Funny Farm in Orlando- Day 3

Day 3, our first broadcast day!

After our exciting day of visiting 4 different parks, Dave and I woke up early to broadcast live from the beautiful Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek.

When the show ended, we grabbed our sack lunches and headed out for SeaWorld Orlando.

It was a very quick drive from the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, which was nice. Once we arrived, they split us into 3 groups. Our tour guide for the day was Meredith, she was super nice, knowledgeable and a fast walker like me. We power walked the whole day! Which was great to get those extra calories off that we had been eating ;)

Our first stop was the one of a kind roller coaster, Manta!

I've had the pleasure of riding this one before, but I still had to talk myself into riding it again. You see, it's not like a regular roller coaster. When you first board Manta, you sit in it like a normal hanging roller coaster. Then, before the ride starts, the cart moves and you become parallel with the ground. As in the only thing holding you in is the harness across your chest. It is a high speed roller coaster like no other that everyone should experience. It's as if you are flying attached to the bottom of a Manta Ray.

Nate and Josie (Dave's 11 yr old daughter) rode with me. Of course Dave's arm started to hurt again at the sight of this one.

After Manta, we headed to a roped off area where we were handed some Sea Lion food. We were able to watch them from a bridge and throw the food out to them.

We had to be careful though; If we didn't cover our food, the birds would think they could come up and grab it. It's funny, a common thing you see around the park. The birds know that we are there to feed the mammals in the park, so they wait around for their chance to snag some goods.

There was a momma Sea Lion in the pool with a couple babies around. It was sweet to watch her care for them away from the other big guys feeding.

After feeding the Dolphins, our groups met up at the Dolphin Show. Oh. My. Goodness. It was SOOO Hott in there. We all were wanting to jump in with the dolphins so badly. Beer run time. 

We watched as the Dolphins did some neat tricks as well as some aerial acts- well, the humans did the aerial acts. Mostly aerial acts. There were a lot of aerial acts. If you are expecting to see a full show of just dolphins at the dolphin show, you will be disappointed. If you are okay with sharing your dolphin time with some great aerial acts, you will love this.

After the Dolphin show, we headed to some AC; it was very much needed. I think we all left puddles behind at the Dolphin show. (Sexy, I know.)

We headed towards TurtleTrek. It starts with walking into a room with an aquarium with Manatee's and turtles. There is a trainer in the room to give you all the information that you would want to know; Like, how long can a sea turtle stay under water? When it's inactive, 2 hours.

After walking past the aquariums, you go grab some 3D glasses and go into a huge room. You have a 360 degree movie screen every where you look. You join the sea turtle NYAH on their epic journey to survive. It's one that the kids will enjoy watching- and a great place to get some moments of AC. 

After TurtleTrek, we made our trek to a backstage tour. Our tour guide, Meredith, took us to see the boats and equipment that SeaWorld uses to rescue the sea animals. The picture is of Dave checking out one of the Manatees. They had a few in 2 pools in the back that had a bunch of lettuce in it. Meredith told us that an adult Manatee could eat up to 100 pounds of vegetation a day! Dave wan't impressed, he said he could do the same. Until he realized that vegetation wasn't meat.

After our backstage tour, we were able to feed the dolphins!! Any time I get to hang with the dolphins, I am super excited!! Meredith gave us the rules and we all had a chance to place our hands under the dolphins mouth and feed them. When the food was gone, the dolphins moved on to the next person, they didn't need you any more. Ha! We enjoyed putting our hands in the cold water and petting them as they swam by. Rules are given for safety, always remember that.

After a good hand washing, we headed over to Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin. I remembered this attraction being super cold, so I was happy to do this one again to cool off. It is one that the kids will love. You can either pick the Wild or Mild ride. The wild term may scare you, but truly all it means is that it might vibrate or spin a little.

You experience the wonders of life through a penguins eyes on this family ride. At the end, you will be in a room that is around 32 degrees with families of real penguins for you to see and take pictures of. No flashes though, so mine came out a bit like this

Plus I was running by the attraction fast, because 32 degrees is just a little too cold for me.

I did get another fact from Meredith while waiting. She said that SeaWorld gets about 35,000 pounds of food delivered weekly!!

You can go to a room after this one and watch the penguins swimming in a tank. I stood close to the door and admired from afar so I could warm up.

