We were lucky enough to obtain our spot in the virtual que for both houses, The Revenge of The Tooth Fairy and Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives. We were very impressed on how well they are doing with social distancing and keeping up with safety and health precautions. Outside while on line they have markers on the ground for the spacing of 6 feet or more between you and the other parties.  At the beginning of the house a team member will provide you with hand sanitizer that you must use. There was talk earlier that before entering a house, guests were given a glowstick to to help team members recognize where one party started and one ended, however we did not obtain one in either of our times visiting the houses. That being said, inside each house, each team member was really good about making sure to stop us for a bit until there was no one in our eye sight. They also wore masks as well as face shields. The Scareactors wore masks that went with their costumes and had plexiglass installed between themselves and the guests. But even with the plexiglass, don't be fooled, it is still just as scary!

For those missing the HHN fun "treats" consider visiting the Skeleton Bar which is housed inside of Cafe La Bamba. You are also able to just walk through the experience if you did not want to order anything. The food and beverage offered at the Skeleton Bar are listed below.  We sampled each one of the speciality drinks and enjoyed all three of them. Be warned, the Mango Inferno was pretty spicy (with a jalapeno topper) it may not be enjoyable for everyone.

Bloody Charred Tandoori Skewer: $8.99 curry marinated chicken, mango and radish slaw, pineapple tamarind sauce

Incantation Shrimp Cocktail: $9.99 spiced cold poached Gulf shrimp, horseradish cocktail

Screaming for S’Mores Fries: $6.99 sweet potato fries, marshmallow, dark chocolate chips, crumbled graham crackers

Vegan Jack’Dup Mac: $8.99 cavatappi pasta, plant-based sausage, mushrooms, basil pesto, bell peppers, tomatoes, dairy-free cheese, artisan crostini
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Frozen Candy Corn: $5.50 non-alcoholic candy corn flavored frozen beverage topped with whipped cream and sprinkles

Circus Peanut: $12.50  Skrewball peanut butter whiskey, Bols creme de banana, Campari, orange juice

Mango Inferno:  $12.50  El Jimador Blanco, Mango Juice, yellow curry powder, lime juice, agave nector, salt

Loup - Garou: $12.50  Pussers British Navy Rum, Cruzan Dark, pineapple juice, honey, chamomile tea, lemon juice, pimento bitters

The infamous HHN Tribute Store opened earlier this month but just recently added a Beetlejuice room which is so much fun. There is a lot of great HHN merchandise inside. Watch our video walk through below.

There is HHN merchandise sprinkled around the park, including fun Beetlejuice merch. It makes you think there was a good chance Beetlejuice would have been a house this year. They also have some yummy Fall/HHN donuts over at Voodoo Donut in CityWalk just outside of the park. We decided to grab some goodies to enjoy back in the room!

Today was a good day. We are really hoping that an announcement comes later this week that Universal Studios will be extending the houses through the next few weeks. For those of you going tomorrow, get some rest tonight and make sure to get there nice and early. 

To book your next visit to Universal Orlando Resorts reach out to a Starstuff Travel Planner by clicking here!

We really enjoyed ourselves, the food and the drinks during our time at the Taste of Epcot Food and Wine Festival. There is no denying that this year is different however with a new perspective on life, only having one of them, we want to make those memories count more than ever! This year is Epcot's longest running Food and Wine Festival so there is still plenty of time for you to create your own tasty memories with your loved ones. 

Starting a bit later in the season, on Nov. 27, Disney will celebrate highlights from the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays. Holiday kitchens will return around World Showcase promenade with favorites like American Holiday Table featuring Slow-roasted Turkey with Stuffing and Bavaria Holiday Kitchen with dishes like Cheese Fondue in a Bread Bowl.

Those visiting will be invited to step inside World ShowPlace to enjoy the returning group, JOYFUL!, who present a journey through R&B, Gospel, contemporary and traditional Christmas and holiday music. Also, the Voices of Liberty will bring their incredible 8-part harmonies to the America Gardens Theatre stage for a special concert of favorite carols and songs of the season. There are plenty more details about this festival to come, so stay tuned.

With the struggle this year has brought us, we are so excited to close the year out with these new holiday events Disney has announced. There’s a lot of holiday fun to see and do at Walt Disney World even if it is different than what we are used to. 

To book your holiday vacation to Walt Disney World reach out to us today at Info@StarstuffTravel.com

For more information on what is happening this Fall in Walt Disney World, or to book your next vacation, reach out to a Starstuff Travel Planner today!

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is home to some of the best dining in all of Vegas, offering 26 dining options! Your going to be able to find absolutely anything your taste buds desire. I have a list of options for you to review just by clicking here.  Below you will find a few pictures of our dining experiences from during our stay at the hotel.

One of the most important parts of our experience was talking with the flight attendants. They were genuinely happy to see us onboard.  All of them telling us they are so happy to be back in the skies with United guests. Whether we were in Economy or United Polaris Business Class, the attendants made us feel so welcome and I cannot wait to fly with them again!

