Kelsey recaps her family’s epic Thanksgiving week in Orlando, Florida (November 2025), where 11 of them – her family of 5, her sister’s family, and her parents – all shared a 7-bedroom house at Evermore Resort. With kids ranging from 4 to 13 years old, they packed in all the fun: Express Passes at Epic Universe, Universal Studios Orlando, and Islands of Adventure, plus lots of downtime enjoying their multi-generational home base at Evermore. Kelsey shares everything you need to know about staying at Evermore Resort, how Express Passes worked for their crew, what the parks were like over Thanksgiving week, and tips to help you decide if this kind of Orlando trip is right for you.

If you’d like to share about your trip on the podcast, email me at: kelsey@triptalespodcast.com

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Mentioned in this episode:
- Travel planner Courtney Gibson (email: courtneyg@pixietravelco.com), Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pixietravelbycourtney
- Flip 7 card game: https://amzlink.to/az0ecfatrzQIM
- Evermore Resort
- Epic Universe with Express Passes
- Ministry of Magic: Battle at the Ministry
- Isle of Berk: Hiccup's Wing Gliders, Mead Hall for lunch
- Celestial Park: Stardust Racers, Celestial Carousel
- Super Mario Land
- Dark Universe: Monsters Unchained, Curse of the Werewolf, Burning Blade Tavern
- Helios Grand Hotel
- Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure: Butter Beer, Seuss Landing, VelociCoaster, Mythos Restaurant, Hogwarts Express, Universal's Holiday Parade

Trip Tales is a travel podcast sharing real vacation stories and trip itineraries for family travel, couples getaways, cruises, and all-inclusive resorts. Popular episodes feature destinations like Marco Island Florida, Costa Rica with kids, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Aulani in Hawaii, Beaches Turks & Caicos, Park City ski trips, Aruba, Italy, Ireland, Portugal’s Azores, New York City, Alaska cruises, and U.S. National Parks. Listeners get real travel tips, itinerary recommendations, hotel reviews, restaurant recommendations, and inspiration for planning their next vacation, especially when traveling with kids.