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this is an unstructured shrine-type page where i can geek out about my happiest place in the world |
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you may have noticed that i have a page all about E.T. adventure, it's my favorite attraction at universal. =) nothing compares to the nostalgia and excitement it brings me to reach the queue and get ready to ride. on my last trip, i even spoke to many of the people working at the ride to try and shmooze my own interplanetary passport. i didn't have any luck but the employees did seem in good spirits lol... i had to privilege of going to universal a few times with my family growing up. i always had so much fun hanging out with my brother, especially when we got a little older and were able to explore the parks on our own. our favorite ride was always the same -- DUELING DRAGONS! i have many silly memories of riding dueling dragons four or five times in a row. as i became a teenager, my family kinda stopped going on vacations (i think for a mix of reasons) so i went about 10 years without going to universal studios florida~ in this time, i lost touch with my fandom and actually kind of became a disney world person o_O it took my graduating college to put me back in touch with universal. my generous grandma offered to treat my boyfriend and i to a trip... i was going for disney but my bf was firm that he wanted to go to universal. (it was my graduation gift but i'm glad he did after all!!) during the time of my graduation trip, i was really just getting started in life. working at a craft store and barely making any money, didn't have a car, barely making rent... i think that's why that trip left such a huge impression on me. it was 5 days of heaven and no worries! universal had also changed a lot since i'd been.a few years later, i ended up marrying aformentioned boyfriend. we flew under the radar of covid and got married at a courthouse so we could avoid the reception our parents wanted us to have HAH. it was in 2020 when everything was very unsure. our first wedding anniversary ended up falling RIGHT as our covid vaccines would be effective so we decided to make a universal trip happen right before they lifted their ppe rules. it was honestly even better than the first time we went together!! our communication skills were better with each other and we were able to get properly excited since we knew more about what to expect. we had the best time. recommendationsrandom things i really enjoy that someone could easily miss. this section is slightly bare for now as i work on getting pictures to use for other tips i have in mind. a snack section is in the works too.■ universal | ■ islands of adventure ■ view/atmosphere | ■ penny pinching
my universal studios essentialsA. face mask i wear mine on my arm so i can wear it indoors or in crowded areas easily
my universal penny collectionrather than being a completionist here, i'm more the type to carefully collect only my favorites. i also try to limit my picks somewhat so i can get a penny next time. :P    
     
universal studios chocolate barsso i've been looking at these chocolate bars FOREVER. i'm always very careful with how i spend my souvenir and thought they would be anti-climactic even though i was tempted. i finally broke down and picked one up on my recent trip and loved it. i was surprised by the lovely embossing on the first one i tried... i'm definitely planning to try them all now!they are 3 for $9.99 and found throughout universal studios and islands of adventure gift shops   jurassic park dinosaur fossil bar the embossing is the highlight of this bar, the flavor is ok   jaws chocolate flavored bar with caramel and sea salt the caramel and sea salt are subtle but this one is really good!   donkey's waffle bar basically tastes like intense fake maple, i liked the crunchy pieces of waffle cone   mint cookie i have some thoughts about this one... i thought it was "milk and cookies" themed but i could see why they went with mint cookie so it could be green. interestingly, rather than being neon green as i expected, it's quite a natural shade. ALSO, the mint flavoring is uncannily real. it's nothing like mint ice cream or candy, much more like they blended actual mint leaves in. strange but it was interesting to try. i'm also not crazy about both seuss bars i've tried sharing the same embossing.   1 fish, 2 fish gummy fish more of a berries and cream vibe than i expected, the fish being embedded are cute   betty boop's red velvet i enjoyed this bar, it has a true red velvet flavor and i love the theming   E.T. chocolatey peanut butter bar dazzling embossed design! and i was instantly sold on the inclusion of reese's pieces credits and acknowledgements for this page audio is "ocean trader market," the themed music that plays when guests enter islands of adventure, from the official soundtrack CrystalJoy-Creations on dA for the photo of dueling dragons home |
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C. hand sanitizer