It is that time of year again when blogs and websites post pre-scheduled top ten lists and year-end recaps as they enjoy the holidays and time off. I am no better than they are. So here is an article on Universal Orlando’s top attractions, shows, restaurants, and hotels for 2023 as I drive home from Columbus, Ohio!

Fine Print: Data is from TouringPlans.com reader surveys submitted between January 1, 2023 to December 18, 2023. Rankings are determined from the average user scores submitted; offerings with less than 30 votes are removed from our rankings unless otherwise noted.

Want to see how Universal did in 2022? Read our Best of Universal Orlando 2022 article from earlier this year.

Highest Rated Rides and Shows of 2023

2023 was a quiet year for new attractions at Universal Orlando with only Villain-Con Minion Blast opening in August. Trends remain the same from last year except we saw a few attractions drop off the list, mostly Gringotts and Olivanders falling out of favor for the Hogwarts Express Kings Cross side. We get it, the walk to Platform 9 3/4 is cool and you can buy a beer in line. Makes sense.

For these rankings we are only counting permanent attractions open the whole year, so no Halloween Horror Nights attractions. Playgrounds, walkthrough attractions, and lands are not counted either — Diagon Alley, Camp Jurassic, and If I Ran the Zoo are all high-rating but do not make the cut.

Top Rated Attractions for Preschoolers

1. Animal Actors on Location (★★★★★, 11 ratings)
2. Kang & Kodos Twirl ‘n’ Hurl (★★★★★, 10 ratings)
3. Hogwarts Express – Kings Cross Station (★★★★ 1/2, 22 ratings)

Kids love animals, what else is there to say? The menagerie at Animal Actors holds first place while newcomer Hogwarts Express at Kings Cross Station shows up in 3rd place. The High in the Sky Suess Trolly ride dropped to 5th place this year after last year’s 3rd place.

Preschoolers make up a very small portion of our sampling size, no Universal Orlando attractions got more than 30 ratings, which leaves us in a statistical conundrum. In the end, I decided to list the number of ratings along with the average rating for clarity.

Top Rated Attractions for Grade Schoolers

1. Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure (★★★★★)
2. Animal Actors on Location (★★★★ 1/2)
3. Hogwarts Express – Kings Cross Station (★★★★ 1/2)

Hagrid makes its first appearance on these lists and it will not relent (spoilers). Last year’s 1st place Animal Actors falls to 2nd place for 2023 and Hogwarts Express appears at 3rd, bumping off Olivander’s Experience.

Top Rated Attractions for Teens

1. Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure (★★★★★)
2. Jurassic World VelociCoaster (★★★★★)
3. Hogwarts Express – Kings Cross Station (★★★★ 1/2)

Top Rated Attractions for Young Adults

1. Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure (★★★★★)
2. Jurassic World VelociCoaster (★★★★★)
3. Hogwarts Express – Kings Cross Station (★★★★ 1/2)

Top Rated Attractions for Over 30-Year-Olds

1. Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure (★★★★★)
2. Jurassic World VelociCoaster (★★★★★)
3. Hogwarts Express – Kings Cross Station (★★★★ 1/2)

And here we go, the Big Three. These are the highest-rated attractions across the resort among the largest swaths of Universal guests. Hagrid is the most popular attraction at the resort, bar none. Gringotts and the Krakatau Aqua Coaster dropped out of the top three this year, better luck next year folks.

Top Rated Attractions for Seniors

1. Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure (★★★★ 1/2)
2. Hogwarts Express – Kings Cross Station (★★★★ 1/2)
3. The Bourne Stuntacular (★★★★ 1/2)

Hagrid’s Magical-ly appears on the list in first place, displacing Jake and Elwood from the top three list. Farewell, dear Blues Brothers (seriously it’s a great show go see it).

Highest Rated Restaurants of 2023

The 2023 big new restaurant opening is Minion Cafe in Universal Studios Florida. Featuring anarchic Minion decorations and delicious food (seriously, Minion Tots) this restaurant rocked up our favorites list. Unfortunately, we do not have enough guest surveys to post the ratings, yet, so go rate Minion Cafe and all the other UOR offerings!

