Vacation 2016: Universal Studios FL & Walt Disney World

   Our trip started off on September 11th at Disney Springs for dinner and a little shopping...

   The weather was wonderful and some of the Halloween decorations and treats had made their way throughout the shops. That was nice to see since we would be missing the Magic Kingdom decorations that Disney is known for... We also had dinner at Ragland Road - an Irish restaurant that serves delicious food.

   The window displays were fantastic - so many household items I wanted to purchase... I would have gone bankrupt if I didn't have better self control!

   Click HERE to see my vacation haul.

   On September 12th we spent most of our day at Universal Studios... We were so excited to experience the park, as well as explore the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! You can see that part of our trip by clicking HERE.

 

   While in Universal Studios we enjoyed rides such as Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls - which was absolutely fantastic, even though the line was long and super humid. We also admired all the characters and figures around the park, like Optimus Prime! It was fantastic and I will definitely be returning.

   Then, on September 13th, we spent our morning at Animal Kingdom...

"Tree of Life"

We went on the Kilimanjaro Safari and got to see and learn about a lot of endangered species - I snapped so many pictures that they couldn't all fit in one post, even with being on the safari before!
   I feel that since my last visit (which was back in 9th grade), Disney has added even more education on the importance of protecting animals, and conservation in general, throughout the experiences withing Animal Kingdom.

 Expedition Everest was a ride I hyped up in my head from memory of loving it so much the first time I rode it... And it lived up to my memory! It is not only a great rollercoaster ride but a really pretty ride due to the great views of the park you get to see.

   We also rode Kali River Rapids and I didn't get as soaking wet as I remembered but it was still refreshing and a lot of fun.

   We ended our Animal Kingdom visit by hiking around all the trails and then went back to our hotel room to rest and freshen up... That evening we went to Epcot, but knew some rain was headed our way. Luckily, most of Epcot's attractions are indoors - the only potential "inconvenience" is walking from attraction to attraction outside while it rains.

   Sadly it was more than just rain and the hurricane had arrived early... We only got to experience two or three indoor attractions, but it was still pretty nice! Especially since we got to see manatees and ride Soarin' - which I HIGHLY recommend... The rain just makes me excited to go back and re-experience the park in all its glory.

   We ended our time in Florida a day and a half early because of the storm and headed home, making a 24hr stop in Virginia Beach to have a bit more downtime and some toes-in-the-sand moments.

   It was a lovely trip and I cannot wait to plan another visit in the future... I hope you all enjoy these glimpses into my vacation!

xoxo Elle
NOTE: Check out my Vacation OOTDs by clicking HERE.