With so many summer vacation options out there, it can be tough to decide how to spend your precious PTO and hard-earned money! And if you are a special needs parent, once you actually build up the strength and conviction to take a family vacation, you want it to accommodate and fulfill as many of your family’s needs as possible. When I shared my destination with others I got a lot of prayers, blessings, grimaces, woohoos, and my fave: “Wow…you’re brave. How will you do it?”
Click here (when finished reading this info post of course 😉) if you want to hear all about ⬇️this⬇️ epic vacation with my neuro-spicy kiddos and anxiety-ridden hubby!
Our modern family—3 adults and 4 kids (2 neuro-spicy ones)—is always looking for vacations that are water-focused, filled with awesome sights and sounds, and offer luxe accommodations. Everyone has their non-negotiables and these are ours. We like resort-size pools and turquoise blue oceans, and we must have comfy spaces for everyone to spread out and chill out…in-room dining is a HUGE plus too!
Excursions and activities are always a must, but nothing so set in stone (or non-refundable) that it can’t be canceled on a whim if one of our special needs kiddos is having an off day…or if any of the adults can’t muster the strength that day. It sometimes takes all 3 of us adults—my husband, sister-in-law(and love), and me—to manage my 2 neuro-spicy sons.
So when it came to the Luna Family 2025 Vacation, we chose Universal Orlando and the FIVE parks that call UO home—Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Volcano Bay, CityWalk, and the newest addition, Epic Universe!
When planning a large-scale vacation such as this one (or a Disney World one), lots and lots of RESEARCH and PRICE COMPARING must happen!
Will you want to fly or drive (we drove from Texas)? I can book plane tickets or rental cars for you. 🤓
If driving, will you need hotel stays throughout the drive? I can make these reservations for you. 🤓
Will you want to visit all parks, a couple, or just one?
Will you want to add in some other Florida sightseeing?
🤓This is WHY you want to talk to me; I can do ALL of this for you…and my services are $0, yup…FREE!🤓
I decided that since we were going to take the Universal leap we should go ALL-IN, so my goal was for us to visit all five parks. That meant this would be a week-long vacation. Now, you can visit all five parks in less than a week (🤓I have itineraries for long weekends🤓) but for our high maintenance fam that wasn’t gonna happen.
First thing’s first: I had to find a great resort!
I chose Loews Sapphire Falls Resort. Why? Because it has direct access to 3 of the theme parks including Universal CityWalk, which is the entertainment epicenter and entry point for 2 of the theme parks—Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure (Epic Universe and Volcano Bay are just a short shuttle ride from the others). You can access the parks by boat, shuttle and/or walkway from this resort because it’s one of the Universal Signature Resorts! There are hotels/resorts at various price points and they are all centrally located to the parks. 🤓When we plan out your trip we will for sure find one for your budget!🤓
Loews Sapphire Falls has one of the largest pools of all the resorts and it has a great water slide which my kids love! There’s poolside food and drink service which is something my family lives for and a zero depth entry for sunbathing right in the pool! This resort also has 4 on-site eateries and 24-hour room service. The food is FANTASTIC at this resort and there was something for everyone to enjoy, which can be tough to accomplish with picky eaters. Our family takes the prize for having the most difficult palates to satisfy! Trust me…we win hands down.
But, the BEST feature when staying at any of the UO Signature Resorts is Early Park Admission! This was a HUGE benefit for my family because it allows guests to enter each of the parks ONE HOUR BEFORE the general public, which means short lines and more chances to ride all the rides you want with minimal wait time. You can purchase an Express Pass, but, if you stay at select Signature Resorts, Early Park Admission AND Express Pass are included in your cost.
🤓I know which resorts have all these benefits and the ones that won’t!🤓
I HIGHLY recommend the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort for both families and couples!
📝Side note: this resort has the most incredible and relaxing fragrance permeating throughout, which was exactly what this mentally exhausted mama needed after a trying day.
We stayed from Sunday to Saturday and we were able to visit all 5 parks plus have ample pool time and an impromptu visit to a Disney area attraction—Disney Springs.
