Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
270
Overall, Universal Studios does a much better job in the way of entertaining their
guests while they wait in line for the attractions. Many have preshows or TV screens with
previews or introductions to the attractions. They've also got it all over the House of
Mouse when it comes to beating the sun—many of the attractions here have waiting
areas under some sort of cover or, in some cases, indoors (unless the line is so long that
it extends beyond these areas, which it sometimes does in the busiest seasons). It is also
exponentially easier to get from your car (or resort) to the parks. From the parking lot, if
you have kids and all of the gear that comes with them, pack your stroller and bring it
along—you will be able to walk directly to the parks, but it can be a long haul for small
feet (and there are no trams from the parking decks to the theme parks). Elevators, mov-
ing sidewalks, and covered walkways will take you up to the entrance of CityWalk. And,
if you're staying at a Universal resort, you'll be glad to know that all three resorts are
relatively close by and are serviced by a water taxi (and the Hard Rock is within walking
distance) that'll drop you off in CityWalk. I'm not saying that you will not have to wait
at all—it can take several minutes—but not nearly as long as some trips at Disney can.
SUGGESTED ITINERARIES
A Suggested Itinerary for Families with Young Children
Waste no time: Hoof it to
Woody Woodpecker's KidZone,
where you and your kids can
spend most of the day. If they're 36 inches or taller, don't miss multiple rides on
Woody
Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster.
Try to make an early pit stop at
Fievel's Playland
(especially its water slide, which is slow-moving and has longer lines after 10:30am).
Then adopt a leisurely pace to see
E.T. Adventure,
A Day in the Park with Barney,
and
if you can squeeze it in,
Animal Actors on Location!
Take a stroll down Hollywood Boulevard to
Mel's Diner
for a burger and a shake (and
a brief reprieve from the chaos) before heading back and letting the kids loose at the
wet-and-wild
Curious George Goes to Town.
After your kids have run down their bat-
teries a bit, you can rest your feet at an afternoon showing of
Animal Actors on Loca-
tion!
(if you didn't catch it before lunch) before heading back to Production Central to
blast off on
Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast.
A Suggested Itinerary for Older Children, Teens & Adults
A single day is usually sufficient to see the park if you arrive early and keep a fairly brisk
pace. Skip the city sidewalks of the main gate and
Terminator 2: 3-D Battle Across
Time
until later. Go to the right and tackle the
Simpsons
and
Men in Black Alien
Attack
, and then make a counterclockwise loop to catch
Fear Factor Live,
Jaws, Disas-
ter! A Major Motion Picture Ride . . . Starring You!, Revenge of the Mummy,
and
7
Tips
Lots of Character
Universal Studios Florida has a host of street characters and shows to entertain
the crowds that flock here. The lineup includes:
Lucy and Ricky,
in which Lucy
pulls guests into an impromptu conga line;
Sarita and Rico,
two Latin characters
who get guests singing and dancing to high-energy tunes such as “Hot, Hot, Hot”
and “Mambo #5”; and the
Men in Black
show, in which the agents know there are
a lot of aliens in the park, and they must put unsuspecting guests through a humor-
ous screening test.
Note:
Characters rotate and often appear only seasonally.
