Universal Citywalk which is also known as the Epicenter of Awesome is located in front of and between both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. You need to walk thru Universal CityWalk to get to either theme park. But this place is so much more than just a walkway to the theme parks.

It has shopping, dining and tons of entertainment. Grab a beer and watch a live band. Sit down and enjoy the latest movie. Tell Forrest to RUN. Or pick up that last minute souvenir you forget to get while in the park. Of course who could forget a chance to see the Blue Man Group. 

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We are going to take a look at what Universal CityWalk is all about and what you can do here. HINT: It is very similar to Disney Springs. Both have shopping, entertainment, and dining. 

DINING

Currently there are 23 different restaurants to get some food at. Everything from donuts to pizza, coffee to ice cream. You can enjoy places like the Hard Rock Cafe or Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville. BK Whopper Bar or The Cowfish Sushi and Burger bar to get your burger fix. Voodoo Doughnut to find some very interesting donuts. You can even find Cinnabon and Starbucks. 

However, a personal favorite of mine has got to be Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. I have always had good meals and service here. If you didn’t already guess what this place is by the name, I will tell you. Remember the movie Forrest Gump? Well him and Bubba (Benjamin Buford Blue) were going to buy a shrimping boat after the war. Sadly Bubba didn’t make it but Forrest did and named the Company Bubba Gump.

The restaurant is packed full of all kinds of references to the movie. They even have Run Forrest Run and Stop Forrest Stop signs to let the server know if you need anything. Your server will also ask if you want to play a trivia game. It is a fun little game with questions all about the Forrest Gump movie. Some questions are easy while others are very hard even for people who have seen the movie a ton of times.

During this visit I ordered the Run across America Sampler. It comes with bacon wrapped shrimp, fried shrimp, Bubba’s far out dip, spicy chicken strips and seafood hushpuppies. The bacon wrapped shrimp were cooked perfectly. Bubba’s far out dip was outstanding and the seafood hushpuppies were simply amazing. 

For dessert we got the hook, line and sinker sampler. It was Apple crumb cheesecake, Mama’s bread pudding, and a chocolate chip cookie sundae. Let me tell you that it was delicious. My favorite had to be the apple crumb cheesecake. Those flavors together were amazing. It was like a party in my mouth. 

Another interesting place to grab a quick breakfast is Voodoo Doughnut. We picked up the Texas doughnut. I think my daughter wanted it because it was bigger than her head. This doughnut is massive but also very good. Stop in to see what other interesting flavors they have. 

SHOPPING

There are a few places at Universal CityWalk where you can do a little shopping. It has no where near the amount of places that Disney Springs has but it does have a few like Fossil, P!Q, BMG Gear and a few others. Don’t forget to check out the stores in the Hard Rock Cafe or Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville. Of course, who could forget the Universal store. 

The Universal store has all the things you forget to get while in the park. Or if you are a big Harry Potter fan they have some merch for you even if you didn’t get a chance to check out Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley. Sadly they don’t sell the wonderful butterbeer outside of either area. 

ENTERTAINMENT

If you are more about entertainment than the shopping. You’ve come to the right place. You can enjoy the latest movies at the Universal Cinemark. If you buy 2 matinee tickets (11am-6pm) you can get free regular parking. The Universal Cinemark has the new  THX Certified XD (Extreme Digital) Theater. This theatre has wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling screen and complete surround sound.

If the surround sound happened to blow out a flip flop head over to Margaritaville to listen to some live music. Each night of the week Jimmy Buffett’s margaritaville has live music. While you are there maybe you could help me find my lost shaker of salt. “Now I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know where I’m a gonna go, when the Volcano blows”. 

Special Offer: Blue Man Group LIVE! Tickets start at $54!

Maybe you could hop over to The Groove. It will help you get away from the island life and enjoy a little dancing. The Groove is a multi level dance club at CityWalk. But don’t worry, that is not the only dance club at CityWalk. Red Coconut Club claims to be a sophisticated yet casual club.

If dancing isn’t your thing and it’s all about spending some quality family time, swing on over to Hollywood Drive-in Golf. This has not one but two 18 hole mini-golf courses to pick from. Do you dare pick the 50’s horror flick theme The Haunting of Ghostly Greens? Or the 50’s Sci-fi theme Invaders of Planet Putt?  

Don’t forget that the Blue Man group preforms every night. They are a great act that the whole family will love.

CityWalk at Universal Orlando Party Pass From $6!

Many people who come and visit Orlando only come for Walt Disney World. Now while Disney Springs has much more to offer. Don’t forgo stopping at Universal CityWalk. Don’t worry mom and dad, Universal CityWalk is family friendly. However, just like Disney it is not wallet friendly. I must say that every year when I go to Orlando, I do make a stop at Universal CityWalk. I always have to stop and eat at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company and take a picture of the Universal Globe. 

If you only ever raced thru Universal CityWalk on your way to Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure. You really need to slow down and check this place out. They have some pretty cool little shops and some unique food. Have you ever been to CityWalk? Thinking of checking it out on your next visit to Orlando? Let us know in the comments below. Kozmophotos is going to be going through a little rebranding in the next couple of months. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest. This way you can be up to date with the coming changes and know when our newest post are added. We post 2 to 3 times a week. Our current schedule will be Hotel reviews on Mondays, Universal Orlando relate things on Wednesdays and Disney Related things on Fridays. I just got back from a long 3 week vacation in Tampa, Orlando and Bluffton, SC. So there will be a lot of new content coming your way in the next few weeks and months.