Universal Orlando Resort with a 2 Year-Old and All the Best Fun
The Characters
Universal Orlando Resort with a 2-year old was even more fun than when we brought Trudy when she was 1. Just like last time, the characters were a BIG hit. When you think of Universal Orlando Resort, you may think about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Jurassic World and the VelociCoaster and Simpsons Land and so many great rides. You may not immediately think about the characters, but if you’re 2 years-old, that’s the first thing you notice. And boy did we! There were so so many characters all throughout the parks, and at the resorts too. Minions in Minion Land, characters from Madagascar, Dr. Seuss, Sing, the Scooby-Doo gang, Gabby from Gabby’s Dollhouse, Dora the Explorer and lots more.
Trudy was psyched to meet all of them, with the exception of the Transformers. They were super cool too though, and the way they incorporate music into the experience with the Transformers and Minions and Sing characters really added something special to the experience.
Oh, and Hello Kitty gets her own special shout out here. Trudy was taking a photo with the Hello Kitty statue outside of the Hello Kitty store, when all of a sudden, the real thing appeared. Hello Kitty was there in the store, and waving to her. She sprinted over and we got plenty of cute photos of the two of them as they “chatted” about each other’s outfits and hugged one another over and over.
Here’s where it got really special too. Hello Kitty’s best friend (Universal handler) told Trudy that she could walk through the store and pick out anything she likes. Hello Kitty took her by the hand and the two of them tried out various dolls and clothing items and accessories before finally settling on an adorable Hello Kitty pillow that they walked over to the register and comped for her. It was so unexpected and so incredibly sweet. We’ll never forget it. Weeks later at home we have the pillow to remind us too. It’s adorable.
The Shows
People sometimes skip the shows and opt for rides instead at theme parks. The shows tend to be more time consuming, and it’s hard to allot the time when there’s so much to see and do during your trip. There are lots of shows at Universal Orlando Resort, and if you plan your day just right, you can strategically manage to not to miss any of them.
If you see just one show at Universal, The Bourne Stuntacular is a great pick. It features Jason Bourne running through the streets, driving a motorcycle, and even hanging from a helicopter at one point. Very loud though with some explosions, so we skipped it this time with Trudy with us. Next time.
My favorite show of all is Animals On Location. It has real trained cats and dogs, birds, and even a skunk, pig and porcupine. It’s meant to highlight animals actors in our favorite films and TV shows, and the trainers who prepare them for their 15 minutes of fame. The show is super cute for kids and adults alike, and if you’re in need of a bit of a break during your day at Universal, it’s a great idea to grab a cold drink and snack to bring with you as you watch the show. Visiting Universal Orlando Resort with a 2 year-old or young kids? This show is a must-see.
Trudy LOVED seeing all of the animals, and even raised her hand when they asked for volunteers. She also really loved the puppet show and singing students and frogs in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the construction workers drumming show, and dancers in the streets of Universal Studios. She happily joined a conga line with one of the dancers. It was a blast.
The Rides
Taking toddlers on rides at Universal is obviously not as easy as taking older kids. The height requirements limit which rides are safe for the tiny tots, but they do have child swap areas on all the major rides. This year we were thrilled that Trudy was tall enough to ride the iconic E.T. ride for the first time, so we did that more than once.
She also really enjoyed Minion Mayhem and the new Villain-Con Minion Blast ride. They had special E-Liminator X blasters that were smaller and lighter just for the littles to use. We weren’t surprised a bit that Trudy loved the carousel too (as she always does), but the one in Dr. Suess Land was the coolest she’s tried so far. The Caro-Seuss-el. The elephant’s trunk moved up and down too!
Surprisingly though, her favorite ride was in Simpson’s Land. Kang and Kodos Twirl ’n’ Hurl. She wanted to ride over and over, and we did (of course). Fortunately, there was no actual hurling.
Our Stay at Cabana Bay Beach Resort
We stayed at Universal’s super cool Cabana Bay Beach Resort. It’s pretty and the design has a Mid-Century Modern theme, so much so that you feel like you’re living in the world of Mad Men from the moment you walk through the door. Even the toiletries in the shower have a retro design to them.
