DIY Butterbeer at Home!

Walking into the Wizarding World at Universal is a dream come true for Harry Potter fans, as the streets of Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade transport you into the pages of the beloved books. And one of the things that makes the experience complete for many people is the famous Butterbeer. This buttery sweet drink is one of the most popular snacks on Universal property and since we can't currently be in the parks, I wanted a way to bring the magic of it home and this DIY Butterbeer recipe was born!
 

This recipe is easy to whip up in your own potion classroom (aka your kitchen) and wizards both young and young at heart are sure to love it! All you need are a few common dessert items and a hand or stand mixer. The drink base is made by combining cream soda, caramel flavor and butter extract. And the delicious, cloud-like topping is a mixture of heavy whipping cream, butterscotch, marshmallow and powdered sugar. Together they create a tasty Butterbeer fit for the magical world!

Ingredients:

2 liters of cream soda (chilled)

1 tsp of caramel flavor

1 tsp of butter extract

1 cup of heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup of powdered sugar

1/8 cup of butterscotch topping

1/8 cup of marshmallow topping

Directions:

1. Pour heavy whipping cream into a bowl and use a hand or stand mixer to whip until it becomes fluffy and creates stiff peaks.

2. Gently fold the powdered sugar, butterscotch and marshmallow into the heavy whipping cream, then whip once more until it once again creates those stiff peaks.

3. Very carefully add the caramel flavor and butter extract to your 2 liter of cream soda and stir.

4. Pour some of the soda mixture into a clear glass or mason jar and top with the cream mixture.

5. Enjoy!

If you'd like to see a video of the first time I whipped up this potion (along with a blooper of why you should be careful when mixing the soda ingredients), you can find it on my Facebook page and after you have tried out this DIY version and are ready to compare it to the real stuff at the Wizarding World, I would love to help you plan your perfect Universal vacation! You can email me at sheena@ropedroptravel.com for your free personalized quote today.

 

Your Guide to All Things TapuTapu at Universal's Volcano Bay

 

If you haven't taken a Universal Orlando vacation in a few years, you may not know that they currently have 3 parks for you to enjoy! There are the classic theme parks Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, but did you know that Universal Orlando also has it's own water theme park called Volcano Bay? It has a beautiful Polynesian style theme with the Krakatau Volcano at it's center surrounded by 19 attractions and over 30 experiences, but what makes Volcano Bay really special is the TapuTapu wearables! I took my own trip this past summer to see what the fuss was all about and here is what I learned that these waterproof devices can do.

1. Virtual Line

All of the Volcano Bay water slides and raft rides utilize a Virtual Line system. That means that while you are waiting your turn you can float the Lazy River, grab a bite to eat or check out other areas of the water theme park. To get your spot in the Virtual Line, look for the kiosk labeled with the attraction's name close to the ride and tap your TapuTapu device on the symbol below the screen. This will start a countdown and when it's your turn, your TapuTapu will vibrate telling you it's time to return to that ride.

2. Interactive Experiences

All around the park, you'll find TapuTapu symbol pads that activate some unique surprises. They can light up caves, spray water or cause the Tikis around the park to do silly things like burp and squirt water. The kids especially love looking for these play experiences, so if your little one is iffy about the wearable I suggest pointing them out when you first enter the park, giving them a great reason to leave their TapuTapu on!

3. Walletless Purchasing

Using the Universal Orlando Resort app, you can attach a credit/debit card to your Volcano Bay tickets and TapuTapu, then use it to purchase food, drinks and souvenirs throughout the park. And you can also create spending limits for each guest in your party and keep tabs on their spending throughout the day! That way your wallet can be hidden safely away in the hotel room or a Volcano Bay locker.

4. Lockers

Speaking of lockers, Volcano Bay offers 4 different locker areas around the park. And when you rent a locker, your TapuTapu becomes the key! Just look for the kiosk to choose your locker size, tap your TapuTapu on the symbol and your locker will magically open for you. And you can assign up to 4 TapuTapus to the locker so multiple people in your party can access it throughout the day.

5. Snap Photos

Everyone loves a good selfie and with the beautiful setting of Volcano Bay, who wouldn't want to capture a pic or two? But there is no need to pull out your phone when you have your TapuTapu! Just look for one of the TapTu Snap Photo Spots, tap your TapuTapu and let the kiosk take the picture for you. It will then be uploaded to your user account on the app (the same one you used to set up your credit card) and from there you can view, purchase and share your photos. Any photos taken in Volcano Bay will also connect to your My Universal Photos pass!

So now that you know what a TapuTapu can do, how do you go about getting one? It's actually very easy! Everyone who goes to Volcano Bay will receive one free of charge when they scan their park ticket at entry. Then when you leave for the day, just deposit them in the drop boxes on your way out.
 

Want to experience the fun of TapuTapu for yourself? I would be happy to help you plan your own Universal Orlando vacation! Email me at sheena@ropedroptravel.com for more details.

Understanding Universal Orlando's Ticket Options

Have you thought about taking a trip to Universal Orlando to see the Wizarding World but got overwhelmed by some of the lingo? Then this is definitely the blog post for you because we are going to break down Universal's ticket options into easy to undertand bites.

