Orlando was not a short drive from Fort Myers, it was a good 3.5 hour drive. But we could not pass up the opportunity to spend the day at
Universal Studios in Orlando.
It began early as we left Fort Myers Beach for Orlando around 6:15am. With both youngsters groggy-eyed we pulled onto the road in search of fun for the whole family. 3.5 hours later we pulled into the massive parking structure just outside Universal Studios. Only a maze of moving walkways separated us from fun.
Since we purchased electronic tickets we went straight to the ticketing machine, entered confirmation number, and it spit out all of our tickets and passes. We opted several different plans:
2-Park tickets (Both Universal Studios Park and Island of Adventures).
Express Pass allowed us to skip the lines and go up ahead on the rides. This was valid one per ride (although many of the attendants did not mark the ticket so we were able to use it over and over on several rides).
Meal Deal pass allowed us to order food without dishing out money. It only worked on about a select three eateries per park but that was enough for us Sipper Cup allowed us unlimited refills which was great with the kids who were always thirsty.I think we got our money's worth minus the Meal Deal. But still it allowed us to get food and feed the kids rather than rummaging for money to pay. A nice convenience.
We started the day by entering the
Islands of Adventure. Our first step was Suess Landing which the kids thoroughly enjoyed. The whole section was built in the scheme of Suess backdrop from Thing 1 and 2 to The Cat in the Hat. We were able to ride all the rides from the
Car-Suess-el to the new
The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride.
Some more of my favorite rides in this area where the
Spider-Man ride which my daughter thought was the
coolest!
The Hulk Coaster was probably my favorite although the
Mummy's Revenge in Universal Studios side of the park might have something to say about that. If you are a roller coaster fan the
Dueling Dragons is a fierce ride. Twists and turns and go two roller coasters at a time.
We moved over to the
Universal Studios Park which centers around the movie industry with sections named after Holloywoodesque themes such as Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, and the back lots of some of the neatest scenery you will see. The kids and (adults) loved the
Shrek 4-D ride and my daughter had a fit over the
Jimmy Neutron ride. The
JAWS ride was the old standby that nearly scared my daughter to death. The must ride in this park had to be the
Revenge of the Mummy Ride.
In closing, Universal did it right with this park. Fun for all ages!