Universal Orlando has a big reputation for being an adult theme park because there are more thrilling rides and attractions, and this leads people to believe that the park is not kid-friendly.
We’re here to debunk that myth today!
Contrary to many beliefs, Universal Orlando is a great family-friendly amusement park with rides and attractions for all ages—it has long been our kids’ favourite theme park worldwide!
What is Universal Orlando Resort?
The Universal Studios property (presently!) comprises three parks, Universal’s CityWalk, and eight hotel resorts. The resort is broken down as follows:
- Universal Studios Florida Park—The Universal Studios Florida side of the park offers a variety of rides and attractions based on some of Universal’s biggest hit TV Shows and movies, including The Fast & Furious, Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show, Men in Black, and The Simpsons. New in summer 2024, Dreamworks Land will bring to life Shrek, Trolls, and Kung Fu Panda.
- Universal’s Islands of Adventure – Islands of Adventure also features rides and attractions based on Universal’s hit movies but focuses more on the action and adventure genre of movies, including Jurassic Park as well as Marvel characters, including Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, and Doctor Doom.
- Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Rather than a separate park, these are two ‘lands’ split across the parks, with Diagon Alley found in Studios and Hogsmeade in IOA. They are connected by the Hogwarts Express train.
- Universal’s Volcano Bay—Volcano Bay is Universal’s water park, featuring rides and attractions such as water slides, water coasters, a splash pad, a lazy river, and a rapid river.
- Universal CityWalk – CityWalk is the boardwalk leading up to Universal Studios and is an entertainment complex featuring several fun activities, shops, and dining experiences for guests to enjoy.
You can buy individual park passes to each park, or multipack passes to experience all three theme parks. In this guide, I’ll focus on the rides at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.
In 2025, Universal’s Epic Universe will add five more worlds of themed fun to discover—watch this space for updated news on the opening!
All Ages Fun
With the opening of DreamWorks land in 2024, the number of kid-friendly attractions that appeal to younger age groups has significantly increased.
There are now several great experiences and shows with no height requirements, plus several rides and attractions have minimal height requirements, making these great options for the whole family!
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NB – if you’re traveling to Universal Orlando with kids under 4, we also recommend you take a read of our Universal With Toddlers guide with more age-appropriate activities
Universal Studios Florida
Shows Appropriate for Kids
- The Bourne Stuntacular – An exhilarating stunt show featuring live actors and special effects! The show is based on the hit movie series featuring Jason Bourne.
- ¡Vamos! Bailalo – Enjoy some fun and culture in this Hispanic dance show featuring a variety of styles of dancing and music.
- The Tales of Beedle the Bard – A puppet show by the Wizarding Academy of Performing Arts featuring Beedle the Bard, an author of wizarding fairy tales from the 15th century.
- Animal Actors on Location! – A fun live show featuring some of the most talented and well-known animal actors from movies and television!
- Po Live! – Brand new in Dreamworks Land, watch Po from Kung Fu Panda babysit his baby cousin
- Dreamworks Imagination Celebration – a colorful collaborative show with all the kids’ favorite Dreamworks characters.
- Mardi Gras Parade (seasonal)
Play Areas
- Poppy’s Playground – Trolls themed, this one’s for your tiniest tots, swing, crawl, and climb among mushrooms and flowers.
- Shrek’s Swamps For Little Ogres – Pack the swim trunks and a towel for this one if you wish, as they climb, slide, splash, and spray in this interactive play space.
Kids Rides at Universal Studios with Height Limits
Note for most rides, even if the child meets the minimum height requirement, they will need an adult supervisor if they’re under 48″
No Minimum Height Requirement (but able to sit/walk independently)
- Kang & Kodos ‘Twirl n’ Hurl’
- Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast
Rides with 34” Height Requirement (86 cm)
- E.T. Adventure
Rides with 36” Height Requirement (91 cm)
- Trolls Trollcoaster
Rides with 40” Height Requirement (102 cm)
- Transformers: The Ride 3D
- Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
- The Simpsons Ride
- Fast & Furious – Supercharged
- Race Through New York, Starring Jimmy Fallon
Rides with 42” Height Requirement (107 cm)
- Men in Black Alien Attack
- Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
Rides with 48” Height Requirement (122 cm)
- Revenge of the Mummy
Rides with 51” Height Requirement (130 cm)
- Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
We are awaiting the replacement of the Woody Woodpecker KidZone, which removed a few rides and attractions that were more suitable to the toddler and preschool age group at Universal Studios.
