Universal Studios Florida – Day One Adventures!
From a red-eye landing to storm-soaked sneakers, our first day at Universal Studios was packed with rides, superheroes, butterbeer, and pure magic—jet lag didn’t stand a chance.
After a red-eye flight from San Francisco, we touched down in Orlando at the bleary-eyed hour of 4:50 AM—tired but buzzing with excitement for our Universal Studios adventure. A quick Lyft ride brought us to our hotel, Stella Nova Resort, where we grabbed an early breakfast and soaked in the neon space-themed vibe of the lobby. Our room wasn’t ready yet (not surprising at 6 a.m.!), so we checked our bags and headed straight for the parks—adrenaline > jet lag.
Thanks to early park entry, we started the day at Islands of Adventure, and it was magic—low crowds meant practically no wait times. We walked on ride after ride, hitting some big ones before most people had even finished their hotel coffee. Then we hopped aboard the Hogwarts Express (an experience in itself!) and headed over to Universal Studios for more thrills.
Midday, we met up with the Daraban clan and Csilla, and the energy doubled. With a full squad, we tackled more rides and laughed our way through the afternoon. When our room was finally ready, we returned to Stella Nova to unpack, take a quick swim, and regroup.
Evening brought a return to Islands of Adventure for a special treat—dinner at Café 4 with the Superheroes! Just as we were making our way there, a Florida storm exploded out of nowhere. We were completely drenched by the time we arrived (shoutout to soggy sneakers), but the dinner and character interactions totally made up for it. The kids (and let’s be honest, the adults too) were thrilled to meet some of Marvel’s finest.
As the storm passed, the crowds thinned and the park felt like our own. We rode everything we could, soaking in the cooler evening air and that surreal theme park glow. The night ended in true Hogwarts fashion with a projection and fireworks show lighting up the castle. The final surprise? Hufflepuff won the house cup for the day! (Go Farris family—we’re proud Hufflepuffs through and through!)
We returned to Stella Nova, tired, soggy, and smiling, already dreaming of what Epic Universe might bring tomorrow. Day one was a blur of butterbeer, rides, superheroes, and storm clouds—but it was the best kind of blur. Universal, we’re just getting started. 🌟🎢🪄
