We just got back from spending spring break in Florida, and taking our three little kids to Universal Studios theme park in Orlando. I got so many questions on Instagram asking about our trip and whether it makes sense to go to Universal Studios with little kids. This was our second time going, so while we’re by no means experts, I feel like we have a pretty good grasp on how to navigate Universal Studios with babies and toddlers (and now little kids since James isn’t quite a toddler). We’re not big theme park people (although I could see from our recent vacations how one might think we are), but I know a lot of you aren’t regular theme park goers but thinking of making the trip or taking your kids while in the area, so I put together a guide to Universal Studios for toddlers and babies and really, little kids too. (Check out my guide to Disney World with small kids here.) We spent a total of two days at Universal Studios for our first trip, and I think it was perfect amount of time given the ages of our children — six, three and one. Two days gave us ample time to really explore the whole park, get the lay of the land and leave when we were too spent to push on. For our second visit this year, we just did one day but we stayed all day, arriving just after 9:30am and leaving around 5:30pm. It worked really well with our kids now ages 7, 4 and 2, and while Brooks definitely was wiped by the end, we had the stroller so it really wasn’t so bad. Everyone was a year older, so they could do so much more too, so we got to experience even more of the park, and I have to say, we loved it even more this time. It helped that we had a better feel for the lay of the land, but the park is set up in such a way that you can just start and walk around and you’ll eventually find your way to everything. We also lucked out with our timing —last year we went in March when it was busier with spring break. This year the kids’ spring break was a bit later so it wasn’t as crowded and we went mid-week, which was nice. Going to theme parks involves a lot of stimulation and waiting and walking around in the sun, so after a day or two of parks, we were all ready for a break. I highly recommend breaking up your visit with some pool time/days off if you can swing it. I tried to answer all your questions with this guide to Universal Studios for toddlers and babies but let me know if I missed any.
Can You Take Little Kids to Universal Studios?
Absolutely! The park does have a lot of rollercoasters and rides that are for bigger kids (James was even too small for a lot last year but was the right size for most this year), but the park has something for kids of all ages. There are a few parts of the park that are especially great for little kids (see below), and some areas that really work for kids of all ages. They have a great system at most rides where you can all wait in line together and then the parents can take turns going on the ride if one of your kids is too small, which I loved. For example, there was a ride in Harry Potter World that Charlotte was too short for and we had Brooks with us, so we all waited in line together and then there was a room where Charlotte, Brooks and I could hang out while Andrew and James went on the ride. The best part of it was that they played Harry Potter in the room, so Charlotte could watch and be entertained. A lot of the rides have this option, so it really works out if you have kids of different ages (or taste in rides) like we do. If we had been with the kids’ older cousins and done a big family thing, we would have had a great time because there is a lot for teens, tweens and adults too, as Universal has movies that span such a wide range and a really big range of rides, from crazy rollercoasters to merry-go-rounds and more train-like rides for the really littles.
How Long Should You go For?
As I mentioned, fo our first trip, we went for two days and it was the right amount of time for us. It was our first time, so the first day, we really got the lay of the land and the second day we were able to do a lot more. With little kids, I think a full day is really hard to pull off. Even if it’s not super crowded or hot, it’s a lot of walking around and waiting and stimulation and we find that if we get there when it opens around 9pm or so, that by 3pm, the kids are completely wiped. Having two days booked means you don’t have to stress about calling it a day when everyone starts to fade. With that said, we could have also done one big day and gotten there right at opening and stayed until 4pm or 5pm and then just relaxed the next day and that would have worked too. That’s what we did on this second trip, when our kids were a year older, and it worked great. We did a lot of stops for food and rest, but honestly, they powered through and there’s such a great mix of types of rides and indoor and outdoor that you can do it all in one day. At the end of two days, we definitely needed some time to chill at the pool and have a day without an agenda. If you’re planning to go for longer, I’d break up your theme park days and do no more than two in a row so everyone can take a breather. But I honestly think you can get it all in in one day, especially with little kids, who won’t be able to do all the rides etc.
How are the Lines? Is There a Fast Pass to Cut the Lines?
Similar to Disney, you can buy passes that let you go in shorter lines. It’s called Universal Express and I highly recommend it, especially if you’re going with little kids. My kids just can’t wait in a line for 30-45 minutes or more, so this was really essential for us. We didn’t wait more than 10 minutes at any ride with our Universal Express tickets, so it was well worth it. It also allows you to do more so it’s great if you’re just going for one day or during a particularly crowded time.
What are the Best Rides and Attractions at Universal Studios for Little Kids?
Okay, the most important part of my guide to Universal Studios for toddlers and babies — what rides and attractions to do! These were our favorites and the best for our kids ages:
Dr. Seuss Area: This was one of our favorite areas of the park, so much so we went back on our second day. There are tons of rides for little kids, from rollercoasters that are toddler-friendly to a merry-go-round as well as lots of fun snacks and treats. There are also little areas where the kids can play and be entertained while a sibling does the rides or they just take a break. We got to catch a couple live performances with the Grinch, Lorax, Thing 1 and Thing 2 while we cooled off with ice cream cones. There’s also a play area there that’s covered and great for little kids to run around and play while mom and dad sit down. Some of our favorite rides there were The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride (a mini rollercoaster for little kids that Charlotte loved), One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish (both big kids loved this but watch out you get splashed), Cat in the Hat, and the Merry-go-Round.
