I Can't, I'm Not Wearing a Princess Dress! - New TR link!!!!

[ursalita]

I don’t remember if it had a hyphen on her ticket when we flew to California last year or not, but I know we didn’t have any problems on that trip.

Ugh, there are so many stressful things to deal with when flying. I know we need the security but it makes me hate flying.

This began my frustration with Universal Studios and their #@#$ metal detectors. Look, I understand the need for security. I get it. But I think they’ve got them cranked up to find somebody trying to sneak in with a paper clip in their pocket.

Once again, wish we didn't need all this extra security.

I hadn’t been there long when more TMs came out and opened more lines. I scooted over to a new line and I ended up being 4th in line.

Sweet!

A few weeks before my trip, I saw ABC Family running a marathon of the movies so I DVRed them and managed to watch all 8 movies right before my trip.

Wow! That's dedication. I'm glad it helped you appreciate some of the extra details.

It was a hazy morning, and it really made the entire area look even more amazing.

Yes, it does look amazing! Thanks for sharing the pics.

I’m sure I’ll ride it again. But once a trip is more than enough for me.

Ride it again?! I admire your forditude.

I really liked the train ride. It was neat how you could see things going on out the window and see silhouettes and hear conversation of Hermione, Ron and Harry in the hallway outside. I thought it was a great touch to bring everything together and definitely worth getting the 2 park ticket to experience it.

That sounds really cool. Maybe a side trip to Universal would be worth it for us sometime soon...

At least it helped drown out this poor little girl who was crying hysterically and just wanted off the ride.

Aww, poor kid!

Despite watching the movies, making an effort and really wanting to fall in love with the Harry Potter attractions, I just really wasn’t feeling it.

That's too bad. But was it worth the try?

This is where I first encountered “the Minions.” The Minions were a family who didn’t speak English as a first language. It was a multi-generational group of probably 20+ people wearing Minions shirts. I had the pleasure of being behind them in the queue. They weren’t horrible, but they felt the need to stop and take selfies approximately 5000 times on the way in.

Oh my gosh! It was like deja vu reading this. I feel like I've read about similar experiences in other Universal TRs. Is it a thing?

My next stop was Dragon Challenge. I’ve ridden this coaster before it was re-themed to Harry Potter. The last time I was here, it was closed that day so I was looking forward to riding it again with the “new” theming.

What was the prior theme? Generic dragon theme or another movie tie-in that they did away with? Feel free to tell me google it.

Based on the way they were acting I have to think that any contact with water must be fatal to them. They had ponchos on and were trying to use the lap bar hold the bottom of them down and form a water tight seal.

Why bother with a wet ride if they were that worried about it. Did they even enjoy it?

1. How many steps did I have today? If you answered before the last update, I have it down already. Only answer again if you want to change your answer.

2. Which character meet fascinated me? (10 points)

3. I indicated that I had kind of a second breakfast at Lard Lad. Which of these did I get: The Big Pink, D’oh-nuts or Apple Fritter? (5 points)

4. What was my favorite shop in Diagon Alley? (10 points)

5. What was my last ride before leaving the park? (20 points)

6. I wanted to stop for a hurricane at a favorite bar of mine on the way out of CityWalk. I failed to research that it wouldn’t open until a couple of hours after I had to leave. Can you guess where I was trying to go? (20 points)

7. Was my hotel ready when I arrived to check in? (5 points)

8. Did I take pictures of the room? (10 points)

9. Our hotel was attached to the Convention Center by a skywalk. What was the distance in tenths and hundredths of a mile from the hotel lobby to the registration desk in the Convention Center? – points awarded based on how close guesses are

1. 23,000 I don't know much about Universal so these guesses are probably really dumb. 2. Minions meeting Minions 3. D'oh-nuts 4. Borgin & Burkes 5. ET? 6. Pat O'Brien's 7. Yes 8. No 9. .48

We have discovered a problem with the baby. It isn’t anything that can be dealt with now. As far as being in womb goes, DW and the baby are fine, but the baby is going to need some extra care when born. Right now all we can do is wait and hope for the best.

Andy, I am so sorry to hear this. I am hoping for the best for you and your family.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Hulk Smashed????

They pulled me to the side and wanded me.

At least It wasn’t a procedure that required the use of rubber gloves.

This began my frustration with Universal Studios and their #@#$ metal detectors.

Ahhhh…
I see you ran afoul of my cunning plan to increase your frustration levels.
Bwwwaaahhaaahhaaaaaa!

I stopped on the way in and grabbed a cinnamon roll and a bottle of water from the Cinnabon

Not a bad Plan-B as far as breakfast goes.

Finally at about 8:55 they opened the gates.

Aaaaaaannnd, they’re off!

Many of the things I was impressed with the first time, I found more impressive this time since I actually knew what they were!

Can see where that might make a smidgen of a difference.

Now some of you might remember me saying that I’m not a big fan of this ride.

Sounds vaguely familiar…

I really hate to say it, but I’m still not impressed by it.

Ehhhh…
Not everything hit up everyone on all cylinders.
Staple or not, I don’t much care for Splash Mountain, myself.

But really, it’s a dark ride with a larger range of motion and motion simulator scenes that shake the crap out of you.

A philosophy that works well for space Mountain.
Well, the dark ride that shakes the crap out of you part of it that is.
The motion simulator bit seems to be the culprit in spoiling the experience for you here.

There was hardly anyone waiting to board, so they apparently felt the need to cram us all into 2 rooms in one of the cars and leave the rest of them empty.

Not quite how Walt would have gone about “plusing” the experience, I suspect.

I noticed the dude in the window (help me out Potter fans) at 12 Grimmauld Place.

The House Elf perchance? Kreacher?

I finally determined that I’m an idiot

My work here is now done.

I went in and I really think Diagon Alley is even more impressive than Hogwarts.

Not surprised. They had more time to spend on it.
I’d like to get to see this part of the park some time.

I quickly found Gringotts once I was in there… I mean it is pretty hard to miss a fire breathing dragon on top of a building!

Says the Muggle.

I was soon loaded in with a family that included a little girl who was maybe about 4 or 5. As soon as we took off, she freaked out!

That’s what’s known in the business as an enhanced ride experience.

All in all, I liked the ride. Although I really wish it was more roller coaster and animatronics and much, much less park you in front of a screen and shake you around.

Sort’a like the Back Lot Tour.

This is where I first encountered “the Minions.”

DUN! DUN! DUUUUN!!!

lockers... Let’s just say inadequate doesn’t even begin to describe it.

And this would be my greatest knock on US.
If you bring anything into their parks, it becomes an instant liability.

