THE Comprehensive Guide to Universal Orlando
The Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando by Seth Kubersky is packed with detailed, specific information on every ride, show, and restaurant in the resort, including insider details on Harry Potter's Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, as well as the new waterpark Volcano Bay.
Compiled and written by a former Universal Orlando employee and based upon decades of research from a team whose work has been cited by such diverse sources as USA Today and Operations Research Forum, The Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando provides step-by-step, detailed touring plans that allow you to make the most of every minute and dollar during your Universal Orlando vacation.
The guide includes info on where to find the cheapest Universal Orlando admission tickets, how to save big on Universal on-site hotel rooms and skip the regular lines in the parks, when to visit Universal Orlando for the lightest crowds, and everything else you need to know for a stress-free Universal Orlando experience.
The Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando 2019
Description
Table of Contents
List of Maps
About the Authors
Dedication
Introduction
Why "Unofficial"?
Universal Orlando: An Overview
UNIVERSAL LEXICON IN A NUTSHELL
COMMON ABBREVIATIONS AND WHAT THEY STAND FOR
CRITICAL COMPARISON OF ATTRACTIONS FOUND AT BOTH UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD AND UNIVERSAL ORLANDO
PART ONE Planning Before You Leave Home
Gathering Information
IMPORTANT UNIVERSAL ADDRESSES
UNIVERSAL ORLANDO PHONE NUMBERS
Timing Your Visit
UNIVERSAL ORLANDO CLIMATE
Allocating Money
UNIVERSAL VS. WDW ADMISSIONS
Making the Most of Your Time and Money at Universal Orlando
PART TWO Accommodations
The Basic Considerations
Universal Orlando Resort Hotels
Universal Orlando Resort Hotel Services and Amenities
Universal Orlando Resort Hotel Profiles
Universal Orlando Vacation Packages
Off-Site Lodging Options
Hotels and Motels: Rated and Ranked
A Word About Toll-Free Telephone Numbers
The 30 Best Hotel Values
THE 30 BEST HOTEL VALUES
HOW THE HOTELS COMPARE
HOTEL INFORMATION CHART
PART THREE Arriving and Getting Around
Getting There
Getting Oriented
PART FOUR Bare Necessities
Money, Etc.
Problems and Unusual Situations
Services
Universal Orlando for Guests with Special Needs
PART FIVE Universal Orlando with Kids
It's a Small Universe, After All
About The Unofficial Guide Touring Plans
Stuff to Think About
Strollers
Lost Children
Universal, Kids, and Scary Stuff
SMALL-CHILD FRIGHT-POTENTIAL TABLE
POTENTIALLY PROBLEMATIC ATTRACTIONS FOR GROWN-UPS
ATTRACTION HEIGHT REQUIREMENTS
Universal Characters
CHARACTER-GREETING LOCATIONS
Babysitting
PART SIX Dining and Shopping at Universal Orlando
Character Meals
Universal Orlando Dining Plans
Fast Food in Universal Orlando's Theme Parks
TOP SIX SNACKS OUTSIDE THE WIZARDING WORLD
Universal Orlando Quick-Service Restaurant Mini-Profiles
Universal Orlando Full-Service Restaurant Profiles
UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESTAURANTS BY CUISINE
TOP SIX MILK SHAKES AT UNIVERSAL ORLANDO
Dining Near Universal Orlando
Shopping at Universal Orlando
Shopping Near Universal Orlando
PART SEVEN Universal Studios Florida
Getting Oriented at Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida Attractions
Live Entertainment at Universal Studios Florida
Special Events at Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida Touring Plans
PART EIGHT Universal's Islands of Adventure
Getting Oriented at Universal's Islands of Adventure
Universal's Islands of Adventure Attractions
Special Events at Universal's Islands of Adventure
Universal's Islands of Adventure Touring Plans
PART NINE Universal Orlando CityWalk
Arriving and Parking
Admission Prices
Contacting CityWalk
CityWalk Clubs
CityWalk Entertainment
PART TEN Universal's Volcano Bay
Getting to Universal's Volcano Bay
Operating Hours and Admission Price
Universal's Volcano Bay Attractions
Appendix
Index
Touring Plans
Author Description
About Seth Kubersky
Seth Kuberskyhas worked for more than 20 years as a theatrical artist, culture critic, and travel journalist. Seth is the author of The Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando and coauthor of The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland, as well as a collaborator on The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas and The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World.
Seth is nationally recognized as an authority on theme parks and amusement attractions, and contributes to Attractions Magazine, AAA Via, and the Unofficial Universal Orlando Podcast. Named Best Arts Writer in The Daily City's 2013 readers' poll, Kubersky writes an arts and entertainment column, "Live Active Cultures," that appears in every issue of the Orlando Weekly, central Florida's leading alternative newspaper.
A native of Livingston, New Jersey, Kubersky earned a B.A. in theater from The College of William and Mary in Virginia. He has produced and directed dozens of plays through his award-winning Empty Spaces Theatre Co. and at the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival. As a stage technician and entertainment supervisor at Universal Orlando from 1996 to 2000, he worked on the Ghostbusters Spooktacular and Terminator 2: 3-D attractions, Mardi Gras parades, and Halloween mazes. Seth lives in Orlando with his wife, Genevieve, and their cat, Brubeck.