theme parks – Vanessa Visits

I lived in Orlando for a year, spanning from June of 2023 until June of 2024. I had just moved there all the way from central Maine to live with my boyfriend, who I had met online and maintained a long distance relationship with for almost a year before we finally closed the gap (He’s my husband now, by the way!). Before he switched to working for a fully remote company, he was based out of Orlando. It was a whirlwind year of theme park days, excellent food, palm trees, and sunshine. Relocating to Pittsburgh, where we bought our house and are currently living, was quite an adjustment! Here were my ten favorite things to do during my year in sunny Orlando, Florida! Not everything on this list is a major tourist attraction. I’ve also included some of my favorite local spots.

1. Spending the Day at EPCOT

EPCOT is my favorite Disney park, hands down. Part of that is because Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is easily my favorite Disney ride, and my second favorite ride of all time. It also has a special place in my heart for a different reason: the Cosmic Rewind loading area is where Tim proposed to me on our last trip to Disney before moving to Pittsburgh. I’ll always associate this ride with that moment.

But I also love EPCOT because rather than feeling like I had to rush between attractions to do everything the park has to offer, I found my own little routine and my own things that I liked to do every time I visited.

I always loved walking around the Mitsukoshi Japanese department store in the Japan pavilion. This was before I had been able to visit Japan and getting to do so felt like a far away dream, so I really loved this little slice of Japan. I always took my time browsing all of the Pokemon, Sanrio, Rilakkuma, and anime merchandise. Then there’s the Mexico pavilion, where chips, guac, and a margarita before riding on the Gran Fiesta Tour made for a perfect evening.

I also loved all of the rotating seasonal festivals and food and drink booths. Throw in a ride on Soarin’, a walk around the World Showcase, and a stop for dinner somewhere along the way, and you’ve got yourself a perfect theme park day. EPCOT is especially great for childless couples. It has a big focus on food and drink and cultural appreciation.

2. Soaking Up the Vibes at Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom is the most beautiful theme park in Orlando. It has gorgeous landscaping, greenery, animals, music, and incredible attention to detail. The vibes are immaculate, and simply being there is enjoyable.

It also happens to have two of my favorite Disney attractions: Expedition Everest and Avatar Flight of Passage. Expedition Everest is one of those coasters that Tim and I would occasionally ride over and over again, utilizing the single rider line so that we could get as many rides in as possible, although we couldn’t sit together using this method. Avatar Flight of Passage, on the other hand, is one of the most immersive and impressively modern theme park attractions I’ve ever ridden.

I loved taking it slow at Animal Kingdom. I liked wandering through the animal trails, popping into the shops, catching a show, and stopping into the Nomad Lounge for some of the most excellent food and drink that the park has to offer. Animal Kingdom isn’t a park that I ever felt like I had to “conquer.” I just liked spending time there.

3. Going to Another Broken Egg Cafe for Brunch

My favorite Orlando-area brunch spot was Another Broken Egg Cafe. I am forever grateful to the coworker who introduced it to me.

My usual favorites were the eggs benedict, the city grits (cheese grits topped with bacon, tomato, and green onion), and the Bourbon Street pancakes, which were layered with banana, pecans, a delicious rum butter sauce, and whipped cream.

This restaurant serves the kind of breakfast where you probably won’t need lunch afterward. Everything is southern-style, rich, hearty, and delicious. Tim and I ate here for weekend brunches over a dozen times, easily. I will forever be thinking about those Bourbon Street pancakes!

4. Getting Boba at Krave Tea or Shen Tea

There was never a shortage of boba in Orlando, but two places in particular became instant favorites of mine: Krave Tea and Shen Tea.

At Krave, it was all about the black sugar boba for me. To this day, I’ve never had boba that has been able to top it. It’s made with fresh milk and their house-made black sugar boba. The boba itself sweet, caramel-y, and perfectly chewy. Their other offerings are great, too. I’ve never had something from here that I disliked. At Krave Tea, you’re getting a perfectly and lovingly crafted drink.

Shen Tea, meanwhile, gets its flowers for being the most adorable boba shop I’ve ever set foot in. The interior is so kawaii, with pink walls and stuffed animals everywhere you look. The drinks are good, too! I really enjoy their taro milk tea.

