There are plenty of meet and greet opportunities with iconic film and TV characters at the Universal parks, but it’s not always easy to find out exactly who you can meet and where. That’s why we’ve put together a handy guide to help you plan your visit. Check out our pick of the best character experiences at the Universal parks…
A character breakfast:
For something a bit different, a character breakfast is a great way to start the day and a guaranteed opportunity to meet some of your favourite characters! Fill yourself up for a long day exploring the parks with a mouth-watering buffet, and prepare for a few familiar faces to stop by.
Universal’s Superstar Character Breakfast gives you the chance to meet lots of characters, including the likes of EB and Patch (from the movie Hop) SpongeBob and Squidward (SpongeBob SquarePants) and Gru and the excitable Minions from Despicable Me. During the festive season, you can even enjoy a character breakfast with the Grinch and the Whos from Whoville!
Where? Café La Bamba at Universal Studios Florida and select Universal hotels.
Dance with the Minions:
Get ready for a fun-filled dance party alongside the loveable Minions on the Despicable Me Minion Mayhem ride. You’ll embark on an action-packed 3D adventure through Gru’s super-villain laboratory, where he recruits you to help with his latest scheme. Join Margo, Edith, Agnes and the mischievous Minions for an experience you’ll never forget.
After the ride, you’ll be able to meet the characters and have your photo taken, before taking to the dance floor and joining the Minions for an interactive dance party. Make sure you’ve got your best moves ready!
Where? Production Central- Universal Studios Florida.
Spot the Simpsons in Springfield:
A visit to Springfield is a must! The home of the famous Simpson family is an immersive land that has exciting rides, tasty snacks and character meet and greet opportunities. While there isn’t a specific character zone, you’ll often find Krusty the Clown outside The Simpsons Ride, and if you catch him in a good mood, he might even take a photo with you. While you can’t guarantee which characters you’ll be able to meet, look out for Sideshow Bob, Homer, Bart, Marge and Lisa, throughout the park.
Where? Springfield- Universal Studios Florida.
Meet your heroes:
If you want to meet your heroes, head to Marvel Super Hero Island, where throughout the day (almost hourly) the most famous Marvel superheroes unite. A call for help echoes through the speakers, and it’s not long before the likes of Captain America, Wolverine, Storm and Cyclops arrive in style to help save the day.
Spider Man is lurking nearby with his web slinger, and greets guests from early in the morning right through to the evening. Make sure you’ve got your camera as you’ll definitely want to take a few pictures here.
Where? Marvel Super Hero Island- Universal’s Islands of Adventure
Watch the wand choose the wizard at Ollivanders:
While you won’t get to meet the most famous characters from the Harry Potter series at the Universal parks, there are still some fantastic experiences you can’t miss. At Ollivanders wand shop, watch in awe as the Wandkeeper selects someone from the crowd and invites them to come to the front. You’ll witness a magical interactive display, where just like in the movies- the wand chooses the wizard!
At Universal Studios Florida, you can visit the triple-decker, bright-purple Knight Bus, which featured in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Peak through the windows to see what’s inside, take photos, and meet the Knight Bus conductor and the hilarious shrunken head that hangs over the steering wheel. They’ll have you in stitches!
Where? Ollivanders- both parks, Knight Bus- Universal Studios Florida
Take a photo with the enormous Transformers:
This is without a doubt one of the most popular meet and greets at the park, and it’s easy to see why. The towering Transformers are incredibly impressive and you won’t want to miss out on the chance to have your photo taken with them. Optimum Prime, Bumblebee and Megatron appear on rotation throughout the day, and you’ll be amazed at just how realistic they are. Don't miss Transformers: The Ride- 3D, an immersive attraction that puts you right on the front line of an intergalactic battle between the Autobots and Decepticons.
Where? Production Central- Universal Studios Florida
Here’s a guide to where you can meet characters inside the parks…
Universal Studios Florida:
- Shrek & Donkey- Get up close to the famous ogre and his hilarious sidekick at Production Central.
- Hello kitty- A new shop dedicated to Hello Kitty opened in February last year and you can find the star inside.
- The Blues Brothers Show- Join Jake and Elwood for a fantastic live show and take photos with the suited and booted duo and the ‘bluesmobile’ afterwards.
- SpongeBob SquarePants- Meet SpongeBob SquarePants and friends (including the miserable Squidward and loveable Patrick) in the Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone area.
- Character Party Zone- The Character Party Zone is a great place to go if you want to meet some characters. Nickelodeon’s Dora and Diego and SpongeBob SquarePants appear throughout the day alongside the characters from Despicable Me. Located in the Hollywood area of the park.
- Marilyn Monroe- Take a photo with one of the most famous Hollywood starlets in the world at the Hollywood Character Zone.
Universal’s Islands of Adventure:
- Marvel Super Hero Island- The place to go to meet the most powerful superheroes on the planet, including Captain America, Wolverine, Storm and Cyclops
- Betty Boop- Meet Betty Boop and various comic strip characters at Toon Lagoon.
- Raptor Encounter- This one is great for a selfie! Take a picture with a huge raptor in the background as it gets closer and closer.
- Oh! The Stories You’ll Hear!- This great show runs daily and stars all of your favourite characters from the most famous Dr. Seuss books. Look out for The Cat in the Hat, Thing One & Thing Two, The Grinch and the Lorax. There’s dancing, singing and the chance to meet the characters afterwards in the Seuss Landing area.
- Suess Character Zone- There’s a special character zone in the Seuss Landing area too, where you can go to take photos and get autographs with different characters throughout the day.
Top tip- Pick up a park map as soon as you arrive, so that you can find out which characters will be appearing during the day and where. This way, you won’t miss out on a single thing, and can guarantee a selfie with your favourite!
Planning a holiday to the Universal Orlando Resort? Click here, to view our range of tickets.
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