Kingdom Konsultant Travel Blog

Universal Orlando Resort has so much to offer at all times of year, but from around February to April each year, the Universal Studios Florida park gets a little more pizazz as they add in Mardi Gras celebrations, all included with the price of your regular admission!  It includes international inspired food booths, a parade complete with beads, and concerts by some of your favorite artists on select nights.  Join us as we go beyond the Bayou for Universal's Mardi Gras, featuring NOLA favorites and the best of Carnaval celebrations around the world.  The 2023 event is International Flavors of Mardi Gras and runs from February 4th to April 16th, 2023.  Due to a special event on March 31st, the parade will not be offered.  The parade is always a great time, full of energy, beautiful floats and beads to catch while you watch. The parade this year will feature some favorite floats from the past and also introduce six brand new floats. But did you know, you can even ride on the floats y

  I am in no way a fan of horror, haunted houses or generally scary things, so when my friends decided to attend Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Florida, I had serious concerns. Like, "what am I getting myself into" concerns. Eventually, I succumbed to peer pressure and purchased my ticket but was still very hesitant about attending this event.  I am happy to report that I survived my first Halloween Horror Nights and I actually had some fun! Oh, don't get me wrong... I was terrified numerous times throughout the event but I also laughed a lot.  Halloween Horror Nights, aka HHN, is a separately ticketed event on select nights from early September through Halloween night each year. Dates are subject to availability so if you are dying to go (see what I did there?!), then make sure you purchase your tickets early. It's a separately ticketed event which means your regular theme park admission ticket does not include admission to this event.  Unlike some oth

Mardi Gras at Universal Studios Florida is a time for a little extra jazz with your vacation.  All the Mardi Gras fun is included with your park admission from parades to headliner concerts (both on select nights.)  There are also specialty food and beverage items for purchase inspired by foods from around the world. Mardi Gras this year runs from Feb. 5–Apr. 24, 2022 giving you lots of opportunities to join in on the fun.   Concert highlights (for me at least) this year include Barenaked Ladies, Marshmello, Gavin Degraw and Jason Derulo. There's a variety of musical acts to suit many tastes!  Concerts are scheduled on most Saturday and some Sunday nights throughout the event.   The parades consist of beautiful floats and of course lots of beads.  Want to watch from a distance or see how many you can catch?  Find a spot along the parade route and take your pick. We enjoyed trying to collect one necklace of each color and taking in the details on all the floats.   As an avid foodie,

Universal Orlando Resort has branded itself as the more grown-up vacation destination in central Florida. With advertising campaigns like "kids grow up, so do vacations" and "grow bolder", it should be no surprise that there are many attractions at the Universal Theme Parks with height requirements.  If you're visiting the Universal Orlando Theme Parks with little ones, it's very important to familiarize yourself with the ride height requirements so you know which attractions your little ones can, and can't ride, based on their height. You'll find these helpful signs with height requirements for all of the attractions when you enter the Universal Orlando Theme Parks. Universal Studios Florida 34 inches - E.T. Adventure 40 inches - Despicable Me Minion Mayhem 40 inches - Fast & Furious - Supercharged 40 inches - Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon 40 inches - The Simpsons Ride 40 inches - TRANSFORMERS: The Ride-3D 42 inches - Harry Potter

I have discovered over the years that many people think Universal Orlando Resort theme parks are just for guests who love thrill rides.   While it is true these parks have some amazing thrill rides (I’m looking at you, Velocicoaster!), there are plenty of rides to please anyone in your party that prefer more tame attractions. Recently I took my own family down to experience everything Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure have to offer.   My son is just venturing into the world of roller coasters, but still has some growing to do.   My daughter is still a bit cautious when it comes to rides.   They both declared that they LOVE Universal Orlando Resort and can’t wait to return!   In no particular order, here are our favorite non-coaster rides that are sure to please everyone in your group.  Despicable Me Minion Mayhem :   In this awesome simulator ride you get turned into a minion! Margo, Edith, and Agnes oversee your minion training, but things get a little out of ha

Take a step back in time to the 1950s with a quick service meal at Mel's Drive-In. Located in the Hollywood section of Universal Studios Florida, this  American Graffiti -inspired 50s drive-in features oldies on the jukebox and has a fleet of vintage cars parked out front. Inside you'll find vinyl booths with tabletop jukeboxes and there's also outdoor seating options. This retro restaurant serves up classic diner fare for lunch and dinner like burgers and fries, chicken fingers, onion rings and milkshakes. You'll also find one of the 20 Coca-Cola Freestyle locations at this restaurant. If you haven't already, you can purchase a Coca-Cola Freestyle Souvenir Cup that gives you refills throughout the day or you can add an extra day of refills to your already purchased Freestyle Souvenir Cup. For guests 21 and up, Mel's also serves bottled beer.  Vinyl booth with plexiglas dividers Tabletop jukebox Outdoor seating Coca-Cola Freestyle machines On our recent visit, I