Here's What Universal Orlando Resort is Really Like During the Pandemic

I visited Universal Orlando Resort two weeks upon its reopening due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here's what it's really like.

I am a theme park junkie. I love the thrill rides, the extensive theming, and the feeling of being transported into fictional worlds. All throughout my senior year, I looked forward to Grad Bash at Universal Orlando Resort. Grad Bash is an event where high school seniors get exclusive rights to the parks for a night, getting to ride the biggest rollercoasters with their friends and sing along to a live concert played by the year's biggest music stars. Plus, I hadn't visited the Universal theme parks in ten years. Unfortunately, Grad Bash was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Universal Orlando Resort has been closed since COVID-19 hit in March. I made a plan to spend a weekend at the parks with my two best friends as soon as the resort reopened. I was able to visit the parks this past week and I can confidently say I had a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I decided to visit Universal Orlando Resort two weeks after it reopened. I wanted to wait to see the crowd levels and research how well the resort was enforcing its safety guidelines. You can check out the complete list of guidelines on their website. Here's what I witnessed with the major precautions:

1. Face coverings: Everyone is required to wear a face covering during their visit. I was honestly shocked at how 99% of the parks' guests were complying with this rule. You must wear them at all times (even on rides!) except when eating, drinking, or when in a U-Rest area. I'll be honest: masks suck, especially with the heat. I felt incredibly stifled by mine the whole day. I wouldn't have minded the mask as much if the weather were cooler. I don't know if there's any scientific proof behind this, but I think the mask caused me to feel very lightheaded while riding The Hulk coaster.

2. Social distancing: Social distancing was really easy because the parks were basically empty (more on that later). The floor of each ride queue is marked with social distancing stickers. Only one party is allowed to stand on each sticker. The stickers are placed six feet apart in all directions. Everyone did a fantastic job staying on their mark.

3. Hand sanitizer: Right when you are about to board your ride vehicle, a Universal team member pumps hand sanitizer into your hands. You are required to use the hand sanitizer before boarding every single ride. The team members were really on top of this. They made sure every person got sanitizer and always kept the bottles well-stocked.

I spent one day at Universal Studios and one day at Islands of Adventure. NOBODY was at the parks. I have never (and will never again) see anything like it. Check out these pictures I took to see what I mean. Notice how everyone is wearing a mask (correctly! Bonus points).

Citywalk at 10:00 a.m.

Outside the Mummy rollercoaster in the afternoon

The average wait time for all the rides was five minutes or less. For most of the rides, I walked through the queue and immediately boarded my ride vehicle with absolutely no one in front of me. I got to ride Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, the resort's newest attraction, four times in a row! Before the pandemic, it was not uncommon for that rollercoaster to have a wait time of 3+ hours. I was able to ride and re-ride every single attraction at both parks within each day I spent there. It's a thrill seeker's paradise.

You are required to wear your mask on the rides. This would not have been an issue except for the unfortunate fact that breathing through the mask makes the simulator rides' 3D glasses fog up. You are allowed to remove your mask on the water rides, which is literally a breath of fresh air. My cloth mask got soaked through my pocket anyway, though.

My best friends and I wearing our masks on Men in Black: Alien Attack

I really liked the social distancing measures on the individual ride vehicles. Your row only holds your party, and there is at least one empty row between each party. I felt completely and totally safe on the rides because of the seating arrangements, the hand sanitizer, and the mask requirement. I did apply hand sanitizer when I got off each ride, as well as randomly throughout the day, to keep myself extra safe.

My one major complaint is about the dining service. You must order all your food through the Universal Orlando app. You can't order until you are physically sitting down at your table. I spent half an hour outside waiting to be seated at Krusty Burger at Universal Studios. It took the restaurant over an hour to bring my table's food. I sympathize with the workers who are acclimating to a new service system, but when there are three parties in the restaurant and the last one to arrive finishes its meal before one of the others has even been delivered its beverages, something is not right. I had a much better, much more personalized experience over at Thunder Falls Terrace at Islands of Adventure.

I had the best theme park experience of my life at Universal Orlando Resort. The team members and guests really respected the safety guidelines. The discomfort of the masks is totally worth the virtually non-existent wait times. If you plan to visit soon, make sure to do your part by only going if you are in good health, wearing your mask at all times, and social distancing. Stay safe, and enjoy your trip!