Laughing Lindsay

Travel Reviews, Giveaways, & More!

Jollywood Nights Guide at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

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From early November to early January, you can attend a separately ticketed holiday event at Hollywood Studios. So, I thought I would post a Jollywood Nights Guide to go over the different entertainment options at this party.

Jollywood Nights Guide

Jollywood Nights Guide

I previously posted a review of this event when it first began, back in 2023. Since that time, Disney has added a few entertainment options. So, I wanted to post a guide with a look at the various entertainment options and my thoughts on each of them. I also posted a separate solo guide to this event, if anyone is considering attending this event by themselves.

Disney Holidays in Hollywood

This is one of my favorite shows to see at this event. I love seeing the Muppets in the park! Plus, I like that the show is held in a stadium with seats. So, you don’t have to stand for this show. It’s a cute show that will put you in the holiday spirit.

What’s This? Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along

I attended this show during its first year, on my first visit to the event. However, I haven’t felt the need to go back to it. If you are a big fan of the movie or like sing-alongs, then this might be for you. For me, it was a one and done. I do appreciate it’s shown indoors with seats though.

Glisten!

Added in 2024, Glisten! is a fun ice skating show. I saw it in 2024 and 2025. It’s neat to see the skaters do a few tricks to the Christmas music. However, it’s less than ideal that you have to sit on the ground. I also think that the small, thin ice rink limits what the skaters can do. It’s a neat show, but it may not be enough for some folks. Although, they are adding some characters to the show in 2026.

Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!

This is the nighttime spectacular at this event. It’s mostly a projection show with some light fireworks added in. It used to be offered during a regular park day during the holiday season. So, many folks have probably already seen it. However, it’s nice that it’s offered here as it’s a holiday show. I still wish it would return to the park for regular park admission. Alas, we must accept that it’s behind a paywall. Nonetheless, it’s a cute show that I’m sure to catch each time I attend the event.

Character Experiences

One of the big draws of this event is the unique characters it brings out. I always try to meet at least one new (to me) character at this event. In 2025, I saw Party Rex from Toy Story. We got to dance together. So, that’s a fun memory. However, I will note that the lines for characters was longer in 2025 than 2024. So, I don’t like that trajectory.

Themed Entertainment

There’s three themed entertainment options at this party: Pixar Disco, Checkin’ It Twice Lounge and Twilight Soiree at the Tip Top Club. I don’t much care for drinking, so I haven’t actually visited the Twilight Soiree. However, I know it’s a nice time for adults. I have visited the Pixar Disco and that was a fun event. Think Pixar characters dancing to music with guests! I had some fun there briefly before moving on to something else. The Checkin’ It Twice Lounge is new for 2026.

Jollywood Nights Guide: Is it worth it?

Again, this is a separately ticketed event. So, it’s not cheap. However, I’ve always enjoyed my time at this party. The special entertainment is currently only available during this party. Plus, you can meet rare characters here that you can’t meet elsewhere. Have you attended Jollywood Nights?

Mickey’s Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom Guide

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It’s hard to believe, but Mickey’s Christmas Party is returning to Magic Kingdom on November 8th! So, I thought I would provide a little guide to the event with my thoughts on the offerings.

Mickey's Christmas Party

Mickey’s Christmas Party

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a separately ticketed event held on select nights in November and December at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World! While I have reviewed the event previously in my Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Review, I never have broken down what exactly you can do at the party. So, I thought I would do that in this post.

Free Cookies

In my Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Guide with Tips, I highlighted trick-or-treating as a favorite activity. During this party, you can go around the park for free cookies and beverages! The past several years have featured Cheryl’s Cookies at the party with a variety of cookies available. The exact cookies available change from year to year, but you can typically expect at least one or two frosted sugar cookies and a chocolate chip/chunk cookie. Each stop also gives you a beverage to accompany your cookie. This includes hot chocolate, apple cider, and sometimes eggnog.

Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade

Twice a night, you can watch this special Christmas themed parade travel down Main Street, U.S.A. You can see your favorite Disney characters dressed up for the holidays in the parade! Plus, there’s some adorable dancing gingerbread men along with some fun marching toy soldiers! It’s a classic fan-favorite parade for a reason!

Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show

In addition to the parade, there’s the special Christmastime Fireworks show! Minnie Mouse acts as the host for this show set to some classic favorite Christmas carols along with some other festive tunes! I posted a Mickey’s Very Merry Dessert Party Review as well as Disney Christmas Plaza Garden Dessert Party Review if you are interested in viewing these fireworks without fighting the crowds. I think my preference is to watch from the Tomorrowland Terrace since you have a seat and don’t have to move once you get your seat. However, the view from the Plaza Garden gives you a better look at the projections. So, it depends on what you are interested in.

Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration

This is a castle stage show starring the big cheese himself, Mickey Mouse! It’s a cute little show that will get you into the holiday mood. It’s not a must-see for me though. I might catch it from a parade viewing spot or fireworks viewing spot, but I don’t make an effort to watch it during the party. It takes place several times during the party.

Character Experiences

Another unique experience for the party is the character experiences. The characters are typically dressed up for the holidays and this is the only time you can see them in those costumes. So, it’s fun to catch rare characters or common characters in rare outfits during these parties.

Should you attend Mickey’s Christmas Party?

Mickey’s Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom is not a cheap experience. However, it is the only way to see this holiday entertainment, unless you are visiting right around Christmas/New Years Eve. During the last week of the year, this entertainment comes with standard park admission. However, the cookies are just for the party. Plus, lots of people won’t be traveling to Disney at Christmas. So, I think it’s worth it if you are traveling earlier in the season and want to witness it snow on Main Street! Have you ever attended the party?

Kennedy Space Center Explore Tour Review

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On my most recent trip to Orlando, I was able to do something totally new and different for me – I took the Kennedy Space Center Explore Tour!

Kennedy Space Center Explore Tour

Kennedy Space Center Explore Tour

I’ve been wanting to visit KSC for a few years now, but never could make it fit my schedule. Then, I decided that I would make it fit on this solo trip. That way, if it wasn’t worth giving up a theme park day, it didn’t impact my family who doesn’t go as often. I hope to make a separate post on visiting the Space Center at a later date. Today, I want to focus on the Add-On Enhancement: Kennedy Space Center Explore Tour!

Now, I will preface this by pointing out that everyone who visits can take a bus ride to view different areas of the complex. However, this bus ride takes you to additional spots that the other bus doesn’t go. Additionally, you get to actually get off of the bus to take photos where the other bus can’t. So, I will highlight the differences in this post to help you decide if this tour is worth the added cost.

The Gantry at LC-39

The first stop on this tour is the same stop everyone else gets to make. It’s the Gantry at LC-39. It features a four story gantry with a full-scale model of a rocket engine. You can take the stairs or an elevator to view the launch sites and Florida grounds. There’s also information on how rockets are built and launched. There’s even a simulated static test fire. Finally, there’s also information about the wildlife in the area that they must care for. Overall, it’s a neat stop and I can see why everyone gets to experience it.

Following The Gantry, the regular tour bus takes visitors over to the Apollo/Saturn V Center. The Explore Tour rides over to the Launch Sites.

Launch Sites

Following the Gantry, we rode the bus over to the launch sites for shuttles and rockets. It was so cool to see where countless historic launches have occurred. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to get off of the bus at the launch sites, but the bus did stop to allow us to stand up and take photos from inside the bus.

Next, we rode over to a private beach that is government owned. We were allowed to get off of the bus here to take photos of the Atlantic Ocean and of the launch sites. We couldn’t walk right onto the beach, but we could still see the ocean. It was a neat experience that I wasn’t expecting on this tour.

Vehicle Assembly Building

The last unique stop for the Explore Tour is the Vehicle Assembly Building. The other buses drive by it, but the Explore Tour allows you to get off of the bus and take photos! This is where they assemble shuttles and other large space vehicles. It’s also commonly used in imagery for NASA and is an icon in its own right. It was really cool to be able to get a photo in front of the building. We also got to walk across the Orbiter Access Control Arm and White Room at this stop.

