Universal Orlando is BACK!

A few weeks ago, I took my four kids to Universal Orlando. They had a two-week break from band and we had nothing on our schedule, so we hopped a plane from Nashville to Orlando.

The Nashville airport was very clean and efficient.

I usually fly Southwest, but Frontier has had some spectacular deals. We got roundtrip tickets for $70 each. I like Frontier as a discounted airline carrier because you can save money if you pack light and if you are open to sitting wherever Frontier places you.  Frontier charges you for every checked and carry-on bag and for selecting your seat.

We decided to stay at Cabana Bay Beach Resort. It is one of my favorite resorts at Universal Orlando because the family suites can accommodate up to six guests. Most hotel rooms sleep up to four guests, which means a family like mine usually needs to reserve two rooms per night.

The family suite features two queen beds and a pull-out double sofa. The queen beds and the bathroom are in the back area of the suite, and the pull-out couch and kitchenette are in the front. A pocket door divider separates the two sections, so it worked well for my son to have the pull-out sofa and the three girls and I shared the queen beds.

Universal Orlando’s Safety Measures

Upon arrival at the resort, a team member checked our temperature and gave us a color-coded wristband to show our temperature was in a healthy range below 100.4 degrees. Every morning, we started the day with a temperature check, and we found this to be an easy, streamlined procedure.

If your temperature is below 100.4, you receive a color-coded wristband for the day.

Masks were required at all times while at Universal Orlando.

There were only a few exceptions. Masks were not needed when guests are:

  • Swimming
  • Eating or drinking
  • At Volcano Bay Water Park

Another safety measure was no housekeeping. During our stay at Cabana Bay Beach Resort, no staff member entered our room. The resort did not provide daily housekeeping, so if we needed more towels or toiletries (Zest soap and VO5 shampoo and conditioner), we called down to the desk and a team member dropped off our items in a large plastic bag outside our room.

“You’re not fully clean unless you’re ZESTFULLY clean!”

Food at Universal Orlando

Monday, the day we arrived, we took a stroll around Universal City Walk and ate dinner at the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium. The restaurant is so whimsical and eclectic, and the food (although extremely pricey) was delicious. I ordered the trout almondine, and it was prepared perfectly.

The Emporium is known for its over-the-top milkshakes. We ordered the chocolate brownie shake and the espresso shake. The presentation is beautiful, but the shakes were not worth the $14.50 per-shake price tag. In my opinion, the shake was hardly worth $7.00, so I would suggest resisting the temptation.

The only other sit-down meal we ate at Universal was Antojitos. The food and the service were excellent, but it was overpriced for the amount of food we received. It seemed the restaurants had reduced their portion size since my last visit, but the prices remained the same.

I suggest eating counter service at Universal Orlando, and the best food is in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Our favorite meal was at The Leaky Cauldron, where you can order Toad in the Hold (English sausage and root vegetables baked in a Yorkshire pudding) or Bangers and Mash (sausage and mashed potatoes), or Fisherman’s Pie (salmon, shrimp and cod baked in a potato pastry).

Clarissa ordered the Cottage Pie (similar to a beef pot pie) and the rest of us ordered the Specialty Chicken Sandwich (grilled chicken breast with apple butter mayo, Coby cheese, smoky apple bacon, and roasted tomato on a homemade bun, with a side of fries or a side salad). This sandwich is one of the best quick service meals at Universal, and I would highly recommend it. They even had a gluten-free bun available, so I was even happier.

Cottage Pie
Specialty Chicken Sandwich and field greens

You have to try the frozen Butterbeer, too. Imagine a frozen butterscotch freeze with a dollop of sweet, foamy cream on top. It was a little piece of heaven but very sweet, so I suggest getting lots of straws and sharing it.

Universal Orlando Attractions

Because we stayed on-site, we were eligible for Early Park Admission in Diagon Alley at Universal Orlando. There were only a few rides open—Escape from Gringotts and Despicable Me—so we found that it wasn’t worth it to arrive an entire hour early for two attractions. We were able to walk on Escape from Gringotts, so we lingered in the streets and shops of Diagon Alley to fill the rest of the hour before the park started.

Usually, Universal Orlando toggles between Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure for Early Park Admission. For the time being, Early Park Admission is only going to be at Universal Orlando.

Another advantage of staying on-site at Universal Orlando is the Unlimited Express Pass. Guests staying at Loews Portofino Bay, Loews Royal Pacific and Hard Rock Hotel receive a complimentary Unlimited Express Pass for every person in the room, meaning they can skip the regular line on most rides. Cabana Bay is a value resort, so we didn’t get Unlimited Express Pass, but we found we didn’t even need it. The longest ride we waited for was the Incredible Hulk Coaster, but we only waited 30 minutes.

If you purchase an annual pass, you get a discount on select food, merchandise and hotel stays.

