A Magical Engagement: Disney & Universal

Hi friends! I thought I’d start blogging more about my wedding as it’s been taking up my entire life. The big day is on November 2nd of this year so before I start getting into all the planning, I wanted to share the most wonderful trip of my life with you all.

When I met Nick, I knew almost instantly that he was the one. Cliché I know, but it was truly love at first sight. We had been planning a vacation to Nashville to just get away and be together on our first trip as couple. Nick pulled out all the stops and surprised me the night before we were supposed to leave with the sweetest gift.

Nick had written a Hogwarts acceptance letter, complete with an official seal. This incredible man was taking me to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios. Not only that, but we were staying at Disney World Orlando. I cried for about three hours guys – I didn’t see this coming at all. Now I’ll admit, we’d talked about getting engaged prior to this trip, so I was almost certain that he’d pop the question while we were there. I mean, how couldn’t he right??

We flew in on September 21st of last year for our long weekend trip. He booked our reservations at The Swan and Dolphin resort and I couldn’t recommend this hotel enough guys! The interior of the hotel is gorgeous, with several beautiful fountains. There are also several pools, bars, and restaurants to enjoy on your stay. I’d say the best part about staying at this particular resort was the close proximity to all the Disney parks as well as several modes of transportation. We were walking distance to the Boardwalk and Epcot and just a short boat ride away from Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We were also able to hop right on a bus to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom with ease.

We spent the first day strolling along the Disney’s Boardwalk and exploring Epcot and Hollywood Studios. The first thing I did when we got to Epcot was find a pair of those iconic Minnie Mouse ears y’all! I have to say, at $25 they were a little pricey but I wore those suckers every single second of the trip! Plus, I’ll have them this year for our Honeymoon (yes, we loved it so much we’ll be honeymooners there too). Other than Magic Kingdom, I’d have to say Hollywood Studios is my favorite of the four main Disney parks. Especially with the addition of Star Wars! Nick, being a huge Star Wars fan, had a blast there as well.

Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom were our next stops for the second day of our trip. It’s a quick bus ride from the hotel, just a few steps out of the Swan and Dolphin and you’re right at the pick-up location. I really can’t stress how awesome the transport was.

While you’re at Disney, I would strongly suggest looking into the Memory Maker package as well as a meal plan. We didn’t use those services this trip but will most definitely be taking advantage of them in November when we head back for our Honeymoon. Food adds up at the parks and restaurants and it may seem like you’re saving money skipping out on a meal plan at the time of booking your trip. However, we ended up spending more money than if we’d utilized a meal plan while we were there. I would also highly suggest the memory maker. It’s $120 flat fee which gives you all access to the professional photos you can have taken at the parks, downloaded straight to your phone using the Disney app! We skipped that as well and ended up pay almost $60 dollars for one set of photos. If we’d had the Memory Maker in the beginning of the trip, we definitely would have utilized the service more.

Photos Taken by Disney’s Memory Maker

We spent our last full day at Universal Studios Orlando which was truly the most magical day. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has been on my bucket list for years. I am the biggest Harry Potter fan and Nick couldn’t have picked a better place to ask me to marry him. I said yes on the Hogwarts Express and I will cherish that moment forever.

We spent the rest of the day exploring Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, and the rest of Universal! If you’re taking a trip to Universal specifically for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I suggest getting there as early as you can. We got to Universal around 9:30 am and was able to experience both Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade with minimal crowds. We only had a 5 minute wait for the Escape from Gringotts ride located in Diagon Alley, which typical has over an hour wait. Another favorite from our time at Universal was the Jurassic Park area. The rides were fun and the giant T-Rex provides a great photo op. Basically, get there early and enjoy the magic!

I hope you guys enjoyed this Disney Travel post! I’ll be getting into more of the actual wedding planning as we go through the year, but I wanted to share this magical moment. If you’re planning a trip to Disney World Orlando, I hope you found the few little tips I shared useful.

If you made it this far, thank you so much! If you liked this post and want to see more, make sure to follow the blog. I’d sure love for you to stick around.