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The Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando 2025
Compiled and written by a former Universal Orlando employee, and based upon decades of research from a team whose work has been cited by such diverse sources as USA Today and Operations Research Forum, The Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando is packed with detailed, specific information on every ride, show, and restaurant in the resort, including insider insight on Harry Potter's Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley attractions.
Step-by-step detailed touring plans allow you to make the most of every minute and dollar during your Universal Orlando vacation. Where to find the cheapest Universal Orlando admission tickets, how to save big on Universal on-site hotel rooms and skip the regular lines in the parks, when to visit Universal Orlando for the lightest crowds, and everything else you need to know for a stress-free Universal Orlando experience.
Step-by-step detailed touring plans allow you to make the most of every minute and dollar during your Universal Orlando vacation. Where to find the cheapest Universal Orlando admission tickets, how to save big on Universal on-site hotel rooms and skip the regular lines in the parks, when to visit Universal Orlando for the lightest crowds, and everything else you need to know for a stress-free Universal Orlando experience.
424 pages, Paperback
First published July 20, 2015
194 people are currently reading
299 people want to read
About the author
Seth Kubersky
17 books7 followersSeth Kubersky is an author, artist, and culture commentator currently based in Orlando, Florida. A native of northern New Jersey, Seth has worked for over 20 years as a travel journalist, arts and culture critic, event producer, theatrical director, stage technician, and performer along the East Coast and across the United States.
A contributor to several top-selling guidebooks, Seth is nationally recognized as an authority on theme parks and amusement attractions. He is co-author (with Bob Sehlinger and Len Testa) of Keen Commnications' The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland and a regular contributor to TouringPlans.com. He was also co-author (with Kelly Monaghan) of The Intrepid Traveler's Universal Orlando: The Ultimate Guide to the Ultimate Theme Park, as well as the last editions of The Intrepid Traveler’s SeaWorld, Discovery Cove, and Aquatica and After Disney: The Other Orlando.
Every week, you can read Seth's coverage of Orlando's art and entertainment scene in his column Live Active Cultures, featured in each issue of the Orlando Weekly, Central Florida's leading alternative newspaper. In addition to writing theater and theme park reviews for the Orlando Weekly, he is an active contributor to the newspaper's Culture2Go blog. He also contributes attractions coverage to the popular local website TheDailyCity.com. Seth also created the blog Artpinions & Attractionalysis, and posts on-the-spot attraction and culture reports via his twitter account @skubersky and his YouTube channel youtube.com/skubersky.
Seth's travel commentary and attraction coverage has also been published by Orlando Attractions Magazine, Virgin Airline Blue's “Voyeur”, VISIT Florida, and Jim Hill Media. Seth reports on and analyzes the theater, travel, and themed entertainment industries, and has been interviewed as a “theme park expert” by broadcast outlets including FOX-TV, Rudy Maxa radio, and Coaster Radio.
A native of Livingston, New Jersey, Seth received his Bachelors of Arts in Theater degree from the College of William and Mary in Virginia, concentrating on stage management and direction. In the summer of 1996, he moved to Central Florida and began employment at Universal Studios Florida. As a theatrical technician, he helped run sophisticated special effects for the Ghostbusters Spooktacular, Terminator 2/3D, and Barney shows.
Beginning in 1998, as an Entertainment Production Coordinator and Supervisor, Seth presented special events in Orlando and around the country for Universal's major corporate partners including Target, AAA, Wheel of Fortune, TNN and Transcontinental. Seth also supervised parades, haunted houses, and special effects for Universal's Mardi Gras, Halloween Horror Nights and the “millennium” New Year's celebration on December 31st 1999. After designing an event management database system for Universal, Seth left the company in 2000 and began a decade-long career in information technology for local government.
Since 2000, Seth has worked as a producer, director, stage manager and designer in many of Orlando's top entertainment venues. Seth has served as stage manager for the record-setting production of Junie B. Jones at the Orlando Repertory Theater and the annual Red Chair Affair gala (featuring Cirque du Soleil and Blue Man Group), and as production manager for Mad Cow Theatre's Cabaret Festival (featuring K.T. Sullivan and Karen Akers).
In 2004 Seth made his major Orlando directorial debut with The Rocky Horror Show at Theatre Downtown. In addition to directing the hit show, Seth also orchestrated the music and designed the set and multimedia projections. In addition to his own productions, he has also created video designs for Mad Cow Theatre, The Vine Theater, Seminole State College, Rivership Romance, and Theatre Downtown. Seth has also directed for Orlando Shakespeare Theatre's Playfest, Antibabe, and others.