I really can’t explain it, but just before we started down the hill something happened and my leg must have spasmed a little bit. It caused the bar to abruptly come back up a few inches and they were sitting upright for the splash. Oops.

Well, imagine that…
What an unforeseeable occurrence.

Holy crap! There’s nothing there, except for the station and the initial launch tube. The rest of the track is gone!

Hummmm…
Seems a bit drastic for a refurb.

If they add one of their patented video screen/motion features to this one I might be done with Universal for good.

Questions for the next update:

Well… I missed that last round so it's probably going to be tough to catch back up
None the less, here goes…

1. 13031
2. Optimus Prime
3. D'oh-nuts
4. Borgin and Burkes
5. Rip Ride Rocket
6. Pat O’Brien’s
7. Yes
8. Yes
9. 3.7

I want to thank you all for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.

Continued thoughts and prayers, sir.
If the young’en is as much a fighter as the rest of the family,
I anticipate a good outcome.

 

[afwdwfan]

2. Optimus Prime and/or Bumblebee

3. D'oh-nuts

4. Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes

5. Mummy

6. Red Coconut Club (based on Googling the bars at Citywalk and their operating hours, because I have no life and I'm tired of being at the bottom of the leaderboard, not that I think this will help)

7. yes

8. Yes

9. 0.18

Got em!

Yeah, it was October 2014. I think it opened that summer, so still pretty new. If I get down again hopefully I'll have better luck. (our Canadian dollar needs to improve again before I take another trip)

Yeah, it probably was a little extra crazy back then. And probably even less reliable than it is now.

Ugh, there are so many stressful things to deal with when flying. I know we need the security but it makes me hate flying.

Once again, wish we didn't need all this extra security.

Yeah, it's a sad thing. I get it, but I don't have to like it.

Wow! That's dedication. I'm glad it helped you appreciate some of the extra details.

Dedication... I'm not sure that's the term I'd use for vegging out and watching a movie before bed.

Yes, it does look amazing! Thanks for sharing the pics.

It really made it feel and look a little more wintery.

Ride it again?! I admire your forditude.

I'm a glutton for punishment.

That sounds really cool. Maybe a side trip to Universal would be worth it for us sometime soon...

Yeah, I think your boys are at about the right age for it.

Aww, poor kid!

It gets pretty intense right at the beginning with some darkness and a sudden drop. I can see how it freaked her out.

That's too bad. But was it worth the try?

Yeah. The theming around these rides/lands is really awesome. I'm just a little more impressed with the queues/shops/lands themselves than the actual attractions.

Oh my gosh! It was like deja vu reading this. I feel like I've read about similar experiences in other Universal TRs. Is it a thing?

I'm sure it is. I don't think it is a Universal thing though, I've seen people like this in Disney World too... We've all seen the families who have clearly been to US wearing Thing1 - Thing 20 shirts.

What was the prior theme? Generic dragon theme or another movie tie-in that they did away with? Feel free to tell me google it.

Yeah, it was called Dueling Dragons, I believe. It wasn't themed on a movie, but it already had a great setting to be converted to Harry Potter. The queue always wound through a castle, so it was some pretty simple re-theming.

Actually, if you don't know the backstory behind it, the story goes that this ride was supposed to be in Animal Kingdom. This coaster (or one very closely similar to it) was designed by some Imagineers for the Beastly Kingdom section of the park that was never built. At some point after the early design phase a few Imagineers left Disney and were went to Universal to work on the new Islands of Adventure park and we got the Dueling Dragons coaster.

Why bother with a wet ride if they were that worried about it. Did they even enjoy it?

I hope not.

1. 23,000 I don't know much about Universal so these guesses are probably really dumb. 2. Minions meeting Minions 3. D'oh-nuts 4. Borgin & Burkes 5. ET? 6. Pat O'Brien's 7. Yes 8. No 9. .48

Got em!

Andy, I am so sorry to hear this. I am hoping for the best for you and your family.

Thank you.

 

[afwdwfan]

At least It wasn’t a procedure that required the use of rubber gloves.

I was starting to worry about it though...

Ahhhh…
I see you ran afoul of my cunning plan to increase your frustration levels.
Bwwwaaahhaaahhaaaaaa!

I knew it!

Not a bad Plan-B as far as breakfast goes.

Not at all. I could go for some Cinnabon right now, actually.

Aaaaaaannnd, they’re off!

Outta my way!!!!

Can see where that might make a smidgen of a difference.

It does help a little bit. It goes from "hmm... that's cool!" to "holy @#$&, Moaning Myrtle is in the restroom!"

Sounds vaguely familiar…

I thought it might.

Ehhhh…
Not everything hit up everyone on all cylinders.
Staple or not, I don’t much care for Splash Mountain, myself.

Hmm... I can see that. I, personally, love Splash Mountain. I don't necessarily ride it every time we visit the parks though because I want certain weather conditions before I'm going to walk around wet.

A philosophy that works well for space Mountain.
Well, the dark ride that shakes the crap out of you part of it that is.
The motion simulator bit seems to be the culprit in spoiling the experience for you here.

Yeah, Space is different. I'm actually going somewhere.

Not quite how Walt would have gone about “plusing” the experience, I suspect.

Just testing the capacity of the cars...

The House Elf perchance? Kreacher?

That's what Google says.

My work here is now done.

Then why are you still here?

Not surprised. They had more time to spend on it.
I’d like to get to see this part of the park some time.

I hope you can. You know, once you're healthy. The rides there would definitely be bad for somebody in your current condition.

Says the Muggle.

Muggle you!

That’s what’s known in the business as an enhanced ride experience.

Is that what they call it?

And this would be my greatest knock on US.
If you bring anything into their parks, it becomes an instant liability.

It really is a frustrating thing. The worst part about the lockers is I'm totally not comfortable leaving my wallet with ID, credit cards and cash in a locker that is locked with my finger print, but clearly easily overridden by the little card thing the TM's in the locker area carry around.

Well, imagine that…
What an unforeseeable occurrence.

It was the darndest thing...

Hummmm…
Seems a bit drastic for a refurb.

Definitely!

Well… I missed that last round so it's probably going to be tough to catch back up
None the less, here goes…

1. 13031
2. Optimus Prime
3. D'oh-nuts
4. Borgin and Burkes
5. Rip Ride Rocket
6. Pat O’Brien’s
7. Yes
8. Yes
9. 3.7

Got em!

Continued thoughts and prayers, sir.
If the young’en is as much a fighter as the rest of the family,
I anticipate a good outcome.

Thank you.

