Orlando for Back-To-School Vacation

Orlando for Back-To-School Vacation

The back-to-school vacation has always been a fun time for Joel and me to bond after the long summer holiday activities. We always find a way to document all the events that we engaged in on every city we visit and find a way to dedicate it to Glam2Greatness. For this year’s Labor Day, we decided on a fourteen-hour road trip to Florida from Maryland, with the intention of enjoying every sight along the way.

When deciding on where to stay as we planned our trip, we wanted a family-friendly resort that will put us very close to all the thrills and attractions of Orlando as well as a place that is relaxing, with a great swimming pool, a tennis court and has other engaging activities for Joel. Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas in Lake Buena Vista was the perfect place for all these.

While a few other places provided all these recreational activities, Sheraton Vistana came up as our number one preference because its condo had a lot of space which made our short stay more relaxing and enjoyable. Our condo sits across from the lake which gave us a breathtakingly stunning sight from our living room. The villa is known for its renowned bar and grills, Zimmies Kitchen, and we couldn’t resist not having the breakfast. There’s also a marketplace inside the villa and every spot had a complimentary WiFi.

When it came to picking the theme park, our preference had always been both Walt Disney and Universal Studios—but on this trip, we went with Universal Studios because Joel had read the complete Harry Potter series, and was so intrigued and fascinated by all the characters. So he insisted we visit the new Wizardry World of Harry Potter. After purchasing our tickets, we drove straight to Lake Bueno Vista and jumped into the action of exploring all the studios in the theme park.

Our first stop was, of course, the Wizardry World of Harry Potter. As soon as we got to the door, we were asked to put our belongings in a safe. Thereafter, we went through the towering castle gates after waiting outside for about half an hour. We then made our way down the passageways and the corridors of Hogwarts School of Wizardry where all the wall frames start speaking when you stare at it.

As we proceeded on the long line, we got to Joel’s biggest sources of fascination in the book, such as Dumbledore’s office, the Gryffindor common room, and the Defence Against the Dark Arts Classroom. We later took an elevator and found the long-awaited ride. We immediate jumped into the fast car with our mind made up—ready to soar high on a roller coaster ride with Harry Potter and his friends in one of the most unforgettable rides of our lives.

The ride was filled with so many adventurous thrills with ground-breaking, state-of-the-art technology. It was more than magical and one that needs to be experienced by anyone who’s not afraid of heights.

One of our favorite moments on this trip, I must confess, will definitely be all the rides in the Universal Studio. I wasn’t expecting all the magic that accompanied the rides but it was all worth the very long drive to Florida. I’ll keep you updated on our next trip.