# The DarkSide's not so Dark after all....



## clsteve

Well, we just returned from our 4 night 3 ½ day trip to the DarkSide. And we have to say - it beat our expectations. It was low stress and required minimal planning, while the weather (mostly) cooperated. The crowds were good and the hotel excellent. The length of stay seemed spot-on (with enough stuff left to do next time), and both Parks had something for all of us. There were enough surprises, a couple of almost disasters (like any trip), and a few unexpected sprinkles of - - what do you say for Universal -- AllSpark Dust....? 

Not quite sure where to go with this, so I'm going to try to summarize our trip  by each day and I'll be as objective as possible - that's a promise.  I hadn't planned on adding any photos (I'm a privacy person), but have been over-ruled by the family. For some reason, they seem to think its a _*Democracy*_ where I much prefer an_ *"Oligarchy"*_!!  Big Disclaimer: our camera decided to take a vacation while on vacation, so these are all IPhone pics,  my apologies. But, we also pre-purchased PhotoConnect (which I highly recommend). I'll supplement with those and talk about our PhotoConnect experience, later on.

TR newbie, so I'll try very hard to keep the mistakes to a minimum. Therefore, please consider it in test for the forseeable future (like, forever) and forward any issues or bugs to Tech Support. I'm sure they'll get right on it...

A little background:  we're a family of four with a DS10 and DS8. 




[/IMG] [/URL]


We had been planning a split stay: 4 nights WDW at YC and 2 nights  Universal at PBH. Then, all of the MM+/FP+ "stuff hit". After much agonizing, we decided to go 4 nights Universal-only and spend the rest of the vacation visiting my MiL in Sarasota (and I'm not going there with any MiL jokes, no matter how much I want to....). 

*Very, very* glad we made that decision, since we would have been checking in to YC the night of, or just after, they decided to go MB-only and would have been there when MK went FP+ only.  We had a wonderful 9 night, 8 day trip at BWV on rented points last Dec 1st, have been big fans of FP-Legacy and how fit our touring style, and did not want to take the risk of experiencing MB issues, MDE issues, FP+ limitations, etc., on a shorter trip. We're big fans of no-stress vacations, go figure. We had also kept the trip a secret from the kids (a lot harder to do than I expected, btw) until Xmas, so the switch was of no issue to them. I actually think the kids thought we were running an illegal, on-line business or something, since every time they came near us on the computer we'd yell "Get Out!" or "None of your Business!" or "Is Your Room Clean!" - we're big fans of old school parenting....


DW and I hadn't been to Universal or IOA since 99, right after IOA opened, and the kids had never been. Both are huge HP fans, with the oldest having read the books twice and the youngest on Book Five and weve seen all the movies. DS8 and I are the thrill-seekers in the family  no ride is too high or too fast! Luckily, hes just at 55 inches so, can ride any ride now (which we did). DW and DS10 will try most rides once (emphasis on once), love all the simulators, but are more shows, shops, relax by the pool, and  soak up the atmosphere people. We were very curious how Universal would work for each of us so, Ill try to highlight it throughout the TR (hint: it went really well).

I am also what is known as a *Planner*. Or, as my DW would say, a *%*&%#!! Planner Who Needs Therapy*. And I admit it, I did all the spreadsheets (including the DP spreadsheets) for our last trip, made all of the TS reservations,  printed all of Josh's itineraries from EasyWDW, re-joined TouringPlans, and had our last WDW trip on a beautifully choreographed, printed, and laminated schedule unique in both its symmetry and imagination (insert DW eyeroll, here). Josh, your stuff is spot-on, btw. So, I promised to stay completely out of the planning and heavily self-medicate to get through...

For this trip  I did nothing, yes, nothing - and, sad to say, it went perfectly (except for one snafu in the beginning with SouthWest, which I'll get to). Staying on-site, having Express Pass, the boat system, the walking paths (which are beautiful), and having so many excellent dining options so close made it unnecessary and incredibly easy.  Too easy, I kept telling myself.

*The Trip Down*

One quick note for everyone - when we had the trip as a split stay, we decided to use SouthWest Vacations to see what they could put together. We're big fans of flying them, and as a company, so thought - why not? Well, once we had the trip finalized with Park tickets and rooms for both WDW and Uni, and then decided to drop the WDW portion...... nope, can't do that, it's a bundle. I guess the Moose out front should have told us   . Luckily, we had also purchased the Trip Insurance. After *Many* hours on the phone, DW (remember, I'm banned from the planning part  and self-medicating..... ),  it was better for us to cancel the trip, eat the Trip Insurance, and do the trip ourselves. At this point, Im really starting to enjoy the planning ban.

Luckily, it all worked out for the better: Universal started their promo of buy 2 day tickets and get the third day free. And, we got a much better rate plus room combo dealing directly with Loews. We were originally booked in a King Parlor Suite (one bath) with a couch pullout. For much less, PBH got us an adjoining  king room to 2 queens (insert DW screaming "Yay, I got us two bathrooms!!"). By extending to 4 nights, letting them know what happened when we cancelled the SW package, plus the time of year, they got each of the 2 rooms down to well under $200/night. We had nothing but very positive experiences with all of the Loews/PBH staff throughout our interactions with them. Much more on that later....

The Ferry Ride, 7am









We live on the OBX of North Carolina and have about a 6 hour trip to the airport in Raleigh. 2 hours and 45 minutes of that is by ferry. Needless to say, weather watching is a big part of our daily lives. As long as the weather's good, the ferry can work out as a positive. It breaks up the trip, less mileage and wear on the car, it has a nice passenger lounge (so the boys got 2 hours of their homework done that morning), you can grab a few winks, read a good book, watch the porpoise, etc. If it's really rough (and it can be) there are plenty of bathrooms for DW spend the time in and ask God why she agreed to move here.

After that, it's about a 3 hour drive to the airport in Raleigh. 

Homework on the ferry must be very tiring....






The Raleigh Airport is not bad at all, even with the construction they have going - good parking, good off-site Park and Rides for long trips, check-in and gates not too far away, etc. Raleigh also has an inner and outer loop (440 and 540) as options to get to the airport, in case there's traffic you need to account for.  

We arrived in plenty of time to use Park and Ride and check-in was a breeze for our 5pm flight. I was surprised how few people seemed to be waiting for the flight. Not only did they announce the plane was only 30% full, we actually left 10 minutes early - gotta love SouthWest! You see, by this time, I'd self-medicated the whole SouthWest Vacations issue/expense/dilemma right out of my system....


Obligatory Kids on the Plane Pics!














We arrived in Orlando at 6:32pm (early) and met Tiffany Cars at baggage claim. We'd used them before and they were right there on-time. We had a quick stop at the Walgreens on the way, which is about a mile from PBH, to pick up waters (I mean, 7 bucks for the big bottle in the hotel room - we hid those from the kids), cups and snacks. Oh, and a quick run into the "adult beverage" section next to Walgreens - highly recommended since I must say, they are very proud of their drink prices at all of the Universal Resorts (shout out to Josh for posting those prices at PBH right before we left).

The Portofino





I know, horrible IPhone pic. Go ahead, you can say it -  "What were you thinking - asking someone to take your family picture when they had obviously just landed in America, spoke no English, and had never touched such an amazing piece of technology before..?!!" 

Such things happen when the camera is on vacation too....

Ah, but the Portofino. Two thumbs up from the whole family. And I mean that very objectively. When we arrived, you could see they'd spent some time on the sightlines and it hits you right when you drive up. The little harbor, the lighting, grounds, and overall spacing, do very much make it seem like a destination. You also get the same impression when you arrive by the boat or via the walkway. Hey, I'm a sucker for good architectural planning, I'll admit it..... 

Check-in was smooth and the staff very helpful and pleasant. The bellman took us straight over to the Express Pass terminals and got us all set up with those before heading off to the rooms. Well, we open the doors to 2 rooms, both with queens but no king. Also, they were deluxe rooms on same level as the lobby and close to the elevator. The Bellman gave us a little grin and said give the Front Desk a call. Seems like the Convention that was also there had a bit of an "emergency". To compensate for no King room, they upgraded us to deluxe, put us close to the restaurants and lobby, and comp'd the fridges. All of this was done without asking. Let's just say, we were not displeased.

Rating The Portofino

I think it very much deserves its 4+ stars. The deluxe rooms are huge. We were in building 2 level 3 with a view of the quiet pool (sorry, no pictures - hadn't quite figured out the camera was on holiday, yet). We heard no ambient noise - even with 3 or 4 small to medium-sized convention groups filling the property. When DW and the kids were in the room for a mid-day break/nap, none of them heard the 6 man maintenance team pulling cable and installing new light fixtures in our hallway, either. At least, not enough to wake them up. The beds, linens and pillows were Loews standard high-quality.

Having the fridge as an extra is a drawback, however, and not just because of the extra expense. The minibar fridge takes up the traditional, in-cabinet space. And, it's one of those that automatically charges you if you move something (I had a long talk with the boys about that - to the point where they seem to not trust any small fridge). So, if you do get one, they're small (no to-go containers fit), and it has to sit sticking out in the room by the desk and in front of the TV credenza. Not a positive thing if you get up in the dark, middle of the night to hit the bathroom and forget about it.....

The bathrooms were also quite large, but the towels were average. The showers, however, were very good and the water pressure was at least 5 stars.

The PBH Staff was at or above WDW CM level in friendliness, competence, pro-activity and knowledge. Which is a good thing, because we have a few "directionally challenged" members in the family and the layout is anything but intuitive. It takes a good day or two to get the hang of it. For example, if your room number is 2337, the 2 represents the building (not the floor), the 3 is your floor number, with the 37 being the room. Sounds easy, but Ah!, not all floors connect completely to and in all buildings. Something like a restaurant (Bice) can get in the way if you're trying to cut through from the pool! Basically, PBH is built into a man-made hill and there are different levels to the plazas and pools behind the front facade. Once you get used to it, not a problem, but I'm still glad we came back with the 4 original members of the family....

Dinner Time = Mamma Della's

We couldn't find anything but positive feedback on Mamma Della's. It was the family vote for first restaurant (Democracy, and all that). Sticking with the "no planning theme" we made reservations on the way from the airport for 8:45pm. Btw, we found out that the concierge at PBH and all of the other Universal resorts use OpenTable.com to make their own reservations for all of the restaurants, including in-Park, City Walk and the resorts. Save a phone call and log in, if you already have connectivity. 

We arrived about 15 minutes early to see if we could get in, but they were running on-time. So, we instead headed out to walk around the Piazza and Harbor. However, one of the small conventions had a "private" party in action that took up much of it. I put the private in quotes since it was open to everyone - except for the food (which looked a step above the usual convention "group grope" offerings, btw) and the open bar. It really was a festival atmosphere - with strolling minstrels, jugglers, opera singers, Mimes (I have a true fear of Mimes) and "Mimes on Stilts" (I now have a worse fear of Mimes - not joking - picture two 12 foot Mimes pretending to walk against the wind....). All of the conventioneers and performers invited us and any of the other families walking around to enjoy the fun (personally, I think they were just trying to get away from the Mimes). The kids had a great time but, once again, no pictures, thankfully.

Dinner was excellent - as good as anything I've had NY/NJ. We shared the Calamari Fritte (fresh, lightly breaded and pan-fried, 4 stars) and Mozzarella Caprese (3 stars - good balsamic, but the red tomatoes weren't quite fully ripe). Add in the wonderful bread with roasted garlic in oil and we should have stopped right here. Trust me, all the portions are large and covered in some sort of drug that makes it impossible to stop eating.

Instead, like good gluttonous Americans, we kept going! The Kids ordered the Spaghetti con Polpette (Spaghetti and Meatballs, both handmade, 4 1/2 stars).

I think they (and their insulin levels) enjoyed it.....





DW had the Sea Bass (3 stars for the fish, 4 1/2 stars for the lemon caper pappardelle), while I had the filet. See, it was all Josh's fault by posting his review with pictures right before we left. Forest mushrooms and a great polenta, it's a weakness for me (4 stars, btw). 

The atmosphere was fun and laid back - the opera singer, with accordion accompanist, were a nice touch and not pushy. Plus, the service was excellent - our waiter (Jorge from Columbia, I think?) has been there since it first opened and was very professional. Great guy, until he talked us into the Cannoli (4 stars, btw). 

All in all, highly recommended, start to finish. As good as or better (I'm looking at you, Narcoossee's) than many Sigs we've been to. 

Wow, I now have an *amazing *appreciation for all of you TR veterans out there. Here I thought I'd just cruise through the trip down and the first night in an hour or so, get Day One knocked out after dinner - not the way it really works, it seems.....

*Day One's on deck.......*


----------



## momofboyz3

Following! Fun TR ~ I'm enjoying every word


----------



## Mad Hattered

WOW! What an excellent start, to what I gather, will be one of the more detailed trip reports I've read yet, clsteve!  I can only imagine what the rest of your trip will involve and I can't wait to see it unfold.

Universal has changed sooooo much since you and your wife were there in '99 and I am anxious to get your honest opinion of the changes that have been made, and that of your sons, having visited for the first time.

I cant wait to read this!! Oh, and pictures rock...regardless of what others think.


----------



## mom2rtk

Awesome! So glad you decided to do this. I will consider this the first step in my 12 step program to break away from Disney. 

And I don't blame you for passing on the MiL jokes. A close relative residing in FL would be a terrible thing to waste. 

Your family is adorable. Our boys are closing in on 19 and 21, but it seems like yesterday they were the same as yours.

And nearly 6 hours from the airport?  I will never again complain about our 45 minute drive. 

Looks like a great arrival day. Can't wait to read more!


----------



## mesaboy2

Subbing in.  Loving the report so far....  I gather we'll hear what happened to the cam at some point, though it seems easy to infer.

Looking forward to more!

And I see as I typed this the trip report champion has checked in.  Don't worry, she grades on a curve.


----------



## bcrook

2 hours and 45 minutes on the ferry!  That is a great beginning to start any adventure.  I think it is fun that your family talked you into adding the pictures.   It makes the reports even more interesting. 

I am quite impressed with the Portofino resort.  Can't wait to read more.  Keep those restaurant reviews coming.


----------



## mrsabbott

Very excited to hear more about your trip!  I keep trying to get my girls to read AT LEAST the 1st HP book.. but they just aren't readers.  I'm an AVID reader and have read the books numerous times but my love of reading has yet to rub off on them!  I have hope for my youngest two though..

Sorry about your camera deciding to take a vacation..  I'm going to research photo connect and am looking forward to hearing your review on it!


----------



## clsteve

Mad Hattered said:


> WOW! What an excellent start, to what I gather, will be one of the more detailed trip reports I've read yet, clsteve!  I can only imagine what the rest of your trip will involve and I can't wait to see it unfold.
> 
> Universal has changed sooooo much since you and your wife were there in '99 and I am anxious to get your honest opinion of the changes that have been made, and that of your sons, having visited for the first time.
> 
> *I cant wait to read this!! Oh, and pictures rock...regardless of what others think.*





mesaboy2 said:


> Subbing in.  Loving the report so far.... * I gather we'll hear what happened to the cam at some point, though it seems easy to infer.*
> 
> Looking forward to more!
> 
> And I see as I typed this the trip report champion has checked in.  Don't worry, she grades on a curve.


Just having a little fun with DW during the report - yes, she's an admitted Apple "snob" . I think it was media error on the camera. I haven't played with it since we've gotten back. Found a "great" deal on Amazon for a 3 gig SanDisk for $27.99 right after Xmas. And it would have been great if each picture didn't overwrite the previous one. Since she had the wonderful technology known as IPhone, didn't want to spend about 70 bucks to replace it in the Parks - especially if that turned out to not be the issue.....



bcrook said:


> 2 hours and 45 minutes on the ferry!  That is a great beginning to start any adventure.  I think it is fun that your family talked you into adding the pictures.   It makes the reports even more interesting.
> 
> I am quite impressed with the Portofino resort.  Can't wait to read more.  Keep those restaurant reviews coming.



PBH was really wonderful. Kind of a quiet oasis after the Parks. Very few families, mostly conventioneers who kept to themselves. We really left thinking we had got our monies worth. I'll definitely stay on the Restaurant Reviews.



mom2rtk said:


> Awesome! So glad you decided to do this. I will consider this the first step in my 12 step program to break away from Disney.
> 
> *And I don't blame you for passing on the MiL jokes. A close relative residing in FL would be a terrible thing to waste.
> *
> Your family is adorable. Our boys are closing in on 19 and 21, but it seems like yesterday they were the same as yours.
> 
> And nearly 6 hours from the airport?  I will never again complain about our 45 minute drive.
> 
> Looks like a great arrival day. Can't wait to read more!



I actually got to play "good SiL"! She'd just moved there from Texas, so I was able to put up towel racks, mop and broom organizers,etc., and move boxes into the crawl spaces. They had a wonderful da Vinci exhibit up in Bradenton we all really enjoyed, too. Oh, and pull no punches on your critique- I can take it..!



momofboyz3 said:


> Following! Fun TR ~ I'm enjoying every word


Much thanks! It's really much more fun than I expected......


----------



## Metro West

clsteve said:


> - - what do you say for Universal -- AllSpark Dust....?


 On the Darkside we say Mummy Dust. 

Love the report so far and looking forward to much more!


----------



## Shaden

Pretty damn good so far !!! I enjoy that this was "against your better judgment" !!!!


----------



## macraven

_*Metro* beat me to this.........darkside has *Mummy Dust*.

and plenty of it.


i always enjoy reading trip reports, especially ones with pictures.
they bring back memories to me seeing it all again.


do continue with your daily reports.
i can never get enough of how others enjoyed their vacations._


----------



## macraven

_another Apple snob here..........

only Macs for this Mac._


----------



## clsteve

mrsabbott said:


> Very excited to hear more about your trip!  I keep trying to get my girls to read AT LEAST the 1st HP book.. but they just aren't readers.  I'm an AVID reader and have read the books numerous times but my love of reading has yet to rub off on them!  I have hope for my youngest two though..
> 
> Sorry about your camera deciding to take a vacation..  I'm going to research photo connect and am looking forward to hearing your review on it!



It's tough sometimes. We have a semi-rule in the house - can't watch the movie until you read, at least, the 1st book. It cuts both ways, DW had to suffer through  reading JRR Martin's Game of Thrones (me, big fan), while I had to do the same with Nights of Rodanthe (her, big fan)..... Would have liked to have watched all the HP's after DS8 had made it past book 4, but the trip put us under a tight sched. It was kinda neat, however, hearing him say, "I wish they hadn't left such and such out of the movie..."


----------



## clsteve

Metro West said:


> On the Darkside we say Mummy Dust.
> 
> Love the report so far and looking forward to much more!



Duly noted and makes perfect sense..!


----------



## FoursCompany

Thank you, thank you!

We are planning a week at Portofino and AGONIZED over our hotel (we booked somewhere else and are canceling there). I'm so glad to hear you like it! 

Did you happen to get a photo of the bathroom? I know they've refurbished, but I can't tell from online pics which is the old and which is the new design. 

Lovely family, btw!


----------



## clsteve

macraven said:


> _another Apple snob here..........
> 
> only Macs for this Mac._



Ah, you have the perfect excuse... being family, and all . 

Seriously though, it held up very well (could use a bit stronger battery...). 



Shaden said:


> Pretty damn good so far !!! I enjoy that this was "against your better judgment" !!!!



I know, kinda like saying on a Friday night - "think I'll put in that flower bed out back this weekend and still have time to watch the game on Sunday". Only to find out the limestone starts about 7 inches below the surface after you bought all the stuff......


----------



## clsteve

FoursCompany said:


> Thank you, thank you!
> 
> We are planning a week at Portofino and AGONIZED over our hotel (we booked somewhere else and are canceling there). I'm so glad to hear you like it!
> 
> Did you happen to get a photo of the bathroom? I know they've refurbished, but I can't tell from online pics which is the old and which is the new design.
> 
> Lovely family, btw!



Sorry, no pics, but I'll check again. The bathrooms were great -  very large with 2 sink marble counters, tile floors, tub, and a separate stand up glass shower with a (very) high pressure rain/massage shower head. The shampoo/soap amenities were of high quality. We were lucky to get upgraded to deluxe, so not sure on the standard amenities. In past experience, Loew's has been good about having sq footage being the delimiter between the 2 rather then a big change in quality. 

We did, very much, enjoy PBH. I'll talk about Sal's, the pool, etc., when I get to the next day.


----------



## schumigirl

Looking forward to reading more of your trippie 

Glad you enjoyed not planning this trip. We are a "never plan anything" family..........we wake up and decide what to do then usually..........that is a vacation to us.

We love Sal's at PB for pizza.......it's a must do place for us every year 

Great start so far


----------



## GAGirlInVA

Subbing!  Loving it so far!


----------



## clsteve

schumigirl said:


> Looking forward to reading more of your trippie
> 
> Glad you enjoyed not planning this trip. We are a "never plan anything" family..........we wake up and decide what to do then usually..........that is a vacation to us.
> 
> We love Sal's at PB for pizza.......it's a must do place for us every year
> 
> Great start so far



Much thanks! And I have to admit, your TR's (and Hattered's feedback) swayed us to Uni when we couldn't quite decide what to do.

Having both you and mom2rtk check in is very humbling to a TR newbie.....


----------



## mom2rtk

You know.... I heard rumors of a FP+ haters club. Is it possible that I have stumbled upon the first meeting?  Oh, and I heard you have cookies. Someone pass the cookies please. 






clsteve said:


> I actually got to play "good SiL"! She'd just moved there from Texas, so I was able to put up towel racks, mop and broom organizers,etc., and move boxes into the crawl spaces. They had a wonderful da Vinci exhibit up in Bradenton we all really enjoyed, too. Oh, and pull no punches on your critique- I can take it..!



Sounds like you banked some serious goodwill points! 



clsteve said:


> Having both you and mom2rtk check in is very humbling to a TR newbie.....



No need to be humbled. Some of us with a lot of trip reports just have too much to say. 

We haven't been to US since 2004. I'm anxious to hear more.


----------



## mrsabbott

clsteve said:


> It's tough sometimes. We have a semi-rule in the house - can't watch the movie until you read, at least, the 1st book. It cuts both ways, DW had to suffer through  reading JRR Martin's Game of Thrones (me, big fan), while I had to do the same with Nights of Rodanthe (her, big fan)..... Would have liked to have watched all the HP's after DS8 had made it past book 4, but the trip put us under a tight sched. It was kinda neat, however, hearing him say, "I wish they hadn't left such and such out of the movie..."



I have this same rule!!  Well, sort of.  I have watched some Game of Thrones episodes and have the books on my "to read" list..  I often find that the books are far better then the movies/ tv shows!

My girls want to watch the movies something fierce, but I insist they must read the book first.  My oldest has made it through chapter 5..  I even told her that I'd make her a butterbeer latte and get some every flavor beans (i.e. jelly belly's) but she'd much rather do math problems or go play outside..  She totally didn't get that from me!


----------



## clsteve

mom2rtk said:


> You know.... I heard rumors of a FP+ haters club. Is it possible that I have stumbled upon the first meeting?  Oh, and I heard you have cookies. Someone pass the cookies please.


 
Yummy! Grab one and the Butterbeer is on the far table, next to the petition......


----------



## mom2rtk

clsteve said:


> Yummy! Grab one and the Butterbeer is on the far table, next to the petition......



Allright.... who ate all the ears off the Mickey cookies!


----------



## tinkerbellmagic

Great trip report! Can't wait to read more. Planning two days at Uni next summer, first time ever, so am enjoying all the trip reports. Yours is super!


----------



## clsteve

mrsabbott said:


> I have this same rule!!  Well, sort of.  I have watched some Game of Thrones episodes and have the books on my "to read" list..  I often find that the books are far better then the movies/ tv shows!
> 
> My girls want to watch the movies something fierce, but I insist they must read the book first.  My oldest has made it through chapter 5..  I even told her that I'd make her a butterbeer latte and get some every flavor beans (i.e. jelly belly's) but she'd much rather do math problems or go play outside..  She totally didn't get that from me!



Keep it up - reading never hurt anyone! Those every flavor beans, however....


----------



## macraven

clsteve said:


> Keep it up - reading never hurt anyone! Those every flavor beans, however....



_the jelly belly factory in WS is a short drive for me.
some of their bertie beans sux, especially the vomit ones.._


----------



## Dee2013

I could NOT get into the first HP book. Then the 1st movie came out. Once I had the dialect and a picture of everything in my head, I flew through all the HP books!

Fortunately, the 1st movie is very true to the book. After that, a lot from the books get left out due to time and editorial decisions. I was glad I had read the books before I saw the other movies.  If your kids are still on the 1st book, I say let them see the 1st movie as a tease!


----------



## clsteve

*Day One: Weather..check,       Disaster..check,      Mummy Dust..check,*

I'm an early riser. Our standard routine is for me to get up and shower between 5:15-6am (no set alarm, I'm just one of those "people").  I'll let everyone else sleep, head down to whatever coffee shop is open, wander around with some "fuel", and take in the quiet time. It was my favorite part of staying at BWV. The Boardwalk in the very early morning is truly magical.  Then, I'll come back with DW's "fuel", plus juice and light stuff (if we haven't stocked our own) and help get the family ready for RD or Early Entry. For an early morning walk, PBH suited me just fine...





PBH has Sal's for us "early stalkers". They're just down past Mamma Dellas, right on the Piazza. They serve Starbucks   . Now, I'll hunt for good coffee but am ambivalent about The Big "S". If that's what's available  no prob. This seemed to be a bit less "burnt", so I was absolutely fine with it. For takeout, they have some pre-made muffins, pastries, and hot croissants (egg, cheese, ham, that sort of thing), plus fruit, yogurt, granola, etc. Nothing like the selection at Boardwalk Bakery, but all were decently fresh and very serviceable  no complaints (and no line any of the 4 mornings). What we did appreciate - fresh squeezed OJ!   Pricewise, 2 Grandes, 2 OJs, 2 muffins, and an egg and cheese croissant will set you back about $32-35.00. Pretty comparable to WDW. Sal's shines in another way, Day Two.


Ominous!  - Borderline Apocalyptic!






Being January in Fla., all of you know how important it is to be able to roll with the weather punches. Day One, with a projected high of 74 degrees, had always looked like the warmest day- best day for the water rides, best day for the pool.  However, it also had anywhere from a 60-80% chance of heavy showers and thunderstorms, with 2" totals possible. No big deal. If you're going to be wet, might as well hit the wet rides!

Well, the radar had some seriously heavy bands about 3-4 miles north of us. Do we cower in bed, pull the curtains, and wait it out..?!!! No! *We live on a frickin' spit of sand 30 miles out in the middle of the Atlantic!* Bathing suits for the kiddos, wet gear for the adults and off to the boat!

Our firewood and a cooler floating in our yard while Hurricane Sandy is still 175 miles away - We are one with the Weather







The boats get a solid 5 stars. Each Resort has its own, they come every 15 minutes (until 2:15am) and the ride is extremely pleasant. No sharing with other Resorts! I have to say it one more time, "No sharing with other Resorts!" We found it to be one of those on-site perks with real value. I'm only half joking when I tell DW that I've found my true retirement job  Boat Captain - as long as it's the morning shift and not the "Late Night Revelry Shift". More on that tomorrow..

IOA/HP Early Entry!

The 7:30am boat got us to the CityWalk dock at 7:39am - just in time for the agonizingly long walk of 3 minutes to the gates of IOA. Another great thing about early rain? We (the token Americans) were surrounded by UK, Scandinavian, and South American families - all looking at us and wondering  "what are you doing out in this weather, so early?" 

I was worried about the UT tickets and Express Passes in the weather, though. The 3 day tickets were just heavy paper stock with blank "print name" and "sign name" spaces. The EP's were printed on thinner card stock  that spits out with your picture after you (and the kids) insert your individual room keys into the machine.






 I even visited the PBH ticket counter the night before to ask if there was anything else we should do to maybe get something more *tangible*. "Nope,  just sign them", he said, "and they'll be fine." "Oh, but be careful with the EPs." "If something happens to them, you'll have to come back to the hotel for new room keys before you can get new EP's since each room key can only make one EP, and they don't have the ability to issue a new room key in the Parks"...... We did not test if this wonderful scenario was true.  For three days, I kept the tickets and EP's in one waterproof lanyard that never left my neck. We had no problems with any of them. Our adult room keys had charging privileges throughout the Parks, CityWalk and the Resorts.

