Universal Studios + IOA

Ever since I was little, my mom and dad used to take my siblings and I to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. I have some of the best memories growing up here. From eating turkey legs, to seeing my favorite characters, aka Spider-Man.

When Universal reached out to me to partner with them, LITTLE me was jumping up and down on the inside! Big me was screaming with excitement. How could I not be; I was about to spend the next few days riding rollercoasters and exploring The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

can someone photoshop these people out 😉

You really need all day to see all the magic that lives at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Every little detail from the intricate design in Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley to the giant dragon that belches fire into the sky.

There used to be a Jaws attraction where Diagon Alley now stands in Universal Studios. If you look closely, you can see that the Muggle record shop sells the hit song “Here’s to Swimmin’ with Bow Legged Women, a direct quote from the movie Jaws. A set of shark jawbones is also hidden away behind a variety of herbs and potions.

A butterbeer a day keeps Lord Voldemort away..
Butter beer consists of a cream soda-meets-butterscotch flavor with a whipped topping. If you want to try the butter beer, I recommend trying frozen one. It’s just the right amount of sweetness. . like you 🙂

Pretty sure he just cast a spell on me.. pray for me.
You can also pick out your own wand at Ollivander’s Wand Shop.

Us muggles can travel back and forth between Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley by taking the Hogwarts Express.


Below are some throwbacks with my brother from 2001!

Some of my favorite rides are:
Revenge of the Mummy: This rollercoaster launches you so fast, you will be screaming for your mommy.. no pun intended. 😉
The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man: Be ready to use your Spidey senses for this 3-D Marvel’s stylized comic book world ride.
Jurassic Park River Adventure: A water raft ride where one moment you’re watching a baby stegosaurus with its mother and the next you’re going down an 85 ft. drop with a T-rex over you. Be prepared to get soaked!
The Incredible Hulk: This exhilarating coaster includes a speed increase from 0 to 40mph in just 2 seconds. Let’s just say we rode it over and over again. 🙂

King Kong, 2001

We ate lunch in Krustyland! You can also find The Simpsons virtual reality roller coaster ride here, but be sure to ride it before you eat 🙂

Florida heat is no joke. So we took a little break in Mels Diner to grab some lemonade and just chilllll 🙂

Mel’s Diner, 2001

In the evening, you can enjoy playing some games and getting ice-cream to cool off after a day of thrilling rides.

If you decide to go to Universal Studios Florida or Universal’s Islands of Adventure, I think getting the 2-Park 1-Day Ticket is the best deal. There are so many rides and a lot to see so try to get there super early to have the maximum Universal experience.

The lines can take quite a bit of time so having the Universal Express pass is nice to go through the lines quicker! To save some money, I also recommend packing some lunch and snacks.

From a kid to 25 years old, I love all that Universal has to offer. Thank YOU for reading about my experience and memories here. If you visited, what’s one of your favorite rides?! If not, what are you waiting for! xo

Ecclesiastes 6:9
Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind.

59 Replies to “Universal Studios + IOA”

  1. Great opportunity. I also have great memories of Universal when I was younger. We lived in LA and went every time family came to visit. Cute photos too. 🙂

  2. Hollup!! Was that a statue? The man?

    You look like you had a swell time, I would too if I was in your shoe, girl. Then you punished us with lots of pictures. You look good.

  3. Universal studios looks amazing, I dunno I kinda always preferred it over Disney, and you looked like you had a grand time, and I would kill for some butterbeer now ;O

  4. we were planning to go to universal studio and we will surely visit this, tha k you fors sharing

  5. It totally looks like you had a great time. I should consider that the next time I am in your country.
    Love the way you dropped those little videos in too. It makes us feel as if we were there.

  6. Such a great post! I love your combo of recent photos and throwbacks–so sweet. I’m a huge Harry Potter nerd and had no idea they still had a nod to Jaws in one of the shops. That’s awesome. Can’t wait to go back to Universal and IOA sometime soon!

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