Universal Orlando rainy day tips

Whether you’re visiting Universal Orlando™ for the first time or a long-time fan of the park, there’s a good chance you’ve experienced one of its many Orlando rainy days. While there is plenty to do at Universal Studios™ Florida and Islands of Adventure™ when it’s raining, you can always head to your Casiola vacation home for an afternoon break, but if you prefer to stay in the park, it might be tough to find things that don’t involve standing in line for hours. So we decided to put together a list of our favorite rainy day activities at Universal Orlando™ so you can make the most out of your next trip during these less-than-ideal weather conditions:

Get to the parks early

When you’re visiting Universal Orlando™, it’s likely you have a lot of things on your agenda. You may want to take advantage of the available attractions and maximize your time in the parks before an afternoon storm rolls in, so get to the park as soon as it opens at 9 am and make it happen!

Buy tickets for Universal Orlando Resort™

Visit Universal’s Islands of Adventure™ in the morning

You may want to visit Islands of Adventure™ first thing in the morning because it is the park with more outdoor rides than Universal Studios™ Florida. When it starts raining in the afternoon head to Universal Studios™ for the indoor attractions and shows. You will find that many of the rides are designed for both sunny and rainy conditions so even if it starts raining you can still enjoy yourself!

Some popular attractions include Skull Island: Reign of Kong (which includes both an indoor queue and outdoor queue), Forbidden Journey, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, The Incredible Hulk Coaster, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, Jurassic World VelociCoaster, and any one of our many water rides.

Do indoor activities at the parks

If you are visiting Universal Orlando™ during the rainy season, we have a few suggestions for things to do indoors. Some of our favorite non-ride activities include:

The wand experience at Ollivanders (The Wizarding World of Harry Potter)
The Bourne Stuntacular (Universal Studios Florida)
The Universal Horror Make-Up Show (Universal Studios Florida)

Best Universal Orlando™ rainy day attractions

Universal Studios™

Revenge of the Mummy
E.T. Adventure
Men in Black Alien Attack
The Simpsons Ride
Transformers: The Ride-3D
Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
Race Through New York starring Jimmy Fallon
Fast & Furious – Supercharged
Universal’s Horror Make-Up Show
Animal Actors On Location!
The Bourne Stuntacular
Hogwarts Express (if you have a Park-to-Park ticket)

Island of Adventure™

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Skull Island: Reign of Kong
The Cat in the Hat
Poseidon’s Fury
Hogwarts Express (if you have a Park-to-Park ticket)

Make backup plans

If you end up with a rainy day at Universal Orlando™ Resort, don’t worry! There are several things to do around the park that will keep you busy.

Head over to Universal CityWalk™ and catch a movie at Universal Cinemark.
Visit ICON Park™ on International Drive for indoor go-karting and other attractions. The park also has escape rooms, Madame Tussauds, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, and more.

Take an afternoon break at your vacation rental

If the rain is relentless and your kids are complaining about being bored, try heading back to your vacation rental for a nap or some downtime. There’s no better way to spend a rainy afternoon than inside with family and friends relaxing in a comfy house with all the amenities of home.

If you’re staying at one of our Casiola vacation homes, it’s always nice to have an escape plan just in case the rain doesn’t let up! Many of our homes have games rooms with pool tables and video games that can be just as fun as spending time outside. And don’t forget about those restaurants nearby, they’re perfect places to stop by when everyone is hungry again later in the day!