Category: Travel

Islands of Adventure: Insider Tips

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Disclaimer: Some of this post is a repeat of my Universal Studios Post.  Information unique to Islands of Adventure is bold.

The attention to detail at Islands of Adventure was amazing! I loved Marvel Island and Seuss Landing, even though my kids were “so over” Seuss Landing. They are just too old now. No more carousel rides for us. =(

In July 2017, our family went to Orlando, FL. Being from California, we are familiar with Disneyland, Universal Studios, and Sea World. Our kids were dying to go to Universal Studios Orlando. That place is not cheap especially for a family of 6. Although Universal Studios Hollywood has some entertaining aspects, it is not my #1 amusement park. I was worried Universal Orlando would be similar. Boy, was I wrong! Universal Studios Orlando is awesome! Our family went to both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. I highly recommend both. This post will be focused on Islands of Adventure.

The park is divided into different Islands: Seuss Landing, The Lost Continent, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, Toon Lagoon, and Marvel Super Hero Island. Each area is so well done. As closing time was approaching and there were less crowds I loved causally strolling the park and getting a closer look at everything.

There were plenty of rides for all our kids ages 7-12. For the younger and shorter crowd, there is Seuss Landing, Camp Jurassic, and a roller coaster in Harry Potter World.  

July 3rd and 4th turned out to be pretty great days to be there. Shockingly, the longest line we waited in was 40 minutes.

The attractions are amazing! Most of them are 4D and move so if you have issues with motion sickness, you may struggle at this park.

It is hot in Florida but all the lines are air conditioned and an experience in themselves which helps pass the time during long wait times. A spray bottle or mister might be a good thing to bring.

Tip #1: Discount Tickets through undercovertourist.com I’ll be honest, I was a little nervous about the legitimacy of this site. I didn’t need to worry though because our tickets were emailed to us within 24 hours, they were legit, and saved us a few hundred dollars! Score!

Tip #2: Stay in a Universal Resort. With your stay, you get Early Park Admission. You will get 1 hour access to the park before it opens to the public. This is your time to go to Wizarding World of Harry Potter before the masses. Your stay also includes a shuttle from the resort to Universal City Walk which is the entrance to Universal Studios. Get to the shuttle prior to 7:30am in order to be in the park at 8:00am so you can take full advantage of Early Park Admission. We stayed at the Cabana Bay Resort: review post about that resort will be posted later.

Tip #3: Entrance to the park requires you to go through security and walk through Universal City Walk. Highly recommend purchasing your tickets prior to arriving at the park which will result in less standing in line.

Tip #4: Download the Universal Studios Orlando app. It has a map and attraction wait times. We put this to good use.

Tip #5: IMPORTANT: Plan your day ahead of time. In the middle of the park is a lake that you must walk around to get to the different areas. Make sure to hit everything you want in each area before going to your next spot. Otherwise you will be walking for miles! (This may have been our experience) 

Tip #6: Some attractions do not allow you to bring your belongings. Free lockers are provided outside the attraction entrance. A few of the roller coasters do not even allow cell phones. Double check with a ride attendant before entering the line, getting all the way to the front, and having to turn around to put your phone in a locker (this may or may not have happened to us).

Tip #7: Check the weather forecast. It rains in Florida. There are lightening storms in Florida. If lightening is in the area, the outside rides will be shut down…plan accordingly. We are still bummed we didn’t make it on the Hulk Ride because of this. If rain is in the forecast, be prepared. Ponchos in the park are $10 each. We got caught in the middle of a torrential downpour, we were soaked, and then freezing as we went to an air conditioned restaurant and waited in line for a ride.

Tip #8: Refill cups. You buy one cup and pay for how many days you need it. It also works at the Universal Resorts. It can be filled with soda and ICEE. There are self serve soda machines throughout the park. The cups have a chip in them that allows you to fill up. I was pretty amazed by this. #easilyamazed

Tip #9: Utilize the Single Rider line for the rides with longer wait times. This saved us a lot of time. Our 2 braver children and The BizNinja put this to good use. You will be in line together for the entire wait but will separate and join another group for the ride.

Tip #10: There is a child swap option at each attraction if you have children who do not meet the height requirement.

Tip #11: I saw a sign outside the park that said no outside food or drink but I walked right in with a backpack full of snacks, sandwiches, and waters.

