My second trip to Universal Studios in Orlando was undoubtedly memorable due to Hurricane Matthew. It was only the fourth time Disney and Universal shut down the parks entirely. I only lost one of my two days at Universal Studios, and there was not much damage in Orlando.

This was also my first time staying at a Universal Studios Orlando hotel, the Hard Rock Hotel. The hotel was very nice, but due to the hurricane, they had a simple buffet in the restaurant, which was excellent. It’s also a very reasonable walk directly to the parks.

Of note, the Shrek 4D show is no longer in operation and has been replaced with a Minions attraction.

I also attended Halloween Horror Nights on this trip, which was outstanding. I cannot recommend it more highly if you’re just going the one night to get the front of the line. Yes, it’s expensive, but you’ll save so much time not standing in line to make it more than worth it.