On a recent visit to Universal Orlando, we arrived mid morning at Universal Studios Florida and went straight to the newest attraction — Despicable Me. 60 minutes later we had enjoyed the ride and were dancing with the minions. Those minions really like to party!
Rip Ride Rockit was next and only had a 30 minute wait. While some of our party enjoyed the thrills, the rest of us waited by Twister enjoying a frozen lemonade on a HOT day.
We all went into the Twister attraction together. It had been a long time since I had gone in to this and was surprised that it still held up. It even made me want to watch the movie again. The usual short wait for this attraction, where you learn a bit about Tornados as well as movie magic, is also a plus.
Next came the exciting Mummy ride with a 20 minute wait and then off to the Beetlejuice show where the Universal Monsters entertained us by singing and dancing.
Lunch at Richter’s Burgers, with their Burgers, fries and freestyle Coke Machines (where we got to create our own flavors) was an enjoyable break. We stopped for photos with the Jaws shark, dockside, and then it was off to Men in Black with a 35 minute wait and the Simpsons ride with a 30 minute wait. Our last ride was ET which had a 20 minute wait. Then we visited SpongeBob Store Pants where we checked out the merchandise and had a photo op with Patrick.
As we left the park, it was raining and I was reminded of “into each life, some rain must fall” a line from a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
When you are visiting a theme park, there is a lot of information you need to be aware of: maps, schedules for shows and parades, posted wait times; but if you have time to slow down and look around, it can be fun to see what else you can find while you are walking or shopping. Below you will find a few gems that I spotted at the gift shop outside of the Twister attraction. Also one of my favorites was right outside the entrance to the vehicle on the Simpsons ride. It simply says “More fun than sitting at home.”
Islands of Adventure also provided me with some interesting observations and thoughts. At the entrance, the famous “The Adventure Begins” carved into the wall to set the tone for the day and reminds us to live our adventures, whatever they may be.
The availability of Green Eggs and Ham, Moose juice, Goose juice and Butter Beer reminds us to try new things — we may even like them.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey reminds us that new is exciting, and the village streets of Hogsmeade remind us that sometimes we can find the most interesting things down familiar streets and alleys.
On this day we headed straight to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter but stopped at the Dragon Challenge, which only had a 5 minute wait — how can you pass that up? Forbidden Journey had a 60 minute wait, but we took advantage of the single rider line and rode twice within a 45 minute time span!
Seuss Landing provided a fun, colorful area to enjoy. We cooled off on the Red Fish, Blue Fish ride and then continued to The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man ride, where the recent upgrade definitely enhances the background visuals and 3D. The single rider line cut our wait time from 75 minutes to 30 minutes! Our last ride was Storm – perfect if spinning is your “cup of tea.”
It was great to visit both parks again and enjoy the rides and attractions. I also had a good time taking it slow, looking around, and enjoying the best part of the parks: spending time with friends and family having a fun time!
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