Universal Orlando Rolls Out Ticket Deal For Florida Residents

Universal Orlando Rolls Out Ticket Deal For Florida Residents

Living within a few hours of so many theme parks is a definite perk of living in Florida. And as a bonus for living in the Sunshine State, Universal Orlando is rolling out a ticket deal for Florida residents.

Right now, Florida residents can take advantage of the "Buy a Day, Get 2 Days Free on a 2-Park, 1-Day Park-to-Park Ticket" offer. So, you get three days for the price of one- talk about a great deal! And if you don't have plans to get up to Orlando right away, there's good news. You can use the deal on non-consecutive days through September 29th.

Tickets for this deal start at $164 depending on the date and can only be purchased online here. You just need to prove Florida residency with a valid driver's license, State/Government ID, voter registration card or College ID.

Mardi Gras is still going on at Universal Orlando through April 16th. And while it's only April, it's not too early to start thinking about Halloween. Halloween Horror Nights 2023 will be happening on select nights Sept. 1 through Oct. 31 and will feature 10 all-new terrifying haunted houses, 5 sinister scare zones, outrageous live entertainment, themed food & drinks and some of the park’s most exhilarating attractions. Find more info on that event here

Some amusement parks are built for thrill seekers, some are more family oriented. But one thing most everyone can agree on - the best ones are here in Florida. Orlando, actually. So how do you choose? Family vacations experts at Family Destinations Guide analyzed TripAdvisor data on the 20 most visited amusement parks in North America. They calculated the percentage of “excellent” reviews for each to find the most popular.

Taking the top spot is one of our faves. Universal's Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando Resort. The one in Florida, boasting 52,180 total reviews on TripAdvisor.  38,582 (73.9%) of those reviews marked “excellent”. The park is renowned for its six themed islands: Marvel Super Hero Island, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, Seuss Landing, Toon Lagoon, and Skull Island.

Cedar Point is the only amusement park on this list that’s neither in Florida nor California. It’s in Sandusky, Ohio. And Cedar Point was my favorite summer vacation as a kid in Ohio. I loved the "Corkscrew" so much I had to have the souvenir shirt. CP ranked at fourth place with 9,186 total TripAdvisor reviews.  5,930 (64.6%) of those reviews were “excellent”. The park, which is  one of the biggest amusement parks worldwide, is home to over 70 attractions, including 17 roller coasters.

This Top 10 ranking is based on Trip Advisor reviews. One interesting thing to note, the Florida parks tend to rank higher than what should be identical parks in California. Universal Orlando ranks higher than Universal in California. Disney World > Disneyland. Finally, let's get to the rankings based on Total Percentage of "Excellent" Reviews.

There's not a bad one on this list. Each park has it's strengths. Some have more and bigger coasters. Some are better if you have small children. Do your research and I'm sure you'll have a great time.