IT`S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE...COCKTAILS, STEAKS AND CAKES..11 JOLLY HOLIDAY NIGHTS @ RPR-DEC 2019

[Vicki Rickerd]

Tamales, Posole with pork and red chile, chile Con Queso, Guacamole

YUM!

 

[schumigirl]

They were all so pretty, it's tough to choose a favorite!
I liked the Mummy and Grinch ones a lot. I guess my least favorite would be the Jurassic theme tree.

I did the Scavenger hunt twice, so I ended up with both minions.
(A TM saw me admiring a tree, and offered the tree hunt map. I said I'd done it in one day, and she said it was fine to start all over again.)

They were pretty. Yes, the Jurassic tree wasn’t a favourite.......

Nice you got two of them too......yes, you could do it as often as you liked, a little girl in the Club Lounge did them 3 times in a 5 day stay.....she was very proud!!

 

[schumigirl]

Thank YOU!
Tamales, Posole with pork and red chile, chile Con Queso, Guacamole (which is pronounced Walk-a-mole in our 50% Hispanic State just as Guadalajara is pronounced Wa-da- la-hara in Spanish. It drives us nuts when pronounced Gwak a mole ) flour tortillas, cheese enchiladas with green Chile and pinto beans. I do the Guacamole with tortilla chips as long as it's not too hot, the rest is just too hot for me. We didn't have them this year but I love either Fry Bread or Sopapillas, our cuisine with the Native American and Hispanic influences is very special. My family background is Irish and here in the US they all came from the South but we are in a SW state, so we have Mexican food for Christmas eve...... Blackeyed Peas for good luck on New Year's Eve.....(don't like those either)

Universal seems much prettier this year with the decorations? Seems that way so far. Is that the same demented looking Gingerbread Man from last year? The parade overall was so pretty.

I just noticed, Kyle was 'sans' glasses in the pictures??

Ah, I‘m not fond of any of that style of food.....especially peas of any kind....lol......guess I shouldn’t move to that area!! I love traditions though and it’s always interesting to hear what other folks do different.......I do love spicy food though, I know we’ve discussed that before, but Mexican food just isn’t a thing I like......my sister makes a chilli that I’ve never eaten, as it’s full of those kidney beans.......not for me! I do love guacamole and now I know how to pronounce it correctly.......

I think they made a few new additions to the decorations, they are just as I like them,...not too ostentatious or obvious.......and yes, same gingerbread man who freaked me out last couple of years........lol.....

Kyle now leaves his glasses off when he’s planning on going on rides. He does have prescription sunglasses with him and wears them during the day but although he’s never been worried they come off, he just prefers not to wear them.

 

[schumigirl]

That tree is so cute!



I love the Shrek section of the parade too, and the snow! I love the pictures from the location you watched from we've only seen it from the Hollywood area.

It really is one of the best places to watch the parades. And yes, the snow is just a perfect addition to the whole evening........

We watched the Mardi Gras parades from there too.......it’s a good position.

 

[schumigirl]

The parade looks really cheery. Such a Christmas atmosphere.
I love the giant gingerbread man from Shrek!
I think the menu sounds good at Monsters Cafe, we love looking around in there but have never tried any food there. Maybe one day...

It really does have the most amazing atmosphere.....and lol.....I do like the gingerbread man, he’s just a little odd seeing him loom above you......

We’ve never enjoyed food from Monsters Cafe.....mediocre at best, and by the time you pay and sit down it’s usually cold. And that’s one of the things that puts us off CS. And our Scare Actors meal at HHN was truly dreadful......but, we may give it a try in May. I’ll ask around a few people I know and see what they think nearer the time......

 

[schumigirl]

Thank you for all the gorgeous parade photos! I have to ask, what has happened to the Minions ride? It already didn't do a ton, does it not move at all now?

I would so be feeling the Christmas spirit after the parade, I would absolutely want a little souvenir! All of the food places you've mentioned that don't appeal to you, I have the same opinion. Actually, I'm hard pressed to name a counter service place in US I would choose to eat -- but we are definitely trying Confisco at IOA on our upcoming trip!

Maria

Oh I’m glad you like them Maria.......and yes, there really is a lovely atmosphere in the parks with all the holiday events......

Yes, CS food isn’t really our thing, we’ll never eat in Mel’s Diner/Richter Burger again for sure.....truly dreadful food. But, such a shame as they both have a good theme.

