8 Things You Should Do When Planning A Group Trip To Universal Orlando Resort
3. Consider Your Group
Take your time to think about the different people you have in your group and their needs.
We had practically every type of adult you could expect to find. Ages ranged between 20s and 60's. We had those who liked gentle rides to those who wanted to repeatedly ride The Incredible Hulk Coaster. There were those who weren't bothered by the heat and those who became tired quickly. We also had one person who is registered disabled.
Planning for such a diverse group was difficult and we didn't even have children to consider. This is where any research you have done helps. We would plan attractions for our thrill seekers to do whilst the others did something else. For example, whilst some rode The Mummy the rest took the Hogwarts Express to Islands of Adventure. Our Mummy lot loved the coaster and weren't bothered about skipping the train, whilst the others loved the magic windows on the Hogwarts Express.
To help those that struggled with the heat we planned either an early start or just a few hours in the afternoon. This meant they had more time to relax and were generally out of the midday heat.
If like us, a member of your group has a disability, it really is worth taking the time to check out Universal's website page on accessibility .
Although our family member didn't require a wheelchair, they do walk with a cane and are unable to stand for long periods. This meant that they would struggle with long queues. Luckily Universal do have a system to help anyone who may be in a similar situation when it comes to queueing.
The Universal Attraction Assistance Pass (AAP) allows you to queue for an attraction without having to actually stand in line. If you head to Guest Services when you arrive and explain your situation and they will be able to provide you with a pass, should it meet your needs.
The pass works much like TapuTapu at Volcano Bay. Simply go to the attraction you wish to ride and present your pass. If the line is short your party may be directed to the Express Line. If there is a longer wait the team member will note down a return time and you can enjoy the rest of the park until it's time to ride. The return time will be the equivalent of the time you would have been in line. This means that you don't ride any quicker, but you aren't standing for a long time. Perfect for our family member who would have struggled with a queue longer than 30 minutes.
We tended not to use this pass as the queues were short during our trip. We found team members would go out of their way to give us routes which didn't involve stairs or they even directed us straight into the Express Pass queue without asking for an AAP. Team members would also store his cane whilst he rode, which meant he could use it right up until he boarded the attraction.
When you start to plan, think hard about who will want to ride which attraction and also if you will need any assistance whilst your are there.