Theme Parks · Our pick in Florida
Universal Studios Florida
Universal’s first Orlando park, 1990
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © ThrillZing · CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsAbout Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida opened on 7 June 1990, the year after Disney’s own studio park, and turned Orlando into a two-company theme-park town.
Universal comes to Orlando
Universal Studios Florida opened on 7 June 1990. With Disney’s studio park a year old, Orlando now had two of Hollywood’s great names competing for the same visitors, and the race between them has shaped the city ever since.
Into the films
The park is themed to the movies: streets dressed as New York, San Francisco and Hollywood, and rides that put you inside the films. Its best-known corner is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley, which Universal opened here in 2014, four years after Hogsmeade arrived next door.
Universal Studios Florida opened on 7 June 1990 (Orange County Government).
Getting between the parks
With a park-to-park ticket, the Hogwarts Express runs between Diagon Alley’s King’s Cross station and Hogsmeade at Islands of Adventure, so the journey becomes part of the day.
Planning your day
Universal Studios Florida sits beside Islands of Adventure and the CityWalk entertainment district, so many visitors spread two parks over two days. Buy tickets and any express passes on Universal’s own website.
Our advice: ride the Hogwarts Express in both directions. The story on board is different each way.
Why it's on our list
- Opened 1990
- Diagon Alley
- Rides based on the films
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Universal Studios Florida before you go.
What’s nearby
Distances from Universal Studios Florida are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 15 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Key sights
- Magic Kingdom7.9 miCar or taxi 18 min