Because most touring plans are based on being present when the theme park opens 9 am, you need to know about opening procedures. Universal Orlando’s on-site resort transportation to the parks via buses and water taxis begins 2 hours before official opening, or 1 hour before Early Park Admission. Guests staying on-site during peak periods will want to catch the first ride of the morning (or start walking around the time it leaves) to be the first into The Wizarding World during the early-entry period. Off-season visitors should arrive at the gates 15–30 minutes before Early Park Admission (EPA) begins.
The parking garage also opens 2 hours before official opening, but on days of exceptional attendance (like the grand opening of a new attraction), the garage has opened as early as 3 a.m. If you are driving to the resort and aren’t eligible for EPA 7 am, plan to arrive at the Universal parking garage 45–60 minutes prior to official opening. If you need to purchase park admission, add another 15 minutes to that. It takes approximately 10–15 minutes to walk from the parking garage to the parks’ entrance turnstiles, so you should arrive at the turnstiles 30–45 minutes before the park opens.
Lines tend to be evenly distributed at each turnstile. If you see a shorter line, however, get in it, especially if portable ticket scanners (which are usually faster than the fixed turnstiles) have been set up in front of the center gate.
Universal’s turnstiles use biometric scanners that record a grid of intersecting points on your finger (not a fingerprint), for guests age 10 and older only, when using your ticket for the first time. Be sure to remember which finger you use to speed reentry. The scanners are wiped clean between each guest, but you may also request to show a photo ID instead. You’ll also be asked to sign your pass, so you don’t mix it up with those of other family members. Universal’s finger scanners aren’t nearly as efficient as the ones Disney uses, so be prepared for slowdowns at entry.
Guests can rent strollers, wheelchairs and Electric Convenience Vehicles (ECV) Upon entrance to Universal Studios Florida and Universal's Islands of Adventure, to the left side of each park's entrance. Manual wheelchairs are also available at the Rotunda area of the parking structure. Due to limited numbers, please note that ECV Rentals are on a first-come, first-served basis and must be operated by a single person 18 years of age or older.
Strollers and Electronic Convenience Vehicles (ECVs) will not be available for rent at Universal's Volcano Bay wheelchairs are readily available at each Concierge Booths located throughout the park for guest that may need them.
Universal suggest you place and request in advance for ECV rentals at least one week prior to your arrival and this ca be done by contacting guest services or by calling 407-224-4233. Scooter cost $50.00 a day plus a $50.00 deposit where the stroller rentals will cost $15.00 for a regular single stroller and any of the double strollers will cost $25.00 per day and a $50.00 deposit.
USF team members select a “first family” from the early risers at the turnstiles each morning and usher them in a few minutes early to open the park with an old-fashioned movie clapboard. It’s no Magic Kingdom character welcome, but it’s a cute moment worth catching if you can.
Once the gates open, there is no mad dash for Diagon Alley, nor is a literal rope dropped. When USF’s turnstiles open for EPA, resort guests walk straight toward Revenge of the Mummy and are escorted to The Wizarding World via San Francisco. Day guests are restricted to the front of the park, where Despicable Me Minion Mayhem opens to all guests 10–15 minutes before the official opening.
On days when USF does not officially offer EPA, the gates may still open up to 15 minutes before opening, with Despicable Me typically running for all early guests. Guests can enter the Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts queue before official opening, but the ride may not begin running until park opening (or a few minutes before) on non-EPA mornings.
Most of the crowd will head for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’s Gringotts ride, which usually sees its longest waits between opening and early afternoon. Despicable Me, located a short distance past the entrance, also attracts large crowds, as do Transformers: The Ride 3-D and Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. A smaller number of visitors will head for The Simpsons Ride or Revenge of the Mummy, but these attractions usually don’t get crowded until an hour or two after the park has opened.
