• About
  • Blog
  • Working together
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Girl Gone Travel

Girl Gone Travel

North America, Travel
/
March 2, 2011

Solo with kids at Universal Studios, Orlando? No problem!

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share

I’m sure you have heard it all before. Universal Studios is one of the most fun places in Orlando, FL for families. Last time I was at Universal Studios was to check out the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. There I was, no children in tow, Butterbeer in hand, getting teary-eyed at the sight of the village of Hogsmeade and Hogwarts castle. You can see pics and read a full review of that visit here.

This time what I never would have expected would be how easy it was for me to “manage” all the fun Universal has to offer despite being the only adult with three boys in tow.

Truth is, there are tons of parents or guardians out there who would never dream of coming to a park such as this with no help and though I have to give credit to my 13-year old who pitched in with the hand-holding, this was his moment too and more than once even he walked away from me completely in awe and distracted by something wonderful to check out.

Though the visit started out a bit bumpy because the boys were so overwhelmed with all the rides they wanted to get on, within 40 minutes of realizing we actually would (and Mama wasn’t just lying), the smiles came on wider than I have seen in a long time.

Now, should you want to venture out to Universal Studios along with your kids here are my tips to help make that experience as wonderful as it was for us:

Arrive early

If you are guests at any of Universal Studios on-site hotels, your key card -which also serves as an express pass to all the rides- provides you with access to the park an hour earlier than when doors open to the general public. The hotels are: Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, and Loews Royal Pacific.

Buy Online

Purchase you tickets online, not only for convenience but also for savings as online services, though they charge a service fee, periodically offer discounts. In addition, all the information you could ever need regarding not only the parks but the best ticket option for you and your kids, including height requirements and age restrictions, are found only and within the “more information” portion of your ticket purchase section. The lines to buy tickets are tedious and long, especially during high-peak. This is a sure way to avoid the hassle.

Go Express:

If not staying at any of the on-site hotels, there are different types of Express Plus Passesavailable for purchase, from 1-day to 2-day passes for the whole park (note that some rides do not have Express Pass access, so review information carefully before purchasing online), and also 1-day specific park express access. These express passes are in addition to the regular cost for admission to the park – at least $87 – but when you are traveling with little ones they are worth their value ten-folds. Especially when they want to get on the rides over and over!

Now, if you’re looking to travel like royalty, than Park to Park VIP Ticket is for you. It entitles one guest admission and unlimited Universal ExpressSM Access to both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure on any one calendar day based on the amount of days purchased. The value for such posh treatment (and trust me, it’s pretty sweet) starts at $159.99 for a 1-day to $309.99 for a 7-day pass, both rates are non-peak.

Disclosure: When we went, our hosts at Universal Studios provided my boys and I with a 1-day Express Plus Pass.

Where to go first:

Wizarding World of Harry Potter, located in Islands of Adventure, is by far the most visited section of the park even after close to a year since it opened. It continues to be one of the absolute coolest places to go in the park for me, and I am not by any means as intense a fan as most visitors are. Expect to wait on lines for the rides in Hogwarts castle especially. Plan this visit carefully, especially if needing a stroller or wheelchair to get around.

My little ones where only really able to get on one ride in this section of the park, as the others were too scary, and they weren’t old enough to ride on. The Flight of the Hippogriff was perfect for them, but as mentioned before, lines can get long so get it done first!

Make Reservations

I have written a full review of the top Orlando theme park restaurants before, and Mythos is consistently my favorite place to eat at when in Universal Studios. It has received numerous accolades, one of them being named the world’s “Best Theme Park Restaurant” six years in a row by Theme Park Insider. Make sure to make your reservations early, when you know your kids will start wanting food, for waits can be long otherwise.

In the meantime there are plenty other dining options and stands for ice cream, snacks, and other quick bites. Bring your own water if possible. It’s costly and on warm days the lines to purchase are long.

Play Hooky

I know, probably not the most conservative advice, but the truth is if you have little ones, or even if you want to really enjoy the park without the crowds and long lines and heat, skip out of school if only for a few days and play with your family. Family vacations, especially to places such as Orlando, are not cheap, and though I think they are worth the money, I also encourage you to live on the wild side, be rebellious and go when the parks are less crowded and the tykes don’t have to endure the heat as much. Older kids can tolerate the heat and lines a lot better. I’m a believer that some lifetime memories are just worth it.

