Sunday, December 18th (the conclusion) 
Heading out of the park that afternoon, we were happy to find some park photographers outside of the gates of Universal Studios, taking photos with both the standard park landmarks (the Universal globe and the grand Studios entrance) as well as holiday pictures with the Macy’s balloons. One of the photographers spotted the picture card on my lanyard and asked if we wanted some photos taken, and we happily agreed…..especially since the area was virtually deserted. How often do you get the chance for Christmas photos in high-occupancy areas with hardly a single soul in sight?
My Universal Photos had added special holiday borders to the options on their website (in addition to the traditional border offerings) which I thought was a wonderful seasonal touch
. My favourite of them all was the snow globe.
The drive back to our resort was quick and painless, and it felt wonderful to enter the cool air conditioning and just drop down onto the bed for a half hour and allow the body to rest and rebalance. Being up early for breakfast combined with the heat and humidity had definitely caught up with us by that point in the day. While we didn’t indulge in a full-out snooze (well, not me anyway…..Steve may have snored for a few minutes!
), that restful break was wonderfully therapeutic nonetheless
.
Before heading back to the park, we took some time to freshen up. The hot day certainly warranted a change of clothing, and it felt marvelous to wash up and comb through my hair
(though it was still suffering, in Monica Gellar-style).
With us both feeling clean, fresh and rested, we returned to Universal and headed straight into the Studios. We had no problems finding a great spot in the Citywalk garages, which was a happy surprise given the fact it was now just before six o’clock and the festive time of year. We had also anticipated that it might be super busy there that night due to the fact that Mannheim Steamroller was scheduled to perform, but entering the park, we were delighted to note that crowds were surprisingly light.
We texted Kerry, Robert and David to let them know that we were back in the park, and they said they would meet up with us within the next little while. Steve and I opted to take a tour of the park now that darkness had fallen and the whole area took on a completely different feel. In all of our visits, we had never been in the park after sunset before.
My photos don’t accurately convey how pretty the park looks once darkness falls. As awesome as some of the attractions look by day, they are even more spectacular at night
. We couldn’t resist a quick ride on the Twirl ‘n Hurl:
….but as fun as the ride was, the best part was the view of London across the water. Gorgeous!!
Hollywood was simply stunning, all elegant and lovely with the sparkly lights lining the street. This photo also kind of shows just how light the crowds were…….no one at all on the sidewalks, and just a scant few folks strolling leisurely down the middle of the roadway.
Being our first true visit to the Universal parks during the Christmas festivities, we were delighted to find an assortment of holiday streetmosphere characters milling about the streets of Hollywood, spreading Christmas cheer with catchy enthusiasm and happily stopping for photos with guests
.
My old camera didn’t capture the best quality pictures in the low light conditions (something the camera on my new Galaxy S7 Edge is MUCH better at!!) but we couldn’t resist snapping a few pics of the fun, anyway. Not only did these Univeral TM’s look fabulous in the Christmas costumes, but they were wonderfully in character (cue the buzzing by the friendly bees!) and their enjoyment of the night was contagious
. You just couldn’t help but smile and laugh at their engaging antics and corny holiday puns.
Christmas music was playing throughout the park, and it felt so amazingly festive and Christmassy despite the fact that temperatures were still hovering in the mid-80’s. Our friends and family in the north always wrinkle their noses when they hear that we’re planning to spend the holidays in Florida, claiming that “it can’t possibly feel like Christmas when it’s that warm outside”, but let me assure you all: it does
. Crazily, shockingly, unbelievably so. Even with the lack of cold and snow, it FEELS like Christmas in the south
.
We wound our way back up to the massive tree in New York, now fully lit and absolutely stunning against the inky black night sky
. This is where we had designated to be our meeting place with Kerry and the boys, so we hovered in the general vicinity while we waited for them to arrive.
The festive streetmosphere characters were also cheerily milling about this section of the park, too, so we enjoyed some more opportunities for fun interaction and photos while we keep our eyes peeled for our friends. Steve thought the candy cane girls were particularly cute
.
Being an admitted Christmas traditionalist, I couldn’t get enough of the live Christmas Trees:
….and Mrs. Claus and her friendly elf were just as sweet as Santa’s Christmas cookies
.
