# Fun, Sun & Strong Water Rum...*Yo-Ho*...23 Nights @ Sapphire Falls...A May 2022 TR



## schumigirl

​*Yes, we`re back again and ready for another build up to hopefully our first trip of 3 this year to beautiful Orlando.

I say hopefully as, although we seem to be over the worst of the pandemic here, no one can really guarantee anything with travel anymore. But, after almost 2 years I`m more than ready to get back into a routine. It`s hard to imagine it was 2 years ago right now we were beginning to realise that our May 2020 Trip might not happen. The rest of course is history and the world seemed to go to hell in a handcart.......yes, it was a long 2 years and we were completely over the moon to be able to get back this past November/December for what was a very much awaited for trip. 

But, now we are looking forward to May 2022, and our first trip of the year. *

*So, here we go again.........and I do hope you enjoy this one too  


For anyone who don`t already know us and there will be many I`m sure.......we are Carole 'n' Tom......a joined at the hip couple who just love travelling to Orlando for our vacations. Our first trip there was in 2007 and we were instantly hooked on everything Orlando from the parks to the heat and sunshine. *

*One from 2007.....and it really does seem a lifetime ago now looking back.*















*A one and done trip it was never going to be and we haven`t missed a year since and managed several trips a year in the last 5 years since Tom took early retirement. So, we really do have a love for Florida and everything it has to offer.........

In case you don`t know us, this is us in November last year, we didn`t get too many pictures of just the two of us, but we did like this one taken in the Club Lounge at RP. *














​*This year in September we`ll be celebrating 30 years of blissful marriage, and at the risk of sounding corny beyond belief, it has been blissful and we look forward to celebrating then with a month in Orlando. We did think maybe we should do something different, go somewhere new.....but we were drawn to stick with where we love. But, that`s for another Trip Report. 

We have one son, Kyle who is quite honestly the best son anyone could hope for. And he loves the fact we still spend all our time together and our vacations are such a joy......we are so incredibly proud of him and relish the times he will possibly join us in the future. One of our couple friends are in Orlando right now with their adult son who decided to go back with his parents for one more trip before he gets married and they are having the best time together. I think he is enjoying being spoiled before grandkids come along for his parents. But, Kyle has his own situation now and his own vacations which is lovely. 

And yes, he is still the biggest fan of chocolate cake.........*










​



*To get back to this trip, we knew when we wanted to travel roughly, we love travelling in May, and finally rebooked these flights last June, when the May 2022 flights were released. These were again flights that had been deferred from the year before due to them being cancelled due to no travel being allowed. Virgin made it very easy for us to do this online as they had issued what was really a credit note for the previous flights and all we had to do was add the difference in the new flights and of course we knew they were never going to be cheaper!! But, it is what is it and we just smiled and paid up, and actually it could have been worse. 

We also had the offer of taking a full refund from all the cancelled flights, but we opted to keep the money with VA and hoped they wouldn`t go bankrupt, we didn`t really think they would to be honest, but many did and of course you do what suits your own circumstance best.*









​





*We do love flying Virgin, while we do have other options, they are our preference as we like to fly from Manchester instead of Heathrow and they do fly direct which is absolutely our preference.......I know some folks don`t mind 2 and 3 hour layovers, sometimes longer in places like JFK or Philadelphia, but for us the almost 10 hour flight is quite long enough thank you and won`t consider flying indirect.

The flight is just a means to an end of course, but we have never had a bad flight with them and for us it is part of the vacation.....well, 10 hours is a long time to be stuck in one place. Although the flight passes not too bad usually by the time we are fed a few times, watch a couple of movies and apparently now I seem to sleep for about 3 hours of the flight!!! And I miss the wonderful turbulence experienced by all accounts. Tom is always amazed I can sleep through all of it, but I seem to manage. 

We do where we can, book Premium seats if they`re available and we do like certain seats, which aren`t always available, but as long as they`re Premium generally we`re good with that. They are much more spacious than regular seats and in November we were surprised just how comfy they were.....for plane seats anyway. 

At the moment we have booked the front row of Premium coming out and the last row coming home which is our preference as you have no one behind you, so you can fully recline without disturbing anyone else. There is still room to recline, but most don`t fully recline on others, of course some do and it`s just your luck who you get in front of you.*















*We fly out on May 2nd this year and as of today it is exactly 9 weeks .........is it too early to start a Pre-Trip Report.........it may very well be, but after missing the last 2 years I am so excited to be planning our trips again and some of the ladies on here know we are just bursting to get back again.......

I have the time to do it and as we aren`t having the nicest weather in the UK right now, I`m not doing much else, so I can vent some of the excitement in this pre trip as all of you understand that excitement for a trip, especially after the last few years of many of us not being able to travel at all. 

As of today, the only testing we need to do is the day before we fly out.....yes, that will be incredibly nerve wracking leaving it so late. Last trip we had to test within 3 days of flying out and that was bad enough, it felt very last minute if we tested positive. But a day ahead seems almost barbaric!! I think this time as it`s the day before we`ll just do the tests at the airport that are supervised and results immediately. It was quite stressful when our computer camera wouldn`t work for a time for the supervised tests last year, so this might just be easier. Although it would suck if we were positive and had to come home from the airport same day........lol........*

*We are both double vaccinated and boosted, so we`ve done all we can do to be honest. Who knows what the testing requirement will be by then for entering the USA. *

*9 weeks is a long time in many ways, but we all know how time passes so quickly so I can yammer on about plans for our trip in that time. 

There`ll be the usual habits like park times, eating out around Orlando, day trips to places like New Smyrna Beach, maybe Dunedin, certainly St Augustine which is one of our most favourite places, Mount Dora and hopefully a couple of new additions for our travels. We have an ever growing list of places we`d like to visit, but just never get around to it, we always say we`ll fit it in another time.......*

*But, for now....it`s a start to our Trip Report for our May visit to Orlando for 23 nights at the beautiful Sapphire Falls again. 

Hope to see some familiar faces and new ones too for the ramble ahead....it`s always a pleasure to read your comments along the way.........*


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## macraven

I’m in for this read
Bring it on!!

always love your trip reports!!


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## macraven

You had a long two years waiting for going back to UO

Great it finally happened!
Been waiting two very long years now waiting for this report….
And it is awesome!


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## schumigirl

macraven said:


> I’m in for this read
> Bring it on!!
> 
> always love your trip reports!!




 along again mac......always a pleasure to see you post and I`m always glad to know you enjoy them.......yes, this May trip has been long awaited for.....2 years is a long time for sure!!

So glad to see you here......


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## dez1978

We are just 2 weeks behind you!  It's kind of snuck up on me this time around.  The kids wrestling has kept us so busy the time just flys.  But those last 2-3 weeks will be about 5 months long lol.


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## schumigirl

dez1978 said:


> We are just 2 weeks behind you!  It's kind of snuck up on me this time around.  The kids wrestling has kept us so busy the time just flys.  But those last 2-3 weeks will be about 5 months long lol.



 along dez1978........

Time does fly and I think I`ll be amazed at how quickly 9 weeks will pass and our trip will be here before we know it......

Hope you enjoy reading along with this one too.......nice to see you


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## JaxDad

I’m in!


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## Gr8t Fan

Yay!!!! Another trip report. Can't wait to read all about it.


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## Worfiedoodles

Squee!   

I'm so excited to read along! Love that you started now, it gives us plenty of time to chat and think about all the fun times ahead 

Definitely nice to have this escape with all the weathering lots of us are enduring


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## schumigirl

JaxDad said:


> I’m in!



And a big   back to you JaxDad......

Good to see you and hope you`re all doing ok. Yep, we are looking forward to this trip, it`s long overdue and St Augustine is definitley in our plans..we can work out a time to hopefully meet up nearer the time, it `s been a long time since we last saw you.


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## schumigirl

Gr8t Fan said:


> Yay!!!! Another trip report. Can't wait to read all about it.



 along Gr8t Fan........

Yep, couldn`t wait any longer.......and decided to just start it now....why wait!! 

Hope you enjoy it and glad to see you join in on this one too.......


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## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Squee!
> 
> I'm so excited to read along! Love that you started now, it gives us plenty of time to chat and think about all the fun times ahead
> 
> Definitely nice to have this escape with all the weathering lots of us are enduring



There are not enough "Squees" in the world........lol.....

 along again Maria......and thank you again for your input on the title......Yo Ho did make it in there........

Yep, you know I can ramble for months about our trips, so should be plenty of time and we get to see you and Mr Worfiedoodles on this visit too 

Always lovely to see you on here too


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## wmoon

Nice to see another trip report, I always read but don’t always comment.
We were over in the middle of February, so lovely to finally be able to go back. Back in July and October for our first ever HHN so will be eagerly reading. 
9 weeks will fly in.


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## schumigirl

wmoon said:


> Nice to see another trip report, I always read but don’t always comment.
> We were over in the middle of February, so lovely to finally be able to go back. Back in July and October for our first ever HHN so will be eagerly reading.
> 9 weeks will fly in.



 along wmoon....glad to see you comment.

Yes, I think it will fly past, 9 weeks sounds a long time, but it is a blink of the eye and then it`s here.....

Hope you enjoy this one too.


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## Raeven

Following along! I haven’t started my PTR yet, but it looks like we’re also going in May this year again.


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## schumigirl

Raeven said:


> Following along! I haven’t started my PTR yet, but it looks like we’re also going in May this year again.



 back Raeven!!!!!

Where have you been hiding......you were missed 

And so glad to hear you are going in May too........wooohoooo!!! I wasn`t sure when you were going to be visiting again........happy to hear you have a PTR coming too, I will look forward to reading that one!!! 

So good to see you........


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## TotallyTink

I am looking forward to your trip report! I've never commented before, but I've been reading since 2019. I love your trip reports with all their beautiful photographs. We had our first trip planned for June 2020, but that didn't happen!  We now have our first trip planned for June 2022.


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## tink1957

Woohoo...another trip report from Carole...I'm along for the ride and looking forward to hearing more about your latest travels.

Love the title, by the way...wishing I had an Ashley's Fools Gold about now.


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## Raeven

schumigirl said:


> back Raeven!!!!!
> 
> Where have you been hiding......you were missed
> 
> And so glad to hear you are going in May too........wooohoooo!!! I wasn`t sure when you were going to be visiting again........happy to hear you have a PTR coming too, I will look forward to reading that one!!!
> 
> So good to see you........



Haha I’ve been taking a little break since I finished my last TR, but I read your TR from your last trip!

A week or two ago we decided which week we’d be going so I planned to start my PTR soon.


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## schumigirl

TotallyTink said:


> I am looking forward to your trip report! I've never commented before, but I've been reading since 2019. I love your trip reports with all their beautiful photographs. We had our first trip planned for June 2020, but that didn't happen!  We now have our first trip planned for June 2022.



Well a warm   to you TotallyTink.......I`m so glad you did post and it`s lovely to hear you enjoyed previous reports.......and I`ll pass your comments on to Tom who does take the majority of our pictures.....bless him, he has the patience of a Saint!!

And you have a trip planned for June!! Excellent, and a first trip for Universal?? Yes, 2020/21 really knocked a whole lot of people`s plans, but looking good now.... 

Look forward to your comments along the way and hope you like this one too


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## schumigirl

tink1957 said:


> Woohoo...another trip report from Carole...I'm along for the ride and looking forward to hearing more about your latest travels.
> 
> Love the title, by the way...wishing I had an Ashley's Fools Gold about now.



YAY!!!! 

 Vicki........and fabulous to see you visit!!

I do remember when Ashley was creating Fool`s Gold, we got the taste test and thoroughly loved them, and it has been a massive success on their menu. We miss her as she never came back when the place opened back up again, but she`s doing good. Least the drink is still on the menu  

Hope you`re all doing good Vicki, hope you enjoy this one too and it is so nice to see you post


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## schumigirl

Raeven said:


> Haha I’ve been taking a little break since I finished my last TR, but I read your TR from your last trip!
> 
> A week or two ago we decided which week we’d be going so I planned to start my PTR soon.



Oh it felt so good to be writing about anything after 2 years of not very much! 

Glad you`re back though and happy to hear you have a trip coming up soon


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## JaxDad

schumigirl said:


> And a big   back to you JaxDad......
> 
> Good to see you and hope you`re all doing ok. Yep, we are looking forward to this trip, it`s long overdue and St Augustine is definitley in our plans..we can work out a time to hopefully meet up nearer the time, it `s been a long time since we last saw you.


We’re doing great! It’s been busy but fun. I do hope we can get together again. If St. Augustine doesn’t work out, I’ll just have to drive to Orlando!

We’re planning a trip to the Black Hills in South Dakota this June. It’s just a week, but there’s a lot to see in a relatively small area.


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## jump00

Woohoo! Always excited to see your pre-trip reports Carole!
Thanks for giving us something to look forward to
Brenda


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## BroadwayHermione5

I do love Florida in May….some of the best weather! Excited to hear and see more!


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## mnmmoney

Yay! Mia here ... Love following along! ... Also on a countdown - we will be at RPR May 13-20, cannot wait - it has been since 2019 February visit since we have been to our favorite vacation spot.


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## schumigirl

JaxDad said:


> We’re doing great! It’s been busy but fun. I do hope we can get together again. If St. Augustine doesn’t work out, I’ll just have to drive to Orlando!
> 
> We’re planning a trip to the Black Hills in South Dakota this June. It’s just a week, but there’s a lot to see in a relatively small area.



Good to know everyone is well and doing ok. 

Is that where Mount Rushmore is with the Presidents? Only ever seen that on tv but looks a beautiful area to visit. I know very little else about either Dakota!!! 

Either works for us, but we`ll definitely look to pick a day that suits you when we come to St Augustine if we can. We only have a couple of things etched in stone at this point, but we`re flexible.......although maybe a little cooler than last time lol....I really thought I was going to melt that day!!


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## schumigirl

jump00 said:


> Woohoo! Always excited to see your pre-trip reports Carole!
> Thanks for giving us something to look forward to
> Brenda



 Brenda........no, thank you for your lovely posts in them all!!!

Glad you made it and hope you enjoy this one along the way....

You still have your August trip to look forward to also....and the Velocicoaster too I hope!!! 

I`ll bet your counting down the days to that, it`ll surprise you how fast time will pass. I know I can`t believe it`s March already....


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## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> I do love Florida in May….some of the best weather! Excited to hear and see more!



 back to you too BroadwayHermione.......

Yes, this will be our 3rd May trip. Our first one was a little mixed where we got a few days of rain, but 2019 was hot!!! And we loved it. So, yes, and also the reason we stopped coming in March and May and just extended the May trip as the weather was so lovely. March can be a little cool for me.......preverbial lizard here!!  

Glad to see you here......


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## schumigirl

mnmmoney said:


> Yay! Mia here ... Love following along! ... Also on a countdown - we will be at RPR May 13-20, cannot wait - it has been since 2019 February visit since we have been to our favorite vacation spot.



 back to you too!!!

It is good to see you, and fabulous you have a trip to RP coming up!!! I feel your pain in not having been since Feb 19.....that is such a long time to have not visited there!! 

It`ll be sweet when you do arrive though........and you know if you see us in the parks you have to shout out to us........

Glad you`re here......


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## keishashadow

Yippy, skippy…let the good times roll!  Sorry to be missing you this trip as we moved ours up to pre-Easter this year.  Hope to catch you in September & December again.



schumigirl said:


> A one and done trip it was never going to be


If I had a $1 for all those who thought that when planning their first trip to Orlando, I’d own a condo there by now     In all seriousness, glad it was your cuppa tea!


schumigirl said:


> At the moment we have booked the front row of Premium coming out and the last row coming home which is our preference as you have no one behind you, so you can fully recline without disturbing anyone else.


You do travel very well


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## musika

I was wondering when the PTR would be up! Can't wait to follow along and live vicariously.


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## I-4Bound

You know I'm All In! Looking forward to hearing about all of your plans and following Along on your journey. We will be in Orlando in June and I'm really looking forward to it. I can live vicariously through your May trip until then


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## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Yippy, skippy…let the good times roll!  Sorry to be missing you this trip as we moved ours up to pre-Easter this year.  Hope to catch you in September & December again.
> 
> 
> If I had a $1 for all those who thought that when planning their first trip to Orlando, I’d own a condo there by now     In all seriousness, glad it was your cuppa tea!
> 
> You do travel very well



 Keisha.......glad you found me!!

Yes, a May meet would have been lovely, but we will have September and December too this year to have some catch ups again.

Rather naively we did think it might have been a one off trip back then, but we were hooked!!! I agree, I think many have the same idea.

We do enjoy the flights. I know some hate flying but it`s fun and even better if we`re comfy along the way.....

Hope you enjoy this one too Janet........


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## schumigirl

musika said:


> I was wondering when the PTR would be up! Can't wait to follow along and live vicariously.



 back musika......

Yep, worfiedoodles helped me decide to start it up, not that I needed much encouragement........lol......I was keen to begin as I have some pent up trip reporting to do after missing so many...... 

Glad you`re here again and look forward to your posts again......


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## schumigirl

I-4Bound said:


> You know I'm All In! Looking forward to hearing about all of your plans and following Along on your journey. We will be in Orlando in June and I'm really looking forward to it. I can live vicariously through your May trip until then



Yay......  back Andrea.......

Always happy to see you post!! Oh I can imagine how excited you are for June to come around......

There are so many folks getting to travel back for the first time and excitement is through the roof for many folks. No wonder the parks are crowded! But, we`ll live with it I`m sure........

Good to see you and hope everyone is doing well.......


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## Pumpkin1172

Joining in on the fun!!! 

9 weeks is not very long!!!  It will be here before you know it!

The pre-trip report and the pre-planning is part of the vacation fun!!!!!  Let the good times start!!!!  I will be living vicariously through your trip report!  I am missing Florida already.


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## jump00

schumigirl said:


> Brenda........no, thank you for your lovely posts in them all!!!
> 
> Glad you made it and hope you enjoy this one along the way....
> 
> You still have your August trip to look forward to also....and the Velocicoaster too I hope!!!
> 
> I`ll bet your counting down the days to that, it`ll surprise you how fast time will pass. I know I can`t believe it`s March already....


Yes, we are very excited for our August trip! But…..we are still very concerned with our governments rule about testing negative before being permitted back into Canada.  Hoping that rule changes. Like you, we have our shots and boosters but……….I still worry.  Thank goodness for your lovely reports


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## schumigirl

Pumpkin1172 said:


> Joining in on the fun!!!
> 
> 9 weeks is not very long!!!  It will be here before you know it!
> 
> The pre-trip report and the pre-planning is part of the vacation fun!!!!!  Let the good times start!!!!  I will be living vicariously through your trip report!  I am missing Florida already.



 Pumpkin........I`m so glad you made it over here......

I know how you`re feeling right now......you had a lovely time in Florida and I`ll bet you just want to be back there! 

Yes, 9 weeks will pass, I`m still amazed at how fast the last 2 years have gone!! 

You know we don`t plan too much, but we do have some ideas of things we`d like to do and see this time and of course some folks to meet which is always lovely. 

Hope you enjoy this one and look forward to you taking part along the way


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## schumigirl

jump00 said:


> Yes, we are very excited for our August trip! But we are still very concerned with our governments rule about testing negative before being permitted back into Canada.  Hoping that rule changes. Like you we have our shots and boosters but……….I still worry.  Thank goodness for your lovely reports



I`m sure you are excited!! 

Oh the testing thing is such a worry for sure. We experienced those last minute changes during our December stay, and all so unnecessary in the end as they admitted it had no effect whatsoever on travel!! Yes, hopefully all testing will end for the vaccinated folks. I thought Canada might have been a leader in the way of stopping restrictions somehow, but they don`t seem to be doing that. Fingers crossed.......


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## luvpoohandcompany

I'm here and excited to read along!
Loved your last report and can't wait to hear all your plans for this one. We love flying VA too-those premium seats are so nice and totally agree with you on the direct flight. 9 hours is long enough but as you say, the meals/snacks/movies and snoozes help pass the time.
And now it's only 8 weeks and 6 days until you go!


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## ofcabbagesandkings

23 days - what a nice long vacation! I'm not sure if we could manage more than a week without my kids being completely fried and overstimulated, but it sounds fun!


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## schumigirl

luvpoohandcompany said:


> I'm here and excited to read along!
> Loved your last report and can't wait to hear all your plans for this one. We love flying VA too-those premium seats are so nice and totally agree with you on the direct flight. 9 hours is long enough but as you say, the meals/snacks/movies and snoozes help pass the time.
> And now it's only 8 weeks and 6 days until you go!



 back luvpoohandcompany........

I`m so glad you enjoyed the last one, hope you enjoy this one too. 

Yes, VA would always be our first choice for flights, we have flown in BA equivalent of Premium and it was quite the disappointment, wouldn`t rush to fly with them long haul again. I think the flight passes not too bad, but we love flying, so maybe for some it`s not enjoyable. 

Oh thank you for the countdown.......lol.......


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## schumigirl

ofcabbagesandkings said:


> 23 days - what a nice long vacation! I'm not sure if we could manage more than a week without my kids being completely fried and overstimulated, but it sounds fun!



 ofcabbagesandkings........

Coming from the UK shorter trips don`t really appeal as they pass far too quickly. Our original 14 night trips the first two years we visited America didn`t last long and we kept extending every year.......but I can see if you have young kids it might not be as easy to do. 

We do love our longer trips, but we do a lot offsite and not just the parks which adds to the variety.....

Hope you enjoy reading and commenting on this one too, it`s good to see you here.....


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## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> Coming from the UK shorter trips don`t really appeal as they pass far too quickly


Goodness, you surely deserve a nice, long trip after that long haul!  Although, you do appear to have mastered the jet lag/time changes.


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## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Goodness, you surely deserve a nice, long trip after that long haul!  Although, you do appear to have mastered the jet lag/time changes.



Yep, I think we have mastered jet lag. Stay up as late as we can when we arrive in Orlando, usually only till around 10pm and going home try to sleep for 3 hours, get up....which is the hardest thing ever, start laundry, get takeout.....and again, then try to stay up till around 11pm....

First couple of years we hadn`t quite mastered it, but now.....piece of cake


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## KathyM2

I can't believe i just found the new TR...



schumigirl said:


> We fly out on May 2nd this year and as of today it is exactly 9 weeks .........is it too early to start a Pre-Trip Report.........it may very well be, but after missing the last 2 years I am so excited to be planning our trips again and some of the ladies on here know we are just bursting to get back again.......



Not at all!! Some people do them years in advance!! Happy to be following along!


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## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> Yep, I think we have mastered jet lag.


You had me…up to laundry


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## schumigirl

KathyM2 said:


> I can't believe i just found the new TR...
> 
> 
> 
> Not at all!! Some people do them years in advance!! Happy to be following along!



 back Kathy.......

Glad you made it!! 

That`s true I guess......I suppose 9 weeks isn`t too bad after all. 

Happy to see you back on this one too.......


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## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> You had me…up to laundry



lol.....yes, I can see why.....not the most exciting thing to get up to. Tom shakes his head at how fast I have that washer on when we get back home.....


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## schumigirl

​*Well, this last week has been a little of not very much. I came down with what seemed to be a 24 hour flu, but hadn`t been in contact with anyone who has had anything like it. I do blame going out for a walk in Baltic temps on Wednesday morning. What were we thinking. *
*
To be honest, we didn`t realise just how cold it was with the wind, I was chilled to the bone and we came home after 15 minutes, too late by then. I was frozen to the core had chills, aches, headaches and shivered for hours even with hot water bottles, but finally it broke and back to normal in time for the weekend. I really am the lizard everyone says I am....I was born to live in a hot climate! But, 2 days later and I`m back to full health again. 

Of course as it`s still winter like here, no one is really doing much yet. Friends are hibernating like bears so no real get togethers yet. I`m so ready for spring. 

Not much has changed in planning for this trip yet.......as most of you know we plan very little anyway, but some things have to be sorted, so we have booked our overnight hotel for the night before we fly. This was much easier this time compared to our November stay. 

We would again liked to have gone back to the Marriott near the airport,  but, reviews are atrociously grim for that one, so we are not even considering staying there again until things improve. If it was the odd bad review, we may have taken a chance, but there`s just too many saying the same things. And they haven`t brought back the Executive lounge yet either which is a big consideration for us. 

So, back again to our old favourite the Radisson. It might be over double the cost of the other one, but we know it well, it`s handy and we do like it a lot. 

Despite our worries just before the last trip regarding asylum seekers, the stay was wonderful and we weren`t disturbed in any way. There were increased security officers around the hotel which was unusual, but the cleanliness and friendliness of staff were as good as ever. So, it was an easy decision to get this booked as soon as we knew the other place wasn`t going to happen.
*












*The Radisson is so convenient for either terminal at Manchester, you come out the main doors which are on the 3rd level and you are straight into the middle of the closed skywalk....turn left for T2 and right for T1. Both terminals are around a 5 -10 minute walk depending on your speed or the amount of luggage you are trawling behind you 
*







       (picture from Google)





*I love staying here in winter when you walk through the Skywalk even in the early morning and it`s illuminated in beautiful electric blue lighting. It is stunning. This visit it`ll be light very early so we won`t see it as clear as it is in pure darkness. Downside is it`s usually freezing cold in winter, they do have heat, but it`s as useless as a chocolate fireguard, so we do have to layer then. In summer it is like a hot house.....makes you move quicker though!*














*We always book a room with Executive Lounge access. A bit like Club rooms, they`re no different to regular rooms, you just have access to the lounge. But, we like the rooms here, they`re a decent size and a very comfy bed. And huge beds too similar in size to the one we have at home....you can get lost in it!! 
*













*The lounge at The Radisson is very nice and it had somewhat got back to normal for our last trip after a couple of years of covid restrictions. There were still some things missing like olives and chocolates sat out to help yourself during the day and other little snacks. They now have wrapped snacks, which isn`t a bad thing, just different. *
*
We normally check in around midday to 1pm and it`s often so quiet then, we usually have the place to ourselves for a few hours. It used to have it`s own check in area outside the lounge doors, but due to staff shortages you just check in down on level 3. Check in is supposed to be from 3pm, but if there is a room available in the category you have booked you`ll get it.

We usually ate lunch in the Little M bar, but again due to staff shortages it hasn`t opened back up yet, so we`ll sort something else out. Then head to the lounge which we did in November and this time round, instead of having to wait till 5pm, wines and beers were available all day. This had definitely changed since our last visit in 2019. So of course we took advantage of that........well, it would be rude not to........☺

Tom found the champagne!!

*





















*Yes, while on vacation alcohol is acceptable at lunchtime..........well, wait.......is it ever not acceptable.....guess not!! *

*However, tea and coffee are available, as are an array of soft drinks and water.*





































































*It is a very nice and relaxing way to start off a trip. *
*
At 5pm, the staff put out appetisers and they don`t change much from one visit to another. I have to admit they`re not the highest quality, but they are fresh and replenished with frequency and I did notice people were far more considerate in regards to thinking that others would be eating too this time around. 

A small selection of the offerings.....they also have cheese and proscuitto with salami and other continental meats with crackers......you can fill up nicely on them I suppose. *


































*Depending on how we feel, we sometimes book a table for dinner in the Collage restaurant downstairs. We do like it and I think we`ll do that this upcoming trip as we missed last time. I think we filled up on appetisers that time *

*Food is very good here, although reports are again, they have a limited menu due to Covid which can seem like an easy excuse at times for so many things now......but, we`ve never been disappointed with any offerings from here and it`s a nice light and airy restaurant.*














*Our flight usually leaves too early in the morning to enjoy the breakfast in the lounge or the restaurant.  We could come back after checking in, but we do like to get through and not head back the way!! It`s just a little too early for food for us at that time in the morning, give me a cup of tea and I`m happy.*
*
Plus we again plan to book the lounge after security we enjoyed last visit. 
*
*The 1903 Lounge had been built in the new part of the terminal, and is advertised as child free which appeals to us now more than ever. It was lovely, and very quiet for some reason, they may still have been limiting numbers but it was a very civilised place to pass a couple of hours.*

























*Everything is included in the cost.....any alcohol you can imagine is there, and it`s all help yourself, but we never saw anyone take advantage in any way. Food was also very nice and a good selection of cold and and hot food including bacon. You could order eggs any way you liked too. *
























*It really was too early for us to take advantage of the alcohol options on offer, and I think we were too nervous to really enjoy it for some reason......but I think I`ll try and enjoy some sparkly this time around.......bacon and champagne....it kinda goes well together..... *


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## AuroraluvsPhillip

Nice to read your PTR Carole, it seems like a lot of us are heading to Orlando in May. I love that time of year in FL and yes, it will be super crowded I'm sure, but we're doing 9 nights this time and with EP, we should have plenty of opportunity to do what we want.


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## schumigirl

AuroraluvsPhillip said:


> Nice to read your PTR Carole, it seems like a lot of us are heading to Orlando in May. I love that time of year in FL and yes, it will be super crowded I'm sure, but we're doing 9 nights this time and with EP, we should have plenty of opportunity to do what we want.



 to the latest one Aurora......yes, couldn`t wait any longer!

I think May will be busy and yes with EP and 9 nights you`ll have loads of time to do everything and then some more. Folks laugh when I say we won`t be without EP even in so called quiet times but it is worth it`s weight in gold. 

You`re at Hard Rock if I remember correctly? Apologies if I`ve mixed you up with someone else.....I do that sometimes.......lol......

I don`t think there`s such a thing anymore as quiet times, but we`ll all still have an amazing time I`m sure......it`s just wonderful to be there again.......

Good to see you here though......


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## AuroraluvsPhillip

schumigirl said:


> You`re at Hard Rock if I remember correctly? Apologies if I`ve mixed you up with someone else.....I do that sometimes.......lol......



Yes, we'll be in our GV room at HRH. We stay onsite, Uber back and forth to MCO, so I've made a few dinner reservations at our favorite spots, can always cancel if need be. I think to save some money, we might do an Instacart delivery of water, breakfast goodies, coffee pods and snacks to have available in the room.


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## Raeven

schumigirl said:


> I came down with what seemed to be a 24 hour flu, but hadn`t been in contact with anyone who has had anything like it.



I had something weird last week too! My throat really hurt for like a day and I was convinced I was getting sick but I didn't know anyone else who had it. Then the next day I was fine. 



schumigirl said:


> Friends are hibernating like bears so no real get togethers yet. I`m so ready for spring.



I'm hibernating for spring too   



schumigirl said:


> Yes, while on vacation alcohol is acceptable at lunchtime..........well, wait.......is it ever not acceptable.....guess not!!


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## Worfiedoodles

So sorry you were feeling poorly, Carole — that is no fun. Thank goodness you are back to your sunny self!

I love that your vacation starts pre-flight! Why not kick things off with a nice moment to relax and anticipate all the fun? You know how to set the stage for a wonderful trip to come 

Now I have to ask, when do you feel like you are really on vacation? For me it’s leaving the driveway


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## luvpoohandcompany

Such a lovely relaxing way to start your holiday. We almost always do the same with an overnight stay near the airport and a lounge post check in at the airport. Makes for a lovely calm atmosphere and the snacks and champagne don’t hurt either!


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## schumigirl

AuroraluvsPhillip said:


> Yes, we'll be in our GV room at HRH. We stay onsite, Uber back and forth to MCO, so I've made a few dinner reservations at our favorite spots, can always cancel if need be. I think to save some money, we might do an Instacart delivery of water, breakfast goodies, coffee pods and snacks to have available in the room.



I`m glad I remembered correctly. I`m never sure if we should create an Uber account or not. We always have a car, but we tend to just use the hotel transport to go anywhere as we don`t have an account with them. 

Might think about that.


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## schumigirl

Raeven said:


> I had something weird last week too! My throat really hurt for like a day and I was convinced I was getting sick but I didn't know anyone else who had it. Then the next day I was fine.
> 
> 
> 
> I'm hibernating for spring too
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 652071



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Glad you`re feeling better though, could have been nasty for you.


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## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> So sorry you were feeling poorly, Carole — that is no fun. Thank goodness you are back to your sunny self!
> 
> I love that your vacation starts pre-flight! Why not kick things off with a nice moment to relax and anticipate all the fun? You know how to set the stage for a wonderful trip to come
> 
> Now I have to ask, when do you feel like you are really on vacation? For me it’s leaving the driveway



Thanks Maria.....yes, all back to normal now.

Oooh good question.......lol......yes, I agree with your thoughts.......I think as soon as our car service picks us up to drive to the airport hotel, that`s when I feel it really begins. And certainly once we are at the hotel and sipping sparkly or whatever.....yep, we`re on vacation then!!


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## schumigirl

luvpoohandcompany said:


> Such a lovely relaxing way to start your holiday. We almost always do the same with an overnight stay near the airport and a lounge post check in at the airport. Makes for a lovely calm atmosphere and the snacks and champagne don’t hurt either!



It`s definitely the way to start a trip for sure.....I think everyone should follow suit there......everyone at the airport would be mellow for sure.......well, we certainly are.....

You had me at snacks and champagne.......lol......I would definitely recommend that lounge if you were flying from Manchester ever, it`s so much better than the older Escape Lounge in the old part of the terminal.


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## KathyM2

That hotel does look like a great beginning to a trip. Love the walkway too!! 

I am sorry you got a bug last week. Possibly covid BA2? Who knows these days!


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## jump00

schumigirl said:


> ​*Well, this last week has been a little of not very much. I came down with what seemed to be a 24 hour flu, but hadn`t been in contact with anyone who has had anything like it. I do blame going out for a walk in Baltic temps on Wednesday morning. What were we thinking. *
> 
> *To be honest, we didn`t realise just how cold it was with the wind, I was chilled to the bone and we came home after 15 minutes, too late by then. I was frozen to the core had chills, aches, headaches and shivered for hours even with hot water bottles, but finally it broke and back to normal in time for the weekend. I really am the lizard everyone says I am....I was born to live in a hot climate! But, 2 days later and I`m back to full health again.
> 
> Of course as it`s still winter like here, no one is really doing much yet. Friends are hibernating like bears so no real get togethers yet. I`m so ready for spring.
> 
> Not much has changed in planning for this trip yet.......as most of you know we plan very little anyway, but some things have to be sorted, so we have booked our overnight hotel for the night before we fly. This was much easier this time compared to our November stay.
> 
> We would again liked to have gone back to the Marriott near the airport,  but, reviews are atrociously grim for that one, so we are not even considering staying there again until things improve. If it was the odd bad review, we may have taken a chance, but there`s just too many saying the same things. And they haven`t brought back the Executive lounge yet either which is a big consideration for us.
> 
> So, back again to our old favourite the Radisson. It might be over double the cost of the other one, but we know it well, it`s handy and we do like it a lot.
> 
> Despite our worries just before the last trip regarding asylum seekers, the stay was wonderful and we weren`t disturbed in any way. There were increased security officers around the hotel which was unusual, but the cleanliness and friendliness of staff were as good as ever. So, it was an easy decision to get this booked as soon as we knew the other place wasn`t going to happen.*
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> *I love staying here in winter when you walk through the Skywalk even in the early morning and it`s illuminated in beautiful electric blue lighting. It is stunning. This visit it`ll be light very early so we won`t see it as clear as it is in pure darkness. Downside is it`s usually freezing cold in winter, they do have heat, but it`s as useless as a chocolate fireguard, so we do have to layer then. In summer it is like a hot house.....makes you move quicker though!*
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> *We always book a room with Executive Lounge access. A bit like Club rooms, they`re no different to regular rooms, you just have access to the lounge. But, we like the rooms here, they`re a decent size and a very comfy bed. And huge beds too similar in size to the one we have at home....you can get lost in it!! *
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> *The lounge at The Radisson is very nice and it had somewhat got back to normal for our last trip after a couple of years of covid restrictions. There were still some things missing like olives and chocolates sat out to help yourself during the day and other little snacks. They now have wrapped snacks, which isn`t a bad thing, just different. *
> 
> *We normally check in around midday to 1pm and it`s often so quiet then, we usually have the place to ourselves for a few hours. It used to have it`s own check in area outside the lounge doors, but due to staff shortages you just check in down on level 3. Check in is supposed to be from 3pm, but if there is a room available in the category you have booked you`ll get it.
> 
> We usually ate lunch in the Little M bar, but again due to staff shortages it hasn`t opened back up yet, so we`ll sort something else out. Then head to the lounge which we did in November and this time round, instead of having to wait till 5pm, wines and beers were available all day. This had definitely changed since our last visit in 2019. So of course we took advantage of that........well, it would be rude not to........☺
> 
> Tom found the champagne!!*
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> *At 5pm, the staff put out appetisers and they don`t change much from one visit to another. I have to admit they`re not the highest quality, but they are fresh and replenished with frequency and I did notice people were far more considerate in regards to thinking that others would be eating too this time around.
> 
> A small selection of the offerings.....they also have cheese and proscuitto with salami and other continental meats with crackers......you can fill up nicely on them I suppose. *
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> 
> Food is very good here, although reports are again, they have a limited menu due to Covid which can seem like an easy excuse at times for so many things now......but, we`ve never been disappointed with any offerings from here and it`s a nice light and airy restaurant.*
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> 
> *Plus we again plan to book the lounge after security we enjoyed last visit. *
> 
> *The 1903 Lounge had been built in the new part of the terminal, and is advertised as child free which appeals to us now more than ever. It was lovely, and very quiet for some reason, they may still have been limiting numbers but it was a very civilised place to pass a couple of hours.*
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Enjoying your lovely pre-trip pictures of the lounge and food offerings. Glad you are feeling better!
Brenda


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## jocelyn6

Another trip to look forward to! Excited to be following along with your adventures!


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## schumigirl

KathyM2 said:


> That hotel does look like a great beginning to a trip. Love the walkway too!!
> 
> I am sorry you got a bug last week. Possibly covid BA2? Who knows these days!



It really is ideal Kathy. I do like the othe hotel too, but this one has the advantage of being able to walk to the terminal in the morning rather than have to take a shuttle. 

I really do think I just caught a chill of some kind. Simple flu symptoms that lasted less than 2 days. Although it felt longer.....even longer for Tom too......lol......


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## schumigirl

jump00 said:


> Enjoying your lovely pre-trip pictures of the lounge and food offerings. Glad you are feeling better!
> Brenda



Thanks so much Brenda. 

It does add to the excitement I have to admit, looking forward by looking back, and yes, that lounge is very nice.


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## schumigirl

jocelyn6 said:


> Another trip to look forward to! Excited to be following along with your adventures!



 back to you too jocelyn.......

Yep, another one up soon and yes, we are counting the days!! 

Glad to have you along again too and hope everyone is doing well......hope you enjoy this one too....


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## Cara

Carole, it's so exciting to see you've started your next trip report! As we now have our previously postponed trip scheduled, I'm even more excited to read. I'm sure you'll share along the way, but I'm particularly interested in your top choices for dining in each park, on City Walk and in the hotels!


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## schumigirl

Cara said:


> Carole, it's so exciting to see you've started your next trip report! As we now have our previously postponed trip scheduled, I'm even more excited to read. I'm sure you'll share along the way, but I'm particularly interested in your top choices for dining in each park, on City Walk and in the hotels!



 back Cara!! Always good to see you here......

And yes, I`m so happy your trip is upcoming too, so excited for you too! 

Yep, we have a few ideas of where we`ll eat and some new places too on the list of possibilities, and of course we`ll share them......

Hope you`re still keeping well and glad you`re along for this one too......


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## schumigirl

​


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## keishashadow

Good to hear it was a quickie bug!


schumigirl said:


> The Radisson is so convenient for either terminal at Manchester, you come out the main doors which are on the 3rd level and you are straight into the middle of the closed skywalk


we have a Hyatt attached at the main airport we use now & again when I can catch it at decent price.  do love that leisurely stroll over in the AM, especially for a 5 am flight!

we drive to airport, always park offsite as they have valet type service…car is warmed up and waiting when you arrive on the short shuttle drive.  I can only imagine how much it would cost to park for your lengthy trips lol. Good thing you found reliable car service.  


schumigirl said:


> m never sure if we should create an Uber account or not.


believe you can just purchase a gift card still to set up as payment.  we’ve been burnt a few times seeing the price jump in the app upon trip completion  This, after their initial ‘quote’ When summoning the ride.  Their excuse, a form of ‘surge pricing’ during dinner trips. Not a fan of that sort of bait & switch, also, not sure if it’s common or we looked too ‘touristy’, ripe for the pickings.  Have never had that happen elsewhere.


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## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Good to hear it was a quickie bug!
> 
> we have a Hyatt attached at the main airport we use now & again when I can catch it at decent price.  do love that leisurely stroll over in the AM, especially for a 5 am flight!
> 
> we drive to airport, always park offsite as they have valet type service…car is warmed up and waiting when you arrive on the short shuttle drive.  I can only imagine how much it would cost to park for your lengthy trips lol. Good thing you found reliable car service.
> 
> believe you can just purchase a gift card still to set up as payment.  we’ve been burnt a few times seeing the price jump in the app upon trip completion  This, after their initial ‘quote’ When summoning the ride.  Their excuse, a form of ‘surge pricing’ during dinner trips. Not a fan of that sort of bait & switch, also, not sure if it’s common or we looked too ‘touristy’, ripe for the pickings.  Have never had that happen elsewhere.



Thanks Janet.

Yes, that morning stroll is very nice isn`t it for very early flights.

That was similar to what we had at the Radisson when we used to take our own car on past trips. Price was included in the cost of the hotel price. They took the car offsite and brought it back when our plane landed. We had no problems with them over the many years we did that, but then they were on one of those consumer complaint programmes where folks were getting their cars back damaged or had hundreds of miles added.......maybe we were lucky, but our car was always fine. 

I would use it again if we had to, I think they were supposed to add on the extra nights charge to us as we were always over what they included with the room rate, maybe it was 14 nights maybe more, but they never did charge us extra. But, yes the car service is excellent.

I`m so wary of Uber to be honest. Yes, I`ve heard of folks being gouged on prices due to busy times......I need to think on it and see if we really need it as the hotel transport has always suited us fine. And we`ll have the car anyway.....there`s another year of unbelievably high pricings ahead......lol.....


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## Pumpkin1172

schumigirl said:


> That was similar to what we had at the Radisson when we used to take our own car on past trips. Price was included in the cost of the hotel price. They took the car offsite and brought it back when our plane landed. We had no problems with them over the many years we did that, but then they were on one of those consumer complaint programmes where folks were getting their cars back damaged or had hundreds of miles added.......maybe we were lucky, but our car was always fine.


It's funny you say that, we did a park and pay for our truck for our trip.  

Dh locked them from accessing any information with apple carplay/android auto, and he made sure to know how many km's were on the odometer.  We think they stored or truck inside their facility, and it didn't even move according to odometer after we parked it.  We would definitely use them again.  They had the truck running and warmed up for us.  Which was nice after it was a 50degree difference in less than 8 hrs lol.


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## schumigirl

Pumpkin1172 said:


> It's funny you say that, we did a park and pay for our truck for our trip.
> 
> Dh locked them from accessing any information with apple carplay/android auto, and he made sure to know how many km's were on the odometer.  We think they stored or truck inside their facility, and it didn't even move according to odometer after we parked it.  We would definitely use them again.  They had the truck running and warmed up for us.  Which was nice after it was a 50degree difference in less than 8 hrs lol.



I can imagine how glad you were to have the vehicle warmed up for you arriving in those temps for sure! 

The company the hotel used had the driver who removed the car offsite video around the whole car to show no damage was present or to register any damage a car already had in case of issues when you return. As I said, we were lucky we only had the mileage added to and from where the car was parked which was only 5 miles away from the airport hotel and no scratches or dents some have reported. 

But, some of the stories.......very unlucky folks. Glad you had a good experience though.


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## schumigirl

*HOTEL CHOICE*​

*This is always an interesting discussion for us as we have two favourite hotels in Orlando and we do like to mix our stays between both places. *
*
Royal Pacific is our original choice and somewhere we absolutely love staying and have done since 2009, but the same can be said of Sapphire Falls. I have been known to make a Freudian like slip when one friend asked which hotel we were staying in this May trip......I automatically responed by saying we were staying at Strong Water.......  You can guess where my mind is at this point going forward........

For our previous May trips we have always seemed to gravitate towards staying completely at Sapphire as opposed to a split stay like we do in September, so, even though this is a little longer stay, we thought we would like to just stay here...and again, one of the considerations is just how many nights we usually end up in Strong Water Bar.....if we`re already in Sapphire it certainly saves walking all the way back over to RP I guess. 

Sapphire is still fairly new in regard to Universal hotels, and we genuinely didn`t realise just how much we were going to love it when it was being built.....although we were assured we would, we did doubt it slightly. However, when we saw it and spent time in it, we did fully appreciate just how lovely a place it actually was. 
*












*The lobby is one of the largest and brightest around and still manages to look warm and welcoming at the same time. At night it does have a homely feel and especially at Christmas with the huge tree, it is beautiful. *

























*When you arrive by the boat, for us it is one of the nicest sights to see as you come back home from the parks. It shows the hotel at it`s best, albeit the back of the hotel. *

































*And at night the views are stunningly beautiful when you can see some of the park lit up as well as the hotel. *












*Some folks always ask if we ever get fed up staying at the same places and the answer is always no. We never get fed up staying at either hotel for our stays.....why would we......they both have everything we need for our trips and it really is like a home away from home for us. *
*
And of course Sapphire Falls has several food options that suit us. We don`t tend to use the Dutch Trading Co very often except maybe if we need a coffee or maybe a pastry. Quick service places we tend not to use, but this one is very nice albeit maybe too small for the size of the hotel. You can see long lines at certain times of the day and we have only tried a couple of the hot food options which were absolutely fine. 
*
*They do stock the usual snack items and alcohol too. *













*Amatista is a lovely restaurant with a fairly small menu, but it covers a good choice of food items from sandwiches to steaks, so I think most folks could get something and the setting is lovely as it overlooks the waterway and boat dock with huge windows that just flood the room with natural light. *





















































*We have never been disappointed by the food from here and we have met other friends there to eat and they`ve enjoyed the offerings too. They do an excellent breakfast buffet every day and I`m sure we`ll take one morning to enjoy that over our trip. *
*
The Mother`s Day buffet will be on too while we are there in May. Although UK Mother`s Day is in March.......I can celebrate it twice......no excuses needed here!!! It was one of the best Brunches we have ever been to and as soon as we can book it we absolutely will. I can thoroughly recommend it for sure. 
*
*I`m going to cover Strong Water in another post....it definitely deserves a post of it`s own!!! 

One of the unique points of the hotel is the central stairwell off the lobby. It takes you directly down to Amatista and the boat dock, we just found it very pretty and the bottom area has been known to hold small events and certainly holds the rum theme throughout. *





*














*















*We don`t spend a lot of time at the pool in any hotel. We do enjoy an evening on occasion watching the Dive in Movies and get some food from either hotels, and I have to say both hotels doe excellent pool food and being able to order from your lounger is very nice indeed. *














































*It does have a pool slide which is very popular of course. *












*Sapphire for us is as homely as RP has ever been to us over the years.......it`s a relaxing atmosphere with some amazing staff who do look after everyone from when you check in. 

Those are just a few of the reasons we love this hotel so much, there are so many more reasons....and yes rum does fit in there somewhere!! *





*



*​


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## musika

Aw man, you had already sold me on RPR and now you gotta go making me love SF! I think for us we want the Express pass experience for at least a portion of the trip but I do love the look of this resort! So hard to make a choice.


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## schumigirl

musika said:


> Aw man, you had already sold me on RPR and now you gotta go making me love SF! I think for us we want the Express pass experience for at least a portion of the trip but I do love the look of this resort! So hard to make a choice.



lol....that`s funny. Oh I completely agree with you on the EP, it is worth it`s weight in gold for sure. 

Sapphire is just gorgeous!!!


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## Worfiedoodles

SF is so beautiful! We prefer to stay at RP for the Express Pass, but love to wander over as it's so close and easy. I love the light fixture in the lobby, if that doesn't say vacation, I don't know what does. The pool really does look amazing, and so fun to have the water features. We also discovered the hotel store has a larger and better selection than RP, and some things that are hard to find. Definitely worth a stop in! 

Your hotel choice is looking lovely, what great beautiful photos to brighten up my dull day!


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## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> SF is so beautiful! We prefer to stay at RP for the Express Pass, but love to wander over as it's so close and easy. I love the light fixture in the lobby, if that doesn't say vacation, I don't know what does. The pool really does look amazing, and so fun to have the water features. We also discovered the hotel store has a larger and better selection than RP, and some things that are hard to find. Definitely worth a stop in!
> 
> Your hotel choice is looking lovely, what great beautiful photos to brighten up my dull day!



Oh yes, we do love our EP too!! 

It just screams vacation whenever I see that hotel.......and yes, the light fixture is quite something isn`t it. The Universal store in Sapphire is a really good size, and carries a good range of products. 

And I have to say, yes, that walk between the hotels is perfect........I think we have worn our own little pathway all the way from one hotel to the other the amount of times we walk it!! 

Thank you Maria, I can`t wait to get back again, but you know that too......


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## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> And I have to say, yes, that walk between the hotels is perfect..


I go ‘rogue’ and short cut over the access road  

JHMO, our experience - pre & post pandemic, specifically addressing the pool serving staff here…curious as to your take on it.

the SF staff appears to be more efficient & far more pleasant vs what we’ve encountered at RP, PB & (especially) HR.  Don’t get me wrong, none of the onsite service is what I’d deem “bad”

will say, lately, the U resort TS servers have decidedly gotten the nod over what we’ve experienced at WDW when it was the reverse situation pre-pandemic.


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## NancyLuvsMickey

Well it's been a month again since I've been here and I'm late to the party!!!!   I really need to start scheduling time on my calendar so I at least get here weekly!!! 

I can't believe you'll be back in less than 8 weeks!!!!! EEeekkkk!!!!! That's so exciting and the time is going to fly by!!! And don't forget to bring an extra suit case this time!!!


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## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> I go ‘rogue’ and short cut over the access road
> 
> JHMO, our experience - pre & post pandemic, specifically addressing the pool serving staff here…curious as to your take on it.
> 
> the SF staff appears to be more efficient & far more pleasant vs what we’ve encountered at RP, PB & (especially) HR.  Don’t get me wrong, none of the onsite service is what I’d deem “bad”
> 
> will say, lately, the U resort TS servers have decidedly gotten the nod over what we’ve experienced at WDW when it was the reverse situation pre-pandemic.



lol....we walked over the road once and got yelled at by an over zealous security officer.......oops! 

I have to say the last time we were at the Bula Bar for food and drink at RP the calibre of the staff left a little to be desired. Not the usual standard we have always been used to. And we felt the drinks were not as strong as they used to be. I would agree, it wasn`t bad, just not as good as it could have been.

Haven`t been to the pool at Sapphire for a long time, so will definitely give it a check out this coming trip. 

Never good to hear bad reports though of service anywhere, you just don`t expect it at a place like wdw.


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## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> Well it's been a month again since I've been here and I'm late to the party!!!!   I really need to start scheduling time on my calendar so I at least get here weekly!!!
> 
> I can't believe you'll be back in less than 8 weeks!!!!! EEeekkkk!!!!! That's so exciting and the time is going to fly by!!! And don't forget to bring an extra suit case this time!!!



 to you NancyLuvsMickey........yes, you need to set that alarm to pop in more often.....it`s always good to see you post!!

I know!!! Can`t quite believe it`s so close now.....after missing all those trips I`m loving having trips so close together......and oh yes, extra suitcase, I think we`ll buy one out there this time as we have plenty of time! 

Glad you made it along for this one too........


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## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> Never good to hear bad reports though of service anywhere, you just don`t expect it at a place like wdw.


so true, they used to be the gold standard with ’the disney difference’.  Sad to see the changes over the years  via lots of apparent cost cutting to satisfy the stockholders

Covid is blamed for all the ills in the industry these days.  I give a wide swath to those who do work in the field.  most places are obviously very understaffed yet, a simple smile does go a very long way in smoothing things over.

would be nice to think things will keep improving every trip


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## christophfam

I’m not on the boards as often as I’d like … usually just make time when I have a trip coming up to help me get more excited… if that’s even possible lol.  I didn’t have to look hard today before I found your wonderful pictures of Sapphire! I just love Sapphire too and your pictures really take me back. Wish I could stay there our entire trip but am only doing arrival night as we want express for the rest of the trip. I’ll be there in May as well. Looking forward to Strongwater on our arrival night! Really can’t think of a better welcome. Hope you have an amazing trip!


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> so true, they used to be the gold standard with ’the disney difference’.  Sad to see the changes over the years  via lots of apparent cost cutting to satisfy the stockholders
> 
> Covid is blamed for all the ills in the industry these days.  I give a wide swath to those who do work in the field.  most places are obviously very understaffed yet, a simple smile does go a very long way in smoothing things over.
> 
> would be nice to think things will keep improving every trip



That`s very true. My very distant memories of Disney were filled with true customer service and CM that did care. It is sad to see that demise of genuine customer service there. Many friends that do still go overall enjoy still enjoy it, but my goodness they all have the same list of complaints as I`m reading on the boards here.

We did notice some differences in out last trip, first after covid and there were differences too. Someone told us they have a problem employing folks who do actually want to be in the hospitality industry and had to employ some that aren`t naturally inclined for good customer service. It certainly showed in a couple of places we went. Yes, a smile makes all the difference at times or even an acknowledgement if something has gone wrong. 

I think it`ll improve in time.


----------



## schumigirl

christophfam said:


> I’m not on the boards as often as I’d like … usually just make time when I have a trip coming up to help me get more excited… if that’s even possible lol.  I didn’t have to look hard today before I found your wonderful pictures of Sapphire! I just love Sapphire too and your pictures really take me back. Wish I could stay there our entire trip but am only doing arrival night as we want express for the rest of the trip. I’ll be there in May as well. Looking forward to Strongwater on our arrival night! Really can’t think of a better welcome. Hope you have an amazing trip!



 along christophfam.......it really is so good to see you here!

Good to hear you have a trip planned and sounds about perfect with first night in Strong Water Bar........yes, that is a lovely welcome back!!! 

Sapphire is just so beautiful and it`s hard to beat for us. 

Hope you have a wonderful trip too and if you see us in the parks......give us a holler and a wave.......and hope you enjoy reading this one too, hope all is well with you and yours.....


----------



## luvpoohandcompany

Sapphire Falls looks absolutely gorgeous. I’m sure you can’t wait to back there ( and at Strong  Waters ). Do you buy the EP when staying at SF or do you just go without? It seems like such a great perk of RP


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## schumigirl

luvpoohandcompany said:


> Sapphire Falls looks absolutely gorgeous. I’m sure you can’t wait to back there ( and at Strong  Waters ). Do you buy the EP when staying at SF or do you just go without? It seems like such a great perk of RP



I know, we are so excited to be back there and being able to wander not very far after being in Strong Water is going to be lovely....it`s not a long walk, but at midnight after one or two of Lenny`s creations.....well, it can feel longer......lol....

Just talked 2 couples into staying there too early next year, so I`m hoping they love it as much as we do.


----------



## KathyM2

schumigirl said:


> Some folks always ask if we ever get fed up staying at the same places and the answer is always no. We never get fed up staying at either hotel for our stays.....why would we......they both have everything we need for our trips and it really is like a home away from home for us.



I do sometimes wonder about this. But in a way I also think it's fun to stay at the same place several times because you really get to know it and can spend time doing things that not everyone has time for. You also get to know what you really like and what's worth going back to. I like a mixture of the familiar and the new on every trip...though when they are short it's harder to do that without feeling rushed. It's so nice that you will have time to take it slow on this one.


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## schumigirl

*STRONG WATER TAVERN*









​
*We were first introduced to Strong Water Tavern in 2016 when the hotel opened and to be honest as I wasn`t a rum drinker I didn`t think we`d use it too often.....what a mistake to make! We met Fernanado and the then assistant manager Mike who both assured me they would both convert me to enjoy and appreciate the delicacies and uniqueness of the many options we had to try.....and they weren`t wrong!! 

Then we met Lenny and I was completely convinced after he educated and instructed us on the joys of the cocktails he has created over the time we`ve known him and some of the other Rum Captains.

It was one of those places they just made you feel so welcome from your first visit and has been like that ever since. Whether you sit at a table or at the bar, service is always exemplary and we have never been disappointed in all our visits to this wonderful place. 
*
*We have come to know some of the folks there very well and look forward so much to seeing them and spending time with them every trip....and as this trip is solely at Sapphire, I think we`ll spend more than a few nights in there enjoying the lovely hospitality they offer. 

When I look back over the years we have so many pictures taken over our many visits the SW.......we have gorgeous food and drinks and many of the wonderful folks there too that it`s hard to pick a few pics to show it at it`s best.....I think I could do  a TR on Strong Water alone!!!*

*Visually it is a beautiful bar and has a warm feeling despite it being a good size and an open appearance and has it`s own story with the design including the real rum barrel lids on the ceiling as part of the decor. *
































*The outdoor seating area is very nice, it looks very tempting at night with the lights around and the view is rather nice as you can see some of Citywalk and Dr Doom lit up at night. I do however wish it was a non smoking area, that`s one of the only reasons we tend not to sit out there which is a shame as it is lovely to be enjoying a libation out there.
*











*There is a beautiful Firepit to the side of the bar, it is a cosy little area when it`s lit and folks do enjoy making smores out there at times. Or just enjoy a drink or two.*












*Oh the food!!!*
*
We have tried everything on the menu.....except one vegetarian dish and have never been let down with the offerings. We only tried the vegetarian dish because Chef Carlos asked our opinion on it, and it was very nice.......I did tell him it would be better with beef or chicken added.......lol......thankfully he saw the funny side. He is the nicest man and creates some amazing dishes. 
*
*The menu right now is somewhat smaller than the original one, but it`s still decent and has something for most folks on there. Everything is fresh and like all other places onsite at Universal they are very good at accommodating allergies and in some cases just a general aversion. 

We hate cilantro......we are in that percentage of people for whom cilantro tastes like soap.......some folks think it just tastes fresh......but it is one taste neither of us can take....same with mint.....bleurgh.....*
*
This camarones dish is one where we ask for cilantro to be omitted from the sauce, the shrimp are marinaded in a little, but we can never taste it which is fine by us. And I think this is one of all our all time favourite dishes from here.......we don`t eat a lot of bread with any dish, but the bread here is gorgeous!! *













*Seafood Tostado which is a cold seafood dish, it`s not spicy in the slightest and we ask for the cilantro crema to be omitted from this too......*












*One of the many ceviche dishes we`ve enjoyed over the years.......they do change them regularly and I`m not sure this one is on any more.......but they are so tasty and you can distinguish individual seafood from others in the dishes.*
























*This was one of the specials Chef Carlos created a few years back......it was a giant pork chop and he added fried plantains, rice and beans and a sauce which rather unusually had an orange zing to it which was lovely despite me not thinking I`d like it. It is quite a spectacular dish and it was huge!!!*












*A chargrilled octopus dish that was just delicious.......not a dish for Tom as it`s one of the very few seafood dishes he won`t eat as well as oysters......I love them both!!!*













*Another ceviche.....this one was spicy and so delicious!*













*There are so many more dishes we`ve enjoyed, I could post hundreds of pictures......but the food is completely gorgeous from here and again, so many choices. *
*
Desserts are something we are quite fussy with, and although we don`t have many to choose from in Strong Water, they are beautiful. 
*
*Our favourite is the Tres Leche cake......this is Chef Carlos own recipe and although this one is almost double the size of the regular slice, it`s still a large dessert. Meringue is light and fluffy and the cake is also light. The sauce however is very rich and very moreish.......*














*Coconut Flan.......lush!!!*












*Spiced chocolate cake which Kyle absolutely loved. I wasn`t sure if he would try it with the word spiced on the description, but again Fernando assured him it was spicy, but delicious.......he was right! I think they now call it Mexican Chocolate cake.*













*And the Guava and cheese Pastellitos which we were honoured to be among the first to try them before they went on the menu permanently......they were a hit with us!! We`ve been happy guinea pigs for many a food before it made the menu and I can honestly say they have all been fabulous.*













*One of Tom`s favourite things to do is have a Rum Flight.......and I think he`s tried them all by now!! The Rum Captain will chat to you about what kind of drinks you like and what you favour and will come up with 3 options they think you`ll enjoy......I think there`s only been one he didn`t care for and Lenny actually said he did wonder about that one.

They have a huge selection of rums as well as any other drink you can think of and they really do know their stuff when it comes to tasting notes and blending....you wouldn`t be disappointed. *













*There are so many cocktail options here......and yes, we`ve tried them all....each and every one and many more that have been tried and tested by Lenny and others.....not all make the menu of course and we were lucky enough to be guinea pigs for many a cocktail too including Ashley`s Fools Gold which has been a huge success.


Rum Marathoner, Blackberry Daiquiri, Fountain of Youth, Last Typhoon, Rum Mule, Fools Gold, Rum Lore, Sapphire Sour, Milk Punch, Rum Revival to name several we have enjoyed over the years and then there are the other ones created for Holiday specials that we have enjoyed too. *
*
They can create any cocktail you want and we have loved when they come up with a cocktail just for us to try. 
*
*They make all their own syrups for the cocktails in the bar and they do have some amazing concoctions.*

































































*I think I could honestly talk for hours on how fabulous Strong Water is....everything just works from Fernando and the staff who have become so special to us, the food and the cocktails, not to mention the general ambiance of the bar. *
*
But, this is one of the places we enjoy most on our trips, regardless of which hotel we stay in we always seem to end up here on many nights during our stay. Sometimes for food and drinks, other nights just for drinks and some good conversations with lovely folks who we adore chatting to at length. *

*I`ve said from the day we first went in here, Strong Water Tavern is the best bar in the whole of Universal Orlando Resort.....and I still feel that way and it gets better and better every time we visit. *

*I`m sure we`ll have a few additions for the trip report this upcoming visit...... *


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## schumigirl

KathyM2 said:


> I do sometimes wonder about this. But in a way I also think it's fun to stay at the same place several times because you really get to know it and can spend time doing things that not everyone has time for. You also get to know what you really like and what's worth going back to. I like a mixture of the familiar and the new on every trip...though when they are short it's harder to do that without feeling rushed. It's so nice that you will have time to take it slow on this one.



Our Christmas trip went past so fast, we truly felt we hadn`t nearly long enough to do all we wanted to do for the first time. And it does help to know the things we don`t want to do again.....and concentrate on all the things we do love so much. 

I think familiarity is a good thing, for us anyway. I do know folks who don`t go to the same place twice, and it works for them but we`ve mostly been to all the places in the world we want to visit over the years.....so we`re happy being repetitive and probably boring in the eyes of some going to Florida, but for us we`re happy. 

Florida has so much to offer and I wouldn`t want to spend all my time in the parks.....but again, that works for some too.......I`m a huge believer in each to their own....

Can`t be too long till your Florida trip??? I think it was March you were going.......or have I missed it and you`re already back......lol......


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## I-4Bound

All of your food pictures are so gorgeous!


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## Worfiedoodles

I made my first visit to SW last December. It was amazing — I couldn’t believe how warm and welcoming it was! I am so eager to spend an evening there and just relax and soak it all in  I wouldn’t have tried it without your recommendation, as usual you know all the best spots! Honestly, please post more photos — you know we love them!!


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## schumigirl

I-4Bound said:


> All of your food pictures are so gorgeous!



Thank you Andrea.....although it`s never a good idea to look at food pictures when you`re already hungry! I think I snacked my afternoon away........


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## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> I made my first visit to SW last December. It was amazing — I couldn’t believe how warm and welcoming it was! I am so eager to spend an evening there and just relax and soak it all in  I wouldn’t have tried it without your recommendation, as usual you know all the best spots! Honestly, please post more photos — you know we love them!!



I was so glad you enjoyed it so much. I don`t think I`ve ever recommended a place as much as I have Strong Water......some places I do worry about recommending in case it`s not so good.......but Strong Water never disappoints.....they have everything you need for a good evening (or many evenings ) all in one place


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## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> I made my first visit to SW last December. It was amazing — I couldn’t believe how warm and welcoming it was! I am so eager to spend an evening there and just relax and soak it all in  I wouldn’t have tried it without your recommendation, as usual you know all the best spots! Honestly, please post more photos — you know we love them!!



*Just for you.......I found a few more pictures. *

*I have so many of the same things though....I must have about 15 pics each of the different ceviches on different nights and visits.....we really are creatures of habit! 





This was a shrimp and scallop special and it was nice and spicy, but it was never back on again which was a shame as we loved it! *












*The next two dishes are ones we only ordered so we could say we had enjoyed every meal on the menu......who orders chicken tenders in a Caribbean restaurant!!! To be honest we only wanted to taste the hot sauce....which is blow your head off hot sauce.......tenders were nice enough, but just not what we`d ever order usually. *












*And the sliders.......well.......yes, they were lovely, but again, not what I would usually opt for in a place like this. It was too much with the bread buns, so Tom just ate the beef which was tasty! 
*











*Can`t quite remember what these were......I think they were a pulled pork croquette and very tasty and they were placed a small puddle of sour cream which went really well together. *

*I know I have some other pictures of many other dishes like the shredded beef and empanadas, but I think the quality is poor and quite blurry, I think it must have been me that took those ones!!! *












*Choripapa which was a sausage and potato dish, Tom really enjoyed this one. *













*A Ceviche that again is not on the menu anymore......*













*This* *was a beef and pineapple kebab with a pesto splash....there was supposed to be a cilantro addition to it, but Chef Carlos remembered our aversion to it. This dish was lovely, I`d never have put beef with pineapple, but it worked. And again, that gorgeous bread. *













*Meatballs, I never order anywhere......I make my own and if I go out for dinner, I`d never order them......but it was suggested I try them, so well, it would have been rude not to .....and they were delicious. Again with the soured cream it really worked well. *












*Curried goat which Tom refused to eat........lol......if they had called it lamb on the menu he`d have eaten it!!! I really enjoyed it, not sure I`d have it every visit, but I did enjoy the spicy flavour of it.*












*Curried chicken with mango chutney. Not spicy enough for us, but tasty and it does have potato through it which I didn`t like, but I picked them out and just ate the chicken.*












*Yep....another ceviche.......*












*Charcuterie board which was delicious, it also came with some of the lovely bread they serve with some dishes.*












*This was one of Chef Carlos dishes he asked what we thought.......it was different and it came in layers of pancake/crepe things with some veg on the side and a very nice egg on top. This didn`t work for me as it was just too filling, although it was again something Tom enjoyed a little.....it didn`t make it on to the menu though. 
*












*The dish below was again chosen so we could say we had tried everything on the menu......this was a vegan dish with Jackfruit which was quite nice I have to say. I don`t usually like baked potatoes, but did eat a little of this one. Not a dish I`d order as it was too vegan for me.......lol......and not a fan of that type of potato. *












*Chef Carlos brought this dish out for us to try too........it was banana cake with toffee sauce and toffee fudge ice cream.*

*I hate bananas with a passion.......so it was only because he asked us to try it that I did......and it was lovely!!

*











*I have to admit we will try anything Chef Carlos creates and asks us to try as he is an incredible chef and so many things I say I don`t like, then he brings out a dish with something in it I wouldn`t normally eat......and yes, I end up liking it!! He is incredibly creative and serves some wonderful food. *



*Couple of cocktails and the firepit during the day......*































​*Think I might focus on Jake`s for the next post.........*


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## Worfiedoodles

schumigirl said:


> *Just for you.......I found a few more pictures.
> 
> I have so many of the same things though....I must have about 15 pics each of the different ceviches on different nights and visits.....we really are creatures of habit!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This was a shrimp and scallop special and it was nice and spicy, but it was never back on again which was a shame as we loved it! *
> 
> 
> 
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> 
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> 
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> 
> 
> *The next two dishes are ones we only ordered so we could say we had enjoyed every meal on the menu......who orders chicken tenders in a Caribbean restaurant!!! To be honest we only wanted to taste the hot sauce....which is blow your head off hot sauce.......tenders were nice enough, but just not what we`d ever order usually. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *And the sliders.......well.......yes, they were lovely, but again, not what I would usually opt for in a place like this. It was too much with the bread buns, so Tom just ate the beef which was tasty! *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> *Can`t quite remember what these were......I think they were a pulled pork croquette and very tasty and they were placed a small puddle of sour cream which went really well together.
> 
> I know I have some other pictures of many other dishes like the shredded beef and empanadas, but I think the quality is poor and quite blurry, I think it must have been me that took those ones!!! *
> 
> 
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> *Choripapa which was a sausage and potato dish, Tom really enjoyed this one. *
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> *A Ceviche that again is not on the menu anymore......*
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> 
> *This* *was a beef and pineapple kebab with a pesto splash....there was supposed to be a cilantro addition to it, but Chef Carlos remembered our aversion to it. This dish was lovely, I`d never have put beef with pineapple, but it worked. And again, that gorgeous bread. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> *Meatballs, I never order anywhere......I make my own and if I go out for dinner, I`d never order them......but it was suggested I try them, so well, it would have been rude not to .....and they were delicious. Again with the soured cream it really worked well. *
> 
> 
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> 
> 
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> *Curried goat which Tom refused to eat........lol......if they had called it lamb on the menu he`d have eaten it!!! I really enjoyed it, not sure I`d have it every visit, but I did enjoy the spicy flavour of it.*
> 
> 
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> *Curried chicken with mango chutney. Not spicy enough for us, but tasty and it does have potato through it which I didn`t like, but I picked them out and just ate the chicken.*
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> *Charcuterie board which was delicious, it also came with some of the lovely bread they serve with some dishes.*
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> 
> *This was one of Chef Carlos dishes he asked what we thought.......it was different and it came in layers of pancake/crepe things with some veg on the side and a very nice egg on top. This didn`t work for me as it was just too filling, although it was again something Tom enjoyed a little.....it didn`t make it on to the menu though. *
> 
> 
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> 
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> 
> *The dish below was again chosen so we could say we had tried everything on the menu......this was a vegan dish with Jackfruit which was quite nice I have to say. I don`t usually like baked potatoes, but did eat a little of this one. Not a dish I`d order as it was too vegan for me.......lol......and not a fan of that type of potato. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> *Chef Carlos brought this dish out for us to try too........it was banana cake with toffee sauce and toffee fudge ice cream.
> 
> I hate bananas with a passion.......so it was only because he asked us to try it that I did......and it was lovely!!*
> 
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> 
> 
> *I have to admit we will try anything Chef Carlos creates and asks us to try as he is an incredible chef and so many things I say I don`t like, then he brings out a dish with something in it I wouldn`t normally eat......and yes, I end up liking it!! He is incredibly creative and serves some wonderful food.
> 
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> 
> Couple of cocktails and the firepit during the day......*
> 
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> ​*Think I might focus on Jake`s for the next post.........*


Thank you so much! Every single thing looks amazing, and I won’t hesitate to order any dish or ask for a recommendation as it seems I will be delighted by whatever appears on the table 

I am ready for Jake’s! Bring on the goodness


----------



## AuroraluvsPhillip

Excellent. My daughter and I plan to have dinner at Jake's in May. We've never been and it sounds great. We've done Islands (a long time ago before she went off to college) and met Dr. Voodoo or whatever his name was. We also did Tchoup Chop a couple of times because we really loved the atmosphere of the restaurant. But we've never eaten at Jake's and so many people really seem to enjoy it.


----------



## Cara

Carole, I am studying your food photos! The only two places I remember eating during our last trip were Tchoup Chop and Mythos, and I loved both. I know Tchoup Chop is no more, but we had such a lovely meal there. It looks like many of the offerings at Strong Water are spicy, and my post-chemo digestive system just cannot do spicy anymore.   No raw onions, no hot peppers. Still, it looks like a place that would be fun to try!


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Thank you so much! Every single thing looks amazing, and I won’t hesitate to order any dish or ask for a recommendation as it seems I will be delighted by whatever appears on the table
> 
> I am ready for Jake’s! Bring on the goodness



You`re welcome! I found a few I had forgot we had eaten.......and individual cocktails too I had forgotten about, but as I took the pics, they`re a little blurry.....of course it could have been the cocktail effect with me trying to focus the camera.......lol......  

Jake`s is another place we`ve eaten in so many times, and although we did feel it has changed a little on our last visit, we`ll give it another try for sure as the food had always been so good.


----------



## schumigirl

AuroraluvsPhillip said:


> Excellent. My daughter and I plan to have dinner at Jake's in May. We've never been and it sounds great. We've done Islands (a long time ago before she went off to college) and met Dr. Voodoo or whatever his name was. We also did Tchoup Chop a couple of times because we really loved the atmosphere of the restaurant. But we've never eaten at Jake's and so many people really seem to enjoy it.



Tchoup Chop is missed by us a lot. It was a beautiful restaurant and had the nicest menu, it`s a shame they never utilised that space after it closed with a new restaurant. 

Jake`s for us changed a little in December. A lot of the staff that had been there for many years had all gone and that "atmosphere" had changed and so many folks we know said the same thing. But, we have eaten there since 2009 regularly and until Strong Water opened it was always our regular first night eating choice. So, we`re looking forward to giving it another try next trip.


----------



## schumigirl

Cara said:


> Carole, I am studying your food photos! The only two places I remember eating during our last trip were Tchoup Chop and Mythos, and I loved both. I know Tchoup Chop is no more, but we had such a lovely meal there. It looks like many of the offerings at Strong Water are spicy, and my post-chemo digestive system just cannot do spicy anymore.   No raw onions, no hot peppers. Still, it looks like a place that would be fun to try!



I`m glad you`re enjoying the pictures! Again, I really shouldn`t post food pictures when I`m hungry........lol.....

I understand with the digestive issues. Strong Water do have a lot of options with spice and onions, but you could have the Beef Sliders without onion, the chicken tenders without the hot sauce and the Tequenos weren`t spicy. The Tequenos are ham and cheese in a puff pastry. It does come with cheese sauce and pepper sauce, but it`s not spicy and you could have it without the pepper sauce too, they are very accommodating for sure. 

And desserts are soooooo good too. Even if you went for a drink and enjoyed the atmosphere you`d still have a nice time. Saturday evenings have a couple who sing and they are very good, not too loud either so you can still have conversations. 

I can absolutely say you`d enjoy it!!


----------



## schumigirl

*JAKE`S BAR*​


*We first experienced Jake`s in 2009 when we stayed at RP for the first time and it has been a regular option for us over the years on many, many occasions. It`s a casual place and food is always good, you know it`s not gourmet choices going in, but you know it`s going to be good. *
*
It hasn`t changed much over the years decor wise or even menu style, there have been a few changes to some dishes but most of their basics have stayed. And it is due a facelift along with Islands, but when that will be announced publicly, I have no idea. 
*
*Whether they will change the theme will be an interesting one......Jake McNalley is the pilot of Royal Pacific Airways around the 1930`s era and the theme was once throughout the hotel, althought that seems to be changing as the hotel is evolving. 

There are still images of this theme throughout the convention area of the hotel and you can see some interesting images for this Golden Age of travel being celebrated. You can also still see Jake`s abandoned plane in the lagoon. It has moved position from where it used to be due to the lagoon and waterway being expanded for the addition of Sapphire Falls so they could have a boat too. *

*The usual entrance is opposite Jakes, but you can come in through this door from the walkway, however you still have to go to the desk to check in with the hostess. *













*You can also sit at the bar for food and drinks too. It`s a spacious restaurant and quite a dark area, not dim, but can be quite cosy at times too. We actually don`t like it when it`s too busy as it can be incredibly noisy and usually it`s conference people who cause that rabble. *

*They used to have a late night menu and it was open till 2pm, but since Covid it closes earlier and food stops earlier too. Hopefully they`ll adjust that when HHN is back on as many folks used to come back after the event it if it finished at midnight and got food then.*
































*Some of the early dishes we absolutely loved and ordered them repeatedly for the first few years......and some we really do wish they would bring them back every so often. *

*This was a spicy and crispy shrimp dish.......lordy it was good!!! And it lived up to having the name spicy in the title as I`m often disappointed by what some restaurants consider spicy, but this was lovely.  *












*Crab cakes and calamari were staples in our early visits and they were delicious, I love calamari, Tom not so much, so I got this dish all to myself as Kyle hated it too......lol......
*






















*Breaded chicken sliders........*












*And yes, they even did ribs once upon a time........and they were amazing!! Folks used to say they were too expensive for Jake`s, I can`t remember what they were but they were worth every cent. *












*Although you still get fish and chips, it does look slightly different now generally with much smaller pieces of fish, but still as tasty.*























*After Sal`s at Portofino Bay, I think Jake`s has one of the best onsite pizza`s there is and we have had many varieties of it over the years. We add jalapenos to everything and pizza is no exception. *
*
One of the waitresses years ago named it after us, off the record of course.....as we had a bbq sauce base, chicken, pineapple and jalapenos....she had never tasted one like that and tried it, told us later she loved it. 

My Italian relatives however would spin if they knew!!! 
*
*This was Tom`s one night with pepperoni chicken and jalapenos with the tomato sauce base as is his preference.*












*They also do excellent flatbreads and this was a proscuitto and peach one from a few years back....it was very tasty. *












*And Kyle with his favourite cheese pizza but with BBQ sauce on the base.......one chef years ago did ask where we first tasted that......we don`t know......but it`s tasty!!  *












*Classic burgers are excellent here too......we have had the odd miss with how they are cooked over the years, but generally they are spot on and very tasty. *












*Wings are also unbeatable.......they are among some of the nicest we`ve had in America and despite hating blue cheese, both of us love the house made blue cheese they have in both Jake`s and the Club Lounge.......*












*This wasn`t the best charcuterie plate we have had, but it was ok, we wouldn`t order it again. *












*Chicken and mozzarella sandwich with sweet potato fries, our friend had this dish and said it was lovely. I have to say their sweet potato fries are amazing!!*












*This for us is the star of Jakes.......Crawfish Chowder.*
*
We never ordered this until maybe 2018??? Something like that anyway, and my goodness me....it is one of the nicest crawfish chowders we have ever tasted. One night after HHN we ordered one bowl each, waitress asked us if we had room for dessert and we said no, but we`ll take another bowl each of the chowder.....it is that good! And bless her, she gave us the second bowl on the house......

We never made it back to Jake`s after our one visit in December, but we`ll plan to have a bowl on our next trip for sure. 
*
*I will say however, the Crawfish Chowder at McCoy`s in the Hyatt at MCO blows them all out of the water......we really have found the best around in there, but Jake`s is still up there among the nicest. *











*And my all time favourite pizza from Jake`s.......*




















*One thing we have never tried as we aren`t really fans of pretzels, but everyone raves about the pretzel rods in here. I think it might be Keishashadow that was the first to mention how good they were, maybe one day we`ll get round to it, but it is one of their more popular items on the menu. 

We don`t often get desserts in here, but Kyle always orders the flourless chocolate cake and it`s different every time, I guess some chefs serve it differently. But, this is one of Kyle`s favourite things......it`s a close second to Linda`s chocolate fudge cake from the Cheesecake Factory.......*

*It is dense beyond belief and so rich, but he can usually eat two of them....although not after a pizza we have discovered!!*












*They have a fabulous bar and can concoct most things if you ask......we used to love the sharing cocktails.......well, I`m told they are supposed to be shared...... *

*These were very nice and they had a few you could choose from. *












*They used to have regular beer flight nights and food was on offer too on the beer festival events, hopefully they`ll come back full time as they were very popular.*

*Sitting outside is an option for Jake`s and the tables are set under the bridge where you enter RP.......it is beautiful and quite serene for being on a walkway, you really don`t get a lot of traffic passing by. *























*Jake`s is such a good option for food whether it be for lunch, dinner or just drinks anytime of the day. *

*One of the quirks of Jake`s are the name tags of the staff.......if you haven`t noticed, next time you`re in have a look at some of the names they opt for.......Wheels and Bubbles were favourites of ours!!! *


----------



## schumigirl

Yep, 7 weeks today till we fly.......and yes, it is too long!!! How on earth we managed to not travel for 2 years I`ll never know........

Won`t be updating for a few days, we have had to head up to Scotland quite suddenly, so as soon as I`m back.....I`ll have another update looking forward to somewhere else that we enjoy a lot......

Will still be able to log in hopefully......but failing that, will see you when I get back.......


----------



## KathyM2

schumigirl said:


> Florida has so much to offer and I wouldn`t want to spend all my time in the parks.....but again, that works for some too.......I`m a huge believer in each to their own....
> 
> Can`t be too long till your Florida trip??? I think it was March you were going.......or have I missed it and you`re already back......lol......



When I have time on trips I like to do a mix of old favourites and a few new places thrown in. Sometimes it's a regret when you try something new that isn't great and you wish you'd stuck to what you know....but then...sometimes you also discover something great lol so it's a tough call!

Yes, I am in Florida now actually. We ended up leaving earlier than expected and driving from Toronto to South Florida very slowly...as in ...over 4 days lol My daughter did online school in hotels and partially in the car lol but we made it!! Now we are enjoying some sun and a few patio meals but still trying to stay away from the crowds...as much as I'd love to stop in Orlando...I am still nervous. But also...we had our dog with us so...would not get to do any parks on this trip!! I contemplated doing a stop on the way back, but I think I'm gonna wait it out a bit more. I have an Disney AP burning a hole but it's only good for a year from when I activate it....so I want to wait until I'm fully ready to enjoy it when I do!!

Florida has been fun with family though...we have had a bit of colder gloomier weather for a few days...but I think tomorrow it's supposed to get sunny again! Hoping!

Love your restaurant reviews as usual!! I love that you have tried all (or most) of the menu items at so many places!! It's good you have your TR's to keep track of it all lol


----------



## wdwrule

Oh the food pics are divine!  Drooling over that tres leche cake which we finally had for the first time recently. Strong Water has quickly become a favorite for us. I can’t wait to try more of their food. Such a lovely atmosphere and Lenny is top-notch.

We were so disappointed that Jake’s discontinued their late night menu. We’ve ordered off that menu on several occasions recently but as of a few weeks ago they said they discontinued it. Hopefully they’ll bring it back.

Enjoying your report!  So excited for you!


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## musika

I know exactly what you mean about spicy foods. I am consistently disappointed in ordering something that is spicy (or should be) and it just tastes a bit bland. All of the choices look delish!


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## schumigirl

KathyM2 said:


> When I have time on trips I like to do a mix of old favourites and a few new places thrown in. Sometimes it's a regret when you try something new that isn't great and you wish you'd stuck to what you know....but then...sometimes you also discover something great lol so it's a tough call!
> 
> Yes, I am in Florida now actually. We ended up leaving earlier than expected and driving from Toronto to South Florida very slowly...as in ...over 4 days lol My daughter did online school in hotels and partially in the car lol but we made it!! Now we are enjoying some sun and a few patio meals but still trying to stay away from the crowds...as much as I'd love to stop in Orlando...I am still nervous. But also...we had our dog with us so...would not get to do any parks on this trip!! I contemplated doing a stop on the way back, but I think I'm gonna wait it out a bit more. I have an Disney AP burning a hole but it's only good for a year from when I activate it....so I want to wait until I'm fully ready to enjoy it when I do!!
> 
> Florida has been fun with family though...we have had a bit of colder gloomier weather for a few days...but I think tomorrow it's supposed to get sunny again! Hoping!
> 
> Love your restaurant reviews as usual!! I love that you have tried all (or most) of the menu items at so many places!! It's good you have your TR's to keep track of it all lol



Glad to hear you made it safe and sound…..and hope by now the nicer weather has come back for you…..yes, you’ll enjoy everything again when you’re ready, it’ll all still be there.

We do like a mix of familiar and new places. There are only a couple of times we’ve thought we wasted an evening going somewhere, usually it’s a good experience.

Glad you enjoyed the pics…..yes, notes, pictures and TR keep it all alive…..

Hope you are still having a wonderful time…….


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## schumigirl

wdwrule said:


> Oh the food pics are divine!  Drooling over that tres leche cake which we finally had for the first time recently. Strong Water has quickly become a favorite for us. I can’t wait to try more of their food. Such a lovely atmosphere and Lenny is top-notch.
> 
> We were so disappointed that Jake’s discontinued their late night menu. We’ve ordered off that menu on several occasions recently but as of a few weeks ago they said they discontinued it. Hopefully they’ll bring it back.
> 
> Enjoying your report!  So excited for you!



The Tres Leche is beautiful. It’s always such a huge portion they give us, but we can’t resist!

They don’t seem to have any plans to extend late hours again, but who knows in the future.

And glad you’re enjoying this one too……


----------



## schumigirl

musika said:


> I know exactly what you mean about spicy foods. I am consistently disappointed in ordering something that is spicy (or should be) and it just tastes a bit bland. All of the choices look delish!



I always feel so cheated when someone promises me Spicy……and it’s not!

Once a waiter asked if I was sure I wanted to order a dish as it was so hot……I assured him I’d be fine and looked forward to some heat…….well, what a let down…….barely a tingle on the tongue……

He checked on us as was shocked I found it bland as he couldn’t finish it due to it being too hot…….lol……wimp! There should be a refund policy for folks like us that want some heat…….lol….

Glad you’re enjoying it……..


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

schumigirl said:


> Yep, 7 weeks today till we fly.......and yes, it is too long!!! How on earth we managed to not travel for 2 years I`ll never know........
> 
> Won`t be updating for a few days, we have had to head up to Scotland quite suddenly, so as soon as I`m back.....I`ll have another update looking forward to somewhere else that we enjoy a lot......
> 
> Will still be able to log in hopefully......but failing that, will see you when I get back.......



It's now closer to 6 weeks than 7... Goodness, time is flying by!!!  It'll be here before you know it!!!


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## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> It's now closer to 6 weeks than 7... Goodness, time is flying by!!!  It'll be here before you know it!!!



lol……you’re spot on!

Getting closer by the day…….


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## Worfiedoodles

Love, love, love your summary and spectacular photos of Jake’s! It’s starting to become a tradition that we have our first meal here. No reservations needed and also not a long wait to be seated. It’s nice to sit for a minute and contemplate our trip. Mr. Worfiedoodles loves the burgers, and the sweet potato fries are such a treat 

Have you ever sat outside here? It’s not something we would usually do — I’m wondering if it might be a bit buggy with all the lush vegetation nearby? In any case I do plan to wander that walkway as I’ve never managed it. Where do you access it other than the Jake’s entrance and where does it lead?

I’m full of questions tonight


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## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Love, love, love your summary and spectacular photos of Jake’s! It’s starting to become a tradition that we have our first meal here. No reservations needed and also not a long wait to be seated. It’s nice to sit for a minute and contemplate our trip. Mr. Worfiedoodles loves the burgers, and the sweet potato fries are such a treat
> 
> Have you ever sat outside here? It’s not something we would usually do — I’m wondering if it might be a bit buggy with all the lush vegetation nearby? In any case I do plan to wander that walkway as I’ve never managed it. Where do you access it other than the Jake’s entrance and where does it lead?
> 
> I’m full of questions tonight



lol.....

We very rarely sit outside to eat Maria, anywhere, much prefer the cool comfort of the air conditioning. But we haven`t see any bugs as such out there when we`ve gone to take pictures.....I had never really thought about it till you mentioned it. 

You can walk around from the pool rather than actually go through Jake`s. 

It is a wonderful way to start a trip and yes, burger and sweet potato fries are a firm favourite of mine there. Tom doesn`t like sweet potato anything so I get them all to myself......lol.....oh that might be a nice idea to meet up there for food one day in May Maria since we all like it so much.....??? 

I was thinking of park places for us to eat, but Jake`s is a good idea now. 

Heading home today


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## houseofthrees

Glad to see you are finally making it back!  I see we are still on the same vacation schedule as we have May, Sept, and Dec booked as well.

I was just thinking today about how I hoped this year would bring back Jake's beer festivals.


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## schumigirl

houseofthrees said:


> Glad to see you are finally making it back!  I see we are still on the same vacation schedule as we have May, Sept, and Dec booked as well.
> 
> I was just thinking today about how I hoped this year would bring back Jake's beer festivals.



 back houseofthrees…….it’s good to see you!

And glad you have your trips booked too…….such a good feeling to have things in place.

We never made it to any of the beer festivals, but we kept saying we would, and yes they were so popular.

Glad to see you here again too…….


----------



## Raeven

schumigirl said:


> Our favourite is the Tres Leche cake......this is Chef Carlos own recipe and although this one is almost double the size of the regular slice, it`s still a large dessert.



Ooo that looks so good! We've been meaning to go to Strongwater but haven't made it there yet. I'm hoping on one of the trips we go on this year. 



schumigirl said:


> One thing we have never tried as we aren`t really fans of pretzels, but everyone raves about the pretzel rods in here.



I've never tried the pretzel rods either. That's definitely something I'll have to try next time we go there.


----------



## schumigirl

Raeven said:


> Ooo that looks so good! We've been meaning to go to Strongwater but haven't made it there yet. I'm hoping on one of the trips we go on this year.
> 
> 
> 
> I've never tried the pretzel rods either. That's definitely something I'll have to try next time we go there.



You haven`t been to Strong Water yet????? I always think you have been already.......you will love it.......

I think if I liked pretzels, we`d try it.....but, just not a fan of them in general.......


----------



## schumigirl

*One of the things we love about Orlando/Florida are the delightful melange of restaurants to eat in so many places around us. *

*Local friends are always helpful in suggesting places to go that are not quite as popular with tourists.....yes, I get the irony of us avoiding tourist places, but we do like to try some options that are not as populated by folks like us.......finding special places frequented by locals seems to be one of our favourite things to do. 

One of the cutest places that is relatively new to us is Nagoya Sushi, which is situated in the Dr Phillips area and tucked away in a little set of stores, so not the most obvious of eateries to find if you didn`t know it was there. There are several sushi options along Restaurant row, and we were told ignore the others, go to Nagoya........so we did. *

*Right at the rear of the stores, it is a busy little place and the first time we went it was deserted, so we were a little concerned, but we had only been seated a few minutes when it began to fill up rapidly.*













*It`s a fairly large menu and has some very unique options to choose from.....I do like a sushi menu that has variety and they certainly have an imagination with some of the titles they came up with. *

*All meals come with Miso soup or salad and we always opt for the soup.....it always feels so cleansing as you eat it somehow.......not something I ever have at home, but when out for Sushi, it`s essential. *














*The first time we went we decided to choose some sushi and a Bento Box to give us an idea of what both were like.....and we weren`t disappointed. The sushi was tasty and incredibly fresh as it should be. 
*













*Tom got the spicy chicken Bento Box, and I ordered it in our latest visit, it is delicious and doesn`t have the filler items that Cowfish have with theirs........never heard of fries being served like that before in a Bento Box, not very authentic. So this was the real deal. *













*Everything was fresh and tasty and the deep fried tempura batter for the veg was not in the least bit greasy......*












*This last visit when I got the Spicy Chicken, Tom got Teriyaki Beef and he loved it.......I did take the pickled ginger as he doesn`t care for it....works out well for me all the time!! Both the chicken and beef were tender and well cooked, the batter on my chicken was the lightest I had tasted outside of tempura. Very good quality produce. 
*











*They do have a few tables outside beside the little water feature and it is a pretty little area with not too many folks passing by. *

*Yep, this is one place we will look forward to visiting again this year. *












*--------------------------------------------------------------------*




*HOT N JUICY CRAWFISH*
​
*Another place that is new to us in the last few years is also on Restaurant Row and we notice there are a thousand imitations of this kind of place now. *

*Hot n Juicy Crawfish is one of the most casual places you`ll find......it almost looks like a cafeteria, no frills, basic look, but you get a nice welcome and if you like shrimp/lobster/crawfish type dishes......you`ll love it. *












*You simply select your seafood, I have to admit to only having had the shrimp on the times we have visited, Tom had the Crawfish and Snow Crab on other visits.....then you choose your spice and the strength of the spice.......and it`s all steamed in a bag. 

We do like it spicy, but sometimes think it`s a waste of good seafood to spice it up beyond belief. I`d never do it to lobster as it is beautiful on it`s own with some drawn butter and lemon. But, shrimp somehow I don`t mind. *
*
If you don`t enjoy tearing the heads and tails off your food to eat it, this is not the place for you. We however, love it.......growing up in a seaside fishing area, we are used to tearing seafood to eat it, but, I do get it`s not for everyone. 

I believe we ordered a pound of each and that was a decent amount for a meal......I think you can add up in half pounds as much as you want. 
*
*It is quite messy, you do get given plastic gloves, which to be honest, I think we do better with bare hands, you also have a plastic bib which I`d recommend you take, paper towels and a bucket to put all your heads and shells in. *












*The shrimp are plump and delicious.......I have to admit the crawfish below were an awful lot of work for not very much reward. Crawfish were tasty, but so small, Tom enjoyed them though.  *

*The crab again was beautiful, but I prefer my snow crab clean and without spice. *



































*On our first visit, we looked through the menu and noticed they did cajun fries.....I cannot resist them anywhere.......so we did order them, but it was too much to eat everything we had ordered that day....but we did make a good attempt as those fries were perfect. *












*They also serve selected Po Boys which we haven`t tried but they did look good on a table near us, also baskets like catfish, soft shell crab, shrimp and chicken tenders......I think they do cater to many, but maybe not everyone. *
























*This again is in a very nice little area, it`s quite a busy place and at night there is always a line whenever we have passed by. Lunchtimes are slightly better but by 1pm the whole place was filled and not a table to be had. *

*We didn`t manage to get there in December, but we will make sure we drop in here again on our next visit. *

​


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Sadly I don't think either of those places are for me (no sushi, no heads or tails on my protein), but they do look like lovely establishments and I can see why you look forward to repeat visits.Thank you for highlighting other places to give your readers some other local examples for the food diversity!


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## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Sadly I don't think either of those places are for me (no sushi, no heads or tails on my protein), but they do look like lovely establishments and I can see why you look forward to repeat visits.Thank you for highlighting other places to give your readers some other local examples for the food diversity!



lol.....no, tearing heads and tails off your food is not for everyone. And even sushi.......I always laugh when I describe sushi and sashimi to my mum.......her face is a picture!! She won`t even eat smoked salmon. 

Yes, there are so many wonderful options offsite to choose from


----------



## Pumpkin1172

We almost ate at both of those places when we were there!  I remembered that Sushi place when I seen it as we were passing it.   That was when we had reservations at Disney Springs - so we had to pass it that night. We ate at Joe's Crab shack instead of of Hot Juicy crawfish!  We are always game for seafood.  Maybe if we ever get to Orlando again for a solo trip without the kids, we will go to the hot and juicy crawfish!  

All the places look amazing.  The food was a huge part of our trip!  And I know it's a big part of yours as well.


----------



## schumigirl

Pumpkin1172 said:


> We almost ate at both of those places when we were there!  I remembered that Sushi place when I seen it as we were passing it.   That was when we had reservations at Disney Springs - so we had to pass it that night. We ate at Joe's Crab shack instead of of Hot Juicy crawfish!  We are always game for seafood.  Maybe if we ever get to Orlando again for a solo trip without the kids, we will go to the hot and juicy crawfish!
> 
> All the places look amazing.  The food was a huge part of our trip!  And I know it's a big part of yours as well.



Oh you`d love it......their seafood is just divine, it is a seafood lover`s place for sure. 

How was Joe`s Crab Shack? Last time we went it was deserted and made us nervous as it used to be heaving every night and filled with cops which is always a good sign.....but food was poor as was service. It was the one in LBV we went to. 

Where did you eat in Disney Springs?? We`ve only tried Boathouse there and thinking of somewhere different this time......WBG and the sushi place appeals right now......but there are a good few options.

Yep, food is a huge part of our trip.......


----------



## Pumpkin1172

schumigirl said:


> How was Joe`s Crab Shack? Last time we went it was deserted and made us nervous as it used to be heaving every night and filled with cops which is always a good sign.....but food was poor as was service. It was the one in LBV we went to.
> 
> Where did you eat in Disney Springs?? We`ve only tried Boathouse there and thinking of somewhere different this time......WBG and the sushi place appeals right now......but there are a good few options.
> 
> Yep, food is a huge part of our trip.......


Joe's crab shack was really good.  We went to the one near/in Icon park.  We went a little later 7:30-8:00 pm.  It was still busy at that time of night and people were still coming in as we were leaving.  I had a platter of some sort...there was an assortment of different items, I believe there was battered fish (which I thought was good - light, fluffy and NOT greasy) and coconut shrimp, fried shrimp, popcorn shrimp and hush puppies!  It was delicious.  It seemed the crab buckets were the popular items there.  Next time we would try that!  My drink was really good too...it was a hurricane - fruity with lots of different rums 

We went to the Boathouse as well.  I did have a reservation for Paddlefish - but found this one at Boathouse for an earlier time, which was better for us.  We did walk by Paddlefish and looked at the menu, and dh said he would love to go back and try there as well.  The Boathouse was great and we eat an embarassing amount of food.  It was our first meal in almost 24 hrs as we flew overnight, getting settled at the hotel etc etc etc and we enjoyed EVERY morsel we ate  If I had a choice for another meal there, it would either be Paddlefish or Morimoto.


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## schumigirl

Pumpkin1172 said:


> Joe's crab shack was really good.  We went to the one near/in Icon park.  We went a little later 7:30-8:00 pm.  It was still busy at that time of night and people were still coming in as we were leaving.  I had a platter of some sort...there was an assortment of different items, I believe there was battered fish (which I thought was good - light, fluffy and NOT greasy) and coconut shrimp, fried shrimp, popcorn shrimp and hush puppies!  It was delicious.  It seemed the crab buckets were the popular items there.  Next time we would try that!  My drink was really good too...it was a hurricane - fruity with lots of different rums
> 
> We went to the Boathouse as well.  I did have a reservation for Paddlefish - but found this one at Boathouse for an earlier time, which was better for us.  We did walk by Paddlefish and looked at the menu, and dh said he would love to go back and try there as well.  The Boathouse was great and we eat an embarassing amount of food.  It was our first meal in almost 24 hrs as we flew overnight, getting settled at the hotel etc etc etc and we enjoyed EVERY morsel we ate  If I had a choice for another meal there, it would either be Paddlefish or Morimoto.
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I know the one you mean. Haven`t gone to that one before. 

Glad you enjoyed the food for sure at both places. Tom had the buckets when we dined at Joe`s and it was decent, except for the last time. 

We did say we`d like to go back to Boathouse, but as we`re only going once I think it`ll be somewhere else this time. Morimoto is one of them but yes, we might just draw straws!!


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## schumigirl

​*Well, technically yesterday was 6 weeks till we fly......I just never got around to posting.....one of those days! *
*
We managed to get our rental car sorted today and although it`s still a completely ridiculous price even for 23 nights, it was less than what was being quoted for the previous months. Some of those prices were eye wateringly scary!!!! 

We did consider for about half a minute of not getting a car, but we do like to just up and go somewhere when we feel like it....whether it be Publix, Lake Buena Vista or further afield to places like St Augustine......it gives us choices and I`d feel a little restrained if we didn`t have a car. No real desire to use some of the options available like Uber and so on. 
*
*So, the only thing left for us to book now is the Executive Lounge at Manchester Airport, that can be booked online anytime so we`ll get around to it sometime. It was a place we did enjoy on our previous trip in Nov/Dec. 

