The Universal Orlando Resort in Florida is known for having some amazing thrill rides and immersive experiences, so you might think taking a babymoon there was a bit crazy of me. However, it was the perfect blend of fun and relaxation for me and I felt like I could still do quite a bit even with most of the rides being off limits for expecting mothers.
A small disclaimer: we went during Mardi Gras which I feel like added a lot of extra entertainment that I could participate in.
We went in with the mindset that we would take it slow and take a lot of breaks and not over-tax ourselves in the parks, but I was surprised at how long we went that first day! The shows provided sitting breaks and we took a little break at Finnegan's to get some A/C and beverages that helped extend the stamina for the day if you don't feel like going all the way back to the hotel.
First up, the shows. Universal, especially Universal Studios Florida, has a ton of high quality shows worth seeing. When you are rushing from thrill to thrill, it is easy to overlook these great attractions. There are three larger shows that have theater seating that are wonderful. I was actually only able to fit one in on our trip, but I'm looking forward to seeing the others in the future. These are The Bourne Stuntacular, Horror Makeup Show, and Animal Actors on Location. We did the Bourne Stuntacular mid-day which was a great way to take a break from the heat as both the queue and the theater are indoors.
There are also numerous wonderful shorter shows that you can stand or sit on the ground for and don't need to wait in a queue to watch. The ones in the Wizarding World are a bit more structured, but a lot of them are planned atmosphere essentially that you don't need to necessarily see the whole thing. We were able to catch The Tales of Beedle the Bard, The Blues Brothers, Sing It!, Beat Builders and Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees. Just use your best judgement on your standing stamina or getting-up-from-the-ground ability on how many of these you can do! Some you can see/hear from a distance if you can find a bench in the vicinity, but I found the benches to always be full.
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| The Tales of Beedle the Bard |
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| Beat Builders |
Next up is
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. While I already mentioned the shows, there is so much to do in these areas outside of the rides. If you have Park-to-Park tickets, which I always recommend, the Hogwarts Express is an attraction you can ride and is fun and a great little rest off your feet as well to explore both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. I highly recommend getting an interactive wand and casting spells around the area to explore and see details that are easily overlooked. Catch the shows, shop around, have a meal or snack, and of course grab a Butterbeer of your choice (hot is my personal favorite!) If you aren't too worn out, you can also catch some night time entertainment over at Hogwarts Castle. This one is standing room only, but not too long and a great little end to the night for Harry Potter Fans.
Since it was Mardi Gras, we were also able to catch the evening parade and a 3 Doors Down concert on the weekend we were there in addition to enjoying great international food booths. We got a parade spot early and waited on a curb, but the concert was admittedly a challenge. It was wall-to-wall people, but they were great and we had a great time! I was just thoroughly exhausted after that one! For more on the Mardi Gras experience,
click here.
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| Chicken Schnitzel from the Germany booth |
The final tip for enjoying the theme parks is to take it slow, take it all in, and just enjoy yourself! Oh, and take some cute pics while you're at it, enjoy this journey that you are on! You're spending a lot less time of the day waiting in lines, so you have more time to grab snacks, sit in some A/C and take a break, soak in the atmosphere, people watch and meet a character or two!
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| Live music at Finnegan's |
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| Bumblebee |
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| We did not master the heart-hands |
There is even more to enjoy outside the parks, let's start with Citywalk. The relatively new escape experiences are a perfect way to spend an hour or two with your travel party, solving the puzzles and seeing where you rank. We did the Back to the Future one and it was a blast! The lounge here also has fantastic mocktails, and you can pop in for a drink even without doing a room. While in Citywalk, you can also play mini golf or catch a movie!
Citywalk is also home to great food options. There is nicer dining if you want to be served and have a nice meal at Bigfire or get your pregnancy craving fix over at Voodoo Donughts (order ahead!) I'm also a big fan of stopping into Toothsome for some chocolate treats to go to stock the hotel room :)
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| Toothsome Selection |
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| Bigfire Pork Two Ways |
My final tip is to give yourself time to explore and enjoy your resort! Universal Orlando Resort has a variety of hotels on-site that give you proximity to the parks and great amenities. We stayed at Universal's Cabana Bay Resort which was the perfect combination of value and amenities for us. We enjoyed the ease of the transportation, additional space of a family suite, hung out by the pool, and enjoyed milkshakes and snacks at the resort!
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| One of the resort pools |
Overall you can still have a great Universal Orlando Resort vacation even if you can't ride Hagrid's Magical Motorbike Adventure. There is plenty to see and do for a long weekend away and you might get to see and experience things you have overlooked in the past. Take it slow, listen to your body, and enjoy every stage of this journey!
What are your favorite tips and tricks for touring while expecting? Or your favorite non-ride things to do at Universal Orlando Resort?
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