The first thing you need to understand about Universal Orlando is that it's actually made up of 3 different parks. You have Universal Studios where you will find blockbuster themed rides like Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, Fast & Furious Supercharger, The Simpsons Ride and Harry Potter's Wizarding World Diagon Alley. Then you have Islands of Adventure, Universal Orlando's second theme park where you will find attractions like Jurassic Park River Adventure, Caro-Seuss-el, The Incredible Hulk Coaster and Harry Potter's Wizarding World Hogsmeade. And last but not least, Universal Orlando has an amazing water theme park called Volcano Bay where you will find the aqua coaster Krakatau, Maku Puihi raft rides and way more splashy fun!

This means that when you are looking at multiple day tickets, the first part of the ticket will say either “2 Park” or “3 Park”. If you not interested in checking out the water theme park, then you want your tickets to say 2 Park as these are only good at the theme parks, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. But if you want to see all three, then you want to make sure to choose the 3 Park tickets.

The next piece is all about the parks' location. Unlike other places, the theme parks at Universal Orlando are side-by-side. The entrances to both Universal Studios and Island of Adventure are within walking distance of each other with only a strip of nature separating the sides of the theme parks. And then at the back of the parks, they are connected by the Hogwarts Express train which connects both sides of the Wizarding World and acts as your transportation from one theme park to the other. Then the water theme park, Volcano Bay, is across the highway from Islands of Adventure and is over by Universal's Prime Value resorts.

This makes it very easy to park hop and check out parts of both theme parks in one day! Or you could hit up the water theme park in the morning before going to the Wizarding World for the afternoon. And this is where the Park-to-Park portion comes in. If you choose a ticket that says “Base Ticket”, then you will only have access to one of the parks per day. But if you go with the “Park-to-Park Ticket” option, then you can visit multiple parks in the same day. This Park-to-Park Ticket is also the only way you will be allowed to ride the Hogwarts Express, so if that is on your bucket list for your trip, make sure to upgrade your tickets to this option.

The last thing to note with Universal Orlando tickets is the differences between purchasing multiple day tickets and single day tickets. Many times families decide to add a day at Universal to their already planned Orlando vacation, so there are single day tickets available in both 1 Park Base Ticket form and in 2 Park Park-to-Park Ticket form. However, because Volcano Bay is not one of the main parks at Universal Orlando, access to it is only available with the purchase of a 3 Day Base Ticket or a 2 Day Park-to-Park Ticket. So if the water theme park is on your wishlist, this is something to keep in mind while you are planning your trip.

And as always, if you would like some help understanding the ins and outs of planning your dream Orlando vacation, I invite you to send me an email at sheena@ropedroptravel.com. I would be more than happy to help you make it the most magical vacation ever!

 

Understanding Universal Orlando's Dining Plans

 

Whether you are a Harry Potter fan or are just looking for a Florida park with more thrills, Universal Orlando could be a great option for your family. But they do things a little differently from other Orlando parks you may have visited, and one of those examples is their Dining Plans.

Universal Orlando's Dining Plans are all about flexibility! If you are visiting Universal Orlando as a day guest, you'll have the option of adding on one of two dining plans, the Universal Dining Plan – Quick Service or the Universal Dining Plan – Quick Service + Coca-Cola freestyle® Souvenir Cup. Or if you are spending multiple days at Universal and staying at one of their onsite resorts, then you also have the option of adding on the Universal Dining Plan. So let's break down what each plan means.

On the Universal Dining Plan, you will receive 1 full-service meal (1 entree, 1 non-alcoholic beverage and 1 dining plan dessert), 1 quick service meal (1 entree and 1 non-alcoholic beverage), 1 snack and 1 non-alcoholic beverage per day you purchase of the plan. With the Universal Dining Plan – Quick Service, you will receive 1 quick service meal (1 entree and 1 non-alcoholic beverage), 1 snack and 1 non-alcoholic beverage per day you purchase of the plan. And then the Universal Dining Plan - Quick Service + Coca-Cola freestyle® Souvenir Cup is similar to the Quick Service plan, but instead of the 1 non-alcoholic beverage, you will receive a souvenir cup that you can refill for the whole day.

But that's not where you options end! At Universal Orlando, you can further customize your dining plan by choosing the exact number of days you want to use the plan. So say you are planning a 4 day trip to Universal. You could go all out and purchase 4 days worth of the Universal Dining Plan for each of you, or you could get a bit more flexibility by purchasing only 2 days worth of the plan per person and splitting it up over you trip. You could use 1 of your full-service meals and 1 snack on the first day, then use 1 quick service and 1 snack on the second day, do your second full-service and 1 of your non-alcoholic beverages on your third day and finish up your trip with your last quick service and final non-alcoholic beverage on the fourth day. The possibilities are endless with the exception of one item, the Souvenir Cup. If you only purchase 1 day of the Universal Dining Plan - Quick Service + Coca-Cola freestyle® Souvenir Cup, then your cup will only be good on that first day that you use it, so if you pick it up from one of the Coca-Cola freestyle® locations on Day 1 of your trip, you will not be able to use it on Day 2 and so on.

All in all, while the Universal Orlando Dining Plans may sound a bit more complicated, they are actually set up to give you more control over your vacation. So the next time you are thinking about exploring Orlando and possibly diving into the Wizarding World, shoot me an email because I would love to help you get the most out of your Universal Orlando vacation!