Seth is veteran presenter at the Orlando International Fringe Festival, starting wi
A contributor to several top-selling guidebooks, Seth is nationally recognized as an authority on theme parks and amusement attractions. He is co-author (with Bob Sehlinger and Len Testa) of Keen Commnications' The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland and a regular contributor to TouringPlans.com. He was also co-author (with Kelly Monaghan) of The Intrepid Traveler's Universal Orlando: The Ultimate Guide to the Ultimate Theme Park, as well as the last editions of The Intrepid Traveler’s SeaWorld, Discovery Cove, and Aquatica and After Disney: The Other Orlando.
Every week, you can read Seth's coverage of Orlando's art and entertainment scene in his column Live Active Cultures, featured in each issue of the Orlando Weekly, Central Florida's leading alternative newspaper. In addition to writing theater and theme park reviews for the Orlando Weekly, he is an active contributor to the newspaper's Culture2Go blog. He also contributes attractions coverage to the popular local website TheDailyCity.com. Seth also created the blog Artpinions & Attractionalysis, and posts on-the-spot attraction and culture reports via his twitter account @skubersky and his YouTube channel youtube.com/skubersky.
Seth's travel commentary and attraction coverage has also been published by Orlando Attractions Magazine, Virgin Airline Blue's “Voyeur”, VISIT Florida, and Jim Hill Media. Seth reports on and analyzes the theater, travel, and themed entertainment industries, and has been interviewed as a “theme park expert” by broadcast outlets including FOX-TV, Rudy Maxa radio, and Coaster Radio.
A native of Livingston, New Jersey, Seth received his Bachelors of Arts in Theater degree from the College of William and Mary in Virginia, concentrating on stage management and direction. In the summer of 1996, he moved to Central Florida and began employment at Universal Studios Florida. As a theatrical technician, he helped run sophisticated special effects for the Ghostbusters Spooktacular, Terminator 2/3D, and Barney shows.
Beginning in 1998, as an Entertainment Production Coordinator and Supervisor, Seth presented special events in Orlando and around the country for Universal's major corporate partners including Target, AAA, Wheel of Fortune, TNN and Transcontinental. Seth also supervised parades, haunted houses, and special effects for Universal's Mardi Gras, Halloween Horror Nights and the “millennium” New Year's celebration on December 31st 1999. After designing an event management database system for Universal, Seth left the company in 2000 and began a decade-long career in information technology for local government.
Since 2000, Seth has worked as a producer, director, stage manager and designer in many of Orlando's top entertainment venues. Seth has served as stage manager for the record-setting production of Junie B. Jones at the Orlando Repertory Theater and the annual Red Chair Affair gala (featuring Cirque du Soleil and Blue Man Group), and as production manager for Mad Cow Theatre's Cabaret Festival (featuring K.T. Sullivan and Karen Akers).
In 2004 Seth made his major Orlando directorial debut with The Rocky Horror Show at Theatre Downtown. In addition to directing the hit show, Seth also orchestrated the music and designed the set and multimedia projections. In addition to his own productions, he has also created video designs for Mad Cow Theatre, The Vine Theater, Seminole State College, Rivership Romance, and Theatre Downtown. Seth has also directed for Orlando Shakespeare Theatre's Playfest, Antibabe, and others.
Seth is veteran presenter at the Orlando International Fringe Festival, starting wi
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
June 12, 2017
Seth Kubersky’s travel guide to Universal Studios’ three theme parks in Florida is the best way to plan and execute a vacation there. Period. The Unofficial app — which costs $6.99, plans out a schedule of the smartest order for visiting attractions based on real-time infor, keeps you abreast of line waits and more — is also totally worth the investment. Highly, highly, highly recommended.
March 7, 2022
The elder millennial in me goes for physical guide books along with fb groups, YouTube, etc. This was super helpful as I’ve done significantly less research and planning for Universal as I have for Disney. This has amazing ride details and ratings. We’re most excited for the Wizarding World, Marvel Super Hero Island, and Seuss Landing. Looking forward to the addition of their new (rumored) Nintendo-themed park set to open in 2025.
December 14, 2019
In 2018, my wife and I decided to go to Universal Orlando Resort. We had never been before but both of our Spring Breaks lined up, which rarely happens. In preparation for the trip a librarian friend of ours recommended that we check out the "Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando." We did and it really helped us have a successful trip.
