What if you could visit a theme park with no crowds, no long lines, and all the Butterbeer you could drink? Sounds like a dream, right? That’s exactly what we found at Universal Orlando.

But before we get there, let’s rewind to where it all started—our family’s love for movie nights.

Several times a month, we curl up for a movie night together. Sometimes, we share a meal while watching.

Other times, we indulge in candies and special drinks. We’ve even themed our snacks around the movies—think Every Flavor Beans, chocolate frogs, and homemade Butterbeer.

Many of our favorite films come from Universal Studios, so visiting their theme parks has been a dream for years. The only things holding us back were waiting for our kids to meet the ride height requirements and the long lines, which can stretch for over an hour at the most popular rides like Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.

Then, a few years ago, one of my lifelong friends shared her experience at visiting Universal through a special event called Orlando Informer Meetup. She’s not one to share often, but when she does, you know it’s worth paying attention to.

I tucked the information away for later.

Fast forward three years to a frigid January afternoon in the Midwest. Gray skies stretching endlessly from one horizon to the next. Temperatures plunging below zero.

By now, planning our travels for the year had become more than a habit. It was ritualistic, a way to outlast the winter gloom by mapping out the adventures that give us something to anticipate. Like a seasonal adaptation, it kept us moving forward, even when everything outside seemed frozen in place.

Just nine months earlier, we had introduced our kids to Florida beaches and sunshine. They fell in love with the state, talking nonstop about going back.

But our kids had never experienced a theme park before, and we figured—why not give it a shot?

Within days, we had secured passes for the next Orlando Informer Meetup at Universal Studios.

We travel often, so we’ve learned a few tricks to make flights easier—and cheaper. One of the biggest wins was flying for free using Southwest Airlines travel points and companion pass.

With enough points saved up, we were able to book our entire family’s flights for just the cost of the sales tax. Even better, we found a direct flight, which meant no layovers, no rushing through airports, and no extra travel headaches.

To maximize our time in Orlando, we pulled the kids out of school an hour early, grabbed our bags, and hopped on a late afternoon flight.

By the time we landed around 9 p.m., the Florida warmth was a welcome contrast to the frigid Midwest air we had left behind. The kids were buzzing with excitement, and even though it was late, we were ready to dive into our theme park adventure the next day.

Imagine having Universal Orlando Resort practically to yourself—no long lines, no overwhelming crowds. Just pure, unfiltered theme park magic. That’s exactly what the Orlando Informer Meetup delivers! 

This exclusive after-hours event gives you VIP-style access to both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, letting you hop on over 25 attractions with barely any wait. 

And as if that wasn’t enough, you get unlimited food and non-alcoholic drinks throughout the night—meaning you can grab all the Butterbeer, churros, and savory eats your heart desires.

With limited attendance, it feels closer to having the park to yourself, which changes the entire experience.

How Orlando Informer Works

On the Orlando Informer Meetup days, we could enter the parks starting at 5:00 pm, but we were able to check in to the Meetup early starting at 3 and grab some snacks and drinks as we waited for our time in the park.

The Meetup check-in process was smooth and fast, even with several hundred people in front of us in line! The team was clearly well organized and knew exactly how to route traffic, with plenty of signage and staff posted through the Universal CityWalk to guide us to our check-in destination.

Because we visited in February, Universal was celebrating Mardi Gras. That meant plenty of Cajun-inspired food to go around.

Upon check in for the Informer Meetup, we were treated to “Arrival Bites”, including Mardi Gras Purple Cookies, Vegan Red Beans & Rice, Andouille Sausage en Croute, Cajun Mac & Cheese, Seafood Jambalaya, plus a hot dog station with toppings and an assortment of non-alcoholic drinks.

Once inside the park, we had to wait a few hours each night for the public to clear out and get the attractions all to ourselves. On Friday, the parks close to the public at 7 PM and on Saturday they stay open until 9 PM.

We spent those first few hours each day visiting rides with shorter wait times. We saved the most popular rides (like Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure) for after the parks closed.

Why the Orlando Informer Meetup Changed Our Universal Experience

Looking back, the biggest difference was simple. The Orlando Informer Meetup removed most of the things that normally make a theme park day exhausting.

First, we avoided the brutal Florida afternoon heat. The event happens after the parks close to daytime guests, so instead of spending hours baking in the sun, we were walking around at night when the temperature was actually comfortable.

Second, the crowd levels were dramatically lower. We rarely waited in long lines, and in many cases we walked straight onto rides. That alone changes the rhythm of the day. Instead of constantly checking wait times and racing across the park, we could move at a relaxed pace.

