Theme parks help college students reconnect with their inner child

Sometimes the best way to survive college isn’t studying harder — it’s giving yourself permission to have fun. ORACLE PHOTO/CLARA ROKITA GARCIA

When I moved from Brazil to Tampa to attend USF in 2022, having Orlando just an hour and a half away was definitely one of the perks that sealed the deal.

But between internships and classes, what initially sounded like a constant vacation to world-famous theme parks quickly turned into a distant fantasy that only happened once or twice a year.

So with USF’s midterms hitting their peak last week, I decided to prioritize something that doesn’t always make it into a syllabus — mental health.

To me, that meant taking a spontaneous day trip to Orlando to visit Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure.

This weekend, I learned that taking a break and reconnecting with your inner child might be exactly what college students need to stay sane.

I had no idea of the impact a 13-hour escape would have on my overachiever brain that constantly tells me I should probably be studying, working or answering emails.

I rarely get the chance to visit theme parks during the spring semester. Fall always feels manageable, but spring deadlines appear out of nowhere and I get buried under assignments.

But the thought of riding rollercoasters and having Butterbeer as a reward for not passing out felt like the perfect way to celebrate surviving midterm week without completely losing my mind.

Around the same time, my TikTok algorithm started showing me videos about Universal Mardi Gras — a seasonal spring event featuring parades, beads, concerts and food from around the world.

And as someone who proudly considers herself the queen of collecting all kinds of beads during Gasparilla, Tampa’s pirate-themed festival, I immediately felt drawn to the event.

I arrived at Universal Islands of Adventure around 10 a.m. and encountered the first — and honestly, only — real challenge of the day.

Employees initially couldn’t find my reservation, which left me awkwardly standing there, wondering if the universe was punishing me for skipping my study sessions.

Luckily, guest services quickly saved the day and even gave me a celebration button to make up for the half hour I spent standing in line.

The park-hopper tickets really helped me get the most out of both parks, as I could move freely between them while also taking the Hogwarts Express and feeling like a wizard.

As a die-hard Harry Potter fan — and extremely proud Ravenclaw — I immediately headed to Hogsmeade for some very serious merch scouting.

But the moment that truly made me feel like a kid again was being chosen for the Ollivanders wand experience.

Ollivanders Wand Shop offers an interactive show that recreates the iconic scene from the Harry Potter series where a wizard is chosen by their wand.

Usually, about 20 people pack into the small wand shop, hoping to be selected for the experience.

But I fear that in my case, I may have been an obvious choice — as I was wearing a Severus Snape T-shirt and started crying happy tears as soon as I walked into Ollivanders.

You still have to pay for the wand if you’re chosen, which can cost around $65. But I didn’t hesitate to buy mine as employees excitedly pointed out how much it resembled Snape’s.

The Ollivanders employees made my 22-year-old self feel like a kid again by choosing a wand that perfectly matched my aesthetic and my long-standing obsession with Snape.

And we all know being 22 is a weird age. We’re not teenagers anymore, but we definitely don’t feel like adults just yet.

The American Psychological Association describes this stage as “emerging adulthood,” a period where people in their twenties are still figuring out identity, independence and what they’re actually doing with their lives.

This explains why crying over a wand in a fictional wizard shop felt oddly therapeutic.

After recovering emotionally, I went on every ride I possibly could at Islands of Adventure — including Jurassic World VelociCoaster and Doctor Doom’s Fearfall — before leaving for Universal Studios and the Mardi Gras festivities.

I grabbed a pizza at Louie’s Italian Restaurant and stayed right outside to watch the Mardi Gras parade. ORACLE PHOTO/CLARA ROKITA GARCIA

The parade kicked off at 7 p.m., and suddenly a chunk of the park transformed into a giant bead-throwing competition.

The parade itself was electric. Massive floats rolled through the streets while performers filled the spaces between them.

Some performers were juggling and walking on stilts, which instantly reminded me of the many times my parents took me to the circus when I was little.

Watching hundreds of adults cheer for flying beads made it feel as if everyone there had collectively agreed to forget their responsibilities for a few hours.

Finally, it was time for the concert held at the Music Plaza Stage.

Previous nights had featured artists like Kaskade and RuPaul, but the night I attended was headlined by Ziggy Marley.

Ziggy Marley, a reggae artist and the eldest son of Bob Marley, began his solo career in 2006 and recorded many Grammy Award–winning albums, according to Biography.com.

Listening to Ziggy Marley perform under the warm Florida sky instantly took me back to beach days with my family in Brazil, where the Marleys are basically our official soundtrack.

The entire day felt like a trip back in time. From riding attractions I once cried about not being tall enough for to recreating photos from 15 years ago, the experience helped me reconnect with my inner child.

And by doing that, I somehow managed to recover the mental health I left somewhere around freshman year.

So here’s my advice — take the day trip to Orlando. You can spend a full day at the parks, skip the expensive hotel stay and return to Tampa the same night.

But more importantly, you get to press pause on the constant pressure to be productive.

And sometimes, reconnecting with your inner child is exactly what your overworked college brain needs.

Theme parks help college students reconnect with their inner child

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