We have however bought the airport Fast Track for Security as lines at airports now are a little crazy over here from accounts of folks we know who have flown out over the last 8 weeks. It should make a difference, if only a little, but avoiding 2 hour lines to get through security is something we absolutely want to do. 

Now we get back to waiting..........*


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## Raeven

schumigirl said:


> ​*Well, technically yesterday was 6 weeks till we fly......I just never got around to posting.....one of those days! *



Your trip is getting so close! We’re a couple days behind you. Ours is 6 weeks from Thurs.


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## Worfiedoodles

Woohoo! So excited you have your rental car booked. That is excellent progress. Just 6 weeks and you’ll be soaking in the Florida sun! 

I get why you want the freedom of a car for such a long trip. Of course you want to be able to move around at will. Do you wake up each day and decide if your taking a day trip, or plan a little more in advance?


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## schumigirl

Raeven said:


> Your trip is getting so close! We’re a couple days behind you. Ours is 6 weeks from Thurs.



That`s worth a wooohoooo......

It really does creep up all of a sudden, and I`m looking forward to reading about your plans for this upcoming trip.......


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## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Woohoo! So excited you have your rental car booked. That is excellent progress. Just 6 weeks and you’ll be soaking in the Florida sun! ☀☀☀
> 
> I get why you want the freedom of a car for such a long trip. Of course you want to be able to move around at will. Do you wake up each day and decide if your taking a day trip, or plan a little more in advance?



I cannot wait Maria!!! 

Mostly we wake up and decide what to do that day.....usually if it`s a choice between parks we do that. But we do wake up somedays and think, let`s head to St Augustine or wherever today and that`s what we love most. That freedom to not have to plan......

We`d miss that without a car. 

Sometimes we do plan certain things in advance, and that`s usually involving meeting folks who we`ll fit into their schedule if they`re local or meeting friends, but beyond that.......nope, no planning! I`d be useless going to Disney now lol.....


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## schumigirl

*One of our "other" favourite places, yes we do have many favourites now I think on it .......but 4Rivers is somewhere again, we missed going to for many years, but, once we discovered it, it was on our list of regular haunts. *
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The first time we went it was the one in Winter Garden and we found it by accident to be honest.....and led to Tom making a rather sharp turn through 4 lanes of traffic to get us in!!! Not recommended even if you are fading away to the size of a baby elephant with hunger.......

But, it was suggested we try the Winter Park one and we do visit WP so this was ideal for lunch as we head out. 
*
*This place is busy!!! Busy beyond belief at times and you can be lined up outside in the heat at certain times, but the wait is worth it as this food is divine!! If you like bbq food and good bbq food you will love this place. *












*Although don`t be like me and be a Dolly Day Dream staring at the menu for ever trying to decide what to have......I will say they were very patient and explained what came with what and all the sides we could opt for, and we let numerous people in front of us as we stood gazing wonderously at this good sized menu with so many choices!*












*Above all else.....my favourite side is the bacon wrapped jalapeno.......gorgeous!! *












*It is a large space once inside.......tables are large enough for many diners and they do have booths too which we prefer to be honest. But, there is a lovely atmosphere and diners all seem to chat to folks who are perfect strangers which is fine usually, but when I`m tearing into ribs, might not be my first choice of conversations! *

*Condiments on the table include several varieties of BBQ sauce.....sweet or spicy and another two I forget.....I only ever use those 2 flavours. And extra hot sauce too of course!!*






















*You can opt to buy drinks from the fridge as you enter, but they do have a drinks fountain for refillable soda`s.*













*One of our funniest visits was when Tom ordered the Brontosaurus Beef Rib, we had been told it was extra large and we weren`t disappointed when they brought it to the table after a short wait which they told us we would have.....it was indeed large and I wished I had ordered one too!! *

*Be careful what you wish for.....you just might get it......... *













*A few minutes after the rib was delivered, one of the staff appeared with another saying they noticed the first rib wasn`t their usual standard they would serve.......it was too small apparently.......lol....so they sat another down for him to enjoy. *

*Well.....it would be rude not to enjoy both.......*












☺​



*It was amazing. Truly, very delicate meat that fell apart when you ate it and tasty beyond what I expected. There was fat running through it, as you would expect to give it that extra flavour, but it came away easily and you could enjoy the meat. *
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I have noticed I tend to order the same things here........but, I always have the cornbread here. Haven`t tasted nicer anywhere else in America, some have come close but this is lush!!! 
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*So, for me it`s ribs and brisket or pulled pork......and I do love their sweet potato casserole, although it is just sweet potato mash, but tastier. *
























*I really should try something different this time, but when you know something is going to be so good and you`re going to love it, why not have it over. *
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They do have a wonderful bakery section here which we had no idea about before we went.......do leave room for dessert or do what most do and get some to take out, it`s hard to say no to any of it. 

This salted caramel item is like the butteriest shortbread ever with an even sweeter filling running through it and this along with the coconut cake is my favourite things to take home for later.
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*Tom doesn`t have a favourite, he likes everything.........*






















































*I would honestly recommend 4Rivers Smokehouse over others in the area that we`ve tried. Certainly Bubbalous is a good option, but this is just a notch above what they have. Not that we`ve ever had a bad meal from Bubbalous, we haven`t, but just prefer this place. *
*
The staff are again, top notch. We noticed every one of them, were incredibly polite.....they had a gracious attitude towards customers and even the simplest of questions was answered impeccably. They asked if you needed anything, if your food was good and even though you take your own tray up, they will clear them away without question before you can do it. They really were a breath of fresh air. 
*
*Maybe folks who have wonderful bbq food local to them wouldn`t agree, but we don`t have anything like this where we live in the UK....so maybe I`m not the best judge and I`m sure some may prefer other places above this one, but we`ll certainly be back here in May for some of their food and service. *


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## Pumpkin1172

And now I have to wipe up the Homer Simpson pool of drool off of my desk 

I am a fluffy girl who loves a good food blog!!!!!


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## schumigirl

Pumpkin1172 said:


> And now I have to wipe up the Homer Simpson pool of drool off of my desk
> 
> I am a fluffy girl who loves a good food blog!!!!!



lol.....me too!!! 

Love good food pictures.....although I really need to stop posting before I eat.....I keep wanting to nibble after I post!!!!


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## Raeven

Omg the desserts look so good


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## schumigirl

Raeven said:


> Omg the desserts look so good



They really were good!

I‘m not the biggest dessert person, although some of the pictures and my waistline say different…… but, they were lovely. The coconut cake was the second best coconut cake I’ve ever tasted.

Best one was Yellow Dog Eats for sure…….


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## I-4Bound

Carole, have y’all ever been to Rocco’s Tacos? I have heard some good things about it and am interested in trying this summer!


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## schumigirl

I-4Bound said:


> Carole, have y’all ever been to Rocco’s Tacos? I have heard some good things about it and am interested in trying this summer!



Never been before, but weirdly we do plan to visit this time around.......

The reason we haven`t gone before is I hate Mexican food  unless it`s fajitas. I can`t eat onions and hate cilantro, so not much on the menu for me in places like that......lol......

But, again, someone told us we should go as we`d love the cocktails.......so I`m there!!! 

And I looked at the food menu and there are maybe two options I could have, or we could just go for cocktails........but will let you know what it`s like and yes, I`ve only heard good things about it too, so we`re looking forward to it!


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## Deb1993

schumigirl said:


> ​*Yes, we`re back again and ready for another build up to hopefully our first trip of 3 this year to beautiful Orlando.
> 
> I say hopefully as, although we seem to be over the worst of the pandemic here, no one can really guarantee anything with travel anymore. But, after almost 2 years I`m more than ready to get back into a routine. It`s hard to imagine it was 2 years ago right now we were beginning to realise that our May 2020 Trip might not happen. The rest of course is history and the world seemed to go to hell in a handcart.......yes, it was a long 2 years and we were completely over the moon to be able to get back this past November/December for what was a very much awaited for trip.
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> But, now we are looking forward to May 2022, and our first trip of the year. *
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> *So, here we go again.........and I do hope you enjoy this one too
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> For anyone who don`t already know us and there will be many I`m sure.......we are Carole 'n' Tom......a joined at the hip couple who just love travelling to Orlando for our vacations. Our first trip there was in 2007 and we were instantly hooked on everything Orlando from the parks to the heat and sunshine. *
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> In case you don`t know us, this is us in November last year, we didn`t get too many pictures of just the two of us, but we did like this one taken in the Club Lounge at RP. *
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> ​*This year in September we`ll be celebrating 30 years of blissful marriage, and at the risk of sounding corny beyond belief, it has been blissful and we look forward to celebrating then with a month in Orlando. We did think maybe we should do something different, go somewhere new.....but we were drawn to stick with where we love. But, that`s for another Trip Report.
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> We have one son, Kyle who is quite honestly the best son anyone could hope for. And he loves the fact we still spend all our time together and our vacations are such a joy......we are so incredibly proud of him and relish the times he will possibly join us in the future. One of our couple friends are in Orlando right now with their adult son who decided to go back with his parents for one more trip before he gets married and they are having the best time together. I think he is enjoying being spoiled before grandkids come along for his parents. But, Kyle has his own situation now and his own vacations which is lovely.
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> The flight is just a means to an end of course, but we have never had a bad flight with them and for us it is part of the vacation.....well, 10 hours is a long time to be stuck in one place. Although the flight passes not too bad usually by the time we are fed a few times, watch a couple of movies and apparently now I seem to sleep for about 3 hours of the flight!!! And I miss the wonderful turbulence experienced by all accounts. Tom is always amazed I can sleep through all of it, but I seem to manage.
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> We do where we can, book Premium seats if they`re available and we do like certain seats, which aren`t always available, but as long as they`re Premium generally we`re good with that. They are much more spacious than regular seats and in November we were surprised just how comfy they were.....for plane seats anyway.
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> At the moment we have booked the front row of Premium coming out and the last row coming home which is our preference as you have no one behind you, so you can fully recline without disturbing anyone else. There is still room to recline, but most don`t fully recline on others, of course some do and it`s just your luck who you get in front of you.*
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> *We fly out on May 2nd this year and as of today it is exactly 9 weeks .........is it too early to start a Pre-Trip Report.........it may very well be, but after missing the last 2 years I am so excited to be planning our trips again and some of the ladies on here know we are just bursting to get back again.......
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> I have the time to do it and as we aren`t having the nicest weather in the UK right now, I`m not doing much else, so I can vent some of the excitement in this pre trip as all of you understand that excitement for a trip, especially after the last few years of many of us not being able to travel at all.
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> As of today, the only testing we need to do is the day before we fly out.....yes, that will be incredibly nerve wracking leaving it so late. Last trip we had to test within 3 days of flying out and that was bad enough, it felt very last minute if we tested positive. But a day ahead seems almost barbaric!! I think this time as it`s the day before we`ll just do the tests at the airport that are supervised and results immediately. It was quite stressful when our computer camera wouldn`t work for a time for the supervised tests last year, so this might just be easier. Although it would suck if we were positive and had to come home from the airport same day........lol........*
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> *We are both double vaccinated and boosted, so we`ve done all we can do to be honest. Who knows what the testing requirement will be by then for entering the USA. *
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> *9 weeks is a long time in many ways, but we all know how time passes so quickly so I can yammer on about plans for our trip in that time.
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> There`ll be the usual habits like park times, eating out around Orlando, day trips to places like New Smyrna Beach, maybe Dunedin, certainly St Augustine which is one of our most favourite places, Mount Dora and hopefully a couple of new additions for our travels. We have an ever growing list of places we`d like to visit, but just never get around to it, we always say we`ll fit it in another time.......*
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> *But, for now....it`s a start to our Trip Report for our May visit to Orlando for 23 nights at the beautiful Sapphire Falls again.
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> Hope to see some familiar faces and new ones too for the ramble ahead....it`s always a pleasure to read your comments along the way.........*


I'm in - excited for this trip report!!


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## Deb1993

schumigirl said:


> *HOTEL CHOICE*​
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> *This is always an interesting discussion for us as we have two favourite hotels in Orlando and we do like to mix our stays between both places. *
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> *Royal Pacific is our original choice and somewhere we absolutely love staying and have done since 2009, but the same can be said of Sapphire Falls. I have been known to make a Freudian like slip when one friend asked which hotel we were staying in this May trip......I automatically responed by saying we were staying at Strong Water.......  You can guess where my mind is at this point going forward........
> 
> For our previous May trips we have always seemed to gravitate towards staying completely at Sapphire as opposed to a split stay like we do in September, so, even though this is a little longer stay, we thought we would like to just stay here...and again, one of the considerations is just how many nights we usually end up in Strong Water Bar.....if we`re already in Sapphire it certainly saves walking all the way back over to RP I guess.
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> Sapphire is still fairly new in regard to Universal hotels, and we genuinely didn`t realise just how much we were going to love it when it was being built.....although we were assured we would, we did doubt it slightly. However, when we saw it and spent time in it, we did fully appreciate just how lovely a place it actually was. *
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> *Some folks always ask if we ever get fed up staying at the same places and the answer is always no. We never get fed up staying at either hotel for our stays.....why would we......they both have everything we need for our trips and it really is like a home away from home for us. *
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> *And of course Sapphire Falls has several food options that suit us. We don`t tend to use the Dutch Trading Co very often except maybe if we need a coffee or maybe a pastry. Quick service places we tend not to use, but this one is very nice albeit maybe too small for the size of the hotel. You can see long lines at certain times of the day and we have only tried a couple of the hot food options which were absolutely fine. *
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> *The Mother`s Day buffet will be on too while we are there in May. Although UK Mother`s Day is in March.......I can celebrate it twice......no excuses needed here!!! It was one of the best Brunches we have ever been to and as soon as we can book it we absolutely will. I can thoroughly recommend it for sure. *
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> *I`m going to cover Strong Water in another post....it definitely deserves a post of it`s own!!!
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Love Sapphire Falls!  The staircase and lighting remind me a little of the Gringotts staircases - in a good way!!


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## Deb1993

schumigirl said:


> ​*Well, this last week has been a little of not very much. I came down with what seemed to be a 24 hour flu, but hadn`t been in contact with anyone who has had anything like it. I do blame going out for a walk in Baltic temps on Wednesday morning. What were we thinking. *
> 
> *To be honest, we didn`t realise just how cold it was with the wind, I was chilled to the bone and we came home after 15 minutes, too late by then. I was frozen to the core had chills, aches, headaches and shivered for hours even with hot water bottles, but finally it broke and back to normal in time for the weekend. I really am the lizard everyone says I am....I was born to live in a hot climate! But, 2 days later and I`m back to full health again.
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> Of course as it`s still winter like here, no one is really doing much yet. Friends are hibernating like bears so no real get togethers yet. I`m so ready for spring.
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> Not much has changed in planning for this trip yet.......as most of you know we plan very little anyway, but some things have to be sorted, so we have booked our overnight hotel for the night before we fly. This was much easier this time compared to our November stay.
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> We would again liked to have gone back to the Marriott near the airport,  but, reviews are atrociously grim for that one, so we are not even considering staying there again until things improve. If it was the odd bad review, we may have taken a chance, but there`s just too many saying the same things. And they haven`t brought back the Executive lounge yet either which is a big consideration for us.
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> So, back again to our old favourite the Radisson. It might be over double the cost of the other one, but we know it well, it`s handy and we do like it a lot.
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> Despite our worries just before the last trip regarding asylum seekers, the stay was wonderful and we weren`t disturbed in any way. There were increased security officers around the hotel which was unusual, but the cleanliness and friendliness of staff were as good as ever. So, it was an easy decision to get this booked as soon as we knew the other place wasn`t going to happen.*
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> *I love staying here in winter when you walk through the Skywalk even in the early morning and it`s illuminated in beautiful electric blue lighting. It is stunning. This visit it`ll be light very early so we won`t see it as clear as it is in pure darkness. Downside is it`s usually freezing cold in winter, they do have heat, but it`s as useless as a chocolate fireguard, so we do have to layer then. In summer it is like a hot house.....makes you move quicker though!*
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> *We always book a room with Executive Lounge access. A bit like Club rooms, they`re no different to regular rooms, you just have access to the lounge. But, we like the rooms here, they`re a decent size and a very comfy bed. And huge beds too similar in size to the one we have at home....you can get lost in it!! *
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> *The lounge at The Radisson is very nice and it had somewhat got back to normal for our last trip after a couple of years of covid restrictions. There were still some things missing like olives and chocolates sat out to help yourself during the day and other little snacks. They now have wrapped snacks, which isn`t a bad thing, just different. *
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> *We normally check in around midday to 1pm and it`s often so quiet then, we usually have the place to ourselves for a few hours. It used to have it`s own check in area outside the lounge doors, but due to staff shortages you just check in down on level 3. Check in is supposed to be from 3pm, but if there is a room available in the category you have booked you`ll get it.
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> We usually ate lunch in the Little M bar, but again due to staff shortages it hasn`t opened back up yet, so we`ll sort something else out. Then head to the lounge which we did in November and this time round, instead of having to wait till 5pm, wines and beers were available all day. This had definitely changed since our last visit in 2019. So of course we took advantage of that........well, it would be rude not to........☺
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> Tom found the champagne!!*
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> *Yes, while on vacation alcohol is acceptable at lunchtime..........well, wait.......is it ever not acceptable.....guess not!!
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> However, tea and coffee are available, as are an array of soft drinks and water.*
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> *It is a very nice and relaxing way to start off a trip. *
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> *At 5pm, the staff put out appetisers and they don`t change much from one visit to another. I have to admit they`re not the highest quality, but they are fresh and replenished with frequency and I did notice people were far more considerate in regards to thinking that others would be eating too this time around.
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> A small selection of the offerings.....they also have cheese and proscuitto with salami and other continental meats with crackers......you can fill up nicely on them I suppose. *
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> *Depending on how we feel, we sometimes book a table for dinner in the Collage restaurant downstairs. We do like it and I think we`ll do that this upcoming trip as we missed last time. I think we filled up on appetisers that time
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> Food is very good here, although reports are again, they have a limited menu due to Covid which can seem like an easy excuse at times for so many things now......but, we`ve never been disappointed with any offerings from here and it`s a nice light and airy restaurant.*
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> *Our flight usually leaves too early in the morning to enjoy the breakfast in the lounge or the restaurant.  We could come back after checking in, but we do like to get through and not head back the way!! It`s just a little too early for food for us at that time in the morning, give me a cup of tea and I`m happy.*
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> *Plus we again plan to book the lounge after security we enjoyed last visit. *
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> *The 1903 Lounge had been built in the new part of the terminal, and is advertised as child free which appeals to us now more than ever. It was lovely, and very quiet for some reason, they may still have been limiting numbers but it was a very civilised place to pass a couple of hours.*
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> *Everything is included in the cost.....any alcohol you can imagine is there, and it`s all help yourself, but we never saw anyone take advantage in any way. Food was also very nice and a good selection of cold and and hot food including bacon. You could order eggs any way you liked too. *
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> *It really was too early for us to take advantage of the alcohol options on offer, and I think we were too nervous to really enjoy it for some reason......but I think I`ll try and enjoy some sparkly this time around.......bacon and champagne....it kinda goes well together..... *


Sorry you were under the weather!!


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## Deb1993

schumigirl said:


> *STRONG WATER TAVERN*
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> *We were first introduced to Strong Water Tavern in 2016 when the hotel opened and to be honest as I wasn`t a rum drinker I didn`t think we`d use it too often.....what a mistake to make! We met Fernanado and the then assistant manager Mike who both assured me they would both convert me to enjoy and appreciate the delicacies and uniqueness of the many options we had to try.....and they weren`t wrong!!
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> Then we met Lenny and I was completely convinced after he educated and instructed us on the joys of the cocktails he has created over the time we`ve known him and some of the other Rum Captains.
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> It was one of those places they just made you feel so welcome from your first visit and has been like that ever since. Whether you sit at a table or at the bar, service is always exemplary and we have never been disappointed in all our visits to this wonderful place. *
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> *We have come to know some of the folks there very well and look forward so much to seeing them and spending time with them every trip....and as this trip is solely at Sapphire, I think we`ll spend more than a few nights in there enjoying the lovely hospitality they offer.
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> When I look back over the years we have so many pictures taken over our many visits the SW.......we have gorgeous food and drinks and many of the wonderful folks there too that it`s hard to pick a few pics to show it at it`s best.....I think I could do  a TR on Strong Water alone!!!
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> Visually it is a beautiful bar and has a warm feeling despite it being a good size and an open appearance and has it`s own story with the design including the real rum barrel lids on the ceiling as part of the decor. *
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> *The outdoor seating area is very nice, it looks very tempting at night with the lights around and the view is rather nice as you can see some of Citywalk and Dr Doom lit up at night. I do however wish it was a non smoking area, that`s one of the only reasons we tend not to sit out there which is a shame as it is lovely to be enjoying a libation out there.*
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> *There is a beautiful Firepit to the side of the bar, it is a cosy little area when it`s lit and folks do enjoy making smores out there at times. Or just enjoy a drink or two.*
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> *Oh the food!!!*
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> *We have tried everything on the menu.....except one vegetarian dish and have never been let down with the offerings. We only tried the vegetarian dish because Chef Carlos asked our opinion on it, and it was very nice.......I did tell him it would be better with beef or chicken added.......lol......thankfully he saw the funny side. He is the nicest man and creates some amazing dishes. *
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> *The menu right now is somewhat smaller than the original one, but it`s still decent and has something for most folks on there. Everything is fresh and like all other places onsite at Universal they are very good at accommodating allergies and in some cases just a general aversion.
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> We hate cilantro......we are in that percentage of people for whom cilantro tastes like soap.......some folks think it just tastes fresh......but it is one taste neither of us can take....same with mint.....bleurgh.....*
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> *This camarones dish is one where we ask for cilantro to be omitted from the sauce, the shrimp are marinaded in a little, but we can never taste it which is fine by us. And I think this is one of all our all time favourite dishes from here.......we don`t eat a lot of bread with any dish, but the bread here is gorgeous!! *
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> *Seafood Tostado which is a cold seafood dish, it`s not spicy in the slightest and we ask for the cilantro crema to be omitted from this too......*
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> *One of the many ceviche dishes we`ve enjoyed over the years.......they do change them regularly and I`m not sure this one is on any more.......but they are so tasty and you can distinguish individual seafood from others in the dishes.*
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> *This was one of the specials Chef Carlos created a few years back......it was a giant pork chop and he added fried plantains, rice and beans and a sauce which rather unusually had an orange zing to it which was lovely despite me not thinking I`d like it. It is quite a spectacular dish and it was huge!!!*
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> *A chargrilled octopus dish that was just delicious.......not a dish for Tom as it`s one of the very few seafood dishes he won`t eat as well as oysters......I love them both!!!*
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> *Another ceviche.....this one was spicy and so delicious!*
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> *There are so many more dishes we`ve enjoyed, I could post hundreds of pictures......but the food is completely gorgeous from here and again, so many choices. *
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> *Desserts are something we are quite fussy with, and although we don`t have many to choose from in Strong Water, they are beautiful. *
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> *Our favourite is the Tres Leche cake......this is Chef Carlos own recipe and although this one is almost double the size of the regular slice, it`s still a large dessert. Meringue is light and fluffy and the cake is also light. The sauce however is very rich and very moreish.......*
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> *Coconut Flan.......lush!!!*
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> *Spiced chocolate cake which Kyle absolutely loved. I wasn`t sure if he would try it with the word spiced on the description, but again Fernando assured him it was spicy, but delicious.......he was right! I think they now call it Mexican Chocolate cake.*
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> *And the Guava and cheese Pastellitos which we were honoured to be among the first to try them before they went on the menu permanently......they were a hit with us!! We`ve been happy guinea pigs for many a food before it made the menu and I can honestly say they have all been fabulous.*
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> *One of Tom`s favourite things to do is have a Rum Flight.......and I think he`s tried them all by now!! The Rum Captain will chat to you about what kind of drinks you like and what you favour and will come up with 3 options they think you`ll enjoy......I think there`s only been one he didn`t care for and Lenny actually said he did wonder about that one.
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> They have a huge selection of rums as well as any other drink you can think of and they really do know their stuff when it comes to tasting notes and blending....you wouldn`t be disappointed. *
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> *There are so many cocktail options here......and yes, we`ve tried them all....each and every one and many more that have been tried and tested by Lenny and others.....not all make the menu of course and we were lucky enough to be guinea pigs for many a cocktail too including Ashley`s Fools Gold which has been a huge success.
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> Rum Marathoner, Blackberry Daiquiri, Fountain of Youth, Last Typhoon, Rum Mule, Fools Gold, Rum Lore, Sapphire Sour, Milk Punch, Rum Revival to name several we have enjoyed over the years and then there are the other ones created for Holiday specials that we have enjoyed too. *
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> *They can create any cocktail you want and we have loved when they come up with a cocktail just for us to try. *
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> *They make all their own syrups for the cocktails in the bar and they do have some amazing concoctions.*
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> *I think I could honestly talk for hours on how fabulous Strong Water is....everything just works from Fernando and the staff who have become so special to us, the food and the cocktails, not to mention the general ambiance of the bar. *
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> *But, this is one of the places we enjoy most on our trips, regardless of which hotel we stay in we always seem to end up here on many nights during our stay. Sometimes for food and drinks, other nights just for drinks and some good conversations with lovely folks who we adore chatting to at length. *
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> *I`ve said from the day we first went in here, Strong Water Tavern is the best bar in the whole of Universal Orlando Resort.....and I still feel that way and it gets better and better every time we visit.
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> I`m sure we`ll have a few additions for the trip report this upcoming visit...... *


Gorgeous photos!!  We loved Strong Water and came here the first time based on your wonderful photos and recommendation - and it did not disappoint!  It is definitely on the must do list for us on every trip.  The blackberry daquiri is amazing.


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## I-4Bound

schumigirl said:


> Never been before, but weirdly we do plan to visit this time around.......
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> The reason we haven`t gone before is I hate Mexican food  unless it`s fajitas. I can`t eat onions and hate cilantro, so not much on the menu for me in places like that......lol......
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> But, again, someone told us we should go as we`d love the cocktails.......so I`m there!!!
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> And I looked at the food menu and there are maybe two options I could have, or we could just go for cocktails........but will let you know what it`s like and yes, I`ve only heard good things about it too, so we`re looking forward to it!



I’m looking forward to hearing your review! We love Mexican food, onions, and cilantro, so I guess we’re in the clear!


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## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> I'm in - excited for this trip report!!



 back Deb.......it is good to see you here on this one too.......I hope it`s a fun read for you!!





Deb1993 said:


> Love Sapphire Falls!  The staircase and lighting remind me a little of the Gringotts staircases - in a good way!!



It`s gorgeous isn`t it. Yes, that staircase does have that kind of feel to it.....it is impressive. 




Deb1993 said:


> Sorry you were under the weather!!



Thanks. It was one of those horrible cases where you just had to wait till the fever broke, thankfully it didn`t last long.  




Deb1993 said:


> Gorgeous photos!!  We loved Strong Water and came here the first time based on your wonderful photos and recommendation - and it did not disappoint!  It is definitely on the must do list for us on every trip.  The blackberry daquiri is amazing.



I am so thrilled to hear that! Yes, it is one of those places that you just want to keep going back to. And I love that daiquiri!!! It`s strong but so fruity too.....

Glad to see you here Deb........


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## schumigirl

I-4Bound said:


> I’m looking forward to hearing your review! We love Mexican food, onions, and cilantro, so I guess we’re in the clear!



Oh I love onions.....I really do, but sadly they don`t agree with me, so I have to omit them from everything. I miss them lol.....

Yes, sounds like you`ll love it there.......I am looking forward to going even if it`s just for drinks, but Tom likes most things on the menu with the exception of cilantro, but I think he can choose plenty of dishes without it.


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## schumigirl

*I think @Worfiedoodles will like this post.......* 



*CONFISCO GRILLE*​

*One of the best theme park restaurants there is in both parks, is Confisco. *

*Many folks walk past it not realising what a gem of a place it really is. And some folks don`t even know it exists which amazes me. *

*And this is another place where it turns out, looking back.....we tend to order the same things over and over if the pictures are to believed........I always remember the first time we were thinking of going someone told me it was the worst place in the parks and not to consider it....which even in 2007 was hard to believe and I was so glad we ignored that advice. 

And also one of the reasons we tend to tell folks to go to places and make up their own mind....just because someone else doesn`t like somewhere doesn`t mean you won`t like it......although I do have several folks who if they tell me we won`t like somewhere I tend to believe them as they know our likes and dislikes. 

I always thought it had a very impressive facade and it so well themed inside too. It is table service, but they also have the Backwater Bar where you can sit and order just a drink or food too and they have a few tables where you can order from the bar too. It`s a fabulous place and quite underrated in many ways. *












*The entrance has some cool displays and you`ll find a nod to most areas of the park in little ways here......*










































*Most of our visits have been in the downstairs part of the restaurant until recently when they opened upstairs initially for AP events, but now you can just eat there anytime whether you have a pass or not. 

Downstairs is quite detailed and so pretty......it can get busy now, but most of our visits we have just walked in and got a table.....hoping this doesn`t change with all the newer folks visiting Universal and being used to making reservations months in advance. Most of us like not booking in advance and certainly don`t want it to change to the way of other parks. *
































*Service here has always been excellent, only once did we have a grump waiter and he was miserable, we now ask not to be put at his table. But, every other TM has been wonderful and very knowledgeable about the menu and restrictions.

There are so many lovely dishes on the menu and one of the newer ones is the sweet and sour ribs with goats cheese polenta.......not a fan of goats cheese or polenta, but this dish is gorgeous. Ribs are very tender and I do like the sauce the chef has come up with here.*












*I think this dish was Mr Keishashadow choice when we met them for a meal a couple of years ago........a very good chicken caesar salad. *












*Theme park burgers are often maligned, but the burgers here impressed me, something that doesn`t happen very often. They are full of flavour and importantly they are well cooked to your specification. *












*I`ve had the wings many times, and these were keishashadow`s wings last time we ate here with them....I do enjoy them if I don`t feel like a full meal now and again.*












*Mythos is very well known for it`s Pad Thai, but CG do an almost identical dish but it is so much better for some reason. I`m sure they use identical ingredients and the menu says the same, but there`s something just ever so slightly different with this one. 

I did ask for the spicy sauce on the side......sadly, it`s not spicy, but it added something I have to admit. *























*Tom did enjoy the Pork BanhMi sandwich, although I found one piece of pork very chewy, but it was tasty and I`d order this myself. *












*Upstairs is much lighter, brighter and feels so much more spacious than downstairs and I`d always ask for up here I think if we eat here for lunch.

We were meeting worfiedoodles and her husband in December so we did actually make a reservation as we wanted to be sure of eating there and together, but hopefully we can just wing it in May and eat there without planning. *

































*Spicy pork lettuce wraps were delicious......light and very clean tasting and ideal for a meal that`s not too heavy. I think they`ve changed it now and it`s a lemon wrap which sounds good to me too. *












*Maria had ordered the butternut squash ravioli and I was glad to see she did enjoy it a lot, and portions are very good here too, you won`t go hungry!! *













*This was the pork sandwich but on a slightly different bread......it was like a focaccia style rather than the soft roll he had before, I think he preferred the original one as it was slightly softer. He didn`t leave much though........lol.....*













*And mr worfie had the southwest salad which did look lovely too. *












*There really has never been a bad meal from this place......standards are high and you can see the chef`s are very professional and have always come out to check how the food is which is nice to see they care.*

*The view from upstairs is very nice too, especially on such a gorgeous day as that day was......*




















​
*One of the dishes we do miss from the good old days was the classic French Dip Sandwich from here. It was exceptional and one of Tom`s favourite dishes year in year out......I do wish they`d bring it back as he would be delighted to see it on the menu again. *











*And a good old full size dessert that really was filling. 

This was one Kyle ordered every visit, again now removed from the menu which is a shame......*












And this.....we have no clue what it was......I think we asked for something different when talking to the chef back on 2007......but none of us can remember what it was.....we think there were mushrooms but what else is a mystery.......












*I`ve lost count of the amount of times we have eaten here since 2007 and it`s one of those places you just know you`re going to enjoy it and be well looked after while you`re there. 

Food is just very, very good and we look forward to going back in May ☺*


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## Cara

Since we have a trip coming up this fall, I am loving your food previews! Confisco Grille is definitely on my list. What do you think about Mythos? We loved it when we visited, but it has been years and years.


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## Mom2DDs

We'll be arriving on May 2nd as well celebrating our youngest daughter college graduation (our 5th time going). 

Loving your reviews!


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## Pumpkin1172

I know I told you earlier that was our most and only disappointing meal of our whole Florida trip.  I was surprised after reading many trip reports of people loving to eat there.  

I had the chicken sandwich and dh had the BLT.  It must have been an off day.  Even the fries were blah.  Service was super slow (even at 1:30 pm) with no refills on water or our sodas.  I will be hard pressed to go back there on our next trip, as there are other places I want to try.  If we get to all the ones on our list on the next trip, we may try it again.   

I am glad that many others have had a great experience there.  I'm super excited for you to go...and can't wait for your trip report with your food porn pictures


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## schumigirl

Cara said:


> Since we have a trip coming up this fall, I am loving your food previews! Confisco Grille is definitely on my list. What do you think about Mythos? We loved it when we visited, but it has been years and years.



I’m so excited for your upcoming trip!!

Confisco is so much better than Mythos for us…….but I will add our last 3 or 4 experiences of Mythos were not good.

We had a waiter tell us a dish that had been changed had not been changed, he told me I was wrong. I told him I’d been eating that dish yearly for a long time and it had indeed been changed. Bad attitude followed, from him I hasten to add. That and several poor meals and general discontent we haven’t been back for about 3 years, maybe 4.

I think we will give it a try again, but not this trip, when we have so many other places to choose from.

But……in saying that, many enjoy it, so it might be worth a try again…..maybe you can let me know it’s good again……..


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## schumigirl

Mom2DDs said:


> We'll be arriving on May 2nd as well celebrating our youngest daughter college graduation (our 5th time going).
> 
> Loving your reviews!



  along to Mom2DDs

Congratulations!! That sounds a fabulous trip to celebrate your daughters graduation…..it’s amazing that comes around so quickly, one minute they’re tiny people, next they’re graduating!! But, wonderful at the same time…..

Thank you, so glad you’re enjoying reading along with this one and hope to see you along the way too


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## schumigirl

Pumpkin1172 said:


> I know I told you earlier that was our most and only disappointing meal of our whole Florida trip.  I was surprised after reading many trip reports of people loving to eat there.
> 
> I had the chicken sandwich and dh had the BLT.  It must have been an off day.  Even the fries were blah.  Service was super slow (even at 1:30 pm) with no refills on water or our sodas.  I will be hard pressed to go back there on our next trip, as there are other places I want to try.  If we get to all the ones on our list on the next trip, we may try it again.
> 
> I am glad that many others have had a great experience there.  I'm super excited for you to go...and can't wait for your trip report with your food porn pictures



I think every place can have a bad day……but all I can say is we must have had around 30-40 meals in there and all have been wonderful. Might have been staff issues of course for you, but no excuse for blah food anywhere. 

It should be worth trying again but I know what you mean, it does make you reluctant when you have a bad meal. I know for us, everyone raves about Toothsome……it’s not for us at all, not a fan of the food, but many love it.

Oh yes……love some good food pictures along the way in TR’s!!! Glad you’re enjoying it pumpkin…….


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## Minnie17

schumigirl said:


> ridiculous price even for 23 nights,


I know what you mean I was fortunate enough to get a workplace discount


schumigirl said:


> One of the dishes we do miss from the good old days was the classic French Dip
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> I


I’m a sucker for a French dip!


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## erinch

In for the fun! We will be at Vistana June 4-18, then HRH 18-21. 1 year anniversary for Meredith and Ricky


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## Worfiedoodles

We had so much fun with you at Confisco! We’ve had lovely meals there and they seem to always have small updates to the menu — you never know what new treat might appear 

I love all the photos, and love to see the decorative items representing each area of the Park. It just feels like it ties everything together.


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## schumigirl

Minnie17 said:


> I know what you mean I was fortunate enough to get a workplace discount
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> I’m a sucker for a French dip!



Oh that is good to hear you could get a deal. I told one of our friends at the hotel what we paid for our car rental.....after he stopped laughing I told him I wasn`t kidding, he did think I was joking. Scary prices for everyone it seems, but we need a car......I`m glad to hear you got a discount though. 

It`s one of Tom`s favourite`s sandwiches......we`re looking at going to Cooper`s Hawk Winery for dinner this time, but he spotted there`s a French Dip sandwich on the menu.....so we might need to go at lunch too for him to have that too


----------



## schumigirl

erinch said:


> In for the fun! We will be at Vistana June 4-18, then HRH 18-21. 1 year anniversary for Meredith and Ricky



 along erinch........I always want to spell your name by swapping positions of the r and the n for some reason!!

Glad to see you and happy you have your trip organised, and an anniversary trip too.....how lovely!! A year does fly past doesn`t it! 

Hope you enjoy this one too and happy you`re here......


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> We had so much fun with you at Confisco! We’ve had lovely meals there and they seem to always have small updates to the menu — you never know what new treat might appear
> 
> I love all the photos, and love to see the decorative items representing each area of the Park. It just feels like it ties everything together.



I do like menu`s that add new things often, but sometimes we do miss old favourites.......I still wish they`d bring back that spicy shrimp dish from Jake`s....Tom says I need to let that one go as it`s never coming back......lol.......he`s right. I do think the sweet and sour ribs were one of the best additions they`ve offered in recent years, we both love that dish.

Yes, the little nods are very clever, that whole Port of Entry is so intricately weaved together in so many ways, it`s hard to find all the little details on each visit. Love it though........


----------



## Cara

On the list so far...
Jake's ✔
Strongwater ✔
Confisco Grille✔

Why on earth did they get rid of Tchoup Chop? It was lovely!


----------



## Minnie17

schumigirl said:


> Oh that is good to hear you could get a deal. I told one of our friends at the hotel what we paid for our car rental.....after he stopped laughing I told him I wasn`t kidding, he did think I was joking. Scary prices for everyone it seems, but we need a car......I`m glad to hear you got a discount though.
> 
> It`s one of Tom`s favourite`s sandwiches......we`re looking at going to Cooper`s Hawk Winery for dinner this time, but he spotted there`s a French Dip sandwich on the menu.....so we might need to go at lunch too for him to have that too


Oh my took a brief look at Copper’s Hawk may have to put them on our list


----------



## erinch

My username!
I joined the dis in 2001!
so I made my username what I always use as my abbreviation, which is Erin C-H, for Erin Cox- Holmes.

as the dis grew, all the names became more fanciful, RedHairDreamin, or MoonlightMuser, or, ahem, schumigirl. But I am stuck with plain ol’ erinc-h.  Without the hyphen.



schumigirl said:


> along erinch........I always want to spell your name by swapping positions of the r and the n for some reason!!
> 
> Glad to see you and happy you have your trip organised, and an anniversary trip too.....how lovely!! A year does fly past doesn`t it!
> 
> Hope you enjoy this one too and happy you`re here......


----------



## schumigirl

Cara said:


> On the list so far...
> Jake's ✔
> Strongwater ✔
> Confisco Grille✔
> 
> Why on earth did they get rid of Tchoup Chop? It was lovely!



lol......well, it`s a good list for sure!! 

We did like Tchoup Chop......it was a lovely place, service was excellent and the food was top notch. Our first visit way back wasn`t so good, but after that we always enjoyed it immensely. I think it was an Emeril decision to close it. But, yes, we miss it.


----------



## schumigirl

Minnie17 said:


> Oh my took a brief look at Copper’s Hawk may have to put them on our list



It looks so good! 

We did mean to go on our last trip, but along with so many others we just didn`t make it there, but it`s on the definite list for May. I think I already know what I`m having......lol.......


----------



## schumigirl

erinch said:


> My username!
> I joined the dis in 2001!
> so I made my username what I always use as my abbreviation, which is Erin C-H, for Erin Cox- Holmes.
> 
> as the dis grew, all the names became more fanciful, RedHairDreamin, or MoonlightMuser, or, ahem, schumgirl. But I am stuck with plain ol’ erinc-h.  Without the hyphen.



lol....I see, that makes sense. 

I really liked the name MotherFletcher, but someone had it already.......and my other choice was also gone......might be a bit old to have girl in my username now, but until the Dis allows name changes I have to keep it. I do like the schumi part though as he is still my favourite driver of all time. 

There are some fabulous usernames on here though........


----------



## Cara

I never had a clue your use name had something to do with a race car driver! LOL. My name is Carol, and I have no clue why I ever used Cara. I must have tried versions of my name to find one that wasn't taken.


----------



## schumigirl

Cara said:


> I never had a clue your use name had something to do with a race car driver! LOL. My name is Carol, and I have no clue why I ever used Cara. I must have tried versions of my name to find one that wasn't taken.



You`re a Carol too!! Legally, I`m a Carol....but, always have used the e at the end as it was supposed to be on my birth certificate......dad blamed too many celebratory drinks as the reason he made the error......lol.....

Yes, Michael Schumacher was a driver we saw race in Germany several times before he went into Formula 1 and became ultra famous, and he was simply the best! He was known as schumi among other nicknames, but I liked that one best. 

His son is now in F1. 

But, have to admit some usernames are quite unique and clever at times and it`s usually interesting to see where they came from. I did think your name was Cara though.......


----------



## schumigirl

​


----------



## AuroraluvsPhillip

schumigirl said:


> But, have to admit some usernames are quite unique and clever at times and it`s usually interesting to see where they came from.



Ha, mine is so-o-o long and pretty boring. A throwback to my childhood in the 60's and my favorite Disney record album. I don't know if anyone remembers the Disney albums that were a combination record and story book. I had a Sleeping Beauty one narrated and sung by Mary Martin (who also played Peter Pan in the TV adaptation around the same time). I had that thing memorized at an early age and used to do impromptu performances for my family. I still love hearing "Once Upon a Dream" but I now prefer the more "can do" attitude of the modern Disney princesses. 

I just realized I have passed the 2 month mark until my trip and should probably start a PTR. I think I'll wait until after the update is finished.


----------



## schumigirl

AuroraluvsPhillip said:


> Ha, mine is so-o-o long and pretty boring. A throwback to my childhood in the 60's and my favorite Disney record album. I don't know if anyone remembers the Disney albums that were a combination record and story book. I had a Sleeping Beauty one narrated and sung by Mary Martin (who also played Peter Pan in the TV adaptation around the same time). I had that thing memorized at an early age and used to do impromptu performances for my family. I still love hearing "Once Upon a Dream" but I now prefer the more "can do" attitude of the modern Disney princesses.
> 
> I just realized I have passed the 2 month mark until my trip and should probably start a PTR. I think I'll wait until after the update is finished.



I didn`t know that`s what your username was from, I do love the name Aurora too.......I do know who Mary Martin is though. It`s a lovely memory to have though of singing to your family.

I couldn`t even think when I last saw a Disney movie......and I`ve never seen Peter Pan in my whole life. I did love reading Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty as a childrens book when I was young and I did watch Snow White and so on, but in the last 25 years I don`t think I`ve seen a single Disney made animated movie.


----------



## schumigirl

*SAL`S MARKET DELI*​


*We like pizza! *
*
But, we like good pizza and in Universal Orlando, for us, the best pizza without a shadow of a doubt is from Sal`s in the PBH. 
*
*It is very casual and a small counter service option tucked away under some very pretty balconies and almost hidden by the shade of the awnings, but don`t be fooled by the simple look of this little Pizzeria....it is outstanding. *











*PBH is very pretty, it can be a little like a ghost town during the day, we have gone many times and looking across the piazza, we haven`t seen a soul. But, at night it does come to life with more people enjoying the evening doing their own thing. Some enjoy the Opera singers.......being honest, we avoid it like the plague as I ahd to suffer opera visits when I went to school, I developed a very simple dislike of it, so while many enjoy it, it`s not for us. *

*It is very lovely all lit up at night and impressive when you arrive on the boats, when you turn that last corner, it is beautiful. Not my favourite hotel at all, it lacks something for us, but we do visit most trips, for Sal`s and their pizza options. *












*Light and airy, it does try to emulate that local pizzeria feel, and for the most part it works.......the decor is a little in need of an update now, but it`s nice enough. Also you can pick up breakfast items here as well as the usual chips and snack items, but the star is the pizza. *




























​



*We have tried the sandwiches on one occasion and tried the salads, and they are very nice, they also have pre packaged fruit plates and some simple desserts too.
*










*My favourite fridges.   *




















































*I am quite boring with pizzas.....and it would horrify my Italian relatives if they ever knew I ordered a pizza with a bbq sauce base and anything other than tomato or basil on top........but I love a BBQ chicken pizza, it`s my favourite of all pizzas.....and I always add jalapeno`s as I like it spicy, also pineapple, just because I love pineapple! *

*The 10" is big enough for us to share, so poor Tom never gets his old classic, just pepperoni with tomato base........oops. But, he`s happy enough and always enjoys it. *












*Kyle is easy to please with pizza.......plain cheese, nothing else....no toppings or anything fancy.....except, he also loves a BBQ sauce base, and this is one of his favourite pizza`s and one of the places he looks forward to visiting when he does come with us. *










*Same pizza as before, but it just looks so good I had to post!!! *











*For lunch one day, we decided to try the sanwiches.....and they were very nice, although the chips they serve them with were without doubt the worst chips we have ever tasted.......would never order them again. *

*I had the Toscana, which had turkey, fontina cheese and mustard mayo, which I think they forgot, but it was very fresh and tasty. *












*Tom had the sausage and peppers, which included spicy Italian link, roasted pepper and onions and he loved this sandwich, Tom is more of a sandwich fan than I am. He really enjoyed the bread and found it to be tasty, whereas I just thought the breads were just ok. 
*











​*So, this is somewhere that is absolutely worth a visit or two when at Universal. It`s a short 15 minute walk or a boat ride away from the parks.....day or night, you`ll love the food from here. 
*


----------



## lebeau

It's been such a long time!  Our last Universal trip was in 2019.  We had intended to take a year off even before Covid hit.  But I ended up pulling away from Orlando theme park discussions/community during 2020 because of some of the unpleasant discourse going on at the time.  Seemed like people just wanted to fight.  It was easier to stay away from sites like this one until we were serious about traveling again.

I am happy to say we have a trip planned for December of this year!  (Fingers crossed we don't get plunged into another wave of disease and madness before then).  I am allowing myself to get excited again.  And the first thing I wanted to do was come here and see what you were up to.  Your reports are always so fun and informative.  I'm along for the ride on this one and I am going to go back and see if I have missed any reports from you in the two years I was away.


----------



## schumigirl

lebeau said:


> It's been such a long time!  Our last Universal trip was in 2019.  We had intended to take a year off even before Covid hit.  But I ended up pulling away from Orlando theme park discussions/community during 2020 because of some of the unpleasant discourse going on at the time.  Seemed like people just wanted to fight.  It was easier to stay away from sites like this one until we were serious about traveling again.
> 
> I am happy to say we have a trip planned for December of this year!  (Fingers crossed we don't get plunged into another wave of disease and madness before then).  I am allowing myself to get excited again.  And the first thing I wanted to do was come here and see what you were up to.  Your reports are always so fun and informative.  I'm along for the ride on this one and I am going to go back and see if I have missed any reports from you in the two years I was away.



 back lebeau....

It is good to see you again, yes, it has been a while.....

I have to agree there was some serious nastiness around, best ignored of course. But, can`t say I blame you for avoiding boards, there was a lot going on for sure with one thing and another. I actually used the "ignore" button for the first time during the last couple of years.....never felt the need before.

Congratulations on the trip planned!! It is exciting to be travelling again and no.....there will be no more travel bans or craziness to stop us travelling again......I`ve decided.....and I always get what I want apparently.......lol......

We only travelled to the States for the first time in the crazy 2 years in November and believe me that was so exciting!!  

And thank you, that`s kind of you to say.....I do hope you enjoy this one, and it is good to see you back.......


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Sal's is a hidden treasure! We discovered their antipasti and have become big fans of that as well. The pizza is very good, definitely the best we've tasted at UOR, although I will admit I've never tried the pizza place on CityWalk. Your favorite pizza would not appeal to me, but how wonderful you can get it in multiple locations on vacation! One other nice Sal's tidbit is they have a good selection of GF treats, if you have a need for that -- I think really better than in the Parks. We aren't GF but do notice as we have friends who are. I agree with about the best refrigerator cases


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Sal's is a hidden treasure! We discovered their antipasti and have become big fans of that as well. The pizza is very good, definitely the best we've tasted at UOR, although I will admit I've never tried the pizza place on CityWalk. Your favorite pizza would not appeal to me, but how wonderful you can get it in multiple locations on vacation! One other nice Sal's tidbit is they have a good selection of GF treats, if you have a need for that -- I think really better than in the Parks. We aren't GF but do notice as we have friends who are. I agree with about the best refrigerator cases



I don`t think my favourite pizza appeals to many folks being honest.......lol......yes, I think Sal`s is indeed a hidden treasure, folks know it`s there, but don`t know how good it can be!

Red Oven Pizza in Citywalk has never appealed to us so we`ve never tried it, but many seem to enjoy it. 

That`s good to know there are some good GF options around in there, yes, it`s not something I notice but again if someone asks, it`s a handy tidbit to know. 

I will look to try the antipasti next time we go too.......


----------



## schumigirl

*MILLER`S ALE HOUSE*​


*One offsite place that gets mixed thoughts from some, is the Ale House on Kirkman. *
*
Yes, it`s a chain, but it`s not a bad chain as far as they go.....I`m somtimes bemused when folks say they never eat in a chain restaurant, we eat in Eddie V`s, The Palm, Ocean Prime and Oceannaire which are all chains, but very, very good. So, we`re not averse to eating somewhere that some may frown on. 
*
*It`s so close to RP/Sapphire that it`s tempting to go more often than we do, but it`s one of those places we enjoy every time we visit. The menu is large and absolutely anyone can find something to eat here, unless they`re excessively fussy of course, but food has never disappointed us and it is a fun, very casual place with a relaxed atmosphere. *
























*We do like to sit at the bar and eat most of the time, but it can get busy so we`re happy with a booth if that`s the case. And it is one of those places where everyone chats to you if you`re sat beside them, one of the advantages of sitting at a bar I guess.....any bar is usually like that, but this one can get loud if you`re not fond of noise. *

*The fried potstickers are our go to appetiser here......I think it`s the only app we have ever ordered as the others don`t appeal so much. 

We don`t like them steamed and although it says fried, they aren`t the slightest bit greasy and they are so tasty, we always get them to share as the food here comes in quite large portions. *















*Fried jalapenos were nice as a side, but as is always the way, they weren`t as spicy as they were supposed to be and how you can dull down jalapenos was a surprise to me, but I would get them again.*















*The steaks here are as cheap as chips....they really are, but....they are really well cooked. No, they`re not Ocean Prime or Eddie V`s quality, but for the price they are a real bargain. I always ask for medium rare and that`s exactly what I have always received here. The spicy boom boom shrimp side for some reason is off the menu now, but it was a quite nice addition to the steak. *















*And can I just add, the coleslaw is beautiful too. I know I can ramble on about how good coleslaw is in so many places, but in the UK coleslaw is always filled with onions and usually not as good as what we get in America, even in the best places here, so yes, it is a real treat for me to get lovely coleslaw in so many places. *














*Mahi Sandwich for Tom. He actually ordered something else, completely different......but she misheard and he got that.......he loved it!! Fish was lightly cooked and so tasty. 
*













*I had read about the zinger salad and so many folks had told me I had to order it.....well, it was just ok. I`m not a huge fan of chicken tenders as a meal when I`m out, and this was really all it was when I got it. Wouldn`t order it again, but I tried it. I did ask for the chicken to be coated in the second hottest of the sauces they offer and that was spicy! *













*Cobb salad was excellent for Tom, although he asked for it without blue cheese which we both hate.....they did take it back and bring him another but there are a good mix of flavours in this salad and it was filling. One of Tom`s favourite dishes here. *














*Although I don`t really like a lot of cheese, the Big Red sandwich was delicious...the chicken is thick and tasty and the addition of choosing your sauce it`s coated in was ideal for me....yes, I chose the second spiciest sauce they have to have it coated in and yes.....it was spicy......very, very spicy!!! I loved it......and it is big enough to share......huge sandwich! I do pull off most of the cheese to the bemusement of whoever is looking after us. *














*On certain nights they do specials, and one of them is another of Tom`s favourite chices anywhere including at home.....prime rib. *

*Hard to cook it badly of course, but for the bargain price it`s served for here, it is amazing. Usually he`d opt for a slightly rarer piece, but it was still so tasty and there was barely a piece of food left on the plate after he had finished. And it does sell out at times, so it`s worth going early. *














*Another steak with a side pot of the hottest sauce on their list......yep, even I didn`t eat too much of it, but their hot sauces are hot at least!! *















*Pork Osso buco was something that didn`t appeal to me at all.......a little like a lamb shank which I love, but with pork....obviously. Tom again, loved it and has spoke of ordering it next time we go....if he can see past the Cobb salad, ribs or fish sandwich!!! lol....he`s so funny. *















*I know ribs are usually good anywhere in America, but for us coming from the UK, even bad ribs can be better than what some restaurants serve up.....hence we never really order them over here. *

*This full rack was so filling, but so tasty and the sauce was a perfect balance of sweet and spicy, well mild spice. We both ordered this dish last time and we struggled to finish them, very filling dish and one of their specials on a certain night. *














*I think the Shrimp Alfredo is also off the menu now too......my goodness, this dish was so full of shrimp it was ridiculous!! Not usually a complaint but it was chock full of shrimp.......not too garlic flavoured which we liked and although I don`t usually like pasta dishes, this was ok, however the sauce was lovely. *















*It`s offsite, but so close to the hotels, it`s in an ideal position for stopping in for lunch or dinner. *

*We love the casual feel of the place and we keep saying we`ll go for drinks and stay really late.....although really late for us now is around 10.30pm!!! *








​


*It`s so true though!!!*
*
So, that`s the old recap of the Ale House on Kirkman.......I should say we have tried another Ale House a few years back, but we weren`t as keen on it....I think there were too many tourists (I know) but this place has a very local feel about it, yes, there are still tourists, but not as many......we like it anyway. 


*
*More to come........*
​


----------



## SCDizFan

Yay!  Another trip report!

Took your recommendation and booked Virgin Premium for our trip to Greece this summer!  Miami to Heathrow, two nights in London, RyanAir Stansted to Santorini, two nights there, ferry to Mykonos, five nights there, WizzAir back to Gatwick, one last night in London, and Virgin Premium back to Miami.

It's a lot of travel but we have a black tie wedding in Mykonos.  The reception doesn't even start until 9PM.

We are planning Disney/Universal when they finish the Brightline Train in early 2023.  We can almost walk to the Fort Lauderdale Station.

Thanks for taking the time to write such fantastic trip reports!


----------



## Worfiedoodles

The food all looks like such a great value! The exterior seems quite plain but inside is clearly warm and welcoming.

The one thing I will say is I wouldn’t assume BBQ anywhere in the U.S. is good. I’ve found it’s just not quite as delicious in New England…

Everything really does look delicious  You always find the nice places


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> A Ceviche that again is not on the menu anymore.


Was my fav there, sad to see it go


schumigirl said:


> I think it might be Keishashadow that was the first to mention how good they were, maybe one day we`ll get round to it, but it is one of their more popular items on the menu.


Yep, their pretzels are the best we’ve tried in the area


Worfiedoodles said:


> I’m wondering if it might be a bit buggy with all the lush vegetation nearby? In any case I do plan to wander that walkway as I’ve never managed it.


everywhere sprays to keep the critters at bay there


schumigirl said:


> We did say we`d like to go back to Boathouse


My fav DS venue


schumigirl said:


> but for the bargain price it`s served for here, it is amazing.


If it’s Thursday night, it’s miller’s for prime rib 


schumigirl said:


> Pork Osso buco was something that didn`t appeal to me at all.


They take great pride in their prep of that dish.  worst I’ve had, perhaps it’s a regional preparation Thing?


schumigirl said:


> So, that`s the old recap of the Ale House on Kirkman


Nice review.  admittedly, not a fan of that location in general, Seemed to be getting a bit sketchy in that specific area our Last few visits in the evenings.

Partial to the one in LBV.  fun to look around & mentally guess where people work by their uniforms.   Kissimmee is good, usually mostly older retirees that live east of there.

Carole - you are really doing these venues a solid via this thread. Talk about word of mouth.   now, I’m compelled to go & grab a snack after looking at all the food porn!


----------



## schumigirl

SCDizFan said:


> Yay!  Another trip report!
> 
> Took your recommendation and booked Virgin Premium for our trip to Greece this summer!  Miami to Heathrow, two nights in London, RyanAir Stansted to Santorini, two nights there, ferry to Mykonos, five nights there, WizzAir back to Gatwick, one last night in London, and Virgin Premium back to Miami.
> 
> It's a lot of travel but we have a black tie wedding in Mykonos.  The reception doesn't even start until 9PM.
> 
> We are planning Disney/Universal when they finish the Brightline Train in early 2023.  We can almost walk to the Fort Lauderdale Station.
> 
> Thanks for taking the time to write such fantastic trip reports!



 back SCDizfan.......good to see you again!!

Oh wow that is quite a trip isn`t it.......yes European receptions are a little different for sure.....but sounds like a wonderful occasion and you`ll see some lovely places along the way. 

Glad you have VA booked and Premium too. We have flown BA Premium, but we weren`t impressed to be honest, but VA have always been decent and we do enjoy flying with them. I`ve heard of WizzAir, but never flown them. 

I`m kinda envious of how close you are to get the train soon.....that will be a game changer for many folks, that train will do very well when it starts up. 

And thank you......I appreciate that.....hope you enjoy joining in with this one too and hope all is well


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> The food all looks like such a great value! The exterior seems quite plain but inside is clearly warm and welcoming.
> 
> The one thing I will say is I wouldn’t assume BBQ anywhere in the U.S. is good. I’ve found it’s just not quite as delicious in New England…
> 
> Everything really does look delicious  You always find the nice places



Thanks Maria......yes, they do look very plain, but always felt very welcome there and enjoyed every meal we`ve had there. And cocktails are very nice too!!! 

Oh I can imagine.....I`m being too generic I think and spoke of places we`ve eaten, even if they were poor, they`d still be better than most UK offerings.....they try is all I can say! 

Finding new places is something we do enjoy, but there are the old favourites we keep going back to every visit.


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Was my fav there, sad to see it go
> 
> Yep, their pretzels are the best we’ve tried in the area
> 
> everywhere sprays to keep the critters at bay there
> 
> My fav DS venue
> 
> If it’s Thursday night, it’s miller’s for prime rib
> 
> They take great pride in their prep of that dish.  worst I’ve had, perhaps it’s a regional preparation Thing?
> 
> Nice review.  admittedly, not a fan of that location in general, Seemed to be getting a bit sketchy in that specific area our Last few visits in the evenings.
> 
> Partial to the one in LBV.  fun to look around & mentally guess where people work by their uniforms.   Kissimmee is good, usually mostly older retirees that live east of there.
> 
> Carole - you are really doing these venues a solid via this thread. Talk about word of mouth.   now, I’m compelled to go & grab a snack after looking at all the food porn!



Yes, it was Thursday nights!! 

Osso Buco is not something I`ve tried, I thought it looked overcooked to me, but the meat was tender I have to admit and the bone just fell away. I`ve never made it so couldn`t compare, never tried it elsewhere in the States either. 

Yes, you did have some sketchy experiences there. I will say, further along there have been a rise in homeless folks hanging around the Walgreens at night, disconcerting but they never seem to bother folks, thankfully. 

lol...it was the LBV one we went to that put us off going back there a few years back.....but, I think we just got unlucky on the night we went as so many give good reviews of it.......

Aww, thank you.......and yes, posting or reading posts with food pictures when hungry is not the best idea!!! I`m Carole.....and I`m a snackaholic........lol......


----------



## Deb1993

schumigirl said:


> *I think @Worfiedoodles will like this post.......*
> 
> 
> 
> *CONFISCO GRILLE*​
> 
> *One of the best theme park restaurants there is in both parks, is Confisco. *
> 
> *Many folks walk past it not realising what a gem of a place it really is. And some folks don`t even know it exists which amazes me. *
> 
> *And this is another place where it turns out, looking back.....we tend to order the same things over and over if the pictures are to believed........I always remember the first time we were thinking of going someone told me it was the worst place in the parks and not to consider it....which even in 2007 was hard to believe and I was so glad we ignored that advice.
> 
> And also one of the reasons we tend to tell folks to go to places and make up their own mind....just because someone else doesn`t like somewhere doesn`t mean you won`t like it......although I do have several folks who if they tell me we won`t like somewhere I tend to believe them as they know our likes and dislikes.
> 
> I always thought it had a very impressive facade and it so well themed inside too. It is table service, but they also have the Backwater Bar where you can sit and order just a drink or food too and they have a few tables where you can order from the bar too. It`s a fabulous place and quite underrated in many ways. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *The entrance has some cool displays and you`ll find a nod to most areas of the park in little ways here......*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> 
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> *Most of our visits have been in the downstairs part of the restaurant until recently when they opened upstairs initially for AP events, but now you can just eat there anytime whether you have a pass or not.
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> Downstairs is quite detailed and so pretty......it can get busy now, but most of our visits we have just walked in and got a table.....hoping this doesn`t change with all the newer folks visiting Universal and being used to making reservations months in advance. Most of us like not booking in advance and certainly don`t want it to change to the way of other parks. *
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> There are so many lovely dishes on the menu and one of the newer ones is the sweet and sour ribs with goats cheese polenta.......not a fan of goats cheese or polenta, but this dish is gorgeous. Ribs are very tender and I do like the sauce the chef has come up with here.*
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> *Theme park burgers are often maligned, but the burgers here impressed me, something that doesn`t happen very often. They are full of flavour and importantly they are well cooked to your specification. *
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> *Mythos is very well known for it`s Pad Thai, but CG do an almost identical dish but it is so much better for some reason. I`m sure they use identical ingredients and the menu says the same, but there`s something just ever so slightly different with this one.
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> *Upstairs is much lighter, brighter and feels so much more spacious than downstairs and I`d always ask for up here I think if we eat here for lunch.
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> We were meeting worfiedoodles and her husband in December so we did actually make a reservation as we wanted to be sure of eating there and together, but hopefully we can just wing it in May and eat there without planning. *
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> *Spicy pork lettuce wraps were delicious......light and very clean tasting and ideal for a meal that`s not too heavy. I think they`ve changed it now and it`s a lemon wrap which sounds good to me too. *
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> *Maria had ordered the butternut squash ravioli and I was glad to see she did enjoy it a lot, and portions are very good here too, you won`t go hungry!! *
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> *This was the pork sandwich but on a slightly different bread......it was like a focaccia style rather than the soft roll he had before, I think he preferred the original one as it was slightly softer. He didn`t leave much though........lol.....*
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> *There really has never been a bad meal from this place......standards are high and you can see the chef`s are very professional and have always come out to check how the food is which is nice to see they care.*
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> *One of the dishes we do miss from the good old days was the classic French Dip Sandwich from here. It was exceptional and one of Tom`s favourite dishes year in year out......I do wish they`d bring it back as he would be delighted to see it on the menu again. *
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> Food is just very, very good and we look forward to going back in May ☺*


We love Confisco!  Starting going there based on your wonderful reviews and beautiful photos.  Never had a bad meal.


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## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> We love Confisco!  Starting going there based on your wonderful reviews and beautiful photos.  Never had a bad meal.



That is so good to hear! 

I noticed they don`t offer a burger anymore which surprised me as it was a very good burger....hope they bring it back, but yes, we`ve always had fabulous food and service there.


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## schumigirl

*VIVO ITALIAN KITCHEN*​


*I have to admit, I am not a fan of Italian food....well, except pizza, but that`s allowed apparently......*
*
Going to restaurants, Italian is usually the last choice for me....I rarely eat pasta dishes, except lasagne on the odd occasion, but this was a place that Tom wanted to go to since it opened. 
*
*I was always reluctant as my experiences of Italian places in America hasn`t been the best. Olive Garden I hated as everything tasted so artificial and Bice, Mamma Della`s were also a big disappointment, but I have to say I really like it here and was pleasantly surprised how much I liked it. *












​*You can sit at the bar or the usual tables of course, and it is seemingly a very busy place as it`s always been full every time we`ve been in. *

*We do prefer to sit at the bar in here, it`s a nice area and the bar staff are very good here too. Menu is the same, it just feels a little more personal somehow when you spend time engaging with the bar staff and usually you have folks around you who always make conversations which we like, everyone has a story. *






















​*There is another seating area at the back of the restaurant where you can watch the chefs cook the food as you eat. I have to say the aromas around that are are very tempting and it`s a popular choice. *












​*On our first visit Tom went for clams with linguine which he loved although maybe a little too much pasta for the amount of clams. He said the spice was just right although could be a little spicier. *












​*I didn`t want to order pizza as it would be too easy a choice, so they have one of my favourite dishes on the menu, chicken piccata........and it was delicious I have to say. Chicken was tender and the lemon had just the right amount of piquancy for me......but, I didn`t realise I could have had their butter roasted potatoes instead of pasta with it. It wasn`t till they took the plate away and noticed I hadn`t touched the pasta, he said next time ask for the potatoes.....doh!!! *














​*The meatballs as an entree was huge......sorry the picture is a little blurry, I think this is one of the dishes Tom couldn`t even half finish......it was a large portion. He enjoyed it, I felt the meatballs were underseasoned for me. *













​*And yes, next time I did get the potatoes.....they were delicious, and the chicken was again beautifully cooked and seasoned. *











​*And again.........*











​*The giant pork chop with the bone in is off the menu now, which is a shame as it was gorgeous......I wished I had ordered it!! *

*Pork is something that`s so easily overcooked, but they got this just right, it wasn`t the least bit dry. And the lady sitting next to us took one look at it and immediately ordered one each for her and her husband.......yep, it was a good dish. *













​*Forgot to post the bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.....it is nice and just the nice amount. *












​*We did go on one night not planning to eat much at all......maybe share an appetiser.....nice idea........until we demolished the first one in record time! *

*The mussel appetiser is not my favourite with the tomato sauce, we both prefer white wine and garlic, but they were still nice....but not in the least bit filling......so we opted for a second appetiser.....*












​*So, we added the charcuterie board which apart from the blue cheese was delicious and we would order this again. *











​
*I think next time we might like to try their cocktails, we usually opt for wine as they do have quite a nice wine list of both red and whites. But, maybe a cocktail or two would work for us for a change.....*

*This is a definite for May. *
​


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## lebeau

schumigirl said:


> *VIVO ITALIAN KITCHEN*​
> 
> 
> *I have to admit, I am not a fan of Italian food....well, except pizza, but that`s allowed apparently......*
> 
> *Going to restaurants, Italian is usually the last choice for me....I rarely eat pasta dishes, except lasagne on the odd occasion, but this was a place that Tom wanted to go to since it opened. *
> 
> *I was always reluctant as my experiences of Italian places in America hasn`t been the best. Olive Garden I hated as everything tasted so artificial and Bice, Mamma Della`s were also a big disappointment, but I have to say I really like it here and was pleasantly surprised how much I liked it. *
> 
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> ​*You can sit at the bar or the usual tables of course, and it is seemingly a very busy place as it`s always been full every time we`ve been in.
> 
> We do prefer to sit at the bar in here, it`s a nice area and the bar staff are very good here too. Menu is the same, it just feels a little more personal somehow when you spend time engaging with the bar staff and usually you have folks around you who always make conversations which we like, everyone has a story. *
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> ​*There is another seating area at the back of the restaurant where you can watch the chefs cook the food as you eat. I have to say the aromas around that are are very tempting and it`s a popular choice. *
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> ​*On our first visit Tom went for clams with linguine which he loved although maybe a little too much pasta for the amount of clams. He said the spice was just right although could be a little spicier. *
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> ​*I didn`t want to order pizza as it would be too easy a choice, so they have one of my favourite dishes on the menu, chicken piccata........and it was delicious I have to say. Chicken was tender and the lemon had just the right amount of piquancy for me......but, I didn`t realise I could have had their butter roasted potatoes instead of pasta with it. It wasn`t till they took the plate away and noticed I hadn`t touched the pasta, he said next time ask for the potatoes.....doh!!! *
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> ​*The meatballs as an entree was huge......sorry the picture is a little blurry, I think this is one of the dishes Tom couldn`t even half finish......it was a large portion. He enjoyed it, I felt the meatballs were underseasoned for me. *
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> ​*The giant pork chop with the bone in is off the menu now, which is a shame as it was gorgeous......I wished I had ordered it!!
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> Pork is something that`s so easily overcooked, but they got this just right, it wasn`t the least bit dry. And the lady sitting next to us took one look at it and immediately ordered one each for her and her husband.......yep, it was a good dish. *
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> ​*We did go on one night not planning to eat much at all......maybe share an appetiser.....nice idea........until we demolished the first one in record time!
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> The mussel appetiser is not my favourite with the tomato sauce, we both prefer white wine and garlic, but they were still nice....but not in the least bit filling......so we opted for a second appetiser.....*
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> 
> This is a definite for May. *
> ​


We have made plans to eat at Vivo a couple of times.  The problem is it's right next to Cowfish.  Every time we have ever walked up to Vivo, the girls veer into Cowfish instead.  It is tentatively in the plans for this year.  I have heard good things.  But who knows if we'll actually make it through the door.


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## schumigirl

lebeau said:


> We have made plans to eat at Vivo a couple of times.  The problem is it's right next to Cowfish.  Every time we have ever walked up to Vivo, the girls veer into Cowfish instead.  It is tentatively in the plans for this year.  I have heard good things.  But who knows if we'll actually make it through the door.



lol....that`s me too, I much prefer Cowfish, well for the burgers, not the sushi. 

Vivo isn`t for everyone I imagine, it`s like anywhere, you either like it or you don`t, but it`s a nice place and food hasn`t disappointed so far.


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## Robo56

Finally caught up. I’am here for the great pre-trip and trip report.

Great photos of Sapphire Falls. Beautiful Resort and lovely staff there.

Great photos and information on the restaurants. It’s so nice that there are so many choices at Universal to choose from.

Grandchildren and I have visited a lot of the restaurants at the parks, CityWalk and the Resorts and there are still places we have not tried. 

Agree on Toothesome. My sister, niece and I went for the first time a couple of months after it first opened.  The food, cocktails and service were very good. After about 2 years the food quality went down. I kept giving it another try with each trip and finally gave up on it last year. The quality of the food sadly has not improved. 

Thank you for always sharing your research and experience on new places to dine around Orlando. 

I have had some nice meals with family at Ocean Prime and Eddy V’s.

I will keep 4 Rivers on my bucket list of places to try. We do love our barbecue in the south. 

Your trip will be here before you know it. Hope the testing process required is seamless for you both.


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## schumigirl

Robo56 said:


> Finally caught up. I’am here for the great pre-trip and trip report.
> 
> Great photos of Sapphire Falls. Beautiful Resort and lovely staff there.
> 
> Great photos and information on the restaurants. It’s so nice that there are so many choices at Universal to choose from.
> 
> Grandchildren and I have visited a lot of the restaurants at the parks, CityWalk and the Resorts and there are still places we have not tried.
> 
> Agree on Toothesome. My sister, niece and I went for the first time a couple of months after it first opened.  The food, cocktails and service were very good. After about 2 years the food quality went down. I kept giving it another try with each trip and finally gave up on it last year. The quality of the food sadly has not improved.
> 
> Thank you for always sharing your research and experience on new places to dine around Orlando.
> 
> I have had some nice meals with family at Ocean Prime and Eddy V’s.
> 
> I will keep 4 Rivers on my bucket list of places to try. We do love our barbecue in the south.
> 
> Your trip will be here before you know it. Hope the testing process required is seamless for you both.



*WELCOME along Robbie.......*

Glad you`re all caught up and good to see you here again.......

There really are some lovely choices of restaurants around us in Orlando, we really don`t need to travel very far. Too many choices at times....lol......

It`s a shame about Toothsome, it should have been a classic place, but it`s not somewhere I`ll give a try again.  A bit like Bubba Gumps, it`s not for us at all. 

4Rivers is seriously good.......a local has suggested we try a place in St Cloud, we haven`t been there before, so might give it a whirl either this trip or next.........but the corn bread from 4Rivers, I think I`ll struggle to find better than that one! 

Hope you enjoy this ramble too  (((wavey icon)))


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## schumigirl

*Well this fine but cold Saturday morning shows us at 30 days till we fly.......(excited icon insert here) and we couldn`t be more excited.......especially for some heat as we have been so cold this past week. *
*
Winter hasn`t been too bad over here, we have had constant high winds for the whole of February it seemed, March really wasn`t too bad until the last 10 days where we did see snow/sleet/ice/thunder & lightning....and sometimes all at the one time and sometimes with the addition of brilliant sunshine which is weird, but incredibly cold which as most of you know I absolutely hate. 

So we are more than ready for some Orlando sunshine!! 
*
*This week we have been seeing more nightmare scenes at Manchester airport security lines......I think they`re having staffing issues but it looks horrendous. So we did purchase previously the Fast Trak option, I`m sure it won`t be a walk through, but hopefully being as early as we will be it won`t be as bad as later in the day......well, I`m an optimist!!

We also did get round to booking the rather lovely and updated airport lounge for when you are past security, providing we get through in time of course. *
*
The 1903 lounge is the one we used for our past trip, and it was very nice, but I think we were so darn nervous and our minds were distracted with all the worry of having the right paperwork, I`m not sure we were as relaxed as we should have been. 
*
*So, this time we plan to enjoy it a little bit more........*










*Not the hard stuff as it`s far too early for that for us, but a little glass of sparkly is a rather lovely way to start off our travel day. *

*But, for those that do enjoy a proper drink of anything, they certainly have their choice in the lounge. I do admit they did have some rather interesting flavours of gin available I haven`t tried yet, but.....just too early for me. *














*We did like this lounge as it has views over the airport which the old lounge rather surprisingly didn`t....it was very enclosed and had no natural light, so this one is rather lovely in the fact you can see daylight and it is very spacious and light. I think we expect it to be a little busier than last time we were there as travel is up massively, I think we were spoiled as to how quiet it was last time. *




































































*We enjoyed some toast, bacon and some pastries along with the essential cups of tea which should have been real tea, but they served bags which we don`t normally use, but as a one of, it was fine, I`ve tasted worse! *
*
So, we`re happy this is booked.....another thing crossed off the list.

We did think we`d start to print things off as we do like a back up of everything in our "party pack" in case technology fails us at some point. We also wanted to print off the documents that show we are fully vaccinated and boosted as demanded for travel now, yes you can have them on your phone, but airport staff all commented how they preferred folks having actual paper documents as we had done, so much easier for them. 

Usually a very easy task....for Tom. 
*
*He was talking to our car dealership on the phone when I fired up the printer......usually that`s the limit of my contributions to printing......but he said to me while on hold, can you start printing.......*










*Er, ok.......so I fired it up as he was chatting....they`re trying to convince us to change our car, but think we`ll keep it another year as we love it. We always change our cars every 3 years, but this one.......yep.....fancy it for another year then we`ll change it. Anyway, I ramble........I switched it on and pressed what I thought I should press.......and.......nothing. Nothing at all. *

*Neither of our computers recognised the printer so they couldn`t talk to each other.......I pressed a few things......as you do.......hit it on the side......as you do.....meanwhile my normally placid and incredibly patient husband was more and more looking like he was going to turn into the Incredible Hulk watching me try and fail to work this printer, then very politely told the guy he`d call him back......

Then the famous incredulous question to me......what did you do, why is it not working.........my usual "I dunno" wasn`t cutting it as it did look as if I was responsible. *





​



*I think this printer does hate us. It worked fine for Kyle previously, but there`s something it seems to recognise when it`s us........and darn it, it never works. Maybe I am a little suspicious here.*
*
Tom will not be defeated......I however at this point disappeared to do something simpler like try and work out the Analytical Continuation of the Factorial (yeah right....as if)

Actually I just hid in the kitchen and baked. But jeez, these things are wonderful when they work, but when they don`t.......!!!! 
*
*I never asked what happened, but we ended up going out and buying a new printer. He did laugh as he came away from trying to get it to work at least.....lol....

So, we haven`t used it yet, and I`m sure I won`t be allowed to touch it, which is fine by me.........but maybe tomorrow that`ll be a task for us, well, not me. *




​


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## wmoon

We are big fans of Sals, I’d agree the best option for pizza at universal. 
On our February trip I tried their chicken Caesar salad which was gorgeous. It was great to have that as a choice as I switched to a low carb diet after being diagnosed diabetic at the end of the year. It meant Ds and Dh could still go get their pizza without me complaining there wasn’t anything for me. 

Great to read your review of Sapphire falls, we had our first stay there in February and loved it. Still managed a few wines at Strong Water Tavern and we’ve loved their food in the past but unfortunately not really suitable for my new diet.


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## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> It`s a shame about Toothsome, it should have been a classic place, but it`s not somewhere I`ll give a try again. A bit like Bubba Gumps, it`s not for us at all.


for us toothsome’s slide has been more about the staff’s consistently brusque attitude.  talking pre-covid era & not the duo that used to mingle with their Schtick.  

Bubba gumps, have yet to try one ‘anywhere’ that is satisfactory.  Seems as tho always with somebody who needs to cross it off their bucket list.


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## schumigirl

wmoon said:


> We are big fans of Sals, I’d agree the best option for pizza at universal.
> On our February trip I tried their chicken Caesar salad which was gorgeous. It was great to have that as a choice as I switched to a low carb diet after being diagnosed diabetic at the end of the year. It meant Ds and Dh could still go get their pizza without me complaining there wasn’t anything for me.
> 
> Great to read your review of Sapphire falls, we had our first stay there in February and loved it. Still managed a few wines at Strong Water Tavern and we’ve loved their food in the past but unfortunately not really suitable for my new diet.



Sal`s is so good, haven`t tried the salad but might give one a go this time around. 

We just adore Sapphire Falls, and much as though we love RP, we do enjoy our full stay here on our May trip, very handy for Strong Water......


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## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> for us toothsome’s slide has been more about the staff’s consistently brusque attitude.  talking pre-covid era & not the duo that used to mingle with their Schtick.
> 
> Bubba gumps, have yet to try one ‘anywhere’ that is satisfactory.  Seems as tho always with somebody who needs to cross it off their bucket list.



That`s not good with the attitude for sure. I think we had decent staff, but it just doesn`t appeal at all, so we won`t be going back. We also bought some of their chocolates....we chose about 16 and they popped them in a rather lovely decorative box......they ended up in the trash. One of the chefs at Royal told us it`s whatever they put in the chocolate to stop it melting is not nice....that would explain it as Tom can eat anything usually, but nope.....yuk.

And for Bubba Gumps.....yes, well, we`ve tried it 3 times over the years and everytime food has been such a disappointment. Will never go back there again, although cocktails were nice, but we can get good cocktails anywhere. Certainly would never suggest anyone try it.


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## luvpoohandcompany

Sorry I haven’t been commenting much but I have been reading along and loving all your restaurant  reviews.
Sounds like you have a similar relationship with your printer as I do with mine. Hopefully Tom gets everything sorted now you’ve bought a new one. Really isn’t long to go now for you. I’ve been hearing crazy tales of long security lines at the airport here too and think they are struggling to get staff. Fingers crossed things improve. Do you think you will need to test again for coronavirus the day before departure? More than anything the idea that one of us could test positive and therefore not be able to fly puts me off planning a trip so I’m really hoping they drop this requirement soon


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## schumigirl

luvpoohandcompany said:


> Sorry I haven’t been commenting much but I have been reading along and loving all your restaurant  reviews.
> Sounds like you have a similar relationship with your printer as I do with mine. Hopefully Tom gets everything sorted now you’ve bought a new one. Really isn’t long to go now for you. I’ve been hearing crazy tales of long security lines at the airport here too and think they are struggling to get staff. Fingers crossed things improve. Do you think you will need to test again for coronavirus the day before departure? More than anything the idea that one of us could test positive and therefore not be able to fly puts me off planning a trip so I’m really hoping they do this requirement soon



Always glad to see you post luvpoohandcompany.......

Oh printers are the bane of our lives!!! This must be our 8th printer in just a few years, well maybe in about 5 years. 

I think the airport situation is dreadful....Manchester seems to be struggling, particularly T1....we fly from T2 so hoping with Fast Trak it`ll be slightly better. We fly after the Easter rush, so hoping it`s a situation they can sort soon. 

Two of our friends are flying into Belfast in several weeks and they`re hoping to have an easy time there with the airport. They`re visiting coastal areas, and Rathlin Island is on their list I think if it`s back open again. They are real outdoor people.....they like nothing better than being in the middle of nowhere and don`t mind bad weather which is why they love Scotland and Ireland so much I think......lol.......

As for pre flight testing....well, there`s a question. April 18th is the next update from Mr Biden......so we can only hope he follows the rest of the world like Australia and us and get rid of the need for testing before flying, other countries have admitted it does no good. but, whether he does or not remains to be seen. We won`t be booking anything until after the 18th just in case.....if we do still have to test we`ll book Randox at Manchester and still travel up as normal the day before and hope for the best.....will be a miserable journey home if it`s not a good result......lol......

I understand your reluctance though to book while this testing is still essential. It certainly takes away from the excitement and it is added stress for sure we don`t need.

Good to see you and hope you`re doing ok


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## luvpoohandcompany

schumigirl said:


> Two of our friends are flying into Belfast in several weeks and they`re hoping to have an easy time there with the airport. They`re visiting coastal areas, and Rathlin Island is on their list I think if it`s back open again. They are real outdoor people.....they like nothing better than being in the middle of nowhere and don`t mind bad weather which is why they love Scotland and Ireland so much I think......lol.......


Lol our weather is certainly similar and changeable that's for sure. It is lovely today though absolutely freezing but hey at least the sun is shining brightly even if it's not providing any heat


schumigirl said:


> .if we do still have to test we`ll book Randox at Manchester and still travel up as normal the day before and hope for the best.


Hopefully all will be well. I'll keep my fingers crossed 


schumigirl said:


> Good to see you and hope you`re doing ok


All good here thankfully. My eldest boy has recovered from his brush with covid without any lasting effects and for that I'm grateful. The rest of us have managed to stay negative which I'm also glad about though my husband did have it a few months ago.


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## schumigirl

luvpoohandcompany said:


> Lol our weather is certainly similar and changeable that's for sure. It is lovely today though absolutely freezing but hey at least the sun is shining brightly even if it's not providing any heat
> 
> Hopefully all will be well. I'll keep my fingers crossed
> 
> All good here thankfully. My eldest boy has recovered from his brush with covid without any lasting effects and for that I'm grateful. The rest of us have managed to stay negative which I'm also glad about though my husband did have it a few months ago.



That`s exactly the weather we`ve been having last few days.....brilliant sunshine but freezing cold. I need some heat......lol.......

Thank you.....and glad to hear your son has recovered nicely from covid, we have  some family members who are still suffering over a year later.


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## schumigirl




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## Deb1993

schumigirl said:


> *VIVO ITALIAN KITCHEN*​
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> *I have to admit, I am not a fan of Italian food....well, except pizza, but that`s allowed apparently......*
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> *Going to restaurants, Italian is usually the last choice for me....I rarely eat pasta dishes, except lasagne on the odd occasion, but this was a place that Tom wanted to go to since it opened. *
> 
> *I was always reluctant as my experiences of Italian places in America hasn`t been the best. Olive Garden I hated as everything tasted so artificial and Bice, Mamma Della`s were also a big disappointment, but I have to say I really like it here and was pleasantly surprised how much I liked it. *
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> ​


Yes!  We love Vivo.  Make it a point to eat there every time.  I always get the Piccata!!


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## DisGhost

Because of you, we tried Confisco Grille last trip (in February 2020.... SIGH) and I insisted on those sticky ribs. We also got a number of other dishes to try based on your trip reports and everything was delicious! It was our first time trying there. We have stayed at Royal Pacific 3x and Portofino Bay our last trip, and we are FINALLY going back in December right after Christmas and staying at RPR again! So I was super happy to see that you are back to writing trip reports again (I'm currently bingeing your Nov/Dec 21 trip report and feeling SO happy for you! And making notes since some of it will still be going on when we are there...)


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## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> Yes!  We love Vivo.  Make it a point to eat there every time.  I always get the Piccata!!




Another Vivo fan!

I find it hard to pass up on the Piccata every time…….might be a little boring of me, but yes, it is so lovely!


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## schumigirl

DisGhost said:


> Because of you, we tried Confisco Grille last trip (in February 2020.... SIGH) and I insisted on those sticky ribs. We also got a number of other dishes to try based on your trip reports and everything was delicious! It was our first time trying there. We have stayed at Royal Pacific 3x and Portofino Bay our last trip, and we are FINALLY going back in December right after Christmas and staying at RPR again! So I was super happy to see that you are back to writing trip reports again (I'm currently bingeing your Nov/Dec 21 trip report and feeling SO happy for you! And making notes since some of it will still be going on when we are there...)



 along DisGhost........another great name!!!

I am so glad to hear you enjoyed Confisco so much and other foods too.......phew.......lol.......food can be so personal and we can all enjoy something so many folks might hate, so always glad to hear good feedback!!

And you`re booked for this year!!!! Fabulous, sounds like you`ve been missing travelling to Universal too....it`s hard isn`t it when you just want to be travelling.

Glad to hear you`re at RPR again too, and being there at anytime with the Holiday offerings is so much fun.

Happy to see you here....don`t be a stranger and hope to see you post more and enjoy it too.......


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## DisGhost

schumigirl said:


> View attachment 660215 along DisGhost........another great name!!!
> 
> I am so glad to hear you enjoyed Confisco so much and other foods too.......phew.......lol.......food can be so personal and we can all enjoy something so many folks might hate, so always glad to hear good feedback!!
> 
> And you`re booked for this year!!!! Fabulous, sounds like you`ve been missing travelling to Universal too....it`s hard isn`t it when you just want to be travelling.
> 
> Glad to hear you`re at RPR again too, and being there at anytime with the Holiday offerings is so much fun.
> 
> Happy to see you here....don`t be a stranger and hope to see you post more and enjoy it too.......


I am "Ghost"+something everywhere I go, because I grew up in California but was so not tan that people called me "Casper" (I'm not THAT pale lol). When I signed up here, my usual nickname was taken (probably by past me who forgot her login!) so I became DisGhost.

Anyway, I also wanted to mention - I was able to point out the meowing cats in POE last trip thanks to you and my family was impressed.  So thank you!

And also a question - I desperately want to try Strong Water Tavern, the menu is right up our alley and I love rum. We have two kids who will be 10 and 13 for our trip, they aren't picky eaters or anything (eldest is more adventurous than me, in fact!) so I know the food will be fine, and they are super well behaved in restaurants as we have made a point of training them since they were very little (we love food, so this was non-negotiable, you WILL behave and you will NOT get a phone to play with so deal with it.) I see they do have a kids menu so I am assuming we are allowed to bring kids and they won't be entirely out of place there? Even if we eat a bit on the late side? Not sure of the rules since it is also a bar and I don't want to annoy anyone.


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## schumigirl

DisGhost said:


> I am "Ghost"+something everywhere I go, because I grew up in California but was so not tan that people called me "Casper" (I'm not THAT pale lol). When I signed up here, my usual nickname was taken (probably by past me who forgot her login!) so I became DisGhost.
> 
> Anyway, I also wanted to mention - I was able to point out the meowing cats in POE last trip thanks to you and my family was impressed.  So thank you!
> 
> And also a question - I desperately want to try Strong Water Tavern, the menu is right up our alley and I love rum. We have two kids who will be 10 and 13 for our trip, they aren't picky eaters or anything (eldest is more adventurous than me, in fact!) so I know the food will be fine, and they are super well behaved in restaurants as we have made a point of training them since they were very little (we love food, so this was non-negotiable, you WILL behave and you will NOT get a phone to play with so deal with it.) I see they do have a kids menu so I am assuming we are allowed to bring kids and they won't be entirely out of place there? Even if we eat a bit on the late side? Not sure of the rules since it is also a bar and I don't want to annoy anyone.



lol....love it!!! When I met Tom he was much paler than he is now and one of my relatives said he was like Casper the friendly Ghost.......and on our honeymoon a woman actually came up to him and said he was the palest person she had ever seen.......it was our second day!! But, so funny with your name.....I always love how some folks come up with their usernames......

Well, weirdly, it took me several years to notice those cats up there......then it was like.....How`d I miss them.....lol.....Kyle had noticed them but as a 14 year old didn`t think it was worth mentioning.......of course.

You`ll be fine with kids at anytime in Strong Water, even if it is late, you certainly won`t be the only ones. We don`t "usually" stay till close, normally by 11 we`re gone, but we have seen kids in as late as that. And your kids are 10 and 13 so they`re not toddlers......it`ll be fine, no one will look twice.

Good to hear they are adventurous eaters too......I think you`ll all love it in there......






*As a side note, I heard by email from one of the folks there that Strong Water Bar recently won the Best Hotel Restaurant in the 2022 Orlando Sentinel Foodie Awards.....and well deserved it is too, those guys and gals are amazing and I think they should win every award going!! *


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## DisGhost

schumigirl said:


> lol....love it!!! When I met Tom he was much paler than he is now and one of my relatives said he was like Casper the friendly Ghost.......and on our honeymoon a woman actually came up to him and said he was the palest person she had ever seen.......it was our second day!! But, so funny with your name.....I always love how some folks come up with their usernames......
> 
> Well, weirdly, it took me several years to notice those cats up there......then it was like.....How`d I miss them.....lol.....Kyle had noticed them but as a 14 year old didn`t think it was worth mentioning.......of course.
> 
> You`ll be fine with kids at anytime in Strong Water, even if it is late, you certainly won`t be the only ones. We don`t "usually" stay till close, normally by 11 we`re gone, but we have seen kids in as late as that. And your kids are 10 and 13 so they`re not toddlers......it`ll be fine, no one will look twice.
> 
> Good to hear they are adventurous eaters too......I think you`ll all love it in there......
> 
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> 
> *As a side note, I heard by email from one of the folks there that Strong Water Bar recently won the Best Hotel Restaurant in the 2022 Orlando Sentinel Foodie Awards.....and well deserved it is too, those guys and gals are amazing and I think they should win every award going!! *


Thank you, that is so helpful to know! Of course we wouldn't be getting falling down drunk with kids around (tempting as those drinks are!) but I didn't want to be "that person." When the kids were little we would try to eat as early as possible, particularly in a more "grown up" restaurant, but now they can stay up later without turning into raving lunatics and we get to eat like civilized people. And now with that Foodie Award, I am 100% more determined to go. 

That is hilarious about Tom. I am not nearly so pale, just more an anomaly in a sea of tan Californians as a blonde with no tan. Pays off though, my skin is now much nicer than those tan classmates, 30 years later! Ghost skins unite!


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## musika

Sal's - glad of this review, we ended up booking at PB and that marg pizza looks amazing, I can't wait to try it. 
Alehouse - is this a walking distance place from RPR or further?
Vivo - Looks amazing. But hmmm decisions decisions between that and Bice. 

I am comforted by those who are bringing their kids into Strong Water because we definitely are planning to - Mama is gonna need a drink FO SHO during this trip.


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## schumigirl

DisGhost said:


> Thank you, that is so helpful to know! Of course we wouldn't be getting falling down drunk with kids around (tempting as those drinks are!) but I didn't want to be "that person." When the kids were little we would try to eat as early as possible, particularly in a more "grown up" restaurant, but now they can stay up later without turning into raving lunatics and we get to eat like civilized people. And now with that Foodie Award, I am 100% more determined to go.
> 
> That is hilarious about Tom. I am not nearly so pale, just more an anomaly in a sea of tan Californians as a blonde with no tan. Pays off though, my skin is now much nicer than those tan classmates, 30 years later! Ghost skins unite!



You`re so welcome. lol......yes, pale folks do stand out at times!!! 

I know what you mean, we can all enjoy drinks with kids around and they won`t be the only kids there. 

Honestly, I think you`ll love it.


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## schumigirl

musika said:


> Sal's - glad of this review, we ended up booking at PB and that marg pizza looks amazing, I can't wait to try it.
> Alehouse - is this a walking distance place from RPR or further?
> Vivo - Looks amazing. But hmmm decisions decisions between that and Bice.
> 
> I am comforted by those who are bringing their kids into Strong Water because we definitely are planning to - Mama is gonna need a drink FO SHO during this trip.



Sal`s in fabulous!! I don`t doubt you`ll love the pizza there.....

It would be too far for us to walk. It`s right next to the Doubletree Suites on Kirkman, well, close...and folks do walk to the parks from there, but no, we wouldn`t walk there. Cabs/uber/lyft are so cheap...or drive if one of you isn`t drinking. 

Well, we`re two folks who aren`t fans of Bice. We asked for omissions in the sauce and they told me they couldn`t as it was all preprepared.....put me right off and the food we had wasn`t good in general. But, many love it....so with that, I`d choose Vivo.

Yep, kids are welcomed there for sure


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## schumigirl

*One of the places we absolutely adore visiting is Dunedin on the other side of Clearwater. I think everyone heads to Clearwater for the beautiful beach, and it is gorgeous, but as we are far too pale skinned to spend a day in the full sunshine, we tend to pass that area by and head for where there is at least some shades, shops and plenty of food options.....a must do for wherever we visit of course. 

Dunedin is just beautiful....a classic old town with some gorgeous individual little stores that make it hard not to spend a whole load of money on things you didn`t really think you wanted or needed.........er, well, yes........but little stores like that are irresistable to me, so yes I really do need a couple of tea towels with a funny wine slogan on them........lol.......*

*It takes roughly around 2 hours to drive from Universal and you pass through Tampa which we keep saying we must go and spend the day there, but it`s another that we never seem to get round to. Traffic can be rough especially around the Disney area at times. We have been known to add about 45 minutes to our journey depending on the time of day, but usually we`ve been lucky that it`s only happened once. 

Once you hit Dunedin it`s an easy drive into a little town that has an abundance of parking which for us in the UK can be an issue as so many places charge for parking or parking lots have been built on. We once drove up to York 6 weeks apart to visit a friend who wasn`t well and on the second visit we drove to the usual car park we used, he was in the City Centre so no direct parking close to him,  and it had been built on with a huge set of private apartments!*

*So, we tend to find parking anywhere in the States we go a joy and so easy.*















*The tree lined streets are everywhere here away from the waterfront so it does make it a pleasant walk when you wander around. We do like to wander off the main streets and there are some gorgeous homes to have a look at if you like that sort of thing, again, very different to the UK so we do like that sort of thing.*














*And of course we are spoiled for choice with food options, along the main areas there are a plethora of options from pizza to Tapas and anything in between.*














*We love the harbour.......although I`m not overly keen on boats there are some stunning ones to have a good look at along the front and the setting is stunning where we have seen dolphins and although we haven`t seen a manatee, other folks have so we are hopeful one day. *














*There is a small boardwalk area and it`s one of the cutest areas for just sitting and gazing out over the water....boats are always out there and some interesting characters when you see them up close. We can spend an hour or so just enjoying soaking up the sun, chatting to folks who are also there and usually waiting to go enjoy some lunch!! *

*There is a hotel right on the water we had a gorgeous meal, it`s part of the Yacht Club in the Great Western, the Bon Appetit and it is a very classic restaurant we like a lot and it has lovely views over the water from most of the tables. *


























*I have to admit our waitress wasn`t the best, she wasn`t dreadful but she had an air of superiority about her......we must have looked like we couldn`t afford to eat there ........ever felt like the Clampetts......lol.......but the food was good and we would go back again. 
*
























*It does have a beach feel about this area even though there`s no beach......you can take one of the smaller water taxi`s along to Clearwater from here, we haven`t done it, but it`s only a few dollars and something to consider. *















*This really does have a shack feeling to it and we enjoyed a lunch here on one of our previous visits.....I think we were the only ones eating inside, but jeez it was hot that day and no way would be eating outside! *












































*Everything was so good and it was such a relaxed place full of locals which we do like, staff were also lovely and one of the bar staff was heading to Scotland so asked us all sorts of questions about places to visit and what weather to expect......well, do you tell the truth about Scottish weather........it can be daunting for a Floridian used to heat and sunshine all the time.....lol.....so we told him as gently as possible to pack some warm clothes....he said he`d have to go buy some, bless him I always wondered how his trip turned out. *
*
We did go once when it was St Patty`s day parade and celebration......it was not fun, so we didn`t stay long as it was mobbed and didn`t care for it. 
*
*There are some lovely little touches around the town and although we haven`t explored all of it, everything we have seen is lovely. We did like the old fashioned British telephone box.......it was an odd addition, but seemed to just fit in somehow. *
























*So, our little recap of Dunedin......we have so many little towns we love to visit when we can and this is one of our favourites.....although, I do say that a lot.....I guess we do have a lot of favourites. *

*It`s nice to have choices though and we do always love to drive around when we are in Florida as much as we can. We try to have a real mix of park time and getting out and about to see the other side of Florida and there are plenty of places still to discover for us. *


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## Worfiedoodles

The food looks amazing, and what a beautiful town! It is so nice to have those days where you venture out and see all the local delights. I confess I am also a goner when there are those boutique shops. I find there are many things I had no idea I needed!

You do have several favorites. Do you find yourself with any preference over the east and west coasts of Florida?


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## Pumpkin1172

We want to go back and explore Tampa/Clearwater and now probably Dunedin too!  It is simply stunning there.  There are so many unique places to explore.


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## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> The food looks amazing, and what a beautiful town! It is so nice to have those days where you venture out and see all the local delights. I confess I am also a goner when there are those boutique shops. I find there are many things I had no idea I needed!
> 
> You do have several favorites. Do you find yourself with any preference over the east and west coasts of Florida?



Oh goodness yes, I`m a sucker for cutesy little stores that sell unique items, I can find a place somewhere in our home for most things.......lol.......

To be honest most folks say they prefer the Gulf coast as it`s warmer and calmer, but we have visited New Smyrna Beach 3 times and twice the sea was still, like a glass lake. Beautiful. So, simple answer is , I think I like them both equally.....no real preference now I think on it. 

We are looking at going to another beach this time on the East Coast....waiting on Janet letting me know what she thinks of it........


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## schumigirl

Pumpkin1172 said:


> We want to go back and explore Tampa/Clearwater and now probably Dunedin too!  It is simply stunning there.  There are so many unique places to explore.



Locals tell us not to bother with Tampa itself, but that area of Clearwater/Dunedin is stunning. 

Clearwater itself is lovely, we love the beach and the town itself......and we did find the Scientology building......very weird as they spied on us as we took pictures.......lol......but Dunedin is somewhere we`d happily spend time in. So, yes, so many places to discover and explore.


