Travel Leaders Network held their 2021 International EDGE Conference at Universal Orlando Resort this year. There was much to learn and experience, which I will divulge in a future article. Our attending VAX team Joe, Becky and I, along with almost 1,000 travel advisors and suppliers, had the amazing opportunity to take to a portion of the parks on the first evening of the event. We had access to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ and some of the Jurassic Park.
We started our adventure into the park with a delicious frozen Butter Beer. It’s smooth, sweet deliciousness ultimately provided a few brain freezes for me. It was a beautiful night and as we entered this was the view we enjoyed. The first ride we decided on was the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™, which I was advised was a nice easy one to get things started. There is a lot of thrill in this ride with plenty of motion stimulation in a 3-D/4-D experience. I screamed the whole way through the ride as my companions laughed at me.
From there we headed into the Jurassic Park area and wandered over to the Raptor Encounter. While we knew full well Blu couldn’t get us, it was a freaky and fun experience all the same! You truly feel like you are deeply placed in the land of raptors!
While we were in Jurassic Park, Joe wanted to be sure to take the opportunity to experience the new Jurassic World VelociCoaster. Becky and I were very apprehensive about riding it . As we walked up to the opening of the ride, our decision was made for us. While it looked amazingly safe, the rise and drop sealed the deal for that night. Joe enjoyed the ride with Fernando, from Universal Parks and Resorts Vacations, and we watched from a safe ground level.
The evening ended with one last ride on our way back out Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure™. Since we ran into another rider and we became uneven, I let them all pair up and I enjoyed networking with a few travel advisors while I waited for them.
All in all, we enjoyed such a magical, mystical and thrilling evening all provided graciously by Universal Orlando Resort! Whether you enjoy the thrill rides or enjoy the feeling of being there, we could all truly say it was wonderful and we were grateful for the opportunity.
What is your favorite ride or experience at Universal’s Islands of Adventure?
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