Yes, trained service dogs are allowed at Universal Orlando Resort, but there are some important things to know before you go. I am a service dog handler and have visited Universal Studios Orlando and Islands of Adventure with my service dog many times. From ride restrictions and portable kennels to relief areas and what I bring into the parks, I’ve learned quite a bit from traveling Universal with a service dog. Here’s what I wish I’d known before my first trip.
Are Service Dogs Allowed at Universal Orlando?
Universal currently says trained service animals are welcome and must generally be harnessed, leashed, or tethered unless doing so interferes with their work or the handler’s disability; in that case, the handler must maintain control in another effective way.
What to Bring
Before even arriving at the park, you need to pack items that your service dog may need throughout your time in the parks. It’s very important that you and your pup come prepared because many dog-related things are not just something you can pick up at the parks while you’re there. Here is a list of things I recommend bringing to the park for your service dog:
- Water bowl: there are water fountains that you can use to hydrate for free.
- Booties: especially in the summertime, the ground can get very hot! If it’s too hot to hold your hand against, it’s too hot for their paws.
- Treats/food: if you’re going to be out at the parks all day, your pup needs to stay fueled. Just like how we eat at the park, so does your pup, so make sure to bring their food. Plus, treats are always nice rewards for a job well done!
- Dog-safe wipes: these are great to have in case your dog sits in something sticky, gets something spilled on them, wiping them down in the hotel room, etc.
- Raincoat: Florida’s weather can change in an instant. Bringing a raincoat can be a good idea to keep your pup dry.
- Toy: breaks are super important for long days at the parks, so giving your pup a brain break if they want it is always a good way to keep them at their best!
- Poop bags: Universal provides poop bags at the service dog relief stations, but it’s still a good idea to keep some on hand.
- Cooling coat: I have not used one, but some handlers use them as an extra step to keep their pups cool.
Entering the Parks
There are a few different ways to enter CityWalk. Whether you’re coming from the large parking garages, a Universal bus or boat, or walking straight from your hotel to the entrance, you will be met with a security stop equipped with metal detectors and baggage scanners. All of your bags and metal devices, including items for your service dog like treat pouches, will be put through the scanners. Meanwhile, you and your service dog will go through the metal detector. Most dog collars, leashes, vests, harnesses, etc. have some sort of metal on them and will set off the detector. Unlike at the airport, where TSA would have you and your dog walk through the detector separately and pat down your dog, you both may walk through together. You will then have a security guard wave you down with their handheld metal detection wand. If the service dog is assisting a child, having another adult handle the dog through security may make the process easier, if that’s appropriate for the dog’s work and your family.
Universal staff also reserve the right to ask you the two ADA questions about service dogs and businesses: Is this a service dog required because of a disability, and what task does it perform? They may not always ask, but I have been asked the majority of the times I have entered the park in the past two years. It is most common for one of the security guards operating the metal detectors to ask these questions, but I have also had other related team members ask right before or right after I went through the metal detectors.
An additional note is that Florida law also provides public-access rights to service animal trainers while they are engaged in training a service animal. If you’re bringing a service dog in training, it’s still important to consider whether the dog is ready for an environment as busy and stimulating as Universal Orlando. Thus, both service dogs in training and fully trained service dogs are allowed on Universal Orlando property. But please keep in mind your dog’s attributes: are they prepared for an environment like this? Are they going to be more of an aid or more of an obstacle during your trip? Questions like these are great to consider while planning your trip to ensure that you and your party have the smoothest, most enjoyable time possible. In some cases, a service dog is an amazing asset in these environments, but in others, they may do better to stay with a dog sitter!
Which Universal Orlando Rides Allow Service Dogs?
Whether your service dog can ride with you depends on the attraction and its safety requirements. On attractions that permit service animals, Universal requires the dog to remain on the floor of the ride vehicle with their tail and other appendages safely contained. If your service dog cannot ride, your party may be able to use Child Swap so someone remains with the dog while others ride, or use one of Universal’s portable service animal kennels where available. Team Members cannot handle or supervise your service dog, so keep that in mind when deciding which option works best for your group.
As of my latest update, Universal lists the following attractions as able to accommodate service animals. Because ride requirements can change, always check Universal Orlando’s current Guide for Safety and Accessibility before your trip.
Universal Studios:
- Animal Actors On Location!
- The Blues Brothers® Show
- The Bourne Stuntacular
- Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
- DreamWorks Imagination
- Celebration
- E.T. Adventure
- Fast & Furious – Supercharged (Last Ride Aug 20, 2027)
- Hogwarts™ Express – King’s Cross Station
- Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast
- Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ’n’ Hurl
- King Harold’s Swamp Symphony
- Mama Luna Feline Fiesta
- Po’s Kung Fu Training Camp
- Po Live!
- Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon
- Shrek Swamp for Little Ogres
- The Simpsons Ride™
- TRANSFORMERS™: The Ride-3D
- Universal Orlando’s Horror Make-up Show
Islands of Adventure:
- The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man®
- Camp Jurassic
- Caro-Seuss-el™
- The Cat in the Hat™
- The High In The Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride™
- Hogwarts™ Express – Hogsmeade™ Station
- If I Ran The Zoo™
- Jurassic Park Discovery Center
- Me Ship, The Olive®
- One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish™
- Skull Island: Reign of Kong
- Storm Force Accelatron®
If you want to find out more, you can refer to this Universal Studios Guide For Rider Safety and Accessibility pamphlet.
What About Service Dogs at Epic Universe?
My personal experiences in this guide are based on visiting Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure with my service dog. Universal’s current accessibility guide also includes service animal information for Epic Universe, including which attractions can accommodate service animals, portable kennel information, and relief areas. Because requirements can change, check Universal’s current accessibility guide before your visit.
Service Dog Relief Areas
Universal offers several designated spots for service dogs to use the bathroom and take a little break. They are equipped with poop bags and trash cans, and there is a sign with a stick figure and a dog to indicate this is the correct area. They will have either real grass, fake grass, or mulch. If you brought a toy or your service dog likes sniffing around, this is a great space to give your pup a brain break, as they are often out of the way and in spaces specifically dedicated to service dogs! Service dog relief areas are marked on the maps, including in the Universal app. Below is a condensed list of them!
City Walk:
- Outside the Islands of Adventure exit
- Next to the Hard Rock Cafe and Rip Ride Rockit
Universal Studios:
- New York Cityscape in the corner between Jimmy Falon and the Mummy
- Hollywood area by the Spongebob gift shop
- Between the Simpsons Land and the Men in Black ride
Islands of Adventure:
- Suess Landing between Cat in the Hat and One Fish Two Fish
- In Marvel Land (a bit hidden in an employees-only area but you are allowed to use it) to the right of Fear Fall, there is a blue wall and it is behind the employees-only sign
Bringing a service dog is only one part of planning an accessible Universal Orlando vacation. If you’re traveling with an autistic child or family member, planning ahead for accommodations, transportation, park days, sensory needs and downtime can make a huge difference. Spectrum Getaways specializes in helping families plan autism-friendly vacations that work for their individual needs.
Sera Callahan is an English student at the University of Florida, dual minoring in disabilities in society and mass communications. She has raised and trained her multipurpose service dog, Mars, for the past two and a half years. They love to visit theme parks, like Disney and Universal, in their free time. Sera also likes reading, listening to music, hanging out with friends, and watching movies. She hopes to work for a fiction-based publishing house in the future. You can find Mars and Sera on Instagram @marsservicedog