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## I-4Bound

I’ve got a dear friend from college who lives in Dunedin, but we always end up meeting in Tampa since it’s sort of half way from Orlando. It really does look like a lovely place. I know they love their community.


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## schumigirl

I-4Bound said:


> I’ve got a dear friend from college who lives in Dunedin, but we always end up meeting in Tampa since it’s sort of half way from Orlando. It really does look like a lovely place. I know they love their community.



It must be a beautiful place to live and yes, the locals seem very proud of their little town and rightly so.

We almost bought a house there in 2008, it was stunning and due to the recession it was a real bargain. But, we decided in the end we`d prefer to stay in hotels on our future trips, so we walked away, but even now we still go look at it and wonder. But, it was the right thing to do. 

Do you think it`s worth a visit to Tampa? We`re not aquarium folks or things like that, so it might just be a shopping trip and lunch......but we can do that anywhere so we keep talking ourselves out of going for some reason.


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## I-4Bound

schumigirl said:


> It must be a beautiful place to live and yes, the locals seem very proud of their little town and rightly so.
> 
> We almost bought a house there in 2008, it was stunning and due to the recession it was a real bargain. But, we decided in the end we`d prefer to stay in hotels on our future trips, so we walked away, but even now we still go look at it and wonder. But, it was the right thing to do.
> 
> Do you think it`s worth a visit to Tampa? We`re not aquarium folks or things like that, so it might just be a shopping trip and lunch......but we can do that anywhere so we keep talking ourselves out of going for some reason.


Honestly, I am not particularly enchanted with Tampa. There is one restaurant where we really like to eat lunch, and there is a vintage toy store that my husband really enjoys visiting. Other than that, there’s not a whole lot to do that I find interesting. I will say that we mainly stayed on the side of town where Busch Gardens is located. There may be other areas we have not discovered!


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## Cara

I really love reading about your plans. With just four nights, I doubt we'll be going offsite much if at all, but I'm still enjoying reading (and I'm making notes for the on-property options!). Question: What would be your top five on-property choices?


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## schumigirl

I-4Bound said:


> Honestly, I am not particularly enchanted with Tampa. There is one restaurant where we really like to eat lunch, and there is a vintage toy store that my husband really enjoys visiting. Other than that, there’s not a whole lot to do that I find interesting. I will say that we mainly stayed on the side of town where Busch Gardens is located. There may be other areas we have not discovered!



You`re definitely not the first person to say that about Tampa. I think we`ll pass on visiting it as there doesn`t seem to be anything there we can`t enjoy elsewhere. 

Good to know, thank you


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## schumigirl

Cara said:


> I really love reading about your plans. With just four nights, I doubt we'll be going offsite much if at all, but I'm still enjoying reading (and I'm making notes for the on-property options!). Question: What would be your top five on-property choices?



I think with four nights you`ll have more than enough to keep you busy on your trip.......I cannot wait to hear how much you enjoyed it!!!!

Now, there is a question....... 

Without doubt our first choice is Strong Water......for food, drinks and the guys and gals themselves of course 

Second would be Orchids for sushi......or the Wok experience......both excellent in RP.

The Palm has to be in there although there was something quite different last time, but steaks were still sublime.

Vivo in Citywalk which is a strange one for me as I don`t like Italian generally, not a pasta fan, but the other non pasta dishes are very good.

Confisco Grille.......good food choices and service is top notch.




Honorary mentions to Sal`s pizza at PB, Amatista and Islands for buffet breakfasts, NBC for burgers, Margaritaville for cocktails and appetisers, Thunder Falls Terrace is also up there for quality and the food truck near Richter Burger for the chicken....lovely. We do like Lombards for some dishes, but we had an issue with our waitress last time and has kind of put us off, but her aside they do have a nice menu and the restaurant itself is beautiful and not what folks think of in a theme park.

I`m hoping Jake`s has improved this trip as they have declined in our experience slightly since pre pandemic.....it`s noticeable to us as we`ve been eating there for many years, not dreadful, just a few issues here and there.

Just realised I couldn`t pick anywhere close to only choosing 5 places to eat lol.......

Oh can I add Bread Box for a lunch too


----------



## Cara

Hahaha! You may have just outlined by entire dining itinerary for me, so thanks for that!


----------



## schumigirl

Cara said:


> Hahaha! You may have just outlined by entire dining itinerary for me, so thanks for that!



lol……glad to have made some kind of contribution to your eating choices……I’m sure you’ll love them all


----------



## schumigirl

​


----------



## Worfiedoodles

It supposedly takes 3 weeks to form a habit. Is there something you will work on before you go?


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> It supposedly takes 3 weeks to form a habit. Is there something you will work on before you go?



Well you know what I`m working on before we leave, but not very successfully with only 3 weeks to go......lol......

Trying to find a new wax lady......the one who did my legs has decided she wants to go do something else so she quit. I don`t like the other woman so will find another place, but you`ve got to feel comfy with them. First world problems.....


----------



## Worfiedoodles

schumigirl said:


> Well you know what I`m working on before we leave, but not very successfully with only 3 weeks to go......lol......
> 
> Trying to find a new wax lady......the one who did my legs has decided she wants to go do something else so she quit. I don`t like the other woman so will find another place, but you`ve got to feel comfy with them. First world problems.....


I wish there was a "hug" emoji. Dang it is tough when your person deserts you...much better when they dessert you LOL


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> I wish there was a "hug" emoji. Dang it is tough when your person deserts you...much better when they dessert you LOL



lol.......that`s funny!!

I did laugh at one of my friends who said she could recommend someone who does leg waxing and will come to your home to do it.....then proceeded to give me 50 reasons why I wouldn`t like her.......yeah thanks Fliss!!! Gotta love my friends and their weird logic.......

Now I want dessert......you`re a bad influence


----------



## margareton27

Getting caught up and loving your recaps! A funny story about printers - years ago a study by a large printer firm was done to understand behaviours when there were printer issues. It was found that a university educated woman was most likely to kick/hit the printer! I think I have done that a few times


----------



## schumigirl

margareton27 said:


> Getting caught up and loving your recaps! A funny story about printers - years ago a study by a large printer firm was done to understand behaviours when there were printer issues. It was found that a university educated woman was most likely to kick/hit the printer! I think I have done that a few times



  along margareton27......it`s been a while since we have seen you!!

Thank you........I`m so glad you`re enjoying reading along.......

lol......oh yes, I am that woman too.......I`ve definitely bashed them a few times over the years..........I often wonder why we think it`ll help, or maybe just makes us feel a bit better.

Good to see you though, hope you`re doing ok


----------



## schumigirl

*One of the places we enjoy visiting is Winter Park.*

*It`s a nice little drive away from Orlando but not too far and it is a beautiful little town. Very sweet place that is supposed to have an upmarket feel, we`ve never thought that but it is very nice and it`s pleasant to walk through and does have some nice stores too including Pottery Barn which is set in what looked like it could have been an Art deco cinema or theatre at one time and Williams and Sonoma which is a store that tempts me with so many things on each visit! 

On arriving you cross the railroad which caught us out once and scared the bejeesus out of us, then you turn into an idylic park area which is just spacious and full of green trees and beautiful flowers all around. *

*Anytime we have been it`s been quiet and very tranquil with some reading groups sitting around enjoying their book group in the sunshine......something I`ve never done as our book group is usually in centrally heated home where we`re all cosy......sitting outside would be lovely. But, families wander around and it has a lovely local feel to it.*
























*Growing up in the UK, as a youngster we had trains that were not exactly adorned with great expectations when you saw them, but for me seeing the massive double decker Amtrak trains on various tv shows or travel shows, they were a splendid example of what rail travel should look like and it was a dream of mine to one day travel across America on one.......I imagined it being very romantic and being served the finest food with luxurious cabins to sleep in........my cousins in America soon filled me in that my illustrious vision was not exactly the reality of train travel in the modern world. 

Talk about disappointed. *
*
But, I still got very excited when we did see this train travel and stop at the train station on one of our trips......and yes, I was like a 5 year old when the train driver waved at me.........
*
*I was told that was incredibly lame for a woman of my age.*











​*But, what a sight.......it might not be the double decker one that travels across country, but to me it was still pretty darn impressive!! And the driver was cute too *
























*The stores and hotels of the town are right across from the park and I do like the look of this hotel placed on the top of the building, it`s supposed to be very nice and quite unique.*

























*Unique is something we do like and we accidentally found this little Olive Oil store that is so much more. Although I do admit, the Olive Oil from Mount Dora is nicer somehow, but we still enjoyed it when we got it home. *















*And we did do a little shopping in here. Not that we bought too much as we had visited near the end of our trip and we secretly knew but didin`t admit we really couldn`t fit much more in our suitcases. So we were good and purchased the minimum, well, maybe a few things more than we should have! *






































*They have some gorgeous products and a good selection of hot sauces that we were torn between as I was instructed I could only pick two due to weight. Darn it. *















*We did think we would like to try The Wine Room at one point, but one of the ladies who is the floor manager of one of the restaurants we like, told us she didn`t think we`d be very impressed with it. So we haven`t ever visited it, so many other places to choose from. *














*It is a wide main street so it doesn`t feel claustrophobic in any way and so pretty we could just wander around here for the longest time. *














*There are several other aspects to Winter Park to visit including the very pretty Rollins College, The Morse Museum which houses some beautiful works of Louis Comfort Tiffany. Paintings, pottery, jewelry, art glass and so much more. We haven`t visited yet, but intend to at some point. 

There is a shopping area too where they have a rather delightful Cheesecake Factory we`re told, but there are so many food options on offer in and around Winter Park we`re spoiled for choice. 4Rivers is on the way out which is hard to turn down, but we`ve enjoyed a lovely Italian meal and some coffee shops. *
*
There is a little boat tour we keep promising ourselves we`ll do at some point. You go round the lake and although there`s not a whole lot to see, some of the beautiful houses that line the lake are supposed to be very pretty. 
*
*And I`m sure there are even more things to get up to there.......so we still have a few things to discover there and we`ll definitely be making a visit there in May and back again in September. *


----------



## margareton27

schumigirl said:


> along margareton27......it`s been a while since we have seen you!!
> 
> Thank you........I`m so glad you`re enjoying reading along.......
> 
> lol......oh yes, I am that woman too.......I`ve definitely bashed them a few times over the years..........I often wonder why we think it`ll help, or maybe just makes us feel a bit better.
> 
> Good to see you though, hope you`re doing ok



Thanks Carole - we were in the same boat as you with multiple cancellations over the past two years.  We are just starting to plan again and will be hopefully at Universal Hollywood in September! And then an Antarctic cruise with pre and post Buenos Aires.  Finally 

I work in healthcare so really took a break from these boards as the rhetoric became very frustrating after a day of work.  I stuck with mindless game playing


----------



## margareton27

schumigirl said:


> *One of the places we enjoy visiting is Winter Park.
> 
> But, what a sight.......it might not be the double decker one that travels across country, but to me it was still pretty darn impressive!! And the driver was cute too *
> 
> 
> *There are several other aspects to Winter Park to visit including the very pretty Rollins College, The Morse Museum which houses some beautiful works of Louis Comfort Tiffany. Paintings, pottery, jewelry, art glass and so much more. We haven`t visited yet, but intend to at some point. *


We first went to Winter Park to see The Morse Museum as I love Tiffany stained glass.  It is small but definitely worth the wander.  

Our last few trips to Orlando our son has come with us.  We had promised the kids that when they turned 30 we would take a big family trip and my daughter picked Disney/Universal.  She broke her ankle a month before the trip and said no way was she going to be a 'scooter person' and so only Ian came with us.  He became a convert and has been back with us a few times now.  His 30th trip to Japan got cancelled in amongst COVID so still have to get back to planning that!  So not as much wandering the local areas and more park time - and local hamburger joint searches!


----------



## Pumpkin1172

What is your count down at now?  We are almost half way through April 



schumigirl said:


> Clearwater itself is lovely, we love the beach and the town itself......and we did find the Scientology building......very weird as they spied on us as we took pictures.......lol......but Dunedin is somewhere we`d happily spend time in. So, yes, so many places to discover and explore.


When we were on our dolphin excursion, they went by the Scientology building.  We could only see the roof parts of it as it is not right by the water.  But they did take us by John Travola's place, and also Tom Cruise's place where he has the three top floors of the building, and one floor has an elevator for him to lift his cars into his own car garage lol.  I think if I look through my pictures I have one of his house.  I had totally forgot that Clearwater was where the Scientology headquarters were.  Such a weird bunch of people imo.  but whatever floats your boat I guess lol


----------



## schumigirl

margareton27 said:


> Thanks Carole - we were in the same boat as you with multiple cancellations over the past two years.  We are just starting to plan again and will be hopefully at Universal Hollywood in September! And then an Antarctic cruise with pre and post Buenos Aires.  Finally
> 
> I work in healthcare so really took a break from these boards as the rhetoric became very frustrating after a day of work.  I stuck with mindless game playing




Oh it was dreadful wasn`t it, cancelling all those trips!! 

Fingers crossed you get your trips, an Antartic cruise sounds wonderful, it`s just nice to be planning again. 

Oh healthcare.....you will be so ready to be getting some breaks again, such a stressful job! Yes, at times the boards could be too intense and filled with nonsense......I have developed a knack of still barely reading some folks posts if at all......I`m equally sure folks will do the same with mine......lol.....wouldn`t do if we were all the same.




margareton27 said:


> We first went to Winter Park to see The Morse Museum as I love Tiffany stained glass.  It is small but definitely worth the wander.
> 
> Our last few trips to Orlando our son has come with us.  We had promised the kids that when they turned 30 we would take a big family trip and my daughter picked Disney/Universal.  She broke her ankle a month before the trip and said no way was she going to be a 'scooter person' and so only Ian came with us.  He became a convert and has been back with us a few times now.  His 30th trip to Japan got cancelled in amongst COVID so still have to get back to planning that!  So not as much wandering the local areas and more park time - and local hamburger joint searches!



Oh what a shame about your daughter! That would have been wonderful to have you all togther, hopefully it`ll happen again. And Japan......wow! 

Two of our friends have just spent two weeks in Orlando taking two of their adult kids as they hadn`t travelled together for years as a family, and they had the best time. They stayed at PB and loved it.....so yes, there`s a lot to be said when adult kids still want to travel with you regardless of age. 

We will at some point head to the museum, it does sound lovely and very interesting.


----------



## schumigirl

Pumpkin1172 said:


> What is your count down at now?  We are almost half way through April
> 
> 
> When we were on our dolphin excursion, they went by the Scientology building.  We could only see the roof parts of it as it is not right by the water.  But they did take us by John Travola's place, and also Tom Cruise's place where he has the three top floors of the building, and one floor has an elevator for him to lift his cars into his own car garage lol.  I think if I look through my pictures I have one of his house.  I had totally forgot that Clearwater was where the Scientology headquarters were.  Such a weird bunch of people imo.  but whatever floats your boat I guess lol



20 days.........19 till the overnight at the airport  

Yes Tom Cruise`s place was interesting to see, but we did feel, not that we were being watched, but definitely being observed I suppose......we didn`t hang around long. To be honest we didn`t know the building was there......I mean we knew it was in Clearwater, just not where it was. Yes, very odd bunch of people.

As a side note, one of my friends met John Travolta the other weekend in one of our grocery stores.......I say she "met" him.....she was in at the same time and watched folks ask for selfies with him, which he did and was very kind to folks by all accounts. And another friends daughter works in a hotel him and his daughter were I think having lunch.....she had no clue who he was till her boss told her......lol........


----------



## Pumpkin1172

schumigirl said:


> 20 days.........19 till the overnight at the airport


 Almost time for the single digit dance!!!!


----------



## heidijanesmith

Love your TR's! I I have read all of them and enjoy your trips and especially your love of HHN.

We are taking my DD, SIL and our grandson (will be 1 1/2) to both Disney and US this year. We are staying at the Sapphire for the 1st time and are super excited to stay here due to your glowing reviews. My DD is a Veteran so we were able to get a great Military Discount on a 3bd suite.  

We will be staying the same time that you guys will be there Sep 1-4th.  I hope to see you there


----------



## schumigirl

Pumpkin1172 said:


> Almost time for the single digit dance!!!!



Oooh I forgot about that......I do love a good boogie or two!!!


----------



## schumigirl

heidijanesmith said:


> Love your TR's! I I have read all of them and enjoy your trips and especially your love of HHN.
> 
> We are taking my DD, SIL and our grandson (will be 1 1/2) to both Disney and US this year. We are staying at the Sapphire for the 1st time and are super excited to stay here due to your glowing reviews. My DD is a Veteran so we were able to get a great Military Discount on a 3bd suite.
> 
> We will be staying the same time that you guys will be there Sep 1-4th.  I hope to see you there



  along heidijanesmith........it`s always good to see you!!

Thank you so much!!! I`m so glad to read you enjoy the TR`s.......and yes....we cannot wait to get back to HHN, just hoping it`s a good one this year. 

Sounds like a fabulous trip with your daughter and family, I just saw your avatar I`m assuming with your daughter.......you must be so proud of her!!! 

Oh if you see us, please give us a holler.....it would be lovely to say hello to you and your family.....and it`s not to far away now for you. I`m sure you`ll love Sapphire for your stay....I hope so anyway......

Always lovely to see you, hope you`re doing well......


----------



## Mom2DDs

We're also doing the happy dance - 19 days until Universal but have the other happy dance of my youngest daughter's graduation in 16 days!!! As my hubby says his vacation starts when we check into Universal even though we"ll be in Epcot and Hollywood Studios prior to Universal for a couple of days (LOL).


----------



## AuroraluvsPhillip

33 days until we leave. It's coming up quickly!


----------



## schumigirl

Mom2DDs said:


> We're also doing the happy dance - 19 days until Universal but have the other happy dance of my youngest daughter's graduation in 16 days!!! As my hubby says his vacation starts when we check into Universal even though we"ll be in Epcot and Hollywood Studios prior to Universal for a couple of days (LOL).



Oh now that is exciting to look forward to. The Graduation will be a wonderful event to enjoy before your trip, I`m sure you`re all incredibly excited for it. Comes around so fast! 

lol....yes, I can understand that feeling.........hope you enjoy your time at Disney though and it`s not too busy....then Universal time for you


----------



## schumigirl

AuroraluvsPhillip said:


> 33 days until we leave. It's coming up quickly!


 And another woooohoooooo......  

Yes, I think this year is absolutely flying past! I can`t quite believe we`re half way through April already........


----------



## schumigirl

​*Well......2 weeks until we leave for the overnight at the airport....but it still counts, doesn`t it?????*
*
As of today, we still have to test before we fly to the United States, and it has to be the day before, so we`ll book an appointment later this week for just after we arrive up at the airport, yes, we still plan to do that, crazy as it might be. I`m a big believer in whatever will be will be.......

It`s an Antigen test we need to take and results are emailed back to us within an hour, we`ll use the hotel business centre to print out (hopefully) the certificate that will enable us to fly the next day. 

Our rental car booking for the first time is an ammendable rate, we have used a different way of booking for us and gone through a man who gives excellent rates from a UK site. Our original booking with him was for an SUV from Budget who we had never used before and were a little nervous as we always use Alamo, but for the prices other firms were asking for, some were over $3,000 we thought we`d give it a go. He is highly recommended and many folks have used him before and been happy with his prices and service.

But, on checking rates this week, Tom noticed they had dropped and Alamo were coming out cheaper by a few hundred pounds, almost $400 less, so we opted to change to the Alamo SUV. I think everyone has been amazed last couple of years just how expensive rental cars have been, at one point we were being quoted over $4,000 for our shorter Christmas trips......crazy money. But, we couldn`t imagine not having a car while we are in Orlando as we do like to roam around from one place to the other and most days we pop offsite somewhere even if it is just to the Mall at Millenia or Publix.

We might look to make a reservation for the Mother`s Day brunch at Sapphire as we absolutely loved it in 2019, we were so impressed with the quality of produce, so that might be the only reservation we make.

Making reservations in advance seems to be happening more and more.....but, not a chance will we think now where we want to eat in the next few weeks.....we won`t starve, that`s for sure. It`s a shame so many are now thinking that way and it`s starting to feel Disney-esque with dining reservations which is not how we want to vacation. Universal was always fun that way and it is changing sadly. 

We always have offsite to enjoy  

I think this week, we`ll go get some dollars.....we always go through a lot of 5s and 1`s, usually for tips, so we make sure we have a good start when we arrive, I`d hate to not be able to tip someone straight away, not in our nature. 
*
*But, real life......it`s Easter Sunday.......I hope whatever you are doing today you have a wonderful day and a very Happy Easter to all........*


----------



## jump00

Happy Easter  Carole and Tom -  2 weeks to go -  

Brenda


----------



## schumigirl

jump00 said:


> Happy Easter  Carole and Tom -  2 weeks to go -
> 
> Brenda



Thank you Brenda.......it`s been a lovely day so far......

Hope you have an extra special day.......


----------



## DoryGirl1963

*Making reservations in advance seems to be happening more and more.....but, not a chance will we think now where we want to eat in the next few weeks.....we won`t starve, that`s for sure. It`s a shame so many are now thinking that way and it`s starting to feel Disney-esque with dining reservations which is not how we want to vacation. Universal was always fun that way and it is changing sadly.*

We (hubby & I) agree entirely with this sentiment- seems UO is getting more & more "Disneyfied" as we call it & not in a positive way .

Shoot, I mostly don't know what I want for dinner the morning of the same DAY, LOL & there's just a whole different "vibe" creeping into the UO parks experience now. This really bums us out as we loved the "reprieve" UO offered as a vacation option.

& CONGRATS on 2 weeks to go!


----------



## schumigirl

DoryGirl1963 said:


> *Making reservations in advance seems to be happening more and more.....but, not a chance will we think now where we want to eat in the next few weeks.....we won`t starve, that`s for sure. It`s a shame so many are now thinking that way and it`s starting to feel Disney-esque with dining reservations which is not how we want to vacation. Universal was always fun that way and it is changing sadly.*
> 
> We (hubby & I) agree entirely with this sentiment- seems UO is getting more & more "Disneyfied" as we call it & not in a positive way .
> 
> Shoot, I mostly don't know what I want for dinner the morning of the same DAY, LOL & there's just a whole different "vibe" creeping into the UO parks experience now. This really bums us out as we loved the "reprieve" UO offered as a vacation option.
> 
> & CONGRATS on 2 weeks to go!



Thanks DG.....  

Yes, we`ve been seeing for a while folks who have been used to Disney and their ways popping over to Universal and expecting the same and then booking restaurants months in advance, then others follow, so it ends up a similar mantra from now on!! Nope, won`t do it, we`ll eat more offsite if that`s the case. In saying that we made no reservations in December and it was fine.....but going forward who knows.

I`m with you.....I wake up in the morning and have no clue what we want to eat, I`ve been known to change our meal choice half way through the day....  So, booking even days/weeks in advance seems crazy to us too.

Hope you`re doing ok and having a lovely Easter Sunday


----------



## KathyM2

Hey I've been off the boards for a few weeks, but I can't believe how soon your next trip is!!



schumigirl said:


> As of today, we still have to test before we fly to the United States, and it has to be the day before, so we`ll book an appointment later this week for just after we arrive up at the airport, yes, we still plan to do that, crazy as it might be. I`m a big believer in whatever will be will be.......



It's so hard to keep track of all the requirements these days - they seem to still keep changing. If we are vaxxed Canadians we can fly home without a test, but still like you, we need the antigen day before to fly TO the US. Which seems crazy because the US has SO many more cases than we do and has completely moved on from covid (in their minds anyway...)



schumigirl said:


> I think everyone has been amazed last couple of years just how expensive rental cars have been, at one point we were being quoted over $4,000 for our shorter Christmas trips......crazy money



Rental car prices are totally out there these days. I was just considering a trip to FL for next year and already it seems to make more sense to drive and take my own car, even with hotel stays along the way, than it does to try to rent one for more than a week.



schumigirl said:


> Making reservations in advance seems to be happening more and more.....but, not a chance will we think now where we want to eat in the next few weeks.....we won`t starve, that`s for sure.



Yeah...sigh. I think sadly, almost everywhere, not just theme parks and popular areas...are going more the way of needing a reservation to do almost anything.


----------



## schumigirl

KathyM2 said:


> Hey I've been off the boards for a few weeks, but I can't believe how soon your next trip is!!
> 
> 
> 
> It's so hard to keep track of all the requirements these days - they seem to still keep changing. If we are vaxxed Canadians we can fly home without a test, but still like you, we need the antigen day before to fly TO the US. Which seems crazy because the US has SO many more cases than we do and has completely moved on from covid (in their minds anyway...)
> 
> 
> 
> Rental car prices are totally out there these days. I was just considering a trip to FL for next year and already it seems to make more sense to drive and take my own car, even with hotel stays along the way, than it does to try to rent one for more than a week.
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah...sigh. I think sadly, almost everywhere, not just theme parks and popular areas...are going more the way of needing a reservation to do almost anything.



Nice to see you back Kathy......yep, it`s just crept up to be honest!

Oh it`s crazy how countries are so different. One of my friends kids is off to Australia in a couple of weeks and they were among the strictest ever, now they have relaxed rules and it`s an easy journey there. I hope the CDC change their stance soon and start to "follow the science" like everyone else is doing now. 

That`s crazy it works out cheaper to do that.......we actually got another drop in our price tonight, still more than we have ever paid for a rental anywhere, but, we won`t be without a car. 

That`s true. Although it seems to be the opposite over here. We don`t have to book anywhere, or at least can book last minute for where we want which suits us just fine. 

Hope you`re doing good Kathy.......


----------



## luvpoohandcompany

Hope you had a lovely Easter. Really not long to go now until your trip! So exciting!  Crossing my fingers that the testing requirements are dropped so you won’t have that to worry about


----------



## schumigirl

luvpoohandcompany said:


> Hope you had a lovely Easter. Really not long to go now until your trip! So exciting!  Crossing my fingers that the testing requirements are dropped so you won’t have that to worry about



I wish!! 

Can`t see them dropping testing till they get rid of the mask mandate which has been extended till May 3rd, of course....we fly May 2nd......lol.....it`s getting closer now for sure, and I think I`ve just realised how close.....eeekk!!!! I think I need to get the tests booked this week, can`t put it off much longer.

Hope you had a lovely Easter too and hope you enjoyed some lovely weather most of us over here were enjoying, it can vary so much as you know. One of my friends lives about 20 minutes away and yesterday she didn`t see as much sunshine as we did......

Have a good Holiday Monday


----------



## Pumpkin1172

schumigirl said:


> It`s an Antigen test we need to take and results are emailed back to us within an hour, we`ll use the hotel business centre to print out (hopefully) the certificate that will enable us to fly the next day.


I think that was the most stressful thing about the pre-planning our trip.  The whole trip hinges to that one test on whether we could go or not.  We we ecstatic when we had the test results in our hands.  We were soooooooooooooooooooo ready to get on the plane - only we had a 4 hr drive ahead then get onto the plane lol.  But we were on our way.  We were just ecstatic to finally be going on vacation!

And like the OP stated, it seems to be a mute point now.  Hopefully soon 

We were not even asked for the proof.  I know that the pre-arrival info you fill out you are stating that you have a negative test result.  Plus our airlines still require vaccination records.  Dh did all the entering of all the info for our pre-flight requirements.  That's a him job lol.  

Almost into the single digit dance


----------



## Worfiedoodles

schumigirl said:


> ​*Well......2 weeks until we leave for the overnight at the airport....but it still counts, doesn`t it?????*
> 
> *As of today, we still have to test before we fly to the United States, and it has to be the day before, so we`ll book an appointment later this week for just after we arrive up at the airport, yes, we still plan to do that, crazy as it might be. I`m a big believer in whatever will be will be.......
> 
> It`s an Antigen test we need to take and results are emailed back to us within an hour, we`ll use the hotel business centre to print out (hopefully) the certificate that will enable us to fly the next day.
> 
> Our rental car booking for the first time is an ammendable rate, we have used a different way of booking for us and gone through a man who gives excellent rates from a UK site. Our original booking with him was for an SUV from Budget who we had never used before and were a little nervous as we always use Alamo, but for the prices other firms were asking for, some were over $3,000 we thought we`d give it a go. He is highly recommended and many folks have used him before and been happy with his prices and service.
> 
> But, on checking rates this week, Tom noticed they had dropped and Alamo were coming out cheaper by a few hundred pounds, almost $400 less, so we opted to change to the Alamo SUV. I think everyone has been amazed last couple of years just how expensive rental cars have been, at one point we were being quoted over $4,000 for our shorter Christmas trips......crazy money. But, we couldn`t imagine not having a car while we are in Orlando as we do like to roam around from one place to the other and most days we pop offsite somewhere even if it is just to the Mall at Millenia or Publix.
> 
> We might look to make a reservation for the Mother`s Day brunch at Sapphire as we absolutely loved it in 2019, we were so impressed with the quality of produce, so that might be the only reservation we make.
> 
> Making reservations in advance seems to be happening more and more.....but, not a chance will we think now where we want to eat in the next few weeks.....we won`t starve, that`s for sure. It`s a shame so many are now thinking that way and it`s starting to feel Disney-esque with dining reservations which is not how we want to vacation. Universal was always fun that way and it is changing sadly.
> 
> We always have offsite to enjoy
> 
> I think this week, we`ll go get some dollars.....we always go through a lot of 5s and 1`s, usually for tips, so we make sure we have a good start when we arrive, I`d hate to not be able to tip someone straight away, not in our nature. *
> 
> *But, real life......it`s Easter Sunday.......I hope whatever you are doing today you have a wonderful day and a very Happy Easter to all........*


It absolutely counts! I admit I have some dining reservations for May. Just a couple, and I’m fully prepared to cancel and get others. I do miss being able to just walk up and eat…

I think with server shortages it’s just tougher eating out everywhere. It also feels like some tried and true places just aren’t quite what they once were. I’m not sure if that’s because Universal seems to be taking over the restaurants, or just another side effect of the pandemic.


----------



## schumigirl

Pumpkin1172 said:


> I think that was the most stressful thing about the pre-planning our trip.  The whole trip hinges to that one test on whether we could go or not.  We we ecstatic when we had the test results in our hands.  We were soooooooooooooooooooo ready to get on the plane - only we had a 4 hr drive ahead then get onto the plane lol.  But we were on our way.  We were just ecstatic to finally be going on vacation!
> 
> And like the OP stated, it seems to be a mute point now.  Hopefully soon
> 
> We were not even asked for the proof.  I know that the pre-arrival info you fill out you are stating that you have a negative test result.  Plus our airlines still require vaccination records.  Dh did all the entering of all the info for our pre-flight requirements.  That's a him job lol.
> 
> Almost into the single digit dance



It does take the shine off the excitement for sure leading up to the trip as knowing it could be pulled away at the very last minute is a massive worry. 

We had to show everything before we got on the plane, they were exacting on checking every single detail which is good to see they check vaccination status and all correct forms are filled in correctly. That seems to my job lol......

Yep, getting closer!!


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> It absolutely counts! I admit I have some dining reservations for May. Just a couple, and I’m fully prepared to cancel and get others. I do miss being able to just walk up and eat…
> 
> I think with server shortages it’s just tougher eating out everywhere. It also feels like some tried and true places just aren’t quite what they once were. I’m not sure if that’s because Universal seems to be taking over the restaurants, or just another side effect of the pandemic.



Thanks Maria.....

I think if you want to eat somewhere now on most trips folks have to make them, it`s just so alien to us and I do have a rebel side if someone tells me I have to do something.....I`ll do the opposite.....lol.....but we have so many other options. I know many folks don`t rent a car or even want to go offsite on their trips. 

We noticed a change in Margaritaville years back when Universal took that restaurant over and not for the better. The menu was reduced slightly and for a while, maybe 2 or 3 years we avoided it, but last couple of years it has been somewhere we do enjoy again. And they are looking to employ a whole bunch of people, so yes, staffing is definitely an issue. 

We didn`t notice any poor service on our last trip certainly, maybe we were lucky, but will be interesting on this upcoming trip how we both fare with service......hopefully it`ll be excellent.......

Your countdown is getting lower too.......


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> Traffic can be rough especially around the Disney area at times. We have been known to add about 45 minutes to our journey depending on the time of day, but usually we`ve been lucky that it`s only happened once.


You’ve had great success on that road-trip.  we’ve hit traffic delays enough times that we would never chance flying home from TPA for fear of getting stuck in traffic heading west on 1-4, from the southern most parts of WDW.   

Even early on a Sunday morning, when driving down from orlando to cruise, we make sure to give ourselves at least 3 hours Jik an accident snarls the road.  Not sure what it is, they seem to take an extraordinary amount of time to clear the roads In that section. 




schumigirl said:


> So, our little recap of Dunedin


beach bums we are, it’s never been on our radar.  Does look charming.  

seems every one of your TRs, I do pick up some great information


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> You’ve had great success on that road-trip.  we’ve hit traffic delays enough times that we would never chance flying home from TPA for fear of getting stuck in traffic heading west on 1-4, from the southern most parts of WDW.
> 
> Even early on a Sunday morning, when driving down from orlando to cruise, we make sure to give ourselves at least 3 hours Jik an accident snarls the road.  Not sure what it is, they seem to take an extraordinary amount of time to clear the roads In that section.
> 
> 
> 
> beach bums we are, it’s never been on our radar.  Does look charming.
> 
> seems every one of your TRs, I do pick up some great information



I think you`re right. We hear so many that have been delayed much longer than we have, particularly some TM`s that live that way and talk of delays due to accidents or just traffic. If we can avoid peak times we think we`re doing ok, but of course it happens anytime. 

It is a gorgeous place, you`d like it.....but yes, not a beach place lol......it`s handy for Clearwater Beach though, there`s a little boat that will take you along to the beach and come back for you for a very nominal cost. 

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


----------



## schumigirl

*Well, 10 more sleeps till we leave on the Sunday for our overnight.....but, it`s a cool part of any countdown!!! *
*
This week has been a calm week with not much going on at all.....except the mask mandate has finally been removed which is a reason to celebrate. I understand it`s being appealed, but horses having bolted springs to mind. I`m sure many will be delighted to still have the choice to wear one if they want or need to. But for those of us who don`t, it`s a reason to celebrate for sure. 
*
*Testing to come into the USA is still in place for anyone returning to America, whether you are a visitor or a resident, hoping that disappears soon too, but as it`s still in place right now, yesterday we booked our tests for the afternoon of May 1st at the airport testing centre. 

We booked for 1pm, and we get the results within the hour......that will be a nerve wracking time! Hoping it`s negative of course.*

*It`s a horrible thing to do to families and does seem to take the edge of the excitement for any upcoming trip. But, until it`s removed, we live with it. If testing was cancelled before that date, highly unlikely, we can get a refund if that was the case. It won`t change. 

In other news....our rental car came down in price by just over £200 ($261) and then by £40 ($52).  And the refunds are both in our account today. We`ve never rented a car where we have been able to adjust as the price comes down, and I think we`ll book this way again. We`re still with Alamo who we prefer and it`s an SUV which we do like, and absolutely 100% will not be upgrading unless it`s free for any car as prices are just off the scale. I know it`s a lot of nights and I shouldn`t complain, and I`m really not, but I know folks who are going for a week and are paying ridiculous prices for the rental. *
*
We`ve been looking at places to visit, and as well as our usual haunts, looking at DeLand which is less than an hour`s drive from Universal. 
*
*One of the ladies in the Club Lounge first mentioned it to us and said she thought we`d like it considering the places we do like to go see.......so I think we`ll look to visit for maybe half a day and see what it`s like. We haven`t looked at restaurant options yet, which is usually our priority.......we don`t go anywhere until we have seen all restaurant options for the entire area.........*












*If you know anything about DeLand, good or bad, would love to hear your views on whether it`s worth visiting or not. *
*
So, that`s where we are about now......still thinking of booking the Mother`s Day Brunch, but just haven`t got around to it yet. We`ll do it sometime........   
*
*Hope everyone`s doing well and having a lovely day whatever you may be doing......... *


----------



## keishashadow

Great to hear you are finally eligible to take advantage of those price drops on the rental.  

Keep that countdown going


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Great to hear you are finally eligible to take advantage of those price drops on the rental.
> 
> Keep that countdown going



It`s becoming addictive to check......lol......it`s so new to us, I`m like a kid with a new toy......can`t see it coming down much now, but so much better than what we were originally quoted which was eye watering!!! 

Will do........


----------



## Pumpkin1172

Single digit dance!!!!


----------



## schumigirl

Thanks for the reminder @Pumpkin1172.......time to dance indeed!!!
































​


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Just a few sleeps to go! And that Mother’s Day Brunch sounds absolutely lovely…I’m sure you’ll get around to booking it. 

Sorry I know nothing about Deland…

It is nerve wracking that you have to test right before you go and wait for results. Hopefully that hour will pass quickly and before you know it you will have your negative results 

What are you most looking forward to doing first?


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Just a few sleeps to go! And that Mother’s Day Brunch sounds absolutely lovely…I’m sure you’ll get around to booking it.
> 
> Sorry I know nothing about Deland…
> 
> It is nerve wracking that you have to test right before you go and wait for results. Hopefully that hour will pass quickly and before you know it you will have your negative results
> 
> What are you most looking forward to doing first?



I think the TM who recommended DeLand is still there, so I can ask her specifics. I did see a place called Stetson House we might like to see there, but saw you couldn`t take pictures so dismissed that, looks lovely though. 

Yes, the testing will end soon I don`t doubt that, but not before we go now. It`s an awful thing in reality to have to test the day before.

Ooooh......first.......lol....well, I think Strong Water is first on the agenda  .......then hopefully a good sleep!!! It`s a long day being awake for almost 22 hours. But, it has to be the Velocicoaster as a first......we are so keen to get back on that one......

What about you and Mr Worfie......you have some plans made I`m sure but you must have some things you are extra excited about......make sure to leave room for us somewhere.......


----------



## KathyM2

schumigirl said:


> That`s true. Although it seems to be the opposite over here. We don`t have to book anywhere, or at least can book last minute for where we want which suits us just fine.


Lucky you!! Here even places that used to be easy to get into need reservations now, and not just at the last minute. Ugh. It's a challenge for sure.

Your countdown is so short now! So exciting!! Around the same time, I will be driving to Boston to bring my son home after his first year of University! I can't believe how quickly the year has gone by!


----------



## schumigirl

KathyM2 said:


> Lucky you!! Here even places that used to be easy to get into need reservations now, and not just at the last minute. Ugh. It's a challenge for sure.
> 
> Your countdown is so short now! So exciting!! Around the same time, I will be driving to Boston to bring my son home after his first year of University! I can't believe how quickly the year has gone by!



Oh my goodness, it only seems 2 minutes since he was starting University!! Yes, time goes past so unbelievably fast!! I hope he enjoyed his first year.....

Yep, countdown is diminishing quicker than I could imagine......that`s good though I think........lol.......


----------



## schumigirl

*All being well, this time next week, we`ll be on the plane to Orlando  *
*
Got our email from Virgin Atlantic this morning giving us our check list of what we need to have in place for next week including our vaccine certificates and reminding us we need to do a Covid test one day before the flight. 
*
*It also states masks are optional now on flights which is good news for most folks and long overdue. To be honest the masks weren`t too bad to deal with on our Nov/Dec flights, Cabin Crew were decent as long as you didn`t take advantage of being allowed to have your mask off when eating or drinking, it was just unusual.

We had read that the lounge we have booked at the airport after security had been informing people their reservation had been cancelled. One woman cited she was booked the same day as us, reservation was cancelled 2 weeks ago and some were reporting their bookings in July and August had also been removed. Worrying for sure, but so far......we haven`t had our reservation cancelled. If it is, well....not much we can do about it.*
*
Cases are down........which is something......I think we`ll probably pack on the Saturday evening rather than wait till Sunday morning as our car service picks us up early that day for the drive up to the airport. 
*
*Packing is always fun though.........*











*Not being the most patient person on the planet, a week seems a long time away right now, but these past months have past so quickly, I`m sure this week will stroll by too. I can`t think of anything we haven`t done for this trip now, apart from things like testing and uploading proof of vaccines and so on which are all last minute. *











​


----------



## luvpoohandcompany

It’s getting closer!!!


----------



## schumigirl

luvpoohandcompany said:


> It’s getting closer!!!



It certainly is!!   

Today has flown past for one reason or another, and even though it`s a week to go....I actually put a pair of sandals into my suitcase......lol....earliest I can say I have packed anything. 

We did try to print some things off today.......what is it about printers that make life so difficult!!! Our just refuses to connect with laptops, decides they need to update just as we`re about to print or the old faithful.....you need ink!!!!! I tell you, I could easily have thrown it out the window.....but it happens everytime......lol......and this is a new printer!

This one is far too technical........


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Squee! It’s almost time to go 

Just a few sleeps and you will be winging your way to the sunshine 

I do hope your lounge is open so you can get the celebration started 

I should probably ask if you pack from a list or just wing it?


----------



## Tink2Day

So happy that you're heading back.

I've been reading off and on, it's been difficult as I always read your posts to my late Mom who would always ask what the 'Scottish lady' was up to. It was like a novel for her.  but posting has been very difficult for me.
You look to have some great food lined up, hope everything is yummy!
I'm odd, I love to pack. My problem is I pack everything but the kitchen sink for a 3 day trip.  LOL


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Squee! It’s almost time to go
> 
> Just a few sleeps and you will be winging your way to the sunshine
> 
> I do hope your lounge is open so you can get the celebration started
> 
> I should probably ask if you pack form a list or just wing it?



It certainly is Maria!!! 

Weird thing is, the Lounge is open, they seem to be cancelling regular bookings in favour of direct airline passenger bookings. So if you are Upper Class, you get automatic entry into this Lounge which is why we saw a few kids in there despite them advertising as adult only. So even if you have a reservation, if you turn up and the Lounge is full die to Upper pax, you`ll be denied entry.....seems crazy and unfair,  but what can you do......

I`m still not convinced we won`t get an email cancelling our reservation over the next few days......

Packing is winging it every time   .....some things I only wear in Orlando so that`s easy......but doesn`t take me long to be honest.......and to be honest, Tom takes longer than I do to pack!! And for some reason his suitcase is never filled to the brim......


----------



## schumigirl

Tink2Day said:


> So happy that you're heading back.
> 
> I've been reading off and on, it's been difficult as I always read your posts to my late Mom who would always ask what the 'Scottish lady' was up to. It was like a novel for her.  but posting has been very difficult for me.
> You look to have some great food lined up, hope everything is yummy!
> I'm odd, I love to pack. My problem is I pack everything but the kitchen sink for a 3 day trip.  LOL



Aww Tink......I completely understand your thoughts. Well, it`s extra special to see your posts when you do post......

Oh I completely agree......lol.....if I go somewhere even for the weekend, I take 48 outfits....just in case.......I think it`s a Universal problem with women mostly!! 

Although I do have a couple of friends who I swear when the apocalypse finally hit, they`ll be the ones who survive..........they can survive anything and can manage with the least amount of clothes imaginable.....but always seem to have various outfits with them when they really don`t!! I think they have a gift I`ll never experience.......lol.....

Good to see you Tink


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Since we are so close, are there any items you are eager to pick up? And I say "we" because it does feel like you bring us along


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

Only a couple more sleeps!!!!


----------



## Cara

This may be the last time I check in here before you leave, so have a FABULOUS trip, Carole! I can't wait to read all about it and get many tips for our trip to Universal in November. 

We're leaving in 11 days for our long-awaited 30th anniversary/kicked cancer's butt trip to Hawaii!


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Since we are so close, are there any items you are eager to pick up? And I say "we" because it does feel like you bring us along



You can absolutely say we........It`s always lovely having everyone reading and posting along the way.......   

I`m eager to pick up so much......lol......Old Bay Seasoning is one....I`ve run out......the large Aussie shampoo bottles, we have Aussie over here, but it`s not as nice as the American market one for some reason.....the one we get in the UK smells like bubblegum....bleurgh......neosporin....don`t laugh, we don`t get that here and several other items you can buy OTC that we need a prescription for and things like pain relief tablets, we can only buy 32 at a time so being able to buy a container with a 1000 is like Christmas......lol............yankee candles......bath and body....bed bath and beyond.......oh lordy.......

Tom came across a large holdall so I think we`ll take that with us and use that for coming home to save us going looking for a case there and give us time to find one we like in the summer. 

I do have a list.......and that list is getting longer by the day!


----------



## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> Only a couple more sleeps!!!!



It certainly is only a few more sleeps away   ....although not that we sleep much in the lead up to flying........lol......

Hope you`re doing ok.......


----------



## schumigirl

Cara said:


> This may be the last time I check in here before you leave, so have a FABULOUS trip, Carole! I can't wait to read all about it and get many tips for our trip to Universal in November.
> 
> We're leaving in 11 days for our long-awaited 30th anniversary/kicked cancer's butt trip to Hawaii!



I am so excited for you to get on that wonderful trip!!!! So many things to celebrate between your anniversary and yes, kicking cancer`s butt is a phenomenal reason to celebrate!!! 

We`re with you all the way with that one for sure......and you`ll have the best time in Hawaii, it always looks so beautiful......and you have November to look forward to also......fabulous!!! 

Thank you for the good wishes, we`ll try our best to have fun.....lol.....but hope you have the most wonderful time on your trip, please come back and let us know how wonderful a time you had there.......you deserve the best


----------



## JaxDad

Hey! Safe travels and hope to see you soon!


----------



## Erica Ladd

Hey Carole! Glad to catch up (albeit not completely) on your trip report! We will also be in the Orlando area over Mother’s Day weekend- where are you thinking for brunch? I hope you have a safe flight and a lovely trip!


----------



## schumigirl

JaxDad said:


> Hey! Safe travels and hope to see you soon!



Absolutely!!!

If we make it through the covid test Sunday, we`ll contact you when we`re in Orlando and hopefully find a time that suits to meet up.....looking forward to it....

Hope you`re all doing well......


----------



## schumigirl

Erica Ladd said:


> Hey Carole! Glad to catch up (albeit not completely) on your trip report! We will also be in the Orlando area over Mother’s Day weekend- where are you thinking for brunch? I hope you have a safe flight and a lovely trip!



 along Erica......good to see you here!

You`re not staying at Universal this time around?

At the minute we`re hoping to do either Sapphire or Royal Mother`s Day brunch, trying to co-ordinate with two friends to meet up that day, but they`re not sure of their plans up till now if they have to work.....so it`s not settled yet......we`ll be in one or the other for sure. 

Thank you, it`s quite stressful with the covid test to deal with, but fingers crossed we get through that and then we can really look forward to flying on Monday.......

Hope you`re all well.....and glad to see you have another trip coming up.....


----------



## KathyM2

schumigirl said:


> Yes, time goes past so unbelievably fast!! I hope he enjoyed his first year.....



Yes he really did thanks!! He struggled quite a bit with some issues in high school but he has matured so much and really found his place in Boston. He loves it there and seems really content with everything. I'm such a relieved mom.



schumigirl said:


> Cases are down........which is something......I think we`ll probably pack on the Saturday evening rather than wait till Sunday morning as our car service picks us up early that day for the drive up to the airport.



I'm so glad to hear cases are down over there. You in the UK are usually a few weeks ahead of us so I'm hoping that is where we are heading! Packing is something that I half enjoy and half not lol. I like to do it early but then I forget what's already in there and overpack...then end up emptying everything out and starting over at the last minute lol. Currently going through that before Boston/NYC trip lol. Good luck with it all! I guess with going to somewhere super hot like FL you want to either plan to do laundry or bring enough since it's hot...I think with Boston I can get away with multiple wearings lol when it's chilly still!


----------



## Erica Ladd

schumigirl said:


> along Erica......good to see you here!
> 
> You`re not staying at Universal this time around?
> 
> At the minute we`re hoping to do either Sapphire or Royal Mother`s Day brunch, trying to co-ordinate with two friends to meet up that day, but they`re not sure of their plans up till now if they have to work.....so it`s not settled yet......we`ll be in one or the other for sure.
> 
> Thank you, it`s quite stressful with the covid test to deal with, but fingers crossed we get through that and then we can really look forward to flying on Monday.......
> 
> Hope you`re all well.....and glad to see you have another trip coming up.....


At the moment we have a reservation at SF as well as the Swan at Disney. I need to decide by the time you are boarding your flight I believe!!! We do not have park tickets for either universal or Disney but are debating getting a couple of days worth of tix at Disney just to see what the new system is like. We have never stayed at SF before - do you think we’d like it? There would be no Uni parks but I do so love the garden walk and City Walk and this was to be more of a relaxing short trip anyway!  The money we would save by not purchasing tickets would buy us a lot of Oysters Rockefeller at the Palm tho!!!

Also I’m sure you are busy packing but I could not find either place you mentioned for brunch. I’m a bit slow sometimes!!!  Maybe we will by chance cross paths!  Have a safe flight!


----------



## schumigirl

KathyM2 said:


> Yes he really did thanks!! He struggled quite a bit with some issues in high school but he has matured so much and really found his place in Boston. He loves it there and seems really content with everything. I'm such a relieved mom.
> 
> 
> 
> I'm so glad to hear cases are down over there. You in the UK are usually a few weeks ahead of us so I'm hoping that is where we are heading! Packing is something that I half enjoy and half not lol. I like to do it early but then I forget what's already in there and overpack...then end up emptying everything out and starting over at the last minute lol. Currently going through that before Boston/NYC trip lol. Good luck with it all! I guess with going to somewhere super hot like FL you want to either plan to do laundry or bring enough since it's hot...I think with Boston I can get away with multiple wearings lol when it's chilly still!



I think University really brings them on and makes them grow up more, but I`m glad he has settled and enjoys it. Boston looks to be a beautiful city and it must gladden your hear to see him happy. Yes, big relief. 

Oh yes, I do laundry a few times on our trips, not fun but essential......I do bring more than I need, but......i`m a girl.....lol......

That`s the reason I do not pack early.....i`d have to repack......

Good to see you.....


----------



## schumigirl

Erica Ladd said:


> At the moment we have a reservation at SF as well as the Swan at Disney. I need to decide by the time you are boarding your flight I believe!!! We do not have park tickets for either universal or Disney but are debating getting a couple of days worth of tix at Disney just to see what the new system is like. We have never stayed at SF before - do you think we’d like it? There would be no Uni parks but I do so love the garden walk and City Walk and this was to be more of a relaxing short trip anyway!  The money we would save by not purchasing tickets would buy us a lot of Oysters Rockefeller at the Palm tho!!!
> 
> Also I’m sure you are busy packing but I could not find either place you mentioned for brunch. I’m a bit slow sometimes!!!  Maybe we will by chance cross paths!  Have a safe flight!



You`d love Sapphire......well, we love Sapphire a lot, so I`m maybe biased, but it is an amazing hotel and you won`t find a better bar in Orlando than Strong Water bar..not sure if you told us you had been before or not. 

Oysters Rockefeller.....you speak my language Erica!!! 

Hope you enjoy Disney if you do decide to go there, but whatever you decide hope you have fun....and if we can say even a quick hello, that would be nice.....

And thank you.....safe journey to you and your husband too......


----------



## luvpoohandcompany

Just popping in to say good luck with tomorrows testing  and have a fabulous trip!


----------



## jump00

Have a wonderful trip Carole and Tom!  Can’t wait to read all about it.   Safe travels   And good luck with your Covid test
Brenda


----------



## Minnie17

Wishing you and Tom safe uncomplicated travels!!   Looking forward to reading more,


----------



## Raeven

Have a great trip!


----------



## schumigirl

luvpoohandcompany said:


> Just popping in to say good luck with tomorrows testing  and have a fabulous trip!



Bit late responding but thank you so much…….tests were both negative……phew…….


----------



## schumigirl

jump00 said:


> Have a wonderful trip Carole and Tom!  Can’t wait to read all about it.   Safe travels   And good luck with your Covid test
> Brenda



Thank you for the good wishes Brenda…….now we can look forward and enjoy our trip with the testing behind us…….

Good to see you…..


----------



## schumigirl

Minnie17 said:


> Wishing you and Tom safe uncomplicated travels!!   Looking forward to reading more,



Thank you so much Minnie…….yes, uncomplicated travel is definitely something to aspire to have…..it’s so much easier……lol……


----------



## schumigirl

Raeven said:


> Have a great trip!



Thanks Raeven…….we’ll do our best…….and you too, you’re not far behind us…….


----------



## I-4Bound

So glad the test turned out OK! Have a safe trip. Can’t wait to hear all about it!


----------



## keishashadow

Enjoy!


----------



## luvpoohandcompany

schumigirl said:


> Bit late responding but thank you so much…….tests were both negative……phew…….


Delighted for you both


----------



## disneyseniors

Carole:
It's May 1st!  
Tomorrow is your big day!
Have a safe trip and I Know you will have a blast at Universal and in Orlando!  Can't wait for your TR.
We are going to Tennessee the week following yours for a visit with family and friends.  AND warm weather   It's been a long winter up here with blizzards and snow the whole month of April!  Can't wait to see green grass, flowers, and warm sunshine.
Wishing your the best

ruth


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Go have all the fun, you deserve a wonderful, magical vacation!! Can’t wait to see you in a few weeks!


----------



## BroadwayHermione5

You are probably mid air right now but Safe travels!


----------



## margareton27

Have a wonderful trip!


----------



## schumigirl

I-4Bound said:


> So glad the test turned out OK! Have a safe trip. Can’t wait to hear all about it!



Thanks so much Andrea…….we can’t wait to get going now!!


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> View attachment 666099
> Enjoy!



LOVE this one………

Thanks Keisha…….


----------



## schumigirl

luvpoohandcompany said:


> Delighted for you both



Thanks so much…….


----------



## schumigirl

disneyseniors said:


> Carole:
> It's May 1st!
> Tomorrow is your big day!
> Have a safe trip and I Know you will have a blast at Universal and in Orlando!  Can't wait for your TR.
> We are going to Tennessee the week following yours for a visit with family and friends.  AND warm weather   It's been a long winter up here with blizzards and snow the whole month of April!  Can't wait to see green grass, flowers, and warm sunshine.
> Wishing your the best
> 
> ruth



It certainly is……..talk about excited!!!

I hope you have a wonderful trip too, sounds like you’ll have a whole bunch of fun on your visit to family and friends……and yes, warm weather too!! It sounds beautiful…….yes, we weren’t as bad as you in April, nowhere near, but it never seemed to get warm in April at all for us either! I’m ready for that sunshine too……..

Have a lovely time and thank you…….


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Go have all the fun, you deserve a wonderful, magical vacation!! Can’t wait to see you in a few weeks!



Thanks Maria……yes, we are so looking forward to meeting up again……you have a safe trip too, but we’ll catch up before that!


----------



## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> You are probably mid air right now but Safe travels!



Not yet BH……it’s almost 4.30am for us over here…….been up for about 30 minutes ready to start our day…….

Thanks so much…..looking forward to that flight today……


----------



## schumigirl

margareton27 said:


> Have a wonderful trip!



Thanks…….we’ll give it a good old bash…….


----------



## Gr8t Fan

Hope you have an AMAZING trip!  Can't wait to read all about it. Enjoy!


----------



## musika

Ahhh finally here! I hope you have the most wonderful time.


----------



## AuroraluvsPhillip

Hope you have a wonderful trip. My daughter and I will be there in 2 weeks, can't wait!


----------



## Minnie17

Hope all is well


----------



## schumigirl

Gr8t Fan said:


> Hope you have an AMAZING trip!  Can't wait to read all about it. Enjoy!



Thanks so much……I am taking notes……and of course pictures too……


----------



## schumigirl

musika said:


> Ahhh finally here! I hope you have the most wonderful time.



lol…..yes, finally……it feels such a long time since December, and with all the worries of testing it has felt longer this last week or so……we’ll do our best to have fun!


----------



## schumigirl

AuroraluvsPhillip said:


> Hope you have a wonderful trip. My daughter and I will be there in 2 weeks, can't wait!



Thank you……..oh your trip is just around the corner now…….hope you have a lovely time too……


----------



## schumigirl

Minnie17 said:


> Hope all is well



Thanks Minnie…….

Everything is fabulous thanks…….been a long day, but wanted to check in before we head to bed in the next hour or so……..but it’s good to be back in Orlando and Sapphire Falls


----------



## JaxDad

Welcome back to the U.S. of A! Have fun!


----------



## schumigirl

JaxDad said:


> Welcome back to the U.S. of A! Have fun!



Thanks so much, it is fabulous being back……loving the heat already although Tom has said I‘m not allowed to complain even once “it’s too hot”


----------



## wdwrule

So glad you're there and take in all that lovely lobby smell !  We just left SF to come back home last night.  Can't wait to hear about your adventures and all the yummy food/drinks.


----------



## schumigirl

wdwrule said:


> So glad you're there and take in all that lovely lobby smell !  We just left SF to come back home last night.  Can't wait to hear about your adventures and all the yummy food/drinks.



Thanks, we are over the moon to be back…….enjoyed some lovely food already and taking notes


----------



## dez1978

I'm going to be reading this closely the next 2 weeks as we get in on the 21st, so I'm going to need you to throw some updates in here so I know what to expect lol

I'm slightly terrified bc we've only been in May 1 time and it was our very 1st trip to Disney.  My kids were 5& 7 at the time and they were so miserable bc of the heat.


----------



## schumigirl

dez1978 said:


> I'm going to be reading this closely the next 2 weeks as we get in on the 21st, so I'm going to need you to throw some updates in here so I know what to expect lol
> 
> I'm slightly terrified bc we've only been in May 1 time and it was our very 1st trip to Disney.  My kids were 5& 7 at the time and they were so miserable bc of the heat.



I have been slightly missing…….but having so much fun!

It is blazingly hot right now, but will cool a little next week I’m told……and there’s always some doom and gloom sayer who wishes rain on us while we’re here……lol……haven’t seen a drop yet so it has been perfect for us. Maybe yesterday was a little too hot…….maybe……but as I’m not allowed to say those immortal words, I declared I was loving this intense and meltingly hot heat with a slight grimace………lol……he knew what I meant.

Parks were busy yesterday, but lines weren’t too bad considering. And it wasn’t too bad in Hogsmeade, just busier than we’re used to……biggest complaint is so many strollers…..huge strollers, pull along cart type strollers, people who can’t drive strollers, strollers parked everywhere with enough “stuff“ to go camping for a week on them…….you get the idea…….it reminded me of the good old days in Disney which was always stroller city. 

I will pop back and forward as it gets nearer your trip and let you know what the parks are like, but they’re ok right now……apart from maybe the odd stroller or two…….


----------



## DoryGirl1963

schumigirl said:


> I have been slightly missing…….but having so much fun!
> 
> It is blazingly hot right now, but will cool a little next week I’m told……and there’s always some doom and gloom sayer who wishes rain on us while we’re here……lol……haven’t seen a drop yet so it has been perfect for us. Maybe yesterday was a little too hot…….maybe……but as I’m not allowed to say those immortal words, I declared I was loving this intense and meltingly hot heat with a slight grimace………lol……he knew what I meant.
> 
> Parks were busy yesterday, but lines weren’t too bad considering. And it wasn’t too bad in Hogsmeade, just busier than we’re used to……biggest complaint is so many strollers…..huge strollers, pull along cart type strollers, people who can’t drive strollers, strollers parked everywhere with enough “stuff“ to go camping for a week on them…….you get the idea…….it reminded me of the good old days in Disney which was always stroller city.
> 
> I will pop back and forward as it gets nearer your trip and let you know what the parks are like, but they’re ok right now……apart from maybe the odd stroller or two…….


So glad you're here & having a fabulous time    - completely agree about WAY too many strollers now at UO


----------



## dez1978

schumigirl said:


> I have been slightly missing…….but having so much fun!
> 
> It is blazingly hot right now, but will cool a little next week I’m told……and there’s always some doom and gloom sayer who wishes rain on us while we’re here……lol……haven’t seen a drop yet so it has been perfect for us. Maybe yesterday was a little too hot…….maybe……but as I’m not allowed to say those immortal words, I declared I was loving this intense and meltingly hot heat with a slight grimace………lol……he knew what I meant.
> 
> Parks were busy yesterday, but lines weren’t too bad considering. And it wasn’t too bad in Hogsmeade, just busier than we’re used to……biggest complaint is so many strollers…..huge strollers, pull along cart type strollers, people who can’t drive strollers, strollers parked everywhere with enough “stuff“ to go camping for a week on them…….you get the idea…….it reminded me of the good old days in Disney which was always stroller city.
> 
> I will pop back and forward as it gets nearer your trip and let you know what the parks are like, but they’re ok right now……apart from maybe the odd stroller or two…….


Strollers were  why we didn’t go to Disney until my kids were like 5&7. I was not messing with that. Tho in hindsight, they may have been far less whiny if we’d have rented one, but knowing them , they’d have found something else to whine about 

I’m always a bit surprised at how much stuff people seem to think they need for a day at the park. Even with my kids, I just have a Vera Bradley sling bag and thats been enough. And I don’t trust other person enough to leave a stroller full of stuff unattended. 

I’m taking bribery to a whole new level for this trip. My 8 yr old is tall enough for all the coasters except maybe the 1. At home he’s just at 54 in so whichever one that is, he might not measure enough there. My 10 yr old is plenty tall enough but a huge chicken when it comes to coasters. So I offered them $100 each if they’d ride all the rides they were tall enough for. I know the oldest would love them if he’d just ride them once. He was the same way with Everest at Disney. Scared to death but once he rode it once it’s now his favorite.


----------



## erinch

My hubby is a coaster chicken.I wonder if I offered him $100 it would do the trick? Life has gotten better since smarTphones, so he has something to occupy him while I ride all the things.


----------



## keishashadow

HP area tends to really bottleneck on busier days.  I’m of the mind there is a certain subset of people who use strollers as combo cow-catchers/battering rams.  worst tends to be during food & wind in Epcot, lost track of how many times I’ve had my ankles nipped there.  There should be DUIs



schumigirl said:


> there’s always some doom and gloom sayer who wishes rain on us while we’re here


A pox upon them and their housejk, sorta


----------



## Pumpkin1172

It's wonderful your having a grand time!!!  And that the weather has been amazing.  I know you will soak it all in.  


schumigirl said:


> biggest complaint is so many strollers…..huge strollers, pull along cart type strollers, people who can’t drive strollers, strollers parked everywhere with enough “stuff“ to go camping for a week on them…….you get the idea…….it reminded me of the good old days in Disney which was always stroller city.


I am going to go out on a limb and say it is more of the "Disney" peeps who are vowing now to give the mousehouse their money.  
We had seen a fair number of strollers there when we were there.  

Can't wait to hear more!!!  Enjoy all the moments!


----------



## dez1978

erinch said:


> My hubby is a coaster chicken.I wonder if I offered him $100 it would do the trick? Life has gotten better since smarTphones, so he has something to occupy him while I ride all the things.


I’ve offered DH things way more fun than $ and even for that he says no


----------



## Raeven

It was great meeting you last night! I hope you enjoy the Mother’s Day Brunch!


----------



## schumigirl

Raeven said:


> It was great meeting you last night! I hope you enjoy the Mother’s Day Brunch!



It was lovely to meet you both too!! We were thrilled to finally say hello…….and yes, Josh is just as cool in real life as he is on your TR…….

Yes, hope you enjoy yours today too and hope we see you again this trip sometime……..


----------



## schumigirl

DoryGirl1963 said:


> So glad you're here & having a fabulous time    - completely agree about WAY too many strollers now at UO



It really is off the scale with strollers, and so many TM have commented on it this time around. But, yes, having a blast thanks!


----------



## schumigirl

dez1978 said:


> Strollers were  why we didn’t go to Disney until my kids were like 5&7. I was not messing with that. Tho in hindsight, they may have been far less whiny if we’d have rented one, but knowing them , they’d have found something else to whine about
> 
> I’m always a bit surprised at how much stuff people seem to think they need for a day at the park. Even with my kids, I just have a Vera Bradley sling bag and thats been enough. And I don’t trust other person enough to leave a stroller full of stuff unattended.
> 
> I’m taking bribery to a whole new level for this trip. My 8 yr old is tall enough for all the coasters except maybe the 1. At home he’s just at 54 in so whichever one that is, he might not measure enough there. My 10 yr old is plenty tall enough but a huge chicken when it comes to coasters. So I offered them $100 each if they’d ride all the rides they were tall enough for. I know the oldest would love them if he’d just ride them once. He was the same way with Everest at Disney. Scared to death but once he rode it once it’s now his favorite.



I swear we saw one guy few years ago with a rucksack on his back and he could have gone hiking in the Himalayas with it……mahoosive!

Bribery is good…….it works wonders lol……I hope they do ride as much as they can.


----------



## schumigirl

erinch said:


> My hubby is a coaster chicken.I wonder if I offered him $100 it would do the trick? Life has gotten better since smarTphones, so he has something to occupy him while I ride all the things.



lol……yes, bribery works with husbands too…….sometimes……

Yes, having phones to pass the time certainly helps!


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> HP area tends to really bottleneck on busier days.  I’m of the mind there is a certain subset of people who use strollers as combo cow-catchers/battering rams.  worst tends to be during food & wind in Epcot, lost track of how many times I’ve had my ankles nipped there.  There should be DUIs
> 
> 
> A pox upon them and their housejk, sorta



Agree……and the speed of some of those electric scooter/wheelchairs……holy moly!! They won’t slow down for anyone!

lol…….Yes, some folks always seem to like to tell us we’re going to get rain while we’re here…….who looks at weather for somewhere else when you’re not there?? Another gloriously hot and sunny ahead for us again…..


----------



## schumigirl

Pumpkin1172 said:


> It's wonderful your having a grand time!!!  And that the weather has been amazing.  I know you will soak it all in.
> 
> I am going to go out on a limb and say it is more of the "Disney" peeps who are vowing now to give the mousehouse their money.
> We had seen a fair number of strollers there when we were there.
> 
> Can't wait to hear more!!!  Enjoy all the moments!



Thanks pumpkin…..we are soaking in everything! Well, apart from this morning when we’re doing laundry!

Yes, lots of Disney/Mickey outfits around the parks this time around…..more than we’ve ever seen before.


----------



## schumigirl

dez1978 said:


> I’ve offered DH things way more fun than $ and even for that he says no


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

Welcome back!!!! I can't believe you've been here a week already and I totally missed it!!!   

I hope you had an amazing Mother's Day yesterday!!! 

And there's sooooo many strollers at Universal because Disney has upset so many families, that they are going to Universal instead...


----------



## BroadwayHermione5

Hope you had a lovely Mother’s Day Brunch!


----------



## margareton27

Disney changed their stroller rules to get rid of the wagons. One of the last times we were there someone had decked out a wagon to make Cinderella’s coach!

And those scooters - I always say, watch out grandma’s on the loose. They will take you out in a heartbeat! After having talked about them for years my daughter refused to be a ‘scooter person’ when she broke her ankle.

Enjoy the heat!


----------



## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> Welcome back!!!! I can't believe you've been here a week already and I totally missed it!!!
> 
> I hope you had an amazing Mother's Day yesterday!!!
> 
> And there's sooooo many strollers at Universal because Disney has upset so many families, that they are going to Universal instead...



Yep…..we’ve been here a week now and loving every second.

My second Mother’s Day of the year was wonderful thanks, nice brunch and relaxing day all round.

Oh goodness yes, it’s as if Disney doesn’t want folks there anymore, sadly they’re all headed to Universal with their giant double strollers and wagons!

Hope you’re doing ok……..


----------



## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> Hope you had a lovely Mother’s Day Brunch!



We did thank you.

Amatista do a wonderful job with their buffets.


----------



## schumigirl

margareton27 said:


> Disney changed their stroller rules to get rid of the wagons. One of the last times we were there someone had decked out a wagon to make Cinderella’s coach!
> 
> And those scooters - I always say, watch out grandma’s on the loose. They will take you out in a heartbeat! After having talked about them for years my daughter refused to be a ‘stroller person’ when she broke her ankle.
> 
> Enjoy the heat!



I would ban them too. They are ridiculous and completely unnecessary for a day at a theme park! Several don’t even have kids in them, just full of stuff……..

And yes, scooters aren’t much better.

Loving the heat thanks……..


----------



## luvpoohandcompany

Sounds like you’re loving life and enjoying your trip. Jealous of your gorgeous sunny weather as I look out my window at another drizzley mizzley Irish morning and get ready to do the school run. I’d much rather be where you are lol. Glad you had a great 2nd Mother’s Day of the year. Wonder if I could convince my lot that I need to experience that next year . A girl can dream, right!


----------



## luvpoohandcompany

oops double post


----------



## keishashadow

margareton27 said:


> someone had decked out a wagon to make Cinderella’s coach!


Before WDW cracked down on the permissible size of strollers, there was a company that rented out a huge, light up cinderella pumpkin coach monstrosities For their little princesses to swelter inside In style.


----------



## schumigirl

luvpoohandcompany said:


> Sounds like you’re loving life and enjoying your trip. Jealous of your gorgeous sunny weather as I look out my window at another drizzley mizzley Irish morning and get ready to do the school run. I’d much rather be where you are lol. Glad you had a great 2nd Mother’s Day of the year. Wonder if I could convince my lot that I need to experience that next year . A girl can dream, right!



lol……I know exactly the kind of weather you mean! I think we experienced that a lot in Scotland and England too…….horrible weather, yes, it is a million times better here……..

We are just so happy to be here, so we are making the most of every moment……even if that is a nap right now…….lol…….my hayfever is playing up for the first time over here, so didn’t sleep great last night, need a top up today.

Oh yep……two Mother’s Days are well deserved……..


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Before WDW cracked down on the permissible size of strollers, there was a company that rented out a huge, light up cinderella pumpkin coach monstrosities For their little princesses to swelter inside In style.



I’ve seen them……hideous things!

I wish universal would ban those wagon things…….and massive double strollers too……heck let’s just ban all strollers……..lol…….can you imagine!!!


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> heck let’s just ban all strollers……..lol…….can you imagine!!!


Tongue firmly in cheek, that could be a double edged sword.  

Only thing I can imagine possibly clogging up the pedestrian flow worse than the strollers would be thousands of tots loose in the parks


----------



## margareton27

keishashadow said:


> Before WDW cracked down on the permissible size of strollers, there was a company that rented out a huge, light up cinderella pumpkin coach monstrosities For their little princesses to swelter inside In style.


I didn’t realize it was a company renting them. It wasn’t that well done


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Tongue firmly in cheek, that could be a double edged sword.
> View attachment 668364
> Only thing I can imagine possibly clogging up the pedestrian flow worse than the strollers would be thousands of tots loose in the parks



Heck, let’s just go the whole hog and ban toddlers too ……unless they’re related to us or……..well……can’t think of another reason to have them…..Yep, let’s ban em…..I know lots of TM who’d agree…..lol……


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> Yep, let’s ban em…..I know lots of TM who’d agree…..lo


 I’d settle for a couple of late, adult only hours once a week


----------



## dez1978

keishashadow said:


> Tongue firmly in cheek, that could be a double edged sword.
> View attachment 668364
> Only thing I can imagine possibly clogging up the pedestrian flow worse than the strollers would be thousands of tots loose in the parks


Then we'd just get clotheslined with the toddler leashes as they dart out in front of you lol


----------



## dez1978

schumigirl said:


> Heck, let’s just go the whole hog and ban toddlers too ……unless they’re related to us or……..well……can’t think of another reason to have them…..Yep, let’s ban em…..I know lots of TM who’d agree…..lol……


Can we ban all kids under like, 5? Including my own

I kid... Mostly


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> I’d settle for a couple of late, adult only hours once a week



That would work…….wouldn’t that be fabulous! Maybe 3 or 4 nights a week……


----------



## keishashadow

So, what did we do exciting today?


----------



## schumigirl

dez1978 said:


> Then we'd just get clotheslined with the toddler leashes as they dart out in front of you lol





dez1978 said:


> Can we ban all kids under like, 5? Including my own
> 
> I kid... Mostly



We saw something like that on Monday……toddler leash caught another toddler on the run…….sad to say we laughed as it was so funny!

We could try for sure……….lol……..I’d still go for under 25 cause I’m turning grumpy……..lol…..


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> So, what did we do exciting today?



We visited the Monsters store……shopped in the Mall……met a friend for coffee…….met a new friend in the Club Lounge and enjoyed a new restaurant for dinner……..now enjoying a new bottle of wine in our room……exciting enough for us! 

What about you?


----------



## keishashadow

Same old, same old .  Sounds like a very enjoyable day For you!  

I’m sure you’ll address it here but, did you enjoy ’the new’ monster’s store?


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Same old, same old .  Sounds like a very enjoyable day For you!
> 
> I’m sure you’ll address it here but, did you enjoy ’the new’ monster’s store?



Yep, another day in paradise…….

We liked it, it’s small, but cute……got some nice pictures anyway, you know us…..lol


----------



## KathyM2

schumigirl said:


> I think University really brings them on and makes them grow up more, but I`m glad he has settled and enjoys it. Boston looks to be a beautiful city and it must gladden your hear to see him happy. Yes, big relief.
> 
> Oh yes, I do laundry a few times on our trips, not fun but essential......I do bring more than I need, but......i`m a girl.....lol......
> 
> That`s the reason I do not pack early.....i`d have to repack......
> 
> Good to see you.....


Yesss university really does help them grow up...baby steps still but getting there lol. Boston is indeed lovely and I'm glad to be getting to see more now than just the touristy sights. I am trying to make a point of seeing something new every time I go there! 

Yeah...laundry on vacay I guess with the length of your trips is a must lol..

I saw a pic on FB of you with @Raeven !! That must have been so much fun!!


----------



## schumigirl

KathyM2 said:


> Yesss university really does help them grow up...baby steps still but getting there lol. Boston is indeed lovely and I'm glad to be getting to see more now than just the touristy sights. I am trying to make a point of seeing something new every time I go there!
> 
> Yeah...laundry on vacay I guess with the length of your trips is a must lol..
> 
> I saw a pic on FB of you with @Raeven !! That must have been so much fun!!



Hey Kathy……I can imagine there is so much to see every time you visit, looks such a beautiful place.

It’s funny, I never mind doing laundry, we have so much time an hour or so isn’t a big deal to do, and we never mind some down time.

Yes, it was lovely meeting Raeven, she is as delightful in real life as she is on the boards…..and yes, Josh is just as cool as he seems!


----------



## dez1978

We will be there Sunday!!! We fly out Saturday afternoon.  Any tips on how to ride Hagrid or when is the best time?  We have all day Sunday, Monday and part of the day Tuesday morning.  I'll make sure to keep an eye out for you @schumigirl


----------



## macraven

Hope you are able to meet up with Schumi!


----------



## schumigirl

dez1978 said:


> We will be there Sunday!!! We fly out Saturday afternoon.  Any tips on how to ride Hagrid or when is the best time?  We have all day Sunday, Monday and part of the day Tuesday morning.  I'll make sure to keep an eye out for you @schumigirl



We haven’t even tried to do Hagrid's yet, we ended up doing it as the ride reopened one day, complete fluke. So, I’ve no advice as we don‘t look to line up for it.

We should be in the parks at some point Monday and Tuesday…..if you see us, give us a holler………


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> Hope you are able to meet up with Schumi!



Always nice to catch up with most folks


----------



## JoyW

Just found this report-thanks for all the great off site reviews in your pretrip posts! Some really helpful info there for us.


----------



## schumigirl

JoyW said:


> Just found this report-thanks for all the great off site reviews in your pretrip posts! Some really helpful info there for us.



 along JoyW……..

Glad you joined in……..and glad you found some info helpful…….

Hope you enjoy the rest of it………


----------



## schumigirl

Well, finally sitting at the gate after the most amazing trip.

Did we do much? Probably not as much as we planned to, not sure how the TR will unfold……but we had an absolute blast doing nothing some days. Weather was beyond glorious……no nasty rain to disturb our days, only a few spectacular storms which we love. 

Flight is showing on time and hopefully it’ll be just over 8 hours if we have a good Gulf Stream behind us.

Thanks again for all the lovely pm’s and messages, I’m sorry we couldn’t meet up with some of you who asked.

Catch up when we are back home…….


----------



## I-4Bound

Safe travels home! Really looking forward to hearing all about your fantastic trip!


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> Did we do much? Probably not as much as we planned to


In my book, there is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying a relaxing trip & going with the flow!

May the wind be at your back!


----------



## jump00

Welcome home!  Can’t wait to hear all about your trip …….even doing nothing ( in Florida ) sounds wonderful 
Brenda


----------



## BroadwayHermione5

schumigirl said:


> Well, finally sitting at the gate after the most amazing trip.
> 
> Did we do much? Probably not as much as we planned to, not sure how the TR will unfold……but we had an absolute blast doing nothing some days. Weather was beyond glorious……no nasty rain to disturb our days, only a few spectacular storms which we love.
> 
> Flight is showing on time and hopefully it’ll be just over 8 hours if we have a good Gulf Stream behind us.
> 
> Thanks again for all the lovely pm’s and messages, I’m sorry we couldn’t meet up with some of you who asked.
> 
> Catch up when we are back home…….


Safe travels home!


----------



## schumigirl

I-4Bound said:


> Safe travels home! Really looking forward to hearing all about your fantastic trip!



Thanks Andrea……we did have a good journey home and I did take notes every day, even on the days we didn’t do much at all!

Hope you’re doing ok…..


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> In my book, there is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying a relaxing trip & going with the flow!
> 
> May the wind be at your back!



lol……from your lips to God’s ears…….we did have a good tail wind, albeit that involved what seemed like a “huge” drop in an air pocket we had never experienced before! Apparently we didn’t drop that far……I don’t believe them…….lol

But yes, it was a very relaxing trip and we loved every second


----------



## schumigirl

jump00 said:


> Welcome home!  Can’t wait to hear all about your trip …….even doing nothing ( in Florida ) sounds wonderful
> Brenda



Thanks Brenda……it really was wonderful, couldn’t believe when we realised we only had a day or so left. But we never felt it flew past, felt so relaxing!


----------



## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> Safe travels home!



Thanks so much……it was a good journey and now…..laundry lol……


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> albeit that involved what seemed like a “huge” drop in an air pocket we had never experienced before! Apparently we didn’t drop that far……I don’t believe them…….lol


Oh my…long as you weren’t holding a glass of bubbly lol. 

Seriously, I’d probably have died on the spot yikes


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Oh my…long as you weren’t holding a glass of bubbly lol.
> 
> Seriously, I’d probably have died on the spot yikes



lol……no thankfully, no sparkly was wasted!  I had been asleep as turbulence was bad…..I do enjoy snoozing through that, so the drop woke me up quite alarmingly……scared the living daylights out of everyone.

Some guy who claimed to be an ex pilot and was an “expert” said it was only about a hundred foot drop…he may have been right of course, it just felt worse.


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> an “expert” said it was only about a hundred foot drop…he may have been right of course, it just felt worse.


My stomach just flopped reading this out of sympathy.  

Nothing like an ‘expert’ mansplaining things after a rather traumatic experience to make an unfortunate experience sting worse.

I was musing if it would be even worse if you happened to be dozing when it happened.  Can’t imagine being startled out of a nice, restful snooze that way!


----------



## Deb1993

schumigirl said:


> I have been slightly missing…….but having so much fun!
> 
> It is blazingly hot right now, but will cool a little next week I’m told……and there’s always some doom and gloom sayer who wishes rain on us while we’re here……lol……haven’t seen a drop yet so it has been perfect for us. Maybe yesterday was a little too hot…….maybe……but as I’m not allowed to say those immortal words, I declared I was loving this intense and meltingly hot heat with a slight grimace………lol……he knew what I meant.
> 
> Parks were busy yesterday, but lines weren’t too bad considering. And it wasn’t too bad in Hogsmeade, just busier than we’re used to……biggest complaint is so many strollers…..huge strollers, pull along cart type strollers, people who can’t drive strollers, strollers parked everywhere with enough “stuff“ to go camping for a week on them…….you get the idea…….it reminded me of the good old days in Disney which was always stroller city.
> 
> I will pop back and forward as it gets nearer your trip and let you know what the parks are like, but they’re ok right now……apart from maybe the odd stroller or two…….


Ugh - not the stroller people!!!!!


----------



## Deb1993

keishashadow said:


> My stomach just flopped reading this out of sympathy.
> 
> Nothing like an ‘expert’ mansplaining things after a rather traumatic experience to make an unfortunate experience sting worse.
> 
> I was musing if it would be even worse if you happened to be dozing when it happened.  Can’t imagine being startled out of a nice, restful snooze that way!


Happened to us in 2000 a flight back from Portland to NY.  I loved flying, was in a fully reclined seat into a bed, buckled, and was napping.  Felt like we fell out of the air.  Brought the seat back up and proceeded to bite every nail off.


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Welcome Home, so glad you traveled safe and are catching up on everything! 
Long weekend for us means I can finally get back to reading along, can't wait to hear about all the fun you had after we left


----------



## Deb1993

I love reading Schumi's trip reports - can't wait to get my coffee and sit down to another one!!!


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> My stomach just flopped reading this out of sympathy.
> 
> Nothing like an ‘expert’ mansplaining things after a rather traumatic experience to make an unfortunate experience sting worse.
> 
> I was musing if it would be even worse if you happened to be dozing when it happened.  Can’t imagine being startled out of a nice, restful snooze that way!



It was fun looking back......

As soon as it happened they told CC to take their seats, think it may have been very unexpected. We always wear our seatbelts when we are sitting or sleeping, but glad I wasn`t on the way to the bathroom or just for a wander. Lights were out too at that point. 

I do enjoy sleeping through turbulence I have to say......apparently I`m odd like that.....


----------



## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> Ugh - not the stroller people!!!!!



They were out in droves!! Never seen so many before.....and as for those wagons......very few with kids actually in them, but all laden with stuff!! 





Deb1993 said:


> Happened to us in 2000 a flight back from Portland to NY.  I loved flying, was in a fully reclined seat into a bed, buckled, and was napping.  Felt like we fell out of the air.  Brought the seat back up and proceeded to bite every nail off.



lol.....I can imagine. I have to admit I did get straight to sleep after that, turbulence is like being rocked to sleep........


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Welcome Home, so glad you traveled safe and are catching up on everything!
> Long weekend for us means I can finally get back to reading along, can't wait to hear about all the fun you had after we left



Thanks Maria......it was a good journey home to be honest. 

And yay for your long weekend......hope you have some nice plans ahead for the weekend. 

We started uploading the pictures tonight, not as many as before but still enough!!


----------



## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> I love reading Schumi's trip reports - can't wait to get my coffee and sit down to another one!!!



Thank you so much Deb....that`s kind of you to say....


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> I do enjoy sleeping through turbulence I have to say......apparently I`m odd like that.....


we’ll call it your superpower!


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> we’ll call it your superpower!



I`ll take that!! Have to have something to brag about......that`ll work


----------



## schumigirl

Cara said:


> This may be the last time I check in here before you leave, so have a FABULOUS trip, Carole! I can't wait to read all about it and get many tips for our trip to Universal in November.
> 
> We're leaving in 11 days for our long-awaited 30th anniversary/kicked cancer's butt trip to Hawaii!



Cara......I`m finally getting round to catching up with everyone. I hope you had an amazing trip.....looking forward to hearing it was marvellous and you had an absolute blast!!


----------



## Cara

schumigirl said:


> Cara......I`m finally getting round to catching up with everyone. I hope you had an amazing trip.....looking forward to hearing it was marvellous and you had an absolute blast!!


Carole, we had a FABULOUS trip! At the beginning of our trip, we spent five nights at the Westin Moana Surfrider in Waikiki -- highly recommend! It was only a five-hour time difference, but the time change kicked my butt the first few days. I could not sleep well for the first few nights and was awake far earlier than I wanted to be on my vacation! During this time we ate and shopped, played in the ocean, visited Pearl Harbor, toured both the North Shore and the East side lookouts, visited Iolani Palace and snorkeled with turtles. We also had plenty of down time for relaxing and just doing nothing! Had a negative proctored Covid test, which was a huge relief!

Then we boarded the seven-night cruise. We had placed a bid for a penthouse suite on the Norwegian Pride of America (honestly, didn't bid much more than the minimum), and we found out three days before sailing that our bid was accepted! Honestly, this made our trip, with the addition of the specialty dining restaurant for breakfast and lunch, a butler, a concierge and a lovely large balcony!

I don't know how much you know about Hawaii, but during our two days on Maui we did a halfway to Hana tour with a private guide and visited Haleakala National Park. We also had two nights on the Big Island -- one of the Hilo side and one on the Kona side. During this time, we did a small group tour of Volcanoes National Park and a historic tour of Kona. On our first day on Kauai, we did a cruise ship excursion that was an island tour and a luau. It was overcast, so a couple of the views weren't that great, and it was a BIG group. Still, I think everyone should do a luau at least once, and now I've done it! On our second day in Kauai, we had planned a private Cessna plane tour of the beautiful Na Pali coast, but our plane had engine trouble before we arrived, and we were unable to book a replacement on late notice. We had also arranged a private dinner on our balcony to view the Na Pali coast from the ship, but it was cloudy! So Kauai was a bit of a disappointment, but I can't complain too much when the rest of the cruise was so lovely.

The ship was sailing at 40% capacity, and I think the crew is at somewhere between 30-40% of normal. They're a U.S. flagged ship, and the vast majority of their crew must be U.S. citizens. Like many service industries, they're having a very hard time recruiting and keeping staff. We LOVED the small crowd, and we found our service to be exemplary, but I'm sure that was impacted by the wonderful staff who cared for suite guests. I didn't care one whit that there was little nighttime entertainment, and fewer bars open in the evening, though I've seen my fair share of complaining online. I didn't want to visit most of those places much after dinner anyway! As I was waiting in line at guest services to leave an additional gratuity for our butler and steward, I witnessed another guest simply railing at a poor worker. It made me so uncomfortable, embarrassed and sad for the worker. These folks work 12+ hour days, and I never encountered one person who failed to smile back at me and give me the best service possible. I went in to it with fairly moderate expectations, and those expectations were met and exceeded. I don't know when people get the idea that they can treat people with such disrespect and downright meanness. 

After we left the ship, we stayed at Disney Aulani for two nights, during which time we did absolutely nothing except play in the water, lie in the sun, read, rest and eat. We had a good time, and Aulani is beautiful, but I found it to be very, very crowded. Of course, it was the weekend, and I hear it's much busier then. And I arrived home with cold-like symptoms, took a Covid test as a precaution and learned I was POSITIVE. Ugh! Luckily, I have had two vaccines and two boosters, so I had a very mild case.

All in all, it was a trip of a lifetime for us! I found myself smiling the entire time, as I never thought I would make it to Hawaii. My grandfather was a Pearl Harbor survivor, and I grew up hearing all about Hawaii, as my grandparents returned several times for reunions. I would love to return one day, but my bucket list is long, my budget is not unlimited and I am not as young as I used to be.

I'm now planning a short Disneyland trip for later this month as I accompany my husband on a conference trip. And our Disney/Universal trip for November!

I'm so glad to hear you had a great trip, and I can't wait to read all about it! I will be taking notes, as I plan for our Universal days to be much more relaxed than the Disney days we have with our grandson (and his parents!).


----------



## margareton27

Sounds like your Hawaii trip was a hit! Sorry to hear you picked up Covid but glad it seems to be a mild case. Thanks for all of the details - and those move up bids are great right now. Congratulations on getting the penthouse


----------



## schumigirl

Cara said:


> Carole, we had a FABULOUS trip! At the beginning of our trip, we spent five nights at the Westin Moana Surfrider in Waikiki -- highly recommend! It was only a five-hour time difference, but the time change kicked my butt the first few days. I could not sleep well for the first few nights and was awake far earlier than I wanted to be on my vacation! During this time we ate and shopped, played in the ocean, visited Pearl Harbor, toured both the North Shore and the East side lookouts, visited Iolani Palace and snorkeled with turtles. We also had plenty of down time for relaxing and just doing nothing! Had a negative proctored Covid test, which was a huge relief!
> 
> Then we boarded the seven-night cruise. We had placed a bid for a penthouse suite on the Norwegian Pride of America (honestly, didn't bid much more than the minimum), and we found out three days before sailing that our bid was accepted! Honestly, this made our trip, with the addition of the specialty dining restaurant for breakfast and lunch, a butler, a concierge and a lovely large balcony!
> 
> I don't know how much you know about Hawaii, but during our two days on Maui we did a halfway to Hana tour with a private guide and visited Haleakala National Park. We also had two nights on the Big Island -- one of the Hilo side and one on the Kona side. During this time, we did a small group tour of Volcanoes National Park and a historic tour of Kona. On our first day on Kauai, we did a cruise ship excursion that was an island tour and a luau. It was overcast, so a couple of the views weren't that great, and it was a BIG group. Still, I think everyone should do a luau at least once, and now I've done it! On our second day in Kauai, we had planned a private Cessna plane tour of the beautiful Na Pali coast, but our plane had engine trouble before we arrived, and we were unable to book a replacement on late notice. We had also arranged a private dinner on our balcony to view the Na Pali coast from the ship, but it was cloudy! So Kauai was a bit of a disappointment, but I can't complain too much when the rest of the cruise was so lovely.
> 
> The ship was sailing at 40% capacity, and I think the crew is at somewhere between 30-40% of normal. They're a U.S. flagged ship, and the vast majority of their crew must be U.S. citizens. Like many service industries, they're having a very hard time recruiting and keeping staff. We LOVED the small crowd, and we found our service to be exemplary, but I'm sure that was impacted by the wonderful staff who cared for suite guests. I didn't care one whit that there was little nighttime entertainment, and fewer bars open in the evening, though I've seen my fair share of complaining online. I didn't want to visit most of those places much after dinner anyway! As I was waiting in line at guest services to leave an additional gratuity for our butler and steward, I witnessed another guest simply railing at a poor worker. It made me so uncomfortable, embarrassed and sad for the worker. These folks work 12+ hour days, and I never encountered one person who failed to smile back at me and give me the best service possible. I went in to it with fairly moderate expectations, and those expectations were met and exceeded. I don't know when people get the idea that they can treat people with such disrespect and downright meanness.
> 
> After we left the ship, we stayed at Disney Aulani for two nights, during which time we did absolutely nothing except play in the water, lie in the sun, read, rest and eat. We had a good time, and Aulani is beautiful, but I found it to be very, very crowded. Of course, it was the weekend, and I hear it's much busier then. And I arrived home with cold-like symptoms, took a Covid test as a precaution and learned I was POSITIVE. Ugh! Luckily, I have had two vaccines and two boosters, so I had a very mild case.
> 
> All in all, it was a trip of a lifetime for us! I found myself smiling the entire time, as I never thought I would make it to Hawaii. My grandfather was a Pearl Harbor survivor, and I grew up hearing all about Hawaii, as my grandparents returned several times for reunions. I would love to return one day, but my bucket list is long, my budget is not unlimited and I am not as young as I used to be.
> 
> I'm now planning a short Disneyland trip for later this month as I accompany my husband on a conference trip. And our Disney/Universal trip for November!
> 
> I'm so glad to hear you had a great trip, and I can't wait to read all about it! I will be taking notes, as I plan for our Universal days to be much more relaxed than the Disney days we have with our grandson (and his parents!).



Cara, that is wonderful news! 

It sounds completely fabulous and the penthouse suite sounds amazing, and you certainly deserve it. Sounds like the cruise was exceptional and you had some lovely people looking after you. I`m sure they appreciated your kindness in among all those grouchy folks complaining and being awful.....yes, how the staff do it amazes me sometimes when folks are less than kind to them when they work so hard to take care of us and make sure we all have wonderful trips. 

I know little of Hawaii except what I`ve heard from friends who all love the place. And of course Pearl Harbour is something we`re all taught in school, it must have been quite emotional to see that with your grandfathers history. How lovely your grandparents were able to return several times. 

It does sound like the trip of a lifetime, and I`m so glad it was everything you expected it to be. And returning testing positive with Covid.....well, I`m glad you have had your vaccinations and boosters or it could have been worse. Many who return from a trip with covid are saying the same thing, their experience has been mild thankfully. 

Thank you for sharing your trip with us, and after the last couple of years, it sounds like just what the doctor ordered!!!! 

And exciting you have your Orlando trip with your grandson to look forward to....and parents too of course.......lol.......

Glad to hear it went so well though


----------



## schumigirl

​
*Well. *

*We`re back and finally over the lousy jetlag......although not a complaint as we are just glad to be travelling as normal again, so we`ll take the jetlag and go with it. So, here goes........I hope anyone reading this one enjoys it!!! *





*BRIEF EXTRA PRE-TRIP



The lead up to our trip had been a mix of good and some not so good stuff. We had to head up to Scotland on rather short notice for a family member who had taken ill rather suddenly. All worked out well and we did have a good giggle later when we had driven all day up to Scotland, stopped into the hospital for visiting then checked into the hotel only to realise that among the bags we had brought from home.....my mini suitcase with all my clothes in was still sitting back home on the bed!!! Yup.....no spare clothes whatsoever.......well, you have to laugh!!! *

*So, after we went out for dinner, we stopped off in a large supermarket that sells clothes and stocked up for the next few days with everything I`d need.......you couldn`t make it up, but we managed and had a good old laugh about it. *

*While we were in Scotland, Kyle got an email from a firm of Financial Advisors asking if he wanted to come in for a chat about a position with them which was very exciting for him. He had been looking to change firms and was over the moon with this opportunity. Kyle actually has a First Class Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering, but had ventured into the world of finance when he left university which many do with that kind of degree. So this would be another wonderful career move for him. *

*Long story short, we found out in April he had the position with this firm and he worked his months notice and left his old job on the Friday and started the new one on the Monday. He`s into his second week now and is positively loving this new move. 

So, although we knew deep down he would get the position with this firm, or certainly hoped, it was still quite nerve wracking until it was confirmed officially......and add that into the worry of testing for the flight, it all added up to a stressful time all round. And all worked out wonderfully I`m happy to say!! *

*Which leads us to the all important travel day........*





*SUNDAY MAY 1ST*​



*No, we didn`t sleep well last night at all. We had enjoyed a lovely bottle of wine while watching the PotC movies which we had done over the last couple of nights.....our little way of supporting Johnny Depp...... and hoped we`d sleep well....but of course excitement kicks in and I think we saw every single hour on the clock, nothing new there of course. *

*I think we were really stressed about having to do the Antigen tests for travel tomorrow too. This could be a disaster if they didn`t show a good result!! America is one of the few countries that still demand we test before flying into the country, but we do as we are told. *

*Finally got up at 6 and jumped in the shower, then headed downstairs as I was like the preverbial excited Duracell bunny. It was finally here. Tom got up not long after me and we both said goodbye to Kyle who was heading out with his running club. He had said he`d give it a miss and wait till we left, but no need. I think it`s easier us waving him off, as us leaving while he is home. We`d chat plenty on Skype and he has a lovely social life to keep him busy and of course had his new job to look forward to. Once we waved him off which always brings a small tear to my eye, we finished off last minute packing and tidied up our breakfast things and waited for our car service to come. *

*She arrived right on time and we set off for the journey up to the airport and we both actually fell asleep in the car on the way there and woke up about 15 minutes from Manchester Airport. Never done that before........*

*We got into the hotel and went straight to check in although we were far too early and knew the room wouldn`t be ready, but we wanted to hand over our luggage while we went down to the Terminal to do the fit to fly test we had to face. My stress levels at this point were through the roof and thought I was going to be ill a couple of times despite Tom assuring me it would be fine and we`d be ok. I was personally terrified. 

Once luggage was dropped off with Bell Services, we were still too early for our appointment, but we wandered down to see if they could take us early, the Terminal is a 5 minute stroll away.....the place was deserted so there were no problems and we both had our samples taken and told we`d get the results within the hour. 

Wandered back up and went into the hotel bar that had reopened for lunches, and we both looked at each other and our phones waiting for those all important emails that would decide if we travelled tomorrow or not. We both laughed as we grabbed our phones for each notification, and then we each got the emails with the results we wanted, finally............both negative. We would be flying tomorrow.....*












*We had only waited about 20 minutes, but it seemed like hours!! First thing I did was let Kyle know and my mum who I knew would be wondering too....Kyle was over the moon as he knew how worried we`d been. Then sent an email to mac, Janet and Maria who had all listened to my worries leading up to and to our friend at the hotel to let him know we`d be ok to travel too. *

*We ordered a pizza to share, but despite it being many hours since we had eaten breakfast, neither of us were very hungry......I thought we`d be ravenous but we picked at it when it did arrive and we didn`t order our usual bottle of fizz to celebrate the start of the trip!! *

*For some reason they brought us two portion of fries which we hadn`t asked for, and they were mostly untouched. Our tummies just weren`t settled yet. *














*We paid and headed to reception to see if a room was available and luckily it was, so we retrieved our luggage and headed up to get settled in. 

Rooms are the same as always.......and always immaculately clean which we do appreciate and the bed is a decent size and usually very comfortable. *

























*We hadn`t asked for a runway view this time, we said we`d take the first room available as we were so early, and we had a view of the City in the distance and part of the Skywalk down to T2. We`d have a view of the runway from the lounge, although I do appreciate an airport is not the most scenic of places, we do like it however. 

The Executive rooms are all on the top floor with the lounge, it used to have it`s own dedicated check in desk, but staff shortages as they are, you just check in at the regular reception desk downstairs.*



































*We almost immediately headed into the lounge to chill out the rest of the day once we had freshened up.......it is a nice space to spread out a little and I think we needed to calm our nerves that were still not completely settled at this point. *

*It is usually deserted this time of day, and today there was only one other couple in with us, and they didn`t last too long before they left, so it is very peaceful....*

*They have prepacked snacks and fruit laid out during the day along with some cookies and the usual teas, coffee, red and white wines, beer and liquor which used to be only available from 5pm, but we noticed on our last trip it is there for folks to help themselves with during the day too. *







































































































*Yes, not the most scenic of views but we do love airports and although there`s not much flight activity in the pm, we do see some movement and usually the larger Etihad and Emirates planes moving around. *















*The lady who tends to look after the lounge is lovely, her name is Marta and she has worked there for a long time. There was no bubbly out when we came in so when she came in and asked if we eneded anything we asked if it was still available and she said of course, she just hadn`t brought it out as we were the first guests of the day.........*

*And as soon as we poured the bubbly.......we did begin to relax a little after one or two of them funnily enough *

*I don`t think we fully appreciated just how much our nerves had been rattled by the worry of the testing and the relief was palpable now and we could really now begin to start to celebrate and enjoy the build up to the trip! *















*We passed the afternoon easily, ipads, chatting and there was a lovely couple who were on our flight tomorrow who we got chatting to and enjoyed their company for a while, so time passed very fast in the end. 

