Latest news, we’ve booked for our 2 weeks vacation. I’m getting all excited apart from the thought of having to pack my suitcase. A job which my other half always leaves up to me.

Prepare for the weather

Florida is very hot for 90 percent of the year. If you’re from the UK like myself you will notice the heat as soon as you exit the airport. It’s not uncommon for temperatures to be around or above 33 degrees centigrade or in the 90’s Fahrenheit. This coupled with heavy rainfall especially in the summer months can make it uncomfortable. You’ll be grateful for a cloudy day and a nice breeze.

Pack a high factor sunscreen for UVA and UVB ray protection. You may think you won’t get burnt if you’re not actually sunbathing but the sun is intense. Discovery cove provides its own animal friendly sunscreen included in your ticket. I always take high factor lip balm. For some reason the sun can bring out the cold sore virus (herpes simplex ).

You won’t need a coat unless you’re visiting in February or March and even then you may not use it. A light jacket or cardigan will be sufficient as it is usually chilly on the plane or your hotel room due to the air conditioning. I actually take a pair of bed socks as my feet get so cold with the hotel air con.

Pack a poncho. Takes up less room than a coat or jacket and will easily fit in your handbag. These can be bought cheaply in the pound type shops before you go or at Dollar tree in the U.S. If you’re in the parks and you aren’t prepared for the sudden downpours it will cost you around 7 dollars to buy one there. Showers are usually heavy with often thunder and lightening but don’t last long and if you can keep dry you’ll benefit from a shorter line for those rides when everyone else heads for home.

When The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened in 2010 at Universal’s Islands of Adventure I queued for hours to get in and was grateful that I had packed a small collapsible umbrella. It kept me dry when it rained and also doubled as a sun shade.

What bag to take to the parks

I always take a soft string type bag to the parks – a favourite that I’ve had for years. It’s lightweight, collapses easily and will fit into a small locker. I make sure I put a plastic carrier bag in it if it’s a day when I’m going on the wet rides as this will protect my phone and camera. For a family I’d take a backpack and use one of the larger lockers where you pay for it and can return throughout the day.These are situated just inside the entrances to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. This means you can take a change of clothing in case you want to swim at any of the Universal resorts after hitting the parks or even if you don’t fancy walking around in wet clothes after doing the wet rides.

For rides where you can’t take a bag on small lockers are provided free for the length of the ride ( plus queue time). A back pack may not fit into a small locker and larger lockers are chargeable.

Bum bags or Fanny packs have become popular again and will usually fit the essentials in.

Tickets

Don’t forget to take your tickets – you won’t get in without them. It’s a good idea to take photo copies of them including the bar codes and keep a photo of them on your mobile phone. Also take a copy of the photo and details pages in your passport. Buy lanyards before you go with a plastic pouch on the end to keep your park tickets in. Disney’s tickets are like a credit card but Universal Orlando tickets are only thin card and soon get worn when you’re having to present them often. These are sold in the parks but cost around $15 although you can pick one with your favourite character on or the latest Halloween Horror Nights.

If you’re staying at one of the Universal Resorts which includes the complimentary Express Pass; the lanyard is ideal as your room key card doubles as the Express Pass and can be scanned at the rides entrance through the plastic holder.

Don’t forget your driving licence and code for sharing information if you’ve hired a car. We’ve never been asked to share the code so Alamo can view the points on our licence but you can bet if we forget to take it they’ll want to see it.

Footwear

Take comfortable well worn shoes as you will walk miles. New shoes look nice but may give you blisters until they’re worn in. I always take a few blister plasters/ first aid dressings just in case. I prefer to wear a good pair of walking sandals. I have a few pairs of the same style in different colours.

I also take a pair of water shoes for visiting the water parks as there’s generally a bit of walking involved there too. Theses are neoprene and dry off well after. They protect the feet as well as giving a good grip.

Speaking of water parks – an all in one bathing suit is better if you don’t want to lose parts of your bikini on the chutes.

Refillable drink cup

If you’ve previously bought one from Universal make sure you take it back again for your next holiday. It’ll save you a fortune as you get discounted refills for ever. Or bring any travel cup and fill up with water from the numerous water fountains in the parks. I found my string bag came in useful here as the soft strap could be threaded through the handle on my refillable cup which saved me from having to carry it around.

Small change

Try and get some small change for the toll roads. There’s around two toll stations from MCO international airport on the way to International drive area. I always have some change left from my previous years holiday so I make sure I take it back again.

If you’re thinking of sending postcards there are stamp machines in some stores but they cost more than the price of the stamps value and take quarters.

At Orlando MCO airport

Coming from the UK there are always long queues at Orlando when we arrive to go through passport control. You’ll have been given a customs form to fill in whilst on the plane – one for each family unit. I’d advise declaring any food stuffs even if it’s only teabags and sweets as the extra 2 minutes it takes to declare them when you go through customs is better than a fine.

Earphones and electrical Adaptors

Some airlines charge for earphones to access there in flight entertainment. I usually take our own as we’ve found by experience the ones given to you don’t always work.

Universal Orlando resort hotels have numerous electrical outlets and nowadays plenty of USB points. Remember to take UK to USA adaptors – they will be cheaper to buy in the UK.

Medication

Don’t forget to pack any prescribed medication. If you forget it you may be unable to find the same drug at the Pharmacy and a visit to a Doctor to get more prescribed will be costly. There is a Walgreens at the junction of Universal Boulevard and International Drive and another at the junction of Sand Lake Road and International Drive.

Money

You will need plenty of money. A small tub of ice cream and a cola for two people is around $20 in the parks. Unfortunately the exchange rate for the pound is poor at the moment. You will need to show a credit card at Hotels and for car hire.

All Universal hotels charge for parking your car. At our last visit to the Royal Pacific it was $22 a day. However if you’re staying at a Universal hotel you get complimentary transport to the parks and most are within walking distance so you won’t need to pay to park at Universal theme parks. Likewise if your staying at Disney.

Read my similar post on what to expect of your first holiday in Orlando here.

Hope you find these tips helpful. Please leave a comment and any suggestions you have on this topic will be welcome.