You know what they say: the best things in life appear when you’re not looking for them. I’m happy to say that this is definitely one of those moments. Somehow, someway, everything fell into place, and I was invited to cover media for Ultra Music Festival. In addition to that, I was invited to experience the Brightline Rave Train, sponsored by Red Bull, to Ft. Lauderdale and back to Orlando. When I look back on the entire experience, this experience plays a key part in it.
When I first got on the train, I didn’t fully know what to expect, so I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least. Although I was alone, everyone I interacted with greeted me nicely. The customer service was exceptional. Upon arriving, I ran into a couple of friends I didn’t know were on the train, which started a chain of exciting events!
To start, there is a DJ playing in every train car. They are all playing different types of EDM music but have a party vibe. There was also an open bar where the bartenders were offering drinks featuring all kinds of Red Bull flavors, including their newest flavor: Spring Edition Grapefruit & Blossom. Personally, I had never had a Red Bull in my life, but the work their entire team put into the Rave Train campaign made me love the drinks.
Another cool thing about every car was that there was an activity station on each one of them. My friends and I made the most of the 2 hours and 50 minutes we had there and stopped at each of the stations.
I first began my experience on car two, where my seat was assigned, and got a Grapefruit & Blossom Red Bull to try! Then I stopped at the first station: Fairy Hair! I got some silver strands of hair on my ponytail to match my outfit. At first, I debated being a little more discreet, but I couldn’t resist going all out!
Then I moved out to car three, which, in my opinion, had the best music and vibes. We took our time with this one since we were having such a good time, and I got an air-sprayed butterfly temporary tattoo with some body paint around it!
Once we finished up at car three, we went to the station in car four to get some aura photography done! It’s a very interactive process, and the photographer explained what aura photography is and the meanings behind each developed photo.
I also stopped at the restroom various times (primarily due to my small bladder), and I was surprised by the technology included in the bathroom amenities!
Our last stop was all the way to the front at car one. By this time, we were a little hungry, and they offered complimentary lunch boxes that included a spring salad or some grilled chicken with quinoa. I shared the grilled chicken box with one of my friends, which included a piece of cream cheese wrapped in salmon, a dark chocolate tart, and a Lindt chocolate!
After lunch, I moved seats to the glitter and gem station. I got some additional fun gems around my temples and black and silver glitter on my head. Everyone working at the station was also very warm and welcoming. They really go the extra mile to have conversations with you and make you feel comfortable.
After the fourth station, my time on the Ultra train was over, and the Brightline had arrived at the Fort Lauderdale station. Although I had to get off at this station to stop by my parents’ house first, the great thing about the train is that it has two more stops: Aventura and Downtown Miami (where the festival is located). It’s an excellent way for ravers to get directly to UMF safely, without paying ridiculous amounts of money.
To sum it up, the Rave Train is worth it if you love EDM music, and I also have a newfound respect for Red Bull’s marketing team and the work they put into making this event come to life. If you’re wondering what my experience at Ultra was like, I will be breaking it down in my next article. Feel free to continue joining me on this journey by checking it out on my author page!