Complete Guide to Universal Studios Orlando

Last reviewed: October 2026

Universal Studios Orlando (officially Universal Studios Florida) has 12 rides across 8 lands, plus 3 kids' play areas and 11 shows. The tallest height requirement is 48" for Revenge of the Mummy. Fast & Furious: Supercharged closed for good in August 2026, and Animal Actors on Location! closes after November 2, 2026.

Universal Orlando Resort is made up of 4 parks. Universal Studios, Universal Islands of Adventure, Universal Epic Universe, and Volcano Bay water park.

Universal Studios Orlando is the original theme park. But it's changed a lot over the years. Here is your complete guide to this park at Universal Orlando Resort.

How Many Rides Are at Universal Studios Orlando?

Universal Studios has 12 rides. Add 3 kids' play areas and 11 shows from Universal's official lists, and you get the 26 attractions on this page.

Here I count a ride as anything you board. That includes the Hogwarts Express, which needs a Park-to-Park ticket.

Character meets and the Halloween Horror Nights houses (a separate ticket) aren't in the count.

Planning both parks? See my Complete Guide to Universal Islands of Adventure.

What's Closed at Universal Studios Right Now?

Fast & Furious: Supercharged in San Francisco closed for good in August 2026. Universal says a new coaster, Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, is coming to Universal Orlando Resort in 2027.

The Horror Make-Up Show closed May 12, 2026 for enhancements. Universal says it will reopen later this year.

Animal Actors on Location! closes for good on November 3, 2026, to make way for a new experience.

The Hogwarts Express is closed for one day, November 4, 2026. Po Live! in DreamWorks Land has been temporarily closed since October 3.

Universal Studios Orlando Rides

Today you'll find a total of 8 lands in this park:

• Illumination's Minion Land
• New York
• San Francisco
• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Diagon Alley
• World Expo
• Springfield U.S.A: Home of the Simpsons
• DreamWorks Land
• Hollywood

The idea of each land being that you are walking through the movies.

Universal no longer lists Production Central. Despicable Me is now in Illumination's Minion Land, and Transformers is in New York. San Francisco has no rides right now.

All 26 Universal Studios attractions, with height and Universal Express. Tap a ride to jump to its details.

Single Rider Attractions

Many of the rides at Universal Studios offer a single rider line option. You'll find a separately marked line for any guest who is willing to ride solo. A Team Member will seat you in any empty seat available to fill out a row. Single rider is a great way to cut down on standby wait times. Just know that if you stand in the single rider line with your group, you will be separated when it's time to ride.

The rides that offer a single rider option include:

• Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringotts
• Men in Black Alien Attack!
• Revenge of the Mummy
• Transformers: The Ride 3D

What Are the Height Requirements at Universal Studios?

The tallest is 48" for Revenge of the Mummy. Gringotts and Men in Black are 42". Despicable Me, Race Through New York, The Simpsons Ride and Transformers are 40".

For little ones, Trolls Trollercoaster is 36" and E.T. Adventure is 34". Kang & Kodos' Twirl 'n' Hurl and Villain-Con Minion Blast have no minimum height (no hand-held infants on Villain-Con).

Kids under 48" need a supervising companion on every ride with a lower minimum. Kids under 40" can still go into Despicable Me and watch from a stationary seat.

Which Rides Take Universal Express?

All 12 rides take Universal Express, including the Hogwarts Express. So do 4 shows: The Bourne Stuntacular, DreamWorks Imagination Celebration, Animal Actors on Location! and the Horror Make-Up Show.

Universal Express gets you into the Express line once per ride. Universal Express Unlimited lets you use it as many times as you want, at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure only.

Express for Universal Studios starts at $119.99 a person for one day, and Express Unlimited for both parks starts at $174.99. Both are on top of your park ticket. Prices for your dates are on my Disney World and Universal trip cost page.

Illumination's Minion Land

Despicable Me Minion Mayhem

Gru recruits you for his latest scheme, and you get turned into a Minion. Kids under 40" can watch from a stationary seat next to the ride seats.

• Land: Illumination's Minion Land
• Height: 40"
• Under 48": rides with a supervising companion
• Universal Express: Yes
• Universal's tags: Motion Simulation
• Ride: motion simulator through Gru's lab

Illumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast

You blast targets with the Minions and the Vicious 6. The Universal app adds extra gameplay, but you don't need it to play.

