Universal Studios / Islands Of Adventure Q & A

As you probably know already, if you follow me on any form of social media, last month I was lucky enough to go to Orlando, Florida for the third time!
I seriously LOVE going to Orlando, it really is my happy place - so I thought what better than bringing that love over to my blog with a couple of fun Q&As! These questions are ones I've been asking over on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and a few that I have been asked more than once in real life by friends/family!

Did you stay in one place for both Disney and Universal? If so, which location is best to stay?
I personally always stay on site at Disneyworld. I've stayed at the Pop Century Resort three times now and love it - it's in a great location and it makes life so much easier.
As there are 6 Disney parks compared to just the two (nearly three) parks at Universal for me it is a lot more cost effective to stay at Disney and just travel to Universal on the days we wanted to visit. Booking with Disneyholidays your tickets for Disney are added to your package so it makes it all a lot easier that way.

What do you wear?
I'm a big fan of shorts! Getting on and off rides (sitting with your legs open on some), walking all day, getting soaked on water rides .... dresses, for me, are just not ideal for a theme park! I love wearing shorts (obviously as long as it is warm enough, which 9 times out of 10 it is) - although not denim as they are a nightmare when trying to dry after rides like Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls or Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges! Playsuits are also fab to wear - just always a longer experience when going for a wee! After this recent trip aswell I am a strong believer in the backpack! I bought a mini backpack from Forever 21 and it was a godsend! I love having my hands free whilst walking round and it was such a great size for all my daily essentials e.g. phone, small purse, tissues, anti-bac, suncream, lipstick etc!
Last but not least .... TRAINERS! I wear trainers every single time I go to Universal. With all the walking and different rides I live in them for both practicality and comfort! I wore my Nike Roshe nearly every single day of my two week holiday!

What are your top 5 favourite rides at Universal?
Ahhh this is a toughy but I would have to go for the following five (in no particular order!) : 

• The Incredible Hulk Coaster
• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
• Revenge of the Mummy
• Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
• Dragon Challenge

Anything you wish you'd taken/known before you went? 

As I had been twice previously I was pretty prepared for what to take with me! The only thing I would have packed more of is... snacks! I took a Clif bar most days but all the walking and I guess adrenaline just made me so hungry!

Where do you buy your tickets?

I ALWAYS buy my tickets for Universal before I head to Orlando. Attraction Tickets Direct* offer a fantastic offer of a 2 week park hopper. This means you can use your ticket for 14 consecutive days, from the first use, as many times as you want for Universal Studios, Islands Of Adventure and from May 2017 Volcano Bay (their brand new water park!).
This was perfect for our holiday, we actually went to Universal four days out of the 14 we were there, as we just love it, so we definitely got our monies worth! The 2/3 park explorer tickets are £227 per adult - which is a bargain compared to the prices you'd pay on the door!

How do you get to Universal?
As we stayed at Disneyworld we were around a 20 minute drive from Universal. This holiday we decided to try Uber to get in and out of the Disney resort ... which was the best desicion ever! Uber is so super easy and around half (if not less) the price of using the taxi firm out there. As there is wifi at Universal it's easy to order your Uber on your way out and there is always someone near by, I highly recommend this app if you don't hire a car when in Orlando or fancy a drink - it will save you so much money plus the cars are nice and most drivers are super friendly!

How long should the trip be so you feel you've had enough time to see it all?
I think this question is aimed at Orlando in general. 
Each time I have been I have been for two weeks and I feel like that is enough time to do and see more or less everything you want if you're organised. (unless you are queuing for rides for 5/6 hours a day, which I never do) I always have a plan for where we are going each day, have meals booked up to 6 months in advance and really do make a list of everything I want to include on my trip, it makes life so much easier when you are there.

What is the first thing you do when you go to Universal?
My boyfriend and I always do the same route everytime we go to Universal. We get there around 30mins before opening and head to IOA. As soon as that rope goes own we walk (fast) straight to Hogsmeade (WWOHP) and usually go on the Forbidden Journey then as it can get really busy, we then do everything HP - Dragon Challenge/look round/get photos etc before walking through to Jurrasic Park and then make our way round the park that way until we are back at the entrance (just past Hulk). 
We then either walk out and walk round to Universal Studios (which is next door if you didn't know) or we head to the train station to get the Hogwarts Express to Kings Cross (aka Universal Studios/Diagon Alley) which takes about ten minutes or so in total - minus queuing.
Once at Universal studios we usually head to Springfield for some lunch and then take the rest of the day as it comes, usually heading to rides based on wait times!