 

[afwdwfan]

Ok, I think I'm caught up on replies. I just wanted to let everyone know that this has been a little bit of a hectic week and I've not had a chance to start the next update yet. Next week is looking even busier, but hopefully I can get some time to get it put together on Monday and Tuesday. I hope everyone has a great Daytona 500 weekend!

 

[khertz]

Finally had time to sit down and read through your updates!

How fun that you were able to meet up with a bunch of DisDads during your trip! I think I remember DH talking about this and being a little bummed at missing it.

We absolutely loved the Sorcery in the Sky fireworks when we saw them last week! It was the first time I had ever been able to see fireworks at DHS, and it was really cool. I just read online that they are getting a new Star Wars themed fireworks show with no end date mentioned, so hopefully we get to see them when we are back in October.

Sorry to hear that Universal was causing a bit of a headache. We haven't had these security issues because we didn't ride anything with metal detectors. And we are lucky enough for now not to have to bother with the lockers since we have DD and child swap everything anyway.

I remember the first time I posted pics of the queue at Forbidden Journey and said what everything was and you made a comment about at least knowing what everything was called now since you hadn't seen the movies. I bet it was a lot more interesting in the Wizarding World sections now that you have seen the movies as reference! It's truly incredible all of the detail they have managed to put into those two areas of the parks. I was wondering if you could hear Myrtle in the mens room too and I kept forgetting to ask DH. Good to know! One of the many details I absolutely love as a Potter nerd.

And just to mention, my thoughts and prayers are still with you and your family! I know this must be a very difficult and stressful time for you and DW.

 

[afwdwfan]

How fun that you were able to meet up with a bunch of DisDads during your trip! I think I remember DH talking about this and being a little bummed at missing it.

It was a lot of fun. I only wish that I could have spent more time with them. If you guys ever have AP's over marathon weekend, and have a chance to go, I'd recommend it.

We absolutely loved the Sorcery in the Sky fireworks when we saw them last week! It was the first time I had ever been able to see fireworks at DHS, and it was really cool. I just read online that they are getting a new Star Wars themed fireworks show with no end date mentioned, so hopefully we get to see them when we are back in October.

I saw this! I hope it is a longer show. It looks like they're doing these new fireworks and a stage show and a few other things. Seems to me like it may be a permanent addition to DHS. I'm looking forward to it!

Sorry to hear that Universal was causing a bit of a headache. We haven't had these security issues because we didn't ride anything with metal detectors. And we are lucky enough for now not to have to bother with the lockers since we have DD and child swap everything anyway.

I kind of wondered how that worked since you had to take the kids through the line to do child swap there. I didn't know if they'd let you take bags anyway or if the line Nazis made it a strict zero tolerance on bags.

I remember the first time I posted pics of the queue at Forbidden Journey and said what everything was and you made a comment about at least knowing what everything was called now since you hadn't seen the movies. I bet it was a lot more interesting in the Wizarding World sections now that you have seen the movies as reference! It's truly incredible all of the detail they have managed to put into those two areas of the parks. I was wondering if you could hear Myrtle in the mens room too and I kept forgetting to ask DH. Good to know! One of the many details I absolutely love as a Potter nerd.

It really is cool the level of detail they have put into it all. I really don't know that Disney has anything that compares to it in the scope and level of detail. I'd say Carsland in DL is on par with it, but I don't think WDW has matched it with anything yet. Fantasyland is nice, but it still doesn't quite match the way Universal makes the Potter areas so immersive.

And just to mention, my thoughts and prayers are still with you and your family! I know this must be a very difficult and stressful time for you and DW.

Thank you.

 

[glennbo123]

All caught up Andy. Great that you could meet up with some DisDads! And that was a lot of walking between DHS and various points around Boardwalk and Beach Club -- I know that sidewalk.

Yeah, the lockers are Universal are really annoying. I hope Disney doesn't have to go that route someday. Wow, I'm surprised they removed the whole Hulk track too!

 

[pkondz]

I just wanted to let everyone know that this has been a little bit of a hectic week and I've not had a chance to start the next update yet.

Oh, thank God. I'm so behind everywhere....

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Then why are you still here?

You could relapse....
best I stay vigilant.

I hope you can. You know, once you're healthy. The rides there would definitely be bad for somebody in your current condition.

Healthy would be good.
Don't plan to get anywhere near any "dynamically aggressive" rides until after I get that mess sorted out.
Maybe this summer though. We'll see.


Hope y'all are doing well up there.
Take your time getting back over here if need be.
We're patent, we'll wait.

 

[SoccerDogWithEars]

So Universal just released new details about their Kong ride. They describe it as "A multi-sensory, multi-dimensional new ride for your life."

And I could think is "Oh, a new 3D ride that shakes you. I'm sure afwdwfan is going to be thrilled"

 

[pkondz]

And I could think is "Oh, a new 3D ride that shakes you. I'm sure afwdwfan is going to be thrilled"

 

[afwdwfan]

All caught up Andy. Great that you could meet up with some DisDads! And that was a lot of walking between DHS and various points around Boardwalk and Beach Club -- I know that sidewalk.

It was a fun evening, but yeah, that was a lot of walking. I got to know those paths well. At least it is a beautiful place to take an evening stroll, if nothing else.

Yeah, the lockers are Universal are really annoying. I hope Disney doesn't have to go that route someday.

That would be horrible...

Wow, I'm surprised they removed the whole Hulk track too!

Yeah, it seemed a little extreme. I don't remember it being a rough ride or anything the last time I rode it. Usually it takes a rollercoaster being nearly too rough to ride before they'll go through such an extensive rebuild.

Oh, thank God. I'm so behind everywhere....

Yeah... still not behind here. Started writing, definitely won't get it posted today... maybe tomorrow???

You could relapse....
best I stay vigilant.

Thanks.

Healthy would be good.
Don't plan to get anywhere near any "dynamically aggressive" rides until after I get that mess sorted out.
Maybe this summer though. We'll see.

This summer seems almost a little optimistic. I hope you are back to normal that quickly though!

Hope y'all are doing well up there.
Take your time getting back over here if need be.
We're patent, we'll wait.

Doing ok... overwhelmed though. I've started typing the next update. Won't be done today. Maybe tomorrow...

So Universal just released new details about their Kong ride. They describe it as "A multi-sensory, multi-dimensional new ride for your life."

And I could think is "Oh, a new 3D ride that shakes you. I'm sure afwdwfan is going to be thrilled"

I knew it!! Its the only thing they can do there!!!

Although, I don't know if you saw the Disneyland 60th anniversary show with the new Star Wars information, but it looks like Disney is going the way of Universal on the new attractions there. I don't see how the Millennium Falcon ride can be anything other than a simulator attraction and even the other ride they showed appeared to maybe be one of those hybrid attractions like the Potter rides.