Just before 5pm, they put out appetisers and snack style food, it`s decent and is replenished frequently. It`s not fancy but it fills a hole. Usually we go down to the restaurant for dinner when we stay here, but tonight we didn`t feel like it, so we`d make do with the snacks.....and we had the bubbly and company up here too which was very nice. *
























*I am completely addicted olives......and these ones were very nice too. The hot options from 5pm till around 7.30 were mini steak and ale pies, mini cottage pies and either veg or chicken samosas. They`re alright, but I do like hot food sizzling hot and they are just barely warm even in the hot plates. *

*But, the other items included some continental meats, Brie (my favourite) other cheeses, fruit and of course the lovely olives. *


























*So, that along with the bubbly and chatting to the couple who were on our flight tomorrow, we had a lovely relaxing evening sharing stories and worries about testing and flying, we were all in the same boat.

We headed to our room around 8pm and switched on the tv and watched some nonsense and made a cup of tea......I have no clue what we watched but we did a Skype with Kyle before we settled down to hopefully having a good sleep before our long flight day tomorrow. Today`s stresses had completely disappeared now. 

Now we just hoped we`d be able to sleep!!! *


----------



## BroadwayHermione5

schumigirl said:


> ​
> *Well. *
> 
> *We`re back and finally over the lousy jetlag......although not a complaint as we are just glad to be travelling as normal again, so we`ll take the jetlag and go with it. So, here goes........I hope anyone reading this one enjoys it!!! *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *BRIEF EXTRA PRE-TRIP
> 
> 
> 
> The lead up to our trip had been a mix of good and some not so good stuff. We had to head up to Scotland on rather short notice for a family member who had taken ill rather suddenly. All worked out well and we did have a good giggle later when we had driven all day up to Scotland, stopped into the hospital for visiting then checked into the hotel only to realise that among the bags we had brought from home.....my mini suitcase with all my clothes in was still sitting back home on the bed!!! Yup.....no spare clothes whatsoever.......well, you have to laugh!!! *
> 
> *So, after we went out for dinner, we stopped off in a large supermarket that sells clothes and stocked up for the next few days with everything I`d need.......you couldn`t make it up, but we managed and had a good old laugh about it. *
> 
> *While we were in Scotland, Kyle got an email from a firm of Financial Advisors asking if he wanted to come in for a chat about a position with them which was very exciting for him. He had been looking to change firms and was over the moon with this opportunity. Kyle actually has a First Class Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering, but had ventured into the world of finance when he left university which many do with that kind of degree. So this would be another wonderful career move for him. *
> 
> *Long story short, we found out in April he had the position with this firm and he worked his months notice and left his old job on the Friday and started the new one on the Monday. He`s into his second week now and is positively loving this new move.
> 
> So, although we knew deep down he would get the position with this firm, or certainly hoped, it was still quite nerve wracking until it was confirmed officially......and add that into the worry of testing for the flight, it all added up to a stressful time all round. And all worked out wonderfully I`m happy to say!! *
> 
> *Which leads us to the all important travel day........*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *SUNDAY MAY 1ST*​
> 
> 
> 
> *No, we didn`t sleep well last night at all. We had enjoyed a lovely bottle of wine and hoped we`d sleep well....but of course excitement kicks in and I think we saw every single hour on the clock, nothing new there of course. *
> 
> *I think we were really stressed about having to do the Antigen tests for travel tomorrow too. This could be a disaster if they didn`t show a good result!! America is one of the few countries that still demand we test before flying into the country, but we do as we are told. *
> 
> *Finally got up at 6 and jumped in the shower, then headed downstairs as I was like the preverbial excited Duracell bunny. It was finally here. Tom got up not long after me and we both said goodbye to Kyle who was heading out with his running club. He had said he`d give it a miss and wait till we left, but no need. I think it`s easier us waving him off, as us leaving while he is home. We`d chat plenty on Skype and he has a lovely social life to keep him busy and of course had his new job to look forward to. Once we waved him off which always brings a small tear to my eye, we finished off last minute packing and tidied up our breakfast things and waited for our car service to come. *
> 
> *She arrived right on time and we set off for the journey up to the airport and we both actually fell asleep in the car on the way there and woke up about 15 minutes from Manchester Airport. Never done that before........*
> 
> *We got into the hotel and went straight to check in although we were far too early and knew the room wouldn`t be ready, but we wanted to hand over our luggage while we went down to the Terminal to do the fit to fly test we had to face. My stress levels at this point were through the roof and thought I was going to be ill a couple of times despite Tom assuring me it would be fine and we`d be ok. I was personally terrified.
> 
> Once luggage was dropped off with Bell Services, we were still too early for our appointment, but we wandered down to see if they could take us early, the Terminal is a 5 minute stroll away.....the place was deserted so there were no problems and we both had our samples taken and told we`d get the results within the hour.
> 
> Wandered back up and went into the hotel bar that had reopened for lunches, and we both looked at each other and our phones waiting for those all important emails that would decide if we travelled tomorrow or not. We both laughed as we grabbed our phones for each notification, and then we each got the emails with the results we wanted, finally............both negative. We would be flying tomorrow.....*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *We had only waited about 20 minutes, but it seemed like hours!! First thing I did was let Kyle know and my mum who I knew would be wondering too....Kyle was over the moon as he knew how worried we`d been. Then sent an email to mac, Janet and Maria who had all listened to my worries leading up to and to our friend at the hotel to let him know we`d be ok to travel too. *
> 
> *We ordered a pizza to share, but despite it being many hours since we had eaten breakfast, neither of us were very hungry......I thought we`d be ravenous but we picked at it when it did arrive and we didn`t order our usual bottle of fizz to celebrate the start of the trip!! *
> 
> *For some reason they brought us two portion of fries which we hadn`t asked for, and they were mostly untouched. Our tummies just weren`t settled yet. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *We paid and headed to reception to see if a room was available and luckily it was, so we retrieved our luggage and headed up to get settled in.
> 
> Rooms are the same as always.......and always immaculately clean which we do appreciate and the bed is a decent size and usually very comfortable. *
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> *We hadn`t asked for a runway view this time, we said we`d take the first room available as we were so early, and we had a view of the City in the distance and part of the Skywalk down to T2. We`d have a view of the runway from the lounge, although I do appreciate an airport is not the most scenic of places, we do like it however.
> 
> The Executive rooms are all on the top floor with the lounge, it used to have it`s own dedicated check in desk, but staff shortages as they are, you just check in at the regular reception desk downstairs.*
> 
> 
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> 
> *We almost immediately headed into the lounge to chill out the rest of the day once we had freshened up.......it is a nice space to spread out a little and I think we needed to calm our nerves that were still not completely settled at this point. *
> 
> *It is usually deserted this time of day, and today there was only one other couple in with us, and they didn`t last too long before they left, so it is very peaceful....*
> 
> *They have prepacked snacks and fruit laid out during the day along with some cookies and the usual teas, coffee, red and white wines, beer and liquor which used to be only available from 5pm, but we noticed on our last trip it is there for folks to help themselves with during the day too. *
> 
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> 
> *Yes, not the most scenic of views but we do love airports and although there`s not much flight activity in the pm, we do see some movement and usually the larger Etihad and Emirates planes moving around. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *The lady who tends to look after the lounge is lovely, her name is Marta and she has worked there for a long time. There was no bubbly out when we came in so when she came in and asked if we eneded anything we asked if it was still available and she said of course, she just hadn`t brought it out as we were the first guests of the day.........*
> 
> *And as soon as we poured the bubbly.......we did begin to relax a little after one or two of them funnily enough *
> 
> *I don`t think we fully appreciated just how much our nerves had been rattled by the worry of the testing and the relief was palpable now and we could really now begin to start to celebrate and enjoy the build up to the trip! *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *We passed the afternoon easily, ipads, chatting and there was a lovely couple who were on our flight tomorrow who we got chatting to and enjoyed their company for a while, so time passed very fast in the end.
> 
> Just before 5pm, they put out appetisers and snack style food, it`s decent and is replenished frequently. It`s not fancy but it fills a hole. Usually we go down to the restaurant for dinner when we stay here, but tonight we didn`t feel like it, so we`d make do with the snacks.....and we had the bubbly and company up here too which was very nice. *
> 
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> 
> *I am completely addicted olives......and these ones were very nice too. The hot options from 5pm till around 7.30 were mini steak and ale pies, mini cottage pies and either veg or chicken samosas. They`re alright, but I do like hot food sizzling hot and they are just barely warm even in the hot plates. *
> 
> *But, the other items included some continental meats, Brie (my favourite) other cheeses, fruit and of course the lovely olives. *
> 
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> 
> 
> *So, that along with the bubbly and chatting to the couple who were on our flight tomorrow, we had a lovely relaxing evening sharing stories and worries about testing and flying, we were all in the same boat.
> 
> We headed to our room around 8pm and switched on the tv and watched some nonsense and made a cup of tea......I have no clue what we watched but we did a Skype with Kyle before we settled down to hopefully having a good sleep before our long flight day tomorrow. Today`s stresses had completely disappeared now.
> 
> Now we just hoped we`d be able to sleep!!! *


IT HAS BEGUN YESSSSSS!


----------



## I-4Bound

Whew! Of course, I knew everything worked out fine, but it’s still stressful to imagine being in that position! Now we can move onto the fun!

We leave for Orlando one week from today! I am really going to miss universal, but we are doing Discovery Cove and a day at Epcot for flower and Garden festival. I told my husband I want to get back to Universal on our very next trip!


----------



## Deb1993

schumigirl said:


> They were out in droves!! Never seen so many before.....and as for those wagons......very few with kids actually in them, but all laden with stuff!!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> lol.....I can imagine. I have to admit I did get straight to sleep after that, turbulence is like being rocked to sleep........





schumigirl said:


> ​
> *Well. *
> 
> *We`re back and finally over the lousy jetlag......although not a complaint as we are just glad to be travelling as normal again, so we`ll take the jetlag and go with it. So, here goes........I hope anyone reading this one enjoys it!!! *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *BRIEF EXTRA PRE-TRIP
> 
> 
> 
> The lead up to our trip had been a mix of good and some not so good stuff. We had to head up to Scotland on rather short notice for a family member who had taken ill rather suddenly. All worked out well and we did have a good giggle later when we had driven all day up to Scotland, stopped into the hospital for visiting then checked into the hotel only to realise that among the bags we had brought from home.....my mini suitcase with all my clothes in was still sitting back home on the bed!!! Yup.....no spare clothes whatsoever.......well, you have to laugh!!! *
> 
> *So, after we went out for dinner, we stopped off in a large supermarket that sells clothes and stocked up for the next few days with everything I`d need.......you couldn`t make it up, but we managed and had a good old laugh about it. *
> 
> *While we were in Scotland, Kyle got an email from a firm of Financial Advisors asking if he wanted to come in for a chat about a position with them which was very exciting for him. He had been looking to change firms and was over the moon with this opportunity. Kyle actually has a First Class Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering, but had ventured into the world of finance when he left university which many do with that kind of degree. So this would be another wonderful career move for him. *
> 
> *Long story short, we found out in April he had the position with this firm and he worked his months notice and left his old job on the Friday and started the new one on the Monday. He`s into his second week now and is positively loving this new move.
> 
> So, although we knew deep down he would get the position with this firm, or certainly hoped, it was still quite nerve wracking until it was confirmed officially......and add that into the worry of testing for the flight, it all added up to a stressful time all round. And all worked out wonderfully I`m happy to say!! *
> 
> *Which leads us to the all important travel day........*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *SUNDAY MAY 1ST*​
> 
> 
> 
> *No, we didn`t sleep well last night at all. We had enjoyed a lovely bottle of wine and hoped we`d sleep well....but of course excitement kicks in and I think we saw every single hour on the clock, nothing new there of course. *
> 
> *I think we were really stressed about having to do the Antigen tests for travel tomorrow too. This could be a disaster if they didn`t show a good result!! America is one of the few countries that still demand we test before flying into the country, but we do as we are told. *
> 
> *Finally got up at 6 and jumped in the shower, then headed downstairs as I was like the preverbial excited Duracell bunny. It was finally here. Tom got up not long after me and we both said goodbye to Kyle who was heading out with his running club. He had said he`d give it a miss and wait till we left, but no need. I think it`s easier us waving him off, as us leaving while he is home. We`d chat plenty on Skype and he has a lovely social life to keep him busy and of course had his new job to look forward to. Once we waved him off which always brings a small tear to my eye, we finished off last minute packing and tidied up our breakfast things and waited for our car service to come. *
> 
> *She arrived right on time and we set off for the journey up to the airport and we both actually fell asleep in the car on the way there and woke up about 15 minutes from Manchester Airport. Never done that before........*
> 
> *We got into the hotel and went straight to check in although we were far too early and knew the room wouldn`t be ready, but we wanted to hand over our luggage while we went down to the Terminal to do the fit to fly test we had to face. My stress levels at this point were through the roof and thought I was going to be ill a couple of times despite Tom assuring me it would be fine and we`d be ok. I was personally terrified.
> 
> Once luggage was dropped off with Bell Services, we were still too early for our appointment, but we wandered down to see if they could take us early, the Terminal is a 5 minute stroll away.....the place was deserted so there were no problems and we both had our samples taken and told we`d get the results within the hour.
> 
> Wandered back up and went into the hotel bar that had reopened for lunches, and we both looked at each other and our phones waiting for those all important emails that would decide if we travelled tomorrow or not. We both laughed as we grabbed our phones for each notification, and then we each got the emails with the results we wanted, finally............both negative. We would be flying tomorrow.....*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *We had only waited about 20 minutes, but it seemed like hours!! First thing I did was let Kyle know and my mum who I knew would be wondering too....Kyle was over the moon as he knew how worried we`d been. Then sent an email to mac, Janet and Maria who had all listened to my worries leading up to and to our friend at the hotel to let him know we`d be ok to travel too. *
> 
> *We ordered a pizza to share, but despite it being many hours since we had eaten breakfast, neither of us were very hungry......I thought we`d be ravenous but we picked at it when it did arrive and we didn`t order our usual bottle of fizz to celebrate the start of the trip!! *
> 
> *For some reason they brought us two portion of fries which we hadn`t asked for, and they were mostly untouched. Our tummies just weren`t settled yet. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *We paid and headed to reception to see if a room was available and luckily it was, so we retrieved our luggage and headed up to get settled in.
> 
> Rooms are the same as always.......and always immaculately clean which we do appreciate and the bed is a decent size and usually very comfortable. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> *We hadn`t asked for a runway view this time, we said we`d take the first room available as we were so early, and we had a view of the City in the distance and part of the Skywalk down to T2. We`d have a view of the runway from the lounge, although I do appreciate an airport is not the most scenic of places, we do like it however.
> 
> The Executive rooms are all on the top floor with the lounge, it used to have it`s own dedicated check in desk, but staff shortages as they are, you just check in at the regular reception desk downstairs.*
> 
> 
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> 
> *We almost immediately headed into the lounge to chill out the rest of the day once we had freshened up.......it is a nice space to spread out a little and I think we needed to calm our nerves that were still not completely settled at this point. *
> 
> *It is usually deserted this time of day, and today there was only one other couple in with us, and they didn`t last too long before they left, so it is very peaceful....*
> 
> *They have prepacked snacks and fruit laid out during the day along with some cookies and the usual teas, coffee, red and white wines, beer and liquor which used to be only available from 5pm, but we noticed on our last trip it is there for folks to help themselves with during the day too. *
> 
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> 
> *Yes, not the most scenic of views but we do love airports and although there`s not much flight activity in the pm, we do see some movement and usually the larger Etihad and Emirates planes moving around. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *The lady who tends to look after the lounge is lovely, her name is Marta and she has worked there for a long time. There was no bubbly out when we came in so when she came in and asked if we eneded anything we asked if it was still available and she said of course, she just hadn`t brought it out as we were the first guests of the day.........*
> 
> *And as soon as we poured the bubbly.......we did begin to relax a little after one or two of them funnily enough *
> 
> *I don`t think we fully appreciated just how much our nerves had been rattled by the worry of the testing and the relief was palpable now and we could really now begin to start to celebrate and enjoy the build up to the trip! *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *We passed the afternoon easily, ipads, chatting and there was a lovely couple who were on our flight tomorrow who we got chatting to and enjoyed their company for a while, so time passed very fast in the end.
> 
> Just before 5pm, they put out appetisers and snack style food, it`s decent and is replenished frequently. It`s not fancy but it fills a hole. Usually we go down to the restaurant for dinner when we stay here, but tonight we didn`t feel like it, so we`d make do with the snacks.....and we had the bubbly and company up here too which was very nice. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *I am completely addicted olives......and these ones were very nice too. The hot options from 5pm till around 7.30 were mini steak and ale pies, mini cottage pies and either veg or chicken samosas. They`re alright, but I do like hot food sizzling hot and they are just barely warm even in the hot plates. *
> 
> *But, the other items included some continental meats, Brie (my favourite) other cheeses, fruit and of course the lovely olives. *
> 
> 
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> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *So, that along with the bubbly and chatting to the couple who were on our flight tomorrow, we had a lovely relaxing evening sharing stories and worries about testing and flying, we were all in the same boat.
> 
> We headed to our room around 8pm and switched on the tv and watched some nonsense and made a cup of tea......I have no clue what we watched but we did a Skype with Kyle before we settled down to hopefully having a good sleep before our long flight day tomorrow. Today`s stresses had completely disappeared now.
> 
> Now we just hoped we`d be able to sleep!!! *


So excited for this report!  Congratulations to your lovely Kyle on his new appointment!!!!!  How wonderful for him.  Ugh, the waiting on test results is truly sickening but so thankful you got the go ahead!  Can't wait to read more!


----------



## Worfiedoodles

schumigirl said:


> ​
> *Well. *
> 
> *We`re back and finally over the lousy jetlag......although not a complaint as we are just glad to be travelling as normal again, so we`ll take the jetlag and go with it. So, here goes........I hope anyone reading this one enjoys it!!! *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *BRIEF EXTRA PRE-TRIP
> 
> 
> 
> The lead up to our trip had been a mix of good and some not so good stuff. We had to head up to Scotland on rather short notice for a family member who had taken ill rather suddenly. All worked out well and we did have a good giggle later when we had driven all day up to Scotland, stopped into the hospital for visiting then checked into the hotel only to realise that among the bags we had brought from home.....my mini suitcase with all my clothes in was still sitting back home on the bed!!! Yup.....no spare clothes whatsoever.......well, you have to laugh!!! *
> 
> *So, after we went out for dinner, we stopped off in a large supermarket that sells clothes and stocked up for the next few days with everything I`d need.......you couldn`t make it up, but we managed and had a good old laugh about it. *
> 
> *While we were in Scotland, Kyle got an email from a firm of Financial Advisors asking if he wanted to come in for a chat about a position with them which was very exciting for him. He had been looking to change firms and was over the moon with this opportunity. Kyle actually has a First Class Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering, but had ventured into the world of finance when he left university which many do with that kind of degree. So this would be another wonderful career move for him. *
> 
> *Long story short, we found out in April he had the position with this firm and he worked his months notice and left his old job on the Friday and started the new one on the Monday. He`s into his second week now and is positively loving this new move.
> 
> So, although we knew deep down he would get the position with this firm, or certainly hoped, it was still quite nerve wracking until it was confirmed officially......and add that into the worry of testing for the flight, it all added up to a stressful time all round. And all worked out wonderfully I`m happy to say!! *
> 
> *Which leads us to the all important travel day........*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *SUNDAY MAY 1ST*​
> 
> 
> 
> *No, we didn`t sleep well last night at all. We had enjoyed a lovely bottle of wine and hoped we`d sleep well....but of course excitement kicks in and I think we saw every single hour on the clock, nothing new there of course. *
> 
> *I think we were really stressed about having to do the Antigen tests for travel tomorrow too. This could be a disaster if they didn`t show a good result!! America is one of the few countries that still demand we test before flying into the country, but we do as we are told. *
> 
> *Finally got up at 6 and jumped in the shower, then headed downstairs as I was like the preverbial excited Duracell bunny. It was finally here. Tom got up not long after me and we both said goodbye to Kyle who was heading out with his running club. He had said he`d give it a miss and wait till we left, but no need. I think it`s easier us waving him off, as us leaving while he is home. We`d chat plenty on Skype and he has a lovely social life to keep him busy and of course had his new job to look forward to. Once we waved him off which always brings a small tear to my eye, we finished off last minute packing and tidied up our breakfast things and waited for our car service to come. *
> 
> *She arrived right on time and we set off for the journey up to the airport and we both actually fell asleep in the car on the way there and woke up about 15 minutes from Manchester Airport. Never done that before........*
> 
> *We got into the hotel and went straight to check in although we were far too early and knew the room wouldn`t be ready, but we wanted to hand over our luggage while we went down to the Terminal to do the fit to fly test we had to face. My stress levels at this point were through the roof and thought I was going to be ill a couple of times despite Tom assuring me it would be fine and we`d be ok. I was personally terrified.
> 
> Once luggage was dropped off with Bell Services, we were still too early for our appointment, but we wandered down to see if they could take us early, the Terminal is a 5 minute stroll away.....the place was deserted so there were no problems and we both had our samples taken and told we`d get the results within the hour.
> 
> Wandered back up and went into the hotel bar that had reopened for lunches, and we both looked at each other and our phones waiting for those all important emails that would decide if we travelled tomorrow or not. We both laughed as we grabbed our phones for each notification, and then we each got the emails with the results we wanted, finally............both negative. We would be flying tomorrow.....*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *We had only waited about 20 minutes, but it seemed like hours!! First thing I did was let Kyle know and my mum who I knew would be wondering too....Kyle was over the moon as he knew how worried we`d been. Then sent an email to mac, Janet and Maria who had all listened to my worries leading up to and to our friend at the hotel to let him know we`d be ok to travel too. *
> 
> *We ordered a pizza to share, but despite it being many hours since we had eaten breakfast, neither of us were very hungry......I thought we`d be ravenous but we picked at it when it did arrive and we didn`t order our usual bottle of fizz to celebrate the start of the trip!! *
> 
> *For some reason they brought us two portion of fries which we hadn`t asked for, and they were mostly untouched. Our tummies just weren`t settled yet. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *We paid and headed to reception to see if a room was available and luckily it was, so we retrieved our luggage and headed up to get settled in.
> 
> Rooms are the same as always.......and always immaculately clean which we do appreciate and the bed is a decent size and usually very comfortable. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *We hadn`t asked for a runway view this time, we said we`d take the first room available as we were so early, and we had a view of the City in the distance and part of the Skywalk down to T2. We`d have a view of the runway from the lounge, although I do appreciate an airport is not the most scenic of places, we do like it however.
> 
> The Executive rooms are all on the top floor with the lounge, it used to have it`s own dedicated check in desk, but staff shortages as they are, you just check in at the regular reception desk downstairs.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *We almost immediately headed into the lounge to chill out the rest of the day once we had freshened up.......it is a nice space to spread out a little and I think we needed to calm our nerves that were still not completely settled at this point. *
> 
> *It is usually deserted this time of day, and today there was only one other couple in with us, and they didn`t last too long before they left, so it is very peaceful....*
> 
> *They have prepacked snacks and fruit laid out during the day along with some cookies and the usual teas, coffee, red and white wines, beer and liquor which used to be only available from 5pm, but we noticed on our last trip it is there for folks to help themselves with during the day too. *
> 
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> 
> 
> *Yes, not the most scenic of views but we do love airports and although there`s not much flight activity in the pm, we do see some movement and usually the larger Etihad and Emirates planes moving around. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *The lady who tends to look after the lounge is lovely, her name is Marta and she has worked there for a long time. There was no bubbly out when we came in so when she came in and asked if we eneded anything we asked if it was still available and she said of course, she just hadn`t brought it out as we were the first guests of the day.........*
> 
> *And as soon as we poured the bubbly.......we did begin to relax a little after one or two of them funnily enough *
> 
> *I don`t think we fully appreciated just how much our nerves had been rattled by the worry of the testing and the relief was palpable now and we could really now begin to start to celebrate and enjoy the build up to the trip! *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *We passed the afternoon easily, ipads, chatting and there was a lovely couple who were on our flight tomorrow who we got chatting to and enjoyed their company for a while, so time passed very fast in the end.
> 
> Just before 5pm, they put out appetisers and snack style food, it`s decent and is replenished frequently. It`s not fancy but it fills a hole. Usually we go down to the restaurant for dinner when we stay here, but tonight we didn`t feel like it, so we`d make do with the snacks.....and we had the bubbly and company up here too which was very nice. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> *I am completely addicted olives......and these ones were very nice too. The hot options from 5pm till around 7.30 were mini steak and ale pies, mini cottage pies and either veg or chicken samosas. They`re alright, but I do like hot food sizzling hot and they are just barely warm even in the hot plates. *
> 
> *But, the other items included some continental meats, Brie (my favourite) other cheeses, fruit and of course the lovely olives. *
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> *So, that along with the bubbly and chatting to the couple who were on our flight tomorrow, we had a lovely relaxing evening sharing stories and worries about testing and flying, we were all in the same boat.
> 
> We headed to our room around 8pm and switched on the tv and watched some nonsense and made a cup of tea......I have no clue what we watched but we did a Skype with Kyle before we settled down to hopefully having a good sleep before our long flight day tomorrow. Today`s stresses had completely disappeared now.
> 
> Now we just hoped we`d be able to sleep!!! *


Let's Get It Started! Whee, so glad to be along for the ride!  And I did say a little prayer of relief when you both tested negative. It would have just been too cruel if you couldn't come. I didn't realize we also share a love of olives! Mr. Worfie hates them so I get any that come his way as well  

I absolutely understand not feeling like eating a meal after all that anxiety. I'm glad you were able to while away the time and start to get excited. There's nothing better than all that anticipation when you know it's happening so soon, and all you have to do is sleep first!


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## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> IT HAS BEGUN YESSSSSS!



lol......hope you enjoy it BH!!


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## schumigirl

I-4Bound said:


> Whew! Of course, I knew everything worked out fine, but it’s still stressful to imagine being in that position! Now we can move onto the fun!
> 
> We leave for Orlando one week from today! I am really going to miss universal, but we are doing Discovery Cove and a day at Epcot for flower and Garden festival. I told my husband I want to get back to Universal on our very next trip!



One week!!! Wow.....I thought it was later in the summer you went.......how fabulous!! 

Sounds lovely even though you won`t be at Universal this time, but.......yes, next time you have to go back to Universal!! 

Oh yes, that stress we can really do without it! Sadly, looks like testing will be around for a while......but you never know, we can but hope common sense kicks in to the CDC and they follow the rest of the world. 

I`m so excited for your trip next week now........


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## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> So excited for this report!  Congratulations to your lovely Kyle on his new appointment!!!!!  How wonderful for him.  Ugh, the waiting on test results is truly sickening but so thankful you got the go ahead!  Can't wait to read more!



Thank you....glad you`re still here!! Seems ages since this started.....and thank you on Kyle, we are so proud of him and he has already fitted in so well with this firm, good to see him settled so fast. 

Oh that testing is so cruel....the day before is just crazy, it was bad enough when it was 3 days, but it`s just so last minute. Yes, we were so grateful it was negative!!


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## disneyseniors

I'm here!  Can't wait for another TR by Carole


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## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Let's Get It Started! Whee, so glad to be along for the ride!  And I did say a little prayer of relief when you both tested negative. It would have just been too cruel if you couldn't come. I didn't realize we also share a love of olives! Mr. Worfie hates them so I get any that come his way as well
> 
> I absolutely understand not feeling like eating a meal after all that anxiety. I'm glad you were able to while away the time and start to get excited. There's nothing better than all that anticipation when you know it's happening so soon, and all you have to do is sleep first!



lol.....I did enjoy sending you 3 ladies that "we can fly" email.......

No, I didn`t know you loved olives either! Has to be the plump ones in proper olive oil......none of this brine nonsense......so delicious. Unlike Mr Worfie, Tom loves them too, so I have to share.......

We did love our afternoon once we had settled down a bit and could finally relax and accept that we would be flying again........champagne helps of course....


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## schumigirl

disneyseniors said:


> I'm here!  Can't wait for another TR by Carole



Yay......glad to see you here too......how did  your trip go??? 

I hope it was wonderful..........


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## Pumpkin1172

Yes!!!!  I am so glad to see your trip report has started!  I will be living vicariously though it, as I am longing to go back again.  Still crossing my finger for an early December trip.  


schumigirl said:


> We got into the hotel and went straight to check in although we were far too early and knew the room wouldn`t be ready, but we wanted to hand over our luggage while we went down to the Terminal to do the fit to fly test we had to face. My stress levels at this point were through the roof and thought I was going to be ill a couple of times despite Tom assuring me it would be fine and we`d be ok. I was personally terrified.


I can totally relate.  We were extremely nervous as the new variant was ramping up in our area.  A co-worker had test positive the week prior so I worked from home as I didn't want to have a positive result.  

The relief of getting that negative result was a flood of emotions.  I started crying once we got to the truck.  That little test makes or breaks your trip.  

I can't wait to see and hear all about your days.


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## schumigirl

Pumpkin1172 said:


> Yes!!!!  I am so glad to see your trip report has started!  I will be living vicariously though it, as I am longing to go back again.  Still crossing my finger for an early December trip.
> 
> I can totally relate.  We were extremely nervous as the new variant was ramping up in our area.  A co-worker had test positive the week prior so I worked from home as I didn't want to have a positive result.
> 
> The relief of getting that negative result was a flood of emotions.  I started crying once we got to the truck.  That little test makes or breaks your trip.
> 
> I can't wait to see and hear all about your days.



Thanks pumpkin.

It is such a relief and I`m not ashamed to admit I did shed a tear when I saw both our emails were negative results. Tom took it in his stride of course, but I think he was relieved with the result too. 

As far as we were aware we hadn`t come into contact with anyone who was positive, but of course you never know. Don`t blame you for working from home before your trip.

Fingers crossed you do get an early December trip back to Universal........


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## jump00

schumigirl said:


> ​
> *Well. *
> 
> *We`re back and finally over the lousy jetlag......although not a complaint as we are just glad to be travelling as normal again, so we`ll take the jetlag and go with it. So, here goes........I hope anyone reading this one enjoys it!!! *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *BRIEF EXTRA PRE-TRIP
> 
> 
> 
> The lead up to our trip had been a mix of good and some not so good stuff. We had to head up to Scotland on rather short notice for a family member who had taken ill rather suddenly. All worked out well and we did have a good giggle later when we had driven all day up to Scotland, stopped into the hospital for visiting then checked into the hotel only to realise that among the bags we had brought from home.....my mini suitcase with all my clothes in was still sitting back home on the bed!!! Yup.....no spare clothes whatsoever.......well, you have to laugh!!! *
> 
> *So, after we went out for dinner, we stopped off in a large supermarket that sells clothes and stocked up for the next few days with everything I`d need.......you couldn`t make it up, but we managed and had a good old laugh about it. *
> 
> *While we were in Scotland, Kyle got an email from a firm of Financial Advisors asking if he wanted to come in for a chat about a position with them which was very exciting for him. He had been looking to change firms and was over the moon with this opportunity. Kyle actually has a First Class Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering, but had ventured into the world of finance when he left university which many do with that kind of degree. So this would be another wonderful career move for him. *
> 
> *Long story short, we found out in April he had the position with this firm and he worked his months notice and left his old job on the Friday and started the new one on the Monday. He`s into his second week now and is positively loving this new move.
> 
> So, although we knew deep down he would get the position with this firm, or certainly hoped, it was still quite nerve wracking until it was confirmed officially......and add that into the worry of testing for the flight, it all added up to a stressful time all round. And all worked out wonderfully I`m happy to say!! *
> 
> *Which leads us to the all important travel day........*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *SUNDAY MAY 1ST*​
> 
> 
> 
> *No, we didn`t sleep well last night at all. We had enjoyed a lovely bottle of wine and hoped we`d sleep well....but of course excitement kicks in and I think we saw every single hour on the clock, nothing new there of course. *
> 
> *I think we were really stressed about having to do the Antigen tests for travel tomorrow too. This could be a disaster if they didn`t show a good result!! America is one of the few countries that still demand we test before flying into the country, but we do as we are told. *
> 
> *Finally got up at 6 and jumped in the shower, then headed downstairs as I was like the preverbial excited Duracell bunny. It was finally here. Tom got up not long after me and we both said goodbye to Kyle who was heading out with his running club. He had said he`d give it a miss and wait till we left, but no need. I think it`s easier us waving him off, as us leaving while he is home. We`d chat plenty on Skype and he has a lovely social life to keep him busy and of course had his new job to look forward to. Once we waved him off which always brings a small tear to my eye, we finished off last minute packing and tidied up our breakfast things and waited for our car service to come. *
> 
> *She arrived right on time and we set off for the journey up to the airport and we both actually fell asleep in the car on the way there and woke up about 15 minutes from Manchester Airport. Never done that before........*
> 
> *We got into the hotel and went straight to check in although we were far too early and knew the room wouldn`t be ready, but we wanted to hand over our luggage while we went down to the Terminal to do the fit to fly test we had to face. My stress levels at this point were through the roof and thought I was going to be ill a couple of times despite Tom assuring me it would be fine and we`d be ok. I was personally terrified.
> 
> Once luggage was dropped off with Bell Services, we were still too early for our appointment, but we wandered down to see if they could take us early, the Terminal is a 5 minute stroll away.....the place was deserted so there were no problems and we both had our samples taken and told we`d get the results within the hour.
> 
> Wandered back up and went into the hotel bar that had reopened for lunches, and we both looked at each other and our phones waiting for those all important emails that would decide if we travelled tomorrow or not. We both laughed as we grabbed our phones for each notification, and then we each got the emails with the results we wanted, finally............both negative. We would be flying tomorrow.....*
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> *We had only waited about 20 minutes, but it seemed like hours!! First thing I did was let Kyle know and my mum who I knew would be wondering too....Kyle was over the moon as he knew how worried we`d been. Then sent an email to mac, Janet and Maria who had all listened to my worries leading up to and to our friend at the hotel to let him know we`d be ok to travel too. *
> 
> *We ordered a pizza to share, but despite it being many hours since we had eaten breakfast, neither of us were very hungry......I thought we`d be ravenous but we picked at it when it did arrive and we didn`t order our usual bottle of fizz to celebrate the start of the trip!! *
> 
> *For some reason they brought us two portion of fries which we hadn`t asked for, and they were mostly untouched. Our tummies just weren`t settled yet. *
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> *We paid and headed to reception to see if a room was available and luckily it was, so we retrieved our luggage and headed up to get settled in.
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> Rooms are the same as always.......and always immaculately clean which we do appreciate and the bed is a decent size and usually very comfortable. *
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> *We hadn`t asked for a runway view this time, we said we`d take the first room available as we were so early, and we had a view of the City in the distance and part of the Skywalk down to T2. We`d have a view of the runway from the lounge, although I do appreciate an airport is not the most scenic of places, we do like it however.
> 
> The Executive rooms are all on the top floor with the lounge, it used to have it`s own dedicated check in desk, but staff shortages as they are, you just check in at the regular reception desk downstairs.*
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> 
> *It is usually deserted this time of day, and today there was only one other couple in with us, and they didn`t last too long before they left, so it is very peaceful....*
> 
> *They have prepacked snacks and fruit laid out during the day along with some cookies and the usual teas, coffee, red and white wines, beer and liquor which used to be only available from 5pm, but we noticed on our last trip it is there for folks to help themselves with during the day too. *
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> *The lady who tends to look after the lounge is lovely, her name is Marta and she has worked there for a long time. There was no bubbly out when we came in so when she came in and asked if we eneded anything we asked if it was still available and she said of course, she just hadn`t brought it out as we were the first guests of the day.........*
> 
> *And as soon as we poured the bubbly.......we did begin to relax a little after one or two of them funnily enough *
> 
> *I don`t think we fully appreciated just how much our nerves had been rattled by the worry of the testing and the relief was palpable now and we could really now begin to start to celebrate and enjoy the build up to the trip! *
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> *We passed the afternoon easily, ipads, chatting and there was a lovely couple who were on our flight tomorrow who we got chatting to and enjoyed their company for a while, so time passed very fast in the end.
> 
> Just before 5pm, they put out appetisers and snack style food, it`s decent and is replenished frequently. It`s not fancy but it fills a hole. Usually we go down to the restaurant for dinner when we stay here, but tonight we didn`t feel like it, so we`d make do with the snacks.....and we had the bubbly and company up here too which was very nice. *
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> *I am completely addicted olives......and these ones were very nice too. The hot options from 5pm till around 7.30 were mini steak and ale pies, mini cottage pies and either veg or chicken samosas. They`re alright, but I do like hot food sizzling hot and they are just barely warm even in the hot plates. *
> 
> *But, the other items included some continental meats, Brie (my favourite) other cheeses, fruit and of course the lovely olives. *
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> 
> We headed to our room around 8pm and switched on the tv and watched some nonsense and made a cup of tea......I have no clue what we watched but we did a Skype with Kyle before we settled down to hopefully having a good sleep before our long flight day tomorrow. Today`s stresses had completely disappeared now.
> 
> Now we just hoped we`d be able to sleep!!! *


Hello Carole!!!  What a lovely start to your trip! Glad everything worked out with testing…. we are stressed too for our trips to the Bahamas in July and RPR in August.  Hoping the USA will get rid of their testing requirements soon.  Love reading all the details leading up to your arrival into the States!  
Brenda


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## macraven

I have a front row seat for this trip report!


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## schumigirl

jump00 said:


> Hello Carole!!!  What a lovely start to your trip! Glad everything worked out with testing…. we are stressed too for our trips to the Bahamas in July and RPR in August.  Hoping the USA will get rid of their testing requirements soon.  Love reading all the details leading up to your arrival into the States!
> Brenda



Thanks Brenda…..it was so good to have everything fall into place.

Oh goodness, you have to test for the Bahamas too?? They really do know how to stress folks out. Yes, hope it stops soon.

One of my cousins from LI is coming over to Scotland in August and she’s worried about getting back into the USA too……I don’t think some realise Americans have to test too to get back into the country, I thought that pressure alone might encourage a change.

But, you must be so excited with two trips coming up so soon……


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## schumigirl

macraven said:


> I have a front row seat for this trip report!



lol……I think you, Janet and Maria were buckled in for the journey too as you were all amazing at listening to all that was going on along the way…….


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## luvpoohandcompany

Excited to read your trip report. The pre flight  testing is so stressful. I’m sure you were so relieved it was all ok. Congratulations to your son on his new job. Great that he’s enjoying it


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## schumigirl

luvpoohandcompany said:


> Excited to read your trip report. The pre flight  testing is so stressful. I’m sure you were so relieved it was all ok. Congratulations to your son on his new job. Great that he’s enjoying it


 Thanks so much......

And thank you on Kyle`s new job, it`s funny to see him setting off in a full suit and tie once more, as his previous firm went very casual last few years in the offices. He looks so smart in a suit, so it`s nice to see that again. But, he is loving it!! 

Oh the relief.....oh yes.......then we could just go back to worrying about the normal stuff again like whether the flight would take off in time......


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## jump00

schumigirl said:


> Thanks Brenda…..it was so good to have everything fall into place.
> 
> Oh goodness, you have to test for the Bahamas too?? They really do know how to stress folks out. Yes, hope it stops soon.
> 
> One of my cousins from LI is coming over to Scotland in August and she’s worried about getting back into the USA too……I don’t think some realise Americans have to test too to get back into the country, I thought that pressure alone might encourage a change.
> 
> But, you must be so excited with two trips coming up so soon……


Yes all this testing is so stressful.  We were shocked that the Bahamas requires it too.  At least Canada doesn’t require us to test to return home.  We are hoping by the time our August trip arrives the USA will have dropped it !  Congratulations to Kyle and his new job!! 
How exciting!  
Brenda


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## schumigirl

*TRAVEL DAY


Monday May 2nd*​



*We slept fairly well I have to say, which is very unusual for us, so when all the alarms started to go off, both of us were awake and watching the area around the airport fairly quickly fill up with traffic and life in general with folks arriving for work and folks like us here to set off on our vacation. But, it`s surprising how busy that road around the airport is around 4am. *
*
I checked emails before I went for a shower, I always use the hotel products here as it saves me packing shampoo/conditioner for one night, and they are very nice products. We were fairly reserved this morning and didn`t chat much, I think we were just tired and a little concerned as is normal to think about all our documentation that we still have to show before we check in for our flight. 

I had checked in online last night and completed the Attestation form, so I knew that was in order, we still had to show our proof of covid and booster info which we did have online, but we had also printed them off in paper form. The hotel had printed off our negative results yesterday too, it was easy as we just had to email them down to the reception desk and they printed them for us, so we had them to show too. 

Once we were both dressed we checked out and headed down to the Terminal around 5.30am for our 10am flight. 

UK airports have been struggling terribly with lack of staff and there had been horrendous scenes on tv of lines of people waiting for hours to check in/get luggage in various airports and one of them was this one. But, luckily for us our terminal wasn`t rumoured to be as badly affected. But, many were turning up far too early as they were scared of the endless lines being reported, which inadvertantly caused more issues, so we would do our usual and turn up as normal to check in.

We walked into the check in area around 5.30 and there were already around 70 folks lined up for the Virgin flight. So, we just joined on the end and waited, fortunately within a minute staff appeared and around 5.45 they opened the desks and we wandered into the Premium line which was incredibly short and met one of the staff who check your passport and Vaccination/fit to fly details are correct.

The man looked at us and said "I know you"........I must have looked shocked, but he then added, I remember you from Christmas.......lol......we had indeed spoke to him at Christmas, not a bad memory for someone who sees so many folks. But, we had chatted to him for a time as we waited for the line to open, it was slightly less nervous this time. All our documents were thankfully in order and he did check everything. With the tests from yesterday, he did check the date the test was taken against our passport/name and of course checked and read out it was negative.......phew!!! 

We thanked him and went forward to check in for our flight. This took only a few minutes and I was surprised to see one of our cases going out was just on the limit......oops!! I think we would be glad of the extra case coming home!! Our seats were confirmed and although they weren`t our ideal seats as we had people behind us on this part of the journey, they`d be fine. I knew we wouldn`t have a window directly beside us, but we could see out of the ones in front of us easily. 

Now we had our boarding cards and luggage dropped off we headed down to the dreaded security that had been reported to be so terrible recently. We had purchased Fast Trak a few months back and I had read recently they had stopped selling Fast Trak as they were just at capacity, so we had no idea what it would be like. 

We saw a huge line and our hearts dropped.......it was mahoosive!!! And there was a rather unfriendly man shepherding everyone to that line in a rather abrupt manner....I stopped and asked him if that was the Fast Trak line.....he just pointed to a seperate line to the left where there was not a single soul in the Fast Trak.....again....phew........funnily enough a man behind us followed us and was stopped as he didn`t have FT........I don`t think he was doing it deliberately, I think he was just not paying attention. 

We got straight through with our boarding cards and joined another seperate and much shorter line for the security checks......the regular line even through this side was very long, but even though I got taken aside for a seperate check, it took us less than 7 minutes from arriving at Security to getting through to the other side. Not bad at all. We spoke to someone on the plane who said it took them an hour to just get to the second side after you scan your boarding card, then another 45 minutes to get through completely. 

And I have to say the man who checked our bags in the trays was very nice and explained they were trying to do their best for customers under quite tight conditions....basically they are incredibly short staffed. For us, it was fine. 

Once we were through that area.......we could relax again. No matter how easy is it to go through, it`s quite stressful by nature as you are rushed through and folks are being loud letting you know you need to take laptops/electric items and so on out of their covers and it is a little manic. But, now......we were in the Duty Free area where you are immediately attacked by the infamous perfume ladies who are relentless....far too early in the morning for all that. 

I did stop to spray some Chanel and this woman immediately latched on and tried to sell me something else......she was very politely told no thank you. 

We were a little too early for the lounge so we sat in the area close to the escalators which in November had been almost deserted.......it was so busy this morning!!! There was barely a seat, but we did find somewhere and sat down for the 20 minutes or so we had to wait to get into the lounge. You can book a time so you have 2.5 hours before your flight takes off.

We sat down with a load of people around us and then I did something that horrified, beyond belief everyone that was around me....
*
*I sneezed. 

7 times.*




​




*Kyle often says I don`t just sneeze once.....it`s usually 5 times, but this morning I think something just caught my nose and I was off........then when I saw folks around me slowly slide further away, I took to laughing as well as sneezing which was not a good look!!! But, sorry it was hilarious and I couldn`t even apologise as I was still sneezing and laughing.......I am so sorry if you were there! *
*
I blame someone wearing a cheap perfume. 

But, it was almost our time to go up the escalators and get into the lounge. I had stopped sneezing by now.

There are a couple of full service restaurants up there and I couldn`t believe how busy they were and the lines of folks waiting to get in was horrendous!! I`m sure some must have had to give up as they`d never eat and make their flights surely. 

There was a line going into the lounge this morning. There are two lounges attached to each other but seperated by glass partitions and moveable walls, one allows families and I think is slightly cheaper. We had booked the 1903 Lounge that was supposed to be child free, but if you had booked Upper Class through your airline, you automatically get access to this lounge, so if you have kids, they get in too. I`m not sure how they get to advertise as adults only in that case, but they do. 

I had read in the weeks leading up to today that many had their reservations for this lounge cancelled, including two families who had been booked for today as well as some who had booked as far ahead as July and August. We hadn`t received any such email, so we assumed it would be fine, but we did wonder. However, our reservation was still there and we made our way into the lounge. 
*
*It was much busier than in November, but not completely full, we found a seat and went to get some breakfast which we were ready for now. Although we first had a look out at the miserable grey day it was outside.....our favourite type of weather to leave the UK in as we know we are heading to some sunshine.*















*It is a help yourself to any type of alcohol/beer/wines and so on as well as teas, coffees and juices of all kinds and it is laid our rather nicely.*




































*For breakfast you have a lovely assortment of cold options and baked goods including the nicest Danish Pastries, to the other side there are several hot options including bacon and little tator tots which we enjoyed a few of. You can order toast to be made and eggs of any kind......we just asked for some white toast as we are not really egg eaters, especially before a flight as they generally don`t agree with me. I think when friends or us have brunches I will eat the odd poached egg, but that`s about it. Now bacon.....that`s another story!!*















*I did wish they would serve pots of tea instead of popping a tea bag in a very small cup, but that`s what they offer in here so we had a couple of cups of tea with our breakfast. Teapots would be so much nicer.*

*Staff inside the lounge are very nice, they are helpful and friendly and there seemed to be many more of them this time around, in November I think there were only 3 of them.*






















​



*The lady had just opened a fresh bottle so, it would be rude not to accept her very kind offer. *

*You do just help yourself but she was standing right beside us when she opened this bottle and I think she might just have guessed we do like a glass of fizz now and again....*


























*Breakfast was lovely I hasten to add......we didn`t have an awful lot to eat and had maybe 3 glasses of fizz each. I think if you go in to the lounge looking to get your "money`s worth" I doubt you would, it`s just a nicer place to spend some time before your flight away from the noise and crowds of the departure areas. And that`s why we book it. They do very nice bacon though. *
*
It was time to wander down to see which gate we were leaving from and as we were in the nice shiny brand new terminal right now, it wouldn`t be crazy to assume this is where the departure gate would be???  

Not a hope. Our gate showed as one of the original gates back in the old terminal again....same as November. It really is like walking back in time as it`s so dark and relatively unused now compared to the new terminal which is light, bright, shiny and airy. 

We walked back for about 10 minutes to the old gate, fully expecting to sit in the dingy area waiting to board, but we were right at the front of the passengers walking and we were amazed to see Staff waiting to let us on the plane immediately......we didn`t even have our passports out yet as we thought we`d be sitting for 20 minutes or so. So, we scrambled to get them out in seconds and managed it, and before we knew it we were walking down the airbridge and getting on the plane. 

We said Good morning to the CC and found our seats....yes, the windowless seats.......lol.....it wasn`t the end of the world. We had made this flight so many times, this was our 23rd trip to Orlando since 2007 and yes, I`d have preferred a window, but to be fair for most of the journey, you really don`t see much except cloud and more cloud. 
*
*Cabin Crew are always so lovely and as soon as we settled in to our seats, one came round with an offer of either orange juice or fizzy......yes, we took the fizzy of course. *















*I think getting straight on the plane had caught a few folks out as it seemed to load very slow, but didn`t take very long for it to really start filling up. I quite like being among the first on as we can then sit back and chill........it`s a long flight so we do like to be settled. *
*
We do like Premium with Virgin, seats are comfy and you do have a lot of room in them, but at the end of the day it`s still just a plane seat and a means to get where you`re going, but we always enjoy our flights generally. 
*
*We took off at 10.10am which was more or less spot on, and a very smooth take off followed and we soon levelled off and as predicted, it was nothing but cloud at 40,000 feet. We still love that take off......it`s not as impressive as the Jumbo Jet taking off when you heard those engines rev up for take off, but it`s still impressive all the same. 

We were offered drinks and a snack as soon as we levelled off and I do have to say those snacks were the worst I had ever tasted. I`m not a pretzel fan, but they used to offer a sour cream one that was quite nice.....these ones you could do someone an injury if you hit them with one!!! *

*Wine in a can is something that`s just not quite right.....but, for plane wine, it would do and they are very generous with handing them out. *














*We both found movies to watch, Tom moreso than myself....I forget which one I watched but it was dreadful so I ended up watching Harry Potter and the Philosphers Stone which is a very good movie. *

*They then offer you the menu for your meal and it wasn`t the most inspiring of choices, but then you never expect much anyway with airline food. To be honest, it only helps to pass some time......if you`re eating you don`t really notice the time it seems.*



























*I was tempted by the curry, well, except until I read it was paneer which I loathe, so Tom and I both opted for the Chicken Lasagne which was different I have to say. Not awful, but not the most flavour filled dish I`ve ever eaten on a plane. *
*
The appetiser was not good, apart from the olive, and I ate a little of the tabbouleh, the rest of it was not good. I hate chick peas so hummus is not something I eat....I did try it.......I regretted trying it. Not for me. 
*
*But, the dessert was decent.*















*They do bring round tea and coffee after the meal, so we both had the tea and then settled down for the longest part of the flight.......all the way across the Atlantic and down the Eastern Seaboard which can drag a little.*
*
Once things had settled, we both used the bathroom and came back, I pulled the lovely purple blanket over me, buckled up and got myself comfy for hopefully a good sleep for most of the flight. 
*
*I did sleep soundly for a couple of hours and we had no major turbulence this flight. I think I missed the offer of an iced lolly, but sleep is often preferable to anything like that. I woke up and we were a fair bit into the journey with only 3.5 hours to go. *
















*I used the facilities and noticed in the kitchen area what they call the Wonderwall in Premium and Upper, you can go and find treats, savoury and sweet for you to help yourself with if you feel like it. We never bother, but it`s a nice little selection and there are juices, soft drinks and always water available too if you like, always a good idea to drink plenty of water on flights.*

*We are served afternoon tea with around 90 minutes to go and it is nice to get a cup of tea again. The sandwiches are just ok, not for me, but the scone with cream is always lovely and the little treats were quite nice today, one was a lemon treat and the other something I couldn`t quite make out. But, nice and passes some more time again. *

























*Again, we use the bathroom for the last time on this flight, and you honestly can feel the excitement of people as we get closer to Orlando, even though many look a little groggy it`s still exciting. *
*
We heard some folks say this was their first flight since the pandemic, so it would be doubly exciting for them. 

I think we must have been avoiding some weather as we flew in over a very unusual flightpath, but we enjoyed a very smooth landing which is always nice and we were surprised to have flown in on record time and it wasn`t even 2pm yet. 
*
*Welcome to the USA 




*


----------



## schumigirl

jump00 said:


> Yes all this testing is so stressful.  We were shocked that the Bahamas requires it too.  At least Canada doesn’t require us to test to return home.  We are hoping by the time our August trip arrives the USA will have dropped it !  Congratulations to Kyle and his new job!!
> How exciting!
> Brenda



I think everyone is certainly hoping they`ll be dropped soon, makes no sense now for them to keep it up. But, glad Canada doesn`t require a test either to get home.....have to admit coming home was so much easier than the Christmas trip!!! Thankfully......

And thank you on Kyle. He`s enjoying a 4 day weekend for the Jubilee so not expecting to see him much. But he`s so excited to be with this new firm, much smaller than the previous company which he prefers


----------



## Deb1993

Flying days are always stressful, but the sneezing!  I literally laughed out loud.  That's one way to clear a crowd nowadays.  So nice to see Tom's smiling face!  Glad your trip over was good and can't wait to read more!!!


----------



## dez1978

schumigirl said:


> I think everyone is certainly hoping they`ll be dropped soon, makes no sense now for them to keep it up. But, glad Canada doesn`t require a test either to get home.....have to admit coming home was so much easier than the Christmas trip!!! Thankfully......
> 
> And thank you on Kyle. He`s enjoying a 4 day weekend for the Jubilee so not expecting to see him much. But he`s so excited to be with this new firm, much smaller than the previous company which he prefers


I'm a bit jealous of your calm flight lol.  We had the worst flight into orlando on the 21st.  I am not a huge fan of flying, but I I like to go places, so I deal with it lol.  We flew out of St Louis and there was a storm in the area so we were delayed boarding by about 20 mins, then we boarded and it was about 15 min before we were cleared to take off.  Then they had to take a different path to fly around the storm, so the flight took about 20 min longer than usual.  Apparently we followed the storm lol.  Decending into Orlando was the worst turbulance I've ever experienced, and not gonna lie, I cried a bit and was glad it was dark lol.  And fortunately my kids didn't see it.  They were completely unphased by the bumpy flight. Then because of the lightning in the area, they weren't deplaning anyone so we sat some more.  We should have landed at 615.  It was 830 before we got off the plane.  But we made it.  Missed our Bigfire reservation, which was the 1 I was really looking forward to, and never could get another reservation bc there were 8 of us.  By the time we got to Hard Rock, it was pouring which meant the kitchens there were overloaded with everyone returning from the parks and it was 1130 pm before we got food.  With 4 boys 7-13, you know we had some cranky kids lol.  Thankfully, that storm on Saturday was the only bit of rain we had the entire week we were in Florida.  But omgoodness, it was hot in Orlando.  I kept an eye out for you Sunday and Monday, but I never saw you.  Even by Velocicoaster


----------



## Cara

Oh, it is so lovely to see you have started your report! Your poor tummy was upset from the anxiety of awaiting those test results. I feel your pain! 

Fast Track is something I've not heard of. Is it airport specific? I'm sure you all have Global Entry? We have TSA Pre-Check, and it is a delight to avoid the sometimes long lines. Honestly, it's nice just to be able to leave our shoes on in a nasty airport -- my husband says that alone is worth the small cost! TSA Pre-Check saved us a ton of time heading home from Honolulu. The regular security line was outside and so long! 

I'm so looking forward to reading your report. Thank you so much for always doing such a wonderful job with them!


----------



## TotallyTink

LOL The multiple sneezes! My mother in law sneezes like that especially in restaurants.


----------



## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> Flying days are always stressful, but the sneezing!  I literally laughed out loud.  That's one way to clear a crowd nowadays.  So nice to see Tom's smiling face!  Glad your trip over was good and can't wait to read more!!!



lol........it was funny now looking back on it....it was one of those situations where I couldn`t do anything if I tried! 

You just made Tom smile saying that....... Yes, we had a lovely flight over thanks......


----------



## schumigirl

dez1978 said:


> I'm a bit jealous of your calm flight lol.  We had the worst flight into orlando on the 21st.  I am not a huge fan of flying, but I I like to go places, so I deal with it lol.  We flew out of St Louis and there was a storm in the area so we were delayed boarding by about 20 mins, then we boarded and it was about 15 min before we were cleared to take off.  Then they had to take a different path to fly around the storm, so the flight took about 20 min longer than usual.  Apparently we followed the storm lol.  Decending into Orlando was the worst turbulance I've ever experienced, and not gonna lie, I cried a bit and was glad it was dark lol.  And fortunately my kids didn't see it.  They were completely unphased by the bumpy flight. Then because of the lightning in the area, they weren't deplaning anyone so we sat some more.  We should have landed at 615.  It was 830 before we got off the plane.  But we made it.  Missed our Bigfire reservation, which was the 1 I was really looking forward to, and never could get another reservation bc there were 8 of us.  By the time we got to Hard Rock, it was pouring which meant the kitchens there were overloaded with everyone returning from the parks and it was 1130 pm before we got food.  With 4 boys 7-13, you know we had some cranky kids lol.  Thankfully, that storm on Saturday was the only bit of rain we had the entire week we were in Florida.  But omgoodness, it was hot in Orlando.  I kept an eye out for you Sunday and Monday, but I never saw you.  Even by Velocicoaster



Oh that doesn`t sound fun! Yes, sometimes it can be very scary, but waiting on the plane must have been very frustrating when you just want to get your trip started. 

Look out for my BigFire review............

It really was incredibly hot this trip for May, we could really feel the heat ramp up, especially our last week....wow.......

That Sunday we were in Lake Eola then met a friend for a while and Monday we went to the Studios only for the morning I think. I`m sorry we didn`t run into each other  this trip, maybe next time we can say hello


----------



## schumigirl

Cara said:


> Oh, it is so lovely to see you have started your report! Your poor tummy was upset from the anxiety of awaiting those test results. I feel your pain!
> 
> Fast Track is something I've not heard of. Is it airport specific? I'm sure you all have Global Entry? We have TSA Pre-Check, and it is a delight to avoid the sometimes long lines. Honestly, it's nice just to be able to leave our shoes on in a nasty airport -- my husband says that alone is worth the small cost! TSA Pre-Check saved us a ton of time heading home from Honolulu. The regular security line was outside and so long!
> 
> I'm so looking forward to reading your report. Thank you so much for always doing such a wonderful job with them!



Thank you Cara......oh yes, stress does not agree with my tummy either!!!! 

Fast Trak is sold at I believe all UK airports to go through security quicker, some airlines offer it with either Premium or Upper Class seats. We used to get it with Thomas Cook when they were in business. It`s cheap to buy and so worth it. 

Yes, we have Global Entry, got it in 2018 when we knew we had 5 visits that year, it is fabulous!! And yes, it does give us TSA Pre-Check on the way back home.....another time saver and yes, so convenient not having to empty everything out and I like not having to take shoes off. 

I can imagine how much you appreciated having it on your trip too, those lines can be dreadful to see. 

Thank you, you`re too kind........


----------



## schumigirl

TotallyTink said:


> LOL The multiple sneezes! My mother in law sneezes like that especially in restaurants.





It`s dreadful when that happens!!! Especially around food.......lol......I`m sure she gets so embarrassed!


----------



## dez1978

schumigirl said:


> Oh that doesn`t sound fun! Yes, sometimes it can be very scary, but waiting on the plane must have been very frustrating when you just want to get your trip started.
> 
> Look out for my BigFire review............
> 
> It really was incredibly hot this trip for May, we could really feel the heat ramp up, especially our last week....wow.......
> 
> That Sunday we were in Lake Eola then met a friend for a while and Monday we went to the Studios only for the morning I think. I`m sorry we didn`t run into each other  this trip, maybe next time we can say hello


I was quite looking forward to the Smores thing after dieting to fit into vacation clothes lol.  Hopefully it was good.


----------



## dez1978

schumigirl said:


> Oh that doesn`t sound fun! Yes, sometimes it can be very scary, but waiting on the plane must have been very frustrating when you just want to get your trip started.
> 
> Look out for my BigFire review............
> 
> It really was incredibly hot this trip for May, we could really feel the heat ramp up, especially our last week....wow.......
> 
> That Sunday we were in Lake Eola then met a friend for a while and Monday we went to the Studios only for the morning I think. I`m sorry we didn`t run into each other  this trip, maybe next time we can say hello


Also, I've attempted to bribe my 2 boys that if they can read all the Harry potter books, I will take them to a OI meet up so maybe well run into each other at one of those. I'm not sure who benefits more from the bribe, me or them


----------



## disneyseniors

schumigirl said:


> Yay......glad to see you here too......how did  your trip go???
> 
> I hope it was wonderful..........


Thanks for remembering
It was great!!!  We did a road trip which was even fun.  We visited family and good friends, ate out a lot!, visited some of our old stomping grounds.  We lived in Tn. for many years.  It was so beautiful with the hills, flowers, trees and the warm weather.  Loved it  Can't wait to go back to Tennessee.
I would love to have a trip to Universal but don't know when at this time.  I hear that it is getting more and more crowded, due mainly to the exodus from disney to Universal by so many disgruntled people.  So til then, will enjoy your trip report


----------



## schumigirl

dez1978 said:


> I was quite looking forward to the Smores thing after dieting to fit into vacation clothes lol.  Hopefully it was good.







dez1978 said:


> Also, I've attempted to bribe my 2 boys that if they can read all the Harry potter books, I will take them to a OI meet up so maybe well run into each other at one of those. I'm not sure who benefits more from the bribe, me or them



Oh you all would!! 

Those events are fabulous.....and the boys will love the Potter books. We all read them when they came out.....Kyle got to read it first, then me, I was always glad he was a fast reader too.


----------



## schumigirl

disneyseniors said:


> Thanks for remembering
> It was great!!!  We did a road trip which was even fun.  We visited family and good friends, ate out a lot!, visited some of our old stomping grounds.  We lived in Tn. for many years.  It was so beautiful with the hills, flowers, trees and the warm weather.  Loved it  Can't wait to go back to Tennessee.
> I would love to have a trip to Universal but don't know when at this time.  I hear that it is getting more and more crowded, due mainly to the exodus from disney to Universal by so many disgruntled people.  So til then, will enjoy your trip report



Oh I`m so glad to hear it was a success! 

Eating out is always good, but with family and friends, doesn`t get better than that. I don`t know much of Tennessee but it does look lovely anytime I`ve seen pictures of it.

This was the busiest May we have experienced in the parks and yes, there were a lot of Disney folks there....dripping in Disney clothes a lot of the time......lol......and yes, we still did hear many comments of "Disney still does it better".....seriously!!! 

You`ll get back I`m sure.......but meantime, always glad to have you along on these reports.....


----------



## dez1978

schumigirl said:


> Oh you all would!!
> 
> Those events are fabulous.....and the boys will love the Potter books. We all read them when they came out.....Kyle got to read it first, then me, I was always glad he was a fast reader too.


They've seen all the movies and loved them.  But they have so many questions and I keep saying if you'd just read the book you'd understand.  They are about 80% done with the 1st one, so we'll see.  Neither of them really like to read bc they prefer to be "doing" something or watching youtube.  I probably love HP way too much for someone in my 40s but it made me so happy to see them nerd out with their wands last week. I was seriously so sad that they went on Forbidden Journey the first time without me.  I had to run back to the room to sign for a very important walmart delivery (beer) and I thought I'd be back before they were done eating lunch.


----------



## Deb1993

schumigirl said:


> Oh I`m so glad to hear it was a success!
> 
> Eating out is always good, but with family and friends, doesn`t get better than that. I don`t know much of Tennessee but it does look lovely anytime I`ve seen pictures of it.
> 
> This was the busiest May we have experienced in the parks and yes, there were a lot of Disney folks there....dripping in Disney clothes a lot of the time......lol......and yes, we still did hear many comments of "Disney still does it better".....seriously!!!
> 
> You`ll get back I`m sure.......but meantime, always glad to have you along on these reports.....


I don't get the complaining!  Go back to Disney then!  And take your stroller with you!  LOL

Actually, DH and I are considering going to Disney next year for our 30th wedding anniversary.  We got engaged there and honeymooned there.  Reservations open soon for our timing (late November/early December) so I'll be looking at what is available, but in the meantime have booked a suite at LRP - we've never stayed at the hotel (we're PB lovers) and thought something new might be fun.


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Cara said:


> Oh, it is so lovely to see you have started your report! Your poor tummy was upset from the anxiety of awaiting those test results. I feel your pain!
> 
> Fast Track is something I've not heard of. Is it airport specific? I'm sure you all have Global Entry? We have TSA Pre-Check, and it is a delight to avoid the sometimes long lines. Honestly, it's nice just to be able to leave our shoes on in a nasty airport -- my husband says that alone is worth the small cost! TSA Pre-Check saved us a ton of time heading home from Honolulu. The regular security line was outside and so long!
> 
> I'm so looking forward to reading your report. Thank you so much for always doing such a wonderful job with them!


I agree, I am all about TSA-Precheck. There's nowhere it's more useful than MCO. The giant lines we just breeze right past....totally worth it and I'll never be without it or Global Entry for when we renew...


----------



## schumigirl

dez1978 said:


> They've seen all the movies and loved them.  But they have so many questions and I keep saying if you'd just read the book you'd understand.  They are about 80% done with the 1st one, so we'll see.  Neither of them really like to read bc they prefer to be "doing" something or watching youtube.  I probably love HP way too much for someone in my 40s but it made me so happy to see them nerd out with their wands last week. I was seriously so sad that they went on Forbidden Journey the first time without me.  I had to run back to the room to sign for a very important walmart delivery (beer) and I thought I'd be back before they were done eating lunch.



Well, beer is very important!! 

Shame you missed it though.......nothing wrong with loving HP. We enjoy it but aren`t super fans, I know some people get taken up by the whole thing in a big way, and good for them if that`s what makes them happy. 

Yes, the books do a much better job at explaining things.....


----------



## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> I don't get the complaining!  Go back to Disney then!  And take your stroller with you!  LOL
> 
> Actually, DH and I are considering going to Disney next year for our 30th wedding anniversary.  We got engaged there and honeymooned there.  Reservations open soon for our timing (late November/early December) so I'll be looking at what is available, but in the meantime have booked a suite at LRP - we've never stayed at the hotel (we're PB lovers) and thought something new might be fun.



I was so tempted to say that more than once........lol.....

We love RP, so if you don`t get something at Disney, you`ll be happy there too. Anywhere you celebrate your 30th wedding anniversary will be lovely though....at least you`re celebrating!!


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Well you are off to a brilliant start! I'm so glad it was relatively easy to check in, and the lounge sounds just right. I don't think any of those should be a "get your money's worth," situation. For me it's all about the amenity to wait with some peace and refreshments. Very nice and I'm glad you found plenty of bubbly -- those danish do look good! 

All that sneezing -- you know people were terrified even though you obviously had a negative Covid test. Let's think about this, People! 

I would think the only time you really miss the window seat is for takeoff and landing, and I'm so excited then I don't miss it. When we travel as 3 I always get the middle seat, so I'm used to it. Not what I prefer but the lot of the mom  

I admit the food doesn't look as good as the descriptions sound. Of course your expectations are not high so that helps.  Eating is definitely an activity to be doing something on the plane. There are limited actions so that makes you think like you accomplished something   

Looking forward to more to come! But don't rush, let us savor every moment   

Maria


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Well you are off to a brilliant start! I'm so glad it was relatively easy to check in, and the lounge sounds just right. I don't think any of those should be a "get your money's worth," situation. For me it's all about the amenity to wait with some peace and refreshments. Very nice and I'm glad you found plenty of bubbly -- those danish do look good!
> 
> All that sneezing -- you know people were terrified even though you obviously had a negative Covid test. Let's think about this, People!
> 
> I would think the only time you really miss the window seat is for takeoff and landing, and I'm so excited then I don't miss it. When we travel as 3 I always get the middle seat, so I'm used to it. Not what I prefer but the lot of the mom
> 
> I admit the food doesn't look as good as the descriptions sound. Of course your expectations are not high so that helps.  Eating is definitely an activity to be doing something on the plane. There are limited actions so that makes you think like you accomplished something
> 
> Looking forward to more to come! But don't rush, let us savor every moment
> 
> Maria



Thanks Maria.....we agree, we tend not to think whether something is worth it in monetary terms, but more for the convenience and yes, peace and quiet, and it is worth it for that alone, just to be away from the crowds.

Yes, when the 3 of us used to travel, I either got the middle if we were in a row of 3, if it was 2 seats, Kyle got the window and Tom got the window in front.....we let him sit with the stranger.....lol.....so I lose out then, but don`t mind really.....

Yes, even now some folks are still reacting a little too weird when someone coughs or sneezes....and having no masks might make a difference to some I guess, but, I will admit to snorfling........sneezing while not being able to stop laughing which Tom finds hilarious for some reason too!! 

Yes, won`t rush it.......


----------



## Pumpkin1172

schumigirl said:


> This was the busiest May we have experienced in the parks and yes, there were a lot of Disney folks there....dripping in Disney clothes a lot of the time......lol......and yes, we still did hear many comments of "Disney still does it better".....seriously!!!


I heard that too once when we were there.  

I rolled my eyes.  You can't compare the two.  They are separate parks, the offer vastly different things.  I love each park for what they offer.  There are things I love about Disney, and there are things I love about Universal.  They are two different experiences - period.  I just rolled my eyes and dh made a comment very loudly after that about how this was his first trip to both, and he was LOVING Universal more lol.  He's cheeky like that at times 

We have talked about getting Nexus - like your Global Entry, as we can see us doing more travelling into the US for the next few years.  I looked into booking an appointment.  There is nothing until early next year  It is not surprising given how slow the government seems to be for renewing passports right now.  People are waiting over 10-20 WEEKS!!!  Of course when our PM is asked about how they plan to get caught up - of course he has some BS lines he says when he doesn't have an answer.  I know that he and the party are constantly getting grilled about such issues, travel, passport, lifting more restrictions blah blah blah...and the same BS come out of his mouth   Hopefully they get it sorted sooner rather than later.  Good thing my passport was expiring last year, and I sent it in and got it back quickly.  I feel for people who are wanting to travel and having trouble getting their passport now.  

It is so nice when you finally step foot onto the plane and get seated.  The excitement, waiting, worrying is all worth it once you step onto the plane!


----------



## margareton27

Pumpkin1172 said:


> We have talked about getting Nexus - like your Global Entry, as we can see us doing more travelling into the US for the next few years.  I looked into booking an appointment.  There is nothing until early next year  It is not surprising given how slow the government seems to be for renewing passports right now.  People are waiting over 10-20 WEEKS!!!  Of course when our PM is asked about how they plan to get caught up - of course he has some BS lines he says when he doesn't have an answer.  I know that he and the party are constantly getting grilled about such issues, travel, passport, lifting more restrictions blah blah blah...and the same BS come out of his mouth   Hopefully they get it sorted sooner rather than later.  Good thing my passport was expiring last year, and I sent it in and got it back quickly.  I feel for people who are wanting to travel and having trouble getting their passport now.
> 
> It is so nice when you finally step foot onto the plane and get seated.  The excitement, waiting, worrying is all worth it once you step onto the plane!


Definitely get the Nexus card. We are into our 11th year using them. My husband was travelling to the US a lot for business for a few years and his first trip with his Nexus card he texted and said it was the best $50 he had ever spent! 

Beyond the passport slowdowns, Canada has not yet opened their enrolment centres so that is making things worse. If you live near a border town you can get some appointments on the US side. I have one booked for early July as I didn’t want the renewal hanging over my head when we travel in September.   Universal Hollywood and Disneyland here we come!


----------



## schumigirl

Pumpkin1172 said:


> I heard that too once when we were there.
> 
> I rolled my eyes.  You can't compare the two.  They are separate parks, the offer vastly different things.  I love each park for what they offer.  There are things I love about Disney, and there are things I love about Universal.  They are two different experiences - period.  I just rolled my eyes and dh made a comment very loudly after that about how this was his first trip to both, and he was LOVING Universal more lol.  He's cheeky like that at times
> 
> We have talked about getting Nexus - like your Global Entry, as we can see us doing more travelling into the US for the next few years.  I looked into booking an appointment.  There is nothing until early next year  It is not surprising given how slow the government seems to be for renewing passports right now.  People are waiting over 10-20 WEEKS!!!  Of course when our PM is asked about how they plan to get caught up - of course he has some BS lines he says when he doesn't have an answer.  I know that he and the party are constantly getting grilled about such issues, travel, passport, lifting more restrictions blah blah blah...and the same BS come out of his mouth   Hopefully they get it sorted sooner rather than later.  Good thing my passport was expiring last year, and I sent it in and got it back quickly.  I feel for people who are wanting to travel and having trouble getting their passport now.
> 
> It is so nice when you finally step foot onto the plane and get seated.  The excitement, waiting, worrying is all worth it once you step onto the plane!



As soon as you can get it, get it. That is a long wait. I`m about to redo our Global Entry as it expires in March next year, and I have no idea how long renewals will take so might as well get it done sooner rather than later.

Passports are being delayed here too, although Kyle applied for his new one in March and it was back in no time at all, he was lucky though as folks are waiting much longer than ever before.

Yes, it`s wonderful being able to sit back and enjoy a flight after all the worries......


----------



## schumigirl

margareton27 said:


> Definitely get the Nexus card. We are into our 11th year using them. My husband was travelling to the US a lot for business for a few years and his first trip with his Nexus card he texted and said it was the best $50 he had ever spent!
> 
> Beyond the passport slowdowns, Canada has not yet opened their enrolment centres so that is making things worse. If you live near a border town you can get some appointments on the US side. I have one booked for early July as I didn’t want the renewal hanging over my head when we travel in September.   Universal Hollywood and Disneyland here we come!



I`ve only heard folks praise Nexus/GE.....seems there`s no downside to them at all. 

Glad you have your appointment booked......I read folks trying to get appointments in Orlando were having trouble getting one. Sounds a lovely trip in September too.


----------



## schumigirl

​



*As usual, as soon as the seatbelt sign went off, everyone unbuckled with haste and we brought our hand luggage down and expected to stand a while.......it is nice to stand after sitting on our butts for so long and today we were lucky as the airbridge was attached immediately and we were getting off before knew it. With Premium you are among some of the first ones off the plane and we walked out with Tim and Val the couple we had met in the Executive Lounge the night before. They had been sitting near us but we hadn`t chatted as she hadn`t looked well, turns out she had reacted badly to flying after such a long time not flying, poor thing she looked dreadful, but we wished them a lovely trip and hoped she felt better soon. *
*
You can feel that glorious heat through the glass as we walk past our lovely plane that has got us here safely and we got a wave from the pilot this afternoon.......not often that happens. 

Takes only a few moments to walk down to the Immigration hall and we very happily turn left instead of right where there is no line whatsoever for us. Global Entry we thank you for being so marvellous!! When we first started using GE, we used to have to put our passports in to the machine, fingerprints and fill in about 8 questions on the screen before being issued with your little "good to go" ticket. Now, you look in a camera and that`s about it........facial recognition is so much easier. We then head to a very quick chat with the IO and this time again, we had a lovely lady who was friendly, checked our passports and asked if we were bringing in any food......told her we had chocolate, candy and Scottish rum and they were all gifts, she then waved us through and wished us a wonderful trip. Took less than 4 minutes from walking to the machine. 

Meanwhile the line of folks that had come off of planes was getting longer.......

I headed to the bathroom, had a quick freshen up while I was there, well, as much as you can do and went back out to discover our luggage was coming off, that was fast today!! 

We then headed up the escalator and got on the mini train to take us to the main terminal........one of the best little journey`s of the day....seeing those blue skies and sunshine is just the best feeling. It takes seconds to get there and wandering into the main terminal is also fabulous, I try not to look at the droves of tourists heading back through security for the return journey....that`s never fun and will be us soon enough.....but not today!! 

Our rental car had been booked a little different this year. We had booked through a man who does work for a firm, but he offers better rates offline. Someone had suggested we try him when I mentioned we were getting quotes of $4,000 some months back. We usually booked direct with Alamo, so we were a little concerned everything would be straightforward. And it was completely fine and not too bad at just under $2,000 in the end for the 23 nights.

No trying to upgrade us saying we needed a bigger car or a more economical car.....yeah right, look at UK gas prices......the USA is still a bargain to us for fuel, but she was nice and it was one the easiest rentals we have gone through. He had mentioned in an email to just check the balance was zero.....and it was. But, always better to check. Our next step was to go pick up the Visitor Toll Pass which we had never used before and of course it was way over in the opposite side of the airport that we were in. So, we had to bimble over to the other area......not ideal as unsurprisingly......it was hot!! Had they switched the A/C off in the airport today???? 

This was so easy to pick up........Tom had set up the account before we left, so we picked up the card that sits on the rear view mirror and charges us every time we go through a toll, and it was as easy a process as we had been told. All we had to do was remember to use it and remember to hand it back before we left! 

Then over to the garage where the staff were among the most disinterested we had ever seen.....we chose a car, best of a mediocre bunch, loaded the car up and set off on our way home. I did think although the car looked clean, there was a stale aroma when we had been in it for 5 minutes or so.....wasn`t happy with that at all, but we`d think about it later.

We love just how familiar the roads are here to us.....and we did remember there had been a change to our usual route around the airport this time and then we were rumbling along and turned off for Universal Boulevard.....and headed up toward UOR. We were almost there when the steering wheel started vibrating rather violently, that`s never good, but it got us to where we wanted to go. 
*
*Driving past RP is always odd as that feels more like home than anywhere else here, but we did pull into the Sapphire parking lot and with it being a Monday, it wasn`t busy and we were very close to the elevators. And the heat again........love it!!! 

There is something very special about walking into either RP or Sapphire Falls lobbies.....I often talk about feeling like coming home when we are here and it`s true, as soon as we walk in the doors.....yep, it does feel like we`re walking into our own hallway....albeit a much larger hallway than our own!!! *
*
We were lucky we had missed the huge lines and walked straight to someone who was free and began the check in process. He called our friend to let him know we had arrived, but he was over at RP so one of the managers came out to welcome us, she knew us, but we had never met her before and it was lovely to meet her. Check in didn`t take long and we headed along the corridor to our lovely suite that was very conveniently on the same floor as the lobby......that feeling of happiness being here is just the best feeling....we take in the lobby and glance over to Strong Water knowing we`ll be there later.......lol......priorities!! 

Tom is well versed on putting the luggage somewhere discreet while I take pictures of the rooms we go into.......and today is no different! 

We love this suite!!! The Sapphire Suite is one of the nicest ones we have enjoyed, other one was the Hospitality Suite with the balcony a couple of years back, but this one is perfect for us and of course we love the view of the lagoon over a pool view everytime. I do like a pool view at RP, but here the lagoon is much nicer for us for several reasons and one is to watch the sunrise over RP on a morning is just beautiful. 

Incredibly happy right now. 

The lobby area is large and spacious and adds to the light airy feel of the suite, and immediately the smaller bathroom of the two which tends to become Tom`s.......we do like our own bathroom, although I often say after more than 30 years together there are no surprises anymore.......lol.......*

























*It is spacious suite and we love the dining room table which is huge.....and our lovely friend who is always so thoughful had sent us a fruit and cheese plate to nibble on when we get in along with some water......always so welcome and very refreshing after a flight! *

























*I forgot to take a picture of the view which is so pretty and when the sun shines as it is today, it`s beautiful. *















*The full size fridge is lovely and will get well used over our stay, having the kitchen facilities is ideal although I still never use the coffee makers in the room. But, the little sink, some cabinet storage space are both convenient for a longer stay, yes, we love this suite a lot.*




































*The bedroom is a good size and the bed is very large, similar to the size we have at home, so we do sleep well here as the beds are always so comfortable....well, the ones we have had certainly have been. *














*And again, we have plenty of storage for our clothes and items during our stay with the cabinet in the bedroom, it has general space and drawer space too. *















*And......."my bathroom"    well, for the most part anyway. I love this bathoom, it has huge amounts of space, two showers to choose from and the double sink which I seem to need for some reason with all my products around. *
*
I have to admit, we never use the shower over the bathtub, we always use the walk in one and thankfully it has plenty of power, so the water pressure is fabulous. *

















































*More storage and I have to say we just about fitted our clothes hanging up in there and I`m always happy to see the ironing board....yes I`m weird like that! After our clothes have been stuck in suitcases for goodness knows how many hours, yes, I need an iron!
*













*The safe is small, but will hold most folks documents, but they are not huge. We always take a security box behind the front desk for most of our valuables like passports and so on, so we don`t keep much in the room safe at all. 

The security boxes are ideal. You have a key and they keep a key and you fill in a card they keep with authorised folks registered on it, every time you go into the box, you have to have the second key and fill in the form and also have ID. It`s something we always do on our stays at either hotel. *
















*The room phone rang and it was our friend called us to say he had missed us by a few moments at check in, he had come over from RP but we had just gone........so we chatted and had a good old catch up before he set off home for the evening. It`s always a joy to talk to him, we keep in touch by email but always look forward to seeing him in person when we are here. *
*
Once I finished chatting, I immediately jumped into this lovely shower.......travel always makes us feel like we want to shower.......and I was glad I did as I felt so much better when I got changed into fresh clothes too as we would soon be heading down to Strong Water Bar for a catch up and food!!!
*
*But, first we did get everything unpacked.....I hate doing that for some reason......not as bad as packing to leave of course, but just a chore that takes up time. 


Walking down to Strong Water was lovely......we half expected Fernando to be off as was usual on a Monday, but as we walked in we saw him down the far end. Our first hug was from the lovely Lenny who we did miss of course and then I wandered down to surprise Fernando and he was surprised, always lovely to see him and what a welcome we got! *
*
SW really does have a family atmosphere, we`ve known most of them for so long so it`s always a delight to catch up. Maggie wasn`t working tonight so as our best bud Lenny was on, we sat at the bar so we could catch up properly.......we certainly felt at home as usual with everyone we knew around us and they all stopped by to say hi at some point. 
*
*Our first drink was our usual Rum Revival and Anthony asked us to try one of his latest creations which was a lemonade based drink and is now on the menu, so of course we had to try......it wasn`t for me, but as always had been carefully created to enhance the rum. Tom liked it. *



























*We chatted for so long as it felt like we all had a lot to catch up with, but eventually we ordered some food......Camarones, Tuna Tiradito and the seafood tostado which for us the Tuna was a new dish so we looked forward to tasting that one, but the other two are classics that we love.....and Lenny always remembers we don`t like cilantro....so anything cilantro on these dishes is always omitted.*





































*I have to say, the Tuna Tiradito is one of my new favourite dishes in there.....Fernando did say he thought I`d love it and although Chef Carlos was off tonight, he`d be pleased we enjoyed it. But those Camarones are gorgeous and the sauce with the bread is heavenly.*

*Anthony`s lovely creation, the Rum Lore.........*














*But we just sat for the most part and caught up with Fernando, Lenny and the others too. Fernando told us he had two new assistant managers, and said we might recognise one of them.......and oh my, we did know him......Mike used to be a barman here a few years back, and it was so good to see him back again as assistant manager! We would meet the other one another night.*

*Anthony as is usual for him.......he`s a character and a half, always grabs our camera and takes a load of snaps around us, some I don`t know about till we upload them when we get home and tonight was no different........lol......

Meet Mike......*













*Meet Anthony *













*He also captured Fernando bringing us a little treat..........*














*I was amazed Fernando had remembered I loved anything Dulce de Lech, so when he brought me out a bowl of gelato with that flavour, I was very surprised.......
*














*And of course the biggest slice of Tres Leche cake ever for Tom......well, we did share of course and even we had trouble finishing these tonight. *

*The Tres Leche cake is light and fluffy and the meringue on top is heavenly.......then add in the almost condensed milk like sauce, you have the perfect dessert!!*















*They were both delicious.....even for gelato, you could taste the rich flavours coming through. *
*
We at this point were wondering why we weren`t asleep yet, when you hit that wall nothing can keep you awake, but we were doing just fine tonight.....I can credit the good company we were in for that I think. 
*
*Then Fernando brought us out a dish Chef Carlos had come up with.....but we had to eat them while they were hot........they were Truffle Pecarino dough balls......and although admittedly we were full up.......we had to try them. *















*They were beautiful......I`m not fond of truffle flavours, but this was gorgeous and very decadent. Not too heavy despite them being dough, so we managed to eat one each, but my goodness now we were full!!! *
*
We had one last drink and then thought we should really think about heading to bed.....but it was still a little early even for us as it was only around 8pm. We do try to stay awake till around 10pm if we can, and that almost resets the time difference for some reason. 
*
*Anthony still had our camera.......and I have to thank him as he did capture some good pics we wouldn`t have been able to capture........
*












*And just after that.......I hit that wall of needing sleep. *
*
We waited for Lenny to come back from his break and found Fernando and the others too and said our goodnights and how good it was to be back, they said they hoped to see us often during our stay.....well, they know us so well, of course they`d see us plenty!!! 

Walked to the suite and poured some water and put the tv on for half an hour......I was determined to stay awake till 10pm.

Nope.......I lasted till 9.15 before I practically crawled into bed hoping we`d sleep till around 6ish and not wake up bright as a button around 2am!
*
*Felt good though to be back..........*


----------



## Deb1993

He did capture some great photos!!!!  We will definitely be ordering a slice of that tres leches cake when we are there in August!  It looks amazing.  Loving your report!!!!


----------



## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> He did capture some great photos!!!!  We will definitely be ordering a slice of that tres leches cake when we are there in August!  It looks amazing.  Loving your report!!!!



lol....honestly, we had no idea he took so many, haven`t posted many of them, but he is funny! 

That Tres Leche cake is Chef Carlos own personal recipe and it`s the nicest one I`ve ever tasted. You`ll love it! 

Thank you, I`m loving writing them again........


----------



## Worfiedoodles

A perfect first evening! So glad your segue from the airport to SF was smooth. And the suite is lovely — I confess that is the smallest sink I’ve ever seen 

You started well with drinks and delicious dishes. Love that you had fun seeing everyone and all the happy photos! I predict this is just the beginning of a wonderful trip


----------



## margareton27

Sounds like the perfect first night! A vibrating steering wheel does not sound so good - yikes!


----------



## Cara

My husband and I both LOVE a good tres leches, so we'll have to try that one. And your suite! Wow, it's beautiful!


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> A perfect first evening! So glad your segue from the airport to SF was smooth. And the suite is lovely — I confess that is the smallest sink I’ve ever seen
> 
> You started well with drinks and delicious dishes. Love that you had fun seeing everyone and all the happy photos! I predict this is just the beginning of a wonderful trip



lol....it is tiny, but big enough to rinse through a couple of wine glasses for next time!! 

Thanks......yes, we love that suite.

It was so nice seeing some of our favourite folks again and yes, the good food and drinks were nice too, but such a fun evening all round.


----------



## schumigirl

margareton27 said:


> Sounds like the perfect first night! A vibrating steering wheel does not sound so good - yikes!



Yep, it really was a lovely night. 

No, steering wheel was dreadful, the whole car was a disaster, it didn`t even have built in GPS! We did sort it though.


----------



## schumigirl

Cara said:


> My husband and I both LOVE a good tres leches, so we'll have to try that one. And your suite! Wow, it's beautiful!



Oh you`ll love Chef Carlos one then......we ate far too many of them 

Yep, that suite is so pretty and so much space in it for us to sprawl around in.


----------



## luvpoohandcompany

What a great start to your trip- well minus the dodgy car. Sounds like the staff at SW were as happy to see you both as you were to see them. You got some great photos of the evening. Your suite looks gorgeous. Love the view. I love the sleep at the beginning of the first night of our trips but the struggling to get back to sleep at 2am not so much lol. I hope you managed to stay asleep until a halfway decent time


----------



## schumigirl

luvpoohandcompany said:


> What a great start to your trip- well minus the dodgy car. Sounds like the staff at SW were as happy to see you both as you were to see them. You got some great photos of the evening. Your suite looks gorgeous. Love the view. I love the sleep at the beginning of the first night of our trips but the struggling to get back to sleep at 2am not so much lol. I hope you managed to stay asleep until a halfway decent time



Oh yes, that first nights sleep......never ever do we ever fall asleep as fast! But, that time change tiredness does kick. 

We do love that suite and the lagoon view is so nice. And yep, lovely seeing those guys again


----------



## schumigirl

*TUESDAY MAY 3RD*​



*Despite falling asleep within seconds, we both woke bright as buttons at 2am....as predicted. I had that weird......where am I feeling and had no clue where I was, but to be fair we both got back to sleep in a few minutes which we were incredibly glad of, as that kind of tiredness just kicks your butt if you can`t get over it. *

*I did waken up around 5.30ish and it was still dark, so I wandered through to the sitting room and just watched outside for a while......there are so many folks jogging at that time it`s crazy!! But, one of the things I love about the view from this room is the gorgeous sunrise you see every morning over RP......it is so beautiful. *














*Eventually I go back through and get showered and dressed while sleeping beauty still snoozes......but once I pull back the bedroom drapes......he magically awakes!! Albeit rather reluctantly at first.....but he soon has the same enthusiasm for the day as I have.......lol....there may even have been a subtle go away comment in there somewhere at one point.......*

*Today was a strange one, and I think this is the day where we took the least amount of pictures ever. But, we do like a quiet day to start the trip off and today was going to be ultra quiet.

We were meeting someone we know from the last few trips for coffee this morning before she started work, so we stopped off at Dutch Trading for coffee and a selection of pastries before enjoying a rather nice catch up, and I have to say the coffee from here is rather nice, but I do take my own tea bag and just get some boiling water as I do prefer tea. It was nice though and I do quite like their grab and go in Sapphire. This morning was quiet but some mornings as we passed the line could be huge! 

After we left her, we headed to the car and for an unexpected drive back to the airport, we had to change this car as we couldn`t drive it like that. And getting back in it this morning there was a definite odour of tobacco or similar, not pleasant at all. And it still had a CD player in it!!!! It`s only a 20 minute drive back to the airport and we explain to the woman who looked at the mileage we were returning it.......she mumbled she wasn`t surprised. 

Headed off to the little desk area and they didn`t even question it, just pointed to the row of cars behind us. Tom said no, those are smaller than what we had, so he looked up and said yes they are. wow. We ignored that row and walked over to the full size and chose a brand new (with GPS) Ford and when I say brand new it really was, it had around 400 miles on the clock and smelled as fresh as paint. We`d take this one thank you. Told the guy we`d chosen one and could we have the paperwork.....he never said a word and by now someone else had arrived and asked what we were doing, told her and she said oh no worries, pick any car. Staff at Alamo are usually brilliant and the second lady was, but the first guy was a little too disinterested. 

But, we had a nice newer car, with GPS, it was clean and almost brand new.....and although these cars are never the most powerful, when we put our foot down, it did go and didn`t screech like a banshee. 

We headed to the Mall at Millenia as Tom`s watch battery had just died about a week before we left, and he hates being without a watch. We`ve been getting batteries from her for all their watches for years. Small little place but very reliable and nice too. 

We were so early..........*
























*Today was not going to be a Mall shopping day, I wanted to keep that for other days, so we went for a coffee till the stores open and after we got his battery we headed to Publix for a few things we like to have in the room for snacks and I did want to get some shampoo and conditioner along with a really nice hair mask I can`t find in the UK. It`s funny how you start off with popping in for a few items and then you`ve spent over $120 somehow!! *















*After Publix, we dropped the shopping off into the room and then decided we would eat in Amatista for lunch. We don`t eat here often but we were spending the afternoon with someone we`ve known for a long time so didn`t want to go far and Amatista is always decent food and it would be quiet today.*

*We had Jimmy look after us today and he recognised us immediately, he was annoyed he couldn`t remember our name, it had been a while bless him. He has been there for years and is one of the nicest men and a very popular choice for folks wanting him to be the one to take care of them. *

*As we weren`t planning to go offsite at all today, we ordered a couple of glasses of wine each which was lovely. Weirdly they don`t offer bottles at lunch, but two glasses each would be lovely. *

























*You`re never rushed in here, especially when it is as quiet as today, and we quite enjoyed this tranquility and just enjoying the fact we had arrived and of course chatting to Jimmy is always nice, he is such a gentleman. *

*Food wise, I knew what I wanted, the Ancho Chili BBQ chicken sandwich and Tom went for the meat lovers flatbread which are both items we`ve had before, but they are lovely.*

*I opted to have fruit as a side and it was very nice too instead of fries and there was plenty of the bbq sauce on the sandwich which is delicious. *














*Tom`s flatbread was cold-ish, so he asked Jimmy if they could give it a quick ding to warm it up again. I was surprised as the place only had 3 other tables being used, so not as if they were run off their feet. But, a quick zap in the oven and it was fine, very tasty it was too. *














*And of course Jimmy took some pics for us.......*














*Lunch was delicious I have to say, I didn`t eat the bun as it`s just too filling but the chicken was lovely. *

*We took our time as we were a little early to meet our friend where we enjoyed a lovely, lovely afternoon having some lovely conversations and catching up. 

Around 5.30 we were back in our room and we felt a little whooped and couldn`t really be bothered walking over to RP, so I snoozed for half an hour and Tom was completely unconscious for an hour or so. *

*Later we decided to head over to Orchids for dinner, usually we`ll email Maria and let her know we`re on our way, but wanted to surprise her, so we walked in and she waved as she saw us and came towards us......meanwhile Colby, our #2 son saw us and came running past her to get a hug first.......lol....what a guy!! It was lovely seeing Maria again and Colby too. 

I asked if they had a table for us and she said of course, not our usual one but anything would be fine, and when we sat down we saw beside us was Todd and Candace (SCSabresfan) who were there with parents for their anniversary......I didn`t know they were staying this trip either and it was nice to see them again. *

*Colby was looking after us and after teasing him he needed his haircut, which he did and Maria agreed ......we ordered a bottle of wine and Tom decided to have those dreadful Edamame beans as an app....I detest them......they`re nothing but a pea with delusions of grandeur!! *

*I opted for the delicious Miso soup.....classic. *




































*In between chatting, we managed to order some food and opted for the classic Mexican roll which is fairly spicy, the Dynamite roll which weirdly isn`t overly spicy and their Sushi of the day which I forget what it was, but it was gorgeous. 

Actually, it was all gorgeous. The sushi from Orchids is among the nicest in the area and it`s somewhere we always recommend folks try over Cowfish which doesn`t rate highly with me at all for sushi. Chef Dan has worked here for years and his standards are exceptionally high...nice guy too. *















*Usually dessert isn`t a priority for us here, but they do have the coconut ice cream from downstairs, so I thought I`d have that and Tom opted for a chocolate and raspberry pot. Another waiter saw Colby spending some time chatting with us and he wandered over too.......when I mentioned coconut ice cream, he jumped in saying he knew what I meant and disappeared like a flash........so we continued chatting with Maria and Colby and this waiter appeared with Tom`s chocolate dessert.....*














*And this..........

Nope, not what I asked for. *















*Poor Colby was a little annoyed and Maria knew immediately I hadn`t asked for that.....she said to him, no she asked for coconut ice cream.......oh dear. I remember that donut thing as a lovely dessert, but it`s so filling and really it`s a two person dessert as it is huge. So a few minutes later Maria brought me up some plain old coconut ice cream......much nicer. *

*We were full now, completely. Tom`s chocolate pot was very rich despite it being so small but he did finish it and I loved my ice cream. 

I told Maria we`d be back over at some point but would email her first to make sure she was working.......I did wonder if she was going to say something and thought better of it, just a sense of something, but as it was she gave us a hug and said she would see us either her or over at Strong Water, we had plenty of nights ahead of us. We said goodnight to Colby and headed back over to our lovely suite.

The walk doesn`t take long and we know that route so well as we had been walking through that way since Sapphire opened.....I often said we had our own worn groove carved into the carpet through the ballroom/conference area. 

Once in we thought we`d watch some tv and chill out, but once again, tiredness hit us and we were in bed for 10pm........the high life indeed! *

*But, tomorrow, we did plan some park time........*


----------



## shh

schumigirl said:


> and yes, we still did hear many comments of "Disney still does it better".....seriously!!!


I have only 3 replies to that.


----------



## shh

Deb1993 said:


> And take your stroller with you! LOL


----------



## schumigirl

shh said:


> I have only 3 replies to that.





shh said:


>



lol......

I can imagine!!! 

And        along shh.....good to see you here!!


----------



## KathyM2

schumigirl said:


> en checked into the hotel only to realise that among the bags we had brought from home.....my mini suitcase with all my clothes in was still sitting back home on the bed!!! Yup.....no spare clothes whatsoever.......well, you have to laugh!!!


OMG, that's too funny!! I'm glad you were able to get something to use for the trip...have to laugh of course otherwise it's annoying lol


schumigirl said:


> and add that into the worry of testing for the flight, it all added up to a stressful time all round. And all worked out wonderfully I`m happy to say!!


Ugh. Hate that feeling. It is so insane that you still need to test to fly to the US when they have more cases than almost anywhere...I get that covid isn't over, but it's certainly not in the USA lol


schumigirl said:


> then we each got the emails with the results we wanted, finally............both negative. We would be flying tomorrow.....


Phew, what a relief!


schumigirl said:


> UK airports have been struggling terribly with lack of staff and there had been horrendous scenes on tv of lines of people waiting for hours to check in/get luggage in various airports and one of them was this one.


This is happening here in Toronto too. Have to be at the airport so crazy early.


schumigirl said:


> Not awful, but not the most flavour filled dish I`ve ever eaten on a plane.


I sometimes wish they would not try to hard and instead would just make a decent sandwich or salad!


schumigirl said:


> We are served afternoon tea with around 90 minutes to go and it is nice to get a cup of tea again.


Yum!! I could easily have tea foods for lunch anytime!


----------



## schumigirl

KathyM2 said:


> OMG, that's too funny!! I'm glad you were able to get something to use for the trip...have to laugh of course otherwise it's annoying lol
> 
> Ugh. Hate that feeling. It is so insane that you still need to test to fly to the US when they have more cases than almost anywhere...I get that covid isn't over, but it's certainly not in the USA lol
> 
> Phew, what a relief!
> 
> This is happening here in Toronto too. Have to be at the airport so crazy early.
> 
> I sometimes wish they would not try to hard and instead would just make a decent sandwich or salad!
> 
> Yum!! I could easily have tea foods for lunch anytime!



We couldn`t believe we had left my case, not sure how it happened, but well.....yes, you have to laugh. First time I ever bought clothes and wore them before I washed them!!!

It doesn`t make sense in many ways. You can drive over the border I believe with no testing??? So, maybe it doesn`t affect drivers.......lol......crazy. 

It`s weird with the food. Sometimes it`s actually ok, teriyaki chicken on the last flight was really nice, for airline food.....but others weren`t so nice. But, generally it just passes some time, and the desserts are usually fairly good. Salad would be good I agree. 

Afternoon tea is quite nice I have to admit.


