Trip Report: Epic Universe + HHN + Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (Orlando, FL) 9/14-9/20/25
So stoked to be back in Florida! This trip was extra special because it was mine and my partner's first trip anywhere together in a year. We got to go to HHN for 3 nights, which is less than we usually go. I was struggling with anxiety and health issues but still accomplished a lot! My favorite houses of the year are Terrifier, Dolls: Let's Play Dead, and Hatchet & Chains: Demon Bounty Hunter. Even better, we got to meet up with new friends and run houses together. The downsides to this year is that the vegan options are lacking, the shows are too similar from years' past, and the merch sold out crazy fast. My second trip to Epic was great- I got to ride the two rides I missed last time, Stardust Racers and Curse of the Werewolf. Stardust's green track was especially amazing at night. We rode everything in the park except Dragons Racers Rally, plus some things multiple times! I can't wait for Universal to add Epic to annual passes so I can go more often- next trip I hope to do more character meet and greets so I can meet Toad and Ygor! Mickey's Not So Scary was cute and fun as always. We did Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Small World, Winnie the Pooh, People Mover, Seven Dwarves Mine Train x2, Space Mountain x3, and Tron x3. I was most excited for Tron because it had a red overlay/Nine Inch Nails soundtrack to celebrate the upcoming sequel Ares. It's a small change but it added a lot to the ride! I might be back in October to spend Halloween in the parks and I'm very excited!

Trip Report: Knoebels (Elysburg, PA) 8/9/25
Will write this soon!

Trip Report: Six Flags Great Adventure (Jackson, NJ) 7/28/25
Lately I've been prioritzing trips to Universal/Disney, so this was my first time at a smaller regional theme park in almost a decade. My lovely friends decided to elope at Six Flags and we got to tag along as witnesses. It was a really special day! Our trip was on a Saturday so we expected crowds, but when we arrived at opening we came into a nearly empty park. We started our day on the Joker coaster and breezed through the line. We made a beeline to what almost all of us consider to be our favorite coaster, El Toro. We went on 4 times, most of which we're in a row because the ride operators allowed us to stay on since there was no one in line. El Toro was one of my first coaster memories and it was definitely a gateway ride for me. ... to be continued!

Epic Universe Preview Trip Report 4/9-4/10/25

I got the opportunity to preview Epic Universe before it offically opened to the public in May of 2025. Part of me was worried that I was overhyping this park because I've been following construction updates for years but this park truly blew me away. One of my biggest gripes with going to any Universal parks is the lack of cohesion and seeminly random placement of IP's. However, Epic Universe felt thoughtfully made with expertly placed sightlines so you could feel truly immersed in every land. I was most excited about the classic Universal monsters land called Dark Universe and it did not disappoint. The marquee attraction of that land is a thrilling dark ride called Monster Unchained which I loved and rode 13 times during my visit. Super Nintendo World felt so true to the properties it represented and felt so joyful to be inside of. The Isle of Berk, themed after How to Train Your Dragon, was wonderous and fun to experience. The coaster of the land, Hiccup's Wing Gliders, is a great gateway coaster for younger childern. Wizarding World Paris was spectular as feel. The land's only ride is Battle at the Ministry. During my preview, the only way to ride it was to try to secure a spot in their virtual queue system. As a theme park enthusiast, I'm used to virtual queues but this one was buggy and I couldn't grab a spot the whole day. After I failed the last VQ drop of the day I decided to wait outside the attraction and ask people if they had an extra spot in their group. Thankfully the first people I asked had an extra spot for me! I got to bond with the folks in line over cats and our shared love of haunts. The ride and queue was terrific and truly pushes theme park tech forward. I feel truly blessed to have experienced the park so soon and it just made me fall in love with theme parks even more. Since it was a preview, some of the rides and elements of the park weren't open. This included some of my most anticipated rides, Stardust Racers and Curse of the Werewolf. I'm hoping to return in September if not sooner to experience some of what I missed!