Greetings from a fantastic Monday here at the Universal Orlando Resort. It’s going to be a rainy day today in the parks, so grab your poncho and umbrella and let’s make our way over to Universal Studios Florida first.
Mondays have been busy the last few weeks and the rain did not stop the crowds today.
The “Free Wand” promotion has returned again to Universal Orlando, but there’s been a price increase. With the purchase of a merchandise gift card with a minimum of $295, you qualify for a free non-interactive wand. This promotion has slowly increased in price, but always for a non-interactive wand, unfortunately. They should really consider offering an interactive wand with this deal.
A Halloween Horror Nights façade has appeared. “Welcome to Scarey: Horror in the Heartland” was on the Halloween Horror Nights speculation map and now we’ve spotted a sign for the house. You can take a closer look here and read about other houses that have been confirmed for this year’s event.
Food lines were long around the park today, for restaurants and snack stands. At least the lines seem to move quickly.
The lines for Butterbeer were crazy in Diagon Alley this afternoon.
Monsters Cafe seems to often be overlooked by guests, so we stopped in for a quick lunch. The cafeteria-style ordering line moves quickly, and soon we were dining on a BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich in our favorite themed restaurant.
The clouds were rolling in quickly as we made our way over to Islands of Adventure.
Even though it wasn’t raining, outdoor rides were closed due to the lightning in the area.
Whether it’s 1 Fish, 2 Fish or VelociCoaster, some guests choose to line up and wait for attractions to reopen.
The few attractions that remain open during bad weather have high wait times. Caro-Seuss-el had a 40 minute wait.
The bypass bridge hasn’t been open very long, but it’s already looking in rough shape.
Inside Thunder Falls Terrace, we noticed Roasted Pernil and Chicken and Roasted Pernil have been added to the menu. We can’t wait to try it! We recently enjoyed the Prehistoric Wings and we’re big fans of the Rice Bowls, especially the jackfruit option, so we’re looking forward to the Roasted Pernil.
Bone Chillin’ Beverages in Jurassic Park had been offering corn dogs for a while, but now they’ve switched to just drinks and chips. You can get a frozen slush with alcohol here or a bag of chips for $3.49.
The calm before the storm.
That’s all for this visit to the Universal Orlando Resort. Thanks for joining us around the parks today and make sure you stay tuned to Universal Parks News Today for more updates!