Crochet Pattern: 'Inspire Me' Textured Basket

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So I made this cute basket for a Craft Fair coming up in a couple months. I kind of had an idea of what I wanted to make. But I couldn't find a pattern for exactly what I wanted. So, I made one up myself! And I am thrilled with how it has turned out. So, without further ado, here it is!

Materials:
4mm/G hook
worsted weight yarn in 4 colors, holding 2 strands at once
yarn needle

Terms:
MR = magic ring
ch = chain
sc = single crochet
sl st = slip stitch
hdc = half double crochet
tc = triple crochet
blo = back loops only
fro = front loops only
rev = reverse

Pattern Guide:
hdc x 3 = put one half double crochet in each of the next 3 stitches
2hdc = put two half double crochets in the next stitch
tc puff st = (yarn over twice, put hook through front loop of previous row, yarn over, pull through 1, yarn over, pull through 2, yarn over, pull through 2) ← do this 3 times, then yarn over, and pull through 4 remaining loops
rev sc = (worked from left to right) insert hook in next st to the right, yarn over, pull through 1, yarn over, pull through both loops on hook

This pattern is worked very tight, so at times, it may feel like you need a bigger hook, but working this tight ensures that the basket will be more sturdy and not limp.

In row 15, the pattern is worked in the back loops only to create a lip on the basket. This makes the sides more defined from the base as opposed to just flowing from base to sides.

Finished Size: Approximately 8 ¾ inches tall and 9 ½ inches wide

Pattern:
1. Using Color A and holding 2 strands at once, sc 10 into MR, sl st to close (10)
2. ch 2, 2hdc in each st around, sl st to close (20)
3. ch 2, (hdc, 2hdc) x 10, sl st to close (30)
4. ch 2, (hdc x 2, 2hdc) x 10, sl st to close (40)
5. ch 2, (hdc x 3, 2hdc) x 10, sl st to close (50)
6. ch 2, (hdc x 4, 2hdc) x 10, sl st to close (60)
7. ch 2, (hdc x 5, 2hdc) x 10, sl st to close (70)
8. ch 2, (hdc x 6, 2hdc) x 10, sl st to close (80)
9. ch 2, (hdc x 7, 2hdc) x 10, sl st to close (90)
10. ch 2, (hdc x 8, 2hdc) x 10, sl st to close (100)
11. ch 2, (hdc x 19, 2hdc) x 5, sl st to close (105)
12. ch 2, (hdc x 9, 2hdc, hdc x 10, 2hdc) x 5, sl st to close (115)
13. ch 2, hdc x 10, 2hdc, (hdc x 22, 2hdc) x 4, hdc x 12, sl st to close (120)
14. ch 2, (hdc x 11, 2hdc) x 10, sl st to close in flo (130)

15. ch 2, turn work so that the right side is facing up as the base of your basket, hdc in blo around, sl st to close in both loops (130)
16. ch 2, hdc around, sl st to close (130)
17. ch 2, hdc around, sl st to close (130)
18. ch 2, hdc around, switch to Color B, sl st to close (130)
19. ch 1, sc, (sc, sc spike 1 row below, sc spike 2 rows below, sc spike 3 rows below) x 32, sc, sl st to close (130)
20. ch 1, hdc around, switch to Color C, sl st to close (130)

21. ch 1, hdc around, sl st to close (130)
22. ch 1, hdc around, sl st to close (130)
23. ch 1, hdc x 2, (hdc in blo, hdc in both loops x 3) x 32, sl st to close (130)
24. ch 1, hdc x 2, (tc puff st in front loop of row 23, hdc x 3 in row 24) x 32, sl st to close (130)

25. ch 1, hdc around, sl st to close (130)
26. ch 1, hdc around, switch to Color D, sl st to close (130)

27. ch 1, hdc around, sl st to close (130)
28. ch 1, sc around, switch to Color A, sl st to close (130)
Leave as long of a tail of Color D as you can
29. ch 1, hdc around, sl st to close (130)
30. ch 1, hdc around, sl st to close (130)
31. ch 1, hdc around, sl st to close (130)
32. ch 1, hdc around, sl st to close (130)
33. ch 1, skip st directly to the right, rev sc around, sl st to close (130)
Finish off and weave in ends.

To Finish:
Pick up your long grey tail from row 28, and using your yarn needle, sew around the rows of Color A to mimic the spike stitch from row 19. Do this all the way around.
Finish off and weave in ends. This gives the effect that the spike stitch goes in the opposite direction as before.

Feel free to sell any products made from this pattern. However, do not try to sell this pattern or offer it for free in any way. Please link back to me if you post your basket anywhere!
Tag me in any pictures. I would love to see them! Instagram: @kerry_1105 Facebook: K L Crochet
If you have any questions about this pattern, please feel free to leave a comment and I'll answer it the best I can.

Facebook Marketplace

I feel like ever since my son finished his last day of school, it has been non-stop crazy at my house. And when it's not crazy, I'm so exhausted I just want to lay around. And that's how my house became a freaking disaster! Ah! It's so frustrating! Please tell me I'm not the only one.

Well, after cleaning a little, we realized we just didn't have enough space for everything. And coincidentally, our neighborhood's bi-annual garage sale was happening on the first weekend of June. We got everything prepared and it turned out we had a ton of stuff! And some big things, too! I was excited. With so many big things, we were sure to get rid of things and make a little money.

The day of our garage sale came, and the weather was beautiful! I had high hopes for the day! Unfortunately, I didn't sell most of our big stuff, and we ended the day with just over $100. It didn't feel like a failure, but I definitely didn't feel like it was a huge success.

Since we did have so many big items left over, I knew I wanted to try to sell them still. My husband suggested Facebook Marketplace. I'd never sold anything on there before so I was a little nervous. And I definitely had no idea what I was in for. In the end, I sold everything that I wanted to in less than 2 weeks and made $221.

Here's how you start. Go to Marketplace (located at the left hand side toward the top on your desktop). Again, on the left hand side, click on “Sell Something” and fill out the prompts. They make it very easy! Make sure you add some great photos of the item you have for sale. The thing that sells your item the most is the photos. It's best to have them from every angle.

