All Work And No Play – Halloween Horror Nights 27 – Take A Break

1 Comment

Remember when Joey put The Shining in the freezer so he could stay safe? I’d be willing to bet this year’s Halloween Horror Nights 27 would scare the pants off of him. The Shining is just one of the heart-stopping haunts you’ll find waiting for you at Universal Studios Orlando. This year there are 9 houses, 5 scare zones and let’s not forget Bill and Ted’s farewell tour. Like every year it is a can’t miss event so keep reading while I tell you about my favorites and moments you can probably skip.

Tim and I visited Halloween Horror Nights 27 about two weeks ago and were frightfully amused by the evening. Being a huge fan of Blumhouse I couldn’t wait to get inside the Horrors of Blumhouse haunt. Tim was as always itching to see what they did with American Horror Story. It seems however that each year our favorite house is one of Universal’s original ideas (or intellectual properties as they call them).

Halloween Horror Nights 27 Houses

Horrors of Blumhouse

It seemed to me they tried to fit way too much into this house. It was still scary and Insidious and Sinister were spine-chilling, by far the scariest house of all. However, I could have gone for a house with just Sinister all the way through. Don’t skip this one by any means, but be prepared to take in a lot all at once.

The Shining

You know what they say about all work and no play and they are keeping Jack busy. So busy in fact he’s about the majority of the scares in this house modeled to look like The Overlook Hotel. We see the twins, the woman from the bathtub, Wendy and more of the characters but there is a ton of Jack. I personally could have done without this house but Tim really liked it. I think if you are a big fan of this book or movie it is one of those magical moments to see the hotel come to life. Universal did a fantastic job with the decorating. I just think they spilled a bit of blood…

American Horror Story

14 rooms of memorable frights. They cover a few seasons in this house, I believe Coven, Roanoke, and Asylum. This house is always a favorite because of the way they bring the story to life. I felt like I was inside that Roanoke house in more than one moment. It’s the one house where I can’t look away from the scares, even jump scares. No matter how much they freak me out I want to see if they nailed the room or the costume. Of course, the creative team at Universal Orlando always does.

Dead Waters

This is an intellectual property created by the team at Universal. I wanted to do this house twice and so did Tim but there wasn’t time. The house sinks and the floor will get soggy y’all! It’s a Voo-Doo style house so if this isn’t your cup of tea you might want to sit it out. Plenty of skulls and chanting.

Scarecrow: The Reaping

If you aren’t terrified of scarecrows like Moi this may not bother you as much as it did me. Basically, these scarecrows come up from the earth and scare your pants off. I don’t like bag headed creatures of any sort that are meant to scare away birds. No matter how they are supposed to look they give me goosebumps. Remember in Jeepers Creepers when the lady says “That’s not my scarecrow.” I lost it. One of the scariest movie moments for me. The scarecrow house is all depression era with the dirt and the sadness. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

These are the houses I think you should visit if you must choose. A few people have asked me about Saw and I’ll just be honest and say I think they took a wrong turn with this one. It wasn’t a favorite of mine. I didn’t find it especially scary or interesting to look at. However, my friend loved it so please make educated decisions after reading your map or the Halloween Horror Nights 27 website.

Scare Zones

As you walk through the park you find yourself stalked by the scareactors in each scare zone. Some are better than others. This year they did such a good job and it is hard to choose which to venture through. I would not miss The Purge and please leave yourself time for an auction. Just trust me. It’s something I’ll remember forever. After that, I personally love Trick r Treat with little Sam. I mean what isn’t to love about that rule following demon? He and his friends will kill you if you don’t follow the rules of Halloween so be sure to brush up before the day comes. Invasion! is a can’t miss creative masterpiece. An absolute work of art. Not as much scary (okay kind of scary) as it is impressive.