My in-laws were excited by our 2018 trip stories and decided that they wanted to go at Christmas 2019. I love planning travel, especially to places I've been before, so I immediately go around to contacting the travel agent we used in 2018 and getting the ball rolling on reservations and airline tickets. I also went out and bought the 2019 version of the "Unofficial Guide." It was a good read, just like the 2018 version. What I didn't anticipate is that the writers of the "Unofficial Guides" usually write and publish each version of the guides in the early fall and release the books in December. So that means that the 2019 version was researched and published at the tail end of 2018.
2019 was a big year for UOR because of the opening of the new Hagrid ride as well as a new resort. The author's did their best to predict and share what information they had in the 2019 version, but since nothing was open at the time of writing, they weren't able to give a lot of concrete details. I'm not sorry I read it though. It reminded of a lot of good advice from the 2018 edition and helped me further shape how I'd like to tackle the parks.
I recommend this series a lot if you're going to Universal Orlando. Their advice and plans for when to ride certain rides helped us cut down our wait time and maximize the time we were in the parks.
My in-laws were excited by our 2018 trip stories and decided that they wanted to go at Christmas 2019. I love planning travel, especially to places I've been before, so I immediately go around to contacting the travel agent we used in 2018 and getting the ball rolling on reservations and airline tickets. I also went out and bought the 2019 version of the "Unofficial Guide." It was a good read, just like the 2018 version. What I didn't anticipate is that the writers of the "Unofficial Guides" usually write and publish each version of the guides in the early fall and release the books in December. So that means that the 2019 version was researched and published at the tail end of 2018.
2019 was a big year for UOR because of the opening of the new Hagrid ride as well as a new resort. The author's did their best to predict and share what information they had in the 2019 version, but since nothing was open at the time of writing, they weren't able to give a lot of concrete details. I'm not sorry I read it though. It reminded of a lot of good advice from the 2018 edition and helped me further shape how I'd like to tackle the parks.
I recommend this series a lot if you're going to Universal Orlando. Their advice and plans for when to ride certain rides helped us cut down our wait time and maximize the time we were in the parks.
September 10, 2022
Just like in 2018, when I read my first “Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando Resort,” I found the advice, information, and research to be immensely helpful for having a great vacation. I recently returned from UOR, shamefully having not completed my reading of the book before hand, and can say that without the touring plans and accompanying app, we wouldn’t have had such a good time.
For the first time, my wife and I went during the summer. We knew it was going to be hot and crowded but thanks to the advice in the book and the Touring Plans app we were able to have a great trip and avoid any theme park meltdowns (pun intended).
Many things have changed at UOR due to COVID so it was nice to get an update as well as remind ourselves of attractions that hadn’t changed. The first day in the park we used the wait times on the app in order to plan our day and rides and found that we had ridden almost all the rides in Universal Studios before lunch and the real heat of the day. In fact we found ourselves to be the only ones on the Transformers ride and enjoyed talking back to the autobots. We had decided that since it was summer we wanted to check out Volcano Bay and we were able to use the info in the book to help us have a wonderful time at the water park.
I can’t recommend this series enough as well as the app from the same company. It’s also a fun read in general because of the comments from readers and the personal asides from the authors. Pick one up for your next trip.
For the first time, my wife and I went during the summer. We knew it was going to be hot and crowded but thanks to the advice in the book and the Touring Plans app we were able to have a great trip and avoid any theme park meltdowns (pun intended).
Many things have changed at UOR due to COVID so it was nice to get an update as well as remind ourselves of attractions that hadn’t changed. The first day in the park we used the wait times on the app in order to plan our day and rides and found that we had ridden almost all the rides in Universal Studios before lunch and the real heat of the day. In fact we found ourselves to be the only ones on the Transformers ride and enjoyed talking back to the autobots. We had decided that since it was summer we wanted to check out Volcano Bay and we were able to use the info in the book to help us have a wonderful time at the water park.
I can’t recommend this series enough as well as the app from the same company. It’s also a fun read in general because of the comments from readers and the personal asides from the authors. Pick one up for your next trip.
March 8, 2017
Yep, I'm one of *those* people. I read this book cover to cover. I really appreciated everything these reviewers wrote about when I planned a massive family trip to Walt Disney World a couple of years ago. I sought them out again even for a trip that's going to be much smaller in scale, but still to a complex place that I'm rather unfamiliar with.
In my experience, there was a ton of information from travelers on the internet about planning a trip to Disney World, so I might have done okay for that trip without a book. For Universal, I can only find a fraction of the information. This book has a ton of information that isn't available online. I learned about attractions that are new and I didn't even know existed. A bunch of stuff has been added to the Orlando amusement park scene in the two and a half years since I visited previously, and there's other things that have been able to settle in. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at both Universal parks has worked out some kinks and there are plenty of people who can thoroughly report on the attractions.
