5 Steps to Create Your Perfect Universal Studios Orlando One Day Plan

In need of a productive and fun Universal Studios one day plan?

Planning to visit this Orlando theme park resort can feel overwhelming, but with the right Universal Studios Orlando one day itinerary, you can have a pretty stress-free day.

Whether you want to try lots of snacks, ride every coaster in a park or two, or meet lots of characters, with these 5 tips, you’ll be able to create the right your perfect Universal Studios Orlando itinerary.

This post is all about the 5 things you need to consider to formulate your ideal Universal Studios Orlando one day plan.

Universal Studios Orlando One Day Plan

The Basics You Should Know About Universal Studios Orlando

Universal Studios Orlando isn’t just a theme park – it is an entire resort.

Universal Studios Orlando is home to three theme parks:

Universal Studios Florida

Universal Studios Orlando one day pass — The Beat Builders at Universal Studios Florida

Universal Islands of Adventure

Universal Studios Orlando one day ticket — The entrance of Universal Islands of Adventure

Universal Epic Universe (officially opening on May 22nd, 2025).

Universal also has its own impressive water park, Volcano Bay.

Want explore some more dining and shopping locations at Universal? Check out CityWalk outside of Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.

What to Consider Whilst Making Your Universal Studios Orlando One Day Itinerary

1) Are you spending the entire day from start to finish?

This will probably depend on why you’re in Florida.

Were you visiting Orlando anyway, and then decided to spend a little time at Universal?

Were you taking a Disney trip, and decided to go over to Universal for the day?

If you’re spending the entire day, you certainly plan to do far more than if you’re only going to visit for half a day.

If you want to visit from the start of the day, remember you’ll need to stay at an on-site hotel or be a valid Universal Passholder to qualify for early entry to the parks (one hour before everyone else).

2) Which Universal park(s) should you visit? & Make sure you get the right tickets!

With three parks and a water park, there’s a lot to choose from.

Although you technically could visit every park in a day, it would be a waste of time and money, as you’d spend so much time travelling between parks and little time on attractions.

Let’s go through each park:

Universal Studios Florida – a park with mainly screen-based attractions, so maybe skippable if you’re really prone to motion sickness! However, they have Diagon Alley – an incredibly impressive Harry Potter land. You can easily park hop to Universal Islands of Adventure from here by taking the Hogwarts Express from Kings Cross Station to Hogsmeade, or by walking a couple minutes to the other park.
Universal Islands of Adventure – is park is known for three main things: 1) having 4 water rides (if you include One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish), 2) having some of the biggest/best roller coasters (i.e. Jurassic World: VelociCoaster and Harid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure) and 3) being the first Universal park to get a Harry Potter land – Hogsmeade. Again, it’s easy to park hop to Universal Studios Florida, by taking the Hogwarts Express from Hogsmeade Station to Kings Cross Station, or by walking a couple minutes to Islands of Adventure.
Universal Epic Universe – Universal’s newest theme park, officially opening on May 22nd, 2025 (with Annual Passholder previews taking place April 17th – May 8th. This park has 5 lands, 11 attractions, 2 shows and most likely crazy crowds for the foreseeable future. The main IPs at this park are Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts, Nintendo, How to Train Your Dragon and Universal Classic Monsters. Because of this, it doesn’t make sense to park hop if you want to spend your one day at Epic Universe.
Universal Volcano Bay – this water park is arguably the best in Orlando (yes, even better than Disney World’s two water parks). This is open year-round, but may close for weather constraints. You could spend a few hours here, and the rest of the day at another park, but you would probably need to rent a locker at a theme park to hold all your belongings, unless you’re driving.

Do you need to park hop, or just visit one park during your day?

Any parks technically could be full-day parks, but it really depends on which attractions are important to you.

RELATED POST: Your Ultimate Guide to Universal Studios Orlando & The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Tickets

I’d recommend researching every park before making this decision.

If you want to maximize your time at the Universal parks, you can always consider purchasing a Universal Express Pass (essentially Universal’s FastPass).

3) Which attractions are non-negotiable?

Let’s get one thing straight: not every attraction at Universal Studios Orlando deserves a spot on your one-day plan.

