Last weekend, Dan and I went on a FREE trip to Orlando.We stayed at a fancy hotel and ate lots of yummy food and flew in business class. It was the best. Absolutely. How?? Dan won a contest at work- his company sponsors Houston’s MLS team, the Dynamo, who host a fly-away trip every year for the sponsors. So us, and 25 other lucky people from a few different companies, traveled with the Dynamo to their away game against Orlando. They planned a super trip and we are so grateful.
Gah, he’s so cute!
After an early dinner, we hopped on a bus to the game! Orlando has a huge fan base, so there was a big turn out. They’re currently building their own stadium, but until then, they play in the Citrus Bowl. We got to spend the pre-game down on the field watching the players warm up before heading into the stands. It ended up being 0-0, but we still had a great time. Aside from being booed as we left. Eek.
Saturday morning, a few us decided to wake up early and try to get to Universal Studios as soon as it opened- we Ubered and got there right at 8! SO worth it. The lines were infinitely shorter those first couple of hours, so we barely waited for anything. If you’re planning a trip, that is my #1 tip. Also, HARRY POTTER! Man. It is so impressive how well done it is. It’s actually split up between the 2 parks- Islands of Adventure (Hogwarts/Hogsmeade) and Universal Studios (Diagon Alley). You can even ride the Hogwarts Express between the 2 sides if you have a park hopper pass! You get to sit in your own little cabin 🙂 I liked Diagon Alley a bit better because it had a cozier feel (the alley is actually hidden off of a London street), although the rides on both sides are great. It blows my mind how much technology is incorporated into the rides now! In the Hogwarts castle, you actually felt like you were playing quidditch with Harry 😉 And BUTTER BEER. It was so yummy. We drank several- the frozen kind was perfect for the hot, hot day. They even had their own craft beer- Universal Studios, adult style.
Other than The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, we really liked The Mummy and Jurassic Park rides. Clearly I enjoyed it:
I debated posting this photo, but figured I should be honest about my experience.
I’ve been dying to visit Harry Potter world since it opened, but not quite enough to plan an entire vacation around it, so this trip was such a surprising treat! Dan isn’t the most excitable guy, but after we got back he kept talking about how much fun he had at Universal. He’s a kid at heart 😀 Butter beer lovers unite!
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bewitchered 
Looks like a future family trip!! Great pics and wish we were there 😀
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Ha that’s what we talked about. But wayyy easier with no kids!
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