Tip 1: I only put 6-8 things for sale at a time and that worked great for me because even with just a few things for sale, it can get hard to keep track of all the people messaging you. I love how they keep your item for sale at the top of each conversation to help you keep everything organized.

Tip 2: Don't consider anything sold until you have agreed on a time, place, and amount. I had so many people ask “Is this available?” and when I said yes, they never said anything else. There were also plenty of people that asked questions about the item, seemed like they were going to buy it, and then just never said anything else. So I started replying “Yes” whenever anyone asked if an item was available until I considered it sold. I only had 2 people (out of probably 50) that got upset because I sold it while they were still thinking about it. And that's just how it goes. You can't miss out on potential sales while someone takes forever to reply that might not buy your item.

Tip 3: Don't feel bad about moving on. I had someone set to meet and then they messaged me a couple hours before that they wouldn't be able to meet until 2 hours later. That's fine. I'm flexible. Then, they messaged me again that it would be better for them to do the next day. Ok, starting to get annoyed, but again, I'm flexible. The next day, they message again, that they would really appreciate it if we could meet the day after that. That was enough. They offered to pay through Facebook to show they were serious about getting it, but I was annoyed. So I told them it wouldn't work for me and I relisted the item. Lucky for me, I had it sold and delivered with cash in my hand within 24 hours. The point is, move on if people seem like they're just there to make your life more stressful.

Tip 4: If you feel uncomfortable meeting with people at your house, it's perfectly ok, if not expected, to meet someplace public. I met at our local police department multiple times! But I was also flexible with my meeting location. I also met at Sam's Club, the library, Wal-Mart, and a couple other places. I only had 2 people pick up at my house and it was only because my trunk was too small.

So if you've ever thought about getting rid of stuff, definitely try Facebook! It costs nothing. It's super easy to set-up. And you have the opportunity to make some money without the hastle of a garage sale. I'm still glad we had our garage sale and in the end, with everything combined, we made about $330. And that's not too bad.

Recipe: Homemade Lemonade

I took a couple weeks off, but now we're back at it! My summer has started off great! With lots of things going on. I don't know about you guys, but having my son at home all day, I feel like I need to plan at least 1 fun activity every day to make sure we're not just sitting around. Don't get me wrong, I have a list of things we do each day including reading for 1 hour, working out for 30 minutes, and cleaning for 30 minutes each day. As a reward for these things, I put a limit on phone use to no more than 2 hours.

Here are some of the things we do to fill our time:
1. The Library
Ours has some great public activities and even when there's nothing going on, they always have pages to color, books to read, computers to play on, toys to play with, and fun displays to check out.
2. Berry Picking
There is a fun little berry patch within half an hour of our house that we like to visit from time to time. 3. The Zoo
We have a small local zoo, but beyond that, there are 3 other zoos within an hour. Plus, 2 large named zoos within 3 hours. 4. Paint Your Own Pottery
These places are becoming more and more popular. We have a fun little place in town. We try to only visit once every couple of weeks because while fun, it can get expensive.

We also do lots of crafts and projects. My son has been getting into cooking lately, so I thought as a quick little project, I would teach him how to make homemade lemonade.

You Will Need:
1 cup of water
1 cup of sugar
Enough lemons to make 1 cup of juice (we used 5 large lemons)
7-8 more cups of water

First, combine 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar in a small saucepan and heat on medium until the sugar is completely dissolved (your water will appear clear again). You have now made your simple syrup. It only takes about 5 minutes. Take your pan off the heat and set it to the side to cool.

While your syrup is cooling, you can juice your lemons. If you don't have a juicer, you can squeeze the lemon while twisting a fork to get every last drop out. Make sure you strain the juice to get rid of seeds and most of the pulp.

It's time to mix together your lemon juice, simple syrup, and 7-8 cups of water. I put a rough estimate on the amount because it's all about your personal preference on taste and how strong you want your lemonade. After everything is mixed together, place it in the fridge to cool. Cold, fresh lemonade is the best. Something about making it from scratch truly makes it taste better!

If you have any other suggestions on fun, small projects I can try with my little 8yo, please, let me know in the comments below. We're always looking for new things to try out.

Summer Bucket List

Every summer, my son and I like to make a list of things that we want to do before school starts back up. We got together and pooled all of our ideas and came up with this list of 50 things we want to do this summer. Here is our summer bucket list for 2018!

Click here to view a PDF and download.

Pictures to take while you're in Universal

Like anything else that has to do with our vacation, I did a lot of research about what pictures we should take while we're at Universal. I used a mix of some ideas I saw online and things I remembered from when we visited 3 years ago. That is how I made our list to take with us. It served useful as we wanted to bring home some special photographic memories to display at home. Here's our list:

Click here to view as a PDF and download.

Pictures to take while you're on vacation

We just love to take pictures! And I love finding lists of things to take pictures of and then challenging myself to do them all! So my son and I decided to come up with our own list before we left for vacation to see if we could do them all. Here's our list:

Click here to view as a PDF and download.

Legoland Florida

Legoland Florida We decided absolute last minute (less than 2 days prior) that we were going to go to Legoland. We arrived shortly after opening (mostly due to the parking situation – it took us FOREVER to get through that line) and there were already a TON of people.

After we waited in the super long line to get in, we made our way to the photo counter to buy the photo package. I always think it's worth it for the ride photos. You can take as many pictures as you want, but you'll never be able to get those ride photos without buying them individually or just splurging to get the package and getting as many as you want. There are currently 5 different rides that have offer on-ride photos. Plus, there are multiple meet and greets. Times are posted in a pamphlet given to you when you first enter. However, they don't tell you who the meet and greet is with. We also saw a photographer at the very front before you enter to take a picture with the Welcome sign and one right after you enter. I'm not really sure what he was taking a picture with, but we were paying for those pictures, so we got them!

We walked straight to the back to Lego City where Tom and Owen rode the flight school ride. They seemed to really enjoy it and there was absolutely no wait.

Next up was Ford driving school. We waited about 15-20 minutes. They take your (kids only, aged 6-13) picture while in line for your license. Then you go into a room (with benches! Woo!) to watch a video about 'how to drive.' Then, you go outside and the kids get in their cars to drive. Owen loved it. And afterward, he bought himself a drivers license! Plus, it came with a lanyard. You get a couple different options for which kind of license you want. My son chose a firefighter license. It's pretty cute.