After all, when time is limited, prioritization is key – especially if you don’t have an Express Pass or go on a VIP tour.

If you know which park(s), you’re visiting, now’s the time to do some brief research on the different attractions, and decide which you want to experience.

Maybe you want to ride every roller coaster you can, or perhaps you’re drawn to more family-friendly rides.

It doesn’t matter, as long as you know which rides you MUST ride!

Here are some posts to help you decide which attractions you should add to your must-experience list:

Ranking the Universal Harry Potter Rides: Best to Worst in Hollywood and Orlando

Universal Studios Orlando Roller Coasters Ranked: Which are a Waste of Your Time & What’s [actually] Worth The Hype?

4) Any meals/snacks/drinks you HAVE to have at Universal Studios Orlando?

Have you been scrolling on social media, and found some incredible looking food/drinks you NEED to try at Universal Studios Orlando?

Whether it’s Butterbeer at any of the Harry Potter lands, a new snack at Epic Universe or a hearty meal, add it to your itinerary.

Universal Studios Orlando one day itinerary — Cold Butterbeer from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Most dining locations are quick service, so you can mobile order or just turn up without reservations.

If you want to dine at a table service restaurant, make sure to make your reservations in advance.

5) Pack & dress smart for your day at Universal Studios

If you’ve only got one day at Universal Orlando, you won’t want impractical clothing or uncomfortable shoes slowing you down!

Consider these things before your day at Universal:

The size of your park bag – as you may need to leave them in large lockers when you go on rides or throughout the day, which can get expensive. See this post for more details.
The weather—Just because Universal is in Florida doesn’t mean it’s always hot and humid! There can be some cold winter days when coats are a must. Alternatively, it can be so hot that you’d regret bringing a jacket. Do your research on the weather before you visit so you can dress accordingly.

Universal Studios Orlando on site hotels — For example, you probably won’t want to wear these Harry Potter outfits in the humid months in Orlando!

Accessories/electronic devices you need for the day – Taking photos? Mobile ordering? Scrolling whilst in line? Your phone battery will probably get drained fast. Don’t forget to bring a portable phone charger. You can use FuelRods, but unlike at Disney World, you will have to pay $3 each time you exchange them.

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Planning Your Universal Studios Orlando One Day Plan

Can you see Universal Studios Orlando in one day?

Is it possible to do Universal Orlando in one day? Absolutely.

Can you see everything at Universal Orlando in one day? Absolutely not.

If you’re okay with not seeing everything, a day trip to Universal can still make sense.

Is it worth it to go to Universal Studios for one day?

If you want to visit every park, ride every attraction and try a variety of Universal foods and drinks, one day is simply not enough. In that case, I’d recommend spending a minimum of a few days at Universal, and staying on site to save time (and in some cases, money).

However, if you’re only interested in a few attractions and you’re content knowing you won’t get to see everything in a single day, it’s still a trip worth taking.

Can you get 1 day tickets to Universal Orlando?

Yes, Universal Studios Orlando sells one day tickets to all their theme parks and Volcano Bay.

Find the details (including pricing) in this post.

Is it possible to do both Harry Potter parks in one day?

Now that there is three Harry Potter parks, it is not recommended to try and explore all three in just one day.

I’d recommend choosing either Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure (which would require a park to park ticket), or visiting the Ministry of Magic at Epic Universe. That is, if you’re only/primarily visiting Universal for Harry Potter.

What should I consider when making a one day plan for Universal Studios Orlando on Christmas Day?

If you’re planning to hit Universal Studios Orlando on Christmas Day, remember that crowds will be HIGH.

It will usually be one of the busiest days of the year at Universal Orlando.

That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t visit on Christmas Day; it just means that you should be aware that it probably won’t be the most productive day ever.

Of course, you can utilize single rider queues and purchase Express Passes (both can be good options, although Express Passes will be priced very highly on Christmas Day), but there is no way to truly escape the crowds.

Ta Ta For Now

Mastering your Universal Studios Orlando one-day itinerary comes down to smart preparation and thoughtful planning.

Do you have any tips for creating a perfect Universal Studios Orlando one day plan? Please share in the comments 🙂

This post was all about the 5 things you need to consider to formulate your ideal Universal Studios Orlando one day plan.