IOA’s gates may open up to 15 minutes before the official opening time on days when EPA is not offered. Guests headed to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter–Hogsmeade are held at the bridge to Seuss Landing until 10 minutes before opening, while the remaining guests are sent to Marvel Super Hero Island, where they will be held near Cafe 4 until opening time. Once released into the park, most guests turn counterclockwise through Seuss Landing and make a beeline for Hogsmeade as soon as the park is open. A smaller number of guests will head clockwise for The Incredible Hulk Coaster (which may allow guests to ride a few minutes before the official opening time) and then continue through Toon Lagoon to Skull Island.
When EPA is offered at IOA, eligible guests may visit Marvel Super Hero Island, but most head straight to Hogsmeade as soon as the gates open. Guests without EPA privileges can still enter early but will be held in the Port of Entry and Seuss Landing. If IOA officially opens an hour after USF, only guests eligible for EPA may ride the Hogwarts Express during IOA’s early-entry hour. Unless you have early entry, my advice is to see The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man and Reign of Kong first and save The Wizarding World until later in the day. Note that when one park opens before the other, guests arriving on the first Hogwarts Express train will reach the opposite Wizarding World at the same time or slightly after those entering from the front gates; therefore, you can’t use the train to beat the crowds to Hagrid’s. And when EPA hour concludes, guests already inside Hogsmeade have the advantage in queuing for the Jurassic World VelociCoaster and Reign of Kong, reaching Skull Island via Jurassic Park a few moments before the general public is released from the Marvel area.
Arrival for Volcano Bay visitors is complicated by the fact that there is no parking at the water park itself, so all guests must be bused in from the main parking garage or resorts. Guests begin arriving at the turnstiles up to an hour before the park opens, but distribution of the mandatory TapuTapu wristbands doesn’t begin until moments before early entry starts. Once it does, hotel guests and off-site visitors alike are allowed in, with those eligible for EPA funneled to the left for admittance to the attractions. Day guests are herded to the right, where they may rent lockers and purchase food while awaiting their release into the rest of the park, which may happen up to 30 minutes before official opening. Upon entering, most bolt for the locker rentals and beach chairs, with all the prime spots around the wave pool usually snapped up within an hour of opening. Long lines for guests trying to rent cabanas also immediately form at the concierge hut closest to the entrance.
All slides start the day with “Ride Now” status, but queues can build swiftly, and Virtual Line waits for popular slides may exceed an hour by 11 am.
Overview
Locker rentals, as simple as they may be, are often overlooked by visitors who show up to the parks with all their gear in tow and are then faced with the challenge of figuring out where and how to store their worldly possessions. Lockers will, in fact, play a pivotal role in almost any successful visit to Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay, whether you are interested in renting a locker for the day or just need to stow loose articles while you're on the rides – so, needless to say, it is to your advantage to know how the system works. This page presents all the information you'll need to make the best plan for your family.
There are two general types of lockers at Universal: those that charge a flat daily rate, which are located at the front of each theme park and are scattered all throughout Volcano Bay, and then those lockers that are attached to certain rides, which may or may not require payment for use.
At the front of each of Universal’s theme parks, you will find lockers available to rent for the entire day, which you may open as many times as you’d like. There are two sizes of lockers available here: the large ones (12 in. x 13 in. x 16.9 in.) start at $12 per day, while the family size (12 in. x 16.25 in. x 16.9 in.) starts at $15.
Universal Studios Florida: this park has three sets of daily rate lockers, all located in the Minion Land area of the park – once you go through the turnstiles, make your way far left or far right.
Islands of Adventure: there’s just one set of daily-rental lockers located inside the turnstiles, to the far left by the stroller and wheelchair rental station.
Paying for the daily locker rentals is very easy: simply approach the main rental kiosk and then choose your language, locker size (if applicable), and the level of your locker (you can decide between one near the ground or one up near the top). From there, you’ll be asked to pay – both cash and credit cards are accepted – and you will also have to enter a six-digit code to use in the event that you forget your locker number. Once the payment is processed, don’t forget to grab the receipt with your locker number, and then your unit will automatically unlock. After you’ve finished stowing your stuff, press the green button by the door to activate the lock.