Also located in this area is junior driving school for younger kids, boating school, and Rescue Academy.

Then we headed over to the Lego Ninjago World. It's very neatly themed in this part of the park. There are a lot of cool Ninja training things you could do. We headed straight for Lego Ninjago The Ride. There was practically no wait which was nice. It was a really fun ride, but it was kind of weird because you use your hands and arms to shoot energy balls at things. I just couldn't seem to make it work, but Tom and Owen did. And we also looked like total doofuses in the picture!

Later in the day, this is also where we did the Kai meet and greet. That was fun, too. But I always think it's fun to take pictures with characters.

In the Land of Adventure, Tom and Owen rode Coastersaurus. They had a ton of fun. It's like your normal wooden coaster. Their picture turned out really well. They probably had to wait about 20-30 minutes in line.

We also really enjoyed The Lost Kingdom Adventure. We just love this ride. Apparently, we're big fans of shooting rides. It's so much fun.

Also in the part of the park are Beetle Bounce and Safari Trek.

We decided to walk over to the Great Lego Race and check it out. The line didn't look THAT long so we went ahead and got in it. Well, after we'd already waited about 20 minutes, they told us it was a 2 hour wait. Really? I mean, I understand that this is a brand new ride, but that just seemed crazy. But after we talked about it, we decided to go ahead and wait it out. After all, we'd never been on a VR ride before. We really missed those Express Passes from Universal though. We made the most of our time by having Tom get out of line to go get food and then bring it back. I know that's bad line ettiquette, but we were starving and we forgot to bring snacks. Luckily, there were also a couple places in line that had Legos to play with. The 1st time we rode, Owen's VR went black and the very beginning and didn't work so they let him go again. I decided I only wanted to go once so Tom and Owen went by themselves. The VR ride was so cool! You were completely immersed in the ride. It was a little freaky because you couldn't always tell where you were going next, but I understood why everyone was ok with the wait. It was a very slow-loading ride.

We walked over to Lego Kingdoms to ride The Dragon, but unfortunately, after about 5 minutes in line, they told everyone the ride was closed and they weren't sure when it was going to open. Also in this area is Merlin's Challenge and Royal Joust.

Those were all the rides we rode since we had a very limited about of time to spend at Legoland (only about 5 hours).

The rides in DUPLO Valley are DUPLO tractor and DUPLO train.

The only ride in Imagination Zone is Kid Power Towers.

We were disappointed that we didn't get to try Mia's Riding Adventure in Heartlake City.

The only ride in Fun Town is The Grand Carousel.

The only ride in The Lego World of Chima is the Quest for Chi. You will probably get a little wet on this ride.

In unspecified areas, there is also Technicycle and Aquazone Wave Racers.

We love visiting Legoland. And hopefully we'll be able to make it back at least one more time before Owen gets too old to really enjoy it.

Islands of Adventure

WARNING: Just like my post about Universal Studios, this one about Islands of Adventure will be long.

Jurassic Park

Attractions:
1. Jurassic Park River Adventure – Shoot the Chute – Over 48” or over 42” with adult
I was a little concerned at first because the posted wait time was 130 minutes and I heard people say that with Express Passes, you could wait up to half the posted time, but we only ended up waiting about 20 minutes. I loved this ride. I thought the story was fun and the theming was great. It was a little dated, but Jurassic Park is a classic!

2. Pteranodon Flyers – Suspended roller coaster – Over 48” or over 36” with adult/over 56” with rider 36”-56”
We didn't ride this one this time because we were on a tight time-frame and it doesn't have an Express Pass line. I want to say we waited about an hour last time and while it was fun, we'll only ride it when we have plenty of time to spare. Plus, you can only ride if you have a child with you so one of us has to just sit out and wait (they won't let you go through the line if you're not riding).
3. Raptor Encounter – Character Zone
If you want to be first in line (like us, apparently), you only need to show up 15 minutes before it starts (which was 10am while we were there). Definitely have them record your experience. We love having our video with Rho to watch whenever we're missing Universal.

4. Jurassic Park Discovery Center
We had heard plenty of people telling us to check this out. And to be honest, it's so not worth it unless you're going to see the egg hatch. I mean, we walked around and checked stuff out, but it was a little boring. Some of the stuff seemed broken and it was just a little dated. But the hatching dinosaur was by far the coolest part. The 'scientist' talked for a couple minutes and then she asked if anyone had a name suggestion for the newborn raptor. My son shot his hand up and suggested 'Penny' when the scientist asked and that's how my son got a certificate saying that he named a baby raptor. Now, whenever we go back, we can ask a scientist to check on her and when we give her name and the date she was born, they'll give us an update on her. He thought that was super cool.

Dining: 1. Pizza Predattoria
fresh baked pizzas, meatball subs, chicken Caesar salads, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $8
This was by far the longest line we waited in all day (at 3pm)! It actually took us from ahead of schedule to behind schedule! It was slightly infuriating. Plus, it was pretty difficult to find a table with all those people sitting at them that weren't eating and just resting. Besides that, I thought everything tasted great! Even my son, who is a very picky and light eater, ate an entire pizza to himself. The meatball sub was very tasty. We also got some breadsticks and salads. We were all full when we left.
2. The Burger Digs
burgers, garden burgers, chicken sandwiches, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $8
3. The Watering Hole
hot dogs, wings, chili, nachos, beer, wine, cocktails and frozen beverages, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $6
4. Thunder Falls Terrace
BBQ ribs, rotisserie chicken, smoked turkey legs, soup, salads, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $9

Shopping:
1. Dinostore
Owen bought a fun little toy here. I didn't really see anything that was great with Jurassic Park theming. It was mostly just generic dinosaur stuff. That was a little disappointing.
2. Jurassic Outfitters
They have all the same stuff that the Dinostore has. This is at the exit of the Jurassic Park Ride.

