How to Do Universal Orlando in One Day

How to Do Universal Orlando in One Day

How to Do Universal Orlando in One Day

This article has the best tips and tricks for visiting Universal Orlando in one day!

We hope you find this post helpful! Our goal at The Park Prodigy has always been to help you save time and money on your next Universal Orlando vacation!  If you are planning a trip to Universal Orlando be sure to check out the latest deals on Universal Orlando vacation packages and our discounted Universal Orlando tickets which include EARLY PARK ADMISSION to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

SPECIAL NOTE: If you need help picking the best time to visit Universal Orlando for your next vacation, be sure to check out our Universal Crowd calendar!

Universal Orlando Crowd Calendar

Can You Do Universal Orlando in One Day?

Yes, we do believe that guests can do all of the rides at Universal Orlando within one day if they have a park plan, take full advantage of early park admission, and upgrade to the Universal Express Pass ticket. It’s also important to note that guests will also have a huge advantage if they decide to visit Universal Orlando when it is open a bit later, such as in the summer. However, on the flip side, families will find it hard to fit in all of the amazing Universal Orlando shows and character meet and greets within just one day, and I believe it’s always best to give yourself one day for each of the Universal Orlando parks. 

Do You Need the Universal Express Pass When Planning One Day at Universal Studios?

Yes, we do believe that the Universal Express pass ticket is crucial when trying to get on everything at Universal Orlando in one day. However the only downside is they are very expensive and can be more expensive than the actual Universal admission tickets in most situations. However, one of the main reasons that they are so expensive is because they do work and will eliminate the need to spend a significant amount of time waiting on rides. On average, we have seen the express pass save families 25-40 minutes per ride during some of the busier times of the year!

Related Post: Shop Discount Universal Early Park Admission Tickets 

How to Do Universal Orlando in One Day

There are so many different things to consider when planning a trip to Universal for one day. It can be overwhelming to plan even a long week vacation in the Universal Orlando parks. That’s why we are going to give you some of our best tips and tricks for having the most fun during your one-day trip. Visiting both Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure in one day is a thrilling but challenging task. Here’s how you can make the most of it.

Take advantage of early park admission

Here at The Park Prodigy, we are huge fans of early park admission,as it’s included with all of our multi-day Universal tickets and official Universal Orlando hotel stays. Early park admission can make a world of difference if you’re trying to build a Universal Studios Orlando 1 day plan. From our experience, it’s one of the quickest ways to ride Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure or Harry Potter Escape from Gringotts. Your Park Prodigy multi-day ticket or vacation package will let you enter either Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade Village one hour before the park opens. If you happen to have EPA on an Islands of Adventure day, you can enter Hogsmeade village and potentially ride two to three of the main attractions before regular guests even get let into the parks.

Always use the Universal Express Pass

The Universal Express pass allows you to skip the line of certain attractions either once or an unlimited amount of times, depending on the pass. As we all know, the largest time drain for any theme park vacation is the wait in line. Therefore, the Express Pass could be a game changer for those wanting to do Universal Studios Orlando in one day.

Pick one of the slowest days to visit

We also find that picking the slowest time of year or days of the week to visit Universal Orlando can help you get a lot more done in just one day. As a general rule of thumb we do find September, January, February, and the end of August to be the slowest months and Tuesday and Thursday to be the best days based on our Universal crowd calendar. Guests will want to try to avoid holidays and spring break!

Make a must-do attraction list and gameplan

One of the most important things you can do when thinking of your one day at Universal Orlando is to plan what to do! There are many different attractions at both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.  If you’re an adrenaline seeker, you might want to make sure you get on rides like Velocicoaster, The Incredible Hulk Coaster, and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. If you’re more of a dark ride lover, check out The Cat in the Hat, E.T. Adventure, or Forbidden Journey at Hogwarts Castle. If you’re not sure where to start, just be sure to speak with a Park Prodigy vacation planner, as any family who booked their vacation package through us will receive free park plans!

Take advantage of single-rider lines

This is one of our favorite tips for families who do not upgrade to the Universal Express Pass. If you don’t mind having your party split up, the single-rider lines at Universal Orlando can be your best tool for experiencing attractions. This line is specifically made to fill every single ride vehicle. That means parties in the Stand-By line that have odd numbers will have an empty seat in their car. A Single Rider is used to fill that empty seat.