Kerry, Robert and David all arrived a shortly thereafter. David was eager to ride The Mummy, so he and Steve dashed off into the queue while Kerry, Robert and I opted to continue to enjoy the festivities on the street. We strolled down to the stage where the Mannheim Steamroller concert was now underway, and enjoyed some of my favourite Christmas music of all time. Mannheim Steamroller does Christmas like no one else
.
Steve and David emerged from The Mummy with matching huge grins on their faces. Neither of those two can get enough of that coaster, and their enthusiasm….and their friendship….. was heartwarming. These two became fast friends on that trip, and the admiration between the two of them was mutual
. Generally speaking, for the balance of that week, wherever Steve went, his buddy David was not far behind.
David wanted to ride again, and Steve was only too happy to oblige. Kerry, Robert and I found a bench in Central Park, and enjoyed the concert music while the boys indulged in a second ride. A few minutes later they emerged, once again with matching grins from ear to ear
. Steve was especially proud that he remembered where the photo was taken on the ride this time, so he could add his own personal…..albeit silly…..element to the picture
.
We wandered back down to the concert area once again, taking in more of that incredible music from the outer edge of the crowd while we debated our options for dinner. The night was marching on, and us old poops were starting to feel it (David, on the other hand, could have danced the night away for hours and hours yet
). Robert suggested we head back to their resort, Portofino Bay, and have dinner at the pasta buffet at Mama Dellas before calling it a night. Steve and I *love* Italian food, and we had never been to Portofino Bay before, so we were immediately sold. We headed out of the park, boarded a water taxi in Citywalk, and made our way to Portofino Bay.
Once again, I must apologize at this point for the complete lack of dinner photos
. I will blame it, for the second time, on the fact that we were just too wrapped up in the great conversation and heartwarming company of good friends. We talked, we laughed, we ate and we drank…..but one thing we DIDN’T do is take any pictures. For that, I am truly sorry!
So….use your imagination here, my friends. Picture a comfortable setting, a hot pasta bar featuring a variety of noodles, sauces, mix-ins, and meats, and professional chefs behind the glass waiting to create your own personalized bowl of hot, flavourful Italian awesomeness. As much as you want, as many times as you want, in any way that you want. In addition to the pasta bar, there was a surprisingly large antipasto buffet which was also included, and an assortment of freshly baked breads. Absolutely delicious and a very reasonable $25.99 per person (less 10% with our passmember discount). Not only was our company top-notch, but this meal was one we would absolutely do again
.
After dinner, we walked through the piazza to Kerry and Robert’s suite for a tour…..and wow
. It was gorgeous. I hope that
@dsmom drops by and posts a photo or two of their beautiful digs, if she happened to take a few pictures that she is willing to share. Not only did they have an abundance of space with some wonderful, high quality finishings, they had an expansive balcony with an incredible view. I think if I were them, I would have slept on the balcony just because I wouldn’t have wanted to go inside!!
It was late when we finally bid Kerry and the boys good night, and we were dead on our feet as we made our way to our vehicle. The roads were quiet and the commute back to the Grande Vista was mercifully speedy and uneventful. Once back inside our villa, we literally dropped everything in a pile and fell into bed. We were too full and too tired to move one single inch further
.
Visions of sugarplums danced in our heads all night long, and we rested fitfully…….which was a good thing, because the following day was also scheduled to be chock-full of festive fun. SeaWorld was on the vacation itinerary, and we had plans that would take us from park opening to park close: everything from The Dolphin Encounter and the Wild Arctic Tour to the Christmas Celebration events including a much-anticipated dinner with Santa
.
Our festive adventures continue up next!
.
. I asked for one and they said they didn't have any. Mom bought me an stuffed LGM to celebrate.
.
That was quite an accomplishment for him and must have taken a LOT of courage on his part!
back! (though I know that sentiment is rather belated......I am finally starting to get caught up a bit, though) So happy to hear you had a fun time away. How was the weather? Still super hot down there?
must have dreamt that one!
) . Strictly a simulator, and happily not a sickness-inducing one at all.
And congratulations on your new job!
. I am going to try and do better with my updates from here. We are heading back to Canada this weekend to visit Jake, my mom, and Steve's parents, but hopefully I should be able to add some entries more regularly thereafter 
. Momma might have stepped away from the party but my spies continue to monitor the rowdies 
