I Went to Universal Studios After It Reopened, and Here Are 6 Major Changes You Should Know About

Universal Studios has revamped its rules when it comes to social distancing to ensure safety for everyone, along with the fun. Expect to see signs everywhere that point to mask enforcement and social-distancing guidelines, apart from park team members also repeating the rules. Markers on the ground keep people at a safe distance everywhere from the rides to the restaurants to anywhere else where there are lines.

If you decide to stay at a resort hotel, prepare to wait longer for elevators (only one party at a time), so plan accordingly when leaving for the theme park. Floor markings will lead you toward a resort bus line where everyone keeps six feet of distance. Things are still a bit shaky when it comes to planning/organization, as the buses were a bit late, but the good news is that only about 15 people are allowed per bus, so everyone can sit pretty far from each other. Arrival at Universal's main hub is quick, where guests get temperature checked if they hadn't already gotten checked previously at the hotel. Once this process is done, it's time for the fun part!

If staying at a resort hotel, you still get one hour of early access to Universal Studios. The line goes by fast, so don't fret if it looks longer than it is from people keeping their distance. Everyone seems more excited than ever to be back, and team members cheered us on as we entered, also reminding us of the guidelines. Turnstiles are designated to make sure order is kept, and after scanning tickets, you're in!

Masks are strictly enforced at Universal Studios for anyone over the age of 3. The only exceptions are on water rides, while you're eating and drinking, or due to a specific medical issue. Definitely choose a comfortable, breathable mask that will allow wearability all day and keep you cool and ventilated. Florida summers are no joke and best thing is to avoid getting even hotter than usual at all costs. Team members constantly remind guests to keep their masks on over both nose and mouth, and even if it can be difficult to do so with the heat or other situations, everyone at the park seemed to be following the rules and was just happy to be there.

To try to keep lines as socially distanced as possible, Universal Studios has further expanded their virtual line system. Available on the Universal app, parkgoers have a maximum of two virtual line passes at a time, where they can reserve a spot in line for their whole group. Like with fast passes, virtual line access is offered by rides at different times but not at all times, and the individual passes are randomly released throughout the day, which can be confusing. Virtual line passes become available on the app just before the park officially opens, and from there, it's first come, first served. The only catch? You must be within park grounds to reserve your spot. Some rides never become available for virtual line passes, so your experience with the new system is truly dependent on luck.

More tips? Estimates for how long you'll wait in line are, for the most part, way too high (all my wait times were half the estimated time), and all rides are open except for the play areas for little ones. Apart from that, you can order your foods and drinks on the Universal app and pick up them up, which is convenient apart from a few snags like longer wait times than expected.

Although the system isn't perfect just yet, Universal Studios has unveiled an impressive strategy for navigating social-distancing measures in their theme park, and I'm just so happy it's back!