This guide is the cutting edge for everything I needed. They had reviews for even the newest restaurants and the updated hotels.
In my experience, there was a ton of information from travelers on the internet about planning a trip to Disney World, so I might have done okay for that trip without a book. For Universal, I can only find a fraction of the information. This book has a ton of information that isn't available online. I learned about attractions that are new and I didn't even know existed. A bunch of stuff has been added to the Orlando amusement park scene in the two and a half years since I visited previously, and there's other things that have been able to settle in. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at both Universal parks has worked out some kinks and there are plenty of people who can thoroughly report on the attractions.
This guide is the cutting edge for everything I needed. They had reviews for even the newest restaurants and the updated hotels.
January 15, 2016
I read through most of this to prepare for our summer vacation. With the addition of the Harry Potter areas inside of the Universal Parks, the "Unofficial Guide" series released this stand-alone guide, instead of it just being an add-on to their popular Disney guide books. This book covers everything, from hotels to parking to food and attractions. They give a good description of every show and ride to help you decide what you want to see. They also review the rides with an eye for the younger set, pointing out which things might be too scary for little kids. It's not necessary to sit down and read it straight through, although it's actually very easy to do. The author is funny and engaging, so it is more like discussing attractions with a friend instead of reading a glossy park brochure. This book is well worth the money and time for planning a trip to the Universal Orlando theme parks.
September 7, 2016
The 'Unofficial' guides are some of my favourites, notably because they tend to be honest and fair, and not worry about upsetting anyone, especially Disney and Universal.
Although this book includes some of the content found in other 'Unofficial' guides, it has been greatly expanded, and is an excellent snapshot of everything you can see and do at Universal. I know a pretty decent amount already and I learnt a few new things here and there.
Written in a light, easy to pick up manner, well divided into relevant sections and ( parks, shopping etc), and full of great touring plans, this is a great book for that trip to Universal Orlando. Throws in some history too, of the rides and the parks, which is a fun read.
Recommended.
Although this book includes some of the content found in other 'Unofficial' guides, it has been greatly expanded, and is an excellent snapshot of everything you can see and do at Universal. I know a pretty decent amount already and I learnt a few new things here and there.
Written in a light, easy to pick up manner, well divided into relevant sections and ( parks, shopping etc), and full of great touring plans, this is a great book for that trip to Universal Orlando. Throws in some history too, of the rides and the parks, which is a fun read.
Recommended.
July 15, 2019
I've been to Universal Orlando twice before and I learned a lot with this book. A must read for anyone visiting the parks.
February 28, 2024
Read prior to an upcoming trip to Universal. At first I thought there was a lot of self- promoting and confusion, but then when I got into the descriptions of the actual rides, it was really comprehensive and helpful.
September 3, 2024
Indispensable read for trip planners. We're about a year out from our planned trip and this was a huge help for estimating our budget. Planning to refer back often as we get closer to help fine tune our plans!
March 21, 2025
Very in-depth and helpful, especially regarding accommodations, food, express passes, and touring plans. I started this book knowing absolutely nothing about Universal (we have always been Disney people), but now I feel well-equipped to take my family this summer.
December 29, 2019
This is a great guidebook. I used it extensively. I also used their UOR lines app to get wait times for rides. I found it more accurate than the Universal app for that specific thing.
April 30, 2024
Found this super helpful when planning vacation with family!
March 29, 2025
All the information you could wish for, would recommend!
June 23, 2025
good hits/tips for trip planning
June 5, 2024
If you are planning to go to Universal Studios in Orlando Florida highly recommend this book. Lots of tips and reviews.
January 10, 2018
I've never been to Universal Orlando, but in anticipation of a vacation there, I thought I'd check out a guidebook. When I went to my library I was shocked at the lack of guidebooks for Universal. The entire "theme park" section was dedicated to Disney. I had no idea there was such a monopoly on the market. Luckily enough, a librarian friend of mine recommended "The Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando" as a new library acquisition.
Only twice in my life have I used guidebooks. The first was when I backpacked around Europe one Christmas break in college. While my two friends who accompanied me laughed at what they called my "travel Bible," when the recommendations and suggestions saved our kiesters on several occasions, the derision ceased.
