Your Universal Orlando Resort adventure begins with a plan. What you may not realize is that your Universal touring plan, guide or park itinerary doesn’t need to be that complicated.
I see lots of touring plans and guides online to help you plan your trip and make the most out of your time in Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.
Most are well thought out and useful. Some are one day plans, some are multi-day plans, and many even emphasize the Harry Potter portions of the park. They include all the “can’t miss” attractions and even include where you should eat.
But is there an easier way? Yes. Yes there is. Unless….
You are really into strategy games….
Or have loads of extra time on your hands…
Or your hobbies include planning invasions, then those are the touring plans and itineraries for you!
I’m not into labeling folders, making multiple copies or even laminating my touring plan so if I ride water rides, I can still use it.
And then, what if you forget it?
Or it gets lost?
Or your toddler decides it’s the perfect paper to draw you a priceless picture?
CONFESSION OF A FORMER VACATION PLANNING DICTATOR
Let me confess to you as a former vacation planning dictator that I hear you. You’ve spent a lot of money on your trip and you want to make it the most it can be. I get it. I used to plan every detail. A typical theme park day started with me at breakfast laying out park maps to my family and friends, using a pencil as a pointer saying things along the lines of “At exactly 08:00 we will proceed through the entrance here. You will be tempted to follow the other guests headed towards fun but no, we will proceed at power walk pace all the way to this destination ignoring all the fun along the way. No one gets left behind”.
But, in Universal Studios, what if I told you there’s a better way?
You will be the fun vacation planner and, guess what? You will have more fun.
See, my day, or my trip, is not going to be made or ruined by a plan on a piece of paper. And, you know what? My ultimate touring plan and trip itinerary is always going to let me do everything the way I want. Every. Time.
And, guess what? It will let you too. Even if it is your first time to the parks and you haven’t even looked at a park map before you arrive. Whether you have one day to spend or a week. Whether you will do one park a day or multiple parks in the same day.
Want to know this ultimate plan?
[Lean in closer] [Even closer……..][There!]
The magical, mystical, ultimate Universal touring plan and park itinerary that works every time in every situation is……..
ENTER THE PARK AND GO LEFT.
Yep. It’s that easy and works every time!
But, doesn’t it matter which park I enter first?
No. It doesn’t matter which park you enter first.
This always works. Just go left and see, and do, and eat what you want as you come to it. Voila! You will be the perfect park planner. Won’t the rest of your party be surprised and happy as you effortlessly guide them through both parks confident and easy going? All the muggles in your group will be scratching their heads as you lead them through all things Wizarding World of Harry Potter and beyond without so much as a glance at the app directions or a park map.
Sound too easy? It’s not. AND, even if you use Early Park Admission, this plan still works.
But how or why does this work?
Simple. Both parks are more or less an oval (Isles of Adventure) or “square-ish” (Universal Studios). If you go left, you will come across each ride and attraction (and eateries) along the way. And you don’t get lost or lose your bearings because if you keep going left, you are going to make your way through the park and arrive back at the entrance. Easy. Peasy.
If you have park-to-park tickets and want to do both parks in the same day, the same plan still works. Go left until you reach Hogwart’s Express. Ride it to the other park going left until you come back to Hogwart’s Express and ride it back to the other park. If you continue left you will end your day at the entrance/exit of the first park you entered.
This trick – using Hogwart’s Express to make both parks one big loop – is the exact same plan I use every time I visit. You save steps and have the opportunity to ride (or not ride) and see (or not see) every attraction until your heart is content. This will save so many extra steps from exiting one park to enter the other. It’s one of my favorite tips.
But what if I really want a challenge?
If you believe this is too simple and need a little challenge, you can do something else that I do. If I enter through Islands of Adventure I may skip every other ride on my first trip through the parks. While I don’t get motion sickness and I ride everything, going from The Hulk to Storm Force to Dr. Doom’s Fearfall and straight to Spiderman can be a bit much all at once. Sometimes, I’ll ride every other ride the first trip through the park and catch the others the next day. There will be food, rides and attractions on the right or left and you can do them all as you come to them, just remember which way you were going (left) and you will be just fine.
And if you are really a maverick, you can swap this whole plan and just always go right. It works too. Or left one day and right the next. Mix it up with your own personal flair. Make your Universal adventure all you know it can be without the confusion of complicated plans.
And there you have the ultimate touring plan for Universal Orlando – always go left (or right).
GO LEFT (OR GO RIGHT)
The magical, mystical, ultimate Universal touring plan, guide and park itinerary that works every time in every situation is……..
ENTER THE PARK AND GO LEFT (OR RIGHT).
Yep. It’s that easy and works every time!
And if you are looking for all the rides in Islands of Adventure or the best rides at Universal by category be sure to click these links.
Do you have a favorite Universal touring plan? Share yours in the comments below.
Like this post? Share the love and pin it for later.
Love Love Love your tip! So many posts go on and on about how important it is to plan everything, it becomes a little (or a lot) daunting. Go left and just keep swimming (wrong franchise, right thought) Thank you!!
I am so glad you liked it! Just went again right before Christmas and decided to live dangerously and only went right. lol.
There are times to plan every detail but a trip to Universal rarely requires it.
Thanks for reading (and love the Finding Nemo reference).