Universal Theme Parks Travel Guide

Orlando may be more famous for the Disney parks but don't forget about the Universal Parks. The Universal theme parks are not to be missed with their rides, exciting shows and family fun atmosphere. We highly recommend taking at least one day from your vacation to do a Universal Park. Below you will find a comprehensive look into the Universal Theme parks.

Okay, so we weren't exactly thrilled with this particular park. However, it did have some appeal and the feel of walking around in a would be Hollywood studios lot did make us feel like stars. Our personal opinion is that you can do this park in half a day. If you are traveling with school age children, they may enjoy some of the shows and rides more than the younger children. However, some of the shows do have a long running time so if you are planning to do Universal Studios in half a day, pick and choose your shows. The shows we found the most enjoyable are the Animal Actors and the Shrek 4D show. Both were very cute and funny.

If you are looking for rides, you will find a few within the park that are perfect for thrill seekers and a few much more tame rides, especially within the Woody Woodpeckers Kid Zone. The thrill rides we found to be too violent for our child and height restrictions do apply for many of them. However, for older children they may enjoy some of the exciting simulated experiences at Twister, Ride it Out and Disaster. Both are simulations of a real event. The newest ride to hit Universal is the Simpsons Ride. Take a ride through the very popular TV show as you witness the special effects. The Simpsons Ride replaces the Back to the Future Ride.

While walking the streets, you may run into characters from various movies and cartoons such as Shrek, SpongeBob and Rugrats. Universal does a great job of making you feel as if you are in a movie studio lot. Some of the attractions also make you feel as if you were a real movie star. Be sure to go into the New York back lot area for a fantastic streetscape of New York City. It looks incredibly real but feel the reality of it when the Blues Brothers hit the stage for a live entertainment show.

There are several fun adventures for the kids. Be sure to visit Fievel's Playland where the kids can climb the spider web or take a twisty turn on the waterslide. Stop over and get wet at the Curious George Goes to Town interactive playground. Barney has his own fun area at A Day in the Park with Barney. Sing along to Barney's favorite songs in this live entertainment show. Then have a blast at the Barney Interactive Playground after the show.

 
Islands of Adventure:

If roller coasters, fun and excitement are on your agenda make your way to one of our favorite thrill parks, Islands of Adventure. We really enjoyed this park and all it has to offer from the "scream your head off" rides to the kids section of Seuss Landing and Toon Lagoon.

If you are planning to do Islands of Adventure and Universal both in one day, we suggest starting off at Islands of Adventure. Try to be at the park when it opens. Normally you have the opportunity to ride many of the rides without too much wait time if you go when the park opens, especially during the non-peak season. We visited Islands of Adventure in October. Upon immediately entering the gate at the open, we headed for the Incredible Hulk Coaster. We were able to ride it three times without ever waiting in line. Later that afternoon we found out the line for the Incredible Hulk Coaster was almost 2 hours long. So it really does pay to go early.

When entering the park we suggest you head to one of the most popular areas first, the Marvel Super Hero Island. Here you find some of the best rides for older children and adults (we need to have fun too). Height restrictions do apply for most rides in this section. 

• Incredible Hulk coaster: take the ride of your life on this very fun coaster. Soar through the sky over land and water while making multiple twists and turns.

• The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man: Take a 3D adventure into the famous comic book hero's life. Reach out and touch Spiderman as he lands on your car or feel the effects of  falling from a building without ever leaving your seat. This has got to be one of the best 3D rides we have ever been on.

Enter Toon Lagoon for a fun and very wet experience. All the rides in this area offer the perfect cool down from the hot Florida sun. For the little ones head over to Me Ship, The Olive for a run through a ship straight out of the Popeye Cartoons. If your little one is too short to ride Bilge-Rat Barges, don't worry. They can let out their frustrations by squirting all those aboard the Barges ride.

Next up is another popular ride within Islands of Adventure, Jurassic Park River Adventure. Take a boat ride in a land where dinosaurs roam. There are friendly dinosaurs and also the vicious T-Rex (may be a bit scary for very small children). To escape T-Rex's jaws of death you will have to go down the dark waterfall drop. This ride is sure to be a hit. Visit Camp Jurassic to enjoy the Pre-historic playground. Climb and explore in this fun kids zone. For the little dinosaur fan, be sure to visit the interactive Jurassic Park Discovery Center. See dino eggs hatch and play various games.