The second time was when I chaperoned/shepherded a senior class trip to Disney World. I decided to check out the guidebook mostly to get suggestions on how to see the most without wasting any time. Some of the suggestions worked well, particularly on helping me avoid rides I didn't want to waste time on waiting in line.
These two experiences with guidebooks helped me see that while I don't need to tie myself down to a guidebook and all of their suggestions, a guidebook can help you create a strategy ahead of time to cut down on the "What do you want to next? I don't know, what do you want to do?" loop that can suck the time out of a theme park vacation.
What I really appreciated about "The Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando" is that they give rides ratings based on how kids, thirty-somethings, and seniors would be interested by them. This was helpful in knowing how to plan what rides I want to ride. Another aspect I really liked, is the ratings for the restaurants they give. I hate spending money on expensive food you can find at any generic fast food restaurant. The restaurant reviews help point me in the direction of food worth spending the money on.
A unique feature of the "The Unofficial Guide" is touring plans. The editors of the Unofficial Guide have layed out an order for which rides to hit when and in what order based on crowd statistics and which rides tend to attract the most crowds. While I may not follow the touring plan exactly, I appreciate the structure and general order they suggest. I want to get the most out of my time and spend my time on the rides and attractions that are most important to me.
If you're ever going Universal Orlando or Walt Disney World, I would highly recommend "The Unofficial Guide" collection of books.
Only twice in my life have I used guidebooks. The first was when I backpacked around Europe one Christmas break in college. While my two friends who accompanied me laughed at what they called my "travel Bible," when the recommendations and suggestions saved our kiesters on several occasions, the derision ceased.
The second time was when I chaperoned/shepherded a senior class trip to Disney World. I decided to check out the guidebook mostly to get suggestions on how to see the most without wasting any time. Some of the suggestions worked well, particularly on helping me avoid rides I didn't want to waste time on waiting in line.
These two experiences with guidebooks helped me see that while I don't need to tie myself down to a guidebook and all of their suggestions, a guidebook can help you create a strategy ahead of time to cut down on the "What do you want to next? I don't know, what do you want to do?" loop that can suck the time out of a theme park vacation.
What I really appreciated about "The Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando" is that they give rides ratings based on how kids, thirty-somethings, and seniors would be interested by them. This was helpful in knowing how to plan what rides I want to ride. Another aspect I really liked, is the ratings for the restaurants they give. I hate spending money on expensive food you can find at any generic fast food restaurant. The restaurant reviews help point me in the direction of food worth spending the money on.
A unique feature of the "The Unofficial Guide" is touring plans. The editors of the Unofficial Guide have layed out an order for which rides to hit when and in what order based on crowd statistics and which rides tend to attract the most crowds. While I may not follow the touring plan exactly, I appreciate the structure and general order they suggest. I want to get the most out of my time and spend my time on the rides and attractions that are most important to me.
If you're ever going Universal Orlando or Walt Disney World, I would highly recommend "The Unofficial Guide" collection of books.
September 30, 2018
Review of 2018 edition, which I read in its entirety with the exeption of the chapters on Volcano Bay and Universal Orlando with Kids, both of which I just skimmed:
I had used Unofficial Guides before and, when I saw that they broke out Universal Orlando into its own book, I raced to buy it in order to prepare for our trip. This Potterhead is thrilled for a full guidebook on my favorite theme park. Having finished the cover-to-cover read, I am so pumped for the upcoming trip, I am ready to leave NOW! Also, I am a convert to their touring plans. My husband and I have used the Unofficial Guides before. I love the detail, I love the advice, I love their rating system, I admire the amount of research they do, and I love the touring plans. The first two times we used the guide for advice but didn’t use the plans. Our last visit we used the touring plans and became instant preachers of the “use the touring plan” crowd. We spent so much less time waiting in line that we actually wondered if we were somehow missing the crowds of people. Then, we paused, looked around and thought, “No. There are still a zillion people here. We are just avoiding them at the rides and shows because we took their advice!”
So many people think I’m insane for doing research prior to going to the theme parks; I think they are insane to not do the research. Then, most folks that I talk to look at me like I’m 100% crazy when I tell them about the touring plans. Fine with me … don’t use them then. Waste your time in lines. It means that I, who is for sure using the plan, will be waving at you as I walk from ride to ride with the shortest of waits. This year, for the first time, I paid the reduced annual subscription to TouringPlans.com to get more detailed plans (personalized for my husband and I) and other website bonuses. As I write this prior to our trip, I think it will be worth the roughly $14 in addition to the cost of the book for the personalized plans. It is worth noting that a good deal of the information on their companion site is free. Their blogs are a wealth of information! Following them on Twitter means you will be getting “as they visit” Tweets as well as updates about blog postings.