• Land: Illumination's Minion Land
• Height: No minimum. No hand-held infants
• Under 48": rides with a supervising companion
• Universal Express: Yes
• Universal's tags: Multi-Person / Family
• Ride: interactive shooting ride with blasters

New York

Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon

The ride is cute, but the queue is the best part if you are a Tonight Show fan.

• Land: New York
• Height: 40"
• Under 48": rides with a supervising companion
• Universal Express: Yes
• Universal's tags: Motion Simulation, 3-D / 4-D Experience
• Ride: flying theater race through New York City

Revenge of the Mummy

This is the tallest height requirement in the park. Wait times climb quickly and stay high, so ride it early.

• Land: New York
• Height: 48"
• Universal Express: Yes
• Universal's tags: Thrill
• Ride: indoor roller coaster that runs forward and back, with a plunge into darkness

Transformers: The Ride 3D

You ride with the Autobots in a battle against Megatron.

• Land: New York
• Height: 40"
• Under 48": rides with a supervising companion
• Universal Express: Yes
• Universal's tags: Motion Simulation, 3-D / 4-D Experience
• Ride: 3D motion simulator with Optimus Prime and Bumblebee
• Child Swap: available

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Diagon Alley

Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts

This ride is a blast and has such a unique ride vehicle. It's the one big ride in Diagon Alley.

• Land: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Diagon Alley
• Height: 42"
• Under 48": rides with a supervising companion
• Universal Express: Yes
• Universal's tags: Thrill, Motion Simulation, 3-D / 4-D Experience
• Ride: 3D coaster and dark ride under Gringotts bank
• Child Swap: available
• Single rider line: available

Hogwarts Express: King's Cross Station

Closed November 4, 2026. Universal plans to reopen it November 5, 2026.

The train takes you to Hogsmeade at Islands of Adventure, and you see characters and creatures out the windows on the way.

• Land: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Diagon Alley
• Height: No minimum listed
• Under 48": rides with a supervising companion
• Universal Express: Yes
• Universal's tags: Kid Friendly
• Ride: train ride to Hogsmeade Station at Islands of Adventure
• Ticket: Park-to-Park ticket or annual pass required

World Expo

Men in Black Alien Attack!

You zap aliens with a laser gun for points. Get hit and your car spins.

• Land: World Expo
• Height: 42"
• Under 48": rides with a supervising companion
• Universal Express: Yes
• Universal's tags: Motion Simulation
• Ride: interactive shooting dark ride with spinning cars

Springfield U.S.A.

The Simpsons Ride

You ride along with the Simpsons through Krusty's theme park.

• Land: Springfield U.S.A.
• Height: 40"
• Under 48": rides with a supervising companion
• Universal Express: Yes
• Universal's tags: Motion Simulation, 3-D / 4-D Experience
• Ride: simulated roller coaster through Krustyland

Kang & Kodos' Twirl 'n' Hurl

You pilot a flying saucer that spins and swoops up and down.

• Land: Springfield U.S.A.
• Height: No minimum
• Under 48": rides with a supervising companion
• Universal Express: Yes
• Universal's tags: Kid Friendly
• Ride: flying saucer spinner

Hollywood

E.T. Adventure

A cheesy Universal Studios classic. You fly with E.T. to save his home planet.

• Land: Hollywood
• Height: 34"
• Under 48": rides with a supervising companion
• Universal Express: Yes
• Universal's tags: Motion Simulation, Kid Friendly
• Ride: flying bike dark ride

DreamWorks Land

Trolls Trollercoaster

A family coaster. You ride the Caterbus with Poppy and the Trolls.

• Land: DreamWorks Land
• Height: 36"
• Under 48": rides with a supervising companion
• Universal Express: Yes
• Universal's tags: Kid Friendly
• Ride: family roller coaster on the Caterbus

Po's Kung Fu Training Camp

Strike gongs, spin in Mr. Ping's noodle bowls and get soaked by pandas doing laundry.

• Land: DreamWorks Land
• Height: Any height
• Type: splash play area

King Harold's Swamp Symphony

Hop on the lily pads to make the frogs sing.

• Land: DreamWorks Land
• Height: Any height
• Type: musical lily pads

Poppy's Playground

Bouncing and tiny mushroom swings, made for your smallest kids.

• Land: DreamWorks Land
• Height: Any height
• Type: play area for the smallest kids

Touring Universal Studios Orlando

When touring this park I tend to group areas of the park together in 3 groups.