Tip #12: A fun ride for the shorter crew in Jurassic Camp is Pteranodon Flyers.  In order to ride you have to be under 48 inches tall unless you are accompanying a smaller child. You do need a virtual line pass in order to ride.  The kiosks are located next to the attraction entrance and will tell you what time to return to the ride so get your pass early. You need your Park Ticket in order to receive the line pass.

Tip #13: In order to ride the Hogwart’s Express you HAVE to have a Park-to-Park ticket. This ticket will allow you to go back and forth between Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure within the same day. For Harry Potter fans, this is a cool experience and one I would recommend. Don’t miss walking through the brick wall at Platform 9 3/4. The train going to Universal is a different experience then the one that goes to Islands of Adventure so make sure to ride it both ways. 

Tip #14: We ate dinner at Hog’s Head in Hogsmeade in Harry Potter World. They have a family feast just like in Harry Potter. It came with ribs, chicken, potatoes, salad, vegetables, and corn on the cob. Fed our family of 6 just fine. 

Tip #15: Dudley Do Right’s Rip Saw Falls: This attraction needs its own post! You will get soaked! I’ve never gotten so wet on a ride before. It was hot outside and I was in clothing that could handle the water but be prepared. Also, this line takes FOREVER! The attendants can’t see the entire line so they are unable to yell out “Party of 2,” which results in logs not being filled. The last half of the line is inside in a very narrow space with not a lot of air flowing through. Although the ride was fun, the line made it not so worth it. The wait time said 20 minutes and it took us an hour to get through. Use your discretion =) 

Favorite Attractions:

Poseidon’s Fury: This is a hidden gem. We had no idea what it was but the weather was bad and everything was shut down so we found our way into this. It is a show. No seating. It is indoors and has fire and water. Our 7 year old was chosen to “assist” our tour guide.

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey: Amazing! This is not a roller coaster but is a little intense with some scary parts and it moves around quite a bit but our 7 year old loved it! There are a few other thrilling attractions in this area that our taller kids LOVED! NO cell phones allowed on those rides. The smaller kids loved Flight of the Hippogriff while the thrill seekers rode the roller coasters.

Spider Man: Marvel Island is awesome! Superheros can be found walking among the crowd.

Jurassic Park River Adventure: Fun water ride. Did not get as soaked as some of the other water rides.

Skull Island: Intense King Kong Ride.

The Incredible Hulk Coaster: Our taller kids took advantage of single rider for this ride. The BizNinja and I wanted to ride it also but it was shut down most of the afternoon/evening because of lightening.

 

Universal Studios Orlando: Insider Tips

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In July 2017, our family went to Orlando, FL. Being from California, we are familiar with Disneyland, Universal Studios, and Sea World. Our kids were dying to go to Universal Studios Orlando. That place is not cheap especially for a family of 6. Although Universal Studios Hollywood has some entertaining aspects, it is not my #1 amusement park. I was worried Universal Orlando would be similar. Boy, was I wrong! Universal Studios Orlando is awesome! Our family went to both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. I highly recommend both. This post will be focused on Universal Studios.

The park is divided into different areas. Hollywood, New York, San Francisco, Springfield (Simpson’s), Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone, and Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Diagon Alley). Each area is so well done.  As closing time was approaching and there were less crowds I loved causally strolling the park and getting a closer look at everything.

                                             

There were plenty of rides for all our kids ages 7-12. For the younger and shorter crowd, there is a Woody Woodpecker KidZone. Within that area there is a roller coaster, Barney World, and Curious George Land. All decked out super cute with water features so plan to get wet.

July 3rd and 4th turned out to be pretty great days to be there.  Shockingly, the longest line we waited in was 40 minutes.

The attractions are amazing! Most of them are 4D and move so if you have issues with motion sickness, you may struggle at this park.

It is hot in Florida but all the lines are air conditioned and an experience in themselves which helps pass the time during long wait times.

#1 Tip: Discount Tickets through undercovertourist.com  I’ll be honest, I was a little nervous about the legitimacy of this site. I didn’t need to worry though because our tickets were emailed to us within 24 hours, they were legit, and saved us a few hundred dollars! Score!

Tip #2: Universal Studios does have a Universal Express Pass. For an additional fee, you can pay to skip the regular lines and pretty much get to the front of the line without much waiting. We did not purchase this add on.