If you are planning a visit to Universal Orlando, or Walt Disney World, it is foolish to go into the parks without some prior reading. You are investing a huge amount of money in the trip. Why not invest a little more time and do some pre-reading and, thus, increase your enjoyment of your time there?
I had used Unofficial Guides before and, when I saw that they broke out Universal Orlando into its own book, I raced to buy it in order to prepare for our trip. This Potterhead is thrilled for a full guidebook on my favorite theme park. Having finished the cover-to-cover read, I am so pumped for the upcoming trip, I am ready to leave NOW! Also, I am a convert to their touring plans. My husband and I have used the Unofficial Guides before. I love the detail, I love the advice, I love their rating system, I admire the amount of research they do, and I love the touring plans. The first two times we used the guide for advice but didn’t use the plans. Our last visit we used the touring plans and became instant preachers of the “use the touring plan” crowd. We spent so much less time waiting in line that we actually wondered if we were somehow missing the crowds of people. Then, we paused, looked around and thought, “No. There are still a zillion people here. We are just avoiding them at the rides and shows because we took their advice!”
So many people think I’m insane for doing research prior to going to the theme parks; I think they are insane to not do the research. Then, most folks that I talk to look at me like I’m 100% crazy when I tell them about the touring plans. Fine with me … don’t use them then. Waste your time in lines. It means that I, who is for sure using the plan, will be waving at you as I walk from ride to ride with the shortest of waits. This year, for the first time, I paid the reduced annual subscription to TouringPlans.com to get more detailed plans (personalized for my husband and I) and other website bonuses. As I write this prior to our trip, I think it will be worth the roughly $14 in addition to the cost of the book for the personalized plans. It is worth noting that a good deal of the information on their companion site is free. Their blogs are a wealth of information! Following them on Twitter means you will be getting “as they visit” Tweets as well as updates about blog postings.
If you are planning a visit to Universal Orlando, or Walt Disney World, it is foolish to go into the parks without some prior reading. You are investing a huge amount of money in the trip. Why not invest a little more time and do some pre-reading and, thus, increase your enjoyment of your time there?
February 14, 2025
Half the fun of traveling is planning for said traveling. I enjoy learning about where I’m going, suggestions for the best places to eat, visit, and stay, all of the options like jigsaw pieces I get to put together to create the perfect trip. Even with places I’ve been to many times, like Universal Orlando, I like getting the travel guides so I can note the latest changes to crowd patterns, new foods, and ways to get the most out of my days in the theme park.
The Unofficial Guide to Universal Studios 2025 gives a history of the theme parks, where to stay, what to eat, the rides and entertainment, and touring plans based on your goals for your visit. Year to year there are small changes in the details, mostly in dining where menus are constantly being updated to reflect guests’ tastes. However, for 2025, there’s an entire new park opening, Epic Universe. Even though it is not open at the time I was visiting, I was still interested to read about what is going to be in the new park.
What I like best about the Unofficial Guide brand of travel guides, is their touring plans. Based off research of crowd patterns, they have used this data to make suggestions about the best order of operations to ride the rides and see the shows. There’s an accompanying app where you can either follow one of their pre-made touring plans, or you can craft your own. If you choose the latter, it will optimize the order in which you do each attraction or show so that you avoid long lines.
This was a great update because of all the new information about Epic Universe. It’s a great resource to have on hand for when I’m finally able to visit the new park. Knowing the foods I want to eat and the attractions I want to go on the most gets me one step ahead of the masses meaning I’m spending less time in line and more time enjoying myself.
The Unofficial Guide to Universal Studios 2025 gives a history of the theme parks, where to stay, what to eat, the rides and entertainment, and touring plans based on your goals for your visit. Year to year there are small changes in the details, mostly in dining where menus are constantly being updated to reflect guests’ tastes. However, for 2025, there’s an entire new park opening, Epic Universe. Even though it is not open at the time I was visiting, I was still interested to read about what is going to be in the new park.
What I like best about the Unofficial Guide brand of travel guides, is their touring plans. Based off research of crowd patterns, they have used this data to make suggestions about the best order of operations to ride the rides and see the shows. There’s an accompanying app where you can either follow one of their pre-made touring plans, or you can craft your own. If you choose the latter, it will optimize the order in which you do each attraction or show so that you avoid long lines.
