I've only been here two times (and oddly only two times to the Cali location as well)--once when my…read moredaughter was little and once during a work trip. I enjoyed walking around, people watching, eating junk food, taking in rides, etc. with work friends. As you can imagine, it gets pretty crowded especially in the summer months. It's fun for families and adults alike.

So let me start by saying the park itself is great, but the overall experience isn't anywhere close…read moreto what you get at Walt Disney World. First issue was early entry. We were told to go to Universal Studios Florida, but when we got there, we were redirected to Islands of Adventure. Once we got over there, the line was absolutely nuts. It took about 30 minutes just to get through entry, and the whole process felt disorganized compared to Disney, which runs this kind of thing way more smoothly. Second, the photo pass system was a big letdown. We bought it thinking it would be similar to Disney with lots of photo opportunities throughout the park. Not even close. I think we found maybe three spots total. Even when meeting characters, those photos weren't included; we had to use our own camera, which honestly made no sense. Total waste of money. Now, on the flip side, the Express Pass was hands down the best part of the trip. Since we stayed at one of the resorts, it was included, and it made a huge difference. In my opinion, this is actually better than anything Disney offers right now. That part you all absolutely nailed. The staff we interacted with were friendly and helpful, so no complaints there. The layout of the parks can be a little confusing at times, but that's not a dealbreaker, just something to be aware of. Overall, we did have a great time. The girls had an absolute blast, which is what matters most. We mainly went for the The Wizarding World of Harry Potter areas, and those definitely lived up to the hype. Would we go back? Honestly, not sure. Glad we went, but there are some things that would need to improve for us to choose it again over Disney.

Fun Spot America is a long-established business here in Orlando, Florida that can appeal to both…read morethe tourists and those of us fortunate enough to call Orlando home. It is nostalgic coming here and a great place to bring kids. Think like an old-school carnival or fair that is here year-round and you are just scratching at the surface. I would definitely recommend here. Go check it out and indulge the inner child within you.

I recently brought two students here for a field trip and we had a good time overall!…read moreWe purchased tickets through Groupon for $62 (regular price is $69 for unlimited rides), which I think is a great deal considering how much they were able to do. I also liked that there's no entry fee for non-riders and you can purchase rides à la carte. I ended up paying $12 for a go-kart ride and LOVED it We got there around 12 PM and it wasn't crowded at all. The lines were super short, so the students were able to ride things 3-4 times with no problem, which made it even more worth it. One of the best deals was the all day dining pass (you have to buy it online). For $24, you get 2 meals and a snack, which is a steal compared to the regular menu prices. Our first stop was Cluckees where we had tenders, wings, and fries. The portions were HUGE and everything was tasty, especially the fries. None of us could even finish our food! For our snack, we grabbed ice cream. The kids loved it, but it wasn't my favorite. Later, we went back to Cluckees for a chicken sandwich and fries for dinner. This time it wasn't as good as earlier. Maybe a different cook or just an off moment. We didn't spend time in the arcade and stayed mostly outside. The park is a pretty decent size with plenty to do. Even as the day went on and traffic picked up, it never felt overly packed. The staff was friendly and very laid back, which added to the relaxed vibe of the day. Overall, it was a good experience. The kids really enjoyed it. I'd give it a 3.5. Btw I think there is a bee problem there. I saw bees flying around often. Not enough to ruin the experience, but I definitely noticed them.

When I consider the Universal park I'd like to visit again, this would be my first pick. There's so…read moremuch we didn't get to experience due to sharing the day between two parks. Jurrasic Park, Superheroes, Harry Potter, and classic cartoon characters are the standout themes here and the rides are made for older kids and adults. The park closed at 9p and I loved how you could get in line up until that time versus them closing entry early. Next visit we will consider the ride passes. It was an obvious difference in waiting time. SO expensive though, even without this add on. We'll be back Orlando!