----------



## jump00

schumigirl said:


> *TRAVEL DAY
> 
> 
> Monday May 2nd*​
> 
> 
> 
> *We slept fairly well I have to say, which is very unusual for us, so when all the alarms started to go off, both of us were awake and watching the area around the airport fairly quickly fill up with traffic and life in general with folks arriving for work and folks like us here to set off on our vacation. But, it`s surprising how busy that road around the airport is around 4am. *
> 
> *I checked emails before I went for a shower, I always use the hotel products here as it saves me packing shampoo/conditioner for one night, and they are very nice products. We were fairly reserved this morning and didn`t chat much, I think we were just tired and a little concerned as is normal to think about all our documentation that we still have to show before we check in for our flight.
> 
> I had checked in online last night and completed the Attestation form, so I knew that was in order, we still had to show our proof of covid and booster info which we did have online, but we had also printed them off in paper form. The hotel had printed off our negative results yesterday too, it was easy as we just had to email them down to the reception desk and they printed them for us, so we had them to show too.
> 
> Once we were both dressed we checked out and headed down to the Terminal around 5.30am for our 10am flight.
> 
> UK airports have been struggling terribly with lack of staff and there had been horrendous scenes on tv of lines of people waiting for hours to check in/get luggage in various airports and one of them was this one. But, luckily for us our terminal wasn`t rumoured to be as badly affected. But, many were turning up far too early as they were scared of the endless lines being reported, which inadvertantly caused more issues, so we would do our usual and turn up as normal to check in.
> 
> We walked into the check in area around 5.30 and there were already around 70 folks lined up for the Virgin flight. So, we just joined on the end and waited, fortunately within a minute staff appeared and around 5.45 they opened the desks and we wandered into the Premium line which was incredibly short and met one of the staff who check your passport and Vaccination/fit to fly details are correct.
> 
> The man looked at us and said "I know you"........I must have looked shocked, but he then added, I remember you from Christmas.......lol......we had indeed spoke to him at Christmas, not a bad memory for someone who sees so many folks. But, we had chatted to him for a time as we waited for the line to open, it was slightly less nervous this time. All our documents were thankfully in order and he did check everything. With the tests from yesterday, he did check the date the test was taken against our passport/name and of course checked and read out it was negative.......phew!!!
> 
> We thanked him and went forward to check in for our flight. This took only a few minutes and I was surprised to see one of our cases going out was just on the limit......oops!! I think we would be glad of the extra case coming home!! Our seats were confirmed and although they weren`t our ideal seats as we had people behind us on this part of the journey, they`d be fine. I knew we wouldn`t have a window directly beside us, but we could see out of the ones in front of us easily.
> 
> Now we had our boarding cards and luggage dropped off we headed down to the dreaded security that had been reported to be so terrible recently. We had purchased Fast Trak a few months back and I had read recently they had stopped selling Fast Trak as they were just at capacity, so we had no idea what it would be like.
> 
> We saw a huge line and our hearts dropped.......it was mahoosive!!! And there was a rather unfriendly man shepherding everyone to that line in a rather abrupt manner....I stopped and asked him if that was the Fast Trak line.....he just pointed to a seperate line to the left where there was not a single soul in the Fast Trak.....again....phew........funnily enough a man behind us followed us and was stopped as he didn`t have FT........I don`t think he was doing it deliberately, I think he was just not paying attention.
> 
> We got straight through with our boarding cards and joined another seperate and much shorter line for the security checks......the regular line even through this side was very long, but even though I got taken aside for a seperate check, it took us less than 7 minutes from arriving at Security to getting through to the other side. Not bad at all. We spoke to someone on the plane who said it took them an hour to just get to the second side after you scan your boarding card, then another 45 minutes to get through completely.
> 
> And I have to say the man who checked our bags in the trays was very nice and explained they were trying to do their best for customers under quite tight conditions....basically they are incredibly short staffed. For us, it was fine.
> 
> Once we were through that area.......we could relax again. No matter how easy is it to go through, it`s quite stressful by nature as you are rushed through and folks are being loud letting you know you need to take laptops/electric items and so on out of their covers and it is a little manic. But, now......we were in the Duty Free area where you are immediately attacked by the infamous perfume ladies who are relentless....far too early in the morning for all that.
> 
> I did stop to spray some Chanel and this woman immediately latched on and tried to sell me something else......she was very politely told no thank you.
> 
> We were a little too early for the lounge so we sat in the area close to the escalators which in November had been almost deserted.......it was so busy this morning!!! There was barely a seat, but we did find somewhere and sat down for the 20 minutes or so we had to wait to get into the lounge. You can book a time so you have 2.5 hours before your flight takes off.
> 
> We sat down with a load of people around us and then I did something that horrified, beyond belief everyone that was around me....*
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> *I sneezed.
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> 7 times.*
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> *Kyle often says I don`t just sneeze once.....it`s usually 5 times, but this morning I think something just caught my nose and I was off........then when I saw folks around me slowly slide further away, I took to laughing as well as sneezing which was not a good look!!! But, sorry it was hilarious and I couldn`t even apologise as I was still sneezing and laughing.......I am so sorry if you were there! *
> 
> *I blame someone wearing a cheap perfume.
> 
> But, it was almost our time to go up the escalators and get into the lounge. I had stopped sneezing by now.
> 
> There are a couple of full service restaurants up there and I couldn`t believe how busy they were and the lines of folks waiting to get in was horrendous!! I`m sure some must have had to give up as they`d never eat and make their flights surely.
> 
> There was a line going into the lounge this morning. There are two lounges attached to each other but seperated by glass partitions and moveable walls, one allows families and I think is slightly cheaper. We had booked the 1903 Lounge that was supposed to be child free, but if you had booked Upper Class through your airline, you automatically get access to this lounge, so if you have kids, they get in too. I`m not sure how they get to advertise as adults only in that case, but they do.
> 
> I had read in the weeks leading up to today that many had their reservations for this lounge cancelled, including two families who had been booked for today as well as some who had booked as far ahead as July and August. We hadn`t received any such email, so we assumed it would be fine, but we did wonder. However, our reservation was still there and we made our way into the lounge. *
> 
> *It was much busier than in November, but not completely full, we found a seat and went to get some breakfast which we were ready for now. Although we first had a look out at the miserable grey day it was outside.....our favourite type of weather to leave the UK in as we know we are heading to some sunshine.*
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> *It is a help yourself to any type of alcohol/beer/wines and so on as well as teas, coffees and juices of all kinds and it is laid our rather nicely.*
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> *For breakfast you have a lovely assortment of cold options and baked goods including the nicest Danish Pastries, to the other side there are several hot options including bacon and little tator tots which we enjoyed a few of. You can order toast to be made and eggs of any kind......we just asked for some white toast as we are not really egg eaters, especially before a flight as they generally don`t agree with me. I think when friends or us have brunches I will eat the odd poached egg, but that`s about it. Now bacon.....that`s another story!!*
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> *I did wish they would serve pots of tea instead of popping a tea bag in a very small cup, but that`s what they offer in here so we had a couple of cups of tea with our breakfast. Teapots would be so much nicer.
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> Staff inside the lounge are very nice, they are helpful and friendly and there seemed to be many more of them this time around, in November I think there were only 3 of them.*
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> *The lady had just opened a fresh bottle so, it would be rude not to accept her very kind offer.
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> You do just help yourself but she was standing right beside us when she opened this bottle and I think she might just have guessed we do like a glass of fizz now and again....*
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> *Breakfast was lovely I hasten to add......we didn`t have an awful lot to eat and had maybe 3 glasses of fizz each. I think if you go in to the lounge looking to get your "money`s worth" I doubt you would, it`s just a nicer place to spend some time before your flight away from the noise and crowds of the departure areas. And that`s why we book it. They do very nice bacon though. *
> 
> *It was time to wander down to see which gate we were leaving from and as we were in the nice shiny brand new terminal right now, it wouldn`t be crazy to assume this is where the departure gate would be???
> 
> Not a hope. Our gate showed as one of the original gates back in the old terminal again....same as November. It really is like walking back in time as it`s so dark and relatively unused now compared to the new terminal which is light, bright, shiny and airy.
> 
> We walked back for about 10 minutes to the old gate, fully expecting to sit in the dingy area waiting to board, but we were right at the front of the passengers walking and we were amazed to see Staff waiting to let us on the plane immediately......we didn`t even have our passports out yet as we thought we`d be sitting for 20 minutes or so. So, we scrambled to get them out in seconds and managed it, and before we knew it we were walking down the airbridge and getting on the plane.
> 
> We said Good morning to the CC and found our seats....yes, the windowless seats.......lol.....it wasn`t the end of the world. We had made this flight so many times, this was our 23rd trip to Orlando since 2007 and yes, I`d have preferred a window, but to be fair for most of the journey, you really don`t see much except cloud and more cloud. *
> 
> *Cabin Crew are always so lovely and as soon as we settled in to our seats, one came round with an offer of either orange juice or fizzy......yes, we took the fizzy of course. *
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> *I think getting straight on the plane had caught a few folks out as it seemed to load very slow, but didn`t take very long for it to really start filling up. I quite like being among the first on as we can then sit back and chill........it`s a long flight so we do like to be settled. *
> 
> *We do like Premium with Virgin, seats are comfy and you do have a lot of room in them, but at the end of the day it`s still just a plane seat and a means to get where you`re going, but we always enjoy our flights generally. *
> 
> *We took off at 10.10am which was more or less spot on, and a very smooth take off followed and we soon levelled off and as predicted, it was nothing but cloud at 40,000 feet. We still love that take off......it`s not as impressive as the Jumbo Jet taking off when you heard those engines rev up for take off, but it`s still impressive all the same.
> 
> We were offered drinks and a snack as soon as we levelled off and I do have to say those snacks were the worst I had ever tasted. I`m not a pretzel fan, but they used to offer a sour cream one that was quite nice.....these ones you could do someone an injury if you hit them with one!!!
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> Wine in a can is something that`s just not quite right.....but, for plane wine, it would do and they are very generous with handing them out. *
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> *We both found movies to watch, Tom moreso than myself....I forget which one I watched but it was dreadful so I ended up watching Harry Potter and the Philosphers Stone which is a very good movie.
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> They then offer you the menu for your meal and it wasn`t the most inspiring of choices, but then you never expect much anyway with airline food. To be honest, it only helps to pass some time......if you`re eating you don`t really notice the time it seems.*
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> *I was tempted by the curry, well, except until I read it was paneer which I loathe, so Tom and I both opted for the Chicken Lasagne which was different I have to say. Not awful, but not the most flavour filled dish I`ve ever eaten on a plane. *
> 
> *The appetiser was not good, apart from the olive, and I ate a little of the tabbouleh, the rest of it was not good. I hate chick peas so hummus is not something I eat....I did try it.......I regretted trying it. Not for me. *
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> *They do bring round tea and coffee after the meal, so we both had the tea and then settled down for the longest part of the flight.......all the way across the Atlantic and down the Eastern Seaboard which can drag a little.*
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> *Once things had settled, we both used the bathroom and came back, I pulled the lovely purple blanket over me, buckled up and got myself comfy for hopefully a good sleep for most of the flight. *
> 
> *I did sleep soundly for a couple of hours and we had no major turbulence this flight. I think I missed the offer of an iced lolly, but sleep is often preferable to anything like that. I woke up and we were a fair bit into the journey with only 3.5 hours to go. *
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> *I used the facilities and noticed in the kitchen area what they call the Wonderwall in Premium and Upper, you can go and find treats, savoury and sweet for you to help yourself with if you feel like it. We never bother, but it`s a nice little selection and there are juices, soft drinks and always water available too if you like, always a good idea to drink plenty of water on flights.
> 
> We are served afternoon tea with around 90 minutes to go and it is nice to get a cup of tea again. The sandwiches are just ok, not for me, but the scone with cream is always lovely and the little treats were quite nice today, one was a lemon treat and the other something I couldn`t quite make out. But, nice and passes some more time again. *
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> *Again, we use the bathroom for the last time on this flight, and you honestly can feel the excitement of people as we get closer to Orlando, even though many look a little groggy it`s still exciting. *
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> *We heard some folks say this was their first flight since the pandemic, so it would be doubly exciting for them.
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> I think we must have been avoiding some weather as we flew in over a very unusual flightpath, but we enjoyed a very smooth landing which is always nice and we were surprised to have flown in on record time and it wasn`t even 2pm yet. *
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> *Welcome to the USA
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What a lovely start to your trip report!  The excitement builds…..the pictures are fabulous!  Can’t wait to see what‘s next……
 Brenda


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## schumigirl

*WEDNESDAY MAY 4TH



*​



*We both slept much better last night, no disturbances, not even a bathroom visit, I think we were all caught up on sleep now. I did wake as usual very early, and again enjoyed an early morning gaze out of the windows of the sitting room while Tom slept longer, as is normal at home too. He does like his sleep and can`t say I blame him. *
*
Today just looked hot from our window, yesterday hadn`t been overwhelming which for our first day was ideal, but temps looked to be rising and would be consistently hot throughout our trip. 
*
*This morning we had breakfast in the suite, but we didn`t picture it as we had devoured it before we remembered the camera........it was just tea, juice, toast and pastries but it was lovely and although we don`t tend to eat in the room ever, having this hug table we felt we should eat at it at properly at least once. 

We headed down the stairs to get the boat this morning. We very rarely walk from Sapphire so the boat is always a good choice and we had just saw one leave from our windows so by the time we got down there should almost be another one there. It was a nice little perk of having the lagoon view that you could watch when the boats went and it only takes a few moments to walk from this Guest House to the boat dock. *
*
Walking out that door, we absolutely loved that blast of heat that hit us as we left the building.........this is what we had waited for!!! We couldn`t hide how happy we were setting off for the parks this morning, our faces were just full of smiles the whole way!
*
*Security check is fast and efficient and it`s only a few moments before the boat arrives..........we had noticed last night the water wheel doesn`t have any water in it, looks a little drab without the water, but overall the hotel is simply beautiful, especially from the lagoon side.*


























*The boat ride is very pleasant and we of course pass the lovely RP on the way, it`s certainly a changed area since we started visiting here. This whole waterway had been added to include Sapphire, and of course changed the landscape forever, and of course Jake`s boat had to be moved from it`s original position, but they had done a very good job with it, it looked good. *
















*Arriving in Citywalk by boat never gets old. It is so pretty and it`s also a very relaxing way to get to the parks.*
*
When we stay at RP, if we are going to IOA we always walk as it only takes a few minutes as they are so close to each other. If we go to the Studios we always take the boat. Coming back from the parks it just depends how we feel, but it`s nice to have the choice. 
*
*The boats we have always found to be incredibly reliable, you very rarely wait any length of time with the exceptions of park close and usually HHN when you can have longer waits. We noticed there was around 6 new Captains being trained while we were there this time but some have been there for a long time including Captain Rob who is a complete hoot on the boats and a guest favourite of many years.*


























*We were so happy to be heading back into the park again. For some reason December seemed ages ago, but it hadn`t really been that long, it just felt like it.*















*Love that backdrop and as it wasn`t too busy it was nice being able to saunter in without the crowds. *
*
As is usual, Tom`s fingerprints didn`t register, so as he doesn`t carry any ID with him one of the TM took his name and DOB to verify it was him and only took a few moments, but he suggested he redo it with another finger.....so he did and used his thumb this time, seemed to work better. 
*
*Now we could get in............

We always go through the store and eye up the fudge that is almost calling to us to buy some.......and they had some new flavours which would tempt us for sure and then we had a look at some of the new merchandise they were stocking, yep, I was sure we`d pick up more than a few items. *

*We headed back outside and didn`t bother going on Minions this morning.....since they removed the 3D, it`s just not the same. Express line was short but we decided we`d do it another day. *















*Seeing Shrek being removed from the park was not a sad occasion, but we`d miss it as we always did it once a trip, it wasn`t a must do every day ride/show for us. Not a huge fan of the Minion experience that`s replacing it either so for us, this area wasn`t going to offer much in the future that we`d be interested in. *

*It was strange seeing all the Shrek facade being removed. But, they had announced the Shrek meet and greet was still going ahead which is always fun.*















*We did however go on RRR.......but I don`t think we`ll do it again very often. *
*
The EP line was non existent, so we deposited our items in the lockers which takes no time at all and headed through the check and into the line. We always ask for the front row, 2nd if we have to, and today we did the same thing. Took seconds and we were on the ride.......and again I was quite nervous as is usual for my first go on these coasters after a break........I did manage to press in Gloria Gaynor who would pleasantly reassure me all the way round that I would indeed survive!!!
*
*However, this was me all the way round today.*





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*This was rough!!! Incredibly rough. *
*
Usually the front row is fine for us and doesn`t knock my head funny unlike the back rows which have caused me on occasion to have to go back to the hotel room as I felt so bad. But, today......the front wasn`t much better than the back rows.

I kind of stumbled off when it was done and stood for a few minutes before deciding I felt ok and wasn`t going to have to go sit down. So, it`s not worth it anymore.....I doubt we`ll bother with it much if the front is not fun anymore.
*
*But, I was glad we had done it.....that first climb, drop and the inversion is a lot of fun. The views you get albeit briefly are quite spectacular from the top before you drop down again. 

Funnily enough we saw a few younger kids all coming off and going straight back round to go on again.......lol....the joys of youth! *

*It is a good looking coaster, but it does need a revamp including the paintwork which is looking rather pink now instead of that vibrant red colour it had been.*



























*Another experience we don`t go on as it`s just not for us is Jimmy Fallon, although we did mean to go in just to do the line for pictures, but we forgot and never got around to it.  The line is very nice and has plenty of things to see, but the ride itself was a non starter for us. *















*This little area is known as Gramercy Park and it is very lovely when it`s quiet like this. Downside is, it`s a smoking area, so there are times you wouldn`t venture through it as it`s not pleasant to do so when folks are using it as such. *

*Such a shame as it`s an ideal place to wander and relax in. *
























*We would just miss Marilyn and her dancers, but we were more interested today in seeing how the Mummy refurb was coming along.*















*And it was looking good. *

*The facade boards had been moved backwards and the new enhanced flooring had been revealed, it looked good. Nothing concrete has been released with the opening date, still down as late summer, but there have been rumours they are well ahead on their schedule and may open early.......but again, nothing official. We did miss The Mummy this time around. Especially as for the rest of this trip, it would be the only ride this side of the parks we`d be doing. *















*Delancey Street is one of our favourite streets in the Studios.......especially when it`s empty like it was this morning. There are so many little details that I`ve missed over the years and every time we always say the same thing, we always find something new we haven`t seen before. But, the detail is incredible. *















*It was still so beautifully quiet at this time of the morning.*














*And we were far too early to see the wonderful Blues Brothers. *



































*I always loved this opticians window....*
























*Louie`s also had some boarding up as they are doing a slight refurb in there too, I think this was the most boardings we had ever seen in the parks during this trip, but it`s good to see things being enhanced and improved. *

























*Again, we were too early for Beat Builders. They are a very high energy group and their show is worth seeing if you`re passing. I think it could do with an update though as it`s been exactly the same since it started with the same songs. It`s good though.*














*The Food Truck near Richter Burger had changed their offerings since December.....we had enjoyed their hot honey chicken skewer, and it had changed to coming with a biscuit or their other one with mac n cheese. But, it was lovely and we did plan to have a nibble here during our trip at some point. *














*Classic Bruce picture which is an intrinsic part of every trip.....there is something essential about not passing him by for a picture opportunity.*





















*More to follow..........*


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## schumigirl

jump00 said:


> What a lovely start to your trip report!  The excitement builds…..the pictures are fabulous!  Can’t wait to see what‘s next……
> Brenda



Thanks Brenda......we were already having the best time!


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## Worfiedoodles

You know how to jump in the parks and make a splash! Love how empty all the streets are — a great time to take in all the clever details. That is a lot of construction going on. It is good to see they keep things up and so fun when there is something new to check out like the Mummy construction. You have that to look forward to in September 

I do think a photo with Bruce is required each trip. He’s iconic! 

Everything looks so peaceful and gorgeous, a perfect first morning for you 

Do you have a specific first ride you always do, or is it just how you feel that day?


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## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> You know how to jump in the parks and make a splash! Love how empty all the streets are — a great time to take in all the clever details. That is a lot of construction going on. It is good to see they keep things up and so fun when there is something new to check out like the Mummy construction. You have that to look forward to in September
> 
> I do think a photo with Bruce is required each trip. He’s iconic!
> 
> Everything looks so peaceful and gorgeous, a perfect first morning for you
> 
> Do you have a specific first ride you always do, or is it just how you feel that day?



Yes, we did miss The Mummy this trip a lot as there isn`t a great deal for us now in that part of the park, but come September we`ll ride it into oblivion!!! 

It was a lovely morning, and we really didn`t do that much for a first day, but we just enjoyed strolling around the parks regardless and yes, catching little things that we`ve missed is always fun. 

Oh, first rides......well, In IOA which is usually our first day park, it`s The Hulk we do first......or if I don`t feel like being battered around.....Dr Doom. Studios was always Minions or RRR, but I do think I`m done with that now. Tom still likes RRR but wouldn`t go out of his way to do it now as it was awful for bashing us around. 

Does Mr Worfie do RRR? I think I forgot to ask........


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## Worfiedoodles

schumigirl said:


> Yes, we did miss The Mummy this trip a lot as there isn`t a great deal for us now in that part of the park, but come September we`ll ride it into oblivion!!!
> 
> It was a lovely morning, and we really didn`t do that much for a first day, but we just enjoyed strolling around the parks regardless and yes, catching little things that we`ve missed is always fun.
> 
> Oh, first rides......well, In IOA which is usually our first day park, it`s The Hulk we do first......or if I don`t feel like being battered around.....Dr Doom. Studios was always Minions or RRR, but I do think I`m done with that now. Tom still likes RRR but wouldn`t go out of his way to do it now as it was awful for bashing us around.
> 
> Does Mr Worfie do RRR? I think I forgot to ask........


Mr. Worfie doesn't do coasters at all, so definitely not RRR!


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## AuroraluvsPhillip

Wonderful TR so far, Carole!
My daughter is the same now with certain coasters. She won't ride RRR or Hulk anymore now, they're too intense. She'll usually ride FJ once with me, but it's a one and done for her, whereas I'll go on it several times a trip. Which is funny, because it was totally opposite when she was younger and I was the reluctant one. We both love Hagrid's and Mummy. She said she will give VC a try next time we go, I'm hoping she loves it, as it is supposed to be a smoother coaster.
Good news for me, my eye doctor cleared me for rides, everything looked fine. I'm so relieved, so our September trip is full steam ahead and hopefully the Mummy refurb will be complete.


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## luvpoohandcompany

schumigirl said:


> Tom decided to have those dreadful Edamame beans as an app....I detest them......they`re nothing but a pea with delusions of grandeur!!


Sorry but this made me properly laugh
The park looks lovely and quiet. Great start to your trip


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## DisGhost

Yay, I've been keeping this thread open and refreshing periodically to see if there were updates. So excited the official trip report has started.  We're still going at Christmas but today we saw my sister-in-law and her family and they are thinking about going to Universal during the kids' February break, and we will also be in Florida that week so now we are planning to meet up, which means it makes sense to get AP's again! Which means I might be able to wrangle a third trip too lol. Hoping they do another "6 months free" sale before we go, that's what we got a few years back and got 3 trips out of it.


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## TotallyTink

11 more days until our first trip to Universal!  (Well... I was there in 1993 on a high school band trip, but I'm counting this as a first visit since just about everything that was in Universal then is not there now!) I'm enjoying your trip report as I try to pass the time until we leave.


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Mr. Worfie doesn't do coasters at all, so definitely not RRR!



lol.....well, now I know, I wasn`t sure. 

No Velocicoaster then ........


----------



## schumigirl

AuroraluvsPhillip said:


> Wonderful TR so far, Carole!
> My daughter is the same now with certain coasters. She won't ride RRR or Hulk anymore now, they're too intense. She'll usually ride FJ once with me, but it's a one and done for her, whereas I'll go on it several times a trip. Which is funny, because it was totally opposite when she was younger and I was the reluctant one. We both love Hagrid's and Mummy. She said she will give VC a try next time we go, I'm hoping she loves it, as it is supposed to be a smoother coaster.
> Good news for me, my eye doctor cleared me for rides, everything looked fine. I'm so relieved, so our September trip is full steam ahead and hopefully the Mummy refurb will be complete.



Thank you Aurora.....

I`m usually ok with coasters, but Hulk is now a one and done, FJ depending on the day I can maybe do it twice, so I can sympathise with the reluctance now. 

Oh yes, Velocicoaster is the smoothest ride around!! If it had EP we`d have been on time after time after time.......one day it will!!! 

That is fabulous news being cleared for everything for your next trip!!! Exciting and after the disappointment of losing this past trip you have a lot to make up for. Yes, Mummy will be open for you then.......


----------



## schumigirl

luvpoohandcompany said:


> Sorry but this made me properly laugh
> The park looks lovely and quiet. Great start to your trip



lol.....I`m just not a pea/bean of any kind fan.......Tom loves them though!! 

It was amazingly quiet that morning.....we definitely took advantage of it being so quiet.


----------



## schumigirl

DisGhost said:


> Yay, I've been keeping this thread open and refreshing periodically to see if there were updates. So excited the official trip report has started.  We're still going at Christmas but today we saw my sister-in-law and her family and they are thinking about going to Universal during the kids' February break, and we will also be in Florida that week so now we are planning to meet up, which means it makes sense to get AP's again! Which means I might be able to wrangle a third trip too lol. Hoping they do another "6 months free" sale before we go, that's what we got a few years back and got 3 trips out of it.



Yep, up and running!! 

Oh extra trips make a lot of sense!! Definitely sounds like a good plan to get use of that AP. 

Will keep fingers crossed it all works out for the 3rd trip!!


----------



## schumigirl

TotallyTink said:


> 11 more days until our first trip to Universal!  (Well... I was there in 1993 on a high school band trip, but I'm counting this as a first visit since just about everything that was in Universal then is not there now!) I'm enjoying your trip report as I try to pass the time until we leave.



wooohoooo......so close!!! 

Oh goodness, it is a first trip almost....the changes in place over the last few years have made a difference, but to not have been since 1993!!!! Wow......

I`m quite envious you get to see everything brand new again.......we loved seeing everything with fresh eyes, so you`ll be amazed and completely blown away by all you`ll see.


----------



## schumigirl

*This day continues to be so picture heavy with not a lot to write about really. We generally just wandered round the park stopping to check something out or just take in a few moments to enjoy where we were again. And it was wonderful I have to say. *
*
Hitting the  Potter areas still make us smile. We aren`t Potterheads by any description, but we certainly appreciate as do most folks, just what amazing areas they are for fans and non fans alike. I`ve only heard one or two folks over the years say somethin negative about them, and they are usually die hard Disney fans. Most folks however, Disney fans too are impressed. 

And there is a lot to be impressed with. 
*
*The exterior does represent King`s Cross fairly well, it`s far prettier than the one in London for sure....but that simmering sunshine certainly helps. *
















*And we would be sure to enjoy the relative tranquility of the outside area before heading in to Diagon Alley, as we were sure that`s where everyone was. It does feel incredibly peaceful to the side of the bus nearer the lagoon, most folks walk past the Ministry of Magic phone box and the exterior of shops, but it`s generally quieter this way. *


























*We didn`t get a picture with the shrunken head this time, but you have to stand at the back of the bus for a picture.....and today we had 3 or 4 folks waiting to do the same thing, it`s usually deserted, so we took our pictures quickly to let others do the same.*


























*We enter DA and as always we`re completely awestruck by everything that hits all of your senses.......colours are dominant, but the attention to detail never ceases to amaze us beyond anything we have seen before. 

And it is busy.....very busy.......no wonder the rest of the park is empty this morning, everyone is condensed in here. So we head into the store and have a wander round here as to be honest.....we want to cool down a little.....it is hot. And I`m banned from uttering the words "it`s too hot" for the whole trip......er, ok. So I started to say it was wonderously hot everytime I felt myself overheating! He knew what I meant, but.....I wasn`t saying it.......*
*
This store has some fabulous items and so very tempting, it`s also incredibly colourful and wasn`t too busy which was nice as when it`s mobbed you just can`t see anything. 
*
*Of course we all understand how detailed Ms Rowling wanted things and how true to the books she insisted it be, but I do sometimes wish they were slightly larger. However, they would still be mobbed I`m sure. She knew what she was doing and it`s spectacular. *





































*The little hidden touches like stairs to nowhere are always interesting to see, and this is hidden in plain sight as so many commented they hadn`t noticed it, despite it being beside the line for The Hopping Pot. *


























*A newer edition to the original Diagon Alley is the Globus Mundi Travel agents store.......it wasn`t in the original opening day display and added a couple of years ago, and it is a good addition to the area. *
























*As well as being travel themed, it does carry a lot of choice in merchandise despite it being fairly small. *

























*Back outside again and it is getting so busy now......*















*We always enjoy taking pictures. There are some folks who never quite understand why anyone wants to take pictures of anything.......some of the comments have been along the lines of...you can see pictures of it on the internet! No, not the same at all......we have so many personal memories of pictures we`ve taken over the years since Kyle was a baby and we wouldn`t swap them for anything. Having a personal connection to something in an image for us, is the perfect way to keep memorable trips and visits alive. *

*So, yes, we do stand and take pictures we have taken a hundred times before and will do again I`m sure. We do however make sure we don`t get in anyone`s way or stand still very suddenly....that was especially important when we visited Manhattan!!! We try to be very considerate tourists. *















*I love this image of the steaming kettle.*





































*We did go into Knockturn Alley today, but holy moly.......talk about crowded!!! So we headed back out into the sunshine......we had plenty of days ahead. *

*And we joined the throngs of folks enjoying the dragon spewing fire again.......*
















*Kreacher was intermittent today, and a couple of times the curtain was drawn back, but Kreacher didn`t appear. I`m guessing he was malfunctioning today. 

We`ve lost count of the amount of times someone announces in a fairly loud voice you have to knock the door for him to appear at the window and they say it as a fact, when it`s not true. His appearance is purely on a regular timer. *























*Such a beautiful area and when it`s such a gorgeous day like today, it`s even prettier.*






















*More coming up........*


----------



## Elsaspiritanimal

Carole what a lovely trip report as always! I'm VERY late to the party but I just adore hearing about your adventures or even non-adventures. You have a way of describing everything that makes it feel like we are there with you. Can't wait to read more and sounds like an absolutely wonderful trip!


----------



## schumigirl

*We wandered over to Springfield area and mused we had gone the whole morning doing only two rides and they were RRR & Gringotts. Gringotts is another ride we enjoy but it`s not a favourite. I do like the mini drop that really is`n`t a drop, but it is fun. We had around a 10 minute wait in line with EP this morning so it wasn`t too bad as the regular line was 75 minutes when we entered the line. *

*Springfield is not a particular favourite area of ours.......The Simpson`s is not a show we ever really watched and have no love for the awful ride......well, I speak out of turn as Tom and Kyle enjoy it, I however cannot deal with it and won`t be back on it ever. I can do coasters and be completely fine, but one go on Simpson`s ride and I was ill for the rest of the day! So, it`s not for me.*















*But, it is another area that has been done very well, however I do wonder if it`ll change sometime soon in the future to a different theme. *














*Classic BTTF.......we were never here when the ride was in Universal, but love the movies so of course seeing the car and train is always nice, and we missed seeing Doc Brown this visit too, he`s usually wandering around somewhere. *














*Our third ride of the day was ET. And there is very rarely a long line for this ride when we visit, so we do tend to have one walk through the regular line as there are some little cool scenes to take pictures of and we did that today. *

*We missed some of the scenes as the lighting wasn`t timed to suit so we just grabbed a few snaps and moved on. Who doesn`t love ET!! *














*ET is fun....and we got a "bike" to ourselves today, it was very quiet and we do enjoy it although for some reason I find it incredibly noisy until the bikes take off, but fingers in ears works just fine. *
*
The path across Central Park area is blocked off right now so we have to double back through the viewing area round the lagoon to get back to Horror Make up Area. Although timing wise we aren`t doing it today, but we are keen to see it this visit. 
*
*It really is a not to be missed show.....it`s funny and very clever and not gory at all!!*

























*We were keen to go into Five and Dime to see the early release of HHN merchandise....and we weren`t disappointed. We liked what we saw of the early stuff and knew there was more coming which we looked forward to, we were excited for this year`s HHN!!
*














*And of course I had to get an image with the classics!! *





































*We headed back to get home to shower and head out for lunch, but we always stop to admire just how gorgeous Citywalk is. *

























*We were lucky with the boats and one appeared for Sapphire as we walked down towards them. To be honest when it is busy we would often get on the RP boat if it came and we could get on it fast, then walk across the ballroom/convention area which doesn`t take long and is sometimes quicker for us.

But, today we were back home fast, hit the shower and got changed before heading out for lunch, and today we fancied Toojays. *
*
We have been visiting here for years, classic deli and never disappoints in food or service. The owners can greet you personally or they come round the tables and have a chat and always thank you for visiting them. And the food is always so good. 
*
*It`s a 10 minute drive away from Universal, just off of Sand Lake Road, so it`s very handy and in the same set of restaurants as Nagoya Sushi and a couple of steak places as well as several bars and other businesses including a grocery store. *
















*Strawberry lemonade is what we always have here, it is delicious. It takes us some time to decide what to have but as usual I stick to my old favourite, the shrimp salad but just on the platter, no bread or rolls. Tom opts for the Triple J which is corned beef, roast beef, turkey and Swiss cheese rolled with Cole slaw and homestyle Russian dressing. We also order the Nova Latkes, crispy mini potato pancakes, Smoked Salmon with sour cream, arugula, diced red onion and capers.*





































*Everything was gorgeous. Fresh and tasty and very filling.....especially Tom`s sandwich which was huge! I did help him out with the coleslaw of course......much to his annoyance.......lol.......*
*
We loved our lunch today and we were glad we had chosen to come here again. We resisited the temptation of buying some of their gorgeous coconut cake, not easy as their bakery products are divine. 
*
*We did some shopping, just a few bits and then we went back home and both of us zonked out for about 3 hours. We really needed it and felt so much better wen we woke up as during lunch I felt my eyes going together and just felt like I wanted to sleep! Nothing like an afternoon nap to brighten us up. And it was a much longer sleep than we planned, but we were  both out for the count. 

I went down to the Dutch Trading and got a huge cup of boiling water, came back and made us a cup of tea, freshened up and headed down to Strong Water for an hour or so, there were a couple of the team we knew were working tonight, Maggie especially, she is adorable and is another who has worked there since it opened, so we knew her fairly well by now. *
*
We got chatting to Mike for a while and he introduced us to Julisa who is the other asssistant manager, she is very nice and another who said she had heard a lot about us and before we asked, yes, it was all good!! 

We also caught up with Maggie who is so lovely and we surprised everyone by ordering two ginger beers.......lol....yep, no cocktail for now!!! 
*
*And they were very nice......*















*Our friend`s main assistant came over to say hello, she was at another table with another group of managers and we hadn`t seen her, always lovely to see her as she is simply one of the nicest people around....lovely to catch up with her and she said our friend would be in soon, so we`d wait for him to say hello then head out for dinner. We didn`t have long to wait when he came in and we had a lovely chat before setting off to the Ale House on Kirkman for dinner. *
*
We like it here. Food is always good, nothing fancy just good old sports bar food and service has always been top notch too. 

Tonight we sat at the bar, there wasn`t a long wait for booths, but we do like the bar at times, it`s nice to chat to bar staff and other customers too which is something we do like. 
*
*I had 2 rum punches and Tom stuck to lemonade as he was driving. Cocktails here are nice, but you can taste it`s just syrup they use, I think we had been spoiled by Strong Water making their own bases for cocktails, much nicer. But, not to say I didn`t enjoy cocktails in other places.......lol.....*














*Tom went for the whole rack and I opted for my old favourite here, Nashville Hot chicken sandwich with a side of their second hottest sauce they offer........*

























*I don`t eat the bun, so I could help Tom with that giant portion of ribs and they are lovely, but the chicken is gorgeous and spicy too! But I do like the extra hot sauce on the side too.......all in all a lovely meal and we had enjoyed the atmosphere in here.....all talking about sports we neither care for or understand, but everyone is very friendly and one man even tries to explain American Football to me. Hmm I don`t even like British football, no interest in it at all. Nice guy though. *

*We head back to Strong Water and we sit, order two cocktails and dessert and Tom goes for the Mexican Chocolate cake, I decide not to have the Tres Leche cake but for the lighter Coconut Flan which is also delicious. *
























*In chatting to Maggie we mention how much we enjoy certain ingredients and she brings us out a new dessert.......I knew this was going to be going on the menu soon but we would be thrilled to try it first. *















*Maggie didn`t know at this point that Chef Carlos had invited us to take part in a tasting menu tomorrow night.....some new items were going on the menu and some old favourites going back on, and this was one of the new dishes. 

It is delicious. 
*
*Chef Carlos came out and was pleased we liked it, and we`d sample it again tomorrow night.....something we very much looked forward to and we were thrilled he had asked us to take part in trying the dishes. 


Our friend was still in the hotel, so we chatted some more to him and then he asked if we had ever met the new Food and Beverage manager as he had come in, we said yes we had been introduced to him at Christmas, nice man, so we chatted a bit to him before we decided it was time to go. It was funny as we were chatting to him Fernando`s lovely new assistant manager came up and asked us if there was anyone we didn`t know or didn`t know us.......lol......she is very nice and will be a very good fit in Strong Water I think. *
*
We said our goodnight`s to everyone and headed along the corridor to our suite where we did watch some tv for a while then zonked out, but as we had slept during the day we lasted till around midnight.....late for us tonight, but we hadn`t left Strong Water till gone 11pm. 
*
*And as always, we were out for the count, tonight not even wishing each other a goodnight......that`s when I know we`re tired!! *


----------



## schumigirl

Elsaspiritanimal said:


> Carole what a lovely trip report as always! I'm VERY late to the party but I just adore hearing about your adventures or even non-adventures. You have a way of describing everything that makes it feel like we are there with you. Can't wait to read more and sounds like an absolutely wonderful trip!



 back Elsaspiritanimal........late or not, always good to see you!!!

Thank you so much, and yes....non adventure is a good description to use for our down time.....and we had a fair old bit of that this time!! 

Glad to see you here and hope you enjoy it.......


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## disneyseniors

Enjoying your trip report very much
I think you are pretty brave to ride ANY coaster!!!  My husband road RRR the last time and he loved it.  But , as usual, I was a chicken and just watched him in horror!   
So, I'm super impressed that you both love the coasters so much.  I have a question about the Raptor coaster (or whatever it's called   In most all of the reports I have read, the people state that it is a lot of fun.  They don't say scary or thrilling, or???  It must have a lot of immersion in JP images I imagine?  Anyway, I had never heard of anyone call a coaster so much fun.
I admit I am too chicken to even try it, but my husband will I am sure.

Ruth


----------



## disneyseniors

Carole:
I've been away from the computer for a while so am catching up with lots of "likes" and Loves - hope it's not too annoying, LOL.
About HP lands:  We have never seen the Travel Store, and somehow have missed the steaming kettle.  It seems you notice the details more than we do. It seems like we rush around too much sometimes.
I agree with the Simpson's ride.  I would never try it and we really have never watched the TV show, so are not interested in that area at all.
But we somehow missed finding ET which I really wanted to do.  Also agree with the fun Horror Makeup Show - we never miss it!

Thank you for the tip of Sand Lake Road and Toojays deli.  Will definitely try that one!

I always wondered if it was difficult getting good tea here in the states for you?  I know it must be inferior, as coffee is our main drink.  It has to be frustrating.  
But I do love coconut and all those desserts look amazing.
Can;t wait for the rest

ruth


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## schumigirl

disneyseniors said:


> Enjoying your trip report very much
> I think you are pretty brave to ride ANY coaster!!!  My husband road RRR the last time and he loved it.  But , as usual, I was a chicken and just watched him in horror!
> So, I'm super impressed that you both love the coasters so much.  I have a question about the Raptor coaster (or whatever it's called   In most all of the reports I have read, the people state that it is a lot of fun.  They don't say scary or thrilling, or???  It must have a lot of immersion in JP images I imagine?  Anyway, I had never heard of anyone call a coaster so much fun.
> I admit I am too chicken to even try it, but my husband will I am sure.
> 
> Ruth



Glad to hear your husband enjoys RRR so much, it is a good coaster, especially the climb, but it`s so rough for us now.

Velocicoaster is the most thrilling coaster I`ve ever gone on ......it is completely unbelievably amazingly the most exciting ride and yes, it is full on scary when you are upside down and completely out of your seat.....not one part of your body is touching the seat at some points. When you sit on the back row, as you come over the top hat, not only are you fully removed from the seat, but you feel as if you are tipping forward and going to go head first into the ground below......

So, yes, it is thrilling, terrifying, exhilerating and also......so much fun!!!!

The pre show is also cute. 

I think your husband will adore it!!! 




disneyseniors said:


> Carole:
> I've been away from the computer for a while so am catching up with lots of "likes" and Loves - hope it's not too annoying, LOL.
> About HP lands:  We have never seen the Travel Store, and somehow have missed the steaming kettle.  It seems you notice the details more than we do. It seems like we rush around too much sometimes.
> I agree with the Simpson's ride.  I would never try it and we really have never watched the TV show, so are not interested in that area at all.
> But we somehow missed finding ET which I really wanted to do.  Also agree with the fun Horror Makeup Show - we never miss it!
> 
> Thank you for the tip of Sand Lake Road and Toojays deli.  Will definitely try that one!
> 
> I always wondered if it was difficult getting good tea here in the states for you?  I know it must be inferior, as coffee is our main drink.  It has to be frustrating.
> But I do love coconut and all those desserts look amazing.
> Can;t wait for the rest
> 
> ruth



Oh absolutely not.......ask whatever you like.......and nice to see you posting too!!

I think because we have been so often and spend longer times there, we have the luxury of wandering slowly round the parks, not everyone can or wants to do that, but it means you do see the little things that can be easily missed. 

ET is tucked away a little, but once you do go on it, I`m sure it`ll be a firm favourite....it`s simple and iconic for the park. 

Toojays is lovely. It`s one of those places you go in knowing exactly what kind of food you`re going to get and know you`ll enjoy it. We only found it about 6 or 7 years ago, but it`s a firm favourite for us. 

We bring our own tea whenever we visit. We don`t usually use bags at home, but for our trips they are absolutely fine. Yes, we haven`t found one brand of tea in the US we like....but so many other things to make up for that....

Glad you are enjoying it though........


----------



## dez1978

schumigirl said:


> Glad to hear your husband enjoys RRR so much, it is a good coaster, especially the climb, but it`s so rough for us now.
> 
> Velocicoaster is the most thrilling coaster I`ve ever gone on ......it is completely unbelievably amazingly the most exciting ride and yes, it is full on scary when you are upside down and completely out of your seat.....not one part of your body is touching the seat at some points. When you sit on the back row, as you come over the top hat, not only are you fully removed from the seat, but you feel as if you are tipping forward and going to go head first into the ground below......
> 
> So, yes, it is thrilling, terrifying, exhilerating and also......so much fun!!!!
> 
> The pre show is also cute.
> 
> I think your husband will adore it!!!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Oh absolutely not.......ask whatever you like.......and nice to see you posting too!!
> 
> I think because we have been so often and spend longer times there, we have the luxury of wandering slowly round the parks, not everyone can or wants to do that, but it means you do see the little things that can be easily missed.
> 
> ET is tucked away a little, but once you do go on it, I`m sure it`ll be a firm favourite....it`s simple and iconic for the park.
> 
> Toojays is lovely. It`s one of those places you go in knowing exactly what kind of food you`re going to get and know you`ll enjoy it. We only found it about 6 or 7 years ago, but it`s a firm favourite for us.
> 
> We bring our own tea whenever we visit. We don`t usually use bags at home, but for our trips they are absolutely fine. Yes, we haven`t found one brand of tea in the US we like....but so many other things to make up for that....
> 
> Glad you are enjoying it though........


RRR is horribly rough.  I'd never been on it but my nephews wanted to go, so my sister in law and I took them.  My head hurt so bad when we were done.  The 7 yr old was ready to go on it again tho.  Hard pass for me.  I did make it on Velocicoaster and Hulk again this trip and I did not think Velocicoaster was as scary the 2nd time around.  Both of my kids chickened out and didn't go on any of the big coasters other than Hagrids.  Bribery failed...  It certainly was hot the week we were there (the week before memorial day) but I thought it was tolderable.  My kids didn't even complain too much.  The rest of the adults however, did not agree, and would rather deal with the spring break or thanksgiving crowds than the heat.  I'm going to have to start vacationing alone lol


----------



## schumigirl

dez1978 said:


> RRR is horribly rough.  I'd never been on it but my nephews wanted to go, so my sister in law and I took them.  My head hurt so bad when we were done.  The 7 yr old was ready to go on it again tho.  Hard pass for me.  I did make it on Velocicoaster and Hulk again this trip and I did not think Velocicoaster was as scary the 2nd time around.  Both of my kids chickened out and didn't go on any of the big coasters other than Hagrids.  Bribery failed...  It certainly was hot the week we were there (the week before memorial day) but I thought it was tolderable.  My kids didn't even complain too much.  The rest of the adults however, did not agree, and would rather deal with the spring break or thanksgiving crowds than the heat.  I'm going to have to start vacationing alone lol



We always found the front of RRR absolutely fine.....it was nowhere near as rough as the middle to back of the ride, but this time.....might just be an age thing I guess, but knocked the stuffing out of us. Tom is now saying though he`ll do it again. 

We love VC......the coaster isn`t scary, but almost coming out of your seat is.....as it`s supposed to! Love it though........

Shame the kids didn`t weren`t up for bribery......maybe next time. 

We met a family in the lounge who said it was their first trip and thought the May heat was intolerable.........told them not to come in September...ever!! They asked how it could be hotter lol......

We love the heat, and even though I complain as it makes my face look like a beetroot.....we absolutely wouldn`t change it. I thought it was fine even when it was ramping up towards the end of our trip, I agree with you it was very manageable. 

Yes, maybe solo would be fun for you.......I think you might have a challenge though lol......


----------



## dez1978

schumigirl said:


> We always found the front of RRR absolutely fine.....it was nowhere near as rough as the middle to back of the ride, but this time.....might just be an age thing I guess, but knocked the stuffing out of us. Tom is now saying though he`ll do it again.
> 
> We love VC......the coaster isn`t scary, but almost coming out of your seat is.....as it`s supposed to! Love it though........
> 
> Shame the kids didn`t weren`t up for bribery......maybe next time.
> 
> We met a family in the lounge who said it was their first trip and thought the May heat was intolerable.........told them not to come in September...ever!! They asked how it could be hotter lol......
> 
> We love the heat, and even though I complain as it makes my face look like a beetroot.....we absolutely wouldn`t change it. I thought it was fine even when it was ramping up towards the end of our trip, I agree with you it was very manageable.
> 
> Yes, maybe solo would be fun for you.......I think you might have a challenge though lol......


Yeah, I'm out on July-early October.  It's hot enough at home then, I don't wanna go where its hotter lol.  I also have no desire to go during the busiest weeks of the year.  But they won't pull their kids out of school bc their school sucks.  The 1st time we went with them was the end of January and the weather was great.  But their oldest was then in 5th grade I think.  His chromebook wouldn't connect to Disney's wifi so he couldn't turn in his work until he got home, which was on a Saturday.  They gave him zero's for every single assignment bc it was not turned in on the day it would have been if he was in school.  Meanwhile, this same school, didn't even give them any work to do at all when they were quarantined 3x this year.  My kids school doesn't care at all thankfully.  Or at least so far they have not.


----------



## schumigirl

dez1978 said:


> Yeah, I'm out on July-early October.  It's hot enough at home then, I don't wanna go where its hotter lol.  I also have no desire to go during the busiest weeks of the year.  But they won't pull their kids out of school bc their school sucks.  The 1st time we went with them was the end of January and the weather was great.  But their oldest was then in 5th grade I think.  His chromebook wouldn't connect to Disney's wifi so he couldn't turn in his work until he got home, which was on a Saturday.  They gave him zero's for every single assignment bc it was not turned in on the day it would have been if he was in school.  Meanwhile, this same school, didn't even give them any work to do at all when they were quarantined 3x this year.  My kids school doesn't care at all thankfully.  Or at least so far they have not.



wow...to give him zero is a low blow. But sounds like they`re not consistent if they didn`t issue extra work when quarantine set in. Very unfair. 

We love September, heat, humidity....the lot. I think we need our bumps felt at times.....lol.....we have visited both July and August twice each, and wouldn`t volunteer to go then again, although very end of August was better.


----------



## KathyM2

schumigirl said:


> It doesn`t make sense in many ways. You can drive over the border I believe with no testing??? So, maybe it doesn`t affect drivers.......lol......crazy.


Yeah you can drive over the border both ways with no testing as long as you are vaccinated. So the fact that you need a test to fly to the US doesn't make any sense at all. I hope that changes soon as I think it's what is keeping a lot of people from travelling.


schumigirl said:


> We couldn`t hide how happy we were setting off for the parks this morning, our faces were just full of smiles the whole way!


This is just the best feeling, the beginning of vacation with the whole trip ahead of you.


schumigirl said:


> but the ride itself was a non starter for us.


Why is the Fallon ride a non starter? Can't remember what it's like...is it nausea inducing too?


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## schumigirl

KathyM2 said:


> Yeah you can drive over the border both ways with no testing as long as you are vaccinated. So the fact that you need a test to fly to the US doesn't make any sense at all. I hope that changes soon as I think it's what is keeping a lot of people from travelling.
> 
> This is just the best feeling, the beginning of vacation with the whole trip ahead of you.
> 
> Why is the Fallon ride a non starter? Can't remember what it's like...is it nausea inducing too?



Well, first time we did it, it was fine, the second time we did it, the screen was off and everyone was complaining about feeling odd when it finished. 

But, it`s just dull........why Jimmy Fallon appeals to anyone is beyond me, I don`t get him at all and don`t find him funny, so the ride didn`t have much of an appeal from the get go.  The line is nice though.......and the bear dude is fun.

Yes, it`s putting some folks off booking trips from the UK, although our flights were almost full both visits so maybe not putting too many off. But, not sure how long they will keep up this testing for folks entering the US. 

Good to see you Kathy


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## Cara

I have to ask: Is Simpson's one of the awful motion-simulator spinny things? I cannot do spinny things! Mission Space at Epcot -- . It's the worst, with the tea cups a strong second. Anything else I should be aware of at Universal?


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## schumigirl

Cara said:


> I have to ask: Is Simpson's one of the awful motion-simulator spinny things? I cannot do spinny things! Mission Space at Epcot -- . It's the worst, with the tea cups a strong second. Anything else I should be aware of at Universal?



It doesn`t spin Cara, it`s the screen movement that causes me issues, Some folks find closing their eyes work.....doesn`t for me, it makes me worse.

Transformers has the same pixel issue for me, cannot do that ride either. Someone said it`s because you are thrown around more, no it`s not that at all, it`s all about the screen.

Spider-Man I`m fine with as the pixels are different. There is a spinny bit on that ride but what works for me is doing the old ice skater trick of focussing on one spot all the time, it works for me anyway and I can do Spider-Man several times in a row which we did this past trip without any bad feelings.

MiB has a spinny part too, but again, if I focus on one spot I`m ok with that.

Forbidden Journey makes me a little nauseated on one part where you swoop back into Hogwarts, but again, I avert my eyes and it helps....but not completely, it`s just one of those rides.

Weirdly, Minions never affected me when it was 3D, I heard some folks say it made them bad and I didn`t understand why. But, since it`s now 2D it does kind of knock me funny, so we only do that once now.

But, I do think everyone reacts differently to most rides, so apart from The Simpson`s, which is turly dreadful for motion issues for so many, I`d say give as many rides a try if you can, you may be ok on some.

Hope that`s of some help to you.......


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## musika

Just popping in to say I'm also along for the ride! I've been reading along but quiet - your trip reports are the best! Though they do have a tendency to make me feel a bit peckish... not sure why... lol


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## Deb1993

schumigirl said:


> It doesn`t spin Cara, it`s the screen movement that causes me issues, Some folks find closing their eyes work.....doesn`t for me, it makes me worse.
> 
> Transformers has the same pixel issue for me, cannot do that ride either. Someone said it`s because you are thrown around more, no it`s not that at all, it`s all about the screen.
> 
> Spider-Man I`m fine with as the pixels are different. There is a spinny bit on that ride but what works for me is doing the old ice skater trick of focussing on one spot all the time, it works for me anyway and I can do Spider-Man several times in a row which we did this past trip without any bad feelings.
> 
> MiB has a spinny part too, but again, if I focus on one spot I`m ok with that.
> 
> Forbidden Journey makes me a little nauseated on one part where you swoop back into Hogwarts, but again, I avert my eyes and it helps....but not completely, it`s just one of those rides.
> 
> Weirdly, Minions never affected me when it was 3D, I heard some folks say it made them bad and I didn`t understand why. But, since it`s now 2D it does kind of knock me funny, so we only do that once now.
> 
> But, I do think everyone reacts differently to most rides, so apart from The Simpson`s, which is turly dreadful for motion issues for so many, I`d say give as many rides a try if you can, you may be ok on some.
> 
> Hope that`s of some help to you.......


I'm also severely affected by The Simpsons ride.  It can definitely ruin a whole day of fun so I skip it.


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## schumigirl

*THURSDAY MAY 5TH*​




*I woke up so early again this morning, I can honestly say we had caught up with the lack of sleep due to excitement and nerves of the days leading up to our trip. Well, one of us was awake.......the other had the right idea and was still sleeping.....who really needs to be up at this time of day!! 

But, as it was still pitch black, that in itself is unusual for us as right now in the UK we don`t get really get pitch black at all, and from around 4am it`s light. But, I saw two very bright stars outside of the window and then spotted a third and they were crystal clear, well the third not so much, but I took a picture with the ipad and sent it to Kyle to see if it was Venus and Jupiter with Mars much further up. It was and he sent me a live shot from one of his astronomy sites showing what else was around. he is a keen astronomer and takes the most amazing pictures, so although mine was a bit rubbish compared to his camera/telescope, it wasn`t half bad for an amateur!! 

Watched the sunrise again and then woke sleeping beauty by rumbling back in the bedroom, we got showered and dressed then had a facetime chat with Kyle as he was off today and we chatted about allsorts of stuff coming up and he caught up with our plans too, facetime/skype really are a lifeline for so many folks, but even when we are on vacation it is fabulous being able to chat whenever he had the time. 

We set off for RP where we planned to say hello to our friend in the lobby, which we did, had a nice chat again then met the new concierge manager as we were heading up to the lounge....we had met her in December but only very briefly, so it was nice to see her again. We said bye to our lovely friend and set to go up for breakfast. 

This morning the two staff members in the lounge were Raphael and Lindsey. As soon as we met them we were drawn to them somehow, especially Lindsey......if I was going to have a daughter, I would choose this young lady, she is adorable and we hit it off straight away and even moreso when we discovered her love for HHN!!! We would spend a lot of time chatting with these two young people. 

Although I do have to say, we did think this team were among the best we had ever seen in the lounge, they looked after everyone so well and had such enthusiasm for their job, and all of them would move forward very quickly.

We enjoyed our usual breakfast and I sampled the new tea variety they had, it was nice enough but you needed two bags to get a decent taste from the breakfast tea, however the other varieties were very nice and a much nicer selection than before. *

*And the addition of mimosas was very welcome, you could get orange, pineapple or cranberry flavour, but I just had the fizz on it`s own. 

Perfect way to start the day....not for Tom as he was driving of course........*

*We stopped by the lobby to see if someone we used to know was working, but we couldn`t see her so assumed it must be her day off. We had each others emails, but neither of us had written them down, so a catch up would be nice. 

We then wandered back over to Sapphire and headed to the car, which I have to say was a much more pleasant aroma than the previous one. And comfier too. I set an address in the GPS and we set off for a roughly 40 minute drive, it`s not that far but you feel as if you are in a different world when you get there. 

It`s a nice drive, now that we don`t go through a few backwater towns that look like you may never leave them......we had been told by concerned friends not to drive that way.......lol......it felt fine to us, but we always took advice after a rather worrying event a few years back that I never shared on the boards. But, needless to say, we found another route and this one was fine. And having the VTP it was lovely being able to drive through all the toll booths without having to wonder if you had change or had to drive through if it wasn`t manned and get a fine. All good though.*

*Today would reach 96F but had a higher real feel which we just loved......and made sure we had sunscreened up before we left as we would be wandering a little in the sun, and I had remembered my sunhat too which would be essential. Years ago in the South of France the top of my head had got terrible sunburn and I had slight heatstroke, from then on a hat has been essential for me most of the time. I can get away with short bursts without one, and Tom of course doesn`t go out without one, but for different reasons of course........*





​




*We parked in our usual place and wandered to the little park area where a musician was gently playing easily recognisable tunes....at least it wasn`t jazz......we hate, no we loathe jazz, and it`s everywhere!! But this guy was so very good, we sat and listened to him for a while along with some other locals who are among the friendliest of people. 

He heard our accents and asked if there was anything we`d like him to play.....we said no, anything would be lovely.......and he started playing Flower of Scotland.......and he played it so beautifully, I hate to say it I started to well up with some tears! I do sometimes get very homesick for Scotland (not the political side I have to say) and very occasionally when I hear that played, it does hit me. We haven`t lived in Scotland for almost 28 years but it`s home and hearing the anthem like that, well, it just gets me. 

Tom is always quite bemused as he doesn`t get homesick like that, but he gives me a cuddle as we carry on and hear it to the end, when the locals start chatting and most have some kind of connection to Scotland or England somehow. Once I wipe the tears away I can chat back and we make sure to give the wonderful musician a good tip, he was excellent. *

*And chatting to folks like this is one of the things we love about getting out and meeting folks, not just in a theme park and this place is really feeling like it could be stuck in the 1950`s, but in a good way. *















*We head away and one thing that always strikes us about this place is, how quiet it is. I mean you could hear a pin drop even on the sidewalk with traffic to the side of you.....you never want to raise your voice so you don`t disturb that tranquility that is all around you. Even the dogs are quiet.

The pontoon is one of our favourite areas here.....we are really not wild life fans and alligators and snakes scare the bejeesus out of me, so really I should want to avoid this part, but it is very pretty and I do love to be close to water in all forms. They do boat tours out of here and locals from surrounding areas come and park their little boats as they visit for lunch or some shopping....I think this is a perfect way of living when you retire as most of them seem to be. Jumping into your own personal albeit small boat to go for lunch is just lovely. 

I wa so disappointed when I discovered this was apartments and not one large purple house.....but all the same it is very pretty and in such a perfect spot.*



























*It is so peaceful here.......there were no speedboats, no annoying jetski`s, only peace and quiet in abundance. We could sit here for ever and just watch the world shimmer past us with the gentle lapping of the water around us, it was very tranquil. *



























*One other couple came to sit on the other bench so we decided we`d leave them to their peace and quiet too, but Tom said he`d grab a picture first........so I stood and got the snap taken.......then I heard Tom use some salty language for want of a better description........*















*This was swimming about 4 feet behind me *
























*And this I have to say without shame or embarrassment (ok maybe a little) this was me.....who now I do believe I could run if my *** was on fire!!!*












​*It was huge!! The man beside us who was equally as excited as Tom was to see this dinosaur told Tom it was around 10 feet in size......Who the hell lets them swim so close to people!!!! Ok I know I know........I`m a complete wimp, but I had seen images of these things with huge legs and I`d bet they could climb up on the pontoon if they chose to!!! 

Maybe Floridians are a little more blase about these things, but for me.....nope, not hanging around! 

Tom eventually followed me back to where I was, in my opinion far enough from that creature. No, I never wanted to go see gators anywhere...not a farm, not a display anywhere, not my idea of fun at all. *

*Back to normality now, well almost as Tom spoke of this darn alligator for ages.......but eventually we spent some time wandering around the gorgeous and unique stores in Mount Dora and they were very pretty. *

*And again so quiet. *


































*One of our favourite stores here is a chain, but a very nice one and it fits in beautifully with the area and it`s the Tea & Spice Exchange where we do tend to overbuy from here, but some of their produce is so lovely. *

























*Every time we visit this store they have different people running it, not just employees, but whether people lose their franchise I have no clue. This set of people were ok, but one of them followed me around the store constantly.....maybe I just have that look of someone who can`t afford to buy anything. But, it was offputting and did affect what I purchased this time. Just the basics. 

Every time I picked something up to look at it, she was there telling me what was so wonderful about it and what sizes it came in......I did tell her this wasn`t my first rodeo in this store.......but it made me want to leave, not buy more, so I picked up the Pirate Pepper I wanted, paid and left.......I knew there was another store same as this in Winter Garden, so we`d go there and buy the other things I wanted. 

I like to browse, not to be constantly followed or told every little thing about each item.*

*But, it was time for lunch now......well midday, but we were both peckish so we headed off the main streets to find this little gem we had discovered on our Christmas trip. *

*The Goblin Market is tucked away behind all the main streets and is almost in a back alley.......but inside it is gorgeous. It`s like a coffee shop from a bygone age of class and style and you`d never know from the entrance, we avoided it for years as we thought it looked a little like somewhere we wouldn`t like. Big mistake. *















*It is stunning inside and the folks who run it are lovely, they did ask us how we had heard of it as they don`t get too many tourists in. We told them it was the lady from the Olive oil store, I said I hoped she didn`t mind tourists and she gave us a huge smile and said of course not, it was just unusual.*














*Although it was just after midday, we thought we were early, the place was filling up nicely, there were about 5 other parties behind us waiting to be seated, so we were taken upstairs today where it is a little darker than downstairs, but felt cosy for sure and it was obvious it was a very local place with a regular group of customers. *

*There was also a further area where they had bar seating and some comfy low seating too, this place was like a Tardis. *

*I ordered a cocktail, spicy mango margarita which was as spicy as promised, Tom got lemonade.......*














*I loved this place. The decor was right up my street as in it was very traditional and anywhere you have bookcases is alright by me! *


























*It isn`t a huge menu, and some items change seasonally, but we found plenty we could choose from.......I opted for the Turkey Croissant  and Tom chose the Ranchero chicken sandwich. Mine came with chips and Tom`s with fries along with a little side of some kind of flavoured rice which was strangely nice. 

Lunch was lovely, everything is very fresh and they do tell you it might be a wait as everything is cooked as you order it, fine by us. *


























*We took our time and enjoyed the cool of the restaurant and visited the rather unique bathrooms......never quite seen anything like them before, but they were immaculately clean. 

We headed back to the streets and into our favourite Olive Oil store......they have the best selection and some other products too that we do like. We stock up on some oils, flavoured balsamic vinegars and some of their hot honey. We probably could have bought less......but we didn`t. I justified everything by saying we had that extra case.......lol.......*

























*We had wandered round this lovely little town many times, but today, it was just lunch and some shopping, then we headed back home but as we were fairly early, we drove down to ABC wines to pick up a gift for someone, this is a very nice store for alcohol, wines and beers. I swear if we lived here, we`d be in trouble with how much choice there is, and in giant Fred Flintstone containers!!! Dearie me. 

We didn`t hang around, picked up what we wanted along with the gift bags and headed home now however we encountered some road works on the back road and timed with schools getting out, we were delayed somewhat, but didn`t take too long really.  

Back in the suite we dropped off all our shopping and freshened up a little before heading over to the Club Lounge for a couple of hours. *

*They had some new additions since we were last here, one being a new toaster which was handy as it could do several folks items at the one time, and a new coffee machine which was nice for Lattes or as Tom discovered, lovely French Vanilla coffees. *

*They still had the regular coffee/decaf available but this was definitely a nice addition and it was a local man who had created and maintained the machine, nice to see Loews using local businesses. *


























*Tonight we met some more of the new staff........and two of them we became especially fond of. Raphael and Lindsey, particularly Lindsey.....if I was going to have a daughter, I`d choose her, she just had something about her that just clicked with us and we did end up spending some time chatting to these lovely young folks and others too. I have to say we have seen a lot of teams come and go in the lounge, but this team right now were exceptional. They genuinely worked well together and worked so hard to make everyone`s visit so wonderful. There were also 3 new supervisors too who again, were all lovely. *

*We very rarely use the lounge for dinner, but we do enjoy a glass or three of wine and some snacks like salad or cheese and crackers......but tonight Lindsey asked if we would try the beef bulogi to see what we thought. It was supposed to be stir fry but looked more like a casserole that had been slow cooked.

They have the usual salad with dressings, crudites and dip along with the hot option, so usually something for everyone. *

*If you have any allergies, let them know as soon as possible and they`ll be able to arrange an alternative dish to be brought to the lounge for you, they are excellent with allergies/intolerances. *















*We didn`t want to eat too much as we would be eating later, but we did try the beef and it was very nice, one of their nicest dishes yet. I don`t really like rice, but did give it a bash, I think Tom liked it better than me but it was ok. The sauce from the beef was lovely. *


























*And the beer and wine selection available between 5-7pm along with the appetisers. *














*We headed back over to RP, and inadvertently wandered through the large get together of all the top executives from NY and all over the US.....the owners family were here too....so we did feel a little like we were lost tourists who had wandered into someone `s private party!! 

As we walked through all these well dressed folks, we saw our friend and chatted to him briefly before seeing someone else we used to know from Concierge who had moved to another position, hadn`t seen her for a while, so we caught up with her and then someone tapped me on the shoulder and said Carole......almost missed you. It was the lady who was head of HR for Loews, we had met her several times before and she is just lovely. We had a hug and had a catch up before we extracated ourselves from this very well dressed group of top execs.......lol......usually they block off that area, but tonight you could just wander through for some reason. Trust us!!!

We popped back to our room briefly before heading into Strong Water for the evening. 

On Tuesday Chef Carlos had invited us tonight to do a preview tasting of some new items coming on the menu and an old favourite coming back, we said of course we`d be delighted and slightly honoured he had asked us. He has on several occasions brought out dishes for us to try and give our opinion of......without a word of a lie, every one of them have been completely wonderful. Even things I say I don`t like.....like bananas, coffee flavoured things, mushrooms........when they`ve been in a dish he has created, I have loved every single thing. Tom tends to like most things so he has thoroughly enjoyed everything too. 

But, we were so looking forward to this tonight. *

*Maggie was looking after us, so we ordered a bottle of wine as we had already had some in the lounge........and we picked up some menus only for Chef Carlos to appear, take the menu off us a tell us we wouldn`t need them tonight........ok then......sounded good to us. 

Fernando came out too which is alway lovely to see him too. I have never met a manager of anywhere care so much for staff and guests alike....he has such a lovely genuine manner about him, we love spending time in his company as he is also a great deal of fun!!! We laugh a lot when we get together. *

*Him and Chef Carlos explained what we would be eating and it sounded wonderful......so they brought out the first dish......one we would never have ordered. 





VEGETABLE HOT POT WITH DUMPLINGS AND POTATO CURLS*














*This was deliciously spicy and so full of flavour, I would never guess it was vegetarian, but it was and although I said I wouldn`t order it, I would now......Tom loved it too and we both said for a veg dish, it was outstanding. I wondered what something was and it was the dumplings, I hadn`t expected them and they were so tiny, but delicious.*

*I do have to say, these dishes were all brought out with some nice gaps between them so it was a very leisurely experience too. And nice wine is always good too! *



*Next up




SURF AND TURF PINCHOS WITH GARLIC BREAD & KALAMATA OLIVE OIL*














*This was a new addition to the menu and it was superb!!! They used to do a beef and pineapple pinchos, but this was a lot nicer, and I loved the other one. 

The beef was tender and so were the shrimp and were complemented by the peppers and the sauce made from the gorgeous olive oil. This one is a dish I would be ordering a lot.




His next dish was really created for Cinqo de Mayo so we were thrilled to be able to try it....and not a piece of cilantro in sight. Chef Carlos knows of our aversion to all things cilantro.





LAMB QUESABIRRA WITH LAMB AND COCONUT GRAVY*














*OMG!!!! *

*This was a dish and a half.........soft tortilla which was a little like a naan bread with the tastiest juiciest non greasy lamb we have ever tasted. We love lamb and this was beautiful......but the outstanding item if we had to choose, was the gravy......holy moly!!! After we finished the food, we both fought over who drank the gravy..........Fernando laughed when he saw we had drained the pots.......lol.....and there was a lot of gravy each!!! *

*I wish this dish was on the menu regularly.....it was amazing and we handed back the cleanest plates ever!!!!


Chef Carlos and Fernando, mike and Maggie were all delighted we had enjoyed those dishes so much. Chef really takes incredible pride in his food and it shows, his standards are incredibly high and this had just been so lovely tonight. 

We did have a bit of a gap before they brought us our desserts out......of course I had sampled it last night, but Tom hadn`t tried it yet.....so he was looking forward to it........but we had a good old natter for a while with everyone and it was just one of the nicest nights, and ideal as the restaurant wasn`t too busy as it can be. 





COCONUT PALETAS WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE, COMPRESSED PINEAPPLE WITH RUM AND MANGO COULIS.*














*Another OMG!!! This is completely delicious and one of the very few desserts I enjoy that has alcohol in it.......beautiful dessert. And with the white chocolate it is divine......the pineapple with the mango complement it perfectly. *

*This had been a wonderful evening, we had spent time chatting to some of our favourite people, tasted some wonderful food and we couldn`t thank Chef Carlos enough for asking us to taste this gorgeous food. 

Later on some of the execs from the event appeared in the bar......as I was heading from the bathroom I ran into Mr Beiderman who is just the nicest man....Tom calls him my penpal with the emails, but he is another who genuinely cares a lot for staff and guests alike and it is wonderful to see him.....he said he knew we had arrived and hoped he`d run into us, he asked where Tom was and we headed over to say hello to him too. We asked if he`d a wonderful evening which he did and I was sure we`d meet him again before we left. Such a nice man and always takes the time to chat and make sure everything is good with our trips. 

We bid him goodnight at this point and he rejoins his group, we chat some more to Fernando and co before deciding around midnight, it might be time to go to bed......this is a late one for us again....and it`s always when we are in Strong Water.....they are so lovely. 

Finally we said goodnight to everyone and thanked them again for such a lovely evening, and it really has been. *


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## schumigirl

musika said:


> Just popping in to say I'm also along for the ride! I've been reading along but quiet - your trip reports are the best! Though they do have a tendency to make me feel a bit peckish... not sure why... lol



Glad you made it back......

Thank you so much.......and yes, I shouldn`t post these food images before I eat dinner.....big mistake!! lol.......


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## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> I'm also severely affected by The Simpsons ride.  It can definitely ruin a whole day of fun so I skip it.



Oh you`re correct, it is a dreadful ride for those that suffer from issues like that. And yes, my day was over after I rode it for the first time......don`t think I`ve ever been so green looking!


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## kbelle8995

Hi .  Enjoying your trip report.  So glad that you are visiting again

And may I speak as one Native Floridian,  I give all Alligators a wide berth.  It's just wise.  Also I would have run away from that reptile too.  They are better to appreciate from a distance a Far Distance. 

We own a dog and if you own a dog or any pet you need to watch fresh water very warily especially in Florida.  YIKES.


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## Deb1993

schumigirl said:


> *THURSDAY MAY 5TH*​
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *I woke up so early again this morning, I can honestly say we had caught up with the lack of sleep due to excitement and nerves of the days leading up to our trip. Well, one of us was awake.......the other had the right idea and was still sleeping.....who really needs to be up at this time of day!!
> 
> But, as it was still pitch black, that in itself is unusual for us as right now in the UK we don`t get really get pitch black at all, and from around 4am it`s light. But, I saw two very bright stars outside of the window and then spotted a third and they were crystal clear, well the third not so much, but I took a picture with the ipad and sent it to Kyle to see if it was Venus and Jupiter with Mars much further up. It was and he sent me a live shot from one of his astronomy sites showing what else was around. he is a keen astronomer and takes the most amazing pictures, so although mine was a bit rubbish compared to his camera/telescope, it wasn`t half bad for an amateur!!
> 
> Watched the sunrise again and then woke sleeping beauty by rumbling back in the bedroom, we got showered and dressed then had a facetime chat with Kyle as he was off today and we chatted about allsorts of stuff coming up and he caught up with our plans too, facetime/skype really are a lifeline for so many folks, but even when we are on vacation it is fabulous being able to chat whenever he had the time.
> 
> We set off for RP where we planned to say hello to our friend in the lobby, which we did, had a nice chat again then met the new concierge manager as we were heading up to the lounge....we had met her in December but only very briefly, so it was nice to see her again. We said bye to our lovely friend and set to go up for breakfast.
> 
> This morning the two staff members in the lounge were Raphael and Lindsey. As soon as we met them we were drawn to them somehow, especially Lindsey......if I was going to have a daughter, I would choose this young lady, she is adorable and we hit it off straight away and even moreso when we discovered her love for HHN!!! We would spend a lot of time chatting with these two young people.
> 
> Although I do have to say, we did think this team were among the best we had ever seen in the lounge, they looked after everyone so well and had such enthusiasm for their job, and all of them would move forward very quickly.
> 
> We enjoyed our usual breakfast and I sampled the new tea variety they had, it was nice enough but you needed two bags to get a decent taste from the breakfast tea, however the other varieties were very nice and a much nicer selection than before. *
> 
> *And the addition of mimosas was very welcome, you could get orange, pineapple or cranberry flavour, but I just had the fizz on it`s own.
> 
> Perfect way to start the day....not for Tom as he was driving of course........*
> 
> *We stopped by the lobby to see if someone we used to know was working, but we couldn`t see her so assumed it must be her day off. We had each others emails, but neither of us had written them down, so a catch up would be nice.
> 
> We then wandered back over to Sapphire and headed to the car, which I have to say was a much more pleasant aroma than the previous one. And comfier too. I set an address in the GPS and we set off for a roughly 40 minute drive, it`s not that far but you feel as if you are in a different world when you get there.
> 
> It`s a nice drive, now that we don`t go through a few backwater towns that look like you may never leave them......we had been told by concerned friends not to drive that way.......lol......it felt fine to us, but we always took advice after a rather worrying event a few years back that I never shared on the boards. But, needless to say, we found another route and this one was fine. And having the VTP it was lovely being able to drive through all the toll booths without having to wonder if you had change or had to drive through if it wasn`t manned and get a fine. All good though.*
> 
> *Today would reach 96F but had a higher real feel which we just loved......and made sure we had sunscreened up before we left as we would be wandering a little in the sun, and I had remembered my sunhat too which would be essential. Years ago in the South of France the top of my head had got terrible sunburn and I had slight heatstroke, from then on a hat has been essential for me most of the time. I can get away with short bursts without one, and Tom of course doesn`t go out without one, but for different reasons of course........*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 674649​
> 
> 
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> *We parked in our usual place and wandered to the little park area where a musician was gently playing easily recognisable tunes....at least it wasn`t jazz......we hate, no we loathe jazz, and it`s everywhere!! But this guy was so very good, we sat and listened to him for a while along with some other locals who are among the friendliest of people.
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> He heard our accents and asked if there was anything we`d like him to play.....we said no, anything would be lovely.......and he started playing Flower of Scotland.......and he played it so beautifully, I hate to say it I started to well up with some tears! I do sometimes get very homesick for Scotland (not the political side I have to say) and very occasionally when I hear that played, it does hit me. We haven`t lived in Scotland for almost 28 years but it`s home and hearing the anthem like that, well, it just gets me.
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> Tom is always quite bemused as he doesn`t get homesick like that, but he gives me a cuddle as we carry on and hear it to the end, when the locals start chatting and most have some kind of connection to Scotland or England somehow. Once I wipe the tears away I can chat back and we make sure to give the wonderful musician a good tip, he was excellent. *
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> *And chatting to folks like this is one of the things we love about getting out and meeting folks, not just in a theme park and this place is really feeling like it could be stuck in the 1950`s, but in a good way. *
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> *We head away and one thing that always strikes us about this place is, how quiet it is. I mean you could hear a pin drop even on the sidewalk with traffic to the side of you.....you never want to raise your voice so you don`t disturb that tranquility that is all around you. Even the dogs are quiet.
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> The pontoon is one of our favourite areas here.....we are really not wild life fans and alligators and snakes scare the bejeesus out of me, so really I should want to avoid this part, but it is very pretty and I do love to be close to water in all forms. They do boat tours out of here and locals from surrounding areas come and park their little boats as they visit for lunch or some shopping....I think this is a perfect way of living when you retire as most of them seem to be. Jumping into your own personal albeit small boat to go for lunch is just lovely.
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> I wa so disappointed when I discovered this was apartments and not one large purple house.....but all the same it is very pretty and in such a perfect spot.*
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> *It is so peaceful here.......there were no speedboats, no annoying jetski`s, only peace and quiet in abundance. We could sit here for ever and just watch the world shimmer past us with the gentle lapping of the water around us, it was very tranquil. *
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> *One other couple came to sit on the other bench so we decided we`d leave them to their peace and quiet too, but Tom said he`d grab a picture first........so I stood and got the snap taken.......then I heard Tom use some salty language for want of a better description........*
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> *This was swimming about 4 feet behind me *
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> *And this I have to say without shame or embarrassment (ok maybe a little) this was me.....who now I do believe I could run if my *** was on fire!!!*
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> ​*It was huge!! The man beside us who was equally as excited as Tom was to see this dinosaur told Tom it was around 10 feet in size......Who the hell lets them swim so close to people!!!! Ok I know I know........I`m a complete wimp, but I had seen images of these things with huge legs and I`d bet they could climb up on the pontoon if they chose to!!!
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> Maybe Floridians are a little more blase about these things, but for me.....nope, not hanging around!
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> Tom eventually followed me back to where I was, in my opinion far enough from that creature. No, I never wanted to go see gators anywhere...not a farm, not a display anywhere, not my idea of fun at all. *
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> *Back to normality now, well almost as Tom spoke of this darn alligator for ages.......but eventually we spent some time wandering around the gorgeous and unique stores in Mount Dora and they were very pretty. *
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> *And again so quiet. *
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> *One of our favourite stores here is a chain, but a very nice one and it fits in beautifully with the area and it`s the Tea & Spice Exchange where we do tend to overbuy from here, but some of their produce is so lovely. *
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> *Every time we visit this store they have different people running it, not just employees, but whether people lose their franchise I have no clue. This set of people were ok, but one of them followed me around the store constantly.....maybe I just have that look of someone who can`t afford to buy anything. But, it was offputting and did affect what I purchased this time. Just the basics.
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> Every time I picked something up to look at it, she was there telling me what was so wonderful about it and what sizes it came in......I did tell her this wasn`t my first rodeo in this store.......but it made me want to leave, not buy more, so I picked up the Pirate Pepper I wanted, paid and left.......I knew there was another store same as this in Winter Garden, so we`d go there and buy the other things I wanted.
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> I like to browse, not to be constantly followed or told every little thing about each item.*
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> *But, it was time for lunch now......well midday, but we were both peckish so we headed off the main streets to find this little gem we had discovered on our Christmas trip. *
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> *The Goblin Market is tucked away behind all the main streets and is almost in a back alley.......but inside it is gorgeous. It`s like a coffee shop from a bygone age of class and style and you`d never know from the entrance, we avoided it for years as we thought it looked a little like somewhere we wouldn`t like. Big mistake. *
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> *It is stunning inside and the folks who run it are lovely, they did ask us how we had heard of it as they don`t get too many tourists in. We told them it was the lady from the Olive oil store, I said I hoped she didn`t mind tourists and she gave us a huge smile and said of course not, it was just unusual.*
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> *Although it was just after midday, we thought we were early, the place was filling up nicely, there were about 5 other parties behind us waiting to be seated, so we were taken upstairs today where it is a little darker than downstairs, but felt cosy for sure and it was obvious it was a very local place with a regular group of customers. *
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> *There was also a further area where they had bar seating and some comfy low seating too, this place was like a Tardis. *
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> *I ordered a cocktail, spicy mango margarita which was as spicy as promised, Tom got lemonade.......*
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> *I loved this place. The decor was right up my street as in it was very traditional and anywhere you have bookcases is alright by me! *
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> *It isn`t a huge menu, and some items change seasonally, but we found plenty we could choose from.......I opted for the Turkey Croissant  and Tom chose the Ranchero chicken sandwich. Mine came with chips and Tom`s with fries along with a little side of some kind of flavoured rice which was strangely nice.
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> Lunch was lovely, everything is very fresh and they do tell you it might be a wait as everything is cooked as you order it, fine by us. *
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> *We took our time and enjoyed the cool of the restaurant and visited the rather unique bathrooms......never quite seen anything like them before, but they were immaculately clean.
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> We headed back to the streets and into our favourite Olive Oil store......they have the best selection and some other products too that we do like. We stock up on some oils, flavoured balsamic vinegars and some of their hot honey. We probably could have bought less......but we didn`t. I justified everything by saying we had that extra case.......lol.......*
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> *We had wandered round this lovely little town many times, but today, it was just lunch and some shopping, then we headed back home but as we were fairly early, we drove down to ABC wines to pick up a gift for someone, this is a very nice store for alcohol, wines and beers. I swear if we lived here, we`d be in trouble with how much choice there is, and in giant Fred Flintstone containers!!! Dearie me.
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> We didn`t hang around, picked up what we wanted along with the gift bags and headed home now however we encountered some road works on the back road and timed with schools getting out, we were delayed somewhat, but didn`t take too long really.
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> Back in the suite we dropped off all our shopping and freshened up a little before heading over to the Club Lounge for a couple of hours. *
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> *They had some new additions since we were last here, one being a new toaster which was handy as it could do several folks items at the one time, and a new coffee machine which was nice for Lattes or as Tom discovered, lovely French Vanilla coffees. *
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> *They still had the regular coffee/decaf available but this was definitely a nice addition and it was a local man who had created and maintained the machine, nice to see Loews using local businesses. *
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> *Tonight we met some more of the new staff........and two of them we became especially fond of. Raphael and Lindsey, particularly Lindsey.....if I was going to have a daughter, I`d choose her, she just had something about her that just clicked with us and we did end up spending some time chatting to these lovely young folks and others too. I have to say we have seen a lot of teams come and go in the lounge, but this team right now were exceptional. They genuinely worked well together and worked so hard to make everyone`s visit so wonderful. There were also 3 new supervisors too who again, were all lovely. *
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> *We very rarely use the lounge for dinner, but we do enjoy a glass or three of wine and some snacks like salad or cheese and crackers......but tonight Lindsey asked if we would try the beef bulogi to see what we thought. It was supposed to be stir fry but looked more like a casserole that had been slow cooked.
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> They have the usual salad with dressings, crudites and dip along with the hot option, so usually something for everyone. *
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> *If you have any allergies, let them know as soon as possible and they`ll be able to arrange an alternative dish to be brought to the lounge for you, they are excellent with allergies/intolerances. *
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> *We didn`t want to eat too much as we would be eating later, but we did try the beef and it was very nice, one of their nicest dishes yet. I don`t really like rice, but did give it a bash, I think Tom liked it better than me but it was ok. The sauce from the beef was lovely. *
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> *And the beer and wine selection available between 5-7pm along with the appetisers. *
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> *We headed back over to RP, and inadvertently wandered through the large get together of all the top executives from NY and all over the US.....the owners family were here too....so we did feel a little like we were lost tourists who had wandered into someone `s private party!!
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> As we walked through all these well dressed folks, we saw our friend and chatted to him briefly before seeing someone else we used to know from Concierge who had moved to another position, hadn`t seen her for a while, so we caught up with her and then someone tapped me on the shoulder and said Carole......almost missed you. It was the lady who was head of HR for Loews, we had met her several times before and she is just lovely. We had a hug and had a catch up before we extracated ourselves from this very well dressed group of top execs.......lol......usually they block off that area, but tonight you could just wander through for some reason. Trust us!!!
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> We popped back to our room briefly before heading into Strong Water for the evening.
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> On Tuesday Chef Carlos had invited us tonight to do a preview tasting of some new items coming on the menu and an old favourite coming back, we said of course we`d be delighted and slightly honoured he had asked us. He has on several occasions brought out dishes for us to try and give our opinion of......without a word of a lie, every one of them have been completely wonderful. Even things I say I don`t like.....like bananas, coffee flavoured things, mushrooms........when they`ve been in a dish he has created, I have loved every single thing. Tom tends to like most things so he has thoroughly enjoyed everything too.
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> But, we were so looking forward to this tonight. *
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> *Maggie was looking after us, so we ordered a bottle of wine as we had already had some in the lounge........and we picked up some menus only for Chef Carlos to appear, take the menu off us a tell us we wouldn`t need them tonight........ok then......sounded good to us.
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> Fernando came out too which is alway lovely to see him too. I have never met a manager of anywhere care so much for staff and guests alike....he has such a lovely genuine manner about him, we love spending time in his company as he is also a great deal of fun!!! We laugh a lot when we get together. *
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> *Him and Chef Carlos explained what we would be eating and it sounded wonderful......so they brought out the first dish......one we would never have ordered.
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> VEGETABLE HOT POT WITH DUMPLINGS AND POTATO CURLS*
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> *This was deliciously spicy and so full of flavour, I would never guess it was vegetarian, but it was and although I said I wouldn`t order it, I would now......Tom loved it too and we both said for a veg dish, it was outstanding. I wondered what something was and it was the dumplings, I hadn`t expected them and they were so tiny, but delicious.*
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> *I do have to say, these dishes were all brought out with some nice gaps between them so it was a very leisurely experience too. And nice wine is always good too! *
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> SURF AND TURF PINCHOS WITH GARLIC BREAD & KALAMATA OLIVE OIL*
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> *This was a new addition to the menu and it was superb!!! They used to do a beef and pineapple pinchos, but this was a lot nicer, and I loved the other one.
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> LAMB QUESABIRRA WITH LAMB AND COCONUT GRAVY*
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> *OMG!!!! *
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> *This was a dish and a half.........soft tortilla which was a little like a naan bread with the tastiest juiciest non greasy lamb we have ever tasted. We love lamb and this was beautiful......but the outstanding item if we had to choose, was the gravy......holy moly!!! After we finished the food, we both fought over who drank the gravy..........Fernando laughed when he saw we had drained the pots.......lol.....and there was a lot of gravy each!!! *
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> *I wish this dish was on the menu regularly.....it was amazing and we handed back the cleanest plates ever!!!!
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> Chef Carlos and Fernando, mike and Maggie were all delighted we had enjoyed those dishes so much. Chef really takes incredible pride in his food and it shows, his standards are incredibly high and this had just been so lovely tonight.
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> COCONUT PALETAS WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE, COMPRESSED PINEAPPLE WITH RUM AND MANGO COULIS.*
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> *Another OMG!!! This is completely delicious and one of the very few desserts I enjoy that has alcohol in it.......beautiful dessert. And with the white chocolate it is divine......the pineapple with the mango complement it perfectly. *
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> *This had been a wonderful evening, we had spent time chatting to some of our favourite people, tasted some wonderful food and we couldn`t thank Chef Carlos enough for asking us to taste this gorgeous food.
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> Later on some of the execs from the event appeared in the bar......as I was heading from the bathroom I ran into Mr Beiderman who is just the nicest man....Tom calls him my penpal with the emails, but he is another who genuinely cares a lot for staff and guests alike and it is wonderful to see him.....he said he knew we had arrived and hoped he`d run into us, he asked where Tom was and we headed over to say hello to him too. We asked if he`d a wonderful evening which he did and I was sure we`d meet him again before we left. Such a nice man and always takes the time to chat and make sure everything is good with our trips.
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> We bid him goodnight at this point and he rejoins his group, we chat some more to Fernando and co before deciding around midnight, it might be time to go to bed......this is a late one for us again....and it`s always when we are in Strong Water.....they are so lovely.
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> Finally we said goodnight to everyone and thanked them again for such a lovely evening, and it really has been. *


Oh all the lovely food!!!!  So wonderful to have a tasting menu prepared for you both.  That spicy mango margarita looked devine!!!!  Right up my alley.  

OMG that alligator!!  Scary.  I think they can just run/climb out of the water.  I would absolutely have run right along side of you! 

Loving your report!


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## schumigirl

kbelle8995 said:


> Hi .  Enjoying your trip report.  So glad that you are visiting again
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> And may I speak as one Native Floridian,  I give all Alligators a wide berth.  It's just wise.  Also I would have run away from that reptile too.  They are better to appreciate from a distance a Far Distance.
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> We own a dog and if you own a dog or any pet you need to watch fresh water very warily especially in Florida.  YIKES.



 back kbelle.......

I completely agree......never had an interest in going anywhere near them, never understood the interest in Gatorland and similar places.......I`m of an age I remember the alligator scene in Live and Let Die.....classic James Bond, but put me off going to see anything like that.

Yes, the boat captain from Mount Dora said the same thing about dogs, they`re small enough for an alligator just to snap it up........nah, I`ll stay away from water`s edge....

Glad to see you are enjoying reading along


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## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> Oh all the lovely food!!!!  So wonderful to have a tasting menu prepared for you both.  That spicy mango margarita looked devine!!!!  Right up my alley.
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> OMG that alligator!!  Scary.  I think they can just run/climb out of the water.  I would absolutely have run right along side of you!
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> Loving your report!



It was very special and the food was so beautiful.......and glad to see some of the items back on the menu now. That margarita was spicier than expected, but so good.......

They can climb.......absolutely.........








​
Yep, I was off like an olympic athlete!!! (well, kind of )

And thank you, I`m glad you`re enjoying it, always good to see you post


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## DisGhost

schumigirl said:


> It was very special and the food was so beautiful.......and glad to see some of the items back on the menu now. That margarita was spicier than expected, but so good.......
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> They can climb.......absolutely.........
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> And thank you, I`m glad you`re enjoying it, always good to see you post


NOPE. Absolutely not. Nope. That is not acceptable.


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## Worfiedoodles

No gators, no jazz, and all the delicious food — we agree on the basics 

Another wonderful day. I am with you on being followed around in a store. I like to browse not feel like a criminal. 

I love you had the tasting menu! So fun to get a preview of new culinary stars 

Does Strong Water feel different to you when they are convention folk about? I wondered if that changes the vibe?


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## schumigirl

DisGhost said:


> NOPE. Absolutely not. Nope. That is not acceptable.



lol...completely agree!! 

Scares the bejeesus out of us!!


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## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> No gators, no jazz, and all the delicious food — we agree on the basics
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> Another wonderful day. I am with you on being followed around in a store. I like to browse not feel like a criminal.
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> I love you had the tasting menu! So fun to get a preview of new culinary stars
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> Does Strong Water feel different to you when they are convention folk about? I wondered if that changes the vibe?



It was very odd, we were the only ones in the store and you can see everyone from every angle. Personally I think she was just trying too hard.....nothing worse. 

We were so happy to take the tasting options, and very kind of him to ask us, we loved it. 

Convention crowds can be horrendous. Some aren`t too bad, but so many have to just shout over each other....normally telling everyone how wonderful they all are.....no you are....no you`re better........

We have met some nice folks too though, but there is a type. 

The executives who were in last night were lovely though.......they weren`t loud, just had a few nice drinks and they were gone. 

Least they don`t play jazz......lol........


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## SCSabresfan

I agree with your comment about the club staff being very attentive and friendly this time around! The last couple of trips we kind of felt that the staff was a little distant. It was so refreshing to see this group working so well together!


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## Deb1993

schumigirl said:


> It was very odd, we were the only ones in the store and you can see everyone from every angle. Personally I think she was just trying too hard.....nothing worse.
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> We were so happy to take the tasting options, and very kind of him to ask us, we loved it.
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> Convention crowds can be horrendous. Some aren`t too bad, but so many have to just shout over each other....normally telling everyone how wonderful they all are.....no you are....no you`re better........
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> We have met some nice folks too though, but there is a type.
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> The executives who were in last night were lovely though.......they weren`t loud, just had a few nice drinks and they were gone.
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> Least they don`t play jazz......lol........


Yep - all Masters of the Universe!!  Reminds me of book Bonfire of the Vanities.  I worked on Wall Street in the 80's - all true.  LOL


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## Cara

Nope, nope and nope! No gators!

And yes, yes, yes! to that surf and turf dish! Looks amazing!

Thank you so much for the great ride explanation! In the past I have been able to do coasters (though not multiple times in a row!) but some simulators do me in. I appreciate all the time and detail you put into these reports.


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## schumigirl

*FRIDAY MAY 6TH*​



*Guess what? Yep, we had another fabulous sleep. Because of the positioning of the bedroom in this suite, you never hear any noise for the corridor from people of anyone closing doors which does help a great deal. I don`t know if there was ever anyone in the room to other side of us because we never heard a peep the whole time from either side.

And another sunrise for me this morning and again noticed so many joggers around.....far too healthy!!! But, once the sun was up, it was time to shower and get dressed. 


We walked over to RP for breakfast and I was sure loving this champagne for breakfast every day!!! This could become a habit!!! *





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*Yes, this was the perfect start to the day!!*


















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*We saw Todd and Candace in the lounge this morning and I think they were setting off for another hotel for a couple of days, so we said goodbye to them, I`m sure we`ll be here at the same time again at some point. *

*Breakfast is never a rush........I know some folks grab something fast and head off, but we do like to take our time and chat for the most part. And there may have been some more champagne too......these ladies did know how to take care of folks! *

*We are going to IOA so we head for the walking path and it feels wonderously hot this morning, glad to say we would reach 97F today, real feel is over 100f. Even this early you could feel that heat building already.....and we loved it. *














*The waterway is so very pretty, taking the boat is very nice, but the path is lovely and is in shade for most of the way which is nice too. 

We met a lovely lady who asked if we`d like a picture together, we said yes, we`d love that....unfortunately it didn`t tun out, it was blurry, but it was nice of her to ask. We got chatting as she had an amazing tattoo on her shoulder of Freddie Mercury.....my ultimate musical hero.......I loved it. Now, tattoos would look silly on me, I just wouldn`t suit one, but the art work on this one was incredible, and done correctly they do look good. I`m just not fond of full sleeve types, but this was cool!!! However we still had the best tattoo to see later in the trip!! *














*Security check takes seconds and then we`re heading into the park. We take to the left where the AP entrance is for now. It is completely deserted and we were glad to see that as the lines at the gate were indeed very long. To be fair we have never waited an overly long time at the gates, but this is ideal and a nice little perk for AP holders.  *
















*And Tom remembered to use his thumb and lo and behold, the scanner accepted his print. There were three scanners working here, so I`m guessing maybe early it might be busier than now? But, for us we walked straight through. I wish they would keep this permanently for AP holders. *















*It still didn`t feel overly busy this morning, so it was quite pleasant walking in through Port of Entry......I love this area. And although I love Christmas music which had been played on our last trip, we do love that music that is so associated with POE.And we do feel that we are still walking with the biggest smile on our faces. *

























*We both wondered when we had last eaten in Croissant Moon Bakery......we just couldn`t remember, it had been that long. Maybe 10 years?  They serve similar items to what used to be in the now long gone Boulangerie in the Studios, we think we enjoyed it but goodness knows. *















*Our first wander was down to the lagoon to have a glance at the Velocicoaster.....that was our priority for today, but we wouldn`t rush round and if the line was too long we`d simply give it a miss and go back another day. 

However, we really wanted that back row again....especially as you tipped over the top hat.....that really was one of the best bits!! *
















*Neither of us felt like doing the Hulk today, but Kyle had been wondering what rides we had never gone on over the years, and the only one we could up with apart from the Pteranandon Flyers were the teacup style ride close the Hulk......I actually don`t know anyone who has ever gone on them, but they were popular. Not something I`d ever go on now.......maybe as a kid, but not anymore! *















*Our old favourite Dr Doom. *

*I have to say I was kind of freaked to see they had got rid of the secondary belt......when I first rode it years ago, they didn`t have a belt. Then there was a little incident and they brought in the belt, it took longer to do and check, but I liked that belt especially after the incident that killed the young man at Icon Park (I know different circumstances) but it did give me pause and make me think twice about going on it. *

*I know it`s completely safe and they do have a much higher safety standard at Universal, but I was very nervous again going on it. However it was fine, of course it was fine. If that ride at Icon Park had been in Universal, we would have gone on it without a doubt.....but not knowing other places standards, we just wouldn`t risk it. *
















*It is the shortest ride ever, and some folks don`t think it`s worth it, but we love it....I`d never wait any length of time for it, and again today EP was a complete walk on, but the regular line was only about 15 minutes. We did this twice and then headed to another ride we do enjoy a lot. *

*Spider-Man would have a whole new meaning this trip for us!! *

*The ride is fun......I never get motion sickness on this one the way I do on Transformers, different pixellation on the screens, so we can do this one several times in a row and we do.......I forget what the regular line was most of the time, but we go on it 3 times in about 10/15 minutes. *















*Loving the different views of the Velocicoaster..........*














*I swear if I worked in that shop to the side of this display, I`d cut the power to that darn barking dog!!! It pierces the eardrums it`s so loud! And very annoying, but it`s a cute display.*














*There seemed to be boarding up in a lot of places around the parks, all for improvements of course and there did seem to be a lot of refurbishment and repainting around which was good to see. 

We heard a few folks complaining about the amount of boarding, but not sure what they expect Universal to do......things need upgraded. I`m sure if they were being neglected the same folks would gripe about that too! *














*Blondie`s is one of these places we keep saying we need to try again. It`s another place we haven`t eaten in for such a long time. I think the reason is, we`re never hungry when we pass it as it`s usually just after breakfast, and again we never managed it this trip either. Tom really does want to have another Dagwood sandwich!!*















*It really was getting hot now, not hot enought to consider going on the Barges.......you will 100% get completely and utterly drenched on this one.....and if you get caught under the water fall on the way round, you`re doubly drenched! 

We wandered past them and headed down to Me Ship the Olive.......this used to be almost deserted as you went past it, but now there are always folks around admiring the views of the VC usually. 

The ship itself is fabulous for kids as there are so many interactive components to enjoy inside as well as the water jets on the top floor. You can soak the folks already drenched by hitting these jets towards them......the jets themselves aren`t in the least bit powerful but it is so much fun as some folks get really annoyed which makes it even funnier somehow!! *
















*Tom blames me for more folks standing watching the barges here.....lol......truth be told you barely saw a sole until a few years ago, now it is quite a popular place but it is the funniest place in the park to watch folks reactions to getting drenched.......especially the ones that have no clue it`s coming if it`s behind them as they hurtle towards it.......we laugh like hyenas watching them!!! *



























*One of my favourite parts of the VC!!! It was even better when I started to keep my eyes open through the upside down parts!! I think the first time I went on it I never once opened my eyes, but after that.........yep, barely closed them unless I was blinking! *
















*They do have some cute things to see along the way here, mostly Popeye related, and the music is pure Popeye, brings back lots of childhood memories for sure. 

We didn`t really watch Mickey Mouse growing up in the UK, the odd thing maybe and the Disney movies, but weekend cartoons were Scooby Doo, Top Cat and so on, and I do remember vividly Popeye and Bluto, it wasn`t a favourite cartoon, but the memories are there when you hear that tune. *
















*We do love JPRA, but not today. This is one ride you can come off bone dry, slightly sprinkled, half wet half dry or completely drenched to the bone. It`s different every single time and it`s all down to how the boat is loaded and weight distribution. It`s odd as we can be sat in any seat and the row in front or behind are drenched and it`s missed us......lol......although Kyle believes he is a water magnet as he is always drenched no matter where he sits.......and I think he`s right! *


























*The area within Pteranadon Flyers is fun and there are a lot of things to explore in there, but we haven`t gone in for a long time, but for kids it`s like a real adventure. *














*The Raptor Encounter wasn`t open when we passed today, not sure if there was an issue, but they weren`t allowing anyone to line up and they didn`t know if it was going to be 5 minutes or an hour before it was back running. *















*This section of the Velocicoaster is one of the best parts as you can really feel and hear the power ramping up to get the cars up and over the Top Hat.......it`s not quite as vibrant as a Jumbo Jet taking off, but you do feel far more vulnerable as you are completely open to the elements and boy is it exciting!!! 