 

[afwdwfan]

No Twisters or Hurricanes!


I entered Universal Studios and thought momentarily about stopping for lunch. But my plan was to eat in Springfield and I only had about 3 hours left before I had to leave. Instead of zig zagging across the park a couple of times, I decided to press on to the next attraction, Rip Ride Rockit.


It’s no Hulk, but I really like this coaster. It is fast, it gives you some zero G air time and it is smooth as can be.


Of course, let’s not forget, we’re at Universal Studios and this one goes upside down. At least the locker area here is exponentially larger than the one for Dragon Challenge. I only had to wait a couple of minutes to empty my pockets into a locker.


The wait was posted at 60 minutes. And while I’ve only been to Universal in slower times since this ride has opened, this was by far the longest line I’ve ever seen for this ride. The Express Pass was a huge help here. The EP line was parallel to the Single Rider line going up the steps to the loading platform… and the Single Riders really didn’t move the whole time as I was walking right past all of them.


But before I could get there, I had to go through the metal detector of course.


And then get wanded.

After my ride, I went to the lockers and grabbed my things. I was feeling hungry, but I figured I’d go ahead and walk towards the Mummy and look for a snack along the way. There was a stand selling churros and drinks close by, but the service there was slow so I just moved on.


I saw the old Twister building. It looks like it was literally hit by a tornado.

Look, I realize this wasn’t the greatest attraction ever. But I actually kind of enjoyed it. I thought the effects were cool. I mean they make a tornado inside a building! It used real, actual, physical effects. I always tried to do it if we had time. I can’t say that I’m terribly excited about it being replaced by a Jimmy Fallon attraction. Not that I don’t like Jimmy, but it sounds like the attraction will be… well, just guess…


Then I quickly made it to the Mummy. There are lockers there, but they weren’t making a big deal about warning everyone to empty their pockets. I asked the TM if they had metal detectors in the queue. He told me they don’t, but you should empty your pockets anyway, because it is a rollercoaster.


Thanks. I’ve ridden it before, I’ll be fine.


This is a fun ride. It is kind of close to Space Mountain in intensity, but with some neat visual effects and a very short backwards section. I enjoy it, but it’s not something I’ve felt compelled to do every time in the past. Well, now I’ve got a new favorite ride at Universal… a rollercoaster without a metal detector.


It was a close call, but in the end, we escaped from the Mummy and I didn’t lose my keys or my phone despite the serious warning from the TM.


I exited the ride building and was trying to decide whether to keep riding or find something to eat. I was really starting to get hungry. But it was during peak lunch times and I was still clear across the park from Springfield.


But more importantly, I was close a ride that I’ve never ridden, but have been looking forward to ever since it was announced.

Transformers!



I’ll admit. I like the movies. The first one is clearly much better than any of the subsequent follow ups. But come on… robots, awesome cars and lots of explosions. What’s not to like?


And even if we want to take the movies out of the equation, I grew up on Transformers. I played with the toys and I had several VHS videos of the cartoon Transformers. So there’s some definite nostalgia factor here.


The line, once again, was rather long. I think about 45 minutes. The Express Pass was definitely working to my advantage. I was through the line in about 5 minutes and loading into a vehicle that looks like it was yanked out of the Spiderman ride building.


This one hurt. I had high expectations for this ride.


I knew it was the same basic technology as Spiderman. And while I always try to make an effort to ride Spiderman, it isn’t my absolute favorite. It wouldn’t hurt my feelings to see it replaced by something else. Transformers felt pretty much like the exact same ride, except you had different bad guys trying to kill you. Even a lot of the effects were absolutely identical to what they do in Spiderman. It was basically like they just dropped the same thing they already had into another building and put Decepticons in there instead of the Spiderman bad guys.


Sadly, I can’t say that I was terribly excited about Transformers. It just felt like a well themed re-tread. I might have liked it better if there was at least one scene of an AA Megatron trying to smash our car rather than nothing but 3D video screens. It wasn’t horrible, but I was excited about the ride and got off feeling kind of “meh” about it.


I think this really helped me put my feelings about the Wizarding World into perspective. I really appreciated the theming and detail that went into those lands. And it isn’t that I dislike the movies at all. I was starting to really enjoy them by the time I got to the end. Yet I still just felt like I should have been more impressed by the rides than I was with all the hype and love they seem to get.


But Transformers is an intellectual property that I do know well and really enjoy. And I pretty much felt the same way about that ride as I did the Potter rides. Actually, I liked the Potter rides better. At least the Wizarding World and the Simpsons have whole lands that are very well themed and fun to walk around. The Transformers basically get a big industrial looking building.


After I rode though, I did see something really cool. Behind the ride building is a meet and greet area. I just stood there for a few minutes and watched Megatron.

The way he moved, talked and interacted with guests was pretty incredible. It looked great and really was a well-done M&G opportunity. I took a short video, and I’ll try to link it here if you want to see it.





I was done on this side of the park so I decided to go over to Springfield and see about getting some lunch. I walked into the food court area and the line was insane. I got in line but I didn’t stay long. It didn’t seem like it was going to be moving very fast and I was really starting to run out of time. Instead I went back outside and saw that Lard Lad didn’t have a line at all. They had plenty of great pastries to choose from, but I like apple anything. I’d have liked to have tried one of the signature donuts but the apple fritter just sounded too good. And holy crap, that thing was huge!


The apple fritter wasn’t bad, but it was nothing exceptional either. I think I’d probably go for one of the donut options next time, but it hit the spot for what I needed at this point to get me through until I could eat some lunch.


I had my hands full holding and trying to eat this massive apple fritter so I slipped a bottle of water into a pocket and started walking. I figured this would be as good a time as any to head back over to Diagon Alley to walk around and check everything out while I’m eating.


I really was impressed with the level of detail here. I definitely like Diagon Alley and Knocturn Alley more than Hogsmeade. I was impressed with how ridiculously dark it was in Knockturn Alley. It was so dark that I couldn’t see 10 feet in front of me and I can’t imagine how they could get by with having it so dark without it becoming a liability issue.


And we all know how much Universal fears having any liability for anything.


But I was most impressed with Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes. Come on, it is a store full of practical jokes and gag gifts. What’s not to like? I thought it was well themed and just a fun store to look around. I didn’t buy anything, but when a store has a product called U-No-Poo, you know the humor is high-brow.


After I finished enjoying my snack and wandering around Diagon Alley, I thought I’d get a picture on the way out to show how crowded it had gotten in just a few hours.

