Not for me — overcrowded, expensive and exhausting
Not for me — overcrowded, expensive and exhausting
I visited Universal Orlando with my daughter, having never been before. She enjoyed the experience, which was the main reason for going, but from my own perspective I found the whole thing incredibly disappointing.
First piece of advice: think very carefully before visiting Orlando in the summer. Obviously Universal can’t control the weather, but the combination of heat, humidity and enormous crowds made the parks exhausting. If I ever had to do Orlando again, I’d go during the coolest part of the year.
The sheer number of people was probably my biggest issue. Tens of thousands of people, queues everywhere and very little feeling of relaxation. Thankfully we had Express Passes, which helped enormously, but even with those I found the experience tiring rather than enjoyable.
I’m 48 and I’m also not particularly interested in extreme rides, so I’ll acknowledge that I’m probably not Universal’s target customer. My daughter had considerably more fun than I did! Personally, though, I didn’t find the parks substantially more enjoyable than places such as Thorpe Park or Chessington in the UK. Obviously Universal is much bigger and the theming is on another scale, but the basic experience of crowds, rides and queues felt remarkably familiar to me.
My biggest criticism is the constant feeling of being monetised. Once you’ve already spent a substantial amount getting into the parks, the prices inside become irritating. I found much of the food mediocre, heavily processed theme-park food being sold at premium prices. Everything seems designed to extract another few dollars from an enormous captive audience. That really detracted from the experience for me.
Islands of Adventure was probably my favourite of the main Universal parks. I enjoyed some of the water rides and there were moments there that were genuinely fun.
The highlight of our Universal stay, however, was Volcano Bay. We actually went twice and I enjoyed that considerably more than the main theme parks. It was more my kind of day, although having experienced other major European water parks, I still wouldn’t personally travel all the way to Florida purely for it.
I completely understand why younger people, families and serious theme-park fans love Universal. If I were 15, 20 or 25 again, perhaps I’d see it completely differently. And most importantly, my daughter enjoyed herself, so I’m pleased she got to experience it.
But reviews should reflect different people’s experiences, and mine was that Universal Orlando was overcrowded, overpriced and exhausting. I felt more like one customer among tens of thousands being constantly sold to than someone having a relaxing holiday.
If you’re similar to me — middle-aged, don’t particularly enjoy intense rides, dislike huge crowds and hate feeling constantly overcharged — I’d seriously question whether Universal Orlando is worth the considerable expense.
If you do decide to go, my two recommendations would be: visit during the coolest and hopefully quieter period you can, and seriously consider an Express Pass.
I’m glad I took my daughter and gave her the experience, but personally, once was more than enough.
事業者からの返答
Hello. Thank you for writing your review. While I am happy you enjoyed the water attractions at Universal Islands of Adventure, utilizing the Universal Express Passes and your visits to Universal Volcano Bay, I am sorry for any disappointment regarding the prices, crowds, and weather during your visit to our parks. I appreciate you sharing your informative insight about your experience at our parks, and I will make sure to pass along the feedback you shared to the proper teams. We would like to learn additional feedback regarding your visit, so please reach out to our Guest Services Team at 407-224-4233 or GuestServices@universalorlando.com at your earliest convenience and mention your review username. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
-Barbara
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MarielyO3
August 15, 2026
Overpriced and not worth the hype!
I’ve been going to Universal Studios since I was nine years old, but unfortunately, the park has undergone significant changes over the years, none of which have improved the overall experience.
Firstly, the ticket prices have increased, making it unaffordable for many families especially visiting other parks in Orlando. Secondly, the park has become overcrowded, with long lines for even the most popular rides. The iconic attractions that once captivated me have either been removed or replaced with time-consuming and tedious attractions that drain your time and energy.
As a parent of teenagers, I can understand why they might not enjoy the park as much as I did. The heat and the overcrowded atmosphere can be overwhelming, and teenagers can become impatient quickly.
To make the most of your visit, I recommend reading reviews and researching which rides are worth the wait and which ones are better to skip. This way, you can plan your day accordingly and avoid wasting time on attractions that don’t offer much value or fun.
事業者からの返答
Hello Mariely, I'm truly sorry to see your disappointment with the waits and experiences you shared from your time at our rides and how this contributed to your most recent visit not quite living up to your experiences from your childhood visits. I'd love the opportunity to discuss this with you in greater detail so we may see how improvements can be made to the overall Guest experience. When you're available, please reach out to Guest Services at 407-224-4233, option 5, or GuestServices@UniversalOrlando.com, referencing your review and username. I greatly appreciate you taking the time to share your visit and feedback with us. I hope you'll allow us the opportunity to speak with you soon.
-Chrisy
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alexiaah2026
August 4, 2026
Best
The best place were we come with my boyfriend
事業者からの返答
Hello Alexiaa,
I am delighted to hear that you found Universal Studios Florida to be the best place to visit! I highly recommend checking out Lombard's Seafood Grille for the perfect restaurant to enjoy an elegant meal with your partner! Thank you so much for the review! We look forward to seeing you again in the future!
-Talya
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MickeDeluxe
July 29, 2026
Not even close to worth the price
I travelled to Universal Orlando with my family after flying in from Copenhagen. In Copenhagen we have several amusement parks such as Bakken and Tivoli. These parks are already expensive, but they offer many attractions and a full day of entertainment. Because of this background I expected Universal Orlando to deliver an even higher level of quality. Unfortunately the experience was extremely disappointing.