The Gates opened at 7:50am and we were off to see the Wizard(s)! 


Ominous and Foreboding! Hogwarts looks Great on a stormy day!






A quick note on Universal Theme-ing: I've seen posted more than once that Uni is just an Amusement Park, that the theme-ing just doesn't compare to WDW. I wholeheartedly disagree. The walk from the boats through CityWalk, through the Port of Entry, Seuss Landing,  and the Lost Continent is very well done. The Port of Entry and Lost Continent are much better themed than AdventureLand, in my opinion. 









And WWoHP..? Stunning - there's no other word for how in depth you feel passing through the gates that first time.





Surprisingly, the boys wanted nothing to do with getting in line for Ollivander's (I would have lost that bet with DW), and headed right to FJ. Wow! Now, that's an interactive queue! It was so uncrowded (rain can be a positive!), we were able to stop along the way (letting others by) and take in the sights of Dumbledore's Office, the Portrait Room, the Classroom, the Magic Hat, etc,. Wow! (Yes, I know I'm overusing wow). Even reading all of the boards didn't prepare me for the technological innovation and depth of detail employed by Uni - especially those portraits. 

And the Ride





We did it three times straight, with no wait  it was that *amazing*. Early Entry = 5+ Stars! Believe me, all I could think of, as we cruised past the massive (emphasis on MASSIVE) amounts of empty queues, is how staying on-site is worth it just to be able to skip it all (think, going during a busy time). 

You also must ride it several times to even begin to take in the detail. I don't believe I noticed the Dragon Wing until Day Three. The boys didn't notice those were our faces in the mist screen until day three. Daigon Alley - you've a lot to live up to!

Note: we gave each of the boys a Kids Dramamine (and DW) and had no motion sickness issues on FJ. DS8 can get seasick on the Ferry when its rough, so we were a little worried about him. While DS10 is sensitive to a lot of input and gets sensory overload, which we monitored the whole trip. But more on that in a minute!

Its always Butterbeer:30 Somewhere in the World! 

Okay, I'll admit it. Prior to our trip, I thought it was a little amusing (and borderline concerning) how Butterbeer has seemed to reach this "elixir of the gods" status on the Uni Boards. Well, the other 3 members of our family are now confirmed addicts and would agree. The Hog's Head was open, so in we went. Frozen was the choice. Seriously, no words were spoken for at least 15 minutes. I just sat there in shock as I watched the three of them turn into some sort of Butterbeer automatons...










Note: they have a great beer selection for a theme park and just recently added Tennent's on tap. Its a very serviceable Euro Lager (when on tap) brewed in Glasgow. They also have London's Pride (an above average English bitter). I had to go back later just to make sure the taps weren't fake or anything..


Dragons Challenge!





I know this is a picture of the Castle from the 3rd day, but there's a great picture spot in the Dragons Challenge Queue even if you don't want to ride the coasters.

 I really loved DC when it was DD in '99 (so did DW, but we were still dating back then....). The whole family rode Blue once this time. DS8 loved it! DW and DS10 got off with stunned looks on their faces and said they'd meet us in the shops.

 Here's where EP started to give value on a low crowd day. By taking the shortcut to get back in line, then using the EP Entrance, DS8 and I were able to skip that massively long, cave-like queue and ride 4 more times in about 25 minutes. Things like this make a big difference when you've split up. Riding The Red in front is one of the most exhilarating experiences you can have. DS8 wanted more, but time to go.

We met them in Honeydukes where we picked up some of those "dreaded beans"  (macraven, you are spot-on about those). We opened the box back in the room on the mid-day break and played the *game*  close your eyes, grab one and eat it. The boys and I each ended up with some wonderful ones like sausage and rotten egg. Through half a box, DW did not get one bad one. The boys talk about that almost every day. It was one of the worst experiences of my life.

The only negative we saw to WWoHP was the shop size (which has been covered many other times). They are very nice. But, by the time we left around 9:45am, the crowds were streaming in and they got a little "tight" - especially the wand shop. On a hot summers day, I'd be very thankful for Early Entry access, as it does seem like everyone heads over to WWoHP at Park Opening. Early entry does rock, per DS10...

We head to Spiderman and the Hulk before the 11am Poseidon's Fury Show. DS10 is a mythology geek and really wants to see it.

Spiderman! 





All of the family loved it. What an amazing difference from the '99 version. All the boys could say was Awesome! We rode it another 4 times during our stay. The Tour Groups were really filling in this area, by now. EP got us out and back in the vehicle in about 5 minutes for ride 2. Standby was at 25 minutes. 


The Hulk! 

Okay, here's where the equation of:  (3 x FJ) +  Butterbeer + DC + (2 x Spiderman) + Hulk = DW motion sickness when all done before 11am. The Hulk was its amazing self. One of the smoothest rides on a coaster you can have. Add in the takeoff while sitting in front, . EP saved us a good 20 minutes here because of the tour groups.

It looks like DS8 Really enjoyed it





DW, however, was a little woozy. And this is one of the few criticisms we had during our stay. The music volume in the Marvel SuperHero Area is a bit over the top. DW thinks she would have been fine if not for that. When she sat down to gather herself it was too much - including in the child swap section within the ride before heading outside (she tried to sit here for awhile, first). I totally agree it could be turned down from an 8 to a 4 ½ without inhibiting the theme.

Needless to say we got out of there and headed back to Lost Continent to wait for: 

Poseidon's Fury = Disaster followed by Mummy Dust!





Very impressive building and very well themed. The rain had stopped by now and it was humid. So, why not use the EP's and sit down in a nice, dark, quiet queue for a bit and wait for the show?   EP's got us right up front in the cave-like waiting area where there was a stone seat for DW to sit and gather herself. We tried to talk her into sitting this whole thing out, but she really wanted to check it out too.

Everything was looking up until the pre-show announcer used the dreaded "C" word: claustrophobic - as in "If you are, you might not want to do this". I slowly look over.  DW and DS8 have that "deer in the headlights" look since they both slightly are. DS10 and I give them the manly "I'm sure it'll be fine..." and in we go. Remember, DS10 really wanted to do this  he's the mythology geek (like me). 

We end upon the far left, right up against the ropes- as _far away_ from the exit as physically possible! As they completely fill the room to capacity,  DW is just starting to say we should head out of there once the doors open to the next room so we can get to that exit, when the Tour guide/MC (very funny guy, in his own way) *of course, picks DS8 to be his helper!*  He yells: "make way for DS8 and his family!!" Now he then drags the 4 of us straight through 250 people right into the next room!

 Really, you cant make this stuff up. It gets better - As we're being dragged through, DW somehow *drops* the amazing technology known as IPhone. Actually, she was just trying to be the good citizen and heed the turn off phone warning and it doesn't quite get back in her pocket. We don't discover this until we go through the next room and the wall opens to the water tunnel (which is absolutely amazing - worth doing the show just to see that at least once). We now have the Tour Guide pulling the 4 of us forward, while 250 people are pushing us farther and farther away from it as we visualize what those 500 feet are doing to it. 

Btw, DS8 is having just a grand ole time! He's holding the Trident and helping Poseidon! He has no idea what's going on! Meanwhile, DS10 (who's getting a bit of sensory overload) and DW are about to claw through the walls and I'm trying to figure out how to look between the legs of 250 people for a phone without seeming like I should be on a watchlist somewhere.

Well, we get through the show and I'm in full "Its no big deal, you've got insurance, right...?" mode as we walk back to the front. DW talks to the TM at the entrance, who then talks into her headset and disappears. 2 minutes later, she comes back with the IPhone - *still in one piece and working!* We're shocked. Two thumbs up for the TMs!  A very amazing and welcome Mummy Dust sprinkle, to say the least! (Mod, we need a Mummy sprinkling something emoticon). The kids love bringing up this story as often as possible (shocking, I know) and we all get a big laugh or 2 out of it -- now.

DW really needs a nice quiet lunch with a huge glass of wine....

Mythos





We had wanted to try Mythos from the beginning. Its a beautiful place, as well themed as any we've seen in a Theme Park. They asked if we wanted to wait 10 minutes for a water view table. DW said well take the quickest table possible.

The menu has a broad range of choices and they have specials each day - unusual for an in-Park restaurant, in our experience. 

We started with the Mediterranean Flatbread: roasted artichoke hearts, olives, bacon with cheddar and mozzarella cheese and a roasted red pepper sauce (4 stars. I would order just this for my entrée next time. All of us really enjoyed it).

 DW had the Pan-Seared Ahi Tuna Salad (2 ½ stars for the tuna, since it seemed to have been Pan Seared sometime earlier in the morning, 3 ½ stars for the salad and dressing).

 DS8 had the crab sliders (he gives it 5 stars, I give it 3 ½ &) DS10 had the Daily Pasta  penne with chicken, artichokes and spinach (a solid 3 ½ stars). 

I had the Daily Risotto, Cuban Pork with Ancho Chile Rub and a Chimichurri-style sauce (3 stars).

Oh, and a "4 1/2 stars for the Sangria!" DW wants added, from the other room.





All in all, a solid meal for an in-Park TS. The flatbread (and Sangria) were the only things that shined, but the service and atmosphere were definite pluses. We would go again, but wouldn't necessarily plan specifically for it. However, we are very much starting to enjoy not having our itinerary revolve around ADR's made 180 days in advance.....

Water ride time!

Were damp, have our gear, the kids are in swim shirts and bathing suits (and Mom had her Sangria)  JPRA and Barge Time! (Dudleys down for re-furb). 

The kids are huge Splash Mountain fans (as are we). Now, they are also huge JPRA  fans! We rode it 3 times in a row.  The Dino animatronics seemed better than what I remember from 99. The boys loved the raptor cage descending (still talk about it), and T-Rex  really made an "impression" . I love how the drop seems completely hidden because of how they change your perspective and focus. You can see in the ride pic how it catches you completely off-guard. Awesome! 





With EP, we were in the boat in about 2 minutes for each of the rides. Standby was about 15 minutes, since the tour groups were starting to filing in. We love the theme-ing of this area. I do hope Kong does go in here as rumored. It would fit perfectly....

Bilge Rat Barges!

There's wet, there's Bilge Rat Barge wet, and then there's Bilge Rat Barge wet when they let you ride it 3 times in a row without getting out of the Barge. For some reason, we and about 15 other people seemed to be the only ones in the Park who wanted to ride. It was plenty warm and humid (at 75 degrees), and it had been raining on and off until about 45 minutes ago. Everybody in the Park was at least a little drenched. To each his own.

Yes, they let us ride 3 times without getting out of the Barge. It was some of the most fun the kids had during our whole stay. They were even taunting the people stationed at the water cannons (much to the delight of DW). 

Parents, there's a specific section of Physical Law around fluid dynamics that comes into play when there are only 4 of you on the whole barge. Weight distribution is the variable. If you as adults want to *really* get wet  place the 2 lightest members on one side of the Barge (DS10 and DS8), and place the largest 2 (us) directly opposite! That will lead you as parents underneath of every waterfall and put your backs facing downstream every time you go down a rapid! I thought the boys were going to hyperventilate, they were laughing so hard.

This picture in no way shows just how wet we were....





I'm going to end here at about 2pm Day One and split it in half.

*Next up: Pool Time,  Quiet Time, The Hard Rock, and Dinner at The Kitchen!*


----------



## mesaboy2

Good stuff...looking forward to more!


----------



## clsteve

mesaboy2 said:


> Good stuff...looking forward to more!



Thanks - not quite sure why quotations and apostrophes keep dropping out. Unfortunately, I can't blame it on Apple this time.....


----------



## wen8jr

Great TR, looking forward to more!  We love Universal, can't wait to go back in May.


----------



## blklotus

Following along!  Your trip looks like it was so much fun -- we LOVE Universal and alternate going every other year (on our "off" years we have to "settle" for Disney).  I'm so excited about the HP expansion!


----------



## schumigirl

clsteve said:


> Much thanks! And I have to admit, your TR's (and Hattered's feedback) swayed us to Uni when we couldn't quite decide what to do.
> 
> Having both you and mom2rtk check in is very humbling to a TR newbie.....



Thanks.........glad to hear it 

Great update and super pictures


----------



## RAPstar

Loving your TR! Sounds like a great trip so far! Can't wait to hear more.


----------



## zebsterama

Awesome TR! --- very much looking forward to reading more . 

Booked RP for 8 nights for our first kick at Universal (DS 12, DD 10, DW & Me) .... always wrestled with which hotel to stay at between Portofino & RP.

Thanks for helping me to second guess myself once again!!!  

I'm the "vacation plan-aholic" in our family, so I can empathize with much of your plight. 

Cheers!!


----------



## clsteve

zebsterama said:


> Awesome TR! --- very much looking forward to reading more .
> 
> Booked RP for 8 nights for our first kick at Universal (DS 12, DD 10, DW & Me) .... always wrestled with which hotel to stay at between Portofino & RP.
> 
> Thanks for helping me to second guess myself once again!!!
> 
> I'm the "vacation plan-aholic" in our family, so I can empathize with much of your plight.
> 
> Cheers!!



I wouldn't 2nd guess yourself whatsoever! I'll talk about our visit to RP for breakfast later on. I thought it was beautiful with much to offer. The kids, especially, were impressed.


----------



## FoursCompany

This TR is awesome!! Ohhh I dropped my iPhone last year on a ride at Disney and the cast members found it but by then someone had deleted all my contacts.  Luckily they did not delete my photos of the trip!! 

Can't wait to hear about the pools!


----------



## mrsabbott

Ooh!  Your pictures are great!  I'm getting so excited for our trip now!


----------



## xApril

Love your report so far! Super interesting to read. I've stayed at Portofino two years ago for one night and I'm going again next month and your photos just make me so excited! 

Can't wait for more.


----------



## ProudMommyof2

Signing on! We had our first trip to the dark side last year and had a blast! Can't wait to hear more about your trip!


----------



## Luvmyfam3

Great TR!  My family has a trip planned in June.  It will be VERY different from yours in respect to crowds, but I am enjoying reading all of your experiences!  Thanks for sharing with us!

Kim


----------



## ArwenMarie

What a great TR so far! What a cute family 

I'm so glad I found this...In two weeks, we're going to Universal for the first time, staying at Portofino for five nights. Very excited!


----------



## Mad Hattered

Another great addition to your TR, C!   I am loving the attention to detail.  Hopefully some of those "Negative Nellies" will get a chance to see what a great time can be had when you think outside the box. 

I can't wait to read more!!


----------



## clsteve

ArwenMarie said:


> What a great TR so far! What a cute family
> 
> I'm so glad I found this...In two weeks, we're going to Universal for the first time, staying at Portofino for five nights. Very excited!



Enjoy it! We did 4 - one more night would have been perfect, I think. Of course, I'm saying this in the middle of an ice storm, trying to get the rest of Day One finished..........


----------



## clsteve

Mad Hattered said:


> Another great addition to your TR, C!   I am loving the attention to detail.  Hopefully some of those "Negative Nellies" will get a chance to see what a great time can be had when you think outside the box.
> 
> I can't wait to read more!!



My favorite prof. used to say: "boxes are for shoes, not thoughts and ideas..!"


----------



## momofboyz3

I'm so enjoying this TR... It's makes my commute go by so much faster  thanks so much for sharing.


----------



## tinkerbellmagic

Such a fun report and a cute family! Really enjoying this trip report.


----------



## clsteve

The power's back on after such a fun ice storm. So...:

*Pool Time, Quiet Time, HRH, and Dinner at The Kitchen!
*
We decided to take the walking path back to PBH. It's very easy to find, just to the right of the US entrance. Beautifully landscaped and maintained, it's about a 15 minute or so walk back to the hotel and takes you past HRH and along the canal. Not dissimilar in length to the walk from DHS to BWI, or maybe BC. It is* much* prettier, however, with the butterfly garden a nice touch. We counted 4 different varieties flying around the flowers. I have to give kudos here to Universal. They've done an outstanding job of creating an immersive feel when you stay on-site - even with a relatively small footprint to deal with. It's not something I expected after studying the Google Map images, and I was a bit concerned. However, we felt completely separated from the outside world the entire trip - not unlike staying in the Epcot/DHS WDW resorts. Their resort and landscape architects are world class. That's praise I don't throw around lightly.

The Pool









We give Stormalong Bay 4 ½ stars and the BW pool 4. PBH gets 3 ½. It has a sandy zero entry, a very nice kiddie pool with play fountains, and a well-architected water slide with good speed - but its not a long ride. The pool itself is large and has a nice layout with plenty of chairs. The pool towels, however, get 5 stars (as do those at HRH). 

Last year, the kids just about wore out the BW slide  their favorite part of staying at BWV. Once I got over my clown fear (and got comfortable watching a giant Clown Head continually vomit children into the pool), it was great fun. They did less sliding this time, but enjoyed the pool part more.  It seemed the sand and zero entry made it a lot of fun for the 2 of them and the friends they made to run in and out, play Marco Polo, etc.

They also have a nice, covered, poolside bar  - Splendido's. The signature drinks are expensive: $12-15.00. But, they have a nice deal where, if you buy the signature glass for an extra couple of bucks and re-use it during your stay, its only $10.00 for each additional drink. Btw, we found the pours to be above average at all of the resorts (esp. the HRH Pool)  much more so than we've experienced at WDW, so there's good value to the high price and you tend to order fewer. To be blunt, like you should expect at a deluxe hotel. The bartender was good- very pleasant, and had been working there for 6-7 years. Much of the staff throughout the resorts and resort restaurants seemed to have been there for a bit, which is usually a positive.






Quiet Time

We went back to shower and give DW and the kids a little nap time. I went for a look at the rest of the resort and maybe a get a chance to talk to some of the resort TMs.  Plus, I had to see if I'd broken the key to the layout. I did find the Bocce Lawn, quiet pool, Bice, and the Convention Center. I noticed good amounts of open, well landscaped space, with nice little plazas hidden about. The ground-level rooms at the back (still 3rd floor, but ground floor  on that side) have patios that open to these.  We found each of the 3 resorts has a unique feel. It seems to me that PBH is a good choice if you want some quiet and separation. The layout would seem to support that even during the busier season.

I had to throw in this picture. 





Since DW got us a great deal for 2 connecting rooms, this is the *very first time* the boys haven't shared a bed on vacation. You think they'd be ecstatic! Instead, what does DS8 do for his nap.. ? Leave his own bed and contort into the chair- looks comfy! 

If any of you ever figure out kids, send me a PM...

We get ready and head out for a look at HRH before dinner at The Kitchen. We made the 8pm reservation through the PBH Concierge and this is where we found out about Opentable.com since the Concierge said just a second while I log on to it. We checked it ourselves, and the options she gave us were exactly what we found on-line. It was nice to know and we used it the rest of the trip. We took the shortcut at the top of the hill and crossed the road to HRH - very easy and about a 5 minute walk.






DS10 loved the fountain  - I wish we could have captured how the lighting throws a "shadow show" against the front facade.

HRH lives up to its reputation of having an energetic vibe. It was fun and upbeat while not nearly as edgy or adult as the HR in Vegas, but still full of R&R memorabilia and music, with more families about than at PBH. They even had Guitar Hero set up at gaming terminals for anyone to play: just down the marble stairs to the pool and The Kitchen. Visiting the resorts, HRH and RPH seemed to be the ones of choice for the tour groups that were staying on-site, while the conventioneers seemed to be at PBH. I'm not sure if its always the case this time of year or just what we observed. The Velvet Lounge looked like a fun place to hang out - music was scheduled for later that evening.

The Kitchen.
 DW and I have eaten at more than a few Hard Rocks over the years while on business or vacation (pre-kids). They can be fun, but I can't say I've been overwhelmed by the food. To be fair, I'm not sure any theme-focused restaurant chain really has. The Kitchen, however, really shined. It's not a Hard Rock Café. It still has a fun atmosphere, but seems to have more of a "food focus". The menu is diverse, but not huge and overwhelming. They also seem to change it up regularly which is usually a sign there's a chef who cares and/or is allowed to care. It's very family friendly and the open kitchen is a nice touch.

  We were early for the ressie, and were seated promptly at one of the semi-circular booths. The restaurant seemed about 2/3 full. The bread (good) followed the menus quickly and drink orders were taken. Then, the boys saw alligator tail on the menu as an appetizer. DW raised an eyebrow, which is probably why they really wanted it. We ordered it  I mean, it is Fla., right? It was very good: quick fried, not dry and the sweet potato chips were house-made. I've had alligator before and its definitely not on my last meal bucket list. So, don't laugh when I give it 4 stars (for 'gator ). We also ordered the empanadas so DW could participate (3 ½ stars). In whatever form: alive, dead, cooked,  DW has a strict "no reptile" rule.





Per the picture, you can see the boys ordered the Kitchen Burger. It's big. They have a Man vs. Food fixation. They loved it - 5 stars from the boys. We gave it a taste and the ingredients were fresh, the bun good - as were the accompaniments.  DW liked the fried deli pickle very much. I'd put it at 3 ½ stars (you need house ground beef, hand pattied  with a wood fired grill if you want to sniff 4 stars or above - house rule).

DW had the Seared Ahi Tuna Steak with Stir-Fry Vegetables, Jasmine Rice and Soy Barbeque Sauce. She ordered it rare, and it was, still with a deep sear. The stir-fry and rice were nicely prepared (4 ½ stars).

I had the Corvina with Corn and Leek Cream, Risotto, and  Asparagus. Corvina is in the same family as Croaker and Drum  a little less oily than croaker. It was excellent - the best entrée I had this trip  fresh and cooked perfectly. Good fish is something we take for granted (were kinda surrounded by them), so I rarely order it when we go out. It gets 4 ½ stars. For this night, our entrees were at the Flying Fish/BlueZoo level (and $10-12 cheaper). It really kind of surprised us - we hadn't done much research on the place, so didn't know what to expect.

Our waiter (Brian) seemed to think it was a really funny idea to bring out the dessert tray after we asked him not to. They have these dessert "shooters" that make it seem like "you're barely ordering anything!" (his words).  We ordered 3 to split  a strawberry shortcake, crème brulee and peanut butter cup. It's a neat presentation and they do seem small next to the 2 lb piece of cake on the tray (That is not an exaggeration  its part of some sort of food challenge "thing" that includes the Kitchen Burger.)  DW and the kids say 4 stars for the "shooters". I'll take their word for it.

We took the long walk back to the hotel since it seemed to be clearing...






One note before I leave it here: DW and I had planned to do a Parents Night Out the next evening and had made reservations for both boys at the Kids Club. Last year, we used the Kids Club at BC. The boys loved it (almost as much as we did ). In the off-season, the Uni Kids Clubs rotate between the 3 Resorts. For our stay, HRH had the duty. It's just down the hall, past the bathrooms, outside of The Kitchen. During dinner, each of us took the time to head over and check it out, since it was just down from the restrooms. We had a long talk after we got back to PBH and the boys were in bed. We decided to cancel. 

There was nothing wrong with The HRH Kids Club. It just seemed more geared to kids under the age of 8. And for me, I could still hear a lot of the fun going on just up the hall - folks heading to the pool, Guitar Hero, etc. If I had been the boys, I would have "wanted to be out there and not in here", if that makes sense. If our stay had been longer (like last year) and the boys were at the point in the trip where they needed down time:  no prob. Trust me, when they're older, I will find the right time to let them know what we gave up (Tchoup Chop included). 

Instead, we decided to use the funds we'd budgeted for something none of us had done----- The Blue Man Group.

Oh, and for those of you who are part of the "north of 50" crowd like me - check out the photos they have up around the phones outside of the restrooms. They're all of recent bands that have played/stayed at HRH. You'll feel younger and in better shape immediately! Apologies to Eddie Money, Quiet Riot...Huey Lewis and the News...Loverboy (still trying to rock that silk bandana while pushing 60   I mean, come on...)

On Deck---*Day Two: Universal Studios and Those Blue Guys...*


----------



## macraven

_i'm still reading along.


enjoying everything !_


----------



## phamton

Love! Love! Love your trip report!  I am so glad you went to BMG.  I am hoping you loved it as much as I do. Looking forward to reading the rest of your report.


----------



## momofboyz3

Do you realize how AWESOME this TR is???


----------



## ArwenMarie

Great update!


----------



## mrsabbott

Love the update! Can't wait to read more!


----------



## clsteve

Everyone - thanks very much for the kind words on the TR. When I promised to do this because of the help many of you gave pre-trip, I didn't know what to expect or where it would go. 

I *highly* recommend considering doing one, if you get the chance. I'm really enjoying it. It's great medicine for the "Post-Trip Blues": re-living and remembering a great time while it's fresh.

Quite honestly, I was so exhausted after our 9 night Disney trip last year (DW would say that's because I'm a "planner") I don't think I even logged on Dis for 3-4 months.

Not the case this time, so I'm happy to keep it going..


----------



## mesaboy2

You got us hooked and waiting for more.


----------



## RAPstar

Great update!


----------



## Mad Hattered

Another great addition!  As many times as we've visited Universal we had never seen BMG until our stay last September.  We were all like, "I can't believe we have never done this!".  Hopefully you found it enjoyable.

Can't wait to read more!


----------



## clsteve

* Day Two: Universal Studios and Those Blue Guys.. *

We followed our normal routine  me hitting Sals early for light stuff, fresh squeezed OJ and fuel, with the rest of the family getting another hour of rack time. Again, the Starbucks coffee didnt seem to have that burnt thing going on. For you Big S Groupies, have they changed things up with the roast? If they have, I like it better. For today, we had a high forecast of 68 degrees, partly cloudy, with light winds. US opens at 9am, so we headed for the 8:30am boat but just miss it.





Very nice of the seagulls to cooperate with DW and reorganize by tallest birds in the back for her photo.

No problem! Lets take the shortcut through HRH and walk to US It was a less popular suggestion than I expected (but I didnt want to be too far behind the crowd lining up for Despicable Me). It ended up being a good compromise, however. After we cut through HRH, we got to the boat dock to re-join the walking path just as the HRH boat was pulling in. If youre running late and miss the boat from PBH, you can often end up catching the HRH boat if you take the shortcut and save 10 minutes from walking. It happened to us twice, and I can see it as a plus on hot days.

*Universal Studios*





PhotConnect photogs are at the entrance





I think were in a very small minority. DHS is close to the boys favorite Park in WDW. They love all of the rides, shows and the atmosphere (I think they could do Star Tours continually for a half day and IJSS is their favorite WDW show). The Brown Derby is the restaurant they rank highest (followed closely by Flying Fish, Sanaa and CG). DW and I were very interested to see what they thought of US. We were through the gates at 8:54am.





As were heading to DM for our first ride, both boys see the huge BMG billboard. We had reserved our seats, but hadnt told them we were going and planned to keep it a surprise right up until we arrived at the theatre entrance that evening. Those Blue Guys are creepy! , says DS8. Yeah, whats that all about? says DS10. DW just about choked on her Starbucks Grande Latte (with 3 Splendas). To their credit, they did ask if she was okay. 

Despicable Me

This is another example of how EP is a benefit, even on lower-crowd days. The DM line fills up quickly at Park opening  just as many have said. We cruised through the EP Line and were able to get lined up as part of the first group to enter the pre-show room . It took them a little while to move us in there, so we were able to see much of the videos (hilarious safety film!)and check out the paintings in the first room. FUN Queue! The paintings are hilarious and there are neat little details, like the crayon drawings on the walls. We head into the  pre-show room. The film is very funny and I WANT one of the flat screens theyve incorporated as the Control Room Window - lifelike clear. They even distracted me from Steve Carrells beyond horrible Russian (Bulgarian/Armenian/Martian) accent. Im a big fan of his, but ouch! Its a bit painful- to me anyway. Well, the movies over, but the doors dont open. Rides not working, it seems. A very nice and perky TM comes out of the side door and explains it might be just awhile before we can go in. Shes very young and by herself. For the next 15 minutes, she engages the whole group in Minion Says , followed by Where are you From, and a couple more rounds of Minion Says. Ive got to hand it to her, she was proactive and kept all of the kids entertained  excellent job! A Dad from the UK next to me I was talking to (great guy from Bolton- he and his family were on the boat with us back to PBH after BMG) had just leaned over and whispered If I give her a 100 pounds, do you think shell stop? when another TM came in with thumbs up and the doors opened.

