50 Universal Orlando Ride Hacks

Today we’re HACKING into the Universal Orlando ride scene with tricks to help you avoid super long waits, find the best seats on popular attractions, and make sure that your upcoming trips to both Universal Studios AND Islands of Adventure are gonna COMPETE with what Disney World has to offer.
Head to disneyfoodblog.com/universal for our latest FREE Universal Orlando Quick Guide
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Пікірлер: 112

  • @subzippo
    @subzippo3 ай бұрын

    Please, more Universal! I don't think I'll ever set foot on a Disney property again.

  • @brandonhainstock2928

    @brandonhainstock2928

    3 ай бұрын

    i know right.

  • @ErikHeimdallr

    @ErikHeimdallr

    Ай бұрын

    Exactly!

  • @randomusernameCallin
    @randomusernameCallin3 ай бұрын

    I am happy you spearding out your focus.

  • @tbgtabias

    @tbgtabias

    3 ай бұрын

    yeah cause there's nothing new at disney . disney is dead

  • @CobbleBompster

    @CobbleBompster

    3 ай бұрын

    @@tbgtabiasreal

  • @NicEeEe843

    @NicEeEe843

    3 ай бұрын

    There’s not much to talk about with US Disney .. 😂 that’s why

  • @randomusernameCallin

    @randomusernameCallin

    3 ай бұрын

    @@NicEeEe843 Well you talk about break downs in the parks.

  • @riondrius
    @riondrius3 ай бұрын

    Can`t wait for the EPIC Universe edition of this video !!!

  • @jtokidjb
    @jtokidjb3 ай бұрын

    Express pass is free when you stay in the deluxe hotel!

  • @AverageJoe483

    @AverageJoe483

    15 күн бұрын

    Well it isn’t “ free”. It’s included in your very expensive hotel price haha .

  • @MakeMoneyWithLauraM
    @MakeMoneyWithLauraM3 ай бұрын

    Yess Universal content! Love it!

  • @AuthorCertifiedGoof
    @AuthorCertifiedGoof22 күн бұрын

    I’m heading to Universal Orlando for my first time Labor Day weekend at the end of summer. I know that’ll probably be an insanely crowded weekend, so I’m going with Express Pass Unlimited. I’m glad I found this video!! So many amazing tips! Thank you! And I do fully plan to ride BOTH Seuss Trolley sides!! Haha

  • @aprilflowers2297
    @aprilflowers22973 ай бұрын

    We just started planning a Universal Studios trip after going to Disney twice. I’m so glad you are making these videos for Universal now too. Your videos are how I planned our Disney trips and made them a lot smoother knowing what to expect.

  • @savannah4439
    @savannah44393 ай бұрын

    It’s great that Universal sometimes starts letting everyone in early, but if you paid a premium to stay at a Universal hotel for that early entry perk, it can be annoying to lose some of the head start you paid for

  • @laceycampbell1534
    @laceycampbell153418 күн бұрын

    You're the best AJ!! I've learned so much from you over the last 4 years!

  • @erikluther6436
    @erikluther64363 ай бұрын

    For the water rides, we picked a day that we were going to ride them all. I took a dry bag and everyone had water shoes or tevas to wear on the rides. Packed the reg shoes in the dry bag, rode each ride 2 or 3 times, dried off a little, put the comfortable shoes back on and I took the dry bag full of wet shoes back to the Royal Pacific while the wife and kids rode some other rides. 20-30 mins later I was back in the park, with dry feet for the rest of the day with the family.

  • @kelleyfisher6932
    @kelleyfisher69323 ай бұрын

    The best piece of information I can share for universal rides is: space out all of the virtual reality rides if you don’t want to puke!

  • @alazaystreeter7444
    @alazaystreeter74443 ай бұрын

    29:18 The big lockers are $3 per ride now. So you may want to pre-plan for that.

  • @Kalebjk

    @Kalebjk

    3 ай бұрын

    Thanks!!! I didn’t know that

  • @alazaystreeter7444

    @alazaystreeter7444

    3 ай бұрын

    ​@@Kalebjk No problem!

  • @jolenewilson2303
    @jolenewilson23033 ай бұрын

    There are more first aid locations in each park. In UsF there is one next the fast and furious entrance and in IOA there is one in the lost continent near the kebab stand

  • @tokkiiiiz
    @tokkiiiiz3 ай бұрын

    You should always be wearing closed toe shoes because ride operators might need to evacuate you in like the worst case scenario and the terrain can be really dangerous depending on how much metal and stuff is around the evac site. So you just want to always make sure that you wear closed toe shoes!! (You don’t need steel toe boots or anything like that just make sure you’d be able to safely walk on the ground around you)

  • @cloismagic
    @cloismagic2 ай бұрын

    Great video! We love to go on the water rides first. We usually wear a bathing suit under some clothes we don't mind getting wet- like workout shorts and a tank. We wear our sneakers to walk to the park then change into our water shoes/or flip flops. We then tackle the 3 water rides back to back and then change in one of the bathrooms. I always pack a medium sized towel in my backpack and a change of clothes to enjoy the rest of the day. We also have those water proof phone bags that you can wear around your neck (available on amazon).