Following the VAB stop, the tour ends at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, just like the regular bus tours.

Pros

  • Access to reserved areas – The Explore Tour allows you to view launch sites more closely, see a private beach, and take photos at the Vehicle Assembly Building. You can’t get those things on the regular tour.
  • You can learn more – Our tour guide was knowledgeable and I’m sure we learned more about space and the launches on this tour in comparison to the other one.
  • Feels historic – If you are coming to the complex to see historic things, this tour gets you closer to the actual launch sites than the other tour.

Cons

  • Costs more – If you are on a budget, you may not want to pay an extra $24-30/person.
  • Takes more time – There’s so much to see and do at Kennedy Space Center. This Explore Tour can take up to two hours (mine took 1.5 hours). So, you may have to skip other things you wanted to see if you book this tour.
  • Limited time slots – This tour is only offered at 10 AM and 2 PM. It’s very likely it will take place during an astronaut talk or some other activity you may wish to see.

Is the Kennedy Space Center Explore Tour worth it?

The KSC Explore Tour costs an additional $30 plus tax for adults and $24 plus tax for children. Personally, I felt like it was worth it because I can’t imagine traveling that far and not seeing the actual launch sites or getting photos in front of the VAB. I feel like that’s where the history is made and I want to see it in person. So, I thought it was worth it. However, it is an added cost that can eat up your budget. It also takes up a good chunk of your day. If other activities are of a higher priority, you may want to skip this one. Have you taken the Kennedy Space Center Explore Tour?

Universal Terra Luna Resort Review

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During my recent trip to Halloween Horror Nights, I stayed at Universal Terra Luna Resort for the first time. Today, I want to give a review of that stay.

Universal Terra Luna Resort

Universal Terra Luna Resort

In 2025, Universal Orlando opened three new resorts located near the newest theme park, Epic Universe: Stella Nova, Terra Luna, and Helios Grand Hotel. Last year, I stayed at Universal Stella Nova Resort while previewing the park. This time, I opted to stay at its sister resort – Terra Luna! Located across the street from one another and featuring a slightly different take on space, they are both considered Prime Value resorts. This means they tend to have more affordable rates while being a step above the Value Inns and Suites.

Standard Room

Similar to Stella Nova, Terra Luna features double queen rooms only. It also features space themed decor. However, Terra Luna tends to feature more browns/oranges with its focus on the lands in space. The rooms themselves are nearly identical to the rooms at Stella Nova. However, the decor is slightly different.

While I was able to get a theme park view (instead of pool view), I still heard a good bit of noise. I was on the 9th floor, near the elevator, with a view of Epic Universe. Even though I was nine floors up, I kept hearing the buses coming and going with their beeping right under my window. I also heard the elevator every time someone came to my floor. Then, I heard people talking and/or running the hallways. While I loved the view of the theme park and enjoyed watching the fireworks, it wasn’t the quietest room I’ve ever had.

I will say that there was the same issue with the lights/air turning off that I had at Stella Nova. On this visit, I had some lights turn off when I was sitting in bed on my phone once. Then, the room was often warm when I got back to the room from being in the park. The first night, I started with the thermostat at 69 before I left the room. However, when I got out of the shower, I was still hot. I bumped the thermostat down to 67 to get the air working and noticed the thermostat said the room was still 71 even though I had been in the room for a while. So, something to keep in mind at these two resorts.

Pros

  • Affordable Rates – I paid $414 total for a Thursday and Friday night in mid-September. Not bad.
  • Theme Park Views – It was neat to sit in my room and look out at Epic Universe. It was really cool to be able to watch the fireworks at Epic from my room.
  • Newer Hotel – Everything was in working order and still looked shiny and new here.
  • Park Transportation – While it’s only bus transportation here, it’s still nice to have.
  • Fun Space Theme – I enjoyed the space theme here, just as I liked it at Stella Nova.

