# Does everyone know your name??? 18 nights at RPR & HHN....A 2016 Trip Report......



## schumigirl

It`s that time of year again..........Another trip has passed and we were now back home only dreaming of the wonderous time we had while we were at Royal Pacific and Orlando Every year we say the thing, it can`t get any better than the year before.......and every year it just seems to be enhanced from previous trip in some way or another. RPR has always been an amazing resort and it truly is our home away from home. Folks ask if we never get fed up staying there or wouldn't we prefer a villa.........short answer is no.....we never get fed up there, its so beautiful and they look after us so well. As for a villa.......too much like a home.......I don't want something that's like home......I want a hotel to be taken care of and looked after and that's exactly what we get at RPR.

If you have missed our previous trip reports, where have you been ..........we are Carole "n" Tom......the "n" has been added by our friends, as they claim we are a double act.......apparently you never see one without the other......except when he is at work of course.......but it`s true, we are always together and quite enjoy that actually. We spend an inordinate amount of time together with many friends wondering how we do it.......simple, we enjoy each others company a lot.  We will be married 25 years next year and can honestly say we`ve never been happier.......we adore our time in Orlando and at RPR and we try to treasure every minute we are there.

Someone missing again this year is our 22 year old son Kyle. He graduated from University in July with a Masters degree in Chemical Engineering, so he obviously had career obligations now. We would Skype again whenever we knew he would be around, so that would help a bit. But, we did miss him a lot. It`s always strange when things change with growing families. But we were, and are incredibly proud of him for his fantastic achievements with his degree.

So, for a non planner like me this trip had started being planned as we left the hotel last year. Our booking was arranged as always before we left. We knew our rough dates and would call our friend if there were any changes to that. Once back home it was my task to get flights booked as soon as we could, I think we waited a whole month this time which seemed ages! But flights were booked with exit row seats as they give you so much room with no one in front.......we had them last few years and were glad to see they hadnt been booked.

Next was our night at the airport. We live around three and a half hours away from the airport, so we do like to travel the day before and stay overnight as our flight is 10.15am. It adds a day and the Radisson is a beautiful hotel, very relaxing and we stay there every year. It is attached by a Skywalk to both terminals, so it`s literally a 5 minute walk down in the morning. No having to get shuttles or cabs.

Travel Insurance is our next plan........always fun........age seems to add a few ££ more every year......or so it seems.......lol......

Rental Car.........we have used the same company for year. USRentacar. They are based in the UK but they offer any supplier you wish from the choices available. We for years went with Alamo and had no issues......last year we made the mistake of booking with Dollar. Never again. This year we chose Alamo.

So with that done, all we had to do was wait for September 16 to come along.

It was a long year, but as we looked back we couldn't believe how quickly it passed. It was a mixed year with the delight of Kyle`s Graduation in July, to the utter despair and disbelief of losing my best friend in June. To lose her so quickly from Terminal cancer was such a shock and knocked us all. But, although she never practiced what she preached, she never took a vacation, we knew she would want us to have the best time ever.


Wednesday 14th September

Tom had to go into the office this morning for a meeting he couldn't miss. I didn't mind as it gave me a chance to get everything packed........yes, we are last minute packers. People ask why I don't pack weeks ahead as it adds to the excitement........I always say, trust me.....I`m excited enough for our trip......but it`s just the way we do things. Tom had brought the suitcases down night before including my new one.......I say one.......I had bought 2 new purple ones.....but, a friend begged me to borrow one as she was flying to Saudi......not sure why she needed it, but ok, so I was down to one new one. Tom could have the older one. Well, I do mix and match the clothes in both.......just in case we lose one we'll both have some clothes to wear.

Didn't take long to get packed, and he was home by 11am. It was a grey miserable day so its always nice to leave on such a day knowing we are headed for heat and sunshine. I made us all some lunch and Kyle was home, so we ate together and of course it was on my mind we were leaving him again. Last year had been horrendous with it being the first time, but although I felt bad, I wasn't as distraught as previous year.

Cases were loaded in the car, again, never the same way every year........and them it was time to say goodbye.......we hugged the life out him, or so it seemed....then the tears came. He just kept saying to enjoy ourselves, he would be fine.........I know he would be, but as a mum it was hard. He would have fun and eat lots of chocolate cake..........

We finaly set off after he insisted we go..... and the weather just got better the closer we got up to Manchester. We live on the other side of the country and down a bit, but this was like another country.......beautiful blue skies and heat! After an uneventful journey, which are the best journeys, we arrived at The Radisson around 3pm. It was boiling hot when we got out of the air conditioned car.....wow.....hard to believe this was Manchester which is known for rain. And lots of it. But it was 82F. Hot.







Managed to get parked which wasn't easy as it was full. They had a manager direct people to empty spaces as they became available. We only waited a few minutes. Thankfully it was decent space. Cases out and we walked round to the entrance, took the elevator and up to check in. We had booked a room which included the parking for our whole trip which is an excellent deal. We had requested a room with a runway view, there is now an extra charge for this but they didn't charge us as she said we were long term guests. We picked up a couple of toothbrushes for our stay as we had our own packed away in hold luggage. I think they have almost anything behind that desk........So once we were sorted we happily wandered up and viewed our room.


































Obligatory selfy now.......













Not much of a view, but its lovely at night when everything is all lit up and sparkly.


As always, happy with the purple touches in the room.......the rooms are lovely and fresh and we always enjoy staying here. For us it`s worth it as it`s where our trip really begins.

We then took our hold luggage down to the terminal to do Sundown check in. This is so handy. Getting checked in and getting rid of hold luggage is ideal. Only took 5 minutes down the Skywalk, but as its all glass we were baked in there......thank goodness the terminal was cooler. Looked down to where it was and there was a small queue of around 10 people. This would be done in no time. It was. Got checked in and made sure we still had the exit row seats, which we did. All done and luggage on its way to the back of the airport somewhere.........that's always a worry.......will it make the right flight!! Not much we can do now, so we headed back down the skywalk which was like walking into the sun it was so hot......and headed for the bar.









The bar is a nice little place to sit anytime........it was surprisingly busy for 4.30ish, not that you would know it from these pictures......but we got a booth and made ourselves comfortable.......waiter came and we ordered a beer for Tom and a white wine for me.........this was our first drink to celebrate our trip...we were going to enjoy it. You can either order at the bar in here or take advantage of service, which we did. Much more civilised.













We sat for a couple of hours and just chatted and spoke at length of what was ahead of us on our trip this year.......we always have a rough idea of what we want to do, but never do we plan anything, except meets with friends of course. But the idea of planning what is supposed to be a relaxing trip fills us with horror.......each to their own, but not for us. We did a short Skype to Kyle from the bar just for a chat........he was ok.

It was so nice in the bar, but eventually we were beginning to get hungry......naturally......that's always a theme with us. We do like our food so we headed through to the restaurant and we got seated immediately by the window. We did request a table by the window.......and later we would wish we hadn't.










The food is always so good in here......and service as you would expect is top notch. Water waiter brought us that first then we ordered a bottle of wine, they don't have an extensive wine list but its fine for where we are.

The menu is so nice but I know what I`m having. We both had the slightly predictable shrimp cocktails to start with, but so nice and fresh. I knew what I was having for my main meal. When I was here with mum in May before we went to NY, I ordered the ribs in a gorgeous bbq sauce, so I was having that again......... Tom took slightly longer choosing his entrée but eventually went for American hot pizza..........

The waiter brought over the wine and I was pleased to see he offered me the option to taste it. So many just go straight to the male.......however that can be a little pretentious so I said I was sure it would be fine and he poured. It was nice.

Have to say Tom`s pizza doesn't look the most appetising pizza ever, but it was nice and tasted very fresh.......just not as spicy as promised. But we do like things extra hot. My ribs were delicious......I always say we never really get fall of the bone ribs over here, but these were spectacular.













Although we were quite full, Tom does like a dessert. I don't really eat them, however I did have a little of the ice cream and he enjoyed the sticky toffee pudding.








Just after we ordered desserts four men came and sat at the table next to us.......the table I had asked for........One of them was the loudest man I have ever heard in my life. Not voice wise.....bragging wise. Oh my goodness, he was obviously a businessman, but why do people think everyone is going to be impressed by what they do or have. The staff looked a bit embarrassed but didn't say anything, the other 3 guests did look a bit sheepish too........he was just to my right so I had him in my line of vision. Thankfully we were almost done by then........all of a sudden he guffawed so loud and I got such a fright I turned and smiled at him and said he almost caused me to spill my drink as he was so loud. He was a bit taken aback and apologised. I said it was ok some people didn't realise how loud they were. He knew what I meant though.  I wasn't being nasty, but seriously, it`s a quiet restaurant and he was being obnoxious.

So with that we went up to our room. I love these rooms at night as they are quite cosy and by now of course it was pitch black so we could see the airport, the runway and everything else all lit up. Tom made us a cup of tea and coffee and we watched some tv. Think it was Two and a Half Men!













We had our tea and sat until around 11pm watching tv. Finally we put it off and set every alarm we could.......IPad, phone, TV and alarm call from hotel........yep, a little paranoid. But, this was the best point......we had everything in front of us......18 nights at our favourite hotel and hopefully some excellent hot weather.

Right now though we just hoped we would sleep. Night before such a trip........no chance.


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## J'aime Paris

Off to a great start schumigirl!  Will gladly follow each installment!
That food looks delicious!

Our only daughter will be off to college next fall, and she's always out and about with friends and school activities.  So I'm starting to feel the empty-nester syndrome a bit.  No fun when we cannot be with our children


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## AprilDreamsOfDisney

Sounds like a wonderful start to a long, relaxing trip! I'm looking forward to reading your report!


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## schumigirl

J'aime Paris said:


> Off to a great start schumigirl!  Will gladly follow each installment!
> That food looks delicious!
> 
> Our only daughter will be off to college next fall, and she's always out and about with friends and school activities.  So I'm starting to feel the empty-nester syndrome a bit.  No fun when we cannot be with our children



 

J`aime Paris.............Nice to have you joining along with my little trip report!! Hope you enjoy it and it doesn't get too long winded.......I`ll try my best.....lol.......

Yes, Food was fabulous, so it was a nice start to our trip.

Oh that's tough with your daughter heading off next year........cant be easy.......thing is they have the best time while we miss them, although glad they are happy and settled. Hopefully. We were lucky our son picked a University he could just about commute to. Long car drive every day but it was worth it, and it got easier as he wasn't going in every day in final 3 years......so we got him home, although we didn't see a whole lot of him......it was just nice. She`ll have the best time though.........



AprilDreamsOfDisney said:


> Sounds like a wonderful start to a long, relaxing trip! I'm looking forward to reading your report!





AprilDreamsOfDisney........

Thank you so much.......I do hope you enjoy reading along too........I do talk a lot.......or so I`m told........


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## tink1957

Woohoo....Carole started her trip report


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## Raeven

Following along!


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## Toy Story Fan

I've been hoping and checking all the time to see if you were doing another trip report. I read your last year's report, and enjoyed it so much! I learned alot from you. We will be having our first trip to Universal at the beginning of December, staying at RPR club level for a week and I can't wait!! There will be 5 of us, me, hubby, our two boys and a friend of mine who is single and usually comes on vacation with us. (We moved together when we were 18 years old to live in the city and have been best friends ever since...31 years ago). Between your trip reports and the ladies who help out on the Universal thread, I think I know just about everything I need to! Thank you!! Can't wait to read the rest!


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## macraven

Time to sit back and join the read!

I  Schumi's trippies


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## schumigirl

tink1957 said:


> Woohoo....Carole started her trip report



 Vicki.........great to have you along..........wish you had been in it though..........



Raeven said:


> Following along!



 Raeven..............hope you enjoy the report too..........nice to have you check in........



Toy Story Fan said:


> I've been hoping and checking all the time to see if you were doing another trip report. I read your last year's report, and enjoyed it so much! I learned alot from you. We will be having our first trip to Universal at the beginning of December, staying at RPR club level for a week and I can't wait!! There will be 5 of us, me, hubby, our two boys and a friend of mine who is single and usually comes on vacation with us. (We moved together when we were 18 years old to live in the city and have been best friends ever since...31 years ago). Between your trip reports and the ladies who help out on the Universal thread, I think I know just about everything I need to! Thank you!! Can't wait to read the rest!



 Toy Story Fan............why thank you.......what a lovely thing to say.........another first timer at RPR........how fabulous........you'll love it I'm sure. And Club Level is lovely......staff are just the best, we really felt so at home there. 

Sounds like a fun trip you have going there, family and a friend................sounds ideal! Hope you enjoy this one too......



macraven said:


> Time to sit back and join the read!
> 
> I  Schumi's trippies



  To you too Mac..........I knew you'd be along soon...........I know you'll enjoy it! Think you might even be in it............. Should have travel day up tomorrow...........


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## jump00

Just saw schumi's trip report posted - told my family - dinner is delayed a few minutes till I finish reading!!!

Great pictures - and being able to see the planes land and take off so cool

The adventure begins


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## Lynne G

Sounds like a great deal for starting your trip.  Having the car taken care of for 3 weeks with your stay is awesome.

Ready fir more.  Nice pictures.  Wahoo, that you started.


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## cocofifi

Woohoo! Schumigirl trip report is here. I just sat down with a glass of Chardonnay to see what was happening on Disboards and I get this lovely surprise. However, I was so very sorry to hear about the loss of your friend. Congratulations on your son's accomplishments. This trip looks like it's off to an awesome start. You guys look great! I've been missing USO since our awesome trip last May, your trip report is just what I need. Thanks for sharing.


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## pigletto

I'm so excited to read your trip report. I read the one from last year. It's so funny how a trip report makes you feel like you know people!
Our trip is only 12 more sleeps away! Reading your report will build the excitement.


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## schumigirl

jump00 said:


> Just saw schumi's trip report posted - told my family - dinner is delayed a few minutes till I finish reading!!!
> 
> Great pictures - and being able to see the planes land and take off so cool
> 
> The adventure begins




 Nice to see you back again........yes, dinner can wait......lol......we are a bit like kids with planes......one male colleague once asked me if I hadn't been allowed to look a planes as a child......every time I saw one I had to look up at it........ So, yes it`s always nice to see them coming and going. Hope you enjoy the trip report......



Lynne G said:


> Sounds like a great deal for starting your trip.  Having the car taken care of for 3 weeks with your stay is awesome.
> 
> Ready fir more.  Nice pictures.  Wahoo, that you started.



 Lynne..........glad you made it along.......yep, always good the car is waiting for us when we get back......my DH is very protective of his car!!! Hope you like what you read..... 



cocofifi said:


> Woohoo! Schumigirl trip report is here. I just sat down with a glass of Chardonnay to see what was happening on Disboards and I get this lovely surprise. However, I was so very sorry to hear about the loss of your friend. Congratulations on your son's accomplishments. This trip looks like it's off to an awesome start. You guys look great! I've been missing USO since our awesome trip last May, your trip report is just what I need. Thanks for sharing.



 Thank you so much .......hey chardonnay.......my kinda gal.......sip away and enjoy......



pigletto said:


> I'm so excited to read your trip report. I read the one from last year. It's so funny how a trip report makes you feel like you know people!
> Our trip is only 12 more sleeps away! Reading your report will build the excitement.



 pigletto......nice to have you along again for the ride........wow your trip isn't far away now!!! So close....yes, I think you do get to know folks through what they write.......good or bad...... Hope you enjoy it too......


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## schumigirl

*THURSDAY 15TH SEP........Travel Day.......*


We slept great, till around 2am. Then, as per usual I sprung to life........ready to go......I had only been asleep about 3 hours......this wasn't good as I knew what a long day we had ahead of us. So, I got up and discovered Tom had been awake for over an hour and didn't want to move and disturb me. So we both got up and sat and looked out the window for a bit, hoping we would eventually feel a bit tired. But, we all know that feeling where we know we should be sleeping.....but, just cant. This was one of those frustrating times. Eventually however around 4am, I decided I needed to sleep. We both must have dropped off quickly as the next thing it sounded like the Bell`s in St Peter`s Square were all going off........yep.....all the alarms went off together.........loudly!

It was 5.45 and still pitch black outside, but the airport had come to life already and planes were already starting to make moves.......and now we were getting extra excited. I jumped in the shower......the products The Radisson have are very nice, so I always use them as it saves carrying extra in hand luggage. Showered and hair dried I check the status of our incoming flight.......it`s arriving late, but our flight is showing on time, so that's always good to see. Tom comes out the shower and we go check out and head down to the terminal.

Check out is smooth and quick, we hand over our car keys and as we only have hand luggage we walk quickly down to the Terminal. We can head straight through security as we have already dropped our hold luggage last night, I look down and there is a long queue where we would have been. Glad we did it. Security was swift and as we got to the front it was shoes off and ipads out.......I went through and as usual the alarm went off.......I was clear and then got swabbed on my hands......... clear again.  Tom is never buzzed or gets extra searches.......it`s always me. We pick up our luggage and head through to the Duty Free and gate area.

This place is far too alive this early in the morning......ladies in full make up and hair descend on you to try and entice you to buy their particular brand. I do love perfumes and make up, of course I do........but not yet. Right now I need my very last cup of tea for almost 3 weeks and some breakfast. I cant imagine being allergic to scent smells and having to walk through this when travelling.

This is where a lady approaches me and asks if I`m Carole........I said yes I was and she said she enjoyed my trip reports......how lovely I told her. She was heading to somewhere else, and had been to Orlando once before and took some tips from trip report...... nice she took the time to say hi.......Tom sometimes looks a little bemused at this, but its nice. I cant remember her name but think it may have been Jan. We wish each other a happy trip and head on.

Then we head straight for breakfast.........same place as before.....Giraffe. Decent food and if you get a window seat you can plane watch.......yep, bit sad but we do ask for a window seat. She looks and sees the only window table is for 6......but she takes us to it anyway. We plonk ourselves down and decide what we are going to have. I decided to have pancakes, bacon and maple syrup and Tom went for the full breakfast, and of course two giant mugs of tea. This was our very misty view from our table.......it did clear I have to say.......







Bit early for pictures, but we did take a couple........













Breakfast was rather nice, although the pancakes could have fed 4 people........think I only ate half of what was on the plate. All of a sudden the man who was serving us appeared behind me and put the check down.....I had been daydreaming out the window and jumped about 3 foot in the air and let out a yelp........apparently it was funny!! Didn't bode well for HHN coming up.......he was apologising, I said while now laughing myself there was no need....he was funny. Told me he didn't think he was ugly as his mother told him he was handsome.......he really was!!!!

We paid and headed back down to duty free where I picked up some Clinique gift boxes and Jimmy Choo perfume.....I think that was all we got this time. But pleased with my little haul. It had been my birthday 2 days before, so these really were all birthday presents. We would pick them up when we got on the plane. We then bought some snacks and some water, made a bathroom visit and watched for the gate number to appear. We were surprised how quickly the time passed, as soon as we checked the board our gate number appeared......as always we were the furthest away gate you could get.

We walked down and didn't rush as because of where our seats were, we were last on the plane. But we headed down and were surprised to see boarding begin almost immediately. This was good!! Our flight time was 10.15 so around 10am Tom and I go through.........I get selected again......for an extra search.......no problems of course, totally random.....I hope. But 2 minutes later we were on the plane. Seated immediately and were surprised to see them close the doors almost instantaneously........we usually have to wait for something.

I always have the window seat and get settled immediately and have my pack of candy for take off. We both have issues at times with earache, so this helps. We take off at exactly 10.45am.........and then again I am struck with the fact Kyle isn't with us again. But, right now I have to worry about the take off.......if I worry it`ll be ok......so I always worry during take off. It`s tradition. But, as always take off is smooth and we`re up in the air before we know it and we have 9 hours 40 minutes ahead of us.

We take a very strange route this time......we fly right up past the West Coast of Scotland.....I could have waved to my mum......but, we went up higher than normal. Turns out there was a massive weather system in the centre of the Atlantic and all planes were avoiding it. Kyle showed us the screen shots when we got home and it was a massive storm so I`m glad we avoided it.

Flight passed extremely quickly this time........I tend to read a little and watch the sky map once we hit Canada and the USA.......that's where it starts to get interesting. The movies on offer weren't great or I had seen them, but I did watch The Other Woman with Cameron Diaz.......it was ok. Seats are very spacious even for exit rows where the central arm rest is fixed. And we had room in front of us........



















Just a few of the images that keep me amused while we are up in the air. They are good with food and drinks on these flights. First is a choice of 2 dishes and a veg option, I had chicken in bbq maple sauce with mac n cheese which sounded odd, but was nice.....Tom had sausage and mash and enjoyed that too. It came with a chocolate dessert and cheese and crackers......very nice. Always give my dessert away though, far too sweet. Drinks are plentiful too, they do come round a lot. I had 2 little bottles of red wine as I hoped it would help me sleep. And I did for an hour I think. Then a few hours later its afternoon tea, which we always find truly dreadful.......that's why we buy some snacks, but today we weren't hungry at all, so we just had some water and a coffee. Tom did eat both scones though......lol








Finally we were less than an hour away from landing, Kyle was in my thoughts again as we got closer, and we really wished he was with us, but wasn't possible this year. So we prepared to land eventually. We had  cabin crew sit opposite us for take offs and landing, they always chat and today she was talking of how this pilot gives exceptionally smooth landings.......I looked out the window and said we were coming in from a different angle than normal.......when we literally thumped on to the ground......never experienced a landing like it.........everyone was astounded to practically come to an immediate stop......they usually jam the brakes on of course, but we were all propelled forward in our seats like never before. It was quite fun actually........ cabin crew immediately said she should have kept her mouth shut......lol.....but we had landed safely.........just in a far away and seemingly very short runway.......I could see the terminal and was quite disappointed to see the Virgin 747 had already landed. We like to get there before them as queues in immigration can be massive. Still at least it was just one of them and not three.

We were off the plane in no time at all.......being in the exit row means they usually let you off first with Premium, and today was no different. So we were almost first in the queue going through. It was hot and busy, lots of tired and excited children which doesn't make a good mix......but after around 35 minutes we got to our immigration officer and he was friendly today. We got through and were delighted to see our luggage going around the carousel......again, ours is usually last......so today we felt lucky. Not for long. We then had to join another queue.....we usually just got our customs forms stamped and head off........not today. Another long queue. But eventually we made it through and headed upstairs for the little monorail journey for the start of our trip.

Monorail was short and sweet. Got off and headed down after a bathroom visit to the dreaded car rental desk. The queue was massive. Because we had been delayed extra in Immigration today, all the other folks had gotten to hire desk before us, there was usually only a couple in front of us, so this was new. Today there must have been 30 people in front of us.........after such a long day its not the sight you want to see and of course they are in no rush seemingly to serve people......but we wait and get all of our documentation out to show what we have already paid for and that we don't expect to be charged for anything extra. Past experience tells us how bad this can be.

We eventually make it to the front of the queue and hand over our documents.........we ask him to confirm no extra charges for fuel or second driver as we had already paid for that.....he looked confused and we thought the worst......but, he says he sees that and there is nothing to pay. We also emphasize we don't need any upgrades or satnavs etc.....think he knew he`d be wasting his time trying to upsell us anything.  And with that we are headed for our first breath of American fresh air.....or in this case, fumes from the MDE! Straight over to garage and we pick our vehicle and head off with a big smile on our face.

We head for our usual route and notice there is still a huge amount of roadworks going on........we go the 528 and notice instead of 2 tolls there are now only one......the cost of both have been put on the one........so we head forward and turn off at Universal Boulevard.......not long now.








Despite driving through some impressive lightning, we got to the hotel in less than 20 minutes. As usual as we approached the resort we noticed all the familiar landmarks, such as Dr Doom, Potter castle and of course the rpr itself. This year SF was finished of course, you cant really miss it and the huge volcano that is being built behind. But, we pull in and decide to go straight to the car park and take our own luggage. It only takes a few minutes to do this.....we always enjoy that first walk in every year.......






































We adore this hotel. Love everything about it, from the first moment we step through the doors we are made to feel so welcome and valued as a guest. We walked over to check in and we were greeted by Alexa who was just lovely, she was new to us this year. She asked our name and then checked the screen and called someone.....a manager came out to greet us and welcome us back again which was a nice touch. Alexa seemed to be very chatty and it was taking slightly longer than normal......she explained it had been arranged for us to have our usual room and so  on......meanwhile I heard a voice say welcome back Mrs **** I turned to see a front desk TM remember us from last year.......was so nice to see her again. And lovely to be remembered.

Eventually she said our room was being checked and it would be a few minutes.......but, sure enough we were soon on our way up to the room finally........Then I saw what the delays were for........


















These had been arranged to be sent when we checked in..........I was so surprised!!! So, poor Alexa was trying to keep us talking till she was sure they had been delivered......she said later she felt awful keeping us longer but knew I`d be pleased......she was right. It was a lovely surprise........

The we took time for the rest of the room..........being T3 it wasn't purple......however still a lovely room with a fabulous view....
































We unpacked very quickly and got ourselves organised and freshened up before heading downstairs. We wanted a safe deposit box from behind the desk for larger documents and passports etc, Alexa took care of us again and we said we were so happy to see the things in the room when we arrived.......she was so glad we were pleased. Nice lady. Box set up we headed over to Orchids lounge where we planned to chill out for as long as possible.

Didn't recognise any of the staff in Orchids tonight......but we had a lovely young lady get us a beer and a cocktail......we would order some sushi in a while.........







We were so ready for those drinks! After a long day it was very much appreciated..........the guy was singing in Orchids again tonight, not too loud which was good as it was jazz and I hate jazz!!!

After a while we ordered another drink and some sushi.........it was all beautiful. We have had some of the nicest sushi ever in here........













Once we started eating we became incredibly hungry.........so after our first plate of Mexican and Dynamite sushi, we ordered another plate of Mexican as its our favourite and some spring rolls.......we knew the spring rolls came from Jake`s so would take a while.....that suited us as we were just enjoying finally being here and relaxing.













We had eaten the other spring roll before I remembered to take the picture........so fresh and tasty.







Loved every mouthful of it. It really is worth visiting if you are fond of sushi........never been disappointed.

We sat for a while and people watched and listened to the musician play........around 9.30 we hit the wall. So we very quickly paid our check and headed up to our room. That bed looked very inviting at this point. Very quick shower as we both felt very grubby after our travel day.......then we were both out for the count in minutes. Those beds and pillows are fabulous. Soft, but not too soft.........All in all we had enjoyed our travel day and our first evening of our trip.


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## Raeven

Ugh it's the worst when you want to sleep but just can't. I get too excited to sleep properly the night before we leave.

I got selected for an extra search after the metal detectors! I think my zipper set them off but I'm not sure.

I guess she shouldn't have said the pilot was good at smooth landings 

It's so nice that they set that all up for you. Rpr looks very nice, I want to stay at all the Universal hotels so eventually we'll get to Rpr! So far I've preferred the ones we've stayed at, at Universal to those at Disney.


----------



## schumigirl

lol......you too??? I always wonder if I have a metal plate or something I don't know about as I never have any metal on me.......yes, think CC regretted her comments as soon as soon as she spoke, but her timing was impeccable!!

The Universal hotels are definitely lovely, and yes, it was a lovely surprise for my birthday, well, belated......but I still celebrated anytime I got the chance.......


----------



## tink1957

What a nice surprise to start your trip, RPR really does it right.

I feel the same way as you when I take off on the plane without one of my kids and during the trip I'll think about how much the missing one would enjoy whatever we're doing at the time...part of being a mom I guess.

One of these days I will make it to Orchid's for the sushi, we should meet up there on our next trip since we missed you this time 

Great start Carole...keep up the good work


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## starousse

Joining in...Just finished reading your last report. Looking forward to this one as we're staying at the RPR in December.


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## J'aime Paris

Oh how I love that sushi as well!  Thank you for getting me hungry
(Except I'm a total wimp when it comes to spicy.)  

Cannot wait to eat there in November!


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## Robo56

Yeah! Carole glad you have started your trippie I' am along for the ride. I always love reading your reports. 

You and Tom look so happy in your photos and you are both very photogenic. 

I always set off the alarms do to my knee replacements. Then they want to take me aside and do the full body pat down. First time was mortified now not so much. 

Looking forward to your next installment


----------



## angryduck71

I was having an incredibly bad day, so it was SO NICE to see this report and get to spend a few minutes with you.    So sorry about your friend.  Having lost my two best friends way too young (one was to cancer -- the other was an awful, sudden death as well), I understand the pain.  But, I feel confident you're right -- she would've wanted you to have a fantastic trip!  One of these friends once told me, like John Lennon, she would send me a white feather as a sign.  I'd been waiting for that sign for 27 years (there's more to this story, but I don't want to get everyone WAY DOWN!).  Then, on our last vacation, my son and I found a FIELD of white feathers.  My 9-year-old son picked one up and said, "THIS one.  This one needs to come with us and is from Sarah."  He brought it with us everywhere and is now with a jacket she left me.  I hope your friend sends you a sign as well.  <3  Also, having an only son myself, I know yours probably had a great time being a young adult even though you missed him terribly!  I DREAD the day I have to leave mine home!
(Also, I'm having a crown put on tomorrow -- only my second, but once again, I will think of your bad luck with yours when you come to Orlando -- hoping nothing like that happens again this time!)


----------



## Worfiedoodles

What a great start! A few bumps but overall you are ready for a fantastic trip. So excited to read all about your adventures!

Maria


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## schumigirl

tink1957 said:


> What a nice surprise to start your trip, RPR really does it right.
> 
> I feel the same way as you when I take off on the plane without one of my kids and during the trip I'll think about how much the missing one would enjoy whatever we're doing at the time...part of being a mom I guess.
> 
> One of these days I will make it to Orchid's for the sushi, we should meet up there on our next trip since we missed you this time
> 
> Great start Carole...keep up the good work



Thanks Vicki.........yep,being a mum is the best thing ever, but hard at times like that.........yep RPR is just the best! Have you eaten in Orchids before.......I forget.........



starousse said:


> Joining in...Just finished reading your last report. Looking forward to this one as we're staying at the RPR in December.



 starousse............glad to have you here..........hope you enjoy it......I always like reading folks trips reports too before a trip........definitely adds to excitement..........December is just around the corner now, somwont be long..........



J'aime Paris said:


> Oh how I love that sushi as well!  Thank you for getting me hungry
> (Except I'm a total wimp when it comes to spicy.)
> 
> Cannot wait to eat there in November!



The Mexican one is probably the most spicy one they have.......the dynamite is quite tame actually.......not hot at all......but they have loads of choices.......you'll love it I'm sure!



Robo56 said:


> Yeah! Carole glad you have started your trippie I' am along for the ride. I always love reading your reports.
> 
> You and Tom look so happy in your photos and you are both very photogenic.
> 
> I always set off the alarms do to my knee replacements. Then they want to take me aside and do the full body pat down. First time was mortified now not so much.
> 
> Looking forward to your next installment



 Robo..........thank you forth lovely compliments.......you always know how to say the right things.........   Yes, first time being patted down I thought oh heck what have I done........now it's just routine and I expect it........but as far as I'm aware no metal in me...........I hope!  Hope you enjoy this one too........



angryduck71 said:


> I was having an incredibly bad day, so it was SO NICE to see this report and get to spend a few minutes with you.    So sorry about your friend.  Having lost my two best friends way too young (one was to cancer -- the other was an awful, sudden death as well), I understand the pain.  But, I feel confident you're right -- she would've wanted you to have a fantastic trip!  One of these friends once told me, like John Lennon, she would send me a white feather as a sign.  I'd been waiting for that sign for 27 years (there's more to this story, but I don't want to get everyone WAY DOWN!).  Then, on our last vacation, my son and I found a FIELD of white feathers.  My 9-year-old son picked one up and said, "THIS one.  This one needs to come with us and is from Sarah."  He brought it with us everywhere and is now with a jacket she left me.  I hope your friend sends you a sign as well.  <3  Also, having an only son myself, I know yours probably had a great time being a young adult even though you missed him terribly!  I DREAD the day I have to leave mine home!
> (Also, I'm having a crown put on tomorrow -- only my second, but once again, I will think of your bad luck with yours when you come to Orlando -- hoping nothing like that happens again this time!)



 angryduck. Nice to have you here too..........really hope you like this one too.........

What a lovely story about your friend. Yes there always is more to a story isn't there........ glad you got your sign eventually. And how lovely your son picked it up.
My friend only got a few weeks after diagnosis, she hadn't been well for a couple of months though, it was missed and too late (in this day and age). I got to be with her by her hospital bedside four days leading up to her passing which helped. And weirdly the week before when she finally told us she was ill, not that she was dying, we spent one fun afternoon while she had chemo......sounds odd but it was the last day she had outside and could laugh. Anyway, I immediately looked for a sign after she passed,........I expected something like the sky opening up........lol..........but one day, out of the blue in our sitting room on the chair she always sat in was a feather. One single white feather. 

Yes make the most of your son while he's young........all of a sudden they've graduated and you're like.......whaaat!!! Where did the time go.........lol........

Oh good luck with the crown tomorrow.........I wish you well with that.........


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> What a great start! A few bumps but overall you are ready for a fantastic trip. So excited to read all about your adventures!
> 
> Maria



 Maria...........lovely to see you here...........Thank you so much, hope I can keep you entertained for a bit and it doesn't drag on........as I said earlier I can ramble on a bit............but hope you enjoy it........


----------



## Tink2Day

Yay, I've been waiting for your report!  I always come out of lurkdom for your report and just a couple others.

As for being long-winded?  The longer the better is what I say, when it comes to Schumgirl trip reports!


----------



## schumigirl

Tink2Day said:


> Yay, I've been waiting for your report!  I always come out of lurkdom for your report and just a couple others.
> 
> As for being long-winded?  The longer the better is what I say, when it comes to Schumgirl trip reports!



 And  again for coming out of lurkdom...........

Giving me permission to ramble even more may be a mistake........lol......... but I really hope you enjoy this one as well...........nice to have you along too..........


----------



## snoopboop

schumigirl said:


> But, this was the best point......we had everything in front of us......18 nights at our favourite hotel and hopefully some excellent hot weather.



Love that feeling. For me, the very best moment is when we are in the hotel lobby... getting checked in, getting our EPs.... the magic is just beginning at that moment and we have a whole trip's worth of fun coming up. Love it.

I'm SO glad you're back with your latest TR! Yours are always a joy to read!


----------



## angryduck71

schumigirl said:


> angryduck. Nice to have you here too..........really hope you like this one too.........
> 
> What a lovely story about your friend. Yes there always is more to a story isn't there........ glad you got your sign eventually. And how lovely your son picked it up.
> My friend only got a few weeks after diagnosis, she hadn't been well for a couple of months though, it was missed and too late (in this day and age). I got to be with her by her hospital bedside four days leading up to her passing which helped. And weirdly the week before when she finally told us she was ill, not that she was dying, we spent one fun afternoon while she had chemo......sounds odd but it was the last day she had outside and could laugh. Anyway, I immediately looked for a sign after she passed,........I expected something like the sky opening up........lol..........but one day, out of the blue in our sitting room on the chair she always sat in was a feather. One single white feather.
> 
> Yes make the most of your son while he's young........all of a sudden they've graduated and you're like.......whaaat!!! Where did the time go.........lol........
> 
> Oh good luck with the crown tomorrow.........I wish you well with that.........



And now something is in my eye...    <3


----------



## Dynamoliz

Hurrah! So pleased to see you've started your report. I've been watching and waiting! Yours are my favourites. I think because of your dining choices and that you both always seem to enjoy yourselves so much.


----------



## klacey1

I have been checking this board for days to see when you'd get started!!! I've read all of your reports and loved them. (I never discovered them until after you finished, so I'd get to read the whole thing at once!) I love the way you and Tom "do" Orlando. It really is one of my favorite cities in the US, too. So much to do and see and enjoy.
RPR is one of my favorite hotels ever. So beautiful and so convenient. Looking forward to more!


----------



## pcstang

angryduck71 said:


> And now something is in my eye...    <3


Dang mummy dust will do that to you!


----------



## pcstang




----------



## schumigirl

snoopboop said:


> Love that feeling. For me, the very best moment is when we are in the hotel lobby... getting checked in, getting our EPs.... the magic is just beginning at that moment and we have a whole trip's worth of fun coming up. Love it.
> 
> I'm SO glad you're back with your latest TR! Yours are always a joy to read!



 snoopboop..........yep, that first walk in always makes me emotional........it`s still all in front of us......thank you for the compliment, hope this one is enjoyable too.......



angryduck71 said:


> And now something is in my eye...    <3







Dynamoliz said:


> Hurrah! So pleased to see you've started your report. I've been watching and waiting! Yours are my favourites. I think because of your dining choices and that you both always seem to enjoy yourselves so much.



 Dynamoliz...........Thank you so much!!! We probably didn't venture around as much as we normally do this time, but still some nice food!! And yep, we love every second........nice to have you along........



klacey1 said:


> I have been checking this board for days to see when you'd get started!!! I've read all of your reports and loved them. (I never discovered them until after you finished, so I'd get to read the whole thing at once!) I love the way you and Tom "do" Orlando. It really is one of my favorite cities in the US, too. So much to do and see and enjoy.
> RPR is one of my favorite hotels ever. So beautiful and so convenient. Looking forward to more!



 Wow...thank you so much......its so nice to hear you've enjoyed the trip reports.......yep, we adore the RPR.......can you tell.............nice you've joined along.......



pcstang said:


>



  Hope you`re going to share that popcorn  and of course hope you enjoy reading.......


----------



## keishashadow

that sushi looks 'lush'

Better late than never to the partee, looking forward to another good read.

Never realized what an adventure you have just getting to Orlando, you are quite the pair of intrepid travelers

We enjoy having a room overlooking runway @ airport too.  That is the nicest Radisson I've seen, but you never know when Charlie Sheen is going to pop up in a random bedroom lol.   

PS - said it before, but Tom seriously needs to start a school for romantically-challenged husbands!


----------



## schumigirl

*FRIDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER
*
If you've read any of my trip reports before you`ll know we never plan anything except meetings with friends. Everything else goes with the flow and I never do a trip report that goes on for months.......not my style at all.......our trip falls into place however it falls. We do however spend all year at most points going through menu`s, looking at all our pictures and generally thinking what a fabulous time we`ll have on our next trip. So we are tremendously excited about our trips, I just don't have a huge list of to do things before we go.  After my last report I got a pm asking why I don't give the cost of everything. Well, I just don't. It`s not the reason I do trip reports, to document what we spend. To be honest it might scare me.......lol........but it`s our main vacation of the year and whatever it costs is fine by us.

We slept well. Not great, as I think the first night of a strange bed always causes a bit of restlessness sometimes. They are however very comfortable and at one point I got up and opened the drapes as I thought if I was awake I might as well be looking at something. Seeing everything still and lit up is very pretty. Doom was so purple, I liked it! I eventually got up and got some water from the fridge, we hadn't shopped yet, so it was just what the hotel had put in. At some point or other I drifted back off to sleep, and hoped it would be at least 7am before we woke up. We never sleep late on a trip, we sometimes plan to, but it never happens.

We did have plans this morning. Our first plan of the day was to meet a friend in Orchids for breakfast. She wasn't staying at RPR but this was her last morning in Orlando, she had been here for 5 days and she had said she would come see us. We all know our friends so well......and this one is well known for being reluctant to part with money shall we say........she knows it, we all now it.....and can laugh about it with her......so when she agreed to pay the parking fee to come see us, I was surprised. Really surprised.

Anyway, we got up and had our showers and were downstairs by 7.45. She was already there and already complaining about the cost of everything........told her to stop moaning we would buy her breakfast.......she is funny though. But after a while it`s exhausting.........but we had a nice breakfast........I think we all had pastries and coffee. She had never been in RP before so she wanted to wander a little.......so we showed her around and she reluctantly agreed she could understand why we stayed there. She didn't stay long as she had a midday flight back home, she`s in the USA now.

We said our goodbyes and we were heading off to Walmart. Our first job is to buy sunscreen, water and Pepperidge farm cookies, preferably Dulce de Leche........Love them! And Tom wanted new trainers. The ones he had bought in Walmart previous year had been excellent on his feet, so he wanted another pair. I like to pick up little things if I see them.....we also needed baseball caps. Surely we would get them there.

It only takes a few minutes to drive to Walmart on Turkey Lake Road........it`s a huge store and we know it like the back of our hand now. Tom drives this morning........I don't feel like driving today, we step outside and its boiling hot.....its only around 9.30am.......wow......we love the heat and this is one thing we look forward to every year, but even for us this year was blazing hot! On the drive we see this............































The new waterpark Volcano bay is well on in it`s construction.........I`m always amazed how much they can fit in to what looks like a small space. We don't go to Waterparks ever, but I will definitely come and look at this one completed.

In Walmart, we picked up everything we needed and more possibly, I also got a new pair of Hair Straighteners to use over here......the older pair I had kept losing power, so time for new ones........well it is a birthday present.......lol.....Tom got his trainers and we pay and head back out to what feels like the face of the sun! But, we enjoy it anyways......


The Orlando Eye was taken from the Walmart car park. It looked so close.







We drive back into the car park and take the stuff we have bought to our room, the lady has been in already so we put a little sunblock on and head back out........we feel like a mall today, its hot and we need to take it easy as we have HHN tonight.........we do feel a little tired today, tired is probably the wrong word......you know when your head feels a little fuzzy due to lack of sleep........anyway, we head to The Florida Mall. This is my least or was my least favourite Mall.......I always joked there were too many tourists!!!! But they have improved it immensely the last couple of years......it used to be dull when you went in, now its light, airy and has a decent food court.

























We decide to eat there after having a real wander around, we both had noodles, bourbon chicken and orange chicken, it was rather nice, but a little salty.......couldn't believe the queue in the Apple store.......for a phone! Anyway, just wandered and looked in a few stores, particularly Brookstones and Macy. Although the Macy here doesn't have as nice a feel as the one at Mall at Millenia. We went for the Chinese option after speaking to them. I am allergic to MSG among other things, but that's the one I worry about the most with Chinese in the States. I honesty cant remember what we had, but it was nice. I think I had orange chicken and noodles.......but after we ate we left and headed to Total Wine near Millenia.

We wanted to buy a gift for someone, so we quickly went in and got what we needed, then back to hotel.

It was at this point I was approached by a man, who asked if I was schumigirl........I smiled and said yes......it was the poster slford00..... he was here with his wife who was just lovely......and other family members for a visit without the children for HHN........We had a lovely chat and enjoyed hearing about their plans........we did meet them again at HHN and again had a nice chat.........I love when folks approach me to chat when they know me from here.....they were a lovely couple.

We went and asked at the desk if our friend was around and was told SF, so we decided to walk over there........it doesn't take long if you go through the Conference and Ballroom areas.........it is kinda creepy back there though......no one around and massive open corridors......I spooked myself by doing the kids voice from the Shining and saying "redrum redrum"........lol.....its bad when you spook yourself! Although that area does remind me a little of The Shining..........if a kid on a little trike had appeared I would have passed out!!















It`s like this a lot of the way there.........but, our first view of SF is the business centre there too........








It really is a beautiful hotel, and the carpet was so bouncy to walk on........we followed the path we had been told to take and we ended up in the main area of check in........
































We asked if our friend was around and he wasn't. They thought he was at RP. So we headed back to RPR and by a total fluke we bumped into him just before we turned to go out of the business centre area at RP. It was just the weirdest coincidence in a hotel, or 2 hotels this size we should both meet at that point at that time. We were over the moon to see him. He was heading to a meeting, so he said he would call us when he was done. We were going to our room anyway to have a chill out.

When he called us he asked if we would like a tour of Sf. So, as we had only seen a tiny bit of it we were over the moon to go see more of it. So we headed back over to SF and met him in the lobby. I wont post the pics again as most of them are in the new Sapphire Falls thread that's been created in the hotel stickies. But we saw the Kids suite, Sapphire Suite and the exceptionally beautiful Presidential Suite. The pictures really don't do it justice. Stunning rooms.

But, we loved the hotel........the rooms, the pool area, restaurants all the little features involved in the design all add to a very beautiful hotel.








There are more pictures in future visits to SF further on, but for today we had spent a good couple of hours being shown around.........we were then given the chance to stay for a couple of nights if we wished, well, we definitely would like to do that. So it was arranged at that point we would stay our last 2 nights there. We were incredibly grateful to him for organising this for us. This however would change slightly.........

At that point we said our goodbyes and thanked him for the tour, we did appreciate it.

We then walked back and I did like this bit where it goes over the road........







But we went back to our room and Skyped Kyle........he was doing great and was glad we were having fun already. Told him we were going to HHN tonight and he had forgotten it started so early.......as we had only left two days before he didn't have much to tell........so we said our goodbyes and got showered before going up to the lounge.

Walking in to the lounge is lovely. Especially tonight when it wasn't so busy......there was one young lady we recognised from last year Lyanne, she was just lovely. But, the rest of the staff were new to us. We got our glass of wine and sat by the window and just glanced out.













We see that the hot option tonight is macaroni cheese casserole.......we usually don't eat the hot option but this looked nice and we did feel hungry right now. So we each had a plate with some salad........and another glass of wine of course.......we did enjoy it.

























Lyanne came over and told us someone who used to be a supervisor in the CL a couple of years ago had called to find out if we were visitng yet this year as he would love to see us again. Mike, is now the supervisor over at PBH.......we were over the moon to know he was back. Lyanne asked if we would like his email, but our emails are a hit and a miss in America so we asked her to find out when we he was working next week and we would go over and visit with him. So she arranged that for us. He is such a nice guy and we got on so well, we were looking forward to meeting with him.

We sat till around 7pm and then decided it was time to do HHN.


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> that sushi looks 'lush'
> 
> Better late than never to the partee, looking forward to another good read.
> 
> Never realized what an adventure you have just getting to Orlando, you are quite the pair of intrepid travelers
> 
> We enjoy having a room overlooking runway @ airport too.  That is the nicest Radisson I've seen, but you never know when Charlie Sheen is going to pop up in a random bedroom lol.
> 
> PS - said it before, but Tom seriously needs to start a school for romantically-challenged husbands!




 Janet.........yay.......you`re here......

Never saw Charlie till I posted.......how`d I miss him!!  Yep, nice hotel and beds are huge........even Tom and I, large as we are get lost in them! Yes, its a fair old journey, but worth it 

Oh I`ll tell him that........you`ll make his day........he is romantic I suppose...... 

Glad you've joined along.......


----------



## schumigirl

I should say, my pictures may be a bit out of synch at some points........we had 4 cameras during the trip and used them all at various different times.

When we uploaded them all at the end of the day they ended up all over the place and in no order.

So my wonderful son took hours sorting them into some kind of order, but bless him......it was like putting together a jigsaw puzzle with no full picture. So if I post some that don't fit that day.........I tried.......


----------



## Lynne G

Eh, don't worry about order of pictures.  I love that you post them regardless.  Maybe I'll stay at SF one of these days.  While I don't use the express pass much, I hate to pass it up.  Depending on the price, I may spend a few days at start or end of USO stay.  We'll see.  

Nice to meet up with those you know.  Sorry I missed you this year, but maybe next.  That good travel agency has deals for the week before and after I wanted, so I may go at end of September instead of beginning of October.  Need to see what flights look like too.  And since I missed the mouse's party this year, I may want to do 2 next year.  

Follow on.  Great pictures and enjoy reading.


----------



## schumigirl

Thanks Lynne.........I noticed I was wearing a dress on the wrong day I was posting about.......lol......they really were all over this place. 

Next year's dates are not definite yet, so we have to wait a little........thing is I'm itching to book flights right now!! I have no patience, but DH business takes priority over my impatience apparently...... Who knew.........

Glad you're enjoying reading though


----------



## tink1957

Don't worry about the order like Lynne says, we enjoy your pics in whatever order you post them.

We're planning on going for opening week of HHN next year so Trey can use his AP before it expires.  Plus we've never been on opening night so it will be fun.

I'm having a hard time resisting the temptation to book early too...just have to figure out who's going and where we want to stay.


----------



## angshewas

Schumigirl, so excited to read another of your trip reports! 



schumigirl said:


> Anyway, I immediately looked for a sign after she passed,........I expected something like the sky opening up........lol..........but one day, out of the blue in our sitting room on the chair she always sat in was a feather. One single white feather.



WOW... <3


----------



## schumigirl

tink1957 said:


> Don't worry about the order like Lynne says, we enjoy your pics in whatever order you post them.
> 
> We're planning on going for opening week of HHN next year so Trey can use his AP before it expires.  Plus we've never been on opening night so it will be fun.
> 
> I'm having a hard time resisting the temptation to book early too...just have to figure out who's going and where we want to stay.



Yes I tried to make sure the pics were from the right day, but I see one that was taken at dusk, when it was supposed to be middle of the day. It's annoying, but I'll live with it......should have written down what I was wearing each day........lol......nah, that's a bit sad isn't it.........lol.........I love opening night!! 



angshewas said:


> Schumigirl, so excited to read another of your trip reports!
> 
> 
> 
> WOW... <3



 angshewas...........thank you!!! Hope you enjoy it.......yep, we keep the feather in a book she gave me years ago. It's nice. 

Glad to have you read along again.........


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## Raeven

I look at menus all year too 

Pepperidge Farms cookies are so good! 

I'm also not a fan of waterparks, but I'm planning to go to Volcano Bay after it's open next year.

Taking it easy before HHN is a good plan...we didn't do that either year and I regret it but next year we will.

I bet the presidental suite was cool! We enjoyed Sapphire Falls more than our hotels at Disney. 

Yay HHN time!


----------



## klo1335

Yay!  So happy you have another trip report.  I missed following your last one and read it all in one sitting. We are headed back to Universal in November and are so excited.  My husband will be in Hawaii for work for the week, so my parents and sister are taking the girls with me this time around.  They haven't been to Universal since 2001 so we are all very excited.


----------



## schumigirl

Raeven said:


> I look at menus all year too
> 
> Pepperidge Farms cookies are so good!
> 
> I'm also not a fan of waterparks, but I'm planning to go to Volcano Bay after it's open next year.
> 
> Taking it easy before HHN is a good plan...we didn't do that either year and I regret it but next year we will.
> 
> I bet the presidental suite was cool! We enjoyed Sapphire Falls more than our hotels at Disney.
> 
> Yay HHN time!



Glad it`s not just us with menu`s......lol...........yes, we really need to try and sleep late on HHN days, but we just can`t......always up with the larks!

Yep HHN next.........


----------



## schumigirl

klo1335 said:


> Yay!  So happy you have another trip report.  I missed following your last one and read it all in one sitting. We are headed back to Universal in November and are so excited.  My husband will be in Hawaii for work for the week, so my parents and sister are taking the girls with me this time around.  They haven't been to Universal since 2001 so we are all very excited.



 klo1335...........your trip sounds like it will be fabulous.....a real family get together sounds so much fun. And Hawaii isn't too bad a place for your husband to be, even though it is work.........
Glad to have you along........I hope you enjoy this one too


----------



## schumigirl

*FRIDAY 16TH CONTINUED.......HHN.......OPENING NIGHT.......
*
We left the lounge and headed down to get the boat. This was our first time using the boats or heading to the parks with the new metal detectors in place. Knowing my history with metal detectors I expected to be zapped......however I got through with no alarms going off.......maybe my luck is changing. I get my bag searched and of course there`s nothing in there except a camera and hankies........The boat is there we so get straight on. Its quite a busy boat, but of course it`s peak time for folks heading to dinner and a few of us adding to HHN.

The new Sapphire Falls hotel also having boat access has caused the boat traffic to be regulated by a traffic light system. This is a little odd, and it`s strange being held up waiting for another boat. But we do.


It was only a few moments and we were headed along the very pretty waterway to Citywalk. The boats are always a nice little sit down when you are exhausted, but also just nice. People usually chat to each other which is nice too.

We get off the boat and head to Studios, it is ridiculously hot!! I cannot believe there isn't even a breath of air tonight so it`s going to be fun!

We go through the hotel guest entrance, although there really isn't a queue anymore.....this takes seconds really. The atmosphere is so much fun and you can immediately feel the fun vibe in the air....and the heat.....I swear it was getting warmer. It is still light, but even so there is horror in the air all around you........we know we are heading for Halloween house, of course, and to be honest our plan was to knock off a couple, maybe 3 house a night and really take it easy. But, of course once the atmosphere hits, we don't want to leave.

First zone we go through is Vamp55........first night and I thought maybe this was going to be my least favourite zone, but it definitely grew on me. Even if zones aren't favourites, we always marvel at the SA. They are just fabulous and stay in character every second. The last few years have massively improved the photo ops they give......in fact they positively encourage pictures more than ever.













First scare of the night.......had no idea he was behind me..........



















This was such a fun zone and got a few surprises with SA hissing in your ear when you had no clue they were there.....but we duly headed on to Lair of the Banshee just after Café La Bamba.....this zone is always a good one. Plenty of fog and usually excellent characters around. I was glad to see the rat lady wasn't there this year, or if she was I missed her. This was a good scare zone......































This SA was a real favourite too.........she was super creepy in her character.......




















I think my husband orchestrated this one.......as I was walking away from this SA, he shouted me......I turned......








I almost ran a mile!! And I felt I jumped 20 feet in the air........I swear she looked as though she wanted to kill me.....lol.....I laughed like a drain afterwards though.

This was where we decided to stop and get some water.......I couldn't believe the heat we were having, but kept reasoning it wa sbetter than the torrential downpour we had opening night on 2014.......that was a downpour!! So we had some water and headed to what I hoped would the highlight of my evening. Man of my dreams, or nightmares.....Michael Myers.

The queue for the regular line was 25 minutes. If it had been less we would have done it twice, but straight to EP tonight......this was the longest we ever saw this queue go. Of course most nights we weren't there too late when it got really busy. The EP line was a genuine walk on, and we found that to be the case in all houses this year.......









We loved this house!!! Genuinely got spooked out of my boots........Michael was everywhere.......again, Tom behind me on occasions had to propel me forward as I just stopped a couple of times.......and we all know that's a no no in these houses.......it`s keep moving or get yelled at by TM trying to keep everything moving along. They have a tough job. I tried to remember where he was for other nights coming up, but I failed......and then they added new ones......I think this night the worst scare I got was right in the middle, where he got me at one door and I just froze......same Michael appeared at another door 5 steps on.......they know the targets!! But, it was so much fun.......if it hadn't been so hot we would have gone again.......but we had a few more houses we wanted to do tonight.......

Quick stop into DA for  non alcoholic drink and wander while it was so quiet........































Went on to do WD and this had a slight EP queue, we had kinda walked through the Survive or Die scare zone......I didn't like the look of it, so didn't pay much attention.........big mistake.
























This was going to become one of our favourite zones.....albeit a small one......

We went quickly through Survive or Die zone.........we would spend more time on other nights and appreciate it more........







But we did the WD and thought it was just ok. No real scares but it was fun. We stopped for something to eat here, and I think it was chicken stingers or something. And water.......really was the high life with all this water we were drinking.......I sat down beside a girl who was the hottest person I had ever seen......she looked like she was about to pass out........she said her husband was going to get water......we gave her ours and she took it as she looked desperate. Her husband came back and had more, told him he should really get her to the first aid as she didn't look well.......but we fanned her a little......all of us......and she felt a bit better. But, it seemed the heat was getting to people. They set off and I hoped she was ok. My mum always says I collect people who are unwell wherever I go.......and I usually do!

We went into the HHN shop that had been created in the fake store near the Mummy........had no idea what was in it.......loved this store!








I swear, I was waiting for that dummy to move.......I think I would have died though!!!








It was a cool little store and we enjoyed our little venture in it......hope they do that every year from now on......

We decided at that point we had almost had enough, between tiredness and the heat we were going home.......but not before we met Chance. Pictures are a bit misty.....but she was so funny........having a go at everyone from men living in their mothers basement......that was fun......to having a pop on later nights at people who brought children to the event......she got huge cheers for that comment! She questioned the parental skills of someone who was stood watching with a pushchair.........it was funny.


She saw Tom taking pictures and asked if he wanted to see her better side.........lol.....








Her interaction with folks was fantastic!! After a few nights we knew the jokes, but both Chances were fabulous characters and they drew a huge crowd when she came out.

We decided to try AHS since we were there.......regular queue was 135 minutes......wow.......but we thought we`ll do this and go.......we expected to wait maybe 20-25 minutes with EP........there was no one in the EP queue at all......straight on.......we felt like we had won the jackpot!!!

The house itself the first night was just ok........a lot of the effects we either missed or they weren't working correctly.....but we enjoyed it. Especially the earlier scenes......I hated Hotel season of AHS, but they did it well and one in particular looked eerily like Lady GaGa........we came out not sure we would do it again. But we did.

We went into the Universal store and checked out some merchandise........we wouldn't buy tonight but we always take home a load of HHN stuff..........






























I couldn't believe how hot it still was at this time of night.......I certainly looked like I was melting!!

I think we did buy it all!!! I am a sellers dream..........we had done enough, but as always a last picture opportunity......and just to prove again my husband is with me......we got a picture together. He did say at times folks would think he was my professional photographer.......lol.......he loves taking pictures and would grumble eventually how many pics we would take.......it was a lot!!


So with that taken, we headed off to get the boat. Citywalk always looks it`s best when it`s lit up at night........












We were back at RPR in 10 minutes.......we went straight to room as we wanted to shower.......had some coke from the fridge and saw turn down service had been.........we like this......drapes are closed, little light is left on and you have the water bottles left.

