Staff Educational: Universal Orlando Resort
Date Posted: 16/05/2023
In April, a group of our lucky agents jetted off for an epic educational trip courtesy of Universal Orlando Resort!
Our educational trips really allow us to get a first-hand look at what our holidays are like from our customers point of view. What better way to be able to bring the trip to life for others and inspire them to visit these amazing destinations than from our very own recommendations! Charlotte from our social media team couldn’t wait to get back to the office and share what she got up to during her Orlando stay…
Travelling:
Our exciting journey began at Manchester Airport, where we flew direct with Virgin Atlantic. The service on the flight was second to none with the cabin crew always on hand, topping up drinks and providing snacks (the pretzels and ice lollies were my favs). I ordered mac and cheese for my main meal, but the real highlight was the high tea! Consisting of a selection of finger sandwiches, scones, and a trio of sweet treats it certainly was a delicious way to end the flight! And just like that, a little over 9 hours later we landed in Orlando ready to begin our holiday!
Day 1:
Our first stop was our on-site hotel, Universal's Aventura Hotel, where we enjoyed a bite to eat before jumping on the free shuttle bus and heading to the main event of the day… Universal Studios! One of the many benefits of booking an on-site hotel is the early park admission, meaning you can breeze into the parks before other guests and enjoy an hour of peace before the real hustle and bustle of the day begins.
Upon arrival we were greeted by our VIP tour guides, who showed us around Universal Studios and Islands of Adventures throughout the day. We were lucky enough to be given VIP passes which came with a lot of amazing perks including no queueing for rides meaning we got to go straight to the front! This came in very handy on one of Universal’s newest rollercoasters, the Jurassic World VelociCoaster. Reaching maximum speeds of 70mph while twisting and turning above land and water, this thrilling but smooth ride was a firm favourite within our group. After all that excitement and a busy day in the Floridian heat, we ready for a cool down so we headed straight to the water rides. We braved our way through the rapids on Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges and got absolutely soaked along the way but it was a lot of fun!
In the evening, we dined at Cowfish, a fusion restaurant on Universal CityWalk serving burgers and sushi. You can opt to eat these dishes separately or enjoy the best of both worlds with their signature burgushi (sounds odd, but it was delicious)! Next up was Pat O’Brien’s which is a New Orleans themed bar. The live piano band created a great ambiance and the added extra of being able to request songs for them to play made for a great interactive evening. While listening to the music we enjoyed the highly recommended Hurricane speciality cocktail and it’s fair to say there were a few sore heads the next day.
Day 2:
Our second day was spent at Volcano Bay and WOW what a place! We received early park entry which allowed us access 30 minutes prior to the general public arriving. This gave us the perfect opportunity to have a look around and let our inner child shine through by testing out some of the slides.
Once we entered the park, we received a ‘TapuTapu’ wristband which allowed us to enter a virtual queue by tapping into rides (although it is worth knowing you can only be in one virtual queue at a time). However, this gave us the opportunity to make the most of our day as rather than physically queueing, we could relax by the Volcano pool, chill out in the lazy river, enjoy some food, or even take our turn on any of the ‘ride now’ slides. Once the virtual queue was down to 15 minutes, we received an alert from the ‘TapuTapu’ wristband and headed over to our ride ready for some fun. The Krakatau Aqua Coaster is a four-person canoe slide that twists and turns in and out of the iconic volcano, with lots of thrilling drops too, it’s certainly one of my top recommendations!
But it’s not just exhilarating water rides that are on offer at Volcano Bay, there are also plenty of places to kick back and relax! The Kopiko Wai Winding River sees you take a slow ride through the tropical landscape while the Puka Uli Lagoon provides a relaxing leisure pool for the little ones to enjoy. You can even watch the neighbouring Ohyah and Ohno drop slides too! However, my personal favourite is Waturi Beach which is overlooked by the mighty Krakatau volcano. Grab a lounger and soak up the sun with Pina Colada in hand or take a dip in the wave pool for a refreshing cool down.
In the afternoon we got the chance to wonder around a few of the resorts to see what they have to offer. I loved the 50s retro vibe of the Cabana Bay Beach Resort as it gave the hotel a totally unique feel! With two swimming pools, a lazy river, and a bowling alley, it makes the perfect stay for families! Not to mention the close proximity to Volcano Bay as guests who stay here can use the private walkway to and from the park. Whereas Lowes Royal Pacific Resort had a totally different atmosphere! Inspired by the likes of Fiji, Bali & Polynesia with its tropical scenery and exotic food, this hotel is like a tranquil paradise. While visiting the resort we dined at Jake’s American Bar which had a great selection of delicious cocktails, it’s certainly worth a visit.
Day 3:
Day 3 saw us visiting a few more of the on-site hotels, this time we took a look at Lowes Portofino Bay and the Hard Rock Hotel. Although both are 5* resorts, the individual themes make them worlds apart. Portofino Bay is inspired by the famous Italian village with such excellent attention to detail creating an authentic charm. Whereas the Hard Rock Hotel portrays that iconic rock and roll vibe that will draw in music fans from far and wide.
We took the short walk from Hard Rock Hotel back to Universal Studios, ready of another day of excitement. First up was Rip Ride Rockit, where you choose a song to rock out to during the ride which is a really fun feature. We then moved on to the wonderfully whimsical Wizarding World of Harry Potter! Top tip: make sure to ride the Hogwarts Express to AND from Islands of Adventure as both journeys offer up a different experience. Of course, our visit wouldn’t be complete without enjoying an iconic butterbeer, for an extra special treat make sure to try the frozen version, it’s perfect under the hot sun!
In the evening we dined at VIVO Italian Kitchen located on Universal CityWalk and wow the food here was stunning! Everything is made fresh in the kitchen to ensure the best flavours, it was definitely one of my favourite meals of the trip. Following dinner we headed for a fun-filled night of Karaoke Live where you can sing your song of choice with a live band and backing dancer. Living your popstar dreams has never been easier! Although only a few of our group were brave enough to take centre stage, everyone still had a great night and made memories to last a lifetime.
Day 4:
Our final day kicked off with a visit to Universal’s Dockside Inn and Suites, for a 3* property this hotel didn’t disappoint! The rooms were spacious with a calming coastal vibe and the large two-bedroom suites make this hotel perfect for larger families.
With only an afternoon left in Orlando we headed back into the parks for one last time. It was an absolute scorcher of a day so a quick pit stop at the Diagon Alley ice cream parlour was a must! With unique flavours such as butterbeer and strawberry & peanut butter, there’s something for everyone and we can speak from experience when we say they were delicious. If you’re feeling adventurous you could try one of the more unconventional flavours such as earl grey and lavender flavour. I think that will have to be on our list for next time.
We spent our final hours at the hotel relaxing by the pool at the Aventura Hotel, some time to wind down and chill out was exactly what we needed after a very busy few days.
Travelling home:
The only way to round off this incredible trip was in true style… flying in Premium Economy with Virgin Atlantic. Being greeted with a glass of champagne as you settle into your seat is enough to brighten anyone’s day, even if we were extremely sad to be leaving Orlando. The seats were very comfortable and spacious with suitable leg room. Our flight saw us travelling through the night so after nodding off to sleep we awoke to a very tasty breakfast. I opted for banana pancakes, the perfect pick-me-up to get us through the last few hours of the flight. Before long we arrived in Manchester where it was back business as usual and it’s safe to say the Orlando blues well and truly kicked in!