The kids loved the movies (DW and I found the first one very entertaining. The second  ). All of us had a blast on the ride. The storyline flows nicely from the queue, through pre-show, to the ride. The effects were awesome, with the seat movement right in line with whats on the screen. We were in the very first row. I enjoyed it more when seated  further back, on our other times. Too up front, the effects seemed a bit more above you. For DS10, DM ended up in his top 5 rides.

Back to the benefits of EP during low times: while we were in the Pre-show, the impromptu Minion Says and riding, the Standby Wait had climbed to 50 minutes when we exited (around 9:38am). The amount of time it was down did bad things to the wait . We saw standby times in the 70s and up to 90 during the day. We never waited more than 24 minutes on our subsequent times. Without EP, we would have only ridden once.

Shrek

Right across the street from DM, we hit it just before the door closed for the pre-show. It has a funny, if very corny,  preshow that doesnt necessarily flow with the movie. The movie itself was non-stop action with great 3-D effects, some 4-D surprises, and very funny. Did I say non-stop action? We enjoyed it, but it was a once a trip kind of enjoyment.

What the kids enjoyed even more:





That Donkey is *Funny*. This photo op is right outside the exit of the theatre. The Donkey speaks and had us rolling. He sounds just like Eddie Murphy. He and DS10 had a fun back and forth going. Its neat that US has character spots like this as well as characters out on the streets  ole time Disney-esqe. If you have kids, I highly recommend doing it.

Theres a PhotoConnect photog, as well.





Rip Ride Rockit

DW and DS10 decided to sit this one out  seeing the 90 degree-perpendicular launch might have had something to do with it. DS8 and I used our EPs, waited for the front, rode, and were back out in 11 minutes. It was my first time, as well. Outstanding coaster! Id done the research on the hidden tracks. I dont think theres a better coaster experience than riding RRR in the front with Rush blasting Temples of Syrinx. DS8, on the other hand, alternated between Donna Summer and KC and the Sunshine band for his tunes  seems I need to have a long talk with DW.






DS8 begged to go again, so DW and DS10 quite happily headed off to the shops. We rode 4 more times in just at 30 minutes, trying out the other seating options. On one ride, (in the back) the speakers did not work for us. RRR is in a tie for DS8s favorite ride of the trip.

Off to the Simpsons!

Btw, we found US to be very well-themed. Maybe its just us, but DW commented several times that she couldnt quite understand why someone wouldnt think so. We also loved the roaming characters: Doc was a funny man. He told the boys he was doing research  into sibling experiments and what favorite ones they tried on each other. DS8 was sporting a little coaster hair so Doc told DS10 it was obvious he was into the electrical variety! Great interaction.






BTTF is one of their favorite movies. It would be neat to see it re-incorporated again, somehow.






Everyone was up for a snack- why not LardLad Donuts?!! 





We try very hard to limit sugar in our family. We dont drink soda and try to limit sugar to special occasions to keep it a treat. Vacation is one of those special occasions. Theyre very good. And were greatly enjoyed as you can see.










Springfield is very well-themed and full of great photo ops. We are a big Simpsons Family- the kids favorite show. We understand why its the longest running show on TV.

The Simpsons Ride

Probably the funniest ride weve ever been on. Thats from queue, to pre-show, and ride. You must ride it several times to catch all of the jokes and gags. I dont think I noticed the baby powder smell in Maggies big scene until the third time. It was a family top 5. We rode it many times.

Its warmed up enough that the boys are begging to try out the HRH pool. So, we decide to save MiB and the Mummy for when we return after nap time. We head for Transformers on the way out.

The kids had to try it.





The Flaming Moe (both boys want to know why its not the Flaming Homer, being big Simpsons fans. You other fans of the show know what I mean ) it is kind of a Ne-Hi Orange and Fresca combo with special effects. It is *very* sweet, btw. They loved it. I know: werent you just saying youre not a big sugar family?? Point taken. The boys are very disappointed I wont try making this at home. Btw, the Duffs Dry is a very good American Dry Stout. Its well worth a try.


Transformers





I guess we may be in the minority, again. Our family is in 100% agreement in preferring Transformers over Spiderman. Spideys still a 4 ½ for us but Transformers gets fives all around. The pre-show video storylines seem to flow better and definitely built up the excitement for the boys. Btw, neither of them had been big Transformer kids, growing up. The ride effects are outstanding and it flows seamlessly from scene to scene. You truly feel part of it. So much so (and this really made the ride for me), at the end, when Optimus bends down and says Well done, Freedom Fighters BOTH boys said thank you! This was DWs favorite ride and top 5 for all of us.

Another picture of Bumblebee. 





Pictures dont show how impressive these characters are, or how huge.

Looks like Ill have to cut this day in two posts  Im hitting size limits (and time limits)

On Deck: *HRH Pool, a US evening, and Those Blue Guys*

hint: BMG = awesome


----------



## clsteve

Duplicate Post due to Timeout Message....


----------



## macraven

_each time you post more about your trip, i get excited!

you have positive things to say about everything you have done in the parks so far.


great pictures of the family having fun._


----------



## momofboyz3

I'm officially a fan! I look fwd to each & every one of your  updates. I'm planning a BMG show for us as well can't wait! Regarding Starbucks they came out with a blonde roast, maybe that's what they are serving @ your resort???


----------



## mrsabbott

Your TR is getting me so excited for our trip!!  Love the pics!


----------



## ArwenMarie

Another great update, looks like so much fun!


----------



## clsteve

macraven said:


> _each time you post more about your trip, i get excited!
> 
> you have positive things to say about everything you have done in the parks so far.
> 
> 
> great pictures of the family having fun._



And it was very close to a perfect vacation. I tend to be very objective (borderline cynical, some would say ). We had an issue Day 3 I will talk about, but it was again rescued by TM's.

At the end of the TR, I'll summarize my observations on TM's, the Resorts, the crowds, EP, the Rides as they fit for each of our family members, etc.



momofboyz3 said:


> I'm officially a fan! I look fwd to each & every one of your updates. I'm planning a BMG show for us as well can't wait! Regarding Starbucks they came out with a blonde roast, maybe that's what they are serving @ your resort???



Thanks! Ah, that would make sense on the blonde roast- I enjoyed it - and you're going to LOVE BMG. Even an ole guy with no rhythm like me had a blast!



mrsabbott said:


> Your TR is getting me so excited for our trip!! Love the pics!





ArwenMarie said:


> Another great update, looks like so much fun!



Both of your trips are coming up very soon - you'll be amazed at how far along they've come on DA. What you can see will really get you excited....


----------



## mom2rtk

"We are one with the weather."  So glad you were able to soldier on and not let the weather stop you!

Yours is one of just a couple trip reports I have read on WWoHP. I can totally see us doing this sometime soon. I love how you described seeing more details each time you did the ride. Try doing THAT with FP+! 

I love the photo of the dark skies and castle in silhouette! 

What a huge relief on finding the phone!  And I'm loving the "mummy dust" references.  I'm going to have to hang out over here more often!

I totally agree with your reasons for doing a trip report. It really is the best anecdote to the post-trip blues! (Plus it gets me to process and work through all of my photos!)

OK, so you have my attention on the Transformers ride. I have absolutely no pre-conceived idea of what it's like. But if you say it's better than Spiderman.... then you have my attention. So here's my question....... would a pair of princess-loving females, who wouldn't know a transformer from an Avenger........ still appreciate it as much as you obviously did?


----------



## clsteve

mom2rtk said:


> "We are one with the weather."  So glad you were able to soldier on and not let the weather stop you!
> 
> Yours is one of just a couple trip reports I have read on WWoHP. I can totally see us doing this sometime soon. I love how you described seeing more details each time you did the ride. Try doing THAT with FP+!
> 
> I love the photo of the dark skies and castle in silhouette!
> 
> What a huge relief on finding the phone!  And I'm loving the "mummy dust" references.  I'm going to have to hang out over here more often!
> 
> I totally agree with your reasons for doing a trip report. It really is the best anecdote to the post-trip blues! (Plus it gets me to process and work through all of my photos!)
> 
> OK, so you have my attention on the Transformers ride. I have absolutely no pre-conceived idea of what it's like. But if you say it's better than Spiderman.... then you have my attention. So here's my question....... would a pair of princess-loving females, who wouldn't know a transformer from an Avenger........ still appreciate it as much as you obviously did?



I gotta say: early entry, along with EP has us VERY spoiled. The level of detail for so many of the rides and queues (esp FJ) is beyond amazing. Re-riding never got old and I couldn't *imagine* only being able to ride once.

As far as Transformers. DW and I couldn't have picked one out of a lineup before we rode either and the boys were very casual fans. She loves herself a Princess or 2, as well . All I can say is it was her favorite ride and I would have lost a lot of money on betting where it would rank with her pre-trip!

 Just pay attention to the queue videos beforehand - it helps a lot with the storyline...

I sure hope a lot of Imagineers are spending time at FJ to see what an interactive queue can be...


----------



## mom2rtk

clsteve said:


> I gotta say: early entry, along with EP has us VERY spoiled. The level of detail for so many of the rides and queues (esp FJ) is beyond amazing. Re-riding never got old and I couldn't *imagine* only being able to ride once.
> 
> As far as Transformers. DW and I couldn't have picked one out of a lineup before we rode either and the boys were very casual fans. She loves herself a Princess or 2, as well . All I can say is it was her favorite ride and I would have lost a lot of money on betting where it would rank with her pre-trip!
> 
> Just pay attention to the queue videos beforehand - it helps a lot with the storyline...
> 
> I sure hope a lot of Imagineers are spending time at FJ to see what an interactive queue can be...



Well, I am definitely intrigued.

The EP has been a double edged sword for us. We used it last time we were there. In 2004. But I loved it so much I swore I would never go back without it. And Disney did such a good job of capturing all of our vacation dollars since then, we haven't been back to US. We did do Spiderman on that trip though and I was really blown away. I can't wait to do it again. Apparently now I have Transformers to look forward to.


----------



## clsteve

mom2rtk said:


> "We are one with the weather."  So glad you were able to soldier on and not let the weather stop you!
> 
> 
> I totally agree with your reasons for doing a trip report.* It really is the best anecdote to the post-trip blues! *(Plus it gets me to process and work through all of my photos!)



Yes, we are "one with the Weather!" However, our County doesn't seem to be when it comes to snow and ice . I still can't believe the kids didn't go to school for the rest of the week starting on Tues because of the snow/ice storm this past week! I mean, there's not a kid on the Island more than 4 miles away from the school!! Wed and Thurs I can understand, but that was just ridiculous....

I hope the bolded means there's a west coast one coming....


----------



## mom2rtk

clsteve said:


> Yes, we are "one with the Weather!" However, our County doesn't seem to be when it comes to snow and ice . I still can't believe the kids didn't go to school for the rest of the week starting on Tues because of the snow/ice storm this past week! I mean, there's not a kid on the Island more than 4 miles away from the school!! Wed and Thurs I can understand, but that was just ridiculous....
> 
> I hope the bolded means there's a west coast one coming....



I suspect your snow days are merely the price of living in paradise.  We had school every day last week but live at least 8 hours from anything remotely interesting to do. 

And thanks for asking, there is a DL trip report coming. But I promised myself I'd finish up the December 2012 one first. Since I'm on the last day of that one, it won't be too much longer!


----------



## schumigirl

Great update 

Love love love Donkey and Shrek.........we had so much fun talking with Donkey last year.......he recognised we were Scottish as soon as we spoke, and he went off a whole back story of how he loved Scotland because Shrek came from there and didn't he recognise me from when he was in Scotland?? It was so funny and a bit "adult" at times (no littlies around)...........but he was brilliant We were crying with laughter.

Glad you had such a good day.......waiting for more


----------



## clsteve

schumigirl said:


> Great update
> 
> Love love love Donkey and Shrek.........we had so much fun talking with Donkey last year.......he recognised we were Scottish as soon as we spoke, and he went off a whole back story of how he loved Scotland because Shrek came from there and didn't he recognise me from when he was in Scotland?? It was so funny and a bit "adult" at times (no littlies around)...........but he was brilliant We were crying with laughter.
> 
> Glad you had such a good day.......waiting for more



That Donkey could have is own dedicated show- no doubt

 I love me some Scotland, as well - one of my favorite places in the world...


----------



## Dutchie Guy

This trip report is really fun and enjoyable. brings back good memories and makes me want to go again once Diagon Alley is finished! 

Great to see more and more people going over to the dark side and loving it.


----------



## bcrook

A colleague of mine raves about the pools (and pool bars) at universal resorts, now I see why.  

Universal looks great. The back to the future connection brings back great memories. 

My cousin and I are getting ready to plan our 2015 adventure.  I almost had him convinced to go west and check out Disneyland, but with this trip report and Diagon alley opening, I don't know anymore.  DW is still advocating for Anaheim, she usually has the final say. 

Looking forward to reading more.


----------



## clsteve

Dutchie Guy said:


> This trip report is really fun and enjoyable. brings back good memories and makes me want to go again once Diagon Alley is finished!
> 
> Great to see more and more people going over to the dark side and loving it.



DA looks very special. We had a nice "surprise" Day Three with the train that really got the kids excited.

 Oh, I've been lucky to spent a lot of time in your neck of the woods! Had an office for years not too far from Schiphol Airport- walking distance from the Radisson. A good friend I worked with was from Utrecht- another great town. Would love to get the family out there, some day.


----------



## clsteve

bcrook said:


> A colleague of mine raves about the pools (and pool bars) at universal resorts, now I see why.
> 
> Universal looks great. The back to the future connection brings back great memories.
> 
> My cousin and I are getting ready to plan our 2015 adventure. I almost had him convinced to go west and check out Disneyland, but with this trip report and Diagon alley opening, I don't know anymore. DW is still advocating for Anaheim, she usually has the final say.
> 
> Looking forward to reading more.



Pool hopping ended up being a nicer perk than we'd expected. I'm trying to get the next TR post up by end of today about our HRH pool hop - great fun!

 And I know exactly what you mean- I'm thinking about never showing DW mom2trk's west coast TR so there's no debate about next year's trip.....


----------



## clsteve

*Day Two cont.: HRH Pool, a US evening, and “Those Blue Guys” *

We take the boat back to PBH to get the boys in suits and off to the HRH Pool. It's just warm enough for them to get in the water (emphasis on them). We had heard really good things about both the pool and the poolside bar and grill- The BeachClub, so we decided to have a late lunch there- knowing that dinner would be after BMG.

In the Day One post, I had our family ratings as: Stormalong Bay: 4 ½, BW: 4, and PBH at 3 ½. I guess I should have started this rating system with a 10 scale since HRH comes in just behind SB, making it a 4.25- I guess? It is a very fun pool. The slide is longer and faster than PBH, there's a great vibe to the whole area- with the music and The BeachClub, and they have *underwater speakers!* It might be the funniest thing we watched all vacation: for a good 45 minutes, the boys did nothing but stick their heads underwater for about 30 seconds, come up for air, then stick their heads right back underwater to listen to the music. Like 2 turtles, they never moved an inch left or right. Sitting at a BeachClub table, with a nice adult beverage, DW and I found it highly entertaining.

The food was well above average for a poolside grill. Our server, Tami, I think? said they have their own dedicated kitchen and it showed. We shared the chicken and portobello quesadillas, the wings, and the chicken tenders- all very good, with nice accompaniments.  She was a lot of fun and helped us narrow down that huge drink menu (I like servers with first-hand knowledge ). Their drink menu is impressive and the bartenders seem to count very slowly, if you know what I mean. They also have the same deal for a discount on additional drinks if you buy the sig glass for a couple of bucks.

Oh, and how do you immediately know you're not from Fla. anymore....? when it's sunny and 68 degrees, your kids are in the pool, you're wearing shorts, but your server is bundled up in head-to-foot Polartec with a down vest. We felt very "Northern" that afternoon.

Pool hopping was a great, on-site perk. All three resorts are close, making it very easy. We only had a chance to look at the RPH pool, but each has something different to offer and the boys loved hitting a different pool on our 2 warm days.

US Late afternoon

After the usual mid-day family nap and my usual walk-around talk with TM's and guests (it's amazing what good things you can find out), we're back to US for an early evening stroll before BMG and a few chances at bagging some aliens. 

It was a beautiful evening.





MiB

The kids had to hit The Simpsons Ride again before we headed over to MiB. The boys loved the movies and we were all ready to test out their aim. If I didn't know before, I do now- we have a competitive family. 

And DW is sneaky competitive:





And she's going to kill me when she sees I've posted this photo...

MiB was another family favorite ride: DW's 2nd favorite behind Transformers. I mean, who doesn't like shooting aliens? We rate it over TSMM because we were all in the same car, you hold the guns for better aiming and maneuverability, there's a much larger array and abundance of targets, and the ride setting seems more like a movie set. Buzz just doesn't have any "edge" for us- too many cardboard cutouts and not much feedback when you hit something. During our three days, we rode MiB more than any other ride. However, we did have issues with the guns a couple of times (twice out of 10 rides). It was nice,though, being able to grab the extra one in the empty middle seat when it did happen.

SB was backed up with the tour groups, but EP was virtually empty that evening. They had the shortcut open for EP where you just cut up the stairs before exiting. So, we were able to ride it 4 times in a row with each time taking only as long as: getting out of the vehicle, going up the stairs, across the raised platform, down the stairs and right back in the vehicle for the next ride.





They have several different overlay options for the ride photos, including individuals for each of the riders, or no overlay at all- just the raw pic.





We left to hit the Mummy before it got too late, and so we could also catch a bit of the Celebrations show before heading over to BMG.


The sunset is getting beautiful







The Revenge of the Mummy

How best to explain the ride- I think Hattered's analogy sums it up well: "...think of RnR meets POTC...". This is a *great ride*. One of my top 3, another you have to ride many times to catch all of the scene detail- it's well themed from the queue through the ride.There are such a high number of effects combined with a great inside coaster- hats off to the TM engineers keeping it all running consistently!  Being something of a tech-head, that has to be a tough ride to maintain and keep in-sync. The "ceiling of fire"  now that's an awesome effect...

DW and DS10 both *love* RnR it's one of their faves in WDW. However, neither enjoys the ";coaster going backwards"; effect. Mummy and EE have that in common. So, it was a one-and-done for them, as you can see from the next photo.





However:

The gift shop was a big hit for everyone!






Off to BMG!

We had a chance to hit Transformers again and catch two-thirds of the Cinematic Spectacular show just outside of the ride. Very enjoyable, but not at a WDW night show level. I don't think we had the best viewing spot since the mist obscured the screens a bit from our vantage point - still fun, but not something we'd schedule our night around. We wanted to head out before the crowds hit the exit in order to get to BMG. So, we told the boys that we "had a surprise for them!" They must be getting older, since both immediately asked if it was "Those Blue Guys".  I feel pretty comfortable that the only clue they had from the whole day was DW's Starbuck's inhale first thing that morning.

The theatre is just to the right of the US exit.  Now, I had no preconceptions about the performance- beyond the random 10 second clip you see on-line or on the in-room "what to do around here" channels while on vacation. DW REALLY wanted to do this. When we made our reservations, four seats popped up that were 3rd row front, center stage, in the "poncho section", seats 19-22. Now, to me, images of Gallagher crushing watermelons immediately popped up in my head. We weren't sure if we got lucky, since the theatre was almost full or, we were the newbie fish just gullible enough to take the bait. But, it's vacation, right? The tickets weren't cheap at $85 bucks. But, cancelling both the Kid's Club ($30 bucks an hour for 2 kids) and our night out, plus, having a late QS dinner at Sal's after the show, it came out within what we'd budgeted.

We arrive at the entrance around 7:24pm for the 8pm show and use our on-line confirmation number to get our tickets at the booth. They have a full bar at the entrance and allow you to take drinks and snacks into the theatre. Knowing they were giving us ponchos to protect them, we grabbed both.
We were lucky enough to be seated just in front of a great family from JAX that were big BMG fans and veterans who let us know just when we should put on the ponchos- no reason to do so before the show starts, like we newbies started to do. They also did a good job of getting the kids really pumped for the show.






The Show

I've thought long and hard about how to best explain the whole experience.  All I can say is it was one of our 2 top "Family Nights Out" on any vacation.  It's visually stunning, funky, funny, and thought provoking (the set they do based on smart devices and how we're all so "connected" is something to see). They turn the music into a story- and their back-up band is TIGHT. 

These are as talented a group of performers as you can see-- and, all without saying a word during the show. If you get a chance to be up front in the poncho section, do it. It's worth the extra $15 bucks. Seeing up close how they use visual expressions as their only communication- especially when it's with an audience member- was really something.  None of us got anything on our ponchos, btw. It's not a big deal, and seems to be more of a precaution than anything else, says someone not in the very first row.....

It is absolutely impossible to not get up and shake it a bit during the finale. And this is from a guy with, sadly, limited rhythm (think: The Tin Man, in The Wizard of Oz, right after Dorothy applied the oil). Huge balloons are falling from the ceiling, air streamers are flowing over your head, and toilet paper cannons are going off:













But yes, DS10, with the help of our new friends behind us, decides he's going to wrap DS8 in every bit of it he can get his hands on - turning him into some sort of BMG, art deco, mummy. 





He then proceeds to escort him out of the theatre decked out like this and up to the Blue Men and the band taking pictures in the lobby. 







[/URL][/IMG] 








We just missed snapping the picture of Blue Man One as he came ohhh, so close to cracking a grin when the boys walked up....





It's easy to see how pleased DS10 is with himself- having turned his brother into an art deco mummy.


It's about 10:30pm when we get back to PBH by boat for a quick dinner at Sal's. It's the same place I've been getting the early morning fuel each day.  They're open late and have an Italian-themed menu (I guess that's not a big news item, being at PBH).  You can sit inside or out. DW and I each ordered a pressed panini, with the kids ordering the Margherita Pizza. They have a brick oven for their pizzas and they're made-to-order. We were very pleasantly surprised by the quality and freshness of both- not what we expected for a late night QS. It's a perfect spot for a late dinner. It will, no doubt, be on our list for next time.

It was an exceptional night.... and all of it DW's idea.

*On Deck: Day Three's for Favorites and Shows....*


----------



## momofboyz3

I promise I am not stalking your TR! Ummm well yeah, I guess I am.... Excited to pool hop to HRH (I have teens). Even more excited to book BMG! Love stalking.. I mean reading along


----------



## macraven

_bmg rules......._


----------



## Step

Loving your trip report. We're heading there in a little over two weeks! Can't wait!


----------



## ArwenMarie

Awesome night out. Looks like so much fun! I love when doing something new like that is a big success


----------



## ocalla

This is such a great trip report!!! thanks so much for sharing.

and......is pool hoping for all onsite guests?


----------



## clsteve

momofboyz3 said:


> I promise I am not stalking your TR! Ummm well yeah, I guess I am.... Excited to pool hop to HRH (I have teens). Even more excited to book BMG! Love stalking.. I mean reading along



Reading (stalking) is completely allowed! I would have loved the HRH pool as a teen- they'll enjoy it (and the others).


----------



## clsteve

macraven said:


> _bmg rules......._



Most definitely!



ocalla said:


> This is such a great trip report!!! thanks so much for sharing.
> 
> and......is pool hoping for all onsite guests?



PBH, RPH and HRH share the ability to do so. The new Cabana Bay, won't have the same privilege, it seems. However, it sounds like they're building a pretty impressive pool complex, themselves...


----------



## wen8jr

Looks like you all had a blast!  Your boys are cute!

The Mummy is one of our top rides as well.

BMG is a very unique and cool experience, really unlike anything we've ever done. It is certainly hard to explain in words. 

We also absolutely love Sals. The pizza there inspired me to start making pizza from scratch and now we can't eat any other pizza without being disappointed. 

Your trip report is getting me sooo excited for our next trip this year in May.  Look forward to more.


----------



## Dutchie Guy

clsteve said:


> DA looks very special. We had a nice "surprise" Day Three with the train that really got the kids excited.
> 
> Oh, I've been lucky to spent a lot of time in your neck of the woods! Had an office for years not too far from Schiphol Airport- walking distance from the Radisson. A good friend I worked with was from Utrecht- another great town. Would love to get the family out there, some day.



Oh that's coincidence. I obviously live near Schiphol so I know what you're talking about. Yeah, there is definitely some things to show here to your family and kids once they're a bit older and perhaps more interested in sightseeing and culture. 

I've only been out of Europe twice. Both times to the US and both times visited Orlando. 
Because of short days we only visited Universal and SeaWorld (and Bush Gardens during our trip). Knew Disneyland from Paris so we were definitely more interested in the thrills and Harry Potter. Needless to say we felt like we made the right choice, the stay was brilliant!

This was in 2010 and 2011 so the urge to go back there is enormous but hard to arrange with limited holidays time and funding. But once Diagon Alley is built I'll definitely be back... Till then I'll try to get my dosage from tripreports lke yours I guess. 

Even better a report from someone that also loved the Simpson-ride-jokes and writes with a lot of humor.


----------



## damo

Man, oh man.  You'd think with all the time I spend on the Universal Boards I'd know to check the trip reports out more often.

This is truly a great one!!!


----------



## schumigirl

Ok.......I admit I am the person that doesn't like BMG.......well, I suppose there's got to be one right 

But glad you all had such fun at it and more lovely pictures, that sunset is beautiful


----------



## clsteve

damo said:


> Man, oh man.  You'd think with all the time I spend on the Universal Boards I'd know to check the trip reports out more often.
> 
> This is truly a great one!!!



Thanks, that's very kind. And I don't know how you could hit the TR's more, with all the good stuff you're doing on the other forums



schumigirl said:


> Ok.......I admit I am the person that doesn't like BMG.......well, I suppose there's got to be one right
> 
> But glad you all had such fun at it and more lovely pictures, that sunset is beautiful



Nothing wrong with being in the minority! Remember, we're the family that enjoys spending more time in DHS and EPCOT than in MK - that's borderline blasphemy to some.....


----------



## macraven

_dhs is my favorite too.
i think i have every type of pins that have mgm on them.....
took me ages to quit calling it mgm._


----------



## bcrook

I enjoyed those sunset pictures. 

The pool bar sounds great.

You posted some classic pictures in this report.  Your DW shooting aliens, ds8 in the mummy headdress at gift shop, and the Ds10 grin with the blue man and mummified brother are most amusing.   

The theming looks fantastic.


----------



## cmaee

Nothing like joining in on your TR on page 7, but I am really enjoying reading your TR.  

I decided to add Universal to our Disney vacation this year and have been reading TR's trying to learn all about this park I know nothing about.  With the whole FP+, MB, and MDE, I am thinking about dropping even more Disney from our trip and adding more Universal.  So far, I can completely see the advantages of doing just that.  BMG wasn't something I was planning on, but not now.  I will be working in it our schedule.

On a side note, that will seem completely stalkerish, when I read the start of your TR, I kept saying to myself, "Holy cow, they live in ...."  I lived on the mainland part of the county for 7 years.  I have rode that ferry many, many times for day trips to the beach in the summer when they have four ferry runs instead of driving to the beach.  It was so much cheaper to pay for the ferry than it cost in gas to drive to the beach.  I learned the lesson the hard way once on making sure I was in line on time to get back on the last ferry.  My children and I moved away from there at the end of Dec. 2011.  It is a beautiful place to live, and I certainly miss the proximity to the beach, as we live many states away now.


----------



## clsteve

cmaee said:


> Nothing like joining in on your TR on page 7, but I am really enjoying reading your TR.
> 
> I decided to add Universal to our Disney vacation this year and have been reading TR's trying to learn all about this park I know nothing about.  With the whole FP+, MB, and MDE, I am thinking about dropping even more Disney from our trip and adding more Universal.  So far, I can completely see the advantages of doing just that.  BMG wasn't something I was planning on, but not now.  I will be working in it our schedule.
> 
> On a side note, that will seem completely stalkerish, when I read the start of your TR, I kept saying to myself, "Holy cow, they live in ...."  I lived on the mainland part of the county for 7 years.  I have rode that ferry many, many times for day trips to the beach in the summer when they have four ferry runs instead of driving to the beach.  It was so much cheaper to pay for the ferry than it cost in gas to drive to the beach.  I learned the lesson the hard way once on making sure I was in line on time to get back on the last ferry.  My children and I moved away from there at the end of Dec. 2011.  It is a beautiful place to live, and I certainly miss the proximity to the beach, as we live many states away now.



