How Many Days Do You Need At Universal Studios Orlando

One of the first things you’re going to want to consider when planning your trip to the Universal Studios resort in Orlando, Florida is how long you want to spend there.

Having visited the resort multiple times over the past decade both as a couple, with elderly parents and with young children we know that how long you need to thoroughly enjoy the parks is going to vary.

However, on average we recommend three days if you’re looking to visit Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure and four days if you’re looking to visit Universal Studios Florida, Universal’s Islands of Adventure and the Volcano Bay water park.

While you can spend fewer than three days at the resort your experience may feel rushed and you may miss out on some rides and experiences.

To combat this there are some changes you can make to your vacation to ensure you still have an incredible time.

Two Days At Universal Studios

If you’ve only got two days at the Universal Studios resort in Orlando then we’d recommend sticking to the two main parks; Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure.

While two days still provides you with one full day at each park we’d recommend investing in a park-to-park ticket so you’re able to move between the two parks during both days. We’d also recommend staying on-site in a hotel at the Universal Studios resort.

Not only does staying on-site make it significantly easier for you to maximise your days at the parks but also provides you with an exclusive additional hour inside the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

If you have the budget consider investing in a premier on-site hotel that comes complete with a complimentary Universal Express Pass for all hotel guests.

You can use your Universal Express Pass on all rides at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure except for;

• Fievel’s Playland
• Pteranodon Flyers
• Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
• Jurassic World VelociCoaster

Given that an Express Pass can cut the standby wait time of an eligible ride by up to 85% it’s a great way to ensure you’re able to maximise your time and the number of rides you experience during your trip.

Three Days At Universal Studios

Three days at the Universal Studios resort in Orlando, Florida is, in our opinion the optimal amount of time for visiting both Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure.

Not only does this provide you with one day at each of the two parks but it also provides you with a free day to go back and go on any rides you might have missed during your first visit or go on any of your favourite rides again a second time.

Three days at the two main Universal Studios parks is a great idea for those travelling with young children or the elderly who may need extra time and more breaks when walking in Florida’s heat and humidity.

Three days is also great if you’re visiting Universal Studios during the peak season when crowds inside the park are larger and wait times for the most popular rides are longer.

That being said, if you’re travelling to the parks solo or as a couple and are able to spend full days in the park during your vacation then three days may be enough time for you to also head over to Universal’s waterpark Volcano Bay.

Again staying on-site at the Universal Studios resort and investing in an Express Pass is going to make your three days significantly more pleasurable and help you to experience more in each of the parks.

Four Days At Universal Studios

Four days at the Universal Studios resort in Orlando provides you with enough time to comfortably visit all three parks; Universal Studios Florida, Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay.

While four days at Universal Studios is certainly going to be more expensive than two there are ways you can save money if you need to without compromising on the experience.

If you have four days to spend at Universal Studios then we recommend heading to Universal Studios Florida on your first day, Universal’s Islands of Adventure on your second, Volcano Bay on your third and then looping back between Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure on your fourth.

To loop back between the two parks on your final day does mean you’ll need a park-to-park ticket.

However, this also means you can experience the Hogwarts Express and go ahead and go on any rides you missed during your first visit to each of the parks.

While staying on-site at Universal Studios certainly makes your time at the park more convenient, four nights or more can get expensive. As such you may want to look into other nearby hotels within walking distance of Universal Studios Orlando.

What’s great about spending four days at the Univeral Studios resort is that it provides you with a lot of flexibility. As such if it’s raining or there’s a tropical storm (which is common in Orlando) then you’ve not lost perhaps the only chance you had to go on a select number of rides as you would have if you only had two days at the parks.