Jurassic Park Discovery Center in depth tour The Traveling Ants 2019-07-03 | An in depth of the Jurassic Park Discovery Center in Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando. I start in the gift shop upstairs, and make my way down to the exhibits. This was filmed very shortly after construction on the new, not-yet-confirmed coaster had begun. I was pretty disappointed in the amount of things either not working, or dirty and gross. Hopefully they will work on the Discovery Center nearer to when the coaster would be opening. They have an opportunity to do some pretty cool things! Anyone else have visions of screens that simulate the T-Rex feeding exhibit from the first Jurassic World?
Late night walk around the Star of the Seas cruise ship ambiance The Traveling Ants 2026-04-04 | Walking around the public spaces of the Star of the Seas between 3 am and 4 am. I do not visit every space, and was respectful of the cleaners and didn’t get in their way. I tried to avoid getting people on camera as much as possible. Enjoy the stroll!
Tokyo Disneyland The Traveling Ants 2024-09-16 | This is not a complete vlog, but a collection of videos and clips that we were able to get during our trip. This is mostly just for us, but enjoy if you like.
Travel to Japan The Traveling Ants 2024-08-11 | This is not a fully developed video, this is a compilation of clips and photos of our travel day and first hotel.
Islands of Adventure walkthrough The Traveling Ants 2021-03-29 | Here is a walkthrough video of Universal's Islands of Adventure from March 2021. Enjoy!
Halloween day at Universal Orlando! The Traveling Ants 2020-11-23 | Join me for Halloween Day at Universal Orlando! I will be enjoying all the Halloween festivities that the park has to offer. Enjoy!
Meramec Caverns vlog! The Traveling Ants 2020-07-01 | Welcome to a very boring vlog! If you clicked it, you might have some interest. This video was recorded on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend back at the end of May. If you are watching this much later, be aware that this was at (what I hope is) the height of the Covid pandemic. You can see that nobody is taking it seriously here in the middle of Missouri. But if you want to see what it is like to stop and tour Meramec Caverns, I got you covered!
Universal re-opening day! The Traveling Ants 2020-06-27 | Because of some major technical problems, this video is ridiculously late. But better late than never! Come with me to the Universal parks on the first day that they reopened to the public! I went to the parks the previous day for passholder preview, and things were so much smoother today! They really worked out the kinks in the systems! My following days at the parks were all similar to this one in crowds and procedures. I'm hoping to return to Universal in 3 weeks, if Florida can get their stuff under control... ha ha. I hope you are all well!
Busch Gardens Tampa reopening day vlog! The Traveling Ants 2020-06-14 | Join me as I experience the first day back at Busch Gardens as they reopen after Covid. I haven't been in over 20 years, and I had heard a lot of great things. I did not have a great day, but I hope the video proves to be valuable for anyone who is considering going, or just entertaining for anyone who likes to hear complaining. Thank you!
Volcano Bay reopens! The Traveling Ants 2020-06-04 | First day of passholder previews at Volcano Bay!
Silver Dollar City Walkthrough The Traveling Ants 2020-05-30 | This video is a walk through style video, but the clips were taken as we were going about our day. It is far from perfect, but should give a good idea of what the park is like. I hope to make one of these in the future and be able to show much more! Full merchandise video is on my channel, as well as 2 videos of the attractions I was able to record.
Silver Dollar City Merchandise Shops! The Traveling Ants 2020-05-12 | The merchandise shops of Silver Dollar City! This is not all of them, as there are sooooo many! However, it is most of them. Video recorded in summer 2019.
The Flooded Mine ride through- Silver Dollar City The Traveling Ants 2020-04-29 | The Flooded Mine ride through. Recorded last summer, just now getting uploaded. Enjoy!
Grandfathers Mansion walkthrough attraction- Silver Dollar City The Traveling Ants 2020-04-29 | A walk through of Grandfather's Mansion at Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO. Recorded last summer, just now getting to uploading the footage.
Halloween Horror Nights vlog! The Traveling Ants 2020-01-18 | Our very first HHN visit ever! We got express passes, did the stay and scream, and stayed until close. The vlog isn't perfect, but I was not feeling super well, and we moved really fast! I am already planning a trip for next year as well. Enjoy!
