At Universal Orlando Resort, there are a ton of options for what you can see, do, and eat throughout the four different theme parks you’ll find there. And while there’s certainly no reason to limit yourself, you might also be looking for a starting point for a few absolute musts along the way.
As a frequent visitor to Universal Orlando, I’ve definitely developed some personal favorites through the years — places I make sure to tell my friends and family to check out when they’re traveling there. So if you’re heading to Universal Orlando Resort yourself, here are spotlight picks for all four of the parks, including rides, experiences, and dining options. And be sure to also check out the new Universal Orlando website for more info from across all four parks.
Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida — the park that started it all and kicked off Universal Orlando in its entirety — is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. From Transformers to Despicable Me to The Simpsons to Fast & Furious, there are lots of familiar names from entertainment to experience that incorporate plenty of standout characters and stories from many different eras. But let’s begin with an attraction that is sublimely old school…
What to Ride: E.T. Adventure.
Dating back to opening day at Universal Orlando’s first theme park, the high entertainment factor for this ride begins with an appearance from Steven Spielberg himself, seen in the pre-show video alongside E.T., explaining the attraction’s storyline. This is also where you get the physical passport card you’ll turn in when boarding — a wonderfully unique aspect of E.T. Adventure.
I’m big on atmosphere in my theme park attractions and E.T. provides this in an especially effective way. The forest setting seen in both the queue and the ride’s first half brings you into familiar moments from the movie, with an evocative, nighttime setting that adds to the transportive feeling as you bob and weave to avoid those trying to capture you and E.T.
Then your bicycle-inspired ride vehicle takes to the sky, and into another section of the ride set on E.T.’s planet, essentially providing a mini-sequel to the film, as E.T. is welcomed home and we see all different kinds of creatures, both from E.T.’s species and many others. Who among us would dare resist the allure of adorable baby E.T.s hanging onto vines!? And it all caps off with E.T. thanking you by name, which was a thrill when I was a little kid and remains a thrill now.
What to Do: Knockturn Alley
Though the entire The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley area is extremely impressive in terms of scale and immersion, I need to single out one particular section within it that can sometimes get overlooked if you’re not looking for all the side roads available to journey down: Knockturn Alley.
A scarier part of town in the Potter-verse, the recreation of Knockturn Alley immediately stands out thanks to its dark, ominous lighting, transporting you to a creepy, spooky environment even if you were standing in the bright sun moments before. Caged off sections and moving wanted posters are among the many great visual touches signaling danger is afoot, including a few moments where wielding one of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter’s interactive wands can lead to some very cool outcomes.
Oh, and speaking of cool, Knockturn Alley is literally cool inside, temperature-wise, offering a great place to sit down on a bench and relax on a hot day, if you want to take a break and recharge before heading out for your next ride.
Where to Eat: Finnegan’s Bar & Grill
There are a bunch of very hearty options to be found at this full service Irish pub-themed restaurant, including corned beef and cabbage, the seafood dish known as Dublin Lawyer (featuring sauteed lobster and shrimp), and Irish fish & chips, though I’m particularly partial to their shepherd’s pie. The staff is very friendly and attentive, plus you’re likely to hear great live music performed during your visit, in the manner you might find inside just such a pub in Ireland.
Universal Islands of Adventure
The second park at Universal Orlando Resort just celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, and features vibrant themed areas like Marvel Super Hero Island, Toon Lagoon, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade, and Seuss Landing. But I’m going to mostly focus on the Jurassic Park area, which has more than one standout element.
What to Ride: Jurassic World VelociCoaster
My favorite coaster across all of Universal Orlando Resort, the visually imposing VelociCoaster can be seen weaving around and over much of the entire Jurassic Park area of Islands of Adventure. The queue includes loads of Easter eggs from the entire Jurassic franchise (make sure to scan the shelves along the way), along with ride-exclusive footage of Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, and B.D. Wong reprising their roles as Owen Grady, Claire Dearing, and Dr. Henry Wu from the films and welcoming you to this experience (well, warning you about it, in Owen’s case).
But that’s all prelude to the absolute rush that is the ride itself. This sucker rockets forward, twisting and careening around in a truly thrilling and joyous manner. A couple of clever touches include a section where things slow down so much it feels like the ride is nearing its end, only for you to suddenly rapidly increase speed again, and a moment where you are nearly upside down as you speed over water that feels nearly close enough to touch. All that, plus appearances from Blue and her fellow raptor buddies along the way, help make VelociCoaster a blast.
What to Do: Jurassic Park Discovery Center
We’re gonna stay in the Jurassic realm here, though I first need to make a confession and admit that I went to Islands of Adventure many times before ever setting foot inside the Jurassic Park Discovery Center. And silly me, because I was missing out on a really fun experience that instantly hits all the right nostalgic vibes for all of us who have long loved the original Jurassic Park.
Inspired by the Visitors Center from the 1993 film, the Discovery Center space is filled with family-friendly activities and experiences, not to mention life-size recreations of dinosaurs, both as skeletons and fully formed. But the highlight is the hatchery, where you are able to see the lab where the Jurassic Park scientists work and can examine a raptor egg for yourself. And if your timing is right, you might be lucky enough to be present for a hatching and see one of those scientists at work helping bring a new baby raptor into the world. And what could possibly go wrong with that in the long run?
