THE BEST PLACE TO STAY AND THE BEST PLACE TO EAT WHEN VISITING UNIVERSAL ORLANDO

Hey guys! First, I want to take the time to apologize to you all because this post is not going to be about the Nashville, Tennessee trip that I said to keep a lookout for in the near future in my last post. My brother and I were suppose to head over there for our spring break, but something came up with my dad. A few weeks ago, he was trying to move a desk by himself and he lost his balance and half of the desk fell on him and he hit his back on the concrete! OUCH! He had to have tests done to see if everything was okay and those tests were on the same week my brother and I were suppose to go to Nashville, Tennessee. However, we decided to stay with our dad while he had the tests done because my brother and I didn't feel right just leaving him here while he was going through all of that. The tests did come back fine and now he's just resting up. He should be 100% soon. Now, onto my next topic. I'm going to be talking about what I think is the BEST place to eat and stay when visiting Universal Orlando. Here we go!

Side Note: Like my last two posts, all the pictures you see here were taken by me.

Cabana Bay

  

I've been to Universal Orlando three times and have stayed in a different hotel each time and I would say that Cabana Bay definitely knocks it out of the park for being the best hotel to stay at during your visit. It is INCREDIBLE. From the moment my brother and I got there we knew that Cabana Bay would be our favorite. It has a very fun retro theme and it feels like you are living life in the 50's. If you want to find out more information about Cabana Bay, then click HERE. 

When you arrive at Cabana Bay, if you look to your left, then you can see about four or five cars lined up that are very old fashioned. No other hotel in my previous trips had a display like this. This was that defining moment when my brother and I knew this hotel would be our favorite. This is just the parking lot. Just wait until you see what we saw as soon as we walked into the lobby!

As soon as we walked in we were blown away by the huge tree that was enclosed in the middle of the lobby! Not a small tree, not a medium tree, but a LARGE tree. I've never seen a tree of this size in a hotel lobby before, so it caught my brother and I off guard. 

 

Last but not least, this was our view from our hotel room. We were in a room that was facing Volcano Bay, which is the third park at Universal Orlando. We couldn't have asked for a better view. I think we were on the eighth floor, so it was pretty high. It was the best view I've seen yet at Universal Orlando. I can't recommend this place enough. 

Hard Rock Cafe

I want to apologize for the bad picture above. It was night, so all of the pictures that I took had a glare on them. Before you actually enter the two parks at Universal Orlando, there is Universal CityWalk. This is a collection of restaurants and stores that you can visit before entering the parks. The BEST place to eat, in all of Universal Orlando combined, would have to be the Hard Rock Cafe. The food is to die for!

Not only is the food to die for, but the lobby is to die for too if you are a HUGE music fan. Talk about nostalgia. Guess what is displayed in the center of the restaurant? Give up? Elvis Presley's pink Cadillac! The real one. It's not fake. They have so much memorabilia in the restaurant that it is a joy to look at while eating. If you want to see a tour of the restaurant and get an idea of what it is like inside, then click HERE. 

 

Last but not least for the Hard Rock Cafe, this is what I would advise you to get when ordering food here. It is HANDS DOWN the BEST cheeseburger I have ever had! It was so juicy that the grease runs down your chin. The fries didn't even have to be dipped in any sauce. I usually always dip my fries in sauce or have to season them, but these fries were perfectly seasoned that I didn't even need sauce for them. Make sure you get this when eating at the Hard Rock Cafe!  

 

 

THE BEST THINGS TO DO AT UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT OUTSIDE OF THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER

Hey guys! I know I talked about the top 5 things to do at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in my previous post, but today I'm actually going to be talking about all the fun and exciting things you can do outside of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Universal Orlando Resort is most popular for its Harry Potter attractions, but not everyone goes just for the Harry Potter experience. A lot of people visit to experience other parts of Universal Orlando Resort. In my opinion, these are the best things to do outside of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter that you DO NOT want to pass up. Here we go!

Side Note: Just like in my previous post, all of the pictures you see here were taken by me.

 Jurassic Park River Adventure

Talk about a FUN, FUN, FUN experience. At first, I didn't really have much interest in going on this ride, but my brother ended up convincing me. From the moment the boat took off, it was an incredible experience. It takes you on a tour through the water while getting up close and personal with lifelike dinosaurs. It made me feel like I was in the actual movie. I don't want to spoil anything for the newcomers, but there is a HUGE surprise at the end that I never saw coming. Let me just say that if felt like my heart was about to burst out of my chest!

Blue Man Group 

  

I had never seen the Blue Man Group perform until my visit to Universal Orlando Resort in December 2017. That was my third time visiting this wonderful place and first time seeing the Blue Man Group. They weren't there the first two times I visited. I didn't know much about them until I saw their show and I did something that I went in expecting not to do. I LAUGHED. They were hilarious! I only ever saw them being advertised as a music group that played incredible music on the drums. I never thought they did comedy. This was how my brother and I ended our second night there in December 2017 and let's just say that it ended with a bang.

