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Universal’s Aventura Hotel Review

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During my September 2022 trip to Universal Orlando for Halloween Horror Nights, my mom and I stayed at Universal’s Aventura Hotel. We enjoyed the hotel’s perks, sleek design, and modern touches.

Universal's Aventura Hotel

Universal’s Aventura Hotel

Aventura Hotel is a tower hotel with modern rooms and reasonable prices. The hotel is shaped like a fidget spinner. It also has floor to ceiling windows that makes for a sleek appearance and great views. Aventura is considered a Prime Value Hotel. This means it has affordable rates while still giving you the benefits of staying on property with Universal Orlando Resort. It also leans heavily into technology with a tablet in the room to control everything from the lights to the tv.

The Room

The rooms have a contemporary, sleek vibe to them. It’s definitely geared towards tech savvy folks who appreciate simple theming. The beds were comfortable and the sleek design made for a relaxing experience. I liked our shower and felt the bathroom had plenty of room, which is highly unusual for “value” rooms in my experience.

Tip: If you want a quieter room, don’t pay for the Skyline View upgrade. There’s a rooftop bar at the top of the hotel and there’s a DJ playing music until around midnight, at least on the weekend. I could hear the faint sounds of music in our room when the music was playing and we were in a standard room. Request a lower floor to be further away from the music.

The Technology

As I stated above, Aventura Hotel leans heavily into modern technology. In fact, there’s not a tv remote in the rooms or available at the front desk. You have to control the lights and tv via the tablet by the bed! You can also request room service on the tablet. A robot named Relay can even bring you some towels or toiletries. You just have to specifically ask for the robot when requesting it!

The Food

Typically, when you stay at a value resort hotel, you can expect to eat chicken nuggets and pizza for dinner at the resort restaurant. However, Aventura Hotel takes it up a notch. Here, you can build your own protein bowls! I really enjoyed my chicken and noodles bowl! I also had a fun Japanese soda with a glass marble in it! As for breakfast, I was equally surprised to find biscuits and gravy on the menu! It hit the spot before we dashed out of town to escape the hurricane.

As I mentioned above, there is a rooftop bar. We attempted to eat there on our trip, but it was raining and the bar was closed. It appears that the bar is not covered and allows rain to come in. So, check out the weather forecast before you decide to eat there. It does have great views though.

For dinner another night, we walked over to the neighboring Sapphire Falls resort (considered a Signature Collection Resort) and enjoyed a meal at Amatista’s Cookhouse! Aventura Hotel’s close distance to Sapphire Falls increases the availability of nearby food choices.

The Perks

The perks of staying on-site at Universal Orlando Resort are fabulous if you are planning on visiting the parks. Similar to when we stayed at Endless Summer – Dockside Inn and Suites, we received complimentary bus transportation to the parks! We never had to wait long for a bus, which is more than I can say for some other parks. Ha! We could have also gotten into the parks earlier for staying on-site as well as had merchandise purchases sent to the hotel for free! We also could have charged things to the room with our room card.

Overall

I have to say that we were impressed with Aventura Hotel. The price we paid was definitely worth the experience we received. We were able to relax with the simple theming and enjoyed saving money to put towards other experiences. I also enjoyed using the tablet to control the room and loved Relay! I can recommend this hotel without hesitation, if you are on a budget and/or like technology.

Theme Park Tips for Scaredy Cats

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Before I became a frequent theme park visitor, I wasn’t sure there wasn’t anything for me to enjoy at a theme park. I definitely didn’t think my husband or mom who both get motion sickness could have fun at a theme park. However, I’m here to tell you that it’s definitely possible! In fact, here’s a list of theme park tips for scaredy cats or people who like to travel without needing to ride the most thrilling rides.

theme park tips for scaredy cats

Theme Park Tips for Scaredy Cats

Up until a few years ago, I assumed you had to be a thrill seeker to enjoy amusement parks. However, after visiting some great ones, I now realize that theme parks can be enjoyable for everyone, regardless of age and ability! So, here are my theme park tips for scaredy cats or people who don’t want to ride the big roller coaster.