The price for 4 one day tickets plus parking was 693 dollars, including 30 dollars for parking. Despite the high cost, the park delivered a day filled with technical problems. One roller coaster was not functioning at all. Several other attractions had faults that caused long delays. Transformers also had a malfunction that extended the waiting time even further. The Jason Bourne show stopped in the middle of the performance and never continued. The compensation was 1 fast pass, which did not change the overall experience.
The queues for most attractions were 45 to 50 minutes. Almost all attractions were based on three dimensional films rather than real physical rides. For visitors who enjoy actual roller coasters and mechanical attractions this park offers very little value. The combination of long queues and film based rides makes the experience feel repetitive and unsatisfying.
The prices inside the park were also extremely high. A simple pizza cost 20 dollars. A beer cost 12 dollars. A soft drink cost 5 dollars. A Harry Potter wand cost around 90 dollars, which is an astonishing price for a souvenir. Additional parks and fast passes were available, but they increased the already extreme cost. Universal Orlando appears to focus entirely on dollars rather than on delivering quality. The park was overcrowded and the value for money was far below what we are used to in Copenhagen.
We had originally planned to stay in the park until 20 or 21. However the moment that made us leave early was the extreme heat inside The Mummy attraction. A technical failure left us standing in the underground corridors for more than 40 minutes with almost no information and no ventilation. The heat was overwhelming and several people began to panic. Some tried to walk back through the crowd while others lay down on the floor to rest because of the conditions. When I complained about the experience afterwards, a staff member named Brent gave us 30 dollars so that we could at least buy water. This situation was unacceptable and it was the final drop that made us walk out of the park at 17 instead of completing the day as planned.
We had originally planned to visit more of the company’s theme parks during our stay. After this experience we decided not to. It felt as if the wallet was being emptied at every step and I no longer enjoyed the experience. The children agreed. For the price of visiting 2 parks for 1 day, one can buy a full hotel night with all inclusive in Ibiza for 1 person. After this visit I now consider Tivoli to be both affordable and enjoyable in comparison. I would rather go to the pool.
Universal Orlando did not meet even basic expectations. The combination of high prices, technical failures, long queues and limited real attractions made the visit deeply disappointing.
See you at the pool with a cold beverage instead.
事業者からの返答
Hello, it's incredibly disheartening to see the experiences you described while in our park and at our rides, especially with the delays and variety of attractions you mentioned. This is absolutely not at all the kind of visit we want for our Guests, so I'll be passing your feedback along to our leadership teams for their internal review. I'd love the opportunity to discuss your experiences in greater detail. When you're available, please reach out to Guest Services at 877-589-4783, with limited international tolls, or GuestServices@UniversalOrlando.com, referencing your review and username. Thank you, truly, for taking the time to share your feedback and concerns with us. I hope we have the chance to speak with you soon.
-Chrisy
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karienj2026
July 19, 2026
Day review
Loved the experience, the rides , the atmosphere just amusing
事業者からの返答
Hello Karien. Thank you for sharing your review. It is great to hear you found the attractions and ambiance at our parks to be thrilling! I hope you had the opportunity to check out Universal Epic Universe! The celestial atmosphere there is truly unforgettable! We can't wait to see you again soon!
-Barbara
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Latoya_T
July 5, 2026
Poor
Ticket that was displayed and sold was not the ticket once I got to park I couldn’t get in park thst
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Relax27752626811
June 10, 2026
Don’t waste your money on a on day single park ticket
Half of what you would expect from the $330 spent for a 1 day pass to one park. We visited some 10 years ago and the park we paid for ‘universal studios’ was twice the dize for the money. It was a real waste of money with not one single external roller coaster ride and what was available was the same rides they were doing 10 years ago. Very disappointing
事業者からの返答
Hi there.
Thank you for sharing your review. I am truly sorry to hear of any disappointment you may have experienced during your recent visit to Universal Studios Florida regarding ticket prices and available attractions. We strive to provide our Guests with exceptional experiences and with prices that are competitive with similar attractions in the area, and I apologize if your visit did not reflect these values. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and please be assured that your feedback is being shared with the proper leadership teams. At your convenience, we would like to hear more from you. Please contact our Guest Services Team at 407-224-4233, or GuestServices@universalorlando.com, and provide your username. Thank you for your time, and I hope we will hear from you soon.
- Victoria
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Flyer37217863832
June 5, 2026
Quick and easy
The park was amazing as it always has been and wait was not long at all for any of the rides and cast members were amazing!
事業者からの返答
Hello! Thank you for sharing your review. I am delighted to hear our Team Members provided a fun experience for you during your visit with us! We can't wait to welcome you back soon for more adventures! Make sure to stop by The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen for a sweet treat in the middle of all the thrills!
-Barbara
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E3625MAlarsh
June 2, 2026
OVERPRICED.
MONEY GRABBING GIFT SHOP.
A visit is only worthwhile with the express ticket. The gift shops and parking spots are far too overpriced. Throughout the ride and after the ride, there is constant encouragement to visit the gift shop. It also feels as if they only want money. Wait times of up to 145 minutes.
D
Dave_C
June 1, 2026
Waste, don’t attend
Epic universe rides were all broken, waste of a day. Waited in Mine cart, Mario cart, and carousel lines to not avail, they were all down
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