Tip #3: Stay in a Universal Resort. With your stay, you get Early Park Admission. You will get 1 hour access to the park before it opens to the public. This is your time to get to Wizarding World of Harry Potter before the masses. Your stay also includes a shuttle from the resort to Universal City Walk which is the entrance to Universal Studios. Get to the shuttle prior to 7:30am in order to be in the park at 8:00am so you can take full advantage of Early Park Admission. We stayed at the Cabana Bay Resort: review post about that resort will be posted later.

Tip #4: Entrance to the park requires you to go through security and walk through Universal City Walk. Highly recommend purchasing your tickets prior to arriving at the park which will result in less standing in line.

Tip #5: Download the Universal Studios Orlando app. It has a map and attraction wait times. We put this to good use.

Tip #6: Some attractions do not allow you to bring your belongings. Free lockers are provided outside the attraction entrance. A few of the roller coasters do not even allow cell phones. Double check with a ride attendant before entering the line, getting all the way to the front, and having to turn around to put your phone in a locker (this may or may not have happened to us).

Tip #7: Check the weather forecast. It rains in Florida. There are lightening storms in Florida. If lightening is in the area, the outside rides will be shut down…plan accordingly. We are still bummed we didn’t make it on the Hulk Ride because of this. If rain is in the forecast, be prepared. Ponchos in the park are $10 each. We got caught in the middle of a torrential downpour, we were soaked, and then freezing as we went to an air conditioned restaurant and waited in line for a ride.

Tip #8: Highly recommend the Tonight Show Ride in the New York City area. You do need a virtual line pass in order to ride.  The pass dispensers are located next to the attraction entrance and will tell you what time to return to the ride so get your pass early. You need your Park Ticket in order to receive the line pass.

Tip #9: Refill cups. You buy one cup and pay for how many days you need it. It also works at the Universal Resorts. It can be filled with soda and ICEE. There are self serve soda machines throughout the park. The cups have a chip in them that allows you to fill up. I was pretty amazed by this.  #easilyamazed

Tip #10: Utilize the Single Rider line for the rides with longer wait times. This saved us a lot of time. Our 2 braver children and The BizNinja put this to good use. You will be in line together for the entire wait but will separate and join another group for the ride.

Tip #11: There is a child swap option at each attraction if you have children who do not meet the height requirement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tip #12: There is a great ice cream place inside Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Soft serve chocolate and mint inside a waffle cone…my fav! They have some fun and interesting flavors also.  Butter Beer is the the big thing in Hogwarts. Tastes like butterscotch…wasn’t my favorite but I was probably the only one with this opinion.

Tip #13: We ate at Finnigan’s Bar and Grill in the New York area. It has table service with an Irish flare. It was decent and reasonably priced.

Tip #14: I saw a sign outside the park that said no outside food or drink but I walked right in with a backpack full of snacks, sandwiches, and waters.

Tip #15: In order to ride the Hogwart’s Express you HAVE to have a Park-to-Park ticket. This ticket will allow you to go back and forth between Universal Studios and Island of Adventure within the same day. For Harry Potter fans, this is a cool experience and one I would recommend. Don’t miss walking through the brick wall at Platform 9 3/4.

Favorite Attractions:

Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringotts: Amazing! Long Line. We hit this during the Early Admission Hour.

Despicable Me: Had a hour plus line all day.

Revenge of the Mummy: This is a pretty fast indoor roller coaster. Our 7 year old was in tears by the end but then wanted to go 2 more times. Line moves pretty fast.

Transformers: Usually a long wait.  We happened to catch it at the end of the night and walked right on. Earlier in the day, some of us used single rider.

Men In Black: You get to shoot aliens. Line keeps moving.

Race Through New York: There is a little show prior to the ride. It’s so fun especially if you are a Jimmy Fallon Fan.

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10 Easy Tips to Eliminate Road Trip Chaos

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Summer = Road Trips.

Over the last 13 years, our family has taken 1-2 long road trips a year. In 2016, we drove from Southern California to Vancouver, BC. Through trial and error I have mastered the chaos of long car rides with 4 kids. Here are my hacks (I saved the best one for last):

