How Many Days Should I Spend at Universal Orlando Resort?

If you’re planning a trip to Universal Orlando Resort in Florida but you’re not sure how many days you’ll need there, then we’re here to help! Whether it’s your first Orlando holiday or you’ve been before, we’ve got some useful advice on striking the balance between park time and chill time.

How long you spend at Universal Orlando Resort will help you to determine the budget for your holiday as well as plan your itinerary.

Read on to find out how many days you should spend at Universal Orlando Resort, plus our top tips for making the most of your Florida holiday.

How long do you need at Universal Orlando Resort?

We recommend spending at least 6 days at Universal Orlando Resort, but with our tickets you’ll have up to 14 days to explore the resort. You will need at least a full day to visit each of the theme parks and the water park, plus you will want to factor in some time away from the parks to rest and relax, and to see more of Florida itself.

If you just want to spend one week in Florida, you will be able to fit all of the Universal Orlando Resort parks into your holiday, but you might also feel a little rushed, and there won’t be much opportunity for relaxation. There’s more than enough here to justify a multi-day visit.

Of course, if you’re planning a longer trip to Orlando, then you could spend more time at Universal Orlando Resort.

If you’re planning on staying at one of the Universal Orlando Resort hotels, we recommend spending some of your downtime there too. The hotels offer amazing theming and fantastic facilities, including swimming pools, restaurants, and entertainment.

Sample 14-day Universal Orlando Resort itinerary

Here’s our suggested itinerary for spending two weeks at Universal Orlando Resort. 

• Day 1: Arrive, check in, and relax at your hotel
• Day 2: Universal Studios Florida
• Day 3: Universal Islands of Adventure
• Day 4: Souvenir shopping
• Day 5: Universal Epic Universe
• Day 6: Universal Volcano Bay
• Day 7: Beach day
• Day 8: Universal Orlando Resort VIP tour experience
• Day 9: Explore The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™️
• Day 10: Pool day
• Day 11: Visit another theme park – Walt Disney World Resort, SeaWorld Orlando, or Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
• Day 12: Visit an exciting Florida attraction – Gatorland, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, airboat ride
• Day 13: Universal CityWalk
• Day 14: Visit any attractions or rides you haven’t managed to do yet

How many Universal Orlando Resort parks are there?

There are three brilliant Universal Orlando Resort theme parks:

• Universal Studios Florida
• Universal Islands of Adventure
• Universal Epic Universe

As well as these incredible theme parks, there’s also a fun-filled water park, Universal Volcano Bay. 

Here’s a little more information about the parks:

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™️

Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure, and Universal Epic Universe all feature Harry Potter-themed areas, which are popular attractions at the parks. If you’re a big fan of The Boy Who Lived, then be sure to spend plenty of time exploring these in full.

Each land has rides, shops, and food outlets inspired by the popular movie franchise. Don’t forget to grab an ice-cold mug of butterbeer or a chocolate frog!

There’s also Universal CityWalk, an entertainment complex with shops and restaurants that is completely free to enter. Here, you can spend time 10-pin bowling, playing mini golf, or watching the live entertainment on offer (additional charges may apply). You can also grab a bite to eat in one of the many cafes and restaurants.

How long do you need at each park?

As a guideline, here’s how long we recommend spending at each park. If you want to take it all at a more relaxed pace, you could easily spend longer in each. 

• Universal Studios Florida: at least one day
• Universal Islands of Adventure: at least one day
• Universal Epic Universe: at least one day
• Universal Volcano Bay: at least one day

Depending on how you like to travel, you might want to spend more or less time at each park. We recommend spending another day seeing anything you’ve missed or doing anything you loved so much that you want to do it again.

Universal Orlando Resort tickets

There are four options for Universal Orlando Resort tickets, and the one you choose will depend on:

• When you’re arriving for your holiday
• Whether you would like admission to Universal Epic Universe included in your ticket
• If you would like full park-to-park admission, where you can visit any of the parks whenever you like during the validity period

We highly recommend including Universal Epic Universe admission in your Universal Orlando Resort ticket. It’s the newest park at Universal Orlando Resort (it opened in May 2025) and there are so many amazing rides and attractions to explore. 

All tickets are valid for 14 days.

Orlando Combination Ticket Packages

If you’re planning to visit other theme parks alongside Universal Orlando Resort during your holiday in Florida, it might be worth considering an Orlando Combination Ticket Package. These tickets include admission to several different theme parks in one package and can be very cost-effective.

Universal Orlando Resort hotel and ticket packages

Simplify your booking by adding your theme park tickets to your Universal Orlando Resort hotel booking. Reasons to book a Universal Orlando Resort package:

• Have all your booking confirmations in one place
• Helps with budgeting: pay just a deposit up front with the full balance due six weeks before your check-in date
• All package bookings are protected by ABTOT (the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust)

Top tips for making the most of your time at Universal Orlando Resort

1. Be sure to schedule some downtime

Days when you’re exploring the theme parks can be long. You’ll really be getting your steps in and there’s loads of excitement, so it’s likely you’ll get tired. To avoid theme park burnout, be sure to add some downtime to your itinerary. 

Pool days, beach days, shopping, and lie-ins should all be on your agenda – after all, this is a holiday!

2. Get Express Passes

Express Passes are Universal Orlando Resort’s fast-track option for attractions, rides, and shows. They allow you to skip past the regular line and use an Express Pass line that usually has a shorter waiting time, cutting wait times by as much as half. Valid park admission is required in addition to your Express Passes. 

If you stay at selected Universal Signature Hotels, you’ll get Free Universal Express Unlimited Passes for the duration of your stay, including the days you check in and check out. The participating hotels are:

• Hard Rock Hotel®
• Loews Royal Pacific Resort
• Loews Portofino Bay Hotel

3. Stay on-site at a Universal Orlando Resort hotel

Staying on-site at a Universal Orlando Resort hotel can help you save time getting to the parks. Some are within walking distance of the parks, and they all offer free transport to and from the parks.

When you stay at a Universal Orlando Resort hotel, you’ll also get Early Park Admission which means you can enjoy selected attractions at selected parks on selected dates up to an hour before the gates open to other guests.

4. Buy your tickets in advance

Buying your tickets before you travel will save you time at the park entrances. You won’t need to queue for the ticket office - you can just waltz straight in! There’s no need to miss any precious park time. 

Did you know that admission for the Universal Orlando Resort theme and water parks can actually sell out? The disappointment doesn’t bear thinking about, so book your tickets before you travel.

5. Arrive early

This is our top tip for every theme park in Orlando, so feel free to apply it throughout your holiday, no matter where you are! We recommend getting there just before the gates open to get the most time in the parks. You’ll also have the opportunity to go on rides before the queues start to build up later on.

6. Travel outside of peak times

The busiest times at Universal Orlando Resort include spring break in the USA, Easter, and the summer holidays. If you can, try to travel outside of these times when the theme parks will be quieter, and you’ll be able to get more done.

Other Florida attractions

During your trip to Universal Orlando Resort, you might want to spend some time outside the parks and see what else the Sunshine State has to offer. Here are some of our top suggestions for other attractions to visit in Orlando and beyond:

• Walt Disney World Resort in Florida
• Discovery Cove
• SeaWorld Orlando
• Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
• Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
• LEGOLAND® Florida Resort
• Gatorland
• Airboat rides

So now you know how long you need to spend at Universal Orlando Resort, it’s time to start planning the holiday of a lifetime. Browse our great value Universal Orlando Resort tickets or book a Universal Orlando Resort hotel and ticket package to stay as close to the action as possible.