As a solo budget traveler, I chose a hotel at a walking distance from the Universal Studios in Orlando. This was a priority 2 destination in Orlando, the Kennedy Space Center having taken the top spot.
Then it came as a big surprise to me that one cannot enter the Universal Studios without a car or taxi. I am not sure if I was tricked into believing this by a taxi driver or if it was indeed true.
Reluctantly I hired the hotel designated taxi from ICON Park for $12 which seemed to be OK. Though this was in sharp contrast with the $20 that a yellow taxi charged on the return journey.
Another alert tip would be to negotiate the toll fees from the Orlando airport to the hotel with the taxi driver. The taxi from airport to hotel in Orlando added $4 to the meter at the toll booth and again at the time of deboarding the taxi. So, be on an alert…!
The entry to this place is via a huge open parking space, a part of which was reserved for the yellow taxis cabs.
There was also a designated platform or stand separate from the Uber cabs and the personal cars for visitors.
There was a waiting area for the taxi and uber ride pickups but no security guard in place giving a free hand to the taxi drivers to behave in an unprofessional manner with visitors.
The parking lots are also interestingly named with themes like Jaws, Jurassic Park, King Kong and so on to make it easy to remember and locate the vehicles on return.
There are also escalators at every level change.
The security checks were limited and as a result I saw endless queues on a weekend in June 2023 when I visited here.
Subsequently there are miles of horizontal escalators or moving walkways to make it easy to cover the distance up to the entrance of the Universal Studios.
There were vending machines that sold snacks and drinks.
To ease walking the long distance the area is landscaped with interesting stuff and also there are huge advertisements indicating the food joints to expect once inside the studios.
This is the grand entrance of the Universal Studios, and the ticketing is still a faraway walk.
Tip: Arrive equipped with lots of water to drink especially in the sunny Orlando summer.
There are plenty of food joints lined up on both sides of the path that leads to the ticketing counters and on way are also beautiful landscapes likes this lake with a foot bridge.
The famous logo of the Universal Studio can be seen from here.
When viewed from the other side, I found that boating facility was available.
Here is the grand entrance to the ticketing area.
The queues here are endless and there is no shade anywhere in the premises of the Universal Studio except the shops and cafes.
The express pass counter wore a deserted look.
Same story with the Annual pass counter since most people prefer booking the tickets online before arriving or because the rates were too high.
When I enquired, I was told the combined pass for the entire studio was a steep USD 400 per person.
There is also a nice and peaceful waiting area with a fountain, but it was again not covered leaving visitors to suffer in the scorching heat of sunny Florida.
The entire area is nicely leveled, hurdle free and accessible for wheelchair bound people.
There are plenty of direction boards all over the place mostly pointing to shops, food joints and cafes and a few towards public utilities like restrooms and phone call kiosks.
There are many interesting public places like this Island Adventure tower and a dragon for visual entertainment.
There are several public exhibits, and some are only paid though it is not impossible to steal a view from the across the grills at beauties like this.
For souvenirs and gifts, there are two places that I found - Universal Studios Store and another one was Universal Legacy Store.
Besides these, there are plenty of other gift and souvenir shops whose store fronts are shared in a separate post.
Here are some of the items on sale in the official stores that include regular stuff like mugs, T-shirts, keychains, dolls, and sweatshirts.
I did not see any electric cart or trolley carts to move around.
So be prepared to walk back to the parking lot which is again dotted with interesting landscapes.
It was a very discouraging experience to visit the Universal Studios if you are a solo traveler on budget since reaching there is costly, and the tickets are exorbitant not counting the food joints and cafes that charge at a premium for most regular and basic items.
In spite of this the public or free area and the views of the landscapes within the Universal Studios in Orlando makes it an experience of a lifetime.
Accessibility Features
Most places starting from the parking to the ticketing counters are accessible.
Various exhibits in the public areas and most shops and cafes were accessible.
Strollers are not available for rent.
Mobility scooters are also not available for those with difficulty walking.
Top Tips and Alerts for the Universal Studios
- Parking rates are steep depending on the vehicle.
- You can bring your own food and drinks.
- Bring along plenty of water or energy drinks.
- Wear comfortable shoes to walk a lot.
- Do not visit here on a weekend since the queues could get very long.
Where to Stay
I stayed at the La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham that was just across the street opposite the ICON Park.
Orlando Tourist Places
