Scott's View: Universal Orlando - Together for the Holidays

It’s been hard to contain our excitement here at Veterans Advantage, but we’re ready to share some amazing news: we’ve partnered with Universal Orlando^®!

In September, I spent three days at Universal Orlando, along with my spouse, Lin, and our son, Parker, who heads our Veterans Advantage Digital Development Office out in Salt Lake City. Over these three days, our family experienced some of Universal Orlando’s best-loved attractions, including the seasonal Halloween Horror Nights and the new audience favorite – the Wizarding World of Harry Potter™.

And I must say, we loved our time at Universal! Parker took advantage of Universal’s thrilling Dueling Dragons ride (quite a few times, I might add!), but our family favorite was Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts™. We entered the attraction and were immediately transported to the films, surrounded by bank vaults, dragons and wizards – we even came face-to-face with Voldemort himself. With such an engaging ride, it was hard to be anything but immersed in Universal’s world of movie magic and family fun.

And that’s another reason why this trip was so special to me: I was able to spend some quality time with my family. It’s really easy for all of us to get busy, so a three-day trip to Orlando to enjoy spectacular attractions was the perfect way for us to reconnect. But reconnecting and spending time together can be more challenging for some, since entire families often feel the emotional, physical and mental traumas of war as acutely as their loved ones who are U.S. service members. At Veterans Advantage, we believe that when one member of the family serves, the entire family serves, and we’re always looking for ways to bring families together.

After experiencing all of Universal’s offerings – their jaw-dropping theme parks, unforgettable dining and family-oriented entertainment – I knew Universal Orlando would make a great vacation spot for our nation’s military and veteran families. And, luckily for us, Universal Orlando was eager to do something special – something big – for the military community.

We hope you’re able to enjoy some family time soon, whether it’s as easy as sharing a meal together or as exciting as sharing a rollercoaster ride. To learn more about our partnership with Universal Orlando, click here.