Magical Universal
However, at our annual Travel Counsellors Conference, when the official announcement was made, the true magic begun! We were approached at our tables by the very “Mystical Harry Potter” (Graham Hennessey from Do something Different),who personally came to my table with his magical wand to let me know that I was one of the lucky ones to be joining a group of Travel Counsellors on the adventure of our lives to Orlando. It did not feel real!
The excitement was buzzing at Dublin airport, and we felt incredibly spoilt to have a visit from our Aer Lingus representative who joined us for a drink before we departed. As we had precleared security at Dublin airport, getting through Orlando Airport was super quick. On arrival at our Hotel- Cabana Beach Hotel, we just knew that this was going to be a fabulous few days! We were spoilt from the moment of arrival with wonderful cocktails (delicious rum!) and an assortment of starters at the Sapphire Falls Hotel.
The food from start to finish was absolutely perfect, my favourite was being able to have mac n cheese as a side which was delicious. We were wined and dined daily with many treats in between. The service was out of this world!
It is very important to keep hydrated during your long days in the sun while in the park. This is simple as I purchased a refillable cup which you can refill throughout the park (as many times as you like). The following day, I reactivated my cup for a small fee.
Day one involved a VIP guide showing us around the Park. My eyes were popping out! You certainly do not need to be a thrill seeker to enjoy Universal!!! Of course, we had a few brave souls on our trip who could not get enough of the biggest rollercoasters, steepest drops, and biggest thrills that you will ever find! For me, well I felt like I was walking through a movie set. I was blown away by everything Harry Potter, the recreation of Springfield where “The Simpsons” lived as well as a visit to the famous “Moe's Tavern.”
We had the privilege of boarding the Hogwarts Express Train on Platform 9 ¾ which would take us from Universal Studios to the second park- Islands of Adventure. This was a big highlight for me, and we even got to experience the spell that allowed us to walk through a wall magically. We explored the Village of Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley with a visit to Gringotts Bank. The detail was immaculate, and it felt like we were inside of the book!
Day two was all about the third Park- Volcano Bay. This is fun filled water park and is just a few minutes’ walk from Cabana Bay Hotel which is super convenient. Here the excitement rose as the music and the drums began prior to the waves arriving after a scheduled Volcano eruption! We felt like we were on a South Pacific Island reliving the “The Waturi Legend” (again lots here for the thrill seekers including the Ko’okiri Body plunge-200 feet tall!) But lucky me, there was the Lazy River as well as the Kopiko Wai Winding River which provided plenty of excitement and refreshment from the heat! We spent the day in and out of the water and waves, had some chill time on the very comfortable loungers with wonderful views of the Volcano. The perfect end to a perfect day with cocktails and a catch up on our highlights of the day.
Day three was very much a day to ourselves where we could return to the park, relax at the pool, have a wonder in and out of the many Universal shops and take it all in.
Day four we were fortunate enough to have time to visit the Factory Outlets for a quick shop before heading to the airport for our trip home.
To sum this up, as a “non-thrill seeker”- Universal was the most magical few days- including endless shows, the wonderful ET adventure, Jimmy Fallon Race of New York (this was very brave for me as it is a 3-D simulator but glad that I did it), endless Harry Potter magic and so much more!
I loved every moment of this trip, and I cannot wait to go back and experience it all again with my daughters.