Have you ever bought a fast pass for Universal? Was it worth it?
Yes! Our first day at Universal this trip we decided to invest in a Fastpass for the day as it looked fairly busy.
This was the greatest idea.
Even though they are fairly expensive (around $100 each) it really was worth it for that day. We bought the pass in which you can go on the rides as many times as you like via fast pass, there is another version which is just 1 x fastpass per ride. (Do be aware that there are some rides excluded from these passes.)
For us this was totally worth it on this day, it was so nice to just stroll onto the ride, especially when the queues for rides were upto 120 minutes.
Don't get me wrong though these aren't always needed - the other three times we went to Universal we didn't bother with the passes and got on everything we wanted in a wait time of 30 minutes or less minus Gringotts which took us 40mins ish on one of the days.

Did you use Hogwarts Express and travel between the two parks? If so how did you use it i.e. Back and forth or as your 'commute' to the park?

Ahh I mentioned this earlier on. Yes we do use the Hogwarts Express to travel between the two parks. We have only ever used it to commute - never back and forth, in my opinion that would be a waste of time, just use it when you need it.
This time it was closed a couple of times when we were there so we just walked round. As we had done it a few times already this didn't bother me.

What do you personally recommend and don't recommend? 
I personally recommend the following :
Packing your own snacks, buying souvenirs at the end of your day, fast passing if it's super busy, wearing a bag you don't have to carry with your hands/arms, wearing trainers, getting a photopass, exploring Universal CityWalk, buying a poncho for Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls or Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges, packing suncream, going to WWOHP first.

I personally don't recommend the following :
Buying your tickets on the door, arriving long after opening time (10am/11am), wearing flip-flops, wearing lots of make-up, queuing long for King Kong.

What are your top tips for Universal?
This is pretty similar to the previous question so I'm just going to give my five top tips :
1. Arrive before opening time ready and raring for that rope drop.
2. Plan your day - try and know your route and where you are aiming to go next.
3. Download the app to find out wait times and news whenever you are in the park throughout the day. (Great to know what to avoid if closed/delayed) 
4. Wear comfortable clothing/footwear that doesn't take long to dry.
5. Buy your tickets before you arrive in Orlando. (This is where I got mine)


If there is anything I haven't covered or something you'd love to know leave a comment below or tweet me @alohakirstie!

*ATD were kind enough to gift me with a ticket to Universal for my trip this year, we of course purchased our other ticket with them too as the offer is fantasticulous! We had THE best time ever so thank you ATD :)

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5 Things To Do Before You Head To Orlando

Why hello there my fellow Disney/Universal/Orlando lovers! I'm back once more talking all things holiday and excitement!

If you didn't know already I am heading back to my motherland in March ready for another amazing holiday full of Mickey, Harry and everything in-between!

I'm always asked so many questions when it comes to Disneyworld etc, especially from people booking their first trip or wanting to know what's best to do, wear, pack - so I thought it was about time I wrote yet another post on the magical land of Orlando and how you can make your trip that little bit easier, better and cheaper!

So, here's five things to do before you get on that plane!

1. Have a plan
As annoying is that is - it really is better to have one, even if it's a vague basic idea of what you're going to do!
If you're staying at a Disney hotel I would highly advise heading to the parks with 'Magic Hours' each day - that extra hour in the morning really is amazing for avoiding huge queues and getting on those rides maybe you wouldn't be able too in normal peak times.
When it comes to Disneyworld - booking dinners and Fastpass's is also essential! 
Again, if you're staying at a Disney resort hotel this is easy - just get the My Disney Experience app and you can book your meals 6 months in advance and your fast passes 90 days in advance! This sounds crazy but it is a must, you won't get into Be Our Guest unless your booked - I booked ours last week which was 6 months in advance and there was only 3 dinner times to choose from!

Fastpassing is also the guaranteed way to get on those busy rides and avoiding the hours and hours of queuing! You get three a day so use them wisely (Mine train, the 3 mountains, TOT and Toy Story are always super busy so make sure they are included in your choices!)

When it comes to Universal the way that works for us is starting at Islands Of Adventure, getting there about 45/30minutes before the gates open and queuing then going straight to Hogsmeade (yes... we've been known to run) - doing everything there and then working our way back down to the Marvel area before getting the train over to Universal Studios!

2. Buy your tickets
I CANNOT tell you enough to buy.your.tickets.before.you.go.
With our booking our Disneyworld tickets were included but if you are planning on staying in an apartment/villa/off Disneyworld property then you 100% need to buy your 2 week/1 week tickets before going!
This is the same with Universal - buying a 2 week pass here in the UK is SO SO much cheaper than even trying to get a two-day pass once in Orlando!
The perfect place to do this is Attraction Tickets Direct - check them out for all your ticket needs and save yourself the money and the stress of paying full price on site! 

3. Organise your transfers
This is probably an obvious one and a tiny detail but make sure your journey from landing to your new bed for the next week or two is seamless!
 If you're staying with Disney this is included with Disney's Magical Express which drops you to your hotel from the airport on a fun-filled coach BUT you do have to confirm your place on these - so make sure you have that sorted before you jet off!

