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Fall in Orlando Theme Parks

August 8, 2023 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

While it may seem a little early for this post, the theme parks are beginning to celebrate the autumn season later this week! So, I thought I would do a fall in Orlando theme parks post to kick-off the fall season. If you are wondering about summer in the theme parks, here is my post on it from two months ago.

Fall in Orlando

Personally, fall is one of my favorite times to visit the theme parks! You can typically expect a bit cooler temperatures, which I consider a huge win. However, I would encourage you to keep an eye on the extended weather forecast if you plan a fall trip as it’s prime hurricane season. I’ve been lucky in that only one trip has been impacted by a hurricane. It is something to keep in mind though. On another note, I love fall and all of the theme parks have some fun/Halloween events to look forward to! So, I think it’s worth planning a trip during the fall months as long as you pay attention to the weather.

Epcot Food and Wine Festival

If you are visiting Walt Disney World in the fall, you can expect to experience the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival! Taking place from August 29th to November 23rd in 2024, it’s a fabulous festival with lots to enjoy for fellow foodies! I don’t drink much, but I love eating! I enjoy walking around this festival and trying different dishes. They also have some cool concerts planned as part of their Eat to the Beat series. If you are visiting during these months, I highly recommend a visit.

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

If you are visiting Walt Disney World from August 9th to October 31, 2024, then on select nights you can attend the separately ticketed event Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom. I was supposed to attend last year, but the hurricane cut-off my WDW portion of the trip. Unfortunately, I haven’t attended this party since 2019. However, prior to that I attended it several times. It’s one of my favorite things to do at Walt Disney World! I love the special parade as well as fireworks! I’m hoping to attend this year’s bash. FYI: it’s not a scary event. It’s a family-friendly event including trick-or-treating for kids of all ages!

SeaWorld Orlando Halloween Spooktacular

Last year, I was lucky enough to visit SeaWorld Orlando and enjoy their Halloween Spooktacular event. In fact, you can read my SeaWorld Orlando Spooktacular Halloween post from last year to get a better idea of what to expect at this event, including my review of the Count von Count Spooktacular Breakfast. This seasonal event takes place on weekends from August 31 to November 3rd. This is one of the few Halloween events included with regular park admission. It also takes place during the day, which has its pros and cons. It’s a family friendly event with mermaids and dancing scarecrows. You can also trick-or-treat around the park for an additional cost.

SeaWorld Orlando Howl-O-Scream

Now, we are moving on to the scarier, more adult Halloween events in Orlando. While SeaWorld is child friendly during the day, it takes a turn for the scary on select nights from September 6th to November 2nd with their Howl-O-Scream event. A separately ticketed event meant for adults, it features several haunted houses, scare zones, shows, roaming haunts, and themed bars. It is cheaper than the OG scary event at Universal, but seems to be in the same vain. I haven’t ever attended this one, but I’ve heard good things about it.

Universal Orlando Halloween Horror Nights

Lastly, we have the premiere Halloween theme park event, Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando. This is the top tier scare event. It features 10 highly themed haunted houses, including popular IPs. It will take place on select nights from August 30th to November 3rd.

As of May 2024, Universal hasn’t officially announced any IPs for this year’s event. If you are on the fence, I recommend reading my Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando: Tips for Anxious Folks post. I attended in 2023 by myself and did a post Halloween Horror Nights Solo Tips for anyone considering doing the same. I also booked a 2023 HHN Daytime Houses Tour and reviewed it. Lastly, I posted a separate Halloween 2023 at Universal Orlando Resort Guide to give you an idea of what to expect.

Orlando Theme Parks in Fall

As you can see, there are several fun events taking place in fall in Orlando theme parks. From the haunts to the scary good food, there’s something for everyone! So, which of these events are you planning on visiting this year? Or, which of these is your favorite to visit each year?

You can view my other seasonal theme park guides here:

Universal Orlando Tips for First Time Visitors

July 19, 2023 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me sooner to write a Universal Orlando tips post. However, I am finally posting it in case anyone needs help planning their first trip!

