My Adventure at Universal Studios
Entrance
On my second day in Orlando, June 30th, 2021, we went to have fun at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure (https://www.universalorlando.com). We got there around 10:30 am and I thought the parking was really organized, because there were instructions and staff helping the cars to park and the spaces were filling out in sequence, so you don’t have to get crazy looking for a spot. Since we only had the snack from the hotel, we decided to have brunch at Panda Express. There were different restaurant options at Universal, including Bigfire, Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food, Cowfish, Hard Rock Cafe, and others.
Park/Rides
After eating, we started walking in the direction of the Islands of Adventure park. The first section of the park was the Marvel rides. The first ride we tried was the Doctor Doom's Fearfall with a 35-min waiting line. Then, we went on Skull Island: Reign of Kong ride with a 75-min waiting line, we got extremely tired, but the ride was totally worth it as you can see a little bit on the video below.
By the time we got to the Hogwarts area and we were waiting in line for the Hogwarts Express, it started raining. Most of the rides get closed since they need to make sure there is no storm and everything is safe again. When the rain was done, we just decided to go to Ollivander’s store and I bought some postal cards, then we went on Flight of the Hippogriff ride with a 35-min waiting line. This ended up being the only ‘Harry Potter’ ride I got to experience.
Visiting Hogwarts
The stormy day in Hogsmeade
Going back to the middle, in the Jurassic section, we went on Jurassic Park River Adventure ride with a 40-min waiting line. It was so much fun, I could not record and I am glad I didn’t even try because I was able to pay attention to all the dinosaurs and what they were saying on the radio while welcoming all of us to Jurassic Park. Trust me, I’m glad I made it to the end without a T-rex getting to me.
End of the Day
In the end, we got excited that Popeye and Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges ride had only a 15-min waiting line. But we didn’t really know what exactly was this ride about and we ended up soaked, even my backpack. Then, we decided to try another water ride, which was the Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls before going back to the hotel, we got wet again at this ride but it didn’t really matter. We used a drying station and I tried my best to get my shoes and backpack dried as well. We left the park around 5:30 pm and after resting we had Turkish food for dinner. Even though the day didn’t go as I planned, and I didn’t try all the rides I wanted to, I still can say it was an awesome adventure!
Useful Tips
Express pass: Waiting in the lines can be very tiring and you don’t get to experience every ride you are planning to. So, the best way to avoid it is by buying an express pass. For $69.99 you will be able to skip the regular lines, which at that time I wished I had got it. There are other passes options you can purchase on the link below: https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/tickets-packages/express-passes
Weather: Before purchasing your ticket to Universal, make sure you check the weather for that week. So, you can enjoy the whole day without rain or worry about any storms.
What to pack for the day: Water bottle, sunscreen, sunglasses, hand sanitizer, hoodie, bandaids, tissues, change of clothes (I wish I had it in my bag after getting soaked), snacks (granola bars, peanuts), umbrella, and a portable charger.