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What Are Your Must Ride Attractions at Universal Studios Florida?

July 12, 2018
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3 min read
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley at Universal Orlando Resort.
What Are Your Must Ride Attractions at Universal Studios Florida?
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We are in the final countdown until our first family trip to Universal Studios Florida. My third grader is a huge fan of Harry Potter, so watching her see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter come to life at Universal Studios is something I am very much looking forward to experiencing with her.

My Harry Potter girls.

While we have lots of trips to the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando under our belts, Universal is relatively new territory for us. My impressions of the Universal Studios theme parks is that they are better geared towards tweens and teens, so up until recently we haven't had a child in what I think to be the ideal Universal Studios age-range.

I have the Disney portion of trip outlined basically down to the minute with dining reservations, FastPass Plus times for attractions, character meet and greets, and more. What I would love help with is learning about your must-ride attractions at Universal Studios Orlando. Thanks to one of this year's Daily Getaways Deals, we will be staying at a hotel that includes Express Passes. We have one eight-year-old who is plenty tall for any ride and an almost-three-year-old who is right at 40 inches tall in her tallest shoes...I hope.

We will for sure be doing everything Harry Potter related at both parks, but beyond that we are very open. When I asked for some Universal Studios attraction suggestions on Twitter, some popular suggestions were:

  • The Hogwarts Express
  • Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
  • Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
  • Flight of the Hippogrif
  • Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
  • Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls (if you want to get wet)
  • Amazing Adventures of Spiderman
  • Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
  • Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon
  • Seuss Landing
  • Revenge of the Mummy
Hogwarts Express at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

I'd love to not only hear about your favorite Universal Florida must-experience attractions and tips, but I'd also enjoying hearing things you may have questions about at Universal Studios since we will be documenting and sharing as much of our journey as possible once we get back home so others can use our learning to make their trips even better.

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Featured image by KEN KINZIE

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  • Intro Offer

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  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

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  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.