Universal Orlando with Kids- How to Plan your Visit

From meeting Shrek and the Minions, to spinning around with the Cat in the Hat and earning stars at Super Nintendo Land, Universal Orlando has things to do for toddlers and small children. In this post I am sharing the rides and activities you want to include when visiting Universal Orlando with kids.

Universal Orlando Resort may be home to thrilling attractions but it also has great rides and entertainment the entire family can enjoy.

The Universal Orlando Resort has three theme parks that offer a variety of activities your guests of all ages. Universal Studios Florida, Universal’s Islands of Adventure, and Universal Epic Universe. Each theme park offers a variety of themed lands and things to do for toddlers and young kids.

Universal Orlando with Kids

Parents planning a trip to Universal Orlando with kids may wonder if there is enough for small children to do. The answer is a bit nuanced but I will answer it before I dive into more details on each of the theme parks.

My personal opinion is that I would recommend visiting Universal with kids 6 and up that meet the 42″ inch height requirement to ride at least half the rides at the parks.

This is not to say I wouldn’t visit with younger or smaller kids but, if all of my kids were under that age and height it might be best to wait to visit Universal.

If you have a wide range of kids ages in your family, and you are planning a visit to Universal, you will be able to find things for teens and tweens as well as toddlers and small children.

We have been visiting Universal Orlando since my youngest was 5 years old. On our first visits he didn’t ride everything but we always found enough for him to do as well as stuff for us to do as a family.

Let’s dig into all the details for each Universal park to figure out what is best to include on your Universal vacation.

Insider Tip: Purchase tickets before you arrive to get the best deal and save time!

Universal Studios Florida with Kids

Universal Studios Florida is home to the Minions, Shrek, and more DreamWorks characters. We have been visiting Universal Studios since my kids were young and we always found fun things for them to do.

Universal Studios has a dedicated land perfect for toddlers and small kids. DreamWorks Land features character meet and greets, interactive areas, a water area, playground, DreamWorks Show, and a kiddie-roller coaster.

It is a great place to let little ones run around a bit and grab a quick snack.

Another area that is fun for kids is Minion Land. This includes the two Despicable Me attractions as well as Minions Cafe (dining) and Illumination Theater (meet and greet for Illumination characters).

There are snack and dining options as well as fun photo ops. All five of us loved Minions Cafe. The menu had options for everyone and it is decorated with bright fun colors inside. I recommend eating there on your visit, with or without kids!

There are three attractions at Universal Studios Florida that require a 42″ or taller rider height. They are Revenge of the Mummy, Men in Black Alien Attack!, and Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts.

If you want to ride these attractions and you are traveling with a small child you can use the child swap option.

Child swap allows an adult to ride with older children while one adult stays behind. Then they switch so the waiting adult can ride with an older child. Ask a team member at the entrance to the ride if you would like to use child swap.

For details on ride height requirements and scare factor at Universal read this post: Universal Orlando Ride Height Requirements (All Parks)

Kids Rides at Universal Studios

• Despicable Me Minion Mayhem: Simulator attraction, suitable for all ages. Ride height 40″ but there is a stationary seating option for those that are prone to motion sickness or very small children.
• Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast: Shooting attraction, suitable for all ages. There is no ride height but guests must be able to stand on their own. No hand-held infants allowed.
• E.T. Adventure: Guests board a flying bike to ride on an adventure with E.T. through the sky. This is a dark ride attraction that requires a 34″ height requirement. This may be scary because it is dark but most kids are okay with this ride. Personally it is one of our family favorites due to the nostalgia of it being one of the original rides on park opening day. It is a bit dated but a Universal fan favorite.
• Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ‘n’ Hurl: Spinning ride like Dumbo at the Magic Kingdom. No height requirement but guests must be able to sit during the ride.
• Trolls Trollercoaster: Kid-friendly roller coaster. Height requirement is 36″.
• Hogwarts Express- King’s Cross Station: Train ride between Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Must have a park-to-park ticket to ride.
• The Simpsons Ride: The Simpsons Ride is a simulator ride themed to the Simpsons. It has a 40″ ride height requirement and offers child swap. It can cause motion sickness but is fun for kids.
• Race Through New York with Jimmy Fallon: Race through New York is a 3D simulator ride through the streets of New York. It has a 40″ ride height.

Play Areas at Universal Studios Florida

All of the play areas at Universal Studios Florida are located in the DreamWorks Land area.

• King Harold’s Swamp Symphony
• Mama Luna Feline
• Poppy’s Playground
• Po’s Kung Fu Training Camp
• Shrek’s Swamp for Little Ogres

Islands of Adventure for Kids

Islands of Adventure is known for its intense rides like Jurassic World- VelociCoaster and The Incredible Hulk coaster but it also has Seuss Landing, one of the best kids areas at Universal.

Seuss Landing has 4 attractions, dining, shows, and meet and greets. I have an entire post dedicated to this area: 17 Things to Do at Seuss Landing in Universal Orlando

Islands of Adventure also has playgrounds that are great for the little ones when the big kids ride the thrill rides.

