Disney World as a College Student

During fall break I went with some friends to Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We had been planning the trip since July, and as it was the midpoint of the semester, we were ready for the much-needed break.

We drove down to Orlando early Thursday morning and were fortunate to be able to stay at Marriott’s Grande Vista Resort.  Our first day involved chilling ‘round the pool and reading, walking around to see the beautiful scenery, and enjoying some lunch at the poolside cabana.  That night we loved eating at Enzo’s in Disney Springs.  There were so many cute shops and performers there as well; we stayed for hours.  We even all got custom rings with our initials carved into them by a lovely man working his jewelry cart. 

The next day we went to Universal Studios for Halloween Horror Nights.  I had never been to Universal before, and let me tell you, Harry Potter World was amazing.  The frozen butterbeer was a 10/10.  Daylah, our very own instagram Coordinator, and I got chased around and cornered by five scare actors with chainsaws.  We went to all the haunted houses and on all the rides that there were that night. 

During our day at Hollywood Studios, we ate some really good food and had some great foodie experiences.  We went to lunch at a drive-in style restaurant where you sit in cars and watch a black and white movie. 

However, what really stuck out to me, food wise, was an ooey gooey three cheese grilled sandwich with tomato soup in Toy Story Land.  Other than me gushing over the food, we went on the Rock-n-Roller Coaster, spent a lot of time in Star Wars land, watched a 4D Muppet show, and got to watch stunt actors perform their parts of the Indiana Jones spectacular.  We ended the night by watching Disney’s Fantasmic which was a mix of all of their classic animated movies encapsulated by a water show. 

Disney had a lot of custom merchandise, and the fashion there also stood out to us.  It was Halloween time, so some people were in their costumes, while others, like us, wore activewear in order to walk the 25+ miles that we did that weekend.  Let’s not forget that some people dress to the nines in Disney gear, adorning their sparkly Mickey ears and backpacks with their elaborate pin collections on them. 

The trip was unforgettable and certainly lived up to our expectations.