It was around 1 pm when I left Diagon Alley, which only gave me about an hour in the park. I wanted to ride Men In Black and The Simpsons before I left, so I headed over to fight some aliens. I don’t recall how long the line was for this ride, but I did note that my Express Pass got me on a ride vehicle at the exact same time as someone who entered the Single Rider line when I entered the EP line. I don’t think we waited more than 5 minutes to get on the ride.


The ride is a fun one. It’s kind of like Buzz Lightyear where you have a gun and can shoot aliens but the gun isn’t stationary and it is frankly a better ride than Buzz. Only this time my gun was screwed up. It took me a couple of scenes to figure out that it was shooting about 3’ below where I was aiming. I kept seeing dots from other guns and couldn’t find mine. I finally turned sideways and shot against a black wall where nobody else would be shooting just to see what was going on. Once I figured it out I tried to adjust so that I could put some points on the board, but needless to say, my score sucked.


After helping save the world from aliens, I headed back towards Springfield. The posted wait for Simpsons was 60 minutes, and since there’s no Single Rider line here, I was glad I had my Express Pass. Sadly, even with the EP, the wait was 30 minutes.


The Simpsons ride is another one of Universal’s patented motion simulators. It is basically a spoof on theme parks (with a few shots taken at Disney) where the Simpsons family is trying to enjoy the park while being chased by Sideshow Bob. It’s a fun ride. Although I’m not crazy about the other simulator rides, I do like this one a little bit better than most at Universal.


Maybe because it is what it is… it doesn’t seem to sell itself as being anything more. You sit in a car in front of a screen and it is entertaining. You don’t ride the car from a screen in one room to a screen in another room for the next scene while they try to make scrambled eggs out of your brain as you move from scene to scene.


We survived the attacks of Sideshow Bob and it was pushing 2 pm. I was pretty much out of time and needed to be getting to my hotel so that I could check-in, shower and head over to the convention center. I walked back to the food court area and it was still crazy busy. I guess the Krusty Burger will have to wait until next time. I’m at least glad I walked through and got to see Moe’s though.


On my way out of the park I saw Lucille Ball and Marilyn Monroe in the middle of the street meeting with park guests. It was kind of interesting to see a meet & greet using actual people rather than a fictional character.


I left the park, but I still hadn’t had lunch yet. I knew CityWalk had a food court area, so I decided to swing by there on the way out. There was a Burger King Whopper Bar and it had basically no line, so I grabbed a burger there.


I sat at a table outside to eat and I started thinking about a trip I took to Universal with friends in 2005. We went during early spring when Universal was doing their Mardi Gras celebration. I think the celebration lasted about 2 months, but during the Mardi Gras season they had concerts in the park. We came to Florida to spend a week going to Spring Training games and we had 1 week passes to Universal that costed less than a one day ticket does now.


But every night ended in the same way.


Sitting at the bar or at a table at Pat O’Briens drinking hurricanes.


I mean Universal was in the spirit of Mardi Gras. Where else would we have gone???


I’ve never had another hurricane that tasted quite as good as the ones we enjoyed there.


When memories of Pat O’Briens hit me, I decided to eat faster. I pretty much inhaled my burger and went around the corner. I was just out of time at this point, but I wanted to grab a hurricane to go and drink it quickly on my way out.


I rounded the corner and saw Pat O’Briens standing before me!

It was closed. Apparently it doesn’t open till 4 or 6. I forget now which it was. Either way, I had to leave well before it would be opening. So I just took a picture and of course had to send it to a friend who was on that trip with me.


I headed back to the parking garage and noticed that the line to get through the 4 metal detectors at the security screening area was incredibly long. We had thought about coming back to Universal later in the week for dinner, but seeing the line that was waiting just to get through security and into CityWalk put a quick end to this idea.


Let’s see, do I want to pay for parking, stand in a 15 or 20 minute line to get wanded and patted down so that I can eat dinner in an overpriced restaurant? Thanks, but no thanks. There’s another place that I can drive to in the time it would take to drive to Universal and wait in the security line, but I can park for free and still eat dinner in an overpriced restaurant. But we’ll talk about that in the next update…


I arrived at my hotel for the convention just a little after 3. By the time I checked in, parked and hauled my bag up to the room, it was close to 3:30. I thought about taking pictures of the room before I hauled all of our things in, but I needed to shower and get going to the convention center. I figured I’d still have time to do this after I got back this evening.



I showered and changed and started walking to the registration area for the conference. All I knew was it was in the West Concourse of the Orange County Convention Center and it was in front of Hall A. Our hotel had a skywalk across the street to the West Concourse, so I’m thinking I’ll be there in 5 minutes.


I headed downstairs and as I approached the skywalk, I noticed there was a sign about shuttle service to the convention center.


I thought that seemed ridiculous! We have a skywalk to the convention center! In San Diego last year, we were over 2 blocks away from the convention center and they didn’t even offer a shuttle!


Well, I got in the convention center and I was in front of Hall F. I’d have to walk the length of the concourse to get to Hall A. As I was about to find out, that’s nearly a mile. Someone in our group ended up using their phone to map it from the hotel lobby to Hall A and it was .99 miles.


Unfortunately, I think the speed walking at Disney World on Friday night and all morning at Universal had caught up with me. I made it to about Hall C and my back and knees started to feel a little bit stiff. It wasn’t horrible, but I was starting to feel sore.


I got registered and made it into the trade show a little bit after 4. But I then found out the event I was supposed to be at didn’t actually start until 4:15 anyway so I was actually right on time. I was too late to get a seat though, so I ended up having to stand there for about an hour and a half.


I had considered possibly going back to Universal to see the Cinematic Spectacular at 8 this evening or going to the Poly to have a few drinks with the Disdads after dinner at Ohana. But my back and knees were getting even more uncomfortable as I was standing there. They had a free reception with some appetizers and drinks set out at the trade show, so I decided to just grab enough snacks to make a meal of it (yes, I was that guy) and call it a night. I went through the line and got 2 sliders and some chicken wings and some iced tea. The wings were ok, but the sliders were awesome. I went back and grabbed a couple more. I have no shame.


I finished my “meal” and went back out into the concourse. There were some seats out there and my back was really starting to hurt. I thought about just pushing through and going back to the room and lying down, but I was afraid I’d make it about halfway before my back locked up and started to spasm. Instead I decided to sit down and rest for a bit. I called DW and talked to her and the kids for a few minutes basically to tell them good night. It was still early, but she’d have to be up at about 3 am to head to the airport so they were planning to go to bed early.


I got off the phone and just sat there for a while. Once I got up, my back felt a little bit better and I made the hike back to the hotel with no problems. I stopped by the truck on the way in to grab bags for DW and DD so I could take them on up to the room. Naturally it was raining and I ended up getting soaked, but at least I had that out of the way.


