Enjoying your vacation is easy when you know what to wear for Universal Studios.
There are many things to think about, I’ll talk about what to wear, what you’ll need to bring to the parks, and what to pack for your trip in this post. Read on for some handy tips in this complete guide.
What To Wear in Universal’s Parks
When planning what to wear to Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and the rest of the Universal Orlando Resort, you’ll want to think about two things when dressing for the parks.
- Comfort – Its often very hot and humid in Central Florida
- Protection from the elements – Sun and Rain being the primary issues
Florida Weather
As I mentioned Central Florida gets quite hot during a big chunk of the year and in the summer months it rains most days in the afternoon. Below is a chart with the Orlando average high and low temperatures for each month of the year as well as average monthly rainfall amounts in inches.
These are the averages over 10 years. It can get hotter and colder. the record highs on hot summer days over the last ten years run from 96 to 100 degrees, while the coldest in the winter months was 28 -38 degrees. I have personally seen freezing rain in Orlando.
Be sure to check the Orlando extended forecast as your vacation dates approach to know what temps to pack for.
Of course the temperatures that you are used to at home will play into how the Orlando temps feel to you!
For the rainier months, bring cheap, lightweight rain ponchos or rain coats, and perhaps umbrellas
Orlando Monthly Average Temperatures and Rainfall
|
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
|
| High |
71 |
72 |
78 |
83 |
88 |
90 |
92 |
91 |
90 |
84 |
78 |
73 |
| Low |
47 |
49 |
54 |
59 |
65 |
71 |
73 |
73 |
72 |
65 |
57 |
50 |
| Rainfall |
2.4″ |
2.5″ |
3.8″ |
2.7″ |
3.5″ |
7.6″ |
7.3″ |
7.1″ |
6.1″ |
3.3″ |
2.1″ |
2.6″ |
Prohibited Clothing
First, let me mention what you can’t wear to Universal Studios. Universal does not allow Clothing with offensive language or content, or clothing that would make someone think that you are emergency personnel*.
* See the full list of prohibited items at the bottom of this post.
Suggested Clothing for Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure
Below are my suggestions for what to wear based on the expected temperatures. The time of year will determine what you’ll pack. Be aware that there are times of year when you’l have to pack for both warm and cold weather. The biggest takeaway id to dress in comfortable clothes!
Warm to Hot Weather
- Cool Comfortable Clothing – Lightweight and Breathable
- Comfortable Shoes and Socks
- Hats
Clothing should be Lightweight and Breathable. Cargo or athletic shorts a moisture wicking shirts are optimal. Cool dresses and leggings are also great. Wear modern under garments. You will do lots of walking in the parks wearing street clothes, I find that wearing a modern moisture wicking fabric under my street clothes keeps chaffing from happening. You’ll thank yourself!
Don’t wear clothing that exposes skin that rarely sees the sun! For instance shirts with odd cutouts. If a section of skin is not used to the sun at home, you probably shouldn’t expose it to 10+ hours of Florida sun! Dress normally.
Men do everyone a favor, leave the tank tops at home! No one wants to see your sweaty, hairy pits.
Shoes should be athletic/walking type shoes that are broken in. You don’t want to get a blister from brand new shoes while on your feet the entire day on your feet. Remember you’ll be on your feet all day doing lots of walking for your whole vacation, heels, huge wedges, dress shoes, etc should be left at home (or in the room for a special vacation dinner). Same for flip-flops and sandals, if you cant walk 5+ miles in them and the top of your feet aren’t used to the Florida sun, don’t wear them for long days in the parks.
Hats – It’s a great idea to bring ball caps, or bigger full brimmed hats to keep the hot sun off your forehead and face.
Sunscreen – Not clothing but… I lived in Florida and even though I was “adapted” every theme park day would start with an application of sunscreen before leaving my room. You are going to be in the sun 10 to 12 hours a day, don’t risk a burn in the strong Florida sun, especially early in your vacation!
Cool to Cold Weather
- Jeans, Pants, or Warmup Wear
- Sweatshirts, light jackets, long sleeve shirts
- Comfortable Shoes and Socks
- Hats, both for the sun and cold
- Winter Gear – Jacket, Gloves & Scarves (as needed)
Clothing needs to be layerable, a cold morning can turn into a very pleasant afternoon. The sweatshirt that you needed in the morning will end up around your waist or in the backpack.
Shoes same as above, you will spend a lot of time on your feet. Also, if it’s cold you’ll want something that covers your whole foot, not sandals.