Our Favorite Ride

By far, our favorite ride was Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure in Hogsmeade, the Harry Potter section of Islands of Adventure. This thrill coaster goes incredibly fast, and there is a sudden drop half-way through the ride that makes me catch my breath every time. The kids and I rode several times, and the big question was who would drive the motorbike and who would ride in the sidecar.

Universal has implemented a Virtual Line for many of the more popular rides like Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure, Escape from Gringott’s, Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Harry Potter Forbidden Journey. The Virtual Line is similar to the Fast Pass system, where guests can make a reservation on their phone through the app, but you must make your reservation on the same day. There are no advanced reservations for future dates.

As much as I enjoyed Hagrid’s, I think my favorite ride of all time at Universal is, and always will be, ET. Why does that ride just get me all nostalgic? There is nothing like it, and riding it twice just wasn’t enough for me. I even made my kids get their photo with ET in the gift shop.

The team member allowed the girls to take off their mask for a quick photo with E.T.
E.T. is HOME!

Soft Opening of Bourne Stuntacular

We also got to participate in a unique experience: a guest preview for the Bourne Stuntacular Show. The show was in rehearsal the week we visited, but team members were allowing guests to watch selected rehearsals. Luckily, our show was a perfect run because the directors didn’t have to stop the actors and repeat any scenes.

This show was nothing short of amazing, and it has now replaced rides like Flight of Passage and Escape from Gringotts, which I told clients were “the best rides I’ve ever experienced.” This show was spectacular. It was a fusion of live-action and virtual and used high-definition screens and a very sophisticated moving set. I kept telling my kids, “I can’t tell who is real and who isn’t!” Real people interacted with screens so seamlessly. I won’t spoil the show for you, but all I can say is, “Go see the show.”

Socially distanced audience for the Bourne Stuntacular
Is this a car from one of the Bourne movies? Memorabilia was placed throughout the queue.

Universal’s Volcano Bay

I will be the first to say I am not a fan of water parks, but I love Volcano Bay. The park is gorgeous, and I am amazed at how the plants, flowers and vegetation make you feel like you are in Hawaii.

The 200-foot Krakatau volcano is the centerpiece of Volcano Bay water park.

Cabana Bay Beach Resort has a dedicated pathway and entrance into Volcano Bay, so it was very convenient to walk to the park. All other Universal Resorts require bus transportation to Volcano Bay, but we were able to walk to the park entrance in just a few minutes.

Even with the dedicated pathway from Volcano Bay to Cabana Bay, Nadia still hitched a ride with Ethan.

Volcano Bay has a unique reservation system that uses a waterproof wristband called a Tapu-Tapu. Each water ride has a kiosk at the entrance, and you merely “tapu” your Tapu-Tapu on the wave emblem and your wristband will count down the time until you can ride.

Scan your Tapu-Tapu at a ride kiosk and your band will alert you when it’s time to ride.
Most rides had no wait at all.

The kids and I visited Volcano Bay two days in a row and we had a blast each time. Here were some of our highlights:

  1. Favorite ride—Krakatau Aqua Coaster. It’s like a roller coaster in a water slide.
  2. Favorite raft ride—Honu iki Moana. This raft holds five people, and we laughed the whole time.
  3. Scariest drop—Kala and Tai Nui Serpentine Body Slides. It was terrifying.
  4. Best kids’ area—Runamukka Reef
  5. Favorite family area—TeAwa The Fearless River. Think of this as a wave pool on steroids. Put on a life jacket and ride the crazy waves!

Saying Goodbye to Universal Orlando

We had a fun family week at Universal Orlando. My third child, Clarissa, is a huge Harry Potter fan, so this trip was a rite of passage for her. She walked around, pointing out all the details of every nook and cranny of Wizarding World and explained how it related (or veered from) the book, and it was fun watching her take it all in.

My biggest surprise this week was Volcano Bay. I wasn’t expecting anything special, but it ended up being my favorite part of the week. It just shows that an open mind is essential when going on vacation. I can’t underestimate what a relief it was to take a break from the mask for two days!

The pools at Volcano Bay were beautifully maintained.

I found the counter service food at Universal to be pretty reasonable, but the table service dining was very over-priced. Because I knew we’d have a kitchenette, I ordered Amazon groceries every other day, and that proved to be very economical. We always ate breakfast in the room, and we ate most dinners in the room as well because the parks closed at 5:00 or 6:00 p.m. I will write another post about Amazon delivery at theme parks.

Our first Amazon Prime Now food delivery. We ordered three shipments during the week.

Because of the continued spread of Covid-19, I will not advise my clients to visit or not visit the Orlando theme parks. Universal Orlando’s website has the following disclaimer: Exposure to COVID-19 is an inherent risk in any public location where people are present; we cannot guarantee you will not be exposed during your visit.

Before making a decision to go to the parks, please review Universal’s Important Safety Guidelines. Our family had a wonderful time, but each family has to make its own decision about safe travels during the pandemic.

What questions do you have about traveling to Universal Orlando? How can I help? Leave me a question or comment below. If you’re ready to travel, please request a complimentary quote here.

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