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NEWS: Universal Orlando Lifts Summer Blockout Dates for Select Annual Passholders

Universal Orlando reopened a little over a week ago to greet all sorts of guests, show off its new Virtual Queue system, and introduce U-Rest locations (even if there were some bumps in the road throughout the day).

NEWS: Universal Orlando Lifts Summer Blockout Dates for Select Annual Passholders

The Simpsons

Prior to reopening to the general public, Universal Orlando offered Annual Passholder previews. And now, Universal is doing something else for APs eager to hang out at the parks again.

According to the website, Universal has lifted some of the blockout dates on passes throughout the summer.

NEWS: Universal Orlando Lifts Summer Blockout Dates for Select Annual Passholders

Universal Orlando Resort

Universal Studios Florida Seasonal Passes July blockout dates have been lifted.

NEWS: Universal Orlando Lifts Summer Blockout Dates for Select Annual Passholders

©Universal Orlando

And that seems to be the case for Islands of Adventure as well.

NEWS: Universal Orlando Lifts Summer Blockout Dates for Select Annual Passholders

©Universal Orlando

Volcano Bay is switching a lot things up by removing many blockout dates for the 3-Park passes available for guests. The 3-Park Seasonal Pass and 3-Park Power Annual Pass will both be lifting their June and August blockout dates. And, the 3-Park Preferred Annual Pass will also no longer have lockout dates for the month of August.

NEWS: Universal Orlando Lifts Summer Blockout Dates for Select Annual Passholders

©Universal Orlando

Although there are a lot of blockout dates being lifted, the 3-Park Power Annual Pass and 3-Park Preferred Annual Pass will still have blockouts that apply before 4PM throughout July.

NEWS: Universal Orlando Lifts Summer Blockout Dates for Select Annual Passholders

Hogwarts Express

This gives AP even more opportunities to kick back and relax with a Lard Lad Donut in one hand and a chilly Butterbeer in the other. NEWS: Universal Orlando Lifts Summer Blockout Dates for Select Annual Passholders ?

We’re keeping our eye out to see what update Disney World and Disneyland share about their Annual Passes. Will they lift blockout dates? Only time shall tell. As of right now, many things dealing with Disney World Annual Passes, including their current expiration dates, are still very up in the air. So be sure to check the blog for the latest info!

Have you gone back to Universal Orlando yet? Let us know in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Disney News, disney parks, Featured, News, annual passes, annual passholders, Disney, disney news, Islands of Adventure, Universal, universal annual passholders, universal news, Universal Orlando, universal orlando reopening, universal parks, Universal Studios Florida, Volcano Bay

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NEWS! Universal Orlando Annual Passholders Can Register For a Reopening Preview TODAY

Universal Orlando will officially be opening to the public on June 5th. Buuut, if you’re an Annual Passholder, you’ll get to go back home to Hogwarts early!

Universal

After Universal Orlando announced its extensive health and safety protocols, it also stated that they would be opening the parks to team members and Annual Passholders prior to June 5th.

Universal Orlando posted this message on Facebook today officially welcoming back Passholders to a reopening preview! They will be sending out emails will information regarding how they can be some of the first people to reenter the parks.

©Universal Studios

Starting today, Passholders will be able to register for early-access to Universal Orlando! Reservations are open to Premier Passholders starting at 12PM ET, followed by Preferred Passholders at 1PM ET and Power and Seasonal Passholders at 2PM ET! Space will be extremely limited and reservations will be first-come, first-serve.

Islands of Adventure Gate

We will keep you updated on what Universal Orlando will look like when the parks start to re-open in just a week!

Take a look at ALL the details on Universal Orlando’s re-opening here!

What is your favorite Universal Orlando attraction? Let us know in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Disney News, disney parks, Featured, News, Disney, disney news, Islands of Adventure, universal news, Universal Orlando, Universal Orlando Passholders, universal orlando reopening, Universal Studios Florida, Volcano Bay

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Universal Orlando Is Reopening June 5th and We’ve Got ALL the Details!

Universal Orlando is reopening its theme parks to the public on June 5th. 

Universal Orlando

Universal Orlando is set to become one of the first major theme park resorts to reopen in the United States. Though they have set a precedent with the reopening of Universal CityWalk last week, the company is still working out many of the details about how their reopening will look on June 5th. Here’s what we know so far.

Going to the Theme Parks

According to the reopening plan that Universal submitted to the Florida government, the theme parks will implement a soft opening with limited guests on June 1st before moving to a public and official reopening on June 5th.

Universal

Unlike Shanghai Disneyland, guests will not be required to make a reservation to visit the theme parks. Still, the parks will be operating at limited capacity so Universal does note that the parks may reach capacity and additional guests will not be admitted.

The majority of attractions and experiences are set to be available when the park opens. Some experiences will not be available and some may be altered. More specific information will be released soon and we will be sure to update.

Islands of Adventure Gate

The rest of the Universal Resort health, safety, and hygiene measures will apply (below). We will keep an eye out for more specific information on the theme park operations.

