CONTACT ME

1. Buy Your Tickets in Advance - Whether you want to run straight to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter or head to Jurassic World and ride VelociCoaster , the last thing you want to do when you arrive at any park is wait in line to buy tickets. Save time (and money!) by purchasing them in advance right here at Chiann's Pixie Vacations. Make the most out of your time on property by getting a park-to-park ticket or spend your day explorer one park at a time with a basic ticket.

​

2. Pick the Best Time to Visit - Probably the biggest question on your mind upon deciding when to go to Universal Orlando is "When are crowds going to be the lowest?" As a rule of thumb, we recommend heading to the parks on weekdays, if possible — especially during peak times including the week of Thanksgiving, winter break, spring break and summer break. Historically, September has been the best month to visit since kids have just gone back to school. We also highly recommend avoiding the parks on big holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's.  However, you may not have a choice, and these are the only available times for your family to visit so this is exactly where tips come in handy!

​

3.  Stay at a Universal Orlando Resort Hotel - Aside from the unique theming, comfortable beds, delicious restaurants and relaxing pools, there are plenty of other reasons to stay on property at Universal Orlando Resort.

• For one, getting to and from the parks is super quick! Just hop on a shuttle or water taxi to Universal CityWalk or take one of the many walking paths.

• Additionally, staying at a Universal hotel means you have access to Early Park Admission! That means you can enter Universal Islands of Adventure and/or Universal Studios Florida up to one hour before the park opens OR Universal Volcano Bay up to 30 minutes before the park opens. 

• Lastly, staying at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, the Hard Rock Hotel or Loews Royal Pacific Resort grants each member of your party FREE Universal Express Unlimited so you can skip the lines at most of the popular attractions over and over and over again at no additional cost!

​

4. Consider Purchasing Universal Express During the Busiest Times - If your vacation must be during the holidays, spring break or summer, consider purchasing a Universal Express Pass. Being able to skip the stand-by line will save you time, sometimes hours, to your day and less time in the heat during those hot Orlando summer days.

​

5. Arrive Ahead of Park Opening - The shortest waits you'll encounter are going to be bright and early at the beginning of the day and just before the park closes at night. Wait times always tend to peak mid-day, no matter the attraction. Get a head start in the morning and plan to arrive at your first park at least half an hour before the gates open as team members tend to let guests in earlier than the posted opening.

​

6. Allow at Least 30 Minutes for Parking and Security - I know waking up before or as the sun rises is not most people's favorite thing to do.  However, it's better to be safe than sorry. Depending on the season, lines at the toll booth can be fairly long. (Security tends to be less of a hassle since there are so many stations being used at all times. At times, lines can look long but usually move quickly.) If saving time is your top priority, consider upgrading to Prime Parking (click here for more parking information) which will allow you to park on the same floor as security. If the moving walkways look crowded, walk on the regular pathways instead. Remember, you still have to walk through CityWalk to get to Islands of Adventure or Universal Studios or take the shuttle from the garage to get to Volcano Bay.​​​​​​​​

​

7. Join the Coca-Cola Freestyle Program - First, what is Coke Freestyle? Basically, what Coke has done is create a super soda fountain machine, stocked it full of dozens of drink products, reduced the nozzles down to a single dispenser, and given you full control to fill up your cup as you please.

Purchase a Coca-Cola Freestyle® Souvenir Cup and enjoy fountain drink refills throughout the day with 100+ drink choices.

Cost of the Souvenir Cup is $18.99 per person plus tax

​

8. Schedule Your Day Around the Shows - Perfect Way to cool off and rest your feel on those hot Florida days while enjoying great entertainment!  Shows at each park don't tend to start until at least 10 a.m. So if you arrive at or before park opening, this gives you plenty of time to experience the rides before they start. 

​

9. Use the Single Riders Line - If you don't want to splurge on Universal Express Passes, opting for the Single Riders line is the fastest way to get on and off any ride.

Note that by entering this line, your party will be separated! 

​

10. Download the Official Universal Orlando App - From checking wait times to mobile ordering and confirming park hours to locating the closest restroom and your parking spot, the Universal Orlando app will be your best friend in the park. Almost everything you need to know will be at the tap of a button.  As you may spend quite a lot of time looking at your screen (especially if this is your first visit), don't forget to bring a fully charged portable battery. (Fuel Rods are available at the parks but you'll save time by having a portable charger already on hand.)​​​​​​​​​​​​

​​​​​​