It was only a year ago my husband and I were planning a trip to Universal Orlando Resort. Universal Orlando is home to three theme parks featuring Harry Potter, Minions, Jurassic Park, The Simpsons, Transformers, Marvel superheroes, and many other Universal Studio based movies and characters. There is a big kid inside of me that still enjoys make-believe, thrill rides and being silly.
I specifically chose this time of year to visit, because one of the theme parks is transformed to Halloween Horror Nights. After the sun sets, the entire theme park turns into a haunted house experience, with full blown sound, lights, special effects, costumes, and realistic makeup. Not only do I have a big silly kid inside of me, but I’m a fan of horror movies and absolutely love Halloween.
Just when we didn’t think the trip would gather any more anticipation, we learned our friends were taking an adult getaway, at the same time, without their twin teenage girls. We extended an invite to the twins, and they were thrilled to join us for the epic adventure. We don’t have children of our own, but the girls have grown up around us. Their addition was sure to double the fun!
Day one started with a water ride. The line was short, and Orlando was hot during the time we visited. What a “cool” way to start the day. The anticipation of getting wet made me anxious and giddy. I recall getting off the ride and all four of us were laughing and comparing who got more drenched. It was with that first ride where I realized I wanted to keep this feeling alive all day, and we made sure we did. We met each ride in perfect time, minimizing our wait and keeping our adrenaline pumping.
The next day was full of more exhilarating rides, perfectly timed lines and the anticipation of Halloween Horror Nights. After finishing an early dinner, we purchased Halloween themed shirts from the gift shop to wear to the event. I felt like a girl scout donning a newly earned honor badge. Upon entering the park, we were immediately greeted with chainsaws and life size skeletons running amok. It was dark, loud, eerie, and absolutely everything we imagined. Screams of laughter followed by huddling close together. This was only the first 10 minutes of entry. I kept thinking to myself “Let’s keep this fun flowing. Absolutely nothing was going to keep us from this moment right here, right now.”.
Throughout the night, we played chase through haunted houses, park attractions and drank Halloween themed concoctions in glow-in-the-dark glasses. The joy was overflowing, and time flew by quickly. As the saying always goes, time really does fliy when you’re having fun.
This year we’re experiencing a whole new way of life with COVID. The theme parks are open at low capacity, character appearances are minimal, and Halloween Horror Nights is cancelled. I will forever treasure the timing of experiencing the event in 2019. Best of all, it worked out that we could share it with the twins. In my heart I know future adventures await, and timing will work out perfectly.
If you love Halloween as much as I do, be sure to find some fun this year, and let the big silly kid inside you shine. Share ideas of how you will make the best of Halloween 2020 in the comments below.