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My Post-Covid Experience at Universal Universal Orlando
My family and I recently traveled to Orlando to visit Universal Studios. We wanted to see how things were going with the re-opening procedures, and quite frankly, we needed to get out of the house!
We had a fabulous time, and I want to share my experience with you so you can decide for yourself if this is a good time for your family to visit.
Arrival
When you arrive at your hotel, you will be given a temperature check. You must be wearing a mask. If you have a temperature of 100.4 or higher, you will be asked to wait in a waiting area for 15 minutes, and they will recheck you. If your temperature is normal, you will be given a colored wrist band. You will be tested each day and given a new colored band. Children under the age of 2 aren’t required to wear a mask, but they will get a temp check.
Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios
In order to board the Universal transportation, you must wear your mask. We had no problem getting on a boat or bus to travel to the parks. We were never crowded and many times we were the only people on the bus/boat. When there were others on the transportation, we had no problems distancing.
Masks must be worn in the parks and on all rides with the exception of water rides. There are also areas marked “U-Rest”. These are large open areas where it is very easy to distance yourself from other parties, and you may remove your mask to take a break.
Universal has virtual lines that you access via the Universal app. It was really easy to get into the virtual line and I really enjoyed using them much more than actually waiting in line. We could grab a bite, watch a show, or rest in a U-Rest area while we waited for our turn.
Curious George Goes to Town, Fivel’s Playground, and Me Ship, The Olive in Universal Studios and Camp Jurassic and Jurassic Park Discovery Center in Islands of Adventure are temporarily closed play areas. All other rides at Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios were open. There were social distancing markers in the queue lines, as well as not combining parties on rides and making sure there were rows in between parties.
Volcano Bay
At Volcano Bay you must wear your mask to enter the park, to go to a restaurant to order food, or to go into a store to shop. They are not required at any other time. There are still social distancing markers on the ground in the queue lines. Team Members are sanitizing all life vests after each use.
Dining
We went to Burger Digs, a counter service restaurant while we were in Islands of Adventure. We waited to be seated like you would at a table service restaurant. Everyone is encouraged to order your food via the Universal App. It is a great idea to download the app before you arrive. We ordered and purchased our meal via the app and it was brought out to us when it was ready. It was a very easy experience. I really enjoyed the process, and it was a great meal!
Characters
There were lots of characters to take pictures with. We did have to distance from them, but we could take pictures and talk to them. This was one of my favorite parts!
Pools
The pools were open at all the resorts. We didn’t get a chance to check out the resort pools, but they are open for use. We did have a pool view room so we were able to see the pool area. Never did it look overcrowded or like people were on top of one another.
Summary
Overall, we had a great time! Was it VERY hot in June with masks on? YES!! Would I hesitate to go back this fall or winter? NO! Should you go? Everyone has to make that decision for themselves and what is best for their family. Personally, my family will be going back this fall and probably for Christmas as well. I felt like Universal was taking every safety precaution, and has really stepped up in their screening and cleaning procedures.
Emily is a Universal Orlando Resort Specialist, has a Master’s Degree with Norwegian Cruise Lines and is a College of Disney Knowledge Graduate, Certified Orlando Travel Expert, Royal Caribbean Cruise Expert, AM Resorts Master Agent, Certified Sandals Specialist, Sea World Expert, Marriott Specialist, and CLIA Member.