  • Experience the seasonal events. As I’ve posted previously, there’s so much to see and eat during the fall season at Dollywood. However, the same can be said about pretty much any festival at Epcot or SeaWorld Orlando. Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando is another seasonal event I highly recommend. Of course, the holidays at any amusement park are filled with special shows, décor, and food to enjoy!
  • See a show. Most amusement parks also have shows you can watch during the day. So, glance at a schedule for the day’s events at the park and catch a few! They can be a great way to escape the weather too!
  • Try out new food. Do some research before you arrive and see what food the park is famous for. For instance, you have to get the cinnamon bread at Dollywood or a Dole Whip at Disney Parks. Then, go and try as many of those foods as you can!
  • Ride a sight seeing ride. Most people can tolerate a train ride around a park (Dollywood) or on something like the People Mover at Magic Kingdom. So, be on the lookout for rides in the air to get a different view of the park. You might even spot a ride that looks less intimidating from up in the sky.
  • Do your research. I highly recommend checking out ride point of view videos on YouTube prior to going to any theme park, to get a feel for a ride and see if it might be tolerable for you or not. You can also read descriptions of rides on many parks’ websites, so if a roller coasters mentions inversions or a tall height requirement, it might not be for you.
  • Look for add-on events. Lots of parks have add-on events you can participate in for an additional cost. Often times this is not riding a ride. For instance, the Dine with Orcas at SeaWorld Orlando is an add-on event where you can eat lunch while watching a show with an orca! That is thrilling, but totally accessible to everyone! SeaWorld features tons of animal experience add-ons and Walt Disney World has several tours as well. Universal Orlando even has some free behind the scenes tours of their rides!

So, there you have my theme park tips for scaredy cats! Do you have any tips?

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando: Tips for Anxious Folks

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I tend to be what you might call an anxious person or easily spooked. However, I recently had a trip booked to Universal Orlando Resort during their annual Halloween Horror Nights event and decided to brave the event (along with my sixty-something year old mother). So, here are my tips if you are considering attending the event but are skittish and need some support.

Halloween Horror Nights for Anxious Folks

Halloween Horror Nights for Anxious Folks

Halloween Horror Nights, or HHN, is Universal Orlando (and technically Universal Hollywood’s) top tier scary fall event. They have some of the best themed haunted houses each year and really set the standard for what a scary event should look like. However, it’s supposed to be scary and because of that, it scares people (myself included) away. I’m here to say that the event is doable for anxious people and here’s how I did it.

  1. Arrive early. I believe it eased my anxiety knowing the park layout as well as scare zone locations prior to arriving to the park. I also recommend seeing the park in the daylight to acquaint yourself with the scare zones and theming ahead of time.
  2. Ease into it. I started with the front scare zone (Horrors of Halloween) and headed to get some food. The event has really been stepping up its game in the food department, so I knew which foods were must-gets for me and I got them immediately. I mean who doesn’t love starting an event with a pepperoni and cheese pizza skull and red velvet cake pop?! Then, I ate my goodies while taking in the nearest scare zone (Sweet Revenge). It was fun to watch the scare actors attempt to scare people and listen to the special effects being played. This was a nice way to ease into the scares.
  3. Watch a show. Next, after another scare zone or two, we watched a few shows. I will admit that the Halloween Nightmare Fuel Wildfire show has suggestive material and is not for everyone. However, I really enjoyed the music before and during the show. Plus, the show was really entertaining and not scary at all. I also watched Ghoulish, the waterway fountain show, which isn’t scary either. It was neat and kind of relaxing to view.
  4. Brace for darkness. The park takes on a more scary vibe once it gets dark. So, all of the research and prep comes in handy when you are running into massive crowds and thick fog in the park. Just don’t panic and keep walking. If you look scared, I think the actors are more likely to try to scare you. Just keep walking. Looking straight ahead seemed to help me. Meanwhile, they tried to scare my mom several times. Ha!
  5. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. The waits for the haunted houses were over an hour the night we went. So, we actually didn’t even attempt to visit any. I don’t regret it necessarily, but just know that the experience is what you make it. If you want to be scared, you certainly can be. If you just want to enjoy an adult evening at a theme park, you can do that as well.

So, there you have my tips for surviving Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando as an anxious person. Do you have any other tips? If you definitely can’t handle a few frights, might I recommend the much calmer and more family friendly SeaWorld Orlando Spooktacular Halloween or even Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party?

How to Save Money at Theme Parks

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As you might have noticed, I really enjoy visiting theme parks. However, they can be expensive. So, I’m sharing some of my tips and tricks to save money at theme parks.

save money at theme parks

How to Save on Theme Park Tickets

The first thing you probably want to know how to save money on is the theme park tickets themselves. Typically, the more days you purchase, the cheaper it is per day. However, lots of times it’s cheaper to just buy a seasonal or annual pass to the theme park. You need to do some math to calculate how many visits it will take you to break even or save money with the pass before purchasing one. However, an annual pass can also help save even more money at theme parks, as you will see.

Additionally, we are now heading into the time of the year (late fall/early winter) where you can sometimes purchase a season pass for the next year but get the rest of this year included. So, be on the lookout for those types of deals now if you are thinking about visiting a specific theme park a few times over the next year or so. Dollywood has done this in the past and I believe Cedar Fair parks may do it as well.

Save on Hotel Rooms

Another important and expensive aspect of a theme park trip can be the hotel stay. I recommend booking a room as soon as you know you are planning a trip and then look out for deals to come out. For instance, Universal Orlando will put out Annual Passholder hotel rates just a few months in advance. So, you can change your reservation to take advantage of the cheaper deal if one comes up or if they don’t, you at least have a room booked. If you aren’t a passholder at a theme park, look out for package deals with tickets included with a hotel stay.