After our shower we were unconscious immediately. It had been a long and hot day and were so glad to be in bed.


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## Raeven

It was actually pretty cloudy out during the day that day so it probably did get hotter at night! That was our first day there. 

EP was a walk on the next day too even shorter than when we went last year. 

Aw we missed that shop. But I did buy some HHN stuff. 

We also didn't like Hotel and I was skeptical the house would be good but I really enjoyed it.


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## macraven

Sounds like schumi n Tom had a great night 


Notice that I should have written it as

"CaroleNTom"


Enjoying the pics as it brings back memories of my time at Hhn this year 

I don't take a lot of pictures as I can always count on you to post yours!


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## klo1335

schumigirl said:


> She questioned the parental skills of someone who was stood watching with a pushchair



Took me a couple seconds to realize that you meant stroller   I was thinking, what is a pushchair?! I couldn't imagine taking my young child to an event like that.  Why would you even spend the money?  People amaze me! 

Glad you had fun.  I am not a fan of being scared so will never ever do HHN.  My sister did it one year and LOVED it.  But Halloween is her favorite and she actually got married on Halloween several years ago.


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## jenrose66

schumigirl said:


> It`s that time of year again..........Another trip has passed and we were now back home only dreaming of the wonderous time we had while we were at Royal Pacific and Orlando Every year we say the thing, it cant get any better than the year before.......and every year it just seems to be enhanced from previous trip in some way or another. RPR has always been an amazing resort and it truly is our home away from home. Folks ask if we never get fed up staying there or wouldn't we prefer a villa.........short answer is no.....we never get fed up there, its so beautiful and they look after us so well. As for a villa.......too much like a home.......I don't want something that's like home......I want a hotel to be taken care of and looked after and that's exactly what we get at RPR.
> 
> If you have missed our previous trip reports, where have you been ..........we are Carole "n" Tom......the "n" has been added by our friends, as they claim we are a double act.......apparently you never see one without the other......except when he is at work of course.......but it`s true, we are always together and quite enjoy that actually. We spend an inordinate amount of time together with many friends wondering how we do it.......simple, we enjoy each others company a lot.  We will be married 25 years next year and can honestly say we`ve never been happier.......we adore our time in Orlando and at RPR and we try to treasure every minute we are there.
> 
> Someone missing again this year is our 22 year old son Kyle. He graduated from University in July with a Masters degree in Chemical Engineering, so he obviously had career obligations now. We would Skype again whenever we knew he would be around, so that would help a bit. But, we did miss him a lot. It`s always strange when things change with growing families. But we were, and are incredibly proud of him for his fantastic achievements with his degree.
> 
> So, for a non planner like me this trip had strated being planned as we left the hotel last year. Our booking was arranged as always when we left. We knew our rough dates and would call if there were any changes to that. Once back home it was my task to get flights booked as soon as we could, I think we waited a whole month this time which seemed ages! But flights were booked with exit row seats as they give you so much room with no one in front.......we had them last few years and were glad to see they hadnt been booked.
> 
> Next was our night at the airport. We live around two and a half hours away from the airport, so we do like to travel the day before and stay overnight as our flight is 10.15am. It adds a day and the Radisson is a beautiful hotel, very relaxing and we stay there every year. It is attached by a Skywalk to both terminals, so it`s literally a 5 minute walk down in the morning. No having to get shuttles or cabs.
> 
> Travel Insurance is our next plan........always fun........age seems to add a few ££ more every year......or so it seems.......lol......
> 
> Rental Car.........we have used the same company for year. USRentacar. They are based in the UK but they offer any supplier you wish from the choices available. We for years went with Alamo and had no issues......last year we made the mistake of booking with Dollar. Never again. This year we chose Alamo.
> 
> So with that done, all we had to do was wait for September 16 to come along.
> 
> It was a long year, but as we looked back we couldn't believe how quickly it passed. It was a mixed year with the delight of Kyle`s Graduation in July, to the utter despair and disbelief of losing my best friend in June. To lose her so quickly from Terminal cancer was such a shock and knocked us all. But, although she never practiced what she preached, she never took a vacation, we knew she would want us to have the best time ever.
> 
> 
> Wednesday 14th September
> 
> Tom had to go into work this morning for a meeting he couldn't miss. I didn't mind as it gave me a chance to get everything packed........yes, we are last minute packers. People ask why I don't pack weeks ahead as it adds to the excitement........I always say, trust me.....I`m excited enough for our trip......but it`s just the way we do things. Tom had brought the suitcases down night before including my new one.......I say one.......I had bought 2 new purple ones.....but, a friend begged me to borrow one as she was flying to Saudi......not sure why she needed it, but ok, so I was down to one new one. Tom could have the older one. Well, I do mix and match the clothes in both.......just in case we lose one we'll both have some clothes to wear.
> 
> Didn't take long to get packed, and he was home by 11am. It was a grey miserable day so its always nice to leave on such a day knowing we are headed for heat and sunshine. I made us all some lunch and Kyle was home, so we ate together and of course it was on my mind we were leaving him again. Last year had been horrendous with it being the first time, but although I felt bad, I wasn't as distraught as previous year.
> 
> Cases were loaded in the car, again, never the same way every year........and them it was time to say goodbye.......we hugged the life out him, or so it seemed....then the tears came. He just kept saying to enjoy ourselves, he would be fine.........I know he would be, but as a mum it was hard. He would have fun and eat lots of chocolate cake..........
> 
> We finaly set off after he insisted we go..... and the weather just got better the closer we got to Manchester. We live on the other side of the country but this was like another country.......beautiful blue skies and heat! After an uneventful journey, which are the best journeys, we arrived at The Radisson around 2pm. It was boiling hot when we got out of the air conditioned car.....wow.....hard to believe this was Manchester which is known for rain. And lots of it. But it was 82F. Hot.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Managed to get parked which wasn't easy as it was full. They had a manager direct people to empty spaces as they became available. We only waited a few minutes. Thankfully it was decent space. Cases out and we walked round to the entrance, took the elevator and up to check in. We had booked a room which included the parking for our whole trip which is an excellent deal. We had requested a room with a runway view, there is now an extra charge for this but they didn't charge us as she said we were long term guests. We picked up a couple of toothbrushes for our stay as we had our own packed away in hold luggage. I think they have almost anything behind that desk........So once we were sorted we happily wandered up and viewed our room.
> 
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> As always, happy with the purple touches in the room.......the rooms are lovely and fresh and we always enjoy staying here. For us it`s worth it as it`s where our trip really begins.
> 
> We then took our hold luggage down to the terminal to do Sundown check in. This is so handy. Getting checked in and getting rid of hold luggage is ideal. Only took 5 minutes down the Skywalk, but as its all glass we were baked in there......thank goodness the terminal was cooler. Looked down to where it was and there was a small queue of around 10 people. This would be done in no time. It was. Got checked in and made sure we still had the exit row seats, which we did. All done and luggage on its way to the back of the airport somewhere.........that's always a worry.......will it make the right flight!! Not much we can do now, so we headed back down the skywalk which was like walking into the sun it was so hot......and headed for the bar.
> 
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> 
> The bar is a nice little place to sit anytime........it was surprisingly busy for 4.30ish, not that you would know it from these pictures......but we got a booth and made ourselves comfortable.......waiter came and we ordered a beer for Tom and a white wine for me.........this was our first drink to celebrate our trip...we were going to enjoy it. You can either order at the bar in here or take advantage of service, which we did. Much more civilised.
> 
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> 
> We sat for a couple of hours and just chatted and spoke at length of what was ahead of us on our trip this year.......we always have a rough idea of what we want to do, but never do we plan anything, except meets with friends of course. But the idea of planning what is supposed to be a relaxing trip fills us with horror.......each to their own, but not for us. We did a short Skype to Kyle from the bar just for a chat........he was ok.
> 
> It was so nice in the bar, but eventually we were beginning to get hungry......naturally......that's always a theme with us. We do like our food so we headed through to the restaurant and we got seated immediately by the window. We did request a table by the window.......and later we would wish we hadn't.
> 
> The food is always so good in here......and service as you would expect is top notch. Water waiter brought us that first then we ordered a bottle of wine, they don't have an extensive wine list but its fine for where we are.
> 
> The menu is so nice but I know what I`m having. We both had the slightly predictable shrimp cocktails to start with, but so nice and fresh. I knew what I was having for my main meal. When I was here with mum in May before we went to NY, I ordered the ribs in a gorgeous bbq sauce, so I was having that again......... Tom took slightly longer choosing his entrée but eventually went for American hot pizza..........
> 
> The waiter brought over the wine and I was pleased to see he offered me the option to taste it. So many just go straight to the male.......however that can be a little pretentious so I said I was sure it would be fine and he poured. It was nice.
> 
> Have to say Tom`s pizza doesn't look the most appetising pizza ever, but it was nice and tasted very fresh.......just not as spicy as promised. But we do like things extra hot. My ribs were delicious......I always say we never really get fall of the bone ribs over here, but these were spectacular.
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> Although we were quite full, Tom does like a dessert. I don't really eat them, however I did have a little of the ice cream and he enjoyed the sticky toffee pudding.
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> 
> Just after we ordered desserts four men came and sat at the table next to us.......the table I had asked for........One of them was the loudest man I have ever heard in my life. Not voice wise.....bragging wise. Oh my goodness, he was obviously a businessman, but why do people think everyone is going to be impressed by what they do or have. The staff looked a bit embarrassed but didn't say anything, the other 3 guests did look a bit sheepish too........he was just to my right so I had him in my line of vision. Thankfully we were almost done by then........all of a sudden he guffawed so loud and I got such a fright I turned and smiled at him and said he almost caused me to spill my drink as he was so loud. He was a bit taken aback and apologised. I said it was ok some people didn't realise how loud they were. He knew what I meant though.  I wasn't being nasty, but seriously, it`s a quiet restaurant and he was being obnoxious.
> 
> So with that we went up to our room. I love these rooms at night as they are quite cosy and by now of course it was pitch black so we could see the airport, the runway and everything else all lit up. Tom made us a cup of tea and coffee and we watched some tv. Think it was Two and a Half Men!
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> We had our tea and sat until around 11pm watching tv. Finally we put it off and set every alarm we could.......IPad, phone, TV and alarm call from hotel........yep, a little paranoid. But, this was the best point......we had everything in front of us......18 nights at our favourite hotel and hopefully some excellent hot weather.
> 
> Right now though we just hoped we would sleep. Night before such a trip........no chance.


Great start!  I look forward to you trip report every year!  You and your DH are so cute!  Such a fun couple. I hope your son gets to go with you again one of these years


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## klacey1

I was at UO September 17-18 and the lines for the metal detectors at the end of the parking garages were so incredibly long, even for guests without bags. Definitely another reason to stay onsite!!
That poor woman! I'm incredibly susceptible to overheating and passing out myself, so I feel for her! 
Tom got some great photos of you taking afright--I love it!!


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## schumigirl

Raeven said:


> It was actually pretty cloudy out during the day that day so it probably did get hotter at night! That was our first day there.
> 
> EP was a walk on the next day too even shorter than when we went last year.
> 
> Aw we missed that shop. But I did buy some HHN stuff.
> 
> We also didn't like Hotel and I was skeptical the house would be good but I really enjoyed it.



That little shop was really good, very unusual to see something open there.......sorry you missed it. I liked the fact they had opened a couple of specialist HHN stores this year..........



macraven said:


> Sounds like schumi n Tom had a great night
> 
> 
> Notice that I should have written it as
> 
> "CaroleNTom"
> 
> 
> Enjoying the pics as it brings back memories of my time at Hhn this year
> 
> I don't take a lot of pictures as I can always count on you to post yours!



Lol........yep.........we take thousands of pics.......actually did make the 1000's this year........don't ask.  But, yes we had a great first night.........



klo1335 said:


> Took me a couple seconds to realize that you meant stroller   I was thinking, what is a pushchair?! I couldn't imagine taking my young child to an event like that.  Why would you even spend the money?  People amaze me!
> 
> Glad you had fun.  I am not a fan of being scared so will never ever do HHN.  My sister did it one year and LOVED it.  But Halloween is her favorite and she actually got married on Halloween several years ago.



Yes, stroller isn't a word that's common over here......I need to try and remember the differences......lol......this year was awful for little kids......never seen so many before.......we hear the kids like it, but it's just not a place for them.......and as for the ones in strollers.......shocking!
How lovely to get married on Halloween itself.........



jenrose66 said:


> Great start!  I look forward to you trip report every year!  You and your DH are so cute!  Such a fun couple. I hope your son gets to go with you again one of these years



 jenrose66.........nice to have you join along.........Thank you so much!! We think we're fun at times......lol......yes, I'd like to think he'd come back with us at some point, we did miss him.........

Hope you enjoy the latest trip report..........



klacey1 said:


> I was at UO September 17-18 and the lines for the metal detectors at the end of the parking garages were so incredibly long, even for guests without bags. Definitely another reason to stay onsite!!
> That poor woman! I'm incredibly susceptible to overheating and passing out myself, so I feel for her!
> Tom got some great photos of you taking afright--I love it!!



That must have been an awful queue, with the heat as well. Yep, we were through in seconds.......thankfully. Yes I think she had just overheated.......can be so dangerous and can creep up on you too. She didn't look well, but I think the water and us fanning her like maniacs helped........

He loves that picture.........lol........not the most flattering of pics, but heyho..........


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## LowesChevy

Fitting name for your report 

it was an absolute pleasure meeting you and talking to you on a daily basis 

Can't wait to read more


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## J'aime Paris

Another great installment!
I love the photo of you and the bloody ice cream vendor!


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## tink1957

I love your scarey surprise pic priceless!  Tom captured the moment very well...sneaky man.


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## Monykalyn

So this is what happens when I am busy for several days and away from the Dis-You start your report and I'm 3 pages behind! Worth the wait though-great pics as always-love to see the fun you guys have!


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## macraven

You snooze 
You lose


But glad you found the trippie
It is great isn't it !


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## schumigirl

LowesChevy said:


> Fitting name for your report
> 
> it was an absolute pleasure meeting you and talking to you on a daily basis
> 
> Can't wait to read more



.........I wondered where you were ..........yes, it was so nice chatting to you, and your parents were lovely too!! Always nice to talk to folks........yes, the reason for the name of the trip report starts in next instalment!!

Hope you enjoy it.......



J'aime Paris said:


> Another great installment!
> I love the photo of you and the bloody ice cream vendor!



lol.......yes, I like that pic too........I think I must have about 20 with him over different nights......and thank you!!



tink1957 said:


> I love your scarey surprise pic priceless!  Tom captured the moment very well...sneaky man.



He did capture it well.......he signalled to the SA after I turned to go get me.......she was more than happy to do so......lol......



Monykalyn said:


> So this is what happens when I am busy for several days and away from the Dis-You start your report and I'm 3 pages behind! Worth the wait though-great pics as always-love to see the fun you guys have!



 Monyk!!! Thank you very much......we do have the best time together.......hope you enjoy it too.......



macraven said:


> You snooze
> You lose
> 
> 
> But glad you found the trippie
> It is great isn't it !



Thank you my friend.........


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## schumigirl

*SATURDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER.........
*
What a night we had. Not in a good way..........Around midnight I woke up feeling awful, light headed, headache, achy .......and freezing. Not just cold but actual shivering and shaking.........at first I didn't want to disturb Tom so I moved over to the other bed and hoped I would fall back over to sleep. But before too long I began to get worried as I was getting palpitations.....then I realised what was happening.....the chicken stingers I had earlier must have had msg and another ingredient I am allergic to in it. I ask everywhere I go where it`s a possibility but never thought about them. I felt relief as now I knew what was wrong.........I went back over to the other bed as I knew Tom is like a radiator, so I knew I`d get warm. Unfortunately I didn't realise how cold I was and almost scared him half to death when I get back in and put my ice block feet against him.......lol.....bless him......he got such a scare.......but when he sees I`m a bit unwell he`s immediately worried. I cant stop shaking at this point and he is getting more worried. I know it will pass, but for a while it`s not pleasant. He wraps me in every blanket there is, puts socks on me and turns the heat up, that`s a first here.......Eventually after a while the shaking subsides and I start to warm slightly.......he at one point said I felt like there wasn't an ounce of body heat in me.........but, I fall asleep and wake up around 6 like a hot water bottle........finally warm.

But, it doesn't bode well for the rest of the day when you`ve barely had a couple of hours sleep.

So, its just after 6.30 by the time we get out of bed and I head straight for the shower.......always feel good to start the day with.....some folks it`s coffee first......shower for me.

Today was going to be another relaxing day, especially now as we were tired. But, having been coming to Orlando for 10 years on the trot, we have no need to fill every day with activities or events.......sometimes it`s just nice to chill out and just spend time together without an event. And today is going to be one of those days.......

We head up to the Club Lounge for breakfast, I am so ready for coffee this morning! We see a few more people we recognise from last year......nice to see them again. But, we head for the breakfast and have fruit, meat and mini donuts......ideal breakfast!!!

There really is a good selection for breakfast.....I thought I had taken pictures of the muffins, pastries etc, but I can`t find them, thanks Photobucket.....but they are nice. Also cereals, toast, juices and coffee tea and such. Bottles of water you can ask for as they don't leave them out.

We take our time this morning........sun is shining and looks so beautiful outside......I am so ready to go. We are heading to the Mall at Millenia........our favourite mall in Orlando. It`s fresh and airy and never seems overly busy even on a Saturday. It has a good selection of stores we love, and some we just like to look into. But we can always spend a good couple of hours there, and of course that makes it harder for me to try and convince people I am not a shopper!!! I`m really not, but theres something about Orlando that just encourages it.........my reasoning of course.......

It`s a 5 minute drive from Universal.......this road is always busy no matter when you go on it, but it`s a straight road......








I like this mall......but today we were here for Tom to treat himself to a watch he had seen and wanted to get. I was sure we would get it in this mall. So despite having to walk past some stores I wanted to go in, we headed straight for the watch. It was a Bulova one he wanted.....and we found it immediately. So, he tried it on and got a few links removed and that was his shopping done. It`s funny when you just find the right thing you know and it was a nice watch.......bulkier than he usually wears but it suited him.







Probably not the best picture.....but like Kyle a few years ago who photobombed some pictures with his new Bulova I was sure Tom would do the same.......lol........but it is a nice watch. So with the quickest purchase imaginable, we headed back out of the store and Tom said we were going to Tiffany. I was getting a new laptop for my birthday, despite having what Tom jokingly calls my 2 best friends, my 2 ipads....... I still love a laptop. So I had no real plans for a Tiffany gift as I was getting other presents too.....but who turns down a visit to Tiffany! And one of my husbands favourite watches.......TAG.......he does like those......
























So we went in and had a really good look around........I could spend hours in here alone......jewellery is beautiful and they do take extra special care of you when you go in here. But, despite my search I really didn't see anything I wanted. I don't wear a lot of jewellery.....my watch, wedding and engagement rings, the first Tiffany necklace I got and the silver bangle my best friend gave me. I do have other stuff, but I like what I have on. I tell Tom we`ll come back another day and see if there`s anything jumps out at me.

Now I was hungry.......we didn't want a lot as we were eating out at Ocean Prime tonight, so just something just to fill our tummies would do right now. We planned to eat at Cheesecake Factory another day, so for now we would be happy to eat in the food court. So many choices in there, but after last night I avoided the Chinese type places and stuck to pizza......love a slice of Sbarro mall pizza..........We got a slice each of Pepperoni and Hawaiian......with a salad.....nice.......












Pizza is so good. We stop ourselves from ordering another slice each as it`s so tasty.......but we don't. This food court is so clean, bright and spacious........and as we take the trays to the trash I hear someone say my name......I turn and a lady is smiling at me........I don't know her but she immediately says "Carole" oh she says, it is you, I thought it was.......I guessed she must have read the trip report and she said her son said she musn`t come over to speak to me.......he was 17.....lol.....I told her I was glad she did. Her name was Allison and I cant remember her sons name. But she was from Texas and didn't know about this Mall till she saw it in the trip report. She was so nice and was leaving next day, we chatted briefly and then said our goodbyes. This was one of the reasons for the trip report title......it wouldn't be the last time it happened 

We went the other way towards Macy now........I wanted to get some new make up again......I love the Clinique counter here.......






Today I didn't get much.....a chubby lipstick and eye stick.......he said the bonus gifts would be given out after the 27th so come back then......they give you a little gift bag filled with goodies......so I said I`d buy the rest next week, I was in no rush for anything.

Went to Williams and Sonoma and a couple of other stores. Then I began to feel incredibly tired so back to hotel for us.

Love coming back into this lobby area........
























Tom said he could go a snooze too, so we headed straight to our room which had been cleaned really early this morning. We literally pulled the drapes and dropped off for around 3 hours. Only in Orlando do we ever do that! But we awoke very refreshed and ready to go out later.

We finally got showered and changed and headed up to CL. We were taking an ODC tonight, so Tom could get a drink too.......







Yep, didn't take him long to show off his new purchase.......lol.......I would get this a lot tonight......him and Kyle both love watches so it`s nice when they treat themselves to a new one. We sit for a couple of hours tonight and didn't touch any of the food as we wanted to be hungry later. But we chatted, and chatted to staff who are just the friendliest folks......








Eventually hunger starts to take precedent........although the lounge is always nice and quiet when food isn't being served, so its nice to chat easier to staff as they`re not as busy. But we head downstairs and go outside for the car.......it is hot still outside.......its easy for us to forget in the A/C just how hot it is outside, but we are soon reminded......

We do stop for a couple of pictures as always, and another new watch photobomb......








But, we head down and one of the young lads gets us a car immediately. We tell him Ocean Prime and he asks is that at Pointe Orlando.......eh, no we tell him its on Sand Lake Road......so he heads in the right direction and when he turns into Sand Lake he drives right past it........lol......we tell him his mistake and he turns at the first opportunity....oh dear.......but we arrive in plenty of time for our reservation.

We adore this restaurant. It is elegant and beautiful and serves the best food. Now, we love Longhorn Steakhouse, we go every year and have done since 07.......its fine for cheap and cheerful steaks and have to say they`re always lovely and we wouldn't miss going there.......but the steaks we have had from here are totally sublime. You could have eaten the filet with a small plastic spoon, the most tender steak I have ever eaten anywhere. So we were looking forward to this meal.

As we enter Lori, who is not the boss but second in command, immediately remembers us from last year...... she gives us a big hug and welcomes us back again.....and she can`t believe its been a year........we chat while she takes us to our table. We see Dan our favourite waiter from last year, and he is now in charge of the floor......he sees us and comes over and says he remembers us.......I tell him his name is Dan (which he knows of course)  and he is surprised we remembered.....he asks my husband if he still watched Dr Who........my goodness that is a memory.......they had a whole big discussion about it one of the visits last time. He wa so nice and said he remembered us as we were just lovely......awww....nice to hear.

Our waiter for tonight came over and he was the other waiter we had last year......so it was like a little reunion. Kevin also said he remembered us. So time to order a drink........we did plan on a bottle of wine, but first I was having my favourite cocktail........Berries and Bubbles.......Tom ordered a glass of wine to try and if we liked that we would get a bottle.







Absolutely beautiful. Its very refreshing and strong at the same time......I could drink them all night......but Tom had enjoyed his glass of wine so we ordered a bottle of it......Kevin immediately offered me the chance to taste it and if I didn't like it we could choose something else......I knew I`d like it though as we tend to like the same wines.








Now wine was sorted, it was time for food..........Tom was having surf and turf and I chose a dynamite sushi......












The surf and turf was scallops and braised beef short rib in a little sauce on top of I think a little mashed potato.....he adores that starter......and the sushi was gorgeous.......nice and spicy without being overpowered. For entrees Tom ordered the NY strip medium, I ordered the 9oz filet medium rare. Sides were jalapeno potatoes and honeyed carrots.......although they were off the main menu now, they had them to go with a meal that was on the Magical Dining menu, so we could get them.........they were nice!!!

My steak always looks tiny in pictures.......but it was honestly scrumptious!!! Tasty, moist and so flavourful......Tom`s was exactly the same and cooked to perfection.......the potatoes were exquisite and just the right amount of jalapeno.....carrots were sweet and cooked just the way we like.......almost caramel like at times.



















We blissfully enjoyed every mouthful.......and as always, have no room for dessert......but we ask Kevin to take a picture.......he took two......one Tom had his eyes closed and the other I have mine closed......so I chose this one.... with Tom`s blessing.....






We were all set to go and it took us a while as we got chatting to Lori and Dan again, then eventually Lori called us one of the car companies she uses and the lady arrived in seconds........we said goodbye and thanked them again for a wonderful evening.......it really was. I think this is our favourite restaurant in Orlando. They really do make you feel like old friends returning and will definitely go back next year again.

Only a few moments back to the hotel and we stopped to speak to a duty manager for a few minutes.....only for a chat as she was in the lobby, not for any other reason.......she just asked how our trip was going and such......always such a nice touch. We took a few more pictures (of course) in lobby. One of the duty managers we know chatted on offered to take a picture of both of us.......always nice.












It`s now just after 11pm and we decide to just go straight to bed.......we did think about being very enthusiastic and head to Citywalk, but that thought lasted about 10 seconds......plus I had heels on.......so room it was. We put on the TV and had some water then lights out hoping we would get a better night than the last.


----------



## Raeven

Oh no how awful! My feet are always cold lol I always put them on Josh poor guy. 

Same for me! I don't drink coffee, but a shower always helps me wake up. 

Your meal sounds delicious! And your drink looks good too.


----------



## J'aime Paris

I adore Tiffany's!  Hopefully you ended up with something...there's no way I would have left empty handed, lol!

I love the photo of Tom and his watch! 

Our DD turns 18 tomorrow (can't wrap my head around it), and she's getting a Michael Kors watch.  I imagine she'll be flashing her wrist all day long!!!


----------



## cocofifi

Phew! I was afraid you were coming down with something as I started reading your last installment. I was glad to see you rallied and was able to enjoy a nice evening. The meal looked lovely. I'm so enjoying your trip report, as always. Thanks so much for sharing with us.


----------



## macraven

the pic you had at SF in your other sticky keeps coming to mind when I saw the same red shoes you had in in the trippie here

Sitting in that red- orangey red sofa in this lobby and your shoes matches it

Now I'll be looking and playing where is Wally in all the pics you have here for those red shoes 

I always enjoy your trip reports Carole


----------



## Robo56

Sorry to hear about your MSG reaction. 

You are a wonderful fan of  Mall at Millenia on the dis. I have been to Orlando many times and did not know about it until I read one of your trip reports and now it is my favorite Mall. Not your average Mall. It never seems to be busy and the store options are great and what's not to love about Tiffany .

You and Tom look so happy in all your pics. 

All your pictures are great and the food looks lovely. 

Was really cute pic Tom got of you running scared in the scare zone.


----------



## Seeker615

Love seeing the HHN pics. Maybe someday...I  am a huge Halloween fan but hate people jumping out at me!

Looks like a wonderful vacation so far. I hope you are feeling better!


----------



## tink1957

I'm going to have to add Ocean Prime to the list of places to try for our next trip.

 Love the pic of Tom with his new watch and you always look lovely in all your pics, wish I were half as photogenic.

Trey isn't much of a shopper either but when we go to Orlando he has to buy a new hat and even branched out this time by purchasing a wallet at Fossil.  

Glad to hear you recovered quickly from the msg reaction, it stinks to be sick on vacation.  I had a bad reaction to the wings at TGI Friday's on our 2015 trip and it took a few days before I felt back to normal.

Looking forward to you next installment


----------



## schumigirl

Raeven said:


> Oh no how awful! My feet are always cold lol I always put them on Josh poor guy.
> 
> Same for me! I don't drink coffee, but a shower always helps me wake up.
> 
> Your meal sounds delicious! And your drink looks good too.



That drink is so nice.......I tried to recreate it at home......and failed! Yes, I don't normally have cold feet, it was just the reaction to something.........I'm never that cold.......even me........lol



J'aime Paris said:


> I adore Tiffany's!  Hopefully you ended up with something...there's no way I would have left empty handed, lol!
> 
> I love the photo of Tom and his watch!
> 
> Our DD turns 18 tomorrow (can't wrap my head around it), and she's getting a Michael Kors watch.  I imagine she'll be flashing her wrist all day long!!!



Awwww.......18!! How lovely.........Michael Kors watches are lovely, yes I hope she parades it around......and hope she has a wonderful birthday...........yep, where does time go...........



cocofifi said:


> Phew! I was afraid you were coming down with something as I started reading your last installment. I was glad to see you rallied and was able to enjoy a nice evening. The meal looked lovely. I'm so enjoying your trip report, as always. Thanks so much for sharing with us.



I did panic at first and thought oh heck........but when the palps started I realised it was a bad reaction......thnakfully it wasn't too bad as I didn't eat that much of the chicken........

Yes, that meal was beautiful.........so glad to hear you are enjoying reading along, always nice to hear.......



macraven said:


> the pic you had at SF in your other sticky keeps coming to mind when I saw the same red shoes you had in in the trippie here
> 
> Sitting in that red- orangey red sofa in this lobby and your shoes matches it
> 
> Now I'll be looking and playing where is Wally in all the pics you have here for those red shoes
> 
> I always enjoy your trip reports Carole



Lol........they're supposed to be pink! But I suppose they do look different in pics........comfiest croc sandals ever.......Janet an I jokingly call them "our fancy" crocs........lol........glad you're enjoying it........


----------



## schumigirl

Robo56 said:


> Sorry to hear about your MSG reaction.
> 
> You are a wonderful fan of  Mall at Millenia on the dis. I have been to Orlando many times and did not know about it until I read one of your trip reports and now it is my favorite Mall. Not your average Mall. It never seems to be busy and the store options are great and what's not to love about Tiffany .
> 
> You and Tom look so happy in all your pics.
> 
> All your pictures are great and the food looks lovely.
> 
> Was really cute pic Tom got of you running scared in the scare zone.



Thanks Robo.........we really do enjoy every second of our trip.......yes, it's not the average mall.......we love it and I'm glad you found it too.......anywhere that has Tiffany...........

He loves that picture! 



Seeker615 said:


> Love seeing the HHN pics. Maybe someday...I  am a huge Halloween fan but hate people jumping out at me!
> 
> Looks like a wonderful vacation so far. I hope you are feeling better!



Oh if you hate folks jumping out at you......don't go........they really do get you......lol........Thank you......and yes thanks I was better next morning thank goodness! 



tink1957 said:


> I'm going to have to add Ocean Prime to the list of places to try for our next trip.
> 
> Love the pic of Tom with his new watch and you always look lovely in all your pics, wish I were half as photogenic.
> 
> Trey isn't much of a shopper either but when we go to Orlando he has to buy a new hat and even branched out this time by purchasing a wallet at Fossil.
> 
> Glad to hear you recovered quickly from the msg reaction, it stinks to be sick on vacation.  I had a bad reaction to the wings at TGI Friday's on our 2015 trip and it took a few days before I felt back to normal.
> 
> Looking forward to you next installment



Why thank you for the compliment Vicki.......I take them all........ although some of the pics on park days I look like I've been dragged through a hedge backwards......

Trey wears hats? Actually yes, he'd suit a hat........some folks just do........and we like Fossil watches too.....we all have them! 

Yes, allergic reactions to things like that are horrible............

Oh you should try Ocean Prime.........it's worth every penny! Fabulous restaurant in every way. 

Glad you're still reading along...........


----------



## keishashadow

Caught up. Love Tom's new watch, those teal 'hands' are striking.  

Had to laugh, know you like Longhorne.  Our local offering here is severely lacking.  My eyes almost feel out when I saw the pictures of the steak/restaurant, thinking they were @ Orlando's longhorne, thinking I had missed out all these years  until I went back re-read the post.


----------



## Lynne G

Great update Schumi.  I too am very allergic to MSG.  You would be surprised at where it is used.  I tend to stay away from salad bars and oriental food places.  I am lucky, the one Chinese food place near me, does not use it, and I have never had a reaction from the food where have gotten from there.  My kids would like Ocean Prime.  A new one for us, and maybe will try when we're down in December.  Where do you reserve?  From them or via Opentable?


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Caught up. Love Tom's new watch, those teal 'hands' are striking.
> 
> Had to laugh, know you like Longhorne.  Our local offering here is severely lacking.  My eyes almost feel out when I saw the pictures of the steak/restaurant, thinking they were @ Orlando's longhorne, thinking I had missed out all these years  until I went back re-read the post.



Lol........yes, we do love Longhorn, but this place blows it out the park.........shame your local Longhorn isn't up to much.........yes the watch is something. And chunky, very chunky........



Lynne G said:


> Great update Schumi.  I too am very allergic to MSG.  You would be surprised at where it is used.  I tend to stay away from salad bars and oriental food places.  I am lucky, the one Chinese food place near me, does not use it, and I have never had a reaction from the food where have gotten from there.  My kids would like Ocean Prime.  A new one for us, and maybe will try when we're down in December.  Where do you reserve?  From them or via Opentable?



Thanks Lynne.......yes it's a horrible allergy and reactions vary for me depending on how much......yep, always amazed how many places still use it. It's not used a lot over here it's mainly in America I'm more cautious.  But you have my sympathy........I've had folks say oh you're lucky that's all your allergic to.......but it isn't,  I just don't drone on.......but, I'm sure you know the type..........

We book direct with Ocean Prime twice,  but last year we did use Opentable for the first time.


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> Lol........yes, we do love Longhorn, but this place blows it out the park.........shame your local Longhorn isn't up to much.........yes the watch is something. And chunky, very chunky........
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks Lynne.......yes it's a horrible allergy and reactions vary for me depending on how much......yep, always amazed how many places still use it. It's not used a lot over here it's mainly in America I'm more cautious.  But you have my sympathy........I've had folks say oh you're lucky that's all your allergic to.......but it isn't,  I just don't drone on.......but, I'm sure you know the type..........
> 
> We book direct with Ocean Prime twice,  but last year we did use Opentable for the first time.



Wow, you and Lynne both with that allergy, sounds awful and has to be difficult to determine what it's sprinkled upon; especially in a buffet situation.


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Wow, you and Lynne both with that allergy, sounds awful and has to be difficult to determine what it's sprinkled upon; especially in a buffet situation.



I tend not to eat at buffets as a rule, but yes, some steak places use it in the seasoning on their steaks. And it's in some salad dressings and weird things you wouldn't expect. 

I'm surprised they don't have to label it.......you know like there's nuts in things or anything else folks are allergic to. 

Kyle used to eat BBQ Pringle potato crisps years ago, and every time he ate them he got a headache.......soon stopped eating them of course......then realised they had MSG in. He doesn't get a reaction, just a headache 
.....which is bad enough. 

I only know a few folks who have reactions to it.........but like anything it's more common than you think.


----------



## Disneymom2kiddos

Following along!!  I just love your TR's!! I've read all of them, and have been checking lately for this one. Couldn't wait!  You just have such a way of describing things. You and Tom look like a lot of fun. Love the food pics too. We are always looking for a good steak place, and Ocean Prime sounds delish. Love the HHN pics, too. We are thinking of going next year for the first time after our May trip. It looks like so much fun! Hopefully you found something you liked at Tiffany's!


----------



## schumigirl

Disneymom2kiddos said:


> Following along!!  I just love your TR's!! I've read all of them, and have been checking lately for this one. Couldn't wait!  You just have such a way of describing things. You and Tom look like a lot of fun. Love the food pics too. We are always looking for a good steak place, and Ocean Prime sounds delish. Love the HHN pics, too. We are thinking of going next year for the first time after our May trip. It looks like so much fun! Hopefully you found something you liked at Tiffany's!



 Disneymom2kiddos.........Thank you very much!!! So nice to hear you've enjoyed reading them.....can definitely recommend Ocean Prime......always been exceptional......I`m sure you`ll enjoy it...

Nice to have you along


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## schumigirl

*SUNDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER..........
*
We did sleep like babies last night.........and even slept a little late.....didn't wake up till around 7am. We could have slept longer but well.....we just don't sleep late......so get showered and then Skype Kyle......Tom obviously shows off his watch and Kyle does give it his seal of approval.......as I said they both have a decent collection of watches and always seem to want to outdo one another....He would have to go some to outdo this one......But, we chatted for a while and said our goodbyes......we were so missing him again, but having Skype really was a godsend again.......being able to see him helped tremendously......you still miss them even though he`s an adult.

Today we headed up to the lounge for breakfast and now I was starving, nothing new there though be honest.....had some cinnamon bun, fruit and a couple of mini donuts......and coffee!! Love the coffee in the lounge. Today was going to be a mishmash of a day. But first thing was to head to a store to buy me a birthday laptop. We knew the one we were looking at, I know nothing about spec and other things, but I was assured Tom knew what we wanted. We wandered downstairs to get into the safety deposit box behind the front desk.......always strikes me as such a lovely lobby area......and of course it has the separate area for printing EP and tickets.

Concierge desk is also here and they will help you with most things if you need it.








































So, we head out to the blistering sunshine.....it is blazing hot again....but there`s a slight breeze....slight is the word. I wait for Tom to bring the car up to the entrance today as I`m talking to someone I know and after I finish talking I notice that Dr Doom hasn't set off at all......then I remember I haven't see it go once since we arrived. Not very observant at times......but we head off in the car and takes 10 minutes to get to store. It`s not open yet. So we find a KrispyKreme and share a coffee and a donut as we are still full from breakfast.......we watch them being made for a while then head over to the store.

We see the one we want, and Tom notices there is the one up. I tell him the one we liked is expensive enough, (not like me at all) but he decided the more expensive one is the one for me. So, it`s an easy sale for the guy......and within 20 minutes we are out of the store and heading back to the hotel so we can get it charged up and play with it.....also plan to upload pictures we have  taken already....would hate to lose them. So, quickly back to hotel and boy is it hot now. Sit in room for a bit while Tom sets up computer......I have no clue about things like that, so I watch out the window and think we may spend some time at the pool later.

By time he`s done it`s almost lunchtime.......we decide we can either go back out and head somewhere offsite or just stay here........we decide to go to Jake`s for lunch.

It`s already quite busy for this time on a Sunday but we get seated immediately by a lovely young lady who remembers us from last year, even more impressive she knew our name.......we look at the menu but we know we plan to share a pizza.......












We go for the meat pizza without the sausage, replace with chicken and add jalapenos........delicious.






It is a big pizza and ideal to share, apart from Sal`s pizza which is the best onsite pizza there is.....this one is second best.

It`s a lovely bar/restaurant and even during the day it`s a fun place to be and food is always excellent. We head outside to take some pictures as it`s so nice and area around there


















There was a young lady outside on her on taking selfies of herself....naturally......doh! But Tom asked if she wanted him to take some pictures of her....she let out such a squeal I jumped.......she was so grateful and he took around 10 of her......it was so funny as he was already joking he felt like a photographer for me.....lol......anyway, she then offered to take some of us........we just stood and smiled, but she insisted we wave our hands in the air or something.....she was young!! But nice of her to take the pictures.......not the clearest though.







So after lunch we go back to room to check on my new toy and decide just to go to the pool this afternoon. We change and put sunscreen on......it is baking hot again. Now, we don't really sunbathe so we hoped we could get some parasols for shade.....but the pool was fairly quiet and we got shade......we did go into the pool, but when we went into water we didn't stay in for long.....it was beautiful though.
























So, a very relaxing afternoon ordering drinks from the Bula Bar, and just sitting and chatting about anything and everything.......and enjoying the blazing heat while being in the safe haven of the shade.

Tonight was back to HHN.


----------



## tlinus

I am SO in on this report. I am having such bad withdraw from Universal. 

I don't post alot anymore, but I am always lurking...errrr....ummmm.....reading up on my homies


----------



## tink1957

I love those lazy days on vacation, it's nice that you stay so long and you don't feel rushed to do every little thing.  We missed having downtime this trip since we visited WDW on our usual lazy day, it was fun but we really needed that time to decompress.  

I can't wait to read what you did at HHN, thanks for taking me back to my happy place.


----------



## cbsnyber1

schumigirl said:


> Someone missing again this year is our 22 year old son Kyle. He graduated from University in July with a Masters degree in Chemical Engineering, so he obviously had career obligations now.



I hope everyone reading this simple statement realizes the enormity of his accomplishment. A Master's degree in Ch E is a huge, impressive achievement, and I know if either of my children had earned this distinction I would be insufferably proud. Ch E is one of the more difficult engineering disciplines to master (in fact, one of my long ago professors stated that the best undergraduate program for law school was chemical engineering, due to the logical progressions it teaches). Congratulations, Schumi, to your son - I am impressed!


----------



## schumigirl

tlinus said:


> I am SO in on this report. I am having such bad withdraw from Universal.
> 
> I don't post alot anymore, but I am always lurking...errrr....ummmm.....reading up on my homies



 tlinus...........fabulous to see you post again.....how are you??? You are missed on the threads.....please don't be a stranger!!! Glad to have you join along and hope you get a trip planned soon........meantime, hope you enjoy reading along..........



tink1957 said:


> I love those lazy days on vacation, it's nice that you stay so long and you don't feel rushed to do every little thing.  We missed having downtime this trip since we visited WDW on our usual lazy day, it was fun but we really needed that time to decompress.
> 
> I can't wait to read what you did at HHN, thanks for taking me back to my happy place.



Thanks Vicki, yes we love downtime........we have no interest in running around day after day doing non stop activities......so we do enjoy relaxing.........next HHN coming asap.......hopefully! 



cbsnyber1 said:


> I hope everyone reading this simple statement realizes the enormity of his accomplishment. A Master's degree in Ch E is a huge, impressive achievement, and I know if either of my children had earned this distinction I would be insufferably proud. Ch E is one of the more difficult engineering disciplines to master (in fact, one of my long ago professors stated that the best undergraduate program for law school was chemical engineering, due to the logical progressions it teaches). Congratulations, Schumi, to your son - I am impressed!



Wow! Thank you so much for saying that. We are incredibly proud of him and we saw how much effort he put in, so he certainly deserved such a fantastic degree. 

It certainly opens up many avenues for him.........

Insufferably proud is a fabulous description and just about sums up how we feel.........

Thank you once again for taking the time to write such lovely comments, I appreciate it......


----------



## macraven

Look forward to reading this thread everyday!


----------



## klacey1

What a lovely birthday present!!! Your day sounds just lovely. RPR is just so gorgeous, with great amenities. It's great to spend a day enjoying its great restaurants and facilities. Looking forward to hearing about your next night at HHN!!


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> Look forward to reading this thread everyday!



Always good to have you along........



klacey1 said:


> What a lovely birthday present!!! Your day sounds just lovely. RPR is just so gorgeous, with great amenities. It's great to spend a day enjoying its great restaurants and facilities. Looking forward to hearing about your next night at HHN!!



It was! I love this laptop and had a funny feeling he was going to get the best one available......it was a lovely day, I know our laid back style isn't for everyone, but suits us. Yes RPR is beautiful.......we never tire of being there.

HHN coming up today hopefully........


----------



## schumigirl

*SUNDAY 18TH CONTINUED..........
*
Eventually we went back up to our room to get showered and changed for another HHN. Of course Tom had great fun playing with my new toy......he managed to get pictures uploaded as I`m always worried I accidentally delete them from my cameras......so I was glad he had done that. I do eventually get to have a go on it.......

We headed up to Club Lounge for a quick glass of wine and went for the boat. It was another hot night, maybe not just as hot as previous one, but still......you could feel the humidity in the air, plenty of water would be drunk again. There was a boat waiting, so we got on after being searched of course........and the boat ride was short and pleasant.





w 


We get to Citywalk and already crowds are progressing in. It looks busier tonight somehow, but its hard to tell at the entrance. We go through the hotel guest entrance again.......there is a sign for this and usually someone has a sign pointing to it also, so you can`t really miss it if you don't know this available to you. We walk straight through and are in the park momentarily. We immediately have a bathroom visit, as they do get incredibly busy at times so comfort first.

We have no real plan tonight, but decide to do Krampus first. The house isn't open yet, but just about to so we step into the non queue that is the EP line.......theres about 5 people ahead of us. The regular line is longer but not bad at all this early in the night.

We were the first ones in and I didn't have high hopes for this house as the film sucked, but it was fairly decent......you really have to look for Krampus himself. There are 3 in all I think, despite this being disputed by a woman who decided I was wrong and tried to tell me there were none. OK. It has decent scares and very festive feel about it, naturally.......the smell is fresh and the house is pleasant. But, very short. We chose to only do this house once more as it wasn't a favourite.

We walk back through the high school scare zone, but don't really hang about tonight in this or lair of the banshee.......

We take our time tonight and head round to Halloween........of course like other nights there is no real queue, so we go through the regular line a few times. 5 minutes is the time quoted, and it is a walk on........going through this house so often is amazing. The Halloween house in 2014 the queue was always horrendous, but this was amazing. Scare after scare I thought I would become immune, but I didn't. We didn't need the EP right now and we planned to come back later and use it.

We didn't take a whole lot of pictures tonight, one of those nights we just enjoyed the moment...... but we did take some.......we wandered through the survive or die zone and got a few pic there......this is such a good zone and we would spend more time on other nights in it, but for tonight we just cut through it.

We had to wander back in to the Halloween store that had popped up near Mummy......it is cute and has some good stuff in it.......The staff here enthuse about the event when you speak to them and enjoy hearing what you think about it.....and like all other employees they are happy to take pictures of you in there......



















We left there and went around to do Exorcist again. The regular queue was an hour, but we walked on with EP again. This was really worth the money even though we were there fairly early, some of the queues were long. After this we met a friend of ours who is a manager in The Studios. We hadn't seen him for a while so we had a real good catch up with him, and didn't realise how much time passed as we sat in Monsters café with him.

We said our goodbyes to our friend and then watched Chance for a while, she is so funny and again, maybe a bit repetitive when you see it often, but she is worth watching if only to see who she is having a go at...... and then did AHS again, walked on this one too.


AHS regular line was around 75 minutes I think, but for us no queue.......really enjoyed this house tonight, we walked through it a little bit slower tonight, and we had a change of Actors hallway through so we were stopped a little bit and the couple in front of us was in no rush to hurry........we noticed a lot more things tonight and it was excellent.....lots of scares and a few things were working tonight that hadn't been on Friday. But this became a favourite house.

We had decided to leave tonight and go back to the hotel for some food as we hadn't eaten dinner........well, at first we did think about Citywalk, but we did want sushi from Orchids so back to the hotel it was.

We walked through Citywalk and it is so pretty at night.

We are back in the hotel in no time. We decided to walk tonight as there wasn't a boat waiting tonight, and went straight to Orchids where it was quiet. We decided to sit at the tables tonight and we ordered some drinks and sushi. As we settled down we noticed the rain had started.......it hadn't looked like rain earlier but it got heavy. I was glad we had left, but felt sorry for everyone still there.

Again it was all beautiful. We had the same sushi as above in a little while, as we so enjoyed it. It is fresh and you can actually sit and watch them make it.......















We both had drinks, I had 2 glasses of white wine and Tom had 2 beers.......then we moved over to the comfy chairs after we had eaten and watched the rain and some tv. We didn't last too long after that and we went up to our room and were soon asleep.

Parks tomorrow..........


----------



## schumigirl

*MONDAY 19TH SEPTEMBER
*
We slept great last night......one of the best sleeps we had so far. We awoke just after 6.30 so got up and showered before Skyping our boy. So it was his lunch time when we were skyping which was handy....we chatted for a while and he was impressed by the laptop........we chatted a bit longer and he had to go before long, so said our goodbyes and then we headed up to Club Lounge for breakfast. Always a relaxing time of day and we chatted briefly to staff as usual and had fruit, donuts and continental meats for breakfast with the usual coffee. We didn't hang around long as we wanted to get into the parks. It was traditional for us to start with IOA.

We first go back to room and put sunscreen on then walk down to the path. We love the walk to the parks, everything is so pretty and of course the first thing that hits us again is the heat. Oh my, it is blazingly hot again......not a complaint of course as it is glorious. It only takes a few minutes to get to the new security measures just before Margaritaville.......only a few seconds and we are through and on our way.







We don't really pause for pictures at this point as we want to get into the parks.......and there is a fair queue as we have arrived quite early. What seems to hold up the queue is people who haven't signed their tickets or those with full a4 sized paper tickets......these can be quite bad to scan so takes a little bit of time. But, we are heading straight into the Universal store as like last year we are going to buy baseball caps........we purchase these and they cut the tags off and we can now wander and take our time without worrying about sun on our head........







We hadn't noticed but there was a sign outside saying Doom was down. No wonder we hadn't seen it go. Unfortunately we never got to ride this the whole trip. But first up as always is The Hulk.........this was the first time we would ride since it was revamped and were so looking forward to it..........


















Love how the TM posed for this picture........we always find TM are just amazing in both parks. They have a genuine niceness about them and their enthusiasm is contagious in a lot of rides. These guys were fun......they asked if I was riding and I said I was after I put the camera in a locker with my bag......the guy ran after Tom to get him to wait as he had forgotten I had to go use a locker......it was so funny........so we managed to walk on together.......we didn't get the front row this time, but we were on the second row and boy is it good!! Yes, there is a massive improvement on this ride.......so much smoother and not the bone rattler it had become last few years.

We did this twice and then headed around to do Spiderman.......this is a fun ride.........no queue for EP, but regular queue at this time was only 15 minutes. But we have done the regular queue so many times we happily use the EP line. We do this 2 or 3 times and we feel so happy to be back in the parks. We had decided this year that we weren't going to concentrate on doing character pictures as we have so many, so we thought if they were around great, but we wouldn't seek them out. We were just enjoying being back in the land of colour and the buzz of the park. Even this early in the morning there is a life about the park.

















Love the colour and feel of this part of the park.......people are always happy to take pictures of each other and we are happy to do the same. Here we were taking pictures of each other when a manager had offered to take our picture.....nice of him.






















One thing Kyle and I always loved to do was put a fortune in coins into the soaker machines on the water rides. Particularly the Popeye ride......one of them isn't a soaker, but its like the shower above them as they go past.....so many people don't notice it and do get a shock. So, even though Kyle wasn't with us, I was still planning to do this and had brought about $20 in quarters. We headed over to the bit where we do it and we were surprised to see this......








Well, I was annoyed. Anyone who knows me knows I will drop $50 doing this and enjoy every second......but this annoyed me. So I didn`t do it.........well, we now had $20 in quarters in Tom`s pocket......lol.......but we used to love doing this and Kyle and I would laugh like drains at folks reactions.........

But we wandered further round as we were looking forward to riding Kong. Having watched it being built last year or so we were keen to see how it had turned out. We had heard various reviews of it and couldn't wait to see it.








And this is where my husband just smiled again.........a lady came up and said she enjoyed reading my trip report on the Dis and was I doing one this year.......Tom stood back and left us to chat for a while.......he found it incredibly cute that folks would recognise us from a trip report.......and that's why the trip report got its name this year.....she was a nice lady who`s family were getting impatient so she went in to the regular line and we did EP.......we would do the regular line another day........

It is a good ride, I liked the theme, the vehicles and the ride itself although short is decent. I liked the real Kong at the end though. It`s never going to be our favourite ride, but we would enjoy it a few times.

Next up was Jurassic Park........love this ride, especially as its a lottery of how wet you`re going to get every time......it varies so much so always a surprise......







We get drenched this time..........sat in the middle of row 4 and drenched!! We go back on as we cant get any wetter....this time we barely get a sprinkle as theres hardly anyone on the boat........only us and someone behind us. Do like a quiet boat.

We wander round and look to see how long the queue is for the raptor experience, it was too long....so headed round to Potter.

We never fail to be impressed when we see the castle for the first time, it really is impressive and we always try and just absorb some of the atmosphere here and not just rush through it. We do see people running from attraction to attraction, that's not for us at all. Having been so often we try not to take things for granted and genuinely appreciate everything about the parks, even though we're not massive Potter fans, we like the books and movies, but we can so appreciate just how much work has gone into these areas and how spectacular they truly are.



































This was a spell for the interactive wands. We saw this little boy of around 3 or 4 try to do it.......the TM eventually helped him and he aimed his wand to the correct area.........his little face when he managed to do it was priceless. I hadn't seen this one done before, so it was cute to see.













We went into Honeydukes and just had a look around......although we did buy the butterbeer fudge......not a big fudge fan but we enjoyed this. I ate a little of it and found it to be not as sweet as I thought it would be. Would buy it again despite us not being the biggest butterbeer fans. I prefer pumpkin fizz from the Hogs head.

We headed out of that area and wandered slowly towards the exit.....we stopped off at a few places and took some pictures while we were passing.....













It was story time at Dr Zeuss.......this was cute too, we stood for a while and listened, but it was just too hot.......after the story is done the characters hang around for picture opportunities.







As usual we were spoiled for choice for where to eat lunch. We had decided to eat at NBC as we had missed the opening by a few days last year.......had heard decent things about it so looked forward to it. We went in and got a warm welcome and was shown to a table immediately. Being a Monday lunchtime it wasn't overly busy in fact it was downright quiet......lady who was taking care of us was nice and gave us plenty of time to go through the menu

We ordered Fanta`s and eventually decided on the pulled chicken nachos without beans for me and Tom chose the crab scotch eggs, we also ordered a portion of tator tots which we really didn't need........I have to say they were both delicious.......the nachos was large......not Margaritaville large, but a decent portion......


















It was a really nice meal and we enjoyed it. We did plan to go back at night, but just never got around to it. It is a lovely place though and the menu is very appealling.

We went back outside and the boat was there so we hopped on it and headed back to the hotel......it was baking hot by now.






Always something to photograph from the boat. Sapphire Falls does look beautiful from the boat.












We got off the boat and headed up to our room to shower, change and head out for the afternoon.


----------



## J'aime Paris

Great update!
I'm looking forward to riding the new version of Hulk and Kong.

It's funny how your husband uses his hat as a prop in each photo!


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## Raeven

schumigirl said:


> We were the first ones in and I didn't have high hopes for this house as the film sucked, but it was fairly decent......you really have to look for Krampus himself. There are 3 in all I think, despite this being disputed by a woman who decided I was wrong and tried to tell me there were none. OK. It has decent scares and very festive feel about it, naturally.......the smell is fresh and the house is pleasant. But, very short. We chose to only do this house once more as it wasn't a favourite.



The Krampus was so hard to find sometimes! The smell was very nice too. It was a lot better going through it during the UTH tour. Seeing all the little details, and hidden stuff from previous years in it made it a lot better. 



schumigirl said:


> AHS regular line was around 75 minutes I think, but for us no queue.......really enjoyed this house tonight, we walked through it a little bit slower tonight, and we had a change of Actors hallway through so we were stopped a little bit and the couple in front of us was in no rush to hurry........we noticed a lot more things tonight and it was excellent.....lots of scares and a few things were working tonight that hadn't been on Friday. But this became a favourite house.



AHS really cool. Glad it was working!




schumigirl said:


> But we wandered further round as we were looking forward to riding Kong. Having watched it being built last year or so we were keen to see how it had turned out. We had heard various reviews of it and couldn't wait to see it.
> 
> It is a good ride, I liked the theme, the vehicles and the ride itself although short is decent. I liked the real Kong at the end though. It`s never going to be our favourite ride, but we would enjoy it a few times.



We didn't get to ride Kong, but probably will when we have EP over the holidays. 



schumigirl said:


> It was a really nice meal and we enjoyed it. We did plan to go back at night, but just never got around to it. It is a lovely place though and the menu is very appealling.



Never thought of going there but it does get a lot of good reviews. We might have to try it sometime!


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## schumigirl

J'aime Paris said:


> Great update!
> I'm looking forward to riding the new version of Hulk and Kong.
> 
> It's funny how your husband uses his hat as a prop in each photo!



Lol........yes he does that a lot doesn't he........blame me as I always say I can't see him with it on........

Hulk is fabulous.......and Kong is really good too........think you'll enjoy it!

Glad you're enjoying it......


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## schumigirl

Raeven said:


> The Krampus was so hard to find sometimes! The smell was very nice too. It was a lot better going through it during the UTH tour. Seeing all the little details, and hidden stuff from previous years in it made it a lot better.
> 
> 
> 
> AHS really cool. Glad it was working!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We didn't get to ride Kong, but probably will when we have EP over the holidays.
> 
> 
> 
> Never thought of going there but it does get a lot of good reviews. We might have to try it sometime!



Yes NBC is really good, we had been looking forward eating there and it didn't disappoint........it's got something for everyone.......


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## angryduck71

Yay!!!  I love this!  Tom's smile always makes me smile.  He must be such a joy to be around!  You guys are awesome!  My son's 10th birthday was YESTERDAY.  For that and for when he graduates elementary school in May (a year early because I have a genius of a kid -- and luckily a good one too!), we're doing the big Universal trip.  He SO wants to see Kong.  I know from all the reviews it's a little short, but I expect we'll be riding it a bazillion times.  This is making me SO EXCITED for the trip!!!


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## disneyAndi14

Great update, I really enjoy your informative report!  We thought Chance was funny to, she kept saying just kidding, just serious so we are saying this all the time now.  We really like the RPR as well.  My daughter went on Hulk but I am a chicken so not for me.  I liked King Kong and glad it wa open when we were there.  I look forward to more updates.


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## klo1335

Reading your update is getting me super excited for our upcoming trip.


