If you’re planning a trip to Universal Orlando Resort, you’re in for a treat. With two amazing theme parks, Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, plus a water park, Volcano Bay, there’s plenty to see and do. But with so much to experience, it’s important to know how to move between parks efficiently. In this ultimate guide, we’ll show you just how easy it is to move between parks and make the most of your time at Universal Orlando Resort.
Park-to-Park Tickets – Why You Need Them
Universal Orlando Resort offers a unique feature that not many other theme parks do – park-to-park tickets. These tickets allow you to hop between Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure as much as you want in a single day. This is important because there are many attractions that are only accessible by going from one park to the other. For example, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is split between the two parks, with Hogsmeade in Islands of Adventure and Diagon Alley in Universal Studios Florida. Without a park-to-park ticket, you won’t be able to experience all the magic of Harry Potter.
If you have only purchased a single park ticket and then decide you want a park-to-park ticket, there are several ticket booths located throughout Universal Orlando Resort where you can purchase tickets for the parks.
Outside of the parks
- Universal Studios Florida Ticket Center: Located at the front of Universal Studios, near the turnstiles.
- Islands of Adventure Ticket Center: Located at the front of Islands of Adventure, near the turnstiles.
- Universal CityWalk Ticket Center: Located at the entrance to Universal CityWalk, near the parking garages and transportation hub.
- Universal Orlando Resort Hotels: Ticket booths are also available at the concierge desk of each Universal Orlando Resort hotel.
Inside of the parks
If you are already inside the parks, there are ticket booths located near the entrances of the Hogwarts Express train at both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. These ticket booths allow you to purchase tickets specifically for the Hogwarts Express train, or upgrade existing park-to-park tickets to include the train.
How to Move Between Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure
You can choose the train or walk:
Why chose the train:
Moving between parks is easy, thanks to the Hogwarts Express. This iconic train from the Harry Potter series transports you between Hogsmeade in Islands of Adventure and Diagon Alley in Universal Studios Florida. But it’s not just a mode of transportation – it’s an experience in itself. You’ll feel like you’re really on your way to Hogwarts as you board the train and see scenes from the movies play out through the windows. Each direction of travel on the train has it’s own experience and scenes, so don’t forget to try each way!
Why chose to walk:
While the Hogwarts Express is the most fun way to move between parks, there are other options available. You can walk between the two parks via CityWalk, Universal Orlando Resort’s dining and entertainment district. Walking will put you right next to the Universal Globe for a fantastic photo. You can also visit a chunk of the Berlin Wall behind the Hard Rock Cafe. From my experience, the walk through City Walk between the Kings Cross Station and the Hogsmeade Station takes 11 minutes.
Train vs Walking:
While the train is fantastic and a great way to get some rest while the staying out of the heat, if the goal is to arrive quickly at the other park, walking is a quicker option after noon. We generally chose to walk if the wait times for the Hogwarts Express are more than 20 minutes (30 while using express passes). If we are just wanting to enjoy the attraction and it is not peak time of the day, we ride the train.
Hogwarts Express as an attraction
If you want to visit the train as an attraction, we have found that the best possible time to do it is early in the morning before guests start to use it as transportation between parks. Ride times below 15 minutes are optimal, and you can quickly re-enter the next station after scanning your park-to-park pass and experience each version of the train ride.
Inside the attraction, you visit a replica of the Hogwarts Express train, complete with luggage racks, compartments, and a conductor’s station. Guests can board the train for a fun photo opportunity and pretend to be on their way to Hogwarts.
In Universal Studios, Kings Cross Station features a replica of the iconic brick wall from the Harry Potter series, where you can take photos and pretend to run through the wall to get to Platform 9 3/4. Don’t forget to ask the station workers where Platform 9 3/4 is before going through the wall, their muggle responses are some of my favorites!
While Hogsmeade Station in Islands of Adventure is not as exciting, I prefer the train ride towards Diagon Alley best for the clever scenes. Keep an eye out for all the hidden gems!
If you just want to experience the fun of running through the wall at Platform 9 3/4 but not riding the train, try going during in the morning. Simply get your video/photos and then ask a Team Member to let you exit instead of riding the train. We tried this and it was great because no guests were behind us so we could take our time with the experience.
Hope you enjoy your day park-hopping, which mode of transportation would you choose?