Our tummies started to growl after our long day, so we headed over to Sharks Underwater grill, where we sat at tables by an aquarium full of fish and sharks. I seriously thought that seafood would be on our menu, but it wasn't. Who knew that SeaWorld had fine dining options? I didn't! What a great way to eat well while on vacation. During the magical deal month, 75 Orlando restaurants are offering 3 course meals for $33! Heck of a deal. 

After eating the best filet mignon of my life, we headed to the Shamu show. 

We were all pretty beat and tired by this point, but we all perked up when the first splash happened. When you visit SeaWorld Orlando, it's a no brainer that the Shamu show is a must see.

One of the trainers at the Shamu show reminded us of John Slaughter. What do you think?

We had so much fun at our SeaWorld stop, and you would too! Check out the deals that SeaWorld will have during magical deal month at VisitOrlando.com/September

Also, check out www.kstarcountry.com to see how you can win a free trip to Orlando

Funny farm in Orlando Day 2- Part 2

VisitOrlando.com/September

After lunch at the Animal Kingdom, we boarded the busses to head to Universal Orlando Resort! If you've been following me on Instagram or Twitter recently, you know how excited I was to get to Orlando to see the new Diagon Alley attraction at Universal Studios. I'm a bit of a Harry Potter fan. When Hogsmeade first opened at Islands of Adventure a few years ago, I had to plan a vacation to Orlando based solely around the attraction. 

When we arrived at Universal Orlando Resort, I was reunited with my fiancé.

He was able to fly in and join just in time. In all of my excitement to see the new Diagon Alley, he decided to watch all of the Harry Potter movies before flying out, just to be as prepared as I was. 

The thing about the two Harry Potter attractions is that you don't have to be a fan of the movies/books to enjoy them. Sure, that might make it a little better for the fan that might see a motorcycle and know that Hagrid drove it, or why the muggles are excited to drink butterbeer, but it's not necessary.

The details that they have put into both of these parks is amazing. It feels as though you are walking through the pages of the book. The scenes from the movie truly come to life in these attractions. 

At Universal Studios, while in London, we said a little spell and the bricks moved away so We could enter Diagon Alley. It is quite surreal as you walk in. 

It is filled with the shops from the movies/books, each one crafted with the most specific details. 

One of the huge focal points that you see while walking around Diagon alley is the huge dragon sitting atop Gringot's Bank.

Yep! That's real fire, folks! He breathes real fire! Don't set your timer, he does it at random times as to avoid people piling up and crowding the streets to try and get that perfect picture. Sometimes he gives you a fair warning, a growl, to let you know it's about to happen... But sometimes that is just a fake out, silly dragon. 

After looking at everything in awe, we went to Gringotts Bank to ride the new attraction Escape from Gringotts. 

I can't stress how well the details are done in both of these parks. If I didn't know that these were animatronics, I would swear that Universal had put Goblins on their payroll. 

Now on to the ride! After riding Escape from Gringotts, I can honestly say I think I have a new favorite ride. If you have had the chance to experience Universal Resort in the past, I can say it's a bit of a mixture between The Mummy and The Forbidden Journey, in the Hogwarts Castle. 

First, you walk In the bank, where you see the goblins and can actually talk to them! You are then Escorted into a room, where you watch a short clip of the eldest Weasley son talking to a Goblin. You then board an elevator where you travel several miles (which seems very real) down to the tunnels of Gringotts bank. Here is where you board your cart and are led on an adventure that I don't want to spoil the surprises for. Just know, I loved it and wanted to ride a second time! 

After riding Escape from Gringotts, we grabbed some Butterbeer ice cream!! Oh. My. Sweet. Heavenly. Good. If you have a sweet tooth, grab some and eat it up! So good!!! 

After our delish treat, we headed to the scary Knockturn Alley!! 

Don't worry, we traveled into Knockturn Alley with a few guides (Connor, Megan and Todd), so none of the evil wizards messed with us. I'm positive if you travel without guides, you will still escape the evil wizards that like to hide in Knockturn Alley. 

After our quick stroll, we said goodbye to Diagon Alley and headed for King's Cross station. Oh my gosh!!! We were about to board platform 9 3/4 just like Harry and head to Hogwarts Castle! 

Watch the video above to see us travel through the wall to board at platform 9 3/4!!!! It's so cool! 