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## schumigirl

angryduck71 said:


> Yay!!!  I love this!  Tom's smile always makes me smile.  He must be such a joy to be around!  You guys are awesome!  My son's 10th birthday was YESTERDAY.  For that and for when he graduates elementary school in May (a year early because I have a genius of a kid -- and luckily a good one too!), we're doing the big Universal trip.  He SO wants to see Kong.  I know from all the reviews it's a little short, but I expect we'll be riding it a bazillion times.  This is making me SO EXCITED for the trip!!!



Oh thank you......just told him that.....made his day.....lol...... 

Belated happy 10th birthday for your son......hope he had a great day! And a smart cookie too........he sounds adorable........oh he'll love Kong I'm sure......it is a ride you can do over and over......and definitely go through the full queue if you can......it's fun. 



disneyAndi14 said:


> Great update, I really enjoy your informative report!  We thought Chance was funny to, she kept saying just kidding, just serious so we are saying this all the time now.  We really like the RPR as well.  My daughter went on Hulk but I am a chicken so not for me.  I liked King Kong and glad it wa open when we were there.  I look forward to more updates.



That was a catchy phrase from her.......lol......hope your daughter enjoyed Hulk, it was so much better! Glad you're enjoying it.........



klo1335 said:


> Reading your update is getting me super excited for our upcoming trip.



Glad to hear it......... it'll be here before you know it........


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## Mom3girls

klo1335 said:


> Reading your update is getting me super excited for our upcoming trip.


I feel the same way!! Dec 16th can't come fast enough


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## Worfiedoodles

I'm so sorry you were unwell with the unwanted msg -- there's nothing worse than feeling poorly on vacation, at night, trying not to wake up your spouse  I'm glad you rebounded quickly and were able to keep going and have a wonderful trip so far! The dinner at Ocean Prime looked amazing! I love that you take your time and really enjoy the Parks. It's my dream to do that once, but I may have to go alone to do it  

I understand how hard it was to be without Kyle on this trip. My DS is a freshman in college this year, and he won't make it home until Thanksgiving. We are headed to WDW in January for marathon weekend and originally thought he could come with us...but he's doing a school trip to Rome instead. Not that I blame him, but it's going to be odd without him...anyway, reading your various TRs I'm hopeful that family vacations will still happen sometimes I hope you got back and picked up something lovely at Tiffany!

Maria


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## schumigirl

Mom3girls said:


> I feel the same way!! Dec 16th can't come fast enough



It`ll be here before you know it.........



Worfiedoodles said:


> I'm so sorry you were unwell with the unwanted msg -- there's nothing worse than feeling poorly on vacation, at night, trying not to wake up your spouse  I'm glad you rebounded quickly and were able to keep going and have a wonderful trip so far! The dinner at Ocean Prime looked amazing! I love that you take your time and really enjoy the Parks. It's my dream to do that once, but I may have to go alone to do it
> 
> I understand how hard it was to be without Kyle on this trip. My DS is a freshman in college this year, and he won't make it home until Thanksgiving. We are headed to WDW in January for marathon weekend and originally thought he could come with us...but he's doing a school trip to Rome instead. Not that I blame him, but it's going to be odd without him...anyway, reading your various TRs I'm hopeful that family vacations will still happen sometimes I hope you got back and picked up something lovely at Tiffany!
> 
> Maria



Thanks Maria........wasn't pleasant, but recovery is always quick.........Ocean Prime is gorgeous......oh and, if you ever need anyone to join you to do the parks easy......I`m your plus 1..........

What a shame your son isn't making the trip in January.......he`ll love Rome I`m sure, its a beautiful city, but of course you`ll miss him.......it`s definitely an odd experience when they start to go on their own to places. Yep, you never know.....I know a lot of my friends, still find their adult kids still want to go with them to Orlando......it`s that kind of a place where it seems to be ok to go with parents.......lol......

Glad you`re still reading along


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## BagOLaughs

Bit late the party but I'm following along!! 

Great report so far. I'm sorry you didn't feel well that night! Still, it was good you knew what it was and it cleared up.

Martin & I visited the royal pacific pool this last holiday and I must say it was lovely. I especially loved the water volley ball. 

Can't wait for the next post.


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## schumigirl

We got showered and changed and went out to get in the car.......it felt like the ground was melting today under our feet........this was hot! But, we wanted to go a little drive out to Celebration.

Last few years, anyone has read the previous trip reports will know I`ve had issues with  crown that kept coming out, so we d found a fabulous dentist in Celebration so that was our main reasons for visiting. This year however, my crown had finally been replaced by a bridge in May......so fingers crossed this would hold better! It certainly felt better than before. And thankfully it stayed in place and we had no issues with the bridge at all.

It only takes around 20 minutes or so to get there, we go through LBV and are there in no time at all. Celebration is beautiful.......a very peaceful and quaint little place that is just so pretty. We get parked on the main street and head down towads the lake, passing a few stores on the way. We should probably have driven right down to Front Street and parked closer but its a fairly small area. But, we do check with the closest business that we are ok to park there for a while, she assures us that we are. Don`t want to get a ticket.

















We really don't plan to do much here today, just wander around the lake and go for an ice cream at Kilwins.....always a nice treat on a hot afternoon........there are a few things to do here for fun but as we have no sunscreen on we decide to wander a little and then just have the ice cream........the lake is gorgeous........
























We go into Kilwins after we wander a little. There are some beautiful little stores here, boutiques and bakeries to candle and kitchen accessories.....it`s hard to resist a lot of them, but somehow today we actually don't buy anything, apart from the ice cream.

Kilwins is tiny, and they don't have any indoor seating,  so I am glad to see there are tables with shade available outside that we can sit at. We decide on a cherry ice cream between us as we aren't really hungry.....so many choices in there and every one that we have ever tried is gorgeous. I adore cherries so this one was perfect........creamy and full of real cherries......nothing artificial here......they also have a fabulous selection of chocolates and treats..so much choice....













We do share it, although I think I get more than Tom does somehow........It`s just so peaceful sat here and we pass almost an hour talking to some locals who are also doing the same thing......I could live here I think......the houses are mostly beautiful, and at Christmas and Halloween the houses are all supposed to be done up spectacularly.....we have never been at Chritmas but if we did we would definitely visit here.

Eventually we reluctantly head back to the car and start to drive back to the hotel, it is 104F and it`s just after 4.30. This has been a hot day........as we head ot of the Kissimmee area we see the sky looking incredibly ominous....black clouds are growing and then we see some lightning.......big lightning. So, we decide to get home as soon as possible. Drive is uneventful and we pull into the parking lot and get to the hotel doors just as the rain starts. And it`s heavy.

We had planned to drive back out to Longhorn in LBV tonight, but when we see the force of the rain and the lightning we decide we wont be going anywhere.

We drop some stuff off in our room and freshen up a little then head up to the Club Lounge and have a drink since we are now not driving anywhere..........It`s fairly busy tonight but we still get a seat by the window.......we watch the storm develop and it`s not going off anytime soon. We had thought if it eased off we would head out to Longhorn, but it seemed to be getting worse. After a bit we could barely see 10 feet out of the window, this was torrential. Thunder was so loud.

So, we thought where we would like to eat dinner. We had eaten sushi a couple of times and had pizza at Jake`s, so we thought we would give The Strongwater Tavern a try over at Sapphire Falls. We had been looking forward to eating there since we had been given the tour day after we arrived. Thankfully you can walk over there without going outside using the back ballroom and convention centre routes. Only takes 10 minutes or so........

We finished our glass of wine and headed over........it`s a quiet walk as not too many people are using it yet, some take the shuttle bus and some come from Citywalk. But for us, we were the only ones around........there is a change of carpet when you hit the Sapphire Falls area.....and the over the road bridge lets you know too.








You can see the rain still bouncing against the window and the lightning is amazing. On the way there are a few comfortable looking chairs and I had to try a few out.........and I swear my husband is with me......he just prefers to be on the other side of the camera..........







We get to the main part of the hotel where the lobby is and we glance out and see the weather is still foul outside, we were glad we had walked over here........it looked so dark outside and the storm was definitely gathering speed.








The lobby is very impressive. It is large and airy and has a full size Universal store, concierge and ticket store along with the grab and go options snack bar. I have to say everything in there looked so nice.








Strongwater Tavern is bouncing........there is not a spare inch of space to be found in there, sounds like a convention crowd to be honest, but no way will get to eat there tonight......so we wander a little and take some pictures of the areas, There is a beautiful spiral staircase that is quite the feature in this hotel and it leads down to the restaurant Amatista.







Down at the bottom is a lovely little space that can be used for small events too, but it`s pretty.......













The entrance to Amatista is right next to where you go for the boat dock, apparently this causes some confusion as it`s not the ground level.......but it`s an easy hotel to navigate and so pretty.



















We really could have taken pictures all night, but we were beginning to get hungry now. I have to admit, this menu isn't my favourite, but it did look like we could get something to eat from it easy and the restaurant itself is lovely.







We walked in and were immediately greeted by a friendly pair of staff members who couldn't have been nicer. We asked if we could get a table by the window as we knew it had the view of the waterwheel.....despite the weather we could still see it a little through the rain and lightning.........











Ashley was very personable and was excited to help us order cocktails........we told her what we liked and we ended up with 2 that were gorgeous.....and strong, very strong. This seems to be a theme at this hotel.......we also ordered the chicken entrée and I ordered a Shrimp and avocado salad.........we did enjoy our evening here and it was relaxing and exciting watching the amazing lightning show going on outside......weare such tourists at times.....we never get lightning like this at home.......

























Have to say everything was lovely and service was outstanding, very friendly and couldn't do enough for you......we were very happy with our dining choice this evening. It's a shame to read some folks weren't having good experiences here, but ours was perfect. Desserts had no appeal for us here so we decided to go back to Orchids for dessert there and maybe another cocktail.......

Love to see an open kitchen in a restaurant..........













Didn't take us long to walk back, despite me trying out the comfy seats I didn't try on the way over.......lol.......






Orchids was quiet, very quiet even for a Monday night........so we got seated and ordered a cocktail for me and a beer for Tom and a dessert.......we ordered deep fried cheesecake and Tom got the flourless chocolate cake that Kyle loved so much.......the chocolate cake had been changed and wasn't as nice as previous years, thankfully the cheesecake portion was huge, and I only eat a litte of it as it`s so sweet so we could share that dessert........



















The cheesecake was lush!!!!! But, a huge portion........despite that we did clear the plate.

We sat for over an hour and just reflected on the day. One of the girls we knew from last year came up to talk to us as soon as she saw we were back......lovely girl and a good memory. It was lovely catching up with her and what shes been doing this last year. The staff in this hotel really are the best, so friendly and it's nice to see so many of them year after year.

Eventually we headed up to bed, it was still raining and tonight I kept the drapes open and fell asleep watching the lightning streak across the sky.......it was spectacular and the colours were extraordinary........but before long I was out for the count.


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Wow, it is so nice you were able to stay indoors and go from one hotel to the other! That is definitely a selling point on a stormy night. Celebration looks like a wonderful place to spend an afternoon. I think I might need that fried cheesecake, it looks amazing!

It does boggle my mind that Sapphire Falls and RPR are considered to be in the same category. To me there is a clear difference and RPR is a higher caliber, plus having the express pass. That said, what a nice, new hotel with a lovely open design!

Maria


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## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Wow, it is so nice you were able to stay indoors and go from one hotel to the other! That is definitely a selling point on a stormy night. Celebration looks like a wonderful place to spend an afternoon. I think I might need that fried cheesecake, it looks amazing!
> 
> It does boggle my mind that Sapphire Falls and RPR are considered to be in the same category. To me there is a clear difference and RPR is a higher caliber, plus having the express pass. That said, what a nice, new hotel with a lovely open design!
> 
> Maria



Yep, we had no intention of even going out in a cab in that weather......it was scarily heavy. That cheesecake is phenomenal........you have to try it........I can't eat a lot of sweet things, but I did eat maybe a little more than I should have it was so delicious......

Yes, I think it's for convention reasons they're classed the same, as they do have differing perks, just my thoughts on the subject, as I don't know, but yes Sapphire Falls is lovely......and the lobby is very nice..........

We did have a lovely day........


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## Lynne G

I am a storm watcher too.  I was out around 3am watching the hurricane that happily went west of the mouse. 

I also would not have drove to eat in that rain.  Glad to hear the food was good and the cheesecake!  May have to get that when we are down during the holiday.   All of us like cheesecake.   Fried, even better.  LOL

Thanks for the update, great pictures as always.


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## keishashadow

tlinus said:


> I am SO in on this report. I am having such bad withdraw from Universal.
> 
> I don't post alot anymore, but I am always lurking...errrr....ummmm.....reading up on my homies



A rare tracie sighting!

Carole - hmmm of the JIK one isn't quite wet enough on the water rides so you're one of those soakers eh?  Jk Good 'clean' fun.

Did I miss a review on the new laptop? 

We never did find the indoor path over to SF but did come close from what I understand back near the RP ballrooms/business center.  SF really is a nice property.  Loved the decor in common areas and standard room suited us fine, liked the color scheme, hated the lack of water pressure in shower.  Too bad no FOTL perk or we'd consider it for longer visits.


----------



## schumigirl

Lynne G said:


> I am a storm watcher too.  I was out around 3am watching the hurricane that happily went west of the mouse.
> 
> I also would not have drove to eat in that rain.  Glad to hear the food was good and the cheesecake!  May have to get that when we are down during the holiday.   All of us like cheesecake.   Fried, even better.  LOL
> 
> Thanks for the update, great pictures as always.



I'd have been out watching it too, we've seen some real corkers over there........that cheesecake is gorgeous......you should definitely get it.........



keishashadow said:


> A rare tracie sighting!
> 
> Carole - hmmm of the JIK one isn't quite wet enough on the water rides so you're one of those soakers eh?  Jk Good 'clean' fun.
> 
> Did I miss a review on the new laptop?
> 
> We never did find the indoor path over to SF but did come close from what I understand back near the RP ballrooms/business center.  SF really is a nice property.  Loved the decor in common areas and standard room suited us fine, liked the color scheme, hated the lack of water pressure in shower.  Too bad no FOTL perk or we'd consider it for longer visits.



Lol........Kyle and I adored doing that......Tom used to sit and shake his head at how hard we laughed at some folks reactions.........

Well, I hadn't actually gotten on laptop yet at that point......someone else was playing with it........lol......it's fabulous though......faster than lightning! Although Windows 10 is rubbish at some things.........

Yes, it is a bit of a hidden journey to find the right way over there.......if you take a wrong turn you're lost......

yes, I think that's why it will never have EP.......folks would stay there and not RP. But, it is lovely, I never thought We'd like it as much as we did. Still prefer RP overall.........but could visit a few times for meals and drinks......


----------



## keishashadow

I, too, was very surprised how nice SF is.  Very impressed with how they designed the windmill effect-lobby stairway.    Tastefully done, reminded me of the southern caribbean's Dutch influence.  Initially, didn't get a Caribbean vibe when I looked at the pictures before we visited.  

Good luck with Windows 10 lol


----------



## Raeven

Celebration looks lovely!

We got caught in Animal Kingdom during that storm  we had to run to the bus and got soaked.


----------



## Disneymom2kiddos

I love a good thunderstorm too, and Florida has the best, I think! That cheesecake is calling my name, so that has been added to the food list. lol  We might have to pop over to SF and give it a look while we're there. It looks beautiful.  I'm like you, I want to savor every moment in the parks and not rush from ride to ride. I seriously can't wait for our first stay at RPR in May.  I'm in countdown mode for flights right now. It makes the trip seem more "real" to me once the flights are booked. Enjoying the TR so much!


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> I, too, was very surprised how nice SF is.  Very impressed with how they designed the windmill effect-lobby stairway.    Tastefully done, reminded me of the southern caribbean's Dutch influence.  Initially, didn't get a Caribbean vibe when I looked at the pictures before we visited.
> 
> Good luck with Windows 10 lol



Windows 10 is making me swear!!!!

Yep, beautiful resort......I`ve never been to the real Caribbean, but I can imagine........


----------



## schumigirl

Raeven said:


> Celebration looks lovely!
> 
> We got caught in Animal Kingdom during that storm  we had to run to the bus and got soaked.



Oh dear......it was a real bad one wasn't it.......nice to watch from inside I have to say.........



Disneymom2kiddos said:


> I love a good thunderstorm too, and Florida has the best, I think! That cheesecake is calling my name, so that has been added to the food list. lol  We might have to pop over to SF and give it a look while we're there. It looks beautiful.  I'm like you, I want to savor every moment in the parks and not rush from ride to ride. I seriously can't wait for our first stay at RPR in May.  I'm in countdown mode for flights right now. It makes the trip seem more "real" to me once the flights are booked. Enjoying the TR so much!



It`ll fly past and be here before you know it though.........I`m sure you`ll love RPR........definitely get that cheesecake.....as I said I`m not a huge dessert person, but cheesecake I can`t resist and deep fried!!!!

Glad you`re enjoying reading........


----------



## klo1335

schumigirl said:


> Windows 10 is making me swear!!!!



It is horrible.  My office refuses to download it on all computers.  They actually created something to prevent it from downloading automatically.


----------



## schumigirl

klo1335 said:


> It is horrible.  My office refuses to download it on all computers.  They actually created something to prevent it from downloading automatically.



Yep!!! Everything is so complicated........you should have seen us try and add other accounts when we were setting up the laptop   Kyle told us initially we would hate it, but never realised just how bad it is.......and I thought it was just me......lol.......


----------



## schumigirl

*TUESDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER*


Another fabulous nights sleep over, we do our usual, shower, hair.....well for me.....lol......and the we head up for breakfast. Don't feel too hungry this morning but we each manage some cinnamon bun, fruit and some of that deliciously spicy continental meat. And coffee.....lots of coffee....We don't hang around much this morning as it`s supposed to be very hot and we think we`ll just do the parks and leave early before it gets too hot.......this is the joy of the way we tour the parks, for us, we can come and go whenever we feel like it.

We walk down  the boat as we are going to the Studios today......one security guy who we saw last week asked how long we were staying, some people are surprised when they ask us this question and say they couldn't stay so long at Universal.......each to their own of course, but, he was just amazed and asked what we do for so long......told him have fun!

We got on the boat that was conveniently waiting and it was already 92f a just before 9am. It felt hotter than the sun again, but we had plenty of sunscreen on and just enjoyed being embraced by this heat. There wasn't much of a queue this morning as it was now 9am and had EE, so we went straight to DM. This always has a queue, regardless of how early you arrive if you aren't doing EE. TM will readily tell you if you don`t have EP, expect to queue.









We literally walk past the queue of around 40 minutes and are straight on the ride, just enough time to take a picture of the Shrek building....well, the pre show is first. This is a cute ride and such fun. But, why do people insist on taking pictures inside the second show when specifically told not to. But, once on the ride its a hoot!! I never get motion sick on this one whatsoever........which I`m glad about as it means I can ride it again and again....today however we just do it once. We come outside and there is a minon begging to be danced with.........photo opportunities are fabulous at Universal and the minions are always popular.......we get to the queue first and by time we have our dance and photograph there is a fairly long queue








We have a quick wander around the store today and I buy a purple minion and a few other things. We get them sent back to the room which is a fabulous thing to be able to do when staying onsite. Of course if  aren't staying onsite you can get them stored and sent to the front of the park for pick up when you leave. Such a good idea.

We go around and do RRR. We adore this ride, but it still scares the life out of me......I put my bag in a locker and we go through the metal detectors and straight in. This is where we witness TM having to explain in very simple terms to a group of 3 that they cannot take phones on.....they argue they wont use them.......they want to take on a wallet.....the TM asks him why......his answer was I don't know.......they also have coins in pocket and the girl argues some more......the TM very calmly tell them go back to lockers and come back with nothing in your pockets or you don't ride.......they did go back but were so rude and made remarks about the TM intelligence.......I feel so sorry for TM when they have to deal with idiots like that. I would have had them removed just for the comments alone. But, we all moved along.

There is no EP queue at all this morning so we get straight on.......front row!!!! I love this and terrifies me at the same time.......but at least I can go up the initial climb now with my eyes open........13 seconds to climb to the top and we`re flying back downwards.........all the while Gloria assuring me I will survive.......I`m a bit boring as I always choose this song on this ride.......Tom waves his arms around all the way....the video is hilarious of him........I cling on usually. The front gives you a very different perspective........it is my favourite row despite the terror.

I only do this once today as I always worry about inducing vertigo, but touch wood I`m ok, but Tom goes back on once more.......he ends up near the back so I`m glad I didn't go on again as the back can be a real headbanger. But Tom enjoyed it regardless.

Next up we venture over to Monster Café. Not a place we ever eat, but inside is well worth a visit. Loads of picture memorabilia of old Hollywood vampires and Frankenstein......


























If you enjoy old Hollywood classic monsters.......this place is worth a visit......


Jimmy Fallon.........opening next year.......







The Christmas store.......







We wander round and take a couple of the scare zone during the day......













Yep.......cap is a prop again.......lol











We do take the usual pictures of course........












We have a wander into Madame Malkins. Well worth a visit for school uniforms and lots of little trinkets and there is the mirror........stand in front of it and it may well give you a lovely compliment, or it may say something different.........


----------



## BagOLaughs

That's a great picture of Tom on the electric chair outside the monsters cafe!

I think Diagon alley still looks like new! I couldn't spot any wear and tear. 

Loving the updates... can't wait for the next one.


----------



## tink1957

Great update 

I love all the little details that you find in DA...there's always something new to discover no matter how many times I visit.  

Did you get the mug with the Dragon on it?  That one went home with me this trip.


----------



## macraven

You should put some of those pictures in the picture sticky

Some that you have in the above thread would be appreciated there!


----------



## Worfiedoodles

We always get dirty look as we go through the EP for DM. How nice you were able to walk right on! It is amazing how there is always something new to discover. I've never been in the Monsters Café because the menu doesn't appeal, I didn't realize there were all the classic theming items! And I don't think we will ever see enough of DA, it's another place where there's just so much, you can always have a new adventure 

Maria


----------



## schumigirl

BagOLaughs said:


> That's a great picture of Tom on the electric chair outside the monsters cafe!
> 
> I think Diagon alley still looks like new! I couldn't spot any wear and tear.
> 
> Loving the updates... can't wait for the next one.



Lol.......I like that one too! 

DA is still spectacular, I marvel at it every time we go in there.......thanks, glad you're enjoying reading along Rachel........


----------



## schumigirl

tink1957 said:


> Great update
> 
> I love all the little details that you find in DA...there's always something new to discover no matter how many times I visit.
> 
> Did you get the mug with the Dragon on it?  That one went home with me this trip.



Thanks Vicki!

It was like a huge stein mug he got this time......it's massive! Think it's the biggest mug we have in the house.......yep, DA is pretty special and I agree, we always find something we missed previous visits.


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> You should put some of those pictures in the picture sticky
> 
> Some that you have in the above thread would be appreciated there!



I'll have a look and see what ones I haven't posted yet.........

Photobucket was being awful today, so I gave up........lol.......very annoying........


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> We always get dirty look as we go through the EP for DM. How nice you were able to walk right on! It is amazing how there is always something new to discover. I've never been in the Monsters Café because the menu doesn't appeal, I didn't realize there were all the classic theming items! And I don't think we will ever see enough of DA, it's another place where there's just so much, you can always have a new adventure
> 
> Maria



Oh yes, we've had many glares and comments too from folks in the regular queue particularly on DM........water off a ducks back for us.......we usually just smile back.........lol.......

Monsters cafe we don't eat there either, doesn't appeal at all, but yes the memorabilia is nice to see and interesting too........

DA we could spend much longer in.......we try and focus on different areas each time, but always wander around it all whenever we go in, always something new around.........we never got ice cream this time as we were just never ready for anything whenever we were in it........I quite like the ice cream there......


----------



## keishashadow

Hmm I don't recall where that last pic of gyroscopey thing originates?  

Love the people free shots of the buildings, never thot of that...may have to swipe that technique next trip lol

We ate @ monsters during HHN as pickings were slim.  I'll take the high road and say the food was the same as last visit a few years ago.  A darn shame, they could turn it into a themed TS type if they tossed in a character or2 and clean up IMO.


----------



## schumigirl

tink1957 said:


> Great update
> 
> I love all the little details that you find in DA...there's always something new to discover no matter how many times I visit.
> 
> Did you get the mug with the Dragon on it?  That one went home with me this trip.



https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=h...UIBygB&biw=1024&bih=672#imgrc=DF4vbLfHloIDdM:

This was the one Vicki........


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Hmm I don't recall where that last pic of gyroscopey thing originates?
> 
> Love the people free shots of the buildings, never thot of that...may have to swipe that technique next trip lol
> 
> We ate @ monsters during HHN as pickings were slim.  I'll take the high road and say the food was the same as last visit a few years ago.  A darn shame, they could turn it into a themed TS type if they tossed in a character or2 and clean up IMO.



It's on the ceiling in the shop where Gringotts ride is.........

Swipe away........lol......

Yep, Monsters Cafe could be fabulous! It's so well themed and a decent size......a little revamp and it could be amazing........until they improve the food we won't eat there again........oh I never thought of character meets in there on a daily basis.......

We could pack the place out between us and our ideas Janet.........


----------



## angshewas

I love the beam of light shining down next to your husband in the pic by the boat. He might have someone next to him in spirit.


----------



## schumigirl

angshewas said:


> I love the beam of light shining down next to your husband in the pic by the boat. He might have someone next to him in spirit.



  

I never even noticed that! 

Now I can't see anything else.......lol.........


----------



## J'aime Paris

I'm learning new things about UO from your TR!

I had no idea that there was a mirror that gave compliments in MM shoppe.  Gonna check that out for sure!
Would you know if there is a thread dedicated to the interactive elements of Diagon Alley?  I'm thinking I've missed many, and would love to see them all!!

I've never been in the Christmas shop either.  I'll definitely be paying a visit!

PS...continuing to enjoy the hat prop, lol!!


----------



## schumigirl

J'aime Paris said:


> I'm learning new things about UO from your TR!
> 
> I had no idea that there was a mirror that gave compliments in MM shoppe.  Gonna check that out for sure!
> Would you know if there is a thread dedicated to the interactive elements of Diagon Alley?  I'm thinking I've missed many, and would love to see them all!!
> 
> I've never been in the Christmas shop either.  I'll definitely be paying a visit!
> 
> PS...continuing to enjoy the hat prop, lol!!



There was a thread about interactive things to do I think, maybe a search will bring something up.......will have a look later.......

Yes, the mirror is cute........and the Christmas shops in both parks are good, one in IOA is slightly bigger I think.......

He wasn't aware he did that with the hat.......lol........made him laugh when I pointed it out......


----------



## pigletto

Your pictures are just fabulous!! We'll be arriving  on Saturday and I couldn't be more excited!!


----------



## macraven

I spend a lot of time in the Christmas shop at ioa

So many choices 
I overbuy in that store as I can not decide on which character ornament to purchase 

Usually end up getting at least 5 each time I walk into that store

They also sell the pink donut

Yes did pick up one there one night near closing time


----------



## schumigirl

pigletto said:


> Your pictures are just fabulous!! We'll be arriving  on Saturday and I couldn't be more excited!!



Saturday!!! Wow........well, hope you have a fabulous time.....I'm sure you will though.......and thank you.....glad you like them........



macraven said:


> I spend a lot of time in the Christmas shop at ioa
> 
> So many choices
> I overbuy in that store as I can not decide on which character ornament to purchase
> 
> Usually end up getting at least 5 each time I walk into that store
> 
> They also sell the pink donut
> 
> Yes did pick up one there one night near closing time



We did go a bit overboard this year too with Christmas decorations ..........there were so many to choose from......and they are so good at wrapping them up securely........they always ask if we're flying home, well in our case I think they can guess from the accents......lol.......but we had no breakages again this year, so our trees will be adorned with a load of new garnishes..........

I prefer the one in IOA too.......


----------



## disneyAndi14

Great update, I really enjoy all your pictures of DA, there are so many things I see in the pictures that I miss when visiting. We really liked the wharf scare zone as well, the scare actors were really interesting with the barnacles and starfish stuck on their faces. Wow it looks hot, good to tour in the am and cool off in the air con in the pm.  You would never catch me on RRR, to scary for me!


----------



## schumigirl

disneyAndi14 said:


> Great update, I really enjoy all your pictures of DA, there are so many things I see in the pictures that I miss when visiting. We really liked the wharf scare zone as well, the scare actors were really interesting with the barnacles and starfish stuck on their faces. Wow it looks hot, good to tour in the am and cool off in the air con in the pm.  You would never catch me on RRR, to scary for me!



lol........I was like that before I went on RRR for the first time......was convinced that was how I was going to die.......I was terrified beyond belief.......now that was a funny video!!!!

Glad you`re enjoying the pictures, I agree, we see something new every visit......and yes those SA are amazing!


----------



## macraven

I can never do RRR
Have seen it get stuck a few times and peeps had to evacuate 


I would have had heart failure with that if I was on and had to climb down from that ride!


----------



## schumigirl

So we thought we would leave DA after doing Gringotts a few times........this is such a good ride......fun and swishing gently around is always fun. We managed to get front row both times and thoroughly enjoyed it......
Now was time for us to head out of this area and do some more of the park........when we venture out of the relative  cool temps of DA we realise just how hot is has become as we step out from the cool........it is hotter than Hades out there again........but, we see there is no queue for pictures with the Knight Bus conductor.......so far everyime we looked there has been a fairly long queue......have to say the guy who we got photographed with last year was phenomenal....he had me doubled over with laughter which Tom dutifully captured every giggle and laugh.......this guy was good though, but I felt so sorry for him as his suit was fairly heavy, I was glad he was in the shade. I always say at Universal character interaction is always fabulous, and this was no different........they are so good and always enthuse about whatever particular character they are representing







Even outside DA the theming is exceptional........photo opportunities abound........and of course we do, there`s something almost enigmatic about Universal theming and almost encourages you to take images wherever you are, and DA is no different.















Kreacher is one of the newer additions to Universal photo ops, people are keen to catch him appear periodically throughout the day......if you miss him, don't worry, he is regular with his appearances and you never have long to wait.......you don't need to knock the door or anything.......it is routine. People just love to catch him grimacing out behind the drapes every day........






We decide to head out of the park but not before a few picture options.........we decide not to do MiB and Tom chooses not to do the Simpsons on his own.......I wont go on it due to sickness issues......worst offender ever for rides with me.....so we go into Simpsons area and happily pose........







This is where Tom almost became a professional photographer for an endless stream of guests a few years ago.......one asked for a picture, then another...we don't mind. We always happily take pictures of others, as we have had the kindness returned many times. I can`t imagine anyone not obliging.......but anyway, happens again today......we get two couples ask if we mind taking theirs........no problem. It only takes a few minutes and we are off again.

We always say we are going to have some beer during the day, well, Tom as I don't drink beer, but it always seems to be too hot........I see folks wandering around with those giant beer cans......not sure how they manage it in the heat......so, another day goes past without him partaking in a beer. He really doesn't drink during the day either, but it`s just one of those things we keep meaning to do........maybe one day......














Again, we always plan to have the ice cream dessert with the donut.....but it`s huge and far too much to eat as we are heading for lunch soon......we will one day though........this area is so bright and colourful, such a fun area.......Marge, Bart and Homer appear for a picture opportunity but we are just too hot to stand in the already well formed queue......these characters are always popular when they appear.

We do a quick visit ET, no queue at all today, always such a cute ride.......then we head out through the area that is Lair of the Banshee during horror nights........it seems very tame in comparison during the day.....there really isn't anything scary, visual or otherwise during the day, so anyone who doesn't enjoy any aspects of horror needn't worry about visiting the parks during the day when it`s horror night season, there really is no reason to avoid The Studios.







This is the sort of large prop that can`t be removed during the day......people often ask what kind of props are left out......this is the kind of thing and is  no way scary or horrifying.














We go into the Terminator store and see some WD merchandise.......and of course Dr Who, of which my husband is a huge fan.........this has got to be one of the coolest stores around.......really fancy a tee with old "Lucille" on it......


















Hunger had begun to take over now, and we head out of the park to Citywalk. Margaritaville was going to be our choice for lunch today. Always enjoy food here and the atmosphere is always fun, even during a relatively quiet lunch time.

We are seated immediately and instantly order our favourite soft drinks.......strawberry lemonades all around for us.....they are delicious, and very much appreciated today with the heat being so oppressive.......we drank them quickly and they were gratefully replenished before we could even ask.......I think she sensed we were thirsty. I did get the feeling she was disappointed we were not going to be ordering alcohol as she took time to regale us with alcoholic offerings first, but no way did we plan any alcohol in this heat during the day...... I ordered  Jamaican chicken wings and side salad, Tom ordered the Club sandwich and fries......she told us they would be out soon, and they were........we love sitting in here listening to music and relaxing......it was quite busy and our server did seem a bit distracted.........she was funny though and no complaints about service

I also laugh when I see this picture as I look like I have been dragged through the proverbial hedge backwards.........















Food came out and Tom`s was really good, he loves sandwiches whatever you put on them and this was a favourite......my wings weren't real but boneless, but I decided to keep them, however they weren't spicy like they used to be, lacked flavour, were hard on the outside and cool in the middle. Not great. Salad was nice though, I shared some of Tom`s sandwich.....we decided we would go back there, but not for food and would go back and sit at the bar for cocktails one night. She did offer to replace them, but I wasn't overly fussed on them by that time.



















We finished and paid up and started to walk back to the hotel.  e Lone Palm is so pretty but, we never sit there as they allow smoking, and as we detest smoking with a passion.......so, we avoid it, unless it`s quiet.....which it rarely is. So nice though.....think we`ve only ever had a cocktail there once or twice in 10 years.








The walk back to the hotel is so pretty, I cannot talk enough about how beautifully  manicured and well cared for the resort is, everywhere.......it really is a joy to walk and a short one, even today when it`s baking hot......but we still find time to appreciate it, especially under the shade of the large trees

























The pool at RPR is perfect for us........shallow enough I can mooch around with a zero entry, and deep enough Tom can swim. It`s fun without being rowdy, plenty going on with games and activities during the day and of course dive in movies at night......and the Bula Bar is perfect for food and cocktails. You can get refills for $10 on selected cocktail (most of them) after first purchase which is good.......cocktails are excellent, as they are everywhere we find to be honest.......and food is so good!








We had some iced water from the stand before we went upstairs. We chatted to a member of the pool staff who said he hadn't seen us at night yet this year.......with HHN and other things we just hadn't made it, yet. We did have plans to do it one night.

For now we were going to get showered, changed and head to PBH to meet an old friend from a few years ago.


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> I can never do RRR
> Have seen it get stuck a few times and peeps had to evacuate
> 
> 
> I would have had heart failure with that if I was on and had to climb down from that ride!



lol.......we did see that once!! Not sure I could move if I was stuck up so high.......

Love that firs climb and drop though.......every scary image imaginable goes through my mind those 13 seconds it takes to climb!


----------



## angryduck71

Oh! Good to see you picked up a Negan/Lucille shirt for me.


----------



## schumigirl

angryduck71 said:


> Oh! Good to see you picked up a Negan/Lucille shirt for me.



lol.......one of my favourites now..........


----------



## schumigirl

We showered and changed and headed back down to the boat. We took the boat to Citywalk and then got the Portofino boat. We had no wait as there was one waiting when we arrived.......it`s so convenient a way of getting to each resort, and such a nice little ride.

It`s a little further to PBH, but still so convenient to walk from the parks.....and as with all the walking paths, so pretty.






We get off the boat and as usual with PB it`s so quiet during the day, any time we come over it feels a little deserted.....it does get busier at night.








We have a quick wander around and take some pictures and we go ask for Mike at the desk, and they call and let him now we are there. It is a beautiful hotel. I would always recommend anyone to have a wander around the other resort hotels if you have the time. They are so different and even if they don't quite appeal to stay in them, they are lovely to see.


































At this point Mike comes out......it was so lovely to see him. We became friendly when he was one of the supervisors in the Club Lounge at RPR, but he was now back at PBH and I think I said earlier he had contacted RP CL to find out if we were staying yet........so we were looking forward to seeing him again. We had the same adoration of HHN and especially Michael Myers. He had told us some things we weren't aware of and some behind the scenes stuff......and we so enjoyed our time getting to know him in 2014. Really good guy and is very good at his job.

We gave him a big hug and chatted about the hotel and how he had come back here......it`s always interesting to hear how people end up doing the jobs they are in. Everyone has a story somewhere. He asked if we wanted to go to the Club Lounge.......I had never been in here before properly so we wandered over and went in. The Club Lounge here is off the main reception area, rooms are usually allocated to be close, but if you opt for Club Lounge here you can be a little walk away. It is a nice room but getting a revamp sometime..........



















They do have a little balcony in this room, tiny, but it`s there........the view is across the piazza and to the water












We spend most of the afternoon here chatting to Mike in the Lounge and have some lemonade which is really nice, but eventually we leave as it`s getting near the time for guests to be coming in, and that's always a busy time........so we bid our goodbyes and hug, it really was lovely catching up with him again, and now we know where he is we can go back and visit again.

We head back and get the boat back to Citywalk and then RP.

On the boat a lady starts talking to us. She was a travel agent and was there for a convention.......we mentioned HHN and she had never heard of it.....we found this strange as surely a travel agent would know about that.....so we briefly gave her the details and she said it sounded fun. Told her it was an amazing event. We wished her an enjoyable visit and got in the queue for RP boat.......at that point an older couple who had been on the boat came up and asked us if we minded telling them about HHN too.......explained the event again to them and told them their ticket options as they could only go one night.....not sure they would go when they understood they couldn't use their day tickets to get in. I suppose I do get a bit surprised when folks visit anywhere without researching everything about the place......the internet is full of info on everything.

We go back up to the Club Lounge for while during which time I take some laundry down and get a full load in......all machines were being used, although 2 are just about to finish, and I wait and think maybe I should come back another time, at that point a lady appears and takes loads out of 2 machines......she apologises for being late.......I tell her not to worry they had only just gone off.........we chat about how she had to empty a machine once......she had came down and no one came back for their laundry after the machine had finished, she waited 15 minutes then emptied it and put hers in. When she came back the same laundry hadn`t  been removed. Some people just don't consider others. I always make sure I`m back in time to take it out. I would do that too if I had to.

I go back to Club Lounge and have a glass of wine and sit till clothes are done, then put them on hangers and back to room. Then we leave for dinner. Tonight we are driving back to LBV for Longhorn Steakhouse

We had made the mistake the year before by going to Longhorn on IDrive........awful place. Poorly cooked steaks and bad service made for an unpleasant evening. But the one in LBV has always been excellent.....food and service, so we tend to just drive back there, it`s only 15-20 minutes away.

Tom goes to get the car and I take some rare pictures of the entrance being relatively quiet and no cars.......doesn't happen often........













It is such a pretty entrance to a hotel, and the music playing adds to the atmosphere.........Tom appears and we drive off to LBV for a relatively early dinner........it takes 15 minutes to get there and the car park looks busy. But, we get seated straight away and it`s not as busy as it looks.

It`s such a nice restaurant and we have always had exceptional food here for such an inexpensive place to eat.......steaks are always good quality and cooked as they should be.

We order strawberry lemonades and then they bring the bread.......this is so nice!!! You can get more, but we try to just eat the one wedge they bring........













We both order salads, both with honey mustard dressing, I order a filet with baked sweet potato and Tom orders the outlaw ribeye and garlic mash........we don't feel like appetisers tonight..........

We get 2 salads put in front of us.......doesn't look like honey mustard to me.......I put my finger in and its blue cheese......almost immediately another waitress appears and says we have been given the wrong salads, I tell her I was about to call someone over, and I make sure I tell her I stuck my finger in the dressing......would hate for someone to get it after that!

She brings over our salads and that is honey mustard dressing.......and our steaks soon follow, and I have to say are cooked just as we asked. It`s one thing I am incredibly fussy about........I like medium rare and can take it rarer......but aything more than that and I will send it back......Tom will eat anything as long as it is not still mooing or radically overcooked.........


















We do enjoy our meal and are feeling quite full tonight, I was glad we hadn't ate any more of the bread.......we don't take dessert as we plan to try dessert hour at the Club Lounge......something we very rarely do or go have some pool time. But, we don't feel like doing much tonight so we plan one of those. We ask for the check and our waitress brings us 2 strawberry lemonades to go.....a nice touch. We pay her and then leave.......then we see the rain is bouncing down......well that rules out the pool then.......Tom goes and gets the car so I don't get wet.......and we are back home in 20 minutes.

Quite a cosy feel at night coming back in to the hotel.......doesn't seem too busy tonight either......

We go straight to the lounge and check out the desserts. I`m not a big dessert eater, but Tom loves them......get us both some coffee and go have a look at what`s there






























The cookies and the canolies are nice, Tom tries the little dessert but doesn't enjoy that one........but, we sit for a while and chat to staff, it is so quiet up here tonight.........it`s very cosy and warming sitting in here at night, very welcoming lounge.........

We sit for a while longer and just watch the weather outside, it`s still raining........eventually we head out and decide to go back to the room.........I have some laundry to sort out and we are quite tired tonight........so, TV is put on, we have a bottle of wine in the fridge, so that is the rest of our evening. Really is like home from home tonight........

Think we put lights and TV off around 11.30pm........and by that time we really are exhausted. We plan an easy day tomorrow.


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## macraven

The steaks look perfect
I am the same when it comes to red meat
Medium rare or it is sent back


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## Robo56

Great pics Carole. I love PBH. It's my favorite place to stay at Universal.


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## schumigirl

Thanks Robo.........it is lovely......we always go for Sal's Pizza, the other eateries we didn't enjoy at all........but the pizza is wonderful. 

I do like the lobby area too, very relaxing place to be.

Glad you're still reading along........


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## schumigirl

*WEDNESDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER
*
This could be a very busy picture day........

Woke up bright and early around 6.30 this morning........took our time and slowly got ready today as we had plenty of time this morning.........showered and got dressed then saw it was Kyle`s lunch time so got the Skype on.......he answered straight away........we were missing him.......although we honestly were having the best time, but still wished he was there.....we chatted for ages till he had to go and we got hungry........said our goodbyes and went up for breakfast......we just had our usual mix of meats, fruit, mini donuts and coffee. We enjoy the coffee a lot in here, not too strong. Chat a little to staff and then go put sunscreen on........housekeeping has just arrived, so we ask her can we have 5 minutes to put it on then we`ll be gone......she says of course. I always feel bad disturbing housekeeping but we were only a couple of minutes.

We walked outside and again......the wall of heat just hit us......even so early it was suffocating and absolutely no breeze to offset the burning temperatures....but we loved every second of it.......this is one of the things we adore about Orlando, even on our hottest days in the UK, its never like this.......so we seem to have a permanent smile on our face while we are here.......

The walk to IOA is quick and apart from security search which takes seconds we are soon there.......as we walk out from Margaritaville a family stop us and ask where we`ve come from.........I think it`s easy to forget not everyone is a regular visitor, so we tell them it`s the walk from RP........they look at each other and walk off arguing......she is saying she told him so.......lol......I`m tempted to shout your welcome, my usual retort if I do something for someone and don't get a thank you......usually holding a door open or something.......but I don't as they both look a bit annoyed......not quite sure how they could be so angry at 9am.........

We go through the gates and head straight in to the store.......we have some things we want sent back to the room.....some are presents, some for me........we adore the things you can buy here.......little note pads are always a popular little token gift......everyone wants the Shrek one........







Purchases paid for and will be sent to our room for tomorrow morning......this is ideal, not having to worry about carrying packages around. Of course you can get a locker, but wouldn't be the first time we had forgotten something.......

We head round to the rides......but it is such a beautiful day we do take a load of pictures.......well, mainly Tom taking pics of me.........




































The park is so quiet today.......even although it`s just after 9am, we have seen it busier....not a complaint though.....we go to The Hulk and put stuff in locker, it is easy process with the lockers, we`ve never had any issues with the old way, but the new way using your ticket is simple. We go in and we get on the front row......this is my favourite row ever on most coasters.......Tom is over the moon too........a few other get on and one girl refuses to get on the front row.....she is obviously scared and they do get her to go on the row behind us, but as soon as she sits down she gets off before they put the harness on her........she`s in tears and we feel so sorry for her.......the TM offers to unlock her boyfriends harness and he refuses!!! Oh lord, I felt bad for her then........thought she was going to wait, but she had gone. Anyway, next thing we were off........we love this take off!!!! It really is the best one going........it feels so fast today, and we are whooshing and whirling and whooping with laughter all the way around........we look a little demented in the picture, which we don't buy....lol.......but so much fun........We get off and go straight back around again, walk straight back on and didn't really need to use EP, but we still do anyway........this time we get the second row and its still brilliant. This ride has been so improved, it`s very noticeable.

We do 3 rides altogether then wander around and see Dr Doom is still not working.......TM tells us again, it`s the new safety system and change of restraint........I so wish we could have gone on this as we love it. But we head round to Spiderman........this is so much fun......I`m never sure why I love this ride but don`t enjoy Transformers.....manage to get another pic of my husband today.......








There really is no-one here today.......but we still go through the EP line as we have done the full line many times before and don't feel the need today.........it is a good line and even EP is a decent line. Plenty to see. The ride itself is fun......we actually get a vehicle to ourselves today.....I think this is the first time we have managed that on this ride......it is good as always........we don't do it again though as we don't plan to hang around for a long time today.......

This area is excellent for picture opportunities, not just with characters, but the whole area is so colourful and bright, hard to walk past anything........














We get a couple of bottles of water before we go any further, it is hot and we don't want to end up dehydrated and feel poorly........so we devour water whenever we get the chance. The little cups are ok, but it is just a little cup.

We head round towards Kong and meet a TM we know well, have known him for years, he tells us Kong is down........oh well, no need to rush then.....we chat briefly and then as always, take some pictures








I was laughing at that point and looking to the side as someone shouted out my name again........it was a guy with a little kid and I have no clue who he was....he just shouted my name and said nice pic, is it going on the dis and walked on.......lol.......Tom was shaking his head laughing again.......and of course had to say.....does everyone really know your name......it was funny......didn't see where he went but didn't want to be seen to follow someone anyway.....

So, knowing Kong was down we went on Me Ship the Olive.......fun ship to go on and of course there are water jets, gentle ones though up top.......no charge for these ones......and you do get a good view of the park from up there.....there is an elevator for anyone with difficulties, but we just walk up each floor......nice view around the park though from the top.









There is a few interactive things kids can do in here, inclucing playing the popeye tune on the piano.......you gotta do that!!! Very colourful and has a slide inside too.......we don't spend a lot of time today as theres no one on the water rides for us to soak today........boooooo

Wander around and always marvel at just how pretty and colourful this park is.......we watch Dudley but there`s not too many folks on that yet as it`s still fairly early......so on the way around to JP we happily pose again......


















We go into JP and I ask if I need to put this bag in a locker. These lockers are charged for, so if I don't need to I wont. She tells me no. its fine. There`s a few people around now but not many......we love how quiet the parks have been since we arrived this year.......








We do this ride twice and each time we get a sprinkling of water.....the people in the row in front of us both times gets soaked.........we decide twice is enough today as we don't want to get drenched.

Round now to Potter. This area must be the most photographed area anywhere.......seen them all before, but you just want to capture moments again and again.........and as usual, this is where most folks are........
















































We both go on Duelling Dragons and do both sides, Tom says he is doing it a few more times so I don't want to tempt fate and decide to go and get some pictures inside 3 B`s........it`s not too busy this morning...







We meet back up after Tom has had enough of DD for the morning, we have a look at the things for sale in the Owelry Tom spots the feather quill pen.......Kyle loves real ink pens too, so we get him that and buy some Potter bookmarks and the set of 10 postcards. He opens the pack and stamps them all with the Hogsmeade stamp.........we take them with us as we wont be long before we leave today. Then head around towards Zeuss area. We do lie to ride the little train........it is so gorgeous today and we are just enjoying wandering with no schedule to keep and not having to rush anywhere.......












I love themeing of Poseidon, but hate the actual thing itself, many love it though so it`s always worth doing once.....the water vortex effect is quite cool....

















This is where Tom was again called upon to be a photographer for a family, he actually offered and they were grateful for the gesture.......the man then offered to take one of us too......so of course we said yes and thanked him







We wander into Zeuss and although we love this area, we don't spend a huge amount of time in it......the train and cat in the hat are the only ones we do......but so bright!!
























After Zeuss and our couple of rides there, we were ready for lunch. Confisco Grill coming up.......


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## schumigirl

Now we had done the parks this morning it was time for lunch. Confisco Grill is somewhere we always enjoyed, but had seen a few bad reviews on other sites, and our food wasn't great last time so we had missed it for a year. But, we wanted to try it again........

It`s not busy, but there are a few folks in.....so getting a seat isn't a problem.......we get menus and order some fanatas to cool us down while we decide........it`s a lovely themed restaurant and is somewhat underestimated in many ways. Folks tend to think Mythos when thinking about IOA, but this is a decent place to eat.



















Easy choice in here........Tom gets the burger and I go for the Pad Thai........then I remember last time I didn't enjoy it and one of the reasons we didn`t go back for a while......but, it`s ordered and I decide to just try it again......

Have to say I really enjoyed it........I asked for it extra spicy, but wasn't really spicy enough yet.....but nice.....I don't know what happened to Tom`s burger picture, but he did enjoy his too. We were pleased we had come in here today and would put it back on our places to go to list........

We take a picture of the bar area, and realise we have never actually sat through there......we must do that sometime....we were getting more and more things we "must do".......our next trip would have to be 6 weeks long at this rate.......








We take our time walking out of the park today



















We have a short wander through the store, just to cool down a little as it is boiling hot today......they do have a cute little display.....




































































We cut back through the pool as always, almost empty today.....and some handy things around the pool for families.....



















We go up to the Club Lounge and have a coffee.......I don't really like the coffee in the rooms so it only takes a few minutes to wander up. They have laid out the snacks available for anyone around at that time of day, but it is quiet....

























We sit for a half hour or so and chat to Lyanne and then we head down to get showered and head out for the afternoon............


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## pattyw

Excellent TR!  I've enjoyed reading your posts on the Universal board and came over here to read your TR!  We were at the HRH 9/21-9/26 and did HHN (for the first time- I was soooo nervous but I made it!!) The weather was brutally hot but we lucked out on no rain on our HHN night.  If we're at UO next year  we'll definitely plan to say hello!  Looking forward to the rest of your TR!


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## schumigirl

So, I quickly shower and we head down to get the car and drive to Winter Park. We really like it here, very beautiful quiet little town with some lovely little stores and nice coffee shops and restaurants. It is so hot so Tom goes and gets the car again, so I stand and wait for him, bless him.........

We can see the construction still going on over by Cbay and the new water park, Volcano Bay.........








It doesn't take long to get to Winter Park, we pass the Mall at Millenia and head past Orlando itself......we haven't visited the city itself for years.......

There is much upheaval on the roads with all the upgrades and improvements, I`m sure it`ll be wonderful when its done, but it`s a mess right now. We reach Winter Park in 15 minutes and the place we usually park has been closed off, so we drive around and find another place that's even closer to the stores.........I think it was $5 to park for an hour, and we really aren't planning to stay for long today.....just have a wander, coffee and see if I can buy something for a gift.






























We generally wander looking in some of the shops, and stop in for a cold drink in a coffee shop, folks are so friendly here and everyone takes the time to talk to you and make you feel so welcome......we do enjoy a visit here. I buy a couple of kitchen things and a few bits and bobs from a candle store that is hard to resist. Not candles as I`m sure they would melt by time we got back to the hotel.........

We walk back to the car and head to Mall at Millenia........I always bang on about this mall, but we do love it, so clean, spacious and bright and although I keep saying I`m not really a shopper, we seem to be here a fair few times.

































And of course it has the Cheesecake Factory.........our son`s favourite place for dessert......








We didn't get the famous Linda`s Fudge Cake today, Tom fancied the Key Lime Cheesecake........now, I don't eat a lot of sweet stuff, but cheesecake I find hard to resist......and especially a citrus one.........









We take it up to the food court and buy some pink lemonade and I do have the tiniest bite out of it.......it is gorgeous.....sweet and sharp at the same time and a very rich creamy texture that isn't too heavy.......and the base is perfect......buttery and not hard. Yes, I like this one.......lol.......I have another little bit and let Tom enjoy the rest of it and wish I could eat a full one too..........

We wander around for a while, not really looking for anything in particular........we pop into Macy`s and Williams and Sonoma where we unusually don't buy anything today.......but it`s a mall I enjoy just wandering around....













We finally leave the Mall and drive a few minutes to the Mercedes garage that is close by. Last year we had picked up some different keyrings that we can`t get in our Mercedes showrooms in the  UK.......so we thought we would see what new accessories they had this year.......turns out they didn't have anything we liked, but we did look at the differences in our cars over here to the ones on offer there......not much of a difference really. But we do love our cars, so a showroom Is somewhere we always enjoy. One of the Sales staff asks if we have been in before, we tell him we have and we spoke to him last year.......then he remembered us.....so, we chatted briefly again to him then decided we would head off......we had Walmart to go to. We love driving around and even when the roads seem busy it`s never an ordeal. We had a crossover this year, so driving that little bit higher is always good.........different from our own cars.

10 minutes later we are in Walmart, just for a few bits and bobs like more cookies........definitely taking back the Dulce de Leche ones for me........gorgeous. We didn't buy that much, but spent about an hour wandering around.....doing what I`m not quite sure.........then we headed back to the hotel to drop stuff off and then plan where we would eat dinner tonight. Think it was going to be Red Lobster.


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## schumigirl

pattyw said:


> Excellent TR!  I've enjoyed reading your posts on the Universal board and came over here to read your TR!  We were at the HRH 9/21-9/26 and did HHN (for the first time- I was soooo nervous but I made it!!) The weather was brutally hot but we lucked out on no rain on our HHN night.  If we're at UO next year  we'll definitely plan to say hello!  Looking forward to the rest of your TR!



 along Pattyw..........nice to have you join us.........I`m so glad you are enjoying the trip report.......

Gald to hear you enjoyed HHN!!!! Really is an amazing event........it was such a hot September, yes brutal is a good description of the heat......we really felt it this year......

You definitely need to say hello if you see us next year........and hope you enjoy the rest of report........


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## Raeven

I also enjoy Spiderman but not Transformers. Transformers makes me  feel kind of sick. And the Cheesecake Factory is so good! We're lucky enough to have one nearby.


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## Worfiedoodles

I love how even though you say you are just wandering and going at your own pace, you really are able to see and do so much! I chuckled at the people who were totally out of sorts before 9am. You know that is not going to be a good day unless someone decides to start over and have fun.

It was so hot and you just kept going, you are an Energizer Bunny for sure!

We stayed PB CL once, and I really enjoyed it although I thought the walk to the lounge was a bit long.  I told DH that I'm going to book CL when it's just the two of us for Universal. RPR is our favorite and I'd love to try the CL there!


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## keishashadow

How did I miss the Negan shirt? Boohoo lol 



macraven said:


> I can never do RRR
> Have seen it get stuck a few times and peeps had to evacuate
> 
> 
> I would have had heart failure with that if I was on and had to climb down from that ride!



Yes, far too many times have I seen the poor people hanging upside down. Eeek. Something about running it with sandbags in lieu of guests afterwards to test put me off it for life lol




schumigirl said:


> Thanks Robo.........it is lovely......we always go for Sal's Pizza, the other eateries we didn't enjoy at all........but the pizza is wonderful.
> 
> I do like the lobby area too, very relaxing place to be.
> 
> Glad you're still reading along........



Enjoying the portofino pics!  Miss it, haven't been able to secure a great rate there for last two years.

We like the sammies @ sals.often eat @ the trattoria when we are beat after long day in park when staying there.  The chef does a great pasta bar and steak is decent.  

Interesting to read ur take on confuscos. Used to be a fav, then a bad meal...  Revisited it in February this year and enjoyed it, nice to see they turned it around.  

Do you have Walmarts in your neck of the woods?


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## pcstang

I grew up in Winter Park. It is a beautiful area and I'm so glad you enjoy it too. Great report so far!


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## schumigirl

Raeven said:


> I also enjoy Spiderman but not Transformers. Transformers makes me  feel kind of sick. And the Cheesecake Factory is so good! We're lucky enough to have one nearby.



Weird isn't it, they're almost the same ride but very different.........

No Cheesecake Factory over here.........so gotta make the most of it.........


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## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> I love how even though you say you are just wandering and going at your own pace, you really are able to see and do so much! I chuckled at the people who were totally out of sorts before 9am. You know that is not going to be a good day unless someone decides to start over and have fun.
> 
> It was so hot and you just kept going, you are an Energizer Bunny for sure!
> 
> We stayed PB CL once, and I really enjoyed it although I thought the walk to the lounge was a bit long.  I told DH that I'm going to book CL when it's just the two of us for Universal. RPR is our favorite and I'd love to try the CL there!



Lol.......never had the pleasure of being called an energiser bunny in my life........... we do cover a lot in our day when we can, but yes, the heat did affect us slightly this year.......I did wonder if that's what upset that family early on.....yep, but early to be so angry! 

Can definitely recommend CL at RP.........you'd enjoy it I think..........


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## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> How did I miss the Negan shirt? Boohoo lol
> 
> Yes, far too many times have I seen the poor people hanging upside down. Eeek. Something about running it with sandbags in lieu of guests afterwards to test put me off it for life lol
> 
> Enjoying the portofino pics!  Miss it, haven't been able to secure a great rate there for last two years.
> 
> We like the sammies @ sals.often eat @ the trattoria when we are beat after long day in park when staying there.  The chef does a great pasta bar and steak is decent.
> 
> Interesting to read ur take on confuscos. Used to be a fav, then a bad meal...  Revisited it in February this year and enjoyed it, nice to see they turned it around.
> 
> Do you have Walmarts in your neck of the woods?