Save on Theme Park Food

Again, I’m going to point out that lots of theme park seasonal passes give you discounts here. The percentage of discount often depends on your level of pass. For example, Universal Orlando gives food/merchandise discounts at just their hotels to the two lowest tiers of passes while higher tiers receive discounts in the parks as well. SeaWorld Orlando and Dollywood give their higher tiers free parking and bigger food/merchandise discounts.

If you don’t have a pass, you can save money at theme parks by being frugal with the food. For instance, you can sometimes split bigger meals with people from quick-service style restaurants. You can sometimes bring in outside food to the parks for a picnic in the park. Alternatively, you can leave a park and eat from a cooler in your car or even make a meal in your room. You can also plan to eat just one big meal in the park to cut costs. I know that some parks even offer an all-day dining package that you can purchase to enjoy a meal in the park every 90 minutes!

Save Money on Theme Park Merchandise

Some of the tips for saving money on merch is the same as the food. As you guessed it, lots of annual/season passholders get discounts on merch. So, be sure to use those discounts if you have them. Beyond that, be on the lookout for signage indicating sales and deals inside the park itself. For example, I have seen Dollywood markdown out of season shirts inside the park. If you don’t mind holding onto something until next year, that can save a good bit of money. Additionally, you can sometimes find deals on merch online. Amazon and ShopDisney are good sites for finding discounts on Disney merch. You can definitely find little trinkets at dollar stores and save them for trips with kids instead of paying big prices in the park too.

Theme parks tend to be expensive, but with some time and effort, you can save money at theme parks. If you don’t mind planning in advance or making your own food, then a theme park vacation can be affordable. Do you have any tips I didn’t mention?

Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites Review

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Back in February, when I Dined with Orcas, I stayed at Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites. So, I thought I would give you a brief review of my stay there.

Dockside Inn and Suites

Universal’s Endless Summer Resort is technically two hotels – Dockside Inn and Suites and Surfside Inn and Suites. Each is considered a “Value Resort” thanks to their typically low rates. They are across the road from one another, but each has their own unique theming and amenities. However, they do share a bus to/from the parks. The bus goes to Surfside first and then Dockside. Additionally, Surfside is the smaller of the two resorts. I’m hoping to stay at Surfside later this year for the first time, so this review is going to focus on Dockside.

Dockside Inn and Suites Room

My mom and I stayed at Dockside Inn and Suites for four nights. Upon entering the resort, we both remarked how nice it looked, especially for the price paid. Dockside Inn and Suites has a very relaxing sitting on the beach vibe. It was also comforting to know that this is a newer resort, so we didn’t have to worry about it being outdated or rundown. The room itself was simple yet stylish, perfect for us as we aren’t fancy people. I will say that I was surprised by how nice the room was considering how affordable the rate was. I will note that we booked a standard view room and was given a pool view, which is considered an upgrade. Personally, I’m not a fan of pool views since they tend to be loud. However, we were so busy this trip that it didn’t really matter.

Pros/Cons of Staying Here

As I mentioned above, this is a bigger value resort. However, I was surprised to find school groups staying at our resort since I hadn’t realized that school field trips had resumed post-pandemic. My biggest complaint about staying at Dockside Inn and Suites has to be the noise. I don’t know if it’s due to the school groups or not, but we heard noise through the connecting door to the room beside us every night of our stay. We also heard some people running up and down the hallway and experienced long waits for the elevator. So, just something to keep in mind if you decide to stay here is the possibility of groups staying here and the accompanying noise.

Another aspect I was impressed with was the affordable food options found at the resort. The food court was often crowded at the beginning of the day and towards the end of the day with those groups. However, we enjoyed all of the food we had here and were pleased with the affordable prices. I highly recommend grabbing some chicken and waffles for breakfast if you stay here!

2023 Update: Dockside Inn Two Bedroom Suites

I wanted to update this post to include a little review on the two bedroom suites. I went back for a second stay in December 2022 with my mom again. This time, we booked the suite for one night. The price was great for an on-site hotel. There was plenty of space for the two of us. However, we encountered the exact same problems I mention in my Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites Review. There was lots of noise to be heard. Once again, we encountered groups staying here. This time, it was for a sports competition. Additionally, the main bedroom is colder than the rest of the suite with the air directly over the bed. However, it was ok for a one night (literally 8 or 9 hours) stay. You can see pictures of our suite in the Instagram post below. Additionally, you can read my more in-depth Endless Summer Suites review here.

Is it worth it?

Dockside Inn and Suites is a great deal for staying on-site at Universal Orlando. It includes park transportation along with early theme park entry. I also enjoyed the easy going vibes. I just wish it didn’t garner tour/sports groups, but that’s to be expected with a reasonably priced resort hotel.