3 Important Things to Know About Universal's Bag Policy

Heading to Universal Orlando this year? We love Universal, but if you’re used to Disney World, there are some stark differences between the two you should know about!

For one, in Disney World, you can bring pretty much any bag you’d like (as long as it’s not larger than 24″ long x 15″ wide x 18″ high), and there’s only one ride (TRON Lightcycle / Run) where you’ll have to put your bag away. For other rides, you can bring whatever size bag you’d like with no issues. But that’s not the case at Universal Orlando, and you need to know what bags you can bring before your trip!

All Bags Are Subject to Screening, No Matter The Size

Now, this is similar to Disney World and most other theme parks around the world — you’ll need to go through a metal detector before you can enter the park, and every single bag is subject to search.

This means that it doesn’t matter what size the bag is, and interestingly enough, Universal Orlando doesn’t have any limitations on their website for how large your bag can be (though only soft-sided coolers are allowed and can’t be bigger than 8.5″ wide x 6″ high x 6″ deep). That said, backpacks or suitcases with wheels are not allowed. Whether you have just a small fanny pack or a large backpack, everything is subject to be searched.

Large Bags are Not Allowed on Attractions

Unlike Disney World, most Universal Orlando attractions will not allow you to bring larger bags (essentially anything larger than a fanny pack). Yes, even small attractions that are the furthest things from thrill rides!

This means that you’ll want to get a locker for any larger bags, but it’s often just easier to bring the smallest bag you can to avoid having to stop at the lockers at all. It may not seem like it would take up a lot of your day, but truly, those minutes count!

Some Rides Don’t Allow ANY Bags

However, there are many rides that won’t allow you to take even a small bag onto the ride, and you’ll need to stop by a locker regardless of the size of the bag. These lockers are free while you’re on the ride, but other lockers for larger bags (again, those larger bags you can’t take on ANY attraction) will cost you, and they can get up to $20 a day.

So, our best advice? Bring a small fanny pack to place into the lockers on the rides where you absolutely can’t have any items on your person. That way, you’re in the clear for the rest of the rides.

This bag policy is known for being a little more annoying than Disney World’s, to put it plainly, because many people are caught off guard and bring a larger bag to the parks. While it’s important to have a bag big enough to fit what you genuinely need, whatever you can do to ensure that your essentials fit into a small belt bag will make your life much easier.