Welcome to a very busy holiday weekend here at the Universal Orlando Resort. The morning started off looking like it would rain, so we’re hoping this holds off the crowds a little bit. Let’s get going and check out what’s happening around Islands of Adventure first.
Early Park Admission is always the way to go. The early bird gets the shortest wait times!
Brand new shopping bags are now available at Universal Orlando. We found this bag at a small kiosk in Islands of Adventure, but expect to see them rolling out across the parks soon. It’s a little bit more generic and covers Universal Parks and Resorts rather than the old black bags that were specifically for the Universal Orlando Resort. Take a closer look in our post here.
Chocolate Frogs seem to be popular this morning. If you can’t get into Three Broomsticks, a Chocolate Frog can substitute as breakfast, right?
You can bet Hogsmeade is going to be crowded on a holiday weekend. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure had a 120 minute wait this morning. Luckily, VelociCoaster was only a 45 minute wait right around the corner.
Signs were added a few weeks ago to the VelociCoaster extended queue informing guests that they are under surveillance while waiting in the queue. The view down here by the water always amazes us.
Mardi Gras merchandise is now 70%, and we just can’t help ourselves. These prices are great, and you can still add your discount.
We stocked up on candles, pins, a mug, and more. If you’ve been putting off picking up some souvenirs from Mardi Gras, now is the time.
Construction walls have gone up around part of Toon Extra in Toon Lagoon. We’ve heard that they could be repairing a broken door at one of the entrances, but the store is still open in the meantime.
Many food stands open later in the morning, so the few locations that are open early are usually crowded. This includes Starbucks, so if you need caffeine to handle crowds, do it before you get to the parks.
Moose Juice, Goose Juice and Green Eggs and Ham have been closed for a few days, but they’ve reopened just in time for the weekend.
The Easter Basket shake is available for a limited time at the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium. This beautiful shake is a light pineapple flavor with jelly beans, a passion fruit creme egg, coconut, and Peeps marshmallows. You can get this from April 15-18 and read our full review here.
There seemed to be an Invisible Man meet and greet in CityWalk this afternoon. That cane looked so lonely, and we really hope that it was reunited with its rightful owner.
We’re starting to get new Love is Universal merchandise at the Universal Studios Store in CityWalk. The shimmering text and bright rainbow colors are so eye-catching with a positive message.
Over at Universal Studios Florida, Hello Kitty “Back to the Future” and “E.T.” plush have finally restocked. They’re so cute!
The arcade in Universal Studios Florida got rearranged and added a couple new games, including this Wizard of the Oz one.
Only a 35 minute wait for the Hogwarts Express? Magic!
It doesn’t look like guests are having a difficult time finding Diagon Alley today. It’s packed as usual.
Cute new candy inspired jewelry can be found in the San Francisco Candy Factory. These are so fun and unique!
DreamWorks Destination now has a sign with showtimes. This must make the Team Members’ and guests’ lives so much easier by having the schedule on a sign.
We caught a little bit of training with one of the animal actors. Sometimes the trainers take dogs or cats out to work in the park, so keep an eye out for them. We had to laugh when a kid behind us asked if that was an animatronic.
It’s 1:30 p.m., and there are still tons of cars making their way into the parking garages. It’s starting to get really busy, so we’re going to get out of here. Thanks for joining us around the parks today, and be sure to keep following Universal Parks News Today for all the latest updates!
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