Did You Know ...

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The Original Kongfrontation Ride, which is now gone, is still missed by legions of fans. The original ride opened June 7, 1990 and closed September 8, 2002. There were actually 2 Kongs, and each one was 39 feet tall. Kong's arms stretched out to 54 feet across. The Kong used in the street scene weighed a bit more at 13,000 lbs. and the Kong by the bridge was a light weight at 8,000 lbs. Each robotic Kong could do 62 different functions and actually had breath that smelled like bananas!
  The entire ride covered about 35,000 sq  feet and featured the fronts of 50 different buildings from the Lower East Side of Manhattan, as they looked in 1976 when that version of the movie King Kong was released. The helicopters were life sized to make everything more realistic.
  Konfrontation was originally planned to be the crown jewel of Universal Studios in Orlando, but it was plagued with behind the scenes mechanical problems. Designers had to limit some of Kong's movements and change the background effects to try to make Kongfrontation operate better. Although there was no official explanation, some feel that Konfrontation was closed because of these mechanical problems and high staffing and maintenance costs.
  Kongfrontation is a ride that is still missed by many Universal Studios Orlando Florida fans today!

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Go To The Front Of The Line!

  As I've said before, it is a sweet thing on a hot day (or any day) to go to the head of the line at any Universal Studio Orlando Florida ride or attraction. When you stay at one of the beautiful Universal Studios Hotels, one of the perks is the Universal Express. All you do is show your room key at each attraction, and skip the wait and go right to the head of the line! Anyone that waited in the Orlando Sun for an hour with a tired 8 year old will tell you the value of that room key!
  There are 3 hotels at Universal Studios. They are the Royal Pacific Hotel, the Hard Rock Hotel and the Portofino Bay Hotel. Take a moment to click the banner below and check and photos and all the info about the restaurants and ammenities of each of these beautiful hotels. Don't forget the to get a couple of FREE Nights, too!

Beetlejuice Graveyard Revue - Review!

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  I have to admit that on our recent trip to Universal Studios Orlando Florida, I did not really plan to go see the Beetlejuice Graveyard Revue. As we were walking by, the show was almost ready to start so we went in to see if we had been missing something.
   To our surprise, this show really is worth seeing. The show features the "cutting tongue" of Beetlejuice, with his Graveyard themed quips. Most of what he said really was funny. The show also features Frankenstein, Dracula, Wolfman, the Bride of Frankenstein and a couple of cheerleaders from the "other side". They all combine to put on a really good rock and roll concert, all themed toward the Monster mentality in a tongue in cheek way. The monsters all are really talented singers and the rock and roll was great. It may be a little loud for small children and they do use strobe lights. Other than that, stop by the Beetlejuice Graveyard Revue and get rocking!

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Did You Know ...

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   Back in 1990, Universal Studios filed a lawsuit against the Disney Company, claiming that Disney used Double Agents to allow them to copy several concepts and use them in Disney's new MGM theme park!

Would You Like a Harry Potter Wand or a Broom to Fly On?

  How would you like a Harry Potter Wand for under $10! You could get a Harry Potter Broom for under $20 too! Please visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Store by clicking the link below. You'll find a Wonderful World of Harry Potter items, from Childrens Halloween Costumes to Harry Potter Office items!  Before you make any purchases, please check out the customer reviews so you are sure to get great quality Harry Potter items but at very competitive prices.
  Come visit now. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Store awaits you .............

Welcome to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Store!

What Would happen If ............Please Click Below to Learn More!

Great Travel Idea for Your Luggage!

   Traveling can be exciting and for a family, it can help build solid memories for years to come. We like to pass along any tips that can potentially save our readers time, money or stress.
  Once you arrive at a large international airport like the one in Orlando, you need to decide rather quickly where to get your luggage and then where to go for transportation to your destination. Even though you may think that you are the only one that has Dark Blue or Burgundy suitcases, once you find that giant belt with seemingly hundreds of pieces of luggag e riding along, you realize that all luggage does look the same!
  Add curious children to the mix, and you really have a recipe for stress! (Don't take too long or you'll miss your shuttle bus to the resort!)
   Here's the solution. Before your trip, go to a store that sells gift bags, ribbon and wrapping paper. Most larger drug stores like Walgreens or CVS would do fine. So would most department stores as well. Purchase several inexpensive curled ribbon or raffia pieces made for gift wrapping. You could also use the ribbons that littel girls often put in their hair. The main theme here is that you are going to fasten a clump of this colorful ribbon to some spot on the outside of EACH piece of luggage.
  Try to attach this ribbon to a spot that would not be in the way of a baggage handler doing their job. The side of a handle is better than the middle of the handle (where you would grab to lift the bag) It's also best to put it on the side edges of each bag, as most bags will be laid down flat on the baggage belt. If you were to attach it to a zipper on the front of your bag, it could end up laying on that side on the belt.
  Once the luggage comes out, it will be easy for you to spot your luggage. It can become a fun game for "eagle eye" children to help spot your bags, helping to keep then from trying to get a ride on the belt. We have done this several times, and each time the ribbons remained on for the entire trip, and each time we retreived our bags quickly and without stress!
  If you would like to save some money on some new luggage, check out the link below from our friends at Luggage Pros!

