Half the fun of traveling is planning for said traveling. I enjoy learning about where I’m going, suggestions for the best places to eat, visit, and stay, all of the options like jigsaw pieces I get to put together to create the perfect trip. Even with places I’ve been to many times, like Universal Orlando, I like getting the travel guides so I can note the latest changes to crowd patterns, new foods, and ways to get the most out of my days in the theme park.
The Unofficial Guide to Universal Studios 2025 gives a history of the theme parks, where to stay, what to eat, the rides and entertainment, and touring plans based on your goals for your visit. Year to year there are small changes in the details, mostly in dining where menus are constantly being updated to reflect guests’ tastes. However, for 2025, there’s an entire new park opening, Epic Universe. Even though it is not open at the time I was visiting, I was still interested to read about what is going to be in the new park.
What I like best about the Unofficial Guide brand of travel guides, is their touring plans. Based off research of crowd patterns, they have used this data to make suggestions about the best order of operations to ride the rides and see the shows. There’s an accompanying app where you can either follow one of their pre-made touring plans, or you can craft your own. If you choose the latter, it will optimize the order in which you do each attraction or show so that you avoid long lines.
This was a great update because of all the new information about Epic Universe. It’s a great resource to have on hand for when I’m finally able to visit the new park. Knowing the foods I want to eat and the attractions I want to go on the most gets me one step ahead of the masses meaning I’m spending less time in line and more time enjoying myself.