Right, we couldn`t wait any longer.....Velocicoaster time for us now!!! *














*More to follow.......*


----------



## schumigirl

SCSabresfan said:


> I agree with your comment about the club staff being very attentive and friendly this time around! The last couple of trips we kind of felt that the staff was a little distant. It was so refreshing to see this group working so well together!



Oh that`s a shame you felt that way with previous staff. 

I`ve never felt Club Staff were distant in anyway, but maybe the amount of time we spend in there makes a difference. This group just seemed to gel with each other which we have observed some haven`t over the years.

But, they are a super group.


----------



## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> Yep - all Masters of the Universe!!  Reminds me of book Bonfire of the Vanities.  I worked on Wall Street in the 80's - all true.  LOL



lol......we had one man in a convention group in Margaritaville one year yelling over the top of us to the other side of the bar......we did enjoy putting him in his place.....in a very nice way of course, but he knew we thought he was a loudmouth with small man syndrome! 

I`ve never seen that movie now I think on it........


----------



## schumigirl

Cara said:


> Nope, nope and nope! No gators!
> 
> And yes, yes, yes! to that surf and turf dish! Looks amazing!
> 
> Thank you so much for the great ride explanation! In the past I have been able to do coasters (though not multiple times in a row!) but some simulators do me in. I appreciate all the time and detail you put into these reports.



lol....completely agree! 

That dish is one of the first along with the Tuna Tiradito I`ll order in September......truly scrumptious! 

No worries Cara......some of them just hit most folks and others it does depend, but at least if you have an idea of what some rides are like, you can decide for yourself if it`s worth the risk, or roll the dice and try some of them out. Happy to help


----------



## BroadwayHermione5

I’m *finally* catching up! For some reason I e barely gotten a notification! I’ve double checked to make sure I’m watching this!

Carol my mother is even worse than you with sneezes-her record is something like 14 in a row/in succession.

So much FOOD it all looks divine.

Hell no to that alligator. 

There are so many places we haven’t eaten in universal because sometimes they aren’t open! It’s crazy.

Shame to see Gramercy park needs some love.

Also weird to look at an empty building and no shrek! 

Loving this report so far!


----------



## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> I’m *finally* catching up! For some reason I e barely gotten a notification! I’ve double checked to make sure I’m watching this!
> 
> Carol my mother is even worse than you with sneezes-her record is something like 14 in a row/in succession.
> 
> So much FOOD it all looks divine.
> 
> Hell no to that alligator.
> 
> There are so many places we haven’t eaten in universal because sometimes they aren’t open! It’s crazy.
> 
> Shame to see Gramercy park needs some love.
> 
> Also weird to look at an empty building and no shrek!
> 
> Loving this report so far!



lol....nice to see you back......life gets busy at times I know. And thank you, glad you`re enjoying it.

14 is a lot of sneezes, your poor mother!! It`s emabarrassing when it happens in public, especially when everyone is overly paranoid about any cough/sneeze now......

I don`t think we`ve ever not eaten because places were closed, it`s more timing, I think we`re in far too early then leave before lunch on some days.

Did you think Gramercy Park needed some love?? I thought it was beautiful, just spoiled by it being a smoking area when it`s so pretty. I know it`ll never happen but I`d love Universal and Loews to go completely smoke free........bliss for most folks.

Yes, knowing Shrek wasn`t coming back made us want to go on it......lol......that is one big building they have to play with now.....


----------



## Deb1993

schumigirl said:


> lol......we had one man in a convention group in Margaritaville one year yelling over the top of us to the other side of the bar......we did enjoy putting him in his place.....in a very nice way of course, but he knew we thought he was a loudmouth with small man syndrome!
> 
> I`ve never seen that movie now I think on it........


I remember that guy from your report!!!  

The movie was terrible but the book was excellent.  Really captured a lot about how it was in the 80's.  

Your VC photos are fantastic!  That second launch into the top hat is really insane - so much power.


----------



## BroadwayHermione5

schumigirl said:


> lol....nice to see you back......life gets busy at times I know. And thank you, glad you`re enjoying it.
> 
> 14 is a lot of sneezes, your poor mother!! It`s emabarrassing when it happens in public, especially when everyone is overly paranoid about any cough/sneeze now......
> 
> I don`t think we`ve ever not eaten because places were closed, it`s more timing, I think we`re in far too early then leave before lunch on some days.
> 
> Did you think Gramercy Park needed some love?? I thought it was beautiful, just spoiled by it being a smoking area when it`s so pretty. I know it`ll never happen but I`d love Universal and Loews to go completely smoke free........bliss for most folks.
> 
> Yes, knowing Shrek wasn`t coming back made us want to go on it......lol......that is one big building they have to play with now.....


Yes my poor mom suffers greatly from allergies especially once the pollen starts coming off the trees! 

It’s a shame the most we’ve spent at universal parks (minus volcano bay-we’ve done it but it’s unfair to include it in this in my opinion) is two days but we always seems to hit the same spots or really crowded times. Love our usual haunts but it would be nice to check out some others!

It could just be the time of year (especially since I’m so used to fall and HHN stuff being everywhere), but GP looked a little less like itself in your pictures. Again could be me. I’m used to HHN (although I have been to universal in May-just day trips only and constantly moving!)

I do hope with whatever comes in to where Shrek was is different and exciting! Rumor has it it’s going to be more of a walk through attraction mixed with what they have out in CA! Considering we are headed there this summer, I’m sure some of these rumors will make sense what I see what they have!


----------



## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> I remember that guy from your report!!!
> 
> The movie was terrible but the book was excellent.  Really captured a lot about how it was in the 80's.
> 
> Your VC photos are fantastic!  That second launch into the top hat is really insane - so much power.



He was a hoot!! 

I must try and catch that movie at some point.

Thanks.....I`ll tell Tom.....oh that launch is simply stupendous!! I remember the first time when it started revving up and thinking....ooohhhhhhhh...then a very long and gutteral expletive


----------



## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> Yes my poor mom suffers greatly from allergies especially once the pollen starts coming off the trees!
> 
> It’s a shame the most we’ve spent at universal parks (minus volcano bay-we’ve done it but it’s unfair to include it in this in my opinion) is two days but we always seems to hit the same spots or really crowded times. Love our usual haunts but it would be nice to check out some others!
> 
> It could just be the time of year (especially since I’m so used to fall and HHN stuff being everywhere), but GP looked a little less like itself in your pictures. Again could be me. I’m used to HHN (although I have been to universal in May-just day trips only and constantly moving!)
> 
> I do hope with whatever comes in to where Shrek was is different and exciting! Rumor has it it’s going to be more of a walk through attraction mixed with what they have out in CA! Considering we are headed there this summer, I’m sure some of these rumors will make sense what I see what they have!




I have sympathy for your mum, allergies are awful. They don`t make me sneeze though, just get bunged up and itchy eyes, could be worse as some folks suffer terribly.

Oh you need to visit more often for sure.......yes, that park area is still as beautiful, when it`s empty of course. 

Minion Dance experience is a possibility of course......


----------



## Deb1993

schumigirl said:


> He was a hoot!!
> 
> I must try and catch that movie at some point.
> 
> Thanks.....I`ll tell Tom.....oh that launch is simply stupendous!! I remember the first time when it started revving up and thinking....ooohhhhhhhh...then a very long and gutteral expletive


Yup - first time was unbelievable!!  You think it can't get much faster and then...


----------



## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> Yup - first time was unbelievable!!  You think it can't get much faster and then...



lol......I hear you! Don`t think I used so many "salty" words in years........


----------



## dez1978

schumigirl said:


> lol......I hear you! Don`t think I used so many "salty" words in years........


Pretty sure I said all of the curse words I know on my 1st ride.  All of them.  And then I quit speaking any my SIL thought I'd passed out lol.  Fortunately it was during a meetup so not a lot of kids.  Idk that I'd have been able to stop it even I'd have been surrounded by little kids lol.


----------



## Deb1993

dez1978 said:


> Pretty sure I said all of the curse words I know on my 1st ride.  All of them.  And then I quit speaking any my SIL thought I'd passed out lol.  Fortunately it was during a meetup so not a lot of kids.  Idk that I'd have been able to stop it even I'd have been surrounded by little kids lol.


You guys are funny.  I was so breathless and was frantically trying to hold onto my lanyard and my flip flops!!!  My first ride on it was less than ideal.  LOL


----------



## schumigirl

dez1978 said:


> Pretty sure I said all of the curse words I know on my 1st ride.  All of them.  And then I quit speaking any my SIL thought I'd passed out lol.  Fortunately it was during a meetup so not a lot of kids.  Idk that I'd have been able to stop it even I'd have been surrounded by little kids lol.



I wouldn`t be able to either.....lol......

That`s funny as when the ride stopped the first time, Tom asked me urgently if I was ok as I looked stunned......but it was just how magnificent that ride had been.

So I can understand your SiL lol.......


----------



## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> You guys are funny.  I was so breathless and was frantically trying to hold onto my lanyard and my flip flops!!!  My first ride on it was less than ideal.  LOL



That`s quite the hilarious image of you trying to enjoy the ride, breathe and save the lanyard and flip flops too.......


----------



## Raeven

schumigirl said:


> Kyle often says I don`t just sneeze once.....it`s usually 5 times, but this morning I think something just caught my nose and I was off.


For some reason I stopped getting notifications on your TR so I'm just catching up now! I always sneeze more than once    it's very awkward in this time period lol 


schumigirl said:


> Someone had suggested we try him when I mentioned we were getting quotes of $4,000 some months back.


Omg that's a crazy price!


schumigirl said:


> Anthony as is usual for him.......he`s a character and a half, always grabs our camera and takes a load of snaps around us, some I don`t know about till we upload them when we get home and tonight was no different........lol......


Josh loved Anthony! He said he never realized how many kinds of rum were out there until Anthony showed him what they had at Strongwater. He still talks about him all the time lol 


schumigirl said:


> *The Tres Leche cake is light and fluffy and the meringue on top is heavenly.......then add in the almost condensed milk like sauce, you have the perfect dessert!!*


That's what I'm getting when we go back!


----------



## schumigirl

Raeven said:


> For some reason I stopped getting notifications on your TR so I'm just catching up now! I always sneeze more than once    it's very awkward in this time period lol
> 
> Omg that's a crazy price!
> 
> Josh loved Anthony! He said he never realized how many kinds of rum were out there until Anthony showed him what they had at Strongwater. He still talks about him all the time lol
> 
> That's what I'm getting when we go back!



Someone else said they weren`t getting notifications either....wonder why. 

lol...you`re a sneezer too.......imagine us all getting together at the same time......we`d clear the place!! 

We were the same, had no idea initially just how many rums there were and how many areas they come from. And yes, they all know their stuff when it comes to rums. Anthony is a character for sure and knows his stuff. The first time we brought Fernando a Scottish rum they were amazed. The barman with Lenny at that time was called Brad and he said no, you get whisky from Scotland.....lol......but it was very nice, we all had a taste. Now we try to bring something different every time. And they have given us so many tastes of very unusual ones over the years too......

Sattina who is usually behind the bar is also one who knows her stuff, but they are all excellent at giving you suggestions to try.

I think rental prices are slowly coming down, but not by much. I never thought we`d be paying $2000 for a rental car ever. Well it was just under it, but even so....crazy prices. Haven`t looked for September yet......

The Tres Leche is divine!!! It almost looks like a winter warming dish, but it is delicious and the portions are very large!! You`ll love it


----------



## schumigirl

*I wish the Velocicoaster had EP!!!*
*
Then, I believe we`d do this ride time and time again......and then some more. I cannot do justice to how amazing this ride is and now we`ve ridden it so many times, it hasn`t lost any shine........in fact we probably love it more. 

This morning, I can`t remember how long the line was, maybe 45 minutes but could have been longer, we just didn`t pay attention. But, it doesn`t feel a long line and we felt as if we were on in no time at all. However, again in the line I began to get incredibly nervous to go back on it......I trust Universal implicitly with safety, so I wasn`t worried about that.....I think it was just good old excitement nerves, but my goodness my palms were sweating!!! Tom laughs as he doesn`t get that nervous feeling, he just can`t wait to get on the rides. 
*
*We were soon at the front of the line and immediately asked for the back row......the two behind us immediately said Darn it.......lol......I`m guessing they were going to ask for the same thing...the back row is the best.....although we do love the front too.

I was still so nervous getting on, but, once we were off, you don`t get the chance to be nervous........we were loving this!!!! Upside down numerous times, wind in my hair, face being drawn back was just what we needed this morning........it certainly wakes you up if you were ever feeling sluggish. *

*The upside down sections I think are our favourite parts of the ride. To be completely out of your whole seat while dropping from the highest peak or being turned over water or just twisting around the regular turns on this behemoth of a ride is simply tremendous! It blows our mind everytime and you do feel as though this coaster is a proper ride, it`s not too short the way some are but we`re always disappointed when it ends.........and then we can catch our breath!! 

This is the best coaster Universal has ever come up with!! *
*
We did ponder on going on again, but the line seemed much longer this time and we decided not to bother, but we were tempted as the exhileration you feel from this ride beats every ride in the park. 

Coming back up to go through Hogsmeade as we do like our castle pictures........nicest Castle in Orlando of course........*















*I forgot how much the ride messes with your hair........lol........*















*I swear we must have pictured every square inch of these parks over the years......and weirdly this trip we took the least amount of pictures ever, but still quite a lot. And there`s always something new to take a picture of on every trip too.*


























*It was very busy today. Not only were there regular crowds, but there were lots of school groups with it being a Friday, but they didn`t impact crowds anywhere......I think the folks with the wagons and huge strollers were enough for everyone. We never once felt the school groups caused any problems whatsoever. *
















*We bought a Pumpkin Fizz and went round to one of our favourite areas to watch the Velocicoaster......round the back area of the 3B`s......*

*You get the best view of the ride and you are close enough you can see and hear the riders excitement and love of this ride. We certainly don`t find it intrusive or annoying.....we love it, and everyone around seemed to love it too. It just makes you smile. *



























*I think we sat here for about 15 minutes and lost count of how many times the coaster passed us, everyone just beaming with laughter and excitement....and a few who maybe found the whole thing a little too much.......lol.......

We share a pumpkin fizz as it is very sweet, so one is too much for one person and we both like it, as we are the very odd folks that do not like Butterbeer in any form. Well, except ice cream and fudge.....but that doesn`t count *

*Back out to Hogsmeade, we didn`t go in any stores as they were just bursting at the seams with people and that`s never fun so we meandered out and just took a few pictures and enjoyed the bustle of the area. *















*No chance on Hagrid`s today......I know folks say the line is usually less than it states, but we had no desire to wait over an hour for any ride and this was another that we couldn`t wait till it gets EP. It`ll always be a popular one for sure, but it`s time they had it with Express. It is a very good ride and exceptionally themed, but we won`t wait for it. *


























*We did ponder Mythos for lunch today, but it has disappointed us so many times, we just didn`t want to risk it again. Concierge had told us if we wanted a reservation they would get us one today, maybe some other trip. The annoying thing is, inside it is a beautiful and unique restaurant, but too many things set it back in our opinion and experiences. *















*Poseidon had been scrubbed up and repainted and it does look amazing, but we didn`t get the love this place gets. I know some folks love it, some like it for the water vortex, but we found it boring. I`m sure one day we might before they inevitably change it to something else. *














*One place we always find some calm and quiet is to the back of Mythos on the lagoon......you get some amazing views here and now of course the VC too......but even here the little touches are lovely.*

*Listening for the troll under the bridge is always fun and it is quite loud when you do notice it, but details like this we love.

I can`t remember the first time we came down here, but again, there was no-one else here so it has always been a little corner of the park to hide from the crowds for 15 minutes or so. I think it was 2009 the first time we came down, before that we hadn`t explored enough to know it was here. *















*And of course the man himself..........*















*Apologies if I bore you rigid with Velocicoaster pics and tales, but we just find it a tremendous addition to the park, and much needed grown up coaster that really does whoop you! *















*Dr Seuss area is highly coloured and certainly vivid enough to stay with you after you leave!! Certainly the memories of Cat in the Hat are enough to give normal people pause for thought!!!*

*I always think of @Raeven when I see Honk Honkers....I know she likes that sign!!! *


























*We didn`t join the line to meet the Grinch, but he did interact with folks passing by between guests.......that is one funny character for the parks. *














*We never choose to eat in Circus McGurkus, but it is incredibly vibrant to look at and inside is lively too. You do go through it on one side of the trolley train, but we didn`t do that one today, it`s a cute ride and gives you amazing views over the park and lagoon. The food is not for us though. *















*More works going on around the parks. The Caro-seuss-el is down for a complete revamp and paint job, and the area around too, so the boards are up temporarily. There are some updated pictures on some of the main social media sites and it does look fresher than before. *















*Well, we hadn`t quite decided where we wanted to eat lunch today. We were going to the Mall this afternoon, but didn`t want to eat there, so we opted for Confisco Grille, a definite favourite of ours. *
*
We asked if they had any availability, the lady on the door said 20 minutes, so we said we`d wait, popped inside to sit in the cool and she shouted us to take us to a table....I never got to sit down. 

Our table was over the far side of the restaurant and it was so cool in here...and not too busy either. I don`t really want to be making reservations and some folks said we`d struggle without any.....but we managed to eat everywhere we wanted without one. 
*
*I glanced at the menu and couldn`t decide, she asked if I wanted a cocktail and recommended their sangria. I laughed and said no thanks. A couple of years back we saw one of the bar staff bring out a huge plastic bag for want of a better word, filled with the sangria already made up and they poured it into the container behind the bar for serving.......er, no thanks......looked like an industrial solvent and I would question the quality of the wine involved in such a mix  I prefer drinks freshly made up....but all the same, we both ended up with Fanta.....it was hot out there so I think we drank two each as well as water. *














*Not as busy as I thought it would be. *














*The menu is nice and does change fairly frequently, so after much thought and consideration Tom went for the Chipotle Chicken Wrap which came with fries. *














*I was having a love in right now with Ahi Tuna, so I opted for Ahi Tuna Nachos and asked for extra jalapenos even though she assured me it was very, very spicy (it wasn`t) so I did get a little pot on the side to add them.*















*Tom enjoyed his sandwich it was fresh and he finished it all, although the fries were cold.....something we noticed from the last trip and this one too, some components on dishes were not as warm as they could be in various places which is annoying. So he did send the dish back for fresh fries which wasn`t a problem. The lady taking care of us was very nice.*

*The tuna was lovely. Not really something I`d have with nachos generally, but it was very nice and fresh too. Just too many chips and not enough toppings. I`d get this again though. 




More to follow *


----------



## Deb1993

schumigirl said:


> *I wish the Velocicoaster had EP!!!*
> 
> *Then, I believe we`d do this ride time and time again......and then some more. I cannot do justice to how amazing this ride is and now we`ve ridden it so many times, it hasn`t lost any shine........in fact we probably love it more.
> 
> This morning, I can`t remember how long the line was, maybe 45 minutes but could have been longer, we just didn`t pay attention. But, it doesn`t feel a long line and we felt as if we were on in no time at all. However, again in the line I began to get incredibly nervous to go back on it......I trust Universal implicitly with safety, so I wasn`t worried about that.....I think it was just good old excitement nerves, but my goodness my palms were sweating!!! Tom laughs as he doesn`t get that nervous feeling, he just can`t wait to get on the rides. *
> 
> *We were soon at the front of the line and immediately asked for the back row......the two behind us immediately said Darn it.......lol......I`m guessing they were going to ask for the same thing...the back row is the best.....although we do love the front too.
> 
> I was still so nervous getting on, but, once we were off, you don`t get the chance to be nervous........we were loving this!!!! Upside down numerous times, wind in my hair, face being drawn back was just what we needed this morning........it certainly wakes you up if you were ever feeling sluggish.
> 
> The upside down sections I think are our favourite parts of the ride. To be completely out of your whole seat while dropping from the highest peak or being turned over water or just twisting around the regular turns on this behemoth of a ride is simply tremendous! It blows our mind everytime and you do feel as though this coaster is a proper ride, it`s not too short the way some are but we`re always disappointed when it ends.........and then we can catch our breath!!
> 
> This is the best coaster Universal has ever come up with!! *
> 
> *We did ponder on going on again, but the line seemed much longer this time and we decided not to bother, but we were tempted as the exhileration you feel from this ride beats every ride in the park.
> 
> Coming back up to go through Hogsmeade as we do like our castle pictures........nicest Castle in Orlando of course........*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> *I swear we must have pictured every square inch of these parks over the years......and weirdly this trip we took the least amount of pictures ever, but still quite a lot. And there`s always something new to take a picture of on every trip too.*
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> *It was very busy today. Not only were there regular crowds, but there were lots of school groups with it being a Friday, but they didn`t impact crowds anywhere......I think the folks with the wagons and huge strollers were enough for everyone. We never once felt the school groups caused any problems whatsoever. *
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> *We bought a Pumpkin Fizz and went round to one of our favourite areas to watch the Velocicoaster......round the back area of the 3B`s......
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> You get the best view of the ride and you are close enough you can see and hear the riders excitement and love of this ride. We certainly don`t find it intrusive or annoying.....we love it, and everyone around seemed to love it too. It just makes you smile. *
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> *I think we sat here for about 15 minutes and lost count of how many times the coaster passed us, everyone just beaming with laughter and excitement....and a few who maybe found the whole thing a little too much.......lol.......
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> We share a pumpkin fizz as it is very sweet, so one is too much for one person and we both like it, as we are the very odd folks that do not like Butterbeer in any form. Well, except ice cream and fudge.....but that doesn`t count
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> Back out to Hogsmeade, we didn`t go in any stores as they were just bursting at the seams with people and that`s never fun so we meandered out and just took a few pictures and enjoyed the bustle of the area. *
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> *No chance on Hagrid`s today......I know folks say the line is usually less than it states, but we had no desire to wait over an hour for any ride and this was another that we couldn`t wait till it gets EP. It`ll always be a popular one for sure, but it`s time they had it with Express. It is a very good ride and exceptionally themed, but we won`t wait for it. *
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> *We did ponder Mythos for lunch today, but it has disappointed us so many times, we just didn`t want to risk it again. Concierge had told us if we wanted a reservation they would get us one today, maybe some other trip. The annoying thing is, inside it is a beautiful and unique restaurant, but too many things set it back in our opinion and experiences. *
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> *Poseidon had been scrubbed up and repainted and it does look amazing, but we didn`t get the love this place gets. I know some folks love it, some like it for the water vortex, but we found it boring. I`m sure one day we might before they inevitably change it to something else. *
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> *One place we always find some calm and quiet is to the back of Mythos on the lagoon......you get some amazing views here and now of course the VC too......but even here the little touches are lovely.
> 
> Listening for the troll under the bridge is always fun and it is quite loud when you do notice it, but details like this we love.
> 
> I can`t remember the first time we came down here, but again, there was no-one else here so it has always been a little corner of the park to hide from the crowds for 15 minutes or so. I think it was 2009 the first time we came down, before that we hadn`t explored enough to know it was here. *
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> *Apologies if I bore you rigid with Velocicoaster pics and tales, but we just find it a tremendous addition to the park, and much needed grown up coaster that really does whoop you! *
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> *Dr Seuss area is highly coloured and certainly vivid enough to stay with you after you leave!! Certainly the memories of Cat in the Hat are enough to give normal people pause for thought!!!
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> I always think of @Raeven when I see Honk Honkers....I know she likes that sign!!! *
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> *More works going on around the parks. The Caro-seuss-el is down for a complete revamp and paint job, and the area around too, so the boards are up temporarily. There are some updated pictures on some of the main social media sites and it does look fresher than before. *
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> *Well, we hadn`t quite decided where we wanted to eat lunch today. We were going to the Mall this afternoon, but didn`t want to eat there, so we opted for Confisco Grille, a definite favourite of ours. *
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> *We asked if they had any availability, the lady on the door said 20 minutes, so we said we`d wait, popped inside to sit in the cool and she shouted us to take us to a table....I never got to sit down.
> 
> Our table was over the far side of the restaurant and it was so cool in here...and not too busy either. I don`t really want to be making reservations and some folks said we`d struggle without any.....but we managed to eat everywhere we wanted without one. *
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> *I glanced at the menu and couldn`t decide, she asked if I wanted a cocktail and recommended their sangria. I laughed and said no thanks. A couple of years back we saw one of the bar staff bring out a huge plastic bag for want of a better word, filled with the sangria already made up and they poured it into the container behind the bar for serving.......er, no thanks......looked like an industrial solvent and I would question the quality of the wine involved in such a mix  I prefer drinks freshly made up....but all the same, we both ended up with Fanta.....it was hot out there so I think we drank two each as well as water. *
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> *I was having a love in right now with Ahi Tuna, so I opted for Ahi Tuna Nachos and asked for extra jalapenos even though she assured me it was very, very spicy (it wasn`t) so I did get a little pot on the side to add them.*
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> *Tom enjoyed his sandwich it was fresh and he finished it all, although the fries were cold.....something we noticed from the last trip and this one too, some components on dishes were not as warm as they could be in various places which is annoying. So he did send the dish back for fresh fries which wasn`t a problem. The lady taking care of us was very nice.
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> The tuna was lovely. Not really something I`d have with nachos generally, but it was very nice and fresh too. Just too many chips and not enough toppings. I`d get this again though.
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> More to follow *


I feel the same way before getting on VC.  So nervous!  I get very quiet.  LOL  

Mythos was a disappointment and we haven't gone since.  This trip we are going to try Lombard's.

Loving your report!!!!


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## BroadwayHermione5

Raeven said:


> For some reason I stopped getting notifications on your TR so I'm just catching up now! I always sneeze more than once    it's very awkward in this time period lol
> 
> Omg that's a crazy price!
> 
> Josh loved Anthony! He said he never realized how many kinds of rum were out there until Anthony showed him what they had at Strongwater. He still talks about him all the time lol
> 
> That's what I'm getting when we go back!


It’s not just you Raeven I also stopped getting them!


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## BroadwayHermione5

Hagrids and Velocicoaster are in desperate need of EP.

One day Confisco Grille….one day!

Loving the pictures!


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## NancyLuvsMickey

I'm a week late to the party and it's almost 1/3 of the way over!!!!   23 days is NOT enough!!!!!  

Glad you had an uneventful travel day... And I agree, not getting tested until you're at the airport is very stressful!!! My sister and bil went on a cruise last month and they couldn't get tested until they were at the cruise terminal waiting to board the ship... That's cutting it very close!!! Too close if you ask me!!!

You know, with all the people you and Tom know, Universal really need to put you on payroll as Resort Ambassadors... Just saying!!!


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## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> I feel the same way before getting on VC.  So nervous!  I get very quiet.  LOL
> 
> Mythos was a disappointment and we haven't gone since.  This trip we are going to try Lombard's.
> 
> Loving your report!!!!



Aww thank you......yes, I go quiet too when I`m nervous.....and fiddle with my neck chain apparently......I never noticed I did that.

Lombards is lovely. We enjoyed a really nice lunch last month there. It was fairly quiet too so we walked straight in, it`s such a lovely restaurant too, I`m sure you`ll love it.


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## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> Hagrids and Velocicoaster are in desperate need of EP.
> 
> One day Confisco Grille….one day!
> 
> Loving the pictures!



It`s long overdue for Hagrid`s for sure, who knows with the Velocicoaster.

You`ll enjoy Confisco, it has such a nice menu and food is normally excellent. If you can, ask for upstairs, you do get such a nice view of the park from up there. 

Thanks.......


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## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> I'm a week late to the party and it's almost 1/3 of the way over!!!!   23 days is NOT enough!!!!!
> 
> Glad you had an uneventful travel day... And I agree, not getting tested until you're at the airport is very stressful!!! My sister and bil went on a cruise last month and they couldn't get tested until they were at the cruise terminal waiting to board the ship... That's cutting it very close!!! Too close if you ask me!!!
> 
> You know, with all the people you and Tom know, Universal really need to put you on payroll as Resort Ambassadors... Just saying!!!



I KNOW!!!!! Right......it needs to be longer........lol......

Oh that would be dreadful to have it done like that at the terminal......yes, too close, glad they made it ok though. We could have done it online with a video consultation, but we didn`t want to risk something going wrong so close to leaving, so doing it at the airport seemed easier......would have been completely gutted if it hadn`t have been ok.....

lol.....we have been accused of being Universal/Loews shills before but Resort Ambassadors does sound better.....oh that would be fun!!! 

Good to see you Nancy......


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## Pumpkin1172

Great report so far!  The food porn pictures  All your pictures are great!



schumigirl said:


> And this I have to say without shame or embarrassment (ok maybe a little) this was me.....who now I do believe I could run if my *** was on fire!!!


I would be running too.  The only way I want to be close to alligators is if there is a glass wall between me and them.  When we did our swamp tour, there was a whole area with alligators and alligator education.  We did enjoy it.  Our swamp ride tour guide, got a little too close to the gators for me - dh LOVED it. 


schumigirl said:


> They used to do a beef and pineapple pinchos, but this was a lot nicer, and I loved the other one.


I am NOT a fan of fruit mixing with meat    That is one thing we would probably disagree on lol.  Just nope...nope nope nope ...NOPE!!!!  lol   and raisins too lol. 

Now that I'm all caught up.  I am the same as you, I just like to look around stores and not be followed around or have them explain each thing I look at.

We loved VelociCoaster.  It is so fast and smooth and it's over before you really know what's happening or coming up!  Going down that top hat    I was screaming the whole ride.  Dh looked at me and asked if I was ok...or did I need a medic   I was screaming and laughing the whole ride! It definitely blows your hair off! We did wait in line to ride Hagrid's.  We loved that one too!  Dh even said it was worth the wait.  I loved both rides - probably hagrids a little more as I am more wimpy and love a more non-twisty upside down ride.  Don't get me wrong, I'll be riding velociCoaster when we do our family trip!  I won't miss it.  I probably wouldn't ride it back to back as I can suffer from motion sickness - but once is GREAT!

It's great you had a good meal at Confiscos.  As I told you, it was our least favorite meal our whole trip.  The service was extremely slow and our food was cold and bland.  We had some great meals while there - sadly that was not one.  

Can't wait to hear more!!!!


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## Cara

When you all passed Mythos by, I just KNEW you were going to end up at Confisco Grille!


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## margareton27

schumigirl said:


> I think rental prices are slowly coming down, but not by much. I never thought we`d be paying $2000 for a rental car ever. Well it was just under it, but even so....crazy prices. Haven`t looked for September yet......


I think you will be surprised by the prices for September. Our rental car has gone down 60% from the original price in LA. And now includes a one way drop off which usually raises the price. I was very glad to see that!


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## keishashadow

back home & all caught up    Things are off to a really great start, loving the pictures!  Think it‘s grand how you have forged such great relationships with the staff at the resorts.  They work such long hours, surely, deserve to be recognized.



schumigirl said:


> you couldn`t make it up, but we managed and had a good old laugh about it.


Love how you look at things


schumigirl said:


> He`s into his second week now and is positively loving this new move.


He’s a rising star & will absolutely go far


schumigirl said:


> and completed the Attestation form


More forms, dear God, the hoops are endless


schumigirl said:


> I sneezed.
> 
> 7 times.


And the world stopped lol.  It’s true, everyone stops dead in their tracks


schumigirl said:


> Tom is well versed on putting the luggage somewhere discreet while I take pictures of the rooms we go into.......and today is no different!


There’s an art to it.  i gave up years ago, the flung on the bed luggage is part & parcel for us in the pics lol


schumigirl said:


> It`s a nice drive, now that we don`t go through a few backwater towns that look like you may never leave them......we had been told by concerned friends not to drive that way..


that is a very good thing indeed


schumigirl said:


> I forgot how much the ride messes with your hair........lol........


Big hair, don’t care lol. Have you looked around at the great unwashed in the parks, ewww.  love that Gru line in minions….sums it up best…something to do with a dip in the hotel pool doesn’t equate to a bath.


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## schumigirl

Pumpkin1172 said:


> Great report so far!  The food porn pictures  All your pictures are great!
> 
> 
> I would be running too.  The only way I want to be close to alligators is if there is a glass wall between me and them.  When we did our swamp tour, there was a whole area with alligators and alligator education.  We did enjoy it.  Our swamp ride tour guide, got a little too close to the gators for me - dh LOVED it.
> 
> I am NOT a fan of fruit mixing with meat    That is one thing we would probably disagree on lol.  Just nope...nope nope nope ...NOPE!!!!  lol   and raisins too lol.
> 
> Now that I'm all caught up.  I am the same as you, I just like to look around stores and not be followed around or have them explain each thing I look at.
> 
> We loved VelociCoaster.  It is so fast and smooth and it's over before you really know what's happening or coming up!  Going down that top hat    I was screaming the whole ride.  Dh looked at me and asked if I was ok...or did I need a medic   I was screaming and laughing the whole ride! It definitely blows your hair off! We did wait in line to ride Hagrid's.  We loved that one too!  Dh even said it was worth the wait.  I loved both rides - probably hagrids a little more as I am more wimpy and love a more non-twisty upside down ride.  Don't get me wrong, I'll be riding velociCoaster when we do our family trip!  I won't miss it.  I probably wouldn't ride it back to back as I can suffer from motion sickness - but once is GREAT!
> 
> It's great you had a good meal at Confiscos.  As I told you, it was our least favorite meal our whole trip.  The service was extremely slow and our food was cold and bland.  We had some great meals while there - sadly that was not one.
> 
> Can't wait to hear more!!!!



I LOVE fruit with meat....chicken/shrimp/beef with pineapple.....duck with cherry sauce......pineapple with bbq chicken pizza are among some of our favourite dishes....and love fresh fruit or dried cranberrries with chicken and salad.......good job we`re all different!

I never understand the love for green beans or hummus........bleurgh.....but one of my nieces could live off of both!!

We did wait for Hagrid`s at the OI event and I was glad we did as it was a lot of fun, but if I`m going to wait one for only one it would be VC.

Apart from some cooler parts of our dishes, which happened in other places too this trip, we loved our meals there. Since 2007 we have eaten there so many times and it`s always been lovely, so we`ll forgive a cool part of a dish. But, I do know what you mean, we`ll never go back to BigFire again yet, it does get some good reviews.

Nope, no gator trips ever for us......

Glad you`re still reading along and happy you like the pictures, all down, or mostly down to Tom for those......


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## schumigirl

Cara said:


> When you all passed Mythos by, I just KNEW you were going to end up at Confisco Grille!



lol......I think we`re too predictable at times!! 

We said our next trips we`re going to try some completely new places, not so much in the parks, but outside for sure....so many options!!


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## schumigirl

margareton27 said:


> I think you will be surprised by the prices for September. Our rental car has gone down 60% from the original price in LA. And now includes a one way drop off which usually raises the price. I was very glad to see that!



Oh that`s good to hear. And yes, dropping off at a different place does add the bucks.

Haven`t seen a big drop yet, Tom was looking last night at rental for September, but didn`t say anything positive! He`ll keep checking though.


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## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> back home & all caught up    Things are off to a really great start, loving the pictures!  Think it‘s grand how you have forged such great relationships with the staff at the resorts.  They work such long hours, surely, deserve to be recognized.
> 
> 
> Love how you look at things
> 
> He’s a rising star & will absolutely go far
> 
> More forms, dear God, the hoops are endless
> 
> And the world stopped lol.  It’s true, everyone stops dead in their tracks
> 
> There’s an art to it.  i gave up years ago, the flung on the bed luggage is part & parcel for us in the pics lol
> 
> that is a very good thing indeed
> 
> Big hair, don’t care lol. Have you looked around at the great unwashed in the parks, ewww.  love that Gru line in minions….sums it up best…something to do with a dip in the hotel pool doesn’t equate to a bath.



Yay....you`re back!! 

Oh I agree......they all work so hard and some we`ve known for a long time, so time spent chatting and catching up is always priceless to us. They are among some of the nicest folks and we`re so lucky to know them so well. 

Thanks....we think he`s a superstar too. He`s settling in so well with this firm and absolutely bursts when talking about everything. And I love seeing him in a suit every day again....his last place went casual before the pandemic and although he still kept his clothes smart, he always looks so good in a suit. 

lol....yes, even coughing slightly anywhere brings nervous glances from folks.......yes, I wonder if that will ever end now. Same with the paperwork, I think that will an ongoing thing now, even if they get rid of testing, we`ll always have to show proof of vaccination and boosts, don`t mind that of course, just lose the pointless testing.

Yes, we do take advice now on where to avoid with some places. You know that backstory of course which prompted us to think twice.......lol......

Oh there were some folks that needed to be introduced to soap and water this trip.....no excuse. We all get hot, but goodness me huge difference from stale stench off of some folks. Yes, Gru captured that well!! My hair had a complete mind of it`s own this trip especially the fringe with the damage I had to that.....still not properly grown out yet and gets worse in the sun of course!!! 

Nice to have you back and posting........


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## schumigirl

*After our lunch, which had been lovely, we headed back out into the heat, and after the cool of the restaurant it does feel even warmer than it was probably was. *

*We wander through POE and enjoy how quiet it is as most folks are already in the parks now and it is gorgeous how they have designed this area. We didn`t go wandering to find all the little hidden treasures for pictures today, I think we have most of them anyway, today was just a slow meander out. *















*You can hear the cats meowing under the balcony and they are very realistic, a lady once told me they had real cats up there.......lol......yes, of course they do. 
*

























*The Christmas Shop is one we always wander back through on the way out. We never buy anything as we keep all those purchases for the Christmas trip but we are always tempted as they do have some lovely merchandise. *
















*I did give in and buy this shirt though......mainly because they do change the merch and I wanted this for my goddaughter, suits her perfectly.......*
















*Heading out we were going for the boat as we very rarely if ever walk to and from Sapphire, and we hadn`t noticed this outlest served up a couple of dishes, mainly amd meat and cheese sampler and a caprese salad...we thought that sounded nice along with the cocktails they serve, but we never did get around to doing this either! *
















*And folks ask us how we can possibly fill our time here for longer trips.......I swear we would need two years with no gaps to do all we`d want to do. And still not do everything. We are always relaxingly busy....sounds a decent description.*

*The boat is always a pleasant way back home, and there is a lovely cool breeze on the boats which is very welcome after the heat of the park. We only waited a few moments for the boat to depart, there were only a few of us on it so we had just made it before it set off.*






































*This is definitely the nicest way to get back home......pulling up in the car isn`t the same as rocking up in the boat, and it`s even prettier at night to pull into the lagoon.*


























*The water wheel not going was missing, but it still looks incredibly pretty and one of the nicer looking hotels in the UOR group of hotels. *















*This afternoon, after we showered and changed, we headed to the Mall at Millenia hoping to change a product we had bought at Christmas and pick up some make up and moisturiser from Clinique. 

But first we dropped Tom`s park watch in for a battery as it had just died last night, so they said give them 20 minutes, which was ideal for us to go to Macy`s. 

On our December trip, Tom had wanted to surprise me with a bottle of the only Chanel perfume I like as part of my Christmas gifts, Chance au Fraiche, so when I went to the bathroom in Macy`s at Christmas, he rushed over to the counter, told the woman what one he wanted and she told him there was a bigger bottle did he want that, he said yes he did and she popped it in a bag for him. I kind of knew he had bought it, but we go along don`t we.......*
*
Fast forward to Christmas Day.......I open the perfume, look at the box after I had torn open the plastic covering......and it`s the wrong one. The boxes do look similar and Tom would never notice the difference, so can`t blame him. I told him we`d change it when we came back, saw the return policy was within 90 days. 
*
*I emailed Macy`s International with the receipt image and an explanation.....3 times, no reply. So we decided to just chance it and take it back this trip. So, we wandered into the store and met a lovely young man behind the counter, explained what had happened although I had torn the cellophane wrapper I hadn`t brought it out or used it, and he happily exchanged it for us with the correct perfume and added in a few miniature bottles of the same perfume which was handy and nice of him too. It had been as easy as pie. We had said if they hadn`t exchanged it we`d have given it to someone who would wear it as I wouldn`t. 

Next up was Clinique for some treats......there used to be a lovely young lady worked there for years and we always bought from her when we went. This time there was a much older lady working (there`s a reason I mentioned her age) I was looking around and she asked if she could help me, I mentioned a couple of things I wanted and was about to ask for a few others.....when she said oh yes, I can help you....you could be doing with a bit of help round the eyes and around your mouth couldn`t you.....then quipped it comes to all of us eventually!!!!!*












*What the heck was this woman on!!!! *
*
Who says that to a paying customer....well, I wasn`t a customer anymore...I didn`t even respond to her initially, I turned and looked at a very shocked and angry Tom who was actually stuck for words (doesn`t happen often) and then looked back at her, smiled at her very sweetly and said Remember when I asked for your opinion....me neither, pulled myself up to my full 5`7", flung my shoulders back and swanned off. 

I don`t know what her reaction was as I didn`t look, but I wasn`t rude to her, she had no reason to complain about me, but how rude!!! Like really rude. Never had anyone try to sell me products like that before! Afterwards we just laughed about it, but I did send an email to their head office and I did get a reply back this time. 
*
*Funny woman. 


Back home and we did have an hour`s nap today which was lovely and then we got ready to have dinner in Ocean Prime. 

It had been a while since we had been here, but thought we`d give it a bash for a change instead of Eddie V`s. We used to go here regularly, it`s always busy and quite noisy but we did like it. The lovely lady who was floor manager had left during the pandemic, and she was missed, she knew everyone by name after only meeting them once and we always enjoyed seeing her. The ladies on the desk were lovely I have to say and it is a very welcoming place. *

*It isn`t too noisy tonight, there is a man singing in the bar area, but he isn`t intrusive which was surprising as it`s not a huge place, big enough though. *
















*We had a lovely waiter, Matthew who was new to us and he was very nice and immediately brought over some bread for us and our water waiter kept our glasses filled up with vigour. *

*I have to say the light in here is not ideal for pictures, and we won`t use the flash so as not to disturb others, so food pictures aren`t the best.*















*I had missed Berries and Bubbles.........*

*Tom was driving so I wasn`t going to order a bottle of wine on my own, so I had two cocktails over the evening and very nice they were too. My second cocktail was a spicy pineapple based tequila cocktail, but we never got a picture of it for some reason. *
















*Tom ordered the NY strip as is his norm served medium rare, I went for my norm of the 8oz filet served rare with an au poivre sauce.......and we would share the au gratin potatoes which we do enjoy here as they have jalapenos through them, they are delicious.
*






































*Tom`s was perfect. Thankfully. Mine was overcooked. 

I`ll admit I am so very fussy with steak, it`s one of the few things I will send back if it`s not right, and as soon as I cut into it, it didn`t feel right. We were quite unlucky as our waiter seemed to have disappeared at this point, so it was a time before he came back, by then I had eaten some potatoes, a slice of Tom`s steak and I was done. 

He was mortified and said they`d do me another, I didn`t want one as Tom had finished his by now and we do like to eat together, so he sent the assistant manager over to apologise and explain they`d like to cook me another, again I said no thanks I was fine, and I really was. *

*We just asked for the check and at that point the manager Michael came over to say hello. Our friend had made the reservation for us so Michael wanted to check in, he didn`t remember he had met us a few years ago through the same friend, but he is a nice man who takes tremendous pride in his restaurant. I liked him more when he said they didn`t like Magical Dining and probably wouldn`t be taking part in it this year if they could avoid it. We hate Magical Dining so this was music to our ears, I just want the regular menu and not a cheaper version. So it was nice to see him again and they came with the check and they had taken my meal off it at least. *
*
It had been a nice evening regardless of the steak not being right. It`s just disappointing when somewhere that steak is their signature dish can get it so wrong and this was the second time they had overcooked my steak, our last visit in 2019 was the same. 
*
*You may not be able to see this as clear as it was in the flesh, but this guy in the centre of the picture was the image of George Michael. I mentioned it to one of the ladies and she said yes, he did look like him and it was intentional with the way he dressed and style of hair and facial hair........it did make me look twice I have to say, he did look good!! *















*We got back in the car and once we were parked we headed straight into Strong Water.......for a Friday night it wasn`t too bad and we got two seats at the bar and our best guy Lenny was working tonight which was nice as we thought he was off.*
*
Tom asked him for a Mai Tai which is incredibly strong I hasten to add......and I asked lenny to surprise me, create me something special........and he never disappoints!! 
*
*I have no memory of what was in it, but it was gorgeous!!! *














*One of my favourite guys!!! *














*We were lucky tonight, we got to chat to him for most of the evening as it wasn`t too busy, he really is the nicest person and after knowing him for almost 6 years he knows only too well the kind of drinks we like, but we also have the same sense of humour and he is just a fun guy. He had shared his wedding pictures with us once, so we always ask how Mrs Lenny is and always bring her a special huge bar of Galaxy chocolate that we know she loves, just for her!!! *

*Our evening passed so quickly, but we laughed so much my sides really did hurt a lot!! 

We chatted to Maggie and Fernando too this evening and the lovely Maria had popped over from Orchids to say hello, always lovely to spend time with them all. *
*
If there was a down side to this evening, it was the guitar guy who is on once a week....not a fan of his at all. He`s loud and the music all sounds exactly the same, although we are assured it is different, but he`s so loud!! The couple who sing on a Saturday night are very different, she has a lovely voice and sings very middle of the road songs that everybody loves and they don`t overpower the room. 

And before we left for the evening.....I asked him to make me something else off menu and he came up with a similar drink but slightly different........wow!!! It would knock your socks off!! 
*
*Tom stuck to another Mai Tai, and they are delicious too, but I liked my special fruity concoction!! *














*Before we knew where we were it was after 11pm....not that late in the grand scale, but we were now yawning our heads off...so time to say goodnight to everyone and head for bed. *
*
We did watch some tv for half an hour, then I was out for the count, again. 
*
*It was turning out to be the best trip so far. *


----------



## BroadwayHermione5

Shame to hear about the steak! 


And as someone who worked in retail I would NEVER have said that. I was mortified for you! Thankfully the young gentleman was able to exchange the perfume! 

Those Strong Water drinks looked divine!


----------



## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> Shame to hear about the steak!
> 
> 
> And as someone who worked in retail I would NEVER have said that. I was mortified for you! Thankfully the young gentleman was able to exchange the perfume!
> 
> Those Strong Water drinks looked divine!



No, you`d never say that would you....to anyone.......and what made it worse, this woman was not the usual type of lady that sells make up on those counters.....she was not looking her best is the nicest description I could come up with. 

Yes, completely different to the young man on the Chanel counter. 

Drinks were lovely........


----------



## schumigirl

*And the BEST news has been announced........well it`ll be official later from the CDC and White House......but........*
*
From Sunday June 12th.......We no longer have do a Negative Covid Test to get into the USA .........*









*WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO*


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

schumigirl said:


> *And the BEST news has been announced........well it`ll be official later from the CDC and White House......but........*
> 
> *From Sunday June 12th.......We no longer have do a Negative Covid Test to get into the USA .........*



I just saw this on the news... I was coming here to tell you... But you already knew!!! Whoo-hoo!!!!


----------



## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> I just saw this on the news... I was coming here to tell you... But you already knew!!! Whoo-hoo!!!!



lol.....my phone just went into meltdown with txts and emails.......

It makes so many folks happier for sure, taking away that extra worry for travel.....now we can just go back to regular worrying........


----------



## Cara

HOORAY FOR NO MORE TEST REQUIREMENTS!!!

And I am aghast at the woman at the Clinique counter! Good for you for your response. And I'm sorry your steak was overcooked. It's always such a disappointment when you are planning for a nice meal, and a place gets it so wrong. 

I was just teasing about Confisco! I don't think you're predictable, but you know what you like. And it did look lovely!


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

The Grinch shirt for your goddaughter is hilarious!!! 

And why do salespeople think that by insulting you on your looks, it will make you want to buy something from them???  

I avoid the mall as much as possible, but the last time I was there, one of those kiosk in the middle of the mall was selling hand lotion... As I'm walking by, the sales guy comes over and grabs my hand and tells me how old and wrinkly they are and he has something to make them look young again... I told him thanks for the insult and walked away!!! Rude!!!


----------



## Deb1993

That woman at Macy's had to be out of her mind!!!!!  You're beautiful Carole.

My daughter and I recently went to a local Carvel to get DH some ice cream sandwiches and the lady at the counter yells out Oh my God you are HUGE! I was instantly annoyed (I am 5'11" and DD is 5"10) - she sees it in my face, DD gets nervous because she knows how much I HATE that, then her husband comes out from the back and yells out OMG you're so TALL!  I couldn't help myself at that point and said, if I was overweight would you have mentioned that too?  Do you think it is appropriate to comment on something I have no control over?  And then they tripped all over themselves, my poor DD tried to make light of it - yes, I do play basketball, no mom never did, she danced - all while I glared at them to ring up our purchase.  When I worked in NY years ago if someone asked if I played basketball I would say no, do you play miniature golf?  Usually shut them up.  DD loves her height - which I am happy about - but I can normally tell if someone is asking how tall I am nicely or if they are being mean and snarky about it - and that just sets me off. 

Anyway, that is terrible that your steak wasn't cooked nicely and the waiter disappears.  At least they took it off the bill.

And those cocktails look right up my alley!!!  Can't wait to visit SW in August.

Tom is a sweetie-pie surprising you with perfume.  So glad that part of your Macy's visit was nice.


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> And folks ask us how we can possibly fill our time here for longer trips.......I swear we would need two years with no gaps to do all we`d want to do. And still not do everything. We are always relaxingly busy....sounds a decent description.


For some reason the first thing I thot of was those who look bored to tears in an art museum, elbowing their way from one major piece to the other as if they are on a scavenger hunt.

i do think it takes a certain sort of personality to enjoy a longer, repeat trip.  One who appreciates the special details and isn’t compelled to make it a race of checking off a to-do list.  


schumigirl said:


> Like really rude. Never had anyone try to sell me products like that before!


Oh, it’s not uncommon unfortunately.  Odd that is wasn’t a young chippie Spouting such nonsense at you.


----------



## schumigirl

Cara said:


> HOORAY FOR NO MORE TEST REQUIREMENTS!!!
> 
> And I am aghast at the woman at the Clinique counter! Good for you for your response. And I'm sorry your steak was overcooked. It's always such a disappointment when you are planning for a nice meal, and a place gets it so wrong.
> 
> I was just teasing about Confisco! I don't think you're predictable, but you know what you like. And it did look lovely!



It is wonderful news!!

I really wanted to be a bit more reactive to her, but wouldn`t give her the satisfaction. I decided to be the bigger person......I really wanted to swear at her. 

Oh I know what you meant.....  and yes Confisco Grille, we do like it....


----------



## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> The Grinch shirt for your goddaughter is hilarious!!!
> 
> And why do salespeople think that by insulting you on your looks, it will make you want to buy something from them???
> 
> I avoid the mall as much as possible, but the last time I was there, one of those kiosk in the middle of the mall was selling hand lotion... As I'm walking by, the sales guy comes over and grabs my hand and tells me how old and wrinkly they are and he has something to make them look young again... I told him thanks for the insult and walked away!!! Rude!!!



Oh yes, that suits her down to the ground......she might not be my blood relative, but we are so similar! 

I think she may not still be there now....not the best sales pitch! 

Oh heck.....that was insulting!! I`d be so annoyed with that too. What makes people think they can be so rude......


----------



## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> That woman at Macy's had to be out of her mind!!!!!  You're beautiful Carole.
> 
> My daughter and I recently went to a local Carvel to get DH some ice cream sandwiches and the lady at the counter yells out Oh my God you are HUGE! I was instantly annoyed (I am 5'11" and DD is 5"10) - she sees it in my face, DD gets nervous because she knows how much I HATE that, then her husband comes out from the back and yells out OMG you're so TALL!  I couldn't help myself at that point and said, if I was overweight would you have mentioned that too?  Do you think it is appropriate to comment on something I have no control over?  And then they tripped all over themselves, my poor DD tried to make light of it - yes, I do play basketball, no mom never did, she danced - all while I glared at them to ring up our purchase.  When I worked in NY years ago if someone asked if I played basketball I would say no, do you play miniature golf?  Usually shut them up.  DD loves her height - which I am happy about - but I can normally tell if someone is asking how tall I am nicely or if they are being mean and snarky about it - and that just sets me off.
> 
> Anyway, that is terrible that your steak wasn't cooked nicely and the waiter disappears.  At least they took it off the bill.
> 
> And those cocktails look right up my alley!!!  Can't wait to visit SW in August.
> 
> Tom is a sweetie-pie surprising you with perfume.  So glad that part of your Macy's visit was nice.



Oh heck.....that is beyond rude! I completely agree...mentioning anything related to our physical appearance is unforgivable......never appropriate. You reacted well with them. Yes there`s a difference between someone asking a general question to being downright rude. 

Tom is lovely....he is so much better at gifts than I am!! Oh you`ll love the cocktails in Strong Water, so good! 

We were so disappointed in Ocean Prime, it was always a cut above others.....not the last two occasions. 

And thank you for the compliment......I take them all........


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> For some reason the first thing I thot of was those who look bored to tears in an art museum, elbowing their way from one major piece to the other as if they are on a scavenger hunt.
> 
> i do think it takes a certain sort of personality to enjoy a longer, repeat trip.  One who appreciates the special details and isn’t compelled to make it a race of checking off a to-do list.
> 
> Oh, it’s not uncommon unfortunately.  Odd that is wasn’t a young chippie Spouting such nonsense at you.



That`s a good comparison.....and yes, we never run through the parks as thought there were no tomorrow.....slow and easy is our life motto I think......lol.....

Never experienced that type of brash behaviour in sales before......yes, if she`d been in her early 20`s I`d have reasoned her to be just inexperienced and useless to be honest, but she must have been a lady in her late 70`s, so she should have known better, much better. She just didn`t look like the usual well put together lady you usually get behind the make up counters of these firms. You catch more with honey.......


----------



## DisGhost

So I am not a "chatty" person like you are - I like to talk to people in queues, and I enjoy talking to wait staff as well... and if a random person talks to me I have no trouble with it... but if left to my own devices just leave me alone please! 

But I have to say, I completely understand why staff will go out of their way to treat you well - you are interested in their lives, you treat them like human beings, you remember their names, what they like, and you take care to bring treats not just for them but their families. So of course people remember you and treat you well. It's not just "oh they spend a lot of money with us" but "oh they SEE US." Having spent a lot of time in retail and the service industry in general, that is huge. We always loved the customers who knew us as people and not as "snap snap why aren't you helping meeeeeeeeeee?"

So thank you! I vicariously enjoy your trip reports because I would never get to spend 4-5 nights at Universal, let alone 23, but I LOVE your trip reports because of how genuinely you love and care for the people who work there.


----------



## schumigirl

DisGhost said:


> So I am not a "chatty" person like you are - I like to talk to people in queues, and I enjoy talking to wait staff as well... and if a random person talks to me I have no trouble with it... but if left to my own devices just leave me alone please!
> 
> But I have to say, I completely understand why staff will go out of their way to treat you well - you are interested in their lives, you treat them like human beings, you remember their names, what they like, and you take care to bring treats not just for them but their families. So of course people remember you and treat you well. It's not just "oh they spend a lot of money with us" but "oh they SEE US." Having spent a lot of time in retail and the service industry in general, that is huge. We always loved the customers who knew us as people and not as "snap snap why aren't you helping meeeeeeeeeee?"
> 
> So thank you! I vicariously enjoy your trip reports because I would never get to spend 4-5 nights at Universal, let alone 23, but I LOVE your trip reports because of how genuinely you love and care for the people who work there.


 That is such a lovely post, thank you. 

We do care very much for a lot of the folks from the hotels and parks too, some we have known for over 10 years, some longer and some less but they all mean so much to us. We are very lucky to know some wonderful people and keep in touch throughout the year with many of them which is so nice. 

And I`m so glad you enjoy the reports, I love writing them, although I still think I ramble too much....something many have said in the past .......lol.........

Thank you again


----------



## Lynne G

Great updates, and ack. for the not properly cooked steak and rude service lady.  I had one rude exchange from a random customer. Was looking at a purse I was ready to buy.  Random lady comes next to me and says, oh I see you are buying it for your mom. I still bought it and are using it. What the?  It’s a stylish black medium size leather bag. Not old fashioned looking in any way. Sigh, no excuse for rudeness or not properly cooked ordered meals.  

Much enjoy your pictures.


----------



## schumigirl

*SATURDAY MAY 7TH*​



*We were both up early this morning, well, I was still up before Tom.....but you don`t win awards for being up early.....I did wish I was still sleeping! *

*After our showers, we had a Facetime with Kyle who was excited for tomorrow as he was doing his first 10K run with his running group. He had started running last october and is very good at it...who knew!!! And he was enjoying it a great deal, and had made a whole new set of friends who are all lovely. So he was full of chatter about who was going from the group and who he was travelling up to the event with as it wasn`t close to where he is. Normally we only chat every so often, but we would absolutely chat to him when he got home, he has run 10K with his running group before so he was looking forward to it and knew he could do it with no problems, he wanted that medal though......

We finished our chat and we headed over to Royal for breakfast, but first we wanted to stop off to see Samuel who we have known several years and again, we keep in touch and he had said when he was working, so we said we would ask if he was around and have a catch up. *

*We do like that walk over in the morning, and sometimes we have to ease our way through convention crowds who do seem to have the ability to take over the whole area even when there are only four or five of them. They always seem to stand in the middle and sprawl out.......or there are breakfast stations set out and they gather there. But, this morning it is quiet and we only pass a few folks. 

Samuel was in a meeting so we said we`d pop back down after breakfast, so we headed up and again enjoyed some champagne with our choices....I was getting too used to this every day!! Tom again abstained as he was driving today but we enjoyed our usual fayre and enjoyed the chatter with the staff.*

*Then we went back down to the front desk and Samuel came out and it was lovely to see him!!! Catching up is always lovely in person rather than email, and we do manage a good 20 minutes before he is needed through the back office, we`d see him again though. So, off we went to Sapphire and put some sunscreen on before heading off, we planned to visit New Smyrna Beach today.

It`s another gorgeous day and would again reach 97F, but it felt warmer in the afternoon. The drive is always nice and uneventful, and traffic seemed lighter today for some reason. *
*
Until we got to the area we park in every time, it was full. There`s not too many spaces to begin with, but we did manage to see one at the very end so we parked up and headed down onto the beach which was incredibly busy for once. 

We are not beach people.......the idea of sitting on a beach for a whole day fills me with agitation just thinking about it.....I`d be bored rigid and Tom is the same....doesn`t help our skin type which is almost translucent at times, we are so white, typical West of Scotland skin. But, we do like being near the water and do love walking on beaches, so this one is perfect.*



























*Once we passed all the folks with their very large beach tents up, obviously planning a whole day there, it was basically deserted for the miles that stretched ahead of us. It`s so beautiful and we were glad of that breeze and of course sunscreen.....it was hot!! *
*
We walked around 3 miles before deciding it was hotter than Hades and turned back. We honestly didn`t realise we had walked as far, we only planned to walk maybe a mile or so before turning back. But, when you`re talking and enjoying the views around, time passes before you know it.
*
*To live so close to somewhere so gorgeous, sunny and hot all the time is perfect, those houses along the water were so lucky to have such a position and the views were heavenly. *















I*t was past when we usually eat lunch by the time we get back to the car and Tom said he was getting hungry..........he looked at me and asked if I was hungry.........silly question.*












​*That`ll be a yes.........I was starving by now, and also quite thirsty, who the heck walks 6 miles in Florida without water!! *
*
Again, we are creatures of habit, something we will try to change next trip, so we were going to have lunch at JB`s Fish Camp......we loved it here and food was so good, we didn`t really want to go anywhere else. 
*
*With it being Saturday, we forgot just how busy it would be, and we were a little later than we`d usually be. We finally got parked in what seemed to be the last space, but we were parked in a grassy area as far away from the building as we possibly could be, but we had got parked at least. *
















*We did wonder if we get seated with it being so busy, and I was by now incredibly hungry!!! Almost at the hangry stage.........ladies, we all know that feeling!!! *
*
But, seems most folks were eating outside, we don`t really like eating in what felt like you would be sitting on the sun, so there were plenty of seats inside, although once we were seated it filled up fairly quickly. And we got the same table we had in December. 
*
*Tom got a lemonade, but I was in a cocktail mood......I wasn`t going to order wine as they gave me the smallest cup of wine I ever saw last time.......and that was supposed to be large.....even the waiter agreed it was ridiculous, so I went for the Rum Runner which was delicious and incredibly strong......I would only be having one of these for sure!!  We also drank copious amounts of water but we asked for bottled as the regular water didn`t taste as though it had been filtered.......it was not nice.*
















*Evertytime we come here, I get the same thing....Crab stuffed flounder, so today I decided I was going to try something else.....but first we ordered a large portion of the most delicious Hush Puppies I have ever tasted.........we were very hungry by now!*

*As well as the normal sauces they give you, she had added a dip which was spicy and full of rosemary which we love, I forget what she said it is normally served with but wondered if we`d like it. We did, and it was just a little spicy.*

























*Lordy......that could put you in a food coma alone!!  I don`t think we touched the other sauces and certainly didn`t eat the crackers......all about the Hush Puppies.....

One of the guys we know who works in the Studios listened as we told him about those Hush Puppies.....he told us his mother loved them and he used to visit her almost every day and always brought her 4 Hush Puppies from their local place. Until, her doctor told her her cholesterol was through the roof and dangerously so.......oh dear!! She never told the doctor about the puppies, but did ask her son to cut them back a little.....he cut them out altogether something she wasn`t happy with.....lol......*
















*We didn`t mind today they brought out our meals with the puppies, they were more of a side anyway, and it all worked beautifully together. *

*Tom had ordered the Seafood scampi which came with either Mahi or Grouper, shrimps and scallops all in a garlic butter sauce....the Grouper is under the tomato and scallops.......he loved this meal and I don`t think either of us touched the fries or coleslaw as they were both huge portions! We really hadn`t needed the Hush Puppies.......but, well.....you know....who can resist them!!*
















*I had opted for the Blackened Sampler leaving off the Gator which I have never tasted nor do I have any intention of ever trying Gator.........but I also chose Grouper as my fish and it came with shrimp. *

*The shrimp was spicy and tasty, and the fish was so beautifully cooked it did just fall apart and was so fresh tasting! But, I did prefer my usual crab stuffed flounder. *
















*We were almost rolled out the door......we were so full and she guessed we`d have absolutely no room for dessert much as though we`d have loved some of their Key Lime pie. *

*Wandering down to their little boardwalk we can feel the intense heat of the day, it must have been around 3pm now, but I never uttered those fateful words Tom didn`t want to hear.....although I was a little warmer than I`d have chosen to be.....*


























*Seeing folks pull up in their little boats to just have lunch is a lifestyle that just calls to us.......lol.....I wish! And you can see dolphins and manatees here at times and we did see one dolphin today but just couldn`t capture it on our camera. You do see some lovely wildlife too with some birds that we didn`t recognise although a boy aged around 7 heard us wonder what something was over the other side of the water, and he could tell us and was quite animated about it. I forget though what it was and it was huge, not just a crane or similar.*
*
Him, his brother and dad were all in a tiny little boat fishing on the water.........that worries me no end seeing that. I know what lurks in that water......
*
*But, they looked to be having a lot of fun and dad found it quite funny when we said this was completely alien to us, being in a small boat in Floridian waters.......I guess we are such tourists at times! *














*They do have live music on the weekends and this band were very good......we could have sat and listened to them for much longer, but we were heading to the shopping area of NSB next so time to go. *
















*We did head into where the shops were, but there wasn`t a single parking spot anywhere......note to self.......don`t come here again on a weekend!!! It did look a lovely area though with some cool little stores and it was very colourful too, but we didn`t get to experience any of it as there were already loads of cars driving around trying to find a space too. We`d try again another day....during the week, not a weekend. 

We headed back home and again, nice drive and once we parked up we freshened up and headed over to the lounge where our new favourite young lady Lindsey was working. We had discovered she was one of the most knowledgeable of folks on HHN and we chatted forever about the event, she was also employed part time in the scenic decor department, so she was right in the mix. Plus she is just lovely.......and through our conversations tonight.....we discovered her boyfriend......is.........Spider-Man!!!!! 

How cool is it to say your boyfriend is frickin Spider-Man *
*
We were enchanted talking to her, and of course most conversations were HHN based....what we all liked, what we didn`t like and so on. 
*
*Some of you may remember several years back at one of the nights, I encountered a SA who became "Hot Guy"......he was gorgeous......and all the ladies in the lounge were all going to look for him.So I described him and she actually knew who he was.......it was so nice to chat to someone who knew so much and remembered more about the events than we did!!! Lovely young lady, so we had a wonderful time chatting in the lounge tonight with her and I think Raphael who also struck a cord with us this time around. *
*
So, we decided to stay onsite tonight, which meant Tom could enjoy a few glasses of wine too....something I`d regret later!!! 
*
*Tom tasted the meatballs as Lindsey asked for our opinion again as they were slightly different from the previous night, and they were very nice, I only had the one but Tom had several as he thought they were lovely. As always we don`t eat dinner in here, but prefer to eat in and around Orlando. *














*Salisbury meatballs comes with garlic mash, it was ok. Also available as usual were veg crudites, dips and a salad with a different dressing too. *
















*We walked over to Strong Water and got a table tonight in Maggie`s section......although we weren`t overly hungry right now, we would be later so we ordered a rum revival and Tom ordered a Mai Tai again.....he was getting a taste for them!! *

*Mike and Anthony also brought over several samples of rum for us to try.......and one cocktail off menu that we didn`t get a picture of but it was lovely......I was warned I had to tell Lenny who was off tonight how good it was......lol...those guys are so competitive!!! But it was delicious and I`m annoyed we forgot to take a picture. *
*
I forget how many samples we tried, but about now my head was starting to feel a little woozy. 

And now for some food which might help........

I chose the curried goat and Tuna Tiradito for us to share. I was determined Tom would try the goat. We both love lamb so I knew he`d like it, but it was because it had goat in the name. I had told Chef Carlos if it was called lamb curry he`d eat it in a heartbeat, he said so many folks were the same. 
*
*It is delicious, and just spicy enough...........*
















*The Tuna Tiradito is absolutely one of my new favourite dishes in here. The tuna is so fresh and the pepper flavour throught the whole dish including the melon was just delightful and the sauce was so beautiful it could have been a dessert! *















*Anthony had decided to give me another to try but was similar to one we had already enjoyed.......I was at my limit now!!! *















*I heard a voice say Carole......I turned around and there was Raeven and Josh sitting at the next table.......it was delightful to finally meet up as we had never managed it before. Raeven writes some wonderful trip reports and we both read others, so to meet and be able to say hello was lovely. *

*We did get some other pictures but they are fuzzy......bit like us to be honest that night......I think this one was when they were leaving.........but it was so nice to meet up.....and yes, Josh is very cool too!!! *















*I went to the bathroom after instructing Anthony we didn`t want anything else to drink......I don`t normally drink straight rum and I think I had about 4 tonight that were larger than samples!!! 

So, I came out of the bathroom and saw someone standing in front of me with her arms out ready for hugs........it was Tatiana who used to be Concierge supervisor and I had looked for her on our first few days, but heard she had left. She had my email but someone had written it down wrong which is why we lost touch after our last trip, but it was wonderful to see her, she is so lovely and we always got along so well. She was there with a friend and her child there to arrange a birthday party so it was pure fluke we run into each other and I was glad she had spotted me as I`d never have noticed her. *
*
I immediately said you have to come say hello to Tom so we went back into the bar and Tom was thrilled to see her!!
*
*We did make sure we had each others correct emails and phone numbers and we would arrange to meet up for lunch one day for sure, and we really looked forward to that. But, we did manage a good catch up tonight. *
















*Anthony played around with the camera again.....that boy does like to do that!! He is a keen photographer himself so he does like to snap away......*



























*It was around 11pm or just before we decided to head out.....I asked Maggie for a couple of waters to take away as I wasn`t sure how much we had in the fridge, so she very kindly gave us a large bottle of Fiji.....I think we`d need it. *
*
We`d had such a lovely day and tonight had been so much fun too. But, wow.....we had taken in more rum than we should have and had red wine earlier so, I dreaded feeling bad in the morning. It was something we had never done over here, was drink too much, we never wanted to feel "rough" the next day. But, tonight might have been the first time. 

It was straight to bed for us tonight after devouring all the water! 
*
*#Spoiler....we were fine!! *


----------



## disneyseniors

Oh my!  I had to laugh at the rum story!  I'm that way with tequila (and rum too).   So glad you had a great day, except for that rude sales lady.  I use Clinique too and always buy it online.  We don't have a department store where you can sample different products anymore, which I do miss.   I hope the manager that you wrote to made it clear that you don't talk to customers that way!  Good Grief, she should know that.  But the rest of your day sounds great, even with the never-mentioned heat, LOL.

Any a super YEA! for no more covid testing!!!


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> How cool is it to say your boyfriend is frickin Spider-Man


Most places they’d summon the men in the white coats

the food pice are seriously making me hungry, not hangry tho.  Glad i waited to read this installment before dinner or I’d be rummaging thru the cupboards for a snack.  

That is a good walking beach in NS, along with others north.  I won’t venture into the waters in the shark capital of the world tho lol.  May have to check out that restaurant next time we venture there, your plates look absolutely scrumptious!

not so sure about you walking so far in the sun sans H2O-yikes!   I’m all about flopping on a nice, fluffy sanded one all day, probably as we live so far from them lol.  

This is seriously turning out to be one of your top TR BTW.


----------



## Raeven

schumigirl said:


> Someone else said they weren`t getting notifications either....wonder why.


Once I commented again I started getting them it's so weird.


schumigirl said:


> lol...you`re a sneezer too.......imagine us all getting together at the same time......we`d clear the place!!


Lol we would! 


schumigirl said:


> Who says that to a paying customer....well, I wasn`t a customer anymore..


That's so rude of her! 


schumigirl said:


> *And the BEST news has been announced........well it`ll be official later from the CDC and White House......but........*
> 
> *From Sunday June 12th.......We no longer have do a Negative Covid Test to get into the USA .........*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO*


Yay that's amazing! 


schumigirl said:


> We are not beach people.......the idea of sitting on a beach for a whole day fills me with agitation just thinking about it..


Same! 


schumigirl said:


> I heard a voice say Carole......I turned around and there was Raeven and Josh sitting at the next table.......it was delightful to finally meet up as we had never managed it before. Raeven writes some wonderful trip reports and we both read others, so to meet and be able to say hello was lovely.


It was great to meet you!


----------



## schumigirl

disneyseniors said:


> Oh my!  I had to laugh at the rum story!  I'm that way with tequila (and rum too).   So glad you had a great day, except for that rude sales lady.  I use Clinique too and always buy it online.  We don't have a department store where you can sample different products anymore, which I do miss.   I hope the manager that you wrote to made it clear that you don't talk to customers that way!  Good Grief, she should know that.  But the rest of your day sounds great, even with the never-mentioned heat, LOL.
> 
> Any a super YEA! for no more covid testing!!!



lol.....I do love a well made Tequila Sunrise or any kind of Margarita too......haven`t met a Margarita yet I didn`t like!! We truly have always been so careful to never give ourselves a groggy "morning after" I think this was the closest yet, one more drink and we may not have been up as early as we were. I think that`s called sheer dumb luck!!

Yes, she was very odd and apparently they too are suffering with staffing issues. Well, that`s what the email I got back said, so a bit like the service industry who have been employing individuals who are not natural people folks, retail must be the same. 

One of the ladies I know from the hotel has been in several times since we left and apparently she doesn`t seem to be there any longer there, I`m not surprised, maybe she`s been moved to a less public position. 

We were loving the heat......lol....I tried my best to never utter those complaining words.......and yes, everyone is thrilled testing is over!!!


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Most places they’d summon the men in the white coats
> 
> the food pice are seriously making me hungry, not hangry tho.  Glad i waited to read this installment before dinner or I’d be rummaging thru the cupboards for a snack.
> 
> That is a good walking beach in NS, along with others north.  I won’t venture into the waters in the shark capital of the world tho lol.  May have to check out that restaurant next time we venture there, your plates look absolutely scrumptious!
> 
> not so sure about you walking so far in the sun sans H2O-yikes!   I’m all about flopping on a nice, fluffy sanded one all day, probably as we live so far from them lol.
> 
> This is seriously turning out to be one of your top TR BTW.



lol.....yes, there`s a follow up on that later in the TR.........

I know!! I always like to have eaten before I do the TR....otherwise I`m ready to gnaw on the drapes!! 

That beach is perfect for walking on, it`s more or less flat all the way unless you veer up nearer the homes, but sand is too soft there anyway. It`s very beautiful and yes....after the shark incident after our first visit there, going in the water up to my knees is not an activity I`ll repeat!!! I do love the sound of flopping on the beach for the day.......lol......maybe we do take them for granted having more or less always lived next to a beach. 

And thank you, lovely comment to read.....glad you`re enjoying it......


----------



## schumigirl

Raeven said:


> Once I commented again I started getting them it's so weird.
> 
> Lol we would!
> 
> That's so rude of her!
> 
> Yay that's amazing!
> 
> Same!
> 
> It was great to meet you!



Funny, we popped out the other day for some produce and a woman close to me sneezed......I did think of this conversation.....lol......

I think she has been moved on for whatever reason, yes, it was incredibly rude, she just wasn`t the usual standard of lady you normally get on the make up counters. Normally they go out of their way to compliment you!! 

Yes, everyone is thrilled about the no testing anymore, such a relief being able to get excited about trips again. 

It was so nice meeting up but glad you really enjoyed Strong Water........


----------



## schumigirl

*SUNDAY MAY 8TH*​



*We rather surprisingly were up with the larks today, both of us, but we took our time getting ready as today was completely onsite, so no rushing anywhere. We were over in the Club Lounge for breakfast around 8.30, we had to wait till 9am for champagne as it was Sunday, but we could both enjoy a glass today as no driving was involved at any point. I think Tom enjoyed being able to have a glass or two this morning, and like me he didn`t bother with the fruit juice.*
*
Breakfast was light and we sat and chatted for a while, but we wanted to get back over to Sapphire as we were planning to do some laundry and of course chat to Kyle as we had to wait till he got home from where the early race was this morning and we were excited to hear how he had got on, hoping he`d be home by now. 

I sent him a message on Facetime to say we would be back in 5-10 minutes and was he around for a chat....he replied yes, he`s call us on the ipad in 10 minutes.
*
*We went down to the laundry room and put in our washing load, which was a lot and we had only been here a week! But, the laundry room in Sapphire is quite large and has lots of machines for everyone. The one at RP is very small and if you happen to be unlucky and folks are using them, you have to keep coming back. *
*
Unlike RP where there is one laundry room per tower, there is only one large room for all of the hotel and it is on the very lowest floor of Guest House 2 which was handy for us. 
*
*It is also the pet floor. We heard two dogs who were just continually barking when we passed....that would drive me nuts! You have to feel sorry for the pets left behind like that, but even more sorry for folks that are close having to listen to that. I did notice a smell in the corridor this visit which was all dog smell. I will say I didn`t notice it the next time we used the laundry room, but I`m so glad we`re not down here. I do have a very keen sense of smell though, but I did think it was strong.*



























*We used the change machine to buy washing powder and had quarters for the washer, filled one up and noted what time we had to be back for as we wouldn`t like to hog a machine and leave the clothes after the machine had finished, even though there are plenty, you never know how busy it`s going to be. *
*
Headed back up and was just in time to set up the ipad on the dining room table and Kyle called.......he was buzzing!!! And he had on his event tee shirt he got from taking part and his medal.....first 10K medal. He had loved it and was thrilled with the position he had finished in, he also sent us some pictures from the media so we saw him as he crossed the finish line as well as a couple of times through the race! We were thrilled for him and he told us he had signed up with some others from his running club for a half marathon in October, so he was loving this running lark.....far too healthy for us!!! 
*
*We chatted some more but got back to his run which was marvellous to hear about and we were so proud of him!!!

Eventually we said bye, and then we went back down to empty the washer (very glamorous) and pop some of it in the dryer. There are some items we don`t tumble dry, so they came back up with us, popped them on hangers and left them over the line on the bath, they`d dry in no time at all. Once we had our dried clothes ironed and put away we began to get ready for The Mother`s Day Brunch.*
*
We had mentioned to Fernando on our first night we planned to book before we arrived, he said he`d book it for us which was kind of him and we were going at the same time as him and his lovely wife again. We were looking forward to this today and we were glad we had such a light breakfast.
*
*Fernando and Mrs Fernando were already there when we arrived, it`s always a pleasure to see them both and his lady wife is just lovely. She did admonish us for sending her so much chocolate.......lol......but we had such a lovely catch up and shared some tales together. We had met their son on several occasions including last Mother`s Day Brunch we were at, he`s just as nice too.

And of course with it being Mother`s Day........champagne time!! *
















*The food was as good as we remembered from our previous visit, I went straight for the seafood.......oysters, oysters, oysters and then some more with the odd shrimp flung in and some smoked salmon too.......*

*Crab claws, mussels, mini ceviche were all on offer too on the seafood bar, probably my favourite part of the whole brunch.*



























*Churrasco beef was tender and tasty, and Tom and I chose the rarer parts which were divine!!! *

*With beef, there was also a rib of beef, but the picture was dreadful and blurry for some reason. I have to say the lighting for the heat lamps, it was not good for pictures.*















*Salmon in some kind of a sauce, we didn`t try that dish.*














*Roast duck legs.......I did have one to try and it was surprisingly nice. I like my duck pink, but this was cooked through, even so it was still very nice, I expected it to be dry and it wasn`t. Tom enjoyed his too.*














*Sausage and potatoes.*














*The maple carrots were absolutely divine.....who knew a carrot could be so delicious!!! But why they had to be topped with the veg of the devil.....green beans!!!! Once I got them out of the way, the carrots were beautiful. *






































*There was a coffee rubbed pork which I wasn`t keen on too much, I only tried a tiny piece as it was beside the Rib of Beef which was gorgeous. It wasn`t as rare as we like it when we went up, but we could have gone back up of course. It was beautiful, but the pork which we usually love, wasn`t for us today.*
















*For Tom and I, it was all about the seafood.........although Tom doesn`t like oysters at all, so that was the only thing he missed. I didn`t try the ceviche as it had cilantro in it, Tom did try one and said it wasn`t too bad the flavour was more citrus, but he only had one.*

























*I admit, I did lose count as to how many oysters and shrimp I had!!! Especially the oysters. Although I didn`t eat as many as I thought I would.......*















*Dessert is not my thing really, Tom on the other hand is all about the desserts and he loved wandering round and choosing what was next!! *

*The little blue pots ended up being my favourite out of everything.....they were buttermilk panna cotta and tiny as they were, they were full of flavour and I did eat four or five of them in the end......well, they are tiny!! *















*One of my favourite desserts when I do eat it is Creme Brulee.......but this one wasn`t my favourite. It was slightly too set and more like a set custard, it was tasty, but I only had the one.*















































*Tom is like Kyle and likes a rich chocolate dessert, so he very much enjoyed this plate below along with some other bites from the offerings. *















*We had enjoyed a lovely lunch with some wonderful company today, enjoyed a couple of glasses of champagne and we were now full!!! And of course we had to get a picture with our friends.....it really had been wonderful and god willing we`d do the same again next year.*















*It`s really not the same without the water wheel running.....we always meant to ask when it would be running again, but always forgot. It`s still such a lovely view from the little outdoor area of the restaurant.*














*I did like my rose........*














*We have enjoyed 3 brunches here now and they have all been wonderful. You get some wonderful food and it is replenished regularly so everything is fresh, the quality is good and all in all we`ll happily do one again. We chatted to Chef Chris who we have met before and he was happy to hear we had enjoyed the brunch. We cannot recommend them highly enough. *
*
We said our goodbye`s and went back to watch some of the Miami Grand Prix.....not a fan of the circuit and ended up falling asleep for an hour on that comfortable sofa.......I think Tom was the same on the other end of it, yes, that`s how good the GP was. 
*
*Then, we freshened up and headed over to the Club lounge where they had made up a special Mother`s Day cocktail........*


























*It was sweet I have to say, but it was nice and I think it was Caitlyn, one of the lovely supervisors who had made it up, it was a nice touch for such a special day. 

The flower didn`t last long! *















*We very much enjoyed our time in the lounge and some nights were just full of laughter. *
*
Not that we were eating, but tonight the option was chicken tenders and mac n cheese which is always a popular choice with guests for some reason. We had no room even to try some salad. It was stick a fork in us.....we were done......
*
*We chatted to Lindsey and Raphael and when it quietened down we could chat some more, but we eventually set off to go back to Sapphire to get changed as we had decided to have a pool night tonight. 

Once changed we headed down to the pool and found a couple of loungers in an ideal position beside the pool and we had a good view of the screen for whatever movie they were showing. It was a little breezy but we hoped it would die down a little. *

*I ordered the Drhum Club Punch which was Light Rum, Malibu Coconut Rum, pineapple, orange juice, grenadine, Tom ordered the Frozen Falls Margarita and they were both nice enough, but nothing sparkling. *















*It was getting breezier now and I wasn`t convinced this was as much fun as we thought it would be......*














*It didn`t get any better. I was cold. I was sitting by the pool in Florida, it was a temperate 75F and I was actually cold.*












*I do have the reputation of being a lizard......and I really am. When the sun shines and it`s warm......I`m out there......soon as it cools down, I`m retreating inside.......lol.....*
*
One of my brothers thinks it`s hilarious I get cold in such heat, a temperature that would be considered completely tropical in the UK.......but, I can`t help it!! 

We lasted not much longer before we did retreat to get changed again.....it was blowing a gale!!! And we never did find out what the movie was going to be. 

So, as we had both had a drink, no driving tonight for us.......although we weren`t hungry right now, we did think later we might like a little nibble of something. We considered heading back to Orchids for sushi, but in the end we meandered to Strong Water again......no surprises there. 
*
*I ordered a Rum Lore, one of Anthony`s creations and Tom went for an Old Fashioned but with a twist and I can`t remember what he had different in this one but it was different from the usual, he did enjoy it though. Too strong for me.*

























*When I said I was cold, Anthony said he had something he`d like my opinion on.......always a pleasure of course.....and I was thrilled when he produced a real pot of tea, made from English Breakfast tea but he had infused it with Rosemary, something I`d never tried before. *
*
It was delicious. It did have a lot of rosemary, so I could swirl the stalks around to get even more flavour in the tea. It maybe wouldn`t be for everyone, but we loved it and I wondered why I`d never thought of doing it before. We thanked Anthony for the tea and we drank the lot!! He is very inventive for sure. 
*
*I don`t know if the tea gave us an appetite but we did feel like something to nibble on now.......so we ordered curried goat and our favourite camarones to share.......*


























*The couple beside us saw what we had ordered and said they`d have the same.......we told them they were both really good but another time to try the Tuna or the new Pinchos on the menu.......I was pleased when they ordered all four dishes, and thankfully they loved them all!!! Phew......nothing like giving a recommendation and it works out!! *
*
We did enjoy our food and it was just enough for us. It was around 9pm so had been a few hours since we had eaten. 
*
*Tonight we weren`t planning on staying late, and we didn`t. We said our goodnights and headed back to the suite to watch some tv and maybe have a glass of wine, which we did. 

That is a comfy sofa........I sent off some emails and caught up on the internet......and then we were both yawning......I forget what we were watching, but we never saw the end of it. We did put the tv on in the bedroom planning to continue watching the movie, but I fell asleep before Tom even made it to the bedroom.......*

*We had enjoyed a lovely day, we hadn`t done much at all, but our little quiet and restful day had been fun.  

More park time was planned for tomorrow.*


----------



## BroadwayHermione5

The food 


Also you are not the only lizard…..I’m 99% sure I am because I am always cold! I only have a fan in my room no AC! But my astrological sign is a cancer, so the water would not have bothered me lololol!


----------



## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> The food
> 
> 
> Also you are not the only lizard…..I’m 99% sure I am because I am always cold! I only have a fan in my room no AC! But my astrological sign is a cancer, so the water would not have bothered me lololol!



Food was good!!!! 

Weird thing is, I love A/C and I hate being too warm in the car, we have our car A/C on constantly and it`s usually pretty cool. Unless it`s freezing outside, even then we never have our car overly warm. 

People are always amazed how cold I can be at times........I was born to live in warmer climes I`m pretty sure about that!


----------



## Deb1993

As soon as I saw you had posted I ran to get my cup of coffee so I could relax and read your next installment.  Loving your reporting of the trip.


----------



## Deb1993

The Mother's Day brunch looked very nice!  

And so good for Kyle to have taken up running with such a lovely group of people.  I find it amazing to be able to run for miles.


----------



## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> As soon as I saw you had posted I ran to get my cup of coffee so I could relax and read your next installment.  Loving your reporting of the trip.



lol.....Love it!!! Hope you enjoyed that coffee.......




Deb1993 said:


> The Mother's Day brunch looked very nice!
> 
> And so good for Kyle to have taken up running with such a lovely group of people.  I find it amazing to be able to run for miles.



It was beautiful, we have always been so impressed with the brunches in Amatista.

He has really taken to running so well, the club he joined are amazed at how fast he is and in a relatively short time. I couldn`t run, but do admire anyone who can, and he loves it. Some folks think he is too slim now, but he eats very well, all the right things....but still enjoys meals out and plenty of chocolate treats, he just works them off again........something we need to learn.......lol......

Glad you`re enjoying it


----------



## Deb1993

That's amazing.  So nice to have an outlet like running.  I like to walk but can only jog a little and then I'm done.  I'm sure he looks fantastic - most important to be healthy and happy - no matter what that looks like.  His love of chocolate cake is legendary!!


----------



## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> That's amazing.  So nice to have an outlet like running.  I like to walk but can only jog a little and then I'm done.  I'm sure he looks fantastic - most important to be healthy and happy - no matter what that looks like.  His love of chocolate cake is legendary!!


 lol....he does love his chocolate cake!!! Just not as often as he used to have it. 

Yes, he`s healthy, I think folks just got used to seeing him a certain way, but a 45lbs weight loss on someone who wasn`t really overweight is noticeable. Once he lost it, we realised he did need to lose it. 2 years of pandemic had an affect on so many. 

Good for you being able to jog, even a little is still better than nothing at all. We love to walk, and now the weather is improving we plan to walk every day if we can, feet are complaining, but it`s worth it lol......


----------



## Deb1993

schumigirl said:


> lol....he does love his chocolate cake!!! Just not as often as he used to have it.
> 
> Yes, he`s healthy, I think folks just got used to seeing him a certain way, but a 45lbs weight loss on someone who wasn`t really overweight is noticeable. Once he lost it, we realised he did need to lose it. 2 years of pandemic had an affect on so many.
> 
> Good for you being able to jog, even a little is still better than nothing at all. We love to walk, and now the weather is improving we plan to walk every day if we can, feet are complaining, but it`s worth it lol......


That's fantastic!  It is wonderful when you see your child doing all the great things.  

Now that DD is home from school for the summer I've been tagging along with her to the gym and DH and I dance a few times a week so I'm grateful for the opportunities to have some fun and get a little exercise in.  Because if I'm left to my own devices I'm not doing it.  LOL  Poor DD tore her other ACL and meniscus at bball practice in October and had her surgery in December and is now rehabbing and training to get back on the court for the upcoming season.  She missed her junior year of HS for her left ACL and meniscus so this sort of intense rehab is nothing new to her.  Just disappointing.  She has her six month post surgical visit this Thursday where they will run her through the paces to see how her training and rehab is coming.  She's excited.  She works so hard.


----------



## schumigirl

*MONDAY MAY 9TH*​




*And another hot and toasty day lay ahead of us again.....it was forecast to be in the low 90`s maybe high 80`s so a little cooler might be a relief today. We were planning some park time and had a very specific meet and greet to do later, so we were looking forward to that a lot. *
*
As usual headed off to RP for breakfast and again, this walk takes no time at all and kind of wakes us up a little each morning, we always walk indoors, I know you can walk outside to the other hotel, but we appreciate the aircon too much!! 

Breakfast was lovely and we got chatting to a very nice family this morning who were enjoying their first stay at Universal, she had read some of these trip reports and wanted to say hello, which was lovely and she had lovely family too who were excited to see the parks for the first time. 

The lounge is wonderful for chatting to folks as most are very friendly and we can honestly chat to anyone. Everyone has a story and it`s always so interesting to find out about folks, where they`re from and so on., and we can pass a lot of time chatting.......lol......

We enjoy some toast, croissants and some fruit, and as Tom isn`t driving till tonight, we both enjoy the champagne. I think this is the best addition Club Level has put in for years 

Eventually we head off and walk to IOA and again use the AP entrance that was completely deserted this morning. 

We were heading straight for the velocicoaster this morning and although we loved Hagrids we weren`t prepared to get up and do EE to ride it again....if we got on all good, if not there`s always the next trip. 

The VC was showing a 25 minute wait, so we hot footed it into the line and waited what seemed like no time at all, it was probably 15-20 minutes or so*
















*And again, for some reason I got so nervous walking in the line. I always get a little excited nervous, but that`s a good feeling and if Tom had said he didn`t want to ride I`d have happily walked off........so I had to kick this starnge fear as I love this ride!!! So, we asked for the back row again (I`m a glutton for punishment) and I hesitatently got on and pulled that harness down for all it was worth......here we go again...........*

*Once we set off, it was as magnificent as ever!!! Tom woooohooooed the whole way round and I almost managed to let go and wave my arms in the air the whole way round.........almost!! I chickened out just as you go over the top hat......holy moly.......I don`t think I had pulled the harness down as far as it could go.......and I just had to grab on as it did feel like I was completely falling out.......but laughing at the same time!! This is a phenomenal coaster in every aspect. It does mess with your hair though........*









​














*We got off and planned to go on again, but the line was significantly longer than before, so we headed off to the Lost Continent for a wander and hoped to catch the Talking Fountain as we hadn`t engaged for a while with it. It is so funny and the humour they sometimes impart with is so funny, and most of it goes over kids heads but us adults can pick up on it. They are very clever.*
















*We did have a good old listen as he engaged with an over excited 7 year old who loved getting soaked in all the ways the Fountain could offer......he was drenched and you`ve never seen a happier child anywhere......and he was from Chicago so the Fountain had a full conversation about where he lived, it was so cute and that child left with the biggest smile on his face.*

*I was so tempted to get a Henna Tattoo.....I think they`re so pretty, but many, many years ago I got one on my hand and I had such an allergic reaction it was scary! My hand swelled up and came out in such an angry rash and it was painful, so my notion for getting another one soon disappeared. Tom glowered when I said I should get one.......lol.......*



























*We popped into the 3B`s for a Pumpkin Fizz, the line was out the door, mainly folks wanting Butterbeer it seemed. All of the tables you used to be able sit and have a drink on were now completely set for diners, which is a shame as we always enjoyed having a 15 minute break in the cool with a soft drink and pass a little time, but there were the 3 stools sat in the corner by the window, so I plonked myself down while Tom stood in the line that was well out the door now. *
*
We did sit for 10 minutes or so and shared the pumpkin fizz. One is enough and we do share it, neither of us like Butterbeer very much, I know...it`s not allowed really is it.......lol......but this we do like. 

This is one of those little areas you have to stand and listen to.......and look too. You can see the shadows of the house elf wandering around and you can hear him chatter and rumble about if it`s not too noisy in the restaurant. Just another of the amazing theming going on in these parks. *



























*We come out and someone had mentioned Hagrids may be opening back up soon, we didn`t notice it was down......so we wandered over and one of the TM`s suggested we head on in as we`d be happy if we did........didn`t need to tell us twice......Tom went for the locker, then we headed in and wandered almost to the front of the line.......this had been fantastic! *
*
We turned at one point and the line behind us was now as far as we could see......but we soon hopped on the bike and side car once again.....I got the bike as I much prefer it, so does Tom to be honest, but he prefers I do the bike.......and off we went once again.
*
*This is a wonderful addition to Hogsmeade.......well, Duelling Dragons still wins for our favourite out of the two!! But it is wonderful and very well themed. We love the fast parts and the little surprises are a lot of fun too. We did this in the dark during the OI event and I think I prefer it in the dark, it seems even more exciting than during the day. 

There are some amazing elements to this ride but for me, it`s not as good as the wonderful Velocicoaster. *

*We headed up to do FJ, but we weren`t feeling like it today, so we just wandered around passing some time till our meet and greet later. *















*The morning passed so quickly and we didn`t go on any other rides, we just meandered slowly around enjoying the sights and sounds of the park that was getting busier by the moment. *
*
But, the highlight of our day was going to be ..........
*
*A meet and greet with Spider-Man *
















*Last night Lindsey had asked us what time we would be in the park today, we told her we usually left around lunchtime, sometimes before or if we were eating in the parks...afterwards, it just depended. *

*She told us her boyfriend......yep, that`s her boyfriend who really is......Spider-Man  was working from 12.30 and if we were still around we could go see him!!!! Well, wild horses wouldn`t stop us heading for this meet.......it`s not something we normally do, if we see characters out, we`ll maybe get a picture, but the Spider-Man meet is something we haven`t done for many years.*
















*By the time we got there, around 6 families were in front of us, so we got to see him in action before we met him. I`m not completely biased, but he is amazing!!!! He was wonderful with a little girl from the family in front of us, she was so young and he was so patient with her, we knew already he was something special. *
*
Lindsey had told him about a "lovely couple" (that`s us   ) she had met in the lounge and had told him about several things we had chatted about.....but she hadn`t told him we were going to visit him today, so he had no clue. Lindsey had said when it was our turn, we should introduce ourselves by saying his friend Lindsey says hi.......
*
*So I did.*













*And he was surprised to say the least.........it was one of those moments that was just cute and funny and can`t really describe how much fun it was. *















*I can`t remember what I said to him here, but he was so good at chatting and keeping the conversation going all the while he was trying to remember our names.......lol........*


























*Then he did remember....and turned and said "TOM" out loud........lol.......the folks waiting in line looked a little bemused at this and one kid yelled out.....Spider-Man knows his name........lol........*















*He leaned in to me and quietly said he was so sorry he forgot what mine was....I laughed while Tom teased me that Spider-Man knew his name.........Spider-Man then asked me if he should have a time out for forgetting mine.........I said yes, but he soon came back......
*

























*We had such fun and it was a little more than a normal meet, which made it all the more special.......*















*He was funny, and very, very good at his job and I think I had a little "mother" crush on Spider-Man..........*














*We did have a brief little chat before the next family came in, and we did get the feeling that this was an exceptional young man and him and Lindsey made the cutest couple who were made for each other. They absolutely adored each other and it showed. *
*
But, for us, this had been very special and we had loved this experience, I did suggest Tom should have come in for a picture, but he is happiest behind the camera. 
*
*We left this meet and greet with the biggest smiles on our faces!!!




Lunch coming up *


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## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> That's fantastic!  It is wonderful when you see your child doing all the great things.
> 
> Now that DD is home from school for the summer I've been tagging along with her to the gym and DH and I dance a few times a week so I'm grateful for the opportunities to have some fun and get a little exercise in.  Because if I'm left to my own devices I'm not doing it.  LOL  Poor DD tore her other ACL and meniscus at bball practice in October and had her surgery in December and is now rehabbing and training to get back on the court for the upcoming season.  She missed her junior year of HS for her left ACL and meniscus so this sort of intense rehab is nothing new to her.  Just disappointing.  She has her six month post surgical visit this Thursday where they will run her through the paces to see how her training and rehab is coming.  She's excited.  She works so hard.


 
Oh goodness, bless her! What a lot she has gone through, and so young too!!! Well all good wishes for her on Thursday, hope she gets some good news about her recovery and they`re pleased with her. I can imagine how much she has done to improve. 

I remember when Kyle had major back surgery when he was 18, it was so traumatic but he recovered in record time, well, young folks do. He got the surgery in August and started University in late September......there was a lot of praying there as well as getting him walking as soon as he was home!!!

I`m kinda like you.....if Tom and I didn`t motivate each other, we probably wouldn`t do as much as we do......on cold wet wintery mornings though, not much can motivate us!!! Dancing sounds fun........


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## BroadwayHermione5

Love that Spider-Man story!


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## Deb1993

schumigirl said:


> Oh goodness, bless her! What a lot she has gone through, and so young too!!! Well all good wishes for her on Thursday, hope she gets some good news about her recovery and they`re pleased with her. I can imagine how much she has done to improve.
> 
> I remember when Kyle had major back surgery when he was 18, it was so traumatic but he recovered in record time, well, young folks do. He got the surgery in August and started University in late September......there was a lot of praying there as well as getting him walking as soon as he was home!!!
> 
> I`m kinda like you.....if Tom and I didn`t motivate each other, we probably wouldn`t do as much as we do......on cold wet wintery mornings though, not much can motivate us!!! Dancing sounds fun........


Always tough to watch our dear children go through difficult times but they are so strong and resilient!!!