Take it slow

This applies to any traveling you do with kids, anywhere. Slow down. Take breaks. Listen to your child. Moodiness, tantrums, crying, irritability: all these things are signs of exhaustion or feeling overwhelmed, or both. Take a moment to stop, listen, comfort, and breath, for you and for them.

Often times when we are on vacation with our kids, we are running around trying to get everything in. Our kids, especially the little ones, run on a schedule all their own.

As someone who has taken road trips all over with my boys and visited the most congested attractions here in NYC with them in tow, I can tell you this: nothing good ever comes out of pushing your child to have fun.

Take a deep breath, be willing to cut your losses if necessary, and enjoy your time together. There is plenty to see and do at Universal Studios. It’s easy to navigate, there’s tons of walking involved, both inside and outside the park. Staff is helpful and super friendly. All the elements are there for a good time, even if you don’t get to ride all of the rides – we sure didn’t! We had about 4.5 hours before we needed to get back on to the Nickelodeon Cruise, about an hour away from the park.

But it was a blast and any concerns and apprehension I had before about visiting this massive attraction alone with my kids in tow was gone. I would do it over and over again.

And if I can do it and enjoy every single second, without loosing a child or my sanity, anyone can!

For more pictures of our fun time at Universal Studios please visit our Flickr page here:

Disclosure: I received complimentary boarding, including taxes and service fees, for me and one guest to participate in the Nickelodeon All Access Cruise on the Norwegian Jewel for the purpose of this review. Admission to Universal Studios and Atlantis were compliments of the respective entities. The views and opinions shared in this review are entirely my own.

Orlando Family Vacation on raveable

Orlando Vacations

[subscribe2]

Related

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share
Pin this Post
Share this Post
Carol Cain

Brooklyn native Carol is happiest when on an adventure, whether close to home or farther away. She is a small business owner and travel writer. In addition to creating Girl Gone Travel, she is the Founder and Principal of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. She's mom to three wonderful sons and wife to a handsome Irish/Scot. She lives, works, and plays in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of NY.

You May Also Like...

Christmas Tree Hunting in Long Island, NY

December 12, 2008

Fort Tryon Park, Washington Heights, NY

December 10, 2008

Winter afternoon in the Bronx Zoo, NY

December 16, 2008
2 Comments
  • Experiencing the Nickelodeon All Access Cruise on Norwegian Jewel | NYCity Mama
    March 2, 2011

    […] Canaveral) and in Nassau, Bahamas, we chose to revisit Atlantis. My review for Universal Studios is here and for Atlantis Paradise island, […]

    Reply
  • Solo with kids at Universal Studios, Orlando? No problem! | NYCity … | Orlando
    March 4, 2011

    […] is the original post: Solo with kids at Universal Studios, Orlando? No problem! | NYCity … This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged a-full-review, adventure, and-unlimited, […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Solo with kids at Universal Studios, Orlando? No problem! | NYCity … | Orlando Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Previous Post
Experiencing the Nickelodeon All Access Cruise on Norwegian Jewel
Next Post
The Inn at Keystone, CO

About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am an award-winning travel blogger, a keynote speaker, and the Principal and owner of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. I a wife to a handsome Irish/Scot and a mom to 3 sons and 2 puppies. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading and for your support!

Carol Cain

Categories

  • Asia5 Post(s)
  • Caribbean17 Post(s)
  • Central America4 Post(s)
  • Europe53 Post(s)
  • North America316 Post(s)
  • Oceana1 Post(s)

Contact

  • carol@girlgonetravel.com

Follow @girlgonetravel

Photo dump from our first day out and about in Ber Photo dump from our first day out and about in Berlin.

Last time I stared up at these gates I was left with tears in my eyes. It was my last day in the city, a beautiful spring day and the sunset was perfect. In fact, the whole city was and I was left with this overwhelming sadness to not be sharing it with my family. And for the first time in my years as a travel blogger, often times alone, I felt an aching pang of loneliness. This moment would be the motivating factor to figure out another way. To travel in a way that made ME happiest and truly fulfilled me.

