This week my team member Andrea, her sweet 9-year-old daughter Joy, and I had the privilege of visiting Universal Parks & Resorts in Orlando, Florida.
I am very impressed with the process of visiting Universal during this unprecedented time. I wanted to give you an inside peek at what it currently looks like to travel and the extra safety measures that are in place.
The Flight
I started my trip with flights from Dallas, Texas, on Southwest Airlines. The airlines are taking many precautions to protect your health. All guests are required to wear a mask to board the plane.
Southwest Airlines is keeping the middle seat open unless your family is flying with you until September 2020. If you would like to know more about what Southwest is doing to protect your health, you can find out more here.
Arriving in Florida
My arrival at Orlando was very smooth. At this time there are no travel restrictions for residents of Texas traveling into Florida. You will want to check Florida’s travel requirements before flying.
Checking into Universal’s Loews Royal Pacific Resort was very easy
There are new safety precautions and you will notice them upon arrival.
- You will need to wear a mask to enter the hotel.
- Your temperature will be checked before you check-in and you are given a colored bracelet that shows you are fever-free for the day.
- The check-in process is seamless and fast, there are markers on the floor so that there are 6 feet between each guest.
- You are able to text back and forth with the front desk on your room needs.
- You will not get daily housekeeping. Your room is deep cleaned and empty for 24 hours before arrival and if you need anything you text the front desk and they will run it by. If you need something done in your room then you need to leave the room for up to 3 hours so that your space is kept as germ-free as possible.
- There is hand sanitizer everywhere.
We had a wonderful seamless stay at the resort and I have never stayed in a hotel room as clean as the Resorts are right now.
Now for the fun part, visiting the parks
If you are staying at a Universal Resorts Hotel then you will already have your temp check complete and you are set to go to the parks with your mask. If you are staying at a Universal Resorts hotel you are guaranteed park entry as part of the capacity controls currently in place.
We headed into the parks and Joy Cassidy, our littlest traveler who is a Harry Potter fan, was in heaven.
It was so nice after months of being stuck inside to be out safely doing something fun.
Joy is going to share her tips for a fun visit to Universal Resorts in future Youtube Videos and blog posts.
Our team will be sending out tips and tricks emails to our booked guests getting ready for a trip to Universal Resorts. We will include information for getting the virtual line Experience for Hagrid’s Magical Creatures & Motorbike Adventures! All three of us agreed this is our favorite ride in the parks.
Here are a few highlights from our trip:
Visiting both Harry Potter Worlds – Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade
*Joy would highly recommend getting a wand. She spent hours doing magic spells with her wand. The wand was a highlight of her trip.
You will want the Express Pass ticket so that you can ride the Hogwarts Express between parks.
Try the Butterbeer as a drink, frozen, or even the Butterbeer Ice Cream. We had to try all three and highly recommend you do the same!
Visit Volcano Bay Water park. It’s a great place to beat the Florida heat.
I want to recap the safety measures Universal Resorts is currently taking in the park to keep you healthy and safe.
- The lines there are clearly marked spaces to keep 6 feet between the guests.
- You will sanitize your hands a lot. There are stations set up throughout the parks and you are given hand sanitizer before getting on rides.
- You will need to wear a mask. We bought a pack of 50 disposable masks and we found for adults those seem to be the easiest.
- Get a kid-sized mask- Joy had a kids size mask and that helped a lot.
- Universal is cleaning everything! You will see lots of extra cleaning. For example, the handrails are being wiped down non-stop.
- There will be more spacing on rides between you and other guests. You will see staff spraying down seats between riders.
- When you dine out, there is much more space between your traveling party and other guests. The staff at the restaurants also do not reach over you. The dining staff has a system to come into physical contact with you the least amount possible.
These are just a few of the things Universal is doing to ensure your safety as you visit the parks.
We had an amazing experience. Joy told Andrea and me that it was one of her favorite trips of all time.
We have found most people can travel now and have an amazing time. It’s just going to take a little extra preparation. I highly recommend working with a full-time professional travel planner who is also out traveling at this time.
We want our guests to have an amazing trip and our dream even now is to see our guests out making memories.
*** This is not medical advice or legal advice. The rules and regulations are subject to change at any time. **