Universal Studios is the competitive edge to Disney’s theme
park empire. While the Universal Studios experience has existed since 1961, the
theme park magic that we know today is a more recent concoction. While some
attractions existed at their Hollywood Studio in the 1960s and 1970s, the theme
park lands really expanded in the 1990s with the opening of Universal Orlando
in Florida. Over the last 50+ years Universal has brought its own version of
movie magic to kids young and old, offering imaginative and exciting
adventures.
What you are wearing to Disney is a huge question. The
interwebs LOVES Disney
Bounding and no doubt, I also find the cosplay meets every day fashion
quite a treat (my stepdaughter and I will also be Disney Bounding in the Magic
Kingdom in October). Then there is being practical to deal with the weather.
Orlando is notorious for heat and rain, making a normal day hot, muggy, and
sopping wet. Then there is the shoe question, if one is walking seven to ten
miles in a day, what does one wear to ride rides, play in water, and stay
comfortable.
For our trip to Disney, we are keeping things simple but
cute. My stepdaughter’s Epcot day will be a tanktop and shorts. Her shoes for
every day (including one day at Universal Studios) will either be Sanuk sandals
that wrap around her face, or tennis shoes (my preference is the tennis shoes,
she’s 12, so we’ll see who wins). For our magic kingdom day, she will be
wearing a Minnie Mouse Disney Bound that is a red Mickey shirt, black Minnie
overalls skirt (shorts underneath), Minnie mouse socks (with tennis shoes),
and Minnie Mouse ears.
My Magic Kingdom bound (I have to miss Epcot) will be Mulan.
I have a Mulan
tanktop with the original movie poster, grey chinos, a green jacket (rain
coat), and Chacos for my feet. I also bought an epic Mulan
Backpack, and some cute jewelry and hair accessories
along with earrings to spice up the outfit. My goal is to have fun with the
outfit, but also be comfortable for the day, as there is no point in dressing
up but being miserable and uncomfortable all day.
My little cousin Ivy, who is five, got a very cute Minnie
Mouse tutu outfit for her birthday that I may have been involved in…she
will wear tennis shoes with this, and shorts under the skirt (just in case we
get tired of the poof). She also has a pair of ears that match my stepdaughter’s.
Other people may choose to show of former Disney swag,
shirts, ears, etc. Kids under the age of 14 are allowed to dress up for their
day in the park. If you are going to an after hours event, like Mickey’s Not so
Scary Halloween, adults are allowed to wear costumes as long as they meet rules
on layering, length etc. For more
details, click
here.
All around, I think the best advice, is plan to be practical, and wear what will bring you comfort and joy. If you want some inspiration, hit the Pinterest and Instagram for millions of options!
Once you have selected which Disney parks you want to visit
on which days and with who, you will have to narrow down the rest of your
ideas. Gone are the days of visiting a theme park and riding everything or
eating everything in one day. In this digital era, you will need to plan, plan,
and plan.
Probably one of the most important things to figure out is
if everyone can ride everything. Like most theme parks in the world, you need
to be tall enough to ride, healthy enough to ride, and within other size
requirements. Naturally, this will make it harder for young kiddos, and bigger
adults. My husband is 6’4” and a lot of things are not built for people of his
height. I am 5’2” and many times things are not adjusted for my short (roller
coaster pads sometimes give me headaches as I am jostled around). If you are
plus sized, some of rides will be downright uncomfortable, so it’s important to
read reviews and make a list of rides that work for your group. For a good list
and information, click
here. For those with health conditions such as heart, back, and neurological,
pay attention to warnings and do your research before you travel. There is
nothing more disheartening than telling your kiddo that they can go on Splash Mountain, but they have not quite
hit the required 40”.
My personal tip, if you are traveling with littles, is to go
to the Disneyland, click
here, and Disney World, click here,
websites and review every single ride and their height requirements. Make a
list of everything that is small person friendly and then pick what are the top
rides for your group.
Also,
as a side note, don’t try to push the rules and make the kids seem taller,
these size guides are for your child’s safety and enjoyment and you will likely
get caught!
IF you are not traveling with vertically challenged people,
then select what rides you have not done, look the most fun, or are considered “classics”.
I am looking at you Pirates of the
Caribbean.
Once you have a list of rides, arrange them in a hierarchy
of what is the most important. For my upcoming trip, it will be Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion, and Pirates of the Caribbean. As I have never been to Disney World I
have set plans on these. Mostly, I NEED that photo of my stepdaughter and I
coming off Splash Mountain! However, your priorities may differ, maybe you need
to see Ariel in her Grotto, or Dumbo is your jam, totally fine. My tip
is to get the My
Disney Experience App and review what is the most popular on a similar day
you are visiting. So if you are going on Tuesday in October, look at Tuesdays
and see what have the longest wait times through the day. From there you can
select were you can use your FREE
Fast Passes.