I do hope you’ll love Confisco.....

Minions is now 2D instead of 3D and although the ride vehicles still move, you don’t wear the glasses anymore.......it’s not the same for me. I struggle with rides like Simpsons as you don’t wear the glasses, and the first time I went on Minions after it changed, it made me feel quite woozy and it never had before. So, not for me anymore. It wasn’t the most thrilling ride, but I always enjoyed it.......

 

[schumigirl]

We set off out of the Studios to go to IOA and walked past Toothsome which wasn't as busy looking as I thought it would be. We had tried Toothsome and it`s not high on our list of places to go back to anytime soon. But, the place is usually busy enough I don't think they`ll miss our custom.

I love how close the two parks are......it`s a five minute walk between Studios and IOA which is why we often extol the virtues of getting a park to park ticket on the boards here. I think some folks who haven't been before can`t quite see how close they actually are, even on a map, but it is so handy going from park to park whether walking or taking the HE. We did stop to chat to a TM we knew as we passed Toothsome, we hadn't seen her for a while and it was nice to catch up. Much as though Kyle likes to pass the time with folks, I could feel him just wanting to get to the next park!! He is patient.

We love evenings in the parks.....in September it`s usually HHN we are in for, but the Holiday decorations are so pretty at night, and again quite understated in this park too. But, lovely.

Please excuse my indulgence to photographs of just lights......but, I love them!!! I don`t think there`s a single one of us in this quick post.

Even before you go in the park, the exterior of POE is lit up beautifully....it is so tactfully done but still impressive.

I tell Kyle and Tom to go ahead and do Hulk, I`ll catch them up and we`ll move round the park together then.....I`m not feeling like riding a coaster tonight, so I get some pictures and mine at times aren`t as good as Tom`s. But I try!

With a son who over the years has got me extremely interested in Astronomy and all that goes with it, I do try and capture the moon, but it just doesn`t come out as clear as I`d hoped. I still love this picture though.

I was surprised how busy this area was with people leaving tonight, so getting pictures with no crowds in the way wasn`t easy...…and there were a lot of people doing what we had done, the parade and then the night show, and of course it was a Saturday....probably one of the busiest nights we could have chosen. But, it didn't seem as bad as was predicted.

I did like the jewellery store sign owned by Mr Oh Wau...nice touch. And you could really hear the fake cats on the balcony tonight......I`m not sure if they turned the sound up as it was fairly lively around this area, but it was noticeable.

I went around and met them as they came off the Hulk which had been a complete walk on with EP, we headed to do Dr Doom and did this ride twice before heading round to Hogsmeade.

But, first stopping off down to the lagoon to overlook the water and beyond.

Mythos, even from this angle is so pretty at night, and the castle is certainly not shown at it`s best with a giant crane in front. But, I still love this view.

We only walked through Seuss tonight, but it is beautiful......and very purple in places!! I really wanted this bow!!!! Not exactly sure what I`d do with it, but I`m sure I`d find somewhere to place it in our home.

This area was busy with folks coming and going as is usual with the night shows, so we didn`t plan to hang around or do any of the very gentle rides they have here. Although I wish we`d done the trolley train, just to see everything lit up from the ride. The views over the park from the ride are quite nice and you can see a fair bit of IOA from the train when it`s at it highest.

One of my favourite daytime scenes looks even better at night, although the pictures may not reflect that......

And of course Mythos. It seems to rise in resplendence above all else in this area, even making Poseidons exterior not look as grand as it is. Beautiful building that we have missed out for a couple of years. Some not great experiences in the past, but it is such a lovely place we do want to go back one day soon.

We stop for a bathroom break before heading towards our aim for tonight......

Coming up......The Castle light show and dinner.

 

[NancyLuvsMickey]

I hope you had a Very Merry Christmas!

It looks like you had a great first day... And Kyle's chocolate cake count is now at 4, but I have a feeling it'll be at 5 before the night is over!!!

 

[schumigirl]

As we went towards Hogsmeade, we could see the end of the previous night show. I can`t remember which time we saw it, but it wasn't the first two shows at least......we had taken our time it seemed to get here tonight. But, it did look good and we were excited to see it again.