To get your stuff out again, return to the same kiosk and input that you want to retrieve your items. You will be asked if this is your final time grabbing your belongings. If you choose no, you will continue to have access to the locker; if you choose yes, you will no longer be able to open it.
Certain Universal Orlando attractions have lockers provided for guests’ convenience – and while this ride-locker system can be a bit frustrating to get the hang of, once you have used the lockers a few times, you should be able to move in and out like an expert.
The ride lockers break down into two categories: those which are (largely) complimentary for the duration of your ride and those for which you have to pay up-front to use.
For the safety of all guests, riders are not permitted to bring bags or loose articles on board certain attractions; in these instances, complimentary lockers are provided for the time it will take to queue and ride. At Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, The Incredible Hulk Coaster, and Jurassic World VelociCoaster, all items and bags must be stowed, and guests will pass through a metal detector before entering the queue. The only exception at these two rides is a lanyard holding your park ticket, which you may be asked to tuck under your shirt.
At other attractions where lockers are provided – including Revenge of the Mummy, Men in Black Alien Attack, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure – there is a little more leeway. At these rides, there are no metal detectors, but all loose items must still be secured in the available lockers. If you are wearing a fanny pack (or “bum bag,” as it’s known to our friends across the pond), it will only be permitted if the bag does not interfere with the safety restraint of the ride vehicle, and this is at the sole discretion of the team members. If you have any questions, we recommend that you speak to an employee, who can advise you on whether you must avail yourself of the lockers – this is especially important if you have items that you need to bring into the line for medical purposes, and the employees can assist with this, too.
Near the entrance to each of these rides, you will find a set of lockers – or, sometimes, inside their queues, as in Jurassic World VelociCoaster. It’s important to note here that there are actually two different sizes at play: standard (14 in. x 5.5 in. x 16.9 in.) and large (12 in. x 13 in. x 16.9 in.).
Remember how we said these lockers are complimentary? Well, they mostly are, but there is still an exception to this rule: the “standard” size is free for the duration of your ride, but the larger ones cost $2 upfront. Furthermore, any ride locker will start to charge an additional $3 per extra 30 minutes, up to a $20 maximum – keep this in mind because, if you have bigger items with you that you’ll need to stow away, you will need to either pay for a locker at attractions that require lockers or have a member of your party hold your belongings. (In this case, you might consider getting an all-day locker, as discussed above.) Finally, since no deposit is required, you don’t have to put any money in or scan a credit card before using the smaller lockers, but if you go over the time given for your ride duration, you will have to use cash or a credit card to rescue your belongings.
These brilliant little locker systems automatically take into account the length of time you’ll spend both waiting and riding – with a few extra minutes of cushion – and won’t charge you during this period. As I just mentioned, though, if you do go over that window, it will cost you $3 for each additional half hour (up to the $20 daily maximum).
Currently, the company uses ticket-based locker systems, so your process might be slightly different depending on which type is in use at your location.
In any case, here is how it works: Each locker bank will have a light that indicates the locker availability in that area. Green indicates that there are plenty of lockers available, yellow means that the area has low availability for lockers, and red signifies that the locker area is full or closed. Once you find a locker bank with a yellow or green light, indicate the size locker you desire and scan your theme park ticket. Should you need to pay for a larger size locker, you will also need to enter a credit card as a form of payment. Once this is completed, your locker will open.
You’ll scan your park ticket before getting your locker number. For those who are using e-tickets, you’ll need to see a nearby team member to get a card that will work with the lockers. Find your locker, place your belongings inside and close the door. Just make sure to keep the ticket you scanned with you! Next step – enjoy your ride!
To retrieve your possessions, return to the locker bank in which you stowed your items and scan your ticket. After displaying a warning that you’ll only be able to access your locker once, the receptacle in question will click open.
If you do go over your allotted time for some reason, you will be required to pay a fee with cash or a credit card – that is, again, $3 for each additional half hour (up to a $20 daily maximum). In the event of an extenuating circumstance, you should be able to locate a team member nearby for assistance. (If you happen not to see one, ask the ride attendant at the front of the queue for assistance.)
