Our family’s first trip to Universal Orlando Resort came at the end of our Spring Break trip to Orlando in March. We tacked on two days after our 4 days in Disney World.
With four kids, traveling to theme parks is always a balance between making the most of our time and trying not to spend an absolute fortune. BUT WE LOVE A THEME PARK so we make it work! We knew we only had one day at Universal Studios Florida and one day at Islands of Adventure, so we wanted to make every minute count.
And honestly, one of the best decisions we made wasn’t even something we did inside the parks. It was where we stayed.
The Biggest Universal Orlando Budget Hack We Used
If you’re planning a Universal Orlando family vacation and are trying to save money, one of the biggest tips I can give you is to look closely at the benefits that come with staying at a Universal Premier hotel.
For our trip, we reserved Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, and that decision ended up being a huge money-saver for our family.
One of the biggest perks of staying at Portofino Bay is that guests receive Universal Express Unlimited for the parks during their stay. The really important part to understand when you’re doing the math is that the benefit applies to both your check-in day and your check-out day.
That made a HUGE difference for us.
Instead of thinking of Portofino Bay as simply the cost of a hotel room, we looked at it as a hotel stay that also included a valuable park benefit for our entire family.
And because we were traveling with six people, purchasing Express Passes separately for everyone could have added up very quickly.
And Then We Used Chase Ultimate Rewards
This is where the deal got even better for us.
I used Chase Ultimate Rewards points through the Chase Travel Portal to book our stay at Portofino Bay.
So we were able to use points for the hotel while also getting the Express Unlimited benefit included with our stay.
That meant we didn’t have to pay out-of-pocket for the room or separately purchase Express Passes.
For our family of six, that was a massive savings.
This is one of the things I love most about learning how to use travel rewards: sometimes the best value isn’t just finding the cheapest hotel. It’s finding a hotel where the included benefits can replace expenses you would have paid for anyway.
For a family traveling to Universal Orlando, that can completely change the math.
Staying at Portofino Bay Made Getting to the Parks So Easy
Another unexpected benefit of staying at Portofino Bay Hotel was how easy transportation was.
The hotel has a dedicated ferry that takes guests directly to the Universal theme parks.
With a family of six, I’m always looking for ways to make transportation as painless as possible, especially when we’re already walking around a theme park all day.
Being able to walk down to the water, hop on the ferry and head directly to the parks was such a nice experience.
It felt much more relaxing than loading everyone into a car, dealing with parking and then figuring out transportation from the parking area to the entrance.
And let’s be honest—after a full day at Universal, having an easy way back to the hotel is priceless.
Our First Time at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure
We spent one day at Universal Studios Florida and one day at Universal Islands of Adventure, and even though we knew going in that we were only scratching the surface, we packed a LOT into those two days.
One of my favorite things about Universal Orlando was how different the atmosphere felt from Disney World.
There are so many different vibes throughout the parks, and we loved exploring them.
But, of course, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was one of the biggest highlights.
Walking through the Harry Potter lands for the first time was such a cool experience, especially seeing the kids take it all in.
And yes, we finally tried Butterbeer!
It was one of those quintessential Universal experiences that we had to do at least once. We enjoyed the frosted version because it was so hot when we were there.
My Older Kids Were ALL About the Roller Coasters
My older kids were absolutely obsessed with the bigger rides.
Their favorites were definitely VelociCoaster and The Incredible Hulk Coaster.
Those were the rides they couldn’t wait to get back on—and honestly if my neck and back allowed it I would have done them over and over with them. 😂
Having older kids who are finally tall enough for the biggest Universal Orlando roller coasters made the trip really fun because they could experience some of the rides that Universal is famous for.
At the same time, our youngest was seven, and there were definitely rides that he wasn’t tall enough for yet.
Which honestly just gives us another reason to go back.
I already know we’ll need another Universal Orlando trip when he’s tall enough for more of the bigger attractions.
One Universal Con I Didn’t Expect: So Many Simulator Rides
One thing that surprised me about Universal Orlando was how many attractions rely on simulator or screen-based experiences compared with Disney World.
I wasn’t expecting it to bother me as much as it did, but I struggle with motion sickness, and some of the simulator-style attractions were definitely challenging for me.
This was probably my biggest personal con of Universal.
While I love the creativity and technology behind these attractions, my body does not always agree with them!
If you’re someone who gets motion sick easily, I would definitely keep that in mind when planning your Universal Orlando itinerary. There are plenty of attractions I absolutely loved, but I quickly learned that I needed to be strategic about which simulator rides I chose to experience.
Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando
We also happened to visit during Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras celebration, which made our first trip even more fun.
The Mardi Gras parade was such a fun surprise, especially seeing how excited the kids were.
There’s something about a parade that makes a theme park day feel extra special, and the kids loved watching the floats and catching beads (hundreds of them!) 😂
It was also a great reminder that Universal Orlando has seasonal events and celebrations that can add another layer to your trip.
Minions Were a Huge Hit
One of the biggest hits with our kids was Minion Land at Universal Studios Florida.
Our kids have been big Minions fans for years, so getting to walk through the area and experience the attractions was a highlight for them.
When you’re traveling with kids of different ages, I think those familiar characters and experiences can make such a difference.
Our older kids could run off and experience the thrill rides while there were still plenty of things that made our youngest feel like the trip was made for him, too, like one on one time with Spider Man!
Was Two Days Enough for Universal Orlando?
Absolutely not. 😂
But it was enough to give us a really good first taste of Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.
Having only one day at each park meant we had to prioritize, and even with Express Pass, there was still SO much we didn’t experience.
That’s probably my biggest takeaway from the trip.
We went into it knowing there was a lot to see, but I don’t think I fully understood just how much there was until we got there.
Between the Harry Potter lands, roller coasters, family attractions, Minions, seasonal events, food and everything else, we could easily spend several more days exploring Universal Orlando.
And now we have plenty of things on our list for next time.
Would We Go Back to Universal Orlando?
100%.
Our first Universal Orlando family trip was such a fun change of pace from our Disney trips, and I’m really glad we finally made the trip.
We loved the energy of the parks, the Harry Potter lands, the thrill rides, the Mardi Gras celebration and watching each of our kids find something that they loved.
And while there were definitely a few things that weren’t my personal favorites—hello, motion sickness!—the experience as a whole was one our family will remember.
The biggest lesson I took away from our trip?
Don’t just look at the price of the hotel when you’re planning a Universal Orlando vacation. Look at what the hotel includes.
For our family, staying at Portofino Bay and getting Universal Express Unlimited for both our arrival and departure days was one of the smartest decisions we made. Using Chase Ultimate Rewards through the travel portal to cover the hotel made the deal even better.
It allowed us to experience Universal Orlando with our family without paying separately for the hotel and Express Passes out of pocket.
And now that we’ve had our first taste of Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, I have a feeling this won’t be our last.
We’ll be back when our youngest is tall enough for more of those big rides—and I’m sure we’ll have an entirely new list of favorites waiting for us.