To book your next United flight, reach out to a Starstuff Travel Planner at​ Info@StarstuffTravel.com

UNIVERSAL DINING PLAN: This plan is only available with the purchase of a Universal Orlando vacation package. What's included? 
1 Full-Service Meal (Includes 1 entree, 1 non-alcoholic beverage, 1 dining plan dessert)
1 Quick-Service Meal (Includes 1 entree, 1 non-alcoholic beverage)
1 Snack from food carts or quick-service locations
1 Non-Alcoholic Beverage from food carts or quick service location
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UNIVERSAL QUICK SERVICE PLAN: 
What's Included?
1 Quick-Service Meal (Includes 1 entree, 1 non-alcoholic beverage)
1 Snack from food carts or quick-service locations
1 Non-Alcoholic Beverage from food carts or quick service location

UNIVERSAL QUICK SERVICE WITH COCA COLA FREESTYLE SOUVENIR CUP
What's included?
1 Quick-Service Meal (Includes 1 entree, 1 non-alcoholic beverage)
1 Snack from food carts or quick-service locations
1 Non-Alcoholic Beverage from food carts or quick service location
1-Day Unlimited Coca-Cola freestyle® Beverage

COCA COLA FREESTYLE SOUVENIR CUP 
What's Included?
​1-Day Unlimited Coca-Cola freestyle® Beverage

One of the benefits of a Universal Orlando Dining Plan is the flexibility of how they can be purchased. Unlike Walt Disney World, your whole traveling party does not have to have ​to actually participate in the dining plan. This is extremely helpful for those who have little ones who do not eat enough to warrant purchasing a plan for them or for those with finicky eaters. The other great aspect of the plan is you can also tailor the amount of days that seem appropriate for your vacation. So if you are flying in late your first arrival date and leaving super early your departure date you can skip purchasing the plan for those days if you are on a budget. This is very different than a Walt Disney World dining plan where it is cut and dry and you must have it for the length of your stay. 

During a recent stay we utilized the Quick Service plan and really felt it was a great value for us. While having lunch at Mel's Dinner (which is themed after the classic 1950's themed movie American Graffiti) a team member gave us a great tip to order a Combo which was more bang for your buck and would come with your burger, chicken tenders, or sandwich, a side of fries or onion rings, a milkshake and a beverage. Since we had the milkshake we ordered water bottles as the beverage that came with the meal for later on in the day and still even had yet another beverage left on the plan to utilize later in the day as well. We also loved that we could use a snack for signature drinks like Pumpkin Juice and Butterbeer. 

                WHERE CAN I UTILIZE THE DINING PLANS WHILE VISITING UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORTS?

Full-Service Dining Locations
Universal Studios Florida
Lombard's Seafood Grille
Finnegan’s Bar & Grill
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Universal's Islands of Adventure
Mythos Restaurant
Confisco Grille

Universal CityWalk
The Cowfish® Sushi Burger Bar
Bob Marley—A Tribute to Freedom℠
Jimmy Buffett's® Margaritaville®
Red Oven Pizza Bakery
Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food
Pat O'Brien's®
VIVO Italian Kitchen (seasonal)
NBC Sports Grill & Brew
The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen™
Bigfire 

Quick-Service Dining Locations
Universal Studios Florida
TODAY Cafe
Leaky Cauldron™
London Taxi Hut
Mel’s Drive-In
Universal Studios’ Classic Monsters Cafe
Louie's Italian Restaurant
KidZone Pizza Company
Richter's Burger Co.
San Francisco Pastry Company
Fast Food Boulevard

Universal's Islands of Adventure
Croissant Moon Bakery
Cafe 4
Captain America Diner®
Comic Strip Cafe
Blondie's
Wimpy's
The Burger Digs
Pizza Predattoria
Thunder Falls Terrace
Three Broomsticks™
Fire Eater's Grill
Circus McGurkus Cafe Stoo-pendous™
Green Eggs & Ham™ Cafe
Doc Sugrue's Desert Kebab House

Universal's Volcano Bay
Kohola Reef Restaurant and Social Club
Whakawaiwai Eats
Bambu
The Feasting Frog

Universal CityWalk
Hot Dog Hall of Fame®
Bread Box Handcrafted Sandwiches

Snacks And Refreshments
Universal Studios Florida
Schwab's Pharmacy
Silver Screen Coke®
La Bamba Slush
La Bamba Veranda Bar
Monsters' Slush
Ben & Jerry’s
Guido's Gelato
Louie's Fruit Stand
KidZone Pizza Company
KidZone Snacks
ICEE® locations
San Francisco Beer
San Francisco Pastry Company
Starbucks®
Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour
London Taxi Hut
The Fountain of Fair Fortune
The Hopping Pot
King’s Cross Station Kiosk
Expo Eats
Front Gate Popcorn
Additional food carts throughout the park

Universal's Islands of Adventure
Croissant Moon Bakery
Cathy's Ice Cream
Oasis Coolers
Port of Entry Fruit
Port of Entry Lemon Slush
ICEE® locations
Hop on Pop™ Ice Cream Shop
Moose Juice, Goose Juice
Butterbeer™ Cart
The Magic Neep™ Cart
Cinnabon®
Starbucks®
Dippin' Dots®
Chill Car
Cotton Candy Cart
Additional food carts throughout the park

Universal's Volcano Bay
Koka Poroka Ice Cream Kona
Lemon Slush
Dippin' Dots®
ICEE®

Universal CityWalk
Cinnabon®
Starbucks®
Cold Stone Creamery®
Blue Man Group Theater
Coke® Icon Hub Cart

If you are interested in finding more information about Universal Orlando Resorts Dining Plans or would like to book a vacation to UOR please reach out to a Starstuff Travel Planner today by clicking here! 