Going to Volcano Bay

Universal’s water park, Volcano Bay, will be opening as well. To implement physical distancing, the water park will follow the same guidelines as the rest of the resorts plus a few more specific ones. Capacity will be limited on each attraction (rivers and pools included), one party will be allowed per raft for raft rides, and lounge chairs will be arranged so that parties may sit together with six feet between other guests.

©Universal

Guests will be required to wear face masks during their time in Volcano Bay however they will not be permitted on the water slides or in the pools. Team members will be wearing face coverings as long as it is not required that they get in the water. Those who may need to enter the water (lifeguards, etc.) will wear balaclavas when not specifically on a slide or in a pool.

Health Measures

The general health measures at Universal are as follows:

  • Guests and team members are required to wear face coverings.
  • Guests and team members are required to undergo temperature checks. Anyone with a temperature of 100.4 degrees or greater will not be able to enter Universal CityWalk or the theme parks.
  • Parking will be staggered within the parking garage to help create distance between travel groups.
  • Park and attraction capacity will be limited and reduced in Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay.
  • There will be increased cleaning and disinfection of food locations, ride vehicles, and other frequent touchpoints.
  • Physical distancing will be encouraged at all locations through the parks.
  • Virtual Line will be available for select attractions.
  • Cashless payments and “no-touch” policies will be available where possible.

CityWalk Reopening

With the exception of water rides, guests will be required to wear their face coverings while on the attractions. Hand sanitizer will also be required prior to boarding a ride vehicle and Universal team members will provide guests with sanitizer.

Soft Opening

As we mentioned, Universal Orlando will be opening with a limited number of guests on June 1st to get ready for the public reopening a few days later.

Universal CityWalk

At this time, Universal is still working through the details as to who those limited guests may be.

Passholder Update

Universal Orlando Annual and Seasonal Passholders received an email today announcing the reopening with a “Welcome Home.” Special Passholder experiences will apparently be announced soon.

Universal Email Screenshot

As a reminder, Universal is automatically extending all affected Annual and Seasonal passes by the number of days that the parks were closed.

Hotel Information

As for the hotels, Universal is still working out the details. Guests with reservations will be contacted as soon as plans are made available.

Universal Studios Aventura Hotel Heart Message

For now, guests can modify or cancel bookings held for the closure period with no fee. During the period, cancelation fees are waived for hotel reservations canceled more than 24 hours in advance of arrival.

Events

Universal has canceled all scheduled events including Grad Bash 2020 and Gradventure 2020.

On the subject of Halloween Horror Nights and the 2020 Holidays celebration, more details will be released at a later time. We will update you with any more events information.

We will update this post as more details are released about the opening of Universal Orlando Resort. 

Do you have questions about the Universal Orlando reopening? Put them in the comments below. 

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Featured, News, health and safety measures, Islands of Adventure, phased reopening, Universal Hotels, Universal Islands of Adventure, Universal Orlando, Universal Orlando Passholders, universal orlando reopening, Universal Orlando Resort, Universal reopening, Universal Studios, universal studios reopening, Universal Volcano Bay, Volcano Bay

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BREAKING NEWS: Universal Orlando Is Officially Opening June 5th

Just yesterday, we found out that Universal Orlando had submitted a reopening plan that included an early June opening date.

Islands of Adventure Main Entrance

From there, the plan had to go through several rounds of approval. Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings approved the plan last night. From there, the plan went on for approval from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and apparently it was approved.

Universal Orlando just released a statement that Universal Studios Florida, Universal’s Islands of Adventure, and Universal’s Volcano Bay will open to the public on June 5th.

A statement on the Universal Orlando website begins with the phrase “Welcome Back” and goes on to announce the reopening of Universal Orlando theme and water park properties. Health, safety, and hygiene procedures are acknowledged.

Universal Orlando Screenshot

The company also reminds guests that on top of the new protocols in the theme parks, guests will need to abide by CDC guidelines and the guidance of health officials. They remind that they cannot guarantee that a guest will not be exposed to health risks.

Just like at CityWalk, guests and team members must wear face coverings and undergo temperature checks. Those with a temperature of 100.4 degrees or greater will not be able to enter.

Universal

There will also be staggered parking in the parking garage. Universal also shared that they WILL be limiting and reducing daily park attendance and the number of people on each attraction. At this time, “a reservation is not needed in order to visit the theme parks. Please note that since we’re limiting attendance, there may be times when the parks reach capacity and additional guests will not be admitted.” A virtual line will be available for select attractions.

Universal

Social distancing will be enforced throughout the parks including within attraction queues and at restaurants. There will be increased cleaning and disinfection of food locations, ride vehicles, and other “touch points.” They will also offer cashless payments and “no touch” policies where possible.

Many of these policies were implemented when Universal CityWalk opened a few days ago.

We will be sharing all of the details on the reopening on Universal soon. Stay tuned! 

Are you planning to visit Universal when they reopen in June? Let us know in the comments below. 

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Featured, News, Islands of Adventure, Universal, Universal Islands of Adventure, Universal Orlando, universal orlando reopening, Universal Orlando Resort, Universal reopening, Universal Studios, Universal Volcano Bay, Volcano Bay