Vacation Like A Rock Star At Universal's Hard Rock Hotel Orlando

When we had the opportunity recently to stay at Universal's Hard Rock Hotel we jumped at the chance! Not only is Hard Rock one of the most beautifully themed hotels on Universal property, it also comes with FREE EXPRESS PASSES for both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure meaning that you can cut your wait times for rides and attractions in half!

We are on a break!

We are currently on a 4 week break travelling in Florida and Tennessee! We can't wait to share our adventures with you on our return. In the meantime follow us on Instagram www.instagram.com/elleandmimi/ where we will be posting daily stories and pictures from our travels! 

See you soon!

Love Elle and Mimi x 

Instagram Worthy Spots at Universal Studios Orlando

We are wrapping up our 'Most Instagram Worthy Spots' series of posts with our 10 Most Instagram Worthy Spots at Universal Studios, Orlando. If you have missed any of our previous posts I will link them for you here and here.

Instagram Worthy Spots in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Last time we took a look at our Twelve Most Instagram Worthy Spots at Walt Disney World, this time we are concentrating on Universal Orlando Resort or more specifically, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. 

Where to Grab A Grown Up Drink at Universal Orlando!

We absolutely ADORE a visit to Universal Orlando Resort and now that Aimee lives permanently in Orlando I am fortunate to be able to visit her there twice a year. I am so lucky to be able to visit Universals two amazing theme parks multiple times each trip and although I do love the fantastic rides and attractions, sometimes I want to take it a little slower and have a more 'adult' friendly day! By 'adult friendly' I am referring to one of those days that you meander around the parks at a leisurely pace grabbing an 'adult' beverage and enjoying the sunshine. Seriously though, what could be better? Here are some of our favourite spots to relax with a grown up drink....

Aventura Hotel Universal Orlando - REVIEW

We are huge fans of the many Universal Orlando Hotels and the newest addition to their portfolio is Aventura Hotel which opened its doors in August 2018. Of course, we couldn't wait to try it out! We checked into Aventura in October 2018, just 2 months after its grand opening and we are excited to give you the lowdown on this brand new hotel conveniently situated right on Universal Orlando property.

Five Reasons to Visit Universal Citywalk

One of my favourite things to do when I visit Universal Orlando is to spend a couple of evenings at Universal Citywalk. There are so many great places to visit and so many fantastic things to eat there that its a must-do for me! If you are heading to Universal in 2019 check out my Top Five things to do while you are there!

Our Amazon Travel Essentials

Being frequent travellers we rely on Amazon for many of our go-to travel accessories. Having the right travel accessories can make a huge difference to your trip. We are big believers in planning and organisation so that we have peace of mind when we head off on our adventures! We have compiled a list of our most used travel accessories from Amazon and hope that they can help you too! Just click the picture to take you through to the item!

Five Tips for your Universal Orlando Vacation!

Regular readers of ElleandMimi.com will know that we are frequent visitors to Universal Orlando Resort. So much so that we wanted to share with you our Top Five Tips for visiting the Universal parks. These are things we have learned based on mistakes we have made over the years. We hope some of them are able to help you! Here we go....

We are on a break!

Staycation At Loews Portofino Bay Hotel

Recently I joined my parents, who were visiting from the UK, for a mini break at the beautiful Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort. Portofino Bay has stolen my heart and is my absolute favourite of all of the hotels on Universal property. Instead of giving you a full review of the hotel and it's facilities (there are so many of them online from people who can write way more eloquently than me!) I wanted to show you some of the lovely images that we shot at the resort and of course I will tell you a little about our stay too!  

5 Survival Tips At Universal's Halloween Horror Nights

It's fast approaching our absolute FAVOURITE time of the year......Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort! We have enjoyed the event many times now and although we do no profess to be experts, we have learned some top tips to ensure that we get to experience Halloween Horror Nights to the max! Read on to find out more....

Making Magic In Diagon Alley At Universal Orlando Resort

Wands up all you Harry Potter fans! I've been a huge fan since I was around 10 years old and have devoured the books time and time again since their release. When I started my first summer job at Universal Orlando in 2011 I was beyond excited to be able to work in the amazing Wizarding World of Harry Potter as an attractions attendant at Flight of the Hippogriff. The following year I worked as a dragon handler at Dragon Challenge and had the best summer ever in Orlando!

Universal Globe Style At Universal Orlando Resort

Regular readers of our blog will know that Universal Orlando Resort is our absolute FAVOURITE place to be in Orlando! We love spending time in both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure whether it's to have a hectic day riding all of the attractions or to take a more leisurely stroll around taking in all of the scenery and atmosphere.  

Surviving A Long Haul Flight

Lets be honest, does anyone really like to fly long haul? If we could magically transport ourselves Star Trek style to our destination wouldn't we much prefer it? If we could skip the airport stress and the 9 hour boredom fest and just arrive refreshed and hydrated? Of course we would! However until someone invents a 'beam me up Scotty' command that actually works we are stuck with the stress and boredom so unfortunately we've just got to make the best of it!

Highlights Of The Year 2017

So its time to say...Goodbye 2017 and Hello 2018!

Exploring Downtown Kissimmee: Alligators & Antiques

We admit we have been guilty in the past of believing that all Orlando and the surrounding areas have to offer are miles and miles of theme parks. We have always wanted to find out more about the area and have made a conscious effort in the past couple of years to do more exploring. One of those days led us to the Downtown Kissimmee area and while we are by no means experts, we wanted to share some of the sights of our recent trip to the area.

I Moved To Orlando!

Lindy Bop Style At Universal Orlando Resort

Would you believe that until 2 months ago I did not even know that Lindy Bop existed! If you are like me, late to the party, let me fill you in. Lindy Bop is a vintage style online clothing store founded in 2011. They are quite unique in that they sell very affordable vintage style fashion in sizes ranging from UK 8-26...and did I mention that their sales are insane!! As well as selling in the UK and USA via their own online store they also sell via Debenhams and a handful of other boutiques.

Afternoon Tea At Disney's Grand Floridian Resort

To celebrate my recent birthday we decided to do something a little bit special when we were in Orlando last month. We racked our brains for a girly activity that we could share and decided on Afternoon Tea in the Garden Room at the Grand Floridian Hotel, Disneyworld. This was something that Mimi had already experienced when she was working in Orlando a couple of years ago but for me it was a brand new experience and I couldn't wait!