Are reservations really necessary?

[CaryHaven]

This will be our first time at Universal. For about 10 years, we were season pass holders at Disney World until we stopped going in 2020. So I am used to having to make reservations for popular restaurants six months in advance (and the old style of FastPass reservations). From what I can tell, that doesn’t really seem to be an issue with Universal restaurants. We are staying at the Portofino Bay hotel, and from what I understand, may be given preferential seating at the hotel over someone who might not be staying there. I have made a couple of reservations in the park, but not sure if there are any that I definitely would need to do because of popularity. I’m also not seeing anything that says I need to make ride reservations for the Express Pass that comes with the hotel stay. Someone please let me know if I’m wrong. Thank you!

 

[Skippyboo]

For your Express pass, you just show your room key for entrance to express line, they will scan it further in the line. Restaurants most you can get day of visit. Toothsome you may want to book a little ahead of time.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Mythos is the only one in the parks really that we've eaten at with a reservation. Back in May 2022 we booked a day in advance for it as the day of they didn't have any available and no walk ups allowed (both days that filled up). It was not a busy day at the parks.

For the hotels they hold some reservations back as well for hotel guests. We stayed at Royal Pacific and wanted to go to Jake's, looked online and no reservations til too late for us but called down and they were able to get us a reservation for 20 mins from that time.

Outside the parks Toothsome is usually the one that is busy but there may be a few others in CityWalk.

Express Pass functions differently than what you're used to at Disney. There is a separate line just like at Disney but you just enter the Express Pass line whenever you want to. Sometimes they will take your picture at some point in the queue in addition to scanning your room key, we encountered that mostly at MIB ride. Universal built most of their queues where Express Pass is fully separated. Like at MIB ride there are 3 separate lines that mostly run next to each other one for regular, one for Express Pass and one for Single Rider.

 

[CaryHaven]

Excellent information, thank you! I actually have made a couple of reservations at Toothsome since that is far and away the one my daughters want to go to most of all. I did not realize that about Mythos, and so will be going now to stake a claim. That sounds very easy and downright relaxing compared to Disney’s fast pass, so I am really looking forward to it. I know Hagrid’s doesn’t take the pass, but hopefully all other rides will. We are there for five days, so I think we should have ample ability to ride everything more than once. I am still trying to watch videos to educate myself, but hoping it’s not as much of a learning curve as Disney. Thank you!

 

[CAPSLOCK]

If your daughter is short enough for Pterodon Flyers, that is the only other ride that does not accept EP aside from Hagrids. You do need a kid under a certain height to ride though.

I'd add Bigfire & Cowfish to the "should make reservations early" list (for Universal, that's a few weeks in advance, less for lunch).

Generally, if you want table service dinner right around park closing time, you probably want a reservation during busy dates. More so if you have a specific restaurant in mind, and/or a larger party.

 

[wdwrule]

This will be our first time at Universal. For about 10 years, we were season pass holders at Disney World until we stopped going in 2020. So I am used to having to make reservations for popular restaurants six months in advance (and the old style of FastPass reservations). From what I can tell, that doesn’t really seem to be an issue with Universal restaurants. We are staying at the Portofino Bay hotel, and from what I understand, may be given preferential seating at the hotel over someone who might not be staying there. I have made a couple of reservations in the park, but not sure if there are any that I definitely would need to do because of popularity. I’m also not seeing anything that says I need to make ride reservations for the Express Pass that comes with the hotel stay. Someone please let me know if I’m wrong. Thank you!

Planning ahead for Universal vs. Disney is night and day difference. Don’t get me wrong, I love Disney and we’ve made countless memories there but it’s gotten out of hand with Genie+, LL, ILL, park reservations, VQ, setting alarms for early morning to get some of the previous mentioned, etc etc. We recently had a split stay and gave a sigh of relief for our Universal portion. Universal’s planning? “Have fun”

But seriously, besides what has been mentioned, I’d just check park hours closer to your trip as they can change occasionally. I’d also consider what park bag you’re bringing, if any, and know that most rides require you to put bags in their free lockers. Most rides do not require you to remove Fanny packs but Hulk, Velocicoaster and Rip Ride Rockit require any kind of bag/pack, phones etc to go in their free locker as you’ll be going through metal detectors prior to boarding.