Universal Orlando Tips

As of this writing, I have visited UO five times! So, while I won’t claim to be a true expert on the resort, I do have some experience in visiting it. Thus, these are things I keep in mind when visiting or wish I had known when I first started visiting.

General Information

As of 2023, Universal Orlando Resort consists of two theme parks and a highly themed water park. They are currently building a third theme park, scheduled to open in 2025. The resort also currently has two value resorts, two prime value resorts, one moderate, and three premiere hotels. I’ve visited both theme parks and stayed in all but one of the resorts. You can read my reviews of the Universal Resorts to see what I think of most of them.

Pro tip: I highly recommend staying on-site at one of their resorts as the free transportation is very useful. I feel safe using it, especially as a female traveler at night. Plus, you get additional time in the parks when you stay at a resort hotel.

Do You Need a Park-to-Park Ticket?

I suspect lots of people ask this question as theme park tickets can be expensive. Honestly, if it’s not in the budget, don’t fret. The only thing you miss with a single park per day ticket is riding the Hogwarts train between the two parks. While it’s a must-do for any Harry Potter fan, it’s not necessary for other folks. As a passholder I must admit that I enjoy starting at whichever park has early entry and then heading to the other one. However, that’s because I’ve visited several times now and have done most of what I want to do by now.

Now, if you can only afford one day at one park, that is trickier. Personally, I have spent the most time in Universal Studios Florida. However, that is also where the majority of seasonal events take place. It’s also where the new Minions Land just opened up. However, I also love Grinchmas at Islands of Adventure. I would recommend checking out the rides and lands in each park to determine which one is most appealing to you and your group.

Seasonal Events

If you are looking to add a little more entertainment or food options to your trip, then you may want to consider visiting during a seasonal event. There are three seasonal events at UO: Mardi Gras from early February to April, Halloween Horror Nights from early September until the end of October, and Christmas from early/mid-November to early January. I have written posts on each of them previously and they are linked above for further descriptions of each. Needless to say, I highly recommend visiting during these events if once catches your eye.

Universal Orlando vs Walt Disney World

Personally, I visited UO after WDW. So, if that’s you, then this section is for you. First, you should understand that UO is much smaller and more relaxed than WDW. No need to make dining reservations 60 days out here. However, you should make reservations for the more popular restaurants such as Mythos or character dining a few weeks in advance. Logistically, a UO visit is much calmer than a WDW one.

I would like to point out that UO has more thrill rides than WDW. UO rides also tend to be screen heavy, i.e. they rely on screens to show you stuff versus animatronics like at Disney. It’s definitely easier to experience motion sickness at Universal. While it’s never been a problem for me, I believe Universal’s rides may not be as accommodating for larger folks. So, if you get motion sick easily or are of a bigger stature, this may not be a place you want to spend several days in.

Additionally, I think it’s worth pointing out that Universal can be edgier than Disney. While it’s still a family-friendly park (aside from HHN), you can expect to see things here that Disney would never do. For instance, you may see some humor in the rides or on signs with jokes that Disney would never allow.

Final Tips

It’s impossible to condense my Universal Orlando tips into a little list. Nonetheless, I hope you found some helpful ideas here. For what it’s worth, I think 2-3 days is an ideal amount of time to spend at this resort. So, have you ever visited Universal Orlando Resort? Do you have any tips?

Summer in Orlando Theme Parks

June 7, 2023 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

Now that school is out in most places, lots of people are going to be spending the summer in Orlando theme parks. Since I did my spring in the theme parks post three months ago, I thought I would do another one for this season! Here’s a look at what you can expect to experience during the hottest months of the year in the Florida theme parks!

Summer in Orlando

Summer in Orlando is hot. So, be sure to plan breaks indoors and stay hydrated if you are heading there during this season. It may also be crowded during your visit, so pack lots of patience and understanding! Aside from those things, it can also be a fun time to visit with lots of special activities to participate in!

