Thoughts of a Dumb Blonde

     I've only been home for a few hours, but I miss Florida so much. I knew going into this weekend that I wouldn't get to be there long. I've never been in Florida for that short of time before. Usually I have time to accept that I'm leaving, but this time I was just there and gone. I've said it a million times: I love Florida so much. It's honestly one of my favorite places ever. I love the atmosphere and the weather and everything there. I have family there that I don't get to see often enough. Part of me is there. I've gone there so many times in my life that it's just normal. I'm so lucky to have the opportunity to have gone there so many times. I wish everyone had the opportunities I have had in my life.

     The first day of the Celebration of Harry Potter 2018 was awesome! I got to see exhibits of props and other things that were super cool. There were these amazing chalk sidewalk drawings that had so much detail. Plus I got to ride all of my favorite rides. It was a really fun day at Universal. I got a shirt just for the event. I love Harry Potter and it was fun to see some of the things that went into making the movies. There were so many people there because they love Harry Potter. I saw people in amazing and elaborate costumes that looked like they could be real. I got to watch special shows. The whole thing was really cool and I'm glad I got the opportunity to see it.

     Tomorrow morning we leave for a long weekend trip to Florida! The trip is my Christmas present and I'm so excited. We fly out tomorrow morning and I get to go see my family and go out to dinner. I'm can't wait because we're going to the celebration of Harry Potter Friday at Universal. Then on Saturday we're going to Disney. We fly back Sunday morning. I already know that the times gonna fly, but I'm really looking forward to it. I love Florida so much and I'm so ready to go back.

Since I did a post Disney tips, I decided to do a Universal addition. I’ll try not to repeat things I mentioned on my last post. Definitely get your universal tickets online they are cheaper that way.  If you say at a Universal hotel you are able to enter the Wizarding World of Harry Potter an hour earlier.  If you are going during the busy months purchasing a Universal Express Pass might be worth consideration. If you are going during the slower time (ex. early November) you shouldn’t need the passes. In my experience most lines are at a bearable wait time.  If you are alone, or your party is okay with splitting up, most rides at Universal theme parks have a single rider line. These lines typically go much faster and allow single riders to be placed with odd numbered parties on rides.  If you have paid to park at Universal, your parking pass lasts all day. You can leave and return as long as you have your pass. Universal City Walk has restaurants, shops,...

     I’m back to talking about Disney! This time I'm gonna give you guys any tips I can think of on how to plan and have a good Disney vacation. I’m gonna put these in more of a list form so bare with me. If you can go in the fall or spring and try to avoid holiday. Holidays at Disney are very busy as well as the summer, not to mention the stifling heat.  Start planning early, especially if staying on Disney property. Hotels get booked fast and prices often shift frequently for flights.  If you are planning on going places other than Disney, rent a car. It’s convenient to be able to go wherever you want, whenever you want, and not have to rely on public or hotel transportation.  Buy your Disney tickets on line. They are often cheaper and you can find out if your day is a value day (cheaper due to less people being at the park) Make your Fastpass+ reservations as soon as possible. Popular rides run out of fast passes fast. (The time frames are: 3...

     Since i already did a blog on Walt Disney World I thought it'd be cool to give you guys a look into another Disney park: Disney's Animal Kingdom. I went back to Animal Kingdom this year for the first time in a few years. Animal Kingdom will always have a special place in my heart. Growing up I loved animals and I still do. As the name would suggest, Animal Kingdom has several animal exhibits. the park is divided into different lands name for different continents. Each land  has different attractions and animal exhibits specific to their continent. The Kilimanjaro Safaris in Africa are really cool. Guests get to ride in a safari truck and see and learn about different animals. Something else in Africa that I highly recommend is the Lion King show. You may show up and see how crazy the line is but my recommendation is to wait until after they start letting people in to try to enter. The odds are they’ll still have room inside and you can walk right in. The show...

     This year I got to go to Volcano Bay, Universal’s new water park in Orlando. The water park is centered around a volcano that is built  around three or four different water slides. It’s really an amazing view. As soon as you enter the park you receive what is called a Tapu Tapu; which is an electronic band you wear on your wrist. These bands are actually one of the coolest features of Volcano Bay. At the beginning of the line for each slide at Volcano Bay, there is a board telling you whether the slide's wait time. If the rides wait is below around 30 minutes then the sign will say "ride now;" if the wait is 30 minutes or more you will have the option of joining the virtual line at the check in station near the ride by placing your Tapu Tapu against the mountain symbol on the machine. after you do this, your Tapu Tapu will display the amount of time you have to wait before returning to the ride. The time is usually around 10 minutes before the wait time of th...

     So now that I have written about Disney, it is time to introduce you guys to Universal Orlando. I'm going to include Universal Studios and Universal Islands of Adventure. Universal's Volcano Bay will be the subject of a later post. I'm going to start with Islands of Adventure. Islands of Adventure is probably the more action-packed side of Universal. as you enter you can take either a left or a right. I'm going to take you a left. This takes you to Marvel Superhero Island. The first ride as you enter is the Hulk roller coaster. The Hulk is easily the most intense ride in either of the parks. Its line also goes relatively fast so it's a good first choice. Every time I go I make sure to ride this multiple time. Also in this island is Doctor Doom's Fearfall and The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. Doctor Doom's Fearfall is a set of drop towers that take you up fast and drop you just as fast. It is a quick thrill that also takes you up high enough to se...

     Disney is one of my favorite things and their parks in Orlando have been a big part of my life. I've been going to Walt Disney World Resort since I was about three years old. When I was little I loved going there and getting to meet all of the characters and get their autographs. I have books full of signatures and pictures. The characters are one of the biggest appeals for kids because the get to see their favorite characters go from the screen to real life. Another big aspect for both adults and young children are Disney's unbeatable parades. They feature huge themed floats topped with popular characters along with characters and dancers who walk/dance the entire route while doing fluent routines. The best part for the kids is when their favorite characters take the time to wave at them or give them a high five as they walk by. The actual rides are the perfect way for all guests to become a part of the worlds of their favorite characters. With each ride followin...

     I’m on an airplane on my way to Orlando, Florida! My family takes a vacation to there every year. This will be my twelfth time going there since I was born. Orlando is one of my favorite places to go. I have family that lives about a half an hour outside the city. I’m staying with them one night this year. We’re staying in a hotel really close to Universal Orlando Resort; we’ve stayed there multiple times. We’re going to Universal, Volcano Bay, Animal Kingdom, and Disney World. We go swimming at our hotel and go out to dinner every night. I’m so excited for this trip. Right now I just can’t wait to get off of this plane.