The first area is the entire front of the park. This will include the rides in Minion Land, New York, Hollywood, and San Francisco. This area has several rides that often hold higher wait times. When touring the park, start here and work your way back to knock out these higher wait times early in the day.

Second, is the Wizarding World area. This is located towards the back of the park. While this area will often have higher crowds, there is only one big ride in this land (plus the Hogwarts Express). So unless Harry Potter is your only (or number 1) goal, I would save this area for later in the day when touring the park.

The third group is World Expo, Springfield, and DreamWorks Land. This is usually my last stop on any Universal touring plan. You'll find lower wait times, lots of photo opportunities, food, and shopping.

Touring will depend on a few factors that I will break down below.

Guests With Express Pass

Express Pass is an upgrade you can add to your ticket that allows you to jump the line on almost every attraction at the park. You simply head to the ride queue marked as Express Pass and a team member will ask you to scan your park ticket.

Typically wait times with Express Pass are walk on or close to walk on. During the busiest times of year the more popular rides may see a 20-30 minute wait, but this will only be on busy days at the most popular rides.

That being said, if you are planning on purchasing Universal Express or Universal Express Unlimited, or if you are staying at one of the Deluxe Resorts that offers free Express Unlimited for guests (Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Hard Rock Hotel, and Loews Portofino Bay Hotel) a touring plan will most likely not be necessary.

With Express Pass you are paying a premium for convenience and flexibility. So showing up at the parks at your leisure and hitting rides at your own pace is much easier.

Guests With Early Entry

My number one rule with theme park touring is always to start early.

So if you are a guest at any of the Universal Resort Hotels, I suggest you take full advantage of the up to one hour of early park entry that you get as a perk for being a resort guest. You still need a valid park ticket, and only select attractions open early.

Early Park Admission changes parks by season, so check which park opens early on your dates. Universal's Early Park Admission page shows no upcoming dates for Universal Studios right now. Islands of Adventure has it through November 30, 2026.

When Universal Studios does open early, it's so guests can enjoy The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The big ride in this area is Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringotts. Even if you aren't a huge Harry Potter fan, this ride is a blast and has such a unique ride vehicle, that you'll want to check it out during this time.

If your priority at the park is Harry Potter, this is your chance to check out the show at Ollivanders and purchase a wand, cast spells around Diagon Alley, take photos, and enjoy a Butterbeer.

If Harry Potter is not a priority I would head back over to the front of the park after Gringotts. Often one other ride toward the front of the park will open during early park entry. So this will be your chance to knock out another ride before more guests are able to enter the park.

Once the park officially opens, start at the rides toward the front of the park. Despicable Me and the Mummy will both see wait times climb quickly and stay high throughout the day. So knocking those out will be your best bet early on.

I would then move to New York and Ride Race Through New York. The ride is cute, but the queue is the best part if you are a Tonight Show fan.

San Francisco is an amazing stop for photos. The Fast and Furious ride there closed for good in August 2026.

If you were not able to finish touring the Wizarding World, I would head over there next. Even if you don't plan on riding Escape From Gringotts again, there are tons of shops to explore and lots of amazing photo opportunities in this area.

I would then hit Men In Black Alien Attack! followed by Springfield U.S.A. There are two rides in Springfield (The Simpsons Ride and Kang & Kodos' Twirl 'n' Hurl), plus lots of fun photo opportunities, food options, and some shopping in that area.

Finally I would hit E.T and DreamWorks Land.

Guests Without Early Entry (Not Harry Potter Focus)

The true perk of having early entry is that you can knock out Harry Potter before the park even opens. Then you can head back towards the front of the park and still experience lower wait times. So the only difference in the plan for guests without early entry, is that they will instead start at the front of the park.

The nice part about Universal Studios park is that there is very little "zig-zagging" through the park. Rides towards the front of the park tend to high wait times, so this is where you would want to start your touring plan.

I would suggest arriving to the park at least 30 minutes before park opening. Keep in mind that you'll have to walk from the parking garage area to security and then through City Walk. So give yourself ample time.

Start with Despicable Me Minion Mayhem in Minion Land and Transformers in New York. Stay in New York for Race Through New York with Jimmy Fallon and Revenge of the Mummy.

After that you can head over to Diagon Alley and ride Harry Potter Escape From Gringotts.

