When I was in Florida just before the new year, my dad let me have free-reign on whatever I wanted to do. We used to go to the Morikami Japanese Gardens a lot when I was younger (it’s a great place to take kids!) but I hadn’t been in a few years, so I was excited to go back again. I’m not sure how excited my dad actually was but he tagged along without complaint.
Growing up in Florida, I definitely took our yearly (sometimes more) visits to Disney World and Universal Studios for granted. Even now, it’s crazy to me that some of my friends haven’t experienced the joy of getting a photo with my favorite mascot, Mickey Mouse. Now that I live about 14 hours and 700+ miles north, I look back on my theme park memories fondly as I haven’t been back since I graduated from high school.
My last trip to Universal Studios was about a year after the opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter which was, and still is, wildly popular with young, old and everyone in between. Highlights of the experience include Hogwarts up on the top of the hill, Hogsmeade, and the Hogwarts Express.