Also this year I wrote a series of articles comparing Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando dining. You can see our findings in the blog posts below.

• Comparing Disney & Universal Full Service Dining Prices and Ratings
• Comparing Disney and Universal’s Counter Service Dining – Prices & Ratings

Full Service

1. Finnegan’s Bar & Grille (94% Positive)
2. Mythos (91% Positive)
3. The Kitchen (91% Positive)

How the mighty have fallen. Appearing for the first time on the list, and at first place to boot, is Finnegan’s Bar and Grille in Universal Studios Florida! Mythos also makes its first appearance and The Kitchen holds onto 3rd place. Stalwarts Mama Della’s and Bigfire disappointingly slid down the list.

Counter Service

1. Croissant Moon Bakery (100% Positive)
2. Florean Forteschew’s Ice Cream Parlor (97% Positive)
3. Green Eggs and Ham (94% Positive)

A complete table turn, this year’s counter service dining rankings are completely different. Croissant Moon Bakery is quietly the best counter service meal in the parks and we get it – we love the fresh pastries, sandwiches, and chill atmosphere. Skip the crowded Starbucks across the Port of Entry and try Croissant Moon Bakery instead.

Green Eggs and Ham used to be the poster child for how bad Universal food was – an abysmally low-rated restaurant serving elementary school quality ham, egg, and cheese sandwiches. Ew. After the success of Pizza Fries at HHN, Universal turned Green Eggs and Ham into a loaded tots restaurant and the reviews have gone up. Look at you, you little restaurant that could. Now if only we can get your sign back.

Highest Rated Hotels of 2023

Universal’s hotels are holding steady with a familiar ranking for 2022.

Overall Highest Rated Hotels

We LOVE the Universal Orlando hotels, each is run

1. Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn & Suites (86)
2. Loews Portofino Bay Resort (86)
3. Loews Sapphire Falls Resort (85)

Endless Summer Surfside is a small, affordable hotel with quick transportation. It checks off all the boxes and we are not surprised to see it so highly rated.

Would Stay At Again

1. Lowes Royal Pacific Resort (98% Yes)
2. Loews Portofino Bay Resort (95% Yes)
3. Loews Sapphire Falls Resort (95% Yes)

The best compliment you can give a hotel is if you would stay at it again, and 98% of guests would stay at Loews Royal Pacific Resort again. We can see why, Royal Pacific offers the lush and relaxed atmosphere of a south seas tropical resort with modern furnishings.

Stats, Superlatives, & Demerits

• Villain-Con Minion Blast receives an average rating of ★★★ 1/2, with preschoolers through teens rating it ★★★★
• Diagon Alley continues to wow guests – grade schoolers rated Diagon Alley ★★★★★ and teens through senior citizens rated it ★★★★ 1/2.
• The Nighttime Lights shows at Hogwarts Castle in Islands of Adventure are very popular, whichever one is showing during your visit is a must-see.
• Fast Food Boulevard – Once considered a turning point in theme park dining, this restaurant’s approval rating has tanked to 73% positive. Ouch.
• Fast & Furious Supercharged has the dubious distinction of winning our “Lowest Rated Ride” award for 2023. Sorry Vin.
• Burger Digs – Someone should have told Burger Digs to dig up as this restaurant won the “Lowest Rated Counter Service Restaurant” award with a not-nice 69% approval.
• Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville receives the “Lowest Rated Full Service Restaurant” award with a low 73% approval. Maybe it’s time to take the food options up a notch here.
• Finally, the lowest-rated hotel is the Hard Rock Hotel. Yes, the Premier level hotel has an overall approval rating of 80% with dings against the food court and check-in efficiency.

Did one of your favorites end up on a list? Did one of your least favorite? Leave your comparisons and favorite things from Universal Orlando during 2023 in the comments below!