10 Things You Need To Know Before Visiting Universal Studios

Who doesn't love visiting theme parks? Universal Studios is the name of a group of theme parks that have locations around the world. These theme parks are known for having rides, attractions, and areas of the park based on huge names in pop culture like movies and TV shows.

Universal Studios started as a tour of the filming locations in Los Angeles but now has theme parks in LA, Orlando, Japan, and Singapore. They're also planning to open future parks in other places like Beijing, Moscow, and South Korea. Like visiting any other theme park, a visit to Universal Studios takes a lot of planning. To see 10 things you need to know before you go to Universal Studios, keep reading!

10 Download The Universal Studios App

There's an app for everything these days. Whether you need to look up a word, order dinner, or even help to make the most out of your vacation, there's an app to help you out. Before you go to Universal Studios, make sure you have the app on your phone!

The Universal Studios app has a ton of benefits like buying tickets, checking ride wait times, and ordering food ahead of time so you're not stuck waiting in line. This app is designed to help make your vacation run smoothly and help you have the best time possible.

9 Try To Visit In The Off-Season

Let's be honest, theme parks are pretty much always busy. But, there are times of the year that you can schedule your visit so that the park will be slightly less crowded and you'll be able to enjoy yourself without such crazy lines.

In general visiting during holidays and the summer tend to be the busiest because that's when kids are off school, so families can all go together. If possible, try not to go during the summer months, the week of Thanksgiving, the week of Christmas through the beginning of January, or the week of Easter. If you're able to visit during the weekdays in February, March, May September, or even October, the crowds will be so much smaller.

8 Get A Park To Park Ticket

Depending on your plans when you get to Universal Studios, you might want to visit more than one park during your trip. If you're going to the Orlando park, odds are you might want to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

If you want to visit the Wizarding World's Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, you're going to need to visit two different parks. Diagon Alley is located in Universal Studios while Hogsmeade is located in Islands of Adventure. In order to save some cash so you're not paying up for tickets to both parks, get a Park to Park ticket so you can go freely between both parks.

7 Consider An Official Universal Studios Hotel

When planning your trip to any theme park, deciding where to stay is one of the most important things to figure out. If you're going to Universal Studios, you should know that there are some special perks for people that stay in their hotels.

Guests planning to visit Universal Orlando that stay at either Royal Pacific, Hard Rock, or Portofino Bay are able to get into the parks an hour before they open for the general public. On top of that, every guest staying in the hotel is given an Express Unlimited pass. These rooms may be on the pricier side, but Express Unlimited passes run around $149 per person normally.

6 Don't Forget Pack The Hand Sanitizer

No one wants their hands to be dirty and gross. Considering there are so many people at the parks and you're going to be touching a lot of rides and doors all day, make sure that you pack hand sanitizer so that you're able to keep your hands clean and germ-free.

Wearing a backpack or crossbody bag is a good way to pack everything that you need while still keeping your hands free, so you don't have to worry about carrying things around the park. Make sure you put a hand sanitizer or a pack of wipes into it to keep your hands clean!

5 And Remember To Bring A Towel

It can get pretty hot at Universal Studios, meaning that visiting Volcano Bay can be a really relaxing and fun way to cool down. Volcano Bay is the water park at Universal Studios and it has a ton of really unique rides.

But before you go, make sure you either bring a towel that you packed from home or one from your hotel room. Although bringing a towel to a theme park may sound like a no-brainer, this is actually something that not a lot of people consider. Paying to rent a towel for each person visiting can get expensive!

4 Don't Wear New Shoes

Although wearing a fun new outfit that you grabbed just for your vacation may seem like a good idea, you might want to leave those brand new shoes out of your suitcase.

Before you go to Universal Studios or any theme park, make sure that you wear the shoes you're planning to take for a while! Theme parks like Universal Studios involve doing a ton of walking and there's nothing worse than spending all day in shoes that aren't comfortable. Wearing your shoes out a few times will ensure that you know they fit right, feel good, and won't leave blisters on your feet.

3 Plan To Start At The Back Of The Park

Before you go to Universal Studios, go online and find a map of the park. You and whoever you're going on your trip with can take a look at the location of all the rides that you want to be sure you're going to ride while you're there. Then, plan out your day at the park starting with what rides and attractions are at the back of the park and make your way forward.

Sound totally backwards? Well, technically speaking, it is. But most guests are going to rush to the rides that are closest to the entrance, meaning that when the parks open, those rides will be the busiest. Starting at the back of the park means you'll experience shorter lines.

2 The Child Swap Areas Can Be Useful

If you're going to Universal Studios as a family, you might be worried about missing out on some of the more intense thrill rides that the younger kids either won't want to go on or aren't tall enough to ride. But don't worry, adults don't have to worry about missing out on the rides they're interested in.

Universal Studios now has areas known as Child Swap Areas. They're rooms that have a TV and seating to entertain the kids during the course of the ride. Just get in line as a family and then have one adult take the kids to the Child Swap Area. The other adult can go on the ride and once it's over, they trade places! Pretty neat, right?

1 Don't Forget About CityWalk

CityWalk is located next to Universal Studios both in Hollywood and Orlando. CityWalk isn't technically a part of Universal Studios, but it is a huge hub of different eating locations and entertainment venues, meaning that there are a ton of things to do there outside of the parks.

You're able to come and go as you please after you enter the parks for the day, so if the food at Universal Studios just isn't what you're looking for or you want to get away from the parks for a little while, don't forget that CityWalk is right there!

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