That's awesome you know where all of this is! The Mainland is getting about six to seven inches of snow today - we're getting about 4 to 5. Luckily, it's one of those great fluffy snows you can have fun in- not the ice storm we had early last week. I'm going to try and get, at least, part of Day Three up later tonight, btw. But, as you well know, they're treating it like the end of the world around here. So schools are out- must be time to take the kids out to Boogey Board down the dunes! PM me if you ever head back out this way- I'll try to hook you up with a deal or 2...... 

We had a great time, and I'm sure you will too. These boards really helped us out and there are some great posters with a lot of knowledge, more than happy to answer any questions. Think hard about the "poncho" section for BMG! It's truly a blast


----------



## clsteve

I'm a little late on this one - Too much weather going on around here the past few days, and the kids out of school... But:

* Day Three's for Favorites and Shows and more Mummy Dust! *

It was a late night for the family, between BMG and dinner at Sal's. So, we figured we'd let the kids sleep in a bit, but both begged to do early entry for WWoHP before they went to bed. Remember, - they asked for it.....! We had always planned for Day Three to be more laid back -- hit IOA sometime in the morning for a few favorite rides and souvenirs, lunch at Mr. Buffett's on CityWalk, then fave's, shows, and shops at US. So, off to Sal's I head for our morning fuel and light stuff. As I hit the outside, it's a beautiful, sunny, and breezy day.... but Cold! Back upstairs, the wonderful piece of technology known as IPhone is showing 39 degrees, with a high of 52 degrees expected and winds 15-25 mph. We were prepared for that, so we got everyone bundled up and off to the boat.

An early wake-up call *always* sounds better the night before......






We get the 7:45am boat, just as it's pulling in. One note- if it's cold (or rainy) try to get the bow seats, just in front of the captain: they're completely protected from the wind and are much more comfortable when it's cold. It's now after 8am when we get to the gates. So, I'd expected to be behind a throng of people already there for Early Entry. Nope! It seems chilly, brisk and breezy is even better than rain at keeping people in bed . 


Port of Entry






We head straight to WWoHP.






I think I said Early Entry is worth every penny as an on-site perk in the 1st post of this TR. Well, Early Entry is worth every penny as an on-site perk. I could be going out on a limb, here, but it might be even more important when DA opens this summer.










It's funny, visiting in the early morning, with such light crowds, on a brisk and chilly day,  the theme-ing really jumps out. With snow on the roofs, icicles hanging from the eaves,  it was great -- except DW thought it made the temperature seem more like 5 below than the 42 degrees it really was.










In case it's not obvious from the pictures, I'm enthralled by The Castle. I've been lucky enough to visit more than a few real ones. But, I must say, they really hit it out of the ballpark with Hogwart's. The depth of perception, as you walk through the gates, the level of detail, even down to the, um,  bird "deposits" on the rocks (and they're fake... I checked... don't ask how...), it really sets you up for the level of immersion just ahead of you in the queue. We rode for our last three times of the trip, taking a lot more time to slowly walk through the queue (letting others by, of course!). If it's slow, or you have the option of taking the castle tour, take the time to experience it- it's an attraction all on its own. 

We exit for the last time into the gift shop. Theme Parks must love cold days, btw. I think half the EE crowd were in there buying  Gryffindor gloves, scarves and ski caps. The other half were buying sweatshirts .

And yes, so did we.....






There must have been a special "magic" in the Harry Potter gloves and hats that made them Sooo much warmer than the ones we brought with us, go figure......

FYI, we did find out that PhotoConnect gives you the chance to get an 8x10 FJ ride photo (soft frame) for only an extra 2 dollars (normally $29.99). They had it printed and sent to one of the gift shops in the Port of Entry for pick-up. They also did it very quickly, since it was there when we left IOA around 12:15pm that afternoon.

Hardly anybody was in line for the Flight of the Hippogriff, so we let the boys ride it by themselves four or five times before heading off to pick out some wands. If I could just get the opportunity to own the wand franchise at WWoHP and the new DA...... I would be a very happy man. Mickey Ears would be the only other one to top it, I would think. Choosing a wand is a very serious and time consuming process, it would seem - at least by how long it took in the shop. If I'd known just how long a process, I think I would have tried to do this exercise in the afternoon, since the Hog's Head (and the Tennant's, and the London Pride) is right across the street- just an FYI for some of you Dads out there. 

The Chosen Ones






Both DS10 and DS8 were finally "chosen" by their wands. I was actually surprised at how detailed and sturdy they turned out to be, however - and the price point's not bad at all for a theme park at 32 bucks. They'd brought their own money, just for wands. I'm sure Dumbledore's very proud of the both them....

DS8 and I hit Dragons' Challenge a couple of times, then the family had one last round of Butterbeer (had to get the souvenir glasses, of course!).  We head out for Cat and the Hat, Spidey, and the Hulk one more time before lunch. Each of us got a giggle out of the Cat in the Hat Ride, btw. It's a nice little dark ride with some spin to it. Nothing fancy, but still some good fun. Dr. Seuss was a big part of both boys'; childhood, his being the first books they ever read back to us. I can easily see how we would have spent A LOT of time in this area  4 or 5 years ago. I'm still a little surprised DW didn't buy the "I'm with Thing Two" t-shirt in the gift shop. It's a hilarious gift shop. They had a little preemie onesie (ladies, am I spelling this right?) that said on the front: "My First Thing" with a picture of Thing One on it. Both our boys were early preemies and I would have found that a great and hilarious gift during those stressful times.






DW and the boys then hit the Merry-go-Round. Both DW and DS10 are huge fans of these. This one is "perky", to say the least – fast and the Seuss characters go up and down rather quickly. The boys hopped on two of the Seuss characters while DW sat in one of the stationary benches right behind them. Very bad idea. With the speed, her sitting stationary, plus watching the 2 boys go up and down quickly while she wasn't (for 2 rides) she got motion sickness. The boys had a blast, though.

Please, don't get me wrong here, I'm in no way a physician (and I'm going to post this before the rest of the family gets a chance to read it, since they're now Butterbeer fanatics). But, the only time DW got motion sickness (twice) was after consuming that "elixir of the gods", then riding more than one motion ride within ½ an hour, or so. For example, Day Two at US, we rode one time on Transformers, then The Mummy, 2 times on The Simpsons, the Twirl-n-Hurl, followed by several MiB's, all in rapid succession- not a hint of motion sickness. Maybe it's a blood sugar thing.  But, since I've read a lot of posts about motion sickness on the board,  I just thought I'd point it out.

We hit Buffett's place at CityWalk for lunch, before heading to US. DW and I had been here way back in '99 and had also tried a couple of his other spots-  in NOLA, for example. It wasn't crowded, we were seated right away, had an excellent server, and a very nice lunch. The Asiago Crab Dip was the highlight- lots of crab meat, and the crostinis were broiled with melted Asiago, as well. DW had the Taco Salad- very fresh, as was the guacamole (she's half South American and judges guac' on as hard a scale as a Vermonter judges cheddar cheese).  The toasted tortilla points instead of the usual fried tortilla bowl were a nice presentation.  I had the Blackened Grouper- it was fresh and not overcooked like can easily happen when blackened. The boys had the fish tacos- also very good. DW and I each had a hand-made Margarita (I mean, it would be like going to Ben and Jerry's and not having ice cream, right?). Both were  very good- but DS8 was concerned that they came out the volcano that erupts margarita mix every 45 minutes- that got a very big chuckle out of our server, who assured him that was not the case. 3 ½ stars for our meal and we would go back again. It's a fun atmosphere, unless you don't like Buffett, of course. Living on an island, we're completely immune to it, since it would be impossible for us to go out for drinks and/or dinner without hearing at least 3 or 4 Buffett songs.

Btw, the changes being made at CityWalk are moving along quickly. The new Mexican Restaurant, Antojito's, is going up right next to Buffett's place.  You can't miss it, since they seem to have decided to use the whole color palette on the exterior. It looks pretty impressive and they have the menu out for viewing. It will most definitely be on our list to try when we come back.

Off to US 

We had planned the afternoon around catching the Horror Make-up Show and The Blues Brothers. So, we first headed over to New York . Beetlejuice was closed for re-furb, unfortunately, because campy humor mixed with 80's tunes are right up our alley. We had some time until the next show, so DS8 and I hit The Mummy while DW and DS10 hit the shops. One note on The Mummy: we unanimously enjoy the very back more than the front. The effects have more time to develop, so you see everything, and you can get some serious airtime, right out of your seat! I know that may not appeal to some, but DS8 and I thought it was excellent.






Mummy-Dust Time!

We meet DW and DS8 in one of the shops close by.  I decide to head over to the restrooms just around the corner from the rock-climbing wall. I'm not paying much attention when I turn the corner, but hear this "whoosh!". When I look up- what do I see but the Hogwart's Express moving down its track! It stops after a few yards and about 20 hardhat wearing TM engineers get out and start inspecting the Train and the track. I turn right back around and run to get the family. The engineers had re-boarded by the time we all got back, so they missed the engineers doing  their thing, but they did get to see it move  a bit and snap a couple of pictures:










It looks really amazing, and is going to be very impressive moving back and forth between the Parks. Very exciting for the boys and it pretty much sealed our return to Universal next year – if not sooner. Now, I have no idea how it was moving- it could have been the mechanism they will actually use for the ride, or maybe it was just being pushed along in order to check and measure its track placement in small increments (don't know, because we couldn't see the very end of the train from our vantage point).  Although, something made the "whoosh!" and I could swear there was a tad bit of smoke from the smokestack. Either way, it was like a celebrity sighting for the kids and very cool overall. 

The Blues Brothers









Really a lot of fun and the female singer was amazing. How she's not on Broadway, I don't know. We loved the "NY Street Party Feel." It fits --- everybody's standing up, dancing a bit, and having a good time. Like most guys my age, the first Blues Brothers Movie (emphasis on first) was a big deal when it came out. So, I had to go over and check out the Blues Mobile - and yes, they drove up in it for the Show. Nobody was around it, so - what the heck? 






Very cool !!! and, it's themed to a "T" - with broken glass on the floor, empty Marlboro and Newport packs on the dash with an 8-track player (yes, I'm that old),to-go containers and an empty pizza box in the backseat .... really nice attention to detail.





I would say I want one, but DW would just ask "How is that old police car, with a huge speaker on top, ever going to get in the garage since it's never going to be parked outside where people can see it?" It's tough to argue with that kind of logic -- and I think I just had an imaginary conversation with DW and agreed with her. Well trained, I am.... well trained.....

Well, we're still in the middle of this winter storm that's hitting the Southeast and the power's getting a little bit iffy. So, I'm going to have to leave Day Three here and pick it up later.

*On Deck: The Rest of Day Three and:  It's all the Boys' Fault........*


----------



## macraven

_i'm so enjoying your trip report.

i have a soft spot for the blues brothers.
they are absolutely kewl.


your boys are so cute!_


----------



## schumigirl

That is one tired bubba in the first pic!!

We have never made EE yet..........may consider it this year though.....maybe.

Your pics are lovely......I love the area around The Mummy in the Studios......nice.

And nice seeing the HE


----------



## clsteve

macraven said:


> _i'm so enjoying your trip report.
> 
> i have a soft spot for the blues brothers.
> they are absolutely kewl.
> 
> 
> your boys are so cute!_



It is a great block party kinda thing - lotsa fun!



schumigirl said:


> That is one tired bubba in the first pic!!
> 
> We have never made EE yet..........may consider it this year though.....maybe.
> 
> Your pics are lovely......I love the area around The Mummy in the Studios......nice.
> 
> And nice seeing the HE



HE will rock, no doubt. And I tell ya, I was shocked at the number of engineers we saw working on all of DA while we were there - morning to night. Really nice to see.....


----------



## mrsabbott

Love it!! Hubs is also a huge Blues Brothers fan and is looking forward to seeing the show!   I'm a huge Lucille Ball fan and am looking forward to that. We are also a big fan if Dr. Seuss and I know it will be a blast for the kids!

Can't wait to read more!


----------



## mesaboy2

Good stuff, enjoying the read!

Color me dumb, but it never occurred to me that the HE would be elevated.  Kinda obvious, now that I put just an ounce of thought into it.


----------



## clsteve

mesaboy2 said:


> Good stuff, enjoying the read!
> 
> Color me dumb, but it never occurred to me that the HE would be elevated.  Kinda obvious, now that I put just an ounce of thought into it.



You know, me too- I'd thought, since the windows of the HE were part of the attraction- it'd probably run in a mostly enclosed environment, for many reasons.

Much better to have it raised so little Sally and Johnny can go - "I want to ride!"
and they can still get to all of the backlot access points and areas. It'll be interesting to see just how much of the run will be visible from the Parks...


----------



## ArwenMarie

Another great installment! We leave tomorrow...will have to try to make Early Entry one of the days we are there!


----------



## clsteve

ArwenMarie said:


> Another great installment! *We leave tomorrow*...will have to try to make Early Entry one of the days we are there!



We're Very, very jealous.....

Have a great time!


----------



## clsteve

mrsabbott said:


> Love it!! Hubs is also a huge Blues Brothers fan and is looking forward to seeing the show!   I'm a huge Lucille Ball fan and am looking forward to that. We are also a big fan if Dr. Seuss and I know it will be a blast for the kids!
> 
> Can't wait to read more!



Lucy was around a lot when we were walking - with with a full entourage, btw - should be a great chance to get a photo!

Have your hubby check out the Blues Mobile, if he gets a chance. It's very cool (I know, it's a guy thing....  )


----------



## RAPstar

Really enjoying your TR! I'm also a fan of the back row on Mummy, gotta love that airtime!


----------



## Metro West

I thought the singer was amazing too...how she isn't making records in Hollywood I'll never know.


----------



## schumigirl

Metro West said:


> I thought the singer was amazing too...how she isn't making records in Hollywood I'll never know.



Yep.........we've often said she is almost too good for that gig.........much as though we love the Blues Brothers


----------



## snitchseeker

I love this trip report! I finally caught up and I'm ready for the next update


----------



## clsteve

snitchseeker said:


> I love this trip report! I finally caught up and I'm ready for the next update



Soon, very soon...!!


----------



## snitchseeker

clsteve said:


> Soon, very soon...!!



Aw, thanks! Take your time! I'm heading there this weekend so I'm just getting excited!


----------



## schumigirl

clsteve said:


> Soon, very soon...!!



.............waiting patiently


----------



## Step

Still enjoying the report. I am two days away and so excited!


----------



## clsteve

Sorry for the delay- it's been tougher to get started on finishing the last day than I thought. I've been kinda enjoying re-living this, I guess...



* Day Three's for Favorites, Shows and more Mummy Dust! Continued *

After watching the Blues Brothers, (between them and BMG, I think the family- or, at least DW and the boys - danced more on this trip than I've ever seen), we headed off to "The Universal Horror Make-up Show&". This was the show all of us wanted to see the most. Both boys are really "how does that work" kids and love 'Mythbusters' and 'Design Squad' as their faves (they get that gene from me- their rhythm, most definitely, from DW). So, this was right up their alley. We enter the theatre and end up in the front row, far right (we're one of those families that follows directions and goes to the end of the row, like good Park-goers!). Well, the first thing DS10 says: "is that a pile of arms and legs"..... followed by DS8's "that's so cool....!" Well, that pretty much sums the two of them up, right there.....

The show is excellent! We all highly recommend it! It's hilarious, and I won't throw in any spoilers, promise. But, they picked this poor unsuspecting lady from Panama who didn't speak a lick of English as their audience participant. When they started doing their "thing" with her as the stand-in, I thought the group she was with were either going to die of shock and horror, or laughter, or all of them at the same time. She was a great sport and was in tears of laughter before it was all over! 

The MC's are both excellent, - incredibly funny and informative at the same time. You really get a chance to see how so many great effects are created. It's a very professionally done show. There were a couple of surprises that might scare a few little ones, but they're very short lived and are followed up quickly with a lot of humor, woven around in-depth explanations of how the effect is created. We just wish we hadn't saved it for the last day so we could have seen it again on the trip. 

Off for a few more favorite rides like:





The Minion Breakout Room seems to be a really big hit for all of the kids exiting the ride. It looked like a 12 and Under Rave in there - with Minions, their handlers and kids dancing everywhere. It's a neat thing to have before the requisite Ride Gift Shop that now seems mandatory for all Theme Park rides in all Theme Parks. And, if that sounds a bit cynical:

I am not Immune to it!





Yes, this Minion Espresso Cup is my one souvenir from the trip (well, besides the PBH and HRH Pool adult beverage re-fillables  ). I think it's actually a little kids mug.  But for me, it's a *Very Manly* Espresso Cup!


There was one special thing that DS10 really wanted to do -- get a Caricature Portrait done of him and his brother. He's a very artistic kid - quite talented and another gene he didn't get from me. He loves the whole process and really bonds with any artist he's around.  We had noticed one just outside of Springfield the day before, so we headed over there before hitting the Simpsons and MiB for a few more times. We try to do something like this each trip- last year was Main Street Silhouette time since it's a family tradition. Mom still has the one up on the wall of my sister and I from one of many early-mid seventies MK trips.  














This really is a great deal:  $19.99 for a charcoal, $41.99 for full color. As you can see, the artist is very talented and he was really great with the boys. Money well spent IMHO, and it only took about 25 minutes, or so. That's not too expensive, or too long of a time for a great keepsake. It's just past the DeLorean and right before Springfield USA. 

Another great aspect of PhotoConnect........ the green screen photo ops in the Parks:









This one was a lot of fun! The kids really enjoyed posing and the guys running the booth were really into it. We would have loved for DS8 to take off his Gryffindor ski cap, but there was no way that was happening anytime before bed or dinner....

All is included in your PhotoConnect Package, btw. It's easy to miss this place and we had to ask a TM where it was. Very glad I saw similar pictures posted on other Trip Reports or we wouldn't have even known to look for it.  It's right across from the big Krusty The Clown head. I think Krusty's the only "clown" that doesn't give me the creeps- my clown fear, and all. It must be because Krusty's still got style in that jaded, burned out, addict kind of way.....

We hit MiB a couple of more times. The kids and DW are starting to get pretty good at it. They increased their scores over the stay from the low twenties into the 160k to 220k range. Still a long, long, long way to go to reach Dad, though . And no, I didn't cheat by reading the cheater forums that are out there -those are just not my gig, yet. 

Besides, I also take shooting aliens very seriously....





DW was going to absolutely disown me if I didn't post this one after posting hers earlier. Fair's fair, and I enjoy sleeping in my own bed. 


Well, it's getting late by this time. So it's time to head back. DS10 wants to hit Rip Rocket, as he calls it, one more time before we leave, while DW and DS10 wanted to hit one of the shops near the entrance and also, hit the PhotoConnect  Shop to make sure all of our photos are there and get the prints done that come with the package.






Here's another benefit of ExpressPass during a light crowd time: seems like *Everybody* wants to ride this coaster before they leave for the day. Even with EP, it took us 30 minutes to ride. Worth every minute, btw, since  this one is a blast at night! The vertical climb through the lighted cylinders is way cool...! 

 However, we did have an "interesting" experience this time, and it left me very impressed with the TM's running the ride. We were about 10 people from getting on- right before you get to the level load section. There were 5 very nice young adult women in front of us. DS8 was chatting them up pretty good with how much fun he had this trip and they were getting a real kick out of him. Well, this young Brit male jumps the line between us and their party from the SB line (looks like it was taking over an hour for SB to get to this point). Well, me being me..., I asked him if he was with these very nice young ladies and he of course said "No, but I'm not staying in that line any longer!"

 Okay then....  In a very nice way, I explained the difference between the 2 lines (with DS8 there, I wasn't going to come close to being confrontational) and said "I'm sure the TM's will sort it all out when we get up top." 2 of the young women mouthed thank you, while the one up top whispered to the TM when she got close enough to him at the load point. The TM's quickly proceeded to pull him out of the line and had him stand on the podium off to the side. He was still there when we had finished riding, now with a manager-type, arms crossed, talking to him. Two *big* thumbs up for them handling this in the correct way and not just blowing off the situation!

A beautiful night, but time to go.....





Well, the boys had both been So, so good on this trip - with not one melt down, and only very minor brother-baiting episodes. As a reward, we decided to let them pick whatever restaurant they wanted for dinner. They're great kids, but also normal kids. So, you tend to expect at least one incident per vacation, right? We think it must be a reflection on how smoothly the trip went and how relaxing it was. They'd been really interested in several restaurants at CityWalk and we couldn't wait to see what they picked (and really were hoping it wasn't Bice or Emerils, since BMG got that budget the night before). 

I sure you see where this is going- don't you? And I bet you are wondering how we didn't see it coming, too....

Well, they both took about .05 seconds to scream: "The Kitchen....!!!" DW and I immediately looked at each other and I could see the "Uh-Oh, we forgot to add the *besides *where we've already been...". You see, we have an Unofficial Family Rule when on vacation, learned from experience: When You Have a Really Great Meal at a Place, Do Not Return Again on the Same Trip --- It Tends to Not Live Up to the First Time. But, we'd made a deal with the kids- and you can't go back on a deal- it's bad form.

We made a reservation on OpenTable for 7:45pm and wandered around CityWalk for awhile.





When we get off the boat-  HRH is flat out Rockin!!! Remember, it's been cold to chilly all day (well Fla. cold to chilly, anyway...) so it seems everyone is hanging at the Resort- and The Kitchen. They are unprepared for this, it seems. 

We do get a booth right away, however, which is a good thing. We order apps and drinks: Calamari and the Spinach Artichoke Dip (both 3 ½ stars). The bread comes, the apps then come- still no drinks after 30 minutes of waiting. I can see the Bar and can see the continual line-up of wait staff not getting drinks. Seems they only had one bartender that evening. I must say, the one thing I've never seen a lack of at any Hard Rock Property is enough bartenders, to say the least... Our waiter was really nice and apologetic, and obviously fed up with the situation.  So, I whisper "Why don't you let me talk to the Manager...." She says thanks and grabs him right away. Great Guy, who immediately gets behind the bar to help the poor guy out (of course, you'd hope he'd recognized that himself....). He comp's our drinks ( glass of wine for DW and Cucumber Ginger Gimlet for me, which I highly recommend) and our desserts. So, a good rescue of the situation on his part.

Unfortunately, the chefs were slammed, as well. Since my fish had been so good the night before, I ordered the Salmon this time. Since DW's Tuna had been  perfect last time, she re-ordered it. The boys had the Kitchen Burger (shocking, I know). Theirs was as good, and our sides were as good. Unfortunately, my Salmon was overcooked while her Tuna was undercooked. It was our last night and the boys' "restaurant picking night"(and they were having a great time!), so we didn't send it back like we would have otherwise. Dessert was the Oreo Cheesecake which is shaped like an actual Oreo Cookie. It may be the absolute richest thing I've ever tasted. The rest of the family, however, was in heaven and I think the boys could have floated the whole walk back to PBH.

I'm not going to grade The Kitchen too hard here, since we didn't give them the opportunity to correct DW's and my entrees. The Manager was very proactive in making things right and continually checked back with us. So, big points there. But, you see the dilemma: one excellent meal and one not so much- mainly caused by a serious lack of staff planning. Hence, our Family Rule, which we broke. I'm sure we'll give it another chance, at some point. But, with so many great options plus so many new options being built at CityWalk, not on the next trip.

We take the walk back to PBH for our last night after another great day........

In the next post, I'll summarize our thoughts and observations on the Parks, The Hotels, TM's, PhotoConnect, ExpressPass, Transportation, and a few other things.....

*On Deck:  Sleeping in, Breakfast at RPH, and Closing Thoughts on Our Trip........!!!*


----------



## mesaboy2

Good stuff.  

I'm gonna give your TR credit for me seriously considering a return to UO this Labor Day weekend.  In fact it's probably a done deal.


----------



## Dsnymouse

What a GREAT TR!    I am a lover of all things Disney and trying to keep an open mind about MB's and FP+. However 1.3 billion on technology that seems to have lots of glitches!!  Well, you guessed it, for the first time ever, we are headed to the dark side!  We will spend one day at Islands of Adventure (I really want 2 days to see Universal, but can't get the family to agree). Your tp makes me so excited about our choice.  I am so looking forward to Universal and our Portofino Bay stay!


----------



## clsteve

mesaboy2 said:


> Good stuff.
> 
> I'm gonna give your TR credit for me seriously considering a return to UO this Labor Day weekend.  In fact it's probably a done deal.



If you do, you have to promise two things:


Your usual, objective insight- but on the HE: that thing intrigues the heck out of me- it's either a groundbeaker everybody tries to copy, or another way to get between Parks

You have to get a Manly Minion Espresso Cup-  I can't be the only one sporting one


----------



## clsteve

Dsnymouse said:


> What a GREAT TR!    I am a lover of all things Disney and trying to keep an open mind about MB's and FP+. However 1.3 billion on technology that seems to have lots of glitches!!  Well, you guessed it, for the first time ever, we are headed to the dark side!  We will spend one day at Islands of Adventure (I really want 2 days to see Universal, but can't get the family to agree). Your tp makes me so excited about our choice.  I am so looking forward to Universal and our Portofino Bay stay!



You'll love PBH! And spend some good time on these boards. There're great posters here with a lot of knowledge. Since you only have a limited amount of time, ask a lot of questions and get a feel for what's the best way for your family to take in all that's important to them.

They helped me, no doubt.....


----------



## keri125

I am really, really enjoying this trip report!  You have a lovely family and your report has made me so excited for our upcoming trip!  My son is nine and obsessed with Harry Potter.  We didn't think we would be able to make a trip to WWoHP EVER, but due to some financial gains (not of my doing!) we will be able to make it after all.  I am so excited, and your trip report has made me even more so.  Thank you so much for posting (and thank you to you and your wife for being such great parents!  The world needs more families like your's!)


----------



## schumigirl

Great pics again...........love the concentration on most men's faces on MIB 

Glad the queue jumper was dealt with on RRR.........we find the TM's do a great job with that, we had Brazilians the previous July causing or trying to cause mayhem in the queue for The Hulk........they claimed not to understand but they got the message whether they wanted to or not.

Those artists are really good aren't they!! We get a caricature every year and they are fun. Also had them done by a guy at RPR........his are amazing too.

Glad you enjoyed the horror make up show.........it's so much fun


----------



## ArwenMarie

Now you know, don't break your twice-in-one-trip restaurant rule! That's too bad but at least the kids had fun.

We didn't get Photoconnect...will have to check that out next time. You got so many great pictures from it.

Another great update...looking forward to the finale!


----------



## clsteve

keri125 said:


> I am really, really enjoying this trip report!  You have a lovely family and your report has made me so excited for our upcoming trip!  My son is nine and obsessed with Harry Potter.  We didn't think we would be able to make a trip to WWoHP EVER, but due to some financial gains (not of my doing!) we will be able to make it after all.  I am so excited, and your trip report has made me even more so.  Thank you so much for posting (and thank you to you and your wife for being such great parents!  The world needs more families like your's!)



Such nice thoughts- thanks so very much! Your son is going to have a *blast!* He's never going to forget entering the gates to WWoHP, or his first time entering that Castle - mine sure haven't....

And don't forget to report back-we would all love to hear your thoughts after the trip!


----------



## clsteve

schumigirl said:


> *Great pics again...........love the concentration on most men's faces on MIB *
> 
> Glad the queue jumper was dealt with on RRR.........we find the TM's do a great job with that, we had Brazilians the previous July causing or trying to cause mayhem in the queue for The Hulk........they claimed not to understand but they got the message whether they wanted to or not.
> 
> Those artists are really good aren't they!! We get a caricature every year and they are fun. Also had them done by a guy at RPR........his are amazing too.
> 
> Glad you enjoyed the horror make up show.........it's so much fun



Hey! I was just protecting the family....!


----------



## crepemyrtle

You had me at "moose out front should've told you".  Really good stuff.