From there continue around to World Expo to ride Men in Black before heading over to Springfield U.S.A. for The Simpsons Ride. If you have time, there are so many photo opportunities in this area. Be on the look out for characters and photo props!

Lastly I would head to E.T. for a cheezy Universal Studios classic ride.

If you have little guys with you, you'll find DreamWorks Land right next to E.T. There are several play areas here. Plus character meets and a KungFu Panda splash area.

This will cover the major attractions in the park, and from here you can enjoy shows (my personal favorite being the Horror Makeup Show, which is closed for a new version until later this year). There are also endless photo opportunities. You can find a replica of Jaws hanging in San Francisco, amazing shops in Diagon Alley, characters from Despicable Me and Shrek, and more.

Universal Studios Shows

Showtimes change daily, so check the Universal Orlando app the morning you go.

• The Bourne Stuntacular (New York): Stunt show. Universal flags mature themes and gunfire.
• The Blues Brothers Show (New York): Music show on the street.
• ¡Vamos! Báilalo (New York): Latin dance street show. Showtimes are in the app.
• Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees (Diagon Alley): Music show.
• The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Diagon Alley): Puppet and prop stage show.
• Ollivanders Experience in Diagon Alley (Diagon Alley): A wand chooses a wizard. Wands are for sale after.
• Animal Actors on Location! (Hollywood): CLOSING. Universal says it closes for good November 3, 2026.
• Universal Orlando's Horror Make-Up Show (Hollywood): CLOSED since May 12, 2026 for enhancements. Universal says it will reopen later this year.
• Universal Mega Movie Parade (Hollywood): Daytime parade, select dates.
• CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular (Hollywood): Nighttime show with film scores and fountains, select dates.
• DreamWorks Imagination Celebration (DreamWorks Land): Live show with Shrek, Trolls and Kung Fu Panda characters.

Where Can You Eat at Universal Studios?

Here are some of the restaurants on Universal's list, by land:

• Diagon Alley: Leaky Cauldron, Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour
• Springfield: Krusty Burger, Flaming Moe's
• Hollywood: Mel's Drive-In, TODAY Cafe
• New York: Louie's Italian Restaurant, Finnegan's Bar and Grill
• San Francisco: Lombard's Seafood Grille, Richter's Burger Co.
• Minion Land: Illumination's Minion Cafe
• DreamWorks Land: DreamWorks Imagination Café

Universal Studios Orlando Questions

What Are the Best Tips for Universal Studios Orlando?

My number one rule is to start early. Use Early Park Admission if your hotel dates line up, or get there 30 minutes before opening.

Ride Despicable Me and the Mummy first, because their waits climb fast. Use a single rider line if you don't mind splitting up. And if you have Express Unlimited, you can skip the touring plan.

Do You Need a Park-to-Park Ticket for Harry Potter?

Only for the Hogwarts Express. Diagon Alley is in Universal Studios, and Hogsmeade is in Islands of Adventure. You can visit each one with a one-park ticket for that park.

To ride the train between them, you need a Park-to-Park ticket or an annual pass. A 1-day Park-to-Park ticket starts at $179.99 for adults and $174.99 for kids 3-9, plus tax. My Complete Guide to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter covers all three Harry Potter lands.

What Can Little Kids Ride at Universal Studios?

With no minimum height: Kang & Kodos' Twirl 'n' Hurl and Villain-Con Minion Blast. Universal lists no minimum for the Hogwarts Express either. At 34", E.T. Adventure. At 36", Trolls Trollercoaster.

DreamWorks Land also has 3 play areas, and Po's Kung Fu Training Camp is the one that gets kids wet.

Is Fast & Furious Still Open at Universal Studios?

No. Fast & Furious: Supercharged closed for good in August 2026, and Universal took it off its ride list. Universal says Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, a new coaster, opens at Universal Orlando Resort in 2027.

Does Universal Studios Have a Nighttime Show?

Yes, on select dates. CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular pairs film scores with dancing fountains in Hollywood. Universal Orlando's Cinematic Celebration is no longer on Universal's list.

How Much Is a Ticket to Universal Studios?

A 1-day ticket to Universal Studios starts at $124.99 for adults and $119.99 for kids 3-9, plus tax, on Universal's own store. That's the lowest price, on select dates.

If you're splitting a trip with Disney, read How to Add Universal Studios to Your Disney World Vacation. My Complete Guide to Universal Orlando Resort covers the hotels and the other parks.

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See you at the parks,
-Julie