Sunday, August 28
Random Rule Change Day and the Mummy's Curse!
Last park day at Universal today. We decided to hit the club lounge early again and do early entry at IOA so we could ride Forbidden Journey again.
On the way to the park, I decided to switch around plans for the rest of the week a bit, the weather was going to be better Tuesday it looked like and we were scheduled to go to Discovery Cove Monday and Seaworld Tuesday. So I called Discovery Cove and change our day to Tuesday while on the boat to Citywalk.
More fun entering the park today, on this morning my ticket worked fine, DH had to show ID which he didn't have. They called a manager over, asked us if this was our first time using the tickets...umm no we've been here 3 days already. What the heck! Finally let us in. I'm not sure what the issue was, one time getting on Hogwarts they asked DH for ID, but not me. He only had a credit card and they said that was fine. This manager said a cc was not ID, he needed picture ID next time, but let us go. We're like, yeah well, this is our last time coming in anyways. It was just annoying because it was totally random, sometimes it was my ticket which I thought was because I had a discounted ticket (barely and I guess not worth the measly discount for the trouble) so I needed to show my
travel agent ID. But then other times, mine didn't say anything and he needed to show ID. Every time we entered a park, it changed! Oh and they never made us sign the tickets, like we saw other people doing. It was strange. Note to self: always carry ID at Universal.
So Forbidden Journey and then of course a few rounds on Dragon Challenge for the boys. Then we headed out and went over to ride Kong again, stopping to take some pictures along the way. Onwards to Hulk for one more double round of that. Spiderman. Then the boys and I did Dr. Doom since DH doesn't like heights and won't do that one. By now it was about 11:30am and the boys were hungry.
We left and went to Hard Rock Cafe for lunch. Another good meal.
chicken sandwich of some sort, very good
After lunch we headed to the Studios right next door. I wanted to ride E.T. as I never have and 20 years ago after waiting in line for 2 hours, it broke down. So we headed there and did that and we loved it. It's so cute! Next we headed back to Diagon Alley and went on Gringotts again. This time, I was directed to put my tiny bag in a locker...last time I was able to keep it on. The rules seem to change daily! Enjoyed the ride with only a 10 minute wait or so, it was less than whatever was posted. A lot less. It was actually faster than when we did it first thing at opening the other day. Onwards to the Mummy...where again, last time I wore my small bag, this time was directed to get a locker. So last year, we rode the Mummy for the first time and the first time we did I was completely unaware that it was a rollercoaster. I missed the announcement, I missed the signs before getting onto the ride. I had my sunglasses hanging on my shirt which I never usually do, so I don't know why I did. But...obviously they flew off at the first drop and I lost them. Oops! So now this time I was instructed to put everything in a locker so I did. My bag and my sunglasses. Or so I thought. I got a high locker and I am short, as I threw my stuff up there. When I went back to get everything out, I pulled my bag out and was feeling for sunglasses and couldn't find them. I asked a taller person nearby to look and see if there was anything in there and he looked and said no. I don't know what happened this time, but I lost my sunglasses on the Mummy again and this time I didn't take them with me!!! It's the curse.
We wandered a bit and then stopped in the store on the way out for another big pink donut and a few other things and headed back to the hotel for a last afternoon of pool lounging. We stopped by the club lounge for their great lemonade and I had them re-print my Discovery Cove ticket with the date change before going to the pool and continued on with some adult beverages down there. By the time 6pm rolled around, we were fully enjoying relaxing at the pool and didn't really want to go back to Citywalk.
We looked around Portofino, considered Mama Dellas, but it seemed like it wasn't even open. It's tough, I have to find a place that has options for my meat and potatoes DH and the kids need things they can get on the adult menu because the kids meals are just too small now. It was open, there just was nobody there because later when we went to get gelato, I saw people going in. DH refuses to do pizza because he does it too much at work during the week so this made it hard, we could have gone to one of the bar and gotten pizza. But he didn't want pizza. So back to the pool restaurant Splendido we went. Food is good there and the kids love the pizza there, it's the same pizza you'd get anywhere else at Portofino.
Tachos or some sort thing, tater tot nachos
kids split a full pizza again, they love this pizza!
And then we went to enjoy a very yummy gelato (I didn't have the camera with me) as the sun was going down in the harbor piazza and shopped a bit in the resort stores before going back to the pool for the evening. As everyone else went to bed, I packed the bags.
Boo Hoo we are leaving tomorrow morning.
Up next: Seaworld