Walt Disney World

For the past couple of yeas, Epcot was pretty much a year round festival theme park. However, the Flower and Garden Festival ends on May 27, 2024 and the Food and Wine Festival doesn’t begin until August 29th (goes to November 23, 2024). So, for the first time in several years, there will be a regular festival less Epcot to enjoy this summer.

There will be several After Hours events to enjoy when the sun goes down. You can read my review of the Magic Kingdom After Hours event here. Additionally, there’s a new drone show at Disney Springs this summer! Plus, the newly re-themed Tiana ride will open in June at Magic Kingdom. So, there’s still plenty to do here.

SeaWorld Summer Spectacular

SeaWorld Orlando seems to have cancelled their regular summer event this year. They are celebrating their 60th Anniversary for the rest of the year. Additionally, they will have some special weekend events this summer including Viva la Musica in June and Bands, Brew & BBQ in July and August. So, it should be a good place for food and music this summer.

Universal Orlando Tribute Store

Universal Orlando has announced several special things coming this summer. First up, DreamWorks Land will open on June 14th! Then, a new nighttime spectacular begins the same day. It’s called Cinesational and it should be awesome! Next, there will be a new Hogwarts castle light show premiering on the same night! Then, on July 3rd, a new parade called the Universal Mega Movie Parade will begin!

Lastly, there will be a special seasonal tribute store this summer. If you don’t know, a tribute store is a highly themed limited time pop up merch store that is typically a can’t miss experience. This year’s store has an 80’s mall theme! You can see a preview of last year’s store in UO’s Instagram post below.

Water Parks

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that each of these three parks also has a water park that you can visit to cool off at! Disney actually has two water parks. However, one of them, Blizzard Beach, is currently closed. Disney’s open water park is Typhoon Lagoon. I visited it for a special night time event at Disney’s Social Media Moms event way back in 2016 and it seemed like a nice place. I think the special ticketed nighttime event, H20 Glow After Hours at Typhoon Lagoon looks fun!

Universal has a water park that is highly regarded online. Volcano Bay can be seen from the Cabana Bay and Aventura resorts. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet visited this park. However, I hope to someday.

SeaWorld’s water park is called Aquatica. They will have special daytime entertainment and food for summer. Plus, they are having a new after hours event called AquaGlow that looks fun. Once again, I’ve never visited this one, but I’m sure it’s fun. Technically, SeaWorld also owns Discovery Cove as well. That is an all-inclusive day resort where you can swim with dolphins! I was lucky enough to visit it last year and wrote a Discovery Cove review.

Summer in Orlando Theme Parks

As you can see, there are lots of fun things to do during a summer in Orlando vacation! Did I miss anything your family likes doing?

You can view my other seasonal theme park guides here:

Loews Sapphire Falls Resort Review

April 4, 2023 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

I made a trip to Universal Orlando Resort in February 2023 with my mom to experience Universal Orlando Mardi Gras again. On that trip, we were lucky enough to stay a few nights at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort! So, I wanted to share my thoughts on our stay in a standard room.

Sapphire Falls Resort

Sapphire Falls is now considered a Signature Collection Resort. While it does not come with Express Passes, it does have its own boat transportation to the Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and City Walk! It will have bus transportation to Epic Universe.

This resort has a nice sit down restaurant as well as a classier vibe than the Prime Values. Staying here also gets you into the park an hour early, just like the other official resorts. I am very pleased to note that this resort is significantly quieter than Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Dockside or Surfside.

Standard Room

I really like the theming of this resort. From the individual lights outside each room’s door to the lighted mirror vanity in the room, it really is a nice place to stay. We found the room to be more than big enough for the two of us. You can see pictures of our room in this Instagram post.

