Our Universal Orlando Trip With Teens: Itinerary & Tips
We finally made it back to Universal, and this trip included something we had never done before—Halloween Horror Nights!
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Universal is usually our little celebration when the kids get out of school for summer. This year, a baseball tournament fell on the weekend we normally go, and then summer got busy. We decided to save our trip for fall break instead, and I’m so glad we made it happen.
We spent the weekend riding our favorites, trying more of Epic Universe, eating some really good food, and squeezing in pool time at the hotel. If you’re planning a Universal Orlando trip with teens, I wanted to share our itinerary, what we loved, and a few things I would pack differently next time.
Our Universal Orlando Weekend Itinerary
We live in the Savannah area, so Orlando is about a four-hour drive for us. That makes Universal a trip we can do without spending an entire day traveling.
Here’s how we planned this visit:
Day | Our Plans |
Friday | Drive to Orlando, check into Hard Rock Hotel, and attend Halloween Horror Nights |
Saturday | Universal Studios Florida in the morning and Islands of Adventure in the afternoon |
Sunday | A full day at Epic Universe |
Monday | Pack up and drive home |
Friday: Our First Halloween Horror Nights
After driving down Friday morning and checking into the hotel, we headed to Halloween Horror Nights that evening.
We had never done it before, so this was a completely new experience for us. We purchased Express passes, and for our visit, I was very glad we did. The regular lines for the haunted houses were long, but our longest wait was around 15 minutes. Some houses we were able to walk right up to and go through!
That was our experience that night, of course—not a guarantee of what the waits will be on another date.
We also rode a few rides while we were there, and those lines were short during our visit.
Unfortunately, it started raining and storming, so we didn’t make it through every house. We finished six of the ten, but we still had a lot of fun and would definitely do it again.
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Next time, I think we might spend the morning at Islands of Adventure and then do Halloween Horror Nights that evening. That sounds like a fun combination for our family, although it would definitely be a long day!
If you’re considering the event, take a look at Universal’s current Halloween Horror Nights information and FAQs for ticket details and suitability guidance. It’s a different experience from a regular daytime park visit.
Saturday: Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure
On Saturday, we used park-to-park tickets and started at Universal Studios Florida. We rode the rides we wanted to do, grabbed some food, and headed over to Islands of Adventure for the afternoon.
One advantage of visiting regularly is that we already know our priorities. We know which rides we want to repeat, which ones we’re okay skipping, and how to get around the parks.
If it’s your first visit, I would pick a few must-do attractions ahead of time. You don’t have to schedule every minute, but knowing what everyone is most excited about can make the day feel a little less overwhelming.
Our favorites across these two parks are:
Revenge of the Mummy
Jurassic World VelociCoaster
The Incredible Hulk Coaster
We had such a good day, and that evening we went back to the hotel, ate dinner by the pool, and spent some time in the hot tub. After all that walking, it felt amazing to slow down for a little while.
Sunday: Epic Universe and Our Favorite Rides
Sunday was our Epic Universe day, and we were excited to experience a few things we hadn’t gotten to do on our previous visit.
We bought separate Express passes for this day. The passes we used allowed one Express use per participating ride, which worked well for us. Any repeat rides we did afterward were through the regular line.
Our favorites were:
Stardust Racers: Definitely one of our favorites! It reminded us of the excitement we love on VelociCoaster.
Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry: The detail was incredible. There was so much to take in.
Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment: This became a repeat favorite for me and Gracie June.
Hiccup’s Wing Gliders: We really enjoyed this one, too.
For a look at the different lands and attractions, Universal has an official Epic Universe guide.
By around 6 p.m., the boys were ready to head back to the hotel. We had done all the rides we wanted to do, and they were done for the day.
Gracie June and I decided to stay a little longer, and I’m so glad we did. We kept riding things and ended up doing Monsters Unchained four times total! Later in the evening, the regular line was so short that we were practically walking straight onto it.