Hats and other winter gear may be needed for the occasional really cold day.
And another plug for sunscreen. Even in the winter my face gets a coat.
Pro Tip: I always pack for warm weather and add in any cold weather items as needed. I always have shorts and T-shirts in my bag!”
Suggested Clothing for Universal’s Volcano Bay
Here is my suggested clothing for your day at Volcano Bay.
- Swimsuits
- Pool Loungewear
- Coverups
- Warm ups
- T-Shirts
- Hats
- Water shoes or flip-flops
- Waterproof sunscreen
For clothing, swimsuits go without saying, but you may want to cover up when going to get a bite to eat at one of the restaurants. And the little ones may get chilly out of the water during parts of the year so bring something to snuggle.
Hats, again protect that forehead!
As far as footwear, you’ll want a pair of water shoes, flip-flops, or old shows you won’t mind getting wet.
And you are going to want a sports sunscreen or one that’s highly waterproof.
Essentials to Pack for Use in Universal Studios Orlando
Here’s my list of basics to put into your backpack, fanny pack (they are making a comeback) or bag
- Hand Sanitizer
- Sun Screen
- Water Bottles or a Refillable Water Bottle to refill at water fountains
- Rain Gear – this can be a simple as a cheep dollar store rain poncho
- Aspirin/Advil/Tylenol – Your choice
- Extra Snacks
- Chapstick, Lip Balm
- Portable Power Bank or Charger
Additional Items to Pack for Use in the Universal Parks
These items are also a good Idea to bring along for your long day in the parks.
- Portable Power Bank or Charger
- A small Soft Side Cooler
- Any Specific Foods for Special Dietary Needs
- A Waterproof Bag for Your Cell Phone
Special Wizarding World of Harry Potter Packing List
If you or your kids are Potter fans you’ll want to pack these extra items if you have them, or buy them in Diagon Alley or Hogsmead:
- Harry Potter Robes – The most prevalent piece of clothing you’ll probably see at Universal’s parks are the Harry Potter robes!
- Hogwarts House Clothing (T-shirts, ties, socks, hats, scarves)
- Universal’s Interactive Wands
Suggested Clothing for Evening at Universal Orlando
Are you curious what to wear during the evening when dining at Universal Orlando’s Resort Hotels or Universal CityWalk?
For the most part what’s good for the parks is good for restaurants all over property. Shorts and T-shirts are just fine, but it’s totally acceptable to dress up for a nice table service dinner as well!
In fact there are two restaurants at Universal Orlando Resort that have a dress code!
Both the Hard Rock Hotel’s The Palm, and the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel’s Bice Ristorante have a dress code. As stated on the Universal website it reads: Resort or business-casual; smart-casual also acceptable. No beachwear.
The Palm staff explain it in a little more detail: “Resort or business-casual attire is recommended; smart-casual attire is completely acceptable. We ask for no beachwear in the restaurant and no sleeveless shirts for gentlemen.”
Confused about Resort Casual, Business Casual, Smart Casual? Simply put all would include: blouses, polo shirts, button-downs, chinos, dress pants, dark-wash jeans, dresses and skirts, and polished, practical footwear. But what these two restaurants are looking for in for you not to look bad. If you plan to dine in one of these two restaurants throw a collared shirt and nice jeans or slacks in your suitcase. I’ve dines in the Palm wearing a polo, nice jeans, and sneakers in good condition.
What to Pack for a Universal Studios Vacation
Clothing
I discussed types of clothing extensively above, here I’ll discuss amounts of clothing.
Your trip length will of course dictate how much clothing that you’ll need to bring. But with the high heat and afternoon rains in the summer, unless you plan to do laundry while on vacation, you’ll need more than one change of clothes per day.
A Change of Clothes – Nothing beats a mid-day break form the heat of the parks, whether in your air conditioned room or in the pool! But after cooling off you’ll want a fresh set of cloths to put on, not the still sweaty ones form the morning!
You’ll want two pair of shoes that you can wear to the parks. You’ll appreciate the second pair when the one you are wearing gets soaked on Universal’s water rides or in a summer downpour!
Toiletries
Sunscreen – bottle/tube/spray/packets. Sunscreen is a must!
Body Glide or Powder – A good alternative to the underwear mentioned above or even as a second line of defense.
Disinfecting Wipes – for surfaces in your room.
Large Hand Sanitizer – To refill your personal carry ones.
Technology
Be sure to bring all of the charging chords that you’ll need from home: phones, iPads, cameras, etc.