5. Eating and Grocery Shopping at Lotte Plaza Market

Going to Lotte Plaza Market was a legitimate activity for me when I was living in Orlando. It’s a HUGE Asian supermarket with an attached Asian food court. The food court has around 5-7 different vendors, and has a particular emphasis on Korean dishes. You can get tteokbokki, ramyeon, bibimbap (the best bibimbap my husband has ever had!), and my favorite: the spicy beef and kimchi bowl. Our meals usually came with an array of small Korean appetizers. Other vendors offer pastries, boba, ramen, pho, and more.

Shopping for Asian groceries after eating authentic Korean food was always a lot of fun. Coming from someone who had seldom left small-town Maine before meeting my husband, I can say that there is nothing comparable to this market where I grew up. Huge multicultural markets like this are so exciting to me, partially because I never really got to experience anything like them, save for a couple of visits to Boston and New York City.

6. Riding Velocicoaster at Universal Islands of Adventure

I’ve ridden over 40 unique roller coasters, and Jurassic World Velocicoaster remains my favorite roller coaster of all time. That should tell you how much I love this ride!

Mustering up the courage to get on it was quite an endeavor for me. It was probably our 5th or 6th trip to Islands of Adventure that I finally did it. I remember the exact moment that the train was cleared to leave the loading area, and knowing that it was officially too late to back out. My vice grip was unmatched and my heart was beating out of my chest. This was early in my roller coaster journey!

I very quickly realized that while Velocicoaster was the most thrilling ride I had ever been on, it was also the most fun! The launches, inversions, airtime, and speed are just incredible.

Of course, there are plenty of other reasons to visit Islands of Adventure. Hagrid’s Magical Motorbike Adventure is another fantastic coaster, and despite not being a Harry Potter fan, I loved wandering around the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. And I can’t talk about Universal without mentioning Butterbeer. This drink is pure joy and deliciousness.

If you’re a roller coaster person, don’t skip it. And get a Butterbeer while you’re at it.

7. Visiting the American Girl Store

This one is admittedly very specific to my interests, but as a lover of all things American Girl and the owner of around a dozen American Girl dolls, I loved having this store nearby.

Even as an adult collector, it’s so nostalgic to walk around in an actual American Girl store and see all of the dolls and elaborate displays in person. It’s also really cool getting to meet and chat with other adult collectors. I remember one of the cashiers telling me that she has over 70 dolls!

It’s also one of those places that serve as a reminder that there is a lot to do around the city for people with niche interests. It’s not all theme parks and major tourist attractions. Sometimes it’s tiny doll furniture, too!

8. Getting Sushi at Sakari Sushi in Winter Park

When you live somewhere for a while, it’s inevitable that you develop a handful of restaurants that become your places, and Sakari Sushi quickly became just that for me and my husband. They have a bit of an upscale vibe, creative and delicious sushi, and excellent house-made kimchi. It was a go-to place for date night!

9. Getting Indian Food at Tamarind in Winter Park

This was another restaurant that Tim and I frequented. As lovers of Indian cuisine, this place always hit the spot. The staff are very kind and the food was always great. One night our server suggested we try the gobi manchurian, and we quickly realized that it’s one of our favorite things ever and we get it almost every time we go out for Indian food to this day!

This is another place that probably wouldn’t make a standard “top 10” list, but that’s part of why I’m including it. Some of my favorite memories from Orlando are the big attractions and the roller coasters, but just as many are the places that I found myself returning to again and again.

Thank you for all of the wonderful dinners, Tamarind.

10. Riding Basically Everything at SeaWorld Orlando (But Especially Mako)

SeaWorld Orlando is another must for roller coaster fans because the park honestly has quite an impressive lineup. Among all of the coasters this park has to offer, my absolute favorite is Mako. Honorable mentions are Ice Breaker, Kraken, and Pipeline.

Mako is a huge hypercoaster built around speed, airtime, and massive drops, with no inversions. The first drop is around 200 feet, making it among the tallest roller coasters in Florida. The best part is the feeling of being completely lifted out of your seat as you fly over the hills. It’s thrilling without being rough or too complicated. It’s just a lot of fun!

SeaWorld isn’t as impressive or as elaborately themed as Disney or Universal, but it earned its spot on this list for having one of my favorite roller coasters of all time. Mako alone makes this park worth visiting at least once.