Our only complaints about staying here involve the bathroom and they are minimal. For starters, the toilet had trouble flushing off and on. I’m not sure what the problem was, but it was struggling. We also had issues getting the toilet paper to stay on the holder as it kept falling down. It was funny the first few times, but then we stopped putting it on the holder to avoid chasing it. Lastly, I feel like the room could use a few more towel hooks, especially if you were going to have four people staying in it.

Food Options

Food is the category where I think you can really tell the difference between this resort and lower priced options, like Universal’s Aventura Hotel. The values and prime values have just quick service restaurants. Sapphire Falls has a quick service restaurant called New Dutch Trading Co. However, it also has a sit down restaurant, Amatista Cookhouse! I love eating dinner here with their tasty bread service and juicy chicken! The breakfast buffet has some great donuts too! Lots of choices here and I recommend eating here if you happen to be staying next door at Aventura.

Is Sapphire Falls worth it?

Overall, we were very pleased with our stay at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort. We got an annual passholder discount on the room, which made it a good deal. Between the boat service to the parks and good dining options, I would definitely stay here again.

Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando Review

March 9, 2023 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

On my most recent trip to UO (February 2023) my mom and I were lucky enough to stay one night at the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort. This is my review of that experience.

Hard Rock Hotel at Universal

The Hard Rock Hotel at Universal is one of the Signature Collection Hotels at UO. This is the second one I’ve had the pleasure of staying at. You may recall my Universal’s Loews Royal Pacific Resort Review, which is the other one I’ve stayed at. Both of these hotels come with boat transportation to Islands of Adventures and Universal Studios Florida while also being walking distance to those parks. It will provide bus transportation to Epic Universe. Plus, they also come with free Universal Express Passes! The Express Pass allows you to skip the lines at lots of rides in the parks, so it is sometimes worth the room upgrade for the passes alone.

Music Memorabilia

One of my favorite things about staying here is getting to view all of the music memorabilia. All around the lobby and in the gift shop is fabulous pieces of clothing worn by and guitars played by famous musicians! There’s even a set of pajamas worn by Elvis! My mom and I really enjoyed just walking around and looking at everything. You can see some of these items in my Instagram post below.

Standard Room

My mom and I booked a standard garden view room for this trip. We were pleasantly surprised by the room’s size. It’s pretty large for a standard room. I enjoyed the theming in the room. My favorite part was probably the full length mirror that had famous musicians’ height on it. It was neat to stand up next to it see how you compare to famous people!

We only stayed for one night, but were very comfortable here. The beds were easy to sleep in and the room was quiet. Our only complaints about the room involve the bathroom, but they are very minor complaints. There was a very small sink in the bathroom as well as a bigger sink/vanity right outside the bathroom. In my opinion, the small sink was just taking up space. Also, it made for a weird layout/setup.

Now, for a really random gripe. This is the first hotel I’ve stayed at that featured toiletries with a masculine scent. I took the first shower of the night and discovered this as I was using the products. I warned my mom and she refused to use the products after smelling them. She used some stuff she brought from home because she thought she would “smell like a man.” I brought home the little bottle of body wash and gave it to my husband. He likes it, but agreed that it does smell a little masculine. It doesn’t smell bad. In fact, I kind of like it. However, if you prefer a feminine or neutral fragrance, you may want to bring your own toiletries when staying here.

The Kitchen Restaurant

I love that one of the restaurants at the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal is called The Kitchen. It’s like going down to the kitchen for a snack as you visit a rockstar! We ate breakfast here both mornings of our stay and were very happy each time. The first morning we tried the breakfast buffet and found there to be plenty of options! It’s easy to get full on this buffet with lots of different things to try. All of it was really good too!

The second morning I got the Elvis French Toast and thought it was divine! However, you must love peanut butter to enjoy this dish. My mom got the Buttermilk Pancake Stack and we were both impressed with the size of her pancakes! We both enjoyed our breakfast that morning too!

HRH at Universal Orlando

Overall, our stay at the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando was a very pleasant one. I would definitely stay here again, if the opportunity presented itself. However, I would bring my own toiletries next time. Have you ever stayed here?