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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, […]

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  • 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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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 and 2 puppies. 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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If you are a foodie traveler, Madison, WI is a des If you are a foodie traveler, Madison, WI is a destination for you. This list of good eats were all within close proximity to each other and spots we made time for during our short weekend visit. So definitely note that this doesn’t even begin to cover the tip of the iceberg, but makes a good starter list!

📍@ShortStackEats in the heart of Downtown Madison is clearly a UW favorite. Loved their pancakes! We thought it was a pricey for breakfast, and only offered drip coffee, but the scene was fun, food was good, and service was friendly.
📍@SardineMadison is a waterfront French bistro that has stood the test of time (we’ve been coming here since we lived in Madison!). It can feel very corporate some nights, but their Happy Hour and brunch are definite highlights and it’s a really nice dining experience overall.
📍@EatattheAudrey impressed us! It’s not your usual “hotel restaurant” and I would say it easily stands alone as an eatery worth checking out in Madison. Great breakfast options, cozy vibes, nice bar, and good service!
📍@RamenStation1124 good, affordable ramen.
📍BlindShotSocialClub We really loved this spot for brunch (sorry, was enjoying the company and totally spaced out on capturing food images!). Golf fans will love hitting the putt here (you can reserve a private room too), and what I though was most cool was the delicious and wide selection of non-alcoholic cocktails to choose from. This place is a total vibe!
📍@StringsRamen is a chain, but I have to say it is some of the best ramen I have had in a long time. I especially loved how you can choose your ramen but heat level but also by Japanese region which allowed us to taste a couple of new flavors!
📍@Parthenongyros has been around awhile (hubby recalls coming here during his college years!) and was voted #1 take out in Madison! Though we indulged inside and away from the snow. A delicious, quick bite when strolling around State Street.

And again, this is just a starter list. There is so much more to eat and enjoy in this top foodie city! What other spots would you add to this list?

#madisonwi #foodiegram #foodiedestinations #goodeats @destinationmadison
I love to travel. It has always been important to I love to travel. It has always been important to my family. My parents got my first passport weeks after I was born. They couldn’t afford to travel like I do now, but they understood, as immigrants, the absolute privilege that comes attached to having that shiny blue American booklet and they wanted me to have it.

I was yet again reminded of my privilege when my travel back home on this last trip was delayed over 24 hours. I have a village in place to make sure my kids were ok. Having my own business meant I didn’t have to report in to anyone, and was still able to work remotely so none of my clients were inconvenienced by it. Though the airline covered our hotel and food, we never worried that we couldn’t do it ourselves otherwise. While we were annoyed, we weren’t stressed.

So while I love to travel, and I love sharing my travels with you, I acknowledge that being able to do so, and dealing with the consistent travel disruptions so prevalent today without worries is a privilege…one that started with a little blue booklet that gives me more access to the world than some others do.

And I want us all in this travel space to be reminded of this. Of how lucky we are. Of our privilege to access and time and money.

So let us travel with grace and awareness. Let us remain rooted in reality and perspective. Acknowledging that our escapism isn’t one so easily accessible to others. Understanding that this is also why local stories have as much value as those to exclusive destinations, if not more. And, never forgetting, especially in the travel influencer and media space, that were it not for hosted campaigns and paid-for travel opportunities, most of us wouldn’t be able to afford the lifestyle we so beautifully curate online.

It doesn’t matter how often you travel, or how far. Just that hopefully you will be able to gift yourself the experience of doing so and experiencing something new.

#travel #travelmedia #travelinfluencer #wheretonext
As I work on compiling all the good eats I experie As I work on compiling all the good eats I experienced in Madison, WI, I have to ask: what is your favorite meal of the day, and where did you experience a highlight of the same?

I am a huge fan of breakfast. This beauty was a blueberry pancake order from @shortstackeats. Pancakes are not a big thing for me, but these were pretty perfect. I am craving them still. 🥞♥️

#madisonwi #goodeats #travelingfoodie @destinationmadison
We got back on a plane! Here are scenes from a qui We got back on a plane! Here are scenes from a quick trip to Madison, WI - my first time back in 14 years! Though we were here for family matters, we did take a moment to explore a bit of what used to be a place we called home.

We couldn’t do anything else until we drove around Lake Monona, where we once had a home, and took in the wintery views (there is an epic 13.2-mile trail that loops around the lake that is worth exploring if you visit!). Though our time was limited, we were able to enjoy some of it along State Street exploring the shops, eateries, the FREE @mmocamadison, and the beautiful architecture of the WI State Capitol Building (the Dane County Farmers Market will soon pick up again - Saturdays, April 15 thru November 11, 2023 around the Capitol Building and it is one of the best farmers markets anywhere!). 

We booked a room at the @hiltonmadison Monona Terrace to be within walking distance of all the downtown fun (tip: for a room with a lake view make sure to book at the upper levels above 10th floor for an unobstructed view of Lake Monona). 

Madison, WI is a skip and a hop from the Finger Lakes so this short and sweet visit didn’t feel difficult at all. And we absolutely loved the winter scenery and seeing what has changed (a lot) since we lived here.

Stay tuned for my list of where we ate!

Have you ever been to Madison, WI?

#madisonwi #weekendgetaway #wisconsin @destinationmadison
The joy of that first sip of the day. #randommom The joy of that first sip of the day. 

#randommomentsarethebest
I think my husband enjoys it, but still can’t be I think my husband enjoys it, but still can’t believe how easily I’ve been waking up in the early mornings since our last trip. Not sure how to shake it, or if it’s temporary, but here it is: the rare sighting of me up and moving early in the day. Am I a morning person now? Has travel ever permanently changed any of your habits?

#morningperson #lifeinthecountry #newme <-😂

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