The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck Is Coming To Tampa This Week

Hello Kitty is all the rage for kids and adults alike and the popular Hello Kitty Cafe Truck is coming to Tampa this week.

Hello Kitty is widely popular and whether it's you that's a fan, or your kids, this is one thing you won't want to miss. I used to love Hello Kitty when I was younger. I had the folders, the pencils, the stuffed animals, the t-shirts..you name it. Hello Kitty gear was on my Christmas list for many years in a row. I love that it's still popular in 2024. I went to Universal Studios in Orlando with some friends, and their 11 year-old daughter actually started crying when she got to give Hello Kitty a hug in the store there. It was the cutest thing.

Last year the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck made stops all over the state of Florida, and it's headed out on tour once again. If you're not familiar with the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck, it's a mobile cafe that sells all sorts of fun merchandise. Everything from lunchboxes to mugs to apparel and pins. Even treats like macarons and cookies. The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck will be at the Brandon Mall this Saturday, January 6 from 10am-7pm parked in the restaurant courtyard. Next Saturday, January 13th the truck will be at the WestShore Plaza from 10am-7pm next to H&M.

You can find the menu and a list of all the stops here

Theme parks are a blast but long wait times are not, and 6 of the worst theme park lines are in Florida.

I love going to theme parks. We're so lucky living in Fort Myers that we're just a few hours away from so many. Busch Gardens in Tampa is the spot for thrill seekers, Disney is fun for kids and adults who are kids at heart. SeaWorld offers a mix of shows and coasters, Gatorland is great for animal lovers and Universal brings all your favorite movies and characters to life. But let's face it, as much fun as these theme parks are, waiting in line is such a drag. Standing in line at a theme park is like entering a time warp. Minutes turn into hours and your patience goes on vacation. You start off optimistic, telling yourself there's no way it'll take as long as it says. But as you shuffle forward at a pace slower than a sloth, you wonder if you'll ever get there.

Hawaiian Islands has released their list of the wait times people complain the most about. To put together their list, they first looked at the 100 most popular tourist attractions. Then, on TripAdvisor, looked at how many reviews had mentions of long lines. Not surprisingly, based on the number of theme parks we have in Florida, 6 of the worst theme park lines are right here. The top 3 in the U.S. are the Empire State Building and Top of the Rock in New York City and Cable Cars in San Francisco. You can see the full list here. Below we'll look at where theme parks in Florida fell in the top 20.

There are 860 mentions of long lines at Islands of Adventure. Some of the lines I consistently see as being the longest at the park include the VelociCoaster and Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has 687 mentions of long lines. It gets congested in there at times, but it's so worth it. That part of the park is my favorite.

There are 304 mentions of long lines at Busch Gardens. Some lines that seem to have the longest wait times include the Iron Gwazi and Falcon's Fury.

I've never been to Discovery Cove, but it's on my list. There are 166 mentions of long lines, but I'm not sure exactly for what. Most experiences there need to be reserved, so maybe for food and drinks?

To see something as unique as the NASA Kennedy Space Center, don't let the wait times deter you. There's only 164 mentions of long lines.

I've gotten pretty lucky on my trips to EPCOT that lines for rides haven't been too bad. There are a few that you know you have to wait for though including Frozen Ever After and Guardians of the Galaxy.