Why Orlando Will Always be Special to Me

I don’t know that I’d ever live in Orlando again, but I’m really glad that I did. For one year, some of the places that millions of people save up all year to visit became a part of my every day life, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop feeling a little nostalgic for that.

When I look back, I think about Disney World of course, but I also think about the smaller things. I think about going out for boba or sushi, or exploring Lotte Market and coming home with a bag full of new Asian snacks to try. I hope that this blog taught you about some lesser known gems that Orlando has to offer. Living here allowed me to experience this city in a way I never could have as a tourist.

This is my love letter to Orlando- the city that gave me a year of theme parks, good food, new experiences, and some of my favorite memories.

You don’t always need to hop on a plane or plan a huge vacation to have a getaway that feels like a real adventure, and that’s exactly what I did last weekend. Hershey and Harrisburg are only about 4 hours away from Pittsburgh by car, making it the perfect distance for a quick Pennsylvania road trip, and we managed to pack a lot into just 3 days!

Between making our own chocolate bars, riding 7 new roller coasters, escaping the summer heat underground, eating some amazing food, and making a quick stop in Harrisburg, our weekend ended up being about a lot more than just chocolate.

Day 1- Arriving in Hershey and Making Our Own Chocolate Bars

Our weekend started with about 4 hours on the road from Pittsburgh. And because no road trip is complete without at least one slightly questionable highway meal, our dinner was at a truck stop Arby’s along the way. Side note- does anyone else genuinely love stopping at rest stops in the middle of a road trip? I always look forward to stretching my legs, browsing cheesy souvenirs, and getting some questionable fast food. It’s part of the experience!

We arrived in Hershey at about 8PM, but we still had one very important stop to make before checking into our hotel for the night: Hershey’s Chocolate World!

The main event was definitely the Create Your Own Chocolate Bar experience. While donning a hairnet and apron, you get to choose your chocolate and fillings and then watch your personalized chocolate bar make its way through the production process. For mine, I chose milk chocolate with pretzels, vanilla chips, and cookie bits. Tim went with dark chocolate with butterscotch chips and cookie bits. My favorite part of this experience came at the end, when I got to design the outer packaging for my chocolate bar! This turned it into such a cute souvenir. It’s very cool to have a chocolate bar that you essentially designed from the inside out!

Another fun highlight was the free indoor dark ride. It walks you through how Hershey’s chocolate is made, from harvesting cocoa beans, to the factory, all the way to the finished product. There’s a lot to look at. It’s very well done. And although it’s clearly geared toward families, we enjoyed it a lot. And there is someone handing out free Hershey’s chocolate at the end!

We did some souvenir shopping, stopped at the bakery for a cinnamon chip scone, and finally headed to the hotel to unwind a bit and get some sleep. We had roller coasters waiting for us in the morning, after all! We had a great couple of hours at Hershey’s Chocolate World. If we hadn’t arrived so late, I would have wanted to do the trolley tour of Hershey that they offer, and maybe the Stuff Your Cup experience, where you choose your toppings and watch as someone makes a giant Reese’s Cup for you with fresh peanut butter filling. There are a lot of activities here that are especially great for families.

Day 2- Seven New Roller Coasters at Hersheypark

Our second day was dedicated almost entirely to Hersheypark. It was HOT, but as someone who was once a Disney World annual passholder and is no stranger to spending the day at a theme park in extreme heat, I was up for the challenge. We made the most of it and covered a lot of ground at the park. It’s impressively big, with tons of rides and attractions.

Some of you may know that I am becoming more and more of a coaster enthusiast. Before this trip, I had ridden on over 30 unique coasters across several theme parks, and I have a page in one of my scrapbooks dedicated to keeping track of them all. And I am happy to say that I got to add 7 new coaster credits to my list at Hersheypark! I rode Wildcat’s Revenge, Jolly Rancher Remix, Comet, Stormrunner, SooperDooperLooper, Laff Trakk, and Lightning Racer.

Of all of the roller coasters I got to experience at the park, my favorite one was Wildcat’s Revenge. It was smooth, fast, intense, and it had perfect pacing. It immediately became clear to me why it is such a favorite among coaster enthusiasts. Stormrunner was also fun, and it had a couple of elements that I wasn’t expecting, like a launch that is considerably faster than Velocicoaster at Universal Studios Orlando. That ride was very intense but it was over so quickly that I barely had time to process what was happening. Jolly Rancher Remix was intense in its own way, with a backwards portion that holds you at a very steep angle for what feels like forever before dropping you at a relatively high speed.