  • @MelvenJones
    @MelvenJones3 ай бұрын

    You forgot to mention to never use the single rider queues for rides like, Velocicoaster, Hagrid's, and Rip Ride Rockit!! Those lines will take even longer than the standby since the attendants have to group everyonebg party size and ride capacity.

  • @kittykathy9532
    @kittykathy95323 ай бұрын

    Thank you for the universal content! Keep it coming🎉❤

  • @KatieG-pr8kv
    @KatieG-pr8kv3 ай бұрын

    Thank you, DFB! Planning our first trip to Universal this March the information was so helpful, takes away any nervousness or stress! Keep up the awesome content!

  • @dawnhiggins2121
    @dawnhiggins21213 ай бұрын

    High in the Sky Trolley Ride is one of my favorites!

  • @haroldrosales6576
    @haroldrosales65763 ай бұрын

    Yesssss!!! More universal please!!

  • @sirphilipgreen
    @sirphilipgreen3 ай бұрын

    Very helpful - going to universal tomorrow and this came out just in time

  • @bobbiewade8467
    @bobbiewade84673 ай бұрын

    This was amazing!! We leave in a week and I’m definitely going to listen to this again and write down the best ones for our family to utilize! Thank you for a great video!!

  • @Vanessita411
    @Vanessita4113 ай бұрын

    31:50 At least bring your flip flops or waterproof shoes in your bag if you're planning riding the water rides. You're not allowed to ride without footwear, so you can at least change into your sandles before your wanna ride. That way, your shoes will not be sopping wet the rest of the day. Trust me, getting blisters from walking all day in wet socks is NOT something you wanna risk. Also, your shoes might stink at the end of the day 😖 Hope that helps 🙂

  • @JS-bh4ii
    @JS-bh4ii3 ай бұрын

    Great content and helpful.

  • @NoBSEateries
    @NoBSEateries3 ай бұрын

    You always have the best tips!

  • @fitfighter24
    @fitfighter243 ай бұрын

    Hi AJ if you book an onsight hotel like Portofino the room key acts as an Express pass so its a decent value thats the equivalent of the Grand Floridian in price but to get an Express pass included is an amazing perk

  • @kelleyfisher6932

    @kelleyfisher6932

    3 ай бұрын

    Correct! Booking the original three hotels gets you Xpress pass. We haven’t even rented a room For one night and didn’t even sleep there so we could get the Xpress pass the day before, and the day after. It was worth every penny.

  • @fitfighter24

    @fitfighter24

    3 ай бұрын

    @@kelleyfisher6932 why didn't you sleep there it would have been even more worth it those resorts are 5 diamonds you would have loved it and would have stayed right on property

  • @leahbee1992
    @leahbee1992Ай бұрын

    Love the new universal content!

  • @metallicnole4514
    @metallicnole45143 ай бұрын

    I'd love to see some busch gardens/seaworld content. They are pretty underrated parks

  • @OklahomaCoasterFan

    @OklahomaCoasterFan

    3 ай бұрын

    Very underrated! Best 2 parks in Florida, and both in my overall top 5 parks in the country.

  • @RC-ys4iy
    @RC-ys4iy3 ай бұрын

    We do the Hard Rock Hotel so we can walk to the parks and get the express pass free. In all the years we have stayed at the Hard Rock, the nightly rate was cheaper than buying the express pass for each of us on those same days.

  • @savannah4439
    @savannah44393 ай бұрын

    PSA: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is one of the most motion sickness-inducing rides I’ve ever been on! It was awful 🤢 …second only to maybe Mission Space at Epcot

  • @jademorello537

    @jademorello537

    3 ай бұрын

    That’s the only ride that makes me sick and it’s my daughter’s favorite ride 😂

  • @mightyyoshiyt6772

    @mightyyoshiyt6772

    3 ай бұрын

    I don’t have motion sickness so it is very enjoyable

  • @jmconcreteandsolutions

    @jmconcreteandsolutions

    2 ай бұрын

    Mission space is intense

  • @Orpheous
    @Orpheous3 ай бұрын

    More universal content!