I don`t think this is Kyle`s favourite thing to do, he does enjoy it, but if given the choice to do this or the parade a second time, I think he`d choose the Parade. Tom and I love them both so couldn't choose.....

So this is where everyone was.

I hadn`t seen it as busy here in years, of course we tend to avoid the peak seasons and times of day, so it was unusual to see it like this. And it was unusual to have to line up to use the bathroom!!!

I`m not sure if we`re in the minority here, but we like the way they handle crowds for the show. You line up to enter the area in front of the Castle....then as everyone from the previous show has gone over the bridge in the opposite direction, the TM releases everyone to go forward. We were stopped just by Olivanders but not for long.

There are plenty of places to stand and see the show. We opt for close to a post a little further back from the front rows. It`s no overwhelmingly busy as most are heading forward, but we hope it stays like this.

Then, a man who I would say was in his mid to late 40`s, comes and lays down in front of us!!!

Seriously.....I had turned around to see how many were still filling in and turned back, moved my foot slightly and hit him very gently (luckily) on the shoulder......I got such a shock.....what was he thinking!!! Tom said to him he was asking for trouble laid on the ground like that.....his head although leaning on a rucksack, was in the path of anyone passing right by us...….

He growled at us he was having a nap......a nap......in the middle of Hogsmeade during a light show...…...

Sorry mate, I don`t want to be worrying about kicking you during the show, so we called over a TM who was one of the more forceful ones and told him in no uncertain terms to move off the ground and go find somewhere to stand or sit that didn't involve laying across the ground. He moved.......

A woman and her family who had come up to stand beside Kyle had watched the performance and she commented how she never failed to be astounded at people and things that they do.....how true.......the TM came back to thank us for alerting them to him as they hadn`t noticed him at all. I`m not quite sure why he thought this might be a good idea.

But, the show was now beginning and it was as impressive as we had remembered it from previous visits.

I think the Christmas Light show is the most impressive of all them.....we don`t always bother with the regular night show, but this one is phenomenal.......the lights and music working together are something to see and enjoy.

There really isn`t anything to add about the show......it is fabulous and it`s one of these things I`d be incredibly sad to miss when it`s on. The Potter music playing makes it even more magical as you watch. And it`s on so often during the evening. From dusk till park close, and I`d absolutely agree to miss out the earlier shows and wait till as late as possible......there are much less people and although we`ve never caught the last show of the evening, I think I`d like to do that one night.

You are filtered out away from Hogsmeade and TM are firm to ensure you do go that way as there are always more folks lined up to come in....you go over the bridge as if you are heading back to JP then take the turn to the left over the new bridge and double back where you come out to the side of Fire Eaters Grill. It works. This way there`s no mingling and fighting with crowds going in the opposite direction.

It`s a lot quieter in Seuss now, but we still don`t ride anything tonight.......

We really hadn`t decided where to eat dinner tonight, so we asked Kyle where he wanted to go.....he opted for either NBC or Margaritaville.....we weren`t really fussed which, although we had a negative experience a few times here, but would go back for Kyle.....so we walked out of the park and over first to NBC.

That may have been a mistake.

They said a 45 minute wait and priority seating wasn`t offering much better.....by now I was starving......those two can go for hours and not eat, I don`t know how they do it.....

Not me......low blood sugar hits me occasionally and I become a shaking wreck at times.....not always.......of course, sometimes I`m just hungry!

Yes, I have looked like that before......


So, we headed back to Margaritaville.......it was still hot tonight which was lovely as we walked through Citywalk. It was busy too. We never make reservations for places like this, if one is too busy, we`ll go somewhere else, and if everywhere is too busy we`d always just head to one of the hotels and eat in any one of them. There really is plenty of choice we never need a reservation.

Usually Tom and I sit at the bar and eat, but Kyle likes a table and it wasn`t as busy as it could have been tonight, so we got a table immediately.

Our drinks order went in fairly quickly, I rather predictably ordered an old favourite in here.......Blackberry Margarita...….it is divine!!! I did swap out the paper straw for one of my own.

Kyle his usual non alcoholic strawberry daiquiri or strawberry smoothy in some places.......but he loves them!

And Tom had a plain old landshark...…..one of his favourites!

Our waitress came over to take our order and I mentioned to her I was allergic to onions and msg. She asked if I wanted to speak to the head chef, I said no it wasn`t necessary. It`s not life threatening or anything like that, so I just mention it briefly.