You can cancel dining reservations last minute if needed without penalty (but of course try to cancel as early as possible so others could use the reservation spot). There are coke Freestyle machines throughout the parks and also in the resorts. The resort cups are exclusively for the resorts; likewise for the park cups. All Freestyle machines offer free cold water if you have a container or ask for a courtesy cup (small plastic cup similar to Disney counter services).

Also, get familiar with Universal’s app. You can view park maps, wait times, park hours (including early admission hours), mobile order menus etc here. In our experiences, mobile ordering saves a ton of time in line.

These are some of the key things I can think of off the top of my head. But all in all, Universal is not stressful to plan thank goodness.

PS if you watch YouTube at all, The Pugh Two channel offers a wealth of great information about Universal.

 

[Kit Jackson]

Mythos (in the parks) Cowfish, Bigfire, Toothsome (City Walk) are the places its a good idea to make reservations for, but if you make them a month in advance you should be more than fine. Others have clearly explained how ExpressPass works, so I have nothing to add on that topic.

I am a ride coward and have always had a fantastic time at Universal Orlando. It is worth noting that some of the rides are more intense than WDW. Something to think about is what is the ride tolerance of the people traveling with you. Does anyone have any problems with drops, motion simulators, 3D movies, motion sickness, any similar/related issues? This may determine what you ride, what you skip, or who rides and who skips. I travel with someone who is more of a thrill seeker, so I may hold her bag while she rides and I stand outside.

Also, something that tends to freak out WDW people but it is not actually that big of a deal at all is the lockers. Some rides require people to store bags in a locker. Unless you are carrying a giant backpack/diaper bag, your bag will probably fit. I take the same bags to the park that I use in my regular life and I have never had a problem fitting my bag into the locker. If there is something you want to carry with you and have on hand at a moment's notice, carry a bag, especially if you think it will make your life easier. Putting things into the locker and taking them out the locker does not take a significant amount of time. You pass the lockers just before or after you line up for the ride. The ride's exit is also near the lockers.

 

[FoxC63]

This will be our first time at Universal.

Dining options:
I also recommend going to Post #5 Universal Orlando Resort Gift Cards and More which is located on the Updated Disney Gift Card & More thread. Just scroll down to Landry's, it's a fantastic deal!

 

[CaryHaven]

If your daughter is short enough for Pterodon Flyers, that is the only other ride that does not accept EP aside from Hagrids. You do need a kid under a certain height to ride though.

I'd add Bigfire & Cowfish to the "should make reservations early" list (for Universal, that's a few weeks in advance, less for lunch).

Generally, if you want table service dinner right around park closing time, you probably want a reservation during busy dates. More so if you have a specific restaurant in mind, and/or a larger party.

Thank you for the restaurant suggestion! I do believe my younger daughter is too tall for that, but I will double check. I didn’t think adults could ride it at all, and I knew she would not go for that ( without someone with her), so that’s why I haven’t looked it up before now. I’m hoping mainly to eat at the hotel for late evenings, as I hear, Portofino has some pretty good restaurants.

 

[CaryHaven]

Planning ahead for Universal vs. Disney is night and day difference. Don’t get me wrong, I love Disney and we’ve made countless memories there but it’s gotten out of hand with Genie+, LL, ILL, park reservations, VQ, setting alarms for early morning to get some of the previous mentioned, etc etc. We recently had a split stay and gave a sigh of relief for our Universal portion. Universal’s planning? “Have fun”

But seriously, besides what has been mentioned, I’d just check park hours closer to your trip as they can change occasionally. I’d also consider what park bag you’re bringing, if any, and know that most rides require you to put bags in their free lockers. Most rides do not require you to remove Fanny packs but Hulk, Velocicoaster and Rip Ride Rockit require any kind of bag/pack, phones etc to go in their free locker as you’ll be going through metal detectors prior to boarding.

You can cancel dining reservations last minute if needed without penalty (but of course try to cancel as early as possible so others could use the reservation spot). There are coke Freestyle machines throughout the parks and also in the resorts. The resort cups are exclusively for the resorts; likewise for the park cups. All Freestyle machines offer free cold water if you have a container or ask for a courtesy cup (small plastic cup similar to Disney counter services).