Mini power strip for AC and USB – These are essential for today’s tech needs. Your room won’t have enough plugs for all of those chords you brought. Alternately you could bring a more traditional Power Strip.
Between charges at the room you will most likely need a boost in the parks. Bringing along an external charging device is the way to go. you could bring a Compact External Charger or Mophie case for your power needs
A Waterproof Case for your tech gear is also essential for Splash Mountain and Kali River Rapids!
Handy Items
Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad – These cooling towels work great, especially during Florida summers! Made with hyper-evaporative material that retains water while remaining dry to the touch
Wetting the towel with water will allow it to activate quickly and cool up to 30 degrees.
Keep dry during the Orlando daily summer rain shower with a 10-pack of ponchos or a Travel Umbrella.
Britta Filter Water Bottles – With these you’ll save on the pricey Universal water bottles. Hydration is important in the hot theme parks.
Mole Skin Padding Roll – Nothing is worse than a blister on your foot. Mole skin provides all-day pain relief for tender spots. Its self-stick adhesive holds the padding in place.
Food and Snacks
Here’s a list of items that are great to have in the room!
- Cereal Boxes/Cups – You can get milk from your Resort’s sundries shop
- Granola Bars
- Nuts
- Oatmeal Packets – Fix with the room microwave or coffee maker
- Cheese or Peanut Butter Crackers etc
- Fruit Snacks
- Water Flavoring
- Beef Jerkey – Ball Park Bourbon, my favorite. A great sweet flavor
- Cliff Bars – Packed with 23 vitamins and minerals, Clif Bars have the energy you need to sustain your Universal adventure
Packing food and disposable items in to your luggage might generate extra airline baggage fees. Shipping items to your Universal Resort Hotel can be a great alternative to packing those items and lugging them to the airport.
Instead of packing snacks, order them from Amazon Prime Pantry 30 Day Free Trial using this link.
Essential Items to go in your Carry On Bags
- Your Theme Park Tickets and copy of the original purchase receipt(s) (you should have pictures of your tickets too)
- Your Magic Bands
- Any gift cards
- Prescriptions
- ID, medical insurance card, credit cards, cash (cash for tipping bellman, maid, valet parking)
- Gum and snacks for the plane
- Portable tech chargers and batteries
- Sunscreen
- Camera (if you have one)
- Hats
- Hand Sanitizer – This has always been on our list. There are a lot of hands touching everything in Universal’s parks! We keep a couple of these in our pockets, on a lanyard, or in my camera bag to use often.
Universal’s Official Lists of Allowed and Prohibited Items
Acceptable Items
- Bottled Water (maximum 2 liters)
- Small snacks that do not require heating
- Any food required for medical purposes and medically-indicated nutritional supplements
- Any food required for special dietary needs
- Baby food/baby formula
- Soft-sided insulated bags no larger than 8.5″ wide x 6″ high x 6″ deep
Prohibited Items
- Any type of explosive, weapon, item that can be used as a weapon or has the appearance of a weapon is prohibited
- Alcohol
- Marijuana, or any item containing Cannabis or related paraphernalia
- Illegal items or substances
- Clothing likely to create a danger, incite a disturbance or displaying offensive language or content
- Clothing or accessories that represent someone as emergency personnel or that may create a false impression of employment by Universal
- Power driven devices such as Segways (unless utilized as an ADA mobility device), Hoverboards, Drones or any other radio frequency controlled device
- Selfie sticks are permitted at Universal’s discretion but must be properly secured and not in use on any rides or attraction
- Any other items Universal personnel deem to be inappropriate, disruptive or harmful
- Glassware or glass containers
- Open containers or drinks containing alcohol
- Hard-sided coolers
- Soft-sided coolers larger than 8.5″ wide x 6″ high x 6″ deep
- Picnic lunches; any food that requires heating or refrigeration; folding chairs
Wrap Up
Well that’s it for my What to Wear and Pack for Your Universal Orlando Resort Vacation post.
Do you have any tips to share or questions?
Let me know in the comment Section just below!
See these Related Posts:
- Universal Orlando Resort’s Theme Parks – Overview
- Universal Studios Florida
- Universal’s Islands of Adventure
See More Information:
- Universal’s Resort Hotels
- Universal Orlando Guide Tested Resort Hotels
- What to Wear to Universal Orlando
- How to Make Universal Dining Reservations
Want to get the lowest price on your Universal Orlando Resort Hotel? Contact Our Recommended Expert Travel Agent
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