Kyle had ordered fried chicken with mash and veg....no gravy, Tom fish and chips and I had gone for the blackened grouper sandwich...minus the onions.

Before long the chef Sabina came out for a chat....she just wanted to make sure the extent of any issues....she was lovely. I explained I was fine with seasonings with onion in it was just the raw or cooked pieces....she said that was common with onions, but was happy with what I`d ordered. She also explained that nowhere on Universal property did they use MSG which was good to hear......except HRC, she couldn`t speak for them at all. But, she was excellent and it`s always nice to see they take concern over simple allergies, and I know how seriously they take them all.

When the food arrived, it all looked good......and Sabina came back out to check everything was as it should be...…we all said it looked lovely.....she immediately spotted Kyle had no gravy.... he`s not a fan, and she asked if he`d like a pot of honey to go with it...…he said yes, that sounds good. And a few minutes later she brought it out for him. Nice lady.

I laughed because if we had asked him if he wanted honey he`d just have said no it`s alright......but when it`s the chef.....he`ll give it a try. That was how we got him to try teriyaki sauce many years ago in Kobe....the chef more or less told him he`d have it.......we were laughing, and happy as it`s one of his favourite dishes now. He said he couldn`t argue with a chef who had such a large knife in his hand!!! True.

The food was so good here tonight.

We stopped coming here a few years back, but for the last 2-3 years it has steadily worked it`s way back up to being a favourite of ours...and tonight didn`t disappoint. The menu really does have plenty of choice for everyone, even fussy eaters I guess could find something.

There is always fabulous music playing, usually Jimmy Buffet....and everyone sings along.....amazing atmosphere most nights, we did enjoy it and we were all glad NBC had been such a long wait.

And I did get a second Margarita.....same flavour. They are delicious.....I do drink a lot of water too though.

Once we had paid the check, we walked back and came up through the front entrance way as the pool was now closed, and loved the chance to see the bridge all lit up at night, and rather strangely, with no one on it.

We all went to the bathrooms in the lobby as we were going to Orchids for a drink before heading up to bed.

The tree is beautiful in here. It is one of the more prominent of the hotels trees. As I wait for them I notice again how immaculately clean the Loews hotels are......they are always gleaming and even the bathrooms although public, are kept to a high standard.

We go sit in a comfy seat in the lounge and Tom orders a beer, I have one of their new cocktails.....and Kyle asks for his usual.

It may look a little austere during the day, but it does feel very cosy at night....and the giant tv, although not my thing, looks good and fits in well with the newer style.

Our drinks are soon over and I had ordered a Golden Dawn, it had white rum, pineapple rum, mango and togarashi sprinkled on top....it was lovely and yes, you could taste the spice on top.

The blender wasn`t working so Kyle didn`t get his drink, the waiter offered him an alternative, complimentary.......however, it was one of these bottles that was almost a challenge to open.....weird. And with various Engineering degrees coming out of our wazoos.....none of us could open it!!!!

Tom took it back up and the waiter said there was a trick to it, he`d show us.......

And he couldn`t. lol.......

Turns out we had been given a faulty bottle......of course. But, it was funny all of us trying to work out how to open a simple bottle.....and there is a trick to opening it right enough......but jeez...…just make it a screw top in the future!!! Apparently they are a thing today!!! How old am I!!!!

But, after all the fuss.....Kyle didn't like it anyway. It was fizzy and he doesn`t drink soda type drinks......but he was thirsty and he drank some of it before aksing for some more water.

We sat for an hour or so, and it is nice in here. I was worried it wouldn`t feel the same, but it does. Some of the staff are new, but there are a couple of folks we still know from before the revamp.

Around 11pm we headed up to bed. I think we knew we`d all sleep tonight even if there was an earthquake.....there`s something about the second night that makes us incredibly tired. Which is why we sat as long as possible before going upstairs.

Turndown had been and left us water and closed the drapes as always. Kyle left his closed but I opened ours slightly, despite some grumbling......Tom loves complete darkness...I like a little light coming in especially when I have the view over the parks and Sapphire Falls. I think we all fell asleep quickly having had a wonderful day.

Tomorrow was more park time......

 

[Vicki Rickerd]

So, we headed back to Margaritaville.

Great choice!