Islands of Adventure Rides for Small Kids

• Car-Seuss-el: Carousel in Seuss Landing. Great for all ages. Hand-held infants not allowed.
• Flight of the Hippogriff: Kiddie Coaster similar to Trolls Trollercoaster. Ride height 36″.
• Hogwarts Express- Hogsmeade Station: Train ride between Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Must have a park-to-park ticket to ride.
• One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish: a spinning flat ride like Dumbo. This experience is unique because riders can spray themselves as they navigate up and down. Guests must be able to sit independently to ride.
• Pteranodon Flyers: This ride is unique in that you must ride with a child. Guests over 56″ you can only ride with a child under 48″. These fly high in the air and may not be suitable for guests afraid of heights.
• Storm Force Accelatron: Tea-cup style spinning ride that requires riders to be able to sit and board independently.
• The Cat in the Hat: Dark ride themed to the story of The Cat in the Hat. Riders must be 36″ to ride.
• The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride: Birds eye view of Seuss Landing. Rider height requirement is 36″.
• The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man: This is a family favorite and there is a 40″ height requirement. Most kids love this ride and we highly recommend it for families.

Playgrounds at Universal’s Islands of Adventure

Camp Jurassic, If I Ran the Zoo, Jurassic Park Discovery Center and Me Ship, The Olive are playgrounds and interactive areas at Universal’s Islands of Adventure that are fun for all ages.

Camp Jurassic has caves and caverns set on a big playground. We finally took time to explore this on our recent visit and were really impressed with all the hidden spaces we found.

It is also shaded and a cool place to escape the Orlando heat. If you are visiting Islands of Adventure with small kids take the time to explore Camp Jurassic with them.

Tip: It is a very big area and easy to lose track of each other. Be sure to stick together.

If I Ran the Zoo is best once the sun goes down because it is directly in the sun. Jurassic Discovery Center is indoors and allows guests an air conditioned area to explore.

Me Ship, the Olive is a small play area where kids can spray guests riding Popeye and Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barge. This is a nice area for little kids to hang out when the big kids are riding.

Islands of Adventure also has character meet and greets like Marvel characters and Dr. Seuss characters. They are usually walking around at different times during the day or you can check the Universal app for specific times.

If you are visiting with a Harry Potter fan that is not quite tall enough or ready to ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, but you want to see inside Hogwarts castle, all you need to do is ask a team member.

Guests can tell a team member they would like to walk through the queue but not ride. It really is a great part of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter that fans should check out, even if they do not want to ride.

One attraction I always struggle with sharing, because it can be scary, but has a 36″ height requirement is Skull Island: Reign of Kong. This attraction can be scary and is a bit violent, which should be expected with the subject matter.

It is not excessive and has one of the best animatronics of Kong but I always like to share our experience with the ride to help others make the best decision for their family.

My kids find the queue and ride to be a bit creepy. We will ride it sometimes but other times we skip it. I know families that love it! Keep this in mind when planning for your family.

Islands of Adventure does a really great job at creating immersive lands at the park. These lands are so much fun to explore, especially with young kids.

Epic Universe with Kids

Epic Universe has immersive themed lands that include rides for kids as well as play areas. There are 5 immersive lands and the two that are best for kids are Super Nintendo World and How to Train Your Dragon-Isle of Berk.

Rides at Epic Universe for Kids

Rides that have a 40″ ride height requirement or under or no height requirement are below.

• Constellation Carousel (No Height Requirement)
• Fyre Drill (No Height Requirement) Water shooting ride
• Mario-Kart: Bowser’s Challenge (40″) Fun dark ride
• Yoshi’s Adventure (34″) People Move ride on a Yoshi
• Mine-Cart Madness (40″) Indoor/Outdoor Rollercoaster
• Curse of the Werewolf (40″) Outdoor rollercoaster, a bit thrilling but no big scares.
• Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry (40″): Indoor dark ride, may be scary for young kids if not familiar with Harry Potter series.

Play Areas at Epic Universe

If you are looking for a place for young kids to stretch their legs while older kids ride the play areas at Epic Universe are a great option.

At How to Train Your Dragon-Isle of Berk kids can run around at the Viking Training Camp which has climbing structures, slides, and interactive elements. There is also a show in this area that is great for all ages.

Super Nintendo World doesn’t have a playground but it does sell interactive bracelets that guests can use throughout the land. These can be used on the rides as well as at different interactive locations.

We purchased them on our last trip and thought it was worth it. Read about our experience: Power Up Bands at Super Nintendo World Orlando: Details on this Interactive Experience

Visiting Universal Orlando with Toddlers & Young Kids FAQs

I get asked a lot of questions about visiting Universal Orlando with kids and wanted to share them below for easy planning.

What age is best for visiting Universal?

We started visiting when my youngest was 5 years old. He was tall enough to ride a handful of attractions and we knew he could handle the attractions. You know your child best and that can help you decide if Universal is a good fit for your child.

It helps to introduce your child to some of the characters like Minions, Harry Potter, and Dr. Seuss. The Dr. Seuss area at Islands of Adventure is perfect for children.

We watched the movies of characters at the park before we visited and I read the first Harry Potter illustrated book to familiarize them with the story.

The biggest tip I can give you is that you know your child best. There are many thrill rides at the Universal parks and you need to use your best judgement on what works for your family.

Is Child Swap Free?

Yes, child swap is free at all rides and attractions at Universal. Most rides offer child swap especially if they have a 40″ or higher height requirement. Anyone can use child swap too.

There are times where I do not plan on riding but I want to wait in line with my family. We wait together and I wait in the child swap room until they are finished. When they are done they meet up with me and we exit together.

Overall visiting Universal Orlando with kids is a great destination for your theme park vacation. With a good mix of rides and attractions guests will have an amazing time.

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