Universal Orlando Rides with Single Rider Lines

• Harry Potter Escape from Gringotts
• Transformers – The Ride 3D
• Revenge of the Mummy
• Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
• Men in Black Alien Attack
• The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
• Jurassic World Velocicoaster
• Dr. Doom’s Fearfall
• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
• The Incredible Hulk Coaster

Always purchase your park tickets in advance

If you’re trying to do Universal Studios in one day, we highly recommend purchasing your tickets in advance. When purchasing your Universal Orlando tickets through the Park Prodigy, you can skip the ticketing line and go straight to Will-Call kiosks. This takes less than 5 minutes, and as long as you have the credit card you used to purchase your ticket, you don’t even have to talk to anyone! Not only will you save time, but you will save money, as well.

Don’t have lunch at Citywalk

We always suggest grabbing a quick service lunch; however, more specifically, don’t eat at Universal CityWalk during the middle of the day. There’s no doubt that Universal CityWalk is located perfectly between Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure for easy access. However, we do feel like it simply takes way too long to leave the parks and then enter back numerous times when you are trying to get everything done at Universal in one day. Quick service is the way to go when trying to visit Universal Orlando in one day. We know Universal CityWalk has some amazing restaurants, so we always suggest trying to plan a reservation for after your day in the parks later at night if possible!

Use mobile ordering

Universal Orlando Resort is known for its quick-service restaurants, which take a long time to prepare food. It is probably one of our biggest complaints about both theme parks. Waiting in line for quick service meals eats up a huge portion of the day and can cost you an attraction or two if you don’t plan well. Pack small snacks and be prepared to eat super early or super late. Guests can also take advantage of mobile ordering on the Universal Orlando App. This can be a huge time saver when visiting Universal in just one day! 

Stay at an official Universal Orlando hotel

Universal Orlando Resort has 8 hotels to choose from if you’re considering staying on the property. We highly recommend it for families only visiting for one day as the only way to get early park admission for a one-day ticket is by staying at an official Universal Orlando hotels. We also love the convenience of walking, taking a bus or a boat from your resort to the parks. And guests who stay at a Universal Orlando premier resort, will also receive free Universal Express Unlimited Passes. The Express Unlimited passes start at $109 per person, so that’s over $400 of savings if you were debating buying one anyway.

Use the Universal Orlando Resort App

When visiting, the Universal Orlando Resort app has all there is to know about the theme parks. You can view wait times, reserve Virtual Queue spots, and even order your food. This tool can come in handy when you’re looking for the lowest waits or next showtimes. Just know that if you’re having a long day inside of the park, you might need a portable charger to keep your phone charged throughout the day.

Related Post: Which Harry Potter Park is Better? 

Is One Day at Universal Worth it?

We believe that one day at Universal Orlando will be worth it for a lot of families! This is especially true if you are visiting Universal Orlando specifically to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and experiencing all of the Universal Orlando roller coasters or the Jurassic Park rides. From our experience helping our clients, even if you are trying to get absolutely everything at Universal Orlando done within one day, as long as you have a park plan going into your day, you will absolutely get your money’s worth!

Related Post: Complete Guide to Universal Orlando Harry Potter Rides

Visiting Universal Orlando in One Day FAQ

Can You Do Universal Harry Potter in a Day?

Yes, you can do everything Harry Potter within one day at Universal Orlando. It is important to note that you will need the park-to-park ticket to do this. One of the main benefits of purchasing the park-to-park ticket would be that you will also be able to ride the Hogwarts Express. One tip we have when trying to see everything Harry Potter at Universal in one day would be to make sure that you ride the Hogwarts Express back and forth as it will be a different experience both ways.

What to do when visiting Harry Potter in one day?

• Always use Early Park Admission
• Decide if you will be buying an interactive wand before you go
• Take pictures early in the morning before the park gets crowded
• Make sure you ride the Hogwarts Express both ways

Can you do Islands of Adventure in one day?

Yes, you can see and do everything at Islands of Adventure in one day. Ideally, we recommend giving each Universal Orlando park its own day as this will allow you to relax as you go through your day. And as we have been mentioning it is extremely important to take advantage of early park admission at Islands of Adventure when available.

When Is The Best Time To Visit Universal Orlando?

Our Universal Orlando Crowd Calendar is the best tool to help you get the most out of your time in the parks. We break down the park crowds, park hours of operation, ticket prices by day, and average temperature.

Ready to Plan Your Next Universal Orlando Trip?

Beat the crowds with our discount Universal Orlando tickets! All guests who purchase their tickets from The Park Prodigy will get EARLY PARK ADMISSION to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter absolutely FREE! This could save you a ton of time in the parks and avoid buying express passes!

Make sure to check out our friends at Theme Park Today for great tips on how to have the best Universal vacation!