Skull Island

Attractions:
1. Skull Island: Reign of Kong – Dark ride – Over 36”
This was our longest ride wait of the entire day with a mere 30 minute wait. But that's nothing compared to posted wait time of 110 minutes. It looks really scary from the outside. I know that a lot of people say that you miss out on great line theming when you use express, but I'd rather miss a little than wait that long for a ride. For the ride itself, you're in a huge safari-like truck. We were seated toward the back and it was seriously amazing! This is one of the coolest rides! Kong and the dinosaurs could be a little scary for young kids, but our little dare devil thought it was insanely cool.

Toon Lagoon

Attractions:
1. Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls – Log Flume – Over 48” or over 44” with adult
I chose not to go on this one, but there is a test seat out front so I'm not entirely sure I would have fit on it anyway. That being said, my son and husband did go on this and they said it was a lot of fun. I believe my son's exact words were, “That was awesome!” They came of a little wet after sitting in the last 2 seats. They only waited 10 minutes with Express Passes.

2. Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges – River rapids ride – Over 48” or over 42” with adult
We chose not to ride this one because it seemed like you got wet just for the sake of getting wet.
3. Classic Comic Book Characters – Character Zone – Betty Boop, Popeye, Olive

Dining:
1. Blondie's: Home of the Dagwood
sandwiches and subs including the famous “Dagwood”, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $9
2. Cathy's Ice Cream
sundaes, shakes and waffle cones featuring Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $5
3. Comic Strip Cafe
fried chicken, fish & chips, hot dogs, burgers, and even Asian & Italian dishes, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $6
4. Wimpy's
double cheeseburgers, chicken fingers, chicken wraps, chili dogs and fries, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $6

Marvel Super Hero Island

Attractions:
1. Doctor Doom's Fearfall – Space Shot – Over 52”
This is one of the few rides we've never ridden.
2. Storm Force Accelatron – Teacups – Over 48” or with adult
Think spinning tea cups, but themed in a much cooler way that you're battling bad guys! It's so much fun! And of course, with my husband and son, we have to try to spin as fast as possible! The posted wait was 25 minutes, but with our Express Passes, we only waited 7 minutes.
3. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man – 4D motion based dark ride – Over 48” or over 40” with adult
The posted wait for this ride was 70 minutes, but with Express Passes, we only waited a very fast 15 minutes. This was one of my favorite rides. It's so much fun. This is definitely the most rollercoaster-like ride of the 4D ones.
4. The Incredible Hulk Coaster – Sitting Coaster – Over 54”
My husband rode this last time and thought it was great, but since he's the only one that can ride this (I'm too big and my son is too small) he decided to skip it this time.
5. Meet Spider-Man and the Marvel Super Heroes – Character Zone – Spider-Man, Captain America, Cyclops, Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Doctor Doom, The Green Goblin
6. Spider-Man Appearing at the Marvel Aternivurse Store – Character Zone
We waited about 10 minutes to meet Spider-Man, which wasn't bad considering he spends a good 2-3 minutes with each kid. He really takes the time to talk to them and then signs an autograph for every kid. Plus, in the end, you get this really cool picture that looks like the cover of a comic book.
Dining:
1. Cafe 4
Italian eatery with pizza, spaghetti & meatballs, fettuccini, meatball subs and chicken Caesar salads, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $7
2. Captain America Diner
all-American menu of cheeseburgers, sandwiches, chicken fingers, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $8

Port of Entry

Dining:
1. Confisco Grille
Italian, Asian and Greek dishes, Casual Dining, Starting at $10
2. Cinnabon
cinnamon rolls, caramel pecanbon rolls, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $4
3. Croissant Moon Bakery
savory deli sandwiches, paninis, freshly baked pastries and cheesecakes, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $3
4. Starbucks Coffee
Quick Service Dining, Starting at $2

Seuss Landing

Attractions:
1. Caro-Seuss-el – Carousel – over 48” or with adult
2. Oh! The Stories You'll Hear! – Live show – No height requirement
3. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish – Flying Fish – Over 48” or with an adult
4. The Cat in the Hat – Dark ride – Over 48” or over 36” with adult
5. The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride – Powered train ride – Over 48” or over 40” with adult
The wait was only 12 minutes (whether you had Express Passes or not). We thought it was ok. Great for little kids!
6. Seuss Character Zone – Character Zone – The Cat in the Hat, Sam I Am, Thing One & Thing Two, The Grinch

Dining:
1. Circus McGurkus Cafe Stoo-pendous
sweet snacks, frosty cold drinks and wholesome nutritious meals, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $8
2. Hop on Pop Ice Cream Shop
sundaes, sundae on a stick, waffle cones, and root beer floats, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $4
3. Moose Juice, Goose Juice
juice, frozen juice, fruit cups, churros, pretzels & cookies, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $4
Shopping: 1. Honk Honkers
This is at the exit of the High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride to the right. It's a cute little candy store. But the highlight here is clearly the cotton candy. They have a couple different flavors (my son chose Jolly Berry) and a couple different things you can add to the layers (like sprinkles!). And it is HUGE! They give you a bag to put it in which makes transporting it around much easier (especially on a windy day). But they leave it out of the bag when they give it to you so you can get a fun picture of just how large it is! Plus, it's seriously delicious. I'm not joking when I say it's probably the best tasting cotton candy I've ever had!

2. Snookers & Snookers Sweet Candy Cookers
This is at the exit of the High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride to the left. This has all the other candy you could imagine!
3. Mulberry Street Store
You will find everything from shirts to mugs to wigs and everything in between that are Dr. Seuss character related.
4. All The Books You Can Read
You guessed it! They sell books! Plus, some other goods like clothes.
5. Cats, Hats & Things
This is at the exit of the Cat in the Hat ride. It sells pretty much anything you could think of in Cat in the Hat fashion.

