My husband and I just got back from a short trip to Florida to visit Universal Studios Orlando. I had not been to Universal Studios since June of 2020, right after it had re-opened. It felt like a completely different park then with all the safety protocols in place and it was really nice to re-visit after more than a year away. Here are the most notable things where Universal Studios was different this trip than any other time we’ve been:
Wait times for rides were LOW – The new Jurassic Park roller coaster—Velocicoaster—was only about a 20 minute wait! It was so low that my husband rode it twice! We did have to get in a virtual queue for Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure but everything else was a 30 minute or less wait.
Mobile dining order is available but wasn’t all that necessary - They have mobile app for dining but we ordered at counter since the line was so short. The line for Three Broomsticks was less than 10 minutes and that was at 12:15pm on a busy day. They have a good system in place where you order and pick up your food with your whole party then go to a host, who will seat you. You are not allowed to send someone to a table to hold while you order, which worked really well.
You can still meet characters and see parades! – They’re still practicing social distancing for character meet-and-greets and parades but you’re able to get some personal interactions in while making your way around the parks.
Safety protocols are sporadic – Universal Studios currently doesn’t have a mask policy in place or social distancing enforcement so it’s up to you to decide what measures you want to put in place. We saw about 20% of people wearing masks indoors and less than that outdoors. Rides are also running at full-capacity.
TRAVEL TIP: Refillable mugs and water at the park – I purchased the refillable mug for my three-day trip as there are Coke Freestyle machines all over the park. They have soda, flavored water, sports drinks, and water in them. My husband brought a refillable water bottle from home and filled it with water at the soda machines as well. So if you only drink water, know that you can refill your own bottle throughout the park without having to purchase a refillable mug
Premier hotels are WORTH IT – even though the crowds and wait times were low, it was still definitely worth staying at a Premier Universal hotel. Standby wait times were 30 minutes or less, which is great. But with the Universal Express Passes that we got complimentary for staying at a Universal Premier Hotel meant that we were able to bypass the line and we never waited more than 10 minutes.
TRAVEL TIP: Plan around Halloween Horror Nights (Universal Studio’s separately-ticketed Halloween event) – On days when HHN is happening, Universal Studios park closes at 5pm, so people will start here and then head over to Islands of Adventures later in the day. If you are not going park-to-park, review park hours ahead of time to make sure you are visiting Universal Studios on an non-HHN night.
The trip overall was incredible. We were able to ride every single ride and still have time to relax! If you’re interested in having a similar experience, book a consultation with us so we can help make your next vacation a magical one!
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