It’s the latest craze! Everyone is playing Pokémon Go, the new mobile (free download for Andriod and iOS users) augmented reality game which mixes real-world elements with the game – allowing players to catch Pokémon using their GPS map on their phone.
For those unfamiliar, Pokémon are essentially an assortment of different creatures/animals which are caught by the players in an effort to “level up” and fight them against other players.
The goal of the game is to collect all the Pokémon in the real-world, by either catching them or evolving them – as well as increasing your rank by fighting in gyms, catching said-Pokémon, and hitting up Pokéstops to collect more Pokéballs and other items. Visiting real-world locations helps achieve the ultimate goal of “catching ’em all”.
With many people now addicted to the game, and going out looking for all the Pokémon goodies, we decided to head over to Universal Orlando and document all the gyms, and gyms that are located at the Resort – including the parking garages, CityWalk, and the 2 parks.
Some things to keep in mind while playing at the parks:
- Visiting Pokéstops can provide you with obtaining more Pokéballs, Eggs for hatching, and other goodies; so try to visit them all to help you be successful on your quests. Another important benefit of all the Pokéstops at the Resort is the ability for people to place “lures”. Lures help attract more Pokémon to that specific area, with some of the harder-to-find Pokémon possibly appearing. UPDATE 2/19/2017 – With the latest update to include 2nd Generation Pokémon, hitting Pokéstops are even more crucial as they can provide “Stones” that are required to help evolve certain Pokémon. Remember, Stones can be dispersed at random and are very rare – so try to hit as many as you can!
- Safety is important. I know it sounds silly with playing this, but many people’s eyes are so focused on the phone that they aren’t aware of their surroundings. People have been known to trip, bump into people, or possibly worse. The good news is that the phone notifies you if a Pokémon appears, so you don’t always need to be glued to the screen. If you do need to stop, pull off to the side of the walkways, and out of people’s ways.
- Pokémon Go can drain your phone’s battery very quickly. Make sure to enable “Battery Saver” mode in the game’s settings. If you have a portable charger, it’s probably a good idea to bring that along for your day at the park. It’s essential to keep your phone open, as all the walking you will be doing at the parks will accumlate kilometers to help hatch your eggs, or earn candy for your designated Pokébuddy.
- You’ll notice that all the Pokéstops listed are in public places; and that’s because you shouldn’t go into private or restricted areas. Even if that rare Pokémon is right around that area, stay out. Ignoring park rules will get you booted, possibly even banned for life.
- Some Pokéstops are located inside queues, but not during the actual ride itself. Put that phone away and enjoy the attraction!
- Pokémon Go does use your phone’s GPS and other information. Pokémon are random and some only come out during the day, others at night. During our visit, we found Bulbasaur, Scyther, and Jigglypuff but that doesn’t mean you will find the same kind during your visit; because we found a lot of Pidgeys and Rattatas as well. In addition, Pokémon are more inclined to be around their “habitat” (i.e. Bug Types near Grass, Water Types near lakes and bodies of water).
- Finally, do not Pokémon and Drive. The parking garages do have Pokéstops, but they are accessible after you have parked your car.
Garage
Not many Pokéstops are located here, with one located in each garage and one located in the Parking Hub. There is one located at the Toll Booth. Make sure to access that one while you are paying for parking.
CityWalk
CityWalk features a good amount of Pokéstops with 1 gym located in the 2nd level near the Red Coconut Club.
Universal Studios Florida
Over at Universal Studios, the park features countless Pokéstops and 3 gyms – 1 by the Globe, 1 in Diagon, and 1 in KidZone. There were several Pokéstops located in Disaster and Beetlejuice, but they probably won’t be accessible until after Fast & Furious: Supercharged opens in 2018.
Islands of Adventure
Over at Islands of Adventure; the park only features 1 gym, which is located in the Hogwarts Express. Surprisingly, the biggest land at the park – Jurassic Park – features the least amount of Pokéstops. Keep an eye out for “Pharrel’s Hat”.
Hopefully these guides will help you hit all the Pokéstops, as well as catch the Pokésmon you’re hoping to catch. Let us know what you caught by joining our Forums and discussing the game!
