The Character Queen takes on Universal Orlando

This is a post from Dustin "The Character Queen" Hayes. Follow him on Facebook and Instagram. Now, here's Dustin...

The Universal Orlando resort is known world wide for its state of the art technology and incredibly themed environments, but did you know it is also a great place to meet some of your favorite non-Disney characters? I didn't until my first visit!

Just a few miles away from the place where dreams come true, down the road on Interstate 4, is a resort where you can ride the movies and be immersed in the worlds of Harry Potter, Dr. Seuss, Jurassic Park, and many more.

Note: Unlike Disney World, the characters at Universal don't have published meeting times.

The Simpsons

A photo posted by Dustin (@dustin_b_hayes) on Oct 2, 2015 at 7:23am PDT

As a life long fan of the series The Simpsons, it's great to see Springfield's first family out and about saying hello to their adoring public. Homer, Bart, Lisa and Marge all make intermittent appearances in the Simpsons area of Universal Studios, and, if you're lucky, you might just run into Krusty the Clown and Sideshow Bob as well!

A photo posted by Dustin (@dustin_b_hayes) on Feb 25, 2015 at 5:28am PST

Stars from the golden era

A photo posted by Dustin (@dustin_b_hayes) on Sep 28, 2015 at 6:07am PDT

The biggest stars of Hollywood's golden era frequently roam the Hollywood Boulevard area of Universal Studios throughout the day, and don't be ashamed if you get a little starstruck if you happen to run into Marilyn Monroe and Lucille Ball! These two are a RIOT and worth every minute you might spend in line to meet them.

SpongeBob

A photo posted by Dustin (@dustin_b_hayes) on Sep 18, 2015 at 1:39pm PDT

Over in the Woody Woodpecker's KidZone area of Universal Studios, SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star are ready to greet you with a smile and a hug! Just don't ask Patrick if mayonnaise is an instrument, he doesn't know the answer either.

These two meet frequently throughout the day at SpongeBob Storepants. However, if you're lucky enough to stumble upon a random character meet on Hollywood Boulevard...

A photo posted by Dustin (@dustin_b_hayes) on May 16, 2015 at 4:17pm PDT

You might just get to meet Squidward!!!

Marvel

Over on the Islands of Adventure side of the resort, the Marvel characters meet frequently throughout the day. Captain America might be brave enough to let you borrow his shield...

A photo posted by Dustin (@dustin_b_hayes) on Sep 28, 2015 at 3:16pm PDT

You might get to have a good "bad" moment with Doctor Doon and the Green Goblin...

A photo posted by Dustin (@dustin_b_hayes) on Sep 29, 2015 at 7:30am PDT

...or you can even get a chance to sharpen your claws with Wolverine!

A photo posted by Dustin (@dustin_b_hayes) on Sep 30, 2015 at 7:42am PDT

Despicable Me

A photo posted by Dustin (@dustin_b_hayes) on Sep 9, 2015 at 12:10pm PDT

Fans of the hit films from the Despicable Me series will be ecstatic to find out that every major character from the films, from those adorable little Minions to the big bad Gru himself are all available to meet! It's so much fun to boogie with those Twinkies with eyes!

A photo posted by Dustin (@dustin_b_hayes) on Sep 17, 2015 at 11:34am PDT

A photo posted by Dustin (@dustin_b_hayes) on Sep 20, 2015 at 1:02pm PDT

Raptor Encounter

However, with all of these amazing character meet and greets, nothing can compare to the most amazing experience Universal Orlando has to offer...

A video posted by Dustin (@dustin_b_hayes) on Sep 8, 2015 at 11:06am PDT

The Raptor Encounter at the Jurassic Park section of Islands of Adventure puts you right in front of a real life velociraptor, and will have you either laughing or screaming from fright. I can't recommend this experience enough.

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This is only a small portion of character experiences offered at the Universal Orlando resort! You have the opportunity to meet so many characters that you never thought you could! Happy Character Hunting!