The Best 4-Day Universal Studios Orlando Itinerary

Last Updated on 21st July 2023

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The Ultimate Guide To Universal Studios & Islands Of Adventure Orlando, Florida

Spending four days at Universal Studios Orlando was one of the highlights of our 3-month USA road trip (and there were a lot of highlights!).

We have actually been to the Universal Studios Resort in Singapore and we truly loved it there, so we had an inkling that we’d love Universal Studios & Islands Of Adventure Orlando as well. Many people asked us why we didn’t go to Disney World as well while we were in Orlando and while it’s definitely still on my list of places to visit in America, I think Universal just suited us better.

If you’re planning a holiday to Universal Studios & Islands Of Adventure in Orlando, I’ve got you covered in this huge Universal Studios Orlando itinerary below which covers everything you need to know about visiting the famous theme parks.

From where to stay, where to eat and of course, all the best rides and attractions at Universal Studios & Islands Of Adventure, you’ll find all the information you need to know in my ultimate Universal Studios Orlando itinerary below!

At the end of the post, I’ve put together a full FAQ section which includes all the details about how much tickets cost for Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, how long to spend in each park, the best month to visit Universal Studios Orlando and more!

I hope this post helps you plan an epic itinerary to Universal Studios Orlando!

P.S. Please note that some rides in Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure were closed (such as the Revenge of the Mummy) so this list is completely exhaustive of every single ride and attraction as I didn’t want to include the things that we weren’t able to do!

Where to stay – Universal Studios Orlando itinerary

Where to stay at Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure

We stayed at Quality Inn at International Drive while in Orlando and even though it’s not a park resort, we found it to be one of the best budget options in Orlando that was still relatively close to Universal Studios.

The room was pretty huge and as we have a Genius Level 3 rating on Booking.com (we stay in a lot of hotels so it took no time at all for us to reach this level), we benefit from things like free room upgrades which meant we enjoyed a large room with two queen beds.

Quality Inn at International Drive is also just a 10-minute drive from Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure and the hotel very kindly provides a free shuttle service to all the theme parks which was such a great added bonus.

With on-site laundry facilities on the top floor, a large outdoor pool and jacuzzi, free breakfast and very sizeable rooms, I really couldn’t recommend Quality Inn at International Drive enough.

Of course, I’m very aware that many people love to stay at resort hotels when visiting Universal Studios, so I’ve put together a brief list of the most popular/most highly recommended ones below.

Universal CityWalk Orlando

Depending on how you get to the parks, when you first arrive at Universal Studios Orlando, you will either be dropped off in the hotel shuttle car park if you take hotel transport to and from the resort or if you drive to the parks yourself, you will have to follow signs for parking once you get there.

Next up, you’ll take the escalators or elevators up to the security entrances for the parks (it’s the same place for both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure) and then you’ll go through the long walkway to get to Universal CityWalk.

This is right at the entrance to both parks, so depending on which one you’re going to, you’ll need to follow directions for the park of your choosing. This area is known as the Universal CityWalk and it’s full of great restaurants, bars, cafes, sweet shops, a cinema and much more. It’s a great place to grab a bite to eat before you head into the parks or on an evening once you’ve finished for the day.

The best rides and attractions – Universal Studios Orlando Itinerary

Now, this list of the best rides and attractions at Universal Studios isn’t completely exhaustive, but I have rounded up some of my top highlights from our time at the theme park so you know which rides and attractions to go on first!

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is one of the most famous and beloved rollercoasters at the Universal theme park and we’d heard so much about it before we’d even arrived in Orlando.

It’s a fun, fast and thrilling rollercoaster with a twist; you get to choose from a range of songs that will play while you’re racing around the tracks on the rollercoaster!

Choose from hip hop, rock, the 80s, dance and more to accompany you while whizzing through the air on the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit! This is definitely a highlight attraction of Universal Studios Florida.

Transformers The Ride 3D

Matt and I have said for years that the 3D Transformers Ride in Singapore is probably one of the best rides we’ve ever been on, so we were incredibly excited to see how the Orlando version measured up.

Thankfully, it did not disappoint and I absolutely loved it! Unfortunately, Matt started to feel really motion sick on the 3D/4D rides so he avoided most of them for the rest of the trip which was a huge shame, but this is something to definitely bear in mind if you suffer from travel sickness a lot as many of the rides and attractions are motion-based or have 3D/4D qualities.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ – Diagon Alley™

Whenever you think of Orlando, Florida, your mind probably instantly thinks of the iconic Wizarding World of Harry Potter (unless you’re not a complete Potterhead!).