----------



## clsteve

crepemyrtle said:


> You had me at "moose out front should've told you".  Really good stuff.



I think Clark Griswold's TR would have been a must read......


----------



## LuvEeyore

Joining the fun only to find you are almost done  I am enjoying your report so far and finding it very useful.  
I too like RDU airport although I have only flown out of there once.  Was a great experience.


----------



## Pegasus928

Thank you for a brilliant trip report. A thoroughly good read that helped me through a long and tedious night shift. 
So many of the things you have done will be firsts for us on our next trip (staying in a universal hotel, Harry potter, transformers etc) so it was good to get a perspective on those. 
And even though we have done BMG before we really want to go back now


----------



## clsteve

Pegasus928 said:


> Thank you for a brilliant trip report. A thoroughly good read that helped me through a long and tedious night shift.
> So many of the things you have done will be firsts for us on our next trip (staying in a universal hotel, Harry potter, transformers etc) so it was good to get a perspective on those.
> And even though we have done BMG before we really want to go back now



So glad the TR helped on such a long night! That, plus the anticipation of your upcoming trip 

I hope to have the final leg of this up by this evening, btw- in case you have another long night forthcoming....


----------



## clsteve

* Day Four:  Sleeping in, Breakfast at RPH, and Closing Thoughts on Our Trip!!! *

There was absolutely no way DW wasn't going to get in at least one  Im not getting out of this Loews bed with all these pillows!!! morning. Day Four was perfect since we had no Park time scheduled, it was check-out day, and we had to get the rental car for the drive to Sarasota Springs. She and the kids slept in while I did my normal routine- Sals for fuel, and a wander-around to talk to guests and the TMs. The night before, we had decided catch the 9:30am boat over to CityWalk, transfer to the RPH boat, and get breakfast Jakes. We hadn't had an opportunity to check out RPH, yet. We had heard great things about it on this Board and wanted to have as much info as possible on all three on-site properties before we made our decision for the next stay. 

It was a beautiful morning; sunny, no breeze, but about 40 degrees (but felt at least 42!). The transfer at CityWalk was incredibly easy with an RPH boat just waiting there after dropping its guests. We arrive at RPH and I immediately see we have a major problem  --- its very nice --- in that I know the kids are going to want to stay here next time kind of way. I think the dead give-away was the number of times the rest of the family kept saying: its so pretty..!!, its so close to the Parks..!, it looks like a Disney hotel..!! It is and it does. The landscaping is beautiful, I love the openness of the common areas, and the architecture is a more subdued Polynesian Resort (and I mean that as a compliment- love the Poly, but just think of Loews doing the Poly and youll know what I mean  ). I love the moat - the landscaping, and how it gives a grand entrance to the Resort. Check-out/check-in for the holiday weekend was happening, so we got a feel for who was staying and the vibe. It was right in-between PBH and HRH.

Breakfast at Jakes was very good. It was a buffet, with the omelet station the highlight. The gentleman making omelets is, without a doubt, a professional. I just wish I could remember his name- he deserves quite a shout-out! All of the items on the buffet were fresh, there was a good selection, and the bill (3 adults, one child) came to $54.00. We thought it was a very good value for a resort breakfast buffet, and would go back without any hesitation. We walked back to CityWalk along the path for the boat to PBH. RPH is definitely very close to the Parks, with several different paths from the wings linking into the main one. I can see how the closeness is a big plus.

Check-out was a breeze and Enterprise Rental had their shuttle waiting for us out front. A very important financial note here:  PBH has an Hertz Rental Car counter. We were originally reserved through them for our rental car since, how more convenient can that be!? DW did some research and found that the Enterprise Rental Facility is only 1 mile away, with their usual, no-charge, shuttle service. We saved $147.16 on our 4 day rental by switching to them, and it was a larger class of vehicle.

With that we were off to Nanas- my MiL, so I could solidify my place as favorite son-in-law by getting her all moved in to her new place. 





Before I wrap this up, I want to pass on some of our thoughts and observations. Hopefully, theyll be of some help to a few . And, Ill be as objective as possible. But first: 

*Disclaimer:* These are our observations and conclusions, based on this one trip but compared to other experiences we've had. I assume no liability and your mileage may vary! I've had the pleasure? of staying at, literally, hundreds of hotels on more than a few continents during my previous life and have logged millions of air miles (no joke- I once had 2.5 million miles with just one airline on the books). So, I tend to grade trips and travel experiences  in levels of pain. This trip registered none.

*The Resorts:*
Really good planning on UOs part, since each has a specific feel and seems to cater to a different crowd. Pool hopping and resource sharing were especially nice:

PBH 
Im pretty sure it was obvious throughout the TR that we had an outstanding experience with this property. I have not one bad thing to say, which is unusual, since Im tough on hotels. It was as I expected from a Loews Hotel and very much deserves a Deluxe Rating for a Theme Park property.  The staff were professional, proactive, and  pleasant from the very first encounter.  Well themed and beautifully landscaped, all of the grounds and common areas were well maintained. The rooms were quite large- especially the bathrooms; with the beds, pillows and linens of very high quality. We stayed in rooms 2334/2336 and found them convenient to the lobby, concierge, elevator, and restaurants. The only 2 slight negatives I can think of for PBH- the layout is a bit confusing and the pool towels were of higher quality than those in the room.  

I highly recommend PBH- especially to those looking for some quiet and separation from the go,go of a theme park vacation, but still wanting to have that themed, immersive feel along with the closeness and convenience.

HRH
Its really a fun place. The theme, the vibe, the pool, all work to give that Hard Rock feel without the adult edge of other Hard Rock Properties. The location is so close to the parks and CityWalk that you hardly need the boats. The pool was the best of the three (and the pool bar). If I had teens and tweens, or we were a young, traveling couple (the Velvet Lounge looked like a lot of fun!)- this would be our spot. For where we are as a family,it's just a bit too up tempo for us. We tend to go hard during the day, but like quiet around us when the day is done, so to speak. Thats not a knock, its much more of a reflection on how much older and boring Im getting.


RPH
Our opinion, but it seemed to us the most Disney-esque  of the on-site properties. The kids noticed it right away. Its also really close to the Parks and CityWalk. The pool doesnt have a slide, however, but pool-hopping makes it less of an issue. I almost wish we hadnt stopped by for breakfast since this is now the kids unanimous choice for our next stay. DW and I have a lot of work to do in order to get back to PBH. If the boys can make enough lemonade money between now and then, more power to them!

Cabana Bay
We drove around it as much as we could once we had the car. Its very easy to see Universal is embracing the fact that many of its guests want to do other things in FLA. So, instead of trying to force them to stay on property, they seem to be  providing a value resort that makes it easy to do the opposite while still providing some on-site perks. Its almost as close to SeaWorld as it is to the UO parks. With its price point, what sounds like a great pool complex, and the family suites with kitchens:  this looks like a great option if you plan on a lot of touring beyond IOA and US. Its not a bad business model for UO and makes up for the no ExpressPass- a very smart move on their part. I do think that room location may be important, however, since some of the rooms do look close to the road. 

*The Parks:*
I hope the previous posts in this TR did a good job of showing how much fun we had. We found both to be very well-themed, each were easy to navigate, and had  an excellent mix of rides that appealed to us -individually and as a family. We all felt at least one more day would have been perfect. Especially since I didnt point out how much we did not do in 3 full days. It seems we left a lot for the next trip: Dr Doom, Twister, Storm Force, Disaster, ET,  BeetleJuice, Ripsaw Falls, Terminator, Animal Actors, Sinbad, Pteranodon Flyers, most of JP Discovery Center, and Daigon Alley (of course!). I was very surprised when I looked at that list. Oh, and some of the other things that pleasantly surprised us?: 

The roaming characters- really fun and great photo ops. The kids had a blast with them 
How different the 2 Parks felt from each other
PhotoConnect- great value for the price
Park cleanliness
The closeness of the Parks, and to CityWalk and the Resorts
The queues-fun and very well themed
Transportation- the walking paths and their landscaping,  boats for each resort- and how well they stayed on schedule, and how late they ran (even though we didnt take advantage of that)
The TMs- more in a bit

Maintenance
We only experienced the morning issue with DM, one 15 minute outage for MiB, and one outage of unknown duration for Transformers for the whole of our 3 day stay. Unknown because we left the EP queue before they brought the ride back up. It seems Darwin was in the house since someone had dropped an IPad on the tracks while trying to film the experience.   I know, nuff said: and said many other times in many other threads I was just about to launch into the whole "What the heck were they thinking" thing.... We may just have gotten lucky, but I found that very manageable with how many times we rode on this trip.

One quick thought on WWoHP and the whole Harry Potter thing before leaving this Parks section- it was worth every single penny they paid and whatever oversight they gave to JK Rowling. Now, Id done the research and understood what it had meant to them from a profitability and attendance perspective, but had no understanding of the legs this has for them. It really hit home when I saw just how many mixed groups of 20 to 50+ year olds were wandering around both Parks in full HP regalia- robes, wands, scarves, wire rimmed glasses, the whole nine yards. This isnt just a kid thing, or a boy thing, or a girl thing:  its a multi-generational thing for both genders. I cant think of another franchise in the past 40 years, except maybe one, that would come close to that appeal across such a demographic.  Good books before good movies seem to anchor things a bit for the long term, it would seem.

ExpressPass
Its very easy to see how you can go without if you have a solid touring plan- especially during this time of year. However, were not going back without it. It would be like going to Vegas without gambling- I know you can have a great time seeing shows and eating at the restaurants, but its just not the same once youve done Vegas while gambling. EP is the number one reason why it was such a relaxing vacation for us. If we wanted to do something, we did it. If someone dropped an IPad on the tracks, we left and rode an hour later when the SB line was at 50 minutes but we only waited 10. If we wanted to do MiB 4 times in a row, we did it. If DW and DS10 wanted to shop while DS8 and I picked a coaster to ride, we did it and met in the shop 20 minutes later. We never planned anything, ride-wise, for the whole trip beyond early entry to WWoHP and DM first thing in the morning at US. And, it greatly minimized any family separation when only a couple of us did want to ride something. Thats really EP for us in a nutshell.   

TMs
Whats the best way to put this? Well, theyre pumped up- no doubt about it. I spent a lot of time speaking with them and was very impressed with how positive they are about UOs direction. Why? Two things came up over and over- Daigon Alley and the long term plan beyond it. Things are happening, happening on time, and they can see it. You cannot discount how important that is to a staff and its morale, and it reflected in how they approached their work. This bodes well for UO for the near future, at least. I was also surprised about how much they knew about MM+ and were openly talking about it with me - not at all in a Disney-bashing way, but more in a I really feel sorry for what my friend/spouse/neighbor is going through down there kind of way. All I can say is, the overall satisfaction level of the TMs seemed quite high.

*Finances*
Bottom line (with no pun intended), we got our moneys worth. We were able to get 2 adjoining PBH rooms for just at $100.00 per night over what one deluxe room with 2 queens cost per night for our canceled nights at YC . Add in the ExpressPass, this was a good deal. We were there during the Buy 2 Park to Park Days and get the 3rd Day Free promotion, so Im not sure its fair to compare ticket prices- so I wont. Needless to say, it was a great promotion. We found many AAA discounts and AmEx discounts of 10% in the restaurants and shops. Plus, the meal prices were 5 to 14% cheaper across the board from what we experienced at WDW (IMHO, I think many of Disneys Sig and TS prices are over-inflated just so those on the DPs feel theyre getting value and great savings- looking at you Narcoossees -- again! I mean the size and quality of that lobster at that price has to carry a mandatory jail sentence in Maine.). Adult beverage prices seemed slightly higher than WDW, but the pours were much better and the souvenir glass deal at the pools brings it back in line at the resorts. I have no idea how the DA opening might change all of this, but it was our first trip where we spent less than we had budgeted and expected.

*One Last Thought*

Okay, until that very last part, Ive tried so hard to keep the WDW/UO comparisons to a minimum. And, Im very glad I have- each of the six Parks can really stand on its own, have so much to offer, and weve greatly enjoyed them all.  Plus, WDW has been an iconic part of my life- from that first time in March of 72 driving all the way from New Jersey in the back of a dodge station wagon, through multiple visits as a kid living in FLA, to visiting as a college kid jammed 8 to a room in a HoJos, to many visits as an adult-  both as a visitor, at corporate events, and from the back (think: slightly uncomfortable non-Disney business-types in matching polos and a blazer being ushered out of a side door to get on a ride or holding clipboards off somewhere in the distance trying to look interested.), to taking the kids for their very first time. Disney is very, very special to me. So instead, Ill give you an analogy- one that we parents can all understand:

I view UO and WDW as siblings. WDW is the teen: over-enamored with technology, sleeping in too much, not doing enough around the house, thinks hes way smarter than his parents, and focused way too much on his priorities and not his grades- maybe because we gave him too much praise early on. UO is the younger one: getting good grades in school, doing his chores around the house, still enjoys throwing the ball around outside with Dad, and making his parents smile is still priority number one. Now, can the older also get wiser and remember that his parents will always be a major part of his life and begin to re-set his priorities? Absolutely. Also, can the younger sibling grow and go through the same stage as his older brother? Absolutely. As a parent, do you still love them both? Of course. But right now, thats where they seem to be--- to this parent, anyway.

Well, thats our trip. It was great fun and well be going back, hopefully sooner rather than later. It might be as early as November or the same time next year. Were hooked, but well just have to wait and see

And thanks so much for the kind words about the family and the TR- I've enjoyed the heck out of this and cant wait for those first reports coming in once DA opens!

Take care, from all of us......


----------



## schumigirl

Fantastic trip report.....sorry to see it come to an end!

Great observations about Universal. We adore the parks and RPR and haven't ever found anything negative to say. We find the TM's to be amazing and the parks are fantastic, we love spending time in them and never get bored.

Glad you and your family had such a wonderful trip, thanks for taking the time to do it


----------



## mcbailey

That was a fabulous trip report!  It makes me so excited for my trip in October!  You really put everything into perspective and did a great job telling the whole story.  

Thank you!


----------



## mesaboy2

I enjoyed reading the whole thing!


----------



## quest4dl

Excellent trip report!  So glad we took two of our nights from Disney and moved them to Universal - we did visit in 2011 (again a split stay) but feeling really pumped after your report.  

Your sibling characterization of WDW and UO was spot on too!


----------



## ArwenMarie

Great summary, enjoyed reading your thoughts, and the entire trip report! Sorry to see it come to an end...you'll just have to go back so you can write another one for us!


----------



## clsteve

schumigirl said:


> Fantastic trip report.....sorry to see it come to an end!
> 
> Great observations about Universal. We adore the parks and RPR and haven't ever found anything negative to say. We find the TM's to be amazing and the parks are fantastic, we love spending time in them and never get bored.
> 
> Glad you and your family had such a wonderful trip, thanks for taking the time to do it



Thanks so much- I have a new appreciation for all the work you've put in yours, no doubt!



mcbailey said:


> That was a fabulous trip report!  It makes me so excited for my trip in October!  You really put everything into perspective and did a great job telling the whole story.
> 
> Thank you!


October will be so great for you with DA open! It really looks like the new direction in theme park experiences with the HE moving between both parks. Take lots of pictures for all of us!


----------



## clsteve

mesaboy2 said:


> I enjoyed reading the whole thing!


Labor Day.....DA......US.....Manly Minion Espresso Cup........ Pictures......Validation (for me)....

But seriously, thanks much


----------



## cmaee

Great trip report!  I enjoyed reading the whole thing!  I am pretty excited about our trip in December.  I was worried that I picked the wrong resort at first, but reading your kids take on RPR, I am glad I chose that resort.  Now if I could just decide how many days to spend at Universal and WDW.  We want to do both, but I'm thinking we might end up doing 4 days at Universal/4 days at WDW instead of the 2 days at Universal/6 days at WDW that I have planned right now.


----------



## clsteve

quest4dl said:


> Excellent trip report!  So glad we took two of our nights from Disney and moved them to Universal - we did visit in 2011 (again a split stay) but feeling really pumped after your report.
> 
> Your sibling characterization of WDW and UO was spot on too!



Yes, two siblings - with one driving us a bit crazy right now. I'm glad a lot of us (like you) can see it's ok to care for both of them and enjoy both of them, yet still provide a little constructive criticism to one when it's necessary.....


----------



## clsteve

cmaee said:


> Great trip report!  I enjoyed reading the whole thing!  I am pretty excited about our trip in December.  I was worried that I picked the wrong resort at first, but reading your kids take on RPR, I am glad I chose that resort.  Now if I could just decide how many days to spend at Universal and WDW.  We want to do both, but I'm thinking we might end up doing 4 days at Universal/4 days at WDW instead of the 2 days at Universal/6 days at WDW that I have planned right now.



If you're going in December, DA will be open. Think of it as adding on a brand new Land, so just plan enough time to get everything in your family really wants.  I wouldn't worry a bit about picking RPH- we may end up there ourselves next time....



ArwenMarie said:


> Great summary, enjoyed reading your thoughts, and the entire trip report! Sorry to see it come to an end...you'll just have to go back so you can write another one for us!



I can't wait to go back! And I can't wait to do another TR -----right after I finish reading yours..!!!! 

Just kidding- I'm kinda sorry to see it come to an end myself, but the Tax Man  cometh, and I'm running out of excuses to get all of that together!


----------



## Pegasus928

A great end to your trip report. It finished it all off nicely with some good conclusions. I will show it to DW so she can see what we are in for. 
Thanks again
Kenny


----------



## zebsterama

Thank you very much for this awesome report. It's our first trip to Universal for eight nights this summer (Myself , DW, DS 12, DD 10). Being the traditional Disney planning nut -- I have this strange underlying need to leave nothing to chance  .... yes it is a strange obsessive sickness.

We've gone from originally thinking PBH made the most sense, to booking RPH, to cancelling RPH and booking Club at HRH. 

After reading your final instalment .... this info and insight has now made me lean again towards RPH and question our choice --- thank you for once again inflicting this torment upon my being!  LOL! 

I'm sure any choice will be great --- but this reach for vacation accommodation perfection is truly a DIS board disorder that I seem to share with many. Being a Universal newbie only exasperates things.

For HRH we love the slide & pool for the kids ... and they love Rock n' Roll (we're all going to see American Idiot and  Rain [Tribute to the Beatles] this month)  --- I'm great with the whole Hard Rock culture as well (used to be a touring musician) --- but I also really like my quiet, calm, non-chaotic time -- and who doesn't like the theme and feel of the Polynesian? OH the horror!!   Really worried that I might be missing out by not staying at RPH.

Any thoughts or additional insight into this first world tragic dilemma? 

Cheers,
Zebsterama


----------



## clsteve

zebsterama said:


> Thank you very much for this awesome report. It's our first trip to Universal for eight nights this summer (Myself , DW, DS 12, DD 10). Being the traditional Disney planning nut -- I have this strange underlying need to leave nothing to chance  .... yes it is a strange obsessive sickness.
> 
> We've gone from originally thinking PBH made the most sense, to booking RPH, to cancelling RPH and booking Club at HRH.
> 
> After reading your final instalment .... this info and insight has now made me lean again towards RPH and question our choice --- thank you for once again inflicting this torment upon my being!  LOL!
> 
> I'm sure any choice will be great --- but this reach for vacation accommodation perfection is truly a DIS board disorder that I seem to share with many. Being a Universal newbie only exasperates things.
> 
> For HRH we love the slide & pool for the kids ... and they love Rock n' Roll (we're all going to see American Idiot and  Rain [Tribute to the Beatles] this month)  --- I'm great with the whole Hard Rock culture as well (used to be a touring musician) --- but I also really like my quiet, calm, non-chaotic time -- and who doesn't like the theme and feel of the Polynesian? OH the horror!!   Really worried that I might be missing out by not staying at RPH.
> 
> Any thoughts or additional insight into this first world tragic dilemma?
> 
> Cheers,
> Zebsterama


Ha...! I feel your pain! I think we "Planners" need our own support group- or maybe a special wing in the Betty Ford Clinic 

We went back and forth on this, as well. I'd just remember that all three Resorts are going to be rockin' this summer with DA opening. If you've never been, the kids won't know what they've missed between the 2 and the ability to pool hop and resource share really makes a lot of it a non-issue. If it wasn't for that, we'd be more tempted to stay at HRH next time, even if it didn't quite fit what DW and I enjoy as much, just for the pool- since the pool is number one or 1a for the kids when it comes to accommodations.

Oh, and you're really going to love the no plan part once you're there. Although, I did catch myself reaching for my laminated touring plan a couple of times during the trip......


----------



## zebsterama

clsteve said:


> Ha...! I feel your pain! I think we "Planners" need our own support group- or maybe a special wing in the Betty Ford Clinic
> 
> We went back and forth on this, as well. I'd just remember that all three Resorts are going to be rockin' this summer with DA opening. If you've never been, the kids won't know what they've missed between the 2 and the ability to pool hop and resource share really makes a lot of it a non-issue. If it wasn't for that, we'd be more tempted to stay at HRH next time, even if it didn't quite fit what DW and I enjoy as much, just for the pool- since the pool is number one or 1a for the kids when it comes to accommodations.
> 
> Oh, and you're really going to love the no plan part once you're there. Although, I did catch myself reaching for my laminated touring plan a couple of times during the trip......



What!?!? .... No laminated touring plan? For shame!!!  

Thanks very much for the advice and taking the time; I will consult with my smarter half - who in all likelihood will sigh and shake her head at my torment before stating/asking the obvious,  "Didn't we already make this decision?"   

In the end we will very likely stick with HRH ... but hey, if I'm not driving DW just a little crazy my VPOD (vacation planning obsessive disorder) - then I feel as if I'm doing a small disservice to married men everywhere.   

Cheers,
Zebsterama


----------



## LuvEeyore

Great trip report!!

I have some questions from US newbie and WDW vet.  I am probably going for my 50th birthday in January 2015.  Never been to US before.  Thinking of Jan 2 and 3 at Universal and 4-8 at WDW resort.  Trying to figure out where to stay?  Stay at Universal??  Then move to WDW on Sunday as the rates go down.  Where to stay??  What kind of ticket?  DA will be open and I guess we will need park to park passes?  How about express passes?

Any suggestions?  Our traveling party...Me age 50 Mom age 79  God daughter will be 20 and sis in law age 46.  The girls are traveling probably by car from VA.  Girls after Christmas trip.


----------



## clsteve

LuvEeyore said:


> Great trip report!!
> 
> I have some questions from US newbie and WDW vet.  I am probably going for my 50th birthday in January 2015.  Never been to US before.  Thinking of Jan 2 and 3 at Universal and 4-8 at WDW resort.  Trying to figure out where to stay?  Stay at Universal??  Then move to WDW on Sunday as the rates go down.  Where to stay??  What kind of ticket?  DA will be open and I guess we will need park to park passes?  How about express passes?
> 
> Any suggestions?  Our traveling party...Me age 50 Mom age 79  God daughter will be 20 and sis in law age 46.  The girls are traveling probably by car from VA.  Girls after Christmas trip.



I see where you're coming from...

The Jan 2-3 is a Friday and Saturday, meaning everybody will still be on Holiday. So, those dates will still be max crowd level ones. With your Mom 79 (as will be mine in '15), Express Pass would look like just about a must- whether on or off-site, if she wants to see more than a couple of things before her stamina and the crowds make her call time out.

On-site would give you not only EP, but also Early Entry. Both very important things when the crowds are that high. The on-sites also have the boat service for transpo and just overall closeness (think BC/BWI closeness to EPCOT)

What I can't tell you is the difference in expense of on-site for those days versus what off-site plus the added expense of ExpressPass to your tickets would be. That's something I'm sure you'll look closely at.

You'll need Park to Park tickets to move between US/DA and IOA/WWoHP on the Hogwart's Express.

With my Mom, she'd rank it PBH, RPH and HRH in that order if the prices were equal.

Hope this helps, but toss any of these questions out in the forums and the "Big Guns" can really help you a lot


----------



## clsteve

zebsterama said:


> What!?!? .... No laminated touring plan? For shame!!!
> 
> Thanks very much for the advice and taking the time; I will consult with my smarter half - who in all likelihood will sigh and shake her head at my torment before stating/asking the obvious,  "Didn't we already make this decision?"
> 
> In the end we will very likely stick with HRH ... but hey, *if I'm not driving DW just a little crazy my VPOD (vacation planning obsessive disorder) - then I feel as if I'm doing a small disservice to married men everywhere*.
> 
> Cheers,
> Zebsterama



Keep up the good work and I promise to hold up my end of the bargain on that as well...!


----------



## LuvEeyore

clsteve said:


> I see where you're coming from...
> 
> The Jan 2-3 is a Friday and Saturday, meaning everybody will still be on Holiday. So, those dates will still be max crowd level ones. With your Mom 79 (as will be mine in '15), Express Pass would look like just about a must- whether on or off-site, if she wants to see more than a couple of things before her stamina and the crowds make her call time out.
> 
> On-site would give you not only EP, but also Early Entry. Both very important things when the crowds are that high. The on-sites also have the boat service for transpo and just overall closeness (think BC/BWI closeness to EPCOT)
> 
> What I can't tell you is the difference in expense of on-site for those days versus what off-site plus the added expense of ExpressPass to your tickets would be. That's something I'm sure you'll look closely at.
> 
> You'll need Park to Park tickets to move between US/DA and IOA/WWoHP on the Hogwart's Express.
> 
> With my Mom, she'd rank it PBH, RPH and HRH in that order if the prices were equal.
> 
> Hope this helps, but toss any of these questions out in the forums and the "Big Guns" can really help you a lot



Thanks for the help.  This was what I was thinking.


----------



## zimaaaaah

Wow!  What an awesome trip report.  Had my two favorite things for a trip report:  details and pictures.  We have a reservation for first week of June at WDW, but are seriously considering changing our plan.  This was a great source of information and I really appreciate you taking the time to write it.


----------



## lakohls

Thank you so much.  We are also planning a return to Florida and have decided to split the stay.  The only dilemma is


----------



## lakohls

Thank you so much.  We are also planning a return to Florida for feb 2015 and have decided to split the stay.  The only dilemma is how Long at WDW vs US.  Based on your report and others, really thinking at least 3 nights & 4 days to enjoy it fully and justify the added expense.  Kids have just entered he big thrill rides era (by then dd13, dd11, ds6) and with EP they can enjoy the rides while either DH or myself can shop with DS17 who is wheelchair bound but not spend hours waiting for them.  Even though we love Disney, and own enough DVC to stay there the entire trip, it seems the time has come.  Loved your review & will likely read several times before our actual trip to take notes.

Ps - sorry for the partial posting as I learn to use the iPad app


----------



## Heluvsme

I'm late in coming to this report, but I wanted to chime in with a thank you!  We're planning now and are considering... *gasp*.... a couple days at Universal.  I know NOTHING about it so here I am trying to soak in as much as I can. 

Thanks again!


----------



## clsteve

lakohls said:


> Thank you so much.  We are also planning a return to Florida for feb 2015 and have decided to split the stay.  The only dilemma is how Long at WDW vs US.  Based on your report and others, really thinking at least 3 nights & 4 days to enjoy it fully and justify the added expense.  Kids have just entered he big thrill rides era (by then dd13, dd11, ds6) and with EP they can enjoy the rides while either DH or myself can shop with DS17 who is wheelchair bound but not spend hours waiting for them.  Even though we love Disney, and own enough DVC to stay there the entire trip, it seems the time has come.  Loved your review & will likely read several times before our actual trip to take notes.
> 
> *Ps - sorry for the partial posting as I learn to use the iPad app*



Ah, Apple technology strikes the TR one last time.... 

Seriously, Your kids are at a point they'll have a great time and EP *really* works to keep down the family separation. With DA opening, 3 days would be the absolute minimum for our family- to keep it in relax mode and not commando mode.

 We love Disney too- and found out we can love both......


----------



## RachelleBeaney

clsteve said:


> Thanks - not quite sure why quotations and apostrophes keep dropping out. Unfortunately, I can't blame it on Apple this time.....



This ALWAYS happens to me when I post updates from any word document i'm writing my report in to these boards! I have given up trying to fix it because it's too time consuming. Perhaps they should look at their software! Also I use a PC so I don't think it's got anything to do with Apple...