Check it out!! Ahhh, it's the Hogwarts Express! When you board, each person is put into a cabin (or berth), for our journey. Each cabin fits around 8 people. Nate and I rode with all the Brits in our cabin. Do you know how much more real that made the experience?! Haha, I had to tell them that. On board, you would think you would see Universal outside on your journey, but you don't. As you ride the train, which is really moving, you are watching a film that shows your journey from London to Hogsmeade, or vice versa. Truly every detail here is amazing! 

We arrived in Hogsmeade and departed the train. Our first adventure was the dragon challenge, where adventurers mount one of two dragons as they chase each other. Each roller coaster is a different ride, so it's good to try each. 

We then went to Hogwarts castle just to walk in and enjoy the creativity and massiveness of the work. Inside the castle, you'll find the forbidden journey ride. If you're prone to motion sickness, just enjoy walking in the castle in this one and sit out the ride. 

Since we didn't ride, we had a little extra time. The tour guides asked if we wanted to ride Jurassic Park since it was nearby... Duh!!! Like a little kid, I was jumping with excitement, another one of my favorite rides. Yes, you get soaked, but that's what the ponchos are for. 

Luckily, we had a little time left and with 3 guides we were able to split up. The brave were able to ride The Hulk, while the weenies went to shop. Take a guess which group I was in and which Dave was in? ;) maybe we should change his name to not so Brave Dave.

After the Hulk, we walked to Universal City Walk to meet our groups for dinner at Vivo, a new Italian Restaurant on the city walk. 

The staff was so nice!!! I enjoyed our dinner so much. After traveling and waking all day, around 4 parks, we were tired and very hungry. Everyone left with nice round bellies and smiles on their faces. 

Did you know during magical deal month, 75 restaurants in Orlando are offering 3 course meals for just $33? How awesome! Eat well while on vacation! 

Check out VisitOrlando.com/

Something that I love about Universal Orlando Resort is that if you stay on their property, you can walk everywhere or ride a boat! It's all together and easy to access. So much to do on the city walk as well! You don't have to leave the property if you don't want to. Stay here for a few days and then travel on to stay at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, where they will take you to any of the Walt Disney World Parks! Great deal :) 

On to day 3 tomorrow where we went to SeaWorld Orlando.

Funny farm in Orlando- Day 2- Part 1

VisitOrlando.com/September

On Sunday, Dave and I had the pleasure of enjoying 4 theme parks in one day!! Wow! We hustled and bustled and packed in 11 rides! Well, I did. For some reason Dave's shoulder always seemed to start hurting when we were about to ride a "scary" ride. Luckily, his 11 yr old daughter is much tougher than him and I had someone to ride with before Nate showed up. 

We started our day at Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom... Before it opened!! Oh my gosh! Do you understand how awesome it was to walk through a closed Walt Disney World. I felt like this little girl all over again... 

That's 1990 something me excited to be at Walt Disney World. I was kind of like that times a jillion, on Sunday. 

We headed straight for the brand new Seven Dwarf Mine Train, in the New Fantasy Land. While here last year, Dave and I were peaking behind the fence to see what they were building. It was neat to come back a year later to enjoy the experience. 

The cue has a few neat features to enjoy while waiting in a long line, including a game for the kids to play with. It's almost like playing on an iPad, but a very large one. You play with jewels in the water in it, very fun for the kids. 

A little further down the line, are seven barrels of jewels that you can spin. Can you guess why seven? ;) 

When you spin the barrels fast, one of the seven dwarfs will pop up on the ceiling. 

After playing with everything, we experienced the new Seven Dwarf Mine Train Ride. It has a new technology that allows the carts to sway back and forth. It was a fun, fast and smooth ride. Even the most timid rider will end up loving it and wanting to ride again. At least that's what Dave's 10 year old daughter said. 

Another new ride that is part of the new Fantasy Land is the Journey Under the Sea ride with The Little Mermaid. What a treat I happened to be wearing my Ariel shirt, because she's pretty much the best. 

This ride puts you in a seashell as you travel under the sea to hear the story of the little mermaid. They literally broke down this whole movie into about a 2 minute ride. You hear many of your favorite songs from the movie, including "Under the Sea", "Kiss the Girl," and Ariel's "ahhh ahhh ahhh...." As she's losing and retrieving her voice. I can't spell it, but if you know the movie, you get it. 

By now, Walt Disneyworld Magic Kingdom had opened and the lines started to form. This is why coming during September is ideal, NO LINES! Fewer crowds and save yourself money. You can't beat that, plus throw in the cooler temperatures too. 