While I think Hogsmeade Village in Islands of Adventure is arguably better than Universal’s Diagon Alley, there’s no denying that this is a truly special place in the theme park. If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you simply have to visit Diagon Alley and stick around to see the Gringotts dragon breathe real fire approximately every 10-minutes!

In Diagon Alley, you’ll find Ollivander’s Wand Shop, Weasley’s Wizarding Equipment, the Leaky Cauldron and much more. It’s such a magical place and even though we’ve visited the Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Tour, this experience perhaps feels even more real!

Springfield: Home of the Simpsons

The Simpsons might not be quite as popular as it used to be, but it still plays a very big part in the attractions and activities in Universal Studios and if you’re still an old-school fan of the show, you’ll definitely love hanging out in Simpsons land!

The Simpsons Ride is also a must-do, although this is a motion simulation ride with a 3D/4D experience, so be wary of feeling motion sick.

New York – Jimmy Fallon

The Jimmy Fallon ride is yet another 4D experience attraction that made Matt feel incredibly motion sick and he wasn’t too well after at all, so bear that in mind if you’re prone to motion sickness! I actually really enjoyed it though, probably because I adore New York so much!

The whole “New York” area of the theme park is also incredibly cool and if you love the city as much as I do, you’re sure to enjoy wandering around the streets of a mini New York City!

Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts

This was undoubtedly one of my very favourite rides across both theme parks and the entrance to the ride alone is worth doing. You’ll walk through Gringotts Bank and the sets and props just while you’re queuing for the ride are crazy amazing!

This is definitely a must-do while at Universal.

The Bourne Stuntacular

As well as the abundance of rides and attractions, there are also several shows and varieties of entertainment to enjoy and one of the very best performances we saw was The Bourne Stuntacular.

This truly incredible show is a full-on action performance carried out by professional stunt actors and I really don’t want to say too much about it as I don’t want to spoil the experience, but if you get the chance to watch a show while you’re at Universal, please do as it was absolutely incredible!

I didn’t take any pictures of The Bourne Stuntacular as photography was prohibited so please excuse the somewhat irrelevant picture above!

Universal Orlando’s Horror Make-Up Show

While the Horror Make-Up Show wasn’t quite as spectacular as the Bourne performance, it’s still worth watching, especially if you want a little rest or some respite from the heat outside!

In this show, professional make-up artists and special effects artists will show you how they create some of the goriest movie scenes from hit blockbusters.

Bonus best rides and attractions at Universal Studios Florida

Despicable Me Minion Mayhem – we didn’t go on this ride as we’re not very big Minions fans, but it’s one of the more popular rides for the whole family!
E.T. Adventure – this ride is very old and dated but it’s very cute and I actually really loved it!
Revenge of the Mummy – unfortunately, this ride was closed when we were at Universal so we didn’t manage to go on it.
Fast And Furious – Supercharged – this is a motion simulation experience but it was by far my least favourite “ride” at Universal.
MEN IN BLACK Alien Attack – I went on this ride alone as it’s yet another motion simulation ride, although not nearly as intense as many of the others.

The best rides and attractions at Islands of Adventure

Next up, we have Islands of Adventure which is the second theme park we decided to visit in Orlando (we spent two days in Universal Studios and two days in Islands of Adventure as part of our Universal Studios Orlando itinerary – more on that below).

Islands of Adventure is probably my favourite park out of the two as I feel like it has more rides, better attractions and is arguably better suited to older kids and adults, and while Universal Studios is definitely amazing, it feels more aimed at children in many aspects.

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

How much are tickets for Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure Florida?

This remarkable 4D thrilling ride was probably my favourite Harry Potter ride/attraction and perhaps one of my very favourite things to do across both the theme parks!

Again, it’s another motion-sickness prone ride, so one to be wary of if that’s not your kind of thing. I, however, thoroughly enjoyed pretending I was at Hogwarts with Harry, Ron and Hermione and it’s one of the cleverest and most fun immersive ride experiences I’ve ever been on – a definite must-do!

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure

Harry Potter fans rejoice; this is yet another truly awesome Potter-themed ride to enjoy in Islands of Adventure and one that completely took me by surprise!

Unlike the Flight of the Grippogriff (more on that below), which was good fun but not brilliant, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is an incredibly cool ride!

It’s more of a mini rollercoaster, rather than a full-speed adrenaline-fuelled ride, but it does have lots of twists and turns and fast speeds and it’s tremendous fun!

The Incredible Hulk Rollercoaster

If you are looking for an intense rollercoaster with crazy-fast speeds, plenty of loops and upside-down twists, look no further than the Incredible Hulk ride!

