• HHN,  Uncategorized,  Universal Orlando

    HHN 33 Is In The Books!

    This year’s Halloween Horror Nights has been an unusual one, to say the least. Thanks to our unique experience, I can’t really give a full review, but I’m still gonna share our story!   I’ve been hyped for HHN 33 for months. I’ve followed all of the announcements, watched the Youtube videos, etc. Unfortunately, this year didn’t quite go as planned. But that’s okay- we still had fun!   So what went wrong??   First, we had planned to be there the week of Hurricane Milton. We did actually fly in, but then when we saw the hurricane was going to be a bad one, we decided we weren’t going…

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  • Mardi Gras Medallion
    Mardi Gras,  Uncategorized,  Universal Orlando

    Universal’s Mardi Gras 2024

    Universal has some great events throughout the year, and one of our favorites is Mardi Gras! Now, this isn’t the typical New Orleans Mardi Gras- it’s family-friendly. Mardi Gras at Universal takes place on the Studios side and typically runs from sometime in February, March, and into the first week of April. There are concerts, food booths, decorations, a tribute store, and, of course, the nightly parade. This has to be the most fun parade I’ve ever watched- it’s definitely a can’t-miss event! From the music to the stilt walkers to the bead throwers, this parade is high-energy and has lots of crowd involvement. You can even sign up to…

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  • Fast & Furious Ride Spotlight
    Uncategorized,  Universal Orlando

    Ride Spotlight: Fast & Furious-Supercharged

    The Fast & Furious ride gets a lot of hate. And I get it, I do. BUT!! If you go into it with a good attitude, and you look for the humor, it’s honestly a great time.   What is Fast & Furious- Supercharged? Fast & Furious- Supercharged is a ride on a party bus that goes awry. If you’re a fan of the Fast & Furious movie franchise, you’ll understand the cheese and dramatics of this ride. However, it is neither fast nor furious. Actually, Jax says it’s boring. If you’re into cool cars, the ride queue is pretty sweet, though. However! I think it’s hilarious. The pre-show is…

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  • Rudest Characters at Universal Orlando
    Universal Orlando

    Rudest Characters at Universal Studios

    My favorite joke from the Horror Makeup Show is “this isn’t Disney; we don’t have to be nice to you.” Not gonna lie- I love that this is a theme with several of the characters around the park as well. Sounds like a negative, I know. But it’s not. The characters who are rude are so much fun!! If you don’t mind some slight, playful bullying, be sure to check these guys out: Beetlejuice- he’s going to hit on your wife, insult your kid, and make slightly inappropriate jokes Megatron- no-nonsense, seems annoyed by your existence, a little intimidating, to be honest The Mirror at Madame Malkin’s- want to know…

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  • Universal Islands of Adventure Park View
    Universal Orlando

    How To Maximize Your Ride Time

    Jax and I are ride people. Some people visit theme parks for the shows, the food, the atmosphere, etc., and I love all those things, too. But for us, maximizing our ride time is key to having a great vacation. Here’s our plan of attack: Early morning flights We get up early and catch the earliest flight possible, take a nap on the plane, and Uber to the hotel. I usually throw a change of clothes and park necessities at the top of my backpack so it’s easy to grab and go. Then we drop our bags at luggage services and head straight to the park. This way, we maximize…

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  • Harry Potter Christmas Movie
    Harry Potter

    Is Harry Potter a Christmas Movie?

    Odd topic, I know, but hear me out on this one- there’s a heated debate every year about whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie, and since we’re Universal lovers here, I want to take that debate to the Wizarding World. It seems ABC Family deemed Harry Potter a Christmas movie, based on their Christmas movie marathons they had every year. I also noticed it was listed under Peacock’s “Season’s Streamings.” While Christmas is celebrated in the middle of every Harry Potter book and movie, I didn’t at first think Harry Potter was a Christmas movie. However, I’ve given this maybe a little too much thought and changed…

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  • Universal Orlando Christmas Tree
    Uncategorized

    Holidays at Universal Orlando Resort

    Unfortunately, we aren’t able to make it down to Orlando this year for the Christmas festivities. However, we went last year, so here’s my rundown of how Universal does the holidays. Islands of Adventure First of all, holidays at Universal are not a separately ticketed event- if you have tickets to the park, you get to see the lights, shows, parades, etc. You can even meet the Grinch, though the line is loooonggggg (this takes place over at Islands of Adventure). BUT!! There’s an option to buy tickets to the Grinch breakfast, where you can meet the Grinch and the Who’s without waiting in that long line. Last year, the…

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  • save money
    Saving/Making Money

    How Do We Afford These Trips?

    Contrary to popular belief, I am not rich- I simply decided there are things I want to do, and I figure out ways to make them happen! In reality, I’m just a single mom with a single income and a knack for finding great deals!   People always seem to be amazed that I travel so often, though. I’m gonna let y’all in on my secrets!   First of all, while I’m great at finding travel deals in general, I wouldn’t say I’m an expert at anything other than traveling to Universal Studios. So if that’s not where you’re going, keep in mind I can’t vouch for other places! Below…

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  • HHN Medallion
    HHN,  Universal Orlando

    HHN 32 Review

    Now that we’re home and I’ve had time to recover from the event, here are my thoughts on HHN 32 (What the heck is HHN?): I loved it. I’m obsessed. Keep in mind that I’m not a person who typically gets scared by much of anything, and Halloween is my favorite holiday, so if you are a chicken, proceed with caution 😉 HHN Houses The houses this year were all great in their own way, though we only made it through 7 of 10 (by choice- we could have gotten through all 10 if we weren’t so exhausted!). Everyone is going to have their own personal preference, and even though…

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  • Hogwarts Castle Universal Orland
    Universal Orlando

    Ride Spotlight: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

    Universal Orlando Resort has some amazing, unique rides. One of our faves is Forbidden Journey. It’s located in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, so duh, it’s automatically cool. But to add to the cool factor, it’s located INSIDE the castle!! The Basics Forbidden Journey has a 48″ height requirement and is located in Hogsmeade at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. This ride takes Express Pass and has a single rider line. You’ll need to use a free locker if you have a backpack or bag (but a fanny pack is ok). The Queue Walking through the queue, you’ll get to see the sorting hat, Dumbledore’s office, moving pictures, and so…

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