Recently, the Discovery Center was also where fans could meet Delores, the adorable baby dino from Jurassic World: Rebirth.
Where to Eat: Mythos
When it comes to full-service restaurants, Mythos is a theme park highlight and a place my wife and I regularly try to make sure we visit while at Islands of Adventure. The menu — a mixture of Mediterranean, Asian, and American dishes — has evolved through the years, but the food has remained dependably delicious. Some of my go-to choices include the lamb hummus, beef loin medallions, sea scallop and sweet corn risotto, and pad thai.
Mythos also is visually dynamic, featuring large figures and waterfalls seen on the outside of the building, with a cavernous, rock-formation motif continuing inside.
Universal Volcano Bay
Universal Orlando’s water park has plenty of options when it comes to waterslides and swimming, some of which are notably wild, but all of which will keep you happy and cooled off.
What to Ride: Krakatau Aqua Coaster
The eye-catching centerpiece of Volcano Bay is its namesake, the artificial volcano known as Krakatau. Krakatau features an amazing water slide, Ko’okiri Body Plunge, that begins by going through a trap door at the top of the volcano. But it also is the home to the Krakatau Aqua Coaster, the longest ride at Volcano Bay, which takes you around the volcano inside a four-person canoe. There are plenty of splashes as you make your way down the volcano, naturally, but you also travel back up more than once thanks to hidden magnets, before once more hurtling down into the water — including through a waterfall.
What to Do: TeAwa The Fearless River
Lazy rivers are great, and Volcano Bay has one of those in the form of Kopiko Wai Winding River. But my favorite way to spend a lot of leisure time in the water at Volcano Bay is at TeAwa The Fearless River, which is sort of like a lazy river with an extra kick to it. You put on a life vest and are pushed through the water’s winding path, along a large area of the park. It can all definitely feel serene and peaceful like most lazy rivers… but then you might get hit by one of the brief rapids that pop up, suddenly giving your journey a bit of a turbulent turbo boost. It’s a wonderful mixture of calm and excitement that I’ve spent quite a lot of time enjoying.
Where to Eat: Kohola Reef Restaurant & Social Club
Influenced by the tropics, the varied menu at this quick service restaurant includes plenty of options across the board, including chicken, burgers, seafood, and pizza, plus a grab-and-go menu that has everything from salads to California rolls. But for me, it’s all about the mango BBQ pulled pork sandwich, which is topped with pineapple, cabbage, and slaw, and is, technically speaking, freaking tasty.
Universal Epic Universe
The brand new addition to Universal Orlando Resort boasts multiple themed areas, including Dark Universe, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, Super Nintendo World, and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic. Each land is rather staggering visually, with a lot of strong elements to them. But for my first pick selections here, it’s all about the monsters and the dragons.
What to Ride: Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment
If you’re a lifelong horror fan, as I am, Monsters Unchained is the kind of theme park ride you’ve long hoped for. Using the lore created for the entire Dark Universe area, the attraction focuses on Dr. Victoria Frankenstein — descendant of Henry Frankenstein from the classic Universal Frankenstein films — and her experiments. The ride takes you through Frankenstein Manor and beyond, in pursuit of none other than Dracula, who has escaped Victoria’s clutches, and you’ll also encounter modern incarnations of several other Universal Monsters, such as Frankenstein’s Monster, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and the Wolf Man, all brought to life via some fantastic animatronics and visual effects. I think my favorite of the bunch might be the Phantom of the Opera, seen playing an amazing looking fire-spitting pipe organ in an appropriately cinematic and awe-inspiring moment.
I also adore the queue for this ride, which takes you through Frankstein’s Manor, where Victoria has collected the work of Henry Frankenstein — including his original creature — and is now updating his plan for herself. The inclusion of actual imagery from the original Frankenstein film from 1931 is a much-appreciated touch to the details around every corner.
What to Do: The Untrainable Dragon
Some theme park fans are hyper focused on rides, which means they might miss out on some of the other standout attractions and experiences. And a huge example of why you shouldn’t just look for the rides can be found in the How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk area of Epic Universe at its stage show, The Untrainable Dragon. This is a rather remarkable show to behold, telling a story about a particularly ferocious dragon Toothless and his friends encounter. And what makes it stand out so much is all the fully articulated, life-size dragons! Some fantastic puppetry and effects are used to bring these creatures to life, which includes the title character and his massive wingspan unfolding on stage. But the highlight has to be when good old Toothless himself flies above you, with a human actor playing Hiccup riding him. It’s a rather transcendent moment seeing Toothless soar right over your head that will have you questioning if dragons are, in fact, actually real.
Where to Eat: The Oak & Star Tavern
If you like BBQ, then the Oak & Star Tavern, found within Epic Universe’s central Celestial Park area, should be right up your alley. Flavorful brisket, pulled pork, chicken, sausage, and ribs are all available, with platter options letting you mix and match a couple of different meats if you wish. The two-item platter with the 14-hour smoked brisket and banana leaf smoked pulled pork is my personal choice, but there are several options possible. There are also a bunch of great side dish options, but I can’t stress enough that you need to try the mango bread! Even if that sounds a bit weird to you, give it a shot, because that stuff is so very good.
And now writing about it has me craving more of it…
You can learn much more about what you’ll find at Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure, Universal Volcano Bay, and Universal Epic Universe at Fandom’s new Universal Orlando fan hub devoted to the entire resort and all of its theme parks.