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## Deb1993

schumigirl said:


> *MONDAY MAY 9TH*​
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> *And another hot and toasty day lay ahead of us again.....it was forecast to be in the low 90`s maybe high 80`s so a little cooler might be a relief today. We were planning some park time and had a very specific meet and greet to do later, so we were looking forward to that a lot. *
> 
> *As usual headed off to RP for breakfast and again, this walk takes no time at all and kind of wakes us up a little each morning, we always walk indoors, I know you can walk outside to the other hotel, but we appreciate the aircon too much!!
> 
> Breakfast was lovely and we got chatting to a very nice family this morning who were enjoying their first stay at Universal, she had read some of these trip reports and wanted to say hello, which was lovely and she had lovely family too who were excited to see the parks for the first time.
> 
> The lounge is wonderful for chatting to folks as most are very friendly and we can honestly chat to anyone. Everyone has a story and it`s always so interesting to find out about folks, where they`re from and so on., and we can pass a lot of time chatting.......lol......
> 
> We enjoy some toast, croissants and some fruit, and as Tom isn`t driving till tonight, we both enjoy the champagne. I think this is the best addition Club Level has put in for years
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> Eventually we head off and walk to IOA and again use the AP entrance that was completely deserted this morning.
> 
> We were heading straight for the velocicoaster this morning and although we loved Hagrids we weren`t prepared to get up and do EE to ride it again....if we got on all good, if not there`s always the next trip.
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> The VC was showing a 25 minute wait, so we hot footed it into the line and waited what seemed like no time at all, it was probably 15-20 minutes or so*
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> 
> Once we set off, it was as magnificent as ever!!! Tom woooohooooed the whole way round and I almost managed to let go and wave my arms in the air the whole way round.........almost!! I chickened out just as you go over the top hat......holy moly.......I don`t think I had pulled the harness down as far as it could go.......and I just had to grab on as it did feel like I was completely falling out.......but laughing at the same time!! This is a phenomenal coaster in every aspect. It does mess with your hair though........*
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> 
> I was so tempted to get a Henna Tattoo.....I think they`re so pretty, but many, many years ago I got one on my hand and I had such an allergic reaction it was scary! My hand swelled up and came out in such an angry rash and it was painful, so my notion for getting another one soon disappeared. Tom glowered when I said I should get one.......lol.......*
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> *We popped into the 3B`s for a Pumpkin Fizz, the line was out the door, mainly folks wanting Butterbeer it seemed. All of the tables you used to be able sit and have a drink on were now completely set for diners, which is a shame as we always enjoyed having a 15 minute break in the cool with a soft drink and pass a little time, but there were the 3 stools sat in the corner by the window, so I plonked myself down while Tom stood in the line that was well out the door now. *
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> *We did sit for 10 minutes or so and shared the pumpkin fizz. One is enough and we do share it, neither of us like Butterbeer very much, I know...it`s not allowed really is it.......lol......but this we do like.
> 
> This is one of those little areas you have to stand and listen to.......and look too. You can see the shadows of the house elf wandering around and you can hear him chatter and rumble about if it`s not too noisy in the restaurant. Just another of the amazing theming going on in these parks. *
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> *We come out and someone had mentioned Hagrids may be opening back up soon, we didn`t notice it was down......so we wandered over and one of the TM`s suggested we head on in as we`d be happy if we did........didn`t need to tell us twice......Tom went for the locker, then we headed in and wandered almost to the front of the line.......this had been fantastic! *
> 
> *We turned at one point and the line behind us was now as far as we could see......but we soon hopped on the bike and side car once again.....I got the bike as I much prefer it, so does Tom to be honest, but he prefers I do the bike.......and off we went once again.*
> 
> *This is a wonderful addition to Hogsmeade.......well, Duelling Dragons still wins for our favourite out of the two!! But it is wonderful and very well themed. We love the fast parts and the little surprises are a lot of fun too. We did this in the dark during the OI event and I think I prefer it in the dark, it seems even more exciting than during the day.
> 
> There are some amazing elements to this ride but for me, it`s not as good as the wonderful Velocicoaster.
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> We headed up to do FJ, but we weren`t feeling like it today, so we just wandered around passing some time till our meet and greet later. *
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> *The morning passed so quickly and we didn`t go on any other rides, we just meandered slowly around enjoying the sights and sounds of the park that was getting busier by the moment. *
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> *But, the highlight of our day was going to be ..........*
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> *A meet and greet with Spider-Man *
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> She told us her boyfriend......yep, that`s her boyfriend who really is......Spider-Man  was working from 12.30 and if we were still around we could go see him!!!! Well, wild horses wouldn`t stop us heading for this meet.......it`s not something we normally do, if we see characters out, we`ll maybe get a picture, but the Spider-Man meet is something we haven`t done for many years.*
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> *By the time we got there, around 6 families were in front of us, so we got to see him in action before we met him. I`m not completely biased, but he is amazing!!!! He was wonderful with a little girl from the family in front of us, she was so young and he was so patient with her, we knew already he was something special. *
> 
> *Lindsey had told him about a "lovely couple" (that`s us   ) she had met in the lounge and had told him about several things we had chatted about.....but she hadn`t told him we were going to visit him today, so he had no clue. Lindsey had said when it was our turn, we should introduce ourselves by saying his friend Lindsey says hi.......*
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> *He leaned in to me and quietly said he was so sorry he forgot what mine was....I laughed while Tom teased me that Spider-Man knew his name.........Spider-Man then asked me if he should have a time out for forgetting mine.........I said yes, but he soon came back......*
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> *We did have a brief little chat before the next family came in, and we did get the feeling that this was an exceptional young man and him and Lindsey made the cutest couple who were made for each other. They absolutely adored each other and it showed. *
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> *But, for us, this had been very special and we had loved this experience, I did suggest Tom should have come in for a picture, but he is happiest behind the camera. *
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> *We left this meet and greet with the biggest smiles on our faces!!!
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> Lunch coming up *


Awww, Spiderman is adorable!!  How lovely for Lindsey and her superhero!


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## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> Love that Spider-Man story!



It was the best meet and greet ever!!! 

He really was Amazing!!


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## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> Always tough to watch our dear children go through difficult times but they are so strong and resilient!!!



It really is, you never want to see anything bad happen to them, but I agree, their resilience is remarkable. 




Deb1993 said:


> Awww, Spiderman is adorable!!  How lovely for Lindsey and her superhero!



He really is, and when we met them as a couple, they are truly adorable. You know when you see a couple who are just meant to be, that was them.


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## Worfiedoodles

What a stand out day! You were glowing in your Spider-Man meet, it’s obvious you were all having the best time!  

I love that you just skip a line if it’s too long. You have plenty of time to catch it later. 

And you caught Hagrid’s at just the right moment, I really wish that one was included in Express…

I absolutely agree the morning bubbly is a spectacular way to start the day. I hope that is an upgrade they keep in the lounge!


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## macraven

Wow!
You were able to spend time with Spider Man which totally impressed me… woot

Spider Man is my favorite at UO
Second is Blues Brothers 

Those were great pictures you shared with us

Many thanks for sharing your trip reports with all of us.


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## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> What a stand out day! You were glowing in your Spider-Man meet, it’s obvious you were all having the best time!
> 
> I love that you just skip a line if it’s too long. You have plenty of time to catch it later.
> 
> And you caught Hagrid’s at just the right moment, I really wish that one was included in Express…
> 
> I absolutely agree the morning bubbly is a spectacular way to start the day. I hope that is an upgrade they keep in the lounge!



It was so much fun. Tom took about 40 pictures all in, some were the same, but it really was the most amazing meet and yes......I had a glow for ages after it!!! Spider-Man was phenomenal.........

I do wish Hagrids and VC had Express or we wouldn`t pass them on any day, but until then we will judge the line and decide then. We have ridden VC loads of times so lining up forever isn`t going to happen. Hagrids we`ve only been on it about 5 times, so come on EP, as we would have been tempted not to leave that area at all!!! 

I hope so too....it`s been a big hit with guests since they brought it in........yep, nice start to the day!


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## schumigirl

macraven said:


> Wow!
> You were able to spend time with Spider Man which totally impressed me… woot
> 
> Spider Man is my favorite at UO
> Second is Blues Brothers
> 
> Those were great pictures you shared with us
> 
> Many thanks for sharing your trip reports with all of us.



Spider-Man is the best!! 

I definitely had the best meet and greet with him and he was a little surprised when we mentioned Lindsey`s name as she hadn`t told him we would be there, but he was so professional......kept in character till the very end.

But, watching him with the families before us, he really was so talented in his character.

Thanks mac, we do love our pictures, glad you like them too.......


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## KathyM2

schumigirl said:


> I think the reason is, we`re never hungry when we pass it as it`s usually just after breakfast, and again we never managed it this trip either. Tom really does want to have another Dagwood sandwich!!


I love that they have so much themed food at the Universal parks...while I'm a Disney girl at heart lol...this is really cool - do you remember what the sandwich was like?


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## schumigirl

*We were on such a high from our meet, we just smiled our way out of the park and talked non stop about it, and then nothing unusual, I was getting hungry! Yep......it was almost 1pm so my tummy was gurgling away merrily now and was ready for food. *
*
We planned Sal`s pizza at Portofino, so that meant hopping on a boat to get there and we got one of the best Capt`s today, Captain Rob. We thought he had been there for many, many years, but when we got chatting to him today he had only been with Universal 6 years.....we told him no, it had to be longer.....although he did admit some of his jokes made it seem like he had been there longer.......lol.......funny man, in a good way of course. 

We did notice this time around there were less Captains and this was being addressed as they were training new Captains the whole time we were there. We did miss some of the Captains that had been there for many years, but things change I know.......some of them were real characters. 

It is a nice little boat ride to any of the hotels and this one is the longest, but not too long and it is very pretty along the way. 

We didn`t hang around much today as both of us were starving..........and it was, er.....suitably hot!!!!   

Sal`s Pizza is empty, well there aren`t many folks around here during the day ever, but there was one other person in today and as we walked in he yelled fairly loud......"well hi there".....very friendly welcome from someone waiting for a pizza......lol.....he said what we thought........were there ever other people around here during the day.......lol......
*
*Food is an easy choice for us here.......pizza. Their pizza is among the nicest onsite and we always like to visit once a trip. We did try their sandwiches once, they were ok, but the chips that came with them were the worst we have ever tasted!! So, we stick to pizza.*



























*My Italian relatives spin at us liking a bbq sauce base on our pizza`s ......well Kyle and I prefer it, Tom loves good old tomato base, but as we were sharing one today we would go for the usual........BBQ Chicken with added pineapple and jalapeno, my favourite pizza ever!! 

Unless I`m in NYC......nicest pizza ever...from anywhere and not a bbq base in sight!!! *
*
We got our buzzer, went through to the seating area with the benches and waited and it wasn`t long before it was ready. 
*















*Usually it comes on a proper plate with nice cutlery and today it came in a box. If we get pizza from anywhere of course it comes in a box.....but here I just expected it to be the same and on a plate.......I`m being pedantic of course.......it tasted just lovely although the pineapple was different to before and not as flavoured, maybe they had changed their provider.......but still nice. *

*We sat for a little while as it was a large pizza, then wandered round the hotel for a few pictures and although this hotel is pretty, it has never appealed to us in anyway to want to stay there. Folks often describe it as posh......well, we never felt it was a posh hotel, nice, but nothing too fancy. *






































*We headed to the bathrooms, which are very clean and well kept, then headed further along to where their conference area is, we had never wandered down that far, well we had once but didn`t have the camera with us and it is a very nice area.  *















*Quite a statement piece of wall art. *















*This staircase was stunning though...highly polished floor and stunning balcony feel as you looked down to the Piano.*

*I have no musical talent whatsoever and couldn`t play a note if my life depended on it, couldn`t even pick up the recorder when I was little!!! But, I`ve always thought if I could play something, it would be the piano. But, that`ll never happen as I`m tone deaf to music.

I do admire anyone who can pick up an instrument, whatever it is and just play it and make it look effortless......my contribution to music has been numerous Karaoke sessions over the years.....*













*Yes, that`s most folks reactions to my singing!!!! I`m dreadful. *
















*We head outside to get the boat again and as we wander there genuinely aren`t any other people around.........*

*It`s like the apocalypse has taken place and no-one has told us! It is a Ghost town throughout the day!! *


















































*It is very pretty and in parts it is identical to the real Portofino on which it was designed. I think I have recounted more than once, we travelled to Portofino on our Italy trip many years ago and although it is lovely, they were having serious drainage issues when we were there, as in nothing was draining at all!!!! It stank to high heavens and left a memory we cannot erase no matter how hard we try!!! We left 2 days early to go on somewhere else.......bleurgh.......apart from that experience it was a beautiful trip, stunning area.*



























*We got the boat back home and had a snooze for an hour or so, then chatted to Kyle on Facetime for a while.....we had a good catch up with him, he was counting down the days till he finished this job. It`s a shame in a way he was changing companies, as he really likes the people he works with, his manager and him are very close and she considers him her right hand man, and he has a good team around him, but it was the right time for him to move on. We couldn`t wait for him to start the new job!! *
*
We freshened up and headed over to the lounge to sit for a while......we had another discussion of whether we shold head back into the parks at night and do some of the rides in the dark and get some night pictures......but neither of us felt like it and we kept uttering those fateful words......we still have time!!! 
*
*The lounge was fun today, staff were as usual lovely and chatty and we had such a giggle with them. And our lovely friend came in for a chat as he knew we`d be there....we usually are......lol........and we`re always over the moon to see him and spend time with him. *
*
I enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine and as Tom was driving, it was coffee and lemonade for him. 

We were heading to LBV and the Longhorn over there as it`s the one we prefer to visit. And on the way we drive along Turkey Lake road to Palm Parkway and we see all the changes since we first came here in 2007. This road was completely deserted apart from a couple of buildings that were Hilton Vacation accomodations, and they sat well back from the road in complete darkness, genuinely nothing else around. 
*
*Now, and over the last couple of years it had been slowly building up with some apartment blocks and the Ruby Lake houses. But in the two years we hadn`t been able to travel, it seemed building had just taken off to an extreme. 

There`s a school, hospital, restaurants and much more along here now........a very different landscape from 07. *



























*Longhorn is busy, well it usually is, but tonight as we were a little later there was a long wait for a table, so we went and sat at the bar which we do like to do and we had a good barman tonight which is always nice. *

*Food is easy here.......I always have a salad with honey mustard dressing and we do enjoy a little of the bread they offer......and try to not eat too much!! *



























*Classic long pour red Malbec tonight........I always think Long Pour sounds nicer than a large one.......lol......*
















*Tom went for his usual Ribeye with fries and had some brocolli to go with it, I opted for the usual, Filet with the lobster tail and aa baked sweet potato......looked good when it arrived.*
*
Tom`s brocolli was brick hard....not Al Dente or lightly steamed, it was completely raw......but the worst was yet to come.......

Both our steaks were cold to the touch.......not just lukewarm, cold. I touched mine and couldn`t believe it, and Tom`s was the same. We immediately sent them back and we heard him yell in the kitchen he had served two cold steaks what the heck was going on........he came back out and apologised, we said no problems, these things happen. 
*
*These are the cold ones.*


























*Truth be told getting cold food had happened more this trip and our previous trip than we had ever experienced in all our visits over the years, it was noticeable in places where service was always so good. One of our friends at the hotel mentioned the pandemic had caused some folks to go into hospitality that really shouldn`t be there, and he was right. We hate sending food back, we`re British, we`re not very good at complaining at times. *

*The manager appeared a few minutes later with two replacement dishes and the steaks were sizzling and perfectly cooked. My first steak looked a little tiny, this one was nicer. And we started eating them before we realised we hadn`t taken a picture.......

These dishes were delicious. I`m so fussy with steak and this was medium rare heading towards rare, Tom`s was the same which was perfect for us. And we had enjoyed our evening here. We paid and thanked our barman then headed home. He had been excellent, it wasn`t his fault the kitchen had let him down tonight and I think he was happy we realised that. *
*
We drove home and realised we had no wine in the room (how`d that happen) so we headed into Strong Water to get a bottle of red to take back to our room, we didn`t feel we wanted to sit in the bar tonight, we fancied heading back to that lovely suite and enjoy time in there. We were glad we were doing that as Strong Water was mobbed. We managed to get Lenny`s attention and we got our wine and headed down to our room. 
*
*We got settled in, we loved this suite and just enjoyed the space it gave us and that wonderful lagoon view over to RP.  I wrote an email to guest services to write a glowing report of our experience with Spider-Man and a couple of other TM in the parks over the last week who had been so lovely. Then we watched The Fog.....the original one which is very spooky in it`s own way and I think we were in bed for around 11.30pm. 

We`d had another wonderful day!*


----------



## schumigirl

KathyM2 said:


> I love that they have so much themed food at the Universal parks...while I'm a Disney girl at heart lol...this is really cool - do you remember what the sandwich was like?




I don`t really remember it Kathy......I know it had turkey, beef and ham I think and it was huge. I just checked the website and also has American and Swiss cheese, the usual toppings and mustard with mayo which Tom loves. He has mentioned it many times over the years.......I don`t think we even have a picture of it.

I have to get that man a Dagwood don`t I......


----------



## Pumpkin1172

Finally caught up again!  Your pictures really are amazing!!!  And the food porn ...good thing I'm going to home whip up a meal to eat after a long day at work.  



schumigirl said:


> Seeing folks pull up in their little boats to just have lunch is a lifestyle that just calls to us


Dh had commented when we were there that he can see why do many Canadians escape to Florida as " snowgeese"  It won't be hard to keep that bug in his ear   Although we had done so much in our short trip, there is still so many things to see and experience yet.  


schumigirl said:


> This is a wonderful addition to Hogsmeade.......well, Duelling Dragons still wins for our favourite out of the two!! But it is wonderful and very well themed. We love the fast parts and the little surprises are a lot of fun too. We did this in the dark during the OI event and I think I prefer it in the dark, it seems even more exciting than during the day.


We loved Hagrid's ride.  I loved Velocicoaster, but I know I could only ride it once maybe twice in a day.  NO back to back riding it for me lol.  Same with forbidden journey.  I love it...but once is enough for me.  I ruined our Universal trip when I went with dd, we did Forbidden Journey back to back to back, gulped down a butter beer, then onto dueling dragons!  I was DONE!!!!  I was moaning with Myrtle in the bathroom  numerous times   I still apologize to dd for ruining our day there.  Hopefully if we get to do our one last family vacation - we can make better memories than that lol


schumigirl said:


> Spider-Man then asked me if he should have a time out for forgetting mine.........I said yes, but he soon came back......



 I laughed out loud at my desk reading that!!!!!!!!!!!  What a great meet and greet!  

Of course seeing your pictures and reading about the heat has me wanting to go back and experience it all over again.  Especially since the warmer weather still has not quite made it to our part of the world yet.  It has been cooler than normal for us  which makes me want to escape to warmer temps even more.

Can't wait to hear more


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Ah, Sal’s and Portofino! We went there just to have lunch as well, and like you found an empty resort. I recommend the salads, Mr. Worfie and I both enjoyed them. Mine was more of a antipasto, and delicious— plenty of olives  We’ve stayed there a couple of times, but always end up back at RPR. 

I will say the pool slide was a big hit when Worfie Jr. was a youngling, so that is a nice feature. 

I don’t know what to say about the cold food and less than stellar service overall. We noticed that as well. Everyone is not suited for hospitality 

I’m glad you were able to spend some relaxing time in your suite. Of course you need down time before tackling all the adventures the next day!


----------



## schumigirl

Pumpkin1172 said:


> Finally caught up again!  Your pictures really are amazing!!!  And the food porn ...good thing I'm going to home whip up a meal to eat after a long day at work.
> 
> 
> Dh had commented when we were there that he can see why do many Canadians escape to Florida as " snowgeese"  It won't be hard to keep that bug in his ear   Although we had done so much in our short trip, there is still so many things to see and experience yet.
> 
> We loved Hagrid's ride.  I loved Velocicoaster, but I know I could only ride it once maybe twice in a day.  NO back to back riding it for me lol.  Same with forbidden journey.  I love it...but once is enough for me.  I ruined our Universal trip when I went with dd, we did Forbidden Journey back to back to back, gulped down a butter beer, then onto dueling dragons!  I was DONE!!!!  I was moaning with Myrtle in the bathroom  numerous times   I still apologize to dd for ruining our day there.  Hopefully if we get to do our one last family vacation - we can make better memories than that lol
> 
> 
> I laughed out loud at my desk reading that!!!!!!!!!!!  What a great meet and greet!
> 
> Of course seeing your pictures and reading about the heat has me wanting to go back and experience it all over again.  Especially since the warmer weather still has not quite made it to our part of the world yet.  It has been cooler than normal for us  which makes me want to escape to warmer temps even more.
> 
> Can't wait to hear more



It really was the best meet and greet ever....even better than the whole Scooby Doo gang several years back when it was quite unusual!!! He is wonderful!! 

lol...oh dear......I can imagine having experienced similar with Simpsons! But, my goodness FJ twice, Butterbeer then Duelling Dragons........oh my goodness.......I`m glad you never decorated the ride while you were on it with that BUtterbeer....and I`m sure everyone around you was glad too........

I`m like you with FJ, it`s a once or twice a day ride.....but VC I can reride as often as I like....thankfully!! 

You`ll get your family trip I`m sure and it`ll be so worth the wait. I agree, there is so much to see there that we all miss each visit. And yes, I understand with the heat and sunshine, we do miss it when we`re not there. We`re having a mini heatwave here right now....well, a heatwave in UK standards.......making the most of it as next week it`ll be gone!! 

Yes, I try to eat before I post food pictures, or else I`m looking for snacks


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Ah, Sal’s and Portofino! We went there just to have lunch as well, and like you found an empty resort. I recommend the salads, Mr. Worfie and I both enjoyed them. Mine was more of a antipasto, and delicious— plenty of olives  We’ve stayed there a couple of times, but always end up back at RPR.
> 
> I will say the pool slide was a big hit when Worfie Jr. was a youngling, so that is a nice feature.
> 
> I don’t know what to say about the cold food and less than stellar service overall. We noticed that as well. Everyone is not suited for hospitality
> 
> I’m glad you were able to spend some relaxing time in your suite. Of course you need down time before tackling all the adventures the next day!



Oh you had me at olives.......lol.....never tried their salads, might give one a whirl sometime. 

Yes, never had an inkling to stay there at all. I can imagine the slide would be popular with little ones, and not so little ones too of course!! I know one lady on here who enjoys that slide still......lol......

Yes, how can a steak be stone cold. Chef Carlos said we got a reheat that hadn`t been reheated properly. I do think the staff shortages have caused them to employ folks who aren`t natural hospitality people and that`s a shame as a good experience anywhere will always make you want to go back. 

We did relax a lot in that suite.......lol.......I think we snoozed more this trip than any other.....but with such a long stay, we have that luxury...thank goodness as we were shattered one day and really needed a sleep!!


----------



## luvpoohandcompany

I fell so far behind on your report ( well on the Dis totally to be truthful) but after waking early this morning I’m all caught up again and can I just say I am loving it! It’s my favourite read at the minute! I love your relaxed style of holidaying ( very much like my own).
Yikes on the alligator and horrible sales assistant, Hurray for scrumptious food and gorgeous beach walks. You’ve met so many fabulous people on your trips and it’s just lovely how much you show your appreciation. Your Spider-Man meet was amazing and the photos are simply priceless!


----------



## schumigirl

luvpoohandcompany said:


> I fell so far behind on your report ( well on the Dis totally to be truthful) but after waking early this morning I’m all caught up again and can I just say I am loving it! It’s my favourite read at the minute! I love your relaxed style of holidaying ( very much like my own).
> Yikes on the alligator and horrible sales assistant, Hurray for scrumptious food and gorgeous beach walks. You’ve met so many fabulous people on your trips and it’s just lovely how much you show your appreciation. Your Spider-Man meet was amazing and the photos are simply priceless!



Good to see you!!!

Oh goodness yes, we could never be commando park people if we tried! Relaxing and taking it easy is the way to go for us.

We always meet some of the nicest people on our trips, we are so lucky to have such nice encounters. And Spider-Man was a real highlight for sure.

Things like a bad meal or grumpy sales lady all disappear from our thoughts to be honest, so many good memories to focus on, but yes, should still never happen.

The alligator was impressive, albeit very scary.......I have no wish to be that close to one ever!!!

Glad you`re enjoying it, and hope you`re doing ok....and maybe sharing this mini heatwave we`re having.......well, high 70`s is usually a heatwave for us and reasons for celebrating.......so reaching 90F tomorrow will bring a huge wahoo!!!


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> It was the best meet and greet ever!!!
> 
> He really was Amazing!!


Love seeing him in the bad-boy corner lol


schumigirl said:


> My Italian relatives spin at us liking a bbq sauce base on our pizza`s


I’ll pretend I didn’t read the above


schumigirl said:


> *It`s like the apocalypse has taken place and no-one has told us! It is a Ghost town throughout the day!! *


It’s my favorite Time at the resort…mine, all mine


schumigirl said:


> and in parts it is identical to the real Portofino on which it was designed


i still find it interesting how the investors (Spielberg & Travolta) insisted it be so true to the original


schumigirl said:


> Both our steaks were cold to the touch.......not just lukewarm, cold.


standard presentation here, along its a meager cut & poor, chewy quality.  Naturally, Longhorn is our closest chain steak joint.  No idea how it remains in business


----------



## schumigirl

*TUESDAY MAY 10TH*​*




This was probably the day we did the least ever on any of our trips. But, we still enjoyed it immensely. 

It was a lazy day and we started off so slow, took our time and headed over for breakfast, the lounge was fairly quiet this morning which is quite nice. I think we had our usual offerings, I stuck to toast, cream cheese and they found some grape jelly pots that apparently no one likes!! I do........

We wandered back over to Sapphire and went to get the car and headed to Bed, Bath & Beyond, Bath & Body and Publix to pick up some bits and bobs we wanted.....well, ok I wanted!! And we did pick up what we wanted and some extra bits and bobs from Bath & Body.....well, they had some new summer fragrances in that I couldn`t resist, Summer Melody was one and it is very fresh and light. I was a very good friend and did pick up what my friends had suggested they might like......of course all the while saying not to go out of our way if it was too much trouble......I can imagine their faces if I had come home with nothing for them!! 

We stopped in at ABC Wines & Spirits as we always buy someone a gift from here every visit, it seems to be the only place that stocks them now. But, we love this store.......of course we have wine merchants and stores that sell liquor, but this is slightly different to what we have and they have so many items in here.....it is like being a kid in a candy store for us!! And prices are so much cheaper than what we would pay if they were for sale in our country. I think we may have an alcohol problem if we lived here full time, maybe it`s a good thing we can`t! *


























*Oh the cocktails we could make with all these flavours!*
*
We do get some flavoured vodkas in the UK, but it`s nothing compared to what`s available here and although vodka is not our  favourite cocktail mixer, I could be seriously tempted with some of these!! 
*
*We are more rum and gin drinkers when it comes to liquor and cocktails, but we do prefer wine for the most part, but I can mix up a good cocktail or two.......*


























*Sonoma Cutrer is a wine we just cannot get easily in the UK, if at all, same with another called Hands of Time......so when we do see it over here, we do tend to pick up as many as we think we`ll drink, which is surprisingly less than we think. But seeing all the choice here is wonderful.*
















*We get our purchases and drop them off at home before heading off for lunch and today we are driving to the little town of Gotha and Yellow Dog Eats. *
*
This little out of the way place is fantastic!!! Quite unique in their food and their service, which is top notch, just a little quirky which we love, and we had never been disappointed with any meal we`d had. 

It`s a nice little drive up here, you pass the huge Latter Day Saints Church which is incredibly beautiful and you can see it for miles away when you`re up on the Orlando Eye or Bar17, truly impressive. But, it`s only about 25 minutes away to get there. 

And I`m driving today which is quite unusual. I used to love driving here, but last few years it`s become crazier than it ever was, so I tend not to want to, but we both do generally love driving in the States, so much fun.....sometimes! 
*
*There is parking at the rear and there is an overflow parking lot over the other side of the road, it`s an easy road to cross as it`s never really busy. Gotha in this area is very pretty with some gorgeous homes to see on the way! *















*There are two entrances and we have always managed to get parked at the back of the restaurant, and it is themed before you even get inside......it really is so unique.*















*The smoker is impressive and if you chat to the owner about it, it really is his pride and joy!! *




































*The outdoor area is always so very busy, we got the snap of the empty bar as we went in, when we came out there wasn`t a seat to be found and the whole of the outdoor seating was full too, this place gets incredibly busy, I couldn`t imagine how busy it is at night, we had never visited later than lunch. *

*They sell all sorts of merchandise including their wonderful bbq sauce which is gorgeous and we make sure we pick up a few before we leave! *
















*You can sit at the bar, and we have done in the past, there also used to be 2 small tables downstairs, they were gone this visit, but there is a large upstairs section if you`re like us and prefer to eat inside with the aircon on.*

*We LOVED this nod to Johnny Depp on the bar......and we were assured that barely a cent went into Team Amber Heard`s bucket!!! Good to hear......and I imagine having a Team Johnny Depp bucket would help tips too, as we certainly popped some in despite not sitting at the bar........*
























​



*Soda machine is downstairs too beside the bar and I liked they have slices of lemon and lime already cut up to help yourself, I hadn`t seen a place do that before.
*














*You order your food downstairs and they give you a buzzer to come back when it`s ready. They used to call your name over a tannoy and they always had something quirky and funny to say about the order, but the buzzer works just fine. I will say, you will have a very long line ahead of you to order at peak times, when we went in this visit there were around 25 people waiting to order. But, they are quick and you don`t wait as long as you might think, they have their ordering system mastered. *

*We head upstairs after getting our soda`s, we had never eaten up here before and it is quite nice with some very eclectic pieces placed around the building that seemed very random as well as the usual affection for dogs and kitties too.*


























*There are so many choices for food, but eventually after a long deliberation Tom decided to have the Roast Malone which was wholegrain bread substantially filled with smoked roast beef, cheese, caramelised onions, jalapenos and the usual tomatoes and so on. *















*I went with the one I usually have for at least the last four times, The Rufus which was Pulled Pork...lots of pulled pork, Brie, cherry peppers, jalapenos, raspberry melba and their own bbq sauce. *














*OMG!!! *
*
They were both delicious......the food here is original and darn tasty to say the least......everything is freshly made to order and worth the wait. 

We tried their coleslaw and it was just ok. But, we had to try as I love the coleslaw we get in America, but wouldn`t get this one again. You get a bag of chips with the sandwich too, but we tend to just leave them as they`re not our favourites, but the lunch is filling enough. I always leave half my bun whenever I have one anyway, but here I wouldn`t have room for anything else as they are large. 
*
*Yes, I was enjoying this lunch!! *















*We finished and headed off back home......yep, this was a do nothing day for sure. *

*I caught up on some emails and Tom went for a snooze......this suite lends itself to be snoozed in as one of us can be in one room not disturbing the other, so I stayed at the dining room table for a while as Tom snoozed. I think the heat was catching us a little this time.......of course neither of us would admit to that as we weren`t allowed to!! 
*
*Freshened up, we wandered over to the lounge and we like that calm before the storm in the lounge before everyone comes in. We usually have a coffee or sprite and have a good catch up with whoever is working and it`s just a nice way to wind down the day.....not that we needed it today of course, but it was still nice. 

The Club Lounge at RP is for us, the best of them all, I`m not in the least bit biased at all of course ......but it is. They did a complete revamp several years ago and they did a spectacular job of it. There are so many more seating options now as the older lounge had much larger furniture and it all took up so much space. This was much better.

It`s a good space to relax anytime during the day, you`ll always get a warm welcome. Teas, coffee, water, fruit and soda is available all day long too. 
*





































*Staff have always been amazing. And they all offer concierge services in the lounge too, you don`t have to go down to the lobby for any help, staff here will be more than happy to assist you with dinner reservations or anything really, they have helped us on numerous occasions and are always just so lovely.*
*
Although we tend to eat out for dinner, we do like a little sample of what`s on offer and tonight it was the meatballs and mashed potato which are both rather nice. 
*
*The salad too is always tempting to us to have a little with a glass or two of wine, unless it has blue cheese on it!!! Cannot abide blue cheese! But, everything is well presented and they do replenish when it`s needed. *
















*I do like to add a splash or five of some Tabasco to the meatballs and they have the cutest little bottles on offer in the lounge. They used to have one large bottle in the back you had to ask for, I guess Covid changed that too. *
*
The food is usually very popular with many making it their meal for the evening, and it`s certainly substantial enough you can do that if you wished, and many do.
*
*Staff are also excellent if you have any allergies or intolerances, letting them know ahead of time is the best way, then they can work with the chefs to offer you alternatives if you need them, I can`t praise the staff highly enough in here in how hard they work to take care of everyone. *
















*We had seen a couple from England almost every day since we arrived, and today we ended up chatting to them and they were very nice, and of course leaving the next day. They sat at the next table to us and I can`t remember how we started chatting, but once we started we never stopped. *
*
And that`s another lovely thing about the lounge, you get to meet so many lovely people every day. 

We sat chatting longer than we planned to, not that we were going far......tonight we just planned to go to Citywalk and eat in Cowfish. 
*
*There was a boat due, and it was boiling hot so we popped down to get the boat and there were a few folks already there so we went through the scanner, I got scanned again of course.......and we stood in line for the boat. 

Now, you all (or most of you) know I love all things American, I love almost every American I have ever met (there are always exceptions of course  ) but.........there is one phrase, made worse when an adult says it to another grown adult that makes me sigh with a deep and unending emnity. *

*Picture the scene.....a couple in their maybe mid 40`s.......the wife says to the fully formed adult husband........"you wanna go potty when we get there"!!!! *












*What on earth is that all about!!!! As I said, I love everything American, I really do.....but that expression, and it`s only ever in Florida we hear it, has to be one of the worst expressions we`ve ever heard!!!*
*
Apologies if I offended anyone and you say it too.........

I never did notice if they went to the bathrooms when we all got off the boat.......lol.....
*
*We headed to Cowfish which we`ve always enjoyed, we both like the burgers a lot and tonight we said we`d go sit at the bar. One of the ladies in the lounge had said she could get us a reservation if we wanted it, but the bar would work for us tonight, we always enjoyed that bar. 

It was busy....really busy and I think we got the last of the bar seating at that point.*















*The barman very kindly gave us paper menu`s which we much prefer, but he said they didn`t have the drinks on a paper menu, we`d have to use the phone for that, but I knew what I was having.*

*It was a mango ginger cocktail usually made with tequila, but I had it made with rum and it was delicious, full of real gingery bits and very fruity. He said he could do that no problem and Tom ordered rather unusually a Tequila Sunrise. *



























*The cocktails were lovely. *

*Tom was an easy order tonight, The Rise and Swine for him........the burger came with cheddar cheese, black forest ham, sunny side up egg, bacon, grilled onions, their own cowfish sauce and an onion roll I think. *















*Tom loved his burger a lot!!! *
*
I usually get the Jalapeno Popper Show Stopper burger which is spicy, tasty and always delicious......but tonight I gave myself a little challenge. 

Since we have been coming to Cowfish, I have consistently mentioned how bad their sushi is compared to other places around. I found it to look pretty, but be bland and flavourless.  I have never heard of a Bento Box be filled with Edamame Beans and French Fries???? So, I wondered if I was being unfair in my criticism of them, so decided to give them another chance and try one of their best sellers and ordered the Firecracker sushi. 
*
*We adore good sushi and often eat in Orchids at RP where Chef Dan has worked for many years, and more recently enjoyed Nagoya Sushi and previously Seito Sushi on Turkey/Sandlake Rd and all have been very impressive. *















*This did look pretty I have to say........and that`s where the compliments end. *
*
It was everything I expected........it had zero flavour apart from a slight tingle from the spice which resembled Togarashi. There was no flavour in it at all and was incredibly disappointing. This wasn`t real sushi, and I have no idea why it`s so bland but I do know I won`t ever order sushi from here again. I`ll stick to the burgers. 

Then a weird thing happened, our barman who I did not recognise in the slightest, asked me what I thought of the sushi as I did like the sushi from over there and gestured towards the hotel area........my brain went into overdrive trying to see if I could place him from once working there, but had no clue. 
*
*I did tell him it was nowhere near as good as Orchids and he nodded with a sage smile.........part of me wanted to ask what he meant, but I didn`t and now I wish I had. I`m not as good with faces as I used to be, I`m better with names, but I didn`t recognise his name either....Tom had no clue if we had seen him before at some point. 

We paid the check and headed downstairs and walked to the boats. The line was so long for all the hotels, and I knew we`d never get on the Sapphire boat when it arrived as it had the longest line, so we popped on to the RP boat that was about to leave and we`d walk though the convention/ballroom area rather than stand and wait. *
*
It doesn`t take long and the aircon is cool through the buildings too and soon enough we are in the suite. I glance out the window and there is the boat just pulling in....glad we hadn`t waited. They are a little short staffed right now with Captains, so the wait can be a little longer than usual. 

We poured ourselves a glass of wine and watched some tv for an hour or so......yep, the high life!!! 

Tom did mention (first time) that our shopping was already building up in the closet, down the side of the tv in the bedroom and in that giant hall area.......er, yes, well we had an extra suitcase this time didn`t we.........lol.......

Park time again tomorrow..........


*


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Love seeing him in the bad-boy corner lol
> 
> I’ll pretend I didn’t read the above
> 
> It’s my favorite Time at the resort…mine, all mine
> 
> i still find it interesting how the investors (Spielberg & Travolta) insisted it be so true to the original
> 
> standard presentation here, along its a meager cut & poor, chewy quality.  Naturally, Longhorn is our closest chain steak joint.  No idea how it remains in business



lol.....he was the coolest ever!!! 

And yes, we`ll swoop on over the bbq sauce base........I should be in the corner for that obscenity!!!! (but it`s delicious  )

I had no clue Travolta was involved in that hotel!!! Never heard it mentioned anywhere.......an interesting fact all the same. 

That`s a shame it`s so poor. And yes, of course it would be closest to you. I often wonder how the one on I-Drive survives.....dreadful place.

I think on your recommendation we`re going to try that Texas Roadhouse next time. Now they don`t have folks throwing peanut shells on the floor......I could not deal with type of mess!!! But, menu looks good so we`ll give it a try I think.


----------



## Pumpkin1172

schumigirl said:


> I think we may have an alcohol problem if we lived here full time, maybe it`s a good thing we can`t!


As a person who doesn't drink much, but likes to have the odd beverage, it is very overwhelming when making choices of what to buy.  You had a picture of the red velvet Bailey's   that is a favorite, but it is a specialty one, so I have bought a couple extra for my weekend morning coffee.  I also love it over ice   

Sounds like a perfect day to me!!!  Good food, chatting with people and a little down time instead of go-go-go!!!


----------



## Deb1993

schumigirl said:


> Oh you had me at olives.......lol.....never tried their salads, might give one a whirl sometime.
> 
> Yes, never had an inkling to stay there at all. I can imagine the slide would be popular with little ones, and not so little ones too of course!! I know one lady on here who enjoys that slide still......lol......
> 
> Yes, how can a steak be stone cold. Chef Carlos said we got a reheat that hadn`t been reheated properly. I do think the staff shortages have caused them to employ folks who aren`t natural hospitality people and that`s a shame as a good experience anywhere will always make you want to go back.
> 
> We did relax a lot in that suite.......lol.......I think we snoozed more this trip than any other.....but with such a long stay, we have that luxury...thank goodness as we were shattered one day and really needed a sleep!!


Salads at Sal's are definitely worth getting.


----------



## Deb1993

schumigirl said:


> *TUESDAY MAY 10TH*​
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *This was probably the day we did the least ever on any of our trips. But, we still enjoyed it immensely.
> 
> It was a lazy day and we started off so slow, took our time and headed over for breakfast, the lounge was fairly quiet this morning which is quite nice. I think we had our usual offerings, I stuck to toast, cream cheese and they found some grape jelly pots that apparently no one likes!! I do........
> 
> We wandered back over to Sapphire and went to get the car and headed to Bed, Bath & Beyond, Bath & Body and Publix to pick up some bits and bobs we wanted.....well, ok I wanted!! And we did pick up what we wanted and some extra bits and bobs from Bath & Body.....well, they had some new summer fragrances in that I couldn`t resist, Summer Melody was one and it is very fresh and light. I was a very good friend and did pick up what my friends had suggested they might like......of course all the while saying not to go out of our way if it was too much trouble......I can imagine their faces if I had come home with nothing for them!!
> 
> We stopped in at ABC Wines & Spirits as we always buy someone a gift from here every visit, it seems to be the only place that stocks them now. But, we love this store.......of course we have wine merchants and stores that sell liquor, but this is slightly different to what we have and they have so many items in here.....it is like being a kid in a candy store for us!! And prices are so much cheaper than what we would pay if they were for sale in our country. I think we may have an alcohol problem if we lived here full time, maybe it`s a good thing we can`t! *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Oh the cocktails we could make with all these flavours!*
> 
> *We do get some flavoured vodkas in the UK, but it`s nothing compared to what`s available here and although vodka is not our  favourite cocktail mixer, I could be seriously tempted with some of these!! *
> 
> *We are more rum and gin drinkers when it comes to liquor and cocktails, but we do prefer wine for the most part, but I can mix up a good cocktail or two.......*
> 
> 
> 
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> *Sonoma Cutrer is a wine we just cannot get easily in the UK, if at all, same with another called Hands of Time......so when we do see it over here, we do tend to pick up as many as we think we`ll drink, which is surprisingly less than we think. But seeing all the choice here is wonderful.*
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> *We get our purchases and drop them off at home before heading off for lunch and today we are driving to the little town of Gotha and Yellow Dog Eats. *
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> *This little out of the way place is fantastic!!! Quite unique in their food and their service, which is top notch, just a little quirky which we love, and we had never been disappointed with any meal we`d had.
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> It`s a nice little drive up here, you pass the huge Latter Day Saints Church which is incredibly beautiful and you can see it for miles away when you`re up on the Orlando Eye or Bar17, truly impressive. But, it`s only about 25 minutes away to get there.
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> And I`m driving today which is quite unusual. I used to love driving here, but last few years it`s become crazier than it ever was, so I tend not to want to, but we both do generally love driving in the States, so much fun.....sometimes! *
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> *There is parking at the rear and there is an overflow parking lot over the other side of the road, it`s an easy road to cross as it`s never really busy. Gotha in this area is very pretty with some gorgeous homes to see on the way! *
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> *There are two entrances and we have always managed to get parked at the back of the restaurant, and it is themed before you even get inside......it really is so unique.*
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> *The outdoor area is always so very busy, we got the snap of the empty bar as we went in, when we came out there wasn`t a seat to be found and the whole of the outdoor seating was full too, this place gets incredibly busy, I couldn`t imagine how busy it is at night, we had never visited later than lunch.
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> *You can sit at the bar, and we have done in the past, there also used to be 2 small tables downstairs, they were gone this visit, but there is a large upstairs section if you`re like us and prefer to eat inside with the aircon on.
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> We LOVED this nod to Johnny Depp on the bar......and we were assured that barely a cent went into Team Amber Heard`s bucket!!! Good to hear......and I imagine having a Team Johnny Depp bucket would help tips too, as we certainly popped some in despite not sitting at the bar........*
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> *Soda machine is downstairs too beside the bar and I liked they have slices of lemon and lime already cut up to help yourself, I hadn`t seen a place do that before.*
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> *You order your food downstairs and they give you a buzzer to come back when it`s ready. They used to call your name over a tannoy and they always had something quirky and funny to say about the order, but the buzzer works just fine. I will say, you will have a very long line ahead of you to order at peak times, when we went in this visit there were around 25 people waiting to order. But, they are quick and you don`t wait as long as you might think, they have their ordering system mastered.
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> We head upstairs after getting our soda`s, we had never eaten up here before and it is quite nice with some very eclectic pieces placed around the building that seemed very random as well as the usual affection for dogs and kitties too.*
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> *There are so many choices for food, but eventually after a long deliberation Tom decided to have the Roast Malone which was wholegrain bread substantially filled with smoked roast beef, cheese, caramelised onions, jalapenos and the usual tomatoes and so on. *
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> *I went with the one I usually have for at least the last four times, The Rufus which was Pulled Pork...lots of pulled pork, Brie, cherry peppers, jalapenos, raspberry melba and their own bbq sauce. *
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> *OMG!!! *
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> *They were both delicious......the food here is original and darn tasty to say the least......everything is freshly made to order and worth the wait.
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> We tried their coleslaw and it was just ok. But, we had to try as I love the coleslaw we get in America, but wouldn`t get this one again. You get a bag of chips with the sandwich too, but we tend to just leave them as they`re not our favourites, but the lunch is filling enough. I always leave half my bun whenever I have one anyway, but here I wouldn`t have room for anything else as they are large. *
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> *Yes, I was enjoying this lunch!! *
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> *We finished and headed off back home......yep, this was a do nothing day for sure. *
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> *I caught up on some emails and Tom went for a snooze......this suite lends itself to be snoozed in as one of us can be in one room not disturbing the other, so I stayed at the dining room table for a while as Tom snoozed. I think the heat was catching us a little this time.......of course neither of us would admit to that as we weren`t allowed to!! *
> 
> *Freshened up, we wandered over to the lounge and we like that calm before the storm in the lounge before everyone comes in. We usually have a coffee or sprite and have a good catch up with whoever is working and it`s just a nice way to wind down the day.....not that we needed it today of course, but it was still nice.
> 
> The Club Lounge at RP is for us, the best of them all, I`m not in the least bit biased at all of course ......but it is. They did a complete revamp several years ago and they did a spectacular job of it. There are so many more seating options now as the older lounge had much larger furniture and it all took up so much space. This was much better.
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> It`s a good space to relax anytime during the day, you`ll always get a warm welcome. Teas, coffee, water, fruit and soda is available all day long too. *
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> *Staff have always been amazing. And they all offer concierge services in the lounge too, you don`t have to go down to the lobby for any help, staff here will be more than happy to assist you with dinner reservations or anything really, they have helped us on numerous occasions and are always just so lovely.*
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> *Although we tend to eat out for dinner, we do like a little sample of what`s on offer and tonight it was the meatballs and mashed potato which are both rather nice. *
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> *The salad too is always tempting to us to have a little with a glass or two of wine, unless it has blue cheese on it!!! Cannot abide blue cheese! But, everything is well presented and they do replenish when it`s needed. *
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> *I do like to add a splash or five of some Tabasco to the meatballs and they have the cutest little bottles on offer in the lounge. They used to have one large bottle in the back you had to ask for, I guess Covid changed that too. *
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> *The food is usually very popular with many making it their meal for the evening, and it`s certainly substantial enough you can do that if you wished, and many do.*
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> *Staff are also excellent if you have any allergies or intolerances, letting them know ahead of time is the best way, then they can work with the chefs to offer you alternatives if you need them, I can`t praise the staff highly enough in here in how hard they work to take care of everyone. *
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> *We had seen a couple from England almost every day since we arrived, and today we ended up chatting to them and they were very nice, and of course leaving the next day. They sat at the next table to us and I can`t remember how we started chatting, but once we started we never stopped. *
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> *And that`s another lovely thing about the lounge, you get to meet so many lovely people every day.
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> We sat chatting longer than we planned to, not that we were going far......tonight we just planned to go to Citywalk and eat in Cowfish. *
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> *There was a boat due, and it was boiling hot so we popped down to get the boat and there were a few folks already there so we went through the scanner, I got scanned again of course.......and we stood in line for the boat.
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> Now, you all (or most of you) know I love all things American, I love almost every American I have ever met (there are always exceptions of course  ) but.........there is one phrase, made worse when an adult says it to another grown adult that makes me sigh with a deep and unending emnity.
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> Picture the scene.....a couple in their maybe mid 40`s.......the wife says to the fully formed adult husband........"you wanna go potty when we get there"!!!! *
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> *What on earth is that all about!!!! As I said, I love everything American, I really do.....but that expression, and it`s only ever in Florida we hear it, has to be one of the worst expressions we`ve ever heard!!!*
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> *Apologies if I offended anyone and you say it too.........
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> I never did notice if they went to the bathrooms when we all got off the boat.......lol.....*
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> *We headed to Cowfish which we`ve always enjoyed, we both like the burgers a lot and tonight we said we`d go sit at the bar. One of the ladies in the lounge had said she could get us a reservation if we wanted it, but the bar would work for us tonight, we always enjoyed that bar.
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> It was busy....really busy and I think we got the last of the bar seating at that point.*
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> *The barman very kindly gave us paper menu`s which we much prefer, but he said they didn`t have the drinks on a paper menu, we`d have to use the phone for that, but I knew what I was having.
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> It was a mango ginger cocktail usually made with tequila, but I had it made with rum and it was delicious, full of real gingery bits and very fruity. He said he could do that no problem and Tom ordered rather unusually a Tequila Sunrise. *
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> *The cocktails were lovely.
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> Tom was an easy order tonight, The Rise and Swine for him........the burger came with cheddar cheese, black forest ham, sunny side up egg, bacon, grilled onions, their own cowfish sauce and an onion roll I think. *
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> *Tom loved his burger a lot!!! *
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> *I usually get the Jalapeno Popper Show Stopper burger which is spicy, tasty and always delicious......but tonight I gave myself a little challenge.
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> Since we have been coming to Cowfish, I have consistently mentioned how bad their sushi is compared to other places around. I found it to look pretty, but be bland and flavourless.  I have never heard of a Bento Box be filled with Edamame Beans and French Fries???? So, I wondered if I was being unfair in my criticism of them, so decided to give them another chance and try one of their best sellers and ordered the Firecracker sushi. *
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> *We adore good sushi and often eat in Orchids at RP where Chef Dan has worked for many years, and more recently enjoyed Nagoya Sushi and previously Seito Sushi on Turkey/Sandlake Rd and all have been very impressive. *
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> *This did look pretty I have to say........and that`s where the compliments end. *
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> *It was everything I expected........it had zero flavour apart from a slight tingle from the spice which resembled Togarashi. There was no flavour in it at all and was incredibly disappointing. This wasn`t real sushi, and I have no idea why it`s so bland but I do know I won`t ever order sushi from here again. I`ll stick to the burgers.
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> Then a weird thing happened, our barman who I did not recognise in the slightest, asked me what I thought of the sushi as I did like the sushi from over there and gestured towards the hotel area........my brain went into overdrive trying to see if I could place him from once working there, but had no clue. *
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> *I did tell him it was nowhere near as good as Orchids and he nodded with a sage smile.........part of me wanted to ask what he meant, but I didn`t and now I wish I had. I`m not as good with faces as I used to be, I`m better with names, but I didn`t recognise his name either....Tom had no clue if we had seen him before at some point.
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> We paid the check and headed downstairs and walked to the boats. The line was so long for all the hotels, and I knew we`d never get on the Sapphire boat when it arrived as it had the longest line, so we popped on to the RP boat that was about to leave and we`d walk though the convention/ballroom area rather than stand and wait. *
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> *It doesn`t take long and the aircon is cool through the buildings too and soon enough we are in the suite. I glance out the window and there is the boat just pulling in....glad we hadn`t waited. They are a little short staffed right now with Captains, so the wait can be a little longer than usual.
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> We poured ourselves a glass of wine and watched some tv for an hour or so......yep, the high life!!!
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> Tom did mention (first time) that our shopping was already building up in the closet, down the side of the tv in the bedroom and in that giant hall area.......er, yes, well we had an extra suitcase this time didn`t we.........lol.......
> 
> Park time again tomorrow..........*


I love days like this - relaxing with good food and good company.  Love it!!


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## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> And prices are so much cheaper than what we would pay if they were for sale in our country.


FL has cheap booze vs the states that live to slap on the taxes.  A case of beer can be had nearly half price what we pay in our state. Same goes for gas 


schumigirl said:


> you pass the huge Latter Day Saints Church which is incredibly beautiful


Can’t say I’ve ever seen it. Now I’m going to have to Google it lol


schumigirl said:


> but that expression, and it`s only ever in Florida we hear it, has to be one of the worst expressions we`ve ever heard!!!


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## Robo56

Enjoying your trip report. Always very well written and the camera man has a good eye for his subject matter.

Great photos of the parks, food and your days exploring other areas.

That is so nice of you to shop Bath and Body for your friends. They do have some nice body wash and lotion fragrances. Nice you had a designated suitcase to get all your shopping back home across the pond.

Every time I read your trip reports I‘am reminded that I need to be a bit more adventurous and travel a little more away from the parks and explore. You and Tom have found some lovely little towns and restaurants.


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## schumigirl

Pumpkin1172 said:


> As a person who doesn't drink much, but likes to have the odd beverage, it is very overwhelming when making choices of what to buy.  You had a picture of the red velvet Bailey's   that is a favorite, but it is a specialty one, so I have bought a couple extra for my weekend morning coffee.  I also love it over ice
> 
> Sounds like a perfect day to me!!!  Good food, chatting with people and a little down time instead of go-go-go!!!



I do like original Bailey`s, but I really want the Pina Colada one, we can`t get that flavour here. I did try the Chocolate orange one, but not for me......yes, over ice for me too. 

I have to admit, having plenty of time is lovely as we don`t need to run around to do everything, plenty of down time works for us. And yes, good food helps too!


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## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> Salads at Sal's are definitely worth getting.




Well, I must give them a try then........next visit!! 




Deb1993 said:


> I love days like this - relaxing with good food and good company.  Love it!!


 In the end it was a surprisingly lovely day, might sound dull to some folks, but for us, yes, we did enjoy a day not doing an awful lot


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## keishashadow

Wait, they sell flavored Bailey’s?  Where’s the mind blown emoji when you need it?

asking for a friend, what is your favorite?


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## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> FL has cheap booze vs the states that live to slap on the taxes.  A case of beer can be had nearly half price what we pay in our state. Same goes for gas
> 
> Can’t say I’ve ever seen it. Now I’m going to have to Google it lol



Well, that explains it......I wondered if everywhere was the same. I didn`t remember what we paid for alcohol in New York for example. 

Ah, er, well........you`re allowed........lol........

Honestly, it`s one of those things you only hear in America and as a Brit....it just sounds so weird....lol.......




keishashadow said:


> Wait, they sell flavored Bailey’s?  Where’s the mind blown emoji when you need it?
> 
> asking for a friend, what is your favorite?



It`s everywhere Janet  

I`m sure there was more flavours, we just didn`t picture them all. Some aren`t as nice as they sound.......and I wonder if the Pina Colada might be one I won`t like as its fruity.....I don`t like fruit and caramel flavours together. But I`d try it........

I think the origianl one is still my favourite. There was another brand around for the longest time, it was called Carolans and it was creamier tasting than Bailey`s.....seems to gone the way of the dodo now. 

Which one do you fancy???


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## schumigirl

Robo56 said:


> Enjoying your trip report. Always very well written and the camera man has a good eye for his subject matter.
> 
> Great photos of the parks, food and your days exploring other areas.
> 
> That is so nice of you to shop Bath and Body for your friends. They do have some nice body wash and lotion fragrances. Nice you had a designated suitcase to get all your shopping back home across the pond.
> 
> Every time I read your trip reports I‘am reminded that I need to be a bit more adventurous and travel a little more away from the parks and explore. You and Tom have found some lovely little towns and restaurants.



Thanks so much Robbie, appreciate the lovely comments. I`m very lucky Tom is so patient and enjoys capturing things we see too. 

Oh Bath & Body is a favourite. We have one over here called The Body Shop.....similar idea but nowhere near as nice. They are very grateful I have to say, and jsut glad we take the time to buy it all for them....they do like it. And weirdly Tide pens are a big hit as we don`t have them over here either.....I have Janet to thank for telling me about them........

Funnily enough we said the same thing this trip. Yes, there are some beautiful little towns and places to eat, but we need to expand our visits to other places. We`ll search the map! 

Glad to see you, hope you`re doing ok.......


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## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> It`s everywhere Janet


only game in town here is our ‘state stores’.  Sadly, a really limited inventory in general and many of the individual stores are no more than a few aisles of standard stuff.  I’ve been trying to get my hands on blue maui schnapps here for years.  Makes a fine colada 

Many who live within an hour or so of the state lines do drive across them to shop.  officially, there is a bottle limit they are supposed to sell to out of state residents.


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## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> only game in town here is our ‘state stores’.  Sadly, a really limited inventory in general and many of the individual stores are no more than a few aisles of standard stuff.  I’ve been trying to get my hands on blue maui schnapps here for years.  Makes a fine colada
> 
> Many who live within an hour or so of the state lines do drive across them to shop.  officially, there is a bottle limit they are supposed to sell to out of state residents.



Did someone mention a colada........

Gosh we are so lucky. 

Liquor, beers and wines are all available in every grocery store, small stores, corner stores and even fuel stations all sell everything. Maybe not the best offerings in some, but it`s available. Then we have specialist shops that focus on higher end products.......so we`ll never be stuck!! 

Never heard of that Schnapps though......will have to go Google. I think we only have regular Peach in most stores, you can get more online of course.

Just Googled the Blue stuff......no delivery to the UK and no one seems to offer it here, honestly never heard of it before.


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## schumigirl

*WEDNESDAY MAY 11TH*​



*Today we were again up with the larks.......I as usual was up before Tom and enjoyed wandering through to watch that gorgeous sunrise as it rose over RP. And it was surprising again just how busy it is with folks jogging around the paths. Very healthy!! Eventually I went through and woke up sleeping beauty who was enjoying his sleep as always. *
*
We were planning to go to The Studios but only till around lunchtime maybe, so were dressed and showered quickly this morning and for some reason I was starving.....always makes me walk faster when I need some food!! 

As soon as we walked into the lounge, we saw Lindsey and I gave her the biggest hug to say thanks for telling us about Spider-Man.......she said he called her as soon as he was done and said he had loved meeting us (always nice to hear) and said yes, it had been a fun meet......and of course Tom mentioned more than once......Spider-Man knew HIS name........lol.......
*
*We would have to meet this young man in real life at some point! 

This morning we chatted more to Lindsey before heading off to the parks. We just loved this girl!! And it was another roaster of a morning.......it was so gorgeous, we had a message before we left from Kyle that back home it was cold, grey and miserable.......well.....this was even better knowing it was as bad back home.....we were loving this sunshine and heat!!! *

*The boat had a fairly long line, so we didn`t get on the one waiting but it was only a few minutes till the next one came along. The boats are fantastic. We usually only get them when we go to the Studios, and unless it`s peak time like park closing or events like HHN you normally don`t wait long at any of the hotels. And it is a nice little way to get to Citywalk too. Some of the boat Captains are better than others, I don`t mean driving......some of them are very entertaining and chat and make you laugh along the way, some just drive of course and it only takes a few minutes to get there. 

It was so hot this morning and I almost complained about it.......but, I wasn`t allowed to do that, I had promised!! But jeez it was blazing!!!*
*
Tom remembered to use his thumb on the scanner this morning and it worked, no delays now. It`s weird as it`s not really a full fingerprint scanner in the correct sense, but does recognise patterns, some folks do have issues with it of course. 

The park looks glorious this morning, that vivid blue sky against the sparkling sunshine with the bright colours of the buildings all just make us smile every time we walk into these areas. There`s nothing quite like them. We often say we feel that here life is in colour and us in the UK almost live in black and white........we never have heat like this and although we can have some lovely days, our sky never quite looks like it does here. 
*
*We wander through the store and then head out to Minions which is such a cute ride. I`m not as keen on it now since it turned into a 2D ride........but we do it once a trip and that`s usually enough. The EP line is only a 5 minute wait and soon we are inside where it is cool and we do enjoy the ride, it`s just not as good as before with the glasses. *






































*Although we only ever ventured onto Shrek once a trip, we suddenly found ourselves missing the big green ogre........*












*We had ridden it in December knowing it would be the last time, but wished we could now. Some thought it was dated, and it was maybe in need of a new screen but as a fan of Shrek (only the first movie) this was going to be missed by us. *

*The boarding was up now and it will be revamped as  a Minion dance/walkthrough experience........not Pets as some claimed. I do wonder if this isn`t overkill in this area for minions.......but, it`s popular so I`m sure it`ll work, Universal do things well so I have no doubt it`ll be a success.*
















*And of course Monster`s Cafe was closing too. This place is not one we ate in often, but the pictures opportunities in there were spectacular. We adored the interior over the food which was average at best but during HHN it was a fabulous place to stop and have a cool drink for a 10 minute break. *

*I`m sure this will return as a Minion themed cafe with everything banana flavoured.......bleurgh.....I hate bananas!!!!*

















*Tom did go over and do RRR at this point, I gave it a pass, when he came back he said he went on the front and it was a little better than the last time, but he wouldn`t bother going back on it this trip, we do prefer going on rides together. I mooched about and snapped some pictures having finally got a grip of the camera for a change!*

*The park was closing early for a private event tonight, so prep was under way for whoever was taking over the stage. *
















*Tom took this when he came back, of course we knew the Cafe was closing, but we didn`t know it would closed before we left this trip, so we were glad to get this picture with no one else in it......it`ll be a throwback Thursday picture in the future as they have already got the boarding up and working on the replacement. *



























*It`s a quiet little area again this morning, so we do grab a few pictures with barely anyone around which is always nice to do. We`ve been lucky with the parks having very few folks around at times, but I think that`s slowly changing as more folks defect from Disney, if only for one visit, but it was getting busier and I often lament the good old days when it was empty......but of course there weren`t as many attractions then as there are now, it did need an injection of money and new projects, and Potter certainly filled that gap well.*




































*It was exceptionally quiet looking forward. *


























*We knew the lovely Ms Marilyn was due soon, so we passed some time and waited to see her and the lovely dancers who were very good. It`s a short little show, but very cute and nice to catch if you`re passing and it`s on. They used to take a male audience member and have some connection with him previously, but I think Covid has stopped that too which is a shame, hope that comes back as it was added fun for this little show. *
















*We did like the new flooring outside The Mummy and we looked forward to riding this again in September, this had been a long refurb and this area is somewhat lacking without the Mummy and explains why it was always so quiet whenever we wandered this way. *



























*And we didn`t have long to wait till the dancers appeared and they are so good......same routine they`ve been doing for the longest time, but it works so why change it I suppose. 
*

























*After the show we wanted to go into the Monster`s Tribute Store........it had been placed in the exit from the Mummy ride while it was closed, we hadn`t gone in last time but wanted a look today. *

*And it was worth a rumble through........*


























*One of our favourite shows!! *















*I couldn`t resist this tee........and it`s so handy being able to have items sent directly to your room, it certainly saves you carrying items around all day. I did add in a few candles.....last thing I need, but well......*
*
If you`re leaving the next day, they won`t let you do it in case it`s delayed for whatever reason, but we still had plenty of time and our packages were usually delivered in a timely fashion. If we were still in the room they were usually delivered around 9am, but obviously they can never guarantee it. It was a perk we took advantage of regularly.*


























*The displays are all child friendly, nothing spooky or scary, maybe a little dark but nothing to worry about for most children.*


























*We love the Classic Monster movies, all of them....well maybe not Creature from the Black Lagoon, never was a fan of that one, but Frankenstein, Mummy, Dracula, Werewolf, Invisible Man......all of them. I grew up watching them and being interminably terrified of them and eventually appreciating them in every format, even alternative classics like Abbott and Costello meets whichever monster......they were and are still a lot of fun. I have fond memories of my older brothers having such fun terrorising me after I was allowed to watch them at I suppose quite a young age, they both did very good Frankenstein`s Monster impressions!!! *
*
So seeing Universal bring these classics to the forefront again these classics is just wonderful. 
*
*A whole new generation should be able to enjoy them. Although, I do wish they wouldn`t try and emulate them with up to date modern remakes......nope, they`re usually dreadful.*


























*We had a wander back through to make sure we hadn`t missed anything......I think we covered it all. *

*It`s not a huge store and you can pass 10 minutes or so looking around and there are some fun little purchases and they do still have Mummy merchandise to purchase. *














*More Studios to come..........*


----------



## macraven

always impressed with the pictures you share with us!

on the edge of my chair to wait and read what you will be sharing with us next.


----------



## Robo56

Love the the pictures of the Monster Tribute Store. I hope it is still there when I get there. I like some of the T-shirts.


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> always impressed with the pictures you share with us!
> 
> on the edge of my chair to wait and read what you will be sharing with us next.



Thanks mac.......I love the pictures Tom takes.......and the odd one from me too now and again......lol........

I`m always glad to read you`re enjoying it


----------



## schumigirl

Robo56 said:


> Love the the pictures of the Monster Tribute Store. I hope it is still there when I get there. I like some of the T-shirts.



It should be Robbie......it`ll be there till the Mummy reopens which although it`s still showing as late summer, strong rumours are they may open ealry as they`re ahead of schedule......allegedly. 

They do have some cool shirts.


----------



## schumigirl

*We left the Tribute store and wandered round for a bathroom break......all the prosecco was catching up with us now! *
*
I have to say, we always find the bathrooms in the parks to be well kept and I`ve never seen one in a mess or extremely untidy. And with the amount of folks going through them every day it can`t be easy. The ladies, gents too of course do a really good job keeping them that way. 
*
*I adored the entrance to these bathrooms......and we never fail to be impressed by the little touches that catches our eyes every visit and I loved the picture on the inside of the old subway line.*




























































*Louie`s was being refurbed, although it was still open using a partial area inside, but on the boarding outside they had ads for some classic Universal movies.....and I loved this one as we are both huge fans of the Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce black and white Sherlock Holmes movies.......we have them on dvd and in the winter we watch them frequently. They`re so atmospheric with the fog around they lend themselves to be watched on a dark and gloomy day, of which we have those in abundance over here!!! But, we love the old classics and these to us are classics and think Basil Rathbone is the ultimate Sherlock Holmes. *

*And they have to be watched in black and white......the colourised versions are horrific and don`t give that same nostalgia watching them, we tried one through gritted teeth......never again. *















*I do love that drop on that RRR!!!*














*Louie`s is a staple in the Studios, it does have very good pizza.....a couple of years ago we were so disappointed in it, it felt they had cheaped out a little with the sauce, base and the pepperoni as it was incredibly thin and so greasy, but last time we tried it was back to the old quality, but they had doubled the size of the slice which was huge, but easily shareable between two if you weren`t too hungry. *


























*It was getting hotter by the minute, but standing by the lagoon was lovely as you did seem to get a tiny little breeze on our faces.....so we did stand for a few moments and savoured the slight cool on us. 

I love this park. It is beautiful and although it is much maligned by some who only see Potter as worth doing in it, this park has an awful lot to offer. As well as the other areas and nostalgia this place offers, they have the water and light show in the evenings too which is very good and the fireworks although small scale as it is close to residents, it is very nice. *
















*Louie`s does have some outdoor seating at the back and around the other side too, which did help right now with less seating inside. *
*
We weren`t having pizza today, but we did say we would one day and use the mobile ordering we didn`t think we were keen on, well you have to try these things as they aren`t going away anytime soon. *

























*We had eaten a chicken skewer from the food truck near Richter Burger in December and it was lovely. They had changed their offerings slighty this time around and the Hot Honey Biscuit appealed to me a lot......again, this would be another day.....*



























*This boarding space intruiged us a little. *
*
We had no idea what it was there for.....was it something interesting or was it a dull reason to cover some essential maintenance or similar. 
*
*They have a scare zone here during HHN so I concluded (right or wrong) it was something to enhance that experience......who knows........*
















*Next door to Lombards is the SF Pastry co......we hadn`t eaten anything from here for years....again, we`re usually never hungry when we pass. But we did remember they had lovely pastries, so we would try to pop in at some point on one of our trips. *















*It was still fairly quiet outside the Potter area, we assumed everyone was inside of course......and we looked forward to going in as it`s always slightly cooler in there, especially in Knockturn Alley.........that is the best place to cool down. *

*Last time we were here for HHN, we did spend some time in there to escape the crowds and have a darn good cooling session! *















*A permanent memory that Amity Island did once reside here where Potter now lives.......*




































*This is a very picture centric day.....Tom snapped so many pictures and they were all lovely......it was just one of those lovely mornings we took our time and didn`t rush anywhere....well, we never really rush and if we do it tends to be a slow rush......lol......but we were loving this today in the sunshine and heat of the day and taking in so many sights and sounds. *
*

*
*More to come....... *


----------



## BroadwayHermione5

Finally all caught up!


So I have to say I am not a fan of sushi at all, and its a shame because I always wanted to try cowfish, but I also have been cutting back on red meat! Le sigh.


Every theme park I go to i am OBSESSED with how they theme construction walls. I am a fan of the minions (i know i know) and I can do an impression of one! I actually think a walk through attraction based on villain con could work and would be something different. 

While I am sad to see monsters cafe go, I hope it a) returns near the rumored dark ride for Epic Universe and b) that its not all banana themed for the minions. I love the rumor about it becoming a smoothie/breakfast spot as that is something sorely needed in that area, but i cant have bananas uncooked. Plantains I'm totally fine with uncooked, Bananas we have no clue. I am not allergic at all and when they are cooked into chips or bread (though thanks to my cousin loving banana bread and cake i am all banana breaded out for a while), bananas foster I am totally fine, same with banana flavoring- we just think my body hates them in my system unless they are cooked!

It's official: I love the tribute store. It is always brilliantly themed, and our lord and savior the HHN bear has a home. 

I am always happy you point out little things in universal. While we saw more on our most recent trip, I now have more to look for and look forward to seeing in the future!


----------



## Deb1993

schumigirl said:


> Well, that explains it......I wondered if everywhere was the same. I didn`t remember what we paid for alcohol in New York for example.
> 
> Ah, er, well........you`re allowed........lol........
> 
> Honestly, it`s one of those things you only hear in America and as a Brit....it just sounds so weird....lol.......
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It`s everywhere Janet
> 
> I`m sure there was more flavours, we just didn`t picture them all. Some aren`t as nice as they sound.......and I wonder if the Pina Colada might be one I won`t like as its fruity.....I don`t like fruit and caramel flavours together. But I`d try it........
> 
> I think the origianl one is still my favourite. There was another brand around for the longest time, it was called Carolans and it was creamier tasting than Bailey`s.....seems to gone the way of the dodo now.
> 
> Which one do you fancy???


If you freeze cubes of coffee you can put it in your baileys.  It is a lovely drink.


----------



## schumigirl

*This really was a day of nothing really happening so far, it was us wandering around taking in everything as usual and enjoying that blistering sunshine beating down on us and being thankful sunscreen was so effective. *

*I did smile though at how good a lot of women look in the parks......their hair and make up are always so lovely, never seem to sweat (I should say glisten really) sounds a bit better......lol.......and just look so well turned out. Then I catch myself in the mirror some days and I have hair like Monica`s when they went to the Caribbean and look as though I`ve been dragged through a hedge backwards while being hosed down with cold water!*












*But, I have taken a mindset of I don`t care what I look like in the parks after so many years of visiting in the heat. I think September, although one of our favourite times to visit is the  worst for humidity, but we still love it. *
*
Entering Diagon Alley never loses that same excitement and awe of the very first time we did it. It did seem so long ago, but it wasn`t really. The colours and how realistic it is compared to the description in the books and of course the movies is something that genuinely blows us away every time. It could be doing with being bigger of course, but you`d lose that authentic feeling of how it should be. 
*
*There`s a City in England called York that has a lovely old style shopping area called The Shambles and I would always think of it when walking through the entrance.*




















​


*I do think she did get her initial inspiration for DA  from that area. *

*But, today it wasn`t as busy as we thought it was going to be, so we managed to stop and get some pictures without disrupting anyone or too many folks getting in the way of pictures we wanted to take. I think at this time of day getting pictures with no-one else in them was a pipe dream.*
















*I`m not a huge fan of Kenneth Branagh, but have to admit he did a wonderful job of playing Gilderoy Lockhart in the movie, so funny and as described to a tee!! *





































*There are several nods to Jaws in Diagon Alley which of course used to sit on this exact site.......one of them being the teeth in the window of the Apothecary store next to Florean Fortescue`s Ice Cream place which is a nice touch. *
















*The Shrunken Heads inside Knockturn Alley also sing Show me the way to go home, similar to the rendition given by Brody, Hooper and Quint in the movie. And the Blacksmith`s shop also has ropes and ladders that were props from the movie around it.*
*
Also, and for us one of the most interesting nods is inside Wiseacre`s Wizarding Store as you exit Gringott`s ride, the telescopes and other items on show are all made from parts of the Jaws ride including the track.
*
*This particular telescope below is made from parts of the huge brass compass that was in the line.*















*We do love a picture every time of the dragon!!*















*The products of great imaginations are all around the Potter areas, subtle little touches that always impress us and I know I can bore for Britain about them, but every single time we find something knew or something we`ve completely missed every trip. *
*
I still get teased that I had been visiting Universal since 2007, and one time I was walking through the main Universal store as you walk into IOA to the left, and asked Tom and Kyle if the giant balloon near the back of the store...that takes up almost the whole width of the store, had always been there 
*
*My response when my two couldn`t stop laughing.....this thing was huge after all....*











*This steaming kettle is one of my favourite things.........*














*We head into Knockturn Alley, one of favourite places in DA........always did like the dark side of things!! Or so I`m told.........*


























*We didn`t hang around long in here today, it was exceptionally busy and the stores which have the cabinet that moves around and so on, you just couldn`t move in, so we headed back out the sunshine and just caught this before it disappeared and went dull again.....it did look like it was on fire. *



























*It was much busier now than when we had first come in, so it was time to go.*

*We saw Kreacher as usual and managed to get a gap in the folks walking past for a picture opportunity and Tom explained yet again to someone you didn`t have to knock on the door to make him appear at the window as he was on a timer.....they seemed a little disappointed to be honest......but now they knew. *

















*We had a quick blast on MIB........not my favourite ride, not because it spins a little but it bores me rigid! I know......everyone loves it.......I don`t get these aim and shoot rides at all and would happily never ride it again, but Tom and Kyle both love it, so I do it. Although did I ever mention the time I beat them both without even trying.......lol......Kyle spent the rest of the day sideglancing me and asking how the heck I managed that.........who knows!!! *
*
The EP line was short and we were on and off in no time....nope, not a clue what the score was! 

I do enjoy the films to be fair, well, the first 3, we just watched the remake before we left and as expected it was truly dreadful. 
*
*Tommy Lee Jones is a hard act to follow!*


























*Such a gorgeous view over the park. *


























*We began to head out of the park now and wandered down by the lagoon to see another relic from Jaws, well it was in Amity at one time but it had disappeared for many years. But the solo sailor reappeared several years ago behind Lombards and it`s good he is around, but if you don`t know you could easily miss him. We had gone down to behind Lombards and got pictures up close, but we always remembered him being near Bruce in Amity all those years ago.*















*And of course BTTF. *

*We are looking forward to the new Escape rooms coming to Citywalk in the Autumn, one will be BTTF themed and the other will be Jurassic Park themed.......they both sound like fun! We do like Escape rooms and have done a couple with a group of friends in the UK (not as good as US ones) although, to be fair we were pretty rubbish at it......but that could have been because all of us had enjoyed some wine or cocktails first *


























*I don`t think we had ever been inside Cafe La Bamba. We hadn`t done any RIP tours or had any reason to be in it, but I always thought they should theme it as a restaurant based on the glamorous classic movies when style and panache were in vogue. I`d love a high end restaurant like that.....although maybe in a theme park it might not be the best place. It just seemed like it would lend itself to such a theme.*

*Lombards is probably the nicest restaurant in the parks design wise and works well, but it is well priced too. Beautiful building though that does scream 1930`s glamour and style to me.*


























*I forget what we wanted to buy, but we popped into the store at the exit and while Tom paid for whatever it was, I snapped some of the old images from long ago made movies.......*















*Not a fan of Mr Cruise, I like his movies but not him if that makes sense......but I liked this picture. *















*And of course, the ultimate director of terror and suspense.We are huge fans of most of his films, except Rope and The Birds, they just don`t work for us but the rest of them we adore and watch them regularly. *















*It was boiling hot and we were glad to be heading out today, as we walked down to the boats we just missed the RP one which works for us too, but only a few minutes later the boat for Sapphire arrived and we were glad to be sitting down for a little time till we got home. *
*
It was deserted.*














*It was lovely to get back into the cool of the hotel.......one of the nicest parts of being hot and not complaining about it........lol.......*
*
As we walked down towards Guest House 2 we heard a voice say it was his favourite folks........we glanced up and it was Rob who many may know from Bell Services at RP. We`ve known him a long time and he is just lovely. He was with his family who we have met before in the parks and so on, so we caught up with him and he told us we had to stop by and say hello, which of course we would do, he is so nice and knows everything!!! If he doesn`t know it, it`s not worth knowing, but a very nice man. 

I love the view over the lagoon and after I showered and changed I snapped a few images while waiting for Tom....yes, he was keeping me waiting today!!! 
*
*He said he was doing his hair.........*
























*More to come..........*


----------



## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> Finally all caught up!
> 
> 
> So I have to say I am not a fan of sushi at all, and its a shame because I always wanted to try cowfish, but I also have been cutting back on red meat! Le sigh.
> 
> 
> Every theme park I go to i am OBSESSED with how they theme construction walls. I am a fan of the minions (i know i know) and I can do an impression of one! I actually think a walk through attraction based on villain con could work and would be something different.
> 
> While I am sad to see monsters cafe go, I hope it a) returns near the rumored dark ride for Epic Universe and b) that its not all banana themed for the minions. I love the rumor about it becoming a smoothie/breakfast spot as that is something sorely needed in that area, but i cant have bananas uncooked. Plantains I'm totally fine with uncooked, Bananas we have no clue. I am not allergic at all and when they are cooked into chips or bread (though thanks to my cousin loving banana bread and cake i am all banana breaded out for a while), bananas foster I am totally fine, same with banana flavoring- we just think my body hates them in my system unless they are cooked!
> 
> It's official: I love the tribute store. It is always brilliantly themed, and our lord and savior the HHN bear has a home.
> 
> I am always happy you point out little things in universal. While we saw more on our most recent trip, I now have more to look for and look forward to seeing in the future!





We love sushi, but that was just such a disappointment, style over substance for sure.....well, if you don`t eat sushi or eat a lot of red meat.......maybe Cowfish is not for you. They do have a very nice appetiser of spicy shrimp we really like and I think a chicken sandwich??

lol....you`re allowed to love Minions...they are cute!! I`m sure Monster`s Cafe is going to reopen in Epic Universe, but an enhanced experience with better interactions with staff and so on. 

I do think the one in the Studios will reopen and be highly minion themed which will include the dreaded bananas......lol....hate them....actually I love plantain too thanks to Chef Carlos in SW. 

What you describe with bananas is somewhat similar to me with onions.....if they`re pounded down in a sauce or in a seasoning I`m fine with....but hit me with raw or chunks of cooked onion and I`m ill! It`s weird how the sugars react with our bodies and doesn`t like certain foods in a certain way. 

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


----------



## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> If you freeze cubes of coffee you can put it in your baileys.  It is a lovely drink.



lol....I don`t really drink coffee, maybe once or twice a year, but that is a nice idea for coffee drinkers. 

Tom does make an Irish coffee at times, but hot as we don`t really have iced coffee over here, well we do in Starbucks and places like that, but not something we`d have. 

Don`t think we have any Bailey`s in the house right now


----------



## disneyseniors

Carole, I know people say that they love your photos, but I actually find them extremely interesting.  You capture all the little unique things and places that I always seem to miss.  My husband likes to have a destination and off we speed to it, LOL.  He is slowing down more now.  We will definitely take our time on our next trip to UO to actually stop and see these unique things.

I also love, love Knockturn Alley.  The creepy, dark alleyways are perfect.  I also love the vanishing cabinet where you can hear the canary chirping and feel the cabinet shake.  There is so much atmosphere there.

I know some people think the entire area is too small, but I love that JKRowing kept the shops small, just like in the books and movies.  I feel like I am walking through the movies when I tour there.  

Once again, thanks for the great TR and lovely, Lovely photos
(You would love it here now; we are having a warm spell in Northern Minnesota and it is 95 degrees now)


----------



## BroadwayHermione5

schumigirl said:


> We love sushi, but that was just such a disappointment, style over substance for sure.....well, if you don`t eat sushi or eat a lot of red meat.......maybe Cowfish is not for you. They do have a very nice appetiser of spicy shrimp we really like and I think a chicken sandwich??
> 
> lol....you`re allowed to love Minions...they are cute!! I`m sure Monster`s Cafe is going to reopen in Epic Universe, but an enhanced experience with better interactions with staff and so on.
> 
> I do think the one in the Studios will reopen and be highly minion themed which will include the dreaded bananas......lol....hate them....actually I love plantain too thanks to Chef Carlos in SW.
> 
> What you describe with bananas is somewhat similar to me with onions.....if they`re pounded down in a sauce or in a seasoning I`m fine with....but hit me with raw or chunks of cooked onion and I`m ill! It`s weird how the sugars react with our bodies and doesn`t like certain foods in a certain way.
> 
> Glad you`re still enjoying and reading along.......


My mom is the same way with you and onions (and peppers. Shame because she loves cooking with them for flavor!) she also sadly developed a red wine allergy about a decade ago and it can be very sad when she wants something but it has red wine. 

Also my father was actually in cafe la bamba once-our first ever excursion into Universal in 2012 he was approached to participate in a survey. (This whole trip he did surveys all over Disney and universal we keep joking about it). It was no typical survey. It was a taste test survey. For biscuits and various sauces and gravy’s. For what we now believe to be something at Simpsons Fast Food Boulevard because he remembers tasting one that was waffle batter (and now my fave thing to eat in Simpsons is Cletus chicken shack chicken and waffle sandwich go figure!)


----------



## schumigirl

disneyseniors said:


> Carole, I know people say that they love your photos, but I actually find them extremely interesting.  You capture all the little unique things and places that I always seem to miss.  My husband likes to have a destination and off we speed to it, LOL.  He is slowing down more now.  We will definitely take our time on our next trip to UO to actually stop and see these unique things.
> 
> I also love, love Knockturn Alley.  The creepy, dark alleyways are perfect.  I also love the vanishing cabinet where you can hear the canary chirping and feel the cabinet shake.  There is so much atmosphere there.
> 
> I know some people think the entire area is too small, but I love that JKRowing kept the shops small, just like in the books and movies.  I feel like I am walking through the movies when I tour there.
> 
> Once again, thanks for the great TR and lovely, Lovely photos
> (You would love it here now; we are having a warm spell in Northern Minnesota and it is 95 degrees now)



Oh I`m glad your husband is slowing down some. Taking your time to smell the preverbial roses is the best way to do the parks. Some folks like commando style, but it`s not for us and yes, there are so many little things to see that are so easy to miss. 

Yes, it`s incredibly atmospheric in there, and I agree, DA and Hogsmeade are exactly as they should be, the way they were originally written. She is an incredibly talented writer. 

Weather sounds lovely! We actually had 91F last week, only for a couple of days, so we made sure we made the most of it.......I`m sure your high temps will last much longer than our heatwave did. 

And thank you........I`m so glad you are enjoying it, I`m very lucky to have Tom take such wonderful pictures for me


----------



## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> My mom is the same way with you and onions (and peppers. Shame because she loves cooking with them for flavor!) she also sadly developed a red wine allergy about a decade ago and it can be very sad when she wants something but it has red wine.
> 
> Also my father was actually in cafe la bamba once-our first ever excursion into Universal in 2012 he was approached to participate in a survey. (This whole trip he did surveys all over Disney and universal we keep joking about it). It was no typical survey. It was a taste test survey. For biscuits and various sauces and gravy’s. For what we now believe to be something at Simpsons Fast Food Boulevard because he remembers tasting one that was waffle batter (and now my fave thing to eat in Simpsons is Cletus chicken shack chicken and waffle sandwich go figure!)



I adore onions, which makes it worse. I can eat the green of salad onions....I thank the FODMAP plan for helping me realise why some foods don`t work for me and what I can be ok with. 

Oh goodness......a red wine allergy would be so much worse for me!!! Couldn`t imagine that one......

How interesting with the survey. I haven`t heard many folks get those type`s of survey`s, hope he enjoyed it. I wouldn`t mind doing one like that.


----------



## BroadwayHermione5

schumigirl said:


> I adore onions, which makes it worse. I can eat the green of salad onions....I thank the FODMAP plan for helping me realise why some foods don`t work for me and what I can be ok with.
> 
> Oh goodness......a red wine allergy would be so much worse for me!!! Couldn`t imagine that one......
> 
> How interesting with the survey. I haven`t heard many folks get those type`s of survey`s, hope he enjoyed it. I wouldn`t mind doing one like that.


Yes the red wine was very sad and scary. But she hasn’t had a bad reaction in years because she’s been very careful.

From what I recall he said it was very tasty Lolol!


----------



## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> Yes the red wine was very sad and scary. But she hasn’t had a bad reaction in years because she’s been very careful.
> 
> From what I recall he said it was very tasty Lolol!



One of my closest friends has a slight reaction when she drinks red wine, not a bad reaction, but her face and neck goes bright red about 15 minutes after she starts drinking it. It doesn’t stop her though as she never feels unwell, but obviously something in it reacts with her.

Doesn‘t happen with any other alcohol, of course it’s her favourite tipple……lol…….

Oh I’m glad he enjoyed it!


----------



## Pumpkin1172

Such great pictures.  You really are fortunate to be able to take your time and do as you please while you are on your visits.  We are always on a timeline.  Oh well...one day things will be different .  



schumigirl said:


> The park looks glorious this morning, that vivid blue sky against the sparkling sunshine with the bright colours of the buildings all just make us smile every time we walk into these areas. There`s nothing quite like them. We often say we feel that here life is in colour and us in the UK almost live in black and white........we never have heat like this


The skies really are brilliant blue!  Even dh noticed that when we visited.  I honestly can't get enough of the warmth of Florida!  It is a different warm that in our part of Canada.  



schumigirl said:


> *There are several nods to Jaws in Diagon Alley which of course used to sit on this exact site.......one of them being the teeth in the window of the Apothecary store next to Florean Fortescue`s Ice Cream place which is a nice touch. *


There are sooo many touches that go into those areas.  We didn't get to spend nearly enough time wandering around - especially Diagon Alley.  It was extremely crowded there ( too crowded for us to be comfortable given we needed the negative test to get home yet) so we didn't spend nearly the amount of time I wanted there 

Tom really does take amazing pictures!


----------



## schumigirl

Pumpkin1172 said:


> Such great pictures.  You really are fortunate to be able to take your time and do as you please while you are on your visits.  We are always on a timeline.  Oh well...one day things will be different .
> 
> 
> The skies really are brilliant blue!  Even dh noticed that when we visited.  I honestly can't get enough of the warmth of Florida!  It is a different warm that in our part of Canada.
> 
> 
> There are sooo many touches that go into those areas.  We didn't get to spend nearly enough time wandering around - especially Diagon Alley.  It was extremely crowded there ( too crowded for us to be comfortable given we needed the negative test to get home yet) so we didn't spend nearly the amount of time I wanted there
> 
> Tom really does take amazing pictures!



Thanks pumpkin......I`ll pass that on to Tom! 

Yes, completely agree it`s a different heat from almost anywhere else!! The South gets a heat no-one else gets....my cousins in NY say it feels different too from what they get, and they get it warm too! But, yes.....that blue sky is out of this world! 

Having time is a luxury for sure. I can understand why folks who only have 2 or 3 days to cover everything, or less sometimes go commando....but in that heat.....can`t be so much fun. We have spoken to so many people who have those 2 or 3 days and won`t be back again for several years, so of course they wan to fit in as much as possible. 

And crowds make a difference. We`ve been so lucky with almost empty parks over the years on some trips, I think that`s changing now though. 

Glad you`re still enjoying it........


----------



## keishashadow

Caught up over a cuppa.  I know I’ve seen the jaws’ jaw, just can’t remember which window.  Thanks for the memories.


schumigirl said:


> And weirdly Tide pens are a big hit as we don`t have them over here either.....I have Janet to thank for telling me about them........


one of the best inventions of the last decade lol


schumigirl said:


> The boarding was up now and it will be revamped as a Minion dance/walkthrough experience........not Pets as some claimed


News to me, sounds like fun.


schumigirl said:


> I hate bananas!!!!


Even a dirty monkey?


schumigirl said:


> they have already got the boarding up and working on the replacement.


Hope they save ’the chair’ for the new park



schumigirl said:


> don`t think we had ever been inside Cafe La Bamba.


It’s beautiful, kitchen does strike me as on smallish side.  it’s been at least 6 years I’m guessing, enjoyed a lovely SpongeBob character breakfast there.  Squidward cut a mean rug


----------



## schumigirl

*Once my husband had "done his hair" we headed out to the car, I was starving by now!!! It was a little later than we thought, but we`d had such fun in the park. *

*Walking out to the car it felt like the heat was definitely rising. 

We were heading to the Florida Mall this afternoon......not our favourite Mall, we much prefer the Mall at Millenia but there were a few things I wanted from the Florida Mall today. *

*Driving to the Mall we pass what will be the new Epic Universe park, opening 2025, you can`t see much from the road of course so we planned to go up the Orlando Eye next week to see it from a height, last time we did that was 2 years previous.

The whole site is huge!! *
















*It takes around 20 minutes tops to get here, and it was deserted today, we got parked right by the entrance which is unusual as it`s usually mobbed, but it was appreciated as it was so darn hot!!! Straight into the food court and we meandered around trying to decide what to eat.....usually we walk, then end up with the same thing....Asian food. But, today this sandwich place caught my eye, everything looked good. *
















*Tom went with the hot pepper steak sandwich and I opted for the chicken bbq......it was quite confusing as they were all wearing masks so we couldn`t hear what they were saying as it`s quite a noisy place, but we gathered we were being asked if we wanted fries with it, well, we hoped that`s what they were asking and the receipt was quite confusing too....so we hoped when we got it, it really was what we asked for........*

*This for someone who doesn`t really like sandwiches very much was a revelation........it was gorgeous....really gorgeous and the fries too were lovely, and boiling hot!! Hottest fries I`ve ever eaten in my life! *

*But, the bbq sauce was zingy and there was plenty of it and chicken too.......*

















*Tom`s was eaten before we could get a picture of it which is not like him........I think he was hungrier than me at that point! I`d definitely eat at this place again as it was so fresh and tasty. *

*Once we were fed and watered we headed into the stores, I wanted to visit Yankee Candle as we really enjoy buying the newer ones that haven`t reached the UK yet, so I had an idea of what I wanted. And this was all for us......YC are so heavy, so I said I wasn`t bringing anyone back candles due to the weight, except one large one that was going to be part of a friends birthday gifts, but she didn`t know that. *

*As soon as we stepped in a rather lovely young lady approached us to say if we needed any help let her know.......we said we would, but then she began asking what our style of scent we liked best was and what fragrances we enjoyed.......I just like to look, smell them and buy......it was a little offputting, but, I know it`s her job so I chatted to her as I picked up the ones I wanted and we purchased more than we planned.....nothing unusual there and even Tom mumbled no one needed that many candles........... *













*Well, even so, we do love our candles, so paid and Tom went back to the car with them as they weighed a metric ton!!! Didn`t want to be walking around with those  and it didn`t dawn on us to go on there last.......doh! *

*The Florida Mall has got better over the years, it used to be dark and dingy and the food court was not a nice place at all, so it had improved a lot from when we first went. 

They do have some nice stores, and another Bath & Body which I can`t resist going into....and yes, picked up some more things, they are very nice. We had a quick look in Dillards as they have vintage Louis Vuitton bags on sale there.......*

*They are nice!!! But, although I was kinda....half heartedly looking....I didn`t see any that really caught my eye enough to want to buy one, despite me telling the sales lady three times I wasn`t going to be buying one today....she insisted beyond belief one of these was definitely for me..........*












*Flattery only works from certain folks!!

I picked up a few more things then headed out to the car. I liked the look of the Mexican place at the main food court entrance.......although I don`t eat Mexican food, so I doubted we`d ever go......it looks nice though! 

Not sure how long this guy had waited though........*
















*Once we were home we added to the piles of purchases tidily placed around the rooms.......it really wasn`t a massive amount but most were heavy which was the issue with the flight home......darn weight limit! *

*We freshened up and headed over to the lounge and I enjoyed a glass of red wine.....Tom was driving tonight so he was on coffee.......bless him! 

A lady was standing at the counter getting some wine and I knew I knew her face from somewhere........as she said she was here same time as us in December, and she knew our friend too, then I remembered her.......Tom was smiling in the background as he recognised her straight away.*

*She is one of those ladies who you notice as she is very glamorous and has a real rock chick look, definitely a compliment.........*

*We got chatting and we took a couple of pictures together and as we got chatting we discovered she had met Johnny Depp!!!!! Yes, actually met him........there were many of us in the lounge who were all supporting him and weirdly three of us had watched the PotC movies before our trips and one of the girls in the lounge too who were all #TeamJohnnyDepp.........but better than that........this lady had genuinely Johnny Depp`s autograph tattooed on her ankle!!!!! Now, I thought the Freddie Mercury tattoo we saw the other day was the coolest thing.......but this blew that away!!!! *

*I was a little star struck talking to her, and she was the nicest lady who I have to say is one of the most photogenic women I`ve ever seen........I have checked with her and it`s ok to post her picture, so here it is, one of the pics we took together. She had also taken one of us to send to our friend to show we had met up.....  









*





*This is the best tattoo I had ever seen!!! And she spoke so nicely of what a lovely person he was in real life which was so good to hear. I didn`t know anyone in real life who had met as big a superstar as the wonderful Johnny Depp!!! *
















*I also realised I had never asked anyone if I could take a picture of their ankle before.......lol........but we had a lovely chat and we would catch up again before she left and also see her in September as she travels regularly to the hotels. Very nice lady.

We passed our time in the lounge then went back over to Sapphire to get the car and headed down towards Cooper`s Hawk Winery. *
















*We had never been here before but so many folks we know had recommended it to us saying we would love it, so we finally decided to give it a try. 

It is an impressive entrance and there was wine in abundance everywhere.........this was putting a kid in a candy store for us........*





























*We were a little early for our reservation, one of the few places we had actually reserved. Concierge had called them earlier just so we had a guaranteed table and it was no problem getting a table. 

We wandered around, they do have some nice little items to look at and purchase of course and you can do a wine tasting while you wait....we just didn`t have enough time to do it, but you can just go in and do the wine tasting without dining, something that might interest me in the future 

We did like the feel of this place as soon as we walked in, folks were very nice and there was a very casual feel to it which we liked. *















*They called us to our table and it was a very nice one, not slapped in the middle of the floor and our waitress was so nice and we thought already we`d come back again before we`d even eaten. *















*Although it was busy, it wasn`t a massively noisy place like Ocean Prime can be, so you could chat without struggling to hear each other talk. *















*They have a very nice and extensive wine list, and as it was just me drinking wine I didn`t opt for a bottle but instead chose 2 different reds to try and they were both lovely and ones I would buy a bottle of. It was also all very well priced wine. *



























*It is quite an extensive menu with loads of options for everyone and we did struggle to finally order, and eventually we opted to share the potstickers as an appetiser which were lovely........*















*And here it began to unravel, just a little........*

*We had waited a long time to give our order, and then waited a long time for the appetiser to appear, we had just started eating the potstickers when a different waitress brought our entrees.......I looked at her and said we had just started our appetiser and we didn`t want them until we were finished....so she never said anything and turned around with the plates and took them away. *

*We were enjoying the apps and were still eating them when our original waitress came and asked if she could take our plate away..........Tom was quick in saying sorry, but we were still eating it........lol........she said ok and went to walk away when I said I was concerned our dishes had been put under a heat lamp while we ate, I had ordered fish and Tom seafood......she assured us they would be fine but if we weren`t happy they`d redo them for us. 

I hate when food is just not as it should be.........and we hate sending foods back so we just wanted it to be right. *

*Eventually we were finished and she brought our food back.....I had opted for the Barramundi and Tom had chosen the Jambalaya........and as predicted, the fish had dried out completely and Tom`s sauce had dried around the plate and he did try one shrimp that had turned into a rubber ball. 

We called her back over and explained yes, both were overcooked, she did apologise and took them away to be recooked. 

It came back and my fish was noteably smaller and still looked a little overdone......however it was fine. Not exceptional, could have been cooked less but just ok.*















*Tom`s however looked a mess.......I think they had swirled his seafood around and plonked fresh rice on top instead of plating it nicely as it had been the first time around.*
















*I would give them a 5/10 overall and most of that was for the wine.......lol.......*

*It wasn`t the best first experience of a restaurant, but there was still something that made us say we would come back here. They did ask if we wanted complimentary desserts due to the delay and disappointment, but we weren`t looking for anything so we said no thank you. 

We got the check and headed to the front where we purchased a couple of bottles of wine and four chocolates.....two milk and two white, again we had been told their chocolate was very nice, they did have a fair old section to choose from.*

*We drove home and decided to once again try Bar 17 in Aventura Hotel. 

We are not fans of the bar or of this hotel.......when you go in it almost feels like a hospital waiting room, someone said it reminded them of an Apple store......it is a bit sterile and soulless, to us. 

There is an elevator that`s supposed to be an express, but folks got in and we stopped at several floors.......*
















*We had tried up here twice before and each time we didn`t enjoy it......the previous Food & Beverage manager John, had asked us if we could pinpoint what it was we didn`t like......we couldn`t. We don`t think the cocktails are quite up to scratch to begin with and there just isn`t a warm welcoming feeling there.......something missing for sure. 

It can get very breezy up here....very breezy. *
















*The views are what makes this place worth going up for. They are incredible and whether it`s during the day or in the evenings, it`s a darn decent view and you can see the Disney fireworks in the distance if you time it right.  *

*We did notice tonight, you can see quite clearly into the rooms in Cbay.....we didn`t look, but if you were so inclined it was quite visible. This is another hotel we just don`t like.....nothing about it appeals to us at all, but it is very popular. *

*Volcano Bay does look pretty at night. *



























*We spent less than 10 minutes up here.......we never got a drink and went back downstairs to the food court are just for a wander, again, not for us. It`s just too sterile a hotel and couldn`t see us ever staying here, not when we had RP and SF to choose from. 

We got some boiling water from Dutch Trading and made ourselves a cup of tea and enjoyed one each of the chocolates. From someone who isn`t really a chocolate fan, the white one was delicious......and one was more than enough. Tom could have eaten both as he loved them and said we would take some home as Kyle would love them. *
















*Tom was keen to try the wine, so we opened one of the bottles so he could enjoy a taste too, and he did like it, so we had a large glass each and would keep some for tomorrow.*
















*There is something lovely about sitting in the suite with a glass of wine, watching tv on that comfy sofa.......every now and again I`d glance out of the window and see that nice view over to RP........we were loving this so much!!! 




More park time tomorrow......*


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Caught up over a cuppa.  I know I’ve seen the jaws’ jaw, just can’t remember which window.  Thanks for the memories.
> 
> one of the best inventions of the last decade lol
> 
> News to me, sounds like fun.
> 
> Even a dirty monkey?
> 
> Hope they save ’the chair’ for the new park
> 
> 
> It’s beautiful, kitchen does strike me as on smallish side.  it’s been at least 6 years I’m guessing, enjoyed a lovely SpongeBob character breakfast there.  Squidward cut a mean rug



Mr Mullpeppers Apothecary is the store right before Florean Fortescue`s as you walk towards the dragon. 

Never had a Dirty Monkey???? I need to Google.......  

I think that chair will take centre stage somewhere in the new place, it`s too good a prop to leave out....I hope! 

You know I imagined it to be huge inside for some reason.........I`ve never seen an episode of SpongeBob......think it passed Kyle by.......thank goodness!! Cow and Chicken were bad enough!!! 

Glad you`re enjoying it........


----------



## Deb1993

We felt the same way about Bar 17.  Went up there but it felt wrong somehow and we went back down and also didn't order anything.  The Aventura does not appeal to us at all.  Cabana Bay reminds me of the Pop hotels at Disney which don't appeal to us either.  Sometimes you just get a feeling about something and that's that.

Last August I received an email from my favorite store (Bath & Body Works) that they were hiring seasonal employees.  Mind you, I have a day job as a C-Suite EA for a Fortune 200 Company but before I knew it I had applied - and got the job.  LOL  I put in for basically weekends only and if needed after 530pm.  I worked through the holidays and it was a lot of fun - I just love all the products.  Once the holidays were over management asked me to stay on as a regular employee - and I accepted.  I work a few times a month and absolutely love it.  So different from my day job where it is a lot of pressure - here I just ring up your purchases and you leave and I don't have to follow-up about anything.  All of us working at the store joke that it's very hard to not just give them back the money they pay us - so many nice things!!  And I too can never have enough candles.   