I was already tired and sore after just a day and a half in Orlando. I laid down on the bed to watch the Bengals do what they do best – choke in the playoffs – and I fell asleep probably at around halftime.






Contest Results:

1. My step count for the day was 24241. 25 pts for guesses within 1000, 20 pts <2000, 15 <5000, 10 <7500, 5<10000

2. Megatron fascinated me – 10 points if you said Transformers or named any Transformer. Massive bonus points would have been up for grabs if anyone actually said Megatron.

3. Apple Fritter – 5 points

4. Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes – 10 points

5. The Simpsons – 20 points

6. Pat O’Briens – 20 points

7. Room was ready – 5 points

8. No pictures – 10 points

9. .99 mile – 25 points within .1, 20 <.2, 15<.3, 10<.4, 5<.5 – lotta zeroes on this one




Bonus Points:

Anybody who told me Kreacher was in the window got 5 points.

Captain_Oblivious – 10 points because the last ride was indeed something that shakes you around, 5 points for being closest on the step count.

SarahDisney – 5 points for being closest on mileage.

GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes - 5 points for being the last to give answers from the last update.



Totals for this round:

Captain_Oblivious 100

SarahDisney 90

Dugette 90

Chillitsanne 70

Franandaj 70

Terra Nova Guy 70

jandlinz 65

pkondz55

vrajewski1051355

cindianne 320 55

ursalita55

6travel 50

amazingact21 50

FantasiaMagic 45

ashw100 45

Gracefulskinny 40

GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes 45

Natebenma 40

SoccerDogWithEars 30





Overall Leaderboard:

Captain_Oblivious 185

SarahDisney 179

Jandlinz 171

Chillitsanne 146

Franandaj 142

pkondz136

Dugette 135

Gracefulskinny 133

vrajewski10513 127

cindianne 320 120

Terra Nova Guy 119

6travel 111

amazingact21 95

FantasiaMagic 92

GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes 91

Natebenma 85

ashw100 85

ursalita85

SoccerDogWithEars 74



Again, I just plugged points into a spreadsheet as I read comments so if you think I got something wrong or missed something let me know and I’ll take a look at it.






Questions for the next update:

1. DW’s flight was scheduled to arrive in Orlando at 8:17 am. What time did they land?

2. We had dinner Sunday night at (spoiler) 1900 PF. DD wanted nothing to do with 3 of the characters there. 10 points each if you can name the 3 characters she didn’t like.

3. There were 2 characters she loved seeing at 1900 PF. 10 points each if you can name them.

4. I had to (literally) run back out to the truck after we checked in for dinner but before we were seated. If you can guess why it is worth 50 points. Bonus points available for creative and entertaining answers even if you’re wrong.

 

[6travel]

Questions for the next update:

1. DW’s flight was scheduled to arrive in Orlando at 8:17 am. What time did they land?

2. We had dinner Sunday night at (spoiler) 1900 PF. DD wanted nothing to do with 3 of the characters there. 10 points each if you can name the 3 characters she didn’t like.

3. There were 2 characters she loved seeing at 1900 PF. 10 points each if you can name them.

4. I had to (literally) run back out to the truck after we checked in for dinner but before we were seated. If you can guess why it is worth 50 points. Bonus points available for creative and entertaining answers even if you’re wrong.

1. 8:31 am
2. Drizella, Anastasia, Lady Tremaine
3. Cinderella, Prince Charming
4. You had to run out because "I can't, I'm not wearing a princess dress"

 

[vrajewski10513]

Look, I realize this wasn’t the greatest attraction ever. But I actually kind of enjoyed it. I thought the effects were cool. I mean they make a tornado inside a building! It used real, actual, physical effects. I always tried to do it if we had time. I can’t say that I’m terribly excited about it being replaced by a Jimmy Fallon attraction. Not that I don’t like Jimmy, but it sounds like the attraction will be… well, just guess…

I enjoyed Twister as well... I'm not a huge Jimmy Fallon fan so I'm not too thrilled with the replacement.

This one hurt. I had high expectations for this ride.


I knew it was the same basic technology as Spiderman. And while I always try to make an effort to ride Spiderman, it isn’t my absolute favorite. It wouldn’t hurt my feelings to see it replaced by something else. Transformers felt pretty much like the exact same ride, except you had different bad guys trying to kill you. Even a lot of the effects were absolutely identical to what they do in Spiderman. It was basically like they just dropped the same thing they already had into another building and put Decepticons in there instead of the Spiderman bad guys.


Sadly, I can’t say that I was terribly excited about Transformers. It just felt like a well themed re-tread. I might have liked it better if there was at least one scene of an AA Megatron trying to smash our car rather than nothing but 3D video screens. It wasn’t horrible, but I was excited about the ride and got off feeling kind of “meh” about it.

Its such a bummer. Its the same ride with a different story line. Universal needs to get a little more original with their rides.

After I rode though, I did see something really cool. Behind the ride building is a meet and greet area. I just stood there for a few minutes and watched Megatron.

The way he moved, talked and interacted with guests was pretty incredible. It looked great and really was a well-done M&G opportunity. I took a short video, and I’ll try to link it here if you want to see it.

This is the best part of the Transformers attraction! Idk how it works but it is really awesome.

I really was impressed with the level of detail here. I definitely like Diagon Alley and Knocturn Alley more than Hogsmeade.

Me too! I prefer Fobidden Journey to Escape from Gringotts, but the whole atmosphere of Diagon Alley beats out Hogsmeade for me too.

The ride is a fun one. It’s kind of like Buzz Lightyear where you have a gun and can shoot aliens but the gun isn’t stationary and it is frankly a better ride than Buzz. Only this time my gun was screwed up. It took me a couple of scenes to figure out that it was shooting about 3’ below where I was aiming. I kept seeing dots from other guns and couldn’t find mine. I finally turned sideways and shot against a black wall where nobody else would be shooting just to see what was going on. Once I figured it out I tried to adjust so that I could put some points on the board, but needless to say, my score sucked.

Did you get the welcome show?? The first time we went we just walked right into the queue and got in line. Then the following year we were held up in the first room and started getting this shpeil from the TM and we really thought we walked into the wrong ride lol I really enjoy this ride, my husband is jealous because I'm faster at hitting the red button than he is, so while he usually beats me in the shooting, I end up with more points lol

When memories of Pat O’Briens hit me, I decided to eat faster. I pretty much inhaled my burger and went around the corner. I was just out of time at this point, but I wanted to grab a hurricane to go and drink it quickly on my way out.