Jurassic Park Area: We had so much fun in the Jurassic Park area. Camp Jurassic is a huge outdoor playground area that the kids loved climbing around and was nearly impossible to get them to leave. In the Jurassic Park Discover Center they can explore and learn about dinosaurs and cool off in the AC. James chickened out, but the Pteranodon Flyers would have been fun for him and Charlotte.
Harry Potter World: Kids of all ages, including babies, can ride the Hogwarts Express, which was a big hit with our crew. It was also a nice rest. The area was pretty crowded, but just exploring the shops and streets was pretty magical as well. In terms of rides, James liked Flight of the Hippogriff, but Charlotte was too small so we just did the parent swap thing. We did do Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure and the kids loved it but were maybe a bit scared.
Skull Island: Reign of Kong: James really liked this ride a lot and it was a great step up for his age from the little kid rides.
Despicable Me Minion Mayhem: This is a great one for littles that will have them giggling. There are a few rides here that the kids loved.
Shrek 4-D: A great activity when you need a break from the rides. It’s a little bit of a 3-D type experience so Charlotte was a little like what the heck, but loved seeing Shrek.
The Simpsons Area: My kids really loved this area even though they’ve never seen the Simpsons lol. We appreciated the nostalgia too.
Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster: James was a bit scared at first but then loved this.
Amazing Adventures of Spiderman: James loved this!
Play Areas: This is a little out of order, but in the various sections of the park, there are play areas for little kids that are fun and entertaining but don’t have rides and height requirements so they’re great to do while bigger kids ride or to break up all the rides and waiting in lines. They’re located throughout the different areas and include: Curious George Goes to Town and Fievel’s Playland. At Islands of Adventure, there’s Camp Jurassic and The Jurassic Park Discovery Center, the Popeye-themed Me Ship, The Olive, and If I Ran the Zoo in Seuss Landing. The kids also loved the Toon Lagoons to cool off (pro tip: bring a change of clothes, which I did not. They have driers but a change of clothes would have helped.)
Shows: There are some really cute shows you can stop in and watch and offer a nice break from the sun including: “Animal Actors On Location,” the “Frog Choir” at the Wizarding World’s Hogsmeade, and the Dr. Seuss-inspired “Oh! The Stories You’ll Hear!.”
What are the Best Places to Eat with Kids and Babies at Universal Studios?
We didn’t put a lot of thought or effort into food on our first trip and we’re fine. We did so much snacking along the way, that our kids didn’t really want to or need to sit down and eat. It was more for us to rest and refuel. There is a huge area outside the park with tons of restaurants. I highly recommend stopping there on the way in and way out. We actually had some of our best meals of the trip there, and there are lots of options and the food is good. We actually decided to get food at one of the restaurants called Cow Fish that offers sushi and burgers, which sounds weird but was delicious, after leaving the park one day and then it started to rain so we caught a movie at the movie theater that’s right there too and the kids were delighted to have a movie and popcorn for dinner. We actually went back there again this year for dinner after leaving the park because we liked it that much. The rest of the time we basically ate on the go in the park and had popcorn or ice cream treats etc., which obviously wasn’t the healthiest but allowed us to pack in the park stuff and then we did lunch at one of the options closest to where we were when everyone go hungry. The food is a lot of burgers, chicken fingers, etc., which works well for us but they also had fruit and salads.
What Should You Bring to Universal Studios for Toddlers and Babies?
I should create a post with my theme park packing list, but including what we brought or wish we had brought in my guide to Universal Studios for toddlers and babies for now. We pack pretty light so we don’t have to carry a ton and because I am paranoid about people stealing stuff out of the stroller when you park it outside a ride (even though everyone does and it’s fine but this is my paranoia).
Stroller (we used our double stroller for our first time and then the Baby Bjorn and alternated who sat and walked etc.; For our second trip, we did the YoYo stroller with the kickboard attachment and it worked great as James could mostly walk and Charlotte could do a lot of walking too)
Baby Carrier (great for taking baby on rides and if bigs wanted to be in the stroller)
Backpack Diaper Bag (this one is the best ever for traveling, on the go, etc.)
Diapers
Extra Set of Clothes for each kid in Waterproof Wet/Dry Bag
Plastic Ziplock Bags for Phones etc. (this is helpful because of all the water rides)
Wearable Bib (this packs up small and is great for eating on the go and the ice cream etc.)
Hats (for sun protection)
Snacks (there’s lots of places to buy snacks but it’s mostly popcorn, pretzels and sweet treats so it was helpful to have cheddar bunnies, fruit pouches, granola bars, etc.)
My Lululemon Belt Bag (kept our passes, my wallet, and sunglasses in here)
Lightweight Jackets or Sweatshirts (depending on what time of year you go and because it can get chilly inside the air conditioned shows etc)
Nursing Cover (used for nursing and to keep Brooks covered when he fell asleep)
Bottles
Pacis and Portable Sound Machine (for napping on the go)
And that’s it for my guide to Universal Studios for toddlers and babies and little kids, but let me know if you have any other questions or anything I missed you’d like me to add. I know it feels overwhelming and it’s definitely a lot and exhausting, but we had a great time and if you keep your expectations in check and stick to the age-appropriate stuff, it can be a really fun experience with lots of special memories. With that said, it’s also a great place for older kids and adults, so you can also save it for when your kids will be more into/big enough for all the rides. But there is so much fun and magic for little kids that it’s a great place to visit if you’re in the area or planning a trip.
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