  • @sarahgoldie7994
    @sarahgoldie79943 ай бұрын

    Im going in august for my 21st birthday and we booked a vip tour!!! my question is could you do a video about to survive the Florida heat ?

  • @kimgrod
    @kimgrod3 ай бұрын

    Buying EPs ahead of time is usually less expensive than waiting.

  • @krisrhood2127
    @krisrhood21273 ай бұрын

    I like that you can go through the ques without actually going on the rides

  • @cristipachano-fj2zr
    @cristipachano-fj2zr2 ай бұрын

    Any recommendations for the beginning of May ? Is it too busy ? Heat ?

  • @melissarandazzo603
    @melissarandazzo6033 ай бұрын

    Love that you are doing other Parks. Let’s do Sea World and Busch Gardens

  • @weatheredseeker

    @weatheredseeker

    3 ай бұрын

    Lol not even close to comparable that's like asking her to do six flags videos

  • @brandonhainstock2928
    @brandonhainstock29283 ай бұрын

    Cant wait for Epic Universe to open! Gonna take baby girl to Super Nintendo for her birthday to meet Princess Peach. :D

  • @cookingwithhistory6694
    @cookingwithhistory66943 ай бұрын

    The back row on Gringots is larger. The employees are evaluating you and will send you there if you need it.

  • @rebeccacollins5333
    @rebeccacollins53333 ай бұрын

    Mels drive in just reopened so hoping you'll cover that

  • @melelopezzzzzzz
    @melelopezzzzzzz3 ай бұрын

    Last time I went to islands. We rode the hagrids ride and the person I was riding with she was kind enough to let me go on the motorcycle side because I told her it was my first time on it.

  • @CurvaciousXOXO
    @CurvaciousXOXOАй бұрын

    Hello! Do the wait time alerts o only show up once in park ? We are going Thursday and I can’t see any of these options

  • @irvingbecerra3044
    @irvingbecerra30443 ай бұрын

    Nice

  • @rongamble9884
    @rongamble98842 ай бұрын

    We just went spring break a week ago and had no problems getting on rides are average wait time was 25 minutes and we not fall into the trap of the express pass

  • @nataliejanepeterson
    @nataliejanepeterson3 ай бұрын

    We went during Christmas week a couple of years ago. We paid to stay in the deluxe hotel. It cost us $300 a night. But they threw in the unlimited express passes for free which for 4 of us was a savings of about $3000 and my kids got to go on as many rides as they wanted as much as they wanted.

  • @Excalibur_86
    @Excalibur_863 ай бұрын

    If i don’t have valuables in my bag pack can i leave my backpack by the stroller parking without storing it in a locker?

  • @dominickgalinis3210
    @dominickgalinis32103 ай бұрын

    Friendly reminder. For the DELUXE hotels where you get an express pass. You get it for the FULL day of check in until the full day of check out. So, if you check in Saturday, check out Sunday, you get a full express pass all day. A good hack is to bookend your stay with one of these (so you can express it) and the rest of your stay, stay at one of the value hotels if you want to save some money

  • @mooreofmylife850
    @mooreofmylife8503 ай бұрын

    Can you do an all things SeaWorld 2024 you guys are awesome love your channel 🎉

  • @THEcolebennett
    @THEcolebennett3 ай бұрын

    I just hope this doesnt make Universal Parks increasingly more crowded. We dont need another crazy crowded Disney!

  • @user-hz2qe4mk1q
    @user-hz2qe4mk1q21 күн бұрын

    no mention of the best ride in the park by far is Velocicoaster...

  • @jeffstanley6013
    @jeffstanley60133 ай бұрын

    35:45 - Is it just me, or did anyone else out there really hope that the gal in the left foreground with her back to the ride was about to get unexpectedly drenched?

  • @savannah4439
    @savannah44393 ай бұрын

    I cannot IMAGINE spending over $300 per person per day for the Express pass! That is WILD! It’s probably good ole-fashioned supply and demand, but that’s like 10x the price of Genie+! I just *know* that if Disney raised to even half the price of Universal Express, people would be in an uproar! When I was there I was also surprised at how expensive the merch was, given that I’ve always heard that Universal was cheaper than Disney. Most of their merch was the same price or more expensive than Disney! Overall it was still really fun though, and I enjoyed the higher density of roller coasters

  • @quemma

    @quemma

    3 ай бұрын

    yeah but instead of getting maybe 3 lightning lanes ( 4 if ur lucky ) with somewhat shorter lines, u get to basically walk on all the rides u want & no booking lines. my friend did express & she rode every single ride in the park in a day + some rides twice

  • @mike9147

    @mike9147

    3 ай бұрын

    Those super high EXPRESS prices are holidays and springs and winter breaks usually. A bad time of year to go anyway.