Fast Passes are essentially a line skip option, or a
reservation for a ride. Everyone gets 3 selections to start their time in
Disney, pick 3 and use them, then get 3 more for your day. Passes can be
cancelled and altered throughout your time in Disney and you can make initial
reservations 30 days ahead with tickets. If you are staying on property, you
can make reservations 60 days in advance.
Perhaps the most important part of all of your activities planning
is so you get to see your top activities, and save time waiting in line. Fast
Passes allow you to skip the 2-hour wait for Frozen Ever After and get on with your day.
As an additional tip, if you can’t get a fast pass for what
you want, monitor availability throughout the day to see what may become
available as people cancel or alter their Fast Passes.
I have never been to a Disney Park. A weird admission from a travel and media geek like myself.
See my parents didn’t really love theme parks. I don’t think my dad went to a single one with us as kids. And the biggest theme park I had been to before 2015 (I was 24) was Elitch Gardens in Denver, Colorado.
It wasn’t that my dad didn’t like fun, or even Disney movies. In fact he adores the music from quite a few of them, it was the crowds and the noise and the heat, and most importantly, the cost.
When you’re living below the poverty most of your childhood, a Disney vacation is at the bottom of the list.
Therefore, at the age of 28 I am taking on the work of planning a day at the Magic Kingdom at Disney World!
What I thought would be a simple planning of a day or two has turned into months of opening dates and reservations and hourly details. It’s insane.
Therefore, what has been a deep dive into planning a Disney World vacation, and at times a headache, has lead me to thinking that other people could use some guidance. Over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing my tips and tricks to figuring it all out, saving money, and having the best time possible! I look forward to helping others along the journey.
Many times we are reminded that theme parks are for kids. They are money sucks of candy and cartoons and memorable characters and wild rides that make many adults queasy. We are reminded to take our kids to this and that so they have fun and memories and pictures. But I say, hold up, theme parks are as much for adults as kids, and you damn well can have a great time.
This year, if anything, is becoming my year of theme parks. For a long time I shied away from the parks. Well, I didn’t actively shy away, but I didn’t try to go to theme parks. I had not been to anything since 2015 on my last trip to Florida, and I decided to change that.
The last eight months have been a stressful, but mostly positive experience in my family. My husband had a job change, I am having two surgeries this year (more on this later next week), I have had promotions and job trainings. It has been crazy, an emotional roller coaster (pun intended), and stressful. I decided that my stepdaughter and I needed some fun on a day we had free together and that’s what we did.
We took a whole Saturday, grabbed Lily’s friend Josiah, and spent a whole day eating junk food, riding rides, and weaving through crowds at Elitch Gardens in Denver, Colorado. It was silly, it was fun, we made goofy jokes, we laughed at the rides, we got dizzy on the tea cups and we had an overall great day.
We enjoyed it so much we are looking forward to going next week with our Girl Scout Troop! There is even a new ride based on Meow Wolf, the Kaleidescape, which is an amazing art installation! It’s classic fun, in a local setting, full of all the grease and Dippin’ Dots that made a 90s childhood amazing.
So, fellow adults, and adult adjacents, get off your ass and enjoy the insane stupid fun of your local theme park this year. You will blow off steam, you’ll get some sun, you’ll walk like five miles so don’t stress about the calories, and you will make some memories.
My sister is getting married in October, in Orlando, in a backyard wedding. This means the whole famdamily is going to the wedding. Which means we are going to be trying to make the most of the vacation, family time, and sightseeing in one giant Robinson Wedding Week.
As you can imagine, trying to organize approximately 20 people to show up to pre-wedding events, and another 60 for the wedding, is a bit of a project. While it’s my sister’s wedding, and she is tackling the wedding EVENTm I am working on extra events to keep kids, parents, cousins, and myself sane.
While my family likes a good time, I can’t say they are the best at planning in advance to make the most of their time. If you are in a situation like me, it’s vital that you make a plan and stick to it so that you can actually enjoy your “vacation” without getting lost in a sea of relative needs. Here are my tips for surviving and enjoying the journey.
Make a list of people going, lists of priority sites and activities, lists of time needed for travel.
Lists will help you prioritize and plan more comfortably.
If you are headed for theme parks, make a list of activities and rides that are most important, and that will work for different people and ages. For instance, my five year old cousin won’t be able to do many of the rides my 12 y/o step daughter wants to ride. Therefore, with some planning we can split up and get to ride everything we want. (see above)
Plan What You Want or Need
Vacations are expensive, so it’s important to make a plan to get the most out of your time on a trip. With a group, things go slower, and sometimes you just won’t get everyone to commit to a plan. Therefore, it’s important to choose what you want and need the most then invite everyone.
For example, I pick days that work the best for the most important things. What day do we need to do the Bachelorette for the Bride? What day will be more comfortable for everyone for sleep, timing, obligations etc.
You won’t be able to make everyone happy, but people usually will make something work if they want to join in. If they can’t, then they usually find an alternative option.