Then there was the food. Everything included. Unlimited food and non-alcoholic drinks all night.

That may sound like a small perk, but for a family it removes a surprising amount of mental math. Nobody was debating prices, deciding whether something was “worth it,” or worrying about wasting money if someone didn’t like what they ordered.

If the kids wanted to try something, they could try it. If they didn’t love it, they grabbed something else. It felt a little like giving them a yes day without completely destroying the budget.

When you combine cooler weather, smaller crowds, and food already taken care of, the entire day shifts. The guesswork disappears. The constant decision making disappears. Everyone relaxes.

For our family, it turned Universal from a high-energy endurance event into something that actually felt manageable.

Because of that, it felt like the whole experience stacked in our favor.

Of course, experiences like this only work if the numbers make sense. Here’s what our entire Universal trip cost for our family of five.

What Our Universal Orlando Informer Meetup Trip Cost Our Family of Five

Flights

Flights were easily the biggest win of the trip. Four of our five tickets were booked with rewards points. Since I’m my spouse’s designated companion on his airline account, my seat is free whenever we travel together.

After taxes, our five roundtrip flights cost just $56 total. If you’re interested in how we scored free flights, we use the Southwest Rewards program. You can check it out here.

Orlando Informer Meetup Tickets

The Orlando Informer Meetup offers both one-night and two-night ticket options. We decided to do both nights, which cost $405.19 per person. For our family of five, the total came to $2,157.64 after tax.

It’s not a small number, but it also covered two full nights in the parks with food included and crowd levels that made Universal feel far more manageable than a typical day.

The meetup tickets themselves include park access during the event hours, so we didn’t need to buy separate park tickets for those nights.

Hotel

We kept our expectations pretty simple with where we stayed, and this Airbnb checked enough boxes for this trip. It was close to Universal, reasonably priced, and gave us enough space to spread out, which matters with five people.

The full kitchen was helpful right away, and not having to think about parking fees was a nice bonus. There was also a big pool area with a pirate ship and a hot tub, which we had pictured using during slower mornings before the parks. It ended up being colder than we expected, so we didn’t spend much time out there.

It worked for what we needed on this trip, but it also made us realize we’d probably shift our priorities a bit next time and be open to spending a little more for a place we’d actually use more throughout the stay.

Transportation

We rented a car for airport transportation and a few quick trips like groceries. It also made leaving the parks late at night simple, which mattered more than we expected. Universal parking is an added cost, but for us, the flexibility was worth it.

Some hotels offer shuttles, but with how late the meetup runs, that didn’t really line up for us.

Souvenirs

Our oldest went with a few smaller things, Harry Potter enamel pins and a Jurassic Park badge-style fob she was immediately into. She’s interested in paleontology, so it felt fitting.

Our middle had one goal the entire trip and stuck with it, a wand from Ollivanders, plus a Jurassic Park t-shirt.

Our youngest started in the same place and chose a wand, then changed her mind later, which felt very on brand. Ollivanders handled the return without any issue, which took some pressure off the whole decision.

She ended up choosing a Loungefly Dino DNA backpack from the Jurassic Park shop after the Jurassic Park River Adventure ride, and that one stuck.

And I was just glad at least one wand made it into the mix so we could stop and play along at the interactive spots.

Food Outside the Meetup

Our hotel had a full kitchen, so once we got settled, we made a quick Walmart run to grab groceries for meals outside the parks.

This helped keep the total cost of the trip down. We were there for Universal, not to plan meals around restaurants or drive-thrus, so we kept things simple outside the parks.

We Didn’t Expect the Food to Be This Good

One of the biggest surprises of the Universal Orlando experience was just how good the food actually was. We didn’t just grab quick meals. We found ourselves planning our days around what we wanted to eat next.

Standouts ranged from over-the-top themed spots to solid quick-service options, with a few dishes we’re still talking about.

Instead of cramming it all in here, I broke down exactly what’s worth your time (and what isn’t) in a full guide to the best food at Universal Orlando. Trust me, you’ll want a plan before you go.

The Rides: What’s Worth Your Time

The rides are what you come for, and they deliver. Universal leans hard into speed and immersion, and it totally works.

We focused on the big ones during the meetup, mixed in a few slower-paced family rides, and quickly figured out what was worth doing again versus what we were fine with skipping next time.

If you’re trying to make the most of limited time, I broke down our favorites in my full rides guide.