Universal Studios

After Disneyworld, we took a Taxi to Universal Studios. We stayed at the Lowes Royal Pacific Hotel and it was beautiful! It is really nice because it was a short 10 minute walk to the park and because we stayed at an "on site" hotel, we got free front of the line passes so we didn't have to wait in any lines. Its Universals version of Fastpass, but usually you have to pay for it. That night we walked over to City walk and had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe

 Lauren, Zoey and my mom at the hotel after dinner. Zoey was being very funny and was giving them very big hugs!

The next morning we got up extra early because another perk of staying on site was that we got to go into Harry Potter world at Islands of Adventure1 hour before the park opened. I LOVE Harry Potter world! I wasn't able to ride the Forbidden Journey last time we went because I was pregnant so I was very excited to finally ride it. It did NOT disappoint! It is the coolest ride ever!

 Jed and Zoey walking into Harry Potter next to the Hogwarts Express!

 We are here! Everything is so realistic- the castle is an exact replica of the one in the movie, just a lot smaller. You get to walk through all the fun rooms while walking to the ride. It is very fun to feel like you are inside the movie. Jed even loved it- he is now a Harry Potter Junkie just like the rest of us! (I know I could turn him :)

Jed,  Mom, Lauren, Spencer and Elisse on Flight of the Hippogryph

 The Conductor of Hogwarts Express

 You can't go to Harry Potter and not experience the Butter Beer! I am so sad- we bought this souvenir mug and it fell out of my cabinet the other day and shattered. I was very upset.

 The bug likes butter beer too!

 I thought Zoey would be tall enough to go on all the rides in Seuss Land, but she was only a inch or two short! I was so sad. She was a champ though and would stand up to the measuring stick big and tall.

 One of the rides she was able to go on was One Fish Two Fish. Just like Dumbo only it shot water and bubbles at you- Of course Zoey LOVED it!

 The next day we went to Universal Studios where the new Minion Mayhem ride was. Zoey wasn't tall enough for it, so she waited at the exit with Grandma and Lauren. My mom makes such a cute Minion!

 Zoey didn't quite understand why Phil was so big! She loved dancing to the music (they had a dance party at the exit of the ride with a bunch of minions) but she didn't like it when they came close to her

 It's So FLUFFY!

 I tried to get her to take a good picture with the minion but she wouldn't take her eyes off him- she was very suspicious

 "Hair?" Zoey loves holding onto hair and lauren was a good sport

 While the rest of the family went on another ride that Elisse couldn't go on, we took Zoey to the kids play area. It was all curious George and SO cute! It was really hot and since it was a splash pad, I let Zoey go to town.

 At first she was cautious....

 ....but then she jumped right in! She must have been REALLY hot!

 She kept walking over to this sprayer and would put her head under it and just let it run over her back. It was too funny! She used to hate the shower but after this trip, she loves it now!

 Aunt Leesy and Bug after she was soaked!

After the splash pad we were walking back to the ride to meet everyone else and the Dora and Diego Parade started- the flower came over and took Zoey out to dance with her. It was so cute!

Dancing with Diego and the Flower

 My hot mamma! What a fox

 Lauren and Zoey on One Fish Two Fish

 Nap time in the middle of the day

 We got Zoey a minion from the Despicable me ride and she loves him! She walks around saying "oh boy" trying to sound like "papoy" (how the minions talk)

 Family pic in front of the Universal Earth

Mom and Lauren

Goodbye Hogwarts! Until the Bonan family makes their way to Florida again...

We were leaving Florida the next day (Monday) and I was so excited to sleep in and go to the pool before we headed to the airport. This was not in my cards. Jed woke me up about 1:30am claiming he was dying so after an hour of listening to him lay on the bathroom floor moaning I decided he was going to the ER. He knew it was a kidney stone so off we went in the middle of the night to find drugs. Luckily Elisse and Spencer were sharing a room with us so Elisse was able to stay with Zoey. We took a 4 minute $20 cab ride to the hospital where they got us into a room fast but then jed sat there for an hour and a half screaming and throwing up from pain before they finally came in to give him some relief. They took a half hour getting the IV in and finally gave him some Delauded. Within seconds he was much better and a couple minutes later he was asleep. They took him to get a CT and found that he had a 7 mm stone. They wanted him to stay and have surgery there but I refused. I sat there for hours while Jed slept. I was SO tired. They finally discharged him at 7:00 and i forced him out of bed to get back to the hotel. He was loaded up with drugs so the walk to the cab and ride back to the hotel was a lot of fun! He got in bed and slept until we had to check out of our hotel at 2:00pm

 Jed giving the thumbs up in the ER.

But wait! This is not where my story ends. While Jed was asleep, I decided I needed to venture to Walgreens to get his prescription before he woke up so we could make it home. Elisse was so nice and decided to go with me. My phone GPS said the nearest walgreens was only a mile away so we decided to walk. It was SO hot outside but it was only a mile so off we went. After some sketchy Jaywalking and almost getting eaten by Alligators (JK) We made it to walgreens... to find that this walgreens had NO PHARMACY! Are you kidding me?!?! No Pharmacy! At this point I am going on 2 hrs of sleep and the day is just getting more and more horrible. So they tell us the nearest pharmacy is a 10 minute walk up the street. I think they meant 10 minute drive. An hour and 2 dress sizes later we FINALLY make it to a walgreens with a pharmacy. If you need a weight loss plan, walk around Florida in the 100% humidity for 2 hours. I felt so bad because Elisse is pregnant and had to be suffering more than me. We decided to go get $1 Cokes before we went into the pharmacy because we were so parched but Florida has $2.50 cokes. We didn't care. We finally got the prescription 30 minutes later and I decided we were talking a cab back to the hotel no matter how much it cost. I put the hotel in my phone and we were 3.5 miles away. I had $10 in my wallet. I watched the meter go up and up praying that it wouldn't go over $10... we pulled into the hotel at $9.90 so i handed him my $10 and ran. Sorry buddy! No tip here!

We got into our swimsuits and took Zoey to the pool. I was so glad we still had time to go. I really wanted her to be able to swim since she has decided she loves it so much.

 Laying out with Grandma

 My sweet girl

 She loved the sand entrance. She also loved playing ring around the rosie.I can't wait until next summer so we can take her swimming again. After swimming we packed up and took another cab to the airport. We got there early so we ate dinner at outback steakhouse and I tried my best to take care of my two children (Zoey and Percocet Jed). We got to our gate and right when we sat down the heavens opened up. It was raining and lightening so hard they shut the airport down. JUST MY LUCK! Our flight was delayed by an hour and a half and I was SO ready to be home and in bed at this point

 Waiting for the airport to open again- Goodbye Florida! We had a blast!

Luckily my mom sat next to me and helped me with Zoey because Jed slept pretty much the whole time. Keeping a busy toddler on your lap for a 4 hour flight is no easy task and I was SO happy when we landed.

At home with her "punzel" and Thing 1 and Thing 2 slippers. It was such a fun trip (minus the last day from Hell) and I can't wait to go back again. You can't ever have enough Disney :) Until 2016 Florida.. we will miss you!