This is where it all started at Universal Orlando Resort. Universal Studios Florida opened in 1990 on a simple idea: instead of building a kingdom, build a studio and let the visitors walk into it. You move between New York facades, a San Francisco street and a corner of London, and most of the time you forget they are sets.

Diagon Alley, and what the lane hides

From the Thames embankment you see a brick facade and nothing else. You have to find the opening. On the other side the lane closes in on itself: Gringotts with its dragon on the roof, the windows of Weasleys Wizard Wheezes, Knockturn Alley in the half dark. Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts drops beneath the bank. It is the spot on the resort where people spend the most time doing nothing but looking.

The Hogwarts Express leaves from here

King’s Cross station sits at the end of Diagon Alley. The train links this park to Hogsmeade at Universal Islands of Adventure, and the journey differs by direction. To board, you need a ticket giving access to both parks on the same day. A one-park-per-day ticket leaves the family standing at the gate. It is the most common oversight on a first trip, and it is fixed before departure.

What you come here for

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit climbs vertically above the entrance and lets you pick your own soundtrack. Revenge of the Mummy turns from dark ride into roller coaster in the black. Transformers: The Ride 3D and MEN IN BLACK Alien Attack play opposite registers, the first deafening, the second turning the queue into a shooting contest. The Simpsons Ride and its full Springfield, doughnuts and Duff included, take up a whole corner of the park. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem and E.T. Adventure hold the youngest, and E.T. remains one of the last original attractions still standing.

Evening on the lagoon

A nighttime show plays on the central water. Times shift with the season, and it is worth keeping the park’s last hour for that rather than giving it to a queue.

How long to plan

A full day covers the park if Diagon Alley is done early. Many families prefer a half day back, because the lane reads differently once there is nothing left to catch.

Express changes the day

This park is one of the two covered by the Universal Express Unlimited included with the room at the three Premier hotels. For a family over several days that benefit often reorders the hotel shortlist, and it is a calculation your advisor does out loud with you.

Booking from Quebec

Our advisors book in Canadian dollars, with protections that apply here, and they raise the two-park ticket question before the train becomes a problem. Planning is free of charge.

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Universal elements and all related indicia TM & © 2026 Universal Studios. All rights reserved. HARRY POTTER characters, names and related indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights © JKR. (s26)

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. The train links King’s Cross, in Diagon Alley, with Hogsmeade at Universal Islands of Adventure. You need a ticket giving access to both parks on the same day. A one-park-per-day ticket will not let you board, even if you visit both parks on different days.
A full day covers the park provided Diagon Alley is done early. Families with four or five days on the resort often come back for a half day, mostly for the lane and the evening show.
Yes. Universal Studios Florida is one of the two parks covered by the benefit included with the room at the three Premier hotels: Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel and Loews Royal Pacific Resort. It applies to every guest staying in the room, for the whole stay.
Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, E.T. Adventure and the Springfield play area work well with the youngest. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit and Revenge of the Mummy carry height restrictions and a hard pace. Your advisor can walk the list with you by your children’s ages.
This park stages film and television inside a working studio. Its neighbour sets closed worlds side by side: super heroes, dinosaurs, Hogsmeade. Both are done on the same day if you want the Hogwarts Express, and each earns its own day when the calendar allows.
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