If you are planning a vacation to Orlando to visit the theme parks this summer, how do you choose which one to visit? Most families determine the park of choice by the age of their children and what attractions they are suited for. If your children are Harry Potter fans, like mine, a mid- to late summer vacation to Universal Studios is something you will want to consider, if not a definite must.
New Attraction Details Revealed
As we reported a few months ago, many features of this new expansion are slowly but surely being exposed to the public. The Hogwarts Train has created a lot of excitement, and now, the announcement with more details about the “Escape from Gringotts” ride can only raise the anticipation level upward. Any new ride is exciting, but this one sounds like it might top our list of all-time gotta-do rides.
Escape from Gringotts will be the featured attraction within the Orlando theme park’s expansion. For those of you that have not read the books or seen the movies, Gringotts Bank is an important setting for the story of Harry Potter. It is guarded by a fire-breathing dragon no less, and ran by goblins! The treasures kept here are powerful and facinating. The ride will be mind blowing with 4K high-definition ride animation, 3-D technology and live special effects.
Here is a sneak peak which Universal has released:
Vacation Packages Available
Most people will want to wait until Diagon Alley is officially open before they book a trip, however, if you only have the summer to do your traveling with school-aged children, then you might be surprised. It could be open as early as mid-June. ORLANDO TOURIST TIP: You can already book a vacation package at Universal Orlando which includes both of these parks if traveling as early as June 29th. Currently, the best deal seems to be the four-night package which includes the following:
- Vacation package delivered (not by owl), but with a welcome letter, park tickets & plush owl
- 3-day Park-to-Park tickets
- One breakfast for each family member at the Three Broomsticks
- One breakfast for each family member at the new Leaky Cauldron (in Diagon Alley)
- Early park admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (one hour before the theme park opens)
- On-site transportation
- Lodging at one of four on-site hotels. The new Cabana Bay Beach Resort (read our post about this resort here.) is the least expensive and has family suites that are, well, sweet.
If you book this vacation through Universal Studios be sure to ask about specifics that your family is interested in. The vacation packages are a great way to go…as long as they offer everything you want covered in your vacation. If they do not cover certain items, be sure to ask about them when speaking to a booking agent.
If you have the opportunity to wait until Fall for your family vacation, September is usually a great time to visit the Orlando area. The crowds at this new theme park attraction will have settled by then and more great deals are sure to come around late in the Summer. Do you think your kids can wait that long?
Climb aboard the Hogwarts Express, visit the goblins at Gringotts and have a Butterbeer at Universal Studios this summer. It will be an Orlando vacation to remember. Just watch out for that fire-breathing dragon, like the new attraction – it’s sure to be hot, hot, hot!
