Universal Studios Florida is the place where aliens, super heroes, wizards and other creatures come to life. It is difficult to determine how many days you will need to visit Universal Orlando to fully enjoy all it has to offer.
Universal Orlando offers tickets for one to five days, as well as Express Passes or park-to-park passes. Tickets for select dates are available to guests and annual pass holders staying in Universal hotels.
To enjoy your Universal Studios experience fully, how many days do you need to spend there?
How many parks is Universal Orlando?
Before you decide on how many days you will spend at Universal Orlando you need to know the number of theme parks Universal has.
Universal Orlando offers three parks:
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Universal Studios Florida.
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Universal’s Islands of Adventure.
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Universal’s Volcano bay water theme park.
Universal Orlando rides list
There are many rides in each park, so you could spend the whole day there and not see them all. These attractions are available at all Universal Orlando parks.
Universal Studios Florida rides
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Despicable me Minion Mayhem.
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E.T. Adventure.
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Supercharged — Fast and Furious.
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Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts.
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Hogwarts Express – King’s Cross Station.
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Hogwarts Express.
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Hollywood Rip Rider Rockit.
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Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ‘n’ Hurl.
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MEN IN BLACK Alien Attack.
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Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon.
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Revenge of the Mummy.
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The Simpsons Ride.
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TRANSFORMERS – The Ride-3D.
Universal’s Islands of Adventure Rides
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Caro-Seuss-el.
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Doctor Doom’s Fearfall.
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Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls.
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Flight of the Hippogriff.
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Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.
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Harry Potter’s Forbidden Journey and Harry Potter.
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Hogwarts Express: Hogsmeade Station.
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Hogwarts Express.
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Jurassic Park River Adventure.
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Jurassic World VelociCoaster.
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One Fish, two Fish, Red Fish and Blue Fish.
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Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges.
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Pteranodon Flyers.
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Skull Island – Reign of Kong.
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Storm Force Accelatron.
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The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man.
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The Cat in the Hat.
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High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride.
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The Incredible Hulk Coaster.
Universal’s Volcano bay rides
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Honu from the Honu ika Moana.
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Ika Moana from the Honu ika Moana.
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Kala & Tai Nui Serpentine Body Slides.
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Ko’okiri Body Plunge.
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Kopiko wai Winding River.
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Krakatau Aqua Coaster.
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Maku for the Maku Puihi Round Raft Rides.
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Ohno from Ohyah & Ohno Slides.
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Ohyah of Ohyah & Ohno Drop Slides.
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Puihi from the Maku Puihi Round Raft Rides.
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Puka Uli Lagoon.
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Punga Racers.
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Raki for Taniwha Tubes.
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TeAwa Fearless River.
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Tonga of Taniwha Tubes.
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Waturi Beach.
Questions to Ask Yourself
These are the questions to ask when trying to figure out how many days you want to spend at Universal Orlando.
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Is it possible to be content if I don’t ride every single time?
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Do I need to spend more on park-to–park tickets?
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Would you like to stay in a Universal hotel so that I can take advantage of the early park admission for select rides and dates ?
Time-saving strategies can help you maximize your time but there is only so much time in a day.
One day
It is possible to see the best of Universal parks in just one day.
If you are short on time or have limited time, a park to-park ticket can help you get your priority experience at Universal Orlando.
A two-park and three-park park ticket can be purchased. The two-park version gives guests access to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure within one day. The three-park version adds Volcano bay.
Guests can use the Hogwarts Express between Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure, or the entry gates to switch between parks with a two-park park ticket.
Tip
You have one day to visit Universal Orlando. Make sure you make a list of all the attractions that you are interested in and get there early.
It is a good idea to look at the park maps before you go so that you have a rough plan.
Two days
Spend at least one day at Universal Studios, and at least another day at Islands of Adventure to get more opportunities to ride the rides and see the shows that interest you.
Another option is to visit Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure on one day and then spend the second day at Volcano Bay.
To maximize your two-day visit, is a good choice.
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Get the Universal Express Unlimited Pass or the Universal Express Unlimited Pass to skip the general queues.
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Upgrading to park-to-park tickets for at least one-day.
You can only visit one park in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter without a park-to–park ticket.
Tip
Hogwarts Express riders who don’t have park-to-park tickets will not be able to ride it.
Although it will be busy for a few days, it is possible.
Three Days
If you have an older group of people, you can incorporate some time at Volcano bay into your schedule to take a few water slides.
Three days is enough time to visit the main attractions.
Four days
We recommend that you spend Day 1 at Universal Studios and Day 2 at Islands of Adventure. Day 3 is at Volcano Bay. You can choose to go between Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure on Day 4 to see what you missed, or repeat your favorite moments.
You will need to upgrade your park-to-park ticket in order to be able hop between parks on the last day.
Five days
Five days is enough to really soak up the excitement of Universal Orlando.
This option allows you to experience all three parks and has the best chance of taking in all that is on offer.
Enjoy a five-day vacation in Universal Orlando. You can slow down and take in the sights without worrying about what ride to miss.
The bottom line
Take a look at your goals and make realistic plans for your next trip to Universal Florida parks. If you have the funds and time, consider a longer vacation.
Do the best you can using the resources available. You’ll have an unforgettable time at Universal Orlando no matter how many days it takes.
(Top Photo courtesy of Universal Orlando Resort).
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