----------



## clsteve

RachelleBeaney said:


> This ALWAYS happens to me when I post updates from any word document i'm writing my report in to these boards! I have given up trying to fix it *** it's too time consuming. Perhaps they should look at their software! Also I use a PC so I don't think it's got anything to do with Apple...



Ah, at least it isn't just me! And here I thought it must just be operator error (mine)......!


----------



## RachelleBeaney

Fantastic report! Loved it! I loved your parental analogy RE the comparison between WDW and UO! It was gold! I'm not a parent but I really feel I understood and agreed with what you were saying. Personally, I have travelled to UO and WDW twice, DL Resort thrice and had one trip to Tokyo Disney. All the resorts have their merits (TDR is BEAUTIFUL beyond words, DL is quaint and nostalgic, UO fun and thrilling and WDW huge and resortish) but I find myself not being able to pick a favorite. That being said, DL and UO always seem to edge to the top of my favorite resort list because of their size, the ability to treat two parks as one easily and the feeling of being completely surrounded at all times by their magic (though WDW claims to do this by having such a big property with less 'real world' components leaking through I actually find it does the opposite for me in that I feel lost in a swap most of the time!)...Of course I also have an affinity with DLR as that was my first Disney Theme Park experience and it just conjures up those memories of wonder I first felt to discover how wonderful a theme park could truly be! Thanks for sharing your experiences. My husband and I have a trip planned for February next year for his birthday and it will be our first visit staying on property at Universal (Hard Rock Hotel hopefully - it's too early to book yet). In the past we've always stayed on WDW property when touring WDW and then at a generic hotel for the rest of our Orlando Trip but this time we are only visiting 2 WDW parks (since we are also visiting DLR in our trip) and we feel that Universal has more to offer right now....I really appreciated your info RE dining as that is one area at Universal I haven't had much experience with. Excited for all the new restaurants opening this year in Citywalk too! Anyway - sorry about the long ramble and thanks again


----------



## clsteve

RachelleBeaney said:


> Fantastic report! Loved it! I loved your parental analogy RE the comparison between WDW and UO! It was gold! I'm not a parent but I really feel I understood and agreed with what you were saying. Personally, I have travelled to UO and WDW twice, DL Resort thrice and had one trip to Tokyo Disney. All the resorts have their merits (TDR is BEAUTIFUL beyond words, DL is quaint and nostalgic, UO fun and thrilling and WDW huge and resortish) but I find myself not being able to pick a favorite. That being said, DL and UO always seem to edge to the top of my favorite resort list because of their size, the ability to treat two parks as one easily and the feeling of being completely surrounded at all times by their magic (though WDW claims to do this by having such a big property with less 'real world' components leaking through I actually find it does the opposite for me in that I feel lost in a swap most of the time!)...Of course I also have an affinity with DLR as that was my first Disney Theme Park experience and it just conjures up those memories of wonder I first felt to discover how wonderful a theme park could truly be! Thanks for sharing your experiences. My husband and I have a trip planned for February next year for his birthday and it will be our first visit staying on property at Universal (Hard Rock Hotel hopefully - it's too early to book yet). In the past we've always stayed on WDW property when touring WDW and then at a generic hotel for the rest of our Orlando Trip but this time we are only visiting 2 WDW parks (since we are also visiting DLR in our trip) and we feel that Universal has more to offer right now....I really appreciated your info RE dining as that is one area at Universal I haven't had much experience with. Excited for all the new restaurants opening this year in Citywalk too! Anyway - sorry about the long ramble and thanks again



I absolutely agree that UO has a completely immersive feel to it. I also came back more relaxed than I expected. It would be similar to staying at BWI/BC/Swalphin while just doing DHS and EPCOT.

*Loved* your Trip of a Lifetime TR, btw! Japan is an amazing place. I lived there in the late 80's and enjoyed every minute of it......


----------



## RachelleBeaney

clsteve said:


> I absolutely agree that UO has a completely immersive feel to it. I also came back more relaxed than I expected. It would be similar to staying at BWI/BC/Swalphin while just doing DHS and EPCOT.
> 
> *Loved* your Trip of a Lifetime TR, btw! Japan is an amazing place. I lived there in the late 80's and enjoyed every minute of it......



Thanks clsteve!! I loved writing that report  Wow - living in Japan would have been amazing...I really want to go back and see more of Japan itself. Love the culture, the people, the food, everything really


----------



## pixeegrl

It's been awhile since I've been on the boards. We don't have another trip scheduled for a couple years and sometimes it brings me down knowing it's going to be awhile. Decided to check out the trip reports anyways and I'm so glad I did! Thank you for a great TR! It's like going back all over again seeing the excitement and enjoyment of others  I'm also glad I found your TR once it was finished...I don't think I could have handled waiting for each installment. Glad your family had a great trip!!!


----------



## clsteve

pixeegrl said:


> It's been awhile since I've been on the boards. We don't have another trip scheduled for a couple years and sometimes it brings me down knowing it's going to be awhile. Decided to check out the trip reports anyways and I'm so glad I did! Thank you for a great TR! It's like going back all over again seeing the excitement and enjoyment of others  I'm also glad I found your TR once it was finished...I don't think I could have handled waiting for each installment. Glad your family had a great trip!!!



I'm so very glad you enjoyed it! And, I have to say, you have one of my favorite quotes in your sig line. The Good Doctor is very underrated......


----------



## BigGreen73

A+. Outstaning trip report. I rarely read through an entire trip report, but i did this one. This is exactly what I was looking for too. Enjoyed the pics and it showed a lot of what we would like to see.

My DW and I are WDW/Disney fanatics. Been to WDW 8 times since 2004. Never been to Universal. Ever. But, we feel like WDW is kind of stagnant now with nothing overly exciting or new to make us want to go back right now. New fantasyland?ok, FP+? ugh, every increasing prices? You betcha.

We want to visit Universal on our next trip to Florida. Hopefully in 2015. It's going to be a much longer vacation that what you took AND after your report we are definitely staying onsite. Thanks again for the Trip Report.

PS. We're from Maine and are 100% with you on the Lobster comment.


----------



## clsteve

BigGreen73 said:


> A+. Outstaning trip report. I rarely read through an entire trip report, but i did this one. This is exactly what I was looking for too. Enjoyed the pics and it showed a lot of what we would like to see.
> 
> My DW and I are WDW/Disney fanatics. Been to WDW 8 times since 2004. Never been to Universal. Ever. But, we feel like WDW is kind of stagnant now with nothing overly exciting or new to make us want to go back right now. New fantasyland?ok, FP+? ugh, every increasing prices? You betcha.
> 
> We want to visit Universal on our next trip to Florida. Hopefully in 2015. It's going to be a much longer vacation that what you took AND after your report we are definitely staying onsite. Thanks again for the Trip Report.
> 
> PS. We're from Maine and are 100% with you on the Lobster comment.


Very glad I could help! 

You'll love everything about the UO on-site experience! Plus a change can be a good thing for perspective. 

Also, not once did I run into a $74.00, 6 day old, 1 1/4 lb lobster while at UO....


----------



## evcollins

Great report! Can't wait for our split stay in September. We've never been to Universal and really excited now. Thanks so much!!


----------



## clsteve

evcollins said:


> Great report! Can't wait for our split stay in September. We've never been to Universal and really excited now. Thanks so much!!



You'll have a blast- esp. with DA open! We hope to get back in Nov, if things work out...


----------



## plannermom

Thank you so much for the detailed trip report. I am planning two days on the dark side, (RPH w/DS13 & DS11)pre cruise in October. We love WDW, and I will miss AKL terribly, but we also love HP and DA was just too much to pass by. Your report has made me excited for the rest of the parks too.  Thanks again!


----------



## ehides

What a wonderful way to spend a snowy end of March afternoon in Calgary (yes end of March and it is STILL snowing!).  Thanks for all of the effort in your posting. From one very serious "planner" to another, I'm REALLY looking forward to the luxury of not planning for a change since we too will be staying at an on-site hotel for our upcoming trip.

I was half way through reading your report when I came across your review on BMG. Wow. I stopped right there and booked our tickets for during our trip at the end of April. We've seen the ads and have been to UO one other time 3 yrs ago, but didn't think to go as we were staying at a house rental close to WDW and did the park open-to-close thing since we were only there one day for each park, which was more than enough for the day.  This time we are staying at the HRH for 8 nights!! When we went 3 yrs ago and had driven there with our rental car early in the morning, walked across the parking bridge and I saw the HRH ... well ... I said if we ever came back THAT is where we are staying.

One thing I didn't come across in your TR (or maybe I just missed it) was what was the price of the PhotoConnect?  I'm thinking that would be a great thing to do for our trip.


----------



## clsteve

plannermom said:


> Thank you so much for the detailed trip report. I am planning two days on the dark side, (RPH w/DS13 & DS11)pre cruise in October. We love WDW, and I will miss AKL terribly, but we also love HP and DA was just too much to pass by. Your report has made me excited for the rest of the parks too.  Thanks again!



My pleasure! HP, DA and a cruise will more than make up for missing AKL! Although, Sanaa might be my fave at WDW...


----------



## clsteve

ehides said:


> What a wonderful way to spend a snowy end of March afternoon in Calgary (yes end of March and it is STILL snowing!).  Thanks for all of the effort in your posting. From one very serious "planner" to another, I'm REALLY looking forward to the luxury of not planning for a change since we too will be staying at an on-site hotel for our upcoming trip.
> 
> I was half way through reading your report when I came across your review on BMG. Wow. I stopped right there and booked our tickets for during our trip at the end of April. We've seen the ads and have been to UO one other time 3 yrs ago, but didn't think to go as we were staying at a house rental close to WDW and did the park open-to-close thing since we were only there one day for each park, which was more than enough for the day.  This time we are staying at the HRH for 8 nights!! When we went 3 yrs ago and had driven there with our rental car early in the morning, walked across the parking bridge and I saw the HRH ... well ... I said if we ever came back THAT is where we are staying.
> 
> One thing I didn't come across in your TR (or maybe I just missed it) was what was the price of the PhotoConnect?  I'm thinking that would be a great thing to do for our trip.



I understand snowy days in Calgary very well- I lived/worked there in '96-'98! What a great place - and I can't wait till the boys are old enough for a hike up Galatea to the lakes...


PhotoConnect was $49.95 for us when we pre-ordered from the website and was good for 3 consecutive days once activated. We found it a great deal. And BMG was probably my biggest surprise the whole trip. In no way did I expect to have that much fun. Gotta love surprises


----------



## RMulieri

Fantastic trip report ! Really made me feel like I was there. I am glad you gave Universal a chance and enjoyed it as much as we did on our 1st trip in Jan 2012..We went in on whim since the husband decided he wanted something different than Disney ( we had done Disney yearly or more for many years).We went in with no expectations .We had such a fantastic trip that we have since gone on another trip and have our 3rd onsite trip planned for later this year in Decmber ( if I can get off from  work) or Jan 2015.All of our stays are at PBH ( love the resort too much to try the other 2 , though they are beautiful too).Unviersal was the first vacation I actually came home feeling like I HAD a vacation..No insane planning , no rushing around.I cant wait to go back and experience it all again.


----------



## clsteve

RMulieri said:


> Fantastic trip report ! Really made me feel like I was there. I am glad you gave Universal a chance and enjoyed it as much as we did on our 1st trip in Jan 2012..We went in on whim since the husband decided he wanted something different than Disney ( we had done Disney yearly or more for many years).We went in with no expectations .We had such a fantastic trip that we have since gone on another trip and have our 3rd onsite trip planned for later this year in Decmber ( if I can get off from  work) or Jan 2015.All of our stays are at PBH ( love the resort too much to try the other 2 , though they are beautiful too).Unviersal was *the first vacation I actually came home feeling like I HAD a vacation..No insane planning , no rushing around.I cant wait to go back and experience it all again.*



I agree 110%. I can't wait to go back, as well. Now, if I can just play my cards right with the family, I can get us back to PBH, for our next trip. Unfortunately, they also know me too well. As soon as I say "can't wait to get back to PBH!", they're going to throw the "Dad, aren't you always telling us to try something new at least once...?" right back at me until I cave on RPH. But, heck, if that's all I have to do to get back- not a prob, at all.....


----------



## erinsmom03

Thank you for such a comprehensive and entertaining TR!  I totally enjoyed every bit of it!

I also am a planner...I wish I could be a travel agent when I grow up!  We are heading to UO in a few weeks for the first time ever.  We are also huge WDW fans, and are struggling with this decision to go to the Dark Side periodically.  Especially DH...but I know that if he reads your report, he will feel so much more at ease!  DD10 is a huge Harry Potter fan, as am I, so it just makes sense to take her to UO at this age.  Plus, we will still get our Disney fix, as we are going to have a split UO/Disney Magic cruise trip.

I do have a question regarding Cabana Bay.  You wrote early in the TR that you thought that there wouldn't be pool hopping privileges at CB for the other Loews hotels onsite.  It made me nervous, so I as wondering where you heard that? We will be staying at CB (I love the family suite for the simple fact that my mom will be with us; privacy and 3 compartment bath ). Adding the Express Pass wasn't that expensive in the big scheme of things, so I did that for sure.  But I was under the impression that pool hopping was allowed, and DD will be disappointed not to try the HRH pool.  Any more info on that?


----------



## clsteve

erinsmom03 said:


> Thank you for such a comprehensive and entertaining TR!  I totally enjoyed every bit of it!
> 
> I also am a planner...I wish I could be a travel agent when I grow up!  We are heading to UO in a few weeks for the first time ever.  We are also huge WDW fans, and are struggling with this decision to go to the Dark Side periodically.  Especially DH...but I know that if he reads your report, he will feel so much more at ease!  DD10 is a huge Harry Potter fan, as am I, so it just makes sense to take her to UO at this age.  Plus, we will still get our Disney fix, as we are going to have a split UO/Disney Magic cruise trip.
> 
> I do have a question regarding Cabana Bay.  You wrote early in the TR that you thought that there wouldn't be pool hopping privileges at CB for the other Loews hotels onsite.  It made me nervous, so I as wondering where you heard that? We will be staying at CB (I love the family suite for the simple fact that my mom will be with us; privacy and 3 compartment bath ). Adding the Express Pass wasn't that expensive in the big scheme of things, so I did that for sure.  But I was under the impression that pool hopping was allowed, and DD will be disappointed not to try the HRH pool.  Any more info on that?


Your DD will be in heaven at WWoHP since she's a big fan. My kids sure were. And, I'll be surprised if DH isn't impressed with the whole thing - especially since you have it planned out so well with the Disney fix coming at Cruise time. Getting EP will definitely free you up from much of the stress we're all used to!

The pool hop thing? The website says you absolutely can. It looks like (and I should know better  ) I took for granted a conversation I had with "someone in the know". They said they might not allow it at first because they were more worried that everybody would be hopping to the CB pool because it's going to be that good. I will learn, at some point, I promise...


----------



## gunit12210

Amazing TR Steve-O. For whatever reason I've taken my 3 (12,10 & 8) to WDW exclusively. Don't know why, wait yes I do @ the time it was because of the payment plan. 

 Knew UO was good, just not as good as you showed/explained it. Thanks for solidifying my decision to do just UO (& some SW) this trip. Will miss out on the Unlim Exp Passes but have the 1 timers. Staying @ Reunion (booked lodging 1st) 

 The sibling rivalry if u will comparison was spot on also, your TR should be read by UO's peeps & u should get something for your troubles ... the TR was that good ... thanks again.  

T-minus 15.5 days !!!


----------



## clsteve

gunit12210 said:


> Amazing TR Steve-O. For whatever reason I've taken my 3 (12,10 & 8) to WDW exclusively. Don't know why, wait yes I do @ the time it was because of the payment plan.
> 
> Knew UO was good, just not as good as you showed/explained it. Thanks for solidifying my decision to do just UO (& some SW) this trip. Will miss out on the Unlim Exp Passes but have the 1 timers. Staying @ Reunion (booked lodging 1st)
> 
> The sibling rivalry if u will comparison was spot on also, your TR should be read by UO's peeps & u should get something for your troubles ... the TR was that good ... thanks again.
> 
> T-minus 15.5 days !!!


15 days! Jealous... very jealous....

And one quick question--- when does the payment plan end....? We'd love to know, because I've never been good at that "fine print" thing 

But, seriously, your words are too kind, and your kids are at a great age for UO- right in the same sweet spot as mine. Have a great time. And, UO can be very doable for when you're going without Unlim EP. Just use the same strategies I'm sure you're used to at WDW. 

These boards are full of good advice on that: just remember that early is always good- especially for Despicable Me and WWoHP. If you can't make early, late works well for the headliners, when you want to re-ride.

Have a blast


----------



## gunit12210

Also Steve heading to Cape Hatt KoA in the OBX last week of July ( meeting my M-I-L )... any must do's or cant misses ? Jockey Ridge looks cool ... any activities or food recoms ? Thanks in advance sir ...


----------



## clsteve

gunit12210 said:


> Also Steve heading to Cape Hatt KoA in the OBX last week of July ( meeting my M-I-L )... any must do's or cant misses ? Jockey Ridge looks cool ... any activities or food recoms ? Thanks in advance sir ...



Jockey's Ridge is fun. If you're up at that part of the beach, the kids would also enjoy the Lost Colony in Manteo. It's spectacular- an outdoor play about the first colony in the Americas. It's really worth it. Also, the Elizabethan Gardens there is one of the best horticultural parks in the States.

You'll love the beaches all up and down Hatteras Island and really should take the ferry over to Ocracoke Island. It was number one beach in America in 2007 (the first beach ever outside of Hawaii or Fla) and it's one of the nicest seaside villages in the US.

For food, there's a great little dive called Captain Rollo's not far from your campground- very fresh local (and not expensive) seafood. Up the beach in Nags Head/KDH I love Mamma Kwan's- a surfer place with the best fish taco's, and the Outer Banks Brewing Station- a micro-brewery with a great food by a great chef (and reasonable). On Ocracoke, I love the Flying Melon - the chef/owner's from New Orleans and the food's awesome and they do brunch every day. Hope this helps and have a great time!


----------



## kittengal13

subscribing to read


----------



## erinsmom03

Been so busy getting ready, haven't been online much!  Thanks for the feedback.  Glad to hear about pool hopping! We leave in 4 days, so excited!!!!!!


----------



## knewton64

Going to Universal Studios (Hollywood) as part of my Disneyland adventures -



got a 1 day to spend out at Universal -
Never been -



LOOKIN FORWARD 2 IT



Your tr has really put me n the mood.
THANKS!!






T.T.F.N.
&
Cheers


----------



## Planogirl

I finally took the time to read this report and I'm so glad that I did. I love it all even if I feel a little homesick now. Thanks.


----------



## clsteve

Planogirl said:


> I finally took the time to read this report and I'm so glad that I did. I love it all even if I feel a little homesick now. Thanks.



I'm so glad you liked it!!

 I understand the homesick part - I made the BIG mistake of showing the kids all of the pictures of the Dragon being installed on Gringotts and the virtual tour of DA on the Uni website this weekend. Now, I have both boys continually asking when we're going...! 

 I guess we'll have to put up with it all the way to November at the earliest, but more likely the middle of next January. Oh well, that's what I get, I guess....


----------



## ReneeA

Fantastic report! We've decided to completely skip WDW this year (gulp! ) and buy Flex tickets instead. We're planning 7n/8d at Cabana Bay with trips to US/IoA, SeaWorld, and Aquatica. Very, very excited at the thought of a different vacation(we normally go for 10 days onsite at WDW annually). A previous poster echoed my thoughts earlier - it's become a  bit stagnant & overpriced the past few years. I think a break will do us wonders. Your tr gave some great ideas for how to tackle our trip, thanks!


----------



## lbatesetc

erinsmom03 said:


> Thank you for such a comprehensive and entertaining TR!  I totally enjoyed every bit of it!
> 
> I also am a planner...I wish I could be a travel agent when I grow up!  We are heading to UO in a few weeks for the first time ever.  We are also huge WDW fans, and are struggling with this decision to go to the Dark Side periodically.  Especially DH...but I know that if he reads your report, he will feel so much more at ease!  DD10 is a huge Harry Potter fan, as am I, so it just makes sense to take her to UO at this age.  Plus, we will still get our Disney fix, as we are going to have a split UO/Disney Magic cruise trip.
> 
> I do have a question regarding Cabana Bay.  You wrote early in the TR that you thought that there wouldn't be pool hopping privileges at CB for the other Loews hotels onsite.  It made me nervous, so I as wondering where you heard that? We will be staying at CB (I love the family suite for the simple fact that my mom will be with us; privacy and 3 compartment bath ). Adding the Express Pass wasn't that expensive in the big scheme of things, so I did that for sure.  But I was under the impression that pool hopping was allowed, and DD will be disappointed not to try the HRH pool.  Any more info on that?



Wondering, how much did your express passes cost in addition to ticket prices? Had decided to stay PR to get the express passes but Really wanted to stay at Cabanas.


----------



## clsteve

ReneeA said:


> Fantastic report! We've decided to completely skip WDW this year (gulp! ) and buy Flex tickets instead. We're planning 7n/8d at Cabana Bay with trips to US/IoA, SeaWorld, and Aquatica. Very, very excited at the thought of a different vacation(we normally go for 10 days onsite at WDW annually). A previous poster echoed my thoughts earlier - it's become a  bit stagnant & overpriced the past few years. I think a break will do us wonders. Your tr gave some great ideas for how to tackle our trip, thanks!



Much thanks! I think we may need to check out the Flex Tickets for our next time in Nov or mid-Jan, as well. We thought 6 nights on-site at UO with a couple of off-site days at WDW from PBH or RPH was our plan. But, DA is really making us think we'll spend even more time at UO while supplementing with SeaWorld, etc., since SeaWorld is right next door and the kids haven't been there at all (and I haven't been in 30 years, I'm sorry to say).

You will absolutely love the break


----------



## clsteve

lbatesetc said:


> Wondering, how much did your express passes cost in addition to ticket prices? Had decided to stay PR to get the express passes but Really wanted to stay at Cabanas.



Post this on the Strategy Board- lots of really knowledgeable folks on there who have the ticket prices down pat! I can't answer since we stayed at PBH with the EP's included.


----------



## lizzyb

Great report! Thanks for sharing!


----------



## clsteve

lizzyb said:


> Great report! Thanks for sharing!



It was great fun to put it into words - I highly recommend it if you get the chance!


----------



## Aussie Wendy

Another one wanting to say thankyou, thankyou, thankyou for a brilliant TR. I had been looking to read something like this to get a fix on what to expect for our first upcoming trip to USO-this has been brilliant.


----------



## clsteve

Aussie Wendy said:


> Another one wanting to say thankyou, thankyou, thankyou for a brilliant TR. I had been looking to read something like this to get a fix on what to expect for our first upcoming trip to USO-this has been brilliant.




My pleasure! 

And remember, the first trip is always a special time! I'm guessing DA will be open - how much better can it get..??!! I hope we get a full report back on how it went, from a "down under" perspective


----------



## lizzyb

clsteve said:


> It was great fun to put it into words - I highly recommend it if you get the chance!



We are actually heading there in August for the first time. Doing my research to see what we need to do. Your review helped! Thanks!


----------



## PrincessTaylorsMom

Many thanks for the awesome report!  I am a self-described "ride chicken" with 2 adrenaline junkie DDs, and I've been scared to do more than 1 day at US for fear of not enough for everyone (i.e. me  ) to do. But your TR sounded so fun!  I may have been converted!


----------



## clsteve

PrincessTaylorsMom said:


> Many thanks for the awesome report!  I am a self-described "ride chicken" with 2 adrenaline junkie DDs, and I've been scared to do more than 1 day at US for fear of not enough for everyone (i.e. me  ) to do. But your TR sounded so fun!  I may have been converted!



Hah!

 Trust me, neither DW, nor DS11 would ever describe themselves as adrenaline junkies! But, they had as much fun, if not more, than DS8 and I had....

I guess I should feel bad having converted you. But, you'll have such a great time there and there are many worse and dangerous things I enjoy I could be converting people to (like jet skiing, good Scotch, raw oysters); I just think I'll keep right on converting! Well, not that Mr Potter needs that much help........


----------



## Linda67

Just planning our October trip which will include a stay at RPR 
I've really enjoyed reading your TR and have picked up a lot of great tips 
We've been to Universal previously and have stayed at RPR but there was still a lot to learn from your TR
We want to check out the other resorts, something we have not done on previous trips and I really need to look in the photo connect service
We've been looking at BMG as well but would rather just decide when we get there, not sure how hard if would be to get last minute tickets
Anyway, I really wanted to say thanks for your excellent report


----------



## mesaboy2

By the way, I've started my first TR on my first DLR run if you're interested.  Red link in my sig.

UO is up next Labor Day weekend.


----------



## macraven

mesaboy2 said:


> By the way, I've started my first TR on my first DLR run if you're interested.  Red link in my sig.
> 
> UO is up next Labor Day weekend.



_so is that how you got the thread of the week.........?
now you are running with the big doggies..._


----------



## clsteve

mesaboy2 said:


> By the way, I've started my first TR on my first DLR run if you're interested.  Red link in my sig.
> 
> UO is up next Labor Day weekend.



Awesome! I'll be right over! Well, let me pour a nice microbrew first, so I can settle in for what I know will be a great read......


----------



## mesaboy2

macraven said:


> _so is that how you got the thread of the week.........?
> now you are running with the big doggies..._



Haha, no it's the FastPass thread in my sig.

It's thread of the month, by the way.  And the podcast team says it's a serious contender for thread of the year.  Since you asked.    

Miss me much?


----------



## macraven

mesaboy2 said:


> Haha, no it's the FastPass thread in my sig.
> 
> It's thread of the month, by the way.  And the podcast team says it's a serious contender for thread of the year.  Since you asked.
> 
> Miss me much?



_you bet i miss you homie!

good to read your are coming back home during labor day..._


----------



## macraven

_ok month, not week.

i really need to put on glasses when i read the boards......_


----------



## mesaboy2

macraven said:


> _ok month, not week.
> 
> i really need to put on glasses when i read the boards......_



You just gave me a chance to brag a little.  I'm proud of how that thread has helped a bunch of people and that it has managed to stay drama-free.  

Have a good one!


----------



## clsteve

mesaboy2 said:


> You just gave me a chance to brag a little.  I'm proud of how that thread has helped a bunch of people and that it has managed to stay drama-free.
> 
> Have a good one!



It deserves another award just for the drama free part........


----------



## mesaboy2

clsteve said:


> It deserves another award just for the drama free part........



You know it!


----------



## clsteve

Linda67 said:


> Just planning our October trip which will include a stay at RPR
> I've really enjoyed reading your TR and have picked up a lot of great tips
> We've been to Universal previously and have stayed at RPR but there was still a lot to learn from your TR
> We want to check out the other resorts, something we have not done on previous trips and I really need to look in the photo connect service
> We've been looking at BMG as well but would rather just decide when we get there, not sure how hard if would be to get last minute tickets
> Anyway, I really wanted to say thanks for your excellent report



We loved checking out the other resorts and the family is still really wrestling with the RPH vs PBH decision for this winter.

Deciding on BMG the day before worked out great for us! I just don't know if we  got lucky or not. It's a good question to ask the BMG pros for the time of year you're going. Have a blast and I'm so glad you're getting some good use out of all my rambling...!


----------



## Linda67

clsteve said:


> We loved checking out the other resorts and the family is still really wrestling with the RPH vs PBH decision for this winter.
> 
> Deciding on BMG the day before worked out great for us! I just don't know if we  got lucky or not. It's a good question to ask the BMG pros for the time of year you're going. Have a blast and I'm so glad you're getting some good use out of all my rambling...!



Thanks!


----------



## sydneysmom

What an absolutely FANTASTIC trip report!    I have to tell you, as someone who hasn't ever been to Universal, you are totally getting me so excited to go.  We were originally planning a split vacation and decided now to only do Universal.  So I'm happy to see that your kids had a wonderful time.  

I am between the hotels as well.... I keep going between Royal Pacific and Portofino....don't have a clue which to choose. But we have alot of time yet, I suppose.   I'm going to have to just keep reading everyone's reviews.    All I know is we are so excited to try out Universal, no planning, no waking up at 5 am for dining reservations and the 'front of the line' pass.... could it get any better?

thanks for sharing such an incredible review of your trip.... you've helped this newbie tremedously!