St. Louis Aquarium opening day! The Traveling Ants 2019-12-26 | Today was Christmas, and the opening day for the St. Louis Aquarium to open at Union Station. I grew up in St. Louis, and remember when Union Station was like when I was younger. It was a big nothing. There was no reason to go there, and it was a sad shadow of what might have been. Well, they have been revitalizing it the past few years and wow! I always judge a place by asking "if I had friends come from out of town, would I take them here?" and I would definitely take them here. I do have a couple issues, the main one being the price. I feel the aquarium is a fantastic addition to Union Station, but it is still a somewhat small attraction. For $25 a visit, it would be a hard sell to convince friends to spend that when we have great free attractions downtown. I think the aquarium works best as a part of a larger day spent at all of Union Station. The ropes course, mirror maze, free fire and ceiling shows, restaurants, wheel, carousel, etc, all looked like a great time (if you've got the money.). The one thing that directly reminds me of old Union Station is that mini golf course. Who thought that thing was good? I will say that it was selling well, with lots of people playing, but come on. Just no. Anyway, I look forward to revisiting the aquarium and taking my young niece and nephew, so that I can see everything else there is to see.
Animal Kingdom After Hours party! The Traveling Ants 2019-12-17 | In this video, we go to the Animal Kingdom after hours party. We start by heading to the park and then taking a bus to Animal Kingdom Lodge. Skip to 5:55 if you are only here for the After Hours party! We then head to the park and experience everything Animal Kingdom has to offer us after dark! You will notice we don't do any show or the safari, with neither of those things interesting us very much.
Sea World vlog The Traveling Ants 2019-12-08 | Sea World vlog from summer of 2019. We hadn't been to Sea World Orlando since a family vacation when we were much younger. Some quick impressions- quick queue is not worth it, hardly anyone checked for it, and there weren't that long of lines anyway. However, I still would have gotten it because I am a diva who doesn't like to wait for anything. The vibe of Seaworld got a lot more exciting as the day turned into night, with a major party vibe happening. I loved it! I know Seaworld gets a bad reputation for animal care, and I haven't seen Blackfish and know that it isn't totally truthful, but there is definitely some history that I don't love. With all that said, I did enjoy seeing the animals, and thought the orca shows were so awesome! One thing I really love about Seaworld is the amazing music that create for their parks and shows. They got some bops! I LOVED the ending show with the fire and lights, wow! Overall, a good day.
Lemp mansion ghost tour! The Traveling Ants 2019-11-12 | In this second part of the video, we do the ghost tour of the Lemp Mansion in St. Louis. We have a possible experience, so let me know what you think of it. The video from the mansion's cameras was somehow incompatible with my computer, so audio was an issue. I did what I could to make the best possible video. I hope you enjoy!
Lemp mansion part 1- Dinner and mini tour! The Traveling Ants 2019-11-12 | In this first part of the video, we head to the Lamp Mansion in St. Louis, MO. We have dinner and do a tiny bit of exploring. Make sure to check out part 2 for the ghost tour!
Diagon Alley windows and walls- in depth! The Traveling Ants 2019-04-29 | An in depth look at the stationary windows (not the spell ones) and walls of Diagon Alley at Universal Studios in Orlando. I did not include Knockturn Alley because it is very dark in there and I haven't quite figured out the lighting for that yet. Also, this video was plenty long without it. Thanks for watching!
Volcano Bay Walkthrough The Traveling Ants 2019-04-05 | I walk around Volcano Bay water park, going to the left all the way back around. I also show the premium seating that we had, go under the volcano, and show the gift shops at the end. Enjoy! I love this place!
Horror Makeup Show lobby museum- in depth look The Traveling Ants 2019-04-01 | The lobby of the Horror Makeup Show at Universal Orlando has an amazing display of memorabilia from horror and special effects of the past! Here is a video showing what is in there if you haven't had a chance to see it for yourself, or didn't have time to investigate.
Madame Tussauds NYC The Traveling Ants 2019-03-17 | Saturday after Thanksgiving, we head to Madame Tussauds! It had a major party vibe going on, and was a good way to spend a cheesy evening being a tourist. Not really worth what it costs, but it's how it is.
Ellens Stardust Diner vlog, Thanksgiving in NYC! The Traveling Ants 2019-03-03 | After the Macy's parade, we headed to Ellen's Stardust Diner! Typical diner food (just ok) and the tables were soooo close! The door let in the cold air so much that the DJ kept begging people to use the double doors correctly. Lol. But it was a great dining experience for a low price. I want to go every time I visit NYC! Then we head to do a bit of Thanksgiving night shopping. It was a very cold night!
Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade Vlog! The Traveling Ants 2019-02-17 | Our experience at the parade in NYC!
Birthday Dinner in NYC! The Traveling Ants 2019-02-06 | I flew to NYC for my and Sara's birthday. It was the night before Thanksgiving. We went to Times Square and ate at the R Lounge at the Renaissance Hotel. Great view, ok service and food. Great prices for the view. We then got on a Times Square billboard, and and went hunting for Christmas decorations.
