OUR PANDEMIC TRIP TO UNIVERSAL ORLANDO

Universal Studios opened their gates back up to the public this week after a three month shut down due to COVID-19. The parks have new safety measures in place, such as social distancing markers in all lines and queues, mobile food ordering to eliminate unnecessary contact with team members, hand sanitizing stations in all the rides and stores, plexiglass barriers through ride queues, a mandatory mask policy and more.

Though we were nervous to venture out, we have been long awaiting the re-opening of the parks and I was craving a cheeseburger and chocolate milkshake from Mel's Diner, so off we went to check things out for ourselves!

We weren't exactly sure what to expect and we vowed that if the crowds were too large, that we would simply leave and come back on another day, but crowds were moderate and we felt safe enough to continue exploring. We stopped to get a quick picture in front of the Universal ball and then headed in to have some lunch!

We were actually really lucky to have gotten in the park because I accidentally forgot my driver's license at home (oops). Typically that's not needed because they scan your pass and your finger to ID you, but because of the virus, they've temporarily done away with fingerprint scanning to minimize contact and you just have to show your ID. I was unaware of this switch until we got there and thankfully, the girl at the gate was really understanding and let me in anyway. We felt extra lucky to be there!

Our first stop was the Pass-holders Lounge over in Hollywood to collect our special pass-holder magnets and pins (which Jacob was REALLY excited for). They come out with new ones every so often and it's a fun thing to collect! I didn't snap a picture, but they're super cute.

Finally, it was time to hit Mel's for that heavenly burger and shake that I have been daydreaming of since February. Jacob wasn't hungry yet and so he headed off to ride a few rides while I hopped in line and watched some cavalcades and character shows as I waited. The line for the restaurant was pretty long because of the social distancing markers and the mandatory mobile ordering. They were only letting a certain number of guests in the restaurant at a time, so it took awhile to get a seat.

By the time I got to the door, the Florida heat was getting to me and I was incredibly grateful to feel that sweet AC on my face. The lady at the front helped me figure out the mobile ordering and took me to my table.

The mobile ordering process was actually really simple and they told me that they use the location tracker on the app to find which table you're seated at so they can bring your order to you! I thought that was a really neat feature that allowed the entire transaction to be contact free. Once you're seated at the table, you're allowed to remove your face mask and all guests were spread far enough away from one another that you felt safe in doing so.

At long last, my food arrived. Honestly, just looking at this picture makes me want to go back for round two! haha It was just as good as I remembered.

One really fun thing about Mel's is that there are always characters walking around outside of the diner. One character that I always enjoy seeing out and about, is Beetlejuice. He's a really fun one, and so realistic!

After I finished eating, I caught back up with Jacob and we watched Scooby Doo and the gang practicing their social distancing and mask safety for a minute before heading toward Diagon Alley.

It was really awesome to see all the cast members and guests wearing their masks, sanitizing and working together to create a safe environment to have fun. And it felt SOOO good to be back in the parks. We really didn't have anything planned for the day because we weren't sure what to expect, but even just strolling around felt exhilarating.

After about an hour of walking around, the heat started to become too intense and we decided to call it a day. The down side to the masks is that it DOES add to the heat, which might make outdoor activities in the summer heat unbearable. But, if it allows us all to return to some semblance of normalcy, then I'm willing to grin and bare it.

All in all, it was a really good day at Universal! I think they're doing an incredible job so far at making this a safe, enjoyable experience and it's been incredibly interesting to witness this moment in time, in person. It's both weird and awesome that we'll be able to say that we lived through this and to recall what this was all like. From fighting at the grocery store for rolls of toilet paper and disinfecting wipes, to wearing masks while riding roller coasters. 2020 sure is strange so far.