Laughing Lindsay

Travel Reviews, Giveaways, & More!

Spring in Orlando Theme Parks

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I know that lots of people plan trips to align with school breaks. So, I thought I would do a post highlighting the various festivals happening during spring in Orlando theme parks!

Spring in Orlando

Spring in Orlando

March and April tend to be very popular times to visit the theme parks since lots of kids have school breaks. So, many of the theme parks have special events to give the crowds more to experience as well as to draw more people in. Here’s a look at those special events happening in spring in Orlando in 2023!

Flower and Garden Festival

Walt Disney World hosts the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival every spring and it’s one of the most beautiful times to visit this park. In years past, I have loved walking around the park and viewing the topiaries. Disney brings out some of the same topiaries every year, however they also refresh a few and add a couple new ones every year. So, it never gets stale. This year, they added a Princess Tiana and Encanto topiaries! Plus, there’s loads of beautiful landscaping around every corner!

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the food at this festival. Unfortunately, I don’t have as much experience in eating food at this festival as I do with Epcot Festival of the Arts. However, in 2019 I really enjoyed the grilled street corn and would love to eat it again! This festival does a great job of highlighting fresh, in season fruits and vegetables.

Not to be out done in the entertainment category, Disney also hosts the Garden Rocks Concert Series during this festival. Some of the performers I’d be quite excited to see. Others, I’m not as familiar with, but I’d be happy to give them a listen. Note: the last concert is on July 3rd.

If you are heading to Walt Disney World between now and July 5th, I highly recommend spending at least half a day at Epcot just for this festival.

Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando

I already wrote an entire Universal Orlando Mardi Gras 2023 Guide. So, you know that I’m a huge fan of this fun spring event. I also wrote a review of the Mardi Gras Float Ride and Dine add-on last month. If you are planning to visit Universal Orlando Resort between now and April 16th, then you too can experience Mardi Gras at UO! Unfortunately, the last concert has already taken place here. However, there’s still the awesome parade and great foods to try!

Spring at SeaWorld Orlando

Lastly, SeaWorld Orlando is hosting the Seven Seas Food Festival on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays until May 7th! If you are visiting this weekend or next, then you may also catch their St. Patrick’s Day Celebration as well! The park will also be celebrating Cinco de Mayo during the last weekend in April and first weekend in May. Both of those events will add some food and entertainment to the park.

Last year, I tried some tasty food at the Seven Seas Food Festival and really liked it. Unfortunately, we missed the Seven Seas Concert Series as we were tired from a full day in the park. The concert series is a mix of well-known artists, smaller bands, and tribute bands! I recommend looking up the schedule if you are heading there before May 7th.

Orlando Theme Parks in Spring

As you can see, all three theme parks celebrate spring with a special festival. So, which is your favorite spring in Orlando festival?

You can check out my other seasonal theme park guides here:

Epcot Festival of the Arts 2023 Review

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I have been fortunate to attend every seasonal event at Walt Disney World’s Epcot theme park over the years. Hands down though, my favorite is Festival of the Arts! I was lucky enough to be able to attend it again last week and I’d like to do a quick review of it and share why it’s my favorite one!

Festival of the Arts

Festival of the Arts

Walt Disney World pretty much always has an event going on at Epcot these days. However, my personal favorite is the Festival of the Arts. It’s a short event celebrating art in all of its forms that takes place during the winter months of the year. In my opinion, this event could be lengthened as it only lasts for 5 weeks! This year’s festival ends on February 20th. So, if you are wanting to experience this year’s events, you better go now!

Festival Food

I actually really enjoy visiting Orlando during these cooler months as it’s more comfortable outside. That means I feel like actually trying some of the festival’s foods! My personal favorites from Festival of the Arts includes: Sushi Donut from Japan, Deconstructed Key Lime Pie (the first picture in my Instagram post below) from The Deconstructed Dish, and General Tso’s Chicken Shumai from China. I also enjoyed visiting Figment’s Imagination Station for the Pop’t Art, which was basically a tasty blueberry cookie and the Rainbow Cake was neat. My mom raved about all of the food we tried at the festival and even remarked how much better the food was here compared to some other theme parks’ festivals. I think there is something here for everyone to enjoy.

Festival Entertainment

I love how Disney is able to bring art to life during this festival. You can walk around and look at paintings. However, you can also participate in art by painting some squares in a huge paint by number mural too! You can also pose in large art re-enactment for photos! You can even catch some stars from Broadway performing during this festival! I love walking around and looking at the chalk art at this festival and doing the scavenger hunt! I just feel like there’s so much to see and do at this particular festival, that it makes it more fun than some others!

Conclusion

Between the beautiful foods, fun art entertainment, and great weather it’s easy to see why Festival of the Arts is my favorite Epcot festival. Also, I know that when I initially started blogging again, I stated that I would cover other things outside of Walt Disney World. However, I’ve come to accept how much joy Disney brings me and I hope anyone reading these posts is ok with me blogging about it too.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Review

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I just got back from a very busy trip to Orlando on Wednesday. One of the highlights of our trip was visiting Walt Disney World for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party! Having attended the party a few times in the past, I feel like I can give a fair review of the event and provide a few tips.

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

Just in case you don’t know, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is an add-on ticketed event held at the Magic Kingdom after normal park hours to celebrate the holiday season. Typically, it’s held from early/mid-November until right before Christmas. The party includes special character meet and greets, a Christmas parade, holiday stage and fireworks shows, ride overlays, as well as free cookies and drinks!

Party Entertainment

One of the main draws of the party is the unique entertainment options. One key difference between this party and the Not So Scary Halloween Party though is that these shows will eventually be included with the regular park admission as you get closer to Christmas. However, if you are visiting before that time, then you can only experience the holiday parade, stage show, and fireworks show at the Christmas Party. Personally, I absolutely adore seeing the toy soldiers marching down Main Street, USA!

Food

During the Halloween Party, you can trick-or-treat for candy. During Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, you can go around the park for free cookies and beverages! These treats are only available at the party. However, this year they were pre-packaged Cheryl’s cookies. So, if you want to try them outside the party, you can order some for yourself.

Now that you have an adequate understanding of the party itself, allow me to share some tips with you!

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Tips

  • Arrive early. The party starts at 7 PM, but your ticket allows you to enter the park at 4! Use this time to eat dinner or get in line for any big characters you want to see.
  • Get a spot for entertainment early. Stake out your spot for the parade early. In previous years, the second parade was less crowded. However, this year it appeared that this advice has been read by everyone and it’s no longer the case. My mom and I sat on Main Street for the first parade and it was less crowded than the second parade! So, just know that if you want a prime spot, you need to get there at least 30-45 minutes early.
  • Pick up an event guide. When you first enter the park, pick up an event guide that features a map with treat locations as well as times guide. I highly recommend picking one up to reference throughout the night.
  • Make a list of must-do’s. You aren’t going to be able to see and do everything at the party. It’s just too short/too crowded. So, do your research and know the things that are priorities for your group.
  • Enjoy the ambiance. You could be annoyed that you have to stake out a spot for the parade so far in advance or that you have to be so close with so many people. You can also choose to enjoy just being in the park while it’s decorated for the holidays and snowing! I truly believe your attitude impacts your experience. Make the best of it and you will enjoy it.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party can be a delightful holiday addition to your Disney World trip. I promise that there’s nothing else like it!

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?

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?