----------



## clsteve

sydneysmom said:


> What an absolutely FANTASTIC trip report!  I have to tell you, as someone who hasn't ever been to Universal, you are totally getting me so excited to go. We were originally planning a split vacation and decided now to only do Universal. So I'm happy to see that your kids had a wonderful time.
> 
> I am between the hotels as well.... I keep going between Royal Pacific and Portofino....don't have a clue which to choose. But we have alot of time yet, I suppose.  I'm going to have to just keep reading everyone's reviews. All I know is we are so excited to try out Universal, no planning, no waking up at 5 am for dining reservations and the 'front of the line' pass.... could it get any better?
> 
> thanks for sharing such an incredible review of your trip.... you've helped this newbie tremedously!



You and your family will love it! And yes, I'm a total convert to the no-plan, relaxing vacation, now. It doesn't get any better.

 I saw your trip ticker - that's plenty of time to plan. I don't think you can go wrong with either Resort, btw. And goodness, as fast as Uni moves Kong could well be open by then!

 (thanks for the kind words about the TR  )


----------



## RDawn

I realize that I'm late to this trip report, but I still want to thank you for sharing your vacation and also express how helpful I have found this for my own trip planning.  We have never been to Universal & I actually feel like I am cheating on Disney in thinking about it.  However, the allure of Harry Potter, Jurassic Park and Minion Mayhem have my children aching to go to Universal AND WDW.  Now you have me wondering if 2 full days (with express passes from Royale Pacific) will give us enough time!  Thanks again.


----------



## clsteve

RDawn said:


> I realize that I'm late to this trip report, but I still want to thank you for sharing your vacation and also express how helpful I have found this for my own trip planning.  We have never been to Universal & I actually feel like I am cheating on Disney in thinking about it.  However, the allure of Harry Potter, Jurassic Park and Minion Mayhem have my children aching to go to Universal AND WDW.  Now you have me wondering if 2 full days (with express passes from Royale Pacific) will give us enough time!  Thanks again.



I know exactly what you mean. I was concerned we were spending too much time at UOR for this trip. But, we left wishing we had another day since there still were so many things we didn't do.

With DA now open, we're planning a 4 to 5 day Uni trip this Fall or Winter with 2 days (hopefully) at WDW. Everything I've seen about DA makes me feel it's worth most of a day all by itself. And, we really want one full day there just to Resort hop and take in all of the new things that just opened at CityWalk.

Don't worry, though.... No matter how many days you spend at Uni, you will have an absolute blast! Early Entry and Express Pass help so much. And sometimes it takes a trip to know how many days really work best for you and your family.


----------



## Cielei

I'm always late to the party, but I needed to let you know that it was a fantastic one! (and I didn't even get a hangover  ) Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.

1. You helped me successfully avoid painting trim for a good portion of the day - for which I am eternally grateful. 

2. I really appreciate your insights as to the quality of the beer offerings at the parks as we tend to be fans of a good beer in this house. (If you get it near you, give Bell's 2 hearted ale a try - it's fabulous!)

3. Thank you for the Photo Connect pictures and comments - I had been debating if I should add that for our trip. 

4. Thank you for the thoughts and pictures from PBH as we will be staying there as well. We stayed at HRH last trip and debated between RPH and PBH before finally booking PBH. We're Poly people; so I was thinking the RPH might just be a little too much like doing the same thing. 

5. I believe we will now be adding BMG and Mythos to our schedule for this trip We missed them last time, but I think we will definitely plan for that this time. 

Love the Outer Banks and spent many summers there as a child. I am very familiar with that ferry ride.


----------



## clsteve

Cielei said:


> I'm always late to the party, but I needed to let you know that it was a fantastic one! (and I didn't even get a hangover  ) Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.
> 
> 1. You helped me successfully avoid painting trim for a good portion of the day - for which I am eternally grateful.
> 
> 2. I really appreciate your insights as to the quality of the beer offerings at the parks as we tend to be fans of a good beer in this house. (If you get it near you, give Bell's 2 hearted ale a try - it's fabulous!)
> 
> 3. Thank you for the Photo Connect pictures and comments - I had been debating if I should add that for our trip.
> 
> 4. Thank you for the thoughts and pictures from PBH as we will be staying there as well. We stayed at HRH last trip and debated between RPH and PBH before finally booking PBH. We're Poly people; so I was thinking the RPH might just be a little too much like doing the same thing.
> 
> 5. I believe we will now be adding BMG and Mythos to our schedule for this trip We missed them last time, but I think we will definitely plan for that this time.
> 
> Love the Outer Banks and spent many summers there as a child. I am very familiar with that ferry ride.


I'm here anytime you need another painting trim tag out! I'll expect the same, in a pinch 

You can't go wrong with PBH. It's wonderful and BMG truly was a highlight of our trip.

And I wholeheartedly agree - Bell's is one of my favorite small breweries. And, from what I've read, the new Witches Brew being served in DA is getting a lot of kudos. I can't wait to give it a try. I've really been enjoying Duck Rabbit Milk Stout, lately  - nice malt but still not too heavy for summer  . They're out of FarmVille NC.....


----------



## Cielei

I'll have to see if we get them around here - we just moved to the Minneapolis are a last summer; so we are still learning what is possible. 

Too much  ale tonight so ignore any typos please


----------



## nkereina

Still in the process of reading your TR. So far, so good! Thanks for taking the time to post it!

Two questions I have so far, since we will be doing our first Universal trip in the Fall:

1. I love the "no planning" aspect. So much so, that I have not looked at maps or anything. I'm assuming there's some good signage at the resorts to point you in the direction of the boat launches, and where you need to go to get to the parks? I haven't even looked to see the proximity we'll be in to the parks. I know nothing about it, which is foreign to me! We'll be at RPH.

2. Are the reservations through Open Table necessary or do restaurants take walk-ups? There's not stand out TS restaurants to me, so I'd like to play it by ear, but I also don't want to get stuck with 2 hour waits or QS the whole time.

Thanks in advance!


----------



## clsteve

nkereina said:


> Still in the process of reading your TR. So far, so good! Thanks for taking the time to post it!
> 
> Two questions I have so far, since we will be doing our first Universal trip in the Fall:
> 
> 1. I love the "no planning" aspect. So much so, that I have not looked at maps or anything. I'm assuming there's some good signage at the resorts to point you in the direction of the boat launches, and where you need to go to get to the parks? I haven't even looked to see the proximity we'll be in to the parks. I know nothing about it, which is foreign to me! We'll be at RPH.
> 
> 2. Are the reservations through Open Table necessary or do restaurants take walk-ups? There's not stand out TS restaurants to me, so I'd like to play it by ear, but I also don't want to get stuck with 2 hour waits or QS the whole time.
> 
> Thanks in advance!



Yes, great signage for the boats and it's really intuitive. All of the Resort boats drop off at the same dockage at CityWalk with both Park entrances visible from there. It's about as easy as it gets!

As far as OpenTable and walk-ups: We really enjoyed using OpenTable and made all of our reservations same day - sometimes just an hour or so before the ressie. It really saved walking up to the restaurant and finding out what they had available, then having to potentially wait. That way, we could plan around the ressie and do something else until it was time. As far as stand-outs: Mamma Della's really shined. If you're not staying at PBH, I'd think about reservations for them, if you wanted to eat there. Most of the restaurants give priority standby for on-site guests without ressies, as well......

Hope this helps


----------



## nkereina

clsteve said:


> Yes, great signage for the boats and it's really intuitive. All of the Resort boats drop off at the same dockage at CityWalk with both Park entrances visible from there. It's about as easy as it gets!
> 
> As far as OpenTable and walk-ups: We really enjoyed using OpenTable and made all of our reservations same day - sometimes just an hour or so before the ressie. It really saved walking up to the restaurant and finding out what they had available, then having to potentially wait. That way, we could plan around the ressie and do something else until it was time. As far as stand-outs: Mamma Della's really shined. If you're not staying at PBH, I'd think about reservations for them, if you wanted to eat there. Most of the restaurants give priority standby for on-site guests without ressies, as well......
> 
> Hope this helps



Very helpful - thanks so much! Looking forward to reading the rest of your TR!


----------



## choppee

Great, great, great report! I enjoyed it soooooo much. Because of this report, you have me seriously considering an onsite stay for our next vacation, and doing Universal exclusively! You didn't mean to, but you have an awesome sales pitch. 

Love Disney, and I am a planner (husband says obsesser, but whatever, semantics! ), but Disney is just getting too crazy even for me. And the continued raises in prices with decreased value??? No thank you! I believe that your assertion about the "siblings" is spot on, and this family needs a break from all the crazy planning. Thank you so much for sharing.

Beautiful boys! Lovely family. We hail from the Triangle. North Carolina is such beautiful state and we love both its mountains and beaches! Can't beat the OBX or Topsail Island for summer! We always like to get a house/condo for a week.


----------



## clsteve

choppee said:


> Great, great, great report! I enjoyed it soooooo much. Because of this report, you have me seriously considering an onsite stay for our next vacation, and doing Universal exclusively! You didn't mean to, but you have an awesome sales pitch.
> 
> Love Disney, and I am a planner (husband says obsesser, but whatever, semantics! ), but Disney is just getting too crazy even for me. And the continued raises in prices with decreased value??? No thank you! I believe that your assertion about the "siblings" is spot on, and this family needs a break from all the crazy planning. Thank you so much for sharing.
> 
> Beautiful boys! Lovely family. We hail from the Triangle. North Carolina is such beautiful state and we love both its mountains and beaches! Can't beat the OBX or Topsail Island for summer! We always like to get a house/condo for a week.



I know exactly where you're coming from.

We just booked RPH for the week of Jan 19-25. And yes, the kids are going to be excited when we tell them this weekend because they'll think they won the Resort debate! We won't tell them it was because of a great deal...

I really was hoping to get 2 days in at Disney, as well. But, EPCOT and DHS are our 2 favorite Parks. Too much going on at both, right now. 

Plus honestly, I just can't talk myself into going through all of the FP+ ressie planning as an off-siter. Just can't do it and it's unfortunate - especially for  planners like us when the planning just gets to be too much....

So, I think our "Disney fix" might just be a day at Blizzard Beach - weather depending. Nobody does WaterParks like Disney. At least that hasn't changed.

I agree 100% about our great State, North Carolina. I think it's one of the most underrated when it comes to beauty, diversity of offerings, cost effectiveness, and just down-right fun things to do!

And thanks so much for your kind words about the TR. 

Who knows - there may be a new one in the works at the end of Jan. That is, if I can get a decent camera to work....


----------



## ArwenMarie

clsteve said:


> I know exactly where you're coming from.
> 
> We just booked RPH for the week of Jan 19-25. And yes, the kids are going to be excited when we tell them this weekend because they'll think they won the Resort debate! We won't tell them it was because of a great deal...
> 
> I really was hoping to get 2 days in at Disney, as well. But, EPCOT and DHS are our 2 favorite Parks. Too much going on at both, right now.
> 
> Plus honestly, I just can't talk myself into going through all of the FP+ ressie planning as an off-siter. Just can't do it and it's unfortunate - especially for  planners like us when the planning just gets to be too much....



Yay for a new trip! Great week to go, low crowds


----------



## clsteve

ArwenMarie said:


> Yay for a new trip! Great week to go, low crowds



I can't wait!

We've 6 nights at RPH, but will head out on the 16th to spend time with my MiL in Sarasota Springs. The kids have MLK Day off plus the Tues and Wed that week for Teacher Planning Days. So, they only have to miss a few days of school. Perfect timing 

As much as I wanted to be back at PBH, I'm looking forward to RPH. We got a great deal on 2 adjoining rooms - I think it was $165.00/night with AP. 

PBH was $228.00/night for each room, if I remember correctly. So, the $126.00/night savings over 6 nights really sealed the deal.

That's a lot of Duff's, or interactive wands, or Butterbeer ice cream, if you know what I mean.....


----------



## ArwenMarie

clsteve said:


> I can't wait!
> 
> We've 6 nights at RPH, but will head out on the 16th to spend time with my MiL in Sarasota Springs. The kids have MLK Day off plus the Tues and Wed that week for Teacher Planning Days. So, they only have to miss a few days of school. Perfect timing
> 
> As much as I wanted to be back at PBH, I'm looking forward to RPH. We got a great deal on 2 adjoining rooms - I think it was $165.00/night with AP.
> 
> PBH was $228.00/night for each room, if I remember correctly. So, the $126.00/night savings over 6 nights really sealed the deal.
> 
> That's a lot of Duff's, or interactive wands, or Butterbeer ice cream, if you know what I mean.....



Very nice price! That is a big difference. Hey might just cover a day or two of tickets at Disney...just saying'


----------



## LBIJim

Belated kudos for a great trip report.   Just got back from a 7 night stay at Portofino.  I wish I had read your and ArwenMaries's reports before my trip, but better late than never.

This was my first time staying onsite, and I really enjoyed it.  I've been to Universal several times before, but always just for a day or two.  Early Entry was great, but we only used it one day.  Unlimited Express Pass was even better, even at a relatively uncrowded time. 

Since my last visit, they finished the expanded Springfield area, opened Transformers, and of course Gringott's, Hogsmeade Express, and Diagon Alley.  And this trip was the first visit to Islands of Adventure since HP and Forbidden Journey area opened.

DW and I are already talking about going back in May 2015.  Maybe to Portofino again, but maybe we'll try one of the other hotels.   We enjoyed deciding what to do on the spur of the moment.   No planning necessary.

Being a NC boy, it might interest you to know that on our drive to Florida, we stopped for a day and a half in Raleigh.  Toured NC State U, walked downtown a bit, and went to the State Fair.  I tried to talk DW into stopping there again on the way back to see a Carolina Hurricanes game, but she was too anxious to get home.


----------



## clsteve

LBIJim said:


> Belated kudos for a great trip report. Just got back from a 7 night stay at Portofino. I wish I had read your and ArwenMaries's reports before my trip, but better late than never.
> 
> This was my first time staying onsite, and I really enjoyed it. I've been to Universal several times before, but always just for a day or two. Early Entry was great, but we only used it one day. Unlimited Express Pass was even better, even at a relatively uncrowded time.
> 
> Since my last visit, they finished the expanded Springfield area, opened Transformers, and of course Gringott's, Hogsmeade Express, and Diagon Alley. And this trip was the first visit to Islands of Adventure since HP and Forbidden Journey area opened.
> 
> DW and I are already talking about going back in May 2015. Maybe to Portofino again, but maybe we'll try one of the other hotels. We enjoyed deciding what to do on the spur of the moment. No planning necessary.
> 
> Being a NC boy, it might interest you to know that on our drive to Florida, we stopped for a day and a half in Raleigh. Toured NC State U, walked downtown a bit, and went to the State Fair. I tried to talk DW into stopping there again on the way back to see a Carolina Hurricanes game, but she was too anxious to get home.



It really is amazing just how much they've done in the past five years when just looking at your list of new things since you were last there, isn't it?

 And it's funny how folks are amazed that some of us can spend 6 or 7 nights there. All they need to do is experience just how good a job Loew's has done with the Resorts and I don't think they would continue to feel that way for very long!

 We're excited to be heading back, and it looks like there will be a little NC "flavor" there with Cowfish Sushi now open - can't wait!


----------



## mousehappync

I have devoured your TR-- we have two sons, 5&7, and are dangling the carrot of US (with a few more days in Key Largo) as a Spring Break reward to our oldest for finishing the HP series.  Your report has been the push to leave the Disney Bubble (we are HARDCORE BC) people) and venture out.  We hail from a few hours farther inland in NC-- I'm pretty sure I know where you are, and I wonder how you survive the winters!   We spent last Spring Break in Salvo--holy cow, freezing and sandblasted!  Thanks for the detailed and engaging report!


----------



## clsteve

mousehappync said:


> I have devoured your TR-- we have two sons, 5&7, and are dangling the carrot of US (with a few more days in Key Largo) as a Spring Break reward to our oldest for finishing the HP series.  Your report has been the push to leave the Disney Bubble (we are HARDCORE BC) people) and venture out.  We hail from a few hours farther inland in NC-- I'm pretty sure I know where you are, and I wonder how you survive the winters!   We spent last Spring Break in Salvo--holy cow, freezing and sandblasted!  Thanks for the detailed and engaging report!



Hah!

Winters can be a mixed bag on the OBX, that's for sure. Even though we're usually 10-15 degrees warmer than the mainland, a 30 mph wind can sure make it feel the opposite!

Your sons will love it - UOR really brings the whole Potter Universe to life. You'll be truly amazed.

And we can't wait to experience DA this coming January - 50 days to go......


----------



## elaine amj

Only on pg 5 of your report so far but just had to stop to say how much I am enjoying it! I have booked the Hard Rock Hotel for May 2015 and am so excited for Express Passes. 

We are Disney geeks and I am trying to convince DH to try the Dark Side. He is not 100% convinced yet. He is a little nervous because he gets a little motion sick sometimes. He can handle motion simulators, but worried about too many in a row and the rides there seem to be mostly simulators. He will definitely be skipping all the big coasters.


----------



## clsteve

elaine amj said:


> Only on pg 5 of your report so far but just had to stop to say how much I am enjoying it! I have booked the Hard Rock Hotel for May 2015 and am so excited for Express Passes.
> 
> We are Disney geeks and I am trying to convince DH to try the Dark Side. He is not 100% convinced yet. He is a little nervous because he gets a little motion sick sometimes. He can handle motion simulators, but worried about too many in a row and the rides there seem to be mostly simulators. He will definitely be skipping all the big coasters.



Very glad you're enjoying it!

You probably saw in the TR that DW had some issues. But, it seemed not so much to be the Simulators, but a combo of what she ate (or drank - looking at you Butterbeer...!) and the 'coasters.

Hulk and Dragons' Challenge did her in. She had no trouble riding Transformers multiple times or the Simpsons, for that matter.

Early, when she did FJ, followed by DC, followed by Spidey, followed by Hulk - big issue after having downed that "elixir of the gods" known as Butterbeer.

Everybody's different, but how quickly we were able to ride and how many times in a row because of Express Pass (and that drink) seemed to be the perfect storm for her.

When we slowed down and took it easy in the afternoons, she had not one problem. So, if he just takes it easy, with time in between rides, it should help tremendously if he hasn't had that much trouble with simulators before.....


----------



## Jiminy'sGirl

Just finding your TR as I begin planning for our first trip to the park-who-shall-not-be-named in June 2015.  The most important thing I am learning is that I have a lot of new acronyms to learn.  And that we should really consider staying onsite....  

Thanks for the great report!


----------



## clsteve

Jiminy'sGirl said:


> Just finding your TR as I begin planning for our first trip to the park-who-shall-not-be-named in June 2015.  The most important thing I am learning is that I have a lot of new acronyms to learn.  And that we should really consider staying onsite....
> 
> Thanks for the great report!



My pleasure!

Definitely consider on-site if you can work it into your plans. The convenience and quality of the Resorts really ups the enjoyment and relaxation levels.


----------



## a1tinkfans

Wow, really enjoyed reading the TR  and ur perspective on it all. Have never been....Disney Addicted for so long, jumping ship almost makes me feel guilty, lol. Now planning a short January visit.  Thanks for all the tips.  Enjoy ur next visit, look forward to that TR.


----------



## clsteve

a1tinkfans said:


> Wow, really enjoyed reading the TR  and ur perspective on it all. Have never been....Disney Addicted for so long, jumping ship almost makes me feel guilty, lol. Now planning a short January visit.  Thanks for all the tips.  Enjoy ur next visit, look forward to that TR.



My better half is coming up with a set of TR Ground Rules for me.

 I'm guessing that Rule #1 is going to have something to do with her having full  editorial control over any pictures.

I'm not sure I can work under that level of censorship........


----------



## Laketravis

Still reading thru your TP - lots of great stuff and we will certainly use your advice! 

We are headed there for the first time this coming Tuesday morning; bought AP's and will be staying at Royal Pacific thru Monday the 5th.

Our plan is to not have a plan at all - just returned from a couple of weeks at WDW earlier this month and looking forward to going somewhere without having to take a spreadsheet


----------



## clsteve

Laketravis said:


> Still reading thru your TP - lots of great stuff and we will certainly use your advice!
> 
> We are headed there for the first time this coming Tuesday morning; bought AP's and will be staying at Royal Pacific thru Monday the 5th.
> 
> Our plan is to not have a plan at all - just returned from a couple of weeks at WDW earlier this month and looking forward to going somewhere without having to take a spreadsheet



I think we need a t-shirt: "I'm on the No Plan Plan". Let's pop a trademark on that. You're going to love that NPP part, no doubt.

Looks like we'll just miss by 2 weeks. We're down on the 19th and at RPH, as well. And this is also our first time with UOR AP's - really couldn't pass it up since it's such a great deal. 

I had figured a couple of days for maybe a WDW side trip, or at least a day at Blizzard Beach.

But, that was before we decided on the AP's for the hotel savings. I get the feeling DW is going to settle right into relax mode and we won't get into a moving transportation vehicle all week unless it's the Hogwart's Express, or a Pedicab, or one of the resort boats.

And, that's absolutely fine by me......


----------



## mousehappync

We have decided to plan a totally spur of the moment COMPLETE surprise trip for the kids leaving 1/11-1/16, rather than the spring break trip we had promised them.  I am SO excited!  I read back through your TR for ideas and planning.  I love that we have not one single reservation (other than the HRH room!). We are most certainly planning on Cowfish one night after hearing rave reviews about the Charlotte location, and will likely try The Kitchen and Mama Della's, too, per your great recs.  I'm hoping it's warm enough for the boys, at least, to get in the pool, too.  I debated upgrading to a regular annual pass for an additional room discount, but I think we will stick with power passes, which we can hopefully use one more time before they expire.


----------



## clsteve

mousehappync said:


> We have decided to plan a totally spur of the moment COMPLETE surprise trip for the kids leaving 1/11-1/16, rather than the spring break trip we had promised them.  I am SO excited!  I read back through your TR for ideas and planning.  I love that we have not one single reservation (other than the HRH room!). We are most certainly planning on Cowfish one night after hearing rave reviews about the Charlotte location, and will likely try The Kitchen and Mama Della's, too, per your great recs.  I'm hoping it's warm enough for the boys, at least, to get in the pool, too.  I debated upgrading to a regular annual pass for an additional room discount, but I think we will stick with power passes, which we can hopefully use one more time before they expire.



We can't wait to try Cowfish, either. Antojito's is high on the list, as well. 

The new additions at CityWalk are the main reasons why I'm ok with RPH this trip instead of going back to PBH. Can't beat the dinner choices in walking distance, that's for sure.

Gonna have to make it back to Mamma Della's, though - really good stuff 

And isn't it great heading into it with nothing but a room ressie! Have a great trip and that's an excellent way to bring about a surprise - moving up the trip.

I'll have to remember that....


----------



## strawberrylilacs

Had a fun day reading your report. Laughed out loud at your resort/teen comparison at end.  I have tried for years to get my DD and 2 GDs to go to Universal but couldn't pry them loose from WDW.  Am planning to go in February.  It first started out with me "sneaking" away by myself to US from WDW for a day.  Now we are going to be staying at RPR for 4 nights before traveling to BC at WDW.  We have never been to US before. (live in state of Washington) My 16 year old GD is going kicking and screaming.  She just told me yesterday that RPR is going to have to prove itself.  Glad to see you think that is the most Disney-esk.  

One small question -I believe that I read somewhere a while back that liquids (full water bottles) are not allowed in the parks. I'm a pill poppin 70 yr old that enjoys the convenience of the bottles. Did you notice if this is true?

Since we will be there 2nd week in February, am afraid we will not be able to benefit from your next report.  Unless you start it on the plane home. hmmmm?


----------



## cmullen

Great post! I feel as if tomorrow I am leaving for the dark side tomorrow and bought the season pass(hubby's idea) But no worries I will still use my WDW annual pass more! . I even packed my Mickey backpack to make me feel a bit better! Wish me luck, I love the roller coasters at universal but it's nothing like Mickey!


----------



## clsteve

strawberrylilacs said:


> Had a fun day reading your report. Laughed out loud at your resort/teen comparison at end.  I have tried for years to get my DD and 2 GDs to go to Universal but couldn't pry them loose from WDW.  Am planning to go in February.  It first started out with me "sneaking" away by myself to US from WDW for a day.  Now we are going to be staying at RPR for 4 nights before traveling to BC at WDW.  We have never been to US before. (live in state of Washington) My 16 year old GD is going kicking and screaming.  She just told me yesterday that RPR is going to have to prove itself.  Glad to see you think that is the most Disney-esk.
> 
> One small question -I believe that I read somewhere a while back that liquids (full water bottles) are not allowed in the parks. I'm a pill poppin 70 yr old that enjoys the convenience of the bottles. Did you notice if this is true?
> 
> Since we will be there 2nd week in February, am afraid we will not be able to benefit from your next report.  Unless you start it on the plane home. hmmmm?



We took water bottles in last trip. So, no problems there.

And I'l be shocked if your GD doesn't have a blast. 16 is such a fun age, don't you think? 

I remember when my 16 year-old cousin came to visit us in Jax in the 70's and we went to MK. He'd never been but didn't want to be caught dead in that "kiddie park".

Of course he had the time of his life and has been back at least 50 times.

I'm sure she will too.....

Have a great time and report back!


----------



## Tikifamily

"Do we cower in bed, pull the curtains, and wait it out..?!!! No! We live on a frickin' spit of sand 30 miles out in the middle of the Atlantic! Bathing suits for the kiddos, wet gear for the adults and off to the boat!"

I loved this statement!  My family will be following this same logic when we head to U in March.  

Thank you for making my afternoon.


----------



## clsteve

Tikifamily said:


> "Do we cower in bed, pull the curtains, and wait it out..?!!! No! We live on a frickin' spit of sand 30 miles out in the middle of the Atlantic! Bathing suits for the kiddos, wet gear for the adults and off to the boat!"
> 
> I loved this statement!  My family will be following this same logic when we head to U in March.
> 
> Thank you for making my afternoon.



My pleasure

And I see from your location you also understand that the 2 most important things when it comes to the weather are the right gear and a sense of humor


----------



## Laketravis

Just got back last night; we got there last Tuesday, checked into RPR around 3pm, got our AP and EP vouchers and decided to check out the parks that night in order to formulate a strategy for the next few days.

Silly us. We were thinking like we were at WDW.

Turns out we got a heck of a lot done just the first night. Funny thing, the first attraction we just about walked on was Spider Man. DS9 was hooked after that, and we hadn't even done Harry Potter yet. He thought USO blew away anything at WDW based on Spider Man alone.

The resort was great, definitely what you would expect from a "deluxe" but at a moderate price. We didn't do any sort of dining plan and were pleased that the food prices were reasonable at both the resorts and City Walk.

Can't beat Express Pass. We kept commenting to each other how that's what FastPass should have been.

And the Harry Potter stuff - simply incredible. I hope they continue to crank out future attractions with that level of intricate detail and complex experience immersion. Because it definitely looks like they are building something huge across from the Jurassic Park area.


----------



## clsteve

Laketravis said:


> Just got back last night; we got there last Tuesday, checked into RPR around 3pm, got our AP and EP vouchers and decided to check out the parks that night in order to formulate a strategy for the next few days.
> 
> Silly us. We were thinking like we were at WDW.
> 
> Turns out we got a heck of a lot done just the first night. Funny thing, the first attraction we just about walked on was Spider Man. DS9 was hooked after that, and we hadn't even done Harry Potter yet. He thought USO blew away anything at WDW based on Spider Man alone.
> 
> The resort was great, definitely what you would expect from a "deluxe" but at a moderate price. We didn't do any sort of dining plan and were pleased that the food prices were reasonable at both the resorts and City Walk.
> 
> Can't beat Express Pass. We kept commenting to each other how that's what FastPass should have been.
> 
> And the Harry Potter stuff - simply incredible. I hope they continue to crank out future attractions with that level of intricate detail and complex experience immersion. Because it definitely looks like they are building something huge across from the Jurassic Park area.



So glad you had an awesome time 

It's not bad for a trumped up amusement park, don't you think...