The Incredible Hulk Coaster

First, I want to apologize for the picture that is shown above. It was pretty hard to get a decent picture because the sun was out and interfering with my phone camera, which resulted in the picture being slightly darker. This is the best of the ones that I took. Anyway, this might just be the best thing to do outside of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I'm so glad I didn't sit in the front row of the roller coaster because there would have probably been a mess. Ewwww. There really isn't anyway I can describe it in words because you just have to experience it yourself. However, I HIGHLY recommend that you watch THIS before deciding whether or not you want to ride this monster.

Revenge of the Mummy

I don't think I've ever ridden a roller coaster that has gone as fast as this. I was screaming the entire time. It's one of those rides where 50% of you doesn't want it to end and the other 50% of you does want it to end because you're scared out of your mind. There is this one part where fire makes the face of the mummy and you can feel the heat on your face. It's pretty cool. Uh, hot I mean. It's cool that it's hot. Nevermind, you guys get the point. After the ride ended, I guess I could say it really felt like the mummy got his revenge on me.

Toothsome Chocolate Emporium 

The best chocolate milkshake that I have ever had came from this place and I've had some incredible chocolate milkshakes! I wasn't planning on stopping in Toothsome Chocolate Emporium, but it was on the way to another attraction my brother and I were heading to. The whole milkshake was probably gone within 5 minutes. Not only was I thirsty, but it was just that good. Make sure you don't pass this place up if you ever visit Universal Orlando Resort! 

P.S. Be on the lookout for my Nashville, Tennessee blog coming in the near future. My brother and I are going for spring break (if everything works out) and it will be our first time there. We are really excited!  

  

  

 

TOP 5 THINGS TO DO AT THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER

Hey everyone! I have decided to do my first blog post on one of the hottest destinations in the United States. Yes, you guys already know what I'm talking about if you read the title of this blog. It's none other than the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort! I just got back from my third time of visiting in December 2017, so I thought I would share what, in my opinion, are the TOP 5 things to do at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. However, before I start this exciting adventure, I wanted to give a shout out to another blogger by the name of Amanda who helped me decide what attractions she recommended before I took my first visit to Universal Orlando Resort. I would highly recommend you guys check out her blog HERE. Now it's my turn to let you guys know what I think you should definitely do if you ever get the chance to visit this wonderful place. Let's get started!

Side Note: All of the pictures shown in this post were taken by me.

 1. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

You MUST, and I repeat, MUST do the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride. You are not a true fan of Harry Potter if you go to Universal Orlando Resort and do not go on this ride. It's a truly incredible experience. It makes you actually feel like you are riding a broomstick as a witch or wizard on the Hogwarts grounds. My brother LOVES this ride and he isn't even that big of a fan of Harry Potter. This might take the cake for being my favorite thing at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

2. Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts

This is another HUGE attraction that you should definitely visit multiple times when at Universal Orlando Resort. The ride itself takes you through the tunnels of Gringotts while Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange are after you. The longest my brother and I waited in line for this ride was 90 minutes! You might be saying to yourself right now, "Dillon, that is way too long to be standing in line for a ride." Let me just say this: EVERY MINUTE IS WORTH IT. You'll come back to my blog and thank me for it later.  

3. Try a Butterbeer

There's multiple Butterbeers to try at Universal Orlando Resort. There's Cold Butterbeer, Hot Butterbeer, Frozen Butterbeer, Butterbeer Fudge, Butterbeer Potted Cream and Butterbeer Ice Cream. However, through all three times that I have visited The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I would say my favorite one is the Cold Butterbeer. The first word I said after I took a drink of it was MMMMMMMMMMMM. If that is even considered a word. After I finished it, I went back for seconds. It is that good. In fact, they're all really good. This one is just my favorite.

4. Ride the Hogwarts Express Both Ways

You might be saying to yourself, "Why both ways?" Well, because it's a different experience going from Hogsmeade to Diagon Alley and vice versa. When you ride the Hogwarts Express there is a little video that plays on the window that makes it seem like it is actually happening outside the train. It's pretty cool. Even if the video on the window doesn't interest you, then you should still ride the Hogwarts Express just for experience. You might have been like me when I was younger. It was always a dream to ride the Hogwarts Express and now I can say that I have lived that dream multiple times since I've been to Universal Orlando Resort three times. 

5. Knockturn Alley

I wish I could have provided you all with a better picture, but Knockturn Alley is extremely dark when you visit it, so the images don't turn out that great. No worries though, it just adds that much more to the experience because you aren't seeing anything about it. You step into the dark with nothing but mystery on your mind. It's represented as the "evil" side of Diagon Alley and it's pretty incredible to see it in person. If there is one piece of advice I would give for Knockturn Alley, it would be to make sure the CREATURES don't get you!