This was a great update because of all the new information about Epic Universe. It’s a great resource to have on hand for when I’m finally able to visit the new park. Knowing the foods I want to eat and the attractions I want to go on the most gets me one step ahead of the masses meaning I’m spending less time in line and more time enjoying myself.
February 11, 2020
Here's my suggestion: If you are going to Universal, I suggest reading the latest of the Unofficial Guides. You do not need to get 2018, 2019 and then 2020. Just get the latest year and you'll be good. They barely update anything in these things. They are almost carbon copies of each other. And while these are pretty great, they are just a book after all. They do have some helpful info but honestly, I have seen them recommend some things I do not think, after experiencing Universal, is that great of advice and they leave out a lot of stuff that I know from passholders (people who regularly go). So, with that being said, I'd skim through the latest book and then go watch youtube vloggers that are there for every week and have been coming for years. I personally recommend Rixflix as my favorite. He has really fun videos that are really helpful. And there is WAY more info on his videos. Plus, you can actually SEE the park and where stuff is located. Much more involved. The only thing that these books do that the vloggers don't do as well is hotels. They really do break down the different hotels in this book (both on-site and off-site) and their ratings and cost and whatnot. Really helpful. So that's my suggestion. Universal is amazing, and you will have a great time!
I was excited for the 2020 because of all the new stuff added last year in the parks but...The book barely touched on Hagrid's. There is already outdated stuff in it (for example, they talked about the discovery center in Jurassic Park and what to do there. But if you're in the know, then you'd know, that's been closed for months and will be a new ride but not for at least a year) so yeah. My suggestion certainly stands. Watch Rixflix.
I was excited for the 2020 because of all the new stuff added last year in the parks but...The book barely touched on Hagrid's. There is already outdated stuff in it (for example, they talked about the discovery center in Jurassic Park and what to do there. But if you're in the know, then you'd know, that's been closed for months and will be a new ride but not for at least a year) so yeah. My suggestion certainly stands. Watch Rixflix.
September 10, 2022
Just like in 2018, when I read my first “Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando Resort,” I found the advice, information, and research to be immensely helpful for having a great vacation. I recently returned from UOR, shamefully having not completed my reading of the book before hand, and can say that without the touring plans and accompanying app, we wouldn’t have had such a good time.
For the first time, my wife and I went with her family to UOR, making it the second time for us. Knowing that the guidebook and app helped us have a great time in 2018, we used it to help us plan our recent trip.
Many things have changed at UOR so it was nice to get an update as well as remind ourselves of attractions that hadn’t changed. A new element was that this time we went at Christmas as opposed to Spring Break. The first day in the park we used the wait times on the app in order to plan our day and rides and found that we had ridden almost all the rides in Universal Studios before lunch! We waited twenty minutes tops due to the suggestions we followed but also because more families were in the park than older children/young adults as we had encountered during Spring Break.
I can’t recommend this series enough as well as the app from the same company. It’s also a fun read in general because of the comments from readers and the personal asides from the authors. Pick one up for your next trip.
For the first time, my wife and I went with her family to UOR, making it the second time for us. Knowing that the guidebook and app helped us have a great time in 2018, we used it to help us plan our recent trip.
Many things have changed at UOR so it was nice to get an update as well as remind ourselves of attractions that hadn’t changed. A new element was that this time we went at Christmas as opposed to Spring Break. The first day in the park we used the wait times on the app in order to plan our day and rides and found that we had ridden almost all the rides in Universal Studios before lunch! We waited twenty minutes tops due to the suggestions we followed but also because more families were in the park than older children/young adults as we had encountered during Spring Break.
I can’t recommend this series enough as well as the app from the same company. It’s also a fun read in general because of the comments from readers and the personal asides from the authors. Pick one up for your next trip.
February 6, 2020
Here's my suggestion: If you are going to Universal, I suggest reading the latest of the Unofficial Guides. You do not need to get 2018, 2019 and then 2020. Just get the latest year and you'll be good. They barely update anything in these things. They are almost carbon copies of each other. And while these are pretty great, they are just a book after all. They do have some helpful info but honestly, I have seen them recommend some things I do not think, after experiencing Universal, is that great of advice and they leave out a lot of stuff that I know from passholders (people who regularly go). So, with that being said, I'd skim through the latest book and then go watch youtube vloggers that are there for every week and have been coming for years. I personally recommend Rixflix as my favorite. He has really fun videos that are really helpful. And there is WAY more info on his videos. Plus, you can actually SEE the park and where stuff is located. Much more involved. The only thing that these books do that the vloggers don't do as well is hotels. They really do break down the different hotels (both on-site and off-site) and their ratings and cost and whatnot. Really helpful. So that's my suggestion. Universal is amazing, and you will have a great time!