  • @CarloRufinoSabusap

    @CarloRufinoSabusap

    3 ай бұрын

    If you stay at certain Universal hotels, you get them for free for your entire stay for each person staying in the room, including checkout days. Disney doesn't even offer anything like that!

  • @meganashlea

    @meganashlea

    3 ай бұрын

    Anytime we had express passes, it was thru the premier resorts which is a much better value for the money. Everyone in the room get the passes for the full day of check in thru check out. A lot of people book a room for 1 night to get 2 days of passes and don’t even stay in the room. The rooms are gorgeous so definitely stay if you’re booking IMO.

  • @jtokidjb
    @jtokidjb3 ай бұрын

    ❤❤❤

  • @GeekNotice
    @GeekNotice3 ай бұрын

    Wow, these Universal Orlando ride hacks are game-changers! 🎢 Thanks for sharing these insider tips to help us make the most out of our theme park experience. From avoiding long waits to finding the best seats, these hacks are definitely going to up our Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure game. Can't wait to try them out on my next trip!

  • @zjweele13
    @zjweele133 ай бұрын

    Regarding the no loose items policy. I wear glasses. Are they allowed on the coasters (with a strap is neccesary)? And i have pockets with zippers. Can you keep your wallet and phone with you in that case?

  • @meganashlea

    @meganashlea

    3 ай бұрын

    Yes glasses are allowed. My son was still worried and asked me to hold them on Velocicoaster (he did wear them on Hulk no problem, skipped rip ride rocket). We havent asked about phone/wallet when I walk thru the line as a non-rider if I’m going all the way to the loading dock. It’s a much quicker process to put everything in the lockers

  • @mg72501

    @mg72501

    3 ай бұрын

    Some rides, such as Hulk and Velocicoaster (possibly Rip Ride Rockit as well), have metal detectors in line. You can keep glasses but anything that won't go through the detector will not go on the ride! I had an annual pass last year and I used glasses grippers to make sure mine never flew off :)

  • @Pretear521
    @Pretear5213 ай бұрын

    Do we tell the members before entering the ques that we are just wanting to experience the Que? I definitely don’t wanna miss Harry Potter Que. I didn’t know we could do that😅

  • @meganashlea

    @meganashlea

    3 ай бұрын

    I tell them I’m just waking thru with the kids so they don’t yell at me to get a locker 😂 the queues are amazing. If you’re carrying stuff team members thru the line might stop at ask you if you’re riding. A lot of people just want to walk thru

  • @crisholly19985
    @crisholly199853 ай бұрын

    In September I sat in my car in traffic JUST outside of the parking lot payment booth for an hour 😭

  • @soothsayingProfit
    @soothsayingProfit2 ай бұрын

    Yeah, the log flume sucks! Clearly this was made for children because I was absolutely struggling to get in but even more to get out. Worst part is that it stalled before the actual drop for us and had to walk down. At least I got a one time express pass ticket out of it.

  • @jchandlersabeast
    @jchandlersabeast3 ай бұрын

    Better parks

  • @pinkrhodeblush
    @pinkrhodeblush3 ай бұрын

    I have experienced riding the water rides and then eating at mythos. Yeah…

  • @lesliegallagher2682
    @lesliegallagher26823 ай бұрын

    I heard that Skull Island has done away with 3D. Is that correct?

  • @RC-ys4iy

    @RC-ys4iy

    3 ай бұрын

    I last rode it in October and it was still in 3D, but I was told that they were doing crew testing with the ride in 2D instead. I saw online that public testing in 2D will be happening this month.

  • @jhamp244
    @jhamp2443 ай бұрын

    Don't skip the trolley ride.

  • @adrianr87
    @adrianr873 ай бұрын

    Love universal coverage. Frankly disney deserves to be forgotten for a while. Not that it'll happen

  • @alejandrasarabia4112
    @alejandrasarabia41123 ай бұрын

    Which ride is at 0.33?

  • @alejandrasarabia4112

    @alejandrasarabia4112

    3 ай бұрын

    0:33

  • @rickyspanish69420.
    @rickyspanish69420.2 ай бұрын

    Wow only a month ago? How'd you know i was going?

