WINNERS ARE Chiquita and Radiant! You’ve been notified and have 24 hours to respond or we’ll have to select another winner tomorrow
by Lamar Tyler
We recently returned from an amazing trip to Orlando, Florida to visit the Universal Orlando Resort. Ronnie and our oldest daughter couldn’t make the trip so I went down with my mother and our two youngest girls who are currently 3 & 4. Not only did the kids have a ball but the adults did too. I could go on and on about all of the things that I loved but decided to just sum it up with my 3 “Favorite Things” (hey Oprah isn’t using that anymore right?)
1.) Lodging: We stayed the entire week at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel. Wow is all I can say. It felt like we were staying in an Italian village as you’ll see in the video below. The hotel is one of three on-site hotels and is definitely one of the best ways to experience Universal Orlando Resort. Two of my favorite things about staying on-site is that there’s transportation via Water Taxi to and from the parks so you don’t have to worry about how you’ll get around and all you have to do is show your hotel key for express entry to all of the rides. Believe me the express entry part is worth the stay alone.
2.) Rides: The rides are excellent for all ages. My girls had all kinds of options at both of the resort parks, Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida. What was great was that I had all kinds of great options too. I mean, if we go all of the way down to Florida daddy has to have some fun too! The mixture of adult and children rides were just right. The girls loved rides like The Cat in The Hat and Flight of the Hippogriff. I loved rides like Doctor Doom’s Fearfall and Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. We all loved the 3-D rides like The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man and The Simpson’s Ride.
3.) Grown Folks Stuff: What I mean by that is this… we’re going back on a date with just Ronnie and me. I haven’t figured out how we’re gonna swing that one yet but it has to happen LOL. Not only did they have great rides and attractions for the adults but the Universal CityWalk is a dater’s dream. There are plenty of great restaurants to choose from along with cool places to have a drink or venues to take in live music. On this trip we dined at NBA City where the food was good and I loved the atmosphere. When we do go back on a kid-less trip I’ll definitely be hitting Emeril’s and Bob Marley- A Tribute to Freedom.
Check out this video I put together from our trip then drop below for details on an amazing giveaway that will allow you to experience Universal Orlando for yourself.
GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
We’re giving away (2) four packs of 2 Day – 2 Park tickets courtesy of our friends at Universal Orlando Resort. Each package of four is valued at $539.96 USD and the winners will have until June 11, 2012 to use the tickets, or forfeit the prize. One of these lucky families could be you!
TO ENTER:
In the comments section below just tell us what you would do at Universal Orlando if you win one of the four packs of passes.
FOR EXTRA ENTRIES:
1. Join our email list here: https://blackandmarriedwithkids.fanbridge.com/
(Leave a separate comment letting us know that you did this)
2. Follow @blackandmarried and @uornews on Twitter
(Leave a separate comment letting us know that you did this)
3. Tweet: ” Win a 4-pack of passes to Universal Orlando Theme Parks from @blackandmarried & @uornews https://bit.ly/iBiNMo #uorfamily #giveaway ”
(Leave a separate comment letting us know that you did this)
RULES:
- Must be a US resident to win
- Contest ends on Thursday June 9th at 11:59PM.
- Two winners will be selected via Random.org and posted here on the site on Friday June 10, 2011.
- Winners will be notified via email and have 24 hours to respond or another winner will be selected.
- Tickets will be mailed on or after June 11, 2011, and will be valid until June 11, 2012.
- For complete rules click here.
Disclosure: Our trip to Universal Orlando Resort and Loews Portofino Bay Resort was an all expense paid trip provided by the resort. No monetary compensation was provided in exchange for this blog post.
and following @UORnews!
Tweeted Win a 4-pack of passes to Universal Orlando Theme Parks from @blackandmarried & @uornews https://bit.ly/iBiNMo #uorfamily #giveaway!
And subscribed to the email list – now I won’t miss the articles!
I would love to take time off and spend the week in Orlando visiting all the parks and having fun with my family.
Just joined the mailing list
followed @blackandmarried and @uornews
just tweeted Win a 4-pack of passes to Universal
Orlando Theme Parks from @blackandmarried & @uornews
https://bit.ly/iBiNMo #uorfamily #giveaway
If i won we would use this trip as our honeymoon….wow!!! that would be exciting!!!!
Already email subscriber iheartmarcusb at gmail dot com
following both on twitter as @iheartmarcusb
following both on twitter as @iheartmarcusb
following both on twitter as @iheartmarcusb
tweet sent
https://twitter.com/#!/iheartmarcusb/status/76383669853499392
If I won I would take my family on our 1st Family Vacation.
