We frogs like to travel light whenever we go to Universal Orlando Resort, but for some rides, locker usage is unavoidable — even if you’re just carrying your phone and wallet. Unlike at Walt Disney World, where you can take your bags on almost all rides, Universal requires you to check your bags and belongings before you board many of the rides at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure. After all, these are some coasters with capital Cs! Using the lockers is fairly simple, but we’ve compiled everything you need to know about the Universal Orlando lockers, including where to find them in the parks and advice on which one best suits your needs!
Universal Orlando's Bag Policy
All guests must pass through metal detectors at the security hub before you reach Universal CityWalk or the theme parks. Bags, purses and backpacks are subject to X-ray and/or additional inspection. Suitcases and bags with wheels are not allowed.
Acceptable Items
- Bottled water (maximum two liters per guest)
- Small snacks that do not require heating
- Any food required for medical purposes and medically indicated nutritional supplements
- Any food required for special dietary needs
- Baby food or baby formula
- Soft-sided insulated bags no larger than 8.5" wide x 6" high x 6" deep
Prohibited Items
- Glassware or glass containers
- Open containers or drinks containing alcohol
- Hard-sided coolers
- Soft-sided coolers larger than 8.5" wide x 6" high x 6" deep
- Picnic lunches, or any food that requires heating or refrigeration
- Folding chairs
- Any type of explosive, weapon, item that can be used as a weapon or has the appearance of a weapon
- Marijuana, or any item containing cannabis or related paraphernalia
- Illegal items or substances
- Clothing likely to create a danger, incite a disturbance or display offensive language or content
- Clothing or accessories that represent someone as emergency personnel or that may create a false impression of employment by Universal
- Power-driven devices such as Segways (unless utilized as an ADA mobility device), hoverboards, drones or any other radio frequency-controlled device
- Selfie sticks are permitted at Universal’s discretion but must be properly secured and not in use on any rides or attractions
- Any other items Universal personnel deem to be inappropriate, disruptive or harmful
Complimentary Ride Lockers
Based on how much you’re carrying around and what rides you’re going on, Universal offers three different types of lockers: complimentary ride lockers, pre-paid ride lockers and all-day lockers. Let's start with the most commonly used — the complimentary ride lockers!
The good news is that if you just need a place to stash your gear while you ride, you can use the Universal Orlando lockers for rides at the locations listed below for FREE! The "free" time is calculated using the ride's current wait time and the actual duration of the ride (with a generous cushion). After that, each additional half-hour is $3 (with a daily max of $25). A locker attendant can override charges that accrued for reasons outside your control (such as the ride breaking down).
Free Ride Lockers at Universal Studios Florida:
- Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
- MEN IN BLACK Alien Attack
- Revenge of the Mummy
- Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
Free Ride Lockers at Universal Islands of Adventure:
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
- Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
- The Incredible Hulk Coaster
- Jurassic World VelociCoaster
Most of these rides allow you to safely store items that can fit in your pocket or a small fanny pack that can be tucked under your shirt. However, all other large items (purses, camera bags, backpacks, etc.) must go inside the ride locker.
At each of these locker stations, there are two different sizes: standard and large lockers. The standard lockers are narrower (measuring 5.5 inches in height, 14 inches in width and 16.9 inches in depth) and can easily fit small purses, wands, wallets and cell phones. But they aren’t tall enough to fit popcorn buckets or cups if standing up straight (an empty reusable cup can fit on its side). The large lockers can fit big backpacks and multiple purses (measuring 13 inches in height, 12 inches in width and 16.9 inches in depth). While the standard lockers are free, these large lockers cost $3 ($3 for every additional half-hour, with a max of $25).
You should also be aware of Universal's "no loose items" policy at The Incredible Hulk Coaster, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit and Jurassic World VelociCoaster. You must walk through a security screening with metal detectors and scanning wands that detect any items hidden in your pocket (everything from cell phones to coins). At these rides, a team member will instruct you to store all items, no matter the size, inside a ride locker! Lanyards (holding Express passes, etc.) can be worn on these rides but must be tucked inside your shirt.
Pre-Paid Ride Lockers
What about those crazy water rides, you ask? Unfortunately, Universal does not provide free lockers for the following rides at Islands of Adventure:
However, there are paid short-term, single-entry lockers right outside of these rides so that you can protect any belongings you don't want to get soaked. The only difference between these lockers and the free ones is that you pay $5 (or $6 for large lockers) for the first 90 minutes and $3 for each half-hour after that. There's also a $25 daily maximum on these short-term lockers.
For the flume rides, we typically just tuck our belongings under our feet and they usually are just fine. If you're worried about something in particular getting too wet, such as camera gear, perhaps rent the lockers for peace of mind. Bilge-Rat Barges has a compartment with a cover in the center of the raft that can usually hold every guest's belongings.
All-Day Lockers
If you bring a large backpack with items (such as bathing suits, towels, change of clothes, etc.) that you don’t necessarily need to lug around with you all day, you can choose to use Universal’s all-day lockers, which are located near the entrances of the parks. For these lockers, you can return anytime and continue to use the same locker throughout the day.
These stations also have two different sizes: large lockers and family lockers. The large lockers (measuring 13 inches in height, 12 inches in width and 16.9 inches in depth) cost $12, while the family lockers (16.25 inches in height, 12 inches in width and 16.9 inches in depth) cost $15. There is a limited amount, but we don’t see too many families using these lockers, so you shouldn’t need to worry about not getting one.
These all-day lockers are emptied one hour after park closing, so don’t froget your belongings!
How to Use Universal Orlando’s Lockers for Rides
Universal’s relatively new locker system is simpler than ever! The old locker system, which required your fingerprint (and your brain to remember your locker number!) has been replaced. Now, can simply scan your park ticket and it’ll open the assigned locker immediately! When you return from the ride, scan your park ticket once again at the station where you left your belongings. Your locker will magically open! Just remember if you're sharing lockers with friends or family, the lockers are tied to one person's ticket, so that person will need to be present to open the locker. Note: If you need to pay for your locker, there are just a couple of additional steps.
For any of the pre-paid lockers, you must go to one of the locker pay stations first. You’ll select the locker size, scan the barcode on your park ticket and pay. Then, you'll need to go to a locker rental station and scan your ticket. Similar to the free lockers, it’ll open a locker for you.
If you have any problems or use a mobile park ticket, look for a locker attendant. They should be stationed nearby and can hand you a single-use locker ticket. Use that to scan instead of your pass. If there's an issue and the locker attendant needs to open the locker for you, they may ask you to describe what's inside before opening it. Also, be prepared to show your ID to confirm it's your belongings.
There you have it! Everything you need to know about the lockers at Universal Orlando. Make sure to check out our park plans for the Universal Orlando Resort or download our app, which allows you to see wait times and customize your own plans.
Related: Best Ways to Ride Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
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