I think Margaritaville is one of the best restaurants. You get so much food for your money and it is almost always good; hardly ever a wait and great service. Never had much luck at NBC; slooooow service and while the portions are plenty, the quality was lacking for us.

 

[Tink2Day]

Oh my the lights were GORGEOUS!! Were the castle lights from a different angle? They seem so much more spectacular than the various pictures I saw last year.

What in the world was a grown man thinking, laying in the midst of a huge crowd?????

 

[schumigirl]

I hope you had a Very Merry Christmas!

It looks like you had a great first day... And Kyle's chocolate cake count is now at 4, but I have a feeling it'll be at 5 before the night is over!!!

Thanks Nancy......we did have a lovely time......I think we need to get back to normal after all the fun, frivolity and extra eating we have enjoyed!! Hope you and your family had a lovely time too.......

It was an amazing first full day.......the heat helped make it too as we were worried it would be cool, but it was lovely.......

 

[schumigirl]

Great choice!

I think Margaritaville is one of the best restaurants. You get so much food for your money and it is almost always good; hardly ever a wait and great service. Never had much luck at NBC; slooooow service and while the portions are plenty, the quality was lacking for us.

Isn‘t it fabulous!!! We love the atmosphere and the bar staff are always top notch.

I’m glad it picked back up for us, I think it was around two and half years we avoided it, but since we have gone back it has never disappointed us.

Yes, NBC for us, burgers are always fabulous.....but other food items including steak and ribs were a disaster. Steaks were particularly poor quality. But if Kyle wanted to eat there we’d have gone and just ordered a burger each. But, a 45 minute wait.....nah, wasn’t happening.

 

[schumigirl]

Oh my the lights were GORGEOUS!! Were the castle lights from a different angle? They seem so much more spectacular than the various pictures I saw last year.

What in the world was a grown man thinking, laying in the midst of a huge crowd?????

View attachment 461178

lol......how true......even the TM when we pointed him out was shocked as well as bemused at his imbecilic behaviour......I wish we had taken a picture!

I‘m not sure...they looked similar to us, but they do constantly improve everything. I know we were roughly in the same place as two years ago, and it was spectacular to watch again.

I‘m glad you liked them though......

 

[Squirlz]

We like to watch the parade in front of the old Terminator entrance. There's a bend in the road so you see everything coming straight at you. After it passes we cross the street and make our way over to a spot across from Macy's in plenty of time to watch Santa light the tree.

We ate a Richter's once, for the first time. And last. Nice spot to sit out back by the water, and the food did the job but that's all. The best new food experience was the Today Show Cafe. Ate there 4 times and every sandwich was delicious. The potato salad is very different and tasty. The General Manager came over to talk with us one time. He told us everything is made fresh, including that potato salad. We were very impressed.

We had fun at Toothsome one afternoon. Place was deserted and we talked with Penelope and Jacques for some time. The food was fabulous.

It was good to see you, Tom and Kyle once again. And the Aussie family that we met 2 years ago. Nice to see old friends and make new friends in the Club lounge. I don't think we'll get back again until next December.

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Hmmm. Well we had kind of given up on Margaritaville, but with your recent recommendation we will give it another try. I think I must have a blackberry margarita!

I think I'd maybe give the items in cases at Toothsome a try, my son doesn't like chocolate -- I know, who knew that was a thing?! It sounds kind of complicated to eat there, and like every single thing has chocolate, so maybe not for us.

Please don't ever apologize for all your fabulous photos of the lights and sights, they just make me happy

Day 2 was wonderful, I am more and more determined to make it to Universal for the Christmas celebrations!

 

[schumigirl]

We like to watch the parade in front of the old Terminator entrance. There's a bend in the road so you see everything coming straight at you. After it passes we cross the street and make our way over to a spot across from Macy's in plenty of time to watch Santa light the tree.

We ate a Richter's once, for the first time. And last. Nice spot to sit out back by the water, and the food did the job but that's all. The best new food experience was the Today Show Cafe. Ate there 4 times and every sandwich was delicious. The potato salad is very different and tasty. The General Manager came over to talk with us one time. He told us everything is made fresh, including that potato salad. We were very impressed.

We had fun at Toothsome one afternoon. Place was deserted and we talked with Penelope and Jacques for some time. The food was fabulous.

It was good to see you, Tom and Kyle once again. And the Aussie family that we met 2 years ago. Nice to see old friends and make new friends in the Club lounge. I don't think we'll get back again until next December.

