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    Home » Travel

    Visiting Universal Orlando Resort

    Published: Apr 5, 2019 · Modified: Dec 28, 2022 by Jenna Urben · This post may contain affiliate links

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    All about Universal Orlando Resort! Where to stay, what to eat, which rides to make a priority, and more.

    All about Universal Orlando Resort! Where to stay, what to eat, which rides to make a priority, and more

    Back in September we visited Universal Orlando Resort for a few days before our annual pass was going to expire. This was the same trip out to Florida as our Four Disney Theme Parks in One Day!

    We first visited Universal and Walt Disney World back in 2017. My husband, Zack and I spent a week between the three Universal parks and one day at Magic Kingdom. During the last day at Universal we decided to upgrade our tickets to an annual pass, so we traveled back to Orlando twice in 2018.

    You can read my post about Planning Your First Universal Orlando Vacation here! This post is kind of a piggyback post on my previous one, so check out that one first.

    View from Sapphire Falls Universal Orlando Resort

    The first time we visited, we stayed at Cabana Bay. During our second trip, we stayed at a hotel on Disney's property. This time, we stayed a few days at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort then transferred to Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress to be closer to Walt Disney World Resort. I have nothing but amazing things to say about each property!

    I absolutely loved staying at Sapphire Falls during our time at Universal. My favorite part? The water taxi!! Rather than walking or taking a shuttle to CityWalk, we just walked downstairs to the dock and hopped on.

    Lobby Sapphire Falls Universal Orlando Resort

    Our room was an absolute dream! The theme was tropical and definitely made me feel like we were on island time. The view didn't hurt either! Another perk we found out about were the refillable cups. We each bought a souvenir cup that could be used for fountain drinks inside Sapphire Falls only. It worked out great for us because we typically stay hydrated with water when we're in the parks but crave a Diet Coke or Sprite when we get back.

    Sapphire Falls Universal Orlando Resort Room
    Room at Sapphire Falls Universal Orlando Resort

    Fun Harry Potter Themed Drinks

    As I mentioned in my previous Universal post, I have not been successful in ordering a dairy-free or vegan version of Butterbeer. During our first visit, I had the festive pumpkin juice. This time I tried the Peachtree Fizzing Tea and Tongue Tying Lemon Squash. I think my favorite has to be the latter citrusy option from The Hopping Pot in Diagon Alley.

    Tongue Tying Lemon Squash Universal Orlando
    Tongue Tying Lemon Squash Universal Orlando
    Harry Potter World Diagon Alley

    More Harry Potter Fun...

    We are huge Potterheads and definitely spend a bulk of our time between Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. I'm just as obsessed with Escape from Gringotts and I cannot wait for the new Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. Even though we have visited multiple times, each day is so special and fun!

    The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
    The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Hogwarts
    The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Honeydukes
    The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Inside Honeydukes
    The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Universal Orlando Hogsmeade
    The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Hogsmeade Station
    The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Diagon Alley Universal Orlando Florida
    The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Diagon Alley Universal Orlando Florida Gringotts

    Of course, there's more to Universal Orlando Resort than Harry Potter! After Gringotts, my favorite ride has to be Revenge of the Mummy. One ride that I enjoyed a lot more this go around was Despicable Me Minion Mayhem. I still haven't braved Rip Ride Rockit but I'm slowing easing my way in that direction... Guess we need to plan another trip out to Florida!

    CityWalk Universal Orlando FL from Water Taxi
    Parade Universal Studios Orlando FL

    Food Options

    Have a look at my previous Universal Orlando Resort travel guide for more food options but these are by far my favorite finds, so far! The falafel gyro was perfection, found at Fire Eaters Grill in Island of Adventure. Also in Island of Adventure at The Burger Digs, take a bite of the vegan burger! Rumor has it they have vegan cheese now too. Lastly, the Amatista Cookhouse at Sapphire Falls was nothing short of amazing. The bread was so dreamy, I think we ate a whole loaf between the two of us. I had the veggie curry and was really impressed. Their menu is clearly marked for allergy-friendly dining, which we all know I LOVE. Another thing I love, vegan treats!! Voodoo Donuts at CityWalk has a ton of vegan options, so be sure to stop by there at least once during your stay.