There are three rides that do not require you to stow your loose belongings but do provide lockers just in case you want to. Predictably, these are the attractions where you and/or your possessions may get soaked:
Because you are technically allowed to take your stuff with you on these rides, the use of these lockers is not free, with the price again depending upon the size: $5 for the smaller ones, and $6 for large. These rates will get you 90 minutes of locker time, and if you go over that period, you’ll be charged $3 for each additional half hour (up to that $25 daily maximum). The three water attractions do have places to stow your belongings on the ride itself, with no guarantee that they will stay dry, should you not wish to spend money on lockers; however, if you are carrying unprotected or sensitive items, like a smartphone or an expensive camera, you should probably opt to use the lockers.
Thanks to the TapuTapu wearable, which is passed out to each guest who enters the water park, lockers operate a bit differently at Volcano Bay than at the two Universal Orlando theme parks.
Before we get to all that, however, I should probably first mention that the lockers come in three different sizes – small lockers (14.11 in. x 5.52 in. x 17.72 in.) cost $14, medium lockers (16.25 in. x 12 in. x 16.9 in.) cost $20, and large lockers (13 x 12 x 16.9) cost $25 – and are located in five different spots around the park:
When Volcano Bay is busy, available lockers can be few and far between. I recommend checking out the locker station in between Bambu and Maku Puihi, as that area is a little more secluded and, thus, more prone to being overlooked by other guests. Furthermore, once you’ve managed to land your locker, I suggest paying with cash or credit, thereby allowing you to bypass the need to go through a team member, who may or may not be busy when you arrive.
Pro Tip:
Even if you’re tempted to use the lockers outside of Volcano Bay, I strongly recommend that you resist the urge and, instead, wait until you’re inside the water park before grabbing one – if you’re spending the day at Volcano Bay, you won’t want to exit and enter the park every time you need to get something from your locker.
How you plan to pay for your locker determines which exact process you’ll follow.
Each set of lockers has a kiosk located at the front of the area, with an employee stationed next to it. Those who wish to use their TapuTapu or hotel-room cards to rent their lockers will need to see the attendant, who will ring you up with a portable register; the kiosk is for those customers paying with cash. But if you have a credit card, you can bypass this step altogether and just go directly to an individual locker to pay there.
Credit card customers go to their locker’s touchscreen, press “rent locker,” swipe their card, and then scan their TapuTapu, which will result in their locker popping open.
For the other two methods, there’s an extra step involved: first, you get assigned a locker station, and then you find your individual locker and hold your TapuTapu to the Tap Point.
Once you’ve put all your items into the locker, just close the door to lock it. To reopen it, swipe your TapuTapu again – no need to memorize a security code. You can open and close the locker as much as you’d like throughout the day. Additionally, multiple TapuTapus can be linked to the same locker – just press the “link” button on the screen and then scan the other person’s wearable.
For a cheaper option, you can rent a pair of lounge chairs in the shade for $29.99. An area attendant will visit to take your food and drink orders. One of the perks of both the Premium Seating and cabanas at Volcano Bay is they included lockers. Each cabana comes quipped with a family-sized locker, and each set of padded premium lounge chairs has one locker that is shared between the two seats. Both are locked and unlocked using one person’s TapuTapu – unlike the park’s prepaid lockers, this means that even if you’re with a group, you will have to have that guest (or, at least, that guest’s TapuTapu) present in order to either lock away or gather your possessions.
Volcano Bay was designed to be equal parts exhilarating and relaxing. So if you want to make the most of your tropical getaway, I recommend spoiling yourself with a cabana. How much you’ll pay for a cabana depends on when you go and what type of unit you’d prefer.
A single cabana, which holds up to six people, comes in a couple of different ways: a stand-alone building (for more privacy) or the ground floor of a two-story unit (for convenience and accessibility, though you’ll more than likely be sharing the second level with another group) both start at $159.99 and can go as high as $449.99 per day. The upper level (which, Universal promises spectacular views) will cost you anywhere from $199.99 to $549.99 – or higher.