  1. Individual Snack Bags.  In 1 hour you can expect a child to at least once declare, “Mom, I’m hungry, can I have a snack?” Multiply that by 4 kids over an 8 hour drive. I’m not good with math but that is a lot of “Mom, I’m hungry-s” which results in my neck hurting from turning around and throwing a snack to the back seat. Not anymore! Each child now gets their own snack bag OR a large bag per row of seats. Don’t ask Mom for a snack again! Don’t forget to include the drinks in there as well. I give them 1 fun drink (juice) and a water.
  2. Small Ice Chest. We have a small ice chest that fits between our front and middle row seats. We pack healthy snacks, lunches, and drinks.
  3. Trash Bags Per Child/Row. A zillion snacks eaten during the hours in the car results in way too much trash. Why do kids throw trash on the ground??? Or maybe by some small miracle they will announce “Mom, here is my trash.” Nope! No more neck pain or trash on the ground. You have your own trash bag. If you don’t use it, there will be a price to pay (enter The Evil Mom laugh) FYI Target bags work great!
  4. Car Sick/Stomach Flu Essentials. Be prepared. It happens. Only took it happening once to us to make sure we were prepared the next time. A kid throwing up in the back seat of the van without a bag is just going to make a miserable trip. Again, Target bags have proven to be most effective in catching barf. To be safe you may want to double bag it. Wipes and sanitizer are a must.
  5. Toy Backpacks. Now that my kids are older, I instruct them to pack a few toys or items they want to play with on the drive. When they take out an item, it goes straight back into their backpack which leads me to #6.
  6. Limit Clutter. Clutter makes me very irritable. Whether it’s in my house or in my car, the result is the same = Irritable Mom. Everything should have a place. Snack bags, play bags, everything should be in a bag.
  7. Potty Breaks at Rest Stops. Gas Station Convenience Stores are like Disneyland. My kids LOVE to go to the Gas Station. They want every candy, chip, soda, and lame little toy they can find. Enter Mean Mom who has to say no a million times to all their requests. What should have been a quick 10 minute stop is now approaching 30 minutes and everyone is crying because they didn’t get skittles, a large ICEE, and a wind up plastic duck. Rest Stops have nothing exciting; go in, do your business, let’s be on our way. From our experience, they are pretty well maintained and usually cleaner than gas stations.
  8.  Small Pillow and Blanket. Let’s be real, we all want our kids to sleep on those long drives…awww peace and quiet. Making them cozy makes it a lot easier for that to happen. Bed Bath and Beyond has these great travel pillows . Let’s not pretend that those ones that go around your neck are actually comfortable.
  9. Easy On and Off Shoes. My kids have a talent for taking off their shoes SO fast when they get in the car. Then they announce they have to use the restroom and we arrive at the rest stop but they still need to get their shoes on. Ummmm no! Flip Flops for the win! Let’s get back on the road. They fit perfect in the seat pockets so they won’t disappear in the car. I love a simple Old Navy Flip Flop for travel.

10. Car Charger.  GAME CHANGER: It is all about electronic handheld devices these days. The kids want to play on their IPAD’s and Phones and watch NetFlix. I highly recommend these car chargers with 6 charging ports. Everyone is plugged in, no devices dying, and the drive is nice and quiet. Don’t forget your long chargers though and headphones for everyone.

What’s your best survival tip for long car rides? Comment below.

Follow The BizNinja Wife on Facebook and Ig.

 

10 EASY TIPS TO ELIMINATE ROAD TRIP CHAOS

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Summer = Road Trips.

Over the last 13 years, our family has taken 1-2 long road trips a year. In 2016, we drove from Southern California to Vancouver, BC. Through trial and error I have mastered the chaos of long car rides with 4 kids. Here are my hacks (I saved the best one for last):