DreamWorks Animation Land will soon take its place, offering a range of rides to different age groups; full details should be released very soon!
Islands of Adventure
Shows for Kids
- Frog Choir – Enjoy acapella-style music performed by the Hogwarts choir students featuring bass from giant frogs for a unique take on classic wizarding songs!
- Oh! The Stories You’ll Hear! – During this show, enjoy Dr Seuss’s classics, which are told by some of your favourite characters from Seuss Landing! Your little kids are sure to love this one.
- Triwizard Spirit Rally – In this fun and interactive show, join the students of Hogwarts as they rally and cheer for the start of the Triwizard Tournament!
- We’re also including Casting Spells in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter here. Not a show, but an additional activity for kids (and big kids!); you need to purchase your Interactive Wands at the park (look for Ollivanders – these are going to set you back $65 USD each). They can be used at multiple locations the two parks (though even these ‘spots’ can have queues though as they day progresses).
Play areas for kids
- Camp Jurassic – a prehistoric playground is found under the Pteranodon Flyers. It’s a good one for occupying the kids that are too short to fly.
- If I Ran The Zoo – lots of interactive activities for your littlest members of the family in Suess Landing
Kids Rides at Universal Studios with Height Limits
Rides with no Height Requirement
- Storm Force Accelatron (under 48″ needs supervision)
Rides with 34” Height Requirement
- Caro-Seuss-el
- One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
Rides with 36” Height Requirement (86 cm)
- Flight of the Hippogriff
- Pteranodon Flyers (Over 56″ must be accompanying a child under 36″)
- Skull Island: Reign of Kong
- The Cat in the Hat
- The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride
Rides with 40” Height Requirement (102 cm)
- The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
Rides with 42” Height Requirement (107 cm)
- Jurassic Park River Adventure
- Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges
Rides with 44” Height Requirement (112 cm)
- Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls
Rides with 48” Height Requirement (122 cm)
- Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Rides with 51” Height Requirement (130 cm)
- Jurassic World Velocicoaster
Rides with 52” Height Requirement (133 cm)
- Doctor Doom’s Fearfall
Rides with 54” Height Requirement (138 cm)
- The Incredible Hulk Coaster
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Remember that in addition to height limits, you’ll want to factor in the thrill and scare factor, too; just because your child might be tall enough for a ride, they may not be emotionally ready for the bigger rides. Read all the warning signs displayed outside every ride before deciding if it’s right for your child.
Best Kids Ride at Universal Orlando
While your little ones may not be able to ride every ride at each Universal Orlando park, there are plenty of fun rides to enjoy at Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay. Here are the best ride choices for kids:
Universal Studios Florida
Young Kids (Ages 4-8)
- Despicable Me Minion Mayhem– During this ride, you will journey through Gru’s supervillain laboratory with Gru himself and all of the minions! This 3-D adventure is fun and great for your younger kiddos.
- Trolls Trollercoast – perfectly sized for junior guests, and it will suit junior thrill-seekers ready for their first coaster experience.
- Hogwarts Express – The Hogwarts Express will take you from King’s Cross Station at Universal Studios Florida to Hogsmeade Station at Universal’s Island of Adventure. As you travel, your littles can look out the window to see amazing views and scenery going on around them.
- E.T. Adventure – The E.T. Adventure is a fun ride for the family (albeit without the modern special effects they may be accustomed to!)! This is the perfect ride for kids looking for a fun adventure without worrying about scary jumps or twists. You will hop on a bike and journey with E.T. to help him reach his home planet.
- Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ‘n’ Hurl – Take a spin through space as you climb into your very own flying saucer and spin through the stratosphere. As you fly through space, you will get the chance to zap the citizens of Springfield with your spaceship lasers!
Tweens/Young Teens (Ages 9+)
- Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts – Join Harry, Ron, and Hermione as they embark on a journey to escape Gringotts and make a safe journey back to Diagon Alley. This ride is multi-dimensional and a fun ride to enjoy with your tweens and teens!
- Fast and Furious – Supercharged – If your kids love an action-packed experience, you can ride along with Dom, Letty, Hobbs, and Roman as they complete their assigned mission!
- Men in Black Alien Attack – You’re officially an agent trainee, and it’s up to you to save New York! You will get the chance to use your laser gun to zap and defeat Aliens as you travel through New York! Complete the missions successfully to go from trainee to an official Men In Black Agent.
