Universal Birthday

I love going to theme parks with the little girls for my birthday. It's a present for me just watching how happy they are - especially when they get to take a day off from school. 
 
We decided on Universal Studios this year, in part because we hadn't been in a looooong time. 
 
And the other part? Harry Potter and Hogwarts are coming to Universal in April. By buying season passes now, we can come back in April for "free".
 
We also decided - since season passes mean we can come back as often as we like - to take just Leia on this trip and bring Leanne in January. More individual attention for them; less bickering competing for grandma's attention for me. 
 
The day was chilly but there were no crowds; we got on most rides within 10-15 minutes.
 
The characters were out in force and there was no waiting for photos with them either. Leia was thrilled.
 
We rode almost every ride in the park (except roller coasters; neither Leia nor I are fans)
 
and did Leia's favorite rides - Minion Mayhem and the back-lot tram - twice. We wanted to do the bug ride again too, but alas, it was broken. 

 
Was it worth the money for season passes? Heck, yes!
 
The rides were a lot better than I remember from previous visits. 
 
There's an emphasis on 3D/4D movie experiences, which makes sense for a movie studio. Play to your strengths, right?
 
The most amazing thing to me was King Kong 360-3D during the tram ride. It was AWESOME!
 
I hope it isn't too scary for Leanne 'cause that's the first ride I want to go on when we go back in January!