Happy Friday everyone! This past weekend I had the pleasure of traveling to Universal Orlando Resort for the first time, and it turned out to be the best weekend ever! We went for my little sister, Piper’s, 16th birthday. She and I have always been big fans of Harry Potter, so we could hardly wait to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter for the first time, and let me tell you…it did NOT disappoint! We’re also big roller coaster fans, the faster the better, so you could definitely say we enjoyed our time at the parks! I wanted to share all of the details on the hotel that we stayed at and LOVED, as well as some tips for the park if you’re planning a visit to Universal Orlando Resort!
Hotel
We stayed at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, and I have to say it might just be one of my favorite hotels I’ve ever stayed at! It was absolutely beautiful, so clean and spacious, and the service was outstanding. Between the decor, the pool, restaurants and all of the details in between, it felt like we were in a tropical paradise! Everything on the grounds is so lush, there’s a lagoon with waterfalls, and the environment is so peaceful it really feels like you are on an island oasis.
Pool: I think my absolute favorite part was the gorgeous, tropical pool! I easily could’ve lounged there all day sipping their delicious fruity drinks and smoothies! The pool is so large and spacious, surrounded by palm trees and tropical vibes, with two sand beaches, and even private cabanas to rent. There’s a hot tub near the fire pit, a waterslide, and if you’re traveling with kids, they’re so great about doing daily pool activities/games, and poolside movies at night! There is also an arcade and a beautiful gym that look out onto the pool, as well as ping pong/pool tables and games to do near the pool deck! Not only are you transported to paradise, but there is something that everyone is sure to enjoy!
Food: They have a few great restaurants and dining options on-site which was so convenient! We tried Amatista Cookhouse the first night, and ended up going back four more times during our stay it was so delicious and the service was incredible! Like the rest of the resort, it had a beautiful, beachy vibe. We also often went to The New Dutch Trading Co. which was a marketplace near the lobby. It was so cute inside with a coffee shop, pastries, desserts and grab-and-go selections and meals. It was so convenient in the morning to go grab a smoothie and breakfast to-go before heading off to the parks, or a late night milkshake! The Drhum Club Kantine is the poolside bar and grill, and there just really is nothing better than lounging poolside with tasty food and drinks, and the service was wonderful!
Transport to Parks: They offer a shuttle, walking path or ferry ride to the parks. The ferry boat is the quickest and easiest option, plus it’s nice to take a little boat ride! You just go down to the dock and there’s a ferry every 10-15 min. We used the walking path once at night when the ferry was closed due to lightning coming back from the park and it took about 10-15 min.
Rooms: I absolutely loved our room! The decor was perfection, and everything was so clean. I loved the pretty blue and white tile floors, and we had a gorgeous view of the lagoon. The beds were very comfy, too!
Parks
The parks within Universal Orlando Resort are split up as follows: Universal Studios Florida (which contains Diagon Alley for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter), Universal’s Islands of Adventure (which contains Hogsmeade and Hogwarts for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter), and Universal’s Volcano Bay (which is the water park). Universal CityWalk is the area just outside the parks where there are so many fun dining and entertainment options!
Tips:
- I would HIGHLY recommend having Express passes! It will save you SO much time, and make the experience much more enjoyable, especially if you visit during a very busy, hot time! Some hotels do include Express passes with your stay, where we stayed does not.
- Definitely wear comfy, breathable clothing and walking shoes (I’d say sneakers so your shoes don’t fly off on rides, ha!) Make sure you don’t mind your clothes getting possibly dirty or wet. I wore cute hoop earrings for pics and forgot to take them off for the rides, and one flew off on a fast ride, so maybe try to avoid that so you don’t lose anything you love, ha! Bring sunglasses and wear sunscreen!
- If you need to carry a bag, try to keep it small so that you can fit it into the free lockers at the rides. They do offer larger lockers that you can pay for. Those usually ranged anywhere from $2-4 for the first 30min-first few hours depending on the ride.
- Go early as soon as the park opens! I definitely recommend this if you’re wanting to get pics, or if you want to experience things like The Wizarding World of Harry Potter without huge crowds…it fills up fast! It was in the 80-90’s while we were there, so we got up early and did the parks until lunch time, ate, and then went back and spent the afternoon at the pool. We then had dinner and went back to the parks for night riding while it was much cooler!
- Pay attention to the kind of tickets you buy depending on what parks you want to go to. If you’re doing The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and want to ride the Hogwarts Express train ride between the two parks, you’ll need a 2-park pass!
- We did one park and all of the rides in it on Friday morning and then went back in the evening, and then did the next park on Saturday morning. This schedule worked great for us! We had 2-park passes so we were able to jump between the two parks on Saturday night to do everything we wanted to do one last time, as well as ride the Hogwarts Express to get from one park to the other!
- Take a picture on your phone of your passes just in case you lose them. Pockets are great for keeping your tickets handy for the rides, or they sell lanyards that will also keep them safe and easy access.
- Map out the parks you want to go to, the rides you want to do in each park, and the days you want to do each part on…it will make things more smooth and relaxed, and you won’t have to frantically run around trying to make sure you do everything!
- Have fun!! The parks were SO pretty and the details were incredible for each theme, it truly feels like you’re in the movies. Everything was so clean, and there was plenty of food/drink options wherever you go!
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Both parts were beyond magical! Down to every last detail it honestly feels like you have been transported right into the movies. We never wanted to leave! All of the shops were so incredible, and you can even eat at the restaurants like they do in the movies! Make sure to go into Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, and Ollivanders Wand Shop to pick out a wand! Some wands are interactive so you can do spells with some of the props in the shop windows! Don’t miss out on any of the rides in both parts, they are truly beyond what I ever could have imagined! You feel like you’re flying through the air around the grounds of Hogwarts and through Gringotts Bank. Take the Hogwarts Express between the two different parts, you feel like you are on the exact train they rode on! And don’t miss out on the night show at Hogwarts when it gets dark…it was so magical!!
I couldn’t have asked for a better first experience at Universal Orlando Resort, and we are already hoping to return again soon! Please let me know if you ever have any other questions, and enjoy your trip!!
Thank you to Universal Orlando Resort for sponsoring our trip and this post.