- The Simpsons Ride – Not a fan of real roller coasters? The Simpsons Ride is an indoor roller coaster simulation! Join the whole Simpsons family as you travel through Krustyland for a crazy adventure through Springfield (Though motion sickness will still want to sit this one out!!)
Universal’s Islands of Adventure
Toddler and Pre-School Kids (Ages 3-6)
- Caro-Seuss-el – The Caro-Seuss-el ride is a carousel-style ride featuring all of your favourite characters from Seuss’ Landing. Your little ones will love this carnival classic!
- One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish—This ride is based on a classic Dr. Seuss book and is such a fun experience for little ones. As you climb aboard a fish, you will fly around at varying heights. During your ride, you can control fun details such as making your fish’s eyes blink, ears wiggle, and heads turn!
- High in the Sky Suess Trolley Train—Are kids too short for the coasters? This more sedate ride takes you high above the park.
Young Kids (Ages 7-9)
- Flight of the Hippogriff – Take a lesson from Hagrid as he teaches you how to ride a Hippogriff and ride around the pumpkin patch as you make your way past Hargid’s Hut!
- Storm Force Acceleatron – this is the Universal take on the classic tea-cup ride, perfect for junior thrill seekers who are still too little for the big coasters.
- Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure – GHold onto your handlebars as you take on this unique mini coaster
Tweens (Ages 9-12)
- The Amazing Adventure of Spider-Man – What tween doesn’t love Spider-Man? This fun and adventurous 3-D experience is something you can’t miss at Islands of Adventure. You will race through the streets of New York as you help Spider-Man battle the bad guys!
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey – Join Harry Potter and his wizarding friends as you soar through the grounds of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on a magical, one-of-a-kind experience!
Teens (aged 13+)
Your taller tweens who love thrills will be capable of these more challenging rides, too.
- Jurassic World VelociCoaster – the fastest and tallest coaster in Florida, this brand new opening has four inversions, a 360-degree barrel roll, and a 140 ft drop – an absolute MUST for thrill seekers! (It is one of the rides that opens to Universal hotel guests first during IOA early park admission!)
- Incredible Hulk Coaster – shooting you out of a tube at 67 mph, hold on to your lunch as this ride delivers an incredible seven inversions
- Dr Doom’s Fearfall – Towering above Super Hero Island, take in some great views of the park from up top, but no phones allowed for a quick selfie!! you’ll soon be plunged into a terrifying free-fall.
I talk more about the best water-based rides at Universal over here.
Best Overall Age for Universal Orlando
While there are rides and experiences for kids of all ages, Universal recommends the best experience for kids at least eight years old.
Due to height restrictions, kids much younger than this may have a more difficult time enjoying many of the rides at the parks, and they may even be scared by many of the attractions.
That said, kids of all ages can enjoy Universal Orlando, and there are many rides and attractions for younger children. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what works best for your family, as each family’s experiences and interests will vary.
I hope this guide has helped you decide if a trip to Universal Studios Orlando is the right choice for your family! The parks have so much to offer and fun experiences for people of all ages. No matter what your family decides, you’re sure to have a great time in Orlando!
More Help Planning Your Trip to Universal
Our family have travelled from the UAE to Florida many times with our children at different ages and stages. Here’s a collection of our top Orlando travel tips that you may find helpful:
- All the Best Theme Parks In Orlando – more than just Disney and Universal! See why Orlando is the world’s theme park capital and all the different options, with recommendations by age group to plan your perfect trip to Florida.
- How to choose between Universal Studios and Hollywood Studios – two top theme parks for movie buffs compared.
- Wondering what you can and can’t bring into the parks with you when traveling with kiddos? Our complete guide on what to bring to Universal – and what you shouldn’t bother with.
- How to plan your day at Universal Studios when it;s raining.
- Will you get value out of a Universal Express Pass? We weigh up the benefits and what rides and attractions are included.
- Getting From MCO to Universal – how to start your Universal Orlando adventure.
- Think you pay a lot for Universal parking? Wait until you see what it costs to park at Disney! It will have you reconsidering whether renting a car is the best option for getting around in Orlando.
- How to Get Between Universal and Disney – if both mega-theme parks are in your plans, here’s how to transit between the two, without the need for a car.
- Things to do in Orlando Beyond The Theme Parks – when you’re feeling all theme-parked out, try these other Orlando and nearby nature attractions and day trip ideas.
- Top Tips For Toddlers In Orlando – how to pace your itinerary and the best theme parks with toddlers.
- Expand your trip to Florida with a beach vacation! These are the closest Florida beaches to Orlando
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