The Lost Continent

Attractions:
1. Poseidon's Fury – Live action show – Over 48” or with adult
2. The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad Stunt Show – Live action show – No height requirement
3. The Mystic Fountain – Comedy Show – fountain that loves to tell riddles and jokes that will get you wet if you answer its questions incorrectly

Dining:
1. Mythos Restaurant
rock formations, waterfalls and ancient figures, Casual Dining, Starting at $10
2. Doc Sugrue's Desert Kebab House
beef, chicken or vegetarian kebabs and Greek salads, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $7
3. Fire Eater's Grill
grilled gyros, fiery chicken stingers, chicken fingers, hot dogs and salads, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $8

Orlando Gateway Hotel

Orlando Gateway Hotel 7299 Universal Boulevard After having sticker shock over the exorbitant amount our first hotel stay was in Orlando, on-site at Universal at the Royal Pacific Hotel, we decided that since we were planning on just taking off the next morning, it made more sense for us to find a different, cheaper hotel for our second night. We have frequently stayed at Best Western hotels so we usually check those out first before moving on to something else. That's when we came across the Orlando Gateway Hotel. This really seeemed to meet our needs for the night.

We checked in around 10:15pm after our full day at Universal. The room didn't really seem that special, but it wasn't bad in any way. It was exactly what we needed. We were so exhausted we just wanted to go to bed.

About ½ hour after we woke up, our toilet broke and started spewing water from the tank so Tom had to turn the water off and call the front desk. Luckily, we were checking out soon.

I wouldn't say there's anything super special about this hotel, but it definitely gets the job done. And it felt clean. I feel like that's the most important thing when it comes to hotels.

Universal Studios

WARNING: This will be a very long post with lots of pictures! Hopefully, there's some good information in here for you to help with your vacation planning! Now, let's get started!

World Expo

Attractions:
1. Fear Factor Live – Live Show – No height requirement
2. Kang & Kodos' Twirl 'n' Hurl – Aerial carousel – Over 48” or with an adult
3. Men in Black: Alien Attack – Interactive Dark Ride – Over 48” or over 42” with adult
With a posted time of 50 minutes, we only waited 15 minutes with Express Passes. We absolutely love this ride. It's so much fun to shoot all the aliens! Make sure you keep the button pressed down the whole time to get the most points.

4. The Simpsons Ride – Motion Simulator – Over 48” or over 40” with adult
5. The Simpsons Character Zone – Character Zone – Sideshow Bob and Krusty the Clown, plus possibly the members of the Simpson family

Dining:
1. Bumblebee Man's Taco Truck
Mexican street food, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $7
2. Cletus' Chicken Shack
chicken & waffle sandwich, chicken arms, chicken thumbs, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $9
3. Duff Brewery
Quick Service Dining, Starting at $8
4. Flaming Moe's
fruit-flavored drinks, Quick Service Dining
5. Krusty Burger
Krusty Burger, Clogger Burger, The Ribwich, Sideshow Bob Foot Long, The Heat Lamp Dog, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $8
6. Lard Lad Donuts
giant pink donuts, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $4
7. Lisa's Teahouse of Horror
pre-packaged items like salads, veggie sandwiches, turkey wraps, hummus, fruit plates, fruit cups and yogurt, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $7
8. Luigi's Pizza
individual pizzas – cheese, vegetarian, Meat Liker's, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $7
9. Moe's Tavern
try the love tester machine, Quick Service Dining
We were excited to go in here because the last time we came, it was closed by the time we got around to it. This time, we sat at the bar and ate a Big Pink (yes, they sell the big pink donuts from Lard Lad's at the bar in Moe's) while my husband ordered a Duff and my son ordered a Flaming Moe. It's almost worth it to get this drink just to watch the guy pour it! It's so much fun to see it bubble. It's just an orange soda with a dry ice cube in the bottom (in a little compartment so you can't actually touch it). And the Big Pink is seriously one of the tastiest donuts I've ever had. It's so light and fluffy and there's just the perfect amount of frosting on top for my liking.

10. The Frying Dutchman
Basket O' Shrimp, Basket O' Calamari, Basket O' Bait, Clam Chowd-arr, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $9

Woody Woodpecker's KidZone

Attractions:
1. A Day in the Park with Barney – Live Show – No height requirement
2. Animal Actors on Location! – Live Show – No height requirement
3. Curious George Goes to Town – Play area – No height requirement
4. E.T. Adventure – Dark Ride – Over 48 inches or over 34” with adult
The posted time was 20 minutes and we waited 5 minutes with our Express Passes. Honestly, the ride is fine. It's super weird. And I wanted to like it because so many people have said how much they like it. But I just couldn't get past how uncomfortable I was. I didn't know if I was going to be able to make it through the whole ride. My hips were WAY to big to be comfortable. But still, I guess the ride was pretty cool, definitely old, but classic. Plus, I really enjoyed the pictures my son got to take after the ride in the gift shop.

5. Fievel's Playland – Play area – No height requirement
6. Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster – Vekoma Junior Coaster – Over 48” or over 36” with adult
With a posted time of 45 minutes, we only waited 5 minutes with Express Passes. It was pretty similar to Flight of the Hippogriff. It was fun, but very short (good thing we didn't wait very long).
7. Meet Spongebob Squarepants – Character Zone – Spongebob and Patrick

Dining:
1. KidZone Pizza Company
pizza, chicken fingers, chef salads, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $8

Hollywood

Attractions:
1. Universal Orlando's Horror Make-Up Show – Live Show – No height requirement
2. Studios Brass Band – Musical Show – TV and movie theme songs
3. Universal's Superstar Parade – Parade – Spongebob Squarepants, Dora & Diego, The Secret Life of Pets, and Despicable Me characters
4. Character Party Zone – Character Zone – meet some of your favorite theme park characters
5. Hollywood Character Zone – Woody Woodpecker, Curious George, Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Homer, Bart, Marge, Lisa, Marilyn Monroe, Betty Boop, Lucille Ball, Hello Kitty, Doc Brown
6. Meet Shrek & Donkey – Character Zone

Dining:
1. Cafe La Bamba
Character Breakfast and Premium Dining Experience, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $8
2. Mel's Drive-In
50's drive-in – burgers and fries, chicken sandwiches, chicken fingers, floats and milk shakes, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $8
3. Schwab's Pharmacy
ice cream sundaes, milk shakes, malts, banana splits and ice cream floats, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $5

