DreamWorks Land at Universal Studios Orlando
- Amaris Scipione
- Mar 6
- 6 min read
The Crystal Conference has come to an end, but I have a couple days before the next conference. Since it was a short gap, I decided to stay in Florida for an extra night and fly directly to the next event.
My morning began with an Uber ride from Disney’s Saratoga Springs to Universal’s Aventura Hotel. My car pulled up to the hotel and two ladies approached the car and opened my door. Their faces had the same look of surprise as mine. At first, I thought maybe my ride turned into theirs, but in reality, their Uber driver was right behind the car. I always check to make sure the license plate in my app matches the car. Apparently not everyone does this, but I recommend doing this.
I arrived well before check-in but was fortunate in getting a room right away. Universal’s Aventura is a reasonably priced hotel that is close to Universal. It’s a tower with a small footprint so all the amenities are nearby. Once I moved into my room,
I went back to the front desk to inquire about shipping. I gathered some items from the last conference and prefer not to bring them to Europe. Fortunately, Loew’s Sapphire Falls is a two-minute walk from my hotel, and they have business center. I walk to the business center, and they provide me with a box, then I go back to my room to fill the box, and then I return. They tape it shut and mail it for me. Similar to the Hilton, I’m charged a handling fee in addition to the cost of postage.
Bus transportation is provided from Aventura Resort to Citywalk, but Sapphire Falls has a water taxi. The water taxi is better and since I’m already here, I’m going to see if I can utilize it. It’s technically only for guests at Sapphire Falls, but I want to give it a try. I like to test systems. Before heading to the park, I walk around Sapphire Falls to gather pictures and videos of the property. The pool here is fabulous so I exit the doors that lead to the pool. The door slams behind me and then I reach the gate for the pool. The gate requires a keycard and mine doesn’t work since I’m not staying here. I turn to go back into the hotel and realize I’m trapped. The hotel door also requires a keycard and mine doesn’t work. I end up having to ask for help from someone inside the pool and they walk over to let me in. I snap a couple pictures and decide I’m going to the parks. I don’t want to get trapped again! I exit the hotel on the opposite side of the building as the pool towards what I think is the way to the water taxi. I left from the wrong door and this one doesn’t have a way to the water taxi! Again, I can’t re-enter the hotel and this time I’m alone. No one is nearby. I guess I’m walking to the parks! Luckily the walk isn’t too far, and the weather is nice. Moral of the story: don’t roam around other hotels at Universal!
I arrive to CityWalk and then walk to the gate for Universal Studios Orlando. I have a lunch reservation for Finnegan’s. This is an Irish pub. The Blues Brothers are blaring right outside the restaurant. This is not a sensory-friendly restaurant. I order chicken fingers and soup. The food was underwhelming and my chicken fingers from Pinocchio Village Haus at Walt Disney World was better than the ones here. The other table-service restaurant at this park is much better.
My son had a special school event that I missed for this trip. The school provided a Zoom link, so I find a quiet area of the park to watch my son’s book launch event. His class collectively wrote a book and today is the red-carpet launch of the book. It was so cute to watch, and I got a chance to FaceTime with my son after the event.
My son has never been to Universal Studios, but I’d love to bring him here. Travel with him is so much easier when he knows what to expect. I utilize the next couple hours to explore the areas that would interest him. I take videos and pictures so that I can set expectations with him for when we visit. Ideally, I’d visit all destinations before he does, but that’s not always possible. Prepping neurodivergent children (and adults) is a really important aspect for a successful trip.
Dreamworks Land is one of the areas he would love! I walk through this cute area and head toward the back. There is a splash pad area which looks like a gentle splash area for kids. I’m walking with my nice camera through the area and the janitor says something inaudible from across the way to me. I can’t quite make out what he says, but he motions for me to move. A giant bucket of water crashes onto the roof and drenches the area where I was just standing. The janitor was trying to tell me that I was in the splash zone! Luckily, I moved in time, and I still have a working camera. They really should have a sign, I think! Well, there is a sign, but I didn’t read it.
Shrek and Fiona are greeting guests, so I join the line. I’m the last person to enter before people are turned away. The characters come out on a schedule, but the schedule is not posted in the park. You must use the app to see the times.
I visited this park when I was a child on New Year’s Eve. Our first attraction of the day was The Terminator show and after a very long wait my younger brother needed to use the bathroom. My dad took him to the bathroom while my mom, my older brother, and I continued to wait. They didn’t return and my mom was super worried. This was a time before cell phones, and we wouldn’t find them until several hours later. The Terminator Ride is no longer here, but in its place is The Borne Stuntacular.
The Bourne Stuntacular is a stunt show themed to The Bourne movies. I really enjoyed this show, and the technology and special effects used for the show was really interesting. It felt like you were right there in the exotic destinations!
I move to Minion Land and try out the motion-simulator ride here. I took my Bonine medicine before today’s visit and I’m glad I did! Shrinking down to Minion size and moving through the world as a Minion is dizzying.
I finish this park visit by exploring the Wicked display. They had some of the set pieces and attire from the movie which was cool to see.
A park-to-park ticket is a must if visiting Universal for only one day. I exited the park and used my ticket to enter Universal Islands of Adventure. There is a ride here I haven’t tried! I look at the app and the Velocicoaster has a 120-minute wait! This is literally the only ride I absolutely wanted to go on today so despite the wait, I go to the roller coaster. When I arrived, I’m pleasantly surprised that the wait dropped to 60 minutes. I check the app about 15 minutes into the wait, and it has jumped back up! Sometimes it works to move towards long line rides. The long waits scare people and there is a blip of a much shorter wait. I’m used to Cedar Point roller coasters and the ones at Universal and Disney don’t usually compare. I don’t have high expectations for the level of thrill I enjoy. I was pleasantly surprised. This is a real roller coaster and one of my new favorites!
I finish my park time by visiting both Harry Potter areas. I take the Hogwart’s Express back to Universal Studios and then again to Islands of Adventure. The train ride is different each way and I’m curious to watch them back-to-back. The differences are subtle and don’t think you’re missing much by only watching one of them.
The evening ends at my favorite CityWalk restaurant with a delicious milkshake!
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