When we were in Florida, we stayed in Sarasota. The reason was simple—we wanted to gradually explore a few places in the area, such as Siesta Key Beach, Myakka State Park, and other attractions on Florida's west coast. But one of the main reasons we were in Florida at all was on the other side of the state. And its name is Universal Studios Orlando.
And although it may sound amusing, the driving force behind the entire trip was our daughter Leia. For a long time, she had repeatedly asked to go “to Dinopark”—in her vocabulary, basically any park where she could find her beloved Jurassic World. And when a child knows exactly what they want, it's good to support them. So we headed to Orlando.
A little history and some interesting facts to start
Before I describe the day itself, I'd like to share a few figures and some context that surprised even me and made me realize just how significant a piece of movie history stands here.
Universal Studios Florida opened its gates on June 7, 1990. It was created in response to the enormous success of Disney World in Orlando—the then MCA Universal wanted to bring its own theme park to Florida's movie capital. Construction cost 630 million dollars, which is approximately 1.54 billion dollars in today's money. Steven Spielberg, James Stewart, Sylvester Stallone, Michael J. Fox, and Anthony Perkins were among those who attended the grand opening.
An interesting fact I didn't know: opening day was fairly disastrous for Universal—only four of all the attractions were operating. Universal therefore offered every visitor free admission for the following day—and incidentally, that ticket is still valid, so if you have a ticket from 1990 tucked away in a drawer, you could still use it.
The second park, Universal's Islands of Adventure, didn't open until nine years later—on May 28, 1999. And because Universal remains ambitious about growing, in May 2025 they added a third major park—Epic Universe, which cost nearly 7 billion dollars to build. Yes, you read that correctly. Seven billion dollars for a single theme park.
The journey from Sarasota to Orlando
It's roughly a two-hour drive from Sarasota to Orlando. I know the route very well—I lived in Sarasota for a while during 2015 and 2016. About seven months. And since I also enjoyed Universal Studios back then, returning there with my family was quite sentimental.
We set out early in the morning so that we would arrive at the park between nine and ten, around opening time. And here's my first tip:
Watch out for the parking (seriously)
When you arrive at the Universal Orlando Resort complex, the first thing you enter is a set of enormous multi-story parking garages. And when I say enormous, I really mean it.
Each row has its own number, and each floor has a name based on a character or color—Spider-Man, various animals, vivid shades. It's cleverly designed because it makes your location easier to remember.
We parked in row 653 in the Spider-Man section. And that was just one of dozens of rows in that single section.
And now for why I'm writing about this so dramatically:
When I visited Universal Studios for the first time years ago, I was so excited that I paid absolutely no attention to where I had parked. After an exhausting day in the park, I then spent three to four hours looking for my own car. Fortunately, cars in America have remote controls with a panic button—I eventually pressed it floor by floor until I heard the familiar beep in the distance. The relief was enormous.
So please—take a photo of your parking space on your phone, ideally including the row number and section name. It will save you a lot of stress. I won't make that mistake again. And I hope that, thanks to my advice, you'll avoid it too.
Park-to-Park ticket and Express Pass: definitely yes, in my opinion
Just beyond the parking garages, you can take the famous photo by the rotating Universal globe. We took our photo there and headed toward the ticket booths. But first, a brief note about tickets, because this is where you can make a crucial decision that will affect your entire experience.
The difference between Universal Studios in Los Angeles and Orlando
This is one of the things I'd like to explain in considerable detail because many people think that Universal Studios is the same everywhere. It isn't.
Universal Studios Hollywood (Los Angeles) is the original—it has operated as a movie studio since 1915 and as a theme park since 1964. It is a single park divided into two levels (Upper Lot and Lower Lot), connected by a long outdoor escalator called the “Starway.” You can explore it in one day. It's smaller, more compact, and heavily focused on behind-the-scenes filmmaking—its star attraction is the legendary Studio Tour, which takes you through real movie sets and soundstages. If you're a fan of Hollywood sets and active film production, this is your destination.
Universal Orlando Resort is on an entirely different level. Instead of one park, you have three complete parks plus the Volcano Bay water park:
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Universal Studios Florida (the classic movie park)
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Universal's Islands of Adventure (themed islands packed with thrills)
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Epic Universe (a brand-new park opened in May 2025)
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Volcano Bay (a separate water park)
Plus eleven hotels directly within the resort, its own CityWalk entertainment district, and a vast area that you could spend days walking around. Orlando is incomparably larger, offers more thrills, and focuses more on entire cinematic worlds than on behind-the-scenes filmmaking.
Park-to-Park ticket = an absolute necessity
This is important in my opinion: if you buy a ticket for only one of the parks, you cannot enter the other one that day (you can purchase access to the other park at Platform 9¾, but it is considerably more expensive than online). So you cannot simply walk between the parks; they are separate. And naturally, this is entirely intentional.