For a lot of people solo travel is their thing. And I think the courage and lessons gained from doing so are powerful and life changing. I am glad to have learned from all the years I did so.

But I really most enjoy traveling with my kids or husband. Not necessarily because it’s easier or even cheaper, but because I love watching them navigate these new experiences. I love the easy willingness with which they will practice a local language they’ve never studied on an unsuspecting local just trying to ask them if they are paying cash or card…or the confidence in learning how the local transportation works…or the willingness to try new foods…or the ease with which they roll with mishaps or getting lost or plans not working out, but most of all, I look forward to watching them fall in love with places that I’ve falling in love with, like Berlin, or when we fall in love with a new place together.

All this to say, how you travel, how often you travel, where you go, what you spend - these are things that should matter to only you. No one is better or worse, or luckier or less fortunate for doing it differently.

I have been to Berlin 3 times. But this moment, with these people, was a dream in the making for years because as great as this city is, they were really the missing link to making it absolutely amazing to be here for me.

Can’t wait to share more photos from our shenanigans here!

#berlin #germany #familytravel #summertime #returntoberlin #imonvacation
Celebrating some of the best of this first year in Celebrating some of the best of this first year in the Finger Lakes! More on my blog, GirlGoneTravel.com. 🎉

#fingerlakes #lifeintheflx #myflx #thisissoflx #soflx #relocation #upstateny #lifeinupstateny
NEW ON GIRLGONETRAVEL.COM: It's hard to believe by NEW ON GIRLGONETRAVEL.COM: It's hard to believe by it's officially been one year since we moved to the Finger Lakes! So much has happened, I really couldn't put it all into words! If my latest blog left you wondering,  I am happy to answer any questions you may have about life here or a move like ours! Thanks for reading!

#relocation #Lifeinflx #movetoflx #fingerlakes
Hello world. I’d like to introduce you to a new Hello world. I’d like to introduce you to a new angel to this world, my beautiful little niece, Solénn 🥰

Did I cry? Of course. She is precious and as the oldest of 10 kids, I got to carry almost all of my siblings when they were this age too and care for them as they grew up. So, it is surreal to now have my “first babies” having babies! ♥️ It’s so sweet and beautiful and man, I can’t wait to see them give it to their parents as much as their parents gave it to me 😂. Being a Titi is the best!

#titi #auntie #iwanttoseethebaby #cutebabies
One of the coolest brewery vibes I’ve experience One of the coolest brewery vibes I’ve experienced has been in @bigalicebrewing in Brooklyn, NY (they also have an Queens location). So you know I was excited when they opened up a spot in the Finger Lakes (Geneva)! 

It’s been a minute since I’ve visited and they’ve expanded their outdoor space (shown here) and now regularly host music as well as a food truck to pair goodies with your brew.

The sunsets here are pretty epic too, and it’s such a cool place to chill and be with friends. The staff is also super friendly. Definitely add them to your list of places to check out! Also, kinda have to have a special place in my heart for fellow city-folk who fell in love with this magical place too and are doing awesome things here. 🍻

#flxbrew #fingerlakes #brewery #myflx #beer #geneva
To think I went so much of my life unaware of all To think I went so much of my life unaware of all the beauty right at my finger tips. I will forever to my core be proud to be born and raised in New York City, and for a moment I thought nothing could ever be greater. Turns out the world is filled with endless pockets of beauty and breathtaking spots. Some of them don’t always make it onto TikTok or Insta but they really are special.

I was out and about shooting for work in Tompkins County, and love that I get to experience beautiful places daily. 

I didn’t filter, and I edited only to fit this video, a glimpse into a day in the life here. I wish and hope people appreciate how this truly is a wonderful place to be. 

Featured are: Views of Dryden Lake (in the rain!), scenes from @underhill.farm (for a country stay, blueberry picking, and sheep!), @hopshirebrews (for photos but also a drink to cool off!), then we stopped at the super cute @thebigsbymarket where we got the sweetest peaches ever! 

#fingerlakes #myoffice #worklife #photographer #fingerlakes #drydenny #tompkinscounty

Copyright © 2022 Girl Gone Travel | Privacy Policy | Copyright Notice