Can You Do Both Universal Studios And Islands Of Adventure In One Day?

There are many aspects to this question. Some of which will determine if you can or cannot do both parks inside one single day.

The main question is what are things you want to get done?

What would you constituent a successful and satisfying day inside Universal Orlando Theme parks?

If the goal to get through both parks and ride as many rides as you can but with the expectation that you may not ride all of them, then yes, you can do and see both parks in a day, depending on the crowd levels of course.

We generally will visit both parks every day we visit, so no issues there. Although we don’t ride every ride, we’ve found that to be a little difficult, but have not really tried to do so either.

From our experience, the crowds generally have not been as heavy as our days at Disney, however, you will still find a crowd as Universals popularity is growing quickly. It is not out of the question to see ride times 60 plus minutes on popular rides, which I guess it is always like that in any park that we have visited so far.

Express Passes May Be Something To Think About if You are Planning a One Day Visit.

Universal offers express passes for select rides at Universal Parks. If you are planning just a one day visit, if you can afford the extra cost, I would take a leap and purchase the fast pass to guarantee some fast action from ride to ride. You then are not in the mercy of the crowd flow. Making the day a little less hectic.

Strategies To Move Quickly Through The park.

Start at Rope Drop. The Park usually opens up around 9 am for regular ticket holders. We find that you should target the ride you absolutely have on your must ride check list. The most popular rides the crowd will navigate to especially early on as they will rush, run and move quickly toward the rides that have the most wait time.

Right now that hardest ride to get on is the new Harry Potter Coaster in Island’s of Adventure toward the back of the park called Hagrids Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. I have not seen this less than 120 minutes in all the time I have visited the park in the past few months.

For the most part, we have found the lowest crowd levels have been when the park opens and they will slowly trickle in after that. The early bird gets the worm here. Especially in Universal Studios side.

When the gates open know where you want to go and go there. In both parks the Harry Potter rides are the busiest, and in Universal Studios, the attractions near the gate tend to be some of the busiest during the day.

Use Single Rider Lines – If the ride offers Single Rider Lines, use this line if you don’t have express passes. Generally for those that have Single Rider Lines, the lines wait times are a fraction of the actual line times. Obviously you will be riding with your party and you will be sitting next to a stranger. If that is okay with you, single rider lines are a way to ride the rides fast.

Hit the low wait time rides first and then circle back for the longer wait time rides to see if there is any difference. Sometimes during lunch, Parade times, nighttime shows, and towards the end of the night, the lines get a little think on popular rides.

Download the Universal App – This will help you plan your day and stay ahead of the ride wait times.

Pace yourself. Depending on when you visit Orlando, It’s hot. You need to stay hydrated, to make it through the day. If you are too hot, hit a store, or restaurant to get something to eat and cool down.

Don’t forget about the weather. Depending on what time of year you come down, the weather can play a role in your day trip. Later in the summer and spring, rain is a thing. In fact I’m not sure that I have ever come to Florida an it has rained at least once through out the day.

Expect that it will rain at some point. The interior rides don’t stop necessarily unless it’s really bad out, they generally keep running.

A Good lightning Storm could put a wrinkle in your day.

Universal Studios Park Rides We Find To Have The Lowest Wait Times

Men In Black – For what ever reason, this ride usually is 25 minutes is less. For times we have visited, it’s averaged between 20 and 10 minutes. The Single Rider line usually is only 5 minutes, depending on the crowd levels, but for the most part this one is generally on an off depending on the crowds you flow with. Pay attention to how many are walking around you in the same direction, if it’s thick, make a pit stop and let it go by or go in a different direction. Flocks of people can quickly push the wait times up on a ride.

E.T. Adventure– This is one of my favorite rides. It’s a classic, but just a calming nice ride that gets you out of the heat, no matter when we have visited this ride, it’s been 15 minutes or less. You should have no issue getting on and off this one.

Fast and The Furious – This one isn’t has popular as it once was when it opened. I think this kind of bombed for a new ride, judging by the ride times. It’s usually 25 minutes or less, and an easy ride to hope on and off of.

Revenge of the Mummy – This ride time will go up and down, but we’ve been lucky to catch it at 10 minutes and 15 minutes several times.

The Simpsons Ride – Off and On Ride, depending on the crowd size, but you should see this below 20 minutes on most cases.

Kang & Kodo’s Twirl N’ Hurl – This ride generally only has less than 5 minutes or so. Usually a walk on ride.

Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster – Depending on crowd levels 15 – 20 minutes or less. If there is a crowd of kids, this may grow.

Island Of Adventure Park Rides That General Are Low Wait Times…

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-man – Believe it or not, depending on the time of day the wait times for this one can be pretty low. 15 minutes seems to be a good window. I wouldn’t ride it unless you see it that low, because at some point during the day, it will be.

Storm Force Acceleration – Usually 10 minutes or less. Watch the Hulk, sometimes this ride will have longer times when the Hulk has longer times. Depending on family member sizes during the highest crowd levels.

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish – A popular ride with my family, this one generally is 15 minutes or less.

The Cat In the Hat – Usually 15 minutes or less. We’ve walked on this ride so many times it isn’t funny, the ride guess move extremely fast through this ride.

Caro-Seuss-el – Usually 5 minutes wait time. Pretty fast moving ride Que.

Save Time Moving Between Parks With Hogwarts Express.

There are generally two ways to get to each pack from the other. One way is going back to the front and exiting the park into City Walk and then walking to the other park.

The Other way is to Ride Hogwarts Express. This itself is an experience and a ride. So it not also saves you time if you are in the back of the park, it’s got it’s own unique ride features you must experience especially if you are Harry Potter Fans. It generally moves pretty quickly 15 -25 minutes wait times.

The Conclusion…

So if you keep moving and move smartly through out both parks, yes you can visit and enjoy both parks in a single day. It may be a little hectic, but it’s possible.

The main things you will probably miss is the several shows through out the park. It’s hard to see all of those and ride the rides in the same day.

You may also miss the little intricacies, character meets, and other things that make Universal a special place in our hearts. But if you are after the rides, you can ride at the very lease a good chunk of them in a day.

My suggestion, don’t try in one day, get a few day pass, it will not only make it better, but it will also let you enjoy the park even more.