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! 

Harry Potter: Hogsmeade

After your adventure in Diagon Alley be sure to travel in style to Hogsmeade just as the average witch or wizard does on their way to school. Hop aboard the Hogwarts Express! Be sure you have your wand and all wizarding supplies before you head to school!

The Hogwarts Express ride is unique depending on which way you travel so be sure to ride it in both directions. Be sure to pay attention to both the windows and the doors as the adventure is shown on both directions. The train is built to look just like the Hogwarts Express and it is a very comfortable ride between parks. If you get on the train from King's Cross Station you will get to walk through Platform 9 and 10 to enter 9 3/4. Make sure someone in your party stays a few steps behind to capture your movement through the wall.

It does require a park to park ticket to ride so make sure you get one before you go!

Once you finish your ride on the train, head straight to the castle and get in line for this ride. Once again, we only waited about 45 minutes but the line can take several hours. This ride though, is incredibly worth the wait. There is SO much to see and take in throughout the ride. You get a full tour of the castle and the grounds. Take a peek into Dumbledore's office, the herbology classrooms and much, much more!

This ride is REALLY fun but also a bit more like a roller coaster. I feel a little queasy after riding this one, but it is SO. MUCH. FUN. This is another 3D ride and is a twirling, whirling, screaming and screeching kind of ride. Definitely brace your stomach and do the ride even if you don't have rock hard nerves. 

The Flight of the Hippogriff is also a really fun ride. Take a peek at Hagrid's Hunt and meet Buckbeak the Hippogriff on this low stress roller coaster. Fun for the whole family! 

Both parks have a lot of fun live performances, so be sure to check the schedule and take in a few of them! Diagon Alley has more live shows than Hogsmeade but take in the shows in both parks. Don't forget to grab another Butterbeer to enjoy with the show! 

Harry Potter: Diagon Alley

The newest park at Universal Studios is Diagon Alley. Diagon Alley is Harry Potter's first glimpse into the Wizarding World. It is where Hagrid brings him to buy his school books and where he finally deposits Harry at King's Cross Station.

The entrance to Diagon Alley isn't exactly visible from the road, but if you see the purple Knight Bus and look to the left you should see the entrance - or at least park of it. We can't let the Muggles in! And when you do and you walk through the brick entrance ... be prepared to be amazed! My breath caught in my throat and I barely held myself together as I felt as if I was truly walking into the magical marketplace where you can find your share of cauldrons, wands, robes, and other magical menageries.

The first thing you should do is high tail it back to Gringotts and hop in line for this ride. We got lucky and only had to wait about 45 minutes but the wait can be up to several hours. If you ride in the afternoon (think nap time) that is your best bet for short lines. They do a good job keeping you entertained in line with Gringott's advertisements and signs. Once you enter the bank itself, there is plenty to see. You will feel as if you are actually entering the Wizarding bank. The goblins are exceptionally real and look you in the eye as you walk deeper and deeper into the vault. The ride itself is amazing. (We did ride it twice since the first time it broke down on us. But they gave us a free express ticket to return.) It is 3D (4D maybe? You can feel the wind and the heat as you ride) and truly makes you feel as if you are on a cart escaping from Gringotts. 

After this, make sure to grab a Butterbeer (frozen or regular) and explore the many shops of Diagon Alley. Hop in line at Ollivander's and watch the Wand Chooses the Wizard ceremony. Then BUY YOUR WAND. 

I don't care how old you are. BUY A WAND. It is worth the money. The wands are interactive and all over both parks you can cast a spell and watch magic happen. Embrace your inner child and let the magic come alive. Trust me, you'll be glad that you did it. Plus - you have a really cool souvenir to bring home with you! 

End your day by eating at the Leaky Cauldron. The british pub fare is incredible. I enjoyed the Fish and Chips and they were probably the best french fries I've ever had. My mom had the pie sampler (cottage pie and meat pie I believe) and she said that was really good as well. The food is well worth the money and the atmosphere is spot on. It looks just like the Leaky Cauldron as described in the book and depicted in the movie. 

Tomorrow we explore the world of Hogsmeade! Potter on! 

The Harry Potter Experience

To say that I am a Harry Potter fanatic is an understatement. Like a dementor sized understatement.

I completely believe the magic is real and have since I was 10 years old when the first book was released and made its way into my hands. I don't know what it was that originally drew me into the Harry Potter books ... perhaps it was my avid reading or the cover looked interesting ... whatever it was, I was stuck for good.

So, when I learned that Universal Studios opened a SECOND Harry Potter area at their parks in Florida I knew I had to go. The question no longer was how can I make that happen but WHEN can I make that happen? And make it happen, we did. We took a trip to Universal Studios in June and spent 2 1/2 days at the parks.

I walked into the park bouncing like a little girl. I had a huge smile on my face and couldn't contain my excitement as I approached King's Cross Station and Diagon Alley. It didn't matter that I had been awake since 3 am after sleeping for 3 hours ... It was 2 pm and I was FULL of energy. I didn't even know what to do with myself as I saw the Knight Bus parked right outside. There isn't much better than seeing the world you spent so much time in come to life, and better yet? You get to be a part of it.

Was it as cool as I imagined it to be? Better. It was 100% better. Universal did an exceptional job bringing this world to life. It was real and authentic in every way. I can't even begin to describe what it is like to see hundreds of people wandering around in Wizard robes waving their magical wands.

So, how do you make the most of your trip to Universal?

Stay tuned, Potterheads, Stay tuned.