So let me start by saying the park itself is great, but the overall experience isn't anywhere close…read moreto what you get at Walt Disney World. First issue was early entry. We were told to go to Universal Studios Florida, but when we got there, we were redirected to Islands of Adventure. Once we got over there, the line was absolutely nuts. It took about 30 minutes just to get through entry, and the whole process felt disorganized compared to Disney, which runs this kind of thing way more smoothly. Second, the photo pass system was a big letdown. We bought it thinking it would be similar to Disney with lots of photo opportunities throughout the park. Not even close. I think we found maybe three spots total. Even when meeting characters, those photos weren't included; we had to use our own camera, which honestly made no sense. Total waste of money. Now, on the flip side, the Express Pass was hands down the best part of the trip. Since we stayed at one of the resorts, it was included, and it made a huge difference. In my opinion, this is actually better than anything Disney offers right now. That part you all absolutely nailed. The staff we interacted with were friendly and helpful, so no complaints there. The layout of the parks can be a little confusing at times, but that's not a dealbreaker, just something to be aware of. Overall, we did have a great time. The girls had an absolute blast, which is what matters most. We mainly went for the The Wizarding World of Harry Potter areas, and those definitely lived up to the hype. Would we go back? Honestly, not sure. Glad we went, but there are some things that would need to improve for us to choose it again over Disney.

Hearing about it or seeing pictures is one thing, but being there in the middle of the buildings…read moreand shops is spectacular. This is a section you can spend only a little of your time in or it might be where you spend the bulk of your time. That likely depends on how many of the shops and restaurants you want to visit in the area. You may also be fans of the magical wands and making things move in the windows. I really enjoyed seeing the pages of the book come alive as well as several visitors, dressed in robes and other Harry Potter themed clothing. This is a fantastic spot for picture taking as well. It does get quite crowded in certain areas so hold onto your patience and enjoy the experience.

This is in the London section of Universal Studios Florida. When you're coming out of the King's…read moreCross Station you can see the triple-decker purple night bus, and Stan and the shrunken head are there - turn around. The unremarkable brick wall where it looks almost like you're heading to the loo is where you'll want to enter (we walked right by it the first time). It's all wet on the grounds here... turns out that's key to something later. Yes, it's wider and bigger than the one in the movie, part of that for safety reasons, I'm sure. Diagon Alley has a loop around (particularly if you're getting in the early line for Escape from Gringotts) that loops you around and there are stores from the movies and books - colorful shops are selling wizarding souvenirs and toys, and the Gringotts bank at the end of one street with a full-sized dragon that breathes fire about every 10min (look for sounds that spell it starting to grumble and burst into flames) from the roof of Gringotts. That's probably why the area is wet - to keep flame from causing issues. Second gen wands in kid's and adult hands summon things from the windows and fountains, Leaky Cauldron eats, butter beer (frozen is better!), and the Weasley Wheezes shop and Honeydukes were both here and packed. Only one ride here - Escape from Gringotts (I don't count the train next door, I suppose from King's Cross to IoA), and there's a nice touch with the small alleyway beside Leaky Cauldron that leads you to Knockturn Alley with a mermaid skeleton, giant skulls and random movie paraphernalia and swag you can buy like t-shirts and skulls. Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour has excellent ice cream - probably the best in all of the park. Definitely a beautiful and true-to-the-movies representation (on an amusement park scale). Too bad only one ride here but there are multiple opportunities to immerse into the world with food, treats, shopping, the Knight bus, Olivanders, the money exchange, dragon, ice cream, Leaky Cauldron, and more treats.

Colorful, full of life and BUSY! This location is a Nintendo fan's dream, but be aware that…read moreeveryone wants to visit. There are interactive areas, 3 rides, 1 hidden attraction, lots of food and character experiences and tons of photo-ops. Shoutout to the amazing Team Members with the characters, they have some serious crowd control jobs and offer great moments with Mario, Luigi, Peach and Yoshi. I do miss Donkey Kong and TOAD and I hope they return soon.

We definitely felt dropped into a Mario Bros / Super Nintendo game or movie. The space, while…read moresmall, is colorful and contain the elements you'd expect to see - Yoshi, boxes to hit for sounds and points, mushrooms, Bowser, etc. Even the gift shops are fun with their apparel and character accessories. (Did a Yoshi hat come home with us? Yes, yes it did.) This space will not be appreciated by everyone - not because we don't love Mario Bros but because it is small and full of people in every corner. It offers a few attractions and it is a huge commitment to stand in line for a short thrill. We did ride Bowser's ride. It allowed for single riders. It delays regularly though - in our case a cart had to be removed and replaced on the track. It involves a lot of technology the way the game is designed. Our family of 4 did not understand the game at all and how we even gathered points. Thankfully we didn't stand in line as long and wouldn't recommend anyone else does. Sadly the other rides were not part of our day due to the lengthy wait times and in the case of Donkey Kong, so backed up that the single rider line was closed. We witnessed a lot of happy kids running around and tapping question marked boxes. Even for my older teen / adult children they stood in the space and smiled while they took it in. It was the first place they wanted to see upon our arrival.