We thought about staying for the nighttime show, but we ended up leaving before it started. We took the bus back to the hotel and had dinner by the pool together.
By the time we got back to our room, we were ready for showers and bed. It was a full day, but that extra time with her was such a sweet part of the trip.
The Food We Would Get Again
We definitely packed snacks, but we ended up eating mostly in the parks. Here are a few favorites from this trip.
Tacos at Universal Studios Florida
We love getting tacos when we visit Universal Studios Florida. They’re one of those food stops we keep coming back to!
Pizza Moon at Epic Universe
Pizza Moon was so good and is absolutely on our list to visit again.
Hooligan’s Grog & Gruel in Isle of Berk
We really enjoyed the food here. We tried the PB&J—Pork, Bacon & Jam and the Dragon Fire Chicken Spire.
The PB&J had mac and cheese with barbecue pulled pork and peanut butter bacon jam. The Dragon Fire Chicken Spire had loaded mac and cheese with Nashville-style pulled chicken and flavorful toppings.
These were fun things to try beyond our usual park-food choices.
Frosty Moon
The kids also got ice cream at Frosty Moon. A sweet treat always finds its way into our park days!
What I Packed—and What I’d Change Next Time
If you watched my packing video, you know I actually started packing the day before we left. Y’all should be proud of me because on our previous trip, I waited until the day we were leaving!
Here are the things I was glad we brought, plus one bag mistake I won’t forget next time.
Packing Cubes
Packing cubes are one of my favorite travel tips.
I like having everything grouped together in the suitcase, but I especially love them once we get to the hotel. I can take a cube out, put it in a drawer, and roll the suitcase into the closet instead of leaving it open in the middle of the room.
A Smaller Park Bag
I brought two backpack options because I wasn’t sure which one we would use. We ended up carrying the smaller black backpack.
Once we got to Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, I remembered why we usually bring a small drawstring bag! Our backpack didn’t fit in the smaller lockers we needed on some rides, so we paid for a larger locker a few times.
At Epic Universe, the lockers we used accommodated our backpack.
My takeaway is to pack as lightly as you comfortably can and check the current locker requirements for the rides on your list. A smaller bag would have made our Saturday easier.
Portable Chargers and Little Essentials
We take so many photos and videos in the parks that I always like having a portable charger with us.
I only ended up needing mine during our long Epic Universe day, but I was glad it was there.
I also packed:
Our Universal lanyards from previous trips
Band-Aids
Extra hair ties
Lip balm
Hand sanitizer
Wipes
Personal medications we might need
Light-up necklaces for Halloween Horror Nights
Gracie June and I were the ones who ended up wearing the light-up necklaces!
The Snackle Box
Gracie June specifically requested a snackle box, so of course I made one.
They ate some on the drive down, and then we kept it in the hotel room for whenever someone wanted a snack. I also packed other snacks, but with everything we wanted to try in the parks, we didn’t go through all of them.
Extra Outfits and Layers
I packed five outfits: one for Halloween Horror Nights, one for each of our two park days, one for the drive home, and an extra.
There was a chance of rain, so I liked having that backup. I also packed leggings and sweatshirts in case it got chilly.
We didn’t end up needing the leggings, and I barely wore my sweatshirt. Aside from the rain and storms on Friday night, we had really nice weather during our visit. I would still check the forecast and bring a light layer again.
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Would We Do This Trip Again?
Absolutely! Universal is a trip our family looks forward to, and this visit gave us a mix of familiar favorites and new experiences.
I would do Halloween Horror Nights again, leave room for some relaxing time at the hotel, and definitely remember our smaller park bag. I’d also keep the schedule flexible enough for moments like staying at Epic Universe a little longer with Gracie June.
You don’t have to do every single thing for it to be a great trip. For us, riding our favorites, trying some good food, and spending that time together made the weekend worth it.
Have you been to Epic Universe or Halloween Horror Nights yet? Tell me your favorite ride—or which one you’re most excited to try!
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