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<\/a><\/p>\nThe Mouse For Less Blog would like to welcome Kimberly, who brings her top tips for visiting Universal Orlando Resort!<\/em><\/p>\n My family and I love Universal Studios!\u00a0 Whether you opt to add it to a portion of your Walt Disney World vacation, combine it with other Orlando attractions, or decide to do an exclusive Universal vacation, you just can\u2019t go wrong.\u00a0 With just a few strategies, your time spent at Universal Studios can be just as magical as a Disney vacation.<\/p>\n Tip #1:\u00a0 Express Pass<\/strong><\/p>\n As of right now, there are four Universal onsite resorts:\u00a0 Cabana Bay, Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Hard Rock Hotel, and Loews Portofino Bay.\u00a0 The newest resort, Cabana Bay, has some exciting activities (including an onsite bowling alley), but it doesn\u2019t offer the Express Pass for the parks. However, the other three resorts do offer this special perk!<\/p>\n Having the Express Pass for the Universal Parks makes a world of difference.\u00a0 You and your family will be able to just breeze right on by the lines for a vast majority of the park attractions.\u00a0 Since staying at the three deluxe hotels provides you with unlimited Express passes, if your family wants to ride again, you can do it right away, or maybe come back later for a few more rides.<\/p>\n There are currently a very small handful of attractions that don\u2019t accept the Express Pass:\u00a0 Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, Hogwarts Express, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, and Pteranodon Flyers.\u00a0 Thankfully, though, many of these can be visited first thing in the morning, since the onsite Universal resorts offer early entry every morning to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for their guests.<\/p>\n Additionally, if you can only manage to stay at one of the onsite resorts for one night, it still gives you two days\u2019 worth of Express Pass options\u2014for both the check-in and check-out days.\u00a0 While I think it is definitely worth it for two guests, it\u2019s especially valuable for 4 or 5 guests, since everyone in the room will get the Express Passes.\u00a0 What a deal!<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Tip #2:\u00a0 Wait until your child is tall enough<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0 In order for your child to be able to enjoy more attractions, it might be wise to wait until he\/she is tall enough, especially if he\/she is a thrill junky.\u00a0 It can be so disappointing to a thrill rider if they can\u2019t ride something that they see, only to find out that they are too short.\u00a0 Universal Studios has a few thrill rides with higher height restrictions than Walt Disney World.\u00a0 Little Johnny might\u2019ve ridden on Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roller Coaster multiple times and loved every single ride, but he\u2019s 49 inches tall–tall enough for all of the Disney rides, but too short for Rip Ride Rockit, Doctor Doom\u2019s Fearfall, and The Incredible Hulk Coaster.<\/p>\n Knowing that I had a little thrill rider, I purposely waited until my daughter was tall enough to at least be able to ride Rip Ride Rockit before we included Universal in our vacation plans.\u00a0 It was her most favorite ride there, so I made a wise choice.\u00a0 I would\u2019ve hated to have to deal with a very upset child had I taken her before she could ride that very visible attraction.\u00a0 In hindsight, this was one of the best vacation decisions I\u2019ve made, and well worth the wait.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tip #3:\u00a0 Take time to enjoy the extra things<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n