This again is one of those post that took me forever to put up for some unknown reason. Back in early February I was visiting my grandparents in Florida and my mom and I went to Universal Studios and Island of Adventure. We have been there many times before, but is is one of our favorite amusement parks due to the crazy, trilling rollercoasters and the awesome themes and attractions they offer. Here is a few things we did, ate, where to stay and my favorite rides!
WHAT WE DID: The day we went was a Sunday and super bowl Sunday hoping it wouldn't be as busy as normal. We drove to the park to get there when it opened I think around 9 or 10 am. We started at the Universal side and headed straight to the new Harry Potter Diagon Alley. Last time we were there they hadn't built it yet so it was pretty amazing to see the incredible, realistic job they did. If you are a fan of the Harry Potter series I highly recommend going to the park to just see this. It feels like you are actually in the movie and you can go pretty much into every store. After that we took the Hogwarts express train to the Island of Adventure part. The train ride was really fun and also felt like you were Harry Potter or a Hogwarts student your self. We had been to this side before so we didn't spend to much time but rode a couple of the rides. It is super busy in the Harry Potter sections so beware of that, getting there in the early morning is a good idea. After that we made our way to the Marvel part, we love the Spiderman and Hulk ride. After that we made our way back to the Universal Studios side and did the Mummy ride, Rip-it Rocket ride and a few others. Later that night for the Mardi Gras parade, my mom actually was able to get us on a list to ride on the float and toss beads. It was actually super fun and I highly recommend doing that if possible. If you have been to Disney before Universal and Islands are more for the thrill seeker. If you like rollercoasters I highly recommend going.
WHAT WE ATE & RECOMMENDATIONS: On this trip we ate at Mel's diner. Everything here is very expensive so keep that in mind, maybe bring a lunch or snack if you're trying to save money. Mel's diner was just okay, we got burgers, fries and shakes. Some other great places would be Mythos Restaurant (Islands side), The Leaky Cauldron (Universal side), The Three Broomsticks (Islands side), and the Bumblebee Man's Taco Truck (Universal side).
WHERE TO STAY: On this trip we just stayed at my grandparents house but previously we have stayed twice at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort which was an amazing hotel and a short walk or boat ride to CityWalk and both parks. When we stayed at the hotel we were able to get free fast passes which means you skip the lines at rides and get right on which is such a plus. Some other hotels near by would be the Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Loews Sapphire Falls Resort and the Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort. All the hotels mentioned above are on-site.
MY FAVORITE RIDES: My favorite rides starting on the Universal Studios side would be, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, Men in Black, and Revenge of the Mummy. On the Island of Adventure side, The Incredible Hulk Coaster, The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, and Dragon Challenge.
Let me know if this review was helpful and what your favorite rides are! I will have a post up similar to this about my day at Disney World and Disney Land.