Walmart bought out a national chain called Asda a few years back, but it's nothing like Walmart size wise and doesn't carry everything Walmart does.......you get different flavours of things we don't get......and no guns.......lol......we always laugh at seeing them in a store, heck seeing them anywhere is weird for us.......

Never tried the sandwiches at PB........we tried both Italian places and sauces tasted very artificial, worse than Olive Garden.......no maybe not that bad.......apologies for any Olive Garden fans.......not for us at all as apart from Lasagne and pizza we don't really like Italian food, generally...........but do love Sal's pizza, always enjoy a steak too.........and PB is a beautiful hotel, no denying that..........

Definitely glad we tried Confisco again, service was excellent too which is good........

Glad you're still reading along..........


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## schumigirl

pcstang said:


> I grew up in Winter Park. It is a beautiful area and I'm so glad you enjoy it too. Great report so far!



Did you really? I didn't know that........gorgeous place to visit, I'm surprised more people don't drive over as it's so close and has some amazing places to eat. 

It's a while since we went up there for dinner, but will go back again.

Glad you're enjoying reading PC..........


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## J'aime Paris

Continuing to enjoy every installment!  Makes me so excited for my upcoming trip!


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## macraven

_Be sure to take notes as you read the trippie_


_Test will be later by schumi...._
_Lol_


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## Lynne G

Great pictures as always.

Funny, I have large malls not far from me, and the closest has a Cheesecake Factory.  We rarely eat at the malls, so have not set foot inside the CF for years.  I guess since my state taxes differently, I do not buy much when I am in Florida.  

Nice pictures of Winter Park.  I think during our winter stay, we will visit there and Celebration.  I may also take the kids to Ft. Christmas.  That is why we like Florida so much, there is tons of places to visit and do.

Like this installment!


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## schumigirl

J'aime Paris said:


> Continuing to enjoy every installment!  Makes me so excited for my upcoming trip!



Glad to hear it!!! Your trip will be here before you know it........



macraven said:


> _Be sure to take notes as you read the trippie_
> 
> 
> _Test will be later by schumi...._
> _Lol_



lol.........think I forget too many things for that!!! I just realised I`d forgotten to put some stuff in yesterday.......doh!!


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## schumigirl

Lynne G said:


> Great pictures as always.
> 
> Funny, I have large malls not far from me, and the closest has a Cheesecake Factory.  We rarely eat at the malls, so have not set foot inside the CF for years.  I guess since my state taxes differently, I do not buy much when I am in Florida.
> 
> Nice pictures of Winter Park.  I think during our winter stay, we will visit there and Celebration.  I may also take the kids to Ft. Christmas.  That is why we like Florida so much, there is tons of places to visit and do.
> 
> Like this installment!



Glad you enjoyed it Lynne.......Winter Park and Celebration are so beautiful, Celebration especially at Christmas will be gorgeous to see.

We don't eat at Malls at home, but they`re different in America........

I`m such a tourist though......we buy a lot in the States.......I never take tax into account though, we don't have that added in the UK, price you see is the price you pay.......I`m a sellers dream......don't look at prices much.


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## disneyAndi14

We were in Orlando in August and September in the past and it can get so hot! I also feel the same way about Spider-Man love it! Transformers not so much.  We don't have any Cheesecake Factory's by us either so when we see one we go!  It is cool so many people recognize you from your reports. I sure am enjoying your adventures. Thanks for all the good info and trip highlights.


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## Disneymom2kiddos

Great pics Schumi!  I'm enjoying your TR so much. I agree with the Energizer Bunny comment. You definitely cover some ground while you're there! lol  Looking forward to reading more!


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## schumigirl

disneyAndi14 said:


> We were in Orlando in August and September in the past and it can get so hot! I also feel the same way about Spider-Man love it! Transformers not so much.  We don't have any Cheesecake Factory's by us either so when we see one we go!  It is cool so many people recognize you from your reports. I sure am enjoying your adventures. Thanks for all the good info and trip highlights.



It was so hot this year, we have gone from July to November and thought July was the worst, until this September.....but we made the most of it........

It was so funny being recognised and so often this year.......lol......Tom was greatly amused by it all......

Glad you`re still reading along.........



Disneymom2kiddos said:


> Great pics Schumi!  I'm enjoying your TR so much. I agree with the Energizer Bunny comment. You definitely cover some ground while you're there! lol  Looking forward to reading more!



Thank you so much!! I`ll take the energiser bunny comment any day.......not my usual pace.....lol......hope you enjoy reading the rest..........


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## schumigirl

We got back into the room and dropped off our purchases and saw that our purchases from yesterday had been delivered while we were out......yay......it`s like getting little gifts you forgot about. We kept the delicate Christmas ornaments wrapped up carefully, but checked the other things and they were all there and intact. I still had more to buy and be delivered and definitely didn't want to go over the weight limit for luggage, but I tended to forget that when buying.

We had gone into Tiffany earlier at the Mall and had such a good look, but just didn't see anything I really loved......Tom was disappointed I didn't get anything but I prefer to have something jump out at me, rather than just get something for the sake of it. But, I`m sure I would make up for it in other ways........

We went up to the lounge for a coffee and again, it was fairly quiet........we sat for a while and chatted to some staff again and got talking to a few people who were also staying.......this is where we get so comfortable and could sit and chat all night.......always enjoy chatting to folk.

But, as is usual with me, I began to get hungry........that's a kind of theme with me.......lol.........we went down and got the car and headed down to Red Lobster.

I mentioned last year, we used to go to the one opposite the round hotel at the top of IDrive, but a few issues there sent us to the one down the bottom opposite the Convention Centre........it`s much nicer, busier and less touristy we find. We plan to eat here and then have some pool time.......but already as we drive down the sky is looking rather ominous......we wonder if we`ll ever get to do the dive in movies.......

We go in and get seated straight away, we both notice we get the exact same seat we had last year........not a complaint as I can see them make the cheese biscuits........lush!!!

I`m never quite sure why folks laugh at going to Red Lobster, have had a few people say oh you don't go there...............OK, it`s cheap and cheerful but we always have good food......ok it`s not upscale like some places, but we always enjoy everything we have there........just find it odd........

We order a strawberry lemonade and I order a strawberry lobsterita.........I love this drink......I ordered it in New York when I was with my mum and she was mortified at the size of it.......lol.......I did tell her it was big......my mum doesn't drink so she found it amazing there was a drink so large........she did tell me I`d never finish it.......lol.....didn't she know her own daughter???

It`s a strawberry margarita basically made with Sauza Gold Tequila and it is large!
























He then brings us those amazing cheese biscuits......and like the bread from Longhorn, we try not to eat too many of them, they are seriously gorgeous and very addictive, buttery and garlicky and always served warm.......they will replenish them if you eat them all, so we try to leave one untouched on the tray........we try! But, we do manage to say no to another tray when we do empty the first tray........









Last year, we ate so much in here we were stuffed and felt overly full when we left!!! So we decided not have an appetiser tonight and order light...ish.........

Tom goes for 2lb of snow crab with no fries or anything, and I have Shrimp and Scallops with the lush sweet potato mash.......it is all gorgeous and we enjoy every single morsel. I did ask to have no rice on the plate, but it was there, not an issue, I just picked any off the food which wasn't much.













It was all so nice......I did get a taste of the crab legs and they were sweet and tasty, I did share a scallop and a shrimp of mine.........I can share......lol.......and the maple bourbon mash is one of  the most delicious sweet potato dishes I have ever eaten.......

We have no room for dessert, but we had planned to go to the pool anyway, so didn't want a whole lot of desserts inside us.......but when we pay our check and leave we notice our plans will change again.......it is chucking it down outside......because we were in a booth with no view of the window we never noticed it rain.......ugh!!








It looked pretty darn miserable outside, so as we were driving back up to the hotel and truly amaze at the many people who are wandering around in this downpour up and down IDrive.........anyway, we decide we will walk over to Sapphire Falls through the Ballroom area, that way we wont get wet at all.........when we had gone over the other night to have a drink in Strongwater Tavern it was incredibly mobbed and we hadn't made it, so we hoped it would be a bit quieter tonight.

Tom drops me off and goes to park the car, I wait for him and then we wander through the seemingly deserted back corridors of the hotels.........we see workmen inside the massive ballroom.......I knew this was huge, but didn't realise how huge it was........they can also split it into two huge rooms and still be massive.......but we keep walking.....I always go to turn the wrong way at one point......thank goodness Tom has a better sense of direction than I do.......We pass no-one at all after the workmen in the ballroom.......it is kinda eerie back here, especially at night but once we hit the Sapphire Falls part it gets brighter and lighter..........

It takes us all of 10 minutes to reach Strongwater Tavern and we are glad to see it`s quieter tonight.......much quieter, there are actually tables to sit at. This is such a nice bar, we are welcomed when we come in and Angie asks if we would like a comfortable seat, we say we do and she takes us to the comfy sofas facing the huge picture windows......nice view of the rain tonight though.....it would have been lovely to sit outside, but not tonight.

We tell Angie we need some time with the drinks menu, she says no problem she would come back.......it is a huge menu.......so many rums and cocktails to choose from.........

We eventually decide and look forward to trying them, the ones from Amatista were nice and we had been told these were even nicer......they juice all their own fruit every day and you can taste the freshness I have to say......















I have to say I cant remember what they were called, but Tom`s is the first one that had a grapefruit base, mine was berries.........and boy were they strong!!!! Really strong........I even contemplated not having a second......just for a minute though.......

Angie came over to check they were ok, she said if they weren't we could choose something else, but they were gorgeous.......and fresh, so fresh. Angie offers to take our picture and of course we say yes..........








We did opt for a second drink after a while, I went with the same one as it was so nice.......I could feel my face getting the warm glow as it was incredibly strong, but nice.......lol........Tom ordered a rum chaser which came with a lager type drink......I wish I could remember which one but even I enjoyed the lager, it was very tasty and I don't really drink lager or beers.....It was lovely just sat doing nothing but chatting, holding hands and watching the world go by again.......our kind of night.




















It is such a nice bar to sit in, so comfortable a friendly environment.........the manager Mike came over at this point and asked if everything was ok with our drinks, and were we enjoying the night and service, nice touch when they do that........we had briefly met him the week before when we had been given the tour of the hotel, nice guy.We told him Angie had been lovely and helped us choose some nice drinks. He was glad to hear we had good reports of the staff and the bar itself.


We definitely planned to come back another night and eat some of the food and maybe sit at the bar next time, everyone that got food seemed very happy with it and it did look good!!!

But for tonight we couldn't have eaten anything else, and we had enjoyed the bar and the drinks this evening.......we left and walked back to RP through the back rooms again. It was still raining so we were glad we hadn't waited to see if it went off and had some pool time. This had been nice.

We were back in our room for 11pm........the cocktails had made me sleepy, so a little TV time and lights out, we had enjoyed another fabulous day.


----------



## schumigirl

*THURSDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER
*
We awake early and realise we have now been here a week. A full week already..........time really does fly when you`re having fun.....and we were truly having the best time.......even though our boy was missing......he had been adamant we enjoy it and not wish he was there, but any parent will tell you easier said than done........

But, we slept great last night.......maybe the cocktails helped, but we never stirred the whole night. We had plans for the day today and wanted to get up and enjoy some pool time before the sun took over the pool......we are quite odd and almost vampire like the way we recede from the sun in the pool.......but saves us basting on the sun screen........

We go for a quick shower and head up to breakfast..........opt for some cinnamon bun today and fruit, Tom has more or less the same and add in a donut or two......they are very small of course........breakfast is always something we enjoy and like to take our time with.......grabbing something in the room is not something we would do, doesn't appeal whatsoever.......so we do like to have a civilised breakfast, and of course having Shrek on while you eat is always nice.

We go back down to room and Skype Kyle briefly, he is busy today so we chat quickly and catch up on what is going on back home.......not much thankfully........and we then go down to the pool........it`s early enough there is still some shade on most of it.......we get some loungers in the shade again and one of the pool staff commnet its unusual to see folks actively avoid the sun at the pool........we are a bit different of course......we both burn so easily but do like to be in the water, so when we do go in when it`s sunny it`s brief.































It is so lovely having the pool to ourselves....there are a couple of folks soaking up the sunshine over the other side, but for now pool is empty except for when we go in........

There is a nice hot tub at RP. We never use it as I don't like them very much, but its a little off from the pool and some folks don't know it`s there.......









We eventually get in the pool and it`s glorious........we don't totally have it to ourselves the whole time, but it`s only one other person in with us and we get about an hour or so milling around........

























We enjoy our morning and rather reluctantly leave the pool to go get showered and changed to head out for the afternoon to another beautiful little town we like to visit too. We do think twice about it though as it is baking hot again. But, don't want to go to a mall again, so Mount Dora it is.


----------



## schumigirl

We go back to our room and have our second shower of the day.......our packages from yesterday have already been delivered and will sort them out later........we get dressed and head down for the car. We stop off first at the front desk and say hi to a few people we haven't seen yet. And get a few bits from the safety deposit box behind the desk. Doesn't take long and we go back outside and feel the blast of heat hit us......we don't have any sunscreen on us today, which was silly as Mount Dora is quite open.

It`s been a few years since we have driven up there, it is a beautiful little place and so full of character and charm.....this is another place I could happily buy a home and live there........It takes about 30 minutes to drive there and we recognise the road by a familiar landmark........









First few years we visited, we used this as a guide at times for our travels......sounds silly now but we knew where we were when we recognised certain landmarks in different areas, and this was what we recognised in this area. Not very pretty though........

We get parked on the main area of the town.......there is parking available in a few places, but we want something central so we don't need to walk in the open for long.......








We do however wander a bit. It`s hard not wander around the quaint little shops and an amazing array of lunch options too........but first we take some pictures of something that Mount Dora is famous for.......The Orange Blossom Cannonball.........

























It`s an amazing train to see......it`s been in a lot of famous movies like the 3.10 to Yuma and many more. I wasn't a cowboy movie fan, but experts can recite them all.........we went on it a few years ago and it is a beautiful journey.....carriages are open and you can either stay on and return straight away, or you can alight and spend some time in one of the places its stops and catch a later return journey......Tavares, where the train travels to is another nice place to visit. I think it cost around $30 an adult. But, we watched it steam off this time and planned we would do it another time.........

Walking back into the central area we find a little mews area, where we discover the perfect little wine store.....this is like heaven to me as they immediately offer tastings of a large selection on display......very friendly little store and crammed with wines, beer and little gift ideas..........




















We do purchase a rather lovely bottle of wine that we sampled, well I sampled.......Maggie`s Attic was genuinely a nice little place where they were happy to have you just look around and will happily chat about wines for hours.......we spent at least an hour around these little stores, heavenly way to pass an afternoon......and so peaceful.....there was hardly anyone around which was so nice.







At this point it was quite late and we hadn't eaten lunch yet.......so we headed out into the honestly blazing heat......







We found a little French style café and noticed everyone was sat outside......it was just a little too hot for us to be sat out especially while eating, so we asked if we could go inside and she said of course......I think everyone eating was local and one couple asked where we were visiting from.......guess we do look like tourists......lol.....we Tell them Scotland and it always starts a conversation with so many saying they would love to visit, again, everyone is so nice and we enjoy a chat.

We sit inside and are brought some iced water and she says to take our time and give her a shout when we are ready to order.......it`s a simple place to eat, nothing fancy but pretty.........the menu is nice and Tom is overjoyed as there is a large selection of sandwiches........


























After a generous read of the menu Tom eventually chooses his sandwich which is black forest ham and cheese and I opt for a chicken salad........and by now we were really hungry......I think it was around 3pm by now and we had only drank some water when we arrived.....













I had a raspberry vinaigrette dressing and it was nice, bit sharp, but nice. And everything was very fresh and tasty.....and filling. Which was what we needed by then.

We sat for a while and took our time, then eventually paid the check and wandered back to where the car was parked.....in the blazing sun......those leather seats would be hot!!















We get back into a very hot car and thankfully we had very good aircon and it immediately cooled down. We set off back to the hotel and had a nice little drive back admiring the scenery and countryside that so many don't see. But, as we near the Universal area we see a car on fire on the other side of the carriageway........emergency services were putting it out and you could see 3 young lads who obviously had got out of it thankfully merrily filming it on all there phones......but what followed was a massive tailback of cars........I was so glad we were going this way.........it made the local news that night and it was a long tailback. We turned off before we saw the end of it........

This is a toll road, but I think you only go through one toll each way........maybe 2 I honestly forget........

But we get back to the hotel and check out the bottle of wine we bought.........before we put it in the fridge to chill....






It was nice.

We now have our third shower of the day and head to lounge before going back to another HHN.


----------



## BagOLaughs

schumigirl said:


> .not a complaint as I can see them make the cheese biscuits........lush!!!



I dream about those biscuits! I too love red lobster. I think the sea food is actually pretty tasty so I'm with u on that one! Those crab legs looked huge! 

Love the updates... I'm still reading along


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## schumigirl

We go up to the lounge and as we are staying onsite tonight, we both have some wine........I think the hot meal tonight was mac and cheese with chicken.......it looked delicious, and we did have a taste and some salad, just a little though as we were eating at Cowfish later.......

It was quiet at first in here, then a whole load of people appeared from nowhere.....and were fairly loud....we moved down the other end of the lounge and spoke to a woman and mentioned I hoped they didn't follow me.......we sat in the middle of the room and had some wine a snack........the same lady I spoke to and her family were leaving but she said I hope you don't mind me saying but my daughter knows you......I looked at her daughter and she said you`re Carole and Tom......turns out she was LowesChevy form the Dis.......she had a pre trip report going so I knew who she was too......it was so nice meeting her and her family too......we had a chat and they were heading off for dinner I think.......but always nice to chat and they were very nice.......

At that point we saw two brothers who visit from Boston every year for HHN.......I said to him, I remember you from last year.....he had just said the same thing to his brother, he recognised us too.......they stay 4 nights and do the parks and HHN constantly over 4 days......no down time apart from happy hour in Club Lounge......was nice to see them again....we chatted over the din as it had gotten unusually loud as they seemed to be a group of people that had been booked together....... they were from a company. We decided at that point to leave, as had a few other regular folks.....

Tom said he had to start counting how many folks recognised me this year......lol......

We first went to our room and sorted out our package that had been delivered today......Tom had got the largest Potter stein mug ever........I was worried it wouldn't survive getting home........few other things wouldn't need packaging up, but I was starting to think I would need to curtail my shopping of larger items.......

We see a lovely sunset tonight.......








We get on the boat and get chatting to a couple from Texas after I nearly trip and land on the poor guy......lol....he was a big guy and said very kindly it wouldn't have been a problem.......nice couple and we always find the boat ride so short when we get talking to people like that......but, we were soon in Citywalk and we headed to Cowfish. We really liked it here last year and had looked forward to coming back again.......

There was no queue tonight and we went straight up and settled in a table in a couple of minutes.......this place has such a nice view of Citywalk from upstairs.......
























I think this picture of me is weird......looks like I have a vapour coming out of my head.......













We both opt for strawberry lemonades again.......it is hot again, and we just wanted to make sure we had plenty of non alcoholic fluids in us......and we adore this drink...........

This restaurant is loud and fun........not a place for a quiet conversation or a romantic dinner......but food is good.......Tom opts for the Swine Burger and I decide to have the Geisha Sushi........both were delicious.......













We did enjoy our food and again, it`s a fun place to eat with a great atmosphere.........there is an outdoor eating are which overlooks Citywalk






We leave and head in to HHN again. I think we missed the hotel guest entrance tonight, but there was no queue as it was after 8pm by this time.........

It is busy tonight, busier than we thought it would be. But we headed round to do Halloween house, passing through the 2 scare zones of Vamp 55 and Lair of the Banshee...........










We loved the Vamp scare zone tonight.......it was the best we had seen it, I got so many scares and poor Tom tried to catch them all on camera and missed a lot of them........lol.......








Where she came from I have no idea..........but she scared the bejeesus out of me.......Tom of course was enjoying every second.........
























I had previously answered someone that we never saw the Halloween house queue above 30 minutes, but tonight it was slightly longer at 50 minutes........I had forgotten how long the regular queue was tonight.......so we did use EP.








We got on in minutes, and every time this happened we thanked our lucky stars for EP. Just wouldn't do it without that.....especially when the heat again tonight was incredible........We honestly couldn't remember a hotter September from previous years.......but we made the most of it as always.......drank plenty of water too......

House was excellent again tonight, so many Michaels and so many scares.......we got it lucky tonight and seemed to catch them all.......came out of that house exhausted but whooping with laughter.......we were sorry the queue was so long or we would have done it once without EP just for fun......but almost an hour was too long.

We head to do the Chance 3D house........and honestly this house is such a disappointment. Chance is an amazing icon and they could have done so much more with her than they did.......I gave my thoughts on the HHN thread, but needless to say we wouldn't be doing this house again........was just disorientating and no real scares......and probably the longest we stood with EP......a whole 10 minutes. But always fun to see those who think they need to wear the glasses outside.......lol........

Obligatory Mel`s Die in picture







We want to do Bill and Ted. Havent done in a couple of years as it got so poor after a couple of Excellent years in 07/08......we get in line and we are fortunate they are just about to let everyone in........always a fun atmosphere in the seats........but holy moly....they need to put some air on in here.......it was truly airless and incredibly hot, and of course they sit you so close together.......

Apart from a couple of good jokes, seriously there was 2 funny jokes......one was about Avatar opening in 2029 or similar........then there was the tribute to Bowie and Prince which were good. Dancing was good and some of the music was good.......but the rest was truly awful. They do need to retire this show and bring in something new, or seriously sack the writers and get some new ones.........it`s tired and needs to be retired. Such a shame as I said, it used to be funny, political and always on point.

Just before the end we see a guy in the row in front of us stand up to leave......he comes closer to us and next thing he just falls forward towards us and the people in front........poor guy just faints. Security and first aid are down in seconds and they carry the poor guy out.......his friends follow and say he had complained of being too hot, wasn't drinking as he was the designated driver of their group. It was ridiculously hot in there tonight.....only felt the air a couple of times. But, hoped he was ok. We left as show was finished by now and vowed that was our last visit to that show.

We got some water and headed towards Exorcist and AHS........was quite late now and we were feeling tired as it had been a long day, so we didn't spend too long in scare zones tonight, we would keep that for another night, but we did get a couple......first up was Dead Man`s Wharf..........this is such a short zone but extremely well done




















Wasn't helped tonight by what seemed like hundreds of strollers with little kids in them......unbelievable amount of little ones here.......so we don't spend long at all, again, will do it another night......

But we headed round to Survive or Die zone........we had such fun here tonight.......the guy up on the podium called out to me and I spun around....one SA female stood beside me and I didn't see her......I moved my elbow and bashed it in to her......I turned around and immediately apologised and asked if she was ok......she winked at me.......then she shouted up to the guy I was far too polite to join them......lol.....she was obviously letting me know she was fine, but I felt bad.....I always worry I accidentally knock them........

Anyway, we turned I felt this person tap me on the shoulder.........very gently......but I turn and there is this hot hot SA........sorry Tom, but this guy was so hot!!! Even Tom said he could see what I meant.........








But, he tapped me on the shoulder and beckoned me to come stand beside him for pictures........well, I was delighted......lol.......I`ll post the family friendly one but we did get about 6........he had gorgeous teeth too.......







My night was made.  Tom laughed and said it was funny to see me blush like that.......what a fabulous SA and amazing character that can make a woman of 49 smile and blush!! I liked him.

The interaction with SA has only improved last few years.......it`s fabulous they will positively encourage you to take pictures with them.......I love it!!!

But we wandered on a bit and got some more pics, but we were getting weary now.......








SA are brilliant. I honestly cant praise them enough........and one of them tonight was a friend of ours......I still don't know which part he plays as he wont say.......but he did say he saw us.......he didn't say we had got a picture with him or not but we probably wouldn't have recognised him anyway..........

Now we went round to do Exorcist and AHS....after that we wanted to go. We stopped in first on the Ghost Town house, just because we were there.......it was fun, but not one we would ever queue for, did get a couple of frights though....Exorcist was 1 hour and for EP there was a 2 minute queue.....this house was fun tonight......didn't notice the smell in the Regan room which was good........lots of scares tonight again.

AHS was easily the best of the rest after Halloween for scares tonight.......Tom always puts me in front so he can see all the scares I get.........he loves that part. Tonight we had some little kids again, it was almost midnight at this point and you could see them grouchy and whiny......I told a TM we wanted to hang back a bit and wait till they had gone on......it was fine as we weren't holding up the queue........when we did go in, it was worth waiting for......I think  tonight was the best this house was for us.......the line although still moving, wasn't flying past things so you could see a bit better......and get some excellent scares. Not a Lady Ga Ga fan but her dopplegangers were brilliant.  The regular queue for that when we went in was 100 minutes and we had no wait. Worth every penny for EP.

We don't stand for Chance tonight.....it is mobbed and we will see her another night.....we do hear her having a go at the people who bring strollers and little kids.....we hear a few people mention this at the exit.....







We started to set off at that point, as always through the cool of the store........saw my favourite mask......






We walked back to the boats and couldn't believe how the temps were still so high.......my feet at this point were blazing hot, so I was glad to see a boat waiting for RP. We got on just before they set off......I think it was around 12.30/1am, probably the latest we had been up yet........and it showed.....we were exhausted. We literally stumbled off the boat and straight up to bed.

We had loved today and HHN had been wonderful, very busy but with EP it was easy.

We thought we may sleep late tomorrow as we had HHN all over tomorrow night.


----------



## starousse

Looks like you had a great day.


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## Lynne G

Awesome pictures.  Maybe I'll do HHN one of these days.  I am not a big fan of being scared.  But I will say they do a great job of decorating and the characters are just as great too.

Thanks for updating, even if you were a bum sitter today.


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## pcstang

Next time you visit Mt Dora, if you are there when the sun is setting, I suggest eating on the deck at Pisces Rising. Beautiful lakefront views of the sun setting and good food. My aunt lives a block up from the lighthouse if you've seen that on your visits.


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## schumigirl

starousse said:


> Looks like you had a great day.



We did, we so far had the best days and nights ever, despite the rain hitting a few times.......gotta roll with it really.........



Lynne G said:


> Awesome pictures.  Maybe I'll do HHN one of these days.  I am not a big fan of being scared.  But I will say they do a great job of decorating and the characters are just as great too.
> 
> Thanks for updating, even if you were a bum sitter today.



HHN is excellent. The characters are amazing and to watch them is fascinating how they never lose character......glad you're enjoying it..........



pcstang said:


> Next time you visit Mt Dora, if you are there when the sun is setting, I suggest eating on the deck at Pisces Rising. Beautiful lakefront views of the sun setting and good food. My aunt lives a block up from the lighthouse if you've seen that on your visits.



That looks a gorgeous place! We have been along to the lighthouse and the park in 07.......cannot remember seeing it, but we must have........I have real pictures form back then, might find it's right in the middle of one......lol but will definitely eat there it looks so nice, we plan to go back and ride the train again, so we can make a real day of it and definitely stay for sunset...........and we can visit your aunt.......lol......

You certainly grew up in a beautiful area PC


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## schumigirl

BagOLaughs said:


> I dream about those biscuits! I too love red lobster. I think the sea food is actually pretty tasty so I'm with u on that one! Those crab legs looked huge!
> 
> Love the updates... I'm still reading along



Glad to see you're still reading Rachel.......the crab was a decent size for snow crab and so nice.

I have a few boxes of the mix I bought from Walmart this year.......but there is a recipe online that is exactly like those........quick Google will find it........gorgeous!


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## macraven

Your pictures of Hhn and the SA are great!


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## BagOLaughs

OMG that guy was hot! I'm totally getting a khal Drogo vibe off him! 

Great pics and loved the HHN pics!


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## disneyAndi14

I love Red Lobster as well, it is always my request at Birthday time. Fun HHN, love your pictures.  The food and drinks from all your stops look really good yum yum.


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## pattyw

Mount Dora looks so quaint!  Have to find time to do that road trip sometime! Also enjoy your reports on the City Walk restaurants- we can never seem to get ourselves out of the parks and try them.


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## schumigirl

macraven said:


> Your pictures of Hhn and the SA are great!



Thanks mac......they were brilliant with the poses again this year........



disneyAndi14 said:


> I love Red Lobster as well, it is always my request at Birthday time. Fun HHN, love your pictures.  The food and drinks from all your stops look really good yum yum.



Yay..Another RL fan........Thanks, glad you are enjoying the pics.....and the food pics too.......



pattyw said:


> Mount Dora looks so quaint!  Have to find time to do that road trip sometime! Also enjoy your reports on the City Walk restaurants- we can never seem to get ourselves out of the parks and try them.



Mount Dora is one of our favourite places to visit, and so close too.......Yes, it`s sometimes easier to stay in  park and eat, but we do like to wander a bit........glad to read you`re enjoying it too......


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## schumigirl

BagOLaughs said:


> OMG that guy was hot! I'm totally getting a khal Drogo vibe off him!
> 
> Great pics and loved the HHN pics!



That was exactly what I said.....Definitely got that vibe off him........think found my new screen saver.......

Did I mention he was hot!!!!


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## tink1957

Wow, you were productive yesterday 

I love how you manage to find so many fun things to do around the Orlando area.  I can barely get my must do list done with the 9 days we usually visit...guess I'll have to add more days next time   We meant to get to Strongwater this trip but didn't make it and only had 3 nights of HHN which wasn't enough.

I'm loving all the SA pics, you had a great time...I can tell.


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## schumigirl

*FRIDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER
*
We did sleep slightly later this morning, not by much as we just can`t sleep late while we are here, we do plan to try but it never happens.......but, we did feel tired, so it was a slow lazy couple getting ready this morning.......shower did the trick though after I dragged my now slightly aching body out of bed.......my mind might think I`m 22 but body felt very different!

However, we got up to breakfast and we noticed the convention people had a separate set up in one of the Hospitality Suites.......we were glad to see that as they did kind of overpower the general tranquillity of the lounge. Management did deal with the situation well.........we went in to see The Boston Brothers as we had named them.......we hadn't seen them last night, but I had remembered he had actually appeared in a picture of last years trip report.....he was just to the side me......he was tickled to see it......lol.......as we ate we chatted about horror nights and what we were enjoying so far.....I thought it was lovely these two brothers in their late 50`s spent this time without their families every year.....they both had their wives blessings as they got another trip to Aruba out of it......lol.......

Breakfast over, we headed to the parks........we did walk again today, maybe a little slower than usual, but we made it......we were doing IOA again today......I would struggle to choose one park over the other to be honest as they both have excellent things going on.....IOA is just so colourful and has a real vibrancy about it......

Today we get in straight away and go on the Hulk twice, there is a little queue but not too bad, we do get the front row once and then the second row....we don't buy these pictures either as I just look kinda demented on it......will try again another day......we do like a few ride pictures but don't buy them all......especially when you look like that!!






We wander round and of course Doom is still off, but so is Spiderman today....so we go buy some water.....it`s hot today, but not as stifling as previous days, but it was just after 9 still. We drink our water and head round to what looks like the most colourful place on earth.......































Kong was working today and the queue showed that, it was 45 minutes already.......but we would use EP today......we would do the full queue another time.....the EP queue is non existant in front of us, but as we stop there is an issue with one of the vehicles, so we stand.......this is where I had a little drama queen moment.......I turned around and there was a man stood behind me......as I turned he yawned and I got the full blast of his breath.....normally I could ignore that usually just thinking they should cover their mouth......but this guy had the most vile rancid old garlic stench ever.......I about threw up there and then........we were quite near the front and at that point they lined us up to go in the vehicle.....I was barely keeping my breakfast down......Tom said he noticed it just before I did......it was coming out of this guy`s pores.......we moved into line thinking thank goodness.....and of course he followed us in line......I had to get out.....I turned and left the queue and said to the TM I just needed a minute.....he asked if I needed to go out and come back, he knew exactly what was wrong with me.......I just needed to breath clear air.......even Tom who can ignore things like that said the guy was rancid.....not dirty, just stale garlic breath and pores. After a few minutes that vehicle left and the TM asked if I was ok to go on, I was fine by that time......and kept my breakfast intact.

The ride was good and quick......we didn't go outside this time, we took the short cut that misses the outside part so we assumed that was where the issue was. Decent ride though. We did it again as EP line was non existant again.......

We wandered around to do JP. Well, we didn't eat in Thunder Falls this year, but it is such a good place to eat....fabulous chicken wrap, and ribs and chicken are so good. Big portions too.......












Again, the place seems quiet, but our boat is full somehow.......we are on the 4th row and the guy in the front row immediately brings out a go pro thingy and holds it.......they announce for him to put it away.......he kinda does.......then brings it back out later.........they again announce for him to stop.....he does briefly.......as we climb he brings it out again and they stop us at the top just as the two dinosaurs spit water at you......they TM practically yells at him to put it away.....by now we are out of synch with the ride, so we go down without Valerie roaring at us.......still a good drop but don't you just hate folks that think the rules don't apply to them........someone in front of us told him he was a real jerk.......not sure what happened as we walked on.......but, we did the ride again and had no such person this time.......ride was in synch and so much fun!!!

We stop off for some more water and a bathroom visit in Burger Digs........

Hogsmeade is our destination now, and we wander around and the bridge is so busy we just walk on.....this place always seems busier just by design, but it`s not too bad today.......we go on FJ and do single rider as there`s a 45 minute queue, we are on in no time.......the TM asks if I checked the seats........I always feel sorry for them.......anyone who is bigger really should try the test seats as they can be neat.......so I never get offended if I`m asked, I feel for them I really do as some folks get nasty with them........I tell her I`d prefer the outside seat and she says no problem.....I do fit the normal seat, but the different harness is better. No issue with doing this at all......but I can see some people get embarrassed over it. The TM do an amazing job trying not to have folks feel bad and try to be discreet.












It is an impressive line inside. 

We only do this once as I feel woozy.......some days I can do this ride twice, others just once.......but it`s such an amazing ride and I always try it a few times over the trip........we don't do the kiddie ride today and instead head to do Duelling Dragons........Love this ride!!!! Both sides are excellent and it`s never busy.........we do this 4 times, now funnily enough I don't get motion sick on this......it is so smooth and of course doesn't have screens.......you do get flung around but smoothly.......if that makes sense. We love the front here too and are fortunate to get the front row each ride.....

Now, it was seriously hot again. It was like someone turned the heat up........wow.......went into the candy store and a lady said it was 95F.........yep, that's hot enough.........we take some of the usual pictures in here.......it`s so colourful and bright and makes you want to buy everything........but we don't today.......




















They do have some amazing items for sale and very unique......some taste nice and some not so nice......we tried the coconut ice, I make that at home and love it, however this isn't very nice here, not as sweet as it should be.....but most things are lovely.......as is the butterbeer fudge......I`m not a big butterbeer fan nor do I eat fudge, but I did like this and Tom loved it, so we got another bit........so nice and not too sweet.......






Would love to try the pumpkin pasty, but we are always thinking of not spoiling our lunch......but so many things we want to try.........

We leave the store having purchased only the butterbeer fudge and spotted the Conductor stood on his own.......although we had said we weren't going to take pics with characters this year he called us over........think he was a bit lonely.....






He was a good character and asked which part of England I was from.......he saw my face and said oh sorry.....Scotland......lol.......I just laughed and said well, I`m Scottish but do live in England......so I have a kind of mixed accent........most folk guess right......although we usually get Australian or Irish, worst guess was French!! That stopped us in our tracks......didn't know what to say........

We then spent some time with the fountain.......he is so funny, and it was the really sharp guy as I recognised his voice from previous visits........he was fabulous for comments that went over kids heads and I could sit all day and listen to him......but we stood for a moment then he went to snore mode........there wasn't really anyone around for him to banter with........



















We kept walking and stopped for a bathroom break in Zeuss....headed down to beside the wall for some pictures over the lagoon and around it.......not many people stop down here, and it`s so quiet.......







This picture is Tom making fun of me........I always thought Schenectady was a made up place, along with Sheboygan......who knew........funnily enough one of the boat captains came from Schenectady.......had a good chat with him about it one day.........

















































We head out of the park but go through the Christmas store and on to admire the cakes in the store as you exit.......they look delicious but far too sweet........Kyle however would adore the chocolate one......he is a real chocaholic......bit like his dad I suppose......













Taken as we were leaving.......wrong way around I suppose........









We walk back to the hotel, and jeez it`s boiling hot again.......I know it sounds like I`m complaining, I`m really not.....we loved it......but this was fabulous that we could do some time in the parks and then head out.......I don't think we have ever done a full morning till close at any park.......but, each to their own of course.......this suited us. So, back to hotel and showered and changed before heading out for lunch.


----------



## schumigirl

tink1957 said:


> Wow, you were productive yesterday
> 
> I love how you manage to find so many fun things to do around the Orlando area.  I can barely get my must do list done with the 9 days we usually visit...guess I'll have to add more days next time   We meant to get to Strongwater this trip but didn't make it and only had 3 nights of HHN which wasn't enough.
> 
> I'm loving all the SA pics, you had a great time...I can tell.



Thanks Vicki......we did have an amazing time!!! We do like to get around, but it`s easier having a car, I know not everyone wants or needs a car.........

I know what you mean about extra nights.......we still don't think we have enough nights.......lol.....yes SW Tavern was so good, I think you`d like it......

Not a lot of anything else was done yesterday.......


----------



## schumigirl

Quick shower and a change of clothes and we were heading out to the car, we had chosen today to go to Teak Neighborhood Grill for lunch. We had been going here for years, probably first time was 07/08 and it has been consistently good. Such a friendly place......there didn't used to be any tourists at all, but over the years it`s name has been passed around and now there are a fair few tourists go regularly. And never disappointed. Lunch is a quiet time to go, dinner however can be noisy particularly if there is live music on.......very loud.

It`s literally a 5 minute drive from Universal........but in a beautiful little setting.......we know a few folks who live here, most of them TM and they all love this area.......Teak itself is nestled in little inlet, just off the main road.....














It is quite dark in here during the day, but it`s cool and we sit down at one of the many tables available, there`s maybe only about another 8 people in.......they have extended over the years and they have a large outside patio area now, there is also another outdoor bar which is ideal at night when it gets really busy........














The highlight of this restaurant is the menu........we had ordered strawberry lemonades and they arrived so we now could start and peruse a menu that we knew so well.......years ago they brought in a secret menu, where you had to have a secret password to see this menu, it was fun when folks found out about it.....but, for the last couple of years you can just ask for the secret menu and it`s given out.........but today, we just wanted the regular menu......there are a few unusual choices and burgers that are just a little bit different from other places.......I am relatively boring whenever we come here though.......same thing every trip........the donut burger. Two glazed donuts, with the burger in the middle and bacon, I always omit the cheese......and add jalapenos......love sweet and spicy....with sweet potato tots

Tom is studying the menu intently......this is a major decision as we only plan to come here once this trip.....so it has to be good.......he likes variety and never orders the same thing twice........today he decides on the waffle burger and seasoned fries ......it does sound nice I have to say as it comes with maple syrup which I love too.......

we order and she tells us good choices..........at that point one of the staff members comes over and asks where we are from......he is a student from Ireland and has heard the accents......he tells us what he is doing and what his plans are for the future......really nice young man and very personable.....he loves working at Teak.....we agree it`s a fabulous place.......at that our food arrives........

























I think there was a fried egg on the waffle burger too.....he loved his lunch and I absolutely devoured my sweet and spicy donut burger....it was lush!!!! And they even put enough jalapenos on for me........gorgeous.......we have only managed dessert here once......couple of years ago when we had dinner with Metro West (Todd) a good few years ago.......but for today we were done.......and it was a little late in the day now, think it was around 2.30......doubt we would eat much for dinner tonight.........

As we were leaving the young lad, cant remember his name asked if we wanted a picture of both of us.......he moves us around a little as the light isn't great, but he takes a good picture.......






This really is a place we would definitely recommend trying if you haven't gone yet......it is so good, food and service are always exceptional and it`s a fun place for lunch or dinner.

We pay and leave then wander around outside a little, it`s so pretty.......



















We pop into Target for a mooch on the way back, but apart from buying some strawberry and kiwi Snapple which I adore, we don't get anything else......so it`s a very quick visit.......I am addicted to that Snapple and I love the half and half iced tea which my aunt in NY bought for me.......love it!!

But, back to the hotel and we freshen up a little then head up to Club Lounge........I immediately see Loweschevy and family and go speak to her and her family for a little bit. I see Tom talk to one of the staff and they are both looking at me for some reason..........and when I go over I see why. Last night we had left the Club Lounge early due to the noise and such, not a huge problem but one of the staff members had handed Tom an envelope........Tom immediately said oh Carole opens things like this......they laughed and made him open it.....I could hear this while I was talking and wondered what it was.......

So when I finished speaking to loweschevy, I stopped as the Boston Brothers spoke to me about HHN, we chatted briefly and Tom eventually then waved me over, I was curious though.....so he handed me the envelope.........I was so heartened so see this.........






I was shocked a little. But such a generous thing to do and I went over and gave Bryson a big hug, we had gotten to know him so well over our trip. And I do think that young man will go far in his career.......he shows maturity beyond his years and we liked him a lot. But this was so kind of him to do and unnecessary but we thanked him and said we would love to eat dinner in the Islands one night.

I was still so touched later as I just wasn't expecting at as we hadn't really complained. But, lovely all the same.......

We chatted some more and had a couple of glasses of chardonnay, Lounge was a little busier tonight but always a nice place to sit.

But soon enough we were leaving for another HHN. Hoping our feet and legs would cope........


----------



## Worfiedoodles

More fabulous days...I am really shocked to hear there were so many tiny humans at HHN. That does not seem like the place for them!

Mt. Dora looks lovely. We have a friend who lives there, we've always met him at CityWalk, perhaps we'll have to venture up his way.

I love how happy you both look in every photo. You really are having an excellent time! We did try the butterbeer fudge and I liked it, but I confess my favorite flavor at Universal is birthday cake. I should probably look for a recipe, I always make chocolate fudge for Christmas and that could be a fun variation...

I have heard more than one person say Bill & Ted need to go. I guess there was a rumor that the stadium would be torn down and there would be a Harry Potter expansion with fantastical beasts, wiping out the SF area. I would be willing to make that sacrifice! Actually, I like MIB but the area is kind of old and if something new and exciting appeared that would be ok, too. But of course first they have to finish the Fast and the Furious and Jimmy Fallon...

I think I'm going to be in a city with Red Lobster next week. I haven't had it in years but your photos are tempting me to give it a try! Those biscuits look amazing!

Maria


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## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> More fabulous days...I am really shocked to hear there were so many tiny humans at HHN. That does not seem like the place for them!
> 
> Mt. Dora looks lovely. We have a friend who lives there, we've always met him at CityWalk, perhaps we'll have to venture up his way.
> 
> I love how happy you both look in every photo. You really are having an excellent time! We did try the butterbeer fudge and I liked it, but I confess my favorite flavor at Universal is birthday cake. I should probably look for a recipe, I always make chocolate fudge for Christmas and that could be a fun variation...
> 
> I have heard more than one person say Bill & Ted need to go. I guess there was a rumor that the stadium would be torn down and there would be a Harry Potter expansion with fantastical beasts, wiping out the SF area. I would be willing to make that sacrifice! Actually, I like MIB but the area is kind of old and if something new and exciting appeared that would be ok, too. But of course first they have to finish the Fast and the Furious and Jimmy Fallon...
> 
> I think I'm going to be in a city with Red Lobster next week. I haven't had it in years but your photos are tempting me to give it a try! Those biscuits look amazing!
> 
> Maria



Hey Maria......glad you`re still reading along with my ramblings.......I do go on sometime....... oh you should go to Mount Dora, gorgeous place!!! So peaceful and tranquil, a real balance from the buzz of the parks......

Yes, heard the excuse so many times that their kids are fine at HHN, but so many aren't and it just isn't a place for kids...I do wish they would enforce this, but doubt it. Hears so many complaining about it this year again......

We did have the best time, and often feel we just seem to smile all the time.....except when I`m getting scared of course.....lol.....never tried birthday cake one.....Tom would like that, heck he likes them all.....very sweet tooth!!

I could happily see that area go too or dramatically change......I have no love for MiB and can definitely envisage changes in the future....yep, fast and furious first I think.....

Hope you enjoy Red Lobster.......as I said folks think we`re sad going there.....lol.....but it`s so good!!!


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## keishashadow

Ok, all caught up



schumigirl said:


> *THURSDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER
> *
> We awake early and realise we have now been here a week. A full week already..........time really does fly when you`re having fun.....and we were truly having the best time.......even though our boy was missing......he had been adamant we enjoy it and not wish he was there, but any parent will tell you easier said than done........
> 
> But, we slept great last night.......maybe the cocktails helped, but we never stirred the whole night. We had plans for the day today and wanted to get up and enjoy some pool time before the sun took over the pool......we are quite odd and almost vampire like the way we recede from the sun in the pool.......but saves us basting on the sun screen........
> 
> We go for a quick shower and head up to breakfast..........opt for some cinnamon bun today and fruit, Tom has more or less the same and add in a donut or two......they are very small of course........breakfast is always something we enjoy and like to take our time with.......grabbing something in the room is not something we would do, doesn't appeal whatsoever.......so we do like to have a civilised breakfast, and of course having Shrek on while you eat is always nice.
> 
> We go back down to room and Skype Kyle briefly, he is busy today so we chat quickly and catch up on what is going on back home.......not much thankfully........and we then go down to the pool........it`s early enough there is still some shade on most of it.......we get some loungers in the shade again and one of the pool staff commnet its unusual to see folks actively avoid the sun at the pool........we are a bit different of course......we both burn so easily but do like to be in the water, so when we do go in when it`s sunny it`s brief.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It is so lovely having the pool to ourselves....there are a couple of folks soaking up the sunshine over the other side, but for now pool is empty except for when we go in........
> 
> There is a nice hot tub at RP. We never use it as I don't like them very much, but its a little off from the pool and some folks don't know it`s there.......
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We eventually get in the pool and it`s glorious........we don't totally have it to ourselves the whole time, but it`s only one other person in with us and we get about an hour or so milling around........
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We enjoy our morning and rather reluctantly leave the pool to go get showered and changed to head out for the afternoon to another beautiful little town we like to visit too. We do think twice about it though as it is baking hot again. But, don't want to go to a mall again, so Mount Dora it is.



OH no, the best kept secret is out...pool is often private in the am! Lol. Our favorite time there, us and the ducks.

Going to pretend I didn't see train pictures featured in Mt Dora section, the mr has a thing for them.  Set up does look nice tho, will put it on the long list.  Cowfish has officially moved to the top of our to-do list, the sushi looks amazing.  Would you say it's on par with Orchard Lounge's offerings?

Re Red Lobster snobs - ha!  Anybody who is landlocked know they truly 'do seafood right', far better sources than independent local venues for good, basically prepared options.  

You always are so well put together in your pics but it has struck me that Tom has quite the collection of cool park shirts.  Have a feeling so does Kyle.   

Seriously, nice touch by the concierge!  Glad to read they had your interests at heart.


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## klo1335

schumigirl said:


> we Tell them Scotland and it always starts a conversation


 
How did I not know you were from Scotland?  I guess I just assumed you were British   But this is good because Scotland and Ireland are on my bucket list of place to visit.......

So now I have someone to stay with when I go 

And you can come stay with me if you ever make it to Philadelphia.

Deal!  Sounds good to me


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## Raeven

Can confirm Schenectady is real  I'm also from there. 

Those burgers at Teak look delicious!


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## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Ok, all caught up
> 
> 
> 
> OH no, the best kept secret is out...pool is often private in the am! Lol. Our favorite time there, us and the ducks.
> 
> Going to pretend I didn't see train pictures featured in Mt Dora section, the mr has a thing for them.  Set up does look nice tho, will put it on the long list.  Cowfish has officially moved to the top of our to-do list, the sushi looks amazing.  Would you say it's on par with Orchard Lounge's offerings?
> 
> Re Red Lobster snobs - ha!  Anybody who is landlocked know they truly 'do seafood right', far better sources than independent local venues for good, basically prepared options.
> 
> You always are so well put together in your pics but it has struck me that Tom has quite the collection of cool park shirts.  Have a feeling so does Kyle.
> 
> Seriously, nice touch by the concierge!  Glad to read they had your interests at heart.



Yes, it was such a nice gesture.......unexpected. Oh you have to take the mister to see the train......it is fun.....and there's lovely restaurants and bars too........

Cowfish is not as good as Orchids for sushi or even choices of sushi.......I would choose Orchids any day, but the sushi I've had from Cowfish has been good.....Orchids is just better.......but the burgers in Cowfish are worth going......so if anyone in your family doesn't eat sushi, they could get a decent burger.........

Yes, they like their tees!! Quite the collection between them.....HHN ones and Star Wars seem prevalent........

Glad you're all caught up.......and yes, I should keep the quiet pool time a secret.......lol........



klo1335 said:


> How did I not know you were from Scotland?  I guess I just assumed you were British   But this is good because Scotland and Ireland are on my bucket list of place to visit.......
> 
> So now I have someone to stay with when I go
> 
> And you can come stay with me if you ever make it to Philadelphia.
> 
> Deal!  Sounds good to me



Well, I am British ........I'm from Scotland, grew up there and moved to England over 20 years ago among other places on the way.........doubt I'll ever move back to Scotland though........but yes, sounds like a deal to visit....still have family in some gorgeous places all over Scotland.......



Raeven said:


> Can confirm Schenectady is real  I'm also from there.
> 
> Those burgers at Teak look delicious!



Talk about feeling like an idiot when I found out, quite late in life it was a real place.......lol.......it just sounds cartoonish.......like Sheboygan.......

Yes, the burgers from Teak are gorgeous.......you can really taste the meat in them....lush!


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## macraven

I've been to Sheboygan many times 

It is a real place  !


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## schumigirl

macraven said:


> I've been to Sheboygan many times
> 
> It is a real place  !



Lol......I now know. Was pointed out to me by a very bemused American from there in 07........yes, I felt like a dumpling!


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## J'aime Paris

OMG those burgers at Teak!  My pants feel tighter just looking (salivating) at the photos!!

I live one hour by car from Sheboygan     (Add a week to your trip next year for a visit, lol!!)
Its really, really a real place.

We have lots of "funny" sounding city names, as Native Americans settled most of our state.  Just a couple off of the top of my head...
Oshkosh
Mukwonago
Oconomowoc
Weyauwega
Menomonee Falls


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## Seeker615

Loving your report. 
You two look like you are having a blast!


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## macraven

J'aime Paris said:


> OMG those burgers at Teak!  My pants feel tighter just looking (salivating) at the photos!!
> 
> I live one hour by car from Sheboygan     (Add a week to your trip next year for a visit, lol!!)
> Its really, really a real place.
> 
> We have lots of "funny" sounding city names, as Native Americans settled most of our state.  Just a couple off of the top of my head...
> Oshkosh
> Mukwonago
> Oconomowoc
> Weyauwega
> Menomonee Falls


One of my boys went to college at whitewater then moved to Menominee for his first job 

I know Wisconsin well


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## Disneymom2kiddos

I showed the donut burger from Teak to my DH, and he decided we should eat there our first day after we get settled, as we will be arriving on a mid-morning flight. It seems pretty easy to arrange an Uber or such from the resort, too. Never used them before though. I LOVE jalapenos too and ask for extra everywhere we go. One time a guy was sitting next to us at a local restaurant and saw my burger with all of the jalapenos on it, and told my DH, "Now that's how you do a burger"! lol  Great report! Love the photos


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## Lynne G

Even my kids ask to go back to Teak.  They liked the food that much.  Food always good, and large servings.

Great pictures.

And yes, some day we might be visiting England.  Kids really want to see a football game.  I don't know the prices of the tickets, but it should be a fun, and loud time.  

Very nice note.  Taken care of is always appreciated.

Yeah, and my state also has many borrowed names for rivers and places.  Though my town took its name from an English town, same spelling too.


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## schumigirl

J'aime Paris said:


> OMG those burgers at Teak!  My pants feel tighter just looking (salivating) at the photos!!
> 
> I live one hour by car from Sheboygan     (Add a week to your trip next year for a visit, lol!!)
> Its really, really a real place.
> 
> We have lots of "funny" sounding city names, as Native Americans settled most of our state.  Just a couple off of the top of my head...
> Oshkosh
> Mukwonago
> Oconomowoc
> Weyauwega
> Menomonee Falls



Gosh there's some funny names there right enough.........DH said when he takes early retirement we should travel around the States and go to all the places I thought were made up........should be a fun trip!!!

Those burgers are amazing and so large too..........


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## schumigirl

Seeker615 said:


> Loving your report.
> You two look like you are having a blast!



Thanks.......we really did have the best time........we took a ridiculous amount of picitures this year though, after saying we were going to cut back.......lol........

Glad you're enjoying it.......


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## schumigirl

Can't multi quote this morning??


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## schumigirl

Disneymom2kiddos said:


> I showed the donut burger from Teak to my DH, and he decided we should eat there our first day after we get settled, as we will be arriving on a mid-morning flight. It seems pretty easy to arrange an Uber or such from the resort, too. Never used them before though. I LOVE jalapenos too and ask for extra everywhere we go. One time a guy was sitting next to us at a local restaurant and saw my burger with all of the jalapenos on it, and told my DH, "Now that's how you do a burger"! lol  Great report! Love the photos



Me too!!! I have jalapeños on everything ......spicier the better........I'm sure you'd love Teak.......

Never used Uber but yes, should be easy, and Teak is only 5-10 minutes drive with traffic......

Glad you're still along and enjoying reading........


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## schumigirl

Lynne G said:


> Even my kids ask to go back to Teak.  They liked the food that much.  Food always good, and large servings.
> 
> Great pictures.
> 
> And yes, some day we might be visiting England.  Kids really want to see a football game.  I don't know the prices of the tickets, but it should be a fun, and loud time.
> 
> Very nice note.  Taken care of is always appreciated.
> 
> Yeah, and my state also has many borrowed names for rivers and places.  Though my town took its name from an English town, same spelling too.



Yep, food portions are huge there, and not expensive in case folks were wondering........

Yep, they do know how to look after you at RPR........glad you're still with us........


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## disneyAndi14

Teak looks yummy, I am really hungry right now!  It was so nice of the staff to give you a dinner night.


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## schumigirl

disneyAndi14 said:


> Teak looks yummy, I am really hungry right now!  It was so nice of the staff to give you a dinner night.



Teak really is one of the best offsite places we like to visit every year.......tasty, really tasty food! 

Yep, gestures like that are always appreciated, we were so surprised......


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## tink1957

That donut burger has me intrigued...I can feel myself gaining 10 lbs just looking at it


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## pattyw

J'aime Paris said:


> OMG those burgers at Teak!  My pants feel tighter just looking (salivating) at the photos!!
> 
> I live one hour by car from Sheboygan     (Add a week to your trip next year for a visit, lol!!)
> Its really, really a real place.
> 
> We have lots of "funny" sounding city names, as Native Americans settled most of our state.  Just a couple off of the top of my head...
> Oshkosh
> Mukwonago
> Oconomowoc
> Weyauwega
> Menomonee Falls



Ok have to add to the funny names list!  Here in Western NY I am from North Tonawanda.  We have Cheektowaga as a city and one of our highways is the Scajaquada!  

Loving your report! Teak is going to be on our list next visit!


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## schumigirl

tink1957 said:


> That donut burger has me intrigued...I can feel myself gaining 10 lbs just looking at it



Lol........it's actually quite light, well, maybe not light but it's not stodgy nor does it feel like you have to go lay down when you've finished eating it.........gorgeous though! 



pattyw said:


> Ok have to add to the funny names list!  Here in Western NY I am from North Tonawanda.  We have Cheektowaga as a city and one of our highways is the Scajaquada!
> 
> Loving your report! Teak is going to be on our list next visit!



I'm loving all these funny names........when I was staying on Long Island they had some odd names too that were interesting...........


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## Toy Story Fan

Teak restaurant was put on my list of places to eat after your trip report from last year! I can't wait to have a donut hamburger!!! Less than a month now to go. I'm getting way too excited about a burger.

Your trip reports make me feel I am kind of with you, as strange as that sounds. I check everyday to make sure I don't miss anything, but I wait until I have uninterrupted time to read, usually early afternoon. Your pictures are superb and how you describe everything is excellent. Thank you for sharing your holidays!


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## schumigirl

Toy Story Fan said:


> Teak restaurant was put on my list of places to eat after your trip report from last year! I can't wait to have a donut hamburger!!! Less than a month now to go. I'm getting way too excited about a burger.
> 
> Your trip reports make me feel I am kind of with you, as strange as that sounds. I check everyday to make sure I don't miss anything, but I wait until I have uninterrupted time to read, usually early afternoon. Your pictures are superb and how you describe everything is excellent. Thank you for sharing your holidays!




Less than a month!!! Wow.......almost there now........

Thank you for the lovely compliments, I appreciate it and so glad to hear you`re enjoying reading along.....trying to catch up this week after photobucket was down a lot last week......not fun....lol.......