We preferred the Boulangerie to Today Café, same Potato salad we were told.

Toothsome we just don't enjoy, not the theme nor the food, nothing stood out for us there. Glad you enjoyed it though.

 

[schumigirl]

Hmmm. Well we had kind of given up on Margaritaville, but with your recent recommendation we will give it another try. I think I must have a blackberry margarita!

I think I'd maybe give the items in cases at Toothsome a try, my son doesn't like chocolate -- I know, who knew that was a thing?! It sounds kind of complicated to eat there, and like every single thing has chocolate, so maybe not for us.

Please don't ever apologize for all your fabulous photos of the lights and sights, they just make me happy

Day 2 was wonderful, I am more and more determined to make it to Universal for the Christmas celebrations!

Oh the Blackberry Margarita is something else!!! Very fruity and strong.....One of their best cocktails!! Also they do a Margarita Flight.....4 of their best Margaritas in sample sizes......it was very good too!!

Yes, I`m not the biggest chocolate fan....we did try the chocolate bread as Tom and Kyle wanted to try it...they thought it was disgusting. There was nothing special about it and we had much better food everywhere else.....

Aw thank you, you`re too kind! Yes, their Christmas Celebrations are beautiful.....I think you`d love them....

 

[schumigirl]

SUNDAY DECEMBER 1ST​

We couldn't believe it was finally December this morning. Where had November and October gone!!! It had been barely 7 weeks since we had come home from our last Orlando trip, but time had flown so quickly!

We all slept well again, and I could hear Kyle rumbling about so knew he was already up.....he is someone who always gets up early anyway, so no long lies in during our trips away with him around.....thankfully. I `d hate to waste the morning away by laying in bed. That`s not the type of folks we are.....up and out and make the most of the day. And so happy Kyle is the same way.

Once we were all showered, we headed up for breakfast and we did our usual chatting, but didn`t stay too long as we really wanted to get into the park this morning. The weather was to be beautiful today so we wanted to make the most of it. One lady stopped me and asked how I had enjoyed the parade last night, we told her we had loved it and she said she had read my Mardi Gras trip report and they had stood in the same place last night for the Holiday Parade as we had suggested and loved it. That was nice to hear.....it really is a prime spot for the tree lighting and then straight for some ride afterwards!!! Nice lady didn`t catch her name and they were checking out today.

Once we had finished breakfast we went back down to put sunscreen on and found our lovely Housekeeper had already been.....I swear she must wait behind the service door and wait for us to leave......well, maybe not, but she is prompt, and is such a lovely lady.

We decide to go to IOA today......this was always our usual first park day when we used to come once a year and Kyle was always with us, so we walked. And cutting through the pool it feels hot but there is a little breeze which is lovely, and every day we think back to the excessively hot days and nights in September. This was as cool as we like it, and one of the reasons we have extended our May trip instead of coming in March too.....March was just a little too cool for us at night especially.

But, the weather this morning was nigh on perfect for us, and I think we reached 83F today, not bad for December! Slightly different from back home right now.

We still get that excited feeling as we approach the park, even after all these years.....seeing the colours and vibrancy of IOA always makes us smile. The TM always give you a lovely welcome and most will say your name if it shows up from the AP.

As soon as you enter you can feel the atmosphere change and everyone is full of excitement to begin the day.

We love the music they always play as you walk through, and it does partly make IOA what it is......we love it, but this time of year they are playing Holiday songs, which I can understand some wouldn't choose to have, but we like it.....just for a change, and if possible....amps up the Christmas feel more.

Again, I tell Tom and Kyle to go ahead and I`ll catch them at The Hulk in a little while.....if I`m not there they`ll simply go around again till I get there. We don`t bother with specific times usually to meet up when we`re here. So, I snap a few pictures on the way round......and there is so much to see in POE alone.

And people say Universal have no theming outside of Potter!!! There is plenty of theming if you look......the level of detail is fabulous and I swear, every single trip I find something completely new that we haven't seen or noticed before.

I have a quick wander into the Christmas Store and seeing the tree reminds me to grab the leaflet for the Christmas Tree Scavenger Hunt....it does sound fun and will take not a lot of time as we pass everything anyway, numerous times.

It`s one of those places that looks as pretty at night as it does during the day...….I keep banging on about the colours in here and they are so vivid and bright.

