6 ways to save money @ Universal Studios

  First of all... I hope everyone gets the chance to experience this beautiful place someday. You could feel happiness radiating off the people around you... even the Slytherins. I truly believe it is impossible to walk into this park without a smile on your face! Unless it is day 3 of following your wife around The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and you have blisters on your feet. OK! On to the money saving you tight wads. 

                            1. TAKE WATER

I was in such a rush to get there on the first day that I forgot to pack our waters in my backpack. Bummer. So I paid $7.50 FOR 2 BOTTLES OF WATER. This water did not come from a glacier in Alaska so I could show up at halftime and the Mud Dogs could win the Bourbon Bowl. This water did not have any of Michael's secret stuff allowing me to beat the Monstars. This was plain Jane middle of the mall water. So, just bring some waters jugs from home or stop at a gas station outside the park. There are water fountains located by all the bathrooms so fill them up there for free!

                         2.   SHARE

When I was here in 2015, I remember loving the butterbeer with all my heart! Frozen is the best way it comes so Dillon and I ordered one from the cart outside Hogwarts castle. Within 3 sips, both of us were like "OMG, this is too sweet" and ending up throwing most of it away.

Which is extremely weird because I'm a sweets person!  That was around $7. ( Don't tell Dillon this)  I also went into Honeydukes for a chocolate frog, came out with a $10 Cauldron cake, and threw half of it into the trash shortly after. It was huge and I should have gotten something he would have actually eaten so it wasn't such a waste. This may be hard for some of you parents who are having to make children share. All I can say is good luck. Stand your ground. 

             3. BUY YOUR T-SHIRTS BEFORE YOU GO

I felt totally underdressed... People had on full costumes and I wanted my own Hogwarts robes so dang bad! But I could not talk myself into spending $120 on robes and $30 on a scarf. No, thank you. I also wanted a Jurassic Park tank top to wear for our next day but they wanted $30 for it as well! It doesn't even have sleeves! So I started looking on Amazon (that's where I found our shirts below) and there are tons of cheaper options! And don't forget to check Walmart and Target! 

                         4. STAY OFF-SITE

This is really just a preference. Some people think it is worth it to stay on-site but to me, I'd rather save the money. Some hotels offer benefits from staying on-site and what not but if you look up the difference in price, sometimes it's not really a perk, you're actually paying for it. Some on-site's give you early admission to the park but honestly, you probably won't need it, especially if you go during the off-season.  We rented a car but never really used it! So that's another way to save money. Don't rent a car... lol. The cheapest (and farthest) place to park was $25 so we Uber'ed for $8 to the park and they dropped us off right at the front gates. Our hotel also had a park shuttle but we seemed to always miss it. 

                       5. PACK SNACKS

Why I didn't put this at the top of the list, I have no idea. We spent hardly any money on food at the park! We'd have a nice, filling breakfast and stuff my backpack full of snacks. Well, not totally full because the free lockers outside the rides aren't very big! To get a bigger locker, you'd have to pay a small fee. Anyway, we went to Walmart and picked up some beef jerky, peanut butter crackers, granola bars, and Quest protein cookies! Food inside the park is outrageous so be prepared for that!

          6. PICK A DAY TO RIDE ALL THE RIDES

We paid $120 each for an unlimited fast pass for 1 day... This is another way on-site hotels will lure you in sometimes! I had some ladies in line with us one day tell us about their hotel and how they got fast passes for free by staying there! So I looked it up and they were paying at least $300 more per person than we were! Again. No, thank you. We picked one day to ride all the rides as many times as we could. Most of the rides are 3&4D and gave me motion sickness anyway so I'd say buy a fast pass for one day and do all your exploring the rest of your days! 

Happy Savings! Travel with Syd! 

Mantra for 2019 ~ Slow Down

    Ever since I was a young girl, I've been in a hurry... But I'm almost never late. Being late gives me severe anxiety. Being almost late gives me severe anxiety. Being less than 30 minutes early gives me severe anxiety... I blame most of this on my father who was constantly saying "Hurry, hurry, hurry".  Time was money to him and he didn't have any to waste.
   
     I also take pride in being on time. I feel like it is a great characteristic to have. But this isn't about being on time. This is about life. This is about comparing my timeline to others. I need to slow down.

     I feel guilty for not wanting to be a mother.  Pregnancy announcements don't excite me. I see all the responsibility and lack of sleep instead of the unconditional love people will have for their child. I think of all the experiences I would miss out on if I were pregnant or a new mother. I see acquaintances and friends on social media with their children, so happy and proud. But I cannot picture myself in their shoes. Not yet. It's just not my time. I fear that time won't come. But I also don't see why that is a bad thing. I need to slow down.

     I've also struggled with depression caused by seeing my classmates achieve their educational goals. I have never wanted something bad enough to sit through a class I absolutely did not need. I would stare out the window of classrooms and daydream about what else I could be doing. I blame this on the small town that raised me. As soon as I left and saw there was so much more to the world, I was hooked. I'm even more in love with travel now than ever. I took a different path. That's all there is to it. I decided to run like hell with my twenties instead of finishing school and starting a career. I don't want to live my life hating work and living for the weekend. I want to be genuinely happy. If I have to be a server for the rest of my life to be able to do the things I want, so be it. This is where I need to stop comparing myself to others. I live a life people would kill for and I'm starting to realize that. I need to slow down.

       A wise woman told me to stop borrowing trouble. I worry about what will happen 10, 20, 30 years down the road instead of being present. Instead of being thankful and humble, I am a nervous wreck concerning the future. Why? I have no idea. I've always done it. I'm a planner. I like to know what is going to happen. I do not like surprises. I need to slow down.

        So here I am writing this so maybe at the end of the year I can read it and ask myself if I really slowed down. Was I really present and thankful? Hopefully. Hopefully, I can be happy for people with where they are in their timeline and work on mine in peace. And maybe someone else will read this and not feel so guilty for feeling the way I feel. Life is a wonderful journey and I am so excited to enjoy this year with every inch of my free spirit. After 27 years, I am ready to slow down.

                                     HAPPY 2019 -Syd