Dezerland Park Orlando is a cool kinda auto museum action/video mall. Ther is of course the auto…read moremuseum l, but there is bowling, an arcade, bumper cars, go carts and trampoline place. There are also shops, bars and some food as well. Nothing special, but a food time if you are a car geek or if you have kids. Everything is individual priced. Oh, they also have Lazer tag. Life hack for the drinkers out there. O07 museum bar has happy hour from 2- 4 daily. It is to the right when you walk in either door. They have $5 specialty drinks during happy hour and they are really good.

I used to love bringing my little one here as she loved Jump start but today we found out while…read morewalking up that it is permanently closed. Dezerland does have bowling , arcade games , indoor go karts and axe throwing places as well and is fun for all ages ! If you are a car fanatic , you can pay to Browse the large antique collection of Cars which is also really cool. Prices are starting to climb here so for me, I'd prefer main event or Dave and busters for the money spent here.

Another "go big or go home" Orlando destination spot for tourists, complete with its own eye (The…read moreWheel). The entertainment complex has a variety of restaurants ranging in price , including my beloved Shake Shack. There are shops, an aquarium, was museum, arcades, live music, illusion museum, and several other places on the twenty acre complex I'm not sure about parking other than knowing it's free. I usually walk over from my hotel when in town for conferences. It's something to do in evening after sitting all day listening to speakers.

The Jacksonville Fun, Eats & Drinks crew recently took a midweek day off for a day trip to Orlando…read more Did we go to the house of Mouse? Nope. We wanted to so something a little different so I poked around online and ended up buying a combo deal for attractions in ICON Park which is in the center of I-Drive. You can find it on Google Maps by clicking HERE. The bundle I bought us had admission for The Orlando Eye which is the huge observation wheel, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum and the Sea Life Aquarium. There's a huge parking garage which is $20 for the first 3 floors but free for the 4th floor and up, so of course, we parked on the 4th floor. There's a ton of food options between walk up and sit down joints. We picked a Mexican joint called Uncle Julio's. It was good for the price and location. Nothing super special but again, good for the price. Our day hit a bump in the road when we walked over to the attractions entrance. A guy named Malcom met us, I showed him my email receipt and he immediately said "oh, the Eye (the observation wheel) is down today". At first, he said they'd have to refund the 3 attraction combo ticket I bought, then I'd have to go online and re-buy a 2 attraction ticket. I didn't get upset or anything. I just calmly said "wait. Y'all can't help me with that right here?" and he said "give me a minute, let me see what I can figure out". To his credit, he really did have to jump through some hoops. The system was trying to force "surge pricing" on the transaction because of how busy they were and he was just trying to take care of a customer. I feel bad for a lot of customer service workers these days because their hands are so tied by some of these point of sale systems. He kept at it though and found a way to get the price down to what I would've paid if I'd just bought the 2 attractions a few weeks ago instead of 3. So again, huge shout out to Malcom for going the extra mile and overcoming a system he shouldn't have had to. We ended up having a fantastic day around Icon Park and I will share a separate post about how much fun we had with a test run at Ripley's Crazy Golf. I just really thought the customer service we received from Malcom was worth a post of it's own. A version of this review originally appeared in the Jacksonville Fun, Eats & Drinks Facebook group.

Old school (pre Disney) Marvel comics, ride, and stores in Islands of Adventure in Orlando…read more Lots of comic book themed colors and designs here, good for those who are historic comic fans and the meet & greets here looked like fun if busy lines. The Hulk coaster, Fearfall wasn't on when we were there, and the Spiderman 4D experience. End of the day could've used some cleaning, someone had thrown up or really lost a meal on the ground, no one out there cleaning it up...