The buildings here not only look pretty, but they have sounds that are interesting to listen to and fun too.

And one of the things about IOA is everything is there for a reason, as you can see the words Stegosaurus written on the wall above.....it all fits in to the lands around IOA. Cute.

Confisco Grille is without doubt our favourite restaurant in IOA. Far and above Mythos, which I`m sure is very good, but CG just seems to be better for service and menu choices for us. We really can`t speak highly enough of it. I know when we`ve told certain people about it, at times we`ve had to describe where it actually is....folks pass it by so quickly. But it is fabulous.

Attached to CG is Backwater Bar. It has a few tables in and you can order food and drinks sitting at the bar too. Staff are again, very good and make you feel so welcome. If Confisco is busy, which it can be at times, then pop through here and you can enjoy the same menu as the restaurant.

Just in case you forget it`s Christmas...…..and with the heat today, that's easy to do!

A quick look over to what will be the new JP coaster in a couple of years......I`m hoping they`ll fill the front back in with trees when it`s done and give it back the beautifully full and lush look it had before.

They do seem to be getting along nicely with progress on the work which is good to know. I think everyone is excited for the next addition to IOA and it`ll be a real coaster! Hagrids has been such a success, when it works properly of course, and add this one in and IOA will be an even more amazing place to visit.

I can only imagine the look of the landscape in a few years time.....it is exciting to think about the upcoming changes to the parks!

I met up with Tom and Kyle as they were heading for Dr Doom. I think they had ridden Hulk about 4 times waiting for me, so they were ready for Doom.

It was only a few visits ago I had paid full attention to this van.....and again, if you listen you hear some sounds appropriate for the theme!

Dr Doom is a short and sometimes much maligned ride. But......don't let anyone put you off going on it saying it`s rubbish because it`s so short....yes, it is, but it is so much fun!!!! That first time being shot up in the air is magic!!! You can see for miles and depending on what side of the ride you sit on you can see miles into the distance or into the hotels and over the parks.....we love it!!! And Kyle is just in his element doing all these rides again. The size of the grin on his face is fabulous to see.

I pop in to see this tree too and we have a mooch round the store....we don't spend a lot of time in this store and they do have a few cool products to buy.

We come back out in time to see a few of our favourite characters wandering around...….Kyle was wearing an appropriate tee shirt today for meeting two fun villains!

And like all Universal character meets, the interaction is fabulous!!! We don`t always spend a lot of time with character meets now as I`m sure we have met them all over the years.....but there are some we still like to do when we see them.

Dr Doom called Kyle over due to his tee shirt and is so funny.....when we left and said Thank you he was very rude.....but in a funny way of course.....I think they are excellent at gauging their audience.

And you can`t have a picture with Doom without the Green Goblin..they did keep in contact with each other and Doom warns him of troublesome folks heading his way and of course he reacts perfectly….

As the Villains disappeared due to the fact they had heard the good guys were in the vicinity...….we heard the sounds of the vehicles bringing the superheroes......as we were here, we may as well wait.

Much as though I like Spider-Man......I do like Capt America`s legs!!!!

Confession time......not a fan of superhero movies in any shape or form.....although I did like Ant Man if that counts......they bore me rigid and I really have no clue who they all are......although I kind of know Wolverine, but only through Hugh Jackman!!! Giving all my secret crushes away today...…..

We did get a picture anyway......

And the tall and friendly Captain America with whom we had a fabulous interaction with......it did go on for quite a while where I did admit to falling asleep during one of the movies.....he said as long as it wasn`t the new one he`d be happy…...well, it wasn`t the new one.....I have no clue which one it was as I fell asleep!!!

I did say my husband and son were huge fans of the movies, so he then got Tom to join us at that point and made funny jokes about me not having good taste in movies......lol.....they are so cool!!!!

But being honest, as far as superheroes go, unless it`s Spider-Man I`m meeting...…..

Ooops!!!



More park time coming up.

 

[Worfiedoodles]

I love that you don’t have set meet up times, but just reconvene whenever you find yourselves together. That sounds very relaxing, and allows everyone to be in the moment.

Those were great character interactions! They seem to be enjoying it as much as you are ☺

Is it wrong I’m more looking forward to the JP coaster than the last movie of the JW trilogy? Because I am

Maria