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Girl Gone Travel

North America, Travel
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March 2, 2011

Solo with kids at Universal Studios, Orlando? No problem!

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I’m sure you have heard it all before. Universal Studios is one of the most fun places in Orlando, FL for families. Last time I was at Universal Studios was to check out the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. There I was, no children in tow, Butterbeer in hand, getting teary-eyed at the sight of the village of Hogsmeade and Hogwarts castle. You can see pics and read a full review of that visit here.

This time what I never would have expected would be how easy it was for me to “manage” all the fun Universal has to offer despite being the only adult with three boys in tow.

Truth is, there are tons of parents or guardians out there who would never dream of coming to a park such as this with no help and though I have to give credit to my 13-year old who pitched in with the hand-holding, this was his moment too and more than once even he walked away from me completely in awe and distracted by something wonderful to check out.

Though the visit started out a bit bumpy because the boys were so overwhelmed with all the rides they wanted to get on, within 40 minutes of realizing we actually would (and Mama wasn’t just lying), the smiles came on wider than I have seen in a long time.

Now, should you want to venture out to Universal Studios along with your kids here are my tips to help make that experience as wonderful as it was for us:

Arrive early

If you are guests at any of Universal Studios on-site hotels, your key card -which also serves as an express pass to all the rides- provides you with access to the park an hour earlier than when doors open to the general public. The hotels are: Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, and Loews Royal Pacific.

Buy Online

Purchase you tickets online, not only for convenience but also for savings as online services, though they charge a service fee, periodically offer discounts. In addition, all the information you could ever need regarding not only the parks but the best ticket option for you and your kids, including height requirements and age restrictions, are found only and within the “more information” portion of your ticket purchase section. The lines to buy tickets are tedious and long, especially during high-peak. This is a sure way to avoid the hassle.

Go Express:

If not staying at any of the on-site hotels, there are different types of Express Plus Passesavailable for purchase, from 1-day to 2-day passes for the whole park (note that some rides do not have Express Pass access, so review information carefully before purchasing online), and also 1-day specific park express access. These express passes are in addition to the regular cost for admission to the park – at least $87 – but when you are traveling with little ones they are worth their value ten-folds. Especially when they want to get on the rides over and over!

Now, if you’re looking to travel like royalty, than Park to Park VIP Ticket is for you. It entitles one guest admission and unlimited Universal ExpressSM Access to both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure on any one calendar day based on the amount of days purchased. The value for such posh treatment (and trust me, it’s pretty sweet) starts at $159.99 for a 1-day to $309.99 for a 7-day pass, both rates are non-peak.

Disclosure: When we went, our hosts at Universal Studios provided my boys and I with a 1-day Express Plus Pass.

Where to go first:

Wizarding World of Harry Potter, located in Islands of Adventure, is by far the most visited section of the park even after close to a year since it opened. It continues to be one of the absolute coolest places to go in the park for me, and I am not by any means as intense a fan as most visitors are. Expect to wait on lines for the rides in Hogwarts castle especially. Plan this visit carefully, especially if needing a stroller or wheelchair to get around.

My little ones where only really able to get on one ride in this section of the park, as the others were too scary, and they weren’t old enough to ride on. The Flight of the Hippogriff was perfect for them, but as mentioned before, lines can get long so get it done first!

Make Reservations

I have written a full review of the top Orlando theme park restaurants before, and Mythos is consistently my favorite place to eat at when in Universal Studios. It has received numerous accolades, one of them being named the world’s “Best Theme Park Restaurant” six years in a row by Theme Park Insider. Make sure to make your reservations early, when you know your kids will start wanting food, for waits can be long otherwise.

In the meantime there are plenty other dining options and stands for ice cream, snacks, and other quick bites. Bring your own water if possible. It’s costly and on warm days the lines to purchase are long.

Play Hooky

I know, probably not the most conservative advice, but the truth is if you have little ones, or even if you want to really enjoy the park without the crowds and long lines and heat, skip out of school if only for a few days and play with your family. Family vacations, especially to places such as Orlando, are not cheap, and though I think they are worth the money, I also encourage you to live on the wild side, be rebellious and go when the parks are less crowded and the tykes don’t have to endure the heat as much. Older kids can tolerate the heat and lines a lot better. I’m a believer that some lifetime memories are just worth it.

Take it slow

This applies to any traveling you do with kids, anywhere. Slow down. Take breaks. Listen to your child. Moodiness, tantrums, crying, irritability: all these things are signs of exhaustion or feeling overwhelmed, or both. Take a moment to stop, listen, comfort, and breath, for you and for them.

Often times when we are on vacation with our kids, we are running around trying to get everything in. Our kids, especially the little ones, run on a schedule all their own.

As someone who has taken road trips all over with my boys and visited the most congested attractions here in NYC with them in tow, I can tell you this: nothing good ever comes out of pushing your child to have fun.

Take a deep breath, be willing to cut your losses if necessary, and enjoy your time together. There is plenty to see and do at Universal Studios. It’s easy to navigate, there’s tons of walking involved, both inside and outside the park. Staff is helpful and super friendly. All the elements are there for a good time, even if you don’t get to ride all of the rides – we sure didn’t! We had about 4.5 hours before we needed to get back on to the Nickelodeon Cruise, about an hour away from the park.