After the Magic Kingdom, we boarded the bus to go to the Animal Kingdom. We went into the back entrance right to the Expedition Everest attraction. This is for the thrill seekers!! The ride is a thrill roller coaster, with some surprises. *Spoiler Alert* you go backwards and in the dark quite a bit- this scared me! My ride partner, Josie- age 11- closed her eyes the whole time, but still said the ride was awesome. 

After we survived Expedition Everest, we headed to Kilamanjaro Safari. On this ride, our group loaded into the vehicles and drove around the trek to see wildlife of Africa. Still trying to decide if the rhinos or elephants were my favorite to see? Or was it the hippos? Very neat experience. 

After seeing the wildlife, we stopped in for lunch. During our lunch, many of the characters were around to take pictures with all the guests. They dance with us, had a party and made lunch very fun. We ate from a buffet of different choices. It was a way to sample a little bit of everything. It was tasty and you could have as much or little as you'd like. 

After lunch, we headed to our bus to say goodbye to our tour guide Heath. Our next trek was off to Universal Orlando. I'll get to that in Part 2. All the news about the new Diagon Alley coming up in Part2 :) 

PS. Here's a dwarf statistic for you. Did you know only one in seven dwarfs is Happy? Haha

Here's a preview 

Keep tuned in to Kstar Country for your chance to win a free trip to Orlando! Visit kstarcountry.com for full details and a chance to enter. 

Funny Farm in Orlando- Day 1

VisitOrlando.com/September

It's no secret, Orlando is one of my favorite places in the World! Yes, I've been several times, but you truly need to go many times just to see it all. Visit Otlando tells me 67 days to see to all! We all know about the main themes parks, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World, but there is truly so much more. That's where Visit Orlando comes in handy! 

Our first day started with very early flights out of Houston... With a very loud baby and a rambunctious toddler sharing a seat in front of us. Luckily we all had our own personal tvs on the united flight and I caught a few episodes of "How I Met Your Mother" and "The Goldbergs."

As soon as we arrived to the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, we all hit up the Harvest Bistro to eat! Dave of course had a steak, I went for the chicken BLT with a cup of fruit. 

After lunch, we headed to the rooms to change and get ready for the Ducktona 500 race at the pool. 

The pool here at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek is awesome! Lazy river, slide, zero entry, HUGE, free towel use, bar service... What more do you need! You could spend a whole day relaxing here! 

Here's Dave cheering on his duck to win... Which was actually more close to being the last duck. 

Mine's in there somewhere, go number 14!!!! 

After a day at the pool, myself and Dave's family got all spiffy to head down to Eddie V's for a tasty dinner! We were greeted with glasses of wine and ate from a wonderful buffet of salmon, steak, shrimp, oysters and more. They even had a cheese cake with Oreo crust.... Calories don't count on vacation! 

Not only was the Food great, but the view was awesome too! We had dinner outside with a beautiful lake view. Here's Dave's family enjoying the night...

No pictures of me, so how about a Saturday hotel selfie? Haha

It was a wonderful day and we had a beautiful sunset to end the day on the ride back to the hotel 

The next day, we traveled to 4 different parks!!! Walt Disney World, Walt Disney Animal Kingdom, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. I'll get to those in two parts tomorrow :) here's a preview... 

Fire.. Diagon Alley... Oh yeah... 

Wedding Dress Help!!

The last 2 months have been full of crazy wedding planning! (With a 30th birthday thrown in).

I never thought that I would be planning a wedding. I am now addicted to pinterest! I am positive that I can be the Macgyver of wedding decorations.

We have our date and location set-- don't worry friends and family, the save the dates are on the way when I get back from Orlando. Although we have big mouths and can't wait to share this time with you, so you already know. Ha!

One thing everyone has been freaking out on me is the wedding gown. It seems like no one can believe that I haven't stepped foot in a store to look yet. I'm 8 months away from our big day, is that something that I need to do now?

I am so lost on this wedding dress thing! A-line, strapless, ivory, white, mermaid, sweetheart... and what the heck is Tulle??

Kstar Country, I need your help! What kind of dresses do you like?

Alfred Angelo has a Disney Collection. Who doesn't want to be a pretty princess on their day?

I mean this dress was made for girls to be like Cinderella!!!

This is a newer one from the Disney Collection. I think it was meant to be for Ariel.

Is this A-Line?? I'm so confused!

I googled Rustic wedding and these came up. What are these styles? 

What kind of dress did you have/ want for your wedding? Help me figure this wedding dress thing out.