Also, get familiar with Universal’s app. You can view park maps, wait times, park hours (including early admission hours), mobile order menus etc here. In our experiences, mobile ordering saves a ton of time in line.

These are some of the key things I can think of off the top of my head. But all in all, Universal is not stressful to plan thank goodness.

PS if you watch YouTube at all, The Pugh Two channel offers a wealth of great information about Universal.

Thank you for all the great info! My daughters and I were just watching some more videos now, so I will look at that channel. I’m glad you mentioned about the cups being specific to the park or hotel, as I did not realize that. I agree that Disney is a lot. Honestly, even with all that I know about it, it still felt quite stressful the last few times we went. I am just curious, as we have been watching a lot of ride videos to prepare my younger daughter… if they don’t allow cell phones or anything that can fall out of pockets, are they allowing these go pros that are strapped on to people for the POV recordings? Or do they sneak them in? Because it seems like a ton of people do them. Thanks for the help!

 

[CaryHaven]

Mythos (in the parks) Cowfish, Bigfire, Toothsome (City Walk) are the places its a good idea to make reservations for, but if you make them a month in advance you should be more than fine. Others have clearly explained how ExpressPass works, so I have nothing to add on that topic.

I am a ride coward and have always had a fantastic time at Universal Orlando. It is worth noting that some of the rides are more intense than WDW. Something to think about is what is the ride tolerance of the people traveling with you. Does anyone have any problems with drops, motion simulators, 3D movies, motion sickness, any similar/related issues? This may determine what you ride, what you skip, or who rides and who skips. I travel with someone who is more of a thrill seeker, so I may hold her bag while she rides and I stand outside.

Also, something that tends to freak out WDW people but it is not actually that big of a deal at all is the lockers. Some rides require people to store bags in a locker. Unless you are carrying a giant backpack/diaper bag, your bag will probably fit. I take the same bags to the park that I use in my regular life and I have never had a problem fitting my bag into the locker. If there is something you want to carry with you and have on hand at a moment's notice, carry a bag, especially if you think it will make your life easier. Putting things into the locker and taking them out the locker does not take a significant amount of time. You pass the lockers just before or after you line up for the ride. The ride's exit is also near the lockers.

Yes, I have been reading about the lockers and that is a little bit different than what I’m used to, but of course the rides are more intense than Disney or Legoland or some other places we have been so I guess people are more likely to drop things. My younger daughter just turned 11 and does not like super intense rides, so she is thinking of skipping Velociraptor, but she thinks she might like to try Hulk. Honestly, it just depends on the day. Usually it just takes her a few rides to warm up and then she is ready to tackle bigger rides, so I’m just going to let her decide what she goes on and let her feel it out. I really like having several days at a park so that if she changes her mind halfway through the trip, she always has more time to try it. Meanwhile, my 14-year-old daughter wants the biggest, fastest, loops/drops ride that they have lol. My husband is sort of the same and I fall somewhere in between. I’m not a fan of drop like Dr. Doom so I may skip that.

 

[CaryHaven]

Dining options:
I also recommend going to Post #5 Universal Orlando Resort Gift Cards and More which is located on the Updated Disney Gift Card & More thread. Just scroll down to Landry's, it's a fantastic deal!

Thank you! I’ve never looked into this before, so I will definitely go investigate!

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Oh also as an FYI, Jurassic Park River Adventure will get you spritzed to moderately wet (primarily above the waist), but Popeyes Barges & Dudley Dooright Flume WILL get you legit soaked. They're super fun, just go in prepared & enjoy! The lockers for the wet rides are optional so they are not free.

 

[wdwrule]

Thank you for all the great info! My daughters and I were just watching some more videos now, so I will look at that channel. I’m glad you mentioned about the cups being specific to the park or hotel, as I did not realize that. I agree that Disney is a lot. Honestly, even with all that I know about it, it still felt quite stressful the last few times we went. I am just curious, as we have been watching a lot of ride videos to prepare my younger daughter… if they don’t allow cell phones or anything that can fall out of pockets, are they allowing these go pros that are strapped on to people for the POV recordings? Or do they sneak them in? Because it seems like a ton of people do them. Thanks for the help!