Production Central

Attractions:
1. Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem – 4D Motion Simulator – Over 48” or over 40” with an adult
This was one of our longer waits of the day with the posted time being 100 minutes and our wait time with Express Passes (from the point where we got in line to when we actually got on the ride – not that waiting room you go into for the opening info) was 20 minutes. There are a couple rooms before that are like ride intros, but it's still just waiting in my opinion. We love this ride. It's so much fun and the story is absolutely adorable.
2. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit – X-Car Music roller coaster – Over 51” but under 79”
This was the first time my son was tall enough to ride this. They even pulled him out of line to check his height and he JUST made it. I'm talking potentially less than a centimeter, folks. And he had the time of his life. He almost chickened out about 5 times, but he eventually got on the ride and at the end, it was his new favorite! This is a real rollercoaster that takes you on spins and huge plunges. The posted time for this ride was 75 minutes and with Express Passes, my son and husband only waited 10 minutes.
3. Shrek 4-D – 4D ride – No height requirement
4. Transformers: The Ride-3D – 4D motion based dark ride – Over 48” or over 40” with adult
This was one of our favorite rides 3 years ago and it didn't disappoint this time around either. The posted wait time 65 minutes and with Express Passes, we waited 10 minutes. This ride is great about putting you into the story and really making you think that you're a real character in this high-speed chase to get the Allspark and keep it away from Megatron.
5. Meet the Transformers – Character Zone – Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and the evil Megatron
We were able to get in line just as they were switching from Megatron to Optimus Prime. Owen was really excited to meet him. They're so huge. I only wish the pictures could do the transformers justice in really showing how big they are. We only waited about 5 minutes in this line.

Dining:
1. Beverly Hills Boulangerie
breakfast croissants, sandwiches, soup, salads and freshly baked pastries, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $3
2. Bone Chillin
beverage stand, frozen slush drinks, beer, and mixed drinks, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $4
3. Universal Studios' Classic Monsters Cafe
chicken, pizza, salads, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $8

New York

Attractions:
1. Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon – 4D Ride
2. Revenge of the Mummy – Launched roller coaster and dark ride – Over 48”
3. The Blues Brothers Show – Live show – No height requirement
4. Beat Builders – Musical Show – percussion show that incorporates materials and equipment found on a typical construction site
5. Marilyn and the Diamond Bellas – Musical Show
6. Sing It! – Musical Show – singing competition where powerhouse vocalists battle for a cappella supremacy

Dining:
1. Finnegan's Bar and Grill
Irish dishes – potato and leek soup, bangers and mash, shepherd's pie, corned beef and cabbage, fish & chips, Casual Dining, Starting at $10
2. Ben & Jerry's
cones, sundaes and shakes, plus delicious smoothies, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $5
3. Louie's Italian Restaurant
the Bronx's best pizza, spaghetti & meatballs, fettuccini, meatball subs, salads, plus gelato & Italian Ice, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $7
4. Starbucks Coffee
Quick Service Dining, Starting at $2

San Francisco

Attractions:
1. Fast and Furious: Supercharged
2. Flying Fish Market – Action Show – acrobatic fish tossing – located right by New York

Dining:
1. Lombard's Seafood Grille
New England clam chowder, bay shrimp Cobb salad, fish & fries and a catch of the day, Casual Dining, Starting at $11
2. Chez Alcatraz
homemade chips, flatbread, and specialty drinks, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $4
3. Richter's Burger Co.
double cheeseburgers that you top yourself at the fixins bar, plus chicken sandwiches, grilled chicken salads and milk shakes, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $8
4. San Francisco Pastry Company
pastries, soups, and sandwiches, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $3

The Jaws shark is in this area near the waterfront.

Universal Studio Resort as a Plus-Size Woman

3 years ago, I had trouble on a couple rides. And by trouble, I mean that I couldn't ride some of them. It didn't bum me out too bad because I knew that was a big possibility. And I wanted to let everyone know about my experience, but I quickly forgot about it because I was a little embarrased. Well, I don't care that much anymore. I'm roughly the same size now that I was then. And in case you were wondering, I do eat healthy and I do work out. I'm just fat. Oh well!

Here are my stats:
Height: 5 foot 6 inches
Weight: 324 pounds
Bust: 53 inches
Hips: 57 inches
Thighs: 50 inches
Pant Size: 24
And here's a picture of me in all my fat glory!

Rides that we rode:
Universal Studios –
1. Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
I wasn't able to ride this. I feel like it was close, but I just couldn't get it to close. I mostly have troubles with the ones that close over your head.
2. MEN IN BLACK Alien Attack
I fit on this one just fine. No problems!
3. Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster
I didn't have any troubles fitting on this one, but it definitely felt safer to ride it by myself and to have my son sit with my husband instead.
4. E.T. Adventure
So, I was able to fit on this, but not comfortably at all! This ride squeezed my hips so bad, I almost couldn't make it through the whole thing!
5. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
I had zero issues fitting on this ride.
6. TRANSFORMERS: The Ride 3-D
Again, this ride is pretty easy to fit in. I love those bench seats!

Islands of Adventure –
7. Skull Island: Reign of Kong
There are no kinds of restraints on this one and it's a bench seat so there were no fit issues.
8. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
This is another bench seat that I had no problems with.
9. Jurassic Park River Adventure
No fit issues on this bench seat.
10. Flight of the Hippogriff
This one fit exactly like Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster. I fit fine, but I'm more comfortable with my son riding with his father.
11. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
I tried the test seat outside of this one and just couldn't make it. I tried, but it didn't close to the point that I could ride.
12. The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!
No fit issues on this one either.

Now, there are plenty more rides that we didn't go on. But this is my personal experience from our most recent trip. On our last trip, I also rode Cat in the Hat, Pteranodon Flyers, and the Simpson's Ride. You shouldn't have any problems with those. Basically, the rule for me is: if there's a test seat, I probably won't fit. Unfortunately, that's just the way it is right now.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Ok, this is going to be a long one, but it has a lot of information! I just love the wizarding world because you truly feel like you've stepped inside J.K. Rowling's brain when she was envisioning what she was writing. So, without further adieu:

Hogsmeade in Islands of Adventure

Attractions:
1. Flight of the Hippogriff – Vekoma Junior Coaster – Over 48” or over 36” with adult
The posted time for this ride was 45 minutes, but with our Express Passes, we only waited 12 minutes. I love this coaster. It's so much fun! And perfectly themed. I love seeing Hagrid's Hut and Hedgwig.
Side Note: How great is it that there's a water fountain in this line?

2. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey – RoboCoaster G2 – Over 48”
I couldn't ride this (didn't fit in the test seat out front), but my husband and son had a great time. They thought it was awesome! Owen wanted to ride it again. The posted time for this ride was 60 minutes, but with our Express Passes, we only waited 15 minutes. It's a continuous loading ride, which I thought was pretty cool.

3. Hogwarts Express: Hogsmeade Station – Park Connector – Over 48” or with an adult
Our wait time on this one was only 10 minutes with our Express Passes. I just LOVE the Hogwarts Express.
Side Note: There is an awesome photo op with the Hogwarts Express (not the one that moves, but a permanent feature) and frequently, a conductor! It's located just inside Hogsmeade near Honeydukes.

I have some grievances with this ride and it has nothing to do with the ride itself. First, we rode the Hogwarts Express 4 times before finally being able to sit next to the window. This may not seem like a big deal to some people, but when you have adults leaning forward, not paying attention to the window, and blocking half of it, it DOES become a big deal to a sweet little 8 year old that just wants to see what's happening. Second, during one of our trips, there was a family in the same compartment as us and the adults spent half the time yelling at each other. We were very uncomfortable and I just felt bad for their kids. Please don't do this. Third, I overheard a woman saying that the Hogwarts Express wasn't a ride, it was just transportation (“but at least it was better than the monorail”). Really? If you truly feel that way, please just make sure you don't ruin it for the people that really feel the magic and see it as a fun ride in itself!

Dining:
1. Hog's Head – located in the back of Three Broomsticks – Butterbeer, Pumpkin Juice, beers, specialty drinks, wine, spirits, and mixed drinks

2. Three Broomsticks – 'Great Feast Platter', Fish and Chips, Shepherd's Pie, Beef Pasties, Turkey Legs, and fresh vegetables
We ate here the last time we visited in 2015 and it was delicious, but that line can get pretty long at peak eating times.

Shows:
1. Frog Choir – vocal stylings of this small choir of Hogwarts students, accompanied by the smooth bass rumbles of their giant croaking frogs

2. Triwizard Spirit Rally – cheer on students from Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang as they lead the excitement for the Triwizard Tournament.

Entertainment:
1. Ollivanders – 1 person (usually a child with a birthday button) is chosen to choose their own wand

2. The Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts
We got so lucky when it came to watching this! First of all, it was SO crowded for the first showing. I just can't emphasize this enough. We chose to skip the first showing and ride Forbidden Journey instead. That turned out to be the best decision we could have made because as we were exiting the gift shop, the lights started. We quickly started walking to the bridge toward Jurassic Park and what do you know, it wasn't too busy! We weren't right up against the railing, but honestly, that wasn't necessary. It was truly amazing. I almost started to tear up. You HAVE to see the lights. It truly goes through every house and then ties them all together.

Shopping:
1. Dervish and Banges – Sneakoscopes, Sectrespecs, omnioculars, quidditch needs, clothes

2. Filch's Emporium of Confiscated Goods – apparel, house crest banners, stationary, toys
This shop is located at the end of the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride. We bought a Marauder's Map here for a friend's son and I got an awesome Hogwarts frame. It's very cool because it really seems like you're in the basement where Filch would keep confiscated goods.

3. Honeydukes – acid pops, exploding bonbons, cauldron cakes, fizzing whizzbees, chocolate frogs

4. Ollivanders – wands

5. Owl Post – stationary, quills, seals, ink, stamps, and owl-related toys and gifts – mail your letters complete with a special Hogsmeade postmark here
We bought a fun Hufflepuff lanyard, postcards, and some stamps here. Make sure you go out the door by the covered area with benches to get them stamped and mailed. Everyone we sent one to really loved them! We also sent some to ourselves to keep as souvenirs.



Diagon Alley in Universal Studios

Attractions:
1. Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts – Roller Coaster & 4D dark ride – Over 48” or over 42” with adult
I personally couldn't ride this one (didn't fit in the test seat out front), but my husband and 8-year-old son rode it. This was our first ride of the day during Early Admission so we only waited about 5 minutes. They said it was really neat and they truly felt like a side character in the movie.

2. Hogwarts Express: King's Cross Station – Park Connector – 48” or with an adult
We ended up riding this twice: once in the morning and then once at night. And neither time we rode it, did we wait very long. Granted, we had Express Passes, but they didn't really seem necessary either time. The first time, we waited 5 minutes. The second time, we waited 10 minutes. Please see grievances above!
All of that being said, have a great attitude, and definitely ride it going both ways. It's a little different each way which makes it just that much more fun!

Dining:
1. Eternelle's Elixir of Refreshment – small beverage kiosk with Gillywater and specialty elixirs

2. Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour – soft-serve with fantastic flavors like Butterbeer, Sticky Toffee Pudding, Earl Grey and Lavender, etc. plus pastries, crumble cake, and shortbread.

3. Leaky Couldron – Bangers and Mash, Fisherman's Pie, Toad in the Hole, Ploughman's Platter
We ate here the last time we visited in 2015 for breakfast and it was awesome! I definitely recommend it.

4. The Fountain of Fair Fortune – serves beer

5. The Hopping Pot – walk-up counter serving beer and other drinks

Shows:
1. Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees – singing sensation of the wizarding world

2. The Tales of Beedle the Bard – trunk show of wizarding fairytales

Entertainment:
1. Gringotts Money Exchange – ask a Gringotts goblin any question you want, and trade your currency for Gringotts bank notes

2. Knight Bus – talkative shrunken head and driver
Make sure you walk around to the back of the bus to take a look inside

3. Ollivanders – 1 person (usually a child with a birthday button) is chosen to choose their own wand
I was hoping that my little man (8) with his Birthday button was going to be chosen, but there was a slightly older girl (probably 12) also with a Birthday button so she was chosen instead. He was a little sad, but maybe next time (fingers crossed)! Anyway, it was still a great show. This was our second time here and it just never gets old! Whether child or adult, I totally recommend waiting for this show. We ended up waiting 15 minutes from the moment we got in line to the moment we were brought into the wand room. I really enjoyed how they made sure to have the shorter people in your party (kids) in front with everyone else filing in behind them.