I would love to get my husband’s family to watch the kids for a night while we hit CityWalk! And then take the kids to Universal Studios during the day. Everyone wins!
My daughter would drag me to see all things Harry Potter..
I joined your email list. (Maria Smith)
I tweeted about the giveaway. (@mariarsmith)
I follow you and Universal.
I would take a much needed vacation with my husband and two kids! I hope we win!
We would ride all of the scary rides together as a family! stacieconnerty (at) gmail (dot) com
We are going to Orlando in October 2011 for my 40th birthday, so this would be a nice addition to our trip! We’ve never been to Universal Studios so there are alot of attractions we would like to see. We have a 7 year old daughter who loves coasters, and twin 3 year old boys who love the smaller rides. My one son would defintely like to check out the Amazing Adventures of Spider Man ride, and my other son would like the Jaws ride. My daughter would like the Jurassic Park River Adventure!
I joined your email list
kjmaje at gmail dot com
I follow @blackandmarried and @uornews on Twitter
@kjmaje
tweet 6/4
https://twitter.com/#!/kjmaje/status/76976771945336832
If I had a chance to go to Orlando, it would be a first time adventure for me and my son being in Florida. We would ride every ride and take a bunch of pictures to share our experience with family and friends. This would be a reward of our hard work because we are both students. I’m in College and my son is going to 7th grade in the fall.
I joined your email list
I joined your email list
I joined your email list
This trip would be a celebratory adventure for my family and I since I just completed my masters degree. Since I have been in school we haven’t had much family time this would be just what we all need to reconnect.
I would love to have the opportunity to visit Universal Studios with my kids. They are very interested in the new Harry Potter attraction and it would be great to spend some much needed family time in such a fun environment!
Joined the mailing list!
My husband and I would take our children on a much needed vacation.
I have joined the mailing list
I have followed both @blackandmarried and @uornews on twitter. My twitter name is @misskarenee
No long story, i would just love the vacation simply because it would be a loveley vacation! I joined the mailing list.
following both on twitter as @jamalathomas:twitter
My family and are avid Disney fans. We go every summer or fall. ( 6 trips total now as its one of the few places my son can eat with out fear of his food allergies) Last winter we added one more to our foursome (Hubby, myself and our 8 & 5 year old sons). My mother took her first vacation ever, and also celebrated her 70th Birthday! She was so excited she wanted to book her return trip before we even left Orlando! If we won, we would buy and extra ticket for her and show her how much MORE fun it could be . We are scheduled to hit Orlando with her on 8/24 ( no need to worry about US not using the tickets in time!!).
This would be a perfect addition to out trip, we wanted to go but the ticket prices are a bit steep for 5 people… having to pay for only one would be a miracle! My oldest wants to see the Harry Potter ride up close.. I don’t know if he is brave enough to get on it though!
More than anything I want to win the tickets to show my mom a good time and make up for all the years she never treated herself to a good time because she and my father were dedicated to taking care of the family 24/7… In the words of the Water Boy…” I love MAMA!”
also tweeted under @jamalathomas:twitter
I joined the email list! thanks for posting it!
My husband and I desperately need to reconnect. I think this trip would be a fun and exciting way to do that.
I’m hoping my post will double our chances! As my wife stated a couple of posts up… we want to make our August trip as great as possible for our family!
I would give them to my parents…they just celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary and my father has always wanted to go to Universal Studios. For all the love and wisdom they have given me, I would love to be able to give that experience to them.
Hello i am 38 and i have never been i have always told my kides that one day we will get there but to my bad luck i can not get my kides there my mom has cancer and she has her good days and her bad and i would like to get her there just to spend time with her grands just in case something happen we will have some pic just to remember her by but i hope we will have many years with her but it is all up to god.
I have just joined your email list…
I am now following @blackandmarried and @uornews on Twitter…
Just tweeted ” Win a 4-pack of passes to
Universal Orlando Theme Parks from @blackandmarried & @uornews
https://bit.ly/iBiNMo #uorfamily #giveaway †on @bbluexxl:twitter
If my family and I would win the package, we would build on our newly established blended family. I was Florida born and raised and my husband has never had the experience of “family” fun. So this would be a deal of a lifetime to start new with family and love.
If my family and I won this vavcation package, my hubby and I would keep it a secret until we arrived at our destination. Our children would flip out!!! We are a large family, with six children. Affordable vacations are very hard to find. This would be such a blessing. And it’s close enough to drive!!!!!
Just joined your email list.