NYC vlog- Tattoos and tourism! The Traveling Ants 2019-01-20 | (Tattoo class at 4:45). This is the final vlog from our summer trip to NYC! We do a little touring in the Oculus, Grand Central Station, and the NBC Store. Then we head to Forever Ink Bar in Brooklyn and attend a "drink and ink" class, where you use real tattoo machines to tattoo on a melon. It was kind of a competition among the attendees, and there was a theme for the night in the 5 stencils you receive. Then you are encouraged to get creative! I thought it was really fun, but it was not clear in the description of the event what it was that we would be doing. If you would like a full review or more info, please let me know! It was a fun evening though!
9/11 Memorial and Museum The Traveling Ants 2019-01-13 | We visit the 9/11 memorial and museum. Sara had already been, and this was my first time. We had gone to the prior temporary museum in 2008, which was a very different experience. In my opinion, this museum is beautifully done, and a necessary piece of the city. I also think there is too much to take in during one visit. By the time I was near the end, I was almost running to get out. Certain parts were very upsetting and weren't allowed to be filmed. One example of those is phone receivers you could pick up and listen to voicemails left for family members from either the hijacked planes, or the buildings above the impact zones. I hope my video is informative for anyone curious about the museum, but it really must be seen in person. I can't believe it's been almost 20 years since this day.
NYC apartment hunting, Columbia, travel vlog! The Traveling Ants 2019-01-06 | We start with a tour of Sara's apartment for her year at Columbia University. Then we go check out Columbia and the surrounding area. After that, we just keep walking forever and end up all sorts of places!
NYC vlog! Nightmare Air BnB! The Traveling Ants 2018-12-10 | Sara moved to NYC! We packed up the car and drove on up. We show the horror show that our Air BB was, and gloss over most of that stuff. Then we do some tourist stuff downtown!
Six Flags St. Louis Fright Fest Walkthrough! The Traveling Ants 2018-11-07 | A walk through of Six Flags St. Louis Fright Fest features before and then after dark. In my opinion, the St. Louis Six Flags is in desperate need of some big changes. I can tell they are trying, but a lot of the decisions being made are completely backwards from what they should be. There are so many small changes that can really enhance the customer experience. Anyway, enjoy!
Universal vlog- Volcano Bay, Fireworks show, lots more! The Traveling Ants 2018-10-28 | These are our last few days at Universal. I included what footage I had, and what was left after the other vlogs. Check those out to see what might be missing!
Epcot Vlog! The Traveling Ants 2018-10-21 | We visit Epcot today, and visit every country in the World Showcase. (I didn't get Canada on film.). To be honest, I don't enjoy Epcot very much, but I was a trooper for my sister. Epcot feels like a school field trip to me, where you wonder at which point you are supposed to be having fun.
Magic Kingdom After Hours Party! The Traveling Ants 2018-10-08 | We spend the afternoon at Disney Springs and see how crowded it can be on a summer Saturday. We go to the Contemporary to then travel to Magic Kingdom for the After Hours party. We are allowed to go in at 7, and we get to stay until 1 am. From 10 until 1, only the guests who paid for the party are allowed in the park. I figured we would have plenty of time to get everything done that we wanted to do, and even have time to relax with the free treats they offered. That did not turn out to be the case. I will be doing a full review later, but I don't consider this event to be worth the stress and money. On a positive note, the fireworks were a highlight of the entire vacation. Loved them!
Universal Vlog! Knockturn Alley, nighttime shows! The Traveling Ants 2018-09-30 | The second half of our second day at Universal! We go to Universal and try Jimmy Fallon and go back to Diagon Alley. We relax in Knockturn Alley, which is one of my favorite areas. Then we watch the Hogwarts projection show, which was good but short and confusing at the end. Lastly, we waited at the wrong place for the Cinematic Celebration and ended up missing some of it, but we got to see a lot of it from behind. You can't see the projections from back there, but the fireworks are so cool back there! We end with our tradition of Hard Rock Cafe.
Islands of Adventure vlog, walkthrough! Day 2 part 1! The Traveling Ants 2018-09-13 | We start our day at Islands of Adventure and travel all over the park! I love this place! We do some rides, eat at the 3 Broomsticks, and explore parts of the park that we haven't seen before! Part 2 of the vlog will be our adventures over at Universal!
Islands of Adventure vlog! Day 1 part 2! The Traveling Ants 2018-08-31 | We take the Hogwarts Express from Universal over to Islands of Adventure, and end our night at Citywalk. The end of our first day means the beginning of our second! We have lots more fun vlogs to come! Make sure to subscribe if you enjoy our content!