Unfortunately, Candymonium will have to wait until next time. By later in the day, the combination of the heat, exertion, and many roller coaster rides started to catch up with me. I felt a headache coming on and I knew I had reached my limit. Especially on such a hot summer day spent at a theme park, it’s very important to listen to your body and know your limits!

We left the park and headed to dinner at Reunion Cocktails + Provisions. It was a very welcome change of pace after spending the day in the sun. The restaurant had a bit of an upscale and relaxed atmosphere, and the staff were very kind. We started by sharing the crispy tuna rice, which was excellent. For our mains, Tim ordered a Wagyu meatloaf and I had vodka pasta with chicken.

After dinner, I went back to the hotel to take a much needed shower and rest for the evening, while Tim went back to Hersheypark for a couple more hours to squeeze in a few more rides! And when he came back, he brought a cheesecake from Hershey’s Chocolate World. We shared the cheesecake in the hotel room before bed, and it was the perfect way to end the night.

Day 3- Going Underground at Indian Echo Caverns and Visiting the Pennsylvania State Capitol

Before heading home, we knew we wanted to see the Indian Echo Caverns in nearby Hummelstown. And, unsurprisingly, it ended up being one of my favorite parts of our trip! After spending the previous day walking around in the summer heat, stepping into a cave that stays around 52 degrees year round felt amazing.

We joined a guided tour that took us down into the caverns and through the narrow passageways. We got to see stalactites and lots of impressive formations. Our tour guide was great and made both the historical and geological aspects of the caverns genuinely interesting.

My favorite part of the cave, by far, was the crystal-clear lake. It was so beautiful, and almost other-worldly!

After our tour of the caves, we got to enjoy the petting zoo before perusing the gift shop. It was fun to pet the goats and see the peacocks! If you’re visiting Hershey and have a little extra time, I definitely recommend adding the Indian Echo Caverns to your itinerary. It was the perfect Sunday activity because it was fun and interesting without requiring another exhausting full day of walking around in the sun. And how often do you get to explore a cave? It makes for a fun little adventure!

After the caverns, we were ready for lunch and decided to try Swatara, a Nepalese restaurant in the Harrisburg area. We both love Indian food, but neither of us had ever been to a specifically Nepalese restaurant. And as lovers of new cultural experiences and new foods, we were excited to try something different. And most importantly, we got to try momo! Momo are Nepalese dumplings that can be filled with either meat or veggies and can be prepared in a variety of ways.

We ordered the chili vegetable momo, which came coated in a flavorful chili sauce and topped with peppers and onions. The flavor profile was not unlike gobi manchurian, if you’re familiar with Indian cuisine. I love pretty much any food that falls under the “dumpling” umbrella, and these were super delightful! I will definitely get them again the next time the opportunity arises.

We also ordered an omelet, as well as the chicken thali, which allowed us to try several different flavors in one meal. Sitting down for our first Nepalese meal was honestly a highlight of the trip for me.

After lunch, we headed into Harrisburg for our final stop of the trip: the Pennsylvania State Capitol.

I knew the Capitol was going to be beautiful, but I was still very impressed by how elaborate it was in person. It’s stunning and ornate, and there are so many gorgeous details to take in. The building itself is enormous, with an architectural style that feels very European. Even from the outside, there are sculptures and other details everywhere you look. It’s easy to see why this is considered to be among the most beautiful state capitol buildings in the country.

Final Thoughts on our Hershey Weekend

I went into this trip thinking mostly about roller coasters and chocolate, but it ended up being so much more. We managed to squeeze a lot of variety into one weekend! In just 3 days, I made my own candy bar, learned how chocolate is made, rode lots of roller coasters (old and new!), tried a new cultural cuisine, explored a cave, pet a goat, and visited one of the most beautiful capitol buildings in the country. And, naturally, we ate a lot of chocolate along the way!

Hershey was an easy weekend getaway from Pittsburgh and it had so much to offer. If you live somewhere much farther away and can’t reasonably come to Hershey for a weekend trip without booking a flight, I would implore you to see what road trips you can take that are just a few hours from where you live. I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

As for Hersheypark, I left with some unfinished business. I guess I’ll have to come back one day.

I still need to ride Candymonium.

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