What Travel Advisors Add to a Universal Orlando Vacation
Consumers visiting Universal Orlando get added value when booking with a travel advisor.
Photo: Universal Orlando Resort
With the recent opening of Epic Universe, the list of reasons to use a travel advisor when visiting Universal Orlando Resort just got longer. So if consumers didn’t know it before, they are now learning that it is too big of a vacation to plan on their own anymore.
“Clients are realizing that they can easily stay a week and that there are four huge parks full of so much to enjoy, do, and explore,” Larisa Mannino, a travel advisor with Wondermakers Travel, told Travel Market Report. “It is shaping up to be the hottest new destination for family vacations.”
Fernando Flores, vice president of Universal Parks & Resorts Vacations, confirmed with TMR that, across the board, Epic Universe has added more options for travel advisors and their clients. As a result, “demand from the travel trade has surged significantly,” he said.
“Travel advisors are seeing increased interest from clients eager to experience the new theme park,” Flores added, “and Universal’s strong partnerships with agencies across North America have positioned advisors to respond quickly and confidently.”
Here’s what travel advisors bring to the table for their clients when booking their Universal Orlando vacations.
Insider Knowledge
Most consumers are not experts on the entire Universal Orlando product, which now spans four parks – Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure, Universal Volcano Bay, and Universal Epic Universe – plus the Universal CityWalk entertainment complex and 11 hotels. That is a lot, and verified advisors with Universal’s agent certification program are experts in all of it.
Universal’s portal, exclusively for travel advisors, gives them access to training and resources that directly benefit their clients. There’s also the U-Preferred Travel Agency Program for top-performing agencies.
“Travel advisors play an indispensable role in shaping the guest experience. These professionals are instrumental in turning Universal’s expansive and evolving offerings—like Epic Universe—into personalized, unforgettable vacations,” Flores said. “We recognize this impact and continue to invest in advisor-focused initiatives, including specialized training, exclusive programs, and dedicated support. Universal’s continued investment in new experiences means advisors can offer fresh, exciting options to both new and returning clients.”
Expert Recommendations + Exclusive Offers
With all that Universal intel, travel advisors then ask their clients the right questions to personalize their trip, ensuring they’re hitting all the best spots in the destination.
“Consumers want to ‘do’ Harry Potter, not realizing the Wizarding World of Harry Potter fun is in three different theme parks, and technically at CityWalk, since you can buy Butterbeer there now,” Christy Slavik, owner and travel advisor of Mom Approved Travel, told TMR.
Knowing tidbits like this can help clients save money. Then there’s also the intricacies of the ticketing packages – which to bundle, when to get special passes. Travel advisors are in-the-know and clued in with all of that, as well, helping clients get more bang for their buck.
“Having four theme parks with a plethora of ticket options, what feels like a million different ways to utilize Express Passes and VIP tours all with different exclusions and inclusions, it is very difficult for consumers to know the ‘best’ way to ‘do’ Universal Orlando Resort, especially with changing ticket and Express Pass structures,” Slavik said.
Plus, when travel advisors engage with Universal’s agent platform, they get “access to exclusive deals and added value,” Flores said. “This benefits clients greatly.”
Time Management
Like many travel agents who sell Universal, Mannino visited Epic Universe before its official opening on May 22. She’s experienced the five new worlds’ rides, food, and entertainment, as well as the three new hotels on property – so she knows exactly how long it takes to walk from one place to another, which shuttles to ride, and all the logistical pieces that a make a trip run smoothly.
“Travel agents have access to and visit, train in, and learn about things early or before the public,” she said. “I have firsthand knowledge and experience which I can then use to help my clients plan the perfect vacation there.”
Especially if a group has less than a full week to spend, a travel advisor comes in handy to help navigate where and when to go to each part of Universal – making the most of every moment.
“Consumers don’t know how long to stay – they want to know if it should be for one day, two days, four days, six days? How long is long enough?” Slavik said. “Consumers have questions, and a well-versed travel advisor is absolutely the answer.
“Families come to Orlando and they want to do all the things,” she added. “It’s [a travel advisor’s] job to help them set reasonable expectations and have a manageable plan so they can spend their time and vacation budget well.”