I rounded the corner and saw Pat O’Briens standing before me!

What a bummer! My husband is a big fan of Hurricanes, and I've heard they have the best. So I told him we need to make a stop at this place during our trip this fall. Now I'll know not to go before dinner time!

I thought that seemed ridiculous! We have a skywalk to the convention center! In San Diego last year, we were over 2 blocks away from the convention center and they didn’t even offer a shuttle!


Well, I got in the convention center and I was in front of Hall F. I’d have to walk the length of the concourse to get to Hall A. As I was about to find out, that’s nearly a mile. Someone in our group ended up using their phone to map it from the hotel lobby to Hall A and it was .99 miles.

Holy cow thats a long walk when your hotel is ATTACHED to the convention center! lol


1. DW’s flight was scheduled to arrive in Orlando at 8:17 am. What time did they land?
8:25am

2. We had dinner Sunday night at (spoiler) 1900 PF. DD wanted nothing to do with 3 of the characters there. 10 points each if you can name the 3 characters she didn’t like.
Lady Tremaine, Anastasia & Drizella

3. There were 2 characters she loved seeing at 1900 PF. 10 points each if you can name them.
Cinderella & Prince Charming

4. I had to (literally) run back out to the truck after we checked in for dinner but before we were seated. If you can guess why it is worth 50 points. Bonus points available for creative and entertaining answers even if you’re wrong.
DD almost had a conniption because she didn't have her Princess dress on!!

 

[Gracefulskinny]

But before I could get there, I had to go through the metal detector of course.


And then get wanded.

I saw the old Twister building. It looks like it was literally hit by a tornado.

I saw the picture before I saw the words and thought my word what happened to that building. Was the Twister building always themed that way?

Look, I realize this wasn’t the greatest attraction ever. But I actually kind of enjoyed it. I thought the effects were cool. I mean they make a tornado inside a building! It used real, actual, physical effects. I always tried to do it if we had time.

I thought it was fascinating and almost educational the only time I've ever gone in.

I can’t say that I’m terribly excited about it being replaced by a Jimmy Fallon attraction. Not that I don’t like Jimmy, but it sounds like the attraction will be… well, just guess…

Wait... What?!? how did I forget that they are giving Jimmy Fallon a ride?

This is a fun ride. It is kind of close to Space Mountain in intensity, but with some neat visual effects and a very short backwards section.

guess its a good thing DH and I skipped it way back when then.

It was a close call, but in the end, we escaped from the Mummy and I didn’t lose my keys or my phone despite the serious warning from the TM.

Transformers felt pretty much like the exact same ride, except you had different bad guys trying to kill you. Even a lot of the effects were absolutely identical to what they do in Spiderman.

Wait so there is like ZERO variation? Nothing?

I really was impressed with the level of detail here. I definitely like Diagon Alley and Knocturn Alley more than Hogsmeade. I was impressed with how ridiculously dark it was in Knockturn Alley. It was so dark that I couldn’t see 10 feet in front of me and I can’t imagine how they could get by with having it so dark without it becoming a liability issue.

And we all know how much Universal fears having any liability for anything.

It’s kind of like Buzz Lightyear where you have a gun and can shoot aliens but the gun isn’t stationary and it is frankly a better ride than Buzz.

The one ride in all of universal that I actually love and wish Disney could do better. MIB just has TSM and Buzz beat hands down.

Once I figured it out I tried to adjust so that I could put some points on the board, but needless to say, my score sucked.

Uh huh... sure.. blame it on the gun!

I headed back to the parking garage and noticed that the line to get through the 4 metal detectors at the security screening area was incredibly long. We had thought about coming back to Universal later in the week for dinner, but seeing the line that was waiting just to get through security and into CityWalk put a quick end to this idea.

Thanks, but no thanks. There’s another place that I can drive to in the time it would take to drive to Universal and wait in the security line, but I can park for free and still eat dinner in an overpriced restaurant. But we’ll talk about that in the next update…

So THAT's how you decided to look at getting a 1900 park fare adr.

I showered and changed and started walking to the registration area for the conference. All I knew was it was in the West Concourse of the Orange County Convention Center and it was in front of Hall A. Our hotel had a skywalk across the street to the West Concourse, so I’m thinking I’ll be there in 5 minutes.

Seems logical...

I thought that seemed ridiculous! We have a skywalk to the convention center! In San Diego last year, we were over 2 blocks away from the convention center and they didn’t even offer a shuttle!

Uh oh....

Well, I got in the convention center and I was in front of Hall F.

As I was about to find out, that’s nearly a mile. Someone in our group ended up using their phone to map it from the hotel lobby to Hall A and it was .99 miles.

But I then found out the event I was supposed to be at didn’t actually start until 4:15 anyway so I was actually right on time. I was too late to get a seat though, so I ended up having to stand there for about an hour and a half.

Well at least you weren't late but bummer about having to stand so long.

hey had a free reception with some appetizers and drinks set out at the trade show, so I decided to just grab enough snacks to make a meal of it (yes, I was that guy) and call it a night.

I see nothing wrong with that!

Anybody who told me Kreacher was in the window got 5 points.

Captain_Oblivious 185

SarahDisney 179

Jandlinz 171

Chillitsanne 146

Franandaj 142

pkondz136

Dugette 135

Gracefulskinny 133

And there goes my lead. Sigh... I knew it would happen eventually.

1. DW’s flight was scheduled to arrive in Orlando at 8:17 am. What time did they land?

8:05 am

2. We had dinner Sunday night at (spoiler) 1900 PF. DD wanted nothing to do with 3 of the characters there. 10 points each if you can name the 3 characters she didn’t like.

Prince CHarming (because if you had the same friend we did he was a total dud), Lady Tremaine, & Anastasia (The pink dress one)

3. There were 2 characters she loved seeing at 1900 PF. 10 points each if you can name them.

Cinderella (of course!) and Drizella

4. I had to (literally) run back out to the truck after we checked in for dinner but before we were seated. If you can guess why it is worth 50 points. Bonus points available for creative and entertaining answers even if you’re wrong.

A) DD realized that she was meeting Cinderella and she felt underdressed, B) you realized your wallet was in your Truck,

C) It was raining lemon drops and gumdrops and you just had to stand outside with your mouth open wide and discover what a rain that would be (If you see what I did there, this is going to sound like one heck of an answer! )

 

[afwdwfan]

1. 8:31 am
2. Drizella, Anastasia, Lady Tremaine
3. Cinderella, Prince Charming
4. You had to run out because "I can't, I'm not wearing a princess dress"

Got em!