This is often cited as the best rollercoaster in Orlando and while I’d certainly vouch for it being one of the best, I think my personal favourite rollercoaster is the Velocicoaster…

Jurrasic World VelociCoaster

Jurrasic World VelociCoaster only opened in June 2021, so it’s one of the park’s newest attractions and it might just be the best one as well!

You can expect very long queues for this ride, but it’s definitely worth it as it’s probably the best rollercoaster I’ve ever been on!

Doctor Doom’s Fearfall

From the best rides at Islands of Adventure to one of my least favourites; Doctor Doom’s Fearfall.

I really wanted to love Doctor Doom’s Fearfall as I normally really like cliffhanger-style rides, but this literally shoots you to the top of the tower and then drops you back down again so it’s incredibly short. It is one of the older rides in the theme park, so it can be forgiven for not being quite as cool as some of the newer attractions, but if you’re not super bothered about cliffhangers, you could probably just skip this one.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade

Hogsmeade Village in Islands of Adventure is without a doubt one of the coolest and most magical places I’ve been to. If you’ve watched the Harry Potter movie franchise many times (like I have), then stepping into Hogsmeade will feel exactly like you’ve stepped foot into the magical world of all things Harry Potter.

You’ll find the Hogs Head, the Three Broomsticks, Honeydukes candy shop, a butterbeer stand and so much more. Diagon Alley in Universal Studios is remarkable, but this just might be even better!

Jurrasic Park River Adventure

Fans of water rides are sure to love the Jurrasic Park River Adventure; I most certainly did!

This ride takes you on a journey through “Jurrasic Park” where you’ll see giant animatronic dinosaurs and you’ll cruise along the river before making your way up a huge ascent where you’ll then whiz down in the boat and crash land into the water below.

It’s so much fun, but you will get wet so be prepared for that!

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man

One thing I have to note about both Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios is that many of their rides and attractions are 3D or 4D motion simulation rides which are lots of fun, but I did think that there were more rollercoasters.

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man is yet another 4D immersive ride experience that’s not just for kids; it’s lots of fun for adults too!

Seuss Landing

Seuss Landing, on the other hand, is definitely aimed more towards younger children, although we still enjoyed having a wander through its numerous attractions and fantastical sets and props.

There are several children’s rides in Seuss Landing, but naturally, we didn’t go on them, so I can’t really recommend any in particular!

Bonus best rides and attractions at Islands of Adventure

Hogwarts Express – you can take the Hogwarts Train between Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios.
Flight of the Hippogriff – this ride was good but the queue was the longest out of any of the rides we experienced and it wasn’t my absolute favourite.
Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges – you WILL get wet on this ride!
Skull Island: Reign of Kong – this ride is a 4D immersive experience ride and it is very intense and can cause motion sickness; I much preferred the other 3D/4D rides.
Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls – we didn’t go on this ride but it looked like a lot of fun, especially for teens!

Where to eat – Universal Studios Orlando Itinerary

Where to eat at Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure

There are hundreds of places to eat in Orlando, both inside and out of the parks and you could probably visit for months at a time and still not try everything there is to eat, but I challenge you to make a pretty good start!

Below, I’ve put together a brief list of the best places to eat in the parks and outside as well.

In the parks – Universal Studios Orlando Itinerary

In the parks - Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure

In terms of actual restaurant meals, we mostly ate at places outside of the parks as the food at Universal Orlando can be very expensive. Of course, if you factor this into your budget and your visit to the parks, then you’ll be better prepared, but we wanted to save a bit of money and eat elsewhere.

We did, however, try a few places for snacks and we also ate at the Hard Rock Cafe because it’s such a cult classic for tourists and neither of us had been before.

Voodoo Doughnut

If there’s just one place I can inspire you to eat while in Orlando, it would have to be Voodoo Doughnut which is by far the best doughnut shop I’ve ever seen!

I’m very loyal to my beloved Doughnuttery in New York City, but the creations at Voodoo Doughnut are on an entirely new level; they are so freaking good!

There are so many flavours to choose from (over 50!) and best of all, you can get boxes of them (there’s even a 3ft coffin that you can order full of doughnuts!) so you can try as many flavours as possible.

Hard Rock Cafe

The Hard Rock Cafe is an incredibly touristy restaurant all over the world, so I didn’t have super high expectations of the food as I thought it would be more about the experience of dining, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the food isn’t half bad!

Louie’s Italian Restaurant

Even though we visited Orlando at the end of January/beginning of February, the temperatures were still 25°C+ so we decided that it was time for ice cream one day while we were there.

