Having been a Harry Potter fan from way back, I could not resist the deals that were coming out for Universal Orlando. Yes, we did have to wear a mask and that got a little stifling, but we still had a great trip.
I spent a lot of time going through all of the Pinterest posts entitled “10 things not to miss..” and “7 Foods You have to eat…”. And still there were some things we had to learn as you go. So here I am going to add some things that you really do need to know as we come out of the pandemic.
Download the App…
And check it often. The Universal Orlando app has so much information and some of it is often time sensitive. Pay special attention to the rides that have Virtual lines, they fill up as soon as they are posted. This is usually right when the park opens so be sure to check.
Put some planning into your eating
One thing that Universal has over Disney is the quality of the food. Most of the food we had, even from stalls in the park is very good.
You will wait in long lines for food almost everywhere, but especially in the Wizarding World. The lines for the butter beer kiosks are long and some places like the Three Broomsticks, you can wait for hours. Some of these places don’t have reservations, so decide if it’s worth it.
Try going at breakfast, we did at the Leaky Cauldron and walked right in and it was delicious! We used the early admission hour to eat instead of ride, the rides fill up way faster than the restaurants.
For places that do take reservation, make them as soon as you book your trip in order to get your first choices of times and places.
Since the eateries get so busy at meal times, it’s a great time to ride. We walked right on to Hagrid’s Motorbike at lunch time, so adjusting your eating schedule can really save you some time.
Choose your Hotel wisely
It is worth it to book one of the hotels that include the express pass. These are the Loews Royal Pacific, Loews Portofino Bay and Hard rock. To buy the passes alone will cost $90 a person, plus tax, so factor that in to your hotel decision. The Express Pass line is usually even quicker than the single rider line.
We went a step further at the Lowes Royal Pacific and booked a room on a club level. Coffee and continental breakfast in the morning are worth it alone in these days when most rooms don’t have a coffee pot. However, there is a happy hour with free wine and beer and tapas and cookies at night. We even had a tapas dinner one night when we couldn’t get a reservation.
Another bonus of these hotels is the ease of getting to the parks. Hopping on a boat or just a quick ten minute walk to the gate.
Other quick time saving tips
Bring a fanny pack or wear clothes with enough pockets for your stuff. Most of the thrill rides require you to put any bags that aren’t fanny packs in a locker before you get in line. On some of the rides, the line for the lockers can be as long as the line for the ride.
Any purchases can be shipped to your room (takes 24 hours) or to the front gate of the park (takes 3 hours). I know you will want to get some Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans and some Fizzing Whizbees (SO GOOD!), and you don’t have to carry them around with you or time your shopping for when you are ready to leave.
Lastly, reread your Harry Potter books before you go and if you have time, rewatch the movies!