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## schumigirl

So after changing and dropping off our stuff in the room we headed back to the boats and back to HHN......another boiling hot night and it didn't feel like it was going to cool down any. Someone asked if we ever get fed up doing so many nights there, well, when we do HHN it`s very rarely for a full night, I`m not sure my legs could cope 10 nights for 8 hours at a time.......not as young as we used to be......but we did make the most of every visit and loved it.

We used the hotel guest entrance and again, wasn't really busy at all.......tonight we were planning to do a couple of hours then spend some time in Citywalk and maybe try and eat in Toothsome later, we weren't hungry yet after our venture to Teak Grill that afternoon.....but for now we would be drinking water as again, the heat was rather intense for night.......

we headed by Terminator......this was our favourite path for horror nights.....fun scare zones and some good picture opportunities........I`m not sure I even got a picture of Tom tonight.......


















These guys were so good.......you really could stand and watch them for a while.....

We at that point were heading our usual route through lair of the banshee......when I had stopped to look at my camera, I wasn't sure it was working correctly........so as I was checking it, a familiar face appeared by my side. Our mate Metro West........it was so good to see him as we had missed him last year.......We first met him in 2007 through this site and have been friends ever since, always getting together a couple of times each year. He is a huge HHN fan too and being local he can visit a lot too. We caught up and we all set off to do Halloween house together, catching up and chatting along the way. We do still get some pictures too........

























Love this scare zone, it`s really so much better when it`s dark, but pictures don't always come out as clear, but still fun when it`s light too......we go around and there`s hardly any queue so we go through the regular line first. Todd has EP too so we`ll do this twice tonight.......






This house is so much fun......and Todd gets to go behind me again......although I used to always follow Todd as he is tall and I could hide a little, and of course end up damaging his ribs as I grabbed on to him in terror so many times......bless him.......but we enjoyed the house and walked straight back around to do it all again......

It gets dark quickly........and still hot.......Tom always comments Todd and I look well together.......lol......








House is excellent again, I never tire of this house and could happily wander through time and time again and still get spooked at every turn........

We go and sit for a while, get some water and catch up some more.........the heat is suffocating tonight, so a little seat and water is welcome........but before long we get up and Todd is going to do Krampus and we are heading to the other scare zones.........we say our goodbyes and head off for more scares. Was lovely seeing him even for a short visit...but would make sure we met up as normal next year.

We slowly wander around and decide to head into Diagon Alley for a little cooler air........it is so quiet in here tonight, we manage to wander around without the crowds........






















































We rode Gringotts twice and it was almost empty........never seen it so quiet to be honest, but it was excellent just being able to walk straight on and both times we only had 2 other people on the cars with us......we got the front row which is always fun........we had cooled down now, and headed back out to he heat of the night outside of DA.

We go straight to Survive or Die zone again before we do the other houses we want to see again.......we were really impressed with the scare zones again this year.......some were better than some of the houses. We didn't stop much and as we were walking past Louie`s a lady shouted out hey it`s Schumigirl and waved her pizza at me.......lol......now a few folks turned to look as even though it was noisy, it wasn't too bad at the door of Louie`s......we laughed and she said she loved the trip reports.........told her that was nice to hear and then her husband said oh you`re the reason I`m out the cost of 2 nights at RPR........now I did laugh at that....told him it was worth it......he didn't look convinced but she was over the moon they were staying there Friday and Saturday........we headed off smiling at being recognised again.......and into the scare zones........











































We spend ages around here tonight, it`s so much fun and we took about a hundred pictures........but for now we headed into Walking Dead for another try tonight.......we actually walk straight on again, I cant remember the regular queue line but it looked huge......we did take a picture of the regular line, but with the lights it didn't come out very well......we enjoyed this house tonight more than previously........and we went through it fairly slowly......didn't get a lot of scares but it was nice.

Exorcist was excellent tonight.........the priest in here was fabulous tonight and got me a massive scare as I had no perception of what he was about to do......he lunged at me when I thought he was still "blessing" Regan.......I screamed right in his face and took to run.......Tom was doubled over laughing at this point.......but my heart was racing, yep it was fun tonight...........we came out and wandered around the Chance area........they did have some good SA roaming around there too, tonight was very misty though so didn't get many clear pics.......














Chance was funny as usual........same old routine but a few adlibs from her script did help with her act......













After we took this picture she called me over and asked if she was pretty.......lol....I told her yes she was beautiful.....she told me that was the right answer in a very spooky voice.....she then told Tom to take a picture of her and I together in case I vanished........but, I couldn't see behind me and what she was doing.......it`s not family friendly so I wont post it, but it was funny........she told me my husband was in love with her........we laughed and then she was on to someone else.........she started picking on a guy who was there solo.......lol......

Did AHS story again, walked on with a few folks in front of us.......this house got better and better......so many scares tonight and even Tom got spooked a few times......I`m always surprised when he gets frights as he doesn't  usually flinch at anything.........so it was funny.......

We wander into the store and tonight buy a whole load of stuff, mainly for Kyle as he likes the tee shirts......especially this one......








But we got four tees, pack of four shot glasses, mugs, playing cards and the lanyards.........we planned to take them back with us as we were leaving there and then but the guy said oh no get them sent to your room and saves carrying them........but we didn't bother.......we planned to go for dinner then back to hotel by now, our plans to hit Citywalk changed.......we felt quite tired by now so decided a bar crawl might not be the best idea as we had another HHN tomorrow night too............

We headed out and went to Toothsome.........this place looks amazing! As with everything Universal does, they do it so well..........but, it looks so busy........loads of people are sat outside waiting........






We go in and we find out it`s at least a 2 hour wait........we decide the menu doesn't appeal that much, we`ll eat the hotel, but we do take some pictures as it is stunning.........





















We walked back to RPR and dropped our bags in our room and decided to go eat in Jake`s hoping with it being a Friday it wasn't too busy, which it wasn't........we got seated by the window and the singer was just getting ready to start.......we were both not overly hungry so we shared a pizza and had a couple of cocktails...... 



















But around midnight we had to go to bed. We were exhausted again..........but had enjoyed another fabulous day.

Not quite sure why some of the images are showing a 2015 date......we weren't there on the date shown??


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## schumigirl

*SATURDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER.........*

Really can`t believe how fast these days are disappearing..........this is our second Saturday, and we love at the beginning of the trip thinking we have 3 full weekends ahead of us.......but they were dwindling far too quickly. Looking back it didn't seem to go as fast, but for now it looked like it flew past.

This morning we got up early as usual, I was sure I was developing black circles under my eyes with late nights and early mornings, but we always said we can sleep when we go home........so, again this morning we showered quickly as we were going to the pool. But breakfast first........I think  we spoke to Loweschevy this morning again and her family, and had our usual chat with the staff. Breakfast this morning was fruit and meat.........and coffee........as always it was nice, and for a Saturday not too busy. Also spoke to the Boston Brothers who had also done HHN last night and had enjoyed it, they also commented how poor the Bill and Ted show was.....had yet to meet anyone who said they loved it.....chatted to them while we ate, they were headed off to do the parks again for the day.....now these guys were full of energy!

We left and went down to get changed for the pool.........we like to go early as apart from it being so quiet, we can avoid the sunshine for a good hour or so......no need for sun screen. Got our usual 2 loungers, although there was hardly a rush, but there was a few people around this morning. Tom went in first while I caught up on some notes.......a man approached me and asked if I was Carole........this was becoming a habit, albeit a nice one.......he said he read the dis and didn't post much but had read the trip reports.......we chatted then his wife joined him. They were having a few days here before Disney.........by now I was ready to go in the water.......Billy and Laura and Tom and I sat splashing around and having a really nice chat. Like I say, I love getting to know people and finding out who they are......always interesting.......Billy`s username is Billdog349.........hope to see him post again sometime.......nice couple.

We must have spent a good hour and a half in the water, by now the sun had completely covered the pool, so Billy and Laura were going for breakfast and we headed up to get showered and changed before heading out for the day......

We did take the time to Skype Kyle......he was doing ok and today was glad he wasn't there......visiting a winery is not his idea of fun!! So we chatted for a while and spoke about what we had been doing and how HHN was......he was missing not seeing that again......bu he looked well and was doing ok.......

We were driving up to Lakeridge Winery........only about 30 minutes away at Clermont and a really nice drive. Although we didn't wander very far this year, we do like to drive to new places and explore the surrounding areas at times.......it doesn't have to be a really exciting activity, it`s just nice to drive anywhere on such a beautiful day. We knew this winery was very popular but had no idea if it was going to be busy or deserted. We almost took the wrong turning getting there, but it`s an easy drive and more or less a straight road with a couple of tolls.

It`s so beautiful out in this area, very quiet and not much around........apart from the Winery......




































This is such a pretty place........we go inside and find the tour is about to start, we just have to go upstairs and catch the end of the little video you can watch........there`s around 15 other people waiting to do the tour too. This is really a wine lovers paradise.......full of gadgets and gizmos and some odd little things I hadn't seen before.......and lots of wine!












We catch the last 10 minutes of the video and then head out for the young guy to explain what they are all about and all about their business and products. I had no idea they made so many different wines up there, but it was a larger operation than I thought. They took us to see the storage tanks, production line and packaging....thankfully we didn't go out to the vines as we had no sun screen on......but it was interesting.......



















After quite a brief tour which was interesting we went back downstairs where there was a wine tasting......Tom was driving so he wouldn't have any, but it was set out quite well......I did see the buckets on the table and groaned slightly, I detest wine tastings where people use spittoons, it`s never pleasant, so I was glad when he explained that this wasn't to be used like that, any you didn't like could be poured in to it.......I was glad to hear that.......

So, now was time for wine.......






They had about 10 different types of their offerings........I had Tom on one side of me and  a very tall man on the other side.......we got chatting to them and it turned out he worked for Universal......small world.......sadly the wines were disappointing. As with Floridian wines they are very sweet, incredibly sweet for me.....there was maybe one wine I could have enjoyed, but still not really our type of wine. The couple beside us said the same thing.....far too sweet........so most of ours ended up in the bucket. If you like sweet wines you would enjoy it, and they weren't expensive wines. Some were around $15 -$20 a bottle, but we didn't buy any......we had better wines we could buy elsewhere. But we were glad we had gone up to see it, it was a nice afternoon visit........




















We had a wander around outside before setting off on our journey back home, we realised then we were quite hungry. Now we were in the middle of nowhere at this point, so we decided to head into Winter Garden area.......this is another nice place to go visit. Nice little place but for today we just wanted food........nothing unusual there.......we were heading one way when we saw 4 Rivers Smokehouse on the other side of the road........It was a busy road but somehow Tom managed to get through 4 lanes of traffic and into the car park.......just made it!!!














As is always with 4 Rivers the queue was out the door........but at least we were in shade, it was just hot. The guy in front of us looked exactly like 50 Cent.....only a smiley version and merrily chatted with us while we waited.......he was funny.....he wasn't the first person to comment how pale our skin is........lol.....we are very pale skinned......he was a real nice guy and gave a few suggestions for food.......which at 4 Rivers is anything........food is so good here.......probably the best cornbread we have ever eaten..........

We get inside and I see a booth come available, so I go get it while Tom stays in the very long queue.......this is very much a local restaurant, not many tourists but very friendly place to eat.






Menu is huge......and everything looks and sounds better than the previous item.......but we decide that Tom is going to get burnt ends with beans, potato salad fries and cornbread, I opt for ribs, fries and cornbread........I hate beans so not something I would choose, but Tom enjoys them as I don't make them.........














The food is delicious!!! I can`t emphasise enough how gorgeous that cornbread is......jalapeno flavoured and so moist......and ribs and burnt ends were moist and juicy........perfect lunch. There are sauces on the table and I had the fruity spicy one, they were lovely and honestly as I type this I can still taste this meal.......cheap as chips as well.......every single piece of food around us looked equally amazing.

On the way out we looked at the cakes........we had no room for any, but they looked lush, especially the coconut bombs......I adore coconut.....













We are so full. It doesn't look the largest of portions, but my goodness it was filling. It was now fairly late in the afternoon, so we decided to head back to the hotel and get changed.........drive back was pleasant again and didn't take long at all.

We had gone backwards and forwards over whether to do HHN tonight, we normally avoided Saturdays.......so we thought we might either just go, or go somewhere nice for dinner.......but, as we had just eaten a large meal we opted to do HHN........but first we would go to the lounge and have a wine before getting changed.........

It was fairly busy tonight, but we waved to the Boston Brothers who were over the far side of the room and we got what was known as our usual table by the window.........Bryson had poured us 2 glasses of wine before we even sat down.......that is good service...........such a lovely young man........I did take pictures of the food tonight......I wished we were hungry as it was orange chicken........





























I have to admit, after 2 glasses of wine we did nibble on some orange chicken and a little cheese.......wine will always make us want to nibble something.........and it was nice.......

The Club Lounge is such a nice place.......friendly and comfortable and staff are excellent. Because of the way we split our days, it`s nice we can take advantage of the happy hour......not so much the food as we like to eat out, but using the food as an appetiser to having dinner later is ideal.

Eventually we head down so I can get changed and head out to another HHN...........


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## angryduck71

So fun to read.


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## J'aime Paris

Another 2 great updates! 
I could handle the scare zones during daylight, but NO WAY at night!!

Years ago, my DH took me to see one of the Saw movies in 3D....OMG I couldn't sleep that night

Who knew there was a winery in FL?  Not me.....Learning new things all the time!
And I can't stand sweet wine either.  Give me a Pinot Noir and I'm a happy gal!


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## schumigirl

angryduck71 said:


> So fun to read.



Thanks....... glad you're still joining along.........



J'aime Paris said:


> Another 2 great updates!
> I could handle the scare zones during daylight, but NO WAY at night!!
> 
> Years ago, my DH took me to see one of the Saw movies in 3D....OMG I couldn't sleep that night
> 
> Who knew there was a winery in FL?  Not me.....Learning new things all the time!
> And I can't stand sweet wine either.  Give me a Pinot Noir and I'm a happy gal!



Lol.......I've never watched any of the Saw movies, too chicken for that........but HHN is so much fun.........especially after dark.........hilarious. 

Love a good Pinot noir too...........well, as long as it's decent I usually like most wines.....with the exception of Rose type wines.......cannot abide them as they're usually sweet too........apparently I'm fussy.........lol....

Glad you're enjoying reading along too........nice to have company........


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## pattyw

We were at HHN Sat Sept 24th too!  It was a hot one! but no rain!  Too bad I didn't see you to say HI! We did the RIP tour so we were kept very busy!
Add another road trip to the winery!  We do like sweeter wines like Moscato and Riesling (not dessert wines) so we would probably enjoy their wines.


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## schumigirl

pattyw said:


> We were at HHN Sat Sept 24th too!  It was a hot one! but no rain!  Too bad I didn't see you to say HI! We did the RIP tour so we were kept very busy!
> Add another road trip to the winery!  We do like sweeter wines like Moscato and Riesling (not dessert wines) so we would probably enjoy their wines.



You absolutely would enjoy them, there was a couple that were like a Moscato there. No, we don't drink dessert wines either, never got the taste for any we ever tried. 

It was boiling most nights for HHN but a couple stood out as warmer than others and the 24th was just airless........but still fabulous!


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## tink1957

I finally got to meet Todd on the same day that you met him for HHN when Robbie, Mike, Trey and I were doing the APH night.  It was great to see him and I told him that you were wondering what had happened to him...glad he caught up to you.

One of these days I'll have to fork over the cash to stay club level at RPR, that orange chicken looks good.  We've only done club level once at HRH and it was well worth it.

Now you've got me craving cornbread, I should know better than to read your trippie on an empty stomach


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## schumigirl

tink1957 said:


> I finally got to meet Todd on the same day that you met him for HHN when Robbie . Mike, Trey and I were doing the APH night.  It was great to see him and I told him that you were wondering what had happened to him...glad he caught up to you.
> 
> One of these days I'll have to fork over the cash to stay club level at RPR, that orange chicken looks good.  We've only done club level once at HRH and it was well worth it.
> 
> Now you've got me craving cornbread, I should know better than to read your trippie on an empty stomach



Oh I'm glad to hear it Vickie.......he is so nice and a lot of fun too! I forgot you hadn't met him before......

RP CL is lovely, such a relaxing place usually.........we don't eat a lot of the food as you know, but it isn't always lovely.........breakfast is nice too.......some nice choices.........oops sorry about the cornbread........  hope you get something nice to eat soon...........


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## Lynne G

Great pictures.  I am not a sweet wine drinker either, but I picked up mango mamma at the Epcot festival.  Have not drank it yet, so can't tell ya if I liked it or not.  Just liked the name, and I do like Mango, but only if it is not just eating it.  Like mango water ice, and mango salsa.  

Glad photobook was behaving for ya.


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## schumigirl

I love anything mango Lynne......particularly in a cocktail though!!!

Yes, photobucket has been fun.......lol


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## schumigirl

So, we went down so I could get changed and went down to get the boat. It was another hot one thankfully.....we truly loved the heat we were experiencing as it can be a long winter.......so we took advantage every moment.

The boat was busy even though we were fairly early, we did get stopped on the boat with the new traffic lights.......must have been a miscommunication as they let through 4 boats and we were still waiting to go......eventually there was 3 boats waiting to leave from RPR.......real gridlock!! But, we soon moved and got into Citywalk, it looked really busy tonight. We seemed to have arrived at the same time as the masses. We definitely go through hotel guest entrance tonight as there is a queue to go through the regular entrance, not massive but enough we wouldn't want to be in it.....but, as always we are through in no time.

We have no plan at all tonight. The only thing we know we wont be doing is Bill and Ted. We have friends here tonight and they wanted us to meet them and go see it, they never have, we said we would meet them, but after the show.....ain`t sitting through that again!!

We see already the regular queue for AHS is at 90 minutes.......TM tells us even the EP is around 15-20 minutes.....so we guess we`ll come back later and hope it`s less. We had been spoiled this year with our waits with EP......almost next to nothing at every house.......and we appreciated that so much. But we decided to take our usual route and just see where we ended up tonight......



















This zone was again so much fun.....even during the day........how they manage to creep up so many times I`m never sure.......or maybe that's just me........and I even managed a picture of my husband!

We slowly head to Lair of the Banshee.......this is so well done.......



















We left that zone after getting a few scares, Tom was annoyed as he missed me getting terrified a few times.....went to Halloween house.......no queue at all there tonight which surprised us as it was Saturday......






We did this 4 times in a row, 3 regular line and then the queue was 15 minutes so we used our EP last visit.......got so many scares it was unbelievable......we laughed our socks off a lot through this house tonight.......

We headed round to meet up with friends to grab a quick drink with at the Simpson`s area and it was nice seeing them, they`re camera shy though.......lol.......They live in UAE and we don't see them as often as we like, we knew we were in Orlando at the same time for a day or so, but they had a tight schedule on this trip so we just caught up with them for an hour or so. Always nice to see them anyway.......they were loving HHN despite knowing nothing about it......I had told them a few things once I knew they were coming.....they said best advice I gave them was to get EP and they should have listened to what I said about Bill and Ted.......lol.....

So we wandered slowly round to Dead Man`s Wharf scare zone.........but the sunset was beautiful tonight and that change of light can be so pretty







We didn't spend a lot of time again in Dead Man`s Wharf but it was good......again, Tom was on camera duty so there isn't any of him.......it`s a little bit narcissistic having so many pictures of just me......lol.......but again, he missed some scares by a few seconds........can`t really recreate those........




























Close up the barnacles and seaweed effects were amazing.......I swear I could smell the sea off of them at one point......they do get close........and as someone who grew up watching and being quite spooked by The Fog, the original one of course......not the awful remake, but the original, although basic is spooky. So we loved this zone and thought it was just too small and short, but excellent.







We stopped in to Louie`s and grabbed a quick pizza slice.......we had no pictures as we literally just ate and went back out again........both had pepperoni and it was lovely.......really good pizza that sometimes gets forgotten about.....

Into Survive or Die zone and this was busy tonight.........and very foggy.........

This SA stalked me for 5 minutes very indiscreetly of course.........she was scary.......but brilliant with her character.....




















We did go in and do the Mummy twice tonight........wasn't busy and it felt so fast!!!

We left here as it was so busy and went to do Ghost Town house.......this was just ok. Got a few jumps, but it was just nice to be in the cool. Only did it once, and only waited a couple of minutes to get in. Can`t remember what the regular queue was, but it was long. The Exorcist was an hour, but we got on in around 3 minutes......






Chance was in full flow by now........she was calling out people and having fun with them.......we watched for a bit then for some reason she shouted me over and told Tom to take a picture

........He kinda missed the moment as he was using my oldest camera and it sometimes missed a beat........ she then asked me something rather adult.....I wasn't quite sure what to say to her.......but she was funny.....Tom captured that moment........






I asked her if I could take a picture of Tom and her....she was happily posing with folks, but you never want to just assume......she said she would be delighted.....cos lets face it....she was gorgeous......lol....her words not mine.....

I can`t print the things she was whispering to him as I snapped away, but they were so funny, and not family friendly, Tom was absolutely doubled over with laughter........






She was excellent.........but then she said of course I could just kill ya........lol......time to go.







We went towards AHS and saw the regular line was again 90 minutes






This was where we had a very strange experience in the house. We walked in to the line and there was an older man who appeared to pulling his shorts up, he has a shiny jacket on and a large backpack, but shorts seem to be falling down.......it just looked odd........we didn't want to be rude and just walk past him as he was walking, almost shuffling very slow, but the people behind us did so we followed suit.......but, he caught up with us just where you get your ticket scanned......we all walked in together.......I was in front and almost immediately this older amn, who was on his own started screaming like a little girl who was playing who can scream loudest. I don't mean to be flippant as it was bizarre.

At every turn all anyone could hear was this older man screaming, at great length, at the top of his voice at anything.......the folks in front of me turned and asked what was wrong with him....I said I had no clue.......at the bit with the coffins laid out he actually walked over to them perfectly normal and bent over them.......then started screaming into them.......now everyone around looked very uncomfortable, this seemed very bizarre. It kinda ruined our experience of the house tonight as he was so distracting.......it`s always easy to say ignore everyone around you and enjoy your own experience, but this man was obviously someone who needed a bit of help.

We came out the house and spoke to a senior TM and pointed him out......I think they knew him and this wasn't unusual. But we felt glad we had mentioned it as I would have wondered if he was alright. But, then the manager said we hadn't been able to experience the house properly so he would make sure we got back in without queuing up, we told him it was ok we had EP, but he insisted and walked us back round to the entrance right to the front......we just thought that was so nice of him. We thanked him profusely and headed back in to the house once more. This was much better.....we loved the house this time and had no distractions. I managed to get the managers name and as always we stop off at guest services and mention TM who have added greatly to our experience in the parks. We had a lot of names this trip.

We walked back and went on RRR once........we adore this ride at night.....we asked for the front row and we got it......it`s so amazing to see the area around at night all lit up from the ride........and it is so much fun!!

Now we start to head out of the park and we are tired.

We got the boat and went back to RP.......although it was 11pm and we were fairly tired, it was Saturday night, so we went down to Orchids for Sushi, cocktail and a beer........it was busy and loud but it was lively and we enjoyed the hour or so we spent there.......cocktails are lovely!!


















We sit near a couple who are here for two nights from a Disney trip......they had never heard of HHN and would have loved it I think. I`m still always surprised some people don't do any research where they are going and what`s on........ they don't believe we don't go to Disney or SeaWorld at all.........their expression was hilarious when we said we had no interest in going to either place.......each to their own and all that.

But, we said goodnight to them and we headed up to bed......it was after midnight now and we were shattered. Maybe we would sleep late tomorrow...........


----------



## pattyw

We never got the opportunity to interact with Chance- she seems like a real character!  We did interact with one of the inmates- she was real sweet- then creepy- then she said I might kill you!  We've done MNNSHP before and loved it so I didn't think I'd enjoy the scariness of HHN.  I absolutely hate horror movies and such but I actually enjoyed it!  I think the scare zones were so fun!  
I like your daytime pictures- you can really see the details! Did Tom ever get scared by one of the SA?


----------



## schumigirl

pattyw said:


> We never got the opportunity to interact with Chance- she seems like a real character!  We did interact with one of the inmates- she was real sweet- then creepy- then she said I might kill you!  We've done MNNSHP before and loved it so I didn't think I'd enjoy the scariness of HHN.  I absolutely hate horror movies and such but I actually enjoyed it!  I think the scare zones were so fun!
> I like your daytime pictures- you can really see the details! Did Tom ever get scared by one of the SA?



She was so funny.......some didn't quite get her, and that was ok.....she's not the best icon they ever had. 

My friends that we met on earlier post who live in the UAE, well, she detests scary movies and won't watch anything remotely horror like........but, she loved it.........she wants to go back next year.......lol......I did tell her she would love it........ So I know what you mean and so glad you enjoyed it..........

Tom got caught in the houses once I think, ........but one SA caught him in the Vamp scare zone.....he did jump as he had no clue she was there......he was too busy trying to capture me jumping.......lol.......she just came up behind him and hissed in his ear........my turn to laugh!!

Glad you like the pictures and still following along...........


----------



## schumigirl

*SUNDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER
*
We slept till just after 6 and we were awake......we truly wanted to sleep later this morning, but for some reason we were bright as buttons........it was still dark, but we got up and showered anyway, then as it was the weekend we Skyped Kyle as he would be around all day.......not much was happening over there, which was good.

Breakfast was quiet this morning, not too many folks around and we kinda took it easy and chatted to some folks and enjoyed quite a decent breakfast.......fresh cinnamon bun had just been put out so I was first to get to that......it`s a weird breakfast and not one I would ever have at home......but we enjoyed it while we were there.......

It`s funny how at 6am we were wide awake, as we walked to the park I was yawning my head off......and then Tom started yawning too.......

Got into IOA........we didn't stop to take a lot of pictures at Port of Entry.....I have loads in previous trip reports, and as I said we were a bit tired this morning, we did however still admire how colourful and bright this area is, so well themed and when you take the time to look there are loads of little precious things that some people will miss. Like the voices near the top of the buildings....they`re funny when you hear them.........

However today we needed a good wake up, so we went straight to the Hulk........this is one way to wake you up in the morning........it was still quiet as it was just after opening so we got straight on and on to the front row......yay!!! This was an amazing ride this morning....and we bought the picture today....none of us looked demented......well sort of.....we went round again and did this 2 more times before I thought I might start to feel woozy......but, this ride is so different to last year.......your head isn't pummelled around the way it used to be......It`s not as smooth as Duelling Dragons, but so much better.........

Little bit of Spiderman is always fun.........this was a one and done this morning, as I think I had woozed myself out on the Hulk.......not the rides fault, but I am fine doing these big rides a couple of times, then a break......miss the days where I could go on Duelling Dragons and Hulk numerous times......Kyle`s record for DD was 26 times in a row.......never missed a beat........that`s youth for you!!








Kong was next on our travels today.......this is a good ride, lots of fun, but not spectacular......we would always ride it a few times especially with EP.......one day I would take pics of the full queue, but today we used EP again as regular queue was 60 minutes. EP once again was marvellous.



















Our usual venture now is JP........we went on twice and both times came off dry.......I was sat behind quite a tall guy who got the brunt of the water the first time, second ride we were just lucky.......I have come off this ride anything from bone dry, a little sprinkled to fully drenched........don`t believe anyone who tells you that you wont get wet on this.....you can get soaked......not Popeye or Dudley soaked, but very wet.......I have a picture of my son 3 years ago where he is drenched.......

It had turned into the most beautiful day........and hot!!! Loving it......







Potter is always fun........we never tire of taking pictures here or just wandering around.......today we don't do FJ, just want to head round and do Duelling Dragons........








Duelling Dragons was probably one ride too many for me today........I had started to feel like I had a slight light headedness....it`s something I occasionally get, but not often......spinning around on coasters will do that though.....but we enjoyed it and decided no more rides today.......I think tiredness was playing a part too.......being up till after midnight and getting up at 6am every day was catching up on our old bodies.......so, we decided to get the Hogwarts Express to the Studios.







This was the second time we got held up by someone arguing they should be able to ride the HE without having a 2 park ticket.......they were trying to argue they didn't know.......well, no excuse.....they also didn't want to pay to upgrade.......and they weren't even being nice about it.......you got to feel for TM at times.......we got called to another TM and got through.........there is a nice little path that passes DD as you head to get the train......it`s cool to see the carriages passing so close.........





































The journey is cute, and we get the carriage to ourselves which is nice......it`s a short journey and we are at The Studios in a couple of minutes.













We feel hot and tired now, so we decide to miss Gringotts and just go to Lombards for lunch. This restaurant is really nice, over the years it`s been a hit and a miss with quality and service. We like to give it a try though as it`s so pretty inside and menu is nice.

They tell us there`s a 10 minute wait, so we get some water to cool us down while we wait, although this restaurant is almost as cold as Mythos.....almost!



















We get seated in a few minutes and our waitress is not overly friendly......this is one of the reasons we doubt going here.......but she was pleasant enough and like another waitress before seemed disappointed we weren't having alcohol......but regardless we checked the menu out and Tom decided on the beef dip sandwich and I had the crab cake sandwich without the bun........not the most appetising of pictures......but this is why we doubt Lombards.......














They actually tasted ok, but not what we would have chosen again. Again, we asked for the check and she tried to convince us to have a cocktail, coffee or desserts.......no interest in any. But the only time she smiled was when she finally brought the check......but, much as though we really like this restaurant I won`t rush back. Tom thought his tasted nice but not great.

By now we just wanted to go back to the room and have a snooze.......we had only done this once this trip, but felt we just needed it today. We planned to be out late tonight so it seemed a good idea. This was a long walk back today.....all I was imagining was a cool room and sleeping. But the heat was immense again.......eventually we got back to the hotel and went to the Club Lounge for a coffee and a Sprite........it`s so quiet in there during the day......but we went back down to room, finished our drinks and Tom sprawled out on one bed and was asleep in minutes. I however didn't feel tired anymore........so frustrating........

So, I brought out the pack of Hogwarts postcards I had bought earlier in the week......they were all nice, so I chose 8 to send to mum, my aunt in Long Island and friends.......thought I should finally write them. Postcards don't usually arrive till about 10 days after we got home, but I still send them anyway. However this year I posted them finally the following Friday and everyone go them 5 days later.......nice.

So, I was finishing writing them and Tom was still sleeping soundly, I sat and looked out the window for a while and was day dreaming and wishing I could sleep, then thinking I might as well go shower.......when my silent thoughts were disturbed by........our smoke alarm going off!!!

It was so loud.......Tom jumped up having no clue what planet he was on........I ran outside to notice there was no other alarms going off........now we were confused........Tom was calling down to someone to let them know......I looked back out and there was a security officer coming out of the room next to ours......we knew him from seeing him almost daily.....so told him our alarm was going off.....he said it was weird as the housekeeper had called him to say the power in the next room had gone off.........

We went out into the corridor when 2 maintenance men, 2 managers and someone else I wasn't quite sure who he was appeared and asked what had happened........they asked if I had sprayed deodorant or anything under it, told him no Tom was asleep and I was over by the window........so they all had a discussion and removed the offending alarm and replaced it, but it started going again........we at this point said we would go up to the lounge and wait, rather than stand and watch them........one of the managers said he would call up when they were done and make sure room door was closed properly.

So we trooped upstairs and regaled our story of how we were evacuated from our room.......well, sounds a bit more dramatic.....lol......so, we had another coffee and chatted away. It was only 10 minutes before one of the managers came up to tell us room was sorted and we could go back down. He was very apologetic and explained they thought the power being knocked out next door set our alarm off. But, we assured him it was fine.......we hadn't been inconvenienced at all, these things happen. But nice man, we hadn't met him before and as always told us to let him know if we needed anything.

But we went back to our room and yes this is very sad, but I did some ironing from a laundry load I had done........only tees and a couple of my dresses needed doing, didn't take long though and then we got showered and changed.

We were going back up to the lounge to have some wine before we went out for dinner to Yard House that was located by the Orlando Eye.


----------



## macraven

I'm still reading and wowed with everything you are posting


----------



## schumigirl

So an hour or so later we were all showered and changed and ready to go for our night out to Yard House. We had gone here for lunch last year and had really enjoyed it, but thought it might be a fun place to go at night too. We had thought about doing the Eye at night as we had previously done it during the day, but we decided we would prefer to stick to daytime and not tonight.

Up to the lounge and tonight I took some pictures of the wine and beers, and also the liquor that is available at $5 a drink. It was funny as we a couple of times saw someone ask for a shot but changed their mind when they had to pay for it.....there is a sign telling you you have to pay.













We were delighted to again have our wine served to us without asking.......not sure that's a good thing to be known for, but it was excellent service from staff in there who do get to know guests very well. Wine was welcome......but tonight rather unusually Tom was planning on having a beer as he was going to try some IPA beers at YH, so I ended up with both......lol......Tom felt refreshed from having a sleep, albeit a little disturbed......I was running on something at that point, not sure what.....but the wine perked me up a bit.......

The food tonight looked nice even though it was pasta.......we didn't touch it as we wanted to enjoy our meal at Yard House








We go down to our room to drop off the laptop and IPad and as we walk in we see something sat on the table.....and a card.........






What a lovely gesture from the manager for our disturbance that afternoon!!! We never expected that at all......but as always the staff in this hotel always go above and beyond for guests......we were touched he had taken the time to do it.......and we adore strawberries!!!! And white chocolate ones too........we put them in the fridge and we would eat them later........although we did have one between us......couldn't help it!!! It was gorgeous, so sweet and juicy......and think I got the slightly bigger bit......lol.......

We head downstairs and get one of the ODC that sit outside to take us their tonight. So handy and convenient. It takes us just under 10 minutes to get there, it`s not far and we see how much has gone in here since last year. We also see there`s a food festival going on........we are solely tempted to forgo YH and eat our way around the stalls......

It`s so pretty here and feels very safe and clean.........













Sadly, the wine store had closed........











This guy was so keen to show us his homemade grill.......we spoke at length about the type of food he cooked and how much he enjoyed doing these kind of events......really cool guy and I have to confess, we did try a piece of the ribs he was cooking.......delicious......he didn't charge us but we did leave a nice tip for his kindness.......I wished at that point we weren't eating at Yardhouse........

By now we were starving!! The aromas all around us had definitely got us in the mood for dinner.......at that point we met a TM who works in the Studios that we have known for years too......we hadn't seen him for two years, so we spent ages chatting to him and catching up......all the while trying to hide the sound of my tummy gurgling!! But, he`s a lovely guy and we loved catching up with him and his partner who we had never met before.......but as always time flies and it was dark by the time we said our goodbyes........













Yard House is lovely, and looked busy.......







We had a 5 minute wait for our table and were delighted to see we were in fact over by the window and I could see the eye as it was totally lit up now........it was busy but not too loud funnily enough, we did snap some pictures of the bar area but thanks to Photobucket they`re gone.

We order a couple of drinks, I go for a rather nicer chardonnay and Tom goes for a beer selection......they have literally hundreds of beers and the staff are very knowledgeable about them.......














Our waitress comes back and asks if we are ready to order.......it`s a huge menu and so many things we like.....but after a long perusal we went with shrimp jambalaya for Tom which I was so surprised at, it`s not something he would usually order, but he liked the sound of it......and made a change from his usual choices......I ordered shrimp and sweet potato fries.....



















Tom had started eating before I could get a picture, but there were more shrimp, and I have to say it was delicious and I don't really like rice......but full of flavour and just a little spicy.

My shrimp came with a sweet chilli sauce and a strange looking green one......it was basil based and surprisingly nice.....and again the shrimp were huge!! Fries came with maple bacon dip.......lush.........

Everything was gorgeous.......fresh tasting and hot......we detest lukewarm food......but I have to say food, service and atmosphere were wonderful......this is a fabulous place to come, especially at night I think......more lively but not rowdy......we liked that there wasn't really any kids in. I don't mind kids, but it`s to be minus them for a night......

We had no room for dessert and planned to pop into Sugar Factory and get some pics of the Eye at night before heading into Citywalk for cocktails...........

Coming up..........


----------



## Raeven

Sorry you had not so great service at Mythos. It's one of our must do's on every trip, and we usually have lovely service there.  

We almost went to Yard House once. It looks really good!


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> I'm still reading and wowed with everything you are posting



Glad you`re still reading along........



Raeven said:


> Sorry you had not so great service at Mythos. It's one of our must do's on every trip, and we usually have lovely service there.
> 
> We almost went to Yard House once. It looks really good!



It was Lombards we didn't have great service at on last post........no, we`ve been to Mythos many times and service is always exceptional.....Lombards is a hit and a miss.......will give it a miss in future.......

Yard House is really good!! Well worth a visit........


----------



## Raeven

schumigirl said:


> Glad you`re still reading along........
> 
> 
> 
> It was Lombards we didn't have great service at on last post........no, we`ve been to Mythos many times and service is always exceptional.....Lombards is a hit and a miss.......will give it a miss in future.......
> 
> Yard House is really good!! Well worth a visit........


Ohh I think I might have misread that.  Never been to Lombards, but it doesn't sound like I'm missing much.

We'll have to go out to eat at the I-Drive complex again one of these upcoming trips.


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## macraven

That food looks awesome!


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## schumigirl

Raeven said:


> Ohh I think I might have misread that.  Never been to Lombards, but it doesn't sound like I'm missing much.
> 
> We'll have to go out to eat at the I-Drive complex again one of these upcoming trips.



It's a shame, because when Lombards is good it's very good.......maybe I'm doing the waitress a disservice but she wasn't the usual standard we were so used to. 

Yep, it's so much fun down there, plenty of eating choices and of course the Eye itself is cool! 



macraven said:


> That food looks awesome!



It really was.........you know when you can still taste it looking at the pics.........lol........


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## Lynne G

Ah, another restaurant we may have to go to next month.  My kids would like to eat there, and I was thinking of riding the eye with the holiday pod.  Was hoping to get discounted military tickets for it, so have to research that still.  

Love the pictures.


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## cleopenn

I have been following along but finally had the time to post.  

Thank you so. I have for Such a wonderful trip full of details!  We are planning our first trip over thanksgiving (later this month) and I have read over your report several times, making notes on things to do and questions to answer.

Your and your husband are so dear and it makes me happy to see pics of a couple that are enjoying themselves and each other so much.  

I also enjoy reading About foreigners view of an American vacation.

A question - is wine and beer complimentary in the CL lounges?  We are staying at Portofino Bay, club level and I expect we will use the lounge quite a bit during our comings and goings.  We are a group of three nad I typically use lounge time (at other hotels) as time that our son can get on line and we can relax outside of our room before or after dinner.


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## BagOLaughs

Schumi thanks for making my morning commute so fun! Love all the pics and posts



schumigirl said:


> they announce for him to put it away.......he kinda does.......then brings it back out later.........they again announce for him to stop.....h



What a twit. I really dislike people like this



schumigirl said:


> nt just being able to walk straight on and both times we only had 2 other people on the cars with us



OMG I've never hear of Gringotts being that quiet! Woh

How odd that only your fire alarm went off??? Maybe a spirit followed you home from HHN?


----------



## schumigirl

cleopenn said:


> I have been following along but finally had the time to post.
> 
> Thank you so. I have for Such a wonderful trip full of details!  We are planning our first trip over thanksgiving (later this month) and I have read over your report several times, making notes on things to do and questions to answer.
> 
> Your and your husband are so dear and it makes me happy to see pics of a couple that are enjoying themselves and each other so much.
> 
> I also enjoy reading About foreigners view of an American vacation.
> 
> A question - is wine and beer complimentary in the CL lounges?  We are staying at Portofino Bay, club level and I expect we will use the lounge quite a bit during our comings and goings.  We are a group of three nad I typically use lounge time (at other hotels) as time that our son can get on line and we can relax outside of our room before or after dinner.



 cleopenn............lovely to have you along with us..........

Thank you so much for your lovely comments........I am so glad to read you're enjoying the trip report and my sometimes lengthy rambles......... glad it's given you some help with things........and thank you for the nice comments of us as a couple.......we adore spending so much time together and truly enjoy every second 

Yes, wine and beer are complimentary in all 3 Club Lounges........the only thing to pay is if you buy shots of liquor which are $5 a pop...........

Again, thank you for such a nice comment.......hope you enjoy the rest of it too.........


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## schumigirl

BagOLaughs said:


> Schumi thanks for making my morning commute so fun! Love all the pics and posts
> 
> 
> 
> What a twit. I really dislike people like this
> 
> 
> 
> OMG I've never hear of Gringotts being that quiet! Woh
> 
> How odd that only your fire alarm went off??? Maybe a spirit followed you home from HHN?



You are welcome Rachel.......glad to hear you like it! 

Yes, people like that are annoying................the rules don't apply to them type..........I guess I'm a rule follower too.......

Lol.......would love to think it was a spook.......but sadly, just an electrical issue........bit dull isn't it.......spook sounds so much better.........


----------



## schumigirl

Lynne G said:


> Ah, another restaurant we may have to go to next month.  My kids would like to eat there, and I was thinking of riding the eye with the holiday pod.  Was hoping to get discounted military tickets for it, so have to research that still.
> 
> Love the pictures.



Thanks Lynne.......yes, it's worth visiting, food was really good and just a nice place to spend some time.......

We like the Eye, our visit this year comes up soon........more pictures of me looking petrified or trying not to look petrified........lol........


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## MrsM

I'm enjoying your report and I just have to say - your husband looks so darn happy in every picture, I love it!


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## schumigirl

MrsM said:


> I'm enjoying your report and I just have to say - your husband looks so darn happy in every picture, I love it!



 MrsM...........Thanks so much.........glad you`re reading along and it`s not too boring  And I will pass on the lovely compliment to my husband, he will be pleased........he`s kinda smiles and is happy most of the time.....not sure why being married to me....lol.....

Hope you enjoy reading the upcoming chapters........


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## schumigirl

So after being fed and enjoyed a couple of drinks we went back outside and enjoyed the blast of heat we felt.....it was cold in there......not Mythos cold, but cool. We decided to wander around and get some pics of the eye at night and also wanted an ice cream from the Sugar Factory.

We decided we couldn't probably go into the full restaurant as we weren't that hungry, but wanted to just go into the café area which was still nice........and seeing the Eye all lit up at night is just beautiful......it changes colour periodically and I honestly could watch it all night........














We were tempted to go into Ben & Jerry`s as this is Kyle`s favourite ice cream ever, but didn`t as we really wanted the SF......but did have a look in.......there are a few nice options for food and desserts in this complex now.....really something for everyone.......there is a kind of food court within the Eye building itself which did look nice too as another option.







It is a beautiful place all lit up at night and definitely worth visiting at night even if you are not going on the Eye, which is fabulous, but with the height thing, its not for everyone.

The restaurant for Sugar Factory is through the back of the parlour













I know one flavour was strawberry but don't remember the other flavour I had, Tom had vanilla and they were both really nice.......have to say I do prefer Ben & Jerry`s......they were just nice. But the full restaurant through the back looked lovely, we will try it next year I think despite not being very sweet toothed.

We decided now we would get a cab back to the hotel........as usual, we had planned to go to Citywalk and maybe party???? But, we didn't have the energy.........so, cab back and thought we would just go to Jake`s again......this is a fabulous option for after hours entertainment........always a great atmosphere and drinks are lovely.....they do make an excellent cocktail!!!

We get back to the hotel and I always admire how gorgeous this hotel is at night, it`s beautiful during the day too, but at night it takes on a cosy feel despite the openness of the lobby area. I look forward to what they do with this area when it does get refurbed.


























We head down to Jake`s, when you come down the stairs you have the choice of Jake`s American Bar to the left, or Islands Dining Room to the right. Both are fabulous choices......casual with excellent food and service.

We don`t expect it to be busy with it being a Sunday, and it isn`t........we get a seat beside the window and order drinks........

I didn`t take any pictures of the drinks tonight but I had the blackberry flavoured cocktail minus the mint (yuk) and Tom had a beer.........we just sat back and enjoyed the atmosphere and honestly wondered why I was still awake as I had been so tired earlier.........but we were doing ok somehow........we ordered another drink and then rather unbelievably and a bit embarrassingly we were hungry..........I blame the alcohol of course........

So we ordered a pizza to share.......bit late for us to eat that usually, but we would try.........we ordered our usual, meat pizza minus the sausage and add chicken and jalapenos.......our server said they should add that to the menu and name it after us as she liked the sound of it so much when we had it the previous week........it was gorgeous.....






To be honest we only ate about half, usually we share one and demolish it......but whether we weren't as hungry as we thought or it was just too late, not sure.....but what we had was delicious.........our waitress offered to box it up for us, but we never eat cold pizza or even warmed up pizza the next day.......nothing wrong with doing it of course, we just don't do it........

It was now late......can`t remember exactly how late, but we hauled our weary bodies to the elevators and I swear I almost dropped off on Tom`s shoulder when we got in.........by the time we got to the room I couldn't keep my eyes open......no shower tonight, it was straight into bed and both of us didn't hear another thing till morning.

I should add....some pictures have a date and time stamped on them that is wrong.......no idea how that happened as we never use that function........but Tom had fiddled with things and the date was added incorrectly and we couldn't remove it.........not a clue!!!


----------



## J'aime Paris

I've been to the Sugar Factory in Las Vegas.  Cute store, but not up my alley at all!
 (I always choose salt/savory over sweet)  I found the air inside the store to almost be too much and really overwhelmed me!!  It was as if I was breathing in sugar--I could barely take it.

Happy I was able to read another installment before leaving!  I fly down to Orange Beach, Alabama tomorrow for a long weekend at our condos, then it's on to the Hard Rock Hotel on Monday!!!


----------



## schumigirl

I'm the same, don't really have a sweet tooth....given the choice I'll have savoury foods anytime.......

Glad you stopped by before your trip...........sounds fun!!! Hope you have a great time........


----------



## Seeker615

Great report. love seeing all the different places you have been.

Do you take cabs when you venture off-site? Are they reasonable? 

We have been debating doing a week at RPR instead of the 4 day cruise and were just curious about the expense of travelling off-site.


----------



## schumigirl

Seeker615 said:


> Great report. love seeing all the different places you have been.
> 
> Do you take cabs when you venture off-site? Are they reasonable?
> 
> We have been debating doing a week at RPR instead of the 4 day cruise and were just curious about the expense of travelling off-site.



We drive ourselves everywhere daytime usually but, if we are both going to have a drink going out for dinner at night we always use the On Demand Cars that are waiting outside........they have a flat charge for $20 plus tip one way, for the distances we usually go.........from the hotel to the Eye was that price and same charge to restaurants we go to on Sand Lake Road. The drivers give us their number and we call them, or pre arrange them to come back for us and it's the same charge again.

I believe regular cabs are a bit cheaper.

Glad you're enjoying reading Seeker........


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## keishashadow

What?!? Not a fan of cold pizza? Lol

So many great pics, especially the scareactors near Lombard's. Didn't get enough time to really check things out there.  We had so much fun 'playing' with Chance, liked the football scare zone too.  I've never eaten @ lombard's, always wind up @ finnegans.  The French dip caught my eye on the menu but it appears to be all bread. 

Honestly, you had more than your share of really odd things happen this trip.  The story re the gent and his drawers was a bit unsettling, poor guy.  

Loving the pictures from outside the Universe too.  Not sure why I am but surprised to see a winery in the area.  My uneducated palate would love that sort of sweet stuff, may have to put it on the to-do list haha


----------



## Monykalyn

Trying to get caught up-still have 3 pages to go. LOVE your TR! You two always look like you are having so much fun! And you DH manages to get such fun pics of you with the scares LOL.
Have to say we love the Red Lobster biscuits too. Make our own version at home.  We live in Brad Pitt's hometown-the joke around here is Red Lobster is the place to go if you are celebrating something - even Brad has been known to show up at Red Lobster from time to time with his family (although haven't heard of him being in town since his marriage).


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## disneyAndi14

The Orlando eye looks like a neat attraction, thanks for showing other areas of interest nice to see.  It is nice to know if you don't rent a car there is easy options available from the resort.  We are thinking of staying longer at RPR are next visit so this is helpful!


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## cocofifi

I'm still here and and loving every post!!


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## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> What?!? Not a fan of cold pizza? Lol
> 
> So many great pics, especially the scareactors near Lombard's. Didn't get enough time to really check things out there.  We had so much fun 'playing' with Chance, liked the football scare zone too.  I've never eaten @ lombard's, always wind up @ finnegans.  The French dip caught my eye on the menu but it appears to be all bread.
> 
> Honestly, you had more than your share of really odd things happen this trip.  The story re the gent and his drawers was a bit unsettling, poor guy.
> 
> Loving the pictures from outside the Universe too.  Not sure why I am but surprised to see a winery in the area.  My uneducated palate would love that sort of sweet stuff, may have to put it on the to-do list haha



Lol.......I know........what am I like!! Always hated cold pizza and could heave when I see anyone eat it for breakfast.........

Yes the French dip from Lombards was the worst one he ever tasted.......he loves those sandwiches but not from there.......

I did think about posting about the older man, it was sad as clearly there was something seriously amiss with him. Yes, felt sorry for him.

You know we've spoke about wine before and you mentioned liking a particular wine, well, there was one that was very like it........so you probably would like some of them.......I did not enjoy them......lol.......

Glad you're still enjoying it and hope the cold is on the mend by now........


----------



## schumigirl

Monykalyn said:


> Trying to get caught up-still have 3 pages to go. LOVE your TR! You two always look like you are having so much fun! And you DH manages to get such fun pics of you with the scares LOL.
> Have to say we love the Red Lobster biscuits too. Make our own version at home.  We live in Brad Pitt's hometown-the joke around here is Red Lobster is the place to go if you are celebrating something - even Brad has been known to show up at Red Lobster from time to time with his family (although haven't heard of him being in town since his marriage).



Thanks MonyK!!!! Glad you're enjoying reading along..........yep, he really caught me good in some pictures.......lol.......yep, we do have the best time together.......

Oh how interesting with Brad Pitt.........glad to know he likes RL too.......now I don't feel so bad about enjoying it,......some folks always seem to joke about it.........


----------



## Tink2Day

I have to say I'm quite sad Kyle wasn't on this trip.  Tom apparently tried to keep us dessert lovers in mind, but nothing close to what chocolate loving Kyle is able to do for us all
Here's hoping he gets a marvelous job using his impressive degree and can take us all along on a fab vacation with yummy treats to tempt us all.
Really though, loving your report so far, despite an absence of chocolate cake.


----------



## schumigirl

disneyAndi14 said:


> The Orlando eye looks like a neat attraction, thanks for showing other areas of interest nice to see.  It is nice to know if you don't rent a car there is easy options available from the resort.  We are thinking of staying longer at RPR are next visit so this is helpful!



The Eye is fun, no doubt about it.......and so close to Universal really........

Yes, lots of options if you don't have a car. Oh definitely stay longer........ thanks for the compliments, nice to know.........



cocofifi said:


> I'm still here and and loving every post!!



..........nice to see you.......glad you're still with us and enjoying it!! 



Tink2Day said:


> I have to say I'm quite sad Kyle wasn't on this trip.  Tom apparently tried to keep us dessert lovers in mind, but nothing close to what chocolate loving Kyle is able to do for us all
> Here's hoping he gets a marvelous job using his impressive degree and can take us all along on a fab vacation with yummy treats to tempt us all.
> Really though, loving your report so far, despite an absence of chocolate cake.



Lol...... Yes, we missed him so much......and yes, Tom did try but didn't quite keep up the standard.........although Cheesecake Factory and a certain chocolate dessert does make an appearance soon......

So glad to hear you're still enjoying reading.......and thank you for saying so.......


----------



## Zosha

I'm reading along. It's a great trip report and I'm noting down the names of some of the places that you ate at, like Teak, so we can try them out ourselves when we are there. Reading your report is making me very excited!! ;-)


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> Lol.......I know........what am I like!! Always hated cold pizza and could heave when I see anyone eat it for breakfast.........
> 
> Yes the French dip from Lombards was the worst one he ever tasted.......he loves those sandwiches but not from there.......
> 
> I did think about posting about the older man, it was sad as clearly there was something seriously amiss with him. Yes, felt sorry for him.
> 
> You know we've spoke about wine before and you mentioned liking a particular wine, well, there was one that was very like it........so you probably would like some of them.......I did not enjoy them......lol.......
> 
> Glad you're still enjoying it and hope the cold is on the mend by now........


Still sound like a frog but getting there, thanks!

Found a bottle of reisling type in cupboard when cleaning, left over from the mixed case I picked up pre Thanksgiving last year.  Wonder if it's still drinkable (screw on cap & all lol)

Still can't get over that French dip. Was it on focaccia bread?

Cheesecake sounds heavenly right now.


----------



## Owlpost23

Hurray for a new trip report! Always enjoy yours!


----------



## schumigirl

Zosha said:


> I'm reading along. It's a great trip report and I'm noting down the names of some of the places that you ate at, like Teak, so we can try them out ourselves when we are there. Reading your report is making me very excited!! ;-)



 Zosha............glad you're enjoying reading my little musings..........I'm sure you'll love Teak.....one of the better "local" places to go.........



keishashadow said:


> Still sound like a frog but getting there, thanks!
> 
> Found a bottle of reisling type in cupboard when cleaning, left over from the mixed case I picked up pre Thanksgiving last year.  Wonder if it's still drinkable (screw on cap & all lol)
> 
> Still can't get over that French dip. Was it on focaccia bread?
> 
> Cheesecake sounds heavenly right now.



It was supposed to be Rosemary Focaccia........he couldn't taste anything really.........he was glad of the jus!

Nothing wrong with screw tops .....used to be looked down on, especially by so called wine snobs.....but now and for a good few years,  winemakers are using screwtops more and more........no more corked wines!! But will question Riesling........JK.......there's some decent rieslings out there........

Yep, cheesecake sounds good about right now! Glad you're on the mend...........



Owlpost23 said:


> Hurray for a new trip report! Always enjoy yours!



 Owlpost...........nice to have you join along.........Thanks......glad to know you're enjoying reading...........



Will be a gap of maybe a week or so before next chapter.......off to London for a few days, then have a weekend away with some of my friend who died friends.........we are all getting together with her husband and kids in a remote place in a huge house the middle of nowhere.........should be fun! 

See you when I get back.............


----------



## keishashadow

Enjoy!  If you see an interesting Riesling go for it


----------



## macraven

Safe travels and have a fun trip !


----------



## tink1957

Hope you have a great time Carole...sounds like a fun break.


----------



## Disneymom2kiddos

We'll all be here waiting for you when you get back!  Safe travels and enjoy yourself!


----------



## Metro West

Well Carole...another terrific trip report as always. Thanks for including me that night at HHN. It was a lot of fun but hotter than all get-out. Nice to hear you talking about Teak...I haven't been there for a while but really enjoy RusTeak...don't forget that place...you know...near Cuba? 

I have been trolling Ocoee and Apopka's local restaurants and have several recommendations for next year. Sounds like you missed the most fun place in Mt. Dora...Rennigers...it's a huge flea market open on weekends. We should go one weekend when you're down next year. 

Enjoyed reading your report!


----------



## schumigirl

Thanks guys........London was fabulous!!! Been a few times but, This visit although short, I realised it's a place I enjoy so much actually.......

Ready to leave in 2 hours for weekend away in middle of nowhere......I'm sure there's a spooky story in there somewhere........out in the wilds with close friends and even some relative strangers.........lol...

Todd, that is so funny..........and guess what.......we did exactly the same thing this year!!! Came to the split in the road and we went the wrong way........again..........it was only when we got to the toll booth we remembered doing the same things that night we met you at RusTeak and headed for Miami.......Can't believe we made the same mistake twice! Next stop Cuba.......

Sounds good for next year........yep, always like a new restaurant recommendation too..........and I remember you mentioning Rennigers before........

Glad you're enjoying reading it Todd.......

Back late Sunday night or Monday morning and hopefully get more done..............


----------



## starousse

Have a great trip!


----------



## schumigirl

*MONDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER
*
We expected to sleep late today as we were so tired last night, but as usual our eyes popped open around 6am and that was us awake. We did try to fall back over but just wasn't going to happen this morning........as always it looked to be going to be a beautiful day so we wanted to enjoy it. So we bounced up and got ready, but kind of took our time as we were in no rush. We always think we will sleep late and not do the parks till later in the day, but as with the best laid plans, it didn't happen........

Breakfast was very lazy, we managed to catch one Boston Brother and say goodbye to him, and we spent our time chatting and drinking coffee today......fruit, cinnamon bun and some toast today was what we enjoyed.........always so relaxing and a nice way to start the day. We have never had any desire to grab something quick in the room or while walking to the parks, again, just the way we do things.







So, we got the park nice and early this morning, but rather frustratingly again, there was still no Doom. We really did miss that ride this visit.......but we did go on The Hulk twice and then headed round to Spiderman......it was quiet......very quiet......








There was literally no queue to get on this ride today, which was nice for everyone........




















This is another ride that is just so good. People compare Transformers to this, and yes it is similar in process, but we find SM very much a smoother ride and doesn't jerk you around the way TF does........and who doesn't love SM!! We do this ride twice and head on further into the park. This is where people ask, don't you get bored. And the answer is always no........we adore the parks.....the whole vibe of them just gets us the right way........of course most folks ask why we don't go to Disney or SeaWorld.......the answer is simply they bore us to tears and I wont go to SeaWorld for other reasons.......and when anyone asks I tell them I have my reasons, and nothing to do with the documentary that can`t be mentioned........each to their own though.......but we never tire of the Universal parks, maybe if we spent all day every day we may get bored, but what we do we enjoy........






