    Falafel Gyro Fire Eaters Grill Island of Adventure Universal Orlando
    Vegan Burger The Burger Digs Universal Orlando
    Vegan Dinner Sapphire Falls Resort Universal Orlando
    Vegan Coconut Doughnut CityWalk Universal Orlando Voodoo Donut

    With that, I think I'll bring this long overdue quick little travel diary to a close. As always, if you have any questions or blog post requests, please leave a comment and let me know! Are you planning a trip to Universal Orlando soon? Tell me what you have planned in the comments. I'm already super jealous!

    Visiting Universal Orlando Resort

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    About Jenna Urben

    Jenna Urben is the recipe developer, content creator, and storyteller behind The Urben Life. She has over 10 years experience adapting family favorite meals to fit allergy-friendly diets. Join Jenna as she shares delicious dairy-free recipes that are easy to follow with plenty of tips and alternatives.

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    1. Sydni Roach

      April 09, 2019 at 8:54 pm

      I haven't been here in years and your post has me excited to go!

      Reply
      • Jenna | The Urben Life

        April 10, 2019 at 10:07 am

        Oh yay!! I'm planning on posting another Universal post about my top tips for visiting 🙂

        Reply
    2. Alisa Fleming

      April 08, 2019 at 12:07 pm

      We are trying to decide if we want to take a trip to Florida, and you're really tempting me with this post! I was 13 when I went to Orlando (we won't say how many years it's been since), and my husband and I still love going to Disneyland on occasion. I need to think about this.

      Reply
      • Jenna | The Urben Life

        April 08, 2019 at 1:16 pm

        I love visiting Florida, especially Orlando – I really enjoyed Key West too! There's just so much to do in Orlando between Universal, Disney, SeaWorld, shopping, and dining

        Reply
    3. Bre Paulson

      April 08, 2019 at 9:35 am

      I'm not even a huge Harry Potter fan, but Diagon Alley had me in awe it was so cool!

      Reply
      • Jenna | The Urben Life

        April 08, 2019 at 9:44 am

        The detail is seriously amazing!!

        Reply
    4. April

      April 07, 2019 at 7:35 pm

      Universal Orlando is so much fun! Looks like you had a great time there too!

      Reply
      • Jenna | The Urben Life

        April 08, 2019 at 9:45 am

        Absolutely, I can't wait to plan a trip back out!

        Reply
    5. bre

      April 06, 2019 at 6:21 pm

      OMG This post is everything! This looks so amazing, I'd love to visit the Harry Potter land part of it!

      Reply
      • Jenna | The Urben Life

        April 08, 2019 at 9:46 am

        Ahhh, thanks Bre 🙂 It was so magical!!!

        Reply
    6. Kelsey

      April 06, 2019 at 2:59 pm

      This looks like an amazing trip! Your hotel and the water taxi are just lovely. I've been to Universal in CA and loved the Harry Potter area there, I definitely want to see the rest in Florida!

      Reply
      • Jenna | The Urben Life

        April 08, 2019 at 9:49 am

        It was truly amazing. I would love to visit Universal Hollywood! I'm so hyped about the new Jurassic World Ride 🙂

        Reply
    7. julie

      April 06, 2019 at 2:10 pm

      Oh my goodness, this looks like a dream! So much fun!

      Reply
      • Jenna | The Urben Life

        April 08, 2019 at 9:49 am

        So much fun!

        Reply
    8. joy abou zeid

      April 06, 2019 at 9:23 am

      omg my dream is to go the World of Harry Potter!!!! very nice post, I loved reading it

      Reply
      • Jenna | The Urben Life

        April 08, 2019 at 9:50 am

        Thanks so much, Joy 🙂 I hope you get to visit!!

        Reply
    9. Harmony, Momma To Go

      April 06, 2019 at 6:33 am

      So I was in Orlando last weekend and went to Disney. I have never been to Universal! I want my kids to read some Harry Potter first! Love the vegetarian options though!

      Reply
      • Jenna | The Urben Life

        April 08, 2019 at 9:53 am

        Ah so fun! I love Disney World so much too 🙂 It will be so much fun for them

        Reply
    10. Danielle

      April 05, 2019 at 8:43 pm

      We visited Universal Orlando 3 years ago ( we are from Australia - so it was a dream trip)
      We LOVED it and preferred it to Disney. We stayed at a Disney resort for 3 days and then also stayed at Cabana Bay. The Orlando resort was 10 times better and when we go back we will just do Universal again.The Harry Potter area was just so good!

      Reply
      • Jenna | The Urben Life

        April 08, 2019 at 9:55 am

        That is an absolute dream trip!!

        Reply

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