A Few of My Favorites

I've learned you can tell a lot about a person by knowing some of their favorites. Here is a look into my brain with a few favorites of mine throughout Universal Orlando Resort.

---

My Favorites in Universal Studios Florida

Area of the Park

• Springfield USA is my favorite section of the park to be in. I love the theming here and there are so many great photo opportunities. Every single thing here is themed to the Simpson's hometown. Try a Flaming Moe at Moe's or try your hand at some carnival games in Krustyland. Oh, and there's a phone that keeps ringing off the hook outside of the Kwik-E-Mart. Someone should really answer that...

Food

• Illumination's Minion Cafe takes the spot for my favorite quick service food in Universal Studios Florida. The theming is fun and there are so many options to suit so many diets. There's a break room themed area to the right when you walk in the main entrance, and this is my favorite spot to eat. Theres a high-top table that doubles as a foosball table, and you can see the minion's lockers. Each one has it's own little surprise inside, so be sure to look through them all!

• Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour is my favorite place for dessert. There are some crazy flavors if you're feeling adventurous, but their normal flavors are just fine for muggles like me.

Attractions

• Revenge of the Mummy isn't just my favorite attraction in Universal Studios Florida, it's my favorite attraction of the entire resort! I'm not a roller coaster person and I'm terrified of heights, but this one is mostly a dark ride, and what I can't see can't hurt me, right? I had been going to the parks for years before a friend of mine (thanks Kayla!) dragged me onto the carts of this ride and I promptly rode it eight times in a row. I'm serious, they had to kick us off because the park was closed.

• My favorite non-coaster ride in this park is Men in Black: Alien Attack. It's a fun arcade-style shooter where you can compete with others in your car and the car you're playing against. The maximum score is 999,000 and yes, people have maxed it out. Not me, but some people. Be the first to press that big red button the agents yell at you not to press and you'll get a big score advantage.

Store

• The tribute stores of course! There isn't always a tribute store inside the park, but when there is I really do spend hours here. They're always so good, even if you're only going inside for the theming. My favorite tribute stores are always the Halloween Horror Nights tribute stores. Not creepy enough to be scary, but enough that I feel uneasy walking around.

My Favorite Tip

• The best tip I have for Universal Studios Florida? Eat a light breakfast so you can eat an early lunch. This gives you better odds of a short line and getting good seating at your favorite lunch spot while avoiding the mid-day crowds throughout the park. When you're finished eating, everyone else is just getting their lunch. The attraction lines are shorter and the park is all your's for an hour or two.

---

My Favorites in Islands of Adventure

Area of the Park

• I love Jurassic Park. I love walking through the gates and hearing the music knowing this is definitely the safest zoo I've ever been to.

Food

• Confisco Grille is my favorite sit down restaurant in Islands of Adventure. I've had at least five different dishes here and I've never been disappointed. It's located right at the corner of the Port of Entry and Seuss Landing. There are almost always reservations available within a two hour timeframe of when you look, and this isn't because it isn't good, it's because it gets overlooked by Mythos Restaurant (which is also fantastic!).

• Captain America Diner is my favorite quick service restaurant in IOA. Not because the food is any better than other quick service restaurants in the park, but because you have great views of the lagoon from inside. You can look across to watch The Incredible Hulk Coaster and The Velocicoaster, and seeing both at once is always a win in my book.

• Hop on Pop Ice Cream Shop is my favorite place for dessert. They have this huge brownie sundae that is incredible, but my favorite is the sundae on a stick. Its an ice cream bar dipped in chocolate and coated in your favorite ice cream toppings, on a stick. I recommend getting it with a plate though, because it melts off the stick quickly in the Florida heat.

Attractions

• My favorite coaster at this park is obviously Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. Isn't it everyone else's too? I like to set a ride alert on the Universal Orlando App for a 60 minute wait time. I've found the wait time is usually inflated, and when I've gotten in line at a posted 60 minute wait I've never waited more than 40 minutes.

• My favorite non-coaster attraction is Jurassic Park River Adventure. Even if you are in the front row and you get soaked after the hill, you're only wet from the waist up so I've never been uncomfortable walking around after. I once rode this with a group who had never been on it before, and I was wearing a rain jacket with the hood up. they tapped me on the shoulder as we were leaving the loading station and asked "Do you get wet on this ride?" It was too late for them, but I'll tell you, yes.

Store

• The All Hallows Eve Boutique is my favorite store. It is always themed somehow to Universal's classic monsters, including Frankenstein's Monster, the Bride of Frankenstein, Dracula, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and more. I always like the merchandise here and they change it up pretty quickly. They will also sell event merchandise here, such as for Halloween Horror Nights and Mardi Gras.

My Favorite Tip

• Please don't use early park admission to get in line for Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. You're going to wait at least twice as long doing this than if you just wait a few hours to get in line. Instead, explore some shops and ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.

---

My Favorites in Volcano Bay

Area of the Park

• I enjoy Waturi Beach. It's peaceful and I enjoy people watching, and the view of Krakatau Volcano.

Food

• This park only had quick service options (which makes sense in a water park), and my favorite of them is Whakawaiwai Eats. My favorite items on the menu are the longboard pizzas. Pizza is already my favorite food, but pizza outdoors on a sandy beach in front of a volcano? It really doesn't get better than that.

Attractions

• My favorite attraction here is the Krakatau Aqua Coaster. It is so unique, and I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to ride this a week after the grand opening of Volcano Bay! It is pretty fast and does feel like a coaster, so if you aren't up for some speed, this one might not be for you.

• My other favorite is TeAwa The Fearless River. This is like a lazy river on steroids. Seriously, you have to wear a vest just to get in. You can float through with a tube if you want, but I like grabbing a vest and jumping right in.

My Favorite Tip

• Upgrade to Premium Seating. It does cost more, but you gain so much! You have a guaranteed spot on Waturi Beach in front of the volcano, two cushioned beach chairs with a clamshell shade, a lockbox at your seat, and food delivered straight to your seat. It's my favorite way to have a truly relaxing day at any of the parks.

---

My Favorites in Universal CityWalk

Food

• VIVO Italian Kitchen is one of my favorite sit down restaurants in CityWalk. This one is more expensive, but it has a good atmosphere to just relax and unwind after a long day. I would recommend this restaurant for dinner, not lunch, since the dishes are large.

• This wouldn't be a favorite's list if I didn't mention VooDoo Doughnut Orlando. If you do one quick search for Universal Orlando Resort, you won't get far without hearing about this place, and for good reason. The variety is huge with more than 50 options at any given time of year, plus seasonal doughnuts for special events. This is a great place to stop on your way into the park to grab breakfast, or to grab a box to go and take back to your hotel room.

Store

• The Quiet Flight Surf Shop is my favorite store in CityWalk. They have a variety of clothing, shoes, sunglasses, and accessories. I love the large selection of unique t-shirts here!

My Favorite Tip

• Make your dining reservations a day in advance! These restaurants fill up quickly as CityWalk does not require a ticket for entry, so there are more people here than just people visiting the theme parks. Use the Universal Orlando App to make a quick reservation. can't get what you're looking for? Check throughout the day too! Plans change quickly so reservations will come and go through the day.

---

These are my current favorites! What do you think? Anything similar or different from yours? Let me know in the comments!