  1. Individual Snack Bags.  In 1 hour you can expect a child to at least once declare, “Mom, I’m hungry, can I have a snack?” Multiply that by 4 kids over an 8 hour drive. I’m not good with math but that is a lot of “Mom, I’m hungry-s” which results in my neck hurting from turning around and throwing a snack to the back seat. Not anymore! Each child now gets their own snack bag OR a large bag per row of seats. Don’t ask Mom for a snack again! Don’t forget to include the drinks in there as well. I give them 1 fun drink (juice) and a water.
  2. Small Ice Chest. We have a small ice chest that fits between our front and middle row seats. We pack healthy snacks, lunches, and drinks.
  3. Trash Bags Per Child/Row. A zillion snacks eaten during the hours in the car results in way too much trash. Why do kids throw trash on the ground??? Or maybe by some small miracle they will announce “Mom, here is my trash.” Nope! No more neck pain or trash on the ground. You have your own trash bag. If you don’t use it, there will be a price to pay (enter The Evil Mom laugh) FYI Target bags work great!
  4. Car Sick/Stomach Flu Essentials. Be prepared. It happens. Only took it happening once to us to make sure we were prepared the next time. A kid throwing up in the back seat of the van without a bag is just going to make a miserable trip. Again, Target bags have proven to be most effective in catching barf. To be safe you may want to double bag it. Wipes and sanitizer are a must.
  5. Toy Backpacks. Now that my kids are older, I instruct them to pack a few toys or items they want to play with on the drive. When they take out an item, it goes straight back into their backpack which leads me to #6.
  6. Limit Clutter. Clutter makes me very irritable. Whether it’s in my house or in my car, the result is the same = Irritable Mom. Everything should have a place. Snack bags, play bags, everything should be in a bag.
  7. Potty Breaks at Rest Stops. Gas Station Convenience Stores are like Disneyland. My kids LOVE to go to the Gas Station. They want every candy, chip, soda, and lame little toy they can find. Enter Mean Mom who has to say no a million times to all their requests. What should have been a quick 10 minute stop is now approaching 30 minutes and everyone is crying because they didn’t get skittles, a large ICEE, and a wind up plastic duck. Rest Stops have nothing exciting; go in, do your business, let’s be on our way. From our experience, they are pretty well maintained and usually cleaner than gas stations.
  8.  Small Pillow and Blanket. Let’s be real, we all want our kids to sleep on those long drives…awww peace and quiet. Making them cozy makes it a lot easier for that to happen. Bed Bath and Beyond has these great travel pillows . Let’s not pretend that those ones that go around your neck are actually comfortable.
  9. Easy On and Off Shoes. My kids have a talent for taking off their shoes SO fast when they get in the car. Then they announce they have to use the restroom and we arrive at the rest stop but they still need to get their shoes on. Ummmm no! Flip Flops for the win! Let’s get back on the road. They fit perfect in the seat pockets so they won’t disappear in the car. I love a simple Old Navy Flip Flop for travel.

10. Car Charger.  GAME CHANGER: It is all about electronic handheld devices these days. The kids want to play on their IPAD’s and Phones and watch NetFlix. I highly recommend these car chargers with 6 charging ports. Everyone is plugged in, no devices dying, and the drive is nice and quiet. Don’t forget your long chargers though and headphones for everyone.

What’s your best survival tip for long car rides? Comment below.

Follow The BizNinja Wife on Facebook and Ig.

About Tanya Jorgenson

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The BizNinja Wife was launched in 2017 for moms who love to travel with their families, get in a great workout, relate to other moms, and have a laugh throughout the day.  If you love to to travel with your families, read a good book, or shop you are in the RIGHT place. This is a place for me to share my passions as a wife to an entrepreneur and mom to 4.  You will find travel tips,  workouts, book recommendations, shopping deals, and my favorite things.

Last fall, I sent my youngest child to 1st grade. Do you know what that means? After 12 years, I was FINALLY home all day by myself. All 4 kids were in ALL day school. No half day Preschool or Kindergarten pickup.  From 8:00am-3:00pm, the time was ALL mine. It was amazing! However, after a few weeks I started to get bored. I mean really, do I want to clean my house ALL day EVERY day… ummm no! I needed SOMEthing. After a recent trip to St Thomas and Orlando, I had a great idea! Traveling with kids isn’t always easy or cheap. I rely heavily on reviews and travel blogs to know where to eat with my kids so I don’t end up at the Mastro’s of St Thomas (have you ever been to Mastro’s, I highly recommend, get the Gorgonzola Mac N Cheese), or a beach covered in rock so my kids can’t swim. On our recent flight home from “Summer Vacay 2017,” I decided to start a blog to help other moms like me enjoy traveling with their kids and to share whatever other fun things I find.

My husband is The BizNinja and we have been married since 2003. Ever since I’ve known him, he has had multiple projects going on at one time.  There was a time when he sold furniture. One day a new leather chair would be nicely situated in my front room and the next day it would be gone, sold to the highest bidder. He is an entrepreneur in every sense of the word. We don’t believe in 40 hour work weeks in our family. Sometimes, it’s 80 hours a week and sometimes it’s only 4. As a wife to The BizNinja I have to be prepared to fly our family of 6 across the country to the Virgin Islands with only 24 hours notice…that’s how we do life. It’s time for me not to let my husband have all the fun. I want to share the things I’m passionate about.

If you are still reading, thank you! Thank you for being here and taking this journey with me as I discover my voice as The BizNinja Wife.