And I know what you mean. 13 days until our 2nd trip in a year and I'm still thinking I should be planning something. You'd think I'd have gotten that out of my system by now.

Cutting edge quality, immersion and great Resorts - it's tough to beat for a relaxing vacation.

Not surprising that there's suddenly a lot of "activity" down I-4 without a lot of dog and pony. I just hope it's good activity and not just for show because it's just hard for me not to feel that I'm getting so much more return on my vacation dollar at UOR right now.

I know the boys sure feel that they are...


----------



## Laketravis

clsteve said:


> Not surprising that there's suddenly a lot of "activity" down I-4 without a lot of dog and pony. I just hope it's good activity and not just for show because it's just hard for me not to feel that I'm getting so much more return on my vacation dollar at UOR right now.
> 
> I know the boys sure feel that they are...



I was really surprised at the number of guests in both parks wearing WDW MagicBands. Struck up a conversation with some of them, the consensus was pretty much the same - EP was much better than FP. In fact, they were in Universal parks because they had used their 3 FP's and were only left with hours long standby lines.

Even talked to a couple who had annual passes but paid an additional $140 each for unlimited EP for ONE day. They were staying at Pop Century, paying more than we paid for RPR. They were a bit upset when I explained how we got EP for every day of our stay.

But I think the simple reason for the success of EP is that they DO charge people for it if they aren't staying on-site. And they charge enough to control demand.


----------



## clsteve

Laketravis said:


> I was really surprised at the number of guests in both parks wearing WDW MagicBands. Struck up a conversation with some of them, the consensus was pretty much the same - EP was much better than FP. In fact, they were in Universal parks because they had used their 3 FP's and were only left with hours long standby lines.
> 
> Even talked to a couple who had annual passes but paid an additional $140 each for unlimited EP for ONE day. They were staying at Pop Century, paying more than we paid for RPR. They were a bit upset when I explained how we got EP for every day of our stay.
> 
> But I think the simple reason for the success of EP is that they DO charge people for it if they aren't staying on-site. And they charge enough to control demand.



Wow.

Who would've thought you didn't need a 100 mil McKinsey study to figure out guests at a Theme Park wanna ride Rides....?!

Takes me back to the first time I read that Patent App you discovered. All I could think was - interesting idea - if you doubled high demand capacity.........


----------



## captaindavidhook

I just found your trip report and wanted to say that I loved every second of it! The pictures were amazing and the way you detailed everything was just as great. Honestly, I just have to say this might be the best trip report I have ever read. Kudos to you. 

I am heading to Disney on my first solo trip ever but since it's me I am spending two different days at both Universal parks. I purchased the photo connect star package card and was wondering if you could share some details on it. I read your report and the pictures look amazing but I want to make sure I have everything right before I go.

I was told I have to stop at a kiosk photo shop and get a lanyard for the photographers to see my card and then they scan it. I was hoping there is some type of kiosk shop that I could go in before I actually hit the park. Also after every day I think I read you did go to the shops and make sure all your pictures were there. Do you put the borders on yourself or does a member help you? At the ones from Men In Black and Hulk and Spiderman, those are ride photos, how does that exactly work? Must you seek out a cast member after each ride to get those pictures on your card and have them scan it and last question, when you got home I was told and read that you have to download your photos. Did you have any trouble with that and can you download as much as you like. Thanks again and sorry for all the questions.


----------



## clsteve

captaindavidhook said:


> I just found your trip report and wanted to say that I loved every second of it! The pictures were amazing and the way you detailed everything was just as great. Honestly, I just have to say this might be the best trip report I have ever read. Kudos to you.
> 
> I am heading to Disney on my first solo trip ever but since it's me I am spending two different days at both Universal parks. I purchased the photo connect star package card and was wondering if you could share some details on it. I read your report and the pictures look amazing but I want to make sure I have everything right before I go.
> 
> I was told I have to stop at a kiosk photo shop and get a lanyard for the photographers to see my card and then they scan it. I was hoping there is some type of kiosk shop that I could go in before I actually hit the park. Also after every day I think I read you did go to the shops and make sure all your pictures were there. Do you put the borders on yourself or does a member help you? At the ones from Men In Black and Hulk and Spiderman, those are ride photos, how does that exactly work? Must you seek out a cast member after each ride to get those pictures on your card and have them scan it and last question, when you got home I was told and read that you have to download your photos. Did you have any trouble with that and can you download as much as you like. Thanks again and sorry for all the questions.



Wow, that's very humbling. Much thanks for that.

I don't believe there's an external PhotoConnect shop, but there is one right inside of the entrance for both Parks on the right hand side. It took no time at all to get the card and they were open for early entry. 

All we did was show them the on-line email confirmation print out we had with barcode and off we went with the card and lanyard! (even though I just put it in the lanyard I already had).

As far as checking the photos and adding borders, the green screen photo Ops like Spidey and the Simpsons and rides like FJ and MiB were all done right there at the ride or green screen kiosk with the help of the TM's staffing them. All of the TM's we encountered were very helpful, btw.

It's very similar to WDW, with the kiosks inside of the giftshops for the ride photos. It was at the FJ counter we also took advantage of the $2.99 8x10 ride photo with the package.

The Simpsons green screen opportunity is not part of the ride, however, and is directly across from the big Krusty entrance on the lagoon side. Fun stuff and not to be missed if you have the Package...

I would suggest checking your photos before the end of the day or right at Park close time - we did the last day and it was the longest line we waited in the whole trip! (won't happen this time...)

We logged on to the PhotoConnect site and downloaded once we were home (very easy). They also had an app you could download to look at your pictures while in-Park or at the hotel (which we did) but it was very slow. Maybe that's been improved...

One other very important thing for you with your split trip: the PhotoConnect Package timer starts the first day you activate it. For us it was 3 consecutive days. So, if you're planning on spreading out your 2 days at Uni over your full stay, make sure you get your 2 days in within the allotted PhotoConnect time!

I've never done a solo trip, but some of the best times I've had have been during corporate events or corporate business visits to Disney where I've been able to sneak away for a day, half a day, or a few hours in the Parks - really fun not being on any other agenda but your own 

Hope this helps


----------



## captaindavidhook

clsteve said:


> Wow, that's very humbling. Much thanks for that.
> 
> I don't believe there's an external PhotoConnect shop, but there is one right inside of the entrance for both Parks on the right hand side. It took no time at all to get the card and they were open for early entry.
> 
> All we did was show them the on-line email confirmation print out we had with barcode and off we went with the card and lanyard! (even though I just put it in the lanyard I already had).
> 
> As far as checking the photos and adding borders, the green screen photo Ops like Spidey and the Simpsons and rides like FJ and MiB were all done right there at the ride or green screen kiosk with the help of the TM's staffing them. All of the TM's we encountered were very helpful, btw.
> 
> It's very similar to WDW, with the kiosks inside of the giftshops for the ride photos. It was at the FJ counter we also took advantage of the $2.99 8x10 ride photo with the package.
> 
> The Simpsons green screen opportunity is not part of the ride, however, and is directly across from the big Krusty entrance on the lagoon side. Fun stuff and not to be missed if you have the Package...
> 
> I would suggest checking your photos before the end of the day right at Park close time - we did the last day and it was the longest line we waited in the whole trip! (won't happen this time...)
> 
> We logged on to the PhotoConnect site and downloaded once we were home (very easy). They also had an app you could download to look at your pictures while in-Park or at the hotel (which we did) but it was very slow. Maybe that's been improved...
> 
> One other very important thing for you with your split trip: the PhotoConnect Package timer starts the first day you activate it. For us it was 3 consecutive days. So, if you're planning on spreading out your 2 days at Uni over your full stay, make sure you get your 2 days in within the allotted PhotoConnect time!
> 
> I've never done a solo trip, but some of the best times I've had have been during corporate events or corporate business visits to Disney where I've been able to sneak away for a day, half a day, or a few hours in the Parks - really fun not being on any other agenda but your own
> 
> Hope this helps



This has been a of help. I do appreciate it. I did know about the photo connect package timer. When I was told by an agent of Universal, I was shocked a little but no biggie. I just changed my plans a little. I intend on going to Universal on a fri and Islands of adventure on a Sunday. So problem solved.

Glad to hear I can get there early and get this taken care of. Someone one said there is one of these internal things around City Walk. My goal is, have to done before park opens and make a bee line for Harry Potter. Since it is me, and I walk pretty fast  I should be in good shape for Forbidden Journey. Would like to bang that fairly quick.

Walk around Harry Potter maybe do Dueling Dragons etc etc and get some Butterbeer. The way you described it man I am definitely going to try some. Along with a nice mixture of more alcohol beverages later on lol

The thing is I never received an email from them. I ordered online. The only barcode I have is from the back of my ticket. I hope that will be fine with them. I wasn't planning on hitting the simpson's ride but now I will to take advantage of what you are telling me.

Everything you are saying it making so much more sense to me. Making me feel a little relaxed. Actually I will feel so much more relaxed when I land safely in Orlando. 

As far as doing the solo, I agree 100%. Being on your own agenda is going to be very cool. I have some ADR'S set for 7, 8 and after 9 pm. A few bars as well lol but it will be nice to have fun. I do thank you for everything and me and you are almost in the same that we are huge planners.

I had booked the trip in August and trust me, almost everything I needed to do was done by September, so your not alone my friend. Well, I promise you, if I have any more questions I know where to find you and I am going back and reading over that report again. Seems like you did all the rides I want to do as well. Very cool and thanks again!


----------



## clsteve

captaindavidhook said:


> As far as doing the solo, I agree 100%. Being on your own agenda is going to be very cool. I have some ADR'S set for 7, 8 and after 9 pm. A few bars as well lol but it will be nice to have fun. I do thank you for everything and me and you are almost in the same that we are huge planners.
> 
> I had booked the trip in August and trust me, almost everything I needed to do was done by September, so your not alone my friend. Well, I promise you, if I have any more questions I know where to find you and I am going back and reading over that report again. Seems like you did all the rides I want to do as well. Very cool and thanks again!


Ask away! 

Though I doubt you'll need to. It sounds like a great trip you've really thought out well - have a great time


----------



## captaindavidhook

clsteve said:


> Ask away!
> 
> Though I doubt you'll need to. It sounds like a great trip you've really thought out well - have a great time



Maybe I missed it but did you ride Disaster at all? Were there rides that you wanted to do that you didn't get a chance to do? I saw you ride Hollywood R.R.R 4 times. How does the bar lap feel. I have heard conflicting reports on it. Some Say, it is terrifying while some say it doesn't faze them. I also read but not sure is if still exists, but I think Hollywood R.R.R offers a cd of your ride as well. Just thought I ask. Thanks again.


----------



## clsteve

captaindavidhook said:


> Maybe I missed it but did you ride Disaster at all? Were there rides that you wanted to do that you didn't get a chance to do? I saw you ride Hollywood R.R.R 4 times. How does the bar lap feel. I have heard conflicting reports on it. Some Say, it is terrifying while some say it doesn't faze them. I also read but not sure is if still exists, but I think Hollywood R.R.R offers a cd of your ride as well. Just thought I ask. Thanks again.



Disaster was down for refurb when we were there last year, so we'll be giving that a try this year.

Dr. Doom and Beetlejuice are the 2 at the top of the list along with Ripsaw Falls for things we didn't do. Winds were too high when we went over to Dr Doom and the other 2 were down for refurb.

There was a lot more down for refurb last Jan compared to this month.....

RRR's restraint is snug but one that I had no probs with it. Just make sure you start punching your music in quickly. you only have about 10 seconds before it locks down.

It's one of my favorite 'coasters because it's so unique - the music really adds to the experience. Plus, the 90 degree lift-off is pretty amazing at night with the lights 

I'm a 'coaster junkie, but what I've found is that they (more than any other ride-type) have to be individually experienced since it's amazing how they can generate such wide ranges of opinion even with those who love to ride them....


----------



## captaindavidhook

clsteve said:


> Disaster was down for refurb when we were there last year, so we'll be giving that a try this year.
> 
> Dr. Doom and Beetlejuice are the 2 at the top of the list along with Ripsaw Falls for things we didn't do. Winds were too high when we went over to Dr Doom and the other 2 were down for refurb.
> 
> There was a lot more down for refurb last Jan compared to this month.....
> 
> RRR's restraint is snug but one that I had no probs with it. Just make sure you start punching your music in quickly. you only have about 10 seconds before it locks down.
> 
> It's one of my favorite 'coasters because it's so unique - the music really adds to the experience. Plus, the 90 degree lift-off is pretty amazing at night with the lights
> 
> I'm a 'coaster junkie, but what I've found is that they (more than any other ride-type) have to be individually experienced since it's amazing how they can generate such wide ranges of opinion even with those who love to ride them....



Thanks for the information. There is a lot I have planned but I am going to see where the day takes me. In other words, I am not going to rush around lol H'Wood R.R.R is something I think I am going to have to try myself like you said. Maybe just for the experience. Did you see any of the live entertainment they offered at Harry Potter at all? I know they have the Triwizard thing where people from the schools that they had in episode 4 or 5 I believe perform.


----------



## clsteve

captaindavidhook said:


> Thanks for the information. There is a lot I have planned but I am going to see where the day takes me. In other words, I am not going to rush around lol H'Wood R.R.R is something I think I am going to have to try myself like you said. Maybe just for the experience. Did you see any of the live entertainment they offered at Harry Potter at all? I know they have the Triwizard thing where people from the schools that they had in episode 4 or 5 I believe perform.



The Frog Choir was really Good stuff...!


----------



## captaindavidhook

I have another question, so I hope you don't mind. I both days I am going to Universal. One is a Friday and then other is a Sunday. I do plan on hitting Harry Potter areas both first. With that said, do think it wise to do them first or do I risk it and save them for later in the day? Also what time do the characters usually come out? Are they out as soon as the park opens and would you know where I can find Scooby Doo and Shaggy by chance? Thanks again.


----------



## clsteve

captaindavidhook said:


> I have another question, so I hope you don't mind. I both days I am going to Universal. One is a Friday and then other is a Sunday. I do plan on hitting Harry Potter areas both first. With that said, do think it wise to do them first or do I risk it and save them for later in the day? Also what time do the characters usually come out? Are they out as soon as the park opens and would you know where I can find Scooby Doo and Shaggy by chance? Thanks again.



Depending on what time you get there first is always good. If you don't have EE or arrive after Park opening, the wait times also seem much better for FJ and Gringotts the last hour of the Parks being open, from what most have said and what the sites like TP have shown.

You know, on the characters, we saw them out at all different times, Shaggy and Scooby we caught in front of the Horror Make-up Show, Doc was by the Aladdin Apts, Shrek right at the Theatre exit, Lucy and Betty Boop were just walking down the street heading towards Lucy's Show.

And the Blues Mobile came down the street from Transformers and parked right there in the middle of the street before the Blues Brother Stage. 

If there's a rhyme or reason as to when they appear, it wasn't obvious....


----------



## macraven

_the performance times for the Blues Brothers are listed in the park brochure.
times can change based on day of the week or season._


----------



## captaindavidhook

clsteve said:


> Depending on what time you get there first is always good. If you don't have EE or arrive after Park opening, the wait times also seem much better for FJ and Gringotts the last hour of the Parks being open, from what most have said and what the sites like TP have shown.
> 
> You know, on the characters, we saw them out at all different times, Shaggy and Scooby we caught in front of the Horror Make-up Show, Doc was by the Aladdin Apts, Shrek right at the Theatre exit, Lucy and Betty Boop were just walking down the street heading towards Lucy's Show.
> 
> And the Blues Mobile came down the street from Transformers and parked right there in the middle of the street before the Blues Brother Stage.
> 
> If there's a rhyme or reason as to when they appear, it wasn't obvious....




Thanks again for the great information. Really appreciate it.


----------



## clsteve

macraven said:


> _the performance times for the Blues Brothers are listed in the park brochure.
> times can change based on day of the week or season._


Good catch!

Me being obtuse again. It's the roaming characters I didn't sense any rhyme, reason, or general order as to when they appeared...

We seemed to get very lucky with the Blues Brothers sched last time there. We caught their full act the last day and parts of them each day without checking the sched. Which was great, 'cause they're good.....


----------



## captaindavidhook

I was curious to know if you had purchased the express pass and if so did you think it was worth the extra dough. Just read a thread on dis, and a lady compared the new fast pass and express pass. She said the express pass is so much easier to use and after your done with a ride, you can immediately go right back on that ride. I know she mentioned the HP rides not having this feature but that's is understandable. Just thought I might ask if it is worth to buy.


----------



## clsteve

captaindavidhook said:


> I was curious to know if you had purchased the express pass and if so did you think it was worth the extra dough. Just read a thread on dis, and a lady compared the new fast pass and express pass. She said the express pass is so much easier to use and after your done with a ride, you can immediately go right back on that ride. I know she mentioned the HP rides not having this feature but that's is understandable. Just thought I might ask if it is worth to buy.



We were on-site at PBH, so EP was included. As far as worth it, we won't ever go back without it. It really was just about the main reason it was such a relaxing, no touring plan, vacation.

However, since you're going down as a single, you have more options and flexibility than we did/do as a family of 4, single rider lines, etc. I'd look at the time of year you're going and the cost of the EP add-on. If it's really cheap, you probably don't need it as a single. If it's more expensive, that's a higher crowd day and maybe more necessary depending on what rides and how many times you want to ride in your alloted timeframe....


----------



## captaindavidhook

clsteve said:


> We were on-site at PBH, so EP was included. As far as worth it, we won't ever go back without it. It really was just about the main reason it was such a relaxing, no touring plan, vacation.
> 
> However, since you're going down as a single, you have more options and flexibility than we did/do as a family of 4, single rider lines, etc. I'd look at the time of year you're going and the cost of the EP add-on. If it's really cheap, you probably don't need it as a single. If it's more expensive, that's a higher crowd day and maybe more necessary depending on what rides and how many times you want to ride in your alloted timeframe....



I think since this is my first time and being that I will be solo I am not going to get it. I thank you for the information again.


----------



## clsteve

captaindavidhook said:


> I think since this is my first time and being that I will be solo I am not going to get it. I thank you for the information again.



Have an awesome trip and make sure you report back to everyone! Doing a split trip as a solo while staying at WDW you'll probably end up with some good pointers for everyone else thinking of doing the same.....


----------



## captaindavidhook

clsteve said:


> Have an awesome trip and make sure you report back to everyone! Doing a split trip as a solo while staying at WDW you'll probably end up with some good pointers for everyone else thinking of doing the same.....



Thanks and will do. Not sure if I do a trip report it will be anything as good as yours. A couple people want me to do one not sure I will follow threw, we'll see and thanks again!


----------



## Welcome Home

Great TR.  I can't wait for the next one.


----------



## captaindavidhook

Me again, with one question. What time should I get to the Photo Connect center to look over my pictures and did you do that every day you spent at the park? Park is closing both days I am going at 7 PM. Hope that helps and thanks again. I owe you a case of beer for all these questions.


----------



## clsteve

Welcome Home said:


> Great TR.  I can't wait for the next one.



Much thanks!

We're here now and I'm definitely going to have to learn a few new adjectives before doing another one. DA is that amazing....




captaindavidhook said:


> Me again, with one question. What time should I get to the Photo Connect center to look over my pictures and did you do that every day you spent at the park? Park is closing both days I am going at 7 PM. Hope that helps and thanks again. I owe you a case of beer for all these questions.



Hah! 

I've never been known to turn one of those down...

We used the app to check the pics the first day, and checked mid day on the 2nd. It was the last day that we checked right at park close when the line was long. Kinda silly since we only had one ride photo and maybe one photog photo in the last few hours, so we could have avoided all that. I'd play it by ear based on if you've checked during the day...

We activate ours tomorrow for this trip


----------



## captaindavidhook

clsteve said:


> Much thanks!
> 
> We're here now and I'm definitely going to have to learn a few new adjectives before doing another one. DA is that amazing....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hah!
> 
> I've never been known to turn one of those down...
> 
> We used the app to check the pics the first day, and checked mid day on the 2nd. It was the last day that we checked right at park close when the line was long. Kinda silly since we only had one ride photo and maybe one photog photo in the last few hours, so we could have avoided all that. I'd play it by ear based on if you've checked during the day...
> 
> We activate ours tomorrow for this trip



Have fun and enjoy and thanks again. Sending beer asap!!!


----------



## AustinTink

All I can say is... WOW! I have never made it through an entire trip report. I always seem to doze off halfway through, never to return. Your TR read like a novel and I was hooked!

I've been nosing around the Universal boards trying to find out more info for our first stay at the PBH. I'm so happy I came upon this thread. It has put my fears at bay about changing over to PBH after many stays at RPR. Thanks!


----------



## clsteve

AustinTink said:


> All I can say is... WOW! I have never made it through an entire trip report. I always seem to doze off halfway through, never to return. Your TR read like a novel and I was hooked!
> 
> I've been nosing around the Universal boards trying to find out more info for our first stay at the PBH. I'm so happy I came upon this thread. It has put my fears at bay about changing over to PBH after many stays at RPR. Thanks!



We're at RPH right now and i can now understand why it's tough to switch! No worries, though. PBH is excellent as well - and with a bigger bathroom...! 

And it wouldn't have bothered me at all if you'd snoozed a bit while reading the TR. My kids can barely get through a 30 second "Dad Talk" without a yawn or two.....


----------



## ArwenMarie

Hope you're all having a great trip! And I hope there is another trip report in the works upon your return


----------



## clsteve

ArwenMarie said:


> Hope you're all having a great trip! And I hope there is another trip report in the works upon your return



Nothing like a little subtle pressure....

Getting ready to head out forEE right now. Great trip so far but another camera story, if you can believe it....


----------



## mom2rtk

Hope you're having a great time!


----------



## clsteve

mom2rtk said:


> Hope you're having a great time!



An absolute blast!

The weathers been great until this mornings rain and cool front. But that should end by 10am...

The new restaurants have been really good....


----------



## clsteve

As requested, the new TR is up - first installment......:

http://www.disboards.com/threads/“our-trip-behind-the-bricks-a-darkside-redux…-“.3376747/


----------



## WDWAtLast

Just finished this TR and headed over to read your new TR!!  Going to US for the first time in a few weeks - I am also a diehard planner and still keep feeling like I am forgetting something.  Staying at HRH for 3 days at US and then headed to WDW for one day at MK so we can see the new areas of Fantasyland.  Although I did get the FP's I wanted, it was very stressful - and that was for _one day!! _My kiddos are 13 and 11 and I have a feeling that after this trip, US will be our main (if not only) destination in Orlando.  Question - I have two girls - both huge HP fans and are familiar with many US characters/movies ( MiB, Simpson's, Shrek, Despicable Me) but they don't know much about Spiderman, Hulk, Transformers, etc, and have not seen any of the Jurrasic Park movies (although the new movie is on their "must see" list) Is there any ride that they need to be familiar with the characters or backstory?


----------



## clsteve

WDWAtLast said:


> Just finished this TR and headed over to read your new TR!!  Going to US for the first time in a few weeks - I am also a diehard planner and still keep feeling like I am forgetting something.  Staying at HRH for 3 days at US and then headed to WDW for one day at MK so we can see the new areas of Fantasyland.  Although I did get the FP's I wanted, it was very stressful - and that was for _one day!! _My kiddos are 13 and 11 and I have a feeling that after this trip, US will be our main (if not only) destination in Orlando.  Question - I have two girls - both huge HP fans and are familiar with many US characters/movies ( MiB, Simpson's, Shrek, Despicable Me) but they don't know much about Spiderman, Hulk, Transformers, etc, and have not seen any of the Jurrasic Park movies (although the new movie is on their "must see" list) Is there any ride that they need to be familiar with the characters or backstory?


I think they do a pretty good job setting the storylines in most of the queues. The boys may have seen one but we had never seen any of the Transformer movies. Yet, it became one of our favorite rides. If you were going to watch any, the 1st Jurrasic Park is a classic and worth watching no matter what and would help with the ride. E.T. and the Mummy would be the other 2 and are great movies, as well


----------



## NCgirl71

Just finished this TR and headed over to read your new TR!! Going to US for the first time in a few weeks - I am also a diehard planner and still keep feeling like I am forgetting something. Staying at HRH for 3 days at US and then headed to WDW for one day at MK so we can see the new areas of Fantasyland. Although I did get the FP's I wanted, it was very stressful - and that was for _one day!! _My kiddos are 13 and 11 and I have a feeling that after this trip, US will be our main (if not only) destination in Orlando. Question - I have two girls - both huge HP fans and are familiar with many US characters/movies ( MiB, Simpson's, Shrek, Despicable Me) but they don't know much about Spiderman, Hulk, Transformers, etc, and have not seen any of the Jurrasic Park movies (although the new movie is on their "must see" list) Is there any ride that they need to be familiar with the characters or backstory?


Hey WDWAtLast,
Your plan sounds similar to mine. I have reservatons at Cabana Bay for 4 nights in April. I want to visit both Universal Parks but would also like to go to WDW for a day or two and visit Epcot and or MK. How are you gettting there? Car or shuttle? I would rather just stay at one hotel and not move.


----------



## WDWAtLast

NCgirl71 said:


> Just finished this TR and headed over to read your new TR!! Going to US for the first time in a few weeks - I am also a diehard planner and still keep feeling like I am forgetting something. Staying at HRH for 3 days at US and then headed to WDW for one day at MK so we can see the new areas of Fantasyland. Although I did get the FP's I wanted, it was very stressful - and that was for _one day!! _My kiddos are 13 and 11 and I have a feeling that after this trip, US will be our main (if not only) destination in Orlando. Question - I have two girls - both huge HP fans and are familiar with many US characters/movies ( MiB, Simpson's, Shrek, Despicable Me) but they don't know much about Spiderman, Hulk, Transformers, etc, and have not seen any of the Jurrasic Park movies (although the new movie is on their "must see" list) Is there any ride that they need to be familiar with the characters or backstory?
> 
> 
> Hey WDWAtLast,
> Your plan sounds similar to mine. I have reservatons at Cabana Bay for 4 nights in April. I want to visit both Universal Parks but would also like to go to WDW for a day or two and visit Epcot and or MK. How are you gettting there? Car or shuttle? I would rather just stay at one hotel and not move.



Hi NCgirl171!
Originally, we planned to stay at US the whole time and use our car to drive to WDW for the day.  Now that we are flying, we are doing a split stay and will take the US resort transportation to WDW.  Each US resort has a fleet of vehicles lined out front (per a relative and verified on the transportation board) They charge a flat fee ($50 in December 2012) so even if you get stuck in traffic, your fee is the same. While I would have preferred not to change hotels, we are going during spring break with 8's and 9's on the WDW crowd predictors.  With the park opening at 8 am I was afraid we would not get to WDW early and would miss rope drop perks and maybe even our first FP+ window. Then the ME will take us to MCO for our flight home.


----------



## WDWAtLast

clsteve said:


> I think they do a pretty good job setting the storylines in most of the queues. The boys may have seen one but we had never seen any of the Transformer movies. Yet, it became one of our favorite rides. If you were going to watch any, the 1st Jurrasic Park is a classic and worth watching no matter what and would help with the ride. E.T. and the Mummy would be the other 2 and are great movies, as well



Thank you! Just set the DVR for Jurrasic Park and ET is on demand.  It seems like The Mummy was on repeat on our movie channels a while back, but it is no where to be found now! Maybe I can score it in the $5 bin at Target! Dh and I love it, but saw it so many times (when it was on repeat and kids were too young) that we have just not thought to have them see it.


----------



## clsteve

WDWAtLast said:


> Thank you! Just set the DVR for Jurrasic Park and ET is on demand.  It seems like The Mummy was on repeat on our movie channels a while back, but it is no where to be found now! Maybe I can score it in the $5 bin at Target! Dh and I love it, but saw it so many times (when it was on repeat and kids were too young) that we have just not thought to have them see it.


Be careful....
E.T. is a real tear jerker (I'll admit it), but in a good way. Have a tissue handy.....


----------



## WDWAtLast

clsteve said:


> Be careful....
> E.T. is a real tear jerker (I'll admit it), but in a good way. Have a tissue handy.....



Yes, I saw it multiple times when it came out (I can't really be that old??!!).  I even have a VHS copy - but no VHS player to watch it on!


----------