To be very transparent with you, I was a little uneasy about visiting during the reopening week of Walt Disney World. The virus aside, was I going to be more depressed about the absence of so many of our favorite Disney things like parades and fireworks? Was I going to miss the character meet and greets? Maybe I would really dislike wearing a mask in the heat? Well, I am here to tell you, surprisingly the trip was exactly what I needed! Arriving into MCO and walking up to the Magical Express I noticed a 90 minute warning sign for the courtesy transfers Disney offers. I was advised that Disney temporarily only had 6 active Magical Express buses in use and my wait could be up to 90 minutes, therefore I decided to use Lyft to head to my resort for $36.00. I also opted to use Lyft on the way back after my stay as well 

We stayed at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, which is one of my favorite monorail line resorts. We checked in on the MDE app and were able to completely skip the front desk and head to our room. Surprisingly, there is no one conducting tempature checks in the actual hotel unlike the hotels over in Universal Orlando Resort. We had breakfast at both Capt. Cooks which is Poly's Quick Service dining area, as well as a sit down over at Kona Cafe during our stay. Upon arriving at Capt. Cooks you scan the QR code to place your mobile order on the MDE app and once it is completed you are alerted on the app to then head inside and pick your food up which is all packaged and ready for you to take away. If you have a refillable mug, or need a coffee, you head over to the beverage station where a cast member will fill it for you. As far as Kona, when you arrive you scan the QR code to check into your reservation and once you are seated at your table there is another QR code to scan for the menu. They have every other table marked as not available for health and safety social distinacing purposes. These were the only two dining establishments open during our stay, but there are some snacks you can pick up in the gift shop if needed. Light house keeping is done every other day unless you need additional towels etc.

Heading to the parks on a bus, you will find they air the bus out for 4 minutes in between drop off and pickup before wiping down the seats where anyone sat. For the water ferry they keep you with your party and there are spots posted on the ground once on the ferry to show you how to physically social distance. Riding on the monorail a castmember will tell you which car you can enter while they are only allowing one party on each seat with no one standing in the middle and on the Skyliner they are placing you with only your party in each gondola. Once at the park you will come across a white tent before arriving to bag check, this is the tempature screening area. Two times when we arrived, our temp was very high from walking in the blazing sun to the actual check point. They had us stand over to the side and after a few minutes in the shade our temps were normal and we were able to pass through. During bag check they no longer rummage through your bags. They ask you to take out your camera equipment and any type of beverages or liquids and place them into the bin and then you walk through the metal detector. Each park also has 'Relaxation Stations' scattered through the park where you can grab some shade (or even some air conditioning depending on where it is located) and take your mask off for a few minutes to cool down and breathe. I am not going to lie, it was a struggle being in the Florida heat with the mask on and the relaxation stations were extremely helpful. You will also find hand washing stations and many hand sanitizers scattered through out the park. 

The parks were relatively empty so it was easy to social distance and we were able to walk on almost any ride or attraction we wanted to. Although there are no official parades, there are pop up character calvacades, marching bands, and free roaming characters that truly bring you back to that classic Disney magic that we all grew up loving. The fact that there will be such less planning at this time is a pleasant way to truly vacation. This is when the real magic happens, when you least expect it!

Masks must be worn pretty much anywhere and everywhere if you are not in your room or in the actual pool. They are not allowing gators either. You can take them off when you get to your table at your restaurant but once you stand up, the mask must go back on. I did feel as safe as I could while visiting. I also felt that the cast members were really very happy to have visitors back. Most of them would stop to tell you how happy they were to see you and chat for much longer that normal. 

We had a character breakfast at Topolino's Terrace one morning, and it is not much different than the way they had it pre-pandemic besides the characters not signing your autograph book or coming within 6 feet of your space. Currently, Topolino's Terrace and Garden Grill are the only 2 dining experiences being offered that have characters (we are not sure when that is going to change).

My final thoughts.........If you are a longtime Walt Disney World fan you are going to be very happy with some of the classic magic they have brought back to the park as well as the low crowd capacity that makes your experiences that much nicer. If you are a first time visitor, you are not going to realize what you may be missing and you will be so much happier not stressing about overplanning and enjoying parks with much lower capacity. I really loved the way it felt to be back in the Walt Disney World I actually grew up visiting!