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Tips for Visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in LA

February 8, 2019

We spent a glorious and magical Saturday at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in LA a couple weekends ago as well as exploring the whole Universal Studios Park and enjoyed it very much! It had been years since we had been (since we were kids) and while the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was our main attraction and why we went, we ended up really enjoying the rest of the park too. After a full Saturday at the park, I made a mental list of all the things I’d recommend if you’re making a trip there yourself so here are my best tips for visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

Go early and do the most popular rides or later in the evening around 6pm.

It’s best to either go early in the morning or later in the evening as mid-day the park is at its busiest. We found that doing the rides we really wanted to do first thing in the morning or after 6pm had the shortest wait times. For example, we did the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride inside the Hogwarts Castle (which is the best Harry Potter ride) with only about a 15 minute wait in the morning right at opening and then again after 6pm. During most of the day, the wait was 65-75 minutes so it’s worth timing it appropriately so you’re not waiting around all day. Instead, do the rides you want in the morning and evening and spend the rest of the day wandering around the park itself.

The Mummy and Harry Potter castle ride were the best.

In the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, there are only 2 actual rides: the Forbidden Journey and the Roller Coaster. The roller coaster is meant for kids so it’s pretty lame and super short and really not worth the wait. But the Forbidden Journey was amazing and totally worth it; we even did it twice! Outside of the Wizarding World though are a bunch of other rides. Our second favorite to the Harry Potter one was the Mummy roller coaster. I had no expectations and it blew us away and was super cool.

Use credit card points to buy your park tickets.

It can be expensive buying a bunch of tickets, even for just a day, to Universal Studios, especially for a family. We ended up using our Chase Sapphire points to buy our tickets and we ended up spending like $60 out of pocket for both of our tickets when they are usually over $100 per person for a day pass.

Even if you get early entry, nothing is open until the actual opening times.

You can buy early entry passes to the park but the stupid thing is, that basically all that gets you is early entry into a park that’s closed. You can get in line for rides early I guess, but overall, it’s not worth the extra money. They open the gates about 30 minutes before opening anyways and we found it was totally fine doing that and had no issues.

Food is cheaper (and better) at Citywalk than in the park.

We ate at the Three Broomsticks in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and paid $54 for lunch which was super overpriced. That same night, we ate at Vivo, the Italian restaurant at Citywalk right outside the park and paid $60 for 2 dinners, appetizers and wine. The food is overall better and cheaper at Citywalk than in the park but some of it is the experience so determine which is better for you.

Stay at one of the hotels in the park.

We stayed at the Hilton at Universal City and it was well worth it to have easy and quick access to the park.

Cheaper to stay without a car than to park at park or hotels.

We took a Lyft from LAX straight to the hotel in Universal City and didn’t rent a car which saved us quite a bit of money. If you can do this, it’s worth it as the hotel and park parking rates are fairly high.

Easy to do the whole park in a day.

It’s easy to do the whole Universal Studios park in one day, especially if you look at what they have before hand so you know. I would also recommend getting a map first thing out so you can figure out your schedule. We started in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, then went to the lower lot for the Mummy Ride, then had lunch in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, then did the Universal Studios Set Tour, followed by the Waterworld show. Then we went back to the hotel for a few hours to rest and came back around 6pm to finish the evening in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter again. That was a good schedule for us and granted, we didn’t do the Simpson area (we’ve never really been fans) or the Despicable Me area (mostly for kids) but we would easily have had time to do so had we wanted.

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Where to Eat Breakfast in Honolulu

January 30, 2019

Honolulu is a big city and a tourist hot spot so naturally, there are more than enough restaurants to go around. But over the years of visiting (and living in) Honolulu, I’ve come up with a favorites list for breakfast specifically depending on what type of morning meal I’m looking for. Here are my favorites spots for where to eat breakfast in Honolulu on your next trip to the Islands!

Koko Head Cafe

This spot has been on my list forever and I finally tried it on my trip to Hawaii in December and it is well worth the hype it gets. It’s out of the tourist area so you’ll have to drive or Uber here if you’re staying in Wakiki, but the food is so incredible you’ll definitely want to make the trek. Their Cornflake French toast is perhaps the best thing I’ve ever eaten for breakfast… ever. You’ll probably have a wait here, but it’s worth it.

Hula Grill

When you want a gorgeous Waikiki view for breakfast, this is your spot. Located in the Outrigger Hotel, this spot is your go to for Macademia Nut Iced Coffee and Acai bowls as well as full breakfasts like omelets. It also boasts one of the most beautiful views in Waikiki of the hotel pools and the ocean. Go early or make a reservation here though as it gets crowded!

Original Pancake House

This is a local spot where you won’t get a lot of tourists but if you’re in the mood for pancakes, this is the place. I’m partial to their crepes and thin Swedish pancakes here but whatever you get, you’ll be impressed. You might have a short wait here but they move through pretty fast so it’s worth it to hang out and be patient.

Honolulu Coffee Company

Want a does of Aloha with your morning coffee and pastry? Then this is your spot. There are a few locations around Honolulu but the Honolulu Coffee Company is perfect for a light breakfast in true Hawaiian style.

Zippy’s

And if you really want to eat where the locals eat in Hawaii, Zippy’s is your spot. Basically the Hawaiian version of Denny’s, Zippy’s is the local spot for breakfast that everyone visits. Their grilled cornbread is pretty great so don’t miss that.

