City ❀ Country ❀ Beach
Roosevelt Island is not as well known as Manhattan only because most people stay in Manhattan and don’t venture out further. This is a great shame because Roosevelt Island is a fantastic and historical hidden gem that is underrated. Our family trip to NYC was …
Searching for a hotel is sometimes not easy. I’m sure you ask friends & family. Then you do a Google search and read up on reviews. Maybe you even check out Tripadvisor like I do. Well, with Graduate Roosevelt Island I just happened to stumble …
Universal Studios Florida™ and Universal’s Islands of Adventure™ is not just for children, it is a grown-ups playground. With so many things to see and do, you will not be bored for a minute. This theme park brings the movies and TV to life!
There are many more rides & attractions than what I write about here. These are some of our favorites that we personally experienced.
I will start here because this is the ride I was most looking forward to. It is one of the newest rides at Universal Studios Florida™. In order to ride this, you need to log in to the app and choose a time. Make sure you don’t forget to do this. It is a ride that takes you throughout the streets of New York City and it is exhilarating!
This place is an entirely new world. Even if you’ve never seen the movies, you will still thoroughly enjoy this. It is kind of creepy but very amusing. This is where Diagon Alley is located. As you enter the alley, you can’t miss the dragon that comes to life from time to time by spewing fire from its mouth.
There are many things you can do here like taste butterbeer, purchase your own wand and make it move things!
The ride is very cool. Universal’s Islands of Adventure™ has another ride so don’t get confused. There are two rides, one in each park. The other one at Universal’s Islands of Adventure is called Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™.
E.T. Adventure™
E.T. is a classic. This ride never gets old because if you’re like me, you grew up with Drew Barrymore as a child star. You get on a bike and you ride through the town with E.T. It is not a fast ride and is very child-friendly.
Back to the Future is no longer a ride here, but the DeLorean car is still here! I must say, I remember this ride and I loved it. I was very sad to see it go.
Honestly, we don’t watch the Simpsons. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how funny this ride is. You really get to know the characters by just cruising through this ride.
This is one of my favorite rides! I love how the roller coaster takes you through a dark and mysterious journey. If you like fast, but are scared of the upside down and feet hanging kind of rides, this one is for! It has the thrill, but won’t make you pee in your pants!
If you’re a fan of the movie, you’re sure to be a fan of this ride. You get to step into Agent J or Agent K’s shoes while you capture aliens in this world. It really makes you feel like you’re IN The movie!
Give your feet a break from walking the park by watching a street performer. These two were some of our favorites. Marilyn Monroe struts her stuff as she sings some of her iconic songs. 
These are not your typical construction workers. These “banging” performers are talented musicians who can play on virtually anything. Dance to the rhythm on the streets as you watch and hear them.
This theme park, for me, I like to refer to as comic land. All kinds of comic book heroes and villains come to life here as some of them walk the streets and greet the people. 
This is the easiest and most entertaining to get from Universal Studios Florida™ to the other side of the park, Universal’s Islands of Adventure™. Just as a reminder, these are two separate parks so you will need to either buy a separate ticket for each park or buy the 2 park ticket option, which will probably be your best option economically if you plan to do both parks. Make sure to check for the Florida resident offers if you live in Florida.
This train literally gives you a story while you’re traveling. The screens on the train show you an interactive display of some of the famous characters you love from this movie. So hop on and enjoy the ride!
If you want to make sure you ride this, you need to go to this first thing in the morning. Generally, we like to be at theme parks before they open so we can take full advantage of everything the parks have to offer. This is a very popular ride that is well worth it! Make sure you stay for the Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts™ Castle! It is spectacular!
With the new movie “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” this ride has increasingly become more popular. And, with popularity comes bigger crowds. Therefore, make sure you get to this one early, too. Not many people know about this, but you and your family can get your photo taken with a flesh-eating dinosaur…so beware!
From dinosaurs to giant gorillas, prepare to have your heart jump out of your skin with King Kong. He may look cute, but don’t let looks fool you!
Who doesn’t love Spidey? He’s an iconic superhero that has been played by many actors in Hollywood. It is a Marvel-inspired exciting action-packed 3-D virtual reality ride! Kids, not just the big kind, will absolutely love this.
And, talking about kids, plan on spending some time here at Seuss Landing. Remember all those Dr. Seuss storybooks when you were a kid or, if you have children, those storybooks you read to your children now that never get old? Well, they are all here!
If you’ve been to Universal Studios Florida™ or Universal’s Islands of Adventure™, what was your favorite ride/attraction?
Have you ever been to the real Hollywood? We have. Check out more on this at:
Make my surprise Christmas gift take you and your loved one on a weekend getaway to the big apple. Here is a list of everything you can do in two short days as a couple! In addition, it is not hard to explore NYC like …