Bill and Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure

Although I’ve recently been hard on our good friends Bill and Ted I hate to see them go. But they are leaving after about 26 years. I’ve been lucky enough to see a large percentage of these shows and it’ll be a shame for their hijinks and hit music to move on. Make sure to leave time for their farewell tour which I promise isn’t all about Donald Trump, which I feared. He’s part of it but not all of it. There are many other phenomenal pop culture icons to enjoy and a special video at the end.

I’ll never stop stressing the importance of Halloween Horror Nights Express so that you can get the most out of your evening. These lines get to be 120 minutes+ long. If you have the ability gather a group of friends and do a private tour, that’s the best way to see the park. Even better, purchase a Frequent Fear Pass so you can visit over and over throughout the month and a half the event is open. It is worth every penny.

I look forward to Halloween Horror Nights every year and Halloween Horror Nights 27 is no different. I was in no way disappointed and I don’t think you will be either. Go into each house with an open mind and a deep breath and be prepared to scream, jump and be scared. I certainly was.

*Thank you for the tickets Universal Studios!

Orlando’s #1 Recommended Child Friendly Halloween Event

This isn’t all the entertainment you’ll encounter. Unfortunately Spencer and Jason are too old to dress up, or so they say, but you can participate. They are in it for the candy and the Disney goodness. Space Mountain on a 15 minute wait? Yes please!!!

I personally love the adorable photo opps throughout the park. Any chance I can get a few extra pictures thrills me. Look at these pumpkin shots and the M&M guy is simply too much. You can find the M&M guy and bronze statues off to the right of Main Street when you first walk into the park. The pumpkins are inside Cosmic Rays. There are a few to choose from.

Purchase your tickets to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween before it sells out. Don’t forget to get your spot for the Boo To You Halloween parade early and same goes for the Hocus Pocus show. You can arrive at Disney a few hours before the special event begins and that way you’ll be able to eat or get a few rides in. Don’t forget to stay hydrated. Have a great time.

*I’d like to thank Disney for the tickets in order for me to provide a review.

Adventure Island Water Park Tampa Bay’s Destination For Fun In The Sun

Adventure Island Water Park Slides – Look Out Below

Get ready to fly down some slippery slides when you spend your last week of freedom at this Tampa Bay water park. Jason and Tim had the chance to ride a few of these numerous times and had huge fun. Rafts need to be carried by hand as the park doesn’t offer mechanical service at many slides.

Aruba Tuba – This is the tube slide where you ride on a double raft with a buddy. Have fun with plenty of dips and spins!

Colossal Curl – Jason actually freaked a bit on this slide because of a specific drop. He had a blast with Tim and they both said they thought they’d flip over in the bowl. Both agreed looks can be deceiving on this wet roller coaster ride.

Riptide – Are you competitive? So many people in my life are including Tim. Riptide is a mat ride where you can race against your closest friends! This slide isn’t just a flat ride though, you also get to do hairpin turns inside a tube! Fun times. P.S. Tim beat Jason

Waves, Rapids And Splashes Oh My

In case you aren’t much of an adventurer there are many other attractions to make the price of a ticket to Adventure Island water park a good value. Many moms find a chair and just chill out in the sun and take a dip in one of the pools here and there. This is considered a fantastic day they told me! Or if you have little kids there are special places just for them as well.

Endless Surf – Waves upon waves will knock you down if you relax in the shallow end of the Endless Surf, Adventure Island’s wave pool. Of course you can swim out into the deep end, but then you’ll only experience a brief surge of water. We learned a long time ago that the shallower you get the more fun you’ll have. If you can bring one of the small chairs into the shallow pool that’s a great way to cool off.

Paradise Lagoon – This is an old fashion watering hole of sorts. A large pool with a a few slides and an area where people can literally just jump in from a high place. It sounds simple and it is, however Jason asked to jump in about 10 times before we had to leave for the day. There are other fun activities in the lagoon as well so keep an eye out.

