🎢 Family Trip

Universal Orlando
Oct 1–5, 2026

Three park days, two birthday-season dinners, one very happy family.

🧍 Swami 👩 Srividhya 🧑 Ashwin (16)

🗓️ The Three Park Days

Tap a day for the full hour-by-hour plan.

Day 1 — Universal Studios + Islands of Adventure

Fri Oct 2

Gringotts rope drop, Mummy & Transformers before the crowds, Bourne Stuntacular, then IOA at sunset — ending with Srividhya's birthday dinner.

View Day 1 plan →

Day 2 — Islands of Adventure

Sat Oct 3

Hagrid's at Early Park Admission, one clockwise loop with food in every land, Dark Arts castle show — then a chill Uber Eats night at the resort.

View Day 2 plan →

Day 3 — Epic Universe

Sun Oct 4

Battle at the Ministry + Mine-Cart Madness in the early hour, Nintendo, Isle of Berk, Dark Universe — then a relaxed dinner at Tabla.

View Day 3 plan →

🏨 Hotel

All 4 nights in one place — no packing mid-trip.

✅ Booked

Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort

6550 Adventure Way, Orlando, FL 32819

  • Check-in Thu Oct 1 · Check-out Mon Oct 5 (4 nights)
  • Reservation S35AK9BGT
  • Gets us Early Park Admission at all three parks

🚗 The Drive

Thu Oct 1

Down to Orlando

  • Depart Suwanee ~1:00 PM
  • 478 miles · ~7h 9m driving + stops
  • Arrive ~9:30–10:00 PM
  • Stops: Buc-ee's Fort Valley → Tesla Supercharger Valdosta → Tesla Supercharger Ocala
  • Florida's Turnpike has tolls on the final stretch
Mon Oct 5

Back to Atlanta

  • Check out, drive home
  • Same route in reverse — charge up the night before

🍽️ Dinners

All three nights sorted.

✅ Confirmed

Fri Oct 2 · Aashirwad Indian Food & Bar — 8:30 PM

7000 Kirkman Road, Orlando · +1 407-370-9830

Table for 3, dining room, under Swami Venkatraman.
🎂 Celebrating Srividhya's birthday!

🛵 Uber Eats

Sat Oct 3 · Saffron Indian Cuisine — ~8:45 PM at the resort

7724 W Sand Lake Rd · (407) 674-8899

Order ~8:00 PM from the room; meet the driver at the lobby (no room delivery). Dal + Paneer Makhani for Ashwin. Backup: Bawarchi Biryanis on I-Drive.

⚠️ Move the booking

Sun Oct 4 · Tabla Indian Restaurant — 8:30 PM

5847 Grand National Dr, Orlando

Table for 3, dining room. Currently booked Sat Oct 3 @ 9:15 PM — needs to be moved to Sun Oct 4 @ 8:30 PM.

🎒 Packing Checklist

💡 Good to Know

  • No Express Pass — all three days beat the lines with early arrival + ride order instead. (Day-of per-ride Express Now ~$20–25 exists as a fallback, but doesn't cover Hagrid's, Battle at the Ministry, or Mine-Cart Madness.)
  • Mobile ordering in the Universal app saves real time — order ahead at Louie's, Pizza Moon, Toadstool Cafe.
  • USF closes at 5 PM on Oct 2 & 3 for Halloween Horror Nights — that's why Day 1 hops to IOA in the evening.
  • Everyone's vegetarian-friendly picks are marked 🍽️ on each day page.