universal Wait Time app if you have a a smart phone. This saved us and allowed us to do everything we wanted to do at the best time. 
• Enjoy the wait ... Universal does a really great job with entertaining guests while waiting in the lines. The lines cycle through sets where you can feel that you are part of the action and brings the movies to life.
• If you are going in the summer ... dress cool! It gets pretty darn warm and humid. A lot of the line are covered ... but not all. Bring sun glasses, hats, water and wear shorts. 
• There are Starbucks on property and they will accept a Starbucks gift card if you have them. It is a great place to get a cold drink on a hot afternoon.

Then there are the rides ... there were several rides that we didn't have strong feelings about riding, but it turns out they were some of the best rides there!

• Despicable Me Minion Mayhem - I really wanted to ride this one but the lines were always huge. My tip is to go to this ride right at park opening. The wait time will be shortest at this point. It is a really fun ride and the best I can compare it to is the game Minion Rush. It is a really fun 3D ride where you feel as if you are actually on a roller coaster! It was a really fun ride, but over quickly. If you appreciate minion humor, then it is a must see.
  

• Poseidon's Fury - This isn't a ride so much as an interactive show. You take a tour of Poseidon's ancient temple led by a "local archeologist" who does a STELLAR job. We were really impressed with the actor who led our tour but figure he must be exhausted by the end of the day! The line can be long on this way but it is also a great option if it is raining outside. I give this ride two thumbs up.
  
• The Amazing Adventure of Spider-Man - This ride was spectacular. I have seen the Spiderman movies but have never had strong feelings either way about riding the superhero rides. But we decided to go for it on this one because it wasn't a loop-de-loop roller coaster but it was AH-MAZING. This is definitely a ride not to be missed. If we had another day we probably would have ridden this one again!

• Harry Potter Escape from Gringotts  - This ride was awesome and again the wait time isn't bad if you go right away in the morning. Universal creates the world of Gringotts for you to explore as you wait in line.
  
• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey - This ride is incredible but may leave you feeling a little nauseous. It is more on the side of a roller coaster than a basic ride but it is well worth the feeling! You will feel like you are flying over Hogwarts castle as you follow Harry and Ron on their broomsticks.
  
• Dr. Seuss Land Caro-Seuss-el - Yes, it is a carousel that you might attribute to a children's ride ... but who doesn't love to go round and round on one of Dr. Seuss' magical creations? To top it off ... this ride books it. It isn't the typical slow moving carousel, you better buckle up, hold on and enjoy the ride! 

All in all, enjoy your trip to Universal!