Visitors Guide to Universal Studios Florida

Fast & Furious Hollywood Drift - The second installation of this spinning Intamin coaster will open in 2027 on the former site of the old Hollywood, Rip, Ride, Rockit coaster.

Readers' Picks

1. Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts ★ ★
   Indoor roller coaster dark ride located in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley. Height requirement: 42 inches
   
   
   One of the goblins tellers in Gringotts Bank. Photo by Robert Niles.
2. Men in Black: Alien Attack ★
   Interactive dark ride located in World Expo. Height requirement: 42 inches
   

Other Attractions

Starting with turning right the Today Cafe and heading down Hollywood Boulevard.

Hollywood

• The Bourne Stuntacular: Live and mixed-media stunt show
• Universal Orlando's Horror Makeup Show: Comedic demonstration in the Pantages Theater. This show will close for reimagining during 2026.
• CineSational: A Symphony Spectacular: Nighttime spectacular on the park's lagoon honors Universal's movie music with water screens, fountains, fireworks and drones. It's best viewed from Central Park. 🎦 Video
• ET Adventure: Dark ride. Height requirement: 36 inches. 🎦 Video

DreamWorks Land

• King Harold's Swamp Symphony: Interactive play installation. 🎦 Video
• Mama Luna's: Digital interaction. 🎦 Video
• Shrek's Swamp for Little Ogres: Play structure
• Poppy's Playground: Soft play area for toddlers
• DreamWorks Imagination Celebration: Indoor musical show. 🎦 Video
• Trollercoaster: Trolls-themed Vekoma Junior Coster. Minimum height: 36 inches. 🎦 Video
• Po's Kung Fu Training Camp: Play area with wet and dry elements
• Po Live!: Digital interaction. 🎦 Video

Springfield

• The Simpsons Ride: Motion base show. Height requirement: 40 inches
• Kang and Kodos' Twirl 'n' Hurl: Spinner
• Animal Actors on Location: Live animal show

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley

• Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees/Tales of Beedle the Bard: Two different live shows on the Carkitt Market stage. 🎦 Video
• Ollivander's Wand Shop: Live show
• Hogwarts Express: Railway transportation to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade in Islands of Adventure. Park-to-Park tickets are required.

San Francisco

• Fast and Furious - Supercharged: Dark ride

New York

• Revenge of the Mummy: Indoor roller coaster. Height requirement: 48 inches. 🎦 Video
• Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon: Walk-through exhibit followed by a "green room" show and then a flying theater ride. Minimum eight: 40 inches

Production Central

• Transformers: The Ride 3D: Motion base ride. Height requirement: 40 inches

Minion Land

• Villain-Con Minion Blast: Interactive "moving sidewalk" walk-through in Minion Land. Compete in this interactive shooting contest to become the next member of the Vicious 6 super-villain group. 🎦 Video
• Despicable Me Minion Mayhem: Motion base theater ride. Minimum height: 40 inches.

Recommended

• Lombard's Seafood Grille: Table service seafood in San Francisco
• Finnegan's: Irish pub and table service restaurant in New York
• Leaky Cauldron: Counter service British pub fare in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley

Other places to eat

Hollywood

• Today Cafe: Sandwiches and bakery
• Cafe La Bamba: Bowls, tacos, and salads
• Central Park Crepes
• KidZone Pizza Company
• Mel's Drive-In: Burgers

Minion Land

• Minion Cafe: Bowls, sandwiches, and themed desserts

New York

• Louie's Italian Restaurant: Pizza and pasta

San Francisco

• Richter's Burger Co.: Poorly rated burgers
• Chez Alcatraz: Bar

Springfield

• Bumble Man's Taco Truck is located outside, while Cletus' Chicken Shack, Krusty Burger, Luigi's Pizza, Moe's Tavern, and The Frying Dutchman are located inside in a food court.

Universal Studios Florida is part of the Universal Orlando resort, located near the intersection of Interstate 4 and Florida's Turnpike in Orlando, about 17 miles from the Orlando International Airport (MCO).

If you are renting a car while visiting Orlando, you can save on toll road fees by getting a Visitor Toll Pass at the Orlando airport rather than renting a toll transponder from your rental car company: Toll Discounts Return for Orlando Theme Park Visitors

Before you go: Get your tickets in advance. Note that you will need a Park-to-Park ticket (Universal's term for what Disney calls a Park Hopper) to ride the Hogwarts Express, which shuttles riders between Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida. If you don't care about Hogwarts Express, do the one park per day Base Ticket if you would prefer. Once you have your tickets, download and create an account on the Universal Orlando app, which you will use for Universal's Virtual Line for select rides and Mobile Ordering for food.

Universal offers a paid front-of-line ticket called Universal Express, but the resort gives that access away for no extra charge to guests at its three Premier hotels: Portofino Bay, Hard Rock, and Royal Pacific. With Universal Express Unlimited benefits starting at $90 per person per day for everyone else, you might find splurging to stay at one of Universal's top three hotels well worth the higher room prices. You get the front-of-line benefit from the day you check in until the day you check out, so a one-night stay at a Premier hotel gets everyone in your family (up to five people) free Universal Express Unlimited access for two days.

Early Park Admission: If you stay at any Universal Orlando hotel, on select dates you might get Early Park Admission, which will get you into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley and sometimes other attractions one hour before the park opens to everyone else.

Morning of your visit: If you are not staying at a Premier hotel, wait to make a decision about buying Universal Express until you get into the park and see what the day's crowd level is actually like. Look at the posted wait times on the Universal Orlando app, and if they seem reasonable to you, skip the upcharge. If you want the front-of-line access, you can buy Universal Express inside the park near the front gate and at designated shops. If you have Universal Express - whether from your hotel or through a direct purchase - you don't need to worry about strategy. Just ride what you want, when you want to.

If you are visiting alone, take advantage of potential single rider lines to reduce your wait times. Single rider often is available on Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, Men in Black: Alien Attack, and Revenge of the Mummy.

The longest mid-day wait times in the park are for Gringotts and Despicable Me, followed by Mummy, Transformers, and Fast and Furious. Do Despicable Me at park opening, followed by Gringotts, then Mummy, and then Transformers, if you can get to it before 11am. Otherwise, leave it for the early evening. Pick up other attractions around the park at your convenience.

Just don't bother with Fast and Furious if it has more than a minimal wait, however. The overwhelming consensus here is that the longer you wait for this experience, the less you will like it.