Unlike Disney, Universal does not allow POV recording on their rides (possibly an exception on ET but I could be wrong). On occasion, Universal sends media invites to popular YouTubers/social media influencers where they are allowed to record and post as a means of advertisement, but only during those specific media events.

 

[spewey]

Yes, I have been reading about the lockers and that is a little bit different than what I’m used to, but of course the rides are more intense than Disney or Legoland or some other places we have been so I guess people are more likely to drop things. My younger daughter just turned 11 and does not like super intense rides, so she is thinking of skipping Velociraptor, but she thinks she might like to try Hulk. Honestly, it just depends on the day. Usually it just takes her a few rides to warm up and then she is ready to tackle bigger rides, so I’m just going to let her decide what she goes on and let her feel it out. I really like having several days at a park so that if she changes her mind halfway through the trip, she always has more time to try it. Meanwhile, my 14-year-old daughter wants the biggest, fastest, loops/drops ride that they have lol. My husband is sort of the same and I fall somewhere in between. I’m not a fan of drop like Dr. Doom so I may skip that.

FYI, many people, myself included, regard Hulk as more intense than Velocicoaster. Depending on your definition of intense, of course. Hulk bangs you around a bit, and there's far more of the "upside-down" feeling in its inversions, which are traditional loops rather than the (amazing) heartline rolls of VC.

I'm not downplaying VC's scare factor, mind you. But it's a beautifully engineered piece of work, fast, thrilling but smooth, and one of the best coasters in the world.

 

[zavandor]

Oh also as an FYI, Jurassic Park River Adventure will get you spritzed to moderately wet (primarily above the waist), but Popeyes Barges & Dudley Dooright Flume WILL get you legit soaked. They're super fun, just go in prepared & enjoy! The lockers for the wet rides are optional so they are not free.

Especially Popeye's, the notice before the ride doesn't say "you may bet wet" or "you will get wet" like in other Disney ride, it said: "prepare yourself, you will get soaking wet" I find it hilarious and also very true.
It's not a bad idea to bring a change of clothes and socks, unless you hit the 3 water attractions just before leaving the park to go back to the hotel.

 

[CaryHaven]

FYI, many people, myself included, regard Hulk as more intense than Velocicoaster. Depending on your definition of intense, of course. Hulk bangs you around a bit, and there's far more of the "upside-down" feeling in its inversions, which are traditional loops rather than the (amazing) heartline rolls of VC.

I'm not downplaying VC's scare factor, mind you. But it's a beautifully engineered piece of work, fast, thrilling but smooth, and one of the best coasters in the world.

Thank you for the info! I will go over this with her and see if she changes her mind. I suspect once it actually comes time, she will probably ride them both. It is good to know upfront to prepare her. Thank you!

 

[CaryHaven]

Especially Popeye's, the notice before the ride doesn't say "you may bet wet" or "you will get wet" like in other Disney ride, it said: "prepare yourself, you will get soaking wet" I find it hilarious and also very true.
It's not a bad idea to bring a change of clothes and socks, unless you hit the 3 water attractions just before leaving the park to go back to the hotel.

Lol I was just thinking that when I read your post, that we would have to bring a change of clothes unless it was toward the end of the day. I can’t walk around in soaked clothes and runny eye makeup for hours as inevitably happens to me.

 

[Lilias]

I'm not sure if anyone mentioned this yet, but you can wear fanny packs on most rides You only can't on metal detector rides (Hulk, Rip Ride Rocket, and Velocicoaster). All three of those are easy skips for me, so I never have to use a locker!

 

[CaryHaven]

I'm not sure if anyone mentioned this yet, but you can wear fanny packs on most rides You only can't on metal detector rides (Hulk, Rip Ride Rocket, and Velocicoaster). All three of those are easy skips for me, so I never have to use a locker!

I usually wear one, and my husband is usually responsible for a small backpack. We may or may not end up using a locker if we can all take turns riding the bigger coasters. Not that I mind using one, just trying to save some steps and minutes.