Our family went to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure on Memorial Day. We got there after noon and thought it would be incredibly congested but the crowds, while substantial, weren't too bad. I'm not sure if everybody was at the beach but it should have been busier for Memorial Day. We wondered if the economy and government furloughs have taken their toll and people were hesitant to travel. The longest wait we had for any one ride was about 30 minutes. If you've been to Central Florida theme parks you know the waits can be over 2 hours in the summer. Since schools up north haven't let out yet it may be just the Florida/Georgia crowd and the heavy tourism hasn't struck yet.
Universal Studios is always a fun day. I'm showing some shots I took of all the new construction. Up top is the train station for the Hogwart's Express I mentioned in a previous article. This will connect Universal Studios with Islands of Adventure and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (2-park pass required). Above is Krustyland, the Simpson's Ride which will soon be surrounded by the new Springfield setting.
We had a great day. Temperatures right now in Florida are hovering around 75-89 degrees but in the next few weeks temps will soar into the mid 90's and the humidity will be higher than the temperatures. When you come down use lots of sunblock and drink water continuously not just when you get thirsty.
Transformers is almost complete and should open in the next few weeks. Right above the entry way pictured here a huge Transformer was just added this week. I saw a photo of it on another blog this morning. I only missed it by a few days so I'll have to include next time we go back.
When you visit Universal/Islands treat yourself to award winning dining either at the parks or on City Walk. Reservations can be made at some but you want to make them more than 24 -48 hours in advance. Visit UniversalOrlando.com for more information and enjoy your Florida vacation!
Last Note: Here's the Autobot I was talking about. He's 28 ft tall and 9 tons. Cool..
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| (photo courtesy of Universal Studios) |