Get $50 off your purchase of $400 and Free Shipping at Luggage Pros! Use coupon code "LP400" at checkout.

Did You Know ...

  Since it opened, Universal Studios in Orlando Florida has had three different slogans. Their first slogan, used from 1990 until 1998 was "See the Stars. Ride the Movies"
  Their next slogan was started in 1998 and continued until 2008, That slogan was a little shorter, which was "Ride the Movies". Their current slogan, begun in 2008 is a bit more active and really says it all "Jump Into the Action"!

Movie Rides - Should You Watch the Movie Before or After?

  On our recent trip to Universal Studios in Orlando, we experimented with two Movie Rides to find out which strategy is more fun. Two of our favorite Movies (and Rides) are Twister and Jaws.
  Even when we do not have a Universal Studios in Orlando trip planned, we still like to watch the movie Jaws and the movie Twister at least once a year. I personally prefer watching during the Summer, as both movies take place in the Summer as well.
  This year, we watched Twister about two weeks before our trip. As we walked along the aisles to get into the Twister ride, the monitors showed interviews with some of the stars from the movie, along with actual footage of real twisters terrorizing the Midwest US. The wait was about 20 minutes that day, and during that time I kept thinking back to the movie, and the whole experience seemed to be a bit more real. Once we got in and experienced the "Universal Studios Twister", the whole experience really came together.  Even though we had been through this ride before, we found ourselves looking forward to see specific parts that we remembered from the movie. Without ruining it for those that are planning a first trip to Universal Studios in Orlando Florida, watch for "flying cows"!
  On the other hand, we planned to watch the movie Jaws on the Saturday night after we came home from our trip. This time, I found that the ride was fun, but I found myself wishing that I had seen the movie first. The ride really makes you feel like a tourist on Amity Island, and getting a bit wet felt good in the heat that day, but I felt a little different than with Twister. Ultimately, I watched the movie Jaws at home, looking for the parts I experienced from the ride. This helped to enjoy the MOVIE more, but not the ride.
  Overall, I feel that it is better to watch the Movie First. This way, your experience at the ride can be more enhanced, and it sometimes may help to understand the names or actions that are in the ride. Your Universal Studios in Orlando Florida experience will probably be more fun if you watch the movie first, and then go to the park. Try it and tell us which way that you think is better!

Save Your Money for Harry Potter Souvenirs!

Did You Know ...

   Did you know that the Three Broomstick Restaurant in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure is located on the same site where the old Enchanted Oak Tavern from
 the Merlin Woods of The Lost Continent attraction had once stood?

Why Buy the Universal Studios Express Plus Pass?

  On our last trip, we did not purchase the Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure Express Plus Pass. It does cost a bit more money for each person, but we know first hand what it felt like standing in the beautiful but hot Orlando Sun, only to watch with envy as the Express Plus Pass holders walked right up to each attraction. The Express Plus Pass allows you to avoid the lines at almost all the attractions in both parks, but there are a couple of exceptions. Anyone standing with small children, or older folks, or just those that do not feel well standing in the sun for long periods would do well to pay the additional money for the Express Plus Pass.
  These passes are only good for one time on each ride (ie; one ride on Twister, one ride on Disaster, etc.) but your regular ticket allows you to go as often as you like.  Unfortunately, you only get one express entrance per ride. As of this writing, you cannot use the Express Plus Pass on Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Always check the current list when planning your purchase. Lastly, consider the weather and the time of year that you are visiting. During the busiest seasons and on days with very hot or very wet weather, the Express Plus Pass is a great idea!
  After standing on the longer lines, we would have been glad to pay more because we would have seen and done more, felt much better, and overall would have had more fun! Universal Express Plus Pass - It just makes sense!

The Best Advice That We Could Give You!

  Visiting Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure in Orlando Florida certainly can become the time of your life! Families, people of all ages as well as just about anyone that loves to have fun will love a vacation to this great Orlando Attraction! We really like the rides that allow you to feel that you are a part of the movie, such as Jaws and E.T. These rides provide plenty of fun for all. The one thing that we found that is not fun is waiting in lines.
  To be honest, depending on what time of the year that you travel to Universal Studios in Orlando, the waiting times to get on the attractions can be quite long. This is the down side of any popular theme park, especially in the Orlando Sun!  Another thing that we felt is that they often "under-estimated" the actual waiting times to get on the ride. Some attractions that showed 40 minute wait times, such as Shrek 4D, actually took well over an hour to get in to see.
  The best advice that we would give anyone visiting Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure in Orlando would be to "Buy The Express Plus Passes" This is especially true now that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is open!

Wizarding World of Harry Potter Theme Park Rides

Just Got Back From Universal Studios in Florida!

We just got back from an awesome trip to Universal Studios in Florida! We visited Islands of Adventure next door, and of course, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! Any visit to Orlando Florida is cool, but we really had a great time! There are a few things that we learned about saving time and most of all, saving money. We hope to share our little tricks with you as we go forward! Even if you didn't think you could afford a Universal Studios Vacation, we'll try to help you find the best deals to save money but have fun! Thanks for visiting but please sign up to follow this blog so you don't miss all our future posts to help you enjoy your Universal Studios Vacation.

Hint: Coming Soon - Universal Studios Orlando Florida Trivia!