Disney vs Universal

My oldest daughter is participating in the Disney College Program in Orlando, FL until August. We decided to go out to visit her for her birthday a few weeks ago. May is a perfect time to visit. We walked on most rides and compared to other times we have visited Disney World, the crowd was relatively small.

We went to all the parks: Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios. I like each of the parks for different reasons. My favorite rides are Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom and Rockin' Rollercoaster in Hollywood Studios.

I like Magic Kingdom, but I have to be honest, it doesn't have the same magic for me that Disneyland has. I'm sure it's because I grew up going to Disneyland regularly. I remember back in the day when we had to use tickets to get on the rides and the Matterhorn was the "big" ride. Disneyland makes me feel like a kid again. I have so many memories there and I love it. Magic Kingdom in Orlando is fun, just not as magical for me.

We also went to Universal's Islands of Adventure. Some of the coolest rides ever. LOVED Harry Potter World and I'm not even a Potterite (though my daughter is and she was in heaven--just like a little girl even though she's 23). The ride through the castle is probably the best ride I've ever been on because it makes you part of the world. You are following Harry through a Quidditch game and flying around Hogwarts, then you're in the spider's lair (which squirts water at you). We hardly waited in line, but going through the wait area is so cool because it has so many things featured in the books. AWESOME ride.

I also loved the Spiderman ride for the same reason. You become part of Spiderman's world and the ride is interactive--a bad guy plugs a big cord into the car you're in and it starts shaking, you feel heat when the Goblin throws fiery pumpkin heads, and you're sprinkled with water when the bad water guy comes after you. Of course, at the end Spiderman saves the day. AWESOME ride.

I also loved the roller coasters in Harry Potter World called the Dueling Dragons (I think). Fast, smooth, upside down at times. The front seat is the best spot. There's a blue one and a red one--my favorite was the blue one.

I did not like The Hulk Rollercoaster. Too jerky and each time I rode it, I ended up with a headache.

As for Disney vs. Universal:

Disney wins for atmosphere and ambiance hands down. But Universal wins for awesome rides. I wouldn't go to Universal with really young kids because they'd miss out on a lot of the rides, but for older kids and adults, you just can't beat those Universal rides.

A very fun trip!

And She's Off . . . To Disney World

Early Monday morning, I'm talking 4:00 am, we drove my oldest daughter to the airport so she could fly to Orlando to begin her Disney college program. She'll be gone until mid-August. I'm super excited for her, but a little sad that she'll be so far away. I'm sure she'll have the time of her life living in Florida and meeting all sorts of interesting people. She said that she's already met people from all over the world and she's realized how boring she is because she's white and only speaks English.

She met her new roommates and boggled their minds because she's Mormon. One of the girls had never met a Mormon before. Then, she told them she had 10 kids in her family and that really blew their minds. It's odd to me that in this day and age someone could actually live in the US and never meet a member of the Church. Of course, I've always lived in the west so maybe back east it is a novelty to meet a Mormon.

Even though I will miss her, I'm sure this will be a fantastic experience and one she'll never forget.