Blondies is a decent place for lunch.....freshly made sandwiches including the famous Dagwood........I`m not a big sandwich fan which is why we don't eat there more often......we did once and we all enjoyed it. Very fresh and nice potato salad.........

When we got to Kong this morning we decided to do the full queue as there was hardly anyone there........I always like to do the full queue at least once, but most of them now I don't bother with as we have done them so often......but this one was new and we had heard it was good...........


























The regular queue is a lot of fun.........and yep, I got the biggest scare from a SA while walking through......I had totally forgotten the fact that there were scares to be had......and I turned a slight corner and one bounced out of the wall right at me......boy did I let out a yell.........lol.......Tom was laughing hard at that one!!













Theming as always is amazing........they do these things so well, and it is very atmospheric in the ride queues......everyone seemed to really enjoy it.......and again, the ride was fun. We got on row 7 this time.....I prefer the back 3 rows and probably over to the left as far as you can go........that for me is the best area to be. We came out and went round again doing EP........that was probably us done with Kong after that.......we had done it enough, it`s a good ride, but not one I would feel the need to do every time.

Now I had a plan. I knew the Raptor Experience opened at 10, so we missed out JP today and headed straight for that as it always been busy anytime we passed........so, being there early we hoped there wouldn't be a queue......there wasn't. Only one couple in front of us........usually we find people chat away while in line, especially if there`s only them and us.......this couple made it plain they were not friendly.........don't ask. So we stood and spoke to the TM who was slightly bemused by this couple in front of us.........we did wonder how they would react to what was a fun experience coming up.......it was an odd watch I have to say.







Very quickly it was our turn, as first couple soon realised they didn't want to interact with anyone......not quite sure what they thought they were lining up for.........

The handler explains we have to be quiet and that the other guy will happily take pictures for us.......so we are told to wander very gently over to this raptor........he was excellent. I`m sure his description of what the raptor likes and doesn't like varies by guest......but for us he told us she didn't like blondes or bald heads........lol.........so Tom had to very gently come and stand beside me so as not to alarm her too much.......








At this point I sneezed..........it was so funny........the raptor went crazy and rather weirdly I felt like running away.......it is so clever and quite alarmingly realistic.......



















Yep, alarmingly realistic is probably a good description of the experience........very funny and the "handler" really inspires you to think it`s a real raptor beside you........well worth doing and waiting for......it was a queue that did build up rather quickly and no EP on this one.

We grabbed our bag and camera and left the area, and as we headed out we heard one little scream from the next people.......poor little guy sounded traumatised!!

As with all areas of the parks there are some lovely photo opportunities around......today they seemed rather quiet as it was still early on a Monday morning.......








Again, my husband had the camera, and much preferred to be on the other side of it, so I do get a couple of him but not as many as I would like......































We do FJ once doing single rider. Some days I can maybe do this twice, but most days it`s a one and done and today was that for me........did feel a little nauseous coming off.......so we stopped and had a drink in the Hogshead and sat through the back and just took the time to let me settle a little.........Tom and I shared a Pumpkin Fizz......we don't really like Butterbeer very much, so that was nice and we sat outside for 5 minutes before going into the cool of the inside.















We never choose to eat in here, but for a drink or a wander it has to be done. Look up and around and you can see little things that some may miss, again theming is top notch and attention to detail is so precise.







We spend a little time in Hogsmeade and take a couple of pictures before doing Duelling Dragons.......I always feel ok to do that ride.......both sides!!

























We went on Duelling Dragons, doing both sides twice.......that was enough for me that morning......although there is very rarely a queue for this ride, it seems silly not to take advantage of it........probably the best coaster the park has to offer with regards to thrills.......yes, we miss it duelling, but it`s still a great ride and we don't find the lack of duelling detracts from that in any way.

We head over to Studios so walk past Dragons and go to get the train over.


----------



## schumigirl

*Double post.*


----------



## schumigirl

Sorry for the double post!!

So we got on the train and headed over to Studios to do Gringotts.......it was fairly quiet and we shared the carriage with one other couple......it was their first time, and it`s always cute to see first timers reactions to everything Potter.....they asked loads of questions when they knew we had been once or twice before........always a fun little way to get to the opposite park and in a few short minutes we arrive at King`s Cross........

It`s so well done and although not exactly like the real thing it`s good enough.......certainly feels as cool as the real station........






We did plan to go straight to Gringotts, but of course my personal photographer had other ideas......






We did go straight in then to DA........sometimes we take loads of pictures, yes we have multiples of things, but today we just go straight to the ride. There is a bit of a queue I think around 45 minutes, so we do single rider and Tom is on the back row and I`m on the front of the same train.........so enjoyable this ride and never causes me any motion issues......it`s very gentle and mainly swooshes you around rather than flinging you around.......but today we only do this once and pop into Knockturn Alley for a quick wander........



















We really did just have a quick wander today, and then headed back to go around and do MiB, ET and then Despicable Me.......and of course stop off for some water at Simpsons area.......




































When we got to ET there were some dogs from the newest movie........they were so cute and seemed to enjoy interacting with anyone.........we did take some pics, but they`re not great........we always enjoy ET.......definitely one that we wont pass by.....although the beginning with Spielberg could be doing with being updated.......







Now we begin to feel hungry and start to think about lunch......so we think we`ll do Despicable Me then head to Toothsome........

I always think this would make a lovely home.......






As we wander around the parade is there, so we take some pictures with some of the characters and then as my tummy is grumbling make our way around.........this parade is cute. Not a spectacular extravaganza the way Disney parades are, but it`s fun and colourful and worth watching if it passes.....














Despicable Me was fairly busy.......a 40 minute wait when the park was reasonably quiet wasn't unusual.....we had seen it far longer in the mornings when we came in.......but for us we walked straight on and although some folks make comments from the regular queue, I never pay any attention nor do we feel guilty about it.......it`s a perk of staying at the hotels and not much else to say really. But, I never understand the negative comments you sometimes hear......but on to the ride........standing in the first bit I get really hungry now.......and to be honest think about just going there and then, but we get through to the next area and I begin to forget I`m hungry........we get on the ride and enjoy it as usual.....although we do get the person who doesn't go all the way to the end of the row........lol........

We come out and there`s a minion wanting to dance........so.........






Glad he didn't take video!!!! There`s times you don't care how silly you look and dancing with minions is one of them......love the interaction with them!!






Time for food. We walk out and head round to Toothsome.......so far dinner here had been unsuccessful so we thought we`d try lunch. If I`m honest the menu doesn't thrill us at all, but it`s a new place and we wanted to try it.......we walk in and are told we would be seated immediately........the place is lovely, bit dark, but fits with the theme and the TM stay in marvellous character interaction........we were impressed by the staff in here........we were seated upstairs and I went to the bathroom........our waitress informed Tom she would wait till I came back before she explained the menu and what the concept of the restaurant was........











After she explained we took our time and went through the menu carefully, although we had already studied it frequently before we left......so we had an idea what we would eat there.....I should have gone for a flatbread, but I had eaten a few pizzas so I went for the Totchos and Tom had a burger.....we also opted for the chocolate bread and salted caramel butter to start with........not having a big sweet tooth I wasn't sure what I would make of it......







Have to say, it wasn't for me.......I kinda liked the butter, but the bread was disgustingly sweet and I just couldn't eat it.....Tom thought it was ok and had a slice or 2 purely because he was really hungry by now.....not something we would ever order again I have to say......would prefer a different bread.....although given the theme of the restaurant, I can see why they have it on the menu.

Our meals arrived and I have to say they looked nice initially.......Tom`s burger was gorgeous......really tasty and well cooked..........my totchos looked nice.














Burger was a success, but mine after looking quite fresh initially, started to congeal with the cheese sauce.....this may have been avoided by this being a shared appetiser and eaten quicker.....it was ok, but the spice level was a massive disappointment.......no heat whatsoever, so if you like it a little spicy, ask for it to be made hotter. I think I ate less than half and she asked if I wanted it boxed to go, definitely a no. Wouldn't have been nice reheated even if I had wanted to take it.































It really is a unique restaurant and a nice place to visit and see what`s on offer.........the store is beautiful and has some very unique products you just have to buy!! Despite not having a sweet tooth, I do love Candy Floss so I had to buy some of the jars in different colours and Tom got some chocolates.....he definitely has a sweet tooth!!!






Even I was drawn to the selections of colours and flavours on offer here.........




















Yes we purchased far too many jars of candy floss than would be good for us.......but lush!!!






We headed back to the hotel and would decide what we would do the rest of the afternoon.


----------



## J'aime Paris

Great updates!  Always enjoy your photos!

We never did eat at Toothsome.  (With only 3 days, it was tough to fit it all in.)
But I surely walked away with a box of chocolate to take back home!


----------



## schumigirl

J'aime Paris said:


> Great updates!  Always enjoy your photos!
> 
> We never did eat at Toothsome.  (With only 3 days, it was tough to fit it all in.)
> But I surely walked away with a box of chocolate to take back home!



Lol.......yes the chocolates are rather nice.......hope you enjoyed them! I know Tom loved every single one he tried.....and he tried a lot!

Toothsome was ok. I did say I wouldn't go back, but now, I'd just order something different......I think maybe I unfairly judged it on one dish........but hopefully next time you'll get to try it......

Glad you're still enjoying reading.......


----------



## pattyw

Welcome back from your trip!  Nice update!  Not sure about Toothsome, but I'm with you- it's new-you have to try it! but definitely at lunch!


----------



## Raeven

I agree Spiderman is much smoother than Transformers. 

The queue for Reign of Kong looks cool. 

Loved the Raptor Encounter! A lot of people in front of us treated it like it as real.   But thebraptor was very friendly to us


----------



## macraven

_great pictures and a nice pretty blue dress you have on!_


----------



## disneyAndi14

We didn't get to do the Raptors Adventure it was to busy each time we went by, it looks cool!  We thought about trying Toothsome but went with Cow Fish instead, we loved it.


----------



## klacey1

I am not a fan of sweets, either! That bread has never appealed.
Those totchos don't look appetizing either! Sorry you had to have those; they do sound delish by description!


----------



## schumigirl

pattyw said:


> Welcome back from your trip!  Nice update!  Not sure about Toothsome, but I'm with you- it's new-you have to try it! but definitely at lunch!



Thanks patty........I`ll try most restaurants once......always give the benefit of the doubt, but wouldn't rush back to this one........and yep, lunch was a better option regarding crowds........



Raeven said:


> I agree Spiderman is much smoother than Transformers.
> 
> The queue for Reign of Kong looks cool.
> 
> Loved the Raptor Encounter! A lot of people in front of us treated it like it as real.   But thebraptor was very friendly to us



It was fun and seemed very real at times.......lol.......weird though........



macraven said:


> _great pictures and a nice pretty blue dress you have on!_



Thanks mac........and yep, that was a great park dress


----------



## schumigirl

disneyAndi14 said:


> We didn't get to do the Raptors Adventure it was to busy each time we went by, it looks cool!  We thought about trying Toothsome but went with Cow Fish instead, we loved it.



Oh I would choose Cowfish over Toothsome any day now........much better food for us and we`ve enjoyed every meal we`ve ever had in Cowfish.......ye, the Raptor experience was usually mobbed.......definitely try early morning for the raptor experience........



klacey1 said:


> I am not a fan of sweets, either! That bread has never appealed.
> Those totchos don't look appetizing either! Sorry you had to have those; they do sound delish by description!



Yep, wouldn't order them again........yep, definitely better sounding than they actually were........the bread was disgustingly sweet, even the smell was off putting.....but, it seems popular enough........give me savoury every time......


----------



## schumigirl

This should actually be a pretty short post.........

We did plan to stop for an ice cream on way up, but we really were quite full and tired.....but ice cream is nice from here......






As we walked back to RPR we could feel the atmosphere change and knew some weather was on the way.....so we walked quickly and thunder began as we got halfway back....we did manage to get in before the rain came on. We thought this afternoon we would go back to the parks and do the water rides, but as the rain started we realised we couldn`t actually be bothered anyway.......so we went to sleep.

I thought we`d maybe have half an hour or so.......but I think we slept for 2 hours.......I do remember waking at one point and seeing the sky was even darker than when I had fallen asleep........definitely and afternoon for snoozing the day away......

So we got up showered and changed and went up to Club Lounge for a coffee before we headed out to LBV, we wanted to go to the outlet centre there for a look around and also to the Lindt store. Part of the gifts we leave for certain staff members and the CL staff always involve Lindt chocs, so we hadn't bought them yet and decided we would get them today along with a few things we wanted to take back home.

Stopped in at Walmart on Turkey Lake Road too for a few bits like Pepperidge Farm cookies and some candy then drove to LBV........the weather wasn't great and it felt so cool......Tom jokingly asked if I wanted to go buy a jacket.......don't tempt me was my answer.......

So we had wandered   round the outlet centre for almost an hour and got our Lindt stuff.......how much stuff we had bought surprised even me!!! Not  chocolate fan at all......but we loaded up the car and decided dinner was now needed........as we were over this side we decided to go to Joe`s Crab Shack......hadn't been there for a while and we adore seafood, it was always good there.

It was cool now. 78F......now, everyone thinks this is hilarious that I was cold at 78F........hence the reason I still do get called the Lizard.......lol.......so as I shivered walking in to the restaurant Tom just laughed as we wondered how anyone could be cold when it was almost 80......I had definitely been spoiled with the heat so far this trip......






It was quieter than our previous visit.....I always wonder why somewhere that is always mobbed is now less frequented at peak dinner hours.........but there was around 20 people in and some cops.......always trust a cop for dinner choices......so we sat down and our server immediately checked in with us and got drinks and asked if we had been before and did we need any advice.......we were good. I think every picture I took tonight Tom had his eyes closed........I do look a little muddled myself!!!












We immediately both fancied some chilled shrimp to start....nothing fancy just shrimp........






This was a bigger portion each than we realised......but we had opted to not have fries or potatoes with our mains.....so we were good to go.......Shrimp was delicious.......not much more to say about shrimp, but they were nice......I had ordered snow crab and queen crab and Tom ordered a steampot........cant remember which one, but we enjoyed it a lot.......he`s better at cracking the shells than I am, so he spent a lot of time doing mine.......














I think he had taken the Queen crab out and had started cracking it for me by time I got the camera out........it was all lovely. We had both opted for the old bay seasoning and its so lovely. Doesn't really need anything, but adds something.

We had no room for dessert and paid the check then headed back to the hotel. As we slept the afternoon away, we decided to park the car, drop the shopping in the room and head to Citywalk for some cocktails......

It was pleasant now, not too hot and not as cool as I had felt it earlier......we walked slowly to Margaritaville.







I would have liked to have sat in The Lone Palm, but there was far too many smokers there to enjoy it, so we went inside and sat at the bar. There was another few people sat and we got chatting to them......one was from Scotland, and weirdly came from about 10 minutes away from where I grew up.......it is a small world.

There was a singer on and he was good, took loads of requests which was nice........we must have spent a couple of hours there just chilling, chatting and making friends with the barman.........lol.....watching them make up the fresh cocktails was entertaining to us and we asked him to come up with something unique........don't think he was allowed to do that.........








I was definitely a little "chirpy" in that picture.......I never mix drinks, if I`m having wine I stick to wine, but never have wine and spirits on the same night......but realised I had a wine sangria in Joe`s Crab Shack.........then had 3 cocktails in M`ville.......so I was extremely happy and smiley........well aren't I always was my question!!







We sat till around midnight till we decided we needed to sleep.......we had a busy day planned tomorrow starting off with some morning park time in the Studios. Only took 5 minutes to get back to the hotel and we had crashed out in about 5 minutes, I was more tired than I realised. Tom watched some sci fi thing on the tv for an hour or so, but never heard a thing till morning.


----------



## schumigirl

*TUESDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER
*
We woke up so early again this morning........we again, thought we may sleep till at least 10am as we were so tired, but no, around 6.45 I awoke with a jump thinking we had slept in......not a chance.

So, we had breakfast after we had showered and dressed.......I was starting to feel my feet hurt a little......so regardless of what it looked like, I was wearing trainers today.....dress or no dress. I`m lucky I really don't care much what folks think I look like, so can go out and not notice if anyone points out my lack of fashion style......lol.....comfort first.

It was another beautiful day and we decided even though we were going to the Studios, we would walk (sore feet and all) It really is the most lovely walk to the parks........at security check point we met a guy who said we couldn't still be here......what can you say to that!!! Yep, still here......although time really was whizzing by now......I had noticed though, the quicker time was flashing past, the slower we were walking.......that might be age and weariness though.

As we passed through Citywalk we saw some work being done on Toothsome........we had seen a few managers hover around last night outside, so wondered if there had been an issue......

But we got to the park just before it opened and got straight through......we always walk through the store as its so cool, and usually by that time with the heat, much as I love it, I like to cool down a little......we had a quick wander and wanted to do DM first......we had said this trip we weren't concentrating on characters much. We had pics with every character in the parks at some point.....although our favourites were by far from last year. For the first time we had managed to get pictures with the whole Scooby Doo Gang at the one time........they were fabulous!!!! And no one had really noticed them so we had them to ourselves for ages, I think Tom snapped off around 50 pictures of us together......so I knew we wouldn't better those pics again this year.......we also had an amazing dinner experience with Gru and a minion but there`s always one or two you just have to catch.

We came out of the shop and saw woody woodpecker........






To be honest we weren't going to bother, but the gal shouted us over and encouraged us to go first.......just after us the queue formed behind us..........and got quite long. The photo ops at Universal are always in our experience, never manic or out of control........which is nice, and you do get some decent time with the characters........there`s always someone there too who will happily take your pictures with your own camera which we like.

Despicable Me already had a queue, must have been 40 minutes and we were surprised as it seemed fairly quiet again.....but we walked straight on with EP.....we didn't even stop this morning......so inside was lovely and cool and always admire how cute this ride is........




We always enjoy this one, and of course at the other end is these guys.......













They are so clever at communicating without being able to say a word.....there weren't too many people stopping today so again, we had a nice experience and as we wandered off the real camera guy shouted us and said the minion hadn't said goodbye.......lol......so Tom had to rustle to get the camera back out so he could wave to us.....lol.....was funny and so cute!!






We didn't do RRR today, and I can`t remember why.......but we walked straight round to the Mummy and immediately saw these guys.......one of whom last year had creeped up on me on Delancey Street while I was checking out pics on my camera.......how I never saw or heard him I don't know......anyways........had to get a picture......














Always fun, and amaze at how well they walk in those things......we went on the Mummy after depositing my bag in a locker and despite planning to, never went through the regular line. It is such a well themed line, but to be honest, we like the EP and never having to queue for any length of time this trip.....so we did this 4 times and asked for the front every time......it`s definitely our favourite row. The back row gives you some more air time, but can land you back in your seat with a heck of a thump!! Although front left seat can do the same..........but, we come off and head further into the park.

We head for a bathroom visit and as we come out we see The Beat Builders being driven round to start their show......these guys are so cool!!!







Park really wasn't too busy today.......







We watch Beat Builders for a bit, then wander round to the beautiful area that was once Amity.......although Potter is amazing I do remember how gorgeous Amity was when Jaws was still there, but, hey ho......least Bruce is still around for the proverbial photo op.......








Today as we had plans for this afternoon, just planned a quick visit to DA and ride Gringotts before leaving the park. We have been here many times but still feel inspired to snap some pictures every time we visit.......well, can always miss something..........theming is over the top amazing!! I truly don't believe pictures do the whole areas justice.......













We do Gringotts and again, do single rider and today we are sat in the same row together.......it does happen sometime you can be sat together, but we never expect it, single rider is just that. We have seen folks go in the single rider line with a group of people then complain to sit together........

Before we go we have a quick wander in KA..........



















There`s always something new to see in here.....today I pointed out the changing sky to a family who hadn't noticed it.......always look up!!!

But, we wander out now and head to the front of the park.







But,  as we pass Richter Burger, well, the store, we pop in to buy water and see these little items........



















Yes, I now have minion oven gloves and various accessories.......I really am not a shopper.......lol........







We now, laden with bags decide to walk back to the hotel, although we do see a boat when we get there and decide to take it.....it`s hot again........we are back to our room in no time and we quickly shower, change and head out for lunch.

We are going to Duffy`s Sports Bar, near Mall at Millenia......we have seen it many times and only through asking a friend who lives locally what it was like and she did say it was decent. So that was the plan today.

Only takes a few minutes to drive there...........






There`s a bunch of really friendly staff waiting inside and ask if we would like to sit in the bar or have a table, we definitely want a table today......I can see this place buzzing at night......really good atmosphere. We get seated and have a read of the menu.....while Tom snaps pictures.........

























It`s a fairly busy place for lunch, but service is excellent.......we finally end up ordering a burger without cheese and added jalapenos for me with sweet potato fries, and wings and ribs for Tom.......and a lemonade and a sprite.......














The food was gorgeous!!! Everything was cooked as we like it, and the wings had just the right amount of spice, although we can always eat hotter.......but nice. We decided next year we`ll definitely add this to a night time visit as I think it`ll be a fun place to go.

We sit for 10 minutes or so despite being offered various desserts, some of which even I was tempted.....but we pay the check and head off to go on The Orlando Eye again.


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## schumigirl

It only takes 10 minutes or so to drive to the Eye from just outside Mall at Millenia, very quick drive.

There is a decent sized multi storey car park at this complex and it`s free, which is always nice. There`s a few things at the complex to do including Madame Tussauds, a little Sealife thing, Skeleton museum and some fun things for kids to do. There`s a decent selection of restaurants too including Yard House, Sugar Factory, Outback Steakhouse, Shake Shack, Carrabbas, Buffalo Wild Wings, a Portuguese restaurant and a sushi place. There`s also some little ice cream places and things like Walgreens........so all in all it`s a decent place to visit for an afternoon or an evening.

We get parked easily as it`s just not busy. And it`s incredibly hot so I don't go take any pictures of the Eye as I don't want to walk in the heat at the moment as it`s blisteringly hot......so I pop my hat on and we walk straight into the main building where everything is located, including a rather nice looking food court. I noticed it as I was heading to the rest rooms before embarking on this adventure. And for me it is kind of an adventure, as I am terrified of heights.......I can watch people up high and get sweaty palms just looking at them......can`t watch people walk across those weird scary bridges you see in some places in far away countries.......so just getting me up there is a feat. But I do it. A bit like when I had a fear of coasters, you have to just do it or regret it forever.
























We have our tickets and we head through and pass the photographer who tries to sell you the pictures....it`s a green screen and at the end in the gift shop you get to buy.......we`re really not interested in those, so we pass by as he has someone already there.......he does shout us and asks do we really want to miss an exciting picture.......we laugh and say yep, we`re good.........you then go into an audiotorium and watch a movie about what is going on around Orlando, rather noticeably there isn't a single mention of a Mouse. This show only lasts 5 minutes or so, but enough time I can get nervous........I know it`s safe, I understand the physics of how it works, but still, its high.

The staff are great here......very friendly and seem to have a 6th sense when they see someone nervous. The fact that it`s quiet suits me better......last time we were here we got a capsule to ourselves, and I hoped that would be the same again.......there are 2 ladies in front of us and I see them get on one and the doors close, so happily I know we will be on our own. It`s never fun if you have a panic attack in front of others. But, one lady offers to take our picture and asks if I can manage a smile or two.........I really did look nervous. Funny thing is once I`m up there I`m usually fine.







love the Engineering side of it though.........






So we get in and I immediately sit in the middle and cling on the centre pole.........like that's going to save me......meanwhile Tom snaps pictures and yep, rather predictably takes them of me too.........













So Tom takes this picture of me, then asks can I try and look happy about being there.......oh dear......






Smiling, but still clinging on!!!!






I do get a bit more comfortable, but cant do anything without clinging to something......Tom does test me and actually rather unusually asks me to take a picture of him......not easy with one hand........Photo has disappeared thanks again to PB.

It is so gentle of a movement going around on the Eye.......it is fun and the view on a clear day is tremendous.....today is slightly cloudy but you can still see a fair distance especially from the top.......







































I do start to feel better as we head back down the way........






















Now it was time to get off I was really happy!! We love the Eye and it has an amazing view and well worth doing.......I recently did the London Eye and the pods are bigger. We shared that with around 15 other people and I did have a little moment up there, too much moving around and of course if you have no issues with heights people will lean against windows and doors and have no concept of how scary that is to someone who`s legs go to jelly seeing that.....was good though. Seeing London all lit up at night is truly spectacular. Cold though in November.

We came through the doors and the guy mentioned I looked much happier........lol.......I was. We thanked them and went into the gift shop........didn't see anything we really wanted to buy, so we didn't. We didn't spend a lot of time in the complex as there isn't really anything else there we want to do......our Eye tickets were $20 or so each, there are offers if you want to do the other things too, but didn't pay any attention to them.

So, we got back in the car and drove to one of my favourite little stores...........Bed Bath and Beyond.

We pick up so much stuff in this store it`s scary........one of the things we love is the 1000 count sheets you can buy.....we can get them in the UK but it`s easier over here. They are gorgeous, and we like these ones from here......I have no clue if there are better brands, but these we like. This year we were only shopping for us too. We did plan on just looking today..............................................................................

Well, the best laid plans........at this rate we were going to have to get a new suitcase. So that's what we did. Got a new suitcase and would just have to pay for it. We got 1 23KG each and 10kg hand luggage free, but when we got back to the hotel I would go online and pay for a third suitcase to go on the plane........problem solved. Tom at this point was bemused.......especially as I claim not be a shopper!! I just hoped the suitcases we already had wouldn't be too much over the 23kg.

So with the car filled up with "stuff" we headed back to the hotel and noticed the rain was now on......we had seen it come from Epcot area and hit us quickly when it did hit......so Tom dropped me off at the hotel door with our haul for the day and parked the car. He didn't get too wet........up to room and we really did wonder where everything was going to go.......

But, it was now around 4.30 and we wanted to shower and get changed and have a drink in the lounge before we went out tonight.......no driving for us as we were going to The Palm at the HRH. We were so looking forward to this meal tonight.


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## schumigirl

We take half an hour or so then get showered and changed before going up to the lounge for some wine......always a nice experience and tonight it`s fairly quiet.......I didn't look to see what the food was tonight as we didn't even plan to snack as we wanted to enjoy our dinner fully hungry........so a couple of glasses of wine and we were done.

One of the girls in the lounge had booked the table for us, just in case. We don't usually make any reservations whatsoever but they were right, the restaurant was busy.

The rain was ploughing down and there was lightning still around so we knew there would be no boats running, so we went down to where the cars are and asked for an ODC to take us to the HRH. This is free between hotels for hotel guests......they take your name and room number and you`re good to go......apart from a tip to the driver of course. I know some people mentioned they don't tip in this instance, but we couldn't not tip.

Doesn't take long to get to the HRH. I always say I don't like this hotel, and although I have no desire to stay there and I still don't love the place, it`s nice and we adore The Palm. It does have a very nice entrance area.......
































Before we went in we did wander around and get some pictures of the hotel and pool area......I do have to say their poolside food is excellent......it`s been a while since we have gone, but it was lovely.














And they have one of the nicest ladies restrooms around.....














It`s now just about time for our reservation, so we head in to the restaurant........I see the bar area and swear blind I don't remember seeing it before......Tom said it has always been there........












The restaurant itself is very nice, and quite noisy, so not conducive to romantic dinners for 2, but lovely all the same......we get seated in a nice booth and are given wine and food menu`s.














We got some water and they brought some bread and asked about any allergies and then I chose the wine........never been a believer in if you are eating steak you should always have red.......I wanted white tonight and knew exactly what wine we would have.......








I did like again, the wine waiter asked if I would like to try, only reasonable since I chose it I suppose. But some places still ask the man to taste.....Tom doesnt like that old fashioned attitude from some waiters, so he always tells them to have me taste or try. But, anyway I knew this was a nice wine and declined to taste, told him I was sure it would be fine.......it was.









By now we have decided, I was having the Shrimp Bruno and Tom was having Scallops wrapped in bacon as appetisers, for Entrees I was going for the 9oz filet and Tom had the 14oz NY strip, mine medium rare and Tom`s was medium. We both opted for the potato gratin and it was all delicious........

The scallops came with a strong balsamic reduction which wasn't really needed........scallops don't need much doing to them at all.......so he tried a little of it, but didn't eat anything of it.......the scallops and shrimp were lush!!!













In between the appetisers I brought out my Clinique lipstick for some reason.......I don't usually do that, but anyway, I dropped it on the floor and couldn't see it.........Tom tried to get it and pushed it further under.......so, we kinda stepped out from the table and our waiter looked appalled to see us pull the table away from the chairs........lol.......the manager appeared and we told her about the lipstick.......she said oh you have to get it.......now there was 2 guys sat at the booth beside us......we had smiled at them when we sat down and they looked nice.......immediately one fo the couple got up and said he would get it for me after all a lady needs a lipstick.........what a gentleman.......he got down on his knees there and then and retrieved the offending lipstick from the back of beyond under the bench.........I was so grateful!!!!

We put the table back together much to the relief of our waiter.........the manager was so nice too about it.......we chatted some more to the couple and again thanked him.....not many folks would do that.

At that our steaks arrived and they looked gorgeous.......my steaks always look so small in pictures......and it was a decent size.......and both were gorgeous.......cooked to perfection. Tom`s was probably slightly rarer than we would have chosen, but he loved it........I always know when he is reluctant to share how good something is as he shares everything.........




















The food was top notch. Everything was as it should  be for such a restaurant.........we definitely planned next year we will come back here....we had forgotten how nice it was in here.

Tom wanted dessert.........I was too full and apart from key lime pie I wouldn't have chosen anything......maybe the crème brulee......but anyway Tom chose the key lime pie with I think Blueberry compote.......I did steal a little off the end and it was nice, I could have eaten it all!!!






We got up to leave after we paid and again thanked the 2 guys who retrieved my lipstick........always love talking to folks.....they came from San Francisco which is somewhere Tom wants to go someday........I think they sold it to him...........but we said our goodbyes to them and went through to the bar for a nightcap........we spoke to the manager at this point and asked if we could buy the 2 guys a drink as a thank you......she said of course we could. So we paid for their next 2 drinks as they were having beers I think.........she said what a nice thing to do........it was nothing really.

So, we sat at the bar and then headed out to get an ODC..........the rain was well off by now, but we chose convenience of the car as opposed to going for the boats........bit lazy I suppose but so handy.

Again they took our name and room number at our hotel and we were off..........as we drove towards the hotel on the main road a group of Brits ran out in front of the car.......couldn't believe it, we were glad of our seatbelts.......then one of them starting gesturing to our driver he was in the wrong which he definitely wasn't .......fortunately he just drove off, but could have been very unpleasant.

Gave the driver a tip and we spoke briefly to the guy in charge of the valet service.......we knew his brother a few years ago when he worked in the lounge......so we asked him to send our best wishes to him........then we head straight up to our room as we are tired.

Not sure how we managed it, but it was 11.30pm. Dinner was very relaxed which was lovely, and we just had a mellow time in the bar afterwards, but we were still surprised it was so late.

We hit our bed and never heard a thing till morning.


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## schumigirl

*WEDNESDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER.........
*
Today was going to be a very relaxing one........we had a busy couple of days coming up so as we were feeling a little bit tired already we decided to take it easy and not spend the whole day rushing around.......in saying that we were awake early again.......I would love to be able to sleep late, but it just didn't happen....

We Skyped Kyle early today and then went for breakfast......we were on slow motion today and even Lyanne in the lounge mentioned we looked a bit tired....we certainly felt it today.......but we kept going as we were acutely aware of how fast this trip was coming to a close.......we tried to put it out of our mind but we knew the next few days would be eventful.

This was our very strange encounter morning. A lady and her family were staying for 2 nights started chatting and said they were really "Disney" people......what does that even mean!!!! And she felt they were cheating on Disney by being here.......I never understand that thinking in people and we see it mentioned often on posts on here......as I said don't quite understand why folks would even begin to think that??? Weird.  Told her I hoped they enjoyed their time at Universal and she said well it`s not going to be Disney is it.......couldn't help myself......I said to her no, Universal is a million times better than Disney.......lol.......didn't go down well. I left at that point.

We went for the boat today as we were going to the Studios today and it felt quite cool around 8.30.......I was disappointed as I adored that sizzling hot feeling when you walked out of the air conditioned buildings........but it did heat up in no time at all. As we walked on to the boat we saw this little guy mooching around........I`m not a fan of things that swim in water that I can`t eat, but this little guy was cute





We had only a few companions on the boat today and apart from one very, very excited little 4 year old.......it was a quiet ride.......it was quiet going in today.......





We go straight to Despicable Me this morning and yep, always enjoy walking straight on. No pics this morning as we don't plan to be here long........we go over and do Shrek. We hadn't done this yet this trip, we do enjoy it but it`s not an every day visit. Again, always fun and I resist buying anything from the store as we exit........haven't got a Donkey anymore.

We go on RRR and one of our favourite TM is working today........he says before we even ask....The Front row......right......yep, that would be great.....the front is smoother than the back and we always ask for it, I do not mind how long we have to wait, it`s not usually long though. We do this 4 times today before I think I still want to do The Mummy........

Looking forward to seeing this finished.......









Park seemed really quiet at this moment....










We hit The Mummy and do this 4 or 5 times.........so much for a quick visit today. This ride has got to be one of the best around.....it`s not the tallest nor the fastest but the theming is spectacular and the storyline from beginning to end is top notch and really hard to beat on anything I`ve ever seen. And so much fun.

This is outside the store that has specifically opened up for HHN.......cute little store that had models of Michael Myers and some scary characters......merchandise was same as elsewhere......one of the staff members son worked HHN and he was in one of the houses,  and he was keen to tell us about how much him and his son love HHN. And I think it shows with the TM here that they enjoy what they do.






We wander down to Delancey Street and Tom wants to do TF.....not a ride I particularly like, but I go on with him as it`s nice to do rides together......but of course we snap some pictures....



















So we did Transformers and it wasn't half bad actually.......Tom loves these movies and I don't but it`s nice to do rides together rather than me wait outside.....but we only did it once as he doesn't feel the need to do this ride more than once a visit.......







we now wander over and are in time for Horror Make up Show......this is so much fun and the waiting area itself is worth a visit. Lots of props and old pictures of actors getting make up put on and a few other unusual pictures.....think I posted them in previous trip reports.......we enjoy the show as always, although there must have been a few Disney folks in as some didn't laugh at the Disney joke......always funny no matter how many times you hear it......lol.......I think she recognised this too!!

We had planned to leave the park and go eat lunch at the Bula Bar today then have some pool time, but we had stayed later than we thought and we were hungry. So Simpson`s area it was for us today. Food here is decent, only bad thing we had was the burger and we took it back and they happily replaced it for something else......but pizza, wraps, salad, shrimp and chicken thumbs were a success. Today I was planning on having chicken and waffles and Tom opted for the chicken drummers in bbq sauce with tator tots.......they were delicious I have to say.....he really enjoyed them.

I had taken macraven`s advice and asked for extra maple mayo in a little pot.....was a good idea as it was delicious....the chicken was tasty and fresh, by the time I reached the second waffle it was hard and inedible.....but by that time I had eaten enough.....it`s a very filling dish.......especially with the delicious tator tots.......





While we were sitting a lady came in and stopped suddenly and looked at me smiling......I actually thought we had taken her table or something and was about to apologise.......she said it`s Carole......oh I know you from the dis.......lol......she had read the trip reports and that was one of the reasons they had booked RPR.........that's always nice to hear......she was there with her husband and 2 kids......her name was Katie and she was  a really nice lady.....we chatted for a bit and she said they were going to HHN next night, her kids were teens and were looking forward to it......I really hope they enjoyed it........I was glad she stopped to say hello as I always enjoy chatting to folks. I don't think I asked her dis name, probably should have........but hope she`s reading this one too.........

After lunch my camera gave up on me. Another one. I am so unlucky with camera`s.........I got this picture of the food and it just went. Had been plodding along for a while this one to be honest......but we had 3 cameras with us and the only one we bring today gives up!!

So pool afternoon cancelled.........we head to Best Buys for a new one.......I could just use the other 2, but one is the big one of Tom`s that`s annoying to carry, and the other one is a fabulous cool pix one.....tiny, but again I had got the one that is moody. So, as I hadn't got anything from Tiffany for my birthday I said to Tom why don't I get a new camera......he thinks that's a good idea, so we walk back to the hotel and freshen up before heading for Best Buy.

I had planned to just get a cheaper one around $150, but when we saw them they weren't great. We didn't need another all singing all dancing one as we had Tom`s for that......but I did want a decent one.......so we looked all around and finally I chose this one.......and honestly it wasn't for the colour..........









When I see something I like I know it straight away.........so again, another easy purchase and we leave happy with what I got.........it`s early so we have a quick mooch into Mall at Millenia again.......now, I think, what if I see something in Tiffany now.......lol.......I say we wont go in, but we do......but, again I really don't see anything that makes me want to buy it.........so, we wander around and have a coffee and sit for a while watching the day to day life in the Mall.

There are some lovely stores here and we could wander around for hours......and rather unusually we don't buy anything today.......except.......we do pass the Godiva store and I really fancy the strawberries......they are huge and look so sweet, so we get 3 one with white choc coating and 2 with milk for Tom..........the chocolate was nice I have to say.....but the fruit was delicious..........now I`m craving fresh strawberries.

We did think of going to Wholefoods or just Walmart, but to be honest we were too lazy.......now we just wanted to go back to the room, play with the camera and get ready for tonight. That`s what we did......Tom got to play with the camera first as he is better at setting these things up than I am..........then we got showered and changed and headed up to the Club Lounge........none of us were driving so we could both enjoy some wines tonight.

Tonight we were using the very kind invitation to eat in the Islands.


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## schumigirl

We had made a quick laundry stop today and just got a few items we wanted to wear again washed and dried, and unfortunately had to iron them.......so that should see us till end of our trip with clothes, well, we hoped so........

We went up to the lounge and our favourite guy Bryson was working........so we chatted to him and a couple of others. You do get to know them so well when you stay so long, and of course get your favourites. They are all lovely, but you do make connections with some more than others......so sitting chatting and getting to know them all is a lovely way to spend an hour or so. And our wine glasses never get the chance to be empty which is wonderful service.

We go down to the Islands about 6.30. We know there is a character dinner tonight and we found out in the Lounge it was a minion, not Gru tonight......which is a shame as Gru was fabulous last year......interaction was amazing and he was so funny......but a minion would be good fun too.

We get seated and our waiter comes over and we show him we have the voucher for dinner, we just have to add whatever wine charges we have........we get 2 soft drinks and look over the menu and the wine list, which isn't extensive but most people could get something off of it.

We do order a bottle of white and then peruse the Islands Dinner menu.........

I can always choose a decent bottle of wine........





We see a minion almost immediately in the distance.......





Our waiter comes back and asks if we have decided yet.......I had spoken to him about allergies and he assured me the chef had checked and I could order what I wanted to order......so I was happy with that.......he did ask if I wanted to speak with the chef personally but I was good with what he told me.

We ordered Chicken Yakatori and crab Rangoon for appetisers, and for entrees Tom went for the ribs and I opted for the steak served rare for tonight........I`m so fussy with steak and hoped it would be just prefect........






















The minion made a lovely kissing sound so of course I had to reciprocate..........he was so cute.........we took loads of pictures and some were a little blurry including one of me dancing with him






They do spend loads of time with each table......and I knew he would be back later.....they do stints of around 20-30 minutes then go away, but do come back.........meanwhile our appetisers had arrived just in nice time......









They were really nice.......chicken was moist, tasty and very hot........maybe could be doing with a little more sauce on them, but they were nice.....Tom`s crab Rangoon were different to what we expected.......but again, straight form the kitchen so they were spitting hot and very tasty.........we hadn't eaten a lot of the bread they bring, but that was nice too.......

We were enjoying the wine also, and so far it had been a lovely evening......who doesn't love dancing with a minion........

Our entrees arrived and they looked delicious.........I think Tom picked the winner.....









My steak was indeed rare........it was gorgeous!! And everything on the plates were delicious......but Tom`s ribs had it all.......sweet, spicy and fall off the bone perfect.........I did stela a rib and he got a bit of my steak which was slightly too rare for him, but he said it tasted lovely.........

I was so glad we had come to eat here, it wasn't busy which was a good thing as you got more time with the minion......

Then weird thing happened. Tom made a quick comment about my friend who had passed earlier in the year.........we spoke briefly of her then we changed the subject to when the minion would be back........all of a sudden my water glass shattered in the middle of the table! No one had touched it and nothing clinked against it.......we just kinda looked at each other and said she was annoyed we had stopped talking about her.......she did like to hold court. Anyway our waiter appeared and began clearing it up and moved us to a booth while it was sorted........I just said she wouldn't have shattered the wine glass as she enjoyed wine too........lol.......it was just a little odd.

So we move to the booth and we order our dessert.......coconut ice cream for me and a chocolate something or other for Tom.........the ice cream is a side to another dessert, but you can just ask for it on it`s own.......







Not the greatest pictures, but the chocolate dessert was as small as it looked........he was expecting something more I think, but he enjoyed it.........my ice cream was gorgeous as always........

It`s such a nice restaurant and again we will be interested to see how the refurb goes for here too......and the booth is so comfy.......










Our minion was back in and had come around for a hug before he left......and of course couldn`t leave without a final wave........it`s so weird as I get so excited to see some characters, almost childlike but I didn't care.......I was having fun........





Once the minion had left we were finished too.........we had enjoyed a lovely meal here tonight, but it was only 8pm......so we paid the bill for what just was the wine, but we tipped on what would have been the cost of the whole meal. Wouldn`t skimp on the tip ever.

We went straight up to The Club Lounge and thanked Bryson profusely for arranging for us to have this dinner tonight, he was just glad we enjoyed it so much.........we had a coffee a quickly looked at the desserts on offer tonight......they did look nice but we were full......and lounge was lovely and quiet tonight again.....













We don't stay long, we really only wanted to thank Bryson for such a lovely meal, so we took our coffee and went to our room to get changed and have a an hour in the pool.......it was a bit rushed but it was such a nice evening and we didn't really want to do anything else......lazing in a pool lounger sounded good about now.........

So that's what we did.........can`t remember what movie was on but we didn't really watch it........had a couple of soft drinks and sat till they blew the whistle........the pool was almost empty at times which was nice, but enough people around that it didn't feel too lonely.........

It did feel a little cooler tonight, but certainly not cold. Back in the room we watched some TV and then flopped asleep around 11. We had a couple of busy days ahead and a nice surprise coming up.


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## schumigirl

*THURSDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER.............
*
We were awake with the larks this morning after having an amazing sleep........again, thought we would sleep late as we were doing HHN tonight, but since we were awake we got up and I realised I had spilled something on my dress last night and Tom wanted to get something else washed so we decided on hitting the pool again this morning and stick a few things in the laundry.........sounded ok to me as pool is always quiet in the morning.......

Skyped Kyle before we went for breakfast.......he was doing ok..........we were missing him dreadfully by now, but he was fine.......lol......







so we went to laundry and put a few items in and went up for breakfast which was light today, just some fruit and a slice of toast.........then back down to put clothes in dryer before heading for the pool








































We spend a couple of hours till the sun covers the pool completely and then go get showered and changed and we head to the Mall at Millenia for a wander and lunch at The Cheesecake Factory........I wait for Tom to go get the car today as I`m talking to someone I know from valet, and when he goes I get some pics of the entrance area to RP......it was such a beautiful day and we felt incredibly lucky with the weather.......













Cheesecake Factory is Kyle`s favourite place for dessert and it was funny the times they remembered him from previous years..........boy loves his chocolate cake!!! So Tom had been ordered to enjoy at least one while we were there. I'm sure you know how much I love this mall, it just has everything we like, not too big and some lovely stores inside. But we were really here for lunch today.





































We first went to Macy`s for the Clinique counter who were doing rewards day........so, we bought some things I wanted and got the free gift and goody bag........it has some really nice things inside and when we go through to pay the guy who served us sees me looking at 4 tubs of things with items inside. I ask what they are and he says samples for when you buy certain things.......he pops one of each in bag too of which I am pleased as they are nice........very nice of him too. I pick up a Chanel perfume too, I like Chance au Fraiche which is just lovely and the 100ml usually lasts me around 6 months........

Now Tom`s tummy is rumbling.......so Cheesecake Factory it is..........

We take a picture of his favourite Linda`s Chocolate Fudge cake on the counter............it is huge!!!













We get seated and are given the largest menu ever in a restaurant.........I`m sure if we came for dinner we would take an hour to choose.......






lunch is slightly easier........I opt for BBQ Burger with sweet potato fries and Tom gets........

Linda Fudge Cake........if he had a sandwich no way would he have been able to eat the cake, which is why Kyle always chose to have just the cake for lunch..........



















The lady at the table beside us is amazed at the cake and tells Tom he will never finish it........lol........always up for a challenge..........






Easy for him.........as everyone who has read any of my trip reports will know I hate chocolate cake with a passion so cannot understand how they can eat one so large and so rich!!! But, they love it and Kyle judges all cakes by Linda`s on a scale of it being a 10. I make a flourless chocolate cake for him at home and I am delighted he rates that as a 10 too.

Food was lovely.......the burger was really nice and sweet potato fries were among the nicest I had tasted......and of course Tom loved the cake!! We were so full by now.........

Quick photo op and we are off to Total Wine for a gift for someone special.






We get to total wine and we just love this place.........thousands of wines and spirits and full of flavoured spirits that we just don't get...........we could spend some serious money in here........as soon as we step out of the car the heavens opened.....we had commented leaving the mall that it felt so humid and the skies were getting extremely black......so we ran for the building and then all we could hear was massive rumblings of thunder and we could see the lightning flashing in the sky from the window........we were glad we were inside.........it went on for ages so we took our time and marvelled at the vast array of products on offer.........eventually we chose a wine for ourselves and the gifts we wanted for someone.

We ended up standing in the doorway for around 20 minutes as the weather wasn't easing any.......but when there was a slight gap in the downpour we made a run for the car and got seriously wet doing so.........but we were in and made the very slow journey back to the hotel as everyone was taking it easy.

As we neared the hotel as is usually the way with afternoon downpours it eased dramatically........but Tom dropped me off at the door and went to park the car. I carried our purchases in and it was awkward as there was a rather large gift box too......but one of the valet guys helped and I made sure not to forget to get Tom to tip him as I do not carry cash usually.........we got to the room and dried off a little hoping the downpour wouldn't come back on for HHN tonight.

Put the wine in the fridge and got the parcel wrapped and looked forward to our next night at HHN.


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## Tmarmac

Love your trip reports!  Heading to Orlando and Universal for the first time next month and am learning so much from you!  Can't wait to stay RPR.

thanks!


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## schumigirl

Tmarmac said:


> Love your trip reports!  Heading to Orlando and Universal for the first time next month and am learning so much from you!  Can't wait to stay RPR.
> 
> thanks!



 Tmarmac.............wow.....first time at Universal!! Think I'm a bit jealous.....to go back and see it again for the first time would be amazing, especially as it is now........you'll have so much fun I'm sure.......and of course we adore RP so I hope you love that too.........

I'm so glad you enjoy reading along and thank you for saying so, it's always nice to hear........

Hope you enjoy the rest........not long to go now...........


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## Tink2Day

Yay, I see the cake finally made it's appearance.  I opt for the red velvet cheesecake to go whenever I go to our local Cheesecake Factory, it usually takes me 3 days to eat it but it's always yummy.  I have seen the chocolate cake but it seems quite daunting.  Loving your report, you and Tom always look so happy!


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## schumigirl

Tink2Day said:


> Yay, I see the cake finally made it's appearance.  I opt for the red velvet cheesecake to go whenever I go to our local Cheesecake Factory, it usually takes me 3 days to eat it but it's always yummy.  I have seen the chocolate cake but it seems quite daunting.  Loving your report, you and Tom always look so happy!



Lol........couldn't have a visit without the chocolate cake.........yep, even the regular cheesecake takes a lot of eating.......I used to love the white chocolate one or the key lime.......but not worth getting one to just eat a bite of it......I think Tom tried the red velvet one on our very first visit years ago and he loved it......

Thank you for the nice comment .......and glad you're still reading along.......


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## schumigirl

I had literally just finished wrapping the gift properly when the phone rang. We had arranged by someone very special to us to be staying at Sapphire Falls for our last 2 nights, but, he called and long story short asked if we wanted to move to another room in RPR today for the next four nights........he said we could totally still do the other room if we wished, but this was another option.......I was blown away when he said it was The Presidential Suite here in this hotel.......well, we said we would be overjoyed to move there.......he said he would come up and take us to see it........I told him we could be packed in 10 minutes......lol....actually think we did it 7 minutes. Everything. Washing and all..........while we waited we were just gobsmacked at the kind gesture and were a bit overwhelmed if I`m honest.......but so excited at the same time to be in such a room for 4 nights......we might not want to leave!!!

When we walked along we were both bursting with anticipation.......we had seen pictures of it online, but hadn't seen it since the refurb..........

When we walked in we were just astounded by just how lovely and how spacious it was.........and the view was definitely the best one yet..........

I will say these pictures were taken after our initial viewing......we went back and packed up and then took most of the pictures before we cluttered the place up with our stuff........warning....... this is a very picture centric post!!!!



















When you enter, there is a small kitchen to the right and a lovely little bathroom to the left.......









































































































Our view..........













We adored this Suite and loved the view..........then we saw the bathroom........


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## schumigirl

We literally had fallen in love with this suite and were very impressed with the high quality finish it had to everything......I love a big bathroom, so we were delighted when we saw this........it became a joke with us how many showers we would take.....just because........and yep, it was a TV within the mirror































We loved playing around with the lighting in the bathroom......there were allsorts of varieties to choose from......this was cosy to say the least







This one was taken on another day, just to show proportion.....pictures really don't always show how big things are at times, and this shower was huge!!! We have a big walk in shower in our ensuite at home, or so I thought till I saw this one........it was amazing!! And all the gadgets worked perfectly......water literally came out of everywhere on the wall..........






Once we had unpacked and made the place "home" for the next 4 days we couldn't wait to Skype Kyle........I had told him we would Skype tomorrow but thought I would try anyway.......he had left it open just in case........it was so funny when he could see the background behind me had changed from the previous room........we were thrilled to show him around it with the ipad.......it was like he was there at that point........well, not quite but almost.

He loved the rooms and the space, and especially the bathroom........he was so happy we were sharing such a wonderful suite and he knew how much we would enjoy it........we were still on the 6th floor as we really do prefer that floor to any other......there is another Presidential Suite on the 7th floor, but we heard the person in that complain a little about how busy the floor was.......we were certainly happy anyway.

We truly just wandered around for a while.........we were planning on HHN that night, but if truth be told we would have been happy just sitting there, ordering room service and enjoy the room for the night.......but we were still keen to enjoy more of HHN........so I went for the first of my many, many showers and got changed to go out again.......Tom was tickled to see me so impressed with a set of rooms, but particularly the shower.

And I seemed to take a plethora of pictures any chance I got...........
























So once Tom got showered and changed too we were ready to pop out to the lounge for a drink, they saw on the computer we had changed rooms and they all asked if we loved the shower as they had all seen the Suite at some point after they were refurbed.........so, it did become a talking point of how many showers we had taken......anyone listening must have thought it was a bit weird.

We were incredibly grateful for being given the opportunity to have this suite, and of course we did enjoy it to the full......

But, after a couple of glasses of wine we were ready to be scared witless again.........we went early and wanted to cover a few things before heading to Sal`s at PBH for dinner.........


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## angryduck71

I love you but I AM JEALOUS!!!  So excited to see more pics of the suite!!!


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## tink1957

Wow Carole   What a great room...I could live in that shower.


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## Raeven

That suite is so cool! I love the bathroom too! The tv in the mirror and the big shower are so awesome.


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## schumigirl

angryduck71 said:


> I love you but I AM JEALOUS!!!  So excited to see more pics of the suite!!!



Lol..........I do have more pics, but they're very similar........not quite sure why I took pics every day......maybe in case something changed .......but once our clutter was around it didn't look quite as tidy........but it was amazing!!

The bed was comfiest ever!!!


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## schumigirl

tink1957 said:


> Wow Carole   What a great room...I could live in that shower.



That's what we said!!!! I actually did lose count of the showers I took........it became quite the joke.......lol......fabulous rooms though..........


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## schumigirl

Raeven said:


> That suite is so cool! I love the bathroom too! The tv in the mirror and the big shower are so awesome.



Yep, cool it certainly was and such a surprise for us!!! 

It was an amazing bathroom and everything was just gleaming..............never thought I'd want to spend so much time in a bathroom.......and the TV was so funny........Tom decided within 10 minutes he needed to get one fitted to our master bathroom........lol........really, no. Not going to happen.........


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## Tink2Day

Wow!  Party in the shower, BYOB.


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## starousse

What a fabulous room!


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## schumigirl

Tink2Day said:


> Wow!  Party in the shower, BYOB.



lol.......we absolutely could have had a big party in there 



starousse said:


> What a fabulous room!



It really was........we could easily have spent the next 4 days holed up in there and order room service......


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## schumigirl

We got the boat as usual for horror nights, we really didn't want to leave that room if we were honest, it was so lovely.....but we were here to make the most of HHN and were so looking forward to our last couple of visits to the event.......we were enjoying it so much this year, despite some of the houses not being our first choice, the whole event was spectacularly done as always and we every night thanked our lucky stars we had EP.

It was still light as we were very early tonight, we entered as usual through hotel guest entrance which is good to avoid the general queue with........it was surprisingly busy tonight and although we were usually later going in, it was nice to see a great crowd for the event.

Tonight we had planned to just do what we felt like........by now everyone knows we plan nothing much and usually go with the flow......so we headed round our usual route along side the Vamp 55 scare zone........you begin to recognise certain scare actors over the event and I recognise many tonight........






Again, always some waiting to creep up on you........


















Bit blurry, but these guys were so funny......I`m sure my husband took 30 pics of this encounter, as it went for a while, so although some of my posts are very narcissistic as my husband doesn't have a lot of pictures taken, I wont post them all..........





















Tom was having more fun than me watching all of this.....he could see SA approaching when I couldn't so I became very distrustful when he told me to stand somewhere........all though I became vigilant, I missed a few......these guys we knew from other nights too and they  got me so many times.......they recognise folks who react well apparently.......














This guy was so cool........he had the oddest ice lollies ever.......no, you wouldn't want to eat them!!!! Looked like a mix of eyeballs and insects..........but very cool for HHN.........






There was another HHN store popped up in opposite Horror Make Up Show.......this one had loads of props from shows and former rides......the cow from Twister was for sale and it was quite cute seeing it there and lots of other memorabilia.........we were glad we spotted it as we had missed it previous nights........





























We managed not to succumb to desire and purchase any items.......there were a lot of things we could have purchased, but we had to think of getting things back on the plane........and taking a full sized zombie maybe wouldn't have been the sensible thing to do........

We planned to watch the whole of the Academy of Villains show tonight, but we decided not to start waiting just now, it does get busy but we were going to be happy standing anywhere......so we headed through the next scare zone and wanted to do the Halloween house again tonight......couldn't miss that one!!!



















I had no idea this big guy was behind me at this point........you can guess my reaction, but Tom missed it as a young lady had bashed into him, so the camera was knocked.....she was very apologetic, but these things happen.......

















We head round to do Halloween, the queue showed 10 minutes, but tonight as we walked through the regular queue it was obvious it was much longer than 10 minutes, so we spoke to one of the TM and showed her we had EP and asked if we could go under the ropes to the EP line......she said of course we could and so, we skipped under and walked straight round to the front........







We loved this house again, so much fun and again we got some of the best scares......I had a very tall person in front of me again, and he was  a big guy so he didn't seem to get a lot of the scares......that was my joy to receive again.....at one point tonight Tom thought he was going to do himself an injury laughing so hard.......I froze a little a few times....and he finds this hilarious........I suppose it might be from his opinion, and I did enjoy the scares......lol.......

The biggest scare was at the end......Michael had got me a few times here, even when I was expecting it, but tonight I peered round the corner first and there wasn't a Michael there.......I turned round to tell Tom there was no last scare tonight.....then turned back round and he had come out from behind the curtain and was right in front of me with his knife raised.......I almost passed out........he was perfect.......towered over me and did the head tilt which sent me over the edge at this point........lol....then I screamed and ran.......I swear Tom had set it up, but knew he couldn't have.....anyway, we laughed like drains when we got outside........and again I discovered I could run faster than I realised.........

By now we stopped off for some water and thought about what we wanted to do next.......did we want to go round and do the whole park, or did we want to go back the way and head over to PB then go back and enjoy our gorgeous suite......well, since we were flagging a little by now, we cut back the way......and we were hungry too......

So, back through the scare zones and of course it`s darker now.......






















Yep, big tall guy got me again...........

Time for Academy Of Villains and then Sal`s at PBH for the best pizza onsite.........


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## schumigirl

Academy of Villains had just begun as we walked into the area.......it was full and this show should be regular event at HHN.....it was high energy entertaining of the finest calibre.......these guys nailed every move and every beat was more energetic than the last........the main guy, is a real star. but, everyone was wonderful........














An amazing show, that is quite hard to describe, but after the awful performance of Bill and Ted this year they really should replace that with this gem.......everyone loved it and so many folks have commented how good it was compared to how B&T were........but, we`ll see.

Now we didn't feel like leaving yet, that's us to a tee........do whatever we feel like, it`s why we never make definite plans......things change.........