4. Invest in handy bags and comfortable shoes
Probably my number one piece of advice - the right shoes and bags can make or break your trip!
For me trainers are probably my number one go-to footwear for walking round the parks all day! (and luckily they are in fashion right now!) You are on your feet alot so flip-flops, unless super comfy, can be a pain! Aswell as comfort, trainers are a little bit more secure for when you are on big rides at places like Universal... no sandals flying off half way round!
Bags are also a big thing for me when I'm away - with posing for photos, grabbing your phone and wanting you hands free at all times a handbag really isn't the one - I like to go for a cute across body bag and my boyfriend usually takes a backpack for us both to pop in extra clothes and snacks!

5. Save, save, save!
Yup, it's true you're going to need money - and if you want to have a relaxed vacation, not worrying about each and every purchase, it's always better to save too much than not enough!
Obviously seen damn Brexit the exchange rate hasn't been as fantastic as it was but maybe it will improve soon.. who knows!
On our last trip my boyfriend and I took $3000 ... yes this might seem like alot but we didn't want to have to think too much about the money we were spending! We work hard so why not?
This was $1000 each to buy/do what we wanted and also $1000 for our food, wallmart trips, dinners out etc.

I hope this has been some help to some of you - if you enjoy these Orlando/Disneyworld posts do let me know!

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The Magical Orlando Tag

Well.... this tag was made for me really wasn't it! 

Everyone knows how much I LOVE Disney, Universal and Orlando in general so when I heard of this tag competition I let out a little excited squeal, checked out the questions and headed to my laptop straight away!

FloridaTix are a well known ticketing agency which provide customers with great deals on tickets from everything from Disneyworld to Legoland!

 I have used them myself for my times in Florida and most recently I got our Universal tickets through them - total bargains compared to prices at the parks and amazing quick service!

They have recently had a gorgeous make-over on their site (go on.... have a look!) and to celebrate they are hosting this tag competition plus another one over on their facebook! (so if you don't have a blog head over their now for your chance to enter!)

So.... it's taken me a while as I am a slight perfectionist but here are my answers... if you want to enter yourself all you've got to do is do the tag yourself in a snazzy blog post - check out all the info and prizes HERE! Make sure you check out who I've tagged below....

1. Which Hogwarts house would you be sorted into?

Firstly, I would be so excited to put the sorting hat on! I'm going to have to say Gryffindor (total cliche I'm afraid) .... mainly because I seriously want to be pals with Potter and his crew and I feel like the hat would know this! I'd like to think I'm brave and have a bit of courage......plus they get all the action and adventure most of the time - I want that.... minus the death threats!

2. Name a Disney character you’d like to have dinner with.

I've been stuck between two! A. Pumba (The Lion King) - someone who would eat as much as me and wouldn't judge me on anything BUT I'm definitely not up for bugs (I'd have to lay off the bacon and sausages too...obvs!)  

B. Vanellope Von Schweetz (Wreck It Ralph) because, well.... think how much candy she would have, I have a major sweet tooth so I'd happily have a sweet filled dinner with her!

3. Which Marvel superhero power would you choose?

I'd go for Mystique from Xmen.... I know she's a baddy but I'd love to be a shapeshifter.... mainly so I could change my outfits super quick, plus hair and make-up would take like seconds! (Is that a bit of a vain choice?) 

4. If you could bring back one dinosaur breed from Jurassic Park, which would it be?

Umm.... I'm going to say a small cute one that doesn't eat people! I've done my research and have decided on Orithopods.... hahaha I totally sound like Ross from Friends! I mean... there's no point picking a T-Rex... it's not like they'd be a good pet!

5. You can ride a dragon at the Triwizard Tournament and visit the Owlery at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but where else would you go on a school trip to Hogsmeade?

Like I said before I have a major sweet tooth so Honeydukes would be a must for me, I love that place! Every flavour beans anyone? 

6. A scene in any Disney, Harry Potter or Marvel movie you wish you could experience?

Oh this one is hard... just one scene? I could pick 100!  I think I'm going to go with the magic carpet ride from Aladdin! It would be like a really cool flying rollercoaster - think of the views.... and you could get to places so quickly! AND Aladdin is a cute little thief isn't he haha!

7. Name one item from any Harry Potter, Disney or Marvel movie would you want for Christmas.

Has to be Hermione's Time Turner - then I would be able to get done everything I need too and a cute piece of jewellery too!

8. Name one unforgettable experience/moment you’ve had at the Orlando Parks.

Back in September when me and my boyfriend were in Orlando we managed to be the first and only people in Hogsmeade at the very beginning of the day! To see it completely empty and having it all to ourselves was amazing, so peaceful - the total opposite of what it's like the other 99% of the time! I'll never forget it! 

This is one of the photos my boyfriend took!

I tag these 4 beauties :

Estelle - Let Me Go xo

 Ellie - Ellie's Ramblings

Ellis - Ellis Tuesday

Becky - Becky Bedbug

(Pictures for questions 1-7 from google images.)

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