  • @Corajade1869
    @Corajade18693 ай бұрын

    Are you gonna do seaworld content too

  • @weatheredseeker

    @weatheredseeker

    3 ай бұрын

    Not even close to comparable park

  • @Corajade1869

    @Corajade1869

    3 ай бұрын

    @@weatheredseeker ok

  • @weatheredseeker

    @weatheredseeker

    3 ай бұрын

    @@Corajade1869 sorry I didn't mean to be rude it can be lovable for people I'm sure

  • @Corajade1869

    @Corajade1869

    3 ай бұрын

    @@weatheredseeker it’s okay

  • @OklahomaCoasterFan

    @OklahomaCoasterFan

    3 ай бұрын

    I think SeaWorld is a much easier park to manage. It's such a chill park with much shorter wait times, and a very strong roller coaster collection, which is why I think it's significantly better than Disney or Universal. I do Disney rarely, Universal sometimes, and SeaWorld/Busch Gardens always.

  • @levelupyourlifek
    @levelupyourlifekАй бұрын

    This was the only video I watched for my trip that directly referenced several very specific things from another KZreadrs content. Made me want to stop watching because it felt like stealing but I’m not a KZreadr or know that other KZreadr so it’s not like I want to report it but maybe a shout out to them would have been classier.

  • @200sophi
    @200sophi3 ай бұрын

    I must be one of the only people not to get soaked on popeye

  • @jenniferv3219
    @jenniferv32193 ай бұрын

    The cost for the hotel with "free" express passes and staying cheaper and buying separate passes was the same. It's not "free", you're just paying the difference.

  • @ShiaCharlene

    @ShiaCharlene

    3 ай бұрын

    Absolutely was cheaper for our trip well over 1k for express for 2 people for 3 days vs under $800 for hard rock

  • @melissamunoz8760

    @melissamunoz8760

    3 ай бұрын

    It depends on your vacation plans. I have a family of 6 for 3 days, $1800/ day for express. Far cheaper to stay at resort.

  • @vintageoriginallegit

    @vintageoriginallegit

    3 ай бұрын

    Nah for you it was cheaper for me to buy the deluxe hotel. This is verging on misinformation maybe delete your comment.

  • @jamiefrantz8346

    @jamiefrantz8346

    3 ай бұрын

    This was our experience as well. But we were only staying for two days. I think it depends on the length of stay and number of people in your group. You just have to run the numbers and see what’s best for your family 🤷🏼‍♀️

  • @meganashlea

    @meganashlea

    3 ай бұрын

    Completely depends on family size and when you’re going. When I take my dad and nephew (4 of us total) it’s almost always cheaper to book a premier hotel if we want express. We’ve been so many times now that we don’t care for express anymore 😅

  • @edwardjones1482
    @edwardjones14823 ай бұрын

    So let me get this straight universals express pass is more expensive than genie + ?? But yet you get people complaining about Genie + and I’m very sure people are on their phones all day while at universal as well, I’m not hating on universal I’m just saying people shouldn’t be hating and complaining about one theme park when the other has very similar things going on 🤣🤣

  • @malaikavinson4435

    @malaikavinson4435

    3 ай бұрын

    I think people only complain as it is not as intuitive to use. It has to be at a set time and you have to wait around for an opening to appear. Not every ride is available and you have to use lighting lanes. Universal Express is more expensive but it is as simple as getting in an express lane that's it. I've done trips without even using my phone at Universal, it is a bit harder to do at Disney as you kinda have to plan in the park.

  • @WOWitsANT

    @WOWitsANT

    3 ай бұрын

    If Genie+ was as much money as Universal fast pass you would have people throwing the biggest tantrums and picketing outside Disney. lol. Though not gonna lie, I end up buying it every year at Halloween Horror Nights 😁

  • @Psychesrose

    @Psychesrose

    3 ай бұрын

    Ironically, making Universal Express more expensive gives everyone involved a better time than Genius+. It means 1/50 of people in Universal have it instead of 1/2 like Disney, so the express lane is actually short. People in the normal line don't have to wait long for the express people to get through, and don't have to buy the pass just to get on the ride before the park closes. And since lines are physical at Universal you don't have people in multiple virtual lines at the same time, making all of the lines longer.

  • @OklahomaCoasterFan

    @OklahomaCoasterFan

    3 ай бұрын

    The expensive express pass actually makes for a better experience for everyone. With a lot fewer people having it, the express pass lines are short. And that has the extra benefit of allowing the regular line to move much faster. At Disney, about 70% of riders are Genie+ riders, which is what makes the regular lines get so long. At Universal, about 10% of riders are Express Pass riders, so the regular lines move so much quicker. In other words, Express Pass is a luxury item that also doesn't take away from the experience of the people without it. But with Disney, Genie+ is a requirement to not have insane waits, and it greatly takes away from the experience of those without it.

  • @georgeonderko5273
    @georgeonderko52733 ай бұрын

    Given that the Disney advice is now for the ever shrinking audience that can afford it… good to see universal recs.