Cooper's Hawk looked very nice - shame that the pacing of the meal was so off.  We have a favorite neighborhood restaurant that the food is excellent and the pacing is even better.  Makes a meal special.

As always the photos are absolutely beautiful!  Love reading your report.


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

Not a tattoo girl but I like the Johnny Depp tattoo!!!


----------



## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> We felt the same way about Bar 17.  Went up there but it felt wrong somehow and we went back down and also didn't order anything.  The Aventura does not appeal to us at all.  Cabana Bay reminds me of the Pop hotels at Disney which don't appeal to us either.  Sometimes you just get a feeling about something and that's that.
> 
> Last August I received an email from my favorite store (Bath & Body Works) that they were hiring seasonal employees.  Mind you, I have a day job as a C-Suite EA for a Fortune 200 Company but before I knew it I had applied - and got the job.  LOL  I put in for basically weekends only and if needed after 530pm.  I worked through the holidays and it was a lot of fun - I just love all the products.  Once the holidays were over management asked me to stay on as a regular employee - and I accepted.  I work a few times a month and absolutely love it.  So different from my day job where it is a lot of pressure - here I just ring up your purchases and you leave and I don't have to follow-up about anything.  All of us working at the store joke that it's very hard to not just give them back the money they pay us - so many nice things!!  And I too can never have enough candles.
> 
> Cooper's Hawk looked very nice - shame that the pacing of the meal was so off.  We have a favorite neighborhood restaurant that the food is excellent and the pacing is even better.  Makes a meal special.
> 
> As always the photos are absolutely beautiful!  Love reading your report.



That is fabulous with the fun job!

And yes, it`s lovely to have something fun to do and they pay you too......lol.....I think my wages would go straight back into the products.......we do love candles and getting the newer fragrances ahead is always nice. A few times a month working when it suits you sounds about perfect!

I always say they need to knock CBay down and start again.......I hate the look of it from the outside and inside isn`t much better for us.

Aventura is missing something everywhere. It never took off as the young techy place it was planned for, now it`s a mish mash of I don`t quite know what. Bar 17 would work in NY or Vegas, but Orlando no. Yes, sometimes it`s just the feel and we all know what we like and don`t like. They could improve Bar17 I think, but I doubt we`ll go back up now, even for the views.

And thank you, glad you`re enjoying it.....


----------



## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> Not a tattoo girl but I like the Johnny Depp tattoo!!!



No tattoos are not something that would suit me.......lol.....but this one was so cool, I was quite awestruck at the story of how she got it!!! 

And very unique for sure, not many folks can claim that prize tattoo!!


----------



## Gr8t Fan

Whew!!!  Finally all caught up. I'm loving all your pictures, restaurant reviews and little tidbits of trivia I never knew about the parks.


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> We did notice tonight, you can see quite clearly into the rooms in Cbay


Glad to see somebody else mention it.  Was initially taken aback at that inadvertent peep show.  

They should have placards by the windows @ CB warning guests they may want to shut their drapes at night.  only half kidding there as that particular section was the area we landed our one trip.  

I appreciate amusement park value resorts for what they are.  I do love the giant, some would call them tacky icons that WDW employs. We land there where there is no other room at the inn or we need to add a few days onto a trip.  the experience is nicely tempered by a relatively high level of service with capable CMs.  

The obvious lack of experience/training of the front desk staff at CB was quite a surprise to us.  it’s up there for the most convoluted checkin process at any MCO property we’ve visited.  Rinse and repeat for various other aspects of the resort, including a pre-pandemic lazy river that wasn’t open once during our daily pool ti me over a 4 day stay     Lifeguards had a different excuse every day

Was good to read they are starting some online checkin there, surely can’t hurt their cause.  A shame as it’s the first experience you have there and can surely set the tone of the trip.


schumigirl said:


> I`ve never seen an episode of SpongeBob.


A guilty pleasure, I pretend to tape the new episodes it for my GD to watch


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Well that was a mostly nice day  The dinner started so promisingly, what a shame the entrees were less than stellar. The chocolates do look divine though. 

Love the story with the lovely lady who gave herself a very unique souvenir of Johnny Depp! 

BBW is a fun store. I will share that we were at UOR last December when Candle Day hit, and I was on my iPad ordering from my RPR room. I just couldn’t pass up that deal


----------



## disneyAndi14

Hello Carole! 
I am finally caught up with your wonderful report.
I have Strong water on my list to try this fall.
That alligator oh my was huge!
I love all the pictures especially in the parks, captures the park atmosphere so well.
The suite at SF looks absolutely lovely! I can see relaxing and having a glass of wine each day!
I’m looking forward to more beautiful pictures and yummy food, keep it coming!


----------



## schumigirl

Gr8t Fan said:


> Whew!!!  Finally all caught up. I'm loving all your pictures, restaurant reviews and little tidbits of trivia I never knew about the parks.



Oh I`m glad to hear it......thank you so much, I appreciate you taking the time to comment and yes, there are so many pieces of trivia round the parks it`s scary!! 

Hope you enjoy the rest of it........


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Glad to see somebody else mention it.  Was initially taken aback at that inadvertent peep show.
> 
> They should have placards by the windows @ CB warning guests they may want to shut their drapes at night.  only half kidding there as that particular section was the area we landed our one trip.
> 
> I appreciate amusement park value resorts for what they are.  I do love the giant, some would call them tacky icons that WDW employs. We land there where there is no other room at the inn or we need to add a few days onto a trip.  the experience is nicely tempered by a relatively high level of service with capable CMs.
> 
> The obvious lack of experience/training of the front desk staff at CB was quite a surprise to us.  it’s up there for the most convoluted checkin process at any MCO property we’ve visited.  Rinse and repeat for various other aspects of the resort, including a pre-pandemic lazy river that wasn’t open once during our daily pool ti me over a 4 day stay     Lifeguards had a different excuse every day
> 
> Was good to read they are starting some online checkin there, surely can’t hurt their cause.  A shame as it’s the first experience you have there and can surely set the tone of the trip.
> 
> A guilty pleasure, I pretend to tape the new episodes it for my GD to watch



We were shocked to be honest, I hadn`t noticed it last time we were up there, but I do think they need to make folks aware they can be seen. I remember someone telling us a couple of years back they sat at night at their bedroom window in RP and had binoculars!!! Seriously........so them folks should be pulling their drapes at night. 

Heard the same from so many folks saying the same thing about CBay......I do think overall hotels are struggling to find staff of the same standing as before the pandemic. Online check in should make a difference. 

lol......I do enjoy a good afternoon of minions or scooby doo when I look after my friend`s little granddaughter........any excuse!!


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Well that was a mostly nice day  The dinner started so promisingly, what a shame the entrees were less than stellar. The chocolates do look divine though.
> 
> Love the story with the lovely lady who gave herself a very unique souvenir of Johnny Depp!
> 
> BBW is a fun store. I will share that we were at UOR last December when Candle Day hit, and I was on my iPad ordering from my RPR room. I just couldn’t pass up that deal




It was weird as it was such a lovely place, good service as we can`t fault the waitress at all and it had a lovely atmosphere, so yes, we were just unlucky I think. Even a non chocolate fan such as myself thought they were lovely. 

I updated the post above with the lady herself.....I wanted to check with her before I posted so popped them in today, she is indeed a lovely lady and very cool!!! I think I showed the tattoo to everyone I know when we got home......even the folks who hate tattoos were impressed.......lol......everyone loves Johnny Depp!!! My mum however was mortified I had asked a lady for a picture of her ankle.......lol....bless my mum!!

lol....I remember you mentioning Candle Day before.....love it!!!! I think that might have been the day at the Mall there was a line to get in the store itself.......busy time.


----------



## schumigirl

disneyAndi14 said:


> Hello Carole!
> I am finally caught up with your wonderful report.
> I have Strong water on my list to try this fall.
> That alligator oh my was huge!
> I love all the pictures especially in the parks, captures the park atmosphere so well.
> The suite at SF looks absolutely lovely! I can see relaxing and having a glass of wine each day!
> I’m looking forward to more beautiful pictures and yummy food, keep it coming!



Caroline!!! So good to see you here........oh you`ve been busy with your own TR and life is busy too.....but glad you made it over. 

You have to visit Strong Water   .....I think you and Andi would love it. The food choices are top notch and you`d love the cocktails too.

It was so funny with the alligator.......my instinct was to just run.....while Tom wanted to snap a picture.......those things are terrifying to see in real life!! I think I`ve seen more wildlife in Mount Dora than anywhere else in Florida! 

Thank you so much Caroline, I`m glad you are enjoying the pictures and TR.......definitely more to come soon........


----------



## I-4Bound

All caught up at last! Like so many others, I stopped getting notifications, so I got quite behind on your report. We recently got back from a week in Orlando and we had a wonderful time! We were celebrating our 25th anniversary and our daughters graduation, so we had lots of fun. I’m trying to talk my husband into a long weekend at universal for my birthday next month. I still want to ride Velocicoaster so badly!


----------



## schumigirl

I-4Bound said:


> All caught up at last! Like so many others, I stopped getting notifications, so I got quite behind on your report. We recently got back from a week in Orlando and we had a wonderful time! We were celebrating our 25th anniversary and our daughters graduation, so we had lots of fun. I’m trying to talk my husband into a long weekend at universal for my birthday next month. I still want to ride Velocicoaster so badly!



Welcome back Andrea!!! 

I`m so glad to hear you had such a fabulous trip......25th wedding anniversaries and graduations are certainly something to celebrate! 

Oh I do hope you get back next month.....I`d love to hear you rode the Velocicoaster and birthday to celebrate too. 

Hopefully with the new board update, notifications should be back to normal....

Good to see you........


----------



## luvpoohandcompany

This is the time when my life gets crazy busy and I often don't have time/forget to come back and comment after reading an update-sorry. I am loving the report.


----------



## schumigirl

luvpoohandcompany said:


> This is the time when my life gets crazy busy and I often don't have time/forget to come back and comment after reading an update-sorry. I am loving the report.



It`s always good to see you whenever you can post.

Life does get so busy and you do often wonder where the time goes! It`s July next week.......

Thank you for the lovely comments, and hope you`re doing good.......


----------



## schumigirl

*THURSDAY MAY 12TH*​




*Woke up a few times during the night, got up and had some orange juice and watched the darkness for a while till I started to feel tired again. Finally got back to sleep around 5am, only to get up at 6 to get showered and ready. These beds are so comfortable, it`s the same at RP, we sleep incredibly well usually in them. *
*
Today was completely onsite.......no plans to go offsite at all, which is unusual for us as we do like to wander around and that`s one of the reasons we`ll always have a car when we visit Orlando. It gives us the freedom to do what we want when we want. Folks use Uber a lot, but it`s never appealed to us.
*
*Once we showered we began to walk over to RP and met Mr Beiderman who was heading over that way too, so we walked over and had a good old chat and catch up while we walked. He is such a nice man and is incredibly guest and staff minded, so many folks have nothing but praise for whenever they have met him. 

We went our altering routes and we headed up to the lounge where Tom was going to enjoy a couple of glasses of fizzy this morning as there was no driving involved today........*













*How happy is this guy!!!!*















*We did enjoy this relaxing time in the morning, chatting and enjoying some food as we get ready for the day. The lounge is a lovely space to relax in or out of food hours too, we often come and sit if we`re doing laundry or just have some time to kill, usually late afternoon for us, but it is fairly quiet most of the time when they`re not serving food. And of the lounge does have the nicest staff around.......*
*
We popped donwstairs to say hello to Rob from Bell services for a chat as we said we would, he was with guests but we did get to chat to Milton who joined Loews last year and is just a complete gentleman. We met him at Christmas and thought he was just so lovely. So we caught up with him and then Rob appeared so we got to catch up with both of them which is always nice. 
*
*We then headed off to walk to IOA and boy another scorching day for us and this was bliss!!!! Down side is, I looked like I had been dragged through a hedge backwards and I hadn`t even got to the park yet! It was hot. 

We used the AP entrance again this morning and again, it was deserted, but we were a little later again this morning, no idea on the time but we do find our chatting does keep us busy most days........*

*Heading into IOA is one of our favourite things to do in the parks....maybe not the favourite thing, but it is such a gorgeous area with so many little things to notice too....and the music is iconic and when you hear it you know exactly where you are....except at Christmas when the music is very festive and feels right somehow for the time of the year.......now I`m hearing Feliz Navdad in my head???? *


























*We always love the little details in the parks and these super cool little love doves sitting high atop the side of one of the buildings....cute. *














*I don`t care what anyone says, this park is beautiful. It is lush with all the greenery around every area and can be as pretty as any park in Orlando  *
















*Our first stop is usually down to look over the lagoon and admire that behemoth of a coaster that has changed the visual of the park forever.......it is certainly a coaster that is eye catching over any other and we just cannot wait to ride it again today. *















*Slightly different from how it looked in 2014.*













*My wonderful husband..........*














*I still wasn`t keen on the Dr Doom ride without the extra belt, but they had made it so it seemed to have an additional click when you pulled the harness down, so I guessed it was of course safe........lol.......my brain does go into overdrive at times! *
















*There was barely a person on the ride this morning so we headed into the regular line instead of the EP, something we barely do, but every so often we do wander through the regular lines just for pictures or because we haven`t done it in a while, it`s fun if there is no one around.....if it`s busy we got our asps in the EP line!!! *
*
We do like this line, it is quite different to the EP line in which you see nothing as you just veer to the right and climb a set of stairs and you`re there.......so this is one line outside of Potter where I would go through the regular line once and again.*

























*It was completely deserted in here. *














*This is the one ride in the park that Tom often says is the scariest ride in the park since day one......and I think the accident at Icon Park made us think twice about this ride, but as horrible as that was, we knew safety had been ignored down there. Here, we did trust Universal with safety......so on we went.*

*It was fun I have to say.......this ride is short, but, so much fun....you can see for miles when you get up there and it does depend which side you are on which view you get. We did only do this twice this morning, as we wanted to get round to VC. *


























*The safe rattles and shakes above the getaway car.......tiny little bit of cool theming.*




























































*Capt America is a bit of a hunk too.......we had a great meet and greet with him in Dec 2019 and became quite a hit with us.......of course he`ll never be Spider-Man.......*














*We wandered through the cartoon area and headed down to spend some time behind Me Ship the Olive.........*




































*This is another area that is so bright and colourful and full of fun, but the water rides in this area, Bluto and Ripsaw Falls will have you completely drenched.....not just soaked, you will be like a drowned rat. On a very hot day of course this is a blessing!! *

*Usually we have an afternoon where we do all the water rides one after the other until we are fed up.......and I can guarantee there are no cameras around on those days!!! Once we are done we head the short walk back to the hotel and that`s usually us done with those rides.*















*Tom blames me for this place being so busy now...yes, of course it is.......lol....but, there never used to be anyone down there up until about maybe 4 or 5 years ago, then there were suddenly more people around.*
*
We can spend hours standing here watching folks get soaked and the best ones are the unsuspecting ones who have no idea this huge deluge of water is about to drench them....or at least the unlucky two or three who are directly hit by it.....while everyone else in the boat howls with laughter and relief it`s not them. 
*
*We`ve seen folks laugh and some laugh while inwardly seething they were the ones to get hit......one girl of around 10 burst into tears with rage, and I`m sorry, but it was the funniest thing ever and I almost burst a lung laughing as she seethed and yelled at her entire boat........*






































*Then of course you have the fun of being squirted by the lovely folks on top of the ship itself.....this won`t drench you, but it will hit you a little, maybe annoy you if you`re 10 of course.......lol.....*















*Although I`m not a fan of Mythos generally (will try it again at some point) it is however a very beautiful building inside and out. Love the theming with this one. *














*More to follow........*


----------



## schumigirl

*We always avoid Ripsaw Falls unless it`s a wet ride afternoon.......it`s a really good ride, good drop and you do get soaked. The downside of this ride is the ride verhicle. Even the skinniest or most agile of folks can have problems getting in and out of the boat. *
*
There is a way of doing it that makes it easier, you have to kind of slide in before you sit down, but getting out is all in the strength of your wrists.....mine are weak as a kittens, so it`s not fun at all. 
*
*It`s a difficult ride vehicle for most folks, so if you`re larger it is awkward, there is no doubt, but if you can ride it, it`s worth it as the drop is fabulous!! *


























*We bypass Kong again today, it`s an alright ride, it does have a very good animatronic at the end of it, but the ride itself is a one and done per trip for us. The EP line misses a lot, but it`s not the greatest line you`d take just to see everything.....we did love it when the SA were in that line.......so funny, but we love getting scared, not much fun for folks that don`t.  And it did put some folks off riding it knowing they could possibly pop out of the wall at you. *

*The ride is a large vehicle where you have lots of rows of people, and once or twice they tried to fit in far too many folks into a row which is slightly unpleasant depending on who you are sitting beside......but it`s a decent little ride and a little gory......one tip.......keep your mouth closed at some of the inside parts!!!*















*We head straight for the Velocicoaster now......we were excited to ride it again and we wandered forward a little worried as we heard someone say in the passing the line was ridiculous.......oh dear. *
*
I don`t know what they classed as ridiculous, but it was only showing 40 minutes, so we hopped on and waited in the line. It moved fairly quickly, but then we had a 10 minute pause, which wasn`t too bad.....we just didn`t want them to announce they were closing the ride for any length of time. But, we kept moving and it was maybe the full 40 minutes to get on, would have been less without the down time. 
*
*A couple two in front of us asked for the back row, then someone else asked for the row in front of them, so we were two rows from the back this time which wasn`t the worst place to be and soon I was clinging on for dear life......and we haven`t even left yet.......*


*As soon as thing is off......you know you are off!!! The sheer speed and airtime are simply fabulous. There`s nothing quite like it in any other ride in the parks and we wish we could ride this one again and again without a wait. Surely this will have EP soon!!! *
*
All the way round you are on a complete high.....the exhileration you experience is phenomenal and again, the airtime is something special!! Until you experience it, you have no idea!! That top hat part is when you experience sheer euphoria as it revs up for all it`s worth to get you over the top.....that whoomph as you are propelled upwards and over is spectacular!!!
*
*Even though it is a decent length of ride, it ends too quickly....we could keep going all day on this! 

Hair again when we come off is crazy wild!!! But....I do see a lovely young lady who doesn`t even look like she has one single strand of her long hair out of place.......lucky her! *
*
I want to go to the bathroom.....so we head into the Visitors Centre......these bathrooms again, used to be deserted, I actually had to line up outside to get in today......highly unusual. 

Tom meanwhile had wandered out into the balcony of Burger Digs for some pictures. 
*
*Food never looks appealing from here, but we did like the views.*







































*I had never noticed this dinosaur before today *














*Wandering into Hogsmeade, it`s always busy......and today was no exception. It was so busy....we wouldn`t be hanging around for any length of time today. *


























*We didn`t mooch around for long today, didn`t go on FJ either which we regretted, but we headed to get the train over to Studios. As we passed the line for Hagrid`s it was all the way down to beyond the train station and I`m sure it was to the Fountain....no way in heck would we wait for that!! Everyone looked hot and bothered as there is just no shade for a lot of their wait.*

*Today as it was practically deserted we walked through the full line for the Hogwarts Express.....I`d forgotten how long it was! But, being in the shade was nice.*















*It was busier when we got to line up for the train itself, and the carriages were full. I did smile as apart from Tom and I, every person in our carriage was looking at their phones as soon as they sat down. I suppose for some it is just a way of getting from A to B.*
*
I think in the last few years we have got better at taking selfies with a real camera........well Tom is better at them..........
*
*I`m not allowed to take them..........*
















*Why you may ask............*

















​*We got off the train and boy was it blazing hot once we were out in the sunshine........and straight for our usual seat at the bar of Chez Alcatraz.......a truly hidden in plain sight type of place........it doesn`t have a huge cocktail menu, but they are all tasty and the bar staff here are always top notch! *

*Loved the Jaws ride, love the movie and like the memorabilia all around us in this park, including some cute little pieces from many folks over the years. *




​









*Today we had Zach who is real character and he is funny....I know sometimes folks think they are funny but they aren`t.....this guy does make us laugh and when you get chatting to him is a very nice man. *
*
We don`t ask for the Ocean Attack.....but if you do you`ll get a real shark attack to go with your drink! Tends to be a lot of younger women ordering this........
*
*Tom ordered the Bruce, which is Tequila based and it was very nice...... *














*I as usual opted for the SF Bay Breeze, this one is rum based with cranberry and pineapple and they do very good pours here! It is a very fruity and tasty drink. *















*Tom was snapping some pictures as we sat in the relative cool of being under cover and one young lady decided she wanted to be more than just background........lol.....*

*Not really a photobomb.....but good enough! We do like a good photobomber on here!!! *














*One drink was enough, but we had enjoyed our little break from the heat sipping on a cocktail and more than once we admitted that this was indeed the life!!! Sitting in our favourite place, sipping cocktails in 90F heat with the sun blazing down.....it doesn`t get much better. But eventually acceeded it was time to go and not get another of these gorgeous drinks. *

*As we headed out the park, this old mean machine passed us.......always a good show to watch, but my godness that thing stank to high heavens!! But what a corker of a car........nothing quite like a classic!*















*We wanted to eat lunch in Margaritaville today. Over the years this place has been a hit or a miss, latterly a hit I`m glad to say. It`s not the most adventurous of menu`s, but something for everyone I`d say and covers most folks choices. *

*The store is somewhere I think a lot of their products reside in my home somewhere.....especially the kitchen. I have to admit that I do have a soft spot for Jimmy Buffet. Before we visited Orlando for the first time in 2007, I had never heard of him........but he does seem to put on a good show.*















*Yes, I did buy this teeshirt......not intentionally for myself of course, but I seem to have forgotten to give it to the person for whom it was originally bought for. Oops.*















*Someone wanted a new water bottle for when we walk in the mornings....not sure showing a beer on the bottle was the best idea considering we walk usually around 7am! He`ll get talked about from the other folks walking I`m sure..........*
















*The place looked fairly quiet so we thought we should get a table fairly easy, which we did.....another success with no reservation. And it wasn`t a bad table and we had a very nice lady looking after us who didn`t have to wait too long to take our drinks order......I was having my favourite drink from there.......Blackberry Margarita......nicest drink for me in here. She did remark I was certainly someone who knew what she wanted......Tom retorted she had obviously met me before.......lol......*















*Tom wanted a frozen drink so he went for the Who`s to Blame........not one I`m very fond of but as I was reminded with a huge grin......it wasn`t for me! Ok then..........*
















*The music in here is always good.......so we`re happy to sit and listen to it while we peruse our menu and chat the time away. *













*Our waitress gives us plenty of time to choose as we genuinely don`t know what we want today. Last time we were here I had the mahi sandwich and it was gorgeous, but I wanted something different today, so opted for the Southern Stack Burger.......which was the burger with pulled pork and onion rings, with side salad and of course honey mustard dressing.......*

















*Tom always orders the Beach Club sandwich with fries, has done for years and this time said he was determined not to order the same thing again, but wanted to go for something different. I did say three times he`d end up with the Beach Club sandwich.........I know my husband, so after 20 minutes of coming up with every alternative there was that he liked (everything) ......*
*
Here`s what Tom`s ended up choosing in the end.........
*
*Beach Club sandwich with fries.........*






















*I was quite smug being correct in my observations!*
*
This sandwich is huge. Completely massive and we could easily share, but I`m not overly fond of sandwiches in general. Tom however loves it. And today was no different, the food was so good. 

Burger was well cooked and the pulled pork was very nice, I didn`t eat the onion rings, but someone told me they are very nice. 

Tom`s sandwich was filling.....very filling!!! But he practically cleared his plate, except for the fries which he barely touched as it was just too much. Portions here are exceptional and again we were glad we had chosen to come back here again. 


*
*More to follow.........*


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> Down side is, I looked like I had been dragged through a hedge backwards and I hadn`t even got to the park yet! It was hot.


Apparently, it’s a thing! Lololol you do yourself a disservice,  always look so well put together in the parks. 






schumigirl said:


> We always love the little details in the parks and these super cool little love doves sitting high atop the side of one of the buildings....cute.


Every trip report I see something I’ve managed to overlook!


----------



## margareton27

schumigirl said:


> I think the origianl one is still my favourite. There was another brand around for the longest time, it was called Carolans and it was creamier tasting than Bailey`s.....seems to gone the way of the dodo


Just getting caught up! Took a few days to visit my brother in Nova Scotia. He and his husband bought a beautiful house right on a bay on the Atlantic. Gorgeous!

I did steady nights for 10 years while I was still a floor duty nurse.  On the weekend I would come home and Andrew would have coffee made. A healthy splash of Baileys helped me sleep . 

We can still get Carolan’s here in Ontario. I agree it is creamier


----------



## BroadwayHermione5

Finally got to ride Dudley Do Right last year and it was so much fun but we got so soaked! Our neighbors purposely didn’t tell us how wet we will get and it’s so worth it to not tell people how wet they will get because it allows for the ride to be a bit of a surprise


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Apparently, it’s a thing! Lololol you do yourself a disservice,  always look so well put together in the parks.
> 
> View attachment 679046
> 
> 
> 
> Every trip report I see something I’ve managed to overlook!



lol......thank you! I don`t always feel it.......once the hair goes awry and my face is beetroot red, I avoid bathroom mirrors then!!! 

Oh goodness there are hundreds we have missed.....I have been told of several little things since we came home from someone who works for Universal that we had no idea were there......I need to start a list for next time!!! The little touches make all the difference.


----------



## schumigirl

margareton27 said:


> Just getting caught up! Took a few days to visit my brother in Nova Scotia. He and his husband bought a beautiful house right on a bay on the Atlantic. Gorgeous!
> 
> I did steady nights for 10 years while I was still a floor duty nurse.  On the weekend I would come home and Andrew would have coffee made. A healthy splash of Baileys helped me sleep .
> 
> We can still get Carolan’s here in Ontario. I agree it is creamier


 Oh lordy that sounds a stunning place to live! Nova Scotia looks absolutely beautiful and I hear the nicest folks live there....... I hope they`re very happy living there, and it`s nice to be able to go visit too!! 

You can still get Carolans? I need to go look and see if we can get it and I`ve just missed it somewhere. 

That must have been a tough job and doing nights all that time too is a big change to anyone`s lifestyle. My sister retired last January after nursing all her days, she started when she was 15 way back when you just went to train to be a nurse......yes, sounds like the dark ages now!! No degrees needed then. She loved being a nurse in various departments finishing up in surgical recovery and trauma. She worried about missing it.....soon as she retired she is loving it I`m glad to say. 

Glad you`re all caught up


----------



## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> Finally got to ride Dudley Do Right last year and it was so much fun but we got so soaked! Our neighbors purposely didn’t tell us how wet we will get and it’s so worth it to not tell people how wet they will get because it allows for the ride to be a bit of a surprise



lol.....we love to see those surprised reactions watching folks as they see that deluge ahead.....even funnier when they don`t if their back is towards it.......lol......

It is fun!!


----------



## schumigirl

*We were stuffed from lunch! Some folks don`t like Margaritaville and of course each to their own, but for simple dishes done well this is one of the better places to eat in Citywalk. I think Vivo tops them all to be honest despite not being an Italian fan, it has always impressed us so much. But, for M`Ville, food is good. We do miss the larger menu they used to have many years ago, and the nachos is half the size it used to be when you compare pictures form when we got the loaded nachos back in 2010 I think it was. Don`t get me wrong it`s still a decent size......but somewhat less than it used to be. *

*The Legacy Store is in an interesting one for fans of older movies, lots of memorabilia as well as merchandise from older movies like ET and BTTF. They do have some cute little items to buy. *
















*We love old pictures from the movies Universal have made over the years.....the old horror classics especially, but as well as them, seeing scenes from Jaws and the like being made were so interesting too. There are several places around the parks that have these engaging pictures from many years ago....I don`t like to think how many years ago Jaws was made!!! 
*

























*I also didn`t realise how much Lucy and Desi Arnez had to do with Universal movies and also developed shows like Star Trek, Mission Impossible and Mannix through their production company. Reading up on the history of the Parks and movie industry is compelling reading for sure. And again, little props around from their time at Universal. *





































*After we had looked through both stores in Citywalk and yes, picked up a few items including a Spider-Gwen mug.......quite small but very girly and the face appears when the mug gets hot, I like it a small mug now and again. *

*The boat took around 10 minutes to arrive today, but we were in no rush to get home, so we waited in the sunshine, well, we stood under the fan until one arrived and it is always nice to sit in the cool breeze as we enjoy that short boat ride back home again. I think we almost had the boat to ourselves again today. *
















*We had arranged to chat to Kyle on facetime when we got back in today, so sent him a message to say we were back in the hotel, and a few minutes later he called us and we could catch up. He was so happy as he only had one day left this week and next week to work too then he`d be finished in this job......so he was beaming and counting down the days!!! He was doing great and busy, so we only chatted for 15 minutes or so then he was off. 

I sent off a few emails and then realising it was a little later than usual, we set off to walk to the Club Lounge. *
*
It was busy tonight, really busy, so we got ourselves settled at a table and one of the lovely young ladies brought us a glass of red each and we watched the world go by a little. 
*
*We had tried the Beef Bulogi stir fry last week and although it was nice, it wasn`t very stir fry like, it was more like a casserole, so feedback had been given by staff and tonight Lindsey asked if we would try it and see what we thought.........*
















*We loved it. *
*
I have to say, that dish was one of the nicest we had ever eaten in the lounge. It was very much like a stir fry and full of flavour. Being honest, we had been beginning to feel a little hungry so we rather unusually helped ourselves to a plate each and we really enjoyed it. I did add Tabasco to mine, but nothing unusual there....I like spicy! 

We did have 2 small plates of this beef dish and some salad......and now we wouldn`t be eating dinner out tonight! We were full up.....finally! 

It was lovely in the lounge tonight again, we chatted to several folks over the couple of hours we were in there which is always a nice experience. We didn`t rush away and stayed to chat to Lindsey for a while and arranged to meet her in the park tomorrow to do the Horror Make up Show together......we all loved that show and as she was going to be in the park we would meet up for a little while before she went to work. 

Eventually we set off to walk back to Sapphire. 

We didn`t feel like going into Citywalk or one of the parks tonight, so we meandered into Strong Water.......where else!

Tonight we opted to have a table instead of sitting at the bar.....we were feeling a little sloth like after such a large meal........so we sat down and Maggie wasn`t in tonight, so we had Manny looking after us. We know him of course, but he said to us tonight he had never once taken care of us.......and he was right. It was usually Maggie unless we sat at the bar and had Lenny and co look after us. We did like Manny too, but we do like everyone in there, it really is an amazing bar with some fabulous people. 
*
*Tom popped out as there was no one sitting out there tonight.  We do like sitting out on the balcony, but you can smoke out there, so we choose not to go out and eat where folks are smoking.....not nice for us. But, it is lovely. *















































*Our favourite guy Lenny had told everyone else tonight he was in fact leaving Strong Water. He had been talking for a while about several things, but to hear it was finally happening, well, it was ultra sad to us. Along with Fernando and Maggie, he IS Strong Water Bar!! But, we also wanted him to be happy. So of course we wished him well and he reminded us we`ll still see him outside of work when we visit.....which will be lovely. *
*
Since then he has decided he`ll be in SW one night a month which we were happy to hear. He is just the coolest guy, a lot of fun and he really knows his rums and every other drink under the sun! His last night here would be the same night as our last night, we`d make sure we were in those nights. 
*
*We had ordered a bottle of red wine, no cocktails tonight, but we did order dessert a bit later, much later when we realised the time. 

Time passes faster than light in here. Everyone is so lovely and you do have a wonderful evening chatting to everyone as the evenings progress. *
*
Tom ordered the Chocolate Cake again and I went for the fairly small but oh so tasty Coconut Flan.......
*

























*It was again, later than planned we left the bar. We managed to get a good chat with Lenny which was lovely. So, I did feel a bit better about him leaving after that, you know when you know something is coming but just don`t want to hear it?? That was us with Lenny, don`t want to think of him not being there. *

*We said our goodnights which were infamously described once as being like Frank Sinatra goodbye tours.......never ending.......lol.......well, we wouldn`t like to miss anyone out!! 

But, back to our suite soon enough and we chilled a little but it was late and it wasn`t long till we hopped into bed absolutely shattered tonight. 



More park time tomorrow...........*


----------



## Deb1993

I had been watering some of my plants in my (if I say so) gorgeous backyard and was just enjoying the sunshine and thinking I'll make DH and I some cocktails and we'll go in the pool - and all of that reminded me that I needed to check if Carole posted!!!  The way you and Tom just enjoy BEING is how DH and I like to go with the flow and just enjoy.  I am absolutely loving your report!!!!


----------



## Deb1993

I had been watering some of my plants in my (if I say so) gorgeous backyard and was just enjoying the sunshine and thinking I'll make DH and I some cocktails and we'll go in the pool - and all of that reminded me that I needed to check if Carole posted!!!  The way you and Tom just enjoy BEING is how DH and I like to go with the flow and just enjoy.  I am absolutely loving your report!!!!


schumigirl said:


> *We were stuffed from lunch! Some folks don`t like Margaritaville and of course each to their own, but for simple dishes done well this is one of the better places to eat in Citywalk. I think Vivo tops them all to be honest despite not being an Italian fan, it has always impressed us so much. But, for M`Ville, food is good. We do miss the larger menu they used to have many years ago, and the nachos is half the size it used to be when you compare pictures form when we got the loaded nachos back in 2010 I think it was. Don`t get me wrong it`s still a decent size......but somewhat less than it used to be.
> 
> The Legacy Store is in an interesting one for fans of older movies, lots of memorabilia as well as merchandise from older movies like ET and BTTF. They do have some cute little items to buy. *
> 
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> *We love old pictures from the movies Universal have made over the years.....the old horror classics especially, but as well as them, seeing scenes from Jaws and the like being made were so interesting too. There are several places around the parks that have these engaging pictures from many years ago....I don`t like to think how many years ago Jaws was made!!! *
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> *I also didn`t realise how much Lucy and Desi Arnez had to do with Universal movies and also developed shows like Star Trek, Mission Impossible and Mannix through their production company. Reading up on the history of the Parks and movie industry is compelling reading for sure. And again, little props around from their time at Universal. *
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> *After we had looked through both stores in Citywalk and yes, picked up a few items including a Spider-Gwen mug.......quite small but very girly and the face appears when the mug gets hot, I like it a small mug now and again.
> 
> The boat took around 10 minutes to arrive today, but we were in no rush to get home, so we waited in the sunshine, well, we stood under the fan until one arrived and it is always nice to sit in the cool breeze as we enjoy that short boat ride back home again. I think we almost had the boat to ourselves again today. *
> 
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> *We had arranged to chat to Kyle on facetime when we got back in today, so sent him a message to say we were back in the hotel, and a few minutes later he called us and we could catch up. He was so happy as he only had one day left this week and next week to work too then he`d be finished in this job......so he was beaming and counting down the days!!! He was doing great and busy, so we only chatted for 15 minutes or so then he was off.
> 
> I sent off a few emails and then realising it was a little later than usual, we set off to walk to the Club Lounge. *
> 
> *It was busy tonight, really busy, so we got ourselves settled at a table and one of the lovely young ladies brought us a glass of red each and we watched the world go by a little. *
> 
> *We had tried the Beef Bulogi stir fry last week and although it was nice, it wasn`t very stir fry like, it was more like a casserole, so feedback had been given by staff and tonight Lindsey asked if we would try it and see what we thought.........*
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> *We loved it. *
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> *I have to say, that dish was one of the nicest we had ever eaten in the lounge. It was very much like a stir fry and full of flavour. Being honest, we had been beginning to feel a little hungry so we rather unusually helped ourselves to a plate each and we really enjoyed it. I did add Tabasco to mine, but nothing unusual there....I like spicy!
> 
> We did have 2 small plates of this beef dish and some salad......and now we wouldn`t be eating dinner out tonight! We were full up.....finally!
> 
> It was lovely in the lounge tonight again, we chatted to several folks over the couple of hours we were in there which is always a nice experience. We didn`t rush away and stayed to chat to Lindsey for a while and arranged to meet her in the park tomorrow to do the Horror Make up Show together......we all loved that show and as she was going to be in the park we would meet up for a little while before she went to work.
> 
> Eventually we set off to walk back to Sapphire.
> 
> We didn`t feel like going into Citywalk or one of the parks tonight, so we meandered into Strong Water.......where else!
> 
> Tonight we opted to have a table instead of sitting at the bar.....we were feeling a little sloth like after such a large meal........so we sat down and Maggie wasn`t in tonight, so we had Manny looking after us. We know him of course, but he said to us tonight he had never once taken care of us.......and he was right. It was usually Maggie unless we sat at the bar and had Lenny and co look after us. We did like Manny too, but we do like everyone in there, it really is an amazing bar with some fabulous people. *
> 
> *Tom popped out as there was no one sitting out there tonight.  We do like sitting out on the balcony, but you can smoke out there, so we choose not to go out and eat where folks are smoking.....not nice for us. But, it is lovely. *
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> *Our favourite guy Lenny had told everyone else tonight he was in fact leaving Strong Water. He had been talking for a while about several things, but to hear it was finally happening, well, it was ultra sad to us. Along with Fernando and Maggie, he IS Strong Water Bar!! But, we also wanted him to be happy. So of course we wished him well and he reminded us we`ll still see him outside of work when we visit.....which will be lovely. *
> 
> *Since then he has decided he`ll be in SW one night a month which we were happy to hear. He is just the coolest guy, a lot of fun and he really knows his rums and every other drink under the sun! His last night here would be the same night as our last night, we`d make sure we were in those nights. *
> 
> *We had ordered a bottle of red wine, no cocktails tonight, but we did order dessert a bit later, much later when we realised the time.
> 
> Time passes faster than light in here. Everyone is so lovely and you do have a wonderful evening chatting to everyone as the evenings progress. *
> 
> *Tom ordered the Chocolate Cake again and I went for the fairly small but oh so tasty Coconut Flan.......*
> 
> 
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> 
> *It was again, later than planned we left the bar. We managed to get a good chat with Lenny which was lovely. So, I did feel a bit better about him leaving after that, you know when you know something is coming but just don`t want to hear it?? That was us with Lenny, don`t want to think of him not being there.
> 
> We said our goodnights which were infamously described once as being like Frank Sinatra goodbye tours.......never ending.......lol.......well, we wouldn`t like to miss anyone out!!
> 
> But, back to our suite soon enough and we chilled a little but it was late and it wasn`t long till we hopped into bed absolutely shattered tonight.
> 
> 
> 
> More park time tomorrow...........*


We love M'Ville and make it a point to eat there at least once every trip.  Vivo is definitely a fave, love the piccata.  On the trip with just DD and I the margarita threw me for a quite a loop and I was very drunk.  LOL

How exciting for Kyle!!!  

I'm sure you'll have the chance to catch up with Lenny, but definitely sad to see him go from your favorite place.


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## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> I had been watering some of my plants in my (if I say so) gorgeous backyard and was just enjoying the sunshine and thinking I'll make DH and I some cocktails and we'll go in the pool - and all of that reminded me that I needed to check if Carole posted!!!  The way you and Tom just enjoy BEING is how DH and I like to go with the flow and just enjoy.  I am absolutely loving your report!!!!
> 
> We love M'Ville and make it a point to eat there at least once every trip.  Vivo is definitely a fave, love the piccata.  On the trip with just DD and I the margarita threw me for a quite a loop and I was very drunk.  LOL
> 
> How exciting for Kyle!!!
> 
> I'm sure you'll have the chance to catch up with Lenny, but definitely sad to see him go from your favorite place.



Aww thank you! We love being a couple and genuinely do spend almost every moment together....it`s very rare we are apart unless it`s to meet friends seperately, and even then they`re usually shared friends......lol......

I`m glad to hear you are the same with your DH, it`s the perfect way to be.....go with the flow is also a good way to live life. I have to say I`m loving the sound of your lovely garden, pool and cocktails with your DH.......that is living!!! 

lol.....those guys are good pourers in M`ville!! One sometimes is enough! Yes, I think  as far as Citywalk goes, Vivo is up there as the best.....and I love the chicken piccata from there!! 

Yes, it was so exciting with Kyle looking forward to his new job, you could just hear it in his voice never mind seeing his face! 

I`m so glad you are enjoying it.......


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## schumigirl

*FRIDAY 13TH MAY*












*Yep, Friday the 13th!! *
*
Not a day that freaks me out, but we do know folks that do have a thing about that date and are glad to see the day end with no mishaps! The 13th has always been lucky for me so far. But, it is one of those days for some folks.......
*
*We again, were up early this morning and we were over at RP as we had to grab Rob from Bell services for a few minutes, and also chatted to Milton for a few moments too. These guys really know how to look after guests. 

Up for breakfast and the lounge wasn`t too busy this morning, I think a lot of folks had left for EE, so we missed the crowds I think. Breakfast was nice as usual, I had my, what was now becoming an everyday treat  2 glasses of champagne......and very nice they were too! *
*
We chatted some and then went down for the boat as we were going to the Studios this morning. We were meeting Lindsey later to do the Horror Make Show together, something she loves as much as we do, but that wasn`t till mid morning. 
*
*I can`t remember if we waited long for a boat or not this morning, but I do know it was a full boat and as happens at least once every single trip......someone thinks it`s a good idea to try and sit on what will become the outer part of the boat door!!! It`s so funny and so obvious when it`s pointed out to folks........and this trip it happened around 4 or 5 times, usually it`s just once. *
















*It was another roaster of a day ahead for us and would top 96F and it felt like it already this morning.......we got off the boat and headed up to the Studios where again, Tom got through the gates with no issues. I think we had solved his problem. *
*
We tend to wander through the Universal store in the mornings, not just because it`s cool, which it is, but we just like to eye up some merchandise too. 

They have the fudge counter as soon as you walk in......now, we really don`t like fudge very much, for me it`s just too sweet, but they did have some new flavours since we last looked. And they did sound nice I have to say. We do on occasion have some Butterbeer fudge, weird as we don`t like Butterbeer, but it is quite nice. 
*
*We didn`t buy any as we probably wouldn`t eat it, but my goodness that salted caramel looked gorgeous!! *






































*Minions already had a regular line of  50 minutes, but with EP it was a walk on. *

*I just don`t like it the same as when it was 3D. It never made me feel nauseated before, but there is something now that is just slightly off for me. It is a cute ride though.....*


























*Yep, going to be a hot one...........*















*Tom went on RRR despite saying he wasn`t going to ride it again this trip, but it was quiet and the Express line was non existent and he got the front and said it wasn`t as bad as before and did I want to go on it. I wasn`t sure as it can knock you for the day........but I did and was dreading it as I walked towards the ride vehicle.*

*Started off is good, we get the front row.......167 foot hill climb which I love, and first drop are fabulous..........over the loop that`s not really a loop is also fine....then it gets a bit rougher after the part where you drop and come out near the Tribute store...........*













*Never again. 

I really am done with this one now.........that last part really rattles you to your core. I`m sure some are fine with it, but this old brain just can`t deal with that rattling aorund on rough coasters anymore. *
*
I`m glad I recovered fairly fast, no residual headache or nausea after the first few minutes. We had a very lovely young lady I was ok as I exited the ride.....she checked if I needed some more help, I said I`d go get some water and would be fine. And I was, we got some water and a candy bar and I was fine after that....water and sugar.....the fix everything solution! 

What`s annoying is, I really like the ride, but it`s not worth feeling bad for a while afterwards. Thank goodness we have Velocicoaster. 

It`s also starting to look more pink in colour than the vibrant red it once was when it opened in 2009. *


























*I hate to repeat......well, I don`t   ......but this is such a pretty park and this little area is lovely.*















*And a little deserted this morning too!! *
*
We bypass Jimmy Fallon everytime too.....just not for us at all. 

Although we were missing The Mummy a lot this trip, not doing the Minions anymore and now with RRR not being an option anymore for me, this was the highlight of this area now. And it was closed. 
*
*Roll on September, it`ll be open by then for sure.........*


























*It`s strange seeing so many things boarded up in the one area, but it`s all for upgrades so don`t mind seeing them. But, usually there aren`t as many boardings up around the parks. *


























*Today we planned to go into do Gringotts and nothing else.......but couldn`t resist the back of the bus picture.......*


























*We went in and Gringotts had one heck of a line today.......so even EP was going to be a long wait this morning, we`d pass and give it a go another day. It`s not the greatest ride around, but it is fun and we do like to ride it. And the lines are quite decent to see too.....we just didn`t feel like waiting this morning. *
*
Diagon Alley was fairly busy considering how quiet the rest of the park is.

Coming back outside we just can`t believe the heat already........we`ve visited several times in May, and this had been the busiest and the warmest so far. 
*
*I loved this picture of Kreacher........*















*It wasn`t long till we were meeting Lindsey, so we had time for a couple of rides on MiB.......Tom and Kyle love this ride and take massive pride in getting good scores! *

*I couldn`t give a rats patootie about shooting games......I think you have to have a competitive streak in you to have a desire to win here......I guess I don`t have that!!*
















*I just go along for the ride! However it is fun I have to admit today, and although I did try a little today to shoot whatever it is you`re shooting at, I wasn`t very good. Tom was pleased with his score, but kinda glanced at me wondering why I wasn`t better at this type of thing........lol.......*













*I did try......a little* 




*More to come...........*


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## BroadwayHermione5

It is always sad when you realize you are too old for a ride or on your trip it is a one and done ( for me, realizing Verbolten at Busch Gardens Williamsburg had become a do only once on a trip ride was sad but understandable-plus Apollos chariot, Invadr and Griffin are all still amazing rides that I can repeat a few times a day!).


I do have to admit though I have never done RRR-not because I haven't wanted to, but as Craig once said on a podcasts "if you get stuck on the incline and need to be evacuated it can be slightly terrifying" I was like "yep that incline is a no for me forever!" 

I still love the minions and love that they got rid of the 3D (i was one fo the people that does not like Forbidden Journey in 3D and i have something called blepharitis, which is when the crust you get in your eyes can become dangerous and give you an infection. I actually have to wear one a day contacts, and sometimes I cant do more than wear my glasses. While 3D glasses aren't so much a problem-plus Cast and Team Members are always very accommodating if I ask for a clean pair if we are unlucky and get a group close to end of their buckets they leave them in), those VR headsets are. I can't do a ride in Busch Gardens Williamsburg because of it, and when Nintendo world opens I am going to have to ride without the glasses. It is a sacrifice I am willin to make but one I wish I didn't.



And now I want fudge lol.


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## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> It is always sad when you realize you are too old for a ride or on your trip it is a one and done ( for me, realizing Verbolten at Busch Gardens Williamsburg had become a do only once on a trip ride was sad but understandable-plus Apollos chariot, Invadr and Griffin are all still amazing rides that I can repeat a few times a day!).
> 
> 
> I do have to admit though I have never done RRR-not because I haven't wanted to, but as Craig once said on a podcasts "if you get stuck on the incline and need to be evacuated it can be slightly terrifying" I was like "yep that incline is a no for me forever!"
> 
> I still love the minions and love that they got rid of the 3D (i was one fo the people that does not like Forbidden Journey in 3D and i have something called blepharitis, which is when the crust you get in your eyes can become dangerous and give you an infection. I actually have to wear one a day contacts, and sometimes I cant do more than wear my glasses. While 3D glasses aren't so much a problem-plus Cast and Team Members are always very accommodating if I ask for a clean pair if we are unlucky and get a group close to end of their buckets they leave them in), those VR headsets are. I can't do a ride in Busch Gardens Williamsburg because of it, and when Nintendo world opens I am going to have to ride without the glasses. It is a sacrifice I am willin to make but one I wish I didn't.
> 
> 
> 
> And now I want fudge lol.



One of the ladies from Loews we have become very good friends with over the years asked us not to complain about the Minions becoming 2D and not be as much fun for us. Her husband couldn`t do it when it was 3D, and can now do it 2D....so we didn`t complain....not that it would have done anything anyway. So, yes, it seems certain things definitely affect folks differently. 

I blame the 2D being the reason for Simpsons knocking me so bad. 

Getting older doesn`t come on it`s own.......but I`m lucky I can still ride most things I want to, I know some folks who can`t. I`m sure it`ll come......lol......

Yes, that salted caramel fudge was nice!! Too sweet maybe, but I only had a tiny corner and that was more than enough


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## disneyseniors

Carole, I just wanted to thank Tom for the fabulous photos he takes.  He has a good eye for subjects that most of us overlook.  I love looking at his photos

We, too, miss Jaws.  That ride was so much fun and we looked forward to it every time.  I don't know why it was stopped.  I know the movie Jaws was a long time ago, but that shouldn't play into getting rid of a fabulous fun ride like Jaws was.  

Do you remember the "old" King Kong ride where you were in a warehouse (I think) and Kong actually grabs your car and drops you down to floor level?  That was a fantastic attraction, and I miss it too.

Guess I sound nostalgic today  but seeing the old Jaws memorbilia sparked it I think

I have a question that you might know about?  My husband might have to use an ECV due to nerve damage in his legs, on our next visit.  Are the boats compatable with an ECV?  He can walk with a cane but couldn't do the entire parks.  I was just wondering if you have seen ECV;s on the boats?

Thanks so much,

Ruth


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## schumigirl

disneyseniors said:


> Carole, I just wanted to thank Tom for the fabulous photos he takes.  He has a good eye for subjects that most of us overlook.  I love looking at his photos
> 
> We, too, miss Jaws.  That ride was so much fun and we looked forward to it every time.  I don't know why it was stopped.  I know the movie Jaws was a long time ago, but that shouldn't play into getting rid of a fabulous fun ride like Jaws was.
> 
> Do you remember the "old" King Kong ride where you were in a warehouse (I think) and Kong actually grabs your car and drops you down to floor level?  That was a fantastic attraction, and I miss it too.
> 
> Guess I sound nostalgic today  but seeing the old Jaws memorbilia sparked it I think
> 
> I have a question that you might know about?  My husband might have to use an ECV due to nerve damage in his legs, on our next visit.  Are the boats compatable with an ECV?  He can walk with a cane but couldn't do the entire parks.  I was just wondering if you have seen ECV;s on the boats?
> 
> Thanks so much,
> 
> Ruth



Oh don`t worry, he`ll be fine with the boats. 

They have a ramp and the ECV`s sit at the front where the Capt drives the boats, they can usually fit two on if there are no pushchairs sitting there. So, it won`t be a problem at all, there are a lot of ECV users choose the boat option. 

Thank you so much for the lovely comments on Tom`s pictures.....he does look for the unusual, or I am giving him instructions if I see something I know would make a good picture, like the little doves on the wall, so cute. But, he`ll appreciate that. 

Well Jaws was replaced with Harry Potter.....so Diagon Alley now stands where Jaws once was.......it was a shame to lose such an iconic ride such as Jaws, but I think they`ll see it as a win crowd wise. We miss Jaws too. 

We never did see the Original Kong ride......it was before we visited Orlando, we would have loved that, but we would really have loved to have seen Murder she Wrote or anything Hitchcock.......now those are classics too! 

Nostalgia is a wonderful thing.......


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## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> just don`t like it the same as when it was 3D.


Do you know the why of the change?  


BroadwayHermione5 said:


> I do have to admit though I have never done RRR-not because I haven't wanted to, but as Craig once said on a podcasts "if you get stuck on the incline and need to be evacuated it can be slightly terrifying" I was like "yep that incline is a no for me forever!"


Sat at nbc grill dining once before ride opened up.  observed the ‘sandbag’ people upside down for over an hour lol. All I needed to see to decide it was not for me  


disneyseniors said:


> I have a question that you might know about? My husband might have to use an ECV due to nerve damage in his legs, on our next visit. Are the boats compatable with an ECV? He can walk with a cane but couldn't do the entire parks. I was just wondering if you have seen ECV;s on the boats?


Had to use one last July due to broken foot.  Rented offsite one, smaller type.  Glad I did. Boat captains told me they are the perfect size to last all day & to back onto the boats


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## Cara

A blackberry margarita at Margaritaville is now on my list! Would you say FFF is extremely jerky or is it just intense?


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## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Do you know the why of the change?
> 
> Sat at nbc grill dining once before ride opened up.  observed the ‘sandbag’ people upside down for over an hour lol. All I needed to see to decide it was not for me
> 
> Had to use one last July due to broken foot.  Rented offsite one, smaller type.  Glad I did. Boat captains told me they are the perfect size to last all day & to back onto the boats



Money. 2D is cheaper to maintain. 

lol....I sat for ages watching it too before I finally went on RRR......no one fell out or died.......so I thought, well, looks ok.......although if I had seen what you witnessed......maybe not.......


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## schumigirl

Cara said:


> A blackberry margarita at Margaritaville is now on my list! Would you say FFF is extremely jerky or is it just intense?



It is gorgeous! And usually quite strong! 

It`s jerky, particularly the latter parts, that last section really knocks the stuffing out of you. First part is lovely though........


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## Deb1993

schumigirl said:


> *FRIDAY 13TH MAY*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Yep, Friday the 13th!! *
> 
> *Not a day that freaks me out, but we do know folks that do have a thing about that date and are glad to see the day end with no mishaps! The 13th has always been lucky for me so far. But, it is one of those days for some folks.......*
> 
> *We again, were up early this morning and we were over at RP as we had to grab Rob from Bell services for a few minutes, and also chatted to Milton for a few moments too. These guys really know how to look after guests.
> 
> Up for breakfast and the lounge wasn`t too busy this morning, I think a lot of folks had left for EE, so we missed the crowds I think. Breakfast was nice as usual, I had my, what was now becoming an everyday treat  2 glasses of champagne......and very nice they were too! *
> 
> *We chatted some and then went down for the boat as we were going to the Studios this morning. We were meeting Lindsey later to do the Horror Make Show together, something she loves as much as we do, but that wasn`t till mid morning. *
> 
> *I can`t remember if we waited long for a boat or not this morning, but I do know it was a full boat and as happens at least once every single trip......someone thinks it`s a good idea to try and sit on what will become the outer part of the boat door!!! It`s so funny and so obvious when it`s pointed out to folks........and this trip it happened around 4 or 5 times, usually it`s just once. *
> 
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> *It was another roaster of a day ahead for us and would top 96F and it felt like it already this morning.......we got off the boat and headed up to the Studios where again, Tom got through the gates with no issues. I think we had solved his problem. *
> 
> *We tend to wander through the Universal store in the mornings, not just because it`s cool, which it is, but we just like to eye up some merchandise too.
> 
> They have the fudge counter as soon as you walk in......now, we really don`t like fudge very much, for me it`s just too sweet, but they did have some new flavours since we last looked. And they did sound nice I have to say. We do on occasion have some Butterbeer fudge, weird as we don`t like Butterbeer, but it is quite nice. *
> 
> *We didn`t buy any as we probably wouldn`t eat it, but my goodness that salted caramel looked gorgeous!! *
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> *Minions already had a regular line of  50 minutes, but with EP it was a walk on. *
> 
> *I just don`t like it the same as when it was 3D. It never made me feel nauseated before, but there is something now that is just slightly off for me. It is a cute ride though.....*
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> *Yep, going to be a hot one...........*
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> *Tom went on RRR despite saying he wasn`t going to ride it again this trip, but it was quiet and the Express line was non existent and he got the front and said it wasn`t as bad as before and did I want to go on it. I wasn`t sure as it can knock you for the day........but I did and was dreading it as I walked towards the ride vehicle.
> 
> Started off is good, we get the front row.......167 foot hill climb which I love, and first drop are fabulous..........over the loop that`s not really a loop is also fine....then it gets a bit rougher after the part where you drop and come out near the Tribute store...........*
> 
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> *Never again.
> 
> I really am done with this one now.........that last part really rattles you to your core. I`m sure some are fine with it, but this old brain just can`t deal with that rattling aorund on rough coasters anymore. *
> 
> *I`m glad I recovered fairly fast, no residual headache or nausea after the first few minutes. We had a very lovely young lady I was ok as I exited the ride.....she checked if I needed some more help, I said I`d go get some water and would be fine. And I was, we got some water and a candy bar and I was fine after that....water and sugar.....the fix everything solution!
> 
> What`s annoying is, I really like the ride, but it`s not worth feeling bad for a while afterwards. Thank goodness we have Velocicoaster.
> 
> It`s also starting to look more pink in colour than the vibrant red it once was when it opened in 2009. *
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> *I hate to repeat......well, I don`t   ......but this is such a pretty park and this little area is lovely.*
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> *And a little deserted this morning too!! *
> 
> *We bypass Jimmy Fallon everytime too.....just not for us at all.
> 
> Although we were missing The Mummy a lot this trip, not doing the Minions anymore and now with RRR not being an option anymore for me, this was the highlight of this area now. And it was closed. *
> 
> *Roll on September, it`ll be open by then for sure.........*
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> *It`s strange seeing so many things boarded up in the one area, but it`s all for upgrades so don`t mind seeing them. But, usually there aren`t as many boardings up around the parks. *
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> *Today we planned to go into do Gringotts and nothing else.......but couldn`t resist the back of the bus picture.......*
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> *We went in and Gringotts had one heck of a line today.......so even EP was going to be a long wait this morning, we`d pass and give it a go another day. It`s not the greatest ride around, but it is fun and we do like to ride it. And the lines are quite decent to see too.....we just didn`t feel like waiting this morning. *
> 
> *Diagon Alley was fairly busy considering how quiet the rest of the park is.
> 
> Coming back outside we just can`t believe the heat already........we`ve visited several times in May, and this had been the busiest and the warmest so far. *
> 
> *I loved this picture of Kreacher........*
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> *It wasn`t long till we were meeting Lindsey, so we had time for a couple of rides on MiB.......Tom and Kyle love this ride and take massive pride in getting good scores!
> 
> I couldn`t give a rats patootie about shooting games......I think you have to have a competitive streak in you to have a desire to win here......I guess I don`t have that!!*
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> *I just go along for the ride! However it is fun I have to admit today, and although I did try a little today to shoot whatever it is you`re shooting at, I wasn`t very good. Tom was pleased with his score, but kinda glanced at me wondering why I wasn`t better at this type of thing........lol.......*
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> *I did try......a little*
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> *More to come...........*


It always cracks us up when folks try to sit on the outside of the boat.  Ha!  Newbies.  I have that same issue with RRR - I want to ride but while I'm on it and getting my brain scrambled I am rethinking my whole life.  I'll probably go on again in August because I'm a glutton for punishment.  As long as I don't end up in the hospital again, it's all good.

I'm not very good with the shooting stuff either - I just like the ride and I like trying to hit the red spot on the other carts to send them spinning.  That's usually my job in our cart.

Can't wait to hear about meeting up with Lindsey!


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## Deb1993

schumigirl said:


> *THURSDAY MAY 12TH*​
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Woke up a few times during the night, got up and had some orange juice and watched the darkness for a while till I started to feel tired again. Finally got back to sleep around 5am, only to get up at 6 to get showered and ready. These beds are so comfortable, it`s the same at RP, we sleep incredibly well usually in them. *
> 
> *Today was completely onsite.......no plans to go offsite at all, which is unusual for us as we do like to wander around and that`s one of the reasons we`ll always have a car when we visit Orlando. It gives us the freedom to do what we want when we want. Folks use Uber a lot, but it`s never appealed to us.*
> 
> *Once we showered we began to walk over to RP and met Mr Beiderman who was heading over that way too, so we walked over and had a good old chat and catch up while we walked. He is such a nice man and is incredibly guest and staff minded, so many folks have nothing but praise for whenever they have met him.
> 
> We went our altering routes and we headed up to the lounge where Tom was going to enjoy a couple of glasses of fizzy this morning as there was no driving involved today........*
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> *How happy is this guy!!!!*
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> *We did enjoy this relaxing time in the morning, chatting and enjoying some food as we get ready for the day. The lounge is a lovely space to relax in or out of food hours too, we often come and sit if we`re doing laundry or just have some time to kill, usually late afternoon for us, but it is fairly quiet most of the time when they`re not serving food. And of the lounge does have the nicest staff around.......*
> 
> *We popped donwstairs to say hello to Rob from Bell services for a chat as we said we would, he was with guests but we did get to chat to Milton who joined Loews last year and is just a complete gentleman. We met him at Christmas and thought he was just so lovely. So we caught up with him and then Rob appeared so we got to catch up with both of them which is always nice. *
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> *We then headed off to walk to IOA and boy another scorching day for us and this was bliss!!!! Down side is, I looked like I had been dragged through a hedge backwards and I hadn`t even got to the park yet! It was hot.
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> We used the AP entrance again this morning and again, it was deserted, but we were a little later again this morning, no idea on the time but we do find our chatting does keep us busy most days........
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> Heading into IOA is one of our favourite things to do in the parks....maybe not the favourite thing, but it is such a gorgeous area with so many little things to notice too....and the music is iconic and when you hear it you know exactly where you are....except at Christmas when the music is very festive and feels right somehow for the time of the year.......now I`m hearing Feliz Navdad in my head???? *
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> *Our first stop is usually down to look over the lagoon and admire that behemoth of a coaster that has changed the visual of the park forever.......it is certainly a coaster that is eye catching over any other and we just cannot wait to ride it again today. *
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> *I still wasn`t keen on the Dr Doom ride without the extra belt, but they had made it so it seemed to have an additional click when you pulled the harness down, so I guessed it was of course safe........lol.......my brain does go into overdrive at times! *
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> *There was barely a person on the ride this morning so we headed into the regular line instead of the EP, something we barely do, but every so often we do wander through the regular lines just for pictures or because we haven`t done it in a while, it`s fun if there is no one around.....if it`s busy we got our asps in the EP line!!! *
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> *We do like this line, it is quite different to the EP line in which you see nothing as you just veer to the right and climb a set of stairs and you`re there.......so this is one line outside of Potter where I would go through the regular line once and again.*
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> *This is the one ride in the park that Tom often says is the scariest ride in the park since day one......and I think the accident at Icon Park made us think twice about this ride, but as horrible as that was, we knew safety had been ignored down there. Here, we did trust Universal with safety......so on we went.
> 
> It was fun I have to say.......this ride is short, but, so much fun....you can see for miles when you get up there and it does depend which side you are on which view you get. We did only do this twice this morning, as we wanted to get round to VC. *
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> *Capt America is a bit of a hunk too.......we had a great meet and greet with him in Dec 2019 and became quite a hit with us.......of course he`ll never be Spider-Man.......*
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> *This is another area that is so bright and colourful and full of fun, but the water rides in this area, Bluto and Ripsaw Falls will have you completely drenched.....not just soaked, you will be like a drowned rat. On a very hot day of course this is a blessing!!
> 
> Usually we have an afternoon where we do all the water rides one after the other until we are fed up.......and I can guarantee there are no cameras around on those days!!! Once we are done we head the short walk back to the hotel and that`s usually us done with those rides.*
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> *We can spend hours standing here watching folks get soaked and the best ones are the unsuspecting ones who have no idea this huge deluge of water is about to drench them....or at least the unlucky two or three who are directly hit by it.....while everyone else in the boat howls with laughter and relief it`s not them. *
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> *We`ve seen folks laugh and some laugh while inwardly seething they were the ones to get hit......one girl of around 10 burst into tears with rage, and I`m sorry, but it was the funniest thing ever and I almost burst a lung laughing as she seethed and yelled at her entire boat........*
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> *Then of course you have the fun of being squirted by the lovely folks on top of the ship itself.....this won`t drench you, but it will hit you a little, maybe annoy you if you`re 10 of course.......lol.....*
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> *Although I`m not a fan of Mythos generally (will try it again at some point) it is however a very beautiful building inside and out. Love the theming with this one. *
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> *More to follow........*


Tom is always smiling!!!!  How lovely is that!

We love to have a wet morning or afternoon and will go on all the wet stuff until we're done and slosh back to the hotel to either go in the pool or change into dry clothes.  So much fun!


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## Deb1993

disneyseniors said:


> Carole, I just wanted to thank Tom for the fabulous photos he takes.  He has a good eye for subjects that most of us overlook.  I love looking at his photos
> 
> We, too, miss Jaws.  That ride was so much fun and we looked forward to it every time.  I don't know why it was stopped.  I know the movie Jaws was a long time ago, but that shouldn't play into getting rid of a fabulous fun ride like Jaws was.
> 
> Do you remember the "old" King Kong ride where you were in a warehouse (I think) and Kong actually grabs your car and drops you down to floor level?  That was a fantastic attraction, and I miss it too.
> 
> Guess I sound nostalgic today  but seeing the old Jaws memorbilia sparked it I think
> 
> I have a question that you might know about?  My husband might have to use an ECV due to nerve damage in his legs, on our next visit.  Are the boats compatable with an ECV?  He can walk with a cane but couldn't do the entire parks.  I was just wondering if you have seen ECV;s on the boats?
> 
> Thanks so much,
> 
> Ruth


I remember the old Kong!  I believe it was where Fast and Furious is now.  

My in-laws both used ECVs on many trips and both of them fit on the boats, even with strollers on there.  You will need to be able to back it off the boat when the ride is over, my DD had to help my MIL with backing hers off but other than that you should be fine.


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## schumigirl

*We were meeting Lindsey now, and just before we managed to catch the little parade, that of course was ending soon which was a shame as it was a good little show and very entertaining. Universal have some very talented people working for them, some of the artists in these parades are outstanding. 

And of course there`s minions and Gru! *
















*I had wanted to capture this window below as it had been revamped since the death of Blaine Kern in 2020. I had forgotten to look for it in December, so we made sure to capture it this time. *

*Many second floor windows have some kind of nod to Universal Executives and behind the scenes employees, but this one was quite special as Blaine Kerns is the man responsible for bringing the extravaganza that is the Mardi Gras Parade to the Studios and of course the success it has become over the years. 

Quite a touching tribute to the man whose name will now forever overlook the spot where the parade begins and ends every evening it runs during Mardi Gras. His vision and creation will certainly live on for many years to come. *
















*I do love the way the Scenic Decor Department work in Universal and pay heartfelt tributes to so many people who were so important over the years even from the early days and helped make Universal the success it is.  

We headed inside and had a good wander around......this place hasn`t changed much in years, although the lady who used to work here is long gone. She used to come up silently behind you and gently touch you on the arm with a rubber arm.....she got me many times, well, it is the right place to get a scare! *

















*There are so many pieces of movie memorabilia around and fascinating to see some images that aren`t widely seen by the general public and if you are an old Universal movie buff which we do love, you`ll enjoy wandering around here before the show starts. It wouldn`t take long, maybe 10-15 minutes and you`ll see all their displays in that time.*

*Jack Pierce was a make up artist who always paid great tribute to Boris Karloff who sat in the chair for 8 hours a day first getting his make up painstakingly adhered to his face, then again another 4 hours to gently remove it too. I couldn`t imagine that amount of patience by both the artist and actor to do this day after day till the movie was completed. 

But, the effects look amazing in the movies and although it was way back then, the style the mastered did have an authentic look....and very scary too for me as a child in the early 1970`s watching these classics. My parents didn`t really believe they were genuine horror movies for some reason, so I was allowed to watch them from quite a young age and grew to love them so much. Although my older brothers took great fun in terrorising me after they had finished.......well, that`s what brothers do *
















*Abbott and Costello are curiously overlooked masterpieces, they are funny and very clever the way they incorporated the classic monsters into their simple humorous movies....but it worked well, we love these movies too and have the boxset that sits alongside all the classic Universal monster movies......we watch them far too often!!! 

But, they are also eulogised in here too with a picture or two of their movies.*
















*We bought this print many years ago and it adorns the room we watch most of our movies in.....it`s not really a sitting room type of picture, but fits with other movie images we have in there too. *

















*Again with Psycho.......some classic pictures that aren`t so well known the way the promotion pictures are. *




























*We would have LOVED to have seen the Psycho house when it was here......it`s something we don`t see a lot of pictures of it around anymore. *















*Herman Munster......another wonderful show that was a spin off from the old scary tales......*


























*Our lovely Lindsey had joined us and we were looking forward to seeing the show together. It had been a while since we had watched it and she said it had changed a little.......

We didn`t use EP but we ended up in a wonderful front row seat where we got the best view of everything. The way it`s set up there are no bad seats, so don`t worry if it`s busy and you`re not at the front, you`ll still see everything. *

















*Summer is amazing! She really is fabulous and has worked at Universal for years.....I want to say right from the start, but I`m not sure and she has worked as many characters around the park. I had no idea who she actually was till this trip but in looking at older pictures we have seen her lots of times. Very clever and very funny lady. Her on stage partner is also so funny and they do put on a good show.*

















*Without giving spoilers, don`t miss this show. They still do the old favourite line of not having to be nice to you as this isn`t Disney which always get a good old guffaw of laughter, but they have added some new comments about the Kardashians and so on. The show itself is entertaining and maybe for some it might be a little gory, but it really isn`t. They talk about make up processes over the years and how far they`ve come along since the original days.*

















*We thoroughly enjoyed today and spending time with Lindsey in the park was a lot of fun too. She was heading off to see the new HHN Boutique that had opened in IOA and was a vacation themed HHN store......we were looking forward to seeing that another day! Then she was working this afternoon, so we`d see her later too. 

Lindsey is indeed a very special young lady.....I think I said it before, as soon as we met her, we felt as if we`d known her forever and of course once we knew she loved HHN more than anyone else we know, we knew we`d get along like a house on fire......it was like having a bonus daughter! And we`d be able to spend some more time with her later in the trip. *
















*We said our goodbyes and decided we wanted some lunch.......now, we knew the Monsters Cafe was closing, I think everyone knew it just hadn`t been announced, but we thought we`d grab something from there before it closed. It`s not a place we usually eat in, but one last time would work today for us as we were so close.......*

*Apparently we weren`t destined to eat here.......it had just closed. Of course. 

To be honest, it never served the best food, we much prefer table service as the food was always cool by the time you paid and sat down, but hey ho, it`s gone now and of course it`s rumoured to be opening as a full scale restaurant in Epic Universe which sounds like a much cooler experience! 

We were thinking of where to go for lunch now.....Finnegans was close, but we really don`t like the food from there at all.....very overrated, but we do like to go in for a drink at the bar, but that`s about it. 

So, Tom quite likes NBC. We`ve had good and bad experiences in here and I was reluctant to try it again as they had not pulled it out the hat in the last 3 visits we`ve had......but Tom`s choice today, so NBC it was. 

It was deserted......the Marie Celeste had nothing on this. I`ve never seen this place as empty.......but we got taken to a table right at the far end of the place, which was ok by us as we like to see the grill go when the chef`s are cooking.....although I doubted they`d be cooking much today, we counted 7 other people in. 

We should have paid attention when our waiter barely grunted at us and tapped the barcode to indicate there was no paper menu....well, ok then. He said one word.......drinks? I was getting a bad feeling about this waiter.....his eyes were darting around the restaurant as he waited for us to order something despite us not having looked at the menu yet......so I just asked for water as did Tom....I guess he realised he wasn`t making a lot of money out of us today. 

He brought the waters and another family were seated to our side and he was exactly the same way with them.*
















*I ordered the brisket quesadilla and Tom ordered the Club sandwich, no avocado with a side of tator tots.......not much to go wrong there.*

*We waited a fairly short amount of time and they arrived, our waiter still hadn`t uttered a word yet. *

*Tom`s sandwich had avocado on it, he hates it......but I took it as I like it, and it did look lovely, very fresh and he did really enjoy it. *















*Mine was......well....*





*



*​




*I ate Tom`s tator tots, the pineapple relish and the dip and that was it. *
















*At this point Marcel Marceau, aka Jorge, came by and removed the plates without checking if we were done or asking how it was........hmmm. 

I was ready to leave by now, and was going to catch his ever roaming eye for the check when he practically ran past us dropping off the check as he went.....no pleasantries like I`ll get that when you`re ready or, no rush.......so we put the money inside and he rolled past even faster and picked up the check and disappeared without one word....not even did we need change........and certainly not even a Thank you in there anywhere. *












*I hate rudeness.*

*We were actually shocked at how rude this guy had been. I watched him serve the other table and he was the same way, completely disinterested and downright lacking in the basics of manners. 

We didn`t need change, but when we got up to leave, the man on the other table commented to us that we also got the worst waiter in the world too.......yep, this guy was something else. *

*Yes, we should have spoken to the manager.....but, we didn`t. To be honest I don`t think it would do any good. But, when we got home I left an honest review on TripAdvisor. Usually I hate leaving negative reviews, so if we have a bad experience, I just won`t bother leaving one, although we very rarely have a bad experience anywhere in America so it`s a non issue, but I was angry by the time we left. 

At times we`re too British and don`t like to complain, but this was once we should have. *

*We headed down to get a boat as one had just pulled in and we vowed never to return there again. That was the last time we`d try it. *

*Always time for a picture..........*
















*We got back home, got the ipad out and I did go straight on TripAdvisor and left an honest review of our experience.....I hated doing it, but I was glad I did it for once. *

*It was nice getting in the cool for an hour or so, and we both showered and changed and headed down to the lobby where we were meeting our lovely friend for a good old chinwag for a couple of hours. He was setting off for a few days to his favourite vacation spot so it was going to be nice to have a proper catch up with him before he left. To say we think he is the nicest man on earth is an understatement and my husband often jokes I prefer him to Tom.......lol.....but we had a lovely few hours just chatting about anything and everything and generally catching up. We`d see him when he go back anyway, but this had been lovely and we so appreciated him taking the time for us today 

We headed over to the lounge and chatted to all the staff again including Lindsey who we had enjoyed seeing her earlier too. I`d had an idea that I was going to try to pull off in the next few days.........

I enjoyed a couple of glasses of red in the lounge, but as Tom was again driving, he was on coffee........

Tonight we were going to visit Nagoya Sushi. Just off Sand Lake Rd, this place is tucked away in a small mall area almost, hidden behind where Toojays is, so only a short car ride away....

We hadn`t booked but we got a table by the window and we did think once we might like to sit at the bar and watch those amazing chefs create those splendid dishes....we`d do that another time. *















*As I`d already had some wine and Tom was driving I ordered a half bottle of Cabernet, and it was very nice indeed, Tom I think had lemonade tonight.*
















*The menu here is beautiful....and huge!!! So many choices we`d love to try and not enough nights......we haven`t had their sushi these past few trips but they have the most amazing creations to opt from. 

I finally opted for the Teppan shrimp, scallop and sirloin which came with stir fried veg, two dipping sauces, fried rice and miso soup to start.*

















*Tom went for one of his favourites, Chilean Seabass in a rice wine sauce.*















*Both dishes were heavenly......and I mean heavenly.........*

*The food was exceptional, steak was rare as requested, seafood perfect and Tom`s Seabass was light and full of flavour and the sauces, miso soup and rice were all wonderful accompaniments.

The staff here are the nicest and most well mannered staff anywhere......they are lovely people who take great pride in their restaurant and food quality. The restaurant itself is very small and you could almost pass it by and not notice it if you didn`t know it was there, but it is highly recommended not just from us, but so many folks have also suggested we go if they don`t realise we know about it. It`s full of locals and very few tourists which we love!! But, it`s a definite highlight of our trip. 

We paid the check and said we wanted to come back again this trip as it`s too good to only visit once, then headed to the car where the sky was ominous and you could feel there was a storm building around us. 

Back home, we got into our jammies and opened a bottle of wine and watched some tv as well as the storm that was wonderful to watch from these huge windows......seeing the sky light up and then the rumbles which were incredibly loud is a nice way for us to spend an evening. Storms in the UK are never as good as they are here. 

So, that was our evening.......we`d had a lovely day, lunch excluded but we had enjoyed some park time and spent time with Lindsey and then a few hours with our friend in the afternoon then had a wonderful evening with some of the best food we`d ever had. 

I can never remember which movie we watched at night, but it wasn`t long till we were yawning our heads off and that comfy bed in the other room was calling to us!*


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## schumigirl

Need to have a look at why the pictures aren`t showing up!! 

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## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> It always cracks us up when folks try to sit on the outside of the boat.  Ha!  Newbies.  I have that same issue with RRR - I want to ride but while I'm on it and getting my brain scrambled I am rethinking my whole life.  I'll probably go on again in August because I'm a glutton for punishment.  As long as I don't end up in the hospital again, it's all good.
> 
> I'm not very good with the shooting stuff either - I just like the ride and I like trying to hit the red spot on the other carts to send them spinning.  That's usually my job in our cart.
> 
> Can't wait to hear about meeting up with Lindsey!



It is such a good ride for sure, but I`m done now.....lol......but the boat door is always funny when you see someone doing it........




Deb1993 said:


> Tom is always smiling!!!!  How lovely is that!
> 
> We love to have a wet morning or afternoon and will go on all the wet stuff until we're done and slosh back to the hotel to either go in the pool or change into dry clothes.  So much fun!




He is always smiling! 

Yes, a set afternoon is always good for the water rides.....I couldn`t get drenched and then keep wandering around the parks.......




Deb1993 said:


> I remember the old Kong!  I believe it was where Fast and Furious is now.
> 
> My in-laws both used ECVs on many trips and both of them fit on the boats, even with strollers on there.  You will need to be able to back it off the boat when the ride is over, my DD had to help my MIL with backing hers off but other than that you should be fine.



Kong is now The Mummy. They have several little nods to Kong on that ride...... 

Fast & Furious is where Earthquake used to be


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## schumigirl

Well, pictures are back up in previous post......glad the glitch was a short one, whatever it was!


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## keishashadow

Lindsey is a cutie, other than resembling one of my DS old GFs to the point I did a double take, she looks quite familiar.  Wonder if she worked one of the non site hotel desks prior to her current assignment?

love that print, a classic


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## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Lindsey is a cutie, other than resembling one of my DS old GFs to the point I did a double take, she looks quite familiar.  Wonder if she worked one of the non site hotel desks prior to her current assignment?
> 
> love that print, a classic



She is lovely! We just wanted to adopt her.......  Think her real parents might object!

No, she`s never worked in the hotels before her concierge job, but she does work part time behind the scenes in Universal.

It`s funny when you see someone who reminds you of someone and you have to do a double take!

We love those oldies.....I know you appreciate them too!


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## Deb1993

Yes, of course!!  We liked both Earthquake and Kong. 

I remember the Hitchcock attraction they had back in the day (maybe late 80's early 90's??) and the Psycho house.  On our honeymoon we bought Bates Motel coasters that we still have and a room key keychain.  I love horror / scary / monster movies and the like, DH does not.  We are currently watching season 4 of Stranger Things and DH requests for us to table it at nighttime because he is scared.  I grew up on old scary movies like the Mummy, Psycho, The Birds, Them!, etc., and prefer story versus gore.  The Changeling with George C. Scott is one of my favs.

How nice to have park time with Lindsey!   Too bad about the lunch service - that is crazy!

Dinner looked wonderful.

Edited to add - that I LOVE the Abbott & Costello meet the Monsters movies.


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## disneyseniors

keishashadow said:


> Do you know the why of the change?
> 
> Sat at nbc grill dining once before ride opened up.  observed the ‘sandbag’ people upside down for over an hour lol. All I needed to see to decide it was not for me
> 
> Had to use one last July due to broken foot.  Rented offsite one, smaller type.  Glad I did. Boat captains told me they are the perfect size to last all day & to back onto the boats


Thank you so much Keisha for the helpful information on ECV's.  My husband hates using one and uses his cane most of the time, but using an ECV really helps him.  Who did you rent from?


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## disneyseniors

Deb1993 said:


> Yes, of course!!  We liked both Earthquake and Kong.
> 
> I remember the Hitchcock attraction they had back in the day (maybe late 80's early 90's??) and the Psycho house.  On our honeymoon we bought Bates Motel coasters that we still have and a room key keychain.  I love horror / scary / monster movies and the like, DH does not.  We are currently watching season 4 of Stranger Things and DH requests for us to table it at nighttime because he is scared.  I grew up on old scary movies like the Mummy, Psycho, The Birds, Them!, etc., and prefer story versus gore.  The Changeling with George C. Scott is one of my favs.
> 
> How nice to have park time with Lindsey!   Too bad about the lunch service - that is crazy!
> 
> Dinner looked wonderful.
> 
> Edited to add - that I LOVE the Abbott & Costello meet the Monsters movies.


Deb:   You hit the nail on the head with your husband's fear of scary movies!  My husband is the exact same way.  He refuses to watch anything scary.  I also grew up on those old horror classics and loved every one of them.  I can watch them before bed and sleep like a baby.  I even watch UFO and Bigfoot shows on TV, which is sometimes too scary for him.  
NOw that he's retired, I have to watch what I watch while he's around.  Honestly, it's like having a little kid around, LOL.  He isn't scared of anything else but those movies.


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## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> Yes, of course!!  We liked both Earthquake and Kong.
> 
> I remember the Hitchcock attraction they had back in the day (maybe late 80's early 90's??) and the Psycho house.  On our honeymoon we bought Bates Motel coasters that we still have and a room key keychain.  I love horror / scary / monster movies and the like, DH does not.  We are currently watching season 4 of Stranger Things and DH requests for us to table it at nighttime because he is scared.  I grew up on old scary movies like the Mummy, Psycho, The Birds, Them!, etc., and prefer story versus gore.  The Changeling with George C. Scott is one of my favs.
> 
> How nice to have park time with Lindsey!   Too bad about the lunch service - that is crazy!
> 
> Dinner looked wonderful.
> 
> Edited to add - that I LOVE the Abbott & Costello meet the Monsters movies.



lol.....yes, I`m so lucky we both love the same type of movies. Well, I won`t watch any of his sci fi movies, but with scary and comedy we are so similar.

We won`t watch gore either....movies like Saw or Hostel I cannot see the attraction in watching them, although a good slasher movie is fine by me lol......

Old black and white movies are among our favourites though! 

Dinner was fabulous!


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## keishashadow

disneyseniors said:


> Thank you so much Keisha for the helpful information on ECV's.  My husband hates using one and uses his cane most of the time, but using an ECV really helps him.  Who did you rent from?


Was thrilled With gold mobility’s service, scooter condition & pricing.  They do sell out in advance btw.

deliver to area hotels.  At U it’s nice as you can just leave at bell services when done. 

At WDW u do have to do a face to face with them

They gave me a tutorial on how to use it & break down the smaller model we rented for easy transport in the SUV we rented.  Still was heavy lol

Even tho small it lasted they our 8+ hour days easily

Best part, price for a week is less than 2 days at using U’s big, old clunky ones

Good luck


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## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> Dinner was fabulous!


I’m not big on eating fish out, Tom’s sea bass looked amazing


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## Deb1993

keishashadow said:


> Was thrilled With gold mobility’s service, scooter condition & pricing.  They do sell out in advance btw.
> 
> deliver to area hotels.  At U it’s nice as you can just leave at bell services when done.
> 
> At WDW u do have to do a face to face with them
> 
> They gave me a tutorial on how to use it & break down the smaller model we rented for easy transport in the SUV we rented.  Still was heavy lol
> 
> Even tho small it lasted they our 8+ hour days easily
> 
> Best part, price for a week is less than 2 days at using U’s big, old clunky ones
> 
> Good luck


Can also give a good review of Walker Mobility - we've rented from them several times.


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## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> I’m not big on eating fish out, Tom’s sea bass looked amazing



Janet, it was gorgeous! 

I was whimpering to get another taste.....even offered a treasured scallop......he was having none of it though, I did get a small piece though! 

Can`t say I blame him.....


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## MamaKate

schumigirl said:


> *WEDNESDAY MAY 11TH*​



Great taste!  My daughter bought the same shirt during our last trip.  She wears it frequently at home .


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## MamaKate

schumigirl said:


> *We didn`t hang around long in here today, it was exceptionally busy and the stores which have the cabinet that moves around and so on, you just couldn`t move in, so we headed back out the sunshine and just caught this before it disappeared and went dull again.....it did look like it was on fire. *



May I ask where in KA this appears?  I've have never seen that!


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## schumigirl

MamaKate said:


> Great taste!  My daughter bought the same shirt during our last trip.  She wears it frequently at home .



 along MamaKate…….good to see you here and hope you enjoy it……

The quality is so good in those Universal shirts, they’ll last forever! I do like that shirt too.




MamaKate said:


> May I ask where in KA this appears?  I've have never seen that!



If you go in the KA entrance next to the Leaky Cauldron and look up to the left as you wander in, you’ll see it there. It does change from burning so keep watching


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## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> I was whimpering to get another taste.....even offered a treasured scallop......he was having none of it though, I did get a small piece though!


I’m dyin


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## BroadwayHermione5

keishashadow said:


> Do you know the why of the change?
> 
> Sat at nbc grill dining once before ride opened up.  observed the ‘sandbag’ people upside down for over an hour lol. All I needed to see to decide it was not for me
> 
> Had to use one last July due to broken foot.  Rented offsite one, smaller type.  Glad I did. Boat captains told me they are the perfect size to last all day & to back onto the boats


The sandbag people are always a make or break for all of us


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## BroadwayHermione5

schumigirl said:


> *We were meeting Lindsey now, and just before we managed to catch the little parade, that of course was ending soon which was a shame as it was a good little show and very entertaining. Universal have some very talented people working for them, some of the artists in these parades are outstanding.
> 
> And of course there`s minions and Gru! *
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> *I had wanted to capture this window below as it had been revamped since the death of Blaine Kern in 2020. I had forgotten to look for it in December, so we made sure to capture it this time. *
> 
> *Many second floor windows have some kind of nod to Universal Executives and behind the scenes employees, but this one was quite special as Blaine Kerns is the man responsible for bringing the extravaganza that is the Mardi Gras Parade to the Studios and of course the success it has become over the years.
> 
> Quite a touching tribute to the man whose name will now forever overlook the spot where the parade begins and ends every evening it runs during Mardi Gras. His vision and creation will certainly live on for many years to come. *
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> *I do love the way the Scenic Decor Department work in Universal and pay heartfelt tributes to so many people who were so important over the years even from the early days and helped make Universal the success it is.
> 
> We headed inside and had a good wander around......this place hasn`t changed much in years, although the lady who used to work here is long gone. She used to come up silently behind you and gently touch you on the arm with a rubber arm.....she got me many times, well, it is the right place to get a scare! *
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> *There are so many pieces of movie memorabilia around and fascinating to see some images that aren`t widely seen by the general public and if you are an old Universal movie buff which we do love, you`ll enjoy wandering around here before the show starts. It wouldn`t take long, maybe 10-15 minutes and you`ll see all their displays in that time.*
> 
> *Jack Pierce was a make up artist who always paid great tribute to Boris Karloff who sat in the chair for 8 hours a day first getting his make up painstakingly adhered to his face, then again another 4 hours to gently remove it too. I couldn`t imagine that amount of patience by both the artist and actor to do this day after day till the movie was completed.
> 
> But, the effects look amazing in the movies and although it was way back then, the style the mastered did have an authentic look....and very scary too for me as a child in the early 1970`s watching these classics. My parents didn`t really believe they were genuine horror movies for some reason, so I was allowed to watch them from quite a young age and grew to love them so much. Although my older brothers took great fun in terrorising me after they had finished.......well, that`s what brothers do *
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> *Abbott and Costello are curiously overlooked masterpieces, they are funny and very clever the way they incorporated the classic monsters into their simple humorous movies....but it worked well, we love these movies too and have the boxset that sits alongside all the classic Universal monster movies......we watch them far too often!!!
> 
> But, they are also eulogised in here too with a picture or two of their movies.*
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> *Herman Munster......another wonderful show that was a spin off from the old scary tales......*
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> *Our lovely Lindsey had joined us and we were looking forward to seeing the show together. It had been a while since we had watched it and she said it had changed a little.......
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> We didn`t use EP but we ended up in a wonderful front row seat where we got the best view of everything. The way it`s set up there are no bad seats, so don`t worry if it`s busy and you`re not at the front, you`ll still see everything. *
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> *Summer is amazing! She really is fabulous and has worked at Universal for years.....I want to say right from the start, but I`m not sure and she has worked as many characters around the park. I had no idea who she actually was till this trip but in looking at older pictures we have seen her lots of times. Very clever and very funny lady. Her on stage partner is also so funny and they do put on a good show.*
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> *Without giving spoilers, don`t miss this show. They still do the old favourite line of not having to be nice to you as this isn`t Disney which always get a good old guffaw of laughter, but they have added some new comments about the Kardashians and so on. The show itself is entertaining and maybe for some it might be a little gory, but it really isn`t. They talk about make up processes over the years and how far they`ve come along since the original days.*
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> *We thoroughly enjoyed today and spending time with Lindsey in the park was a lot of fun too. She was heading off to see the new HHN Boutique that had opened in IOA and was a vacation themed HHN store......we were looking forward to seeing that another day! Then she was working this afternoon, so we`d see her later too.
> 
> Lindsey is indeed a very special young lady.....I think I said it before, as soon as we met her, we felt as if we`d known her forever and of course once we knew she loved HHN more than anyone else we know, we knew we`d get along like a house on fire......it was like having a bonus daughter! And we`d be able to spend some more time with her later in the trip. *
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> *We said our goodbyes and decided we wanted some lunch.......now, we knew the Monsters Cafe was closing, I think everyone knew it just hadn`t been announced, but we thought we`d grab something from there before it closed. It`s not a place we usually eat in, but one last time would work today for us as we were so close.......*
> 
> *Apparently we weren`t destined to eat here.......it had just closed. Of course.
> 
> To be honest, it never served the best food, we much prefer table service as the food was always cool by the time you paid and sat down, but hey ho, it`s gone now and of course it`s rumoured to be opening as a full scale restaurant in Epic Universe which sounds like a much cooler experience!
> 
> We were thinking of where to go for lunch now.....Finnegans was close, but we really don`t like the food from there at all.....very overrated, but we do like to go in for a drink at the bar, but that`s about it.
> 
> So, Tom quite likes NBC. We`ve had good and bad experiences in here and I was reluctant to try it again as they had not pulled it out the hat in the last 3 visits we`ve had......but Tom`s choice today, so NBC it was.
> 
> It was deserted......the Marie Celeste had nothing on this. I`ve never seen this place as empty.......but we got taken to a table right at the far end of the place, which was ok by us as we like to see the grill go when the chef`s are cooking.....although I doubted they`d be cooking much today, we counted 7 other people in.
> 
> We should have paid attention when our waiter barely grunted at us and tapped the barcode to indicate there was no paper menu....well, ok then. He said one word.......drinks? I was getting a bad feeling about this waiter.....his eyes were darting around the restaurant as he waited for us to order something despite us not having looked at the menu yet......so I just asked for water as did Tom....I guess he realised he wasn`t making a lot of money out of us today.
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> He brought the waters and another family were seated to our side and he was exactly the same way with them.*
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> *I ordered the brisket quesadilla and Tom ordered the Club sandwich, no avocado with a side of tator tots.......not much to go wrong there.*
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> *We waited a fairly short amount of time and they arrived, our waiter still hadn`t uttered a word yet. *
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> *Tom`s sandwich had avocado on it, he hates it......but I took it as I like it, and it did look lovely, very fresh and he did really enjoy it. *
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> *At this point Marcel Marceau, aka Jorge, came by and removed the plates without checking if we were done or asking how it was........hmmm.
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> I was ready to leave by now, and was going to catch his ever roaming eye for the check when he practically ran past us dropping off the check as he went.....no pleasantries like I`ll get that when you`re ready or, no rush.......so we put the money inside and he rolled past even faster and picked up the check and disappeared without one word....not even did we need change........and certainly not even a Thank you in there anywhere. *
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> *We were actually shocked at how rude this guy had been. I watched him serve the other table and he was the same way, completely disinterested and downright lacking in the basics of manners.
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> We didn`t need change, but when we got up to leave, the man on the other table commented to us that we also got the worst waiter in the world too.......yep, this guy was something else. *
> 
> *Yes, we should have spoken to the manager.....but, we didn`t. To be honest I don`t think it would do any good. But, when we got home I left an honest review on TripAdvisor. Usually I hate leaving negative reviews, so if we have a bad experience, I just won`t bother leaving one, although we very rarely have a bad experience anywhere in America so it`s a non issue, but I was angry by the time we left.
> 
> At times we`re too British and don`t like to complain, but this was once we should have. *
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> *We headed down to get a boat as one had just pulled in and we vowed never to return there again. That was the last time we`d try it. *
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> 
> *It was nice getting in the cool for an hour or so, and we both showered and changed and headed down to the lobby where we were meeting our lovely friend for a good old chinwag for a couple of hours. He was setting off for a few days to his favourite vacation spot so it was going to be nice to have a proper catch up with him before he left. To say we think he is the nicest man on earth is an understatement and my husband often jokes I prefer him to Tom.......lol.....but we had a lovely few hours just chatting about anything and everything and generally catching up. We`d see him when he go back anyway, but this had been lovely and we so appreciated him taking the time for us today
> 
> We headed over to the lounge and chatted to all the staff again including Lindsey who we had enjoyed seeing her earlier too. I`d had an idea that I was going to try to pull off in the next few days.........
> 
> I enjoyed a couple of glasses of red in the lounge, but as Tom was again driving, he was on coffee........
> 
> Tonight we were going to visit Nagoya Sushi. Just off Sand Lake Rd, this place is tucked away in a small mall area almost, hidden behind where Toojays is, so only a short car ride away....
> 
> We hadn`t booked but we got a table by the window and we did think once we might like to sit at the bar and watch those amazing chefs create those splendid dishes....we`d do that another time. *
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> *As I`d already had some wine and Tom was driving I ordered a half bottle of Cabernet, and it was very nice indeed, Tom I think had lemonade tonight.*
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> *The menu here is beautiful....and huge!!! So many choices we`d love to try and not enough nights......we haven`t had their sushi these past few trips but they have the most amazing creations to opt from.
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> I finally opted for the Teppan shrimp, scallop and sirloin which came with stir fried veg, two dipping sauces, fried rice and miso soup to start.*
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> *Both dishes were heavenly......and I mean heavenly.........*
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> *The food was exceptional, steak was rare as requested, seafood perfect and Tom`s Seabass was light and full of flavour and the sauces, miso soup and rice were all wonderful accompaniments.
> 
> The staff here are the nicest and most well mannered staff anywhere......they are lovely people who take great pride in their restaurant and food quality. The restaurant itself is very small and you could almost pass it by and not notice it if you didn`t know it was there, but it is highly recommended not just from us, but so many folks have also suggested we go if they don`t realise we know about it. It`s full of locals and very few tourists which we love!! But, it`s a definite highlight of our trip.
> 
> We paid the check and said we wanted to come back again this trip as it`s too good to only visit once, then headed to the car where the sky was ominous and you could feel there was a storm building around us.
> 
> Back home, we got into our jammies and opened a bottle of wine and watched some tv as well as the storm that was wonderful to watch from these huge windows......seeing the sky light up and then the rumbles which were incredibly loud is a nice way for us to spend an evening. Storms in the UK are never as good as they are here.
> 
> So, that was our evening.......we`d had a lovely day, lunch excluded but we had enjoyed some park time and spent time with Lindsey and then a few hours with our friend in the afternoon then had a wonderful evening with some of the best food we`d ever had.
> 
> I can never remember which movie we watched at night, but it wasn`t long till we were yawning our heads off and that comfy bed in the other room was calling to us!*


I too love the dedications in the windows!

We sadly have never been to horror make up! I wanted to go in September but unfortunately if you have read my trip reports I had some hangry humans (needless to say they’ve been spoken to and it will not happen again)

Lindsay sounds like an amazing human! 

All I can say about the NBC experience is 1) at least Tom’s sandwich looked fresh and 2) *** 

Nagyura meal looked DIVINE OMG! I would’ve eaten that Teppan platter up no questions!


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## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> I’m dyin



I know!!! 

And he`s usually so generous with sharing.........


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## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> I too love the dedications in the windows!
> 
> We sadly have never been to horror make up! I wanted to go in September but unfortunately if you have read my trip reports I had some hangry humans (needless to say they’ve been spoken to and it will not happen again)
> 
> Lindsay sounds like an amazing human!
> 
> All I can say about the NBC experience is 1) at least Tom’s sandwich looked fresh and 2) ***
> 
> Nagyura meal looked DIVINE OMG! I would’ve eaten that Teppan platter up no questions!



It is a nice touch with the references around the park. 

Horror Make up is a classic, I think you`ll enjoy it.

Yes, Lindsey is adorable!! 

Tom`s sandwich was the only good thing about that lunch experience and yes, Nagoya is one of the best places to eat around that area.....food is always fabulous and it`s just a lovely experience eating there.


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## schumigirl

*SATURDAY MAY 14TH*​



*We slept longer than we planned to this morning. Today we were heading to St Augustine for the day and we were meeting a fellow dis bod we had met before and it had been a while due to the travel ban since we had managed to meet up again. *
*
Instead of being on the road for around 7.30am, we were only walking over for breakfast......guess we wouldn`t be doing much in St Augustine today, so I`m maybe not the best advocate for what a gorgeous place it is. We went in December and did much more than we did on this day, but we still had fun. 
*
*Breakfast was nice, they had some fruit kebabs on offer today, they were nice for a change and were very popular with guests. We had our usual mix, I bagged the bubbly as Tom was driving.......and left before I enjoyed any more as it was being offered profusely this morning,  and then headed back off to Sapphire to get the car and set off.*
















*We love driving in America, even though this car is not what we would normally drive, it`s so much better than the original one from this trip, and it`s a vacation vehicle so doesn`t need to be fancy pants. But, the drive is always fun and have some great 80`s music to listen to along the way......we smile when Neil Diamond Coming to America comes on......during the travel ban, I couldn`t listen to that song at all........every time it came on.....I`d fill up regretting how much we couldn`t travel to the country we love so much.......lol......I`m happy now I can listen to it and smile......*





*



*​

























*It is a beautiful city, every building has a story, I`m sure I rambled on in previous TR`s about it, so today I won`t. *
















*St George Street is the main shopping area in St Augustine and it is full of unique little stores including one of the best pizza places around, Pizza Time is one of those places you have to try if you`re passing, we really enjoyed the slices from there! 










*
















*The Spanish influence is everywhere and the history is everywhere too and on another day, we would enjoy doing some more exploring, but today we would just wander till lunchtime. *





































*You don`t have to wander far off the main street to find some lovely little shopping opportunities and there are gorgeous places to have a wander around and pick up some lovely little things. 
*














*The Fort was somewhere we had visited before, so we passed it by today (I`m definitely not showing St Aug at it`s best) and enjoyed a stroll by the waterway and watched the bridge rise and fall to let the bigger boats go back and forward, it is stunning and pictures really don`t this gorgeous place justice. *


























*We were meeting JaxDad for lunch in one of our favourite places here, Harry`s Seafood Bar and Grille where we had eaten several times before and loved it, so this was the perfect place to meet up. *
















*I called JD to let him know we were there as we were a little early and he was close, so it was a few minutes and we could have a hug and say hello again after almost 3 years. Last time we met up it was hotter than Hades......one of the warmest days ever......today was hot, but lovely. *

*We got our table and I think we chatted for so long it took us a while to order......eventually we managed to decide and we got our drinks, I ordered Harry`s Hurricane, JD had beer and poor Tom had lemonade.......bless him. *















