Packing for Universal Orlando is like packing for two vacations in one go. Three if you are also road tripping down. You need to pack for the theme park and you need to pack for your down time at the pools. You need some outfits for dinner and comfy clothing for the drive down. We went to Universal Orlando in September which meant we were packing for fairly warm weather on the road and super hot for while we were in Orlando. This is what to pack for Universal Orlando.
What to Pack for Universal Orlando
Bathing Suits – It might not be the most obvious thing to pack first but Florida is hot most of the year so there is a good chance there will be swimming. We stayed at the Lowes Portofino Resort in September and it was so melting hot out that we spent the afternoons in the pool. Pack at a minimum two suits each because nothing dries very quickly.
T-shirts – You are going to need enough tees for the time you are away. So if you are at the park for 5 days you need at least 5 tees. More for your travelling days. You might even want more for going out for dinner, but I tended to reuse those so long as I didn’t spill.
Shorts – You probably won’t need as many pairs of shorts for your time at the parks. I would pack three pairs.
Sneakers – you should pack shoes that you can pound the pavement in. Something comfortable. Do not pack new shoes you haevn’t broken in. This isn’t the time to work in some new shoes. I would pack extra shoes. Our rookie manouver was not doing this and going on a water ride. We had to use the hair dryer to dry out our sneakers for the next day at the parks.
Cabana Tote – after time at the parks you want a bag that can take what you need to the pool. I love that this bag can easily lug everything without overflowing the bag. Full review here.
Hat – It might seem counterintuitive but we didn’t wear hats to the park. We were there in the mornings before the hot sun and it would have forced us to use lockers when we went on the rides. We did use our hats when we were lounging at the pool in the full sun of the afternoons.
Palladio Kaftan – Let me preface this that you do not need to dress up for dinner at Universal Orlando. Unless you are going off to some high end restaurant somewhere off property. For the most part people dress very casually. But part of the fun of vacation is to dress up and make going out for dinner special. So I still pack some dresses for when I am feeling like dressing up.
Black Linen Pants – One thing I was very glad I packed was a few pairs of linen pants. Linen pants are so lightweight that they can double for shorts at the parks. And since the vibe is so casual at dinner they are a great alternative to dresses.
Fanny Pack – One thing I was really glad we did was ditch the backpacks and only use fanny packs. We saw so many people get diverted to the lockers because they were carrying backpacks. Unless you have younger kids and will be using a stroller or using the child swap I wouldn’t recommend carrying a backpack. This is the biggest difference between Disney where we packed lunches and could take our backpacks on any ride, Universal we relied on our bum bags. I do not recommend a leather fanny pack unless you are going to completely avoid any water rides or rain. The fanny packs I have linked kept our phones dry when we got drenched.
Sunglasses – I take sunglasses everywhere. But if there is a place you want to have them is Florida. Just make sure that you have room to stash them in your fanny pack for the rides.
Tee – I mentioned above to pack lots of tees. I like to pack some special ones, the ones I think are cooler that way if I want to wear a tee and linen pants to dinner I have something that will work.
Merch – While we did buy some merch at the park we packed most of the fun tees and brought them from home. Sponge bob, minions, Harry Potter. You can get lots of this stuff via cheaper outlets than at Universal.
Sunscreen – Sunscreen is a must since you will be spending all your time outside whether at the parks or at the pool.
Lanyard – One of the perks of staying at the high end resorts at the parks is the express pass is included. This will be the key to your room and it will give you perks at the parks. The easiest way to carry it around so that you have it handy all the time is with a lanyard.
Dress – I packed 3 or 4 dresses for going out for dinner. This allows me to rewear a favourite and maybe have a night or two with pants.
Sport sandals – my husband packed sport sandals and I wish I had packed some for the rest of us. They handle wet days so much better than sneakers.
Don’t forget to pack toiletries, pjs, underwear and comfy clothes for the long drive to Florida. Don’t forget your tickets either! Since we were coming down from Canada we didn’t have our tickets mailed to us in advance. We went to the ticket desk at our hotel and they printed our tickets. But I did have print outs of our hotel and package booking to pull out for check in and getting the tickets. Make sure you have your id with you as well!
You will note that I didn’t include a rain poncho. It was so hot while we were there we voluntarily went on water rides just to cool down. We did get caught in the rain after dinner a few times. I would say that a rain poncho would be good if you are travelling through the winter, but not necessary through the hotter months.
What else would you pack?