We wander round and decide to do Exorcist and AHS again, but first we drop into Monsters Café for a drink....we love this place, not for the food......it`s not great in there, but the décor is very cool......

The Exorcist has a 40 minute wait for the regular line but tonight we walk on without even stopping......it`s amazing.......again we consider the purchase of the EP as a good deal.........the house is fun, not too many scares tonight as we have a group of young ladies in front of us who are real screamers.......now, they are funny, not annoying......I spoke to one as we walked in and she said this was their first HHN ever......they came from Maine and were loving every second of it........they had just gone in on front of us from the regular line and said they hated queueing, of course they did..........they were really nice and it was so much fun watching them getting scares.........so, although we dindt get the scares it was a huge amount of fun........

We came out and decided to do RRR tonight........we love this ride, but love it more at night.........we don't ususally do the rides at night during HHN but, couldn't resist........and we got the front which was spectacular.........and so much fun.







We slip past Chance tonight, who is funny as ever..........having a go at everyone.......although she did shout out to Tom as he passed that he had her Jack on his shirt.....which indeed he did.........but, we weren't hanging around tonight.......


We do AHS which again was more or less  a walk on, maybe a few minutes at most while the regular line went through, so very quickly we were in and enjoyed it immensely tonight........first night I wasn't convinced I would like this house, but it was definitely a grower.........

We left the park and went for the boat to PBH..........nice that there is one waiting........






Sal`s is a place we go once every trip, pizza is excellent and it`s a nice place. We are not impressed with the other restaurants at PB.......we are not big Italian food fans, but when we did eat there we found it tasted processed and not to our taste at all. So we don't eat there any more......but PB is lovely at night......we always avoid the Italian opera singer, again, not to our taste as we hate Opera........grew up having to see it at the school I went to and grew to hate it rather than love it.........so we get the boat and she isn't singing.......






And I finally manage to get a picture of my husband..........he really was there with me.........


















We head in to Sal`s and always like it in here, they gave it a revamp last year and I think I prefer the older version better, but it is nice......

















We have ordered a BBQ chicken pizza no scallions....and add jalapenos as is tradition for me with pizza`s .......love anything spicy........and it is as always, delicious.......they give you a buzzer and you go pick it up when it`s ready.......doesn't take long but everything is cooked so fresh.......and it`s so tasty.......






We don't get the large as it`s huge......the regular size is big enough to share......we have fantas to go with it and we love this meal.........we are suitably full and decide not have some of the gorgeous gelato......we would like to, but no room.

We decide to walk up to the lobby and get an ODC to take us back to RP.......it just saves us having to walk back for the boat, then wait for RP boat.......the car will take us direct. So we give the guy our name and room number as we get into the car.......it`s a good service and only costs the tip. We always tip well, and its such a shame to hear of folks not tipping.........but our tired feet tonight are glad not to be pounding along again........

We walk into the hotel and Tom asks if I want to go for a cocktail........eh, no I think we`ll go enjoy our room........

Turndown has been and all drapes have been closed and very low lighting has been set and it looks so lovely..........we put the waters in the fridge to keep cold, there are various cans of soda and waters already in there along with the wine we put in earlier.......so Tom pours us a glass of wine while I go take another shower and get into jammies.........we plan to just watch some TV and relax...........
























This was like a cosy night in..........we had poured a glass of wine, had some chips and dip in bowls and had our feet up along the settee watching some movie on TV and just enjoying being all cosy and wrapped up in our little paradise.........we were so relaxed I believe we could easily have dropped off there and then, but eventually we tidied up our glasses and our snack plates then went through to sleep in what was the comfiest bed I had ever slept on in a hotel.........

I did glance out of the window and everything looked so lovely.....the pool was shimmery and Dr Doom was very purple.........it was just perfect. And we still had 3 nights left. We always feel blessed and appreciate everything, but tonight were feeling very extra special at that moment.


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## Raeven

schumigirl said:


> Academy of Villains had just begun as we walked into the area.......it was full and this show should be regular event at HHN.....it was high energy entertaining of the finest calibre.......these guys nailed every move and every beat was more energetic than the last........the main guy, is a real star. but, everyone was wonderful........
> 
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> An amazing show, that is quite hard to describe, but after the awful performance of Bill and Ted this year they really should replace that with this gem.......everyone loved it and so many folks have commented how good it was compared to how B&T were........but, we`ll see.
> 
> Now we didn't feel like leaving yet, that's us to a tee........do whatever we feel like, it`s why we never make definite plans......things change.........
> 
> We wander round and decide to do Exorcist and AHS again, but first we drop into Monsters Café for a drink....we love this place, not for the food......it`s not great in there, but the décor is very cool......
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Exorcist has a 40 minute wait for the regular line but tonight we walk on without even stopping......it`s amazing.......again we consider the purchase of the EP as a good deal.........the house is fun, not too many scares tonight as we have a group of young ladies in front of us who are real screamers.......now, they are funny, not annoying......I spoke to one as we walked in and she said this was their first HHN ever......they came from Maine and were loving every second of it........they had just gone in on front of us from the regular line and said they hated queueing, of course they did..........they were really nice and it was so much fun watching them getting scares.........so, although we dindt get the scares it was a huge amount of fun........
> 
> We came out and decided to do RRR tonight........we love this ride, but love it more at night.........we don't ususally do the rides at night during HHN but, couldn't resist........and we got the front which was spectacular.........and so much fun.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We slip past Chance tonight, who is funny as ever..........having a go at everyone.......although she did shout out to Tom as he passed that he had her Jack on his shirt.....which indeed he did.........but, we weren't hanging around tonight.......
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We do AHS which again was more or less  a walk on, maybe a few minutes at most while the regular line went through, so very quickly we were in and enjoyed it immensely tonight........first night I wasn't convinced I would like this house, but it was definitely a grower.........
> 
> We left the park and went for the boat to PBH..........nice that there is one waiting........
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sal`s is a place we go once every trip, pizza is excellent and it`s a nice place. We are not impressed with the other restaurants at PB.......we are not big Italian food fans, but when we did eat there we found it tasted processed and not to our taste at all. So we don't eat there any more......but PB is lovely at night......we always avoid the Italian opera singer, again, not to our taste as we hate Opera........grew up having to see it at the school I went to and grew to hate it rather than love it.........so we get the boat and she isn't singing.......
> 
> 
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> 
> And I finally manage to get a picture of my husband..........he really was there with me.........
> 
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> 
> We head in to Sal`s and always like it in here, they gave it a revamp last year and I think I prefer the older version better, but it is nice......
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> 
> We have ordered a BBQ chicken pizza no scallions....and add jalapenos as is tradition for me with pizza`s .......love anything spicy........and it is as always, delicious.......they give you a buzzer and you go pick it up when it`s ready.......doesn't take long but everything is cooked so fresh.......and it`s so tasty.......
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We don't get the large as it`s huge......the regular size is big enough to share......we have fantas to go with it and we love this meal.........we are suitably full and decide not have some of the gorgeous gelato......we would like to, but no room.
> 
> We decide to walk up to the lobby and get an ODC to take us back to RP.......it just saves us having to walk back for the boat, then wait for RP boat.......the car will take us direct. So we give the guy our name and room number as we get into the car.......it`s a good service and only costs the tip. We always tip well, and its such a shame to hear of folks not tipping.........but our tired feet tonight are glad not to be pounding along again........
> 
> We walk into the hotel and Tom asks if I want to go for a cocktail........eh, no I think we`ll go enjoy our room........
> 
> Turndown has been and all drapes have been closed and very low lighting has been set and it looks so lovely..........we put the waters in the fridge to keep cold, there are various cans of soda and waters already in there along with the wine we put in earlier.......so Tom pours us a glass of wine while I go take another shower and get into jammies.........we plan to just watch some TV and relax...........
> 
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> 
> This was like a cosy night in..........we had poured a glass of wine, had some chips and dip in bowls and had our feet up along the settee watching some movie on TV and just enjoying being all cosy and wrapped up in our little paradise.........we were so relaxed I believe we could easily have dropped off there and then, but eventually we tidied up our glasses and our snack plates then went through to sleep in what was the comfiest bed I had ever slept on in a hotel.........
> 
> I did glance out of the window and everything looked so lovely.....the pool was shimmery and Dr Doom was very purple.........it was just perfect. And we still had 3 nights left. We always feel blessed and appreciate everything, but tonight were feeling very extra special at that moment.


Academy of Villians was so cool! 

We missed that shop too! We'll have to look for it next year. 

Love the pictures of Sal's we'll probably eat there on our next trip and it's nice to see the inside since we've never been. 

You've probably mentioned this before but I just noticed. The car service you took back to your hotel for free is that for all the hotels or just certain ones? We wanted to do a resort hop on our next trip and we're planning to do some walking but might want to get a ride if possible between others.


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## schumigirl

Raeven said:


> Academy of Villians was so cool!
> 
> We missed that shop too! We'll have to look for it next year.
> 
> Love the pictures of Sal's we'll probably eat there on our next trip and it's nice to see the inside since we've never been.
> 
> You've probably mentioned this before but I just noticed. The car service you took back to your hotel for free is that for all the hotels or just certain ones? We wanted to do a resort hop on our next trip and we're planning to do some walking but might want to get a ride if possible between others.



I think they'll bring those stores back again next year, they were incredibly popular with guests apparently and of course anywhere they can sell more merchandise is always good for them........

Sal's is so good!!  Never heard anyone not enjoy it........

We never used them when we went to SF as it's so easy to walk through the conventions areas, and we don't want to go to Cabana Bay so I'm not sure about those two........we did use them between the three main hotels, RP, PB and HRH....it was ideal really........I would ask though........


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## Raeven

schumigirl said:


> I think they'll bring those stores back again next year, they were incredibly popular with guests apparently and of course anywhere they can sell more merchandise is always good for them........
> 
> Sal's is so good!!  Never heard anyone not enjoy it........
> 
> We never used them when we went to SF as it's so easy to walk through the conventions areas, and we don't want to go to Cabana Bay so I'm not sure about those two........we did use them between the three main hotels, RP, PB and HRH....it was ideal really........I would ask though........



I think they might only be free between the main ones. On one trip we went from PB to CBBR and it was a flat rate plus tip. We planned to walk from CBBR to SF and RPH though so we'll probably utilize the car to the other two then.


----------



## schumigirl

*FRIDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER.........
*
We slept like babies last night.......the bed was huge and we had so much space.......pillows seemed even more comfortable than our other rooms pillows, but maybe we imagined that as the regular pillows are so soft and comfortable.....but, apart from getting up once for the bathroom, and once to just wander around......Tom laughed when he heard me wandering around..........

We got up extra early as I was keen to shower......again.......Tom stayed and watched some TV while I got ready......I loved this shower!!!! I had every water jet possible going this morning and I wouldn't have been surprised if they had charged us extra for the water I used!!! I didn't want to stop showering.......which is always nice......

Got back in room and dried and straightened my hair while Tom got ready......I heard my ipad go off and Kyle was skyping us.......he was keen to see the room again and so I walked around again and showed him the view out of the window again.......he liked it.











Tom came out of the shower and said hi to Kyle, then he had to go, so we headed up to breakfast rather reluctantly......I never want to eat in the room, but I could have ordered room service happily here and have my breakfast at this lovely table.......but we went up to breakfast and none of the usual staff were on this morning, so we were very quick today. We went back down and picked up my bag and headed out for the day. Well, we planned to do the outlet mall at the top of IDrive and just wander a little then head out for lunch to somewhere further afield today, although not too far.

It was toasty hot again when we stepped outside again.......we had no sunscreen on as it was just the mall today, we felt like a day off of the parks and this outlet centre is nice. Usually we prefer to do them at night when it`s a little cooler and not have to worry about burning, but we wont be here too long.

The volcano is really coming along..........












It`s a 5 minute drive from the hotel at the most, and it`s fairly quiet at this time of day. You can sometimes struggle with a decent close parking space, unless you use valet.....we found out 2 years ago after usung valet for years that our car insurance for the hire car didn't cover valet......so we stopped using it.........but it is so convenient.












We wander and find most stores just opening up, so we had timed it nice.......we went in a few and I was aware that I couldn't make any large purchases as we had reached capacity really with all our suitcases........but, Bath and Body, Lindt  and Yankee Candle were essentials......I did purchase a few things, some would be gifts for folks but I love the body lotions and body sprays too........very hard to resist........












We really don't spend too long here, one, its too hot......and two, I`ve been limited on what I can purchase, so we take our bags back to the room and are glad to see the room has been done already..........we did meet our new housekeeper as we entered the room and she stopped us to say Thank You for her tip.......we do leave an envelope every day for the housekeeper, clearly marked so she knows it`s for her.......it`s nice to know it`s appreciated......she`s a nice lady. And our suite as always is immaculate........

We head back out to the car and set of for our lunch destination.......we are going to Yellow Dog Eats in Gotha. Not too far away, but very few tourists go there right now......I know a few that do, but it`s not a huge tourist venue yet.......the drive is beautiful......once you get off the main highway, you drive through a couple of really lovely little towns.....I see a house I fall in love with.......but, we have to drive past.......it only takes about 30 minutes to get there and if you blink you`ll miss it.......it`s just to the side of a road and doesn't look the greatest place but food is amazing........






You park around the back where there is ample parking spaces, but rustic is a good description........it is boiling hot now and we hope we can eat inside as there are very few inside seats......most folks eat outside......except us tourists who aren't used to this heat......




















We step inside and it is cosy.......very small and intimate, there are maybe 2 tables you can sit at, and around 6 seats at the bar.......that's where we end up sitting today.......

























It is such an interesting and eclectic place to eat.......very unusual items for sale and different which is good......the wines they had I had never heard of most of them, and if I was staying longer, we would certainly purchase a few of them.....they also have the most amazing desserts and cakes........






And Kyle would have loved this one.......






So we ordered a fresh lemonade and a coke for me, the after studying the menu for what seemed like forever we decided to just order sandwiches........the choice is tremendous and the meals like ribs are supposed to be amazing, not today......it is very different to most places that have standard sandwiches.........Tom had ordered the Black Forest Hambone and I had opted for the plain old pulled pork sandwich with their own gold sauce......they both came with a smoked pineapple slice which was heavenly.......













Tom loves sandwiches......he`ll eat most things on a sandwich and this one came in very high regard from him.....he even liked the odd tasting mayo which was made with Cointreau which he doesn't usually like, but he liked it a lot.......mine was lush.......really lush......one of the nicest pulled porks ever and the sauce really made you mouth water.......

It is such a friendly place and of course food is excellent, so definitely worth visiting.........

We paid and headed out as we had no room for dessert, and we spoke to a couple who said it was still quite unusual to see many tourists.......we did say we would keep it quiet.....lol.......she said she hoped so as they liked it this way.......we didn't take offence as we knew what she meant, then she suddenly realised what she had said and was horrified that she may have been rude........we just laughed and again said we understood what she meant.......but the poor lady did feel bad and her husband looked mortified........it was fine.







We got into our car and headed back to Orlando, driving through the very pretty countryside again......I thought I might like this house when it was finished......






Didn't take too long before we got back to the RP.......we got the car parked and went up to the room to freshen up and then headed back out to have a real wander around Sapphire Falls. When we had seen it last time we didn't spend a lot of time in the outside areas, so we planned to do that this afternoon.


----------



## Lynne G

what a cute little place.  And that suite.  So awesome.  Mummy dust for sure.  Thanks for the updates.


----------



## Tmarmac

What an amazing room!  Love the shower!!!!


----------



## schumigirl

Lynne G said:


> what a cute little place.  And that suite.  So awesome.  Mummy dust for sure.  Thanks for the updates.



It was a fabulous little place to eat Lynne.......not too far away either, but far enough........

Yep, the suite was truly fabulous..........glad you're still reading along.........



Tmarmac said:


> What an amazing room!  Love the shower!!!!



It really was amazing, we thoroughly enjoyed spending time in it..........and yep, the shower was fabulous!! Think we were the cleanest couple in Orlando........lol.........


----------



## angryduck71

WHYYYYYY am I not in that suite now?  WHYYYYYYY????!!!?? #stilljealous


----------



## Bluer101

They removed the office in the suite and shifted the living room down. Then made a 2 chair sitting area with tv where the dining table used to be. 

I do like the new suite and such, but the old room with all the hand carved woodwork was very nice too. 

When we stayed there it had a big shower on the left and hot tub on the right. 

Loving all the photos as usual on your trippie.


----------



## keishashadow

Hi Kyle! . 

All caught up but plan to do back and devour the pics again!!!  

Really a nice job with them, as usual Carole, thank you!  So, you're happy with 'our' camera?

I could live in that suite, it is utterly amazing.  do believe the shower may be bigger than my smallest bedroom in my house lol

I am suddenly hungry for a snack btw.


----------



## schumigirl

angryduck71 said:


> WHYYYYYY am I not in that suite now?  WHYYYYYYY????!!!?? #stilljealous



Lol.....so funny........always next time........



Bluer101 said:


> They removed the office in the suite and shifted the living room down. Then made a 2 chair sitting area with tv where the dining table used to be.
> 
> I do like the new suite and such, but the old room with all the hand carved woodwork was very nice too.
> 
> When we stayed there it had a big shower on the left and hot tub on the right.
> 
> Loving all the photos as usual on your trippie.



Yes its certainly different from the night you had in there.......it`s much nicer than it was though.......we wouldn't use a hot tub so we were glad of the ginormous shower we had..........it was mahoosive........

Glad you`re enjoying it anyway........


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Hi Kyle! .
> 
> All caught up but plan to do back and devour the pics again!!!
> 
> Really a nice job with them, as usual Carole, thank you!  So, you're happy with 'our' camera?
> 
> I could live in that suite, it is utterly amazing.  do believe the shower may be bigger than my smallest bedroom in my house lol
> 
> I am suddenly hungry for a snack btw.



Kyle says Hi back to Keisha........

Yes, "our camera" was a big success......everyone sighed when they saw the colour though.......told them it was just coincidence........lol.......

Glad you`re enjoying reading too......yep, that is the biggest shower onsite I believe.......it was bigger than the shower in the Presidential Suite in SF which I thought was the most amazing room......

Always time for a snack.........


----------



## schumigirl

We were walking over to SF so we started by walking past Tchoup Chop and through the convention centre area, but instead of following it all the way we cut outside and went in through their outside area to the convention side of SF......just for a change......we really fancied a fairly quiet afternoon today and thought this would be a nice way to spend the afternoon.























Today we just planned to get some pictures of the resort, mainly for the new Sapphire Falls thread macraven and I had started, and of course it is a lovely hotel, so it was nice to be back in it.......it was fairly quiet today we discovered.







We entered the building after being asked by a security guard if we needed any help, I suppose not many guests wander that way, but we thanked him and said we were fine. Came up to the convention area by escalator and walked round to the what is the back of the lobby.......






There are more pictures of Sapphire Falls including certain room types in the new thread in the hotel stickies.

This is the beautiful staircase in the centre of the lobby area......it is stunning.........






The main lobby is nothing short of impressive.......large and very spacious, and my first thought when I saw it was......what a great space for a massive Christmas Tree.........I love Christmas!!!































We wandered into Strongwater Tavern, which despite being closed we asked the manager who we met the previous visits if he minded us taking some pictures. Well, of course he didn't........this is such a beautiful bar and food is excellent too......we had planned to eat in here on Saturday night depending on weather and whether we felt like doing another HHN on a Saturday........we would decide tomorrow......




















I loved the detain in here too.......the barrel lids on the ceiling were from genuine Rum Barrels......nice touch.

They have a beautiful outside area........plenty of comfortable lounging chairs and a lovely view of the waterway, some of the park and of course RP..........





























We wandered back inside and headed down to the pool area........this did look beautiful from the rooms we had seen it from on our first tour of the hotel........large and very colourful........




























It really is a lovely hotel, no doubt about that......love the newness feel that everything has.

We stopped in to the quick service place in the lobby for a cold drink and just sat and watched the hotel purr along quite merrily.......

We headed back to the RP through the convention centre again.......it`s so convenient and quick.






We went back up to our room and had some cold sprite from the fridge........we were thirsty today......then Tom put the bedroom TV on went for a snooze while I went for another shower............it had been a long day in the heat. Tom said he would shower after his snooze.........that bed was so comfy..........but the shower was magnificent......the power that came from the shower head and jets were amazing.......I had heard many at Sapphire Falls complain about the lack of water pressure over there, nothing like that for us, we had tremendous water pressure.

Once we were both showered we sat and chilled out for a bit in our rooms and admired the view and the rooms again.......we would never tire of this.

But HHN called again and we planned to be out late tonight.........


----------



## Bluer101

schumigirl said:


> Lol.....so funny........always next time........
> 
> 
> 
> Yes its certainly different from the night you had in there.......it`s much nicer than it was though.......we wouldn't use a hot tub so we were glad of the ginormous shower we had..........it was mahoosive........
> 
> Glad you`re enjoying it anyway........



Yes, that shower is mahoosive, lol. 

We had 4 days in there during HHN with macraven. Mac joined us everyday in club for food and drinks in the suite.  Like you said, it's nice to grab food/drink from club lounge and relax in the suite dining room. I think that trip we missed you by a few days too. 

Your pictures are absolutely gorgeous in today's post. 

Have to report that I and pcstang have had no issues with water pressure here at SF. So hopefully it was just some kinks being new.


----------



## schumigirl

Up to Club Lounge and have our usual glasses of wine handed to us as soon as we sit down......cannot fault the service you receive from the wonderful staff in the Club Lounge......they are all so nice and genuinely care that you enjoy the experience of their Club Lounge. We chat longer than we plan to tonight, nothing unusual there for us......we are talkers and will talk to most people quite happily, but we had grown very fond of the staff in there and to a couple in particular.

I took our glasses back up to the counter and was stopped halfway down by a couple who asked if I was Schumigirl.......I said yes I was........I didn't ask their name, but he was Scottish and his wife was English and they had a very lovely daughter with them who was very nice to talk to.......we chatted about the hotel and such, they were staying for 3 weeks I think at RP......again, always lovely when someone recognises you and speaks......they were a nice family, but I was annoyed I hadn't asked their names.........I think they said he read the Dis, but didn't post....but hope they`re reading....

Tom of course was tickled yet again someone knew my name..........

But, we were ready to leave now and wandered down to get the boat after we had thought about walking......maybe not. Another hot one tonight. We had been so lucky with the weather this trip......we certainly got the heat we so craved before we arrived.......

The boat had just left, so we swiftly went through the security check and took a few images of the boat dock....the light was really nice tonight but wasn't nearly as dark as it looked like it was getting.........

(Again this weird date has appeared on some of these pics????)






The boat arrives and it was our favourite captain who was driving......he welcomed us on board like old friends with a hug and asked when we were leaving......nice.....I kinda groaned and he laughed and said he shouldn't have mentioned the "leaving" word.....lol..........they are all so nice........we like this little journey to Citywalk

























Doesn't take long and we are there.........it looks incredibly busy tonight......but I know once everyone is in the crowds will slowly disperse........






Tonight we do Krampus again.......there is no queue at all for EP so we hop in and get through this house in what seems like seconds........it was good, but not great, and certainly better than the awful movie it came from........but the gingerbread smell was nice........






We walk quickly through the Vamp area tonight, think we have done that a lot........it was fun watching tonight as others got scares...........Did stop for this guy though.......






We did walk through what I think was our favourite scare zone........Lair of the Banshee.......I think we were kinda like old friends now, I recognised the original characters that we had encountered most nights.......you can tell sometimes the different actors playing parts.........but, someone asked if Tom ever got a scare.......I knew I had a picture that was close to him getting a scare.....searched it out and finally found it........






That spook got him good!!!! The spook actually turned and high fived me......lol......I guess it was the same guy we had seen every night we were there........






I did turn at that point see one of our favourite SA who was  a Banshee we had encountered many nights.......she saw us and uncurled her long finger and gestured for me to go over to her........so, of course I did........Tom was snapping away, and some aren't clear.......i thought she was just telling me to come and get a picture with her....why not, we already had hundreds.....lol.....but basically she was telling me to put my finger up to my face the same way she was doing, I didn't click immediately.........duh........but she patiently showed me.......








Poor girl........eventually I clicked and got it right.........






She was brilliant.......when it came to going to guest service to commend the specific SA that had been outstanding was difficult........when its a TM during the day it`s easy as they all have names........but, I couldn`t exactly say which Banshee she was.......but I think we got the ones that were exceptional.

We basically wander around and do Halloween house twice, once through a very short regular line and then again with EP........amazing. Can`t add anything I haven't already said about this house. Loved it. Then we did Tomb of the Ancients and then rather foolishly tried TCM again........very poor for us.......just some big guys with chain saws......but, Tomb of Ancients was decent.......shame they had to stop the moving floor though........








After those, which we got through very quickly we decided to go and spend some time in DA and do Gringotts.......I must apologise for all the pics of me tonight and only a couple of Tom, but by now he said he was almost pictured out.....I kinda gave in at this point and let him take all the pics........usually of me!!

DA is fun and quiet at night during HHN, so a perfect time to explore if you haven't seen it quiet.......































We did go on Gringotts.......as I said previous night we don`t usually ride the rides on HHN, but we had so many nights this trip to do it, so we enjoyed relaxing and taking our time. Folks mention the VIP tours but we don't want to spend that much time in one night......we find the way we do it, suits us. Gringotts was a total walk on......no-one else there at this point......very strange getting a train to ourselves.......we sit in the front row which was nice.......and enjoy the ride......

I love both Potter areas at night, but DA just edges it despite not having the amazing castle.......it is beautiful all lit up and so intricately designed.......

Did find another of my husband.......






Knockturn Alley is so good too, but tonight we take a couple of pics......we already have hundreds and want to now to get back to HHN........



















So we head back out towards Horror nights and try to decide which way we want to go.........

We have a quick wander back through Lair of the Banshee.........







This character hovered around me for a few minutes.......quite disconcerting......














Continued..........


----------



## schumigirl

We wandered over and had a drink in DA before heading back out.......it was so nice to sit and just enjoy the atmosphere with other HHN folks........everyone was in such good spirits and so much fun......people often describe it as being full of drunks, and not a very nice place to be. But we had never experienced anything like that in all our years of visiting......yes, people drink and have fun but have never seen any trouble except from squawking kids........lol....they were the worst!!!

But now we decided to go do AHS, WD and Exorcist.........these houses are all walk ons for us tonight and we do enjoy them..........we quickly wander through the scare zone........

We don't take a huge amount of pictures tonight.........





















I got so many scares........considering it is such a small scare zone........they were amazing!!!

We wander back through Lair of the Banshee and get some pictures after dark, but they don't all turn out great......

One of our favourite characters, but different SA this time around........






There are so many amazing SA at this event.......every one of them puts in everything they have to their performance and it shows, they are amazing and they all have a love of the event, and that shows too. We have several friends who are SA and they never tell us who they are.....I know Universal encourages them not to announce things like that...but we thought we recognised one of them by his walk tonight.......maybe not though.......

We decide we have had enough tonight, I have no idea of what time it was or how long we had been in tonight, but we wanted to chill out.........so back to the boats and straight back to the hotel.........













We go up to our lovely room and open a bottle of wine, have some snacks and order room service.........it is so lovely......







I don't have any pictures of our room service meal tonight, but we both had steak with fries and some salad and it was gorgeous.....I was worried the steak would be overcooked, but it was perfect.....and we were starving at this point, but I still wanted it to be decent, and it was they were both lovely........then we chilled on the sofa......

We had enjoyed such a lovely day, now we were tired......although we did sit up till around 1am watching a scary movie on TV........can`t remember what it was but we enjoyed it.......

I was tempted to have another shower, but the late hour prohibited it, I would be up in a few hours anyway.......

So, off to bed for us and tomorrow we planned some park time.


----------



## schumigirl

Bluer101 said:


> Yes, that shower is mahoosive, lol.
> 
> We had 4 days in there during HHN with macraven. Mac joined us everyday in club for food and drinks in the suite.  Like you said, it's nice to grab food/drink from club lounge and relax in the suite dining room. I think that trip we missed you by a few days too.
> 
> Your pictures are absolutely gorgeous in today's post.
> 
> Have to report that I and pcstang have had no issues with water pressure here at SF. So hopefully it was just some kinks being new.



Yes I did know how long you had the room........I was confused there why you mentioned it, so I read back and see I missed out the S at the end of the word night and didn't type nights......I rush my typing sometimes......

Glad to hear you`re having a good time....and water pressure is good, so many seem to have had issues there. Yes, we missed you both by a couple of days that time.......hopefully that can be rectified in the future sometime.......

Thank you for the lovely compliments........I do like a picture or 2........


----------



## pattyw

The suite is amazing!!!  Nice treat for you two! I've always wanted to ring the doorbell on the suites and ask for a tour.  You saved me from doing that at RP!   Sapphire Falls looks spectacular but I hesitate to stay there with no EP.  Maybe as a couple of day add on after the Hard Rock?  Sad that your TR is coming to an end soon- I've so enjoyed reading this!


----------



## Raeven

I love DA during HHN! That's when we always go because Gringotts is a walk on and sometimes we're the only people there.

Last year we went first thing when no one else was there and then at night which was also lovely.


----------



## schumigirl

pattyw said:


> The suite is amazing!!!  Nice treat for you two! I've always wanted to ring the doorbell on the suites and ask for a tour.  You saved me from doing that at RP!   Sapphire Falls looks spectacular but I hesitate to stay there with no EP.  Maybe as a couple of day add on after the Hard Rock?  Sad that your TR is coming to an end soon- I've so enjoyed reading this!



Thanks, it was a real treat!! Lol......I know what you mean about the doorbell.......I was wary in case it rang during the night.....but, no one touched it.....but I did wonder how many would liked to have done so.......lol......

SF is lovely, no doubt, but yep, wouldn't give up EP for it......

Yep, only 2 more full days and I'm done........finally! Seems to have taken ages.......but thank you, I'm so glad you're enjoying it and it's not been too boring........



Raeven said:


> I love DA during HHN! That's when we always go because Gringotts is a walk on and sometimes we're the only people there.
> 
> Last year we went first thing when no one else was there and then at night which was also lovely.



It's been fabulous the times they have opened it up during HHN.........Yep, it's so quiet and the perfect chance to get some Gringotts time with hardly anyone around.........we loved having the ride to ourself that night......of course every TM gave us a huge cheer when we came back........felt very odd......lol.......


----------



## keishashadow

Lol you look dwarfed by that massive table!  Wonder how many it would seat?

Lot of cringe-worthy scares, cool!  Love the one where Tom got caught, the guys rarely do, priceless.

Can't say I've ever noticed the ground @ Gringotts, always jam-packed with muggles.  On my bucket-list to visit when it's 'dead'.

We really did enjoy SF, glad to hear the water pressure is working well now too.


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Lol you look dwarfed by that massive table!  Wonder how many it would seat?
> 
> Lot of cringe-worthy scares, cool!  Love the one where Tom got caught, the guys rarely do, priceless.
> 
> Can't say I've ever noticed the ground @ Gringotts, always jam-packed with muggles.  On my bucket-list to visit when it's 'dead'.
> 
> We really did enjoy SF, glad to hear the water pressure is working well now too.



Think it held 12, did feel a bit lost sat at it........yes, Tom never gets frights or even jumps so I was happy to see him at least get a bit of a start! 

Yep, we really liked Sapphire Falls, everything was just lovely........

Muggles can spoil potterville........lol.......it's different when it's so quiet

Glad you're still enjoying reading along........


----------



## Owlpost23

Your trip reports are so terrific-you guys have such a great time,and convey that excitement to everyone! Wish you two would go more than once a year!!!


----------



## macraven

_I'm sure schumi would if she could!

She likes warm weather better than cold_


----------



## Disneymom2kiddos

Totally loving your TR!!  That room is to die for.  Love all of the photos too. You both look like you're having the best time!


----------



## schumigirl

Owlpost23 said:


> Your trip reports are so terrific-you guys have such a great time,and convey that excitement to everyone! Wish you two would go more than once a year!!!



Why, Thank you so much....that's so kind.........we do enjoy every second we are there......but, we were exhausted......late nights and early mornings and being on the go all day catches up on us couch potatoes.......

Well, once Tom takes early retirement we plan to spend a lot more time in the States, planning a month at RPR initially.....but for now apparently his business needs come first.......really!!! I never got that memo......I`m always being told the world really does revolve around me.........

I`m glad you`re enjoying reading along........



macraven said:


> _I'm sure schumi would if she could!
> 
> She likes warm weather better than cold_



You know me so well........I abhor the cold with a passion!!! Definitely a warm weather person........



Disneymom2kiddos said:


> Totally loving your TR!!  That room is to die for.  Love all of the photos too. You both look like you're having the best time!



Thanks!!!! So glad to hear........the room was amazing and we loved it........and we really were having the best time this year again........


----------



## schumigirl

*SATURDAY 1ST OCTOBER.........
*
Cannot believe today is October. That for us is the month we go home.......never a nice feeling, but was doubly hard as we would have to leave this room........although, the sunny side is, we get to see our boy who we have missed. He would have loved this room......but, he had been busy and if I`m honest don't think he really noticed we were gone......although he was glad when we got back safe and sound.

We had another fabulous sleep and really struggled to get out of bed this morning.....it was still dark and the only thing that moved me to get up was that shower. I could spend hours in there......literally........so after the most luxurious and long shower, I got my hair done and Skyped Kyle.......he had been having a lazy morning, but with it being Saturday had a full day of sports planned to watch on TV. He was ok. This was another year that Skype probably saved my sanity......being bale to see him and see he was doing ok was wonderful.....again, yes I know he`s an adult, but......you know.

Skype over we went up for breakfast and ate very quickly this morning......we weren't really that hungry, but I cant do rides on an empty stomach.....makes me very nauseous, so I forced down some toast and fruit with a coffee.....Tom had toast with honey and some cinnamon bun.....he enjoyed it. We chatted briefly to staff and then left for the parks. Although we had tomorrow, this was technically our last full park day, so we planned to do the highlights of the both parks and eat lunch in Mythos which we always enjoy.

We start in the Studios today and it is a glorious day again.......so beautiful and the heat has built already.......but today again, comfort comes first and I pop on the trainers instead of sandals again.......comfort first.

We always on our last visits, spend so much time just absorbing the whole atmosphere of the parks, and take notice of all the little things some people just pass by......running from ride to ride has never appealed to us in the slightest, but, it suits some folks.......not us. Today, we notice everything and although we are sad to be leaving we are not unhappy, maybe just a little thoughtful and considered. Although we took a bajillion pictures.......

Into the park and we immediately see the DM girls about to line up for photographs.......well, it would be rude not to....Tom snapped a few pics here, will only post one though







We moved along to go on DM, always a must do ride...although if we didn't have EP I`m not sure I would spend the time queueing for it that some people do......lovely cute ride though......and we see Gru appear!! I love Gru as a character....he is so funny.......so of course we queue up to get a picture......Tom`s camera sticks, so we do get a little bit more time, and Gru is funny going "oh no" with his hands when Tom says it won`t work........eventually it does though......

















We had a fun time with Gru and as I turn to say goodbye he takes my hand to kiss it......awwww.....so I say bye and turn.....and take his scarf with me.......lol.......I soon realise and turn back and apologise while laughing...Gru is laughing too........I kinda fix his scarf and he kneels and bows to say thank you........they are amazing, they really are.......I love the interaction with all the characters at Universal.......

We wander solely around the park today, taking snaps and revelling in the heat.......






With the work going on for The Fast and the Furious, you can see through to where the Hogwarts Express rides along the tracks......an amazing piece of engineering......but the new ride is going to be something special......I`m not a fan of the movies at all, but I expect it to be a fabulous experience when it`s done........






We slowly head round to Potter but first go through San Fran area and on to see Dead Man`s Wharf during the day time when you can really see how small this zone is, but so well done.........love this whole area........




























That first glance at the Potter area is always nice, and I still think back to when it was Amity, and although Potter is amazing, there was something so simplistic and joyful about the Amity area......I do miss it a little. But, no denying Potter, in both parks is just spectacular...........


















We love just walking in to this area.......you can hear the bricks move if you listen and you do get a tingly feeling when you see others reactions especially when it`s for the first time.....its an amazing sight.......a plethora of colours and patterns are waiting to assault your senses.........






There are so many things to see and sense here, and yes photograph too.......although we already have hundreds from previous years, we are still compelled to take so many pictures........memories I suppose, we love to capture as many moments as we can.














And of course, gotta have one of the dragon fire.........


















Love this area!! Well, there`s not much at Universal we don't love........we go on Gringotts a couple of times and it is a fun ride.......and I love that it never makes me nauseous........







We get some water when we come out and would love some ice cream.....but we`re just not ready and it`s fairly early still........the ice cream is nice, but we do prefer Ben & Jerry`s........


We head into Knockturn Alley......probably our favourite area in Diagon Alley.......so dark and has a very dark and spooky persona around it.......everything is themed so well, and certainly is one of the most incredibly themed areas around.....





























You have to feel and listen to this while you stand beside it.........interesting..........






There is so many interesting things to buy and check out in this store.......the tees and mugs particularly are interesting and very tempting to buy, but I think we have most of them by now........my kitchen cabinets are bursting with Potter mugs and memorabilia........






















We rather regretfully leave KA and head into see Leaky Cauldron again, not to eat as the food doesn't appeal to us at all...........


continued.......


----------



## schumigirl

Leaky Cauldron is an amazing space.........again, so well themed. As I said we never ate there, although some of the food looks ok it`s not what we go on vacation to eat......and some odd combinations for us to contemplate.......so we don't eat there, but nice enough to visit........


















We went towards the big cauldron in the open fire and a family ask Tom if he would kindly take a family picture of them, so of course he does, he does take a few so they can get a choice....I swear he missed his calling as a photographer........

The guy says he will take a couple of us in return, so we stand and he takes about 7 pictures.......think we had another budding photographer there too........he said he liked our camera, and then said his wife wouldn't let him get one.....lol.....seriously!!






We thank each other and head off...........it`s fairly busy despite still being quite early for lunch, and food does look nice, well, some of it.........

Now we decide to go to "King`s Cross" and get the train over to IOA.........its so cool in here and themed very well, not really like the real one on the inside, but close enough........

















It is a nicely themed area, and one of the must do things is see someone in your party walk through the wall.......it looks fantastic......and of course Tom tried to capture the exact moment, but I went through it too slowly and although you can still see it slightly, it can be better......it`s a good effect though seeing someone disappear through a wall......






We come through the other side and we`re in Platform 9 3/4..........







There is something so cute about the way this has been done........I wish platforms at home run as well.......but we wait till the first crowd clears then we go wait for a carriage.......













The train ride is fun..........we share a carriage with 2 couples, one are friendly, the other couple are a little different. They immediately say how often they have done this and they don't know anyone who has been more than them.......lol......I glance to the side and the other couple are rolling their eyes......I tell them that's nice and continue to talk to Tom while we enjoy the journey to Hogsmeade........

It always seems busier this side, but we get out and take some pics as always........I don't have a camera today, but Tom is in photography heaven......






We very rarely enter Hogsmeade this way, we generally come in the other side, but today it`s the opposite.......It`s so beautiful and very photogenic of course.......





























There is so much to see and do in Hogsmeade, today we don't go round to do FJ we just do Duelling Dragons, despite wearing a dress, this is one of the best and smoothest coasters around......so fast at times, but smooth.............we do this twice and then head out of this area towards Mythos.....another gorgeous area, especially on a beautiful sunny day..........I`m sad to stop riding this today........


















The Fire Eaters grill do great Chicken Stingers.......surprisingly spicy for a theme park.......haven't had them for a while but we liked them........only down side is no place to eat inside........








Today it`s Mythos for lunch..........







continued in a bit.........


----------



## Seeker615

Love your trip reports! Awesome photos as well. Maybe in 2018 we will be able to do HHN. I have a conference in Orlando then! For now I have to enjoy your experience and look forward to my spring trip!


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## angryduck71

My son was afraid to go into Knockturn Alley the first time.  Then, I couldn't get him out of there.  LOL  (And I bought my only souvenir for myself from there -- the hourglass that looks like it's filled with blood)


----------



## schumigirl

Seeker615 said:


> Love your trip reports! Awesome photos as well. Maybe in 2018 we will be able to do HHN. I have a conference in Orlando then! For now I have to enjoy your experience and look forward to my spring trip!



Always something to look forward to, however far away.......and you`re spring trip will be here before you know it.......I`m so glad enjoying still reading along.......not long to go now......



angryduck71 said:


> My son was afraid to go into Knockturn Alley the first time.  Then, I couldn't get him out of there.  LOL  (And I bought my only souvenir for myself from there -- the hourglass that looks like it's filled with blood)



It is quite dark isn't it.........but, yes, so much fun and so well done. I think I am in awe of it every time we go in.......glad he enjoyed it though. Oh I know what you mean, that`s quite cool........


----------



## schumigirl

I may get so far today and have to stop as Photobucket is undergoing maintenance again............

But, we head into Mythos which must be the coldest restaurant ever. The waiting area is nice and not cool at all, although one girl left claiming she was freezing......I have to admit I thought, wait till you`re actually inside eating!!! We ask how long for a table and she says around 10-15 minutes. That's ok for us on a Saturday at peak times.......it`s around midday now. We never make reservations and have always been able to eat when and where we like. I would say however if you`re going during a holiday I would consider making a booking.

So while we wait we admire the area, it is an impressive restaurant with a decent menu. The menu does change so always worth checking if you`re favourite dish is still there if you haven't been for a while. We can get almost anything off the menu, so we know we wont starve.












Within 10 minutes we are called through, but before we go we hear them start to tell folks it will be a 30 minute wait for tables, although the place doesn't look that busy when we go in. We get taken through to the rear of the restaurant where we can see Hulk and co out of the window. The interior is quite spectacular











Some people don't like being through this side for some reason, but we don't mind where we sit........we get the same server as last year and year before.......an  older guy called Robert who has been there for years, he is a real gentleman and when he walks up to our table he looks for a second and says oh I know you folks......whether he genuinely does or not I`m not sure, but it`s a nice way to greet you........

He gives us our menu`s but we tell him we know what we are having........both of us are having burgers, mine without cheese and salad instead of fries........he says he`ll be back in an instant with bread.......there was a couple beside us who one of the men had ordered Tomato soup.....not something I eat, but the smell was gorgeous......I kept looking over and hoped he hadn't noticed.....it looked so nice.......

Robert was indeed back in an instant with the bread.......it`s nice but I find it quite hard and always worry about my crowns, so I eat it carefully cutting bits off instead of biting.......






And I get one of my lovely husband.........







And our view of course.......I have been out there many times, usually to try and warm up after sitting for too long in the restaurant.......it is freezing after a while.






Our food soon arrives and it does look nice.........











One of the two men sat beside us who`s tomato soup I had been eying up, turned and said now that looks a good burger and smells delicious........I laughed and said how funny, I was almost inhaling your soup and hoping you didn't notice......lol.....his partner said he had seen me looking, but was far too much of a gentleman to mention .........food is just so good in there.

We did enjoy our lunch and enjoyed the company of the 2 guys who became very chatty with us after the food comment........we did have a really nice lunch and in a very nice place. We paid our check, said goodbye to our new lunch mates and headed out....by this time I was shivering as I was so cold........and Tom does think this is funny how I get so cold so quickly........maybe a little too lizard like.......lol.......







I am so glad to be outside, back in the heat........it`s such a pretty area of course........






Although I don't like the Poseidon thing, I do think it makes a fantastic building and will be interesting to see the changes that will happen to it eventually.........


















Today we slowly amble through Zeuss, we don't go on anything we just take in the vibrancy of colours and shapes and head out towards Port of Entry first stopping down by the waterside to catch some views there......


















Port of Entry is one of our favourite areas in IOA for theming.......so many people are unaware of how many little things there are to notice in this little area........if you listen above the facades you can hear so many wonderful things.......






There is the most amazing Christmas shop here.......we love this store and spend far too much money in it.....but come Christmas time we love seeing all our purchases on our trees and around our home........but, well worth visiting....




















So, yes we do succumb and buy some more decorations........I will fit them in somewhere........well I can try......oh dear.......no hope for me........

We take a few more pics before heading out back to the hotel.......



















We do a very naughty thing and head back into the store to pick up something I forgot I wanted, one for me and one for a friend of mine who describes herself as being a very important person lol......her words not mine........she`s a lawyer who owns and runs runs a very successful legal practice and is super nice, but she hates mornings with a passion.......so this cup was for her, I just liked the minion on it, I`m very much a morning person........but she would love it......






We go back out the rear door and take our last IOA pic for this year...........






Seems appropriate. I always feel sad leaving the parks for the last time, I know we will be in Studios tomorrow for last HHN, but the last park day signifies the end of our trip is imminent.

We head out with our packages in hand, and walk back through the very pretty walkways back to the hotel......it literally takes minutes and is not a long walk at all. Even from the Studios side, it`s such a short walk to all the hotels......

We get back to the room, drop our packages off and think what will we do now...... it`s early in the afternoon, so we make a quick visit to Mall at Millenia. We don't take a camera today, just wander around and try not to buy anything. We do go into Tiffany to see if I could see anything I wanted for the last time........I don't. I did look hard though, but nothing sprang out at me.

So we have some chocolate Strawberries from Godiva and have our last wander around before heading back to RPR. It looked to be getting quite cloudy.

We got back to our room and I of course headed straight for the shower....I was running out of shower time now.......

I look out of the window and think there is some nasty weather coming in.......






We go up to the Club Lounge for a couple of drinks before we walk over to Sapphire Falls........I am so glad we will be able to walk over without having to go outside as the weather is now foul.......and we are so glad we are not doing HHN in this rain.......






We do enjoy this time in the Club Lounge, and the staff here make it so extra special.........this is one of our favourite girls, Lyanne........she was here last year too and we were so happy to see she was still here......very nice young lady......






We sit for a few glasses of wine then we head over to eat in Strongwater Tavern.......hoping we get in tonight.


----------



## keishashadow

Leapin lizards! Lol one of the 'secret' reasons I book Mythos is to cool off! 

More beautiful pics, can't say I'm placing the one of water that looks to be outside Mythos.  Is that off the bridge near entry?

Looking @ this pic of the shower, do believe you could easiy put down 2 queen mattresses.  Sdo they have a stated occupancy plaque on the shower wall

Hmmph Poseiden one of my favs   Only once per trip tho, well twice if the guide is off their game.  Did they keep you out of the front row in last vingette?  Don't recall them calling it off limits in the past.

Nice pic of the TM @ the lounge.  I always feel for them though, those uniforms are ugly, fit is poor on everybody and they look so uncomfortable but the young lady seems to be exuding a positive attitude.


----------



## Raeven

I don't even like tomato soup but the one at Mythos is so good we get it everytime!

The bread was hard last time we went too it was basically all crust. Josh's gluten free brwad was actually much softer and tasted better. 

Love the view out the back and the interior too!


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Leapin lizards! Lol one of the 'secret' reasons I book Mythos is to cool off!
> 
> More beautiful pics, can't say I'm placing the one of water that looks to be outside Mythos.  Is that off the bridge near entry?
> 
> Looking @ this pic of the shower, do believe you could easiy put down 2 queen mattresses.  Sdo they have a stated occupancy plaque on the shower wall
> 
> Hmmph Poseiden one of my favs   Only once per trip tho, well twice if the guide is off their game.  Did they keep you out of the front row in last vingette?  Don't recall them calling it off limits in the past.
> 
> Nice pic of the TM @ the lounge.  I always feel for them though, those uniforms are ugly, fit is poor on everybody and they look so uncomfortable but the young lady seems to be exuding a positive attitude.



Yep, the first water picture is to the side of Mythos, second one is from the water directly down from POE

Well, someone's got to like Poseidon Keisha......I can't remember where we were, I was so bored........although the water vortex was quite cool.........think they could make something amazing out of that building. Watch this space I think. Oh you absolutely could fit at least 2 Queen mattresses in that shower easily........

Those outfits aren't the most flattering, I wonder when they do the refurb if they'll change the look of the staff too........I hope so. Lyanne is absolutely someone who has a fabulous attitude towards life and to guests.....she is exactly what an employer would dream of for an employee to be. Super nice girl


----------



## schumigirl

Raeven said:


> I don't even like tomato soup but the one at Mythos is so good we get it everytime!
> 
> The bread was hard last time we went too it was basically all crust. Josh's gluten free brwad was actually much softer and tasted better.
> 
> Love the view out the back and the interior too!



Everyone raves about that tomato soup..........I never thought to ask for gluten free bread as it might be softer........nice idea though! 

Yep, lovely restaurant and view.........


----------



## macraven

I always get the tomatoe soup even when it is in the 90's outside

My standby starter at Mythos


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## schumigirl

macraven said:


> I always get the tomatoe soup even when it is in the 90's outside
> 
> My standby starter at Mythos



How did I not know that???


----------



## macraven

schumigirl said:


> How did I not know that???




Well it's the one place we have not dined together


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> Well it's the one place we have not dined together



Lol........well, when we do get around to eating there together.......expect lots of me inhaling the smell of the soup.......may look silly, but I won't care......it was a delicious aroma..........


----------



## Raeven

schumigirl said:


> Everyone raves about that tomato soup..........I never thought to ask for gluten free bread as it might be softer........nice idea though!
> 
> Yep, lovely restaurant and view.........


The best way to describe the soup I think is that it tastes kind of like a cheesy sauce which is very plesant for dunking bread in.


----------



## keishashadow

Hmm I'm picky re tomato soup, may have to give mythos's a whirl.  Re-tried the blueberry crusted pork last visit, still didn't like it lol.  Always get the risotto but it was an odd combo that day.


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Hmm I'm picky re tomato soup, may have to give mythos's a whirl.  Re-tried the blueberry crusted pork last visit, still didn't like it lol.  Always get the risotto but it was an odd combo that day.



That is one thing I cannot abide is risotto.......cannot get the taste for it at all.........did like the sound of the blueberry pork, but never ordered it yet.........

I can't eat tomatoes, but it does smell delicious.............


----------



## keishashadow

I forgot to ask a Q re the recently posted pics of knock turn alley...did you use your new purple camera?  If so was it on auto or did u fiddle with it (for lack of a better term).  I haven't had much luck with low-light situations with mine If any sort of movement involved.


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> I forgot to ask a Q re the recently posted pics of knock turn alley...did you use your new purple camera?  If so was it on auto or did u fiddle with it (for lack of a better term).  I haven't had much luck with low-light situations with mine If any sort of movement involved.



Yep, it wasn't great in those conditions.....any movement and the pictures blurred really easily. We tended to stick to Tom's "good" camera for those images........haven't fiddled much with it I have to say........maybe I should.......

Funnily enough my older camera takes great night shots.....but it's very temperamental and seems to switch itself off at times.......lol........


----------



## schumigirl

We left the Club Lounge and walked down past Tchoup Chop and into the business and convention area. I find this place quite creepy at night as there isn't anyone around for the most part. You see a few staff members or security, but that's about it.....






It doesn't take long to walk through to Sapphire Falls this way, and with the extreme weather we have outside we are glad of this route. We see how bad the storm still is when we get to the bridge area across the main road......this is where the carpets change and you know you are in Sapphire Falls......






The walk takes less than 10 minutes to the lobby, we had taken our time tonight as with the weather was the way it was, we wouldn't be going anywhere else tonight........the lobby was quite busy tonight and we did wonder if we would get into Strongwater Tavern tonight........






We walked over to the entrance and looked in, it was so busy, didn't seem to be any tables or sofas free, so we saw 2 seats at the bar and just got them.

The barman was with us immediately and we ordered a white wine fore and Tom had a beer and a special rum he wanted to try....he enjoyed both.......we were seated beside a couple from upstate New York and we ended up having a lovely evening chatting to them.......

The bar is stocked full of the most amazing types of Rum and many other drinks too.......













We looked at the food menu and decided to order a couple of dishes between us. They are tapas style but in varying styles including Jamaican and Cuban. Our first dishes we order are Beef Empanadas and a fish ceviche dish.......











They are both lovely with my personal preference being the ceviche......it was delicious and so fresh.

The bar is now beginning to get even busier, and as myself and the lady we are chatting to head to the ladies room we see a queue of around 30 deep waiting to get in.....there isn't a seat to be had in the whole place and we are glad we got in when we did. The poor girl was having to tell irate people there was just no seats inside.







We came back and Tom was happily chatting politics and guns with the guy......always interesting to hear opinions......but now we were ready to order some more food.......the waiter told us the kitchen had said not to take anymore food orders for at least 40 minutes as they were backed up........looking out the window we could see the rain was still torrential so I think most folks had the same idea of not going far tonight.

He did take our order but said it may be a while, that was fine with us.......we had nice drinks and good company to pass the time.......however after about 15 minutes our food appeared.......one was a chicken curry and the other a spicy beef dish........













Tom managed to choose another couple of rum`s to sample........not really my drink of choice unless it`s in a cocktail......but he enjoyed the ones he had.








There had also been a mix up and they had sent up another Beef Empanada........although we hadn't ordered another our waiter said we should just have it as we had to wait.......we hadn't really, but nice of him anyway.......the beef dish and the curry were delicious and spicy enough for us........we sometimes find things not spicy enough for us, but this was just nice.........these were also really filling so we couldn't finish the empanadas.......but the guy beside us enjoyed them.

It was quite loud in here now.......but we could still chat, and we were just enjoying wiling the evening away and every so often glance out and were happy we weren't outside in this weather. I did however feel for those who were venturing to HHN tonight. It was awful weather.






But, before we knew where we were, it was after 11.30 and time for us to go. We paid our check and gave our lovely waiter an extra special tip as he had been excellent despite the place being so busy and had given Tom some excellent advice on the selection of rums he had tasted. I stuck to wine........

We were both tired now, so we said our goodbyes to the couple whom we had enjoyed a lovely evening with and walked back to RPR back through the same way we had arrived. It was still so quiet and we were back in our room before we knew it. Such a convenient walk especially when weather is awful like tonight.

We put the tv on in the bedroom and watch that for a while, I am too tired to jump in the shower, so it`s lights off and try not to think we only have 2 more sleeps before we fly home.


----------



## schumigirl

*SUNDAY 2ND OCTOBER.........
*
Today we didn't have much planned, but had some very important folks to meet.

We didn't sleep that great last night, I think the thought of our trip ending was keeping me awake, and by me being awake so was Tom. But, I was keen to shower in the morning, and after we were both ready we Skyped Kyle and had a good old chat to him........we now wouldn't talk to him till we got home........he was happy we had enjoyed our trip but would be glad to see us home.........

Breakfast was relaxed and leisurely this morning.........and then we went back down to our room to begin an attempt to pack up all our stuff. I was kinda nervous about this, despite me thinking I hadn't bought that much......I had.

We did get some of it packed, but decided to leave most of it till tonight and tomorrow morning.........

I was going downstairs to meet macraven as I knew when she was checking in.........but, when I got down to the lobby, she was busy at the desk, so I sat and waited for her to be done.

Meanwhile the lovely Robo56 came up and introduced herself to me........she recognised me obviously and it was nice to meet up after emailing for a while........we chatted and got to know each other and time passed quickly. She also got me a lovely gift bag, which I was thrilled with. Very thoughtful.

After a while mac was done, and we went over to say hi.........but, I had been gone longer than I thought so it was brief but we were meeting up later for HHN........so we made arrangements and I said goodbye to Robo who I was so happy to have met finally........I headed back upstairs to find Tom watching a scifi movie.........he does love scifi.

We took a few more pics of the room before we headed off to Citywalk for lunch then meet up with mac and Keishashadow who I had been so looking forward to meeting for ages!!!! Ages!!!

















And of course another of the view......






We decide to take the boat to Citywalk and we`re still not sure where we will eat.......but we decide on Cowfish. We have enjoyed every meal we have eaten there and think it`ll be a little quieter at lunch........so we go to the restaurant and are seated immediately upstairs looking out over Citywalk. Don't think we`ve ever eaten up here........we both order strawberry lemonades and decide what to have for lunch.......
























We order and I choose my favourite Jalapeno show stopper with sweet potato fries and Tom orders the swine burger with regular fries.......














Looked lovely, and the burgers were, but my fries were cold, stone cold. So I had to wait till she appeared and tell her......she said she would get new fries immediately........but we waited quite a while. I had finished my burger at this point and Tom was finished his before she brought the fresh fries. So, not a major issue but just not as perfect as it had been on other occasions. We paid our check and left at that point. I think dinner is a much better choice her for food. We saw a couple of people send things back.

We headed into the Studios. We still had an hour or so till we were meeting Keisha and mac at 3pm. So we went and did Shrek, Despicable Me and The Mummy.......we didn't want to wander too far as it was boiling hot.......so we sat outside the Universal Store at the entrance and watched the world go by for a while.......

I glanced to the entrance and immediately recognised Keisha and her mister walking through the gates and heading to guest service.........so we wandered over and tapped her on the shoulder.........it was so lovely to finally meet up with them both........we knew immediately we would have fun together........same sense of humour and both of us have the best husbands ever!!!!

Once they sorted out what they were doing we wandered in and went to the Boulangerie and had a coffee while we waited for macraven who was coming in a little bit. We sat for what seemed like 5 minutes and chatted like old friends.......we had also been emailing each other for a long time, so it was fabulous to finally meet up.

Macraven appeared soon, and after a brief chat again, we headed in to do a little of HHN. We weren't staying long at all tonight, we were tired. I know my legs ahd almost given up on me after so many days and nights of traipsing around, and we still had to pack.

