You’ve booked a hotel, bought a ticket, and spent months planning the perfect one Universal Orlando vacation.
Hopefully you haven’t fully organized your itinerary, because one, you’ll most likely feel hot, tired, and ready to rest when the afternoon sun is at its peak, and two, Lots of fun awaits you outside of Universal’s two theme parks — Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure — and Universal’s Volcano Bay water park.
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Here are eight activities at Universal Orlando that don’t require a park ticket, but may require you to sing, escape hungry dinosaurs, or learn how to hula.
‘Hide’ to your favorite movies at Universal’s Great Movie Escape
Universal Orlando is known for bringing your favorite movies to life on rides like Jurassic World VelociCoaster and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorcycle AdventureBut the park’s newest attraction makes you the protagonist of two of the world’s most popular movie franchises.
In Universal’s Great Movie Escape at CityWalk, you can choose from two extremely immersive escape room experiences — one themed “Back to the Future” and the other themed “Jurassic World”. Both take about an hour to complete and are likely to suit your group size (up to eight guests) and experience level, ensuring no one leaves without the thrill of a timely escape time.
In Back to the Future: Outatime, your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to take Doc Brown’s latest time travel device from Biff Tannen’s hands before he changes the timeline forever. You’ll encounter familiar scenes from all three films — and timelines — as you work through clues to trace the Doc Brown archetype.
In Jurassic World: Escape, your team arrives at work on their first day as a geneticist in training at Isla Nublar. As often happens in the “Jurassic World” movies, the dinosaurs don’t really follow InGen’s plan, and you find yourself needing to quickly escape from the genetics lab.
Each escape room experience is sold separately, and prices start at $50 per person or $300 for a private group experience of eight.
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Play a round of miniature golf
Also located at Universal CityWalk, you’ll find one of the most quirky, quirky themed mini golf experiences you’ll ever come across. Hollywood Drive-In Golf is a 50s sci-fi themed mini golf course with 36 holes, creepy real-life giant bugs, and entourage kits.
You can choose between The Haunting of Ghostly Greens and Invaders from Planet Putt, or make it a “dual feature” and play both for a total of 36 exciting sci-fi pits.
If you go in the evening, you can have fun under the bright neon lights with your own colorful glowing ball (available for sale) to take back as a souvenir.
The 18-hole price is $19.99 for adults and $17.99 for kids ages 3 to 9, and the 36-hole price is $36.98 for adults and $32.98 for children.
Nature walk
One of the best things about Universal Orlando’s size is how walkable it is. The resort’s two parks – Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure – are connected via the CityWalk area, and there are Garden Walks connecting all but two of Universal’s hotels (these two are Endless). Universal’s Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites and Universal’s Endless Summer Resort — Surfside Inn and Suites, a valuable Universal property).
Not only are paths a convenient way to get around from the park (while sneaking a few extra steps in), they’re also a much more peaceful and beautiful way to start or end your day than waiting in line for a seat on a crowded bus.
The paths in the Garden Walk have beautiful gardens and tropical foliage, and you can often spot lizards roaming around (a particularly enjoyable experience if you’re accompanied by children). For most of the distance, walkways run along the waterway bringing guests to and from the parks on water taxis.
Near the Universal’s Hard Rock HotelThere’s even a butterfly garden where you’ll catch butterflies hovering around specially planted flowers to attract them to the area.
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If you are in Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort, Universal’s Aventura Hotel or Loews Sapphire Waterfall Resort, you also have access to a direct path to Volcano Bay Water Park.
Watch the latest big-screen blockbusters
There aren’t many places where you can “go to the movies” during the day and then watch a movie on the big screen at night, but at Universal Orlando you can.
The Universal Cinemark at CityWalk has 20 screens showing new releases and hosts special events — like the 2022 BlumFest that celebrates Blumhouse Productions horror films — with audience-loving perks like plush couches, delicious food and a full bar.
If you park your car in the Universal Orlando garage, you can get a refund at the cinema upon presentation of a parking receipt for any movies after 6 p.m. and morning shows between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. 6pm when you buy two or more tickets.
Buy a witch’s wand
As you might expect in such a magical location, there are bronze medals placed on the pavement in both parts of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Hogsmeade at Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida), where you can use your interactive wand to cast spells.
You don’t have to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to buy a wand and use its powers. You can actually pre-purchase an interactive wand (prices start at around $60) and you’ll be ready to cast your first spell as soon as you enter the Wizarding World.
The Universal Studios store at CityWalk (near the entrance to Universal Studios Florida) has a section devoted to all things “Harry Potter”, including a wide selection of interactive wands. Included with your wand, you’ll find a map that guides you to different wand placement points.
Of course, if you want the authentic experience of visiting the Ollivanders Wand Shop, where a lucky guest is chosen to have a witch reside, facilitating the “witch wand selection” process. , you can still do it, also. Even if you are lucky enough to be chosen, purchasing the wand that chooses you is optional.
Attend a lively luau
Some of the hotels on the Universal Orlando campus are themed so well that you almost feel as if you’ve been transported to some distant paradise. This is especially true for Loews . Royal Pacific Resortone of Universal’s Premier class hotels.
The hotel’s design, decoration, dining and activities are modeled after an oasis in the South Sea with lush tropical gardens; a lagoon-style swimming pool, beach; island-inspired food; and traditional Hawaiian entertainment.
Once a week, the hotel organizes Wantilan Luau, an all-you-can-eat dinner show (including roast pig), live Polynesian music, and hula and fire dance performances honoring this centuries-old custom. By the end of the evening, you’ll wonder if you’re still in Orlando or if you’ve traveled across the country to the State of Aloha. You can even test your own hula skills.
Performances are held every Saturday night and you don’t have to be a hotel guest to attend. Fares start at around $109 per adult and $59 for children (plus taxes and fees). Children under 3 years old are free.
Listen to live music
There’s a surprising number of spots where you can listen to live music at Universal… and one where you can go on stage and be the star of the show.
The Hard ice coffee shop at CityWalk often organize famous musical and comedy performances. Fares vary by show and your seat selection, but start at around $40 per person. If you’re looking for a free option (well, minus the cost of food and cocktails), come velvet bar at the Hard Rock Hotel or by Pat O’Brien dueling piano bar at CityWalk.
If you want to take center stage rather than let another performer take all the glory, stop at CityWalk’s rising star karaoke bar. However, the karaoke bar is a bit confused when it comes to Rising Star. If your name is chosen and you have the chance to step onto a brightly lit stage, your performance will be supported by a live band and backup singers while the crowd cheers. friend.
Spend your ‘free time’ at the bowling alley
Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort has a distinct vintage style, reminiscent of Florida’s classic beach resorts of years past. You can sip a shake at the malt shop, sleep in a nostalgic, colorfully decorated room (complete with Zest soap bars in the bathroom) and take part in one of the pastimes America’s favorite – bowling.
galactic bowl, located on the second floor of Cabana Bay’s main building, is a 10-lane bowling alley with neon lights and vintage vibes. The adjacent Galaxy Bowl restaurant serves burgers, pizza, and more, and there’s also a full bar. Each lane has a table and booth where you can dine.
Galaxy Bowl is open daily from 3pm to 10:30pm. Call or stop at the bowling alley to make a reservation.
bottom line
Universal Orlando is known for its thrilling movie-based attractions and exciting events like halloween horror night and Holidays at Universal Orlandobut now you know that you don’t even have to walk under Universal’s iconic archway to experience all the fun the resort has to offer.
Next time you’re planning to visit Universal, be sure to set aside time during the day (or night) to experience all the fun outside the park.