I enjoyed Twister as well... I'm not a huge Jimmy Fallon fan so I'm not too thrilled with the replacement.

I'm kind of lukewarm about it. I'm not a big fan of Jimmy Fallon, although I do think the concept for the ride could be interesting. But I hate to see another movie screen based ride replace an attraction that used to be based on physical effects.

Its such a bummer. Its the same ride with a different story line. Universal needs to get a little more original with their rides.

This is the best part of the Transformers attraction! Idk how it works but it is really awesome.

It really is. I was impressed by just watching him move.

Me too! I prefer Fobidden Journey to Escape from Gringotts, but the whole atmosphere of Diagon Alley beats out Hogsmeade for me too.

Did you get the welcome show?? The first time we went we just walked right into the queue and got in line. Then the following year we were held up in the first room and started getting this shpeil from the TM and we really thought we walked into the wrong ride lol I really enjoy this ride, my husband is jealous because I'm faster at hitting the red button than he is, so while he usually beats me in the shooting, I end up with more points lol

No, I didn't see the show this time, but I know what you're talking about because I have seen it before.

What a bummer! My husband is a big fan of Hurricanes, and I've heard they have the best. So I told him we need to make a stop at this place during our trip this fall. Now I'll know not to go before dinner time!

They are fantastic! But trust me, if you park yourself on a bar stool and drink 2 or 3 or... well, I don't even know how many. Let's just say there's more alcohol in them than you can taste.

They've actually got some decent food there too which I guess is why I was so surprised that it wasn't open yet. Maybe just because it was a slower time of year? I don't know.

Holy cow thats a long walk when your hotel is ATTACHED to the convention center! lol

No kidding! I couldn't believe it. There were other hotels also attached to the convention center that were closer and people from other states were staying there. I asked somebody at registration who Indiana pissed off.

1. DW’s flight was scheduled to arrive in Orlando at 8:17 am. What time did they land?
8:25am

2. We had dinner Sunday night at (spoiler) 1900 PF. DD wanted nothing to do with 3 of the characters there. 10 points each if you can name the 3 characters she didn’t like.
Lady Tremaine, Anastasia & Drizella

3. There were 2 characters she loved seeing at 1900 PF. 10 points each if you can name them.
Cinderella & Prince Charming

4. I had to (literally) run back out to the truck after we checked in for dinner but before we were seated. If you can guess why it is worth 50 points. Bonus points available for creative and entertaining answers even if you’re wrong.
DD almost had a conniption because she didn't have her Princess dress on!!

Got em!

 

[afwdwfan]

I saw the picture before I saw the words and thought my word what happened to that building. Was the Twister building always themed that way?

Well... kind of. They obviously halfway disassembled the sign rather than taking the whole thing down. There used to be some wording in front of the picture of a tornado. But the big hole in the wall... yeah, that wasn't part of the theming.

I thought it was fascinating and almost educational the only time I've ever gone in.

I enjoyed it. I thought it was cool how they'd distract you with some effects in the background and then "holy crap, there's a tornado 50' away from us!"

Wait... What?!? how did I forget that they are giving Jimmy Fallon a ride?

Probably because very few people actually care.

guess its a good thing DH and I skipped it way back when then.

Yeah... since you don't like to have fun.

Wait so there is like ZERO variation? Nothing?

Well... Megatron isn't the one shooting fireballs at you in Spiderman... so there's that.

Really I couldn't tell you if it is turn for turn the same exact thing. There are probably some slight variations. But you've got things being shot at you and even a scene falling between buildings... just like Spiderman.

It's like really? Come on.

I mean surely we can think of something to do with these kinds of rides other than a big climactic freefall.

The one ride in all of universal that I actually love and wish Disney could do better. MIB just has TSM and Buzz beat hands down.

I don't know... I'm a sucker for TSMM. But MIB is way better than Buzz.

Uh huh... sure.. blame it on the gun!

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

So THAT's how you decided to look at getting a 1900 park fare adr.

Seems logical...

Yeah... and nobody said anything to the contrary.

Uh oh....

Well at least you weren't late but bummer about having to stand so long.

It really wasn't bad, but I think the walking all kind of caught up with me and then just standing there on concrete didn't help.

I see nothing wrong with that!

Thank you for supporting my gluttonous ways!

And there goes my lead. Sigh... I knew it would happen eventually.

Well, you can try to get it back...

8:05 am

Prince CHarming (because if you had the same friend we did he was a total dud), Lady Tremaine, & Anastasia (The pink dress one)

Cinderella (of course!) and Drizella

A) DD realized that she was meeting Cinderella and she felt underdressed, B) you realized your wallet was in your Truck,

C) It was raining lemon drops and gumdrops and you just had to stand outside with your mouth open wide and discover what a rain that would be (If you see what I did there, this is going to sound like one heck of an answer! )

Got em! And I've read your last answer like 20 times... I'm trying to figure out "what you did there."

 

[natebenma]

So Universal just released new details about their Kong ride. They describe it as "A multi-sensory, multi-dimensional new ride for your life."

And I could think is "Oh, a new 3D ride that shakes you. I'm sure afwdwfan is going to be thrilled"

Orlando Informer website has posted some rumors (from a supposedly accurate informant named "Unknown"). This is what they say about The Hulk

As The Incredible Hulk Coaster continues to make good progress on getting most of its track put back together, it would seem to be rather obvious that, after all the rumorin’ and speculatin’ and daydreamin’, the roller coaster is going to employ the exact same layout as it had before, although it’ll certainly be a smoother ride – and a fancier one, too, as the queue will be completely bulldozed and rebuilt from the ground up, of course.

Hulkstruction! Image © Universal

Except, well, Unknown has a few things to say about that expectation. Although the track is exactly the same as before, the coaster will be faster, making for a more aggressive ride experience right off the bat. But don’t think this means the attraction’s running time will be decreased; on the contrary, our slippery friend maintains, it’ll actually be longer, thanks to an expanded story that riders will be exposed to via on-board audio. Will this tie into the new queue? Your guess is as good as ours, as the line’s waiting area is entirely unknown (heh) to us.

Well, except – perhaps – for this little tidbit: the metal detectors that have since become a permanent part of Hulk’s façade will be getting an overhaul, making them tie into the ride’s newly expanded theming. (OI’s resident rumor-monger also says to keep an eye out for similar redos on Dragon Challenge’s and Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit’s detectors, as well.)


I forgot to mention this when we were ranting about the lockers. I have a friend who went to US during Tropical Storm Faye (I was at Disney that week and it rained non-stop for a few days). She said that the lockers did not recognize anyone's finger prints when they were all wet, so Team Members had to keep overriding the lockers. That must have been fun!