Universal Orlando with Kids: A Guide by Age

Universal Orlando has a reputation as the thrill-and-teens park, so here is the thing most parents do not realize: it is far more kid-friendly than you think. Between whole lands built for little ones and the pure magic of Harry Potter, there is a wonderful trip here for young families, you just have to plan it right by age. Here is how I do it.

More for little kids than you would expect

• Seuss Landing (Islands of Adventure), an entire, colorful land made for small children, gentle rides, the Cat in the Hat, and a Seuss-y carousel.
• DreamWorks Land (Universal Studios), a newer land aimed right at young kids, with Trolls, Shrek, and Gabby’s Dollhouse.
• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, you do not need to be tall to fall in love with it, the shops, Ollivanders, butterbeer, and the Hogwarts Express are magic at any age.
• Super Nintendo World at the new Epic Universe park, interactive, colorful, and made for the Mario generation, big and small.

What your child can ride, by age

Universal does skew a little taller on its thrill rides than Disney, so height matters even more here. Kids grow at different rates, so measure before you go, but as a rough guide:

• Little ones (under ~40″): Seuss Landing, DreamWorks Land, E.T. Adventure (34″), Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster and Flight of the Hippogriff (36″), the Hogwarts Express, and the whole Wizarding World to wander.
• Around 4 to 5 (~40 to 42″): the big family rides, Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, Transformers, Spider-Man, and Mario Kart in Super Nintendo World, plus Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts (42″).
• Around 6 to 8 (~48″): the headliner thrills, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, and Revenge of the Mummy.
• Bigger kids and teens (~51 to 54″): the major coasters, the Jurassic World VelociCoaster and the Incredible Hulk.

And like Disney, Universal has a Child Swap: for rides your child is too short for, parents can take turns without waiting in line twice.

The parks, for families

Islands of Adventure has Seuss Landing, Jurassic World, and half the Wizarding World; Universal Studios has DreamWorks Land, the Minions, and the other half; the new Epic Universe brings Super Nintendo World and How to Train Your Dragon’s Isle of Berk; and Volcano Bay is the tropical water park for a day off. For the full rundown of the parks and hotels, see my Universal Orlando guide.

Where to stay, and the family game-changer

Here is the single best family tip at Universal: the top-tier Premier hotels (Portofino Bay, Hard Rock, Royal Pacific) include Universal Express Unlimited for your whole stay, which lets you skip the regular line on most rides all day. With little kids and short patience, that is worth its weight in gold. There are also family-suite value hotels like Cabana Bay and Endless Summer.

Why plan Universal with kids with me

Universal with children is all about matching the rides to their height, using Express and Child Swap well, and knowing which lands to prioritize by age. I plan it around your kids, book the right hotel with Express included, and pair it with Disney or the rest of Orlando. For traveling with kids at every age, see my family travel guide; for the Disney side, my Disney with kids guide.