But, we wandered in and headed to Simpson`s holding area........they had plenty of seats and we could get a drink there........didn't take long and we found a seat and got drinks........it was so lovely being altogether and all getting on so well..........we of course had to take some pictures and we asked a man if he would take one of all of us.















We sat a little longer then headed round to do Halloween together........the regular queue was a walk on so we all did that.....it was a fun house to do together and we all got a little spook I think.........we came out and mac, Keisha and mister Keisha had plans to meet up with some folks they usually meet up, so at that point rather reluctantly we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways.........we would love to have spent the rest of the night with them and now, we wished we had. We did Halloween again with our EP and then wandered back through the scare zones.........we didn't take a whole lot of pics as we were now in wind down mode. But we enjoyed just walking slowly through the zones and watching others get scared..........

From the other side of the road we heard this voice bellow out.........."schumigirl" lol.......we both looked over and saw a girl and a guy waving..........we have no clue who it was but they merrily waved and we waved back........doubt we will ever find out who they were, but they knew me.

We got the boat back to RP and went to our room. We got the gifts for the staff in the Club Lounge and went up with them.......all our favourite staff were on, we had checked when they were working together and gave over the gifts......some for all of them and individual thank you`s too. They were over the moon and thanked us so much......we were so sad to be leaving some of them again. We sat for a little while and then went down to eat in Tchoup Chop.

It was dessert hour and this was the offerings.......














I do love crème brulee, but as we were going for dinner we didn't want to have anything, so Lyanne put a few on a plate for us to take away.......we thanked her and said our goodbyes to the team as we wouldn't see them tomorrow........we would miss them. We went via our room to put them in the fridge for later........


We had a very strange relationship with Tchoup Chop........we had a bad meal, mediocre meal and no meal on one occasion........we often felt we weren't meant to eat there............but we would try again tonight.

It wasn't busy so we got seated immediately.  Such a nice restaurant.

















We ordered a couple of cocktails, chose crunchy shrimp and ribs as appetisers and two different sushi`s to share for entrees.........it was all lovely........and the cocktails were so nice........




















Little blurry pics, but food was lovely.......the ribs were surprisingly filling and were so tasty......very much fall off the bone..........

We both ordered another cocktail before our entrée arrived.........The sushi was lovely.......I cant remember what we ordered, but one was something like red dragon.........and we really enjoyed them both.......but had to agree that Orchids was actually better for sushi.









We were so glad to say we had finally enjoyed a meal in here.......Kyle was surprised we had chosen it as our final meal this year......we sometimes had back luck with our last evening dinner.......but, it was nice and we were now keen to get back up to our room, have a glass of wine and our desserts.

So, that's what we did..........had some wine and the creme brulees were lovely........we sat and watched some TV trying to ignore this was finally our last night, and desperately trying to ignore the stuff that was still to be packed.

We finally went to bed after gazing out of the window for a while.........

Tomorrow would be a long day.


----------



## schumigirl

*MONDAY 3RD OCTOBER..........
*
We slept so late today.........we did sleep well, but woke around 5am and took ages to get back to sleep........I cant remember what time we got up but we were shocked..........anyway, we had a lot to fit in this morning........first was a shower. A long shower..........that was so nice....I would definitely miss that one.........Tom got ready too and we didn't even mention at that point it was our last day.

We went up to breakfast, glad we didn't miss that and saw our favourite guy again.........such a lovely young man who has a fabulous future ahead of him.......






We ate slowly and passed the time chatting to staff today, CL was fairly quiet and we were slightly later........we enjoyed cinnamon bun fruit and some meats......and coffee. Then sadly said our goodbyes again........began to feel like Frank Sinatra........

But we went back down to our room and began the daunting task of packing. I still didn't want to think about it......but, we managed it.......our extra case was full to bursting and our 2 regular cases felt very heavy. We did have our own little set of travel scales, a gift form macraven a few years ago, but turns out we had packed them......lol.....not much use to us today. But we hoped we would be ok......if not we would just pay the excess baggage.

So we were now all packed up and ready to go. We went down to check out and I can now feel the sadness building......but today I feel not too bad......cant wait to see our boy again.

We check out and hand over the gifts for the front desk staff that have been so kind and helpful to us.......we do not need to see our friend as we have already said our goodbyes....so we head straight out and down to the car. This is where I feel a smart of tears in my eyes........sunglasses on and we make our walk of shame to the car and get it packed up.

Driving to the airport is always a sombre drive, and today is no different. Such a contrast to the incoming journey that is full of expectation and excitement for what lies ahead........today we feel a little flat.

We return the car and expect the usual "you owe us" scam......but again, Alamo prove to be so different to Dollar and she tells us we owe nothing and have a safe flight home. yay.........

Over to airport and we take our final gulps of fresh air till tomorrow morning where the air will be more than a little cooler.

We get in the queue to drop our luggage and it moves fairly quickly.......I dread our luggage being weighed and when it`s our turn we get the friendly smiley staff member who tells us we`re not too much over an doesn`t charge us anything......the other 2 cases are spot on with weight, almost.

So now we are checked in we go round and head for some lunch. We just eat at the food court and we decide on Panda Express and pray there is no msg in it like they say.........it was lovely and we really enjoyed it along with a final large Fanta. We never feel like taking pictures today.......so no food pics. We sit for a while and watch the world pass by and marvel at all the nationalities and families all prepare for their journey.........

We decide it`s time to wander through security, but first take a couple of pictures of the area........it`s so pretty for an airport

























We get through security with minimal fuss today.......shoes off, laptops out...... the usual......but before too llong we are on the little mini monorail heading to our flight.

We head straight into Duty Free and pick up some alcohol......huge Jack Daniels a large Absolute Vodka and 2 Ciroc Vodka......the lady tells us we are over our limit, but it`s never an issue bringing back such a small amount over the limit we can take back into the UK. We will pick this up on the plane.......

Time passes very quickly and they are calling our flight to board.......we are always on last as we have exit row seats......thankfully we have space above to put our hand luggage and duty free........and we get settle in to our seats.

Bit blurry, but this is why we love these seats.......when the chute area is so far away from the seats, you have a huge amount of space in front of you and people are told not to congregate in this area, so it`s ideal and very spacious.






Everyone was boarded promptly and doors closed right on time.........this was what we liked to hear......we were on time and would even land an hour early.......thank goodness for a good jet stream.

We took off and it was to be a short and uneventful flight. We had some food that is never great coming back, which is why we eat something substantial at the airport. I couldn't even guess what the meal was looking at it........so we ordered me a couple of the little bottles of wine and I drank them and hoped to sleep, wishful thinking.

Once the lights dimmed it was quiet apart from one little girl who literally cried all the way home......her mother tried her best, but there was no consoling her........I had noise cancelling headphones on and eventually fell over for a couple of hours. Don't think Tom got more than an hour.

We landed at 5am which was exactly one hour before we were due in.........excellent. Got off almost first and got down to immigration and through in an instant. This was quick.........it`s funny how you should be exhausted but spring to life somehow.......now was the wait for the luggage.....we were always last with this.......so, within a few minutes the carousel started and we couldn't believe our first piece came though.......then the other 2 followed fairly quickly......we were surprised.

Got out and because we had been so smart, our usual breakfast place hadn't even opened yet........but, a quick bathroom visit and when we got back it had opened.

Big mugs of tea and a bacon roll for each of us.........it was delicious........and we so enjoyed our tea after almost 3 weeks of coffee.........when we had finished we walked along the skywalk to The Radisson and picked up the keys to our car.......another bathroom visit and we were on our way........

Roadworks made our journey a little longer, but around 10.30 am, we got back home and hugged the life out of our boy........we were so happy to see him and he was us too. And I have to say, again, the house was immaculate......no laundry waiting either........what a great lad!!!

Instead of going straight to bed, we had a cup of tea with him and began unpacking a little......and caught up with each other.........before long however we began flagging a little and we headed to bed for a much deserved sleep.......I did glance at our master shower and decide it needs changing.......it`s a decent size, but I had been spoiled.....lol......

We slept for 3 hours which we like to do then stay awake till around 11pm and we find that gets us back into some kind of normality and jet lag isn't as bad. We always have a Chinese take out meal on the night we come back, so that's exactly what we do after having unpacked all the laundry and all our purchases........even Kyle was surprised how much we came back with after telling him we hadn't bought that much.


So, that's our trip over for another year...........we had such an amazing time as always. We adore the RPR more than we can say, we are so looked after and spoiled with some amazing staff members who truly are so important to us........they know who they are 

Meeting up with friends again is always a high point. Catching up with Todd, macraven, Robo and of course meeting up with Keisha finally was so lovely........I can honestly say Janet`s husband apart from being a lovely gentleman, has the kindest eyes I have ever seen........and you can really see how much he adores his lovely wife. It was  real pleasure spending time with everyone even if it was short. Never got to spend the time with macraven that we did the year before, but at least we had some time........sad to miss others like Vicki.........hopefully next time.

HHN was amazing!!!! Not the best year we have gone to, but pretty darn close........Myers house was top for us, but they all had something that made us enjoy it so much. Scare actors again were top notch.

Parks were fabulous despite not being able to ride Dr Doom this year.......but it`s only one ride.......the rest of the time we had in the parks we enjoyed it every time. And getting around Orlando is always fun too. We saw some nice places and had some lovely food and have some very nice souvenirs..........

The title of the thread this year was kinda obvious early on.......so many people recognised me and it was nice speaking to every one of them.........and they all had some kind words which was lovely.

So, finally finished again and I have loved writing this again.......and it has been lovely reading all your lovely comments along the way........I hope you enjoyed my sometime ramblings and many pictures and now I start to look forward to next year.

It is our 25th wedding anniversary and my 50th birthday in September.........we did think about so many other places we could go........but ultimately went for our happy place again. The rest we can do when Tom takes early retirement. So next year we have another 18 nights at RPR starting in September again..........

Hope you can join in with story again then............Thank You for reading this one.........


----------



## angryduck71

I must say I think I've developed a crush on Tom!  On top of that smile, I love that he's ornery and gets you all the time.  LOL.  And, LOVE HIS SHIRTS!  YES!  A true nerdy shirt can capture my heart quickly! 

Amazing report again!  It's making me so excited for our adventure this summer!  Hoping my boyfriend can join us, but if not, will be celebrating my little guy's year-early graduation from elementary school.  CANNOT WAIT!  Thanks so much for sharing your adventure!!!!!


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## tink1957

Love the pics...you always manage to capture the essence of the parks and transport us to our happy place 

Sad that your wonderful trip report is over and I can't believe we missed each other this time...we were there for a week and didn't run into each other once 

Next year let's make a date to meet up at Strongwater for drinks so it doesn't happen again


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## macraven

_Another great trip report from our beloved Schumi !_

_Thank youse _


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## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> Yep, it wasn't great in those conditions.....any movement and the pictures blurred really easily. We tended to stick to Tom's "good" camera for those images........haven't fiddled much with it I have to say........maybe I should.......
> 
> Funnily enough my older camera takes great night shots.....but it's very temperamental and seems to switch itself off at times.......lol........



At least I know I'm not alone with the nighttime photo issues. Think I'll dig the camera out and mess with it a bit, maybe there's a secret in there somewhere.   I do just hate lugging the good camera in the parks, depending on which lens it can get so heavy after a few hours.

Carole  your kind words are most appreciated.  I was so happy to get to finally meet you and Tom.  Sometimes the online friendship doesn't translate to RL, so glad we go along like thieves lol. Have to admit I adore Dave.  I had to kiss so many frogs along the way.  I thank God every day for sending me my DH. Why he puts up with me is a mystery lol.   You and Tom really are a dynamic duo!  Nice to see how you two have kept the magic going in your marriage.

Hmm emeril's sushi looked good.  Haven't tried it in a few years but may give I another go this year.  It is convenient when staying @ RP.

Sad to see the trippie is over but it was another winner, thanks for taking the time. It really is a labor of love to share this.


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## Dynamoliz

Thank you for taking the time to write your report. I really enjoyed reading it and looked forward to each new entry.


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## Owlpost23

Nuts! It's all over.So enjoy your reports-the way you and Tom travel would be wonderful to emulate!Can't wait til next year-thanks for sharing!!!


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## schumigirl

angryduck71 said:


> I must say I think I've developed a crush on Tom!  On top of that smile, I love that he's ornery and gets you all the time.  LOL.  And, LOVE HIS SHIRTS!  YES!  A true nerdy shirt can capture my heart quickly!
> 
> Amazing report again!  It's making me so excited for our adventure this summer!  Hoping my boyfriend can join us, but if not, will be celebrating my little guy's year-early graduation from elementary school.  CANNOT WAIT!  Thanks so much for sharing your adventure!!!!!



Lol........that made me laugh........he does love those tee shirts........and you'll make his day when I tell him what you said........

Aww hope your boyfriend can join you next year........but, even if he doesn't I know you and the little guy will have a blast.....hope you're going to share with us......will enjoy reading that trip report........thank you so much and I'm glad you enjoyed reading along 



tink1957 said:


> Love the pics...you always manage to capture the essence of the parks and transport us to our happy place
> 
> Sad that your wonderful trip report is over and I can't believe we missed each other this time...we were there for a week and didn't run into each other once
> 
> Next year let's make a date to meet up at Strongwater for drinks so it doesn't happen again



Yep, Vicki we'll get in touch properly just before our trip next year and make a plan, we did look out for youse guys in the parks, but yep, just didn't collide.............glad you enjoyed reading too.......


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> _Another great trip report from our beloved Schumi !_
> 
> _Thank youse _



Thank you too Mac, you are a big part of our trip report although this year it just didn't work time wise.....but we so enjoyed the time we had and you did manage to get a little "Tom time" too........



keishashadow said:


> At least I know I'm not alone with the nighttime photo issues. Think I'll dig the camera out and mess with it a bit, maybe there's a secret in there somewhere.   I do just hate lugging the good camera in the parks, depending on which lens it can get so heavy after a few hours.
> 
> Carole  your kind words are most appreciated.  I was so happy to get to finally meet you and Tom.  Sometimes the online friendship doesn't translate to RL, so glad we go along like thieves lol. Have to admit I adore Dave.  I had to kiss so many frogs along the way.  I thank God every day for sending me my DH. Why he puts up with me is a mystery lol.   You and Tom really are a dynamic duo!  Nice to see how you two have kept the magic going in your marriage.
> 
> Hmm emeril's sushi looked good.  Haven't tried it in a few years but may give I another go this year.  It is convenient when staying @ RP.
> 
> Sad to see the trippie is over but it was another winner, thanks for taking the time. It really is a labor of love to share this.



Thank you Janet........yes,we were a fun little gang....all 5 of us..............I knew we would get along just grand away from emails........we loved spending time with youse too.........I'm like you, I'm not sure how Tom puts up with me at times .......we must be doing something right to have such wonderful guys......

I'm rubbish with cameras......have no clue, but I like a press and shoot, so Tom can keep his big fancy camera for those night shots and I'll keep the easy one.......

Yep, the Sushi was good, but its better in Orchids, not sure exactly what it was because it was lovely.......did enjoy Tom's ribs more though........bless him, he did share despite not really wanting too.......lol......

I'm so glad you enjoyed reading along Janet and we loved you both being part of it too.........


----------



## schumigirl

Dynamoliz said:


> Thank you for taking the time to write your report. I really enjoyed reading it and looked forward to each new entry.



Oh I'm so glad to read that.........Thank you so much, it's so nice to know you enjoyed it........and thank you for the lovely comments too........



Owlpost23 said:


> Nuts! It's all over.So enjoy your reports-the way you and Tom travel would be wonderful to emulate!Can't wait til next year-thanks for sharing!!!



Lol......yep, I'm kinda glad and sad too it's finished.......it takes such a long time to do, but, I love writing it......

It's definitely a way to travel that suits us down to the ground.........

Thank you very much for the kind and lovely comments and I'm so glad you enjoyed it........yep, next year will be here before I know it I imagine..........


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## Tmarmac

I am so sad this trip report is finished.  I absolutely love hearing about how much fun you and Tom have in Orlando.  Thank  you for sharing with us!


----------



## keishashadow

It really was a fun time, do wish we had more time to hang.  One nice thing about being ensconced @ RP during Matthew was being able to hang with Mac and poke around the resort. we had a ton of fun and made the best of it.  Got to meet pcstang too.  Gotta love the adventures in Orlando!  

Let's see...I'm counting approx 10 months till the next TR!


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## Seeker615

I just love your reports! Thank you for taking the time to do them. Makes me look forward to our trip in April. (I wish it was 18 days though)

Love the Halloween pics as well! Maybe someday I will have the nerve to attend! My husband would love it!


----------



## schumigirl

Tmarmac said:


> I am so sad this trip report is finished.  I absolutely love hearing about how much fun you and Tom have in Orlando.  Thank  you for sharing with us!



Awww....thank you so much......I'm honestly so glad you enjoyed reading along with us........



keishashadow said:


> It really was a fun time, do wish we had more time to hang.  One nice thing about being ensconced @ RP during Matthew was being able to hang with Mac and poke around the resort. we had a ton of fun and made the best of it.  Got to meet pcstang too.  Gotta love the adventures in Orlando!
> 
> Let's see...I'm counting approx 10 months till the next TR!



You're counting already........lol........yep, glad you had such a nice time on your trip too.........yep, Orlando is full of adventures! Haven't managed to meet PC yet........



Seeker615 said:


> I just love your reports! Thank you for taking the time to do them. Makes me look forward to our trip in April. (I wish it was 18 days though)
> 
> Love the Halloween pics as well! Maybe someday I will have the nerve to attend! My husband would love it!



I'd bet you would love HHN!!! It is so much fun.........and you'd make your husband sooooo happy......

Thank you for the lovely words.......glad you enjoyed it, and your trip is just around the corner......you'll have a wonderful time I'm sure...........


----------



## Lynne G

Aww. What a great report.  I'd like to say hello to ya in person one of these days.  Great pictures as always, and nice that you had a great ride home.  We'll tell ya how Universal looks next week.  I decided we should try the Portifino for an early breakfast before checking into our Sea World hotel.   That AP is still burning in my pocketbook, so we'll park at CityWalk for free and take the stroll or hopefully hop on a boat.


----------



## Princess JJ

I know I'm late jumping on this thread but I am throughly enjoying your trip report. You both seem like such wonderful people and I laugh whenever I hear some of your English terms such a parasol.  

Tom, I have to say you have the whitest legs I have ever seen lol.  You guys must use SPF 70 sunblock.  

I also wanted to ask if you have any Facebook groups/pages for your trip reports?  I would love to hear more about your adventures.

You and your husband look so happy together.  I hope my fiancé and I are as happy as you when we are together for 25 years.


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## Disneymom2kiddos

I loved your TR so much!!  It really does almost feel like we were there too, the way that you describe everything. I even started to feel sad with you when it was time to leave. lol That is always the most solemn time, on the way back to the airport. We leave in 153 days, and reading your reports has gotten me so excited to stay at RPR, and much better prepared thanks to all of your tips. I can't wait to soak it all in!  Thanks again for a wonderful TR!!


----------



## Robo56

Finally caught up on your great trip report. As always a fantastic journal of your time at Universal. The pictures are beautiful and you have so many great ideas for things to do.

You and Tom have to be the happiest couple I have seen in travel pictures. The genuine love that you share is so evident in your pictures. A double celebration next year of your anniversary and birthday will be reason enough to plan some special things to do to celebrate. 

I agree with you whole heartedly on Universal being your happy place. It's mine too. I love the hotels and all the staff in hotels and in parks. I always feel welcome and safe there. 

What a special treat to stay in the suite. The pictures were awesome. 

I enjoyed meeting you as well. You are as lovely in person as you are in your trip reports. I was lucky the day we met as I was able to meet Mac too. She is as fun and sweet in person as she is on the phone. Great luck to meet you both in one day. Was sorry not to meet Keisha and her Mister, maybe next year. Was sorry I didn't get to meet your Tom. Tell your camera man he did a great job.


----------



## pattyw

Fantastic TR! Do we really have to wait until next fall for another??
May I ask what types of gifts you get for the club staff?  I would love to do so when we stay at HRH in January, but I wasn't sure what they are allowed to accept?


----------



## schumigirl

Lynne G said:


> Aww. What a great report.  I'd like to say hello to ya in person one of these days.  Great pictures as always, and nice that you had a great ride home.  We'll tell ya how Universal looks next week.  I decided we should try the Portifino for an early breakfast before checking into our Sea World hotel.   That AP is still burning in my pocketbook, so we'll park at CityWalk for free and take the stroll or hopefully hop on a boat.



Thanks Lynne.......always glad to read folks enjoy my sometimes ramblings........hope you have a lovely trip coming up.........



Princess JJ said:


> I know I'm late jumping on this thread but I am throughly enjoying your trip report. You both seem like such wonderful people and I laugh whenever I hear some of your English terms such a parasol.
> 
> Tom, I have to say you have the whitest legs I have ever seen lol.  You guys must use SPF 70 sunblock.
> 
> I also wanted to ask if you have any Facebook groups/pages for your trip reports?  I would love to hear more about your adventures.
> 
> You and your husband look so happy together.  I hope my fiancé and I are as happy as you when we are together for 25 years.



Lol......everyone says how white we both are usually........we used to use factor 75 when we first visited back in 07, now I'm down to a factor 30...... haven't burned yet, so will stick with that one........I laughed so much about 5 years ago when a tiny little black lady told us we were the whitest white folks she had ever seen........I knew what she meant. 

I'm one of the few folks left that doesn't use any social media.....no Facebook......none of my friends do either, we all still communicate the old fashioned ways........lol........

Thank you for the lovely compliments........I'm so glad you enjoyed reading..........yep, 27 years together and still as happy as we should be.......we think we are so lucky to have each other and our son..........I'm sure you'll be the same........


----------



## schumigirl

Disneymom2kiddos said:


> I loved your TR so much!!  It really does almost feel like we were there too, the way that you describe everything. I even started to feel sad with you when it was time to leave. lol That is always the most solemn time, on the way back to the airport. We leave in 153 days, and reading your reports has gotten me so excited to stay at RPR, and much better prepared thanks to all of your tips. I can't wait to soak it all in!  Thanks again for a wonderful TR!!



What a lovely thing to say! Thank you so much and I'm so heartened to hear you enjoyed reading along.......I truly hope you have a wonderful trip too........please come back and tell us all about it......we love to hear how folks enjoy RP and Universal..........

It is so sad to leave, we are so lucky to be able to go back every year, but thank you for the lovely comments......I do appreciate it.........



Robo56 said:


> Finally caught up on your great trip report. As always a fantastic journal of your time at Universal. The pictures are beautiful and you have so many great ideas for things to do.
> 
> You and Tom have to be the happiest couple I have seen in travel pictures. The genuine love that you share is so evident in your pictures. A double celebration next year of your anniversary and birthday will be reason enough to plan some special things to do to celebrate.
> 
> I agree with you whole heartedly on Universal being your happy place. It's mine too. I love the hotels and all the staff in hotels and in parks. I always feel welcome and safe there.
> 
> What a special treat to stay in the suite. The pictures were awesome.
> 
> I enjoyed meeting you as well. You are as lovely in person as you are in your trip reports. I was lucky the day we met as I was able to meet Mac too. She is as fun and sweet in person as she is on the phone. Great luck to meet you both in one day. Was sorry not to meet Keisha and her Mister, maybe next year. Was sorry I didn't get to meet your Tom. Tell your camera man he did a great job.



Thanks so much Robo.......I was so happy to meet you this year........Tom is happy to hear you enjoyed what we're predominantly his pictures......lol.......

I'm glad you feel the same with Universal........it truly is a remarkable place and we feel so at home at RP....and yes, the suite was very special........

Tom and I are very lucky and feel very blessed with our relationship, so many folks ask how we do it.........answer is simple....it's easy........we're just happy together ..........awww......bit too mushy........lol......I know you know what I mean........

I'm so glad you enjoyed reading and hope we can meet up again next year for a longer time..........



pattyw said:


> Fantastic TR! Do we really have to wait until next fall for another??
> May I ask what types of gifts you get for the club staff?  I would love to do so when we stay at HRH in January, but I wasn't sure what they are allowed to accept?



Thank you so much........I'm so glad you enjoyed it........I do think I ramble on at times......lol........

Staff can accept any gifts really. This year for Club Staff and Front Desk we took in a whole bunch of Lindt and British chocolate and candies......that always goes down well. And we give cash gifts to the staff members that we got closer too. Always appreciated. Along with gift bags with Yankee Candle and Bath and Body Products in too for the ladies. Other staff members we get more personal gifts too. 

Again, glad you enjoyed reading along........


----------



## dixonsontour

Fantastic report as always, have really enjoyed it. Agree you both look so happy in all the photos.


----------



## schumigirl

dixonsontour said:


> Fantastic report as always, have really enjoyed it. Agree you both look so happy in all the photos.



Thanks so much 

Glad you enjoyed reading my sometimes ramblings, and thank you for the nice comments.........


----------



## Tink2Day

So sad your trip report is over.. I even went back and re-read some of it (apparently I love what you call rambling).

I'm so tempted, I just got an offer of $150 off a quick trip to the Celebration of Harry Potter, but despite the great price they offered the 6 hour flight and cost of that is very difficult to manage....I live way out in the wild, wild west in the middle of nowhere AND I'm dog sitting this month.  Can you tell I'm trying to convince myself that I shouldn't be upset at not going?  Guess I'll just have to read Schumi's reports over and over until the next one later this year.


----------



## cocofifi

Schumi, I'm so bad about commenting, but know that I enjoy each and every post. I'm sure it's a lot of work to create a trip report as good as this. Your effort is greatly appreciated and has provided much enjoyment and helpful information. Thank you so much for sharing your trip with us!


----------



## schumigirl

Tink2Day said:


> So sad your trip report is over.. I even went back and re-read some of it (apparently I love what you call rambling).
> 
> I'm so tempted, I just got an offer of $150 off a quick trip to the Celebration of Harry Potter, but despite the great price they offered the 6 hour flight and cost of that is very difficult to manage....I live way out in the wild, wild west in the middle of nowhere AND I'm dog sitting this month.  Can you tell I'm trying to convince myself that I shouldn't be upset at not going?  Guess I'll just have to read Schumi's reports over and over until the next one later this year.



Oh what a shame you won't get to the Potter fun.........you never know what's round the corner and you may get sooner than you think........I hope so anyway!

I do ramble a lot........lol.......but so glad you enjoyed reading along, thank you for the lovely comments........



cocofifi said:


> Schumi, I'm so bad about commenting, but know that I enjoy each and every post. I'm sure it's a lot of work to create a trip report as good as this. Your effort is greatly appreciated and has provided much enjoyment and helpful information. Thank you so much for sharing your trip with us!



Lol........I appreciate the sentiments, I really do.........but it's lovely to see your comments and again, I'm so glad you enjoyed reading along with us.........


----------



## jump00

Another fabulous trip report- amazing pics and a great read.  Honestly - you should write reports on all your travels - we would all follow along. 
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year


----------



## schumigirl

jump00 said:


> Another fabulous trip report- amazing pics and a great read.  Honestly - you should write reports on all your travels - we would all follow along.
> Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year



Why thank you kindly......you make me blush!!

Glad you enjoyed it too.......we did have a wonderful Christmas and New Year thanks, hope you did too........


----------



## FLVacationGirl

I loved reading your trip report! I'm sad it's over.  So cool that you were able to stay in the Presidential Suite for 4 nights!!! Great pictures. Thanks for sharing your trip and all the tips and info with us. 

I'll be doing my 2nd Universal trip at the end of January and your trip report has me pretty excited.


----------



## schumigirl

FLVacationGirl said:


> I loved reading your trip report! I'm sad it's over.  So cool that you were able to stay in the Presidential Suite for 4 nights!!! Great pictures. Thanks for sharing your trip and all the tips and info with us.
> 
> I'll be doing my 2nd Universal trip at the end of January and your trip report has me pretty excited.



How fabulous you have another trip and this month too!!! Not too long to wait now........

Thank you........yes, we loved that suite.......enjoyed every second.......so comfy........I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed reading my ramblings, we are always so sad when our trip isn't over, but writing it all up kinda brings it back a little bit more, and always nice when folks enjoy it..........hope you have a fabulous trip to Universal this month..........


----------



## schumigirl

Muerte Mouse said:


> The sushi looked delicious! I can't wait to go to HHN!



It really is the best sushi around! 

Yep, we are already looking forward to HHN this year again.........


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## OmegaWife5

I came here specifically to see if you by chance had another TR and you did!  Needless to say my squeal of "YES" at work did not go over well with my co-workers.  I'm in the mist of planning another trip for our family in Oct and can't wait!  Thank you so much for always providing such details to your TR's.  I can't wait to start reading them


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## schumigirl

OmegaWife5 said:


> I came here specifically to see if you by chance had another TR and you did!  Needless to say my squeal of "YES" at work did not go over well with my co-workers.  I'm in the mist of planning another trip for our family in Oct and can't wait!  Thank you so much for always providing such details to your TR's.  I can't wait to start reading them



Lol.......that made me laugh..........and thank you for the lovely compliment.......I'll take it with pleasure.......

Great to see you back.........and a trip to look forward to........yay!! Hope you enjoy reading anyway.........


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## macraven

OmegaWife5, now that you have finished schumi's 2016 trip, you'll have another one in about 8 months to read as she reruns again in September!


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## Worfiedoodles

I got a little lost in life, so glad I found my way back to finish reading this wonderful report! I look forward to your TR every year, you always seem to have so much fun and find new things to do, while also visiting some fantastic favorites!

Thank you for sharing your vacations with us!

Maria


----------



## macraven

Stay tuned

Schumi goes back to UO in September 




I smell a new trip report for 2017


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## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> I got a little lost in life, so glad I found my way back to finish reading this wonderful report! I look forward to your TR every year, you always seem to have so much fun and find new things to do, while also visiting some fantastic favorites!
> 
> Thank you for sharing your vacations with us!
> 
> Maria



Thanks Maria......you are very kind!! I`m so glad you enjoyed it and hope things are good with you.......nice to see you post again.........



macraven said:


> Stay tuned
> 
> Schumi goes back to UO in September
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I smell a new trip report for 2017



Wooohoooooooo..........we will be back then!!!!!!

Not that I`m counting the days............


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## tortilla24

schumigirl said:


> Wooohoooooooo..........we will be back then!!!!!!
> 
> Not that I`m counting the days............


So exciting! You can pass the time by telling us about your New York trip - 16 days sounds incredible!  If you ever need restaurant/theater recommendations, I'm your girl


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## schumigirl

tortilla24 said:


> So exciting! You can pass the time by telling us about your New York trip - 16 days sounds incredible!  If you ever need restaurant/theater recommendations, I'm your girl



Thanks! 

Not doing NY this year sadly.........My mother and I have gone 3 times, each trip has got longer and longer, 16 nights was really fabulous.......we have relatives in LI so spend some time out there in a hotel (love Long Island) and had 5 nights in the City. NY was really amazing and we loved it.........planning to go back with my DH when he takes early retirement.........he's never been. Part of a half planned 6/8 week trip to the States.........eventually.......lol......

Yes, the restaurants and theatres are amazing! You must love living there!


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## pigletto

I too have found my way back to this trip report. I'm not sure how I managed to forget about it! I was reading along and then life got in the way I suppose. We are planning to go back to Universal in May so I'm in this section more often again.  The good news is there is lots for me to catch up on. I've got my pj's on and plan to settle in with my cup of tea and read and read .


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## macraven

When you said sitting in our Jammie's sipping tea I thought, schumi would be so proud of you.........


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## schumigirl

pigletto said:


> I too have found my way back to this trip report. I'm not sure how I managed to forget about it! I was reading along and then life got in the way I suppose. We are planning to go back to Universal in May so I'm in this section more often again.  The good news is there is lots for me to catch up on. I've got my pj's on and plan to settle in with my cup of tea and read and read .



Nice to see you back..........you`re back in May!! Wow.....just around the corner then.......fabulous!!! Hope you enjoy the catch up.........



macraven said:


> When you said sitting in our Jammie's sipping tea I thought, schumi would be so proud of you.........



lol.........I do love those jammies...........


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## RMulieri

I loved your report.. I am always sad when they are over.. after years of procrastinating and only staying Portofino, we are staying Royal Pacific and attending HHN this year ! Super excited


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## schumigirl

RMulieri said:


> I loved your report.. I am always sad when they are over.. after years of procrastinating and only staying Portofino, we are staying Royal Pacific and attending HHN this year ! Super excited



Oh my goodness!!!! 

Welcome back........wondered where you were...........so glad to see you post again!

I know you always love PB, so I hope you enjoy RP just the same........and HHN  Fabulous........I can't remember if you've done HHN before or not........have you got your dates yet? 

And thank you, glad you enjoyed reading it..........


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## RMulieri

schumigirl said:


> Oh my goodness!!!!
> 
> Welcome back........wondered where you were...........so glad to see you post again!
> 
> I know you always love PB, so I hope you enjoy RP just the same........and HHN  Fabulous........I can't remember if you've done HHN before or not........have you got your dates yet?
> 
> And thank you, glad you enjoyed reading it..........


I was off here for awhile...Lots of personal life stuff .But I am planning on a first time HHN trip October this year..we are still narrowing down our dates but it looks like either September 17-27th or  October 21- 31, I am trying to talk him into a September trip ...But we will see.. .either  will be the longest trip to date , but I am looking forward to it.


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## schumigirl

RMulieri said:


> I was off here for awhile...Lots of personal life stuff .But I am planning on a first time HHN trip October this year..we are still narrowing down our dates but it looks like either September 17-27th or  October 21- 31, I am trying to talk him into a September trip ...But we will see.. .either  will be the longest trip to date , but I am looking forward to it.



Well, it's nice to see you back 

Love September! Although October is nice too........can't go wrong.......and HHN are just amazing!


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## RMulieri

schumigirl said:


> Well, it's nice to see you back
> 
> Love September! Although October is nice too........can't go wrong.......and HHN are just amazing!


I just booked RPR club level for 10 days in September!!!! SUPER excited to try RPR and HHN


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## schumigirl

RMulieri said:


> I just booked RPR club level for 10 days in September!!!! SUPER excited to try RPR and HHN



I am so glad to hear that!!! I know you love PB, but I do hope you enjoy RP just as much.......

You're gonna love HHN!! And then you'll be addicted and have to go back every year! Is your DH as thrilled about HHN too........

macraven will start the HHN threads soon........always worth waiting for.........


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## macraven

RMulieri said:


> I just booked RPR club level for 10 days in September!!!! SUPER excited to try RPR and HHN


 Back to the darkside
You have been missed

Sept will be a fun time for you !


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## RMulieri

schumigirl said:


> I am so glad to hear that!!! I know you love PB, but I do hope you enjoy RP just as much.......
> 
> You're gonna love HHN!! And then you'll be addicted and have to go back every year! Is your DH as thrilled about HHN too........
> 
> macraven will start the HHN threads soon........always worth waiting for.........


I am really excited to try RPR..I do love PB, but I want to try something different . I have been devouring everything and anything about RPR lately...


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## RMulieri

macraven said:


> Back to the darkside
> You have been missed
> 
> Sept will be a fun time for you !


Thank you !! I missed you guys too


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## ChipDale

Schumigirl, thank you *so much* for the hours of entertainment and information!  I enjoyed all of your reports over the last week.  You are the reason that we did our first stay at the Royal Pacific two years ago and we are anxious to return in May!  Your enthusiasm for the Royal Pacific and the Universal Resort is contagious and I totally get why the staff is so pleased to see you each year.  I really appreciate the time and effort that goes into writing these reports and it's obvious that everyone else here does too.


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## schumigirl

ChipDale said:


> Schumigirl, thank you *so much* for the hours of entertainment and information!  I enjoyed all of your reports over the last week.  You are the reason that we did our first stay at the Royal Pacific two years ago and we are anxious to return in May!  Your enthusiasm for the Royal Pacific and the Universal Resort is contagious and I totally get why the staff is so pleased to see you each year.  I really appreciate the time and effort that goes into writing these reports and it's obvious that everyone else here does too.



Wow! What a lovely post........thank you so much........

I'm so glad you had such a wonderful stay and are returning! Always good to hear.....

It's a pleasure to write them and it's so nice to hear you enjoyed them........hope you have an amazing time again in May......please come back and tell us about it........and thank you once again, I appreciate your thoughts.....


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## disneyAndi14

I loved your report, so fun, informative, and great pictures. We loved our couple days at US this past October, I can't imagine having that much vacation time, how nice.  Thanks for the report, I hope you have a wonderful trip this fall! I will be looking for your next report. Thank you.


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## schumigirl

disneyAndi14 said:


> I loved your report, so fun, informative, and great pictures. We loved our couple days at US this past October, I can't imagine having that much vacation time, how nice.  Thanks for the report, I hope you have a wonderful trip this fall! I will be looking for your next report. Thank you.



Thank you! 

Glad to hear you enjoyed your time at Universal...........yes, long vacations are wonderful, we certainly appreciate them and the time it gives us there.........

Glad you enjoyed reading it, and yep, hopefully will do another this year.........


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## pattyw

Looks like we're going to go back in September for a repeat Birthday/HHN trip!  Hoping our dates overlap, @schumigirl so we can meet up!  I feel like I know you guys from your trip report!!


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## macraven

Hope you all can meet up 

Very exciting to put a face with a name in person


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## schumigirl

pattyw said:


> Looks like we're going to go back in September for a repeat Birthday/HHN trip!  Hoping our dates overlap, @schumigirl so we can meet up!  I feel like I know you guys from your trip report!!



Yay for you going back.........Oh definitely......always up for a meet.......if you see me, you absolutely have to let me know who you are.......



macraven said:


> Hope you all can meet up
> 
> Very exciting to put a face with a name in person



It is always nice to put a face to a name.......we've met so many lovely people over the years from here........


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## LovingDisny

Just finished your trip report. I love reading along. I was a little late finding it this year. Honestly after our summer trip June 2016 I knew reading the boards would make me anxious to get back, so I put off reading for a while. LOL.  I really loved your report. All the pictures, food reviews & details really help others to plan, and of course is just plain fun to read! We enjoyed our 2 nights at RPR back in June and can't wait to go back. I think it's funny that some "Disney people" think they can't like both places. We love Disney and now that we have been to RPR & Universal, we love them too! Our summer family trips will now be split between both places. We only spent 3 days at Universal last summer and that wasn't nearly enough! So much left that we didn't even get around to doing.  We are planning a much longer trip for 2019... I will have to pass the time reading your trip reports & tips. So glad you had a wonderful trip & made it back home safely!


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## schumigirl

LovingDisny said:


> Just finished your trip report. I love reading along. I was a little late finding it this year. Honestly after our summer trip June 2016 I knew reading the boards would make me anxious to get back, so I put off reading for a while. LOL.  I really loved your report. All the pictures, food reviews & details really help others to plan, and of course is just plain fun to read! We enjoyed our 2 nights at RPR back in June and can't wait to go back. I think it's funny that some "Disney people" think they can't like both places. We love Disney and now that we have been to RPR & Universal, we love them too! Our summer family trips will now be split between both places. We only spent 3 days at Universal last summer and that wasn't nearly enough! So much left that we didn't even get around to doing.  We are planning a much longer trip for 2019... I will have to pass the time reading your trip reports & tips. So glad you had a wonderful trip & made it back home safely!



How lovely to read your post! 

Glad to hear you had such a lovely time at Universal........and fantastic to read you're going for a longer trip. You'll be able to do absolutely everything then......and so many new additions then too........exciting!! 

Thank you for your lovely comments.......I'm so glad to read you enjoyed my report....and you have a good excuse for being a bit late........  and I really do appreciate the lovely comments.......


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## NotGoodWithRandomNames

Loved reading your trip report. I just booked a trip to Universal and will be staying at RPR and loved seeing all your pictures.


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## schumigirl

NotGoodWithRandomNames said:


> Loved reading your trip report. I just booked a trip to Universal and will be staying at RPR and loved seeing all your pictures.



Thanks.......glad you enjoyed reading.....

I'm sure you'll have a wonderful trip to Universal and especially RPR........it's a gorgeous resort


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## bobbie68

Hello!  I am a little late joining the party here with trip reports, especially yours. It was great to learn so many things I didn't even notice in my past trips. These forums have helped me and my family have such great vacations. I have learned so much and was able to share the knowledge with my family to make our vacation even better. I love  getting advice and tips from other posters. It was so wonderful to see how you two enjoy your trips together. It warmed my heart so much and really reminded me how precious life is and to enjoy it. I am going to go back and look at your other reports and hope I can learn more. I enjoyed seeing your pics with the haunted characters. I on the other hand am scared. We have our local six flags parks and when we go to fright fest I find myself skulking around corners and hiding....It's funny because we went to Cedar Point  ( love this amusement park) this year twice and once was at Halloween time. The good thing is they don't start their haunts till about 5:00 so I had the day to enjoy the park. What they do sell is No-Boo necklaces. These are big plastic light up ghosts and if you wear them they leave you alone. My DD and I are the scared ones so we bought them. It worked so good and we were able to walk around and see the park without being scared and enjoyed that. My DH and DD's boyfriend love the scary stuff. Thank you for a great report and showing me so many places we haven't seen. We are planning  to move down in a couple of years so will be able to venture to all of them. We love the heat and living in the Northeast is just to cold for to long for us. I look forward to writing my trip report when we get back in August. 

I do have a couple of questions. 1. You mentioned  the resort guest entrance at the parks. Where is  this? Is It new? I don't remember in 2016 having that. However, I could have missed it 

Thank you


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## schumigirl

bobbie68 said:


> Hello!  I am a little late joining the party here with trip reports, especially yours. It was great to learn so many things I didn't even notice in my past trips. These forums have helped me and my family have such great vacations. I have learned so much and was able to share the knowledge with my family to make our vacation even better. I love  getting advice and tips from other posters. It was so wonderful to see how you two enjoy your trips together. It warmed my heart so much and really reminded me how precious life is and to enjoy it. I am going to go back and look at your other reports and hope I can learn more. I enjoyed seeing your pics with the haunted characters. I on the other hand am scared. We have our local six flags parks and when we go to fright fest I find myself skulking around corners and hiding....It's funny because we went to Cedar Point  ( love this amusement park) this year twice and once was at Halloween time. The good thing is they don't start their haunts till about 5:00 so I had the day to enjoy the park. What they do sell is No-Boo necklaces. These are big plastic light up ghosts and if you wear them they leave you alone. My DD and I are the scared ones so we bought them. It worked so good and we were able to walk around and see the park without being scared and enjoyed that. My DH and DD's boyfriend love the scary stuff. Thank you for a great report and showing me so many places we haven't seen. We are planning  to move down in a couple of years so will be able to venture to all of them. We love the heat and living in the Northeast is just to cold for to long for us. I look forward to writing my trip report when we get back in August.
> 
> I do have a couple of questions. 1. You mentioned  the resort guest entrance at the parks. Where is  this? Is It new? I don't remember in 2016 having that. However, I could have missed it
> 
> Thank you



Thanks! Latecomers are welcome too.......

The resort guest entrance is for HHN only, and down to the right hand side of the main entrance. Usually opens till around 8pm. Avoids having to going through big queues when the masses go in. 

How lovely you can move down there in a few years.........I love heat too, hate the cold. 

I'm so glad you enjoyed reading and thank you for the lovely comments about my DH and I.......we adore each other's company.......much to the annoyance of some friends who like to tease us that we spend far too much time together........lol......no such thing! 

Will look forward to reading your trip report when you write it.........


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## bobbie68

Thank you


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## soniam

Just finished reading your trip report. It was great! I am so jealous at how much time you spent there. I did have to quickly jump over your HHN photos, because I really want to go someday and I want to be completely surprised when I do Loved all of the stuff you did around Orlando that's not Universal. We rarely do much outside the parks. Nothing can compete with an amusement park or hotel pool in the mind of a child. My son would love that you ate at Red Lobster and Longhorn Steakhouse. We have both close to our house, and he's always asking to go. RPR is really beautiful, and that suite was sweeeeeeeet! I liked seeing the restaurants at the hotels. We tend to eat at Citywalk or in the park; however, we did have a really good meal at Tchoup Tchoup on our last trip, which was adult only. Your pics of Sapphire Falls are cool too. Maybe if we go in the off season or get a really good rate, we could stay there. I am too attached to EP to stay at the other hotels. I don't get unfriendly people at the parks; however, I can be talkative and others just aren't.

I don't get the cheating on Disney thing. We love Disney, and it's the place that we went first and have been to the most. However, we love Universal. Memorial Day weekend will be our first Universal only trip. In December, DH and I skipped Universal due to time constraints. It made me a little sad. Both places are fabulous but completely different. I find Universal to be a more relaxing vacation than Disney, and it seems easier to do in a short time. Plus, everything is so close, and there's usually not much planning to do. I actually think the hotels are better quality, especially for the price. The simulator rides at Universal actually broke me out of my ride chicken mode, so that I could do all of the coasters at Disney and many of the rides at Universal. You are brave for doing Hulk, RRR, Dr Doom, and Dragon Challenge. I still can't bring myself to do them just yet.


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## schumigirl

soniam said:


> Just finished reading your trip report. It was great! I am so jealous at how much time you spent there. I did have to quickly jump over your HHN photos, because I really want to go someday and I want to be completely surprised when I do Loved all of the stuff you did around Orlando that's not Universal. We rarely do much outside the parks. Nothing can compete with an amusement park or hotel pool in the mind of a child. My son would love that you ate at Red Lobster and Longhorn Steakhouse. We have both close to our house, and he's always asking to go. RPR is really beautiful, and that suite was sweeeeeeeet! I liked seeing the restaurants at the hotels. We tend to eat at Citywalk or in the park; however, we did have a really good meal at Tchoup Tchoup on our last trip, which was adult only. Your pics of Sapphire Falls are cool too. Maybe if we go in the off season or get a really good rate, we could stay there. I am too attached to EP to stay at the other hotels. I don't get unfriendly people at the parks; however, I can be talkative and others just aren't.
> 
> I don't get the cheating on Disney thing. We love Disney, and it's the place that we went first and have been to the most. However, we love Universal. Memorial Day weekend will be our first Universal only trip. In December, DH and I skipped Universal due to time constraints. It made me a little sad. Both places are fabulous but completely different. I find Universal to be a more relaxing vacation than Disney, and it seems easier to do in a short time. Plus, everything is so close, and there's usually not much planning to do. I actually think the hotels are better quality, especially for the price. The simulator rides at Universal actually broke me out of my ride chicken mode, so that I could do all of the coasters at Disney and many of the rides at Universal. You are brave for doing Hulk, RRR, Dr Doom, and Dragon Challenge. I still can't bring myself to do them just yet.



Thanks soniam, so glad to read you enjoyed it.........I do babble on at times.......

Red Lobster and Longhorn are our cheap and cheerful must do's every trip......my American relatives find it funny we love RL.......we get a lot of teasing for that one. 

Yes SF is beautiful, but we wouldn't be without EP either and RP is perfect for us. Everyone knows us so well there now, it really is like coming home. 

I'm like you, I talk to everyone.......most are friendly, but yep, you always get a grumpy one now and again. And yes that phrase cheating on Disney is one thing I don't understand........weird. 

I know what you mean about the bigger thrill rides at Universal. Our first year I wouldn't do Hulk. I wanted to so badly but was just too scared. 2nd visit I just marched up to it and went on.......I had spent the whole year between visits grumbling I hadn't done it........once I was harnessed in I was petrified........then we set off......and I realised how much I had been missing! Loved it.......and that was me hooked on coasters.....

Oh and you'll love HHN when you do get around to doing it........amazing event! 

Again, thanks for reading and for the lovely comments..........


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## shh

longhorn is underrated and underappreciated.  I've had far more expensive steaks that weren't nearly as good. Love that place.


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## Trentmom

Hi. I know I am way late to this trip report, but am planning our first trip to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure and trying to decide between Royal Pacific and Hard Rock Hotel.  I noticed you are a frequent visitor to Royal Pacific, so thought this would be a good report to check out.
Only on page one, so still a lot to read lol


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## PoohIsHome

@schumigirl It's not weird that I'm looking forward to your vacation this year almost as much as I'm looking forward to mine!  You'll be back and have had started your trippie before we leave! Sooooo looking forward to your TR!


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## schumigirl

Trentmom said:


> Hi. I know I am way late to this trip report, but am planning our first trip to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure and trying to decide between Royal Pacific and Hard Rock Hotel.  I noticed you are a frequent visitor to Royal Pacific, so thought this would be a good report to check out.
> Only on page one, so still a lot to read lol



Late or not......Welcome........hope you enjoy reading it........I do babble on at times........

We love RPR........nowhere quite like it for us when we are in Orlando. But, HRH is a lovely hotel too.......not a bad choice to be made. 



PoohIsHome said:


> @schumigirl It's not weird that I'm looking forward to your vacation this year almost as much as I'm looking forward to mine!  You'll be back and have had started your trippie before we leave! Sooooo looking forward to your TR!



Lol.........I'm so glad to hear it..........and no it's not weird at all........

Thanks.........hope you enjoy the new one too.........


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## Trentmom

schumigirl said:


> *SUNDAY 18TH CONTINUED..........
> *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We had to wander back in to the Halloween store that had popped up near Mummy......it is cute and has some good stuff in it.......The staff here enthuse about the event when you speak to them and enjoy hearing what you think about it.....and like all other employees they are happy to take pictures of you in there......
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We both had drinks, I had 2 glasses of white wine and Tom had 2 beers.......then we moved over to the comfy chairs after we had eaten and watched the rain and some tv. We didn't last too long after that and we went up to our room and were soon asleep.
> 
> Parks tomorrow..........



I quoted this post as I love the pic with Michael and Haddonfield written on it. I Grew up 2 towns over from Haddonfield and it made me chuckle.

Really enjoying your report. Still have about 14 more pages to read lol


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## schumigirl

Trentmom said:


> I quoted this post as I love the pic with Michael and Haddonfield written on it. I Grew up 2 towns over from Haddonfield and it made me chuckle.
> 
> Really enjoying your report. Still have about 14 more pages to read lol





lol.......as an 11 year old who watched Halloween when she shouldn't have been...... I would have been freaked out living close to the town with THAT name....... I love those pictures too.........

Glad to hear you're enjoying it.........


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## robl45

Quick question, I'm reading through this now and getting really excited about gong to universal.  I was wondering about halloween horror nights.  You seem to have express passes for HHN for at least 2 nights so far.  Do you buy the express pass separately for each night or is there someway to buy it for multiple nights?


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## schumigirl

robl45 said:


> Quick question, I'm reading through this now and getting really excited about gong to universal.  I was wondering about halloween horror nights.  You seem to have express passes for HHN for at least 2 nights so far.  Do you buy the express pass separately for each night or is there someway to buy it for multiple nights?



We buy the Rush of Fear ticket with Express Pass. You can buy it with or without EP. You can buy a Frequent Fear pass too with or without EP or just buy for individual nights.

The Rush of Fear is a fantastic buy for us that can go 10 nights in one trip as it covers first 3 weeks of the event. 

We wouldn't do HHN without EP. Even on so called quiet nights queues can be horrendous. Opening night last year saw very long queues. 

The HHN website has all the ticket info


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## dizneedoll

A day late and a dollar short on reading this as I just realized you are on this years trip now! But if you happen to see this I just wanted to tell you how much I love your dresses and was wondering where you get them from? They look super cute on you! Hope you are having a great time and that you were able to dodge Irma!


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## ShyMiss

Loved reading this trip report last year. It definitely sealed our decision to try Universal Studios (though not HHN - I'm a scary movie wimp lol. Visiting for the first time next month) Hope you do another trip report soon if you visited in September again (2017.)


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## schumigirl

dizneedoll said:


> A day late and a dollar short on reading this as I just realized you are on this years trip now! But if you happen to see this I just wanted to tell you how much I love your dresses and was wondering where you get them from? They look super cute on you! Hope you are having a great time and that you were able to dodge Irma!



Hey better late than never........lol.......thanks........most of my clothes are from the UK......here there and everywhere........

Yes we had a fabulous time and Irma only delayed us coming from NY for 2 days........not a huge inconvenience really. Hope you enjoy the next one too and thanks for the lovely compliments...........



ShyMiss said:


> Loved reading this trip report last year. It definitely sealed our decision to try Universal Studios (though not HHN - I'm a scary movie wimp lol. Visiting for the first time next month) Hope you do another trip report soon if you visited in September again (2017.)



Thank you! That is so nice to hear! You go next month.......how exciting........

HHN isn't for everyone.......but hope you love Universal and everything it has to offer.

Trip report for this year is coming up soon...........hopefully......


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## mrsfleming

Hi Carole

It was so lovely to meet you and Tom at RPR, we all really enjoyed your company in the Club Lounge the chat (and the wine) was fab.  I hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip.  We had a good time at Disney but it didn't beat RPR, the hotel, staff and parks just blew us away and we cant wait to get back.  We just found Disney a little too manic and regimented compared to how relaxed we had been at Universal. Im hoping to get started on reading through your reports this week to brush up on my knowledge before booking our next trip.

Say hi to Tom from us all as well.

From Shona, Barry, Mason & Lewis


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## schumigirl

mrsfleming said:


> Hi Carole
> 
> It was so lovely to meet you and Tom at RPR, we all really enjoyed your company in the Club Lounge the chat (and the wine) was fab.  I hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip.  We had a good time at Disney but it didn't beat RPR, the hotel, staff and parks just blew us away and we cant wait to get back.  We just found Disney a little too manic and regimented compared to how relaxed we had been at Universal. Im hoping to get started on reading through your reports this week to brush up on my knowledge before booking our next trip.
> 
> Say hi to Tom from us all as well.
> 
> From Shona, Barry, Mason & Lewis



Hi Shona.........YAY!!! 

You made it........

We had such a blast with you guys! That was so funny that night trying to get a lock in with Colby in Lounge.......lol.......much wine would have been drank!! We did get some nice pictures though........

RPR and Universal is so hard to beat isn’t it.......I’m sure you still had a fab time at Disney......it got so hot though. 

Sucks to be back home though, I’m sure the boys would give anything to be back there.......and you two!! I know we would.....

Should be starting new trip report this week sometime, hoping Wednesday maybe Thursday.......takes such a long time, but worth it........

Yep, tell your guys we say hi too.......your boys really were lovely and we did enjoy spending time with you all too......


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## jcc0621

I just read this entire report over the last couple of days and have already started your new one.  I was really on the fence about where to stay next summer but you have convinced me that RPR is the way to go!  I can't wait to read about this year's trip!


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## schumigirl

jcc0621 said:


> I just read this entire report over the last couple of days and have already started your new one.  I was really on the fence about where to stay next summer but you have convinced me that RPR is the way to go!  I can't wait to read about this year's trip!



How fabulous! 

I love to read that folks are heading to RPR...........I’m sure you’ll love it. It really is a fantastic hotel.....well, it has everything we need and that’s one of the reasons we go back year after year. The lovely people that work also there help the trip to be so fantastic..........definitely family feeling when we go back. 

I hope you enjoy the new one too.........and thanks for reading this one.........I appreciate it......


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## FoxC63

schumigirl said:


> It`s that time of year again..........Another trip has passed and we were now back home only dreaming of the wonderous time we had while we were at Royal Pacific and Orlando Every year we say the thing, it cant get any better than the year before.......and every year it just seems to be enhanced from previous trip in some way or another. RPR has always been an amazing resort and it truly is our home away from home. Folks ask if we never get fed up staying there or wouldn't we prefer a villa.........short answer is no.....we never get fed up there, its so beautiful and they look after us so well. As for a villa.......too much like a home.......I don't want something that's like home......I want a hotel to be taken care of and looked after and that's exactly what we get at RPR.



Thanks for the links I've got you on my radar!


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## schumigirl

FoxC63 said:


> Thanks for the links I've got you on my radar!



lol........hope you enjoy them........

I`m very guilty of rambling!!!!


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## FoxC63

schumigirl said:


> lol........hope you enjoy them........
> 
> I`m very guilty of rambling!!!!



It makes for a great read!   It's funny you mentioned the loud man at the restaurant,  I have to admit that was me during our recent trip but I'm deaf in my left ear and had surgery in both prior to our visit.  Hope I wasn't upsetting anyone but I really get the whole boastful thing - that's just rude.


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## schumigirl

FoxC63 said:


> It makes for a great read!   It's funny you mentioned the loud man at the restaurant,  I have to admit that was me during our recent trip but I'm deaf in my left ear and had surgery in both prior to our visit.  Hope I wasn't upsetting anyone but I really get the whole boastful thing - that's just rude.



Oh I`m sure you didn't........he was just bragging and thought he was impressing those around him........I think we all wished we were slightly deaf at that area of the restaurant....he was just rude.


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## FoxC63

Tell me something we're planning on doing a split stay WDW & Universal, did you use any special savings like gift card deals to help you?  We can PM if you'd like.  I save 9/10% for WDW but not sure how to save for Universal.


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## schumigirl

FoxC63 said:


> Tell me something we're planning on doing a split stay WDW & Universal, did you use any special savings like gift card deals to help you?  We can PM if you'd like.  I save 9/10% for WDW but not sure how to save for Universal.



No, we don’t use anything like that.......we just pay the hotel at the end of the trip. 

But if you post on the main Universal board and ask, maybe someone can tell you what they do.......

I think I’ve seen some folks post they buy Universal Gift Cards and use them to pay the hotel.......


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