Splash Attack – Little bitty kids will love to play here. Slides, water toys (think huge water canons) nets to climb and more are offered to all guests for fun. And every so often you’ll get oh so drenched so keep your eyes peeled!

Adventure Island in Tampa Bay was a fabulous pre-surgery treat for Jason. He had to miss out on a lot of activities this summer and enjoying this small but attraction packed water park helped. A few things to remember, Adventure Island does not allow outside food of any kind. Lockers are available in the front of the park for a minimal fee. Shaded seating is available for rental but sells out quickly. I recommend bringing water shoes as the ground does get a bit slick. Also don’t forget your sunscreen but if you do they sell it all over the park! Have fun!

The Kinzie Hotel – A River North Hotel In Beautiful Chicago

1 Comment

Last week Spencer and I visited my sister in Chicago to see Aladdin in the theater district. While there we stayed in an ultra urban River North hotel. The Kinzie Hotel has windows sweeping nearly floor to ceiling. Located right next you can find the famous Harry Caray’s. It’s also just a five minute walk to the theater district. Or in my case a very inexpensive Uber since my shoes were not comfortable.

Stay In The Comfort Of A River North Hotel – The Kinzie Hotel

I’ll admit the lobby was a bit confusing because it wasn’t the typical large desk greeting. We walked in and there were small office desks set up and we were afraid we’d stepped in to the real estate side. We were checked in quite quickly once a host became available. The entire lobby staff was friendly and helpful. But on top of that they were fun. Jason offered us a lot of suggestions for things to do, places to eat and see and I can’t wait to visit him again. The bell hop gentleman were always laughing and making the lobby feel warm.

Speaking of the lobby, it is quite small but comfortable. Art is the big draw with all different mediums hung throughout the lobby and hotel. If you pay attention you’ll even see a life size horse. I’ve included pictures of my favorite pieces which includes their lighting. If you are in the area you should come in and take a look.

The Kinzie Hotel was another one of the hotels that I deem “too cool for me” but I still loved every second of our one night stay. We kicked back in the King Suite on the 4th floor. The room is more than spacious enough for 3 or 4 people but the pull out sofa may only hold one adult comfortably. The sitting area was a full sized living room with gorgeous windows curving across the walls in both rooms. Although the view is mostly of other buildings it is still mind-blowing when you have never seen a city like this. Spencer thought it was absolutely the coolest thing ever that there was a button on the wall to control the shades.

Motorized Window Shades – Don’t Forget To Use Them

The bathroom offers H2O products which are one of my favorites. I’ve purchased them myself many times. If you really want to relax the shower has two shower heads and strong water pressure. The towels are fluffy soft and there are 2 robes with the King Suite. But don’t forget to put one on before you walk out into those open windows. I wrapped up in a towel and then realized hundreds of eyes could be on me!

One of my favorite features of this River North hotel was the wallpaper behind the king sized bed in the bedroom which was a giant map of Chicago. Jackie commented on it right away as well, so it is probably popular with all guests. A welcomed treat was the Serta Perfect Sleeper Pillow Top Mattress after a long night. Jackie and I both snore and this incredibly comfortable mattress allowed us to sleep through the night. A small sitting area for chatting is also available which we took advantage of more than once.

Spencer appreciated that there were two televisions in the suite. Or maybe Jackie appreciated it since she dislikes kid’s television shows. The USB ports and electric outlets next to the bed were a big relief for me. The continental breakfast each morning, which is included in your price, is on your own floor. That’s right, each floor has a breakfast table of their own. It held us over until we could move on with our day. Cereals, pastries, fruit and donuts. If it begins to run low don’t hesitate to call downstairs, they’ll replenish until 10am.

Next time you visit Chicago and need a hotel in River North, The Kinzie Hotel is a wonderful choice. I forgot to mention the hotel hosts a happy hour each night between 5-8pm and even offer you a free drink. It’s a great way to get to know other people in the hotel. So stop in, say hi to Jason and consider staying a few nights.