The best example is Harry Potter. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is divided into two parts:
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Diagon Alley is in Universal Studios Florida
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Hogsmeade and Hogwarts are in Islands of Adventure
And the Hogwarts Express runs between them—a real train that takes you from one park to the other. Exactly as you know it from the movies. Without a Park-to-Park ticket, you cannot board the train, and your entire experience will remain “split” in half. If you're a Harry Potter fan, don't even go without a Park-to-Park ticket.
I made this mistake the first time. The second time, I bought a Park-to-Park ticket without hesitation.
Which attractions can you find in each park?
To help you plan, I'll lay it out clearly:
Universal Studios Florida (the classic movie park):
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The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley (Diagon Alley + Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts)
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Hogwarts Express (journey to Islands of Adventure)
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Springfield – the world of The Simpsons
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Transformers: The Ride – 3D
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Men in Black: Alien Attack
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Revenge of the Mummy
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The Bourne Stuntacular
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DreamWorks Land (for children—Shrek, Trolls, Kung Fu Panda)
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Minion Land (Minions)
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E.T. Adventure (the only attraction that has been there since the park opened in 1990)
Universal's Islands of Adventure (the thrill park):
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The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade (Hogwarts + Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey)
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Hogwarts Express (back to Universal Studios Florida)
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Jurassic World VelociCoaster – Florida's fastest launch coaster
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Jurassic Park River Adventure – the classic boat ride with a drop
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Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
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The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
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The Incredible Hulk Coaster
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Skull Island: Reign of Kong
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Seuss Landing (the world of Dr. Seuss for the youngest visitors)
Epic Universe (opened in 2025)—this now features the Ministry of Magic (the third part of the Wizarding World, dedicated to the Fantastic Beasts films), Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon, and Dark Universe (Universal's classic monsters).
Express Pass: expensive, but essential in my opinion
The second thing you should consider is the Express Pass. It comes in two versions:
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Single-use Express – once for each attraction with an Express line
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Express Unlimited – unlimited access to all attractions with an Express line
The price is roughly double that of a regular ticket, and you may think it's an unnecessary luxury and a waste of money. But trust me—if you want to experience both parts of the Wizarding World in one day, you simply won't manage it without Express.
Florida has its seasons, and in theory you may come across quieter days, but Universal Orlando operates year-round and is always crowded (I've been there four times). While regular lines for the best attractions can easily take two to three hours (for example, the new VelociCoaster in Jurassic Park had a two-hour wait even in January), with Express we waited ten minutes, and sometimes even less.
And when you have a family with children, standing in line for two hours simply makes no sense. In my opinion, even if we were visiting for several days, I would always pay extra for Express. It's worth it.
Universal Studios Florida: movie legends come to life
You're essentially entering a movie studio that has come to life. Right by the entrance is Transformers, and Optimus Prime or Bumblebee himself is usually standing out front—you can take a photo with them. Our daughter was thrilled.
We continued toward Springfield, the part of the park dedicated to The Simpsons. And I have to say that it is one of the best-executed themed areas of them all. It is an authentic, one-to-one recreation of a piece of the animated world—the same as in Los Angeles. You can have a Duff beer at Moe's, buy doughnuts from Lard Lad Donuts next door, and see Bart, Lisa, or Apu walking around.
A little farther on, you'll come across Men in Black, a classic interactive shooting ride that I remembered from my previous visits.
Diagon Alley: entering the magical world
But things became truly interesting when we reached Harry Potter. Right by the entrance to Diagon Alley stands the iconic purple Knight Bus with its conductor, whom you can take a photo with. And then Diagon Alley opens up before you.
And I have to say—no matter how much or how little of a Harry Potter fan you are, it's impossible not to fall under its spell. You feel as though you really are in London, in the world of Harry Potter, and every detail is absolutely perfect. The shops, windows, wizards—everything feels like the real world.
A wand from Ollivanders = the best investment
My first strong recommendation for Diagon Alley: buy an interactive wand from Ollivanders.
It isn't just a souvenir. The wand really is interactive—in both Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, there are special paving stones with symbols on the ground. When you wave the wand over them using the correct motion (which is explained on the map you receive with the wand), magic begins to happen. Flames shoot from chimneys, things in windows come to life, newspapers move, and objects levitate.
Our daughter was literally obsessed with it, and from then on we spent practically the entire next hour watching her cast spells. You can also use the wand at Universal Studios Hollywood, so if you're planning a trip to LA, take it with you.
Gringotts Bank
The second excellent attraction is Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts. You enter the truly magnificent hall of Gringotts Bank—with animatronic goblins sitting at their desks and suspiciously “sizing you up” with their eyes—and then head deep underground. Along the way, you encounter Voldemort, dragons, and a perfectly designed atmosphere of fear.
The attraction combines 3D projection with a real track, so your car moves while you're surrounded by a world that responds to your movements. Extremely well done and definitely recommended.
Butterbeer and the Weasleys' shop
Of course, we had Butterbeer. For those unfamiliar with it—it's a non-alcoholic drink with a caramel flavor and creamy foam on top. Children love it, and so do we adults.