But it was a blast and any concerns and apprehension I had before about visiting this massive attraction alone with my kids in tow was gone. I would do it over and over again.

And if I can do it and enjoy every single second, without loosing a child or my sanity, anyone can!

For more pictures of our fun time at Universal Studios please visit our Flickr page here:

Disclosure: I received complimentary boarding, including taxes and service fees, for me and one guest to participate in the Nickelodeon All Access Cruise on the Norwegian Jewel for the purpose of this review. Admission to Universal Studios and Atlantis were compliments of the respective entities. The views and opinions shared in this review are entirely my own.

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Carol Cain

Brooklyn native Carol is happiest when on an adventure, whether close to home or farther away. She is a small business owner and travel writer. In addition to creating Girl Gone Travel, she is the Founder and Principal of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. She's mom to three wonderful sons and wife to a handsome Irish/Scot. She lives, works, and plays in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of NY.

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2 Comments
  • Experiencing the Nickelodeon All Access Cruise on Norwegian Jewel | NYCity Mama
    March 2, 2011

    […] Canaveral) and in Nassau, Bahamas, we chose to revisit Atlantis. My review for Universal Studios is here and for Atlantis Paradise island, […]

    Reply
  • Solo with kids at Universal Studios, Orlando? No problem! | NYCity … | Orlando
    March 4, 2011

    […] is the original post: Solo with kids at Universal Studios, Orlando? No problem! | NYCity … This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged a-full-review, adventure, and-unlimited, […]

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About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am an award-winning travel blogger, a keynote speaker, and the Principal and owner of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. I a wife to a handsome Irish/Scot and a mom to 3 sons. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading and for your support!

Carol Cain

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A message about yesterday’s event: Happy Monday A message about yesterday’s event:

Happy Monday, y’all. Woke up in time to enjoy the soft glow of sunlight that shines its way around our house in the morning, and sipped on a cafecito without being rushed for anything. So already today is a win. 

Yesterday we worked our longest day yet for our little coffee cart that could (7 hours!!!) at the Heritage Fiesta in Ithaca, NY. 

Though we were ready for a crowd, the reception was also unexpected because there was a popular coffee shop just steps away. 

But we had Cómodo Fam stop by, family (who also fed us 🙏🏾), and soooo many members of the Latinx and BIPOC community who were just excited to see a small business like ours representing. 

I want to share that we were ALL worried about potential harassment and assault by 🧊and fliers were handed out to prepare us. And you would think that it would’ve intimidated the community enough to not come out…BUT WE DID. In numbers. 

And for hours that little parking lot next to Press Bay Alley was packed with all sorts of Latinx and non-Latinx community members, eating, laughing, dancing, singing, and drinking all the cafecitos and refreshers we had to offer. Literally. We went home cleaned out!

All this to say that we are all aware of the threats but we also understand the power and importance of coming together as a community and a people. By no means are we all the same, and Lord knows a lot of Latinos have a lot of self-reflecting to do based on the choices they made, but yesterday was a testament to the best of us, and I thank @yenospina and @lcatompkins for putting together such a wonderful event, for inviting @cafecomodony to be a part of it, and to all the friends, old and new, who came out to support us and la cultura. 

#fingerlakes #newyork #cafecomodo #coffeelover
Finally taking a break to enjoy one of my favorite Finally taking a break to enjoy one of my favorite lazy day pastimes of the season: market shopping for fall goodies - which in the Finger Lakes is especially bountiful. 

📍Joseph’s Wayside Markey, Naples, NY

#fingerlakes #newyork #octobermood #fallday
Our neighbors are harvesting the grapes. The proce Our neighbors are harvesting the grapes. The process is busy and noisy but also exciting and fun to watch. 

This cloudy morning seems to have calmed things down a bit, but not for long I am sure. These families work hard!

Bonus: they set up roadside stands so we can purchase and taste them 🍇 I highly recommend picking some up if you see some in your drive. 

#fingerlakes #lifeinthecountry #newyork
The rain has been so good. More, please. ❤️ The rain has been so good. More, please. ❤️
I want to take moment to send out love to my fello I want to take moment to send out love to my fellow Latinx and immigrant community. 

To send strength to my community of glorious misfits who are out in the world making good trouble and emboldening us to not give up hope on our dreams, our livelihoods, our future, our country, our people. 

The country our parents worked so hard to get to so that we could fly. A country they helped build and bring to prosper. A country our communities help to feed and house and care for. 

I am my immigrant parents dream come true, and my children are a continuation of that dream. 

I just want to remind all of us who represent the targeted, of our worth. Of the value of our contributions. In our languages, our culture, our insights, our work ethic and skills and knowledge. Of the things we bring to the table.

I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, or to us. But, as someone whose family lived through a dictatorship, I have an idea of how this story will end. And all I can advise is that we remain on the right side of it, our convictions unaltered, our core values untethered. Our spirits unbroken. In these stories, the monsters might scare us, and even harm some of us, but they never, ever win in the end. 

I am living proof of that. ❤️ And every time you succeed and feel joy, you are too. Pa’lante, mi gente.
Signs of autumn 🍂 in the Finger Lakes. Signs of autumn 🍂 in the Finger Lakes.

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