The lost continent section of the park is home to two very popular shows and one amazing ride, all of which are some of our personal favorite adventures. First, in the Dueling Dragons, ride one of two coasters that are entwined together. Feel the effects of the duel as you ride within inches of the other coaster for hair raising experiences. Which coaster will get to the station first? Next is Poseidon's Fury, which is a phenomenal show. Experience the special effects of fire, water and music as you witness Posidon's Fury. This show takes place in a large room where everyone stands to watch the show. The theater is dark, loud and there are explosions of fire every so often. If you would like to try the show with your child, it might be fascinating, however if your child scares easily or does not like loud sounds then this show may be too intense. If you decide to try it out, you may consider standing near the exit doors just in case you need to slip out. Do not miss the extraordinary Eighth Voyage of Sinbad for a live stunt adventure show. There is action packed adventure with fire and explosions so again take caution when visiting with younger children.

If your ready for more kid fun head on over to Seuss Landing where your favorite Dr. Seuss books come to life. Take a whirl on the exciting Caro-seuss-el or a ride on the High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride (height restrictions apply). Get some wet fun at One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. We had great family fun in Seuss Landing. 

** Stay tuned for the much anticipated arrival of Islands of Adventure's next top attraction, Wizarding World of Harry Potter. A portion of the park is currently undergoing construction to bring you a more intimate look into the life of Harry Potter as portrayed in the famous books. If this sounds like your child's dream come true, you will have to wait until 2010 to feel the magical experience of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

When the Florida heat is getting to you and the wet rides at Islands of Adventure are just not enough to cool you down, it's time to grab your bathing suits and head for Wet' n Wild. Family fun adventures await on the rides, giant wave pool, the lazy river, and the interactive playground just for kids.

Wet' n Wild was made especially for the kids, even if it's the kid in you. Your child will love the Bubble Up. Grab a rope and climb up the watery, slippery bubble. Once on top, slide down and do it again. Slide, splash and have a great time at the Kids Park where you will find a few miniature versions of the very fun adult rides.

The lazy river is perfect for the whole family. Be entertained by a scenic ride while relaxing on a tube and passing by waterfalls.

Discover Wet' n Wild's newest ride, Disco H2O. Swirl around in an indoor tub while boogying on down to the sounds of the 70's in this four person tube ride. Wet' n Wild has many more multi-passenger rides that can be a great family experience. Try out these fun multi-passenger rides: The Flyer, The Bubba Tub, The Black Hole, The Surge, The Blast, and Brainwash (also new to Wet' n Wild)

City Walk:

So you have done the parks but still want a little more action? Head down to City Walk. Here you will find various restaurants, shops, cinemas and nightlife. A few family friendly restaurants are Hard Rock Cafe, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and Pastamore. One of the more famous attractions at City Walk has to be the Blue Man Group show. Your family will be amazed at the use of percussion instruments in this outstanding show. The shopping is mediocur depending on what you are looking for. One of our favorite shops is the Endangered Species Store.

If you've got a sitter and want some adult fun, City Walk offers great dining such as Emeril's and Latin Quarter. City Walk also has live entertainment (such as City Jazz), night clubs (such as The Grove) and fun bars such as Pat O'Brien's (our personal favorite). Take a trip to New Orleans when you stop into Pat O'Brien's, the home of dueling pianos and the New Orleans favorite Hurricane drink. To access all this fun there is a one time admission price for a visit to all these establishments and much more with the City Walk Party Pass.

Universal Express: By pass lines with certain attractions at Universal parks using the Universal Express pass. If you are looking for a way to bypass all lines, then you can purchase a Universal Express Plus card to use for all park attractions. The Universal Express Plus card is free to all guests of Universal resort properties such as Royal Pacific, Hard Rock and Portofino Bay.

VIP Tour: For an extra fee get treated like a movie star when you go for the VIP Tour. Get a guided tour of the parks and preferred entry with priority seating at various attractions. 

Universal has helpful tips for families while visiting their parks. Check out these important tips at www.universalorlando.com/pi_moms_vacation.html