At the Weasleys' shop, you're greeted with “Welcome to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes!” and you'll find all the joke items from the books—Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Extendable Ears, tricks, hats, and other classics. It's literally paradise for fans.
Hogwarts Express: the magic of traveling between parks
From Diagon Alley, we headed to Platform 9¾. And here too, I recommend the Express Pass—the regular line was significantly longer.
The train is an interactive experience in itself. You enter a real compartment, and through the windows you see projected scenery from the films—the English countryside, bridges, and Hogwarts. The train really moves and is accompanied by the sounds of the rails, the rumble of the steam locomotive, and even occasional visits from familiar characters from the story as they walk along the corridor outside your compartment.
After a few minutes, you disembark in Hogsmeade—a village straight out of the movies, with snow-covered roofs (even in Florida's thirty-degree heat) and Hogwarts Castle in the background.
Unfortunately, I don't have a better photo from inside the Hogwarts Express. :)
Islands of Adventure: Hogwarts, dinosaurs, and thrills
Hogsmeade has everything you'd expect—Three Broomsticks, where you can have Butterbeer as well as a regular meal, Honeydukes with its sweets, and of course the park's main attraction: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, located directly inside Hogwarts Castle. You walk through its halls, hear dialogue from familiar scenes, and then board a ride vehicle that takes you through Hogwarts, including encounters with dragons and a Quidditch match.
Along the way, we also took a photo with Kung Fu Panda (one of those classic walk-around characters) and headed toward what our daughter had been looking forward to most.
VelociCoaster: the fastest roller coaster at any Universal park
Since June 2021, the Jurassic Park themed area has featured a new roller coaster called Jurassic World VelociCoaster. And it is the absolute star of the park.
A few figures that will probably help you understand what I'm talking about:
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Maximum speed: 70 mph (over 110 km/h)
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0 to 70 mph in 2.4 seconds
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155-foot-tall “Top Hat” (about 47 meters)
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140-foot-long drop at an 80° angle
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Four inversions
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Only a lap bar across your lap, no shoulder restraints
The attraction never “lets up”—it has no brakes until the end, and the second half of the ride is actually faster than the first. According to the manufacturers themselves, the goal was to build a coaster that never lets up for even a moment. In Orlando, it was the fastest launch coaster in all of Florida and also the fastest attraction at any Universal park in the world.
Without an Express Pass, the line would have been at least two hours long; we waited about ten minutes. And I have to admit—it was an incredible experience. You fly upside down, sharply from side to side, and the seat really feels as though it's only just holding you in place. But our daughter managed it and was absolutely delighted.
However, I didn't ride the same coaster a second time. Some experiences are so intense that you remember them after just one ride.
Jurassic World by boat (River Adventure)
Then we went on a classic ride that I remembered from previous visits and from LA—Jurassic Park River Adventure. A boat carries you through the park among animatronic dinosaurs, and at the end there's a big drop from a height during a T-Rex attack. Hollywood has had a more modern version themed around Jurassic World since 2019, but this “classic” one is also very enjoyable.
Until closing time
We returned to Hogsmeade, visited Ollivanders again, and cast more spells. And that's perhaps the best thing about the wand—the fun never gets old. We walked through the streets and watched our daughter say “Wingardium Leviosa” and similar phrases in front of almost every shop window.
In the end, we stayed there until dark, practically until closing time. Along the way, our daughter bought a dinosaur mask, which she then wore for the rest of our stay.
The journey back—and a small warning for drivers
The journey back to Sarasota was intense. After spending the entire day in the park, I could feel my head gradually drooping behind the wheel. Eventually, I had to stop at a gas station and take a twenty-minute nap, because continuing would have been dangerous. After a short sleep, I felt better, and we arrived home late at night.
If you're planning a similar trip, feel free to set aside two days for it—that way, you'll have time to catch your breath in the evening and return at a relaxed pace. Or book a hotel directly at Universal Resort; there are eleven of them, and some even offer hotel guests a free Express Pass.
In conclusion: is it worth it?
In my opinion, Universal Studios Orlando is an absolute must for anyone who:
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likes Harry Potter (and wants to see the entire magical world, not just half of it)
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is a fan of Universal movies—Jurassic World, Transformers, The Simpsons, Men in Black
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is visiting Florida's west coast and has an extra day or two
Is it more expensive than visiting a single Disney park? In some respects, yes. Is it better? For me personally—yes. Disney has its own magic, but Universal offers more thrills, feels more cinematic, and is definitely more entertaining for older children and adults.
If you buy Park-to-Park tickets + Express Passes and arrive early in the morning, you can experience everything important in one very long day. And although it will be demanding, trust me—it's worth it.
And if you're ever in Sarasota or on Florida's west coast and you enjoy these movies and magic, definitely take a trip to Orlando. We'll do it again —but next time, we'll book a hotel directly at the resort.
