The Complete Universal Orlando: The Definitive Universal Handbook - Softcover

A former Walt Disney World concierge supervisor, Julie Neal has spent more than 1,500 days at Walt Disney World, not counting her time working there. Her husbandMike Neal is an award-winning graphic designer and photographer. Julie and Mike live in Winter Garden, FL.

Congratulations. You have purchased the best book there is about one of the best theme-park resorts in the world. Yes that's not very modest, but we really think it's true. The more you look at this book, the more you will enjoy your visit. But before you start flipping through it, please take a minute and read these two pages. They explain the book and help you get the most out of it.

You should know: our ratings are weird. We rate every attraction from one to five stars. But that doesn't mean a five-star ride is better than a four-star ride. It means a five-star ride lives up to its promise better than a four-star ride. As for the attractions we think are best, we give those checkmarks.
A handbook. Really. This book is written, as the catchphrase on the back cover says, to be "a handbook on how to have fun." That means it focuses on helping you enjoy each attraction, regardless of how good it is.

It's also deep. To get the most out of Universal Orlando, we think it helps to fully understand it. That's why there's a chapter on Universal Pictures history, another on Universal Orlando history, another just on its characters. That's why there are 24 scoring tips for the Men in Black Alien Attack ride, and 49 Fun Finds for it.

Are you a Harry Potter fan? Read the last chapter, our Wizarding World of Harry Potter Field Guide. Don't know about Harry? Read the introduction to that chapter.

Something else you should know. The authors went crazy on this one. Already residents of Orlando, we moved to Universal to create the book. We actually lived on its property, in an apartment directly behind the Men in Black ride (our dog hated the fireworks). We spent two years roaming Universal's parks and other areas, literally hundreds of days. We voiced our impressions of roller coasters and other rides directly into our phones as soon as we hopped off them, to make sure we captured each experience well. We photographed Universal at dawn, at dusk, at midnight. As for our 22-year-old daughter Micaela... well, flip back to that field guide.

Congratulations. You have purchased the best book there is about one of the best theme-park resorts in the world. Yes that's not very modest, but we really think it's true. The more you look at this book, the more you will enjoy your visit. But before you start flipping through it, please take a minute and read these two pages. They explain the book and help you get the most out of it.

You should know: our ratings are weird. We rate every attraction from one to five stars. But that doesn't mean a five-star ride is better than a four-star ride. It means a five-star ride lives up to its promise better than a four-star ride. As for the attractions we think are best, we give those checkmarks.
A handbook. Really. This book is written, as the catchphrase on the back cover says, to be "a handbook on how to have fun." That means it focuses on helping you enjoy each attraction, regardless of how good it is.

It's also deep. To get the most out of Universal Orlando, we think it helps to fully understand it. That's why there's a chapter on Universal Pictures history, another on Universal Orlando history, another just on its characters. That's why there are 24 scoring tips for the Men in Black Alien Attack ride, and 49 Fun Finds for it.

Are you a Harry Potter fan? Read the last chapter, our Wizarding World of Harry Potter Field Guide. Don't know about Harry? Read the introduction to that chapter.

Something else you should know. The authors went crazy on this one. Already residents of Orlando, we moved to Universal to create the book. We actually lived on its property, in an apartment directly behind the Men in Black ride (our dog hated the fireworks). We spent two years roaming Universal's parks and other areas, literally hundreds of days. We voiced our impressions of roller coasters and other rides directly into our phones as soon as we hopped off them, to make sure we captured each experience well. We photographed Universal at dawn, at dusk, at midnight. As for our 22-year-old daughter Micaela... well, flip back to that field guide.