We ordered the salted caramel and cookies and cream flavours from Louie’s Italian Restaurant in Universal Studios and it was absolutely heavenly; the most deliciously cold sweet treat on a hot day!

Snookers & Snookers Sweet Candy Cookers

Located in Seuss Landing, this eclectic sweet shop is full of awesome goodies that are probably primarily aimed at kids, but we had so much fun exploring the many types of candy and we even took a bag away to enjoy while walking around the park.

The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen

While we didn’t eat at the proper restaurant at this fabulous “chocolate factory”, we did have a very thorough browse at their sweet treat selection that’s full of scrumptious macarons, chocolate truffles and other assorted candy.

Bonus best places to eat in Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure

Unfortunately, we didn’t quite get the chance to eat at the dozens of incredible restaurants, diners and cafes in the parks, but I had the following restaurants on my list of places to eat and drink that were recommended by other travellers and family and friends who’ve been to Universal Orlando!

Mythos Restaurant – Islands of Adventure
Three Broomsticks – Islands of Adventure
Hogs Head – Islands of Adventure
Leaky Cauldron – Universal Studios
Chez Alcatraz – Universal Studios
Krusty Burger – Universal Studios
Bob Marley—A Tribute to Freedom – Citywalk
Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville – Citywalk
Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food – Citywalk

Outside the parks

The hotel where we stayed during our trip to Orlando (Quality Inn at International Drive) was surrounded by so many great restaurants that we decided to eat outside of the parks for almost every meal while we were there.

It was also a bit cheaper to do this, so if you’re visiting Universal Orlando on as tight a budget as possible, I’d highly recommend eating outside of the parks to save a bit of money.

Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux

We ate at Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux on the first night we arrived in Orlando as Matt wanted to eat somewhere with lots of TVs as there was a “big” football game on and we read great reviews about this place so we decided to try it out.

The food here was pretty good and my turkey bacon wrap, in particular, was really delicious, but it’s definitely more of a sports bar, so if you’re not really into watching sports with your meal, you can probably give this place a miss.

Cali wrap (turkey, bacon, Swiss, garlic aioli) $13.49
Buffalo chicken sandwich $12.49

Uno Pizzeria

Until we visited Uno Pizzeria, neither of us had ever tried a proper deep-dish pizza pie so this was our first attempt!

We ordered the large Chicago Meat Market pizza that supposedly serves 4-5 people, although we managed to polish off the whole thing between us!

The pizza itself was wonderful, although a little heavier than we’re used to and I’m not sure the portion recommendations for 4-5 people are quite right; unless we’re just very greedy!

Chicago Meat Market $29.79 – sausage, meatballs, pepperoni.

Twin Peaks Orlando

I actually chose the Twin Peaks restaurant purely based on raving reviews on Google but we didn’t realise until we got there that it’s actually a chain restaurant in the US. We also didn’t realise that it has a very ‘Hooters’ vibe to it, but despite that, we still had a great meal here!

I had the spicy meatball parmesan with fries which was truly scrumptious and Matt had the smoked chicken quesadillas which were also delightful. It’s perhaps not the most family-friendly restaurant in Orlando, but the food here really is very good!

Olive Garden

I really hope that I’m not going to get berated for recommending one of the United States’ most famous restaurant franchises but as two travellers who’d never had Olive Garden before, I was blown away by how great it was, so I’m recommending it in this post!

Of course, we had to try the infamous Olive Garden breadsticks which weren’t actually quite as amazing as I was led to believe; I thought they were far too salty!

The actual food, however, is tremendous and even though I never normally like to recommend too many restaurant chains as I prefer to try more local places to eat, I can’t believe how much I enjoyed Olive Garden!

I absolutely love the fact that you get a free starter with any entree; this is such good value for money! The menu is also awesome and on our first visit to Olive Garden, I went for the Asiago Tortellini Alfredo with grilled chicken which was sublime and Matt had the ‘Tour of Italy’ which consisted of chicken parmigiana, lasagne and fettuccine Alfredo.

If you’re a tourist who’s never been to Olive Garden, I’d seriously urge you to do so as I was so impressed by the quality of the food. The staff are also so wonderful and welcoming and it genuinely was one of the more enjoyable dining experiences of our time in the States!

Asiago Tortellini Alfredo with grilled chicken $20.49
Tour of Italy – chicken parmigiana, lasagne, fettuccine Alfredo $17.49

FAQs – Universal Studios Orlando Itinerary

Below, I’ve rounded up my answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about visiting Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios.

Which park is better – Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure?