Marvel Super Hero Island is located at Universal's Islands of Adventure. It's off to the left side…read moreas soon as you enter the theme park. This area opened in 1999 and is themed from the comic books! All of the buildings in the area have the comic book style architecture and has features themed from iconic Marvel Characters. I really liked how the buildings have special chrome illusion paint. Depending on where you view the building or at a different angle, with specific lighting, it changes how the buildings look! It's pretty cool. There are variety of theme park rides in Marvel Super Hero Island. The Incredible Hulk Coaster: This is a super fast ride! It goes from 0 to 40 mph in just two seconds! The ride can reach up to 67 mph though and has a variety of inversions! The Amazing Spider-Man: This is a 3D dark ride. It's a slow ride though! It combines motion simulation and special effects to immerse you in the ride! You'll get to see Spider Man and a few villains from the series! Doctor Doom Fearfall: This ride is a drop ride. You'll be launched up to close to 200 feet in the air! I try to avoid this ride though. Drop rides are a little scary for me! Storm Force Accelatron: It's a spinning ride. It's based on the X-Men series. You're helping storm defeat Magneto! There are a lot of Meet and Greets in this area! Last time I was here, I saw Wolverine and Captain America! You can also see other superheroes like Spider-man or even villains such as Doctor Doom or the Green Goblin! If you're looking for dining options there is the Captain America Diner, and some other quick service options like Aunt Anne's! There are some stores you can shop in for Marvel merchandise which offers collectible, toys, apparel and so much more! My mom and I spent a few hours at Marvel Super Hero Island. It has a lot of attractions and stores!

Out of both Minion attractions, this one was the better one. My mom is a fan of The Minions, so we…read morewanted to try both out. This was pretty cute, but I didn't feel it was worth the wait. Especially since there were lots of screaming little ones. If it's 30 minutes or less of a wait, I would definitely recommend trying it.

This is a cute ride if there's no wait. I hadn't ridden this in years. It no longer has the 3D…read moreglasses, but the ride experience was not negatively effected. It's a great ride for entire families. I would not recommend if the wait is over 20 minutes unless you're only here one day and have small kids that can't ride much.

I went to the Gator Spot located inside the Fun Spot in Orlando. I just wanted to check out the…read moregators and hold one and they are open most of the day. I was exhausted from a full day of travel the night before but their hours were flexible for me to be able to stop in on my free time. If you are just going into the gator spot you can skip the ticket counter and head right over to The Gator Spot. Staff working the gift shop have a window that opens to the entrance where they will scan your wrist band (admission is free with fun spot wrist bands). Admission just to the Gator spot is only $6. I purchased that and the option to feed the gators. I wish they had pointed out the Ultimate admission offer that you get admission, a photo & feeding for a discounted price - I did end up purchasing photos as well as some fun stuff in the gift shop. Everyone I encountered working at the Gator spot were so friendly & sweet. They have 4 alligator enclosures, photo ops, tortoise, monitor lizard & bird enclosure. It is a small are but exactly what I was looking for. I was able to feed the gators fish while going in the enclosure and posing in the pit for a photo. They had baby alligators, yearlings, 5-6 year olds and one really large guy in his own pin. At the photo area you can hold Cheesecake an Albino Alligator or Grumpy a feisty little female gator or a python. I waited for my opportunity while the photographer did some photos of the family ahead of me. It was pretty comical watching the reactions of people when they get held the animal or freaking out asking why the live animal is moving while they hold them. There was no one after me so I asked if I could get a photo with Cheesecake & Grumpy so I could make my mom a Mother's Day Card. Cheesecake was a very calm gator with very beautiful intriguing eyes, she is very mellow and would be good for those unsure about holding one. Grumpy on the other hand had been feisty all day according to the worker. She was moving and wiggling around. The group in front of me jumped up and asked why she doing that when she started wiggling. I don't know if she just liked me or if she could sense how awesome I thought this was but she was so calm when I held her, she even closed her eyes while I had her. The worker was surprised at how still she was for me. This was such a great experience and the staff was so friendly. This was a great small stop to see some gators without having to spend a lot of money or being short on time. I would highly suggest checking out if you are passing through the area.

Had some time before leaving Orlando and wanted to see some FL gators. Looked up some places and…read morethey were all far from me and found this jewel on Yelp. I called to make sure it was open since the reviews are old and sure enough it was. The place was in Fun Spot and it's a collab between gator land and them. For only $6 a person, you can get an all day pass to access gator spot and see a live feeding show, not only that but you can touch a gator and ball python snake and take pictures. I don't think you have to buy it but we did for $20 just to remember our time here. You can also feed them with alligator food you can purchase. I really enjoyed seeing the many alligators they had and the baby ones too. They have white albino one that's pretty cool. Then there is "big nasty" the biggest of all there. My fam and friends all had a good time and it was def a FL experience seeing these ancients beasts.