Know You Won’t Make Everyone Happy
Inevitably you will have people that aren’t happy with the schedule. While it’s nice to make things work for everyone, it usually doesn’t ever work. If you waited for everyone to be able to go, the truth is that you probably would never get to go!
Prioritize the most important people, sometimes this is the people getting married, sometimes it’s making sure the kids get to have the most at their day at Disney. While it’s nice to wait for Aunt Janet to get her nails done, maybe Janet needs to reschedule or join everyone at another time.
Don’t plan on Being with Everyone All The Time
It’s nice to plan on being together a lot, but the truth is that everyone will want to do different things at different times.
It’s common for everyone to get sick of each other too. This gives kids and adults a chance to get space, quiet time, and down time to relax.
Plan Ahead
The sooner you start trying to book an AirBnB, hotel, rental cars, and other arrangements, the better the rates and the better selection you will have. Booking a last minute flight and room probably won’t give you the best price and options.
Start drawing up plans for each day so that you can get a feel for what everyone wants or needs. This gives you time to rearrange plans in case of closures, event changes, or other situations.
Plan for Down Time
If kids are involved you will need some time to relax. If adults are involved, you will need some time to sleep, eat, talk, and not have to be anywhere. I highly suggest making a day or two free days, or open days, where loose plans are made, and everything is casual. If people are exhausted, cancel plans, and take time to sleep or just chill.
Spring break is coming up for most Americans this month or next. Sometimes known as Easter Break, this annual tradition gives students and their overworked teachers a break from each other.
For the rest of us, we scramble to find care for our children and stumble into our jobs. And others of us are lucky enough to escape with our kids to tropical locations.
My advice, stay home.
Why?
Well unless you have a really good incentive for a break, it’s such a busy time of year that running away may not actually be enjoyable.
The Caribbean and Florida are the top locations for Spring Breakers, and if that awful movie sharing the same name is an indication, there is mayhem in them parts. Not that hotels and resorts don’t avoid spring break vacationers, but it’s hard to inhibit.
No doubt, at about every resort, will be those having too much fun and puking in the pool. No doubt. And on top of that rates are insane at most places in March and April, at times they can be almost double due to popularity.
At some point the vomit inhibits the fun. And let’s face it, do most college and high school aged people REALLY know how to hold their liquor?
If you do have a longer break, or decide to make it longer, there is a chance to hit the road to Europe or further afield. My only suggestion is to remember the travel time to get to and from, and how that can eat into time on the ground. A “week away” quickly can turn into only five says doing anything. And for around $1,000 a round trip plane ticket, you want to make sure it’s worthwhile.
This isn’t to say that fun can’t be had. For instance, many other locations are divine in spring, such as the Carolinas or the Bay Area. These places may not offer the surf and sand, but they can offer an enjoyable escape.
While I know all of you are itching for warmer weather, remember that sometimes good things come to those who wait.
Colorado has had a hot summer, along with much of the United States. With the heat comes the discomfort of not having great air conditioning at our apartment and many other homes in the area.
When the days hit the 90s and up to 100, many of us take to the mountains, or the Poudre river and finally, our Horsetooth Reservoir. “Horsetooth” (as the locals call the area) was established in 1949 and was created to stabilize the water system of the region. Since then it has been a great recreational area for locals and visitors.
This summer a friend of mine encouraged me to try Stand Up Paddle Boarding at the reservoir as a way to have fun and try a new skill. I found a new sport that has proved to be a great way to cool down and have fun.
I took my stepdaughter on my first times out, and the second time for a chance to really experiment with a SUP (Stand up paddle board). I found my spills into the water a hilarious and amusing way to cool off. Paddling meant a great workout and just enjoyable to take in the scenery and other paddlers. Our favorite is seeing those with dogs on their boards who are having the time of their lives.
If you want to check out paddle boarding on Horsetooth Reservoir the best area is on the North Shore (Satanka Cove). This area has less people in motorized water crafts (I’ve only ever seen jet skis).
There are two companies that operate rentals on the shore, and both charge approximately $20/hour. They have life jackets included in the rental price, and two smaller people can comfortably fit on a board. It’s a great experiment in balance and fun. If you want to try something more intense yoga classes are held regularly.
My mom and I used to fight about who got to pack bags for trips. My mom and I are both type A personalities, and stubborn, and sometimes control freaks (just being honest).
Thus, when stubborn preteen me took a trip, she would argue with her mom about what was packed and what made sense to take.
Mind you, I have never forgotten more than like a toothbrush on a trip. I have maybe broken many chargers, sunglasses, tubes of shampoo and more, but it usually makes it in the suitcase first!
Anyway, fast forward 17 years and I have a step daughter that doesn’t care what goes in her bag. Which helps so much when we travel! The down side is that she doesn’t end up helping in the planning stages as much as I would like.
Thus, I put together this handy guide on what kids need for a summer car trip with a train return. Making it an easy and simple way for adults and kids to know what to plan when hitting the road.
Side note: I totally forgot shoes, which are usually attached to the kids feet.