Check-in at the resort was quick and easy, and they gave us the keys to our room hours earlier than the official check-in time. We’d woken up at 3am in order to catch our flight to Orlando that day, so we did something I’ve never done at Universal before, and opted to stay back at the hotel to enjoy the pool. The weather was beautiful that day and Cabana Bay Beach Resort happens to be super close to Universal’s Volcano Bay Water Theme Park, so we decided a relaxing pool day was in order. It was everything I’d hoped and more. Just at Cabana Bay Beach Resort they have multiple pools and a splash pad and lazy river too. Trudy and I looped around the lazy river for at least an hour before falling asleep poolside. It was perfection.
The parks have lots of places to cool off too, whether on the flumes and water rides, or letting your toddler run through one of many splash areas.
Volcano Bay
If you’re up for a bit more adventure, Volcano Bay has so many fun rides and slides, and one of my favorite “lazy” rivers ever too. A super fun faster “crazy” river version called TeAwa The Fearless River. (Do. Not. Miss. This.) I have spent hours on this river, just swimming and floating around and around. It is SO much fun.
Universal Orlando Resort with a 2 Year Old and All the Tasty Toddler Friendly Treats
A few great toddler foods for the parks are cupcakes at the new Bake My Day Minion Bakery (so cute!), a butter beer (of course) in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and believe it or not… a Flaming Moe at Moe’s Tavern in Simpson’s Land. First of all, it’s non-alcoholic. Tastes like orange soda. It’s super cool looking, using dry ice (or magic) and the bubbles keep coming. I quickly drank the soda myself, but then I filled the keepsake glass with water to give to Trudy and the bubbles kept her laughing and entertained the entire lunch. It was really fun.
CityWalk Restaurants
Besides all of the restaurants and food offerings in the parks, there’s CityWalk, which offers every food option imaginable. There’s Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, Pat O’Briens, Vivo Italian Kitchen, Hard Rock Cafe, and an ongoing list of sit-down and quick snack and dessert options (including Cinnabon). My favorite though, every time, is The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen.
The food is awesome, the atmosphere is this neat steampunk theme, and the desserts are unreal. They’re known for their over-the-top milkshakes, which we definitely devoured, but I love all of their food too and always want to eat there. Trudy especially liked the brie and the chocolate bread appetizers!
Traveling to Universal Orlando Resort with a 2 Year-Old
No car seats or parking needed! Besides the plane ride and getting to the resort, the rest of the travel at Universal Orlando Resort is via a quick bus ride, boat ride, or a simple walk over to the parks. It’s super easy to get where you’re going, and the busses run constantly. We didn’t wait for any of the busses we took our entire trip. I would definitely suggest bringing or renting a stroller for young kids though. It’s a lot of walking and especially if they nap during the day, a stroller is a lifesaver.
Something New to See and Do Every Visit
This was the first time we’ve visited while Minion Land was open. They were building it last time we were here. This summer they’ll be opening a new DreamWorks Land too with Shrek’s Swamp, a Trolls Roller Coaster, Po’s Kung Fu Training Camp and lots more.
Halloween Horror Nights is coming up in the fall and if you’ve never seen it, it’s Halloween done like nowhere else. This one is NOT for toddlers. Ten incredible haunted houses open after-hours in the parks from August 30th to November 3rd. We loved this a few years ago and can’t wait to go back again.
Universal Orlando Resort Epic Universe
Finally, 2025 is going to bring an entire new park to Universal Orlando Resort. Universal’s Epic Universe is opening next year with Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, Celestial Park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’s Ministry of Magic and so many other great attractions. We learned that this new park will be larger than the other 3 current Universal parks combined!
We had a quick trip to Universal Orlando Resort this time around, but as you can see, we made the most of every moment and we’re already looking forward to the next time we can visit. Three of BEN FM’s listeners will be visiting soon too! We gave away three vacations to Universal Orlando Resort over the air the past few weeks and had three VERY happy winners:
Congrats to:
Jonathan from Clayton, NJ
Tyler from Boothwyn, PA
Lisa from Levittown, PA
Listen to BEN FM for the next chance to win a trip to Universal Orlando Resort, or better yet, go ahead and book your vacation today. Universal Orlando Resort is incredible and just keeps getting better and better.
Hope to see you there soon!