Shopping:
1. Borgin and Burkes – Death Eater masks, skulls, costume replicas, apparel, accessories, jewelry, and collectibles.

2. Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions – hats, authentic Hogwarts uniforms, ties, scarves, sweaters, as well as jewelry

3. Magical Menagerie – Crookshanks, Fang, Buckbeak, Scabbers, owls

4. Ollivanders – wands
It is always super crowded every time we've been in here so you really have to hold on to your loved ones and maneuver around all the people. And the lines to buy a wand a usually pretty long.

5. Quality Quidditch Supplies – sweaters, brooms, Golden Snitches, Bludgers, Quaffles, and more

6. Scrubbulus – writing supplies, ink, inkwells, feather quills, parchment, notebooks, journals, bookmarks, backpacks, stationary sets and seals, envelopes and postcards

7. Sugarplum's Sweetshop – candies, fudge, Every Flavor Beans

8. Wands by Gregorovitch – wands

9. Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes – novelty joke shop, Pygmy Puffs, U-No-Poo pills, Skiving Snackboxes, Puking Pastilles
My son bought an awesome pink Pygmy Puff here! He just treasures this thing and while I'm not a huge fan of stuffed animals (because they just don't get played with in our house), it just seems like a completely different story when it's a cute little Pygmy Puff.

10. Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment – crystal balls, telescopes, hourglasses
This is where we bought our Hufflepuff stein! I love it! I think it's adorable and I can't wait to find a spot to display it!

Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Feast Kitchen

We didn't spend very long at CityWalk. It was literally enough to time to take 1 picture with the Universal globe and eat dinner at Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Feast Kitchen. Then, we went back to our hotel to rest up for our entire day at Universal that was sure to be exhausting. So first, here's our review of Toothsome:

First of all, this building is amazing! And if you can see it at night all lit up from the water, it's even cooler. It really looks like the chocolate factory of my dreams. When we walked in, they said it would be a 1 hour wait, but since we had preferred seating (which we got by staying at Royal Pacific), it ended up being only a 30 minute wait. To pass the time, we did some shopping in their gift shop. I got a candy jar and Owen got a chocolate bar and a jar of cotton candy. The inside of this restaurant is themed even better than the outside! It's truly amazing and definitely something to see.
For starters, we got the warm chocolate almond bread with salted caramel butter. I only knew to get this because of the recommendations from others and I'm so glad we did! It was delicious! We received the bread almost immediately after ordering.
For dinner (which we got within 30 minutes of being seated), Tom ordered the short ribs with cheesy grits and a chocolate gremolade. This was seriously one of the best things I've ever eaten. When we return, I want to come back to Toothsome just so I can order this again. It was that good. The short ribs in the gremolade were so juicy and buttery that they melted in my mouth. And the grits. Wow. I have literally never had good grits before I ate these bites of heaven. I know, dramatic, but really, it was one of the best meals I've ever eaten.

I got the wild mushroom, chicken risotto. It was really good too. But it just didn't compare to my husband's dish.
Owen ate really well (a rarity for him). He just got the chicken fingers and fries with applesauce, but he said it was quite good.
For dessert, we got the chocolate bread pudding and a cookie jar milkshake. Both were amazing. Again, we only knew to get the bread pudding based on other's recommendations. Apparently, these people really know what they're talking about because it was amazing! And the milkshake was great! I especially liked how it was in a plastic jar that you get to take home so when we couldn't finish it all right there, we just took it back with us to sip on slowly during our water taxi back to the hotel.

Overall, we had an amazing meal and we wouldn't hesitate to come back on our next trip to Universal.

Now, like I said, we didn't do anything else at CityWalk while we were there, but here's a list of all the things you can find in this area.

Dining
1. Hard Rock Cafe Orlando
2. Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville
3. Emeril's Restaurant Orlando
4. Antojito's Authentic Mexican Food – made from scratch mexican street faire, live mariachi music on select nights
5. Starbucks
6. Bubba Gump Shrimp Company – restaurant and market/shrimp and other favorites
7. Cinnabon
8. Pat O'Brien's Bar
9. BK Whopper Bar
10. Panda Express
11. Moe's Southwest Grill
12. Bob Marley – A Tribute to Freedom – jamaican influenced
13. Red Oven Pizza Bakery – neapolitan style pizza, stone oven, fast cooking
14. Cold Stone Creamery
15. Menchie's Frozen Yogurt
16. Vivo Italian Kitchen – classic Italian food with open expo kitchen
17. Hot Dog Hall of Fame – hot dogs and sausages from all over the US
18. Bread Box Handcrafted Sandwiches – soup, salad, sandwich, sweet treats
19. The Cowfish Sushi and Burger Bar – custom designed burger or sushi or a combo, spiked milkshakes, premium saki
20. NBC Sports Grill & Brew – upscale sports bar
21. The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen – steak and seafood, all day brunch, gourmet chocolates, one of a kind desserts – milkshakes!, steampunk theme
22. Voodoo Doughnut – sinfully delicious, delightfully weird line-up of creations
23. Lone Palm Airport – fly by for island eats and outdoor drinks
24. Red Coconut Club – vintage vegas with a tropical twist
25. Fusion Bistro Sushi & Saki Bar
26. Fat Tuesday

Entertainment
1. AMC Theatres Universal Cineplex 20 and IMAX
2. Bob Marley – A Tribute to Freedom
3. CityWalk's Rising Star (Karaoke Club featuring Live Band and Backup Singers & Dancers)
4. The Groove
5. Hard Rock Live, a separate performance venue adjacent to the Hard Rock Cafe
6. Red Coconut Club
7. Blue Man Group Sharp Aquos Theatre
8. Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, live bands take to the restaurant's stage to perform every evening
9. Hollywood Drive-In Mini Golf – a mini golf course harkening back to 50's era drive-in movies. The facility has two different and intricately themed courses: “The Haunting of Ghostly Greens” and “Invaders from Planet Putt-Putt”

Shopping
1. Tommy Bahama
2. BMG Gear
3. Fossil, Inc.
4. Fresh Produce
5. Quiet Flight Surf Shop
6. Universal Studios Store
7. Hart & Huntington Tattoo Company Element Skateboards