the Official Blog of the Unofficial Guides

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    Jurassic World VelociCoaster to Officially Open Summer 2021 at Universal Orlando

    Over a year after construction first began, Universal Orlando has finally acknowledged the dinosaur in the room—and officially announced that the Jurassic World VelociCoaster will open at Islands of Adventure in summer 2021. We’ve been watching this vicious new scream machine rise since the very beginning, and we have a photographic preview of the thrills in store for riders next

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    At Walt Disney World, Planning is the Key

    Friend and colleague Emily Beaumont took her family on a trip to Walt Disney World and shares with us her itinerary. Going to Walt Disney World is a magical—and expensive—experience that many families hope to enjoy together at least once. With the pandemic, a lot has changed, but, to be realistic, it has always taken a lot of planning to

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    Washington, D.C., is in Phase Two: Which Museums are Open Now?

    Renee Sklarew, the author of The Unofficial Guide to Washington, D.C., shares with us which museums are currently open to visitors in our nation’s capital.  As Washington, D.C., introduces Phase Two of its reopening, some public facilities have begun to welcome visitors back. But all have imposed new limitations and restrictions to maintain safety for guests and employees. Because the

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    Halloween Horror Nights Recipe You Will Want to Try

    Even though Universal Orlando reopened with new safety measures in June, in what would have been the 30th year, Halloween Horror Nights has been canceled on both coasts. For those who are visiting the Florida park, however, there are limited daytime Halloween experiences on weekends, including two haunted houses and specialty food. Find out about the houses in Seth Kubersky’s review

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    The Unofficial Guide to Early Park Admission at Islands of Adventure

    If you’ve ever stayed on-site at the Universal Orlando Resort, you already know that the early entry privileges granted to hotel guests are an amazing perk, especially for fans of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Recently, Universal revamped their operating hours and moved Early Park Admission (EPA) to Islands of Adventure on most days, after years of largely being