Cons

  • Bus Transportation Only – There are lots of other hotels on property that allow you to walk to 1-2 parks quickly. Also, some have boat transportation. This one has only bus transportation as you can’t easily walk to Epic from here.
  • Longer Ride to Other Parks – It took 15-20 minutes to reach City Walk and the other parks. It took 20 minutes if the bus was shared with Stella Nova.
  • Shared Bus – Sometimes, Stella Nova and Terra Luna share buses. When this is the case, Terra Luna is picked up first and dropped off first. That means it will take longer to reach the park.
  • Lack of food options – This hotel has only one quick service restaurant and no walking access to other options. I had the Seasonal French Toast one morning and it was pretty good. However, I didn’t see much on the lunch/dinner menu that interested me.
  • Odd Air/Light Settings – I’m sure it’s for environmental/economic reasons, but the air will cut off when you aren’t in the room. The lights may also go out when you don’t move.

Should you stay at Universal Terra Luna?

I found Terra Luna to be a completely acceptable resort. However, I think there are better resorts on property. I would prefer Aventura or Sapphire Falls due to the boat transportation, proximity to the other parks, and access to different food. If you can get a good rate here though, it’s perfectly fine. It’s a good resort to save a few dollars while still being on property and it’s better than Surfside or Dockside. So, have you stayed here yet?

HHN Scream Early Review

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A few weeks ago, I was able to visit Universal Orlando for Halloween Horror Nights and did the add-on HHN Scream Early Ticket! Today, I will examine if it was worth it or not to help others decide if they should spend the money.

HHN Scream Early

HHN Scream Early

In prior years, I had an Annual Pass to Universal Orlando. So, I could enter the park whenever I wanted. However, I haven’t had an AP to Universal in a few years. This new Scream Early ticket sounded good to me. It gave me entry to the park at 2 PM and access to some houses early. So, I purchased the add-on ticket for $74.55, including taxes and headed on my way.

Sidenote: A tip I gave in my Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando: Tips for Anxious Folks post years ago was to get acquainted with the park and its layout before the sun goes down. This new Scream Early ticket allows you to walk around the park during the day and spot where the scare zones, food booths, shows, and houses are. I highly recommend entering early if you are a nervous person.

Early Entry Houses

As I stated above, I was able to enter the park at 2 PM. However, due to the heat and rain, I opted to wait until closer to 4 PM to enter the park. Immediately upon entering the park, I headed towards Strangers Things since three houses open at 2 PM for Scream Early attendees. I could have also entered the lines for Hellraiser or Jack & Oddfellow as those also open at 2 PM. After a really reasonable and pretty quick 20 minutes or so wait, I was able to complete the Stranger Things house.

Opening at 5:15 PM, I lined up for Ozzy Osbourne’s house an hour early around 4:15 PM. Thankfully, Universal has opened additional sound stages for guests to wait in this year. So, I sat in a cool area for about an hour. Then, the line started moving and we went back outside for another 20-30 minutes. I was done with my second house by 5:50 PM. Then, I hopped over to the Tribute Store and purchased an Ozzy shirt.

Early Food

After knocking out the two houses I wanted to do, I headed towards some food. The food booths in Gramercy Park opened early. So, I got the Deathbringer Tempura Shrimp to enjoy around 6. Then, I walked around and got the Fried PB&J Bites around 6:20 PM. By 6:30 PM (the official start time for the event), I was sitting down enjoying some Pork BBQ Eggrolls from Sinners!

Is HHN Scream Early worth it?

As I stated above, the HHN Scream Early ticket is perfect for folks who want to wander around and get comfy in the park before it gets dark. It’s also perfect for folks who want to hit up multiple houses. The main drawback is the heat/sun and possibly afternoon storms. However, as I have proven, even if you wait until almost 4, you can still accomplish a lot before the event officially begins! I highly recommend this ticket and thought it was a great deal. I was able to see two houses, eat some food, and grab some merch before the event even began!