Fly Away with Me to Oahu, Hawaii : A Video

January 28, 2019

It’s become a bit of a tradition in the last couple years that Nick and I escape the cold weather and chaos of the holidays and spend a week around Christmas in Hawaii with my parents. This year, we flew over to Oahu on Christmas Day and came back New Year’s Eve and it was such a fun and relaxing week in the Islands. I love Hawaii in December, the crowds are lower, the weather cooler and it’s a really nice break for us before coming home and diving into the New Year. We spent our week this year eating good food, flying the drone and taking in scenic spots around the Island. All in all, it was low key and relaxing, just what a week in the Islands should be. While we didn’t take many photos while there, we did get a decent amount of video so today we all get to fly away to Hawaii together in this recap video of our time this Winter on Oahu. Enjoy!

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An Ode to the Travelers…

November 9, 2018

A few weeks back on our way to New Orleans, I found myself sitting in my window seat high above the world, giddy with excitement about traveling again after several months without anything but traveling for work or to see family. The trip was our first in a long time just the two of us, myself and Nick, headed somewhere to explore, to wander. And as we flew into San Francisco (we had an overnight stop there on the way to NOLA), the clouds opened up, the city and water below were shining like I’ve never seen it before. I could make out every single area of San Francisco and the way the light was hitting it as I watched this scene unfold high above in the air was simply magical. I realized I had a huge smile on my face just experiencing it, a feeling of pure joy that made my heart soar. In that moment, I thought to myself how that feeling, that pure bliss of the idea of travel, of moments when you feel you’re in the exact right spot at the exact right time, that is a feeling that my fellow travelers and I know so well. It’s what makes us who we are, it’s what makes our lives have purpose.

Without travel, without exploration, I wouldn’t be who I am. And no matter what’s going on in my life, travel is what makes me whole. I know so many of you reading this are probably thinking the same thing, knowing that just the mere act of going somewhere sets your soul on fire. Seeing new things, hearing new languages, eating new foods, travel is the way we live.

We are the travelers, the people who find peace on a long flight with only the clouds below, who would fly around the world even for a day to experience something new. We are the ones who find ourselves smiling for no apparent reason other than just the pure joy of traveling and experiencing a destination, the ones who sacrifice other parts of our lives to follow our passion for our world. We are the ones that have stood at the top of waterfalls under the midnight sun and just stared in awe at this great planet, we are the ones that find ourselves in a tiny back alley of Paris just smiling at the sound of French wafting around us and cobblestones under our feet. We are the ones that come alive when we step off of that plane, the ones that hobble together a few phrases in a new language, the ones that dream in vibrant color of the world we call home.

We are travelers and today I’m celebrating all of you out there that are nodding along to this post. All too often our passion for travel gets grouped into being irresponsible or overindulgent. All too often our passion for seeing the world gets frowned upon or pushed aside. But at the end of the day, travel for us isn’t something extra to spend our money on, it’s what feeds our soul and gives us life. So to all my fellow travelers, may we never stop exploring and may our feet always be restless for our next adventure!

The Hardest but Most Important Life Lessons I’ve Learned

October 15, 2018

I’m turning 32 today while in New Orleans, indulging to my heart’s content in beignets and Southern food. But as I celebrate another birthday today, I can’t help but think about all that this past year (and all the years before) has taught me, all the life lessons and all the growth to get to that next year in my life. This year has been an interesting one for me, full of changes both good and bad. But as I look back on this past year and ahead to year 32 of my life, I thought I’d share the hardest but most important life lessons I’ve learned, the things that I wish I would have known 5 or 10 years ago and the things that perhaps might shed a little light on where I’ve been and where I’m headed.

Not Everything is Meant to Last Forever

I learned this lesson a lot in this past year – not everything is meant to last forever. That can apply to so many things in your life, sometimes it’s a relationship, sometimes it’s a friendship, sometimes it’s a career. In my case, I realized more than ever this year that professionally some of the things I’ve been working on aren’t meant to be long term and that’s totally okay. Realizing that and being ok with it, will ultimately help you figure out your next move. Some things are meant for a season of your life, others are meant to last forever. And either way, each one will have a lasting impact on you and knowing it’s ok to move on from some things and leave them behind can make all the difference.

It’s Okay to Say Goodbye to Friendships

I’ve realized over the past couple of years that as I get older, I am much more aware of what is good for me in my life and what’s not. One of the things I’ve really re-evaluated over the past year is the people I have in my life. Some friendships have outgrown themselves and no longer offer a balanced relationship and it’s okay to say goodbye to some friendships or people in your life or just realize that those relationships will be different going forward. People and relationships change and that’s totally ok.

Change is Good – Embrace It.

I’ve always been very open to change but I realize that it’s a really hard thing for a lot of people. Honestly, if you can be open to change and embrace it, it opens up so many roads you never thought possible. I’ve had a lot of life stuff change this year, sometimes very quickly, and instead of crying about it and moping around, I’ve actually embraced it and looked at it with the glass half full about how it might bring more into my life. In that, I’ve been able to be really excited for all the possibilities ahead!

Don’t shy away from what you know is right for you.

To be honest, this year I let myself get steered into what other people wanted out of me in both my professional and personal life. I didn’t always stand up for what I knew was right for me and that’s definitely on me. But going forward, I’m back to being unapologetic about what I know is right for me and what’s not. For example, for a number of reasons this year, we decided to travel differently and I knew early on that it just wasn’t working for me or bringing me what I really needed out of travel. So going forward, I’ll go back to what is best and right for me and won’t shy away from it. Apply this to any area of your life and it will be well worth it.

Learn to say No – without the guilt.

This was perhaps my biggest lesson of the year and one of my goals on January 1st – learn to say no and not feel guilty about it. I had taken on a number of things in my life this past year that I didn’t have time for or didn’t have a passion for. All that changed this year as I’ve learned to say No and not feel guilty about it. You don’t have to do everything or be everything to everyone and the sooner you realize that – the happier you’ll be!