A family suite cabana, meanwhile, holds up to 16 people and will automatically grant you a large stand-alone building. Pricing here starts at $299.99 and can reach at least $599.99.
Here are the perks that come with cabana rental:
Here are two important notes about this pricing: I strongly recommend that, if interested in either of these premium add-ons, you book them as early as you possibly can, preferably when you buy your theme- and water-park tickets – Universal clearly expects these items to sell out, particularly during the summer. Unfortunately, bookings are completely non-refundable, regardless of the circumstance. Bookings for either option are not available online, so you’ll have to call Universal Reservations for cabana reservations at 877-801-9720 and premium seating reservations at (877) 489-8068.
But wait! There's more! As you first enter the water park, a concierge will greet you and escort you to your private tropical get-a-way. And the greatest benefit of them all comes in the form of the Guest Experience Transformation (GET) tablet, which allows you to book and modify your place in all of the various attractions’ Virtual queues right from the comfort of your cabana (now – you will not have to run all over the park swiping your TapuTapu at each individual slide’s TapTu Ride point). This is a great perk for guest just as free Express Passes are when staying at a premier hotel!
Be aware of the attractions that require you to stow your belongings – most will have large signs directing you to the locker areas. Should you happen to slip past the first ride attendant with your bag, only to find out halfway through the queue that you’ll have to return to the lockers – and you will lose your spot in line. If you do forget to put something in your locker and have to go back, remember that once you open your ride locker, your single use is finished, and you will have to obtain a new locker.
A team member should always be near the ride locker area, but if you check the entire space and cannot find an attendant, speak with the employee at the attraction’s entrance. There’s a chance the locker attendant may have stepped away momentarily, and the other team member should be able to radio for help. I suggest immediately telling the other members of your party your locker number – there’s safety in numbers and a greater chance that at least one person will remember the information. You can also scan your ticket at any bank and the screen should display which bank your locker is in. (Don’t bother trying to snap a picture of your locker unless you’re sure you’ll be able to bring your phone on the ride with you!)
Here’s a useful tip if you have quite a lot of stuff with you: you can use as many of the complimentary- for-the-duration-of-your-ride lockers as you would like, so don’t feel that you have to really cram your stuff in those small lockers. On the other hand, though, you will have to pay for each prepaid locker that you want to use.
If you are using Child Swap on any attraction (meaning that at least one adult is staying behind with a child while everyone else rides), you do not have to use the lockers. You will need to inform the ride attendant that you’re taking advantage of Child Swap; otherwise, you will be told to stow your belongings as you enter the queue. Keep in mind that, depending upon how many bags you have, you may still opt to use the lockers so you’re not overburdening the non-riding adult with several bags – and a disgruntled child!
The small locker areas, especially in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, can get a little crowded. As you might expect, the lockers and kiosks at the front of the locker areas are always the most packed, so head towards the back for empty kiosks (and, therefore, empty lockers). Similarly, try to send just one person from your party to keep the area as clear as possible, and don’t be afraid to duck and weave around entire families gathered at the front lockers.
While most of the lockers at Universal Orlando are under shelter, the lockers themselves are not technically waterproof. Your best bet is to opt for a locker under a covered area, or, for extra protection, wrap your items in a bag or other waterproof gear.
If you have any medical supplies that you must bring into the queue for a ride that requires a locker, please see a team member at the attraction entrance for assistance with accommodations.
Now that you know most everything there is to know about the locker situation at Universal, you’ll be able to choose the position of your locker strategically. For example, if you are going to spend all day inside Universal Studios Florida, you will probably want a locker inside that park; this way, you do not have to exit it to access your items. On the other hand, if you plan on spending the morning at Universal Studios and the evening at Islands of Adventure, you may want to use a locker outside of the first park, depending on when you plan on retrieving your belongings. Consider visiting your evening park before you enter your morning park, then dropping off your stuff in a locker outside of that one – it’ll be there when you’re done for the day.
Here is Universal’s policy regarding backpacks and what items can be brought into its parks:
Acceptable items:
Prohibited items:
Please be advised that all bags and personal items are subject to inspection.
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