November 9, 2024
I tend to find the Unofficial Guides the best ones out there, as they throw out all the frilly stuff, like big colourful pictures, and pack the books with actual content. The Universal Guide is no different, absolutely packed on every page with helpful information and tips. I doubt there’s any question you have that isn’t covered, and unlike some guides I could mention, they actually fully update each edition.
A couple of very minor quibbles. Firstly, at every opportunity the touring plan service is mentioned, some free ones in the book ( which is nice) but also pointing to their touring plans website ( which is, actually, very good). Secondly,the comments of other visitors don’t really add much to the book, and come across as filler.
Overall though, one of the best guides to Universal Orlando for sure.
A couple of very minor quibbles. Firstly, at every opportunity the touring plan service is mentioned, some free ones in the book ( which is nice) but also pointing to their touring plans website ( which is, actually, very good). Secondly,the comments of other visitors don’t really add much to the book, and come across as filler.
Overall though, one of the best guides to Universal Orlando for sure.
November 11, 2022
The Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando 2022 by Seth Kubersky, Bob Sehlinger, and Len Testa
632 pages Kindle Ebook
Rating as a movie: G
My rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
My thoughts: 🔖11% Page 77 of 632 - My head hurts a little, and I skipped the irrelevant information.
🔖17% 127 - It was pretty interesting, but nothing new here.
I've been reading these books for a long time. They are so informative, and if you are familiar, they tell you where the updated information is located in each edition. The ebook is better for easier reading and the links.
Recommend to others?: I highly recommend this book to everyone planning a visit.
632 pages Kindle Ebook
Rating as a movie: G
My rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
My thoughts: 🔖11% Page 77 of 632 - My head hurts a little, and I skipped the irrelevant information.
🔖17% 127 - It was pretty interesting, but nothing new here.
I've been reading these books for a long time. They are so informative, and if you are familiar, they tell you where the updated information is located in each edition. The ebook is better for easier reading and the links.
Recommend to others?: I highly recommend this book to everyone planning a visit.
July 26, 2018
This is a very good book to help plan a trip to Universal Orlando. It includes all that you would need, including restaurants, attractions and hotels. I have read their Walt Disney World review before a trip in 2012 and it was very helpful. I plan to read their new review for WDW, which should be released in August, but the new Universal Orland will be released in December and so I wanted to get a head start as we begin to start planning a spring trip to the Orlando, and their amusement park Mecca, area.
March 16, 2018
Great guide for a trip to universal Orlando
The guides to getting the most out of your visit with in-depth ride descriptions are extremely useful. I’m an active senior citizen, but still need to be careful on rides. Hopefully this guide has allowed me to make good choices before riding. Help on the appropriateness of each ride for children is also given. This is the only source I’ve found that describes volcano bay in detail.
The guides to getting the most out of your visit with in-depth ride descriptions are extremely useful. I’m an active senior citizen, but still need to be careful on rides. Hopefully this guide has allowed me to make good choices before riding. Help on the appropriateness of each ride for children is also given. This is the only source I’ve found that describes volcano bay in detail.
March 14, 2022
We are theme park unaware and only have two days to experience this park . In our lack of understanding, this guide allowed us to maximize our time to make sure our time is best used experiencing the theatrical and thrilling rides and events and less time sitting in line with the massive crowds that develop throughout the day.
The itineraries in the back of the book work great for the diverse ways groups can experience the parks.
The itineraries in the back of the book work great for the diverse ways groups can experience the parks.
March 6, 2018
This book will help you plan your trip to Universal Orlando and maybe give you a real shot at having fun. OR it will help you to realize that THIS is the second to the last place on earth you would want to spend time and money.... Disney takes a fast first. Either way I found it very well done and helpful.
May 10, 2018
Definitely skip on to the most recent. UO has changed so much in the last year (and will continue to!) that this isn't going to be helpful enough for someone wanting to know EVERYTHING.
That being said, this is my first time reading one of the Unofficial Guides, and I loved the layout and information that was available.
That being said, this is my first time reading one of the Unofficial Guides, and I loved the layout and information that was available.
February 3, 2020
For years I’ve told friends that if they are going to WDW they need the latest edition of the Unofficial Guide. Now that my daughter has finally started reading HP we can venture to USF and IOA so I’m following my own advice and starting here. I’ve read the bulk of this in one weekend and will surely check back as our trip gets closer. Highly recommend this series.
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