By: Jessica

For the longest time, I thought that Universal Orlando Resort was not for me. I’m not a fan of roller coasters or thrill rides and frankly was always a bit intimidated by the rides at Universal. Over the years, I’ve grown to appreciate Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. Now being married to someone who is a definite thrill-seeker, I’ve been able to pick up some tips along the way that I thought would be fun to share with other non-thrill seekers.

Here are my top 5 tips for navigating Universal Orlando Resort if you don’t like thrill rides:

Tip #1 Walk Through the Queues

An underrated aspect of Universal Orlando Resort is the queues. From the immersion of Hogwarts Castle, the spookiness of Skull Island: Reign of Kong or the nostalgia of the E.T. Adventure, waiting in line isn’t so bad when you have such intricate details to look at.

If you are not planning on going on a ride, you can still walk through the queue. I like doing this because it lets Tyler and I spend more time together rather than sending him through the single rider line by himself. There is always a point where you can dip out of the line and wait at the exit for your party.

My can’t-miss queues, in no particular order include Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, E.T. Adventure, Men in Black Alien Attack, The Simpsons Ride, and Transformers: The Ride 3D.

An extra tip for queues – some rides will offer a behind-the-scenes view of the queue. Men in Black is especially fun because you get to go down to the Immigration Room floor. We’ve also done a tour at E.T. as well, which was cool because we noticed so many details we normally walk by. These tours aren’t always running, just ask the team member at the front of the ride if they’re doing tours.

Tip #2 Enjoy the View

I’ve been lucky to find some great spots in both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure that are pretty special to me. We’ve already talked about how the Dr. Seuss Trolley Train Ride above Seuss Landing gives some of the best vistas of the park. Some others on my list include:

• • the patio behind Duff Brewery in Universal Studios Florida

• • the pathway behind Mythos Restaurant in Islands of Adventure

• • the patio behind the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade in Islands of Adventure
  • the area behind (seeing a trend here?) the Jurassic Park Discovery Center in Islands of Adventure

There are times when Tyler is on a ride that I’ve just started walking around. (Make sure to always have a designated meeting spot!). Some of the best places I’ve found just by wandering around. See a pathway and don’t know where it goes? Explore it. You may be surprised what you will stumble across.

Tip #3 Take in the Shows

Waiting for your group to get off a ride doesn’t have to be boring. There are plenty of opportunities for entertainment at Universal Orlando Resort. I like to take in some of the pop-up entertainment as well as the shows. Here are some I recommend:

• • Blues Brothers Show. Nine times out of ten, if there is a long line for Revenge of the Mummy I end up waiting for Tyler outside of Finnegan’s and watch the Blues Brothers. The crowd always has a fun time and you can’t help but tap your feet to the tunes.

• • Universal Orlando’s Horror Make-up Show. If you are a fan of the Syfy show Face Off, or just like theatrical makeup, this is a must do. It’s amazing to see how some of the movie magic is made – and this show is funny and lets you get inside to sit down for a bit (always a plus in the Florida heat!).
  • The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. There are so many shows between Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley and they’re all fun. I especially like seeing Celestina Warbeck and the Tales of Beedle the Bard while in Diagon Alley. Over at Hogsmeade, I just can’t help but smile when I see the Frog Choir. Those little frogs are so cute!

Tip #4 Take in the Details

Like I mentioned before with the queues, there is a high level of detail throughout Universal Orlando Resort. An easy place to see what I am talking about is with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. There’s been countless articles, blogs and videos written about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, so I won’t go into too much detail here other than to say it’s an absolute must-do for any non-thrill seeker.

If you’ve read the books or seen the movies, you really feel like you are transported to a magical place. Some of my can’t miss experiences include grabbing a Butterbeer (preferably hot if it’s in season), dining at The Leaky Cauldron or devouring ice cream at Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour (go for the soft serve!).

Now that I think of it, all of my Harry Potter ideas involve eating. But I swear there’s more! Take a stroll down Knockturn Alley in Diagon Alley. A lot of guests walk right past it and don’t even know it’s there! Even going through an Ollivander’s Wand Shop show has its fun as well.

Tip #5 Go on “Safe” Rides

There are rides I do go on while we visit Universal Orlando Resort. Tyler will tell you I can ride a lot more than I think I can, but I psych myself out. If you are the slightest bit nervous about a ride, I suggest watching a ride video on YouTube. There are a lot of great accounts out there who film the ride from their point of view. Now, you can’t necessarily feel the drops, twists and turns by doing this, but I always find that if I go into a ride with a little bit of a frame of reference I’m not as freaked out.

Here are some of my favorite “safe” rides:

• • Dr. Seuss Trolley Train Ride is one of my favorites because of the views you get of the resort. If you are a little skittish about heights, then you may want to have someone from your group ride it first.

• • E.T. Adventure is a classic to Universal Studios Florida and the only original ride left from the park’s opening. I’ll be honest, the storyline makes absolutely no sense but I don’t care. I will happily ride this each and every time we go to the park.
  • Ride the Hogwarts Express (both ways if you can!). Because there is actual movement on this ride, I don’t find I get motion sick. And if I do, closing my eyes does the trick.

The Verdict

Just because you don’t like rollercoasters or motion simulator rides, doesn’t mean Universal Orlando Resort has to be out of the question. Make the experience yours. I hope this guide helped give you some ideas on what you can experience while at the resort.