Universal Studios – Cabana Bay Resort

A big reason why we headed to Orlando in October 2020 was for my baby sister’s wedding. As it goes when friends and family fly in for a wedding, a week of wedding-related adventures must ensue. It was vital that this included a Bachelorette Party and we could not think of a better place to celebrate than the Cabana Bay Beach Resort!

While Cabana is considered an economical option in the Universal Resort hotels, and it is rated as a 3-star hotel, I truly felt that the accommodations and service compared to 4-star if not 5-star locations. The resort offers a family-friendly atmosphere while not compromising on design and a touch of luxury. With a 1950s/60s theme it’s a fun and nostalgic vacation spot offering a lot for travelers.

The resort is located right next to the parks, making it easy to walk from or bus from to the parks (including Volcano Bay). This makes accessing the parks an absolute delight and more comfortable than accommodations of the same caliber at Disney. Which I find a phenomenal perk to staying at Universal. For my group this meant we could go to the parks, have a meal at City Walk, change at the hotel, go back to City Walk, and back again as needed. Going out with a big group also meant that people could come and go as they pleased and a pool-side suite that comfortably slept six gave us ample space and comfort.

The suites offer two queen beds and a pull-out sofa bed. While the two queens share a space, the sofa bed is in a living area with a sliding door to close it off. This is especially nice for those needing more sleep (such as kids) and offering more privacy for a large group of people. The kitchenette, with a microwave and sink, also make time with kids a lot easier to manage and enjoy!

In addition to comfortable rooms, the hotel offers a large pool area, with a section of sand for a “beach feel” and some great dining options. While you won’t get much originality in food options, there is a lot of care to make things allergy-friendly, and it was all tasty.

If you are staying more than one night skip inside bars and glasses and head for the pool bar. There you can get a fantastic cocktail for around $15.00 (common drink price) which comes with a souvenir tumbler. This tumbler can be reused for drinks the ENTIRE time you visit and they cost $10.00 each versus $15.00. If you plan on returning, bring your tumbler from before and the discount still applies. I’m not much of a drinker, but the tumbler has proven to be a nice drink mug at home and to show off at work.

Do plan on some additional costs at the resort. Parking is $17.00 per day, per car (versus $20.00 in the regular lot). None of your food or drinks are included with the rate (unless you get a meal plan) and you have to buy tickets separately for the parks.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by Cabana and I REALLY enjoyed the whole experience and my time there. While I may return with a bigger budget in the future, I am pretty sold on staying at Cabana for my future adventures.

Happy Travels!

Universal Studios – With Tweens

Florida, Travel, United States

I think it’s easy to assume when a kid gets older that they will have it more together when you vacation later. I could not be more wrong.

12 is an odd age, somewhere between childhood and the teens, the 12 year old brain is a confusing landscape of hormones, angst, and forgetfulness. I was definitely more of the first two than the later, and when I am out and about with my step-daughter I find that FORGETFULNESS is the name of the game.

Lesson learned, when we were at Universal Studios, our second day of play, my stepdaughter had her wand (chosen at Olivander’s and a gift from my sister and brother-in-law)from the day before, we were having an AWESOME girls day before meeting my cousins, and then things went crazy. We could blame the Hogwarts Express, and the unassuming shelves and comfortable seats, and in which my stepdaughter left her wand. I blame not making her take a bigger backpack so she could fit her said wand in it. I also blame the own chaos of my day in which my credit card FELL OUT OF MY WALLET when we were at Universal, which lead to the day feeling disjointed and mad.

Tweens, in their hormonal state, tend to fall into tears. Which is exactly what happened when we discovered the wand was missing and no one had turned it into lost and found. While Lily freaked out, some magic was found in a way only dedicated Universal Studios staff can, by helping us replace the wand. An extremely kind “conductor” at the Hogwarts Express in Hogsmeade took us to the wand shop in Hogsmeade to replace Lily’s misplaced fun.

While the gesture was undoubtedly kind, it was that the company’s dedication to making sure that guests were taken care of and happy with all the elements of their vacation that really hit home. It left its influence on my stepdaughter too, as since she lost her wand, and went through the embarrassment of needing someone to save the day, she has been much more conscious of her existence.

It hasn’t made all of 12 better and we are still buckled in for the ride of the next few years (ok 6+), it made a positive influence on miss Lily. However, Lily is more aware of where her phone, and coat, and backpack are. She hasn’t lost valuable items, and her hoodies make it home. While homework is the next frontier, I see changes every week, for the better.

At the end of the day, the hiccups in life make us stronger, wiser, and better and travel often make us face it. Sometimes there are tears, and embarrassment, and hard lessons, but we ultimately learn some big lessons. For my stepdaughter, it has been that things work out, and kindness and manners go a long way (giving and receiving). It is also a lesson in responsibility and organization, and being able to let go of stresses and still have a fun vacation. All of which I am so happy she is learning while seeing the world.

Happy TRAVELS!

Planning for Magic at Universal Studios

Florida, Travel, United States

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.

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Disney Planning – What Are You Wearing?

Florida, Travel, United States

Disney Planning – What are you wearing?

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!

Happy Travels!

Disney Planning – What are we Riding?

Florida, Travel, United States

Disney Planning – Getting Started

family, Florida, Travel, United States

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.

Happy Travels!

Part 2

Your Local Theme Park is as Good as you Remember

colorado, Colorado Events, Travel, United States

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.

Happy Travels!

Family Travel Planning – Part 1

family, Florida, Travel, wedding

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.

UNIVERSAL FLORIDA RIDES
Ivy Friendly	“Grown-up” Rides
Minion Mayhem	Revenge of the Mummy
Shrek 4-D	Men in Black
Simpsons Ride	Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster
Hogwarts Express
Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ‘n’ Hurl

Make Lists
- 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 – To Be Avoided?

Caribbean, Florida, Travel, United States

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.

Dam the Heat, Paddle the Reservoir

adventure of the week, colorado, Colorado Events, outdoors, Travel, United States

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.

Comedy Overlook Rentals

What’s SUP

For weekends you can sometimes hold a rental to ensure you get your board.

Parking and access to the reservoir is $7 for the day per vehicle.

Most importantly, have fun and Happy Travels!….

Rebecca Lee Robinson – Adventure Media

Musings from a traveling, writing, photographing, 20-something.

travel with kids

Universal Studios – Cabana Bay Resort

Universal Studios – With Tweens

Planning for Magic at Universal Studios

Disney Planning – What Are You Wearing?

Disney Planning – What are we Riding?

Disney Planning – Getting Started

Your Local Theme Park is as Good as you Remember

Family Travel Planning – Part 1

Spring Break – To Be Avoided?

Dam the Heat, Paddle the Reservoir