The answer to this question is obviously a matter of personal opinion, but I would have to say that Islands of Adventure is better. Universal Studios is obviously amazing, but I felt that it was more aimed toward a younger audience, whereas Islands of Adventure felt like it had more things to do for adults, plus it has lots of incredibly cool Harry Potter rides and attractions and as someone who adores the franchise, this is probably what sways it for me.

How much are tickets for Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure Florida?

Ticket prices for both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure differ depending on the time of year and whether it’s peak season or not, so it’s important to check ticket prices for the exact dates that you plan on visiting. It also depends on whether you want a park-to-park ticket or you just want to buy tickets for each respective park.

You can, however, get special deals and discount offers, which is exactly what we did. We purchased the “Get 2 Days Free With a 3-Day Ticket” (even though we only did four days in the parks) as it worked out cheaper for us. These tickets start at $233.99 plus tax per adult.

As I said, ticket prices do change and fluctuate on a daily basis (they’re usually more expensive on weekends and definitely more expensive during the school holidays), but I’ve included a brief pricing list below to give you some idea.

2-Park – 1-Day Ticket – From $164.00 per adult, $159 per child.
1-Park – 1-Day Ticket – From $109 per adult, $104 per child.
2-Park, 3-Day Park-to-Park + 2 Days Free Promo Ticket – From $293.99 per adult.
Get 2 Days Free With a 3-Day Ticket – From $233.99 per adult.

You can also purchase fast-track passes which can be bought online with your entry ticket or when you arrive at either Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure.

Universal Express Unlimited Pass – skip the line as many times as you want at popular rides and attractions – From $119.99.
Universal Express Pass – Can be used once per ride – From $89.99.

Be sure to check the Universal Orlando website for more information, depending on when you plan on visiting the parks.

How many days do you need for Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure?

Basically, as many as you feel necessary!

I would personally recommend two days at each park which should give you enough time to experience almost everything at least once. However, this is based on my own personal experience of visiting Universal in January/February when it was very quiet so we didn’t have to queue for very long on any of the rides.

Of course, in the school holidays, particularly during the summer months, you will likely be queuing for hours for most rides, so you might not get to see or do as many things each day.

I’d say a minimum of two days in each park is a good amount of time to aim for.

How long does it take to walk from Universal Studios to Islands of Adventure?

It takes approximately 10-15 minutes to walk from Universal Studios to Islands of Adventure (or vice versa). You will have to exit one park and then walk through Universal CityWalk to get to the other park.

Can you do Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure in one day?

Yes, if you have a ticket that allows you to jump between the two parks. Our tickets only allowed us to visit one park on each day, so we’re weren’t allowed to flit between the two.

I’d also strongly urge you to spend at least one day at each of the parks to give you plenty of time to see and do everything. My ideal recommendation ratio of where to dedicate your time in each park would be 1 day in Universal Studios and 2 days at Islands of Adventure, but it totally depends on which rides and attractions you want to prioritise the most.

Can you buy fast-track passes – Universal Studios Orlando itinerary

Can you buy fast track passes for Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure?

It’s no secret that queues for rides at theme parks can be ridiculously long, so if you want to save yourself some time but splash out on your tickets a bit, then you can definitely purchase fast-track tickets for almost every ride and attraction at both Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios.

Universal Express Unlimited Pass – skip the line as many times as you want at popular rides and attractions – From $119.99.
Universal Express Pass – Can be used once per ride – From $89.99.

What is the best month to go to use this Universal Studios Orlando itinerary?

What is the best month to go to Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure?

I’ve only been to Universal Studios in Florida at the very end of January/beginning of February so I would personally recommend this time of year to visit as it was very reasonably quiet (I think the absolute longest we queued was 50 minutes and that was for the Hagrid Buckbeak ride), the weather is still very pleasant (around 25°C every day) and there are fewer kids around as there are no school holidays.

In the summer months, the parks are ridiculously busy and if you don’t buy fast-track passes, you could be waiting well over 2 hours for every single ride, so if possible, I’d highly recommend visiting Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure in the off-peak seasons.

Can you bring food to Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure?

You can bring your own food to both parks in the form of small snacks and drinks, but you can’t bring any food that requires cooking or heating at all.

Small snacks such as sandwiches, crisps, protein bars and other assorted handheld snacks are a good idea.

Can you bring a backpack to Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure?

You can also bring a backpack to both theme parks and it will be searched before you enter the CityWalk at Universal. Large backpacks and suitcases aren’t permitted, so just make sure your bag is reasonably sized otherwise you won’t be permitted to bring it into the parks.

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Have you ever been to any of the Universal Studios theme parks? Is the Orlando Universal Studios Resort on your wishlist? Let me know in the comments or on Instagram at @imjustagirl_16.