🤓Want to plan a Disney vacation instead, leave it to me! I know all the ins and outs of Disney too!🤓
Now, when it comes to purchasing your park tickets, it can get very complicated. This is where I spent the most time doing my research and price comparing. 🤓I know how to get you the most for your money when it comes to multi-park visits!🤓
I chose a 4 Day Park-to-Park Ticket for my family so we could visit all five parks. The incredible thing about this type of ticket is that it allows you to visit each park more than once within a set timeframe, which was a MUST for my family since we can only manage a few hours at a time with our 2 neuro-spicy boys. 📝Side note: you can only visit EPIC Universe once since it’s their newest and most-visited park currently.
I liked going early in the morning to enjoy the park for a couple hours, then back to the hotel for some pool and nap time, and then an evening visit to another park. 🤓If you think this itinerary style would fit your needs, I can map out your visits too!🤓
During our stay, here’s what my family enjoyed at each park (we didn’t partake in much dining at the theme parks because we LOVED the food at our resort and would order daily as we sat poolside):
📍Super Mario World
📍How to Train Your Dragon-Isle of Berk
There are 5 worlds within Epic but these were our top 2 and the only ones we could manage with the unbearable heat and humidity.🥵
Islands of Adventure: (we did Early Park Admission for this park and visited twice)
📍Seuss Landing: they have the cutest family-friendly ride—One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish— that all 7 of us were able to enjoy together.
📍Jurassic Park: do the Early Park Admission/Express Pass to ride VelociCoaster! We were able to ride it twice back-to-back! And because we were melting in the late afternoon, the Jurassic Park River Adventure water ride thrilled and chilled us out!
📍Marvel Super Hero Island: The Incredible Hulk Coaster was awesome and we waited less than 5 minutes to get on because of EPA!
📍Toon Lagoon: cool off here with TWO incredible water rides!
📍The Lost Continent: Make a dining reservation at Mythos, an award-winning restaurant featuring Mediterranean, Asian, and American fare
Volcano Bay: this full-scale waterpark has one of the BEST lazy rivers ever but it’s definitely NOT lazy! Check out TeAwa The Fearless River for a true aquatic rush!
Universal Studios: for the cinema buff in all of us! This park has 8 lands you can traverse through including, Illumination’s Minion Land, Dreamworks Land, and Springfield U.S.A, Home of the Simpsons! Make sure to hit up the Revenge of The Mummy coaster!
Universal CityWalk: we absolutely LOVED that the resort boat dropped us off here because it has everything—restaurants, shops, access to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, and the ever-photographed Universal sign!
📍Vivo Italian Kitchen: it was a bit touch and go when we first arrived from our afternoon at Islands of Adventure; our one neuro-spicy son was in the full throes of a sensory meltdown, but the staff was exceptional. They gave us a great table away from other diners which eased my husband’s anxiety. And the food? Exceptional! I highly recommend the Gnocchi dish!
📍Antojitos Authentic Mexican: if you want truly authentic Mexican cuisine, definitely make a reservation here! My husband and I had one of best meals. He loved his Enchiladas Verdes and I had the Mexican elote appetizer which was so savory.
📍The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen: I walked in thinking it was going to be a gimmicky-kind of place with over-priced and underwhelming food, but I couldn’t have been MORE WRONG! Everyone’s meal was delicious and the French Onion Soup was outstanding! Just save room for dessert because they have absolutely every sweet treat you can dream of! My niece loved their Cotton Candy macarons!
Now…I know Universal Orlando isn’t for everyone, but if you and your family are cinema junkies who enjoy the thrill of coasters and experiencing your favorite films and TV series in an immersive way, UO is for you! There is something for everyone!
And since I love planning trips like this— finding ways to make it affordable and unforgettable—LEAVE IT TO ME! 🤓😎 I can do as little or as much researching, planning, and prepping as your traveling heart desires!
Oh, and did I mention my services will all be FREE?! Seriously, this is one thing in your life that will most certainly be free! Trust and believe.
Start here with your vision and I will make it my mission to bring it to life. Just leave it to me! 😎🤓🤩
Patience, Love, and Hope with a Side of Autism and Fishies 