Can Universal Studios Florida be done in one day? We took the challenge and planned a 1-Day Universal Studios itinerary to see how much we could get done. Today I am sharing our itinerary to help you plan a great day at Universal Studios Florida.
Universal Studios Florida is a great place for a theme park vacation. The best part is you can do Universal Studios in one day, with a little planning!
Universal Studios Florida is one of the theme parks at the Universal Orlando Resort.
This itinerary is going to cover how to spend the day at Universal Studios Florida. If you plan to visit Universal Islands of Adventure and Universal Epic Universe you need to purchase additional tickets. (More on that later in this post.)
Things to Do Before You Arrive at Universal Studios
- Research the most popular attractions and prioritize the ones that are important to you.
- Download the Universal Orlando app to check wait times, ride information, and dining options.
- Purchase Universal tickets before you arrive at the parks to save time and money.
My best tips for planning one day at Universal Studios: arrive early, have a general idea of the rides you want to accomplish first, and enjoy the day!
Arriving at Universal Studios
Arriving at Universal Studios is fairly easy. If you are coming from a Universal Orlando Resort you will use the bus or boat transportation to get to the park.
If you are driving yourself you will park in the one parking lots on-site for Universal Orlando Resort.
This parking lot is for all guests visiting Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Volcano Bay, and City Walk. As you begin your walk to the park you will go through security and bag check.
From there walk through Universal’s CityWalk and head to your right to Universal Studios.
Typically I suggest arriving around 8:20 am for a 9:00am opening. This will usually allow you to be one of the first in the park.
If you are staying on-site at a Universal Resort you may be able to enter early with early park admission. This is offered at one of the two theme parks daily. Learn more here.
Universal Studios Itinerary: Where to Start
As you enter the park you will find Minion Land. This has two attractions: Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast and Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem. Both rides are very popular attractions.
The long lines are also due to the fact that it is the first attractions as guests enter the park. On a recent visit we found Villain-Con Minion Blast to have 15 minute wait times throughout the day.
The most popular area of Universal Studios is The Harry Potter area-Diagon Alley. This has one of my favorite rides, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts. Escape from Gringotts is an indoor family friendly roller coasters.
A great way to start your day is to visit Diagon Alley first. This is one of the best places to explore when the crowds are low.
I suggest as soon as you arrive at the park to head straight to Diagon Alley, ride Gringotts, explore a less busy Diagon Alley, and then start riding other attractions.
If you are wanting to ride Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure it is not at Universal Studios. It is at the Islands of Adventure park.
This Universal Studios itinerary will involve a bit of extra walking to spend less time waiting. You can also follow the natural order of attractions through your day if you prefer to walk less.
If you have Universal Express Pass you can tour the park any way you would like and still avoid long lines and wait times. We also started taking advantage of Single Rider lines and it has saved us so much time.
I suggest reading this if you are interested in using it: Maximize Your Day with Universal Orlando Single Rider Lines
When we use this Universal touring plan we prefer to ride the most popular attractions before lunch. We start at Diagon Alley and then go back to other attractions we passed.
The most popular attractions at Universal Studios are:
- Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
- Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket (closing September 2025)
- Men in Black
- Transformers
Best 1-Day Universal Studios Touring Plan (Sample)
This is a sample Universal Studios Florida itinerary we have used for visiting the park and staying on-site at Universal.
7:30am-7:45am: Leave our resort for Universal Studios. You can take the bus or walk if your resort is close enough.
8:00am-9:00am: Park, go through security check, walk to front gate to Universal Studios. Usually we will eat a granola bar or piece of fruit for breakfast while waiting in line.
9:00am: Park Opening!!
Morning Attractions at Universal Studios
- Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
- Transformers
- Villain-Con Minions Blast
- Despicable Me
- Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket
- Race Through New York with Jimmy Fallon
- The Mummy
- Men in Black
- The Simpsons
Lunch: Minions Cafe, Louie’s Italian Restaurant, or Leaky Cauldron.
Afternoon Attractions at Universal Studios
- E.T. Adventures
- Any shows we want to see.
- Fast and the Furious
- Meet Characters
- Explore and walk around DreamWorks Land
- Kang & Kodos Twirl “n” Hurl
- The Bourne Stuntacular (Really good stunt show. It is very loud so be aware if you have someone in your group sensitive to loud noise.)
At this point it may be mid-afternoon. If you are staying on-site you may want to go back to your resort to relax and head to the pool. We like to do this, especially on hot days, and then return around dinner time.
If you follow this touring plan for Universal Studios Florida you will be able to see most rides and attractions without feeling rushed.
You may or may not be able to accomplish all the most popular attractions before lunch. This is where the Universal app is important. Use it to plan your next attraction by checking wait times throughout your visit.
If you are interested in the daily parade or night show be sure to check the app the day before your arrival to work the times into your itinerary.
Times and dates change often so it is best to check the app.
Evening Activities at Universal Studios
For dinner we like to visit a sit down restaurant either at CityWalk or inside the park. Read 10 Best Places to Eat at Universal Orlando for ideas.
After dinner return to your favorite rides to ride again or go to explore Diagon Alley at night.
There are many shops to see, and the entire area is so immersive. It is worth taking your time to explore, even if you are not a Harry Potter fan.
One attraction I did not include in the list is the Hogwarts Express: King’s Cross Station. This is the Harry Potter themed train that takes you from Universal Studios to Islands of Adventure.
You need a park-to-park ticket to ride, and it is not part of our 1 day at Universal Studios itinerary.
That is the basics for planning one day at Universal Studios Florida. Below I have shared a few more things to consider for your visit. This includes dining options, characters, and shows.
Universal Studios Itinerary with Small Children
If you are traveling with small children to Universal you want to spend time in the DreamWorks land area of the park. This is a really fun space for kids at Universal.
DreamWorks Land features Shrek, Trolls, and Kung Fu Panda attractions, rides, and shows.
Universal Studios Itinerary with Older Children
If you are traveling with older children you will want to spend more time on the thrill ride attractions like The Mummy, Men in Black, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, and Escape from Gringotts.
My older kids also enjoy E.T. Adventure so be sure to include this classic in your visit.
Overall if you prioritize the rides you want to experience the first few hours of park opening you should be able to see and do almost everything at the park. I hope this one day Universal Studios itinerary helps you have an awesome day!
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Leah has been planning and writing about Universal trips since 2016. She loves finding the best places to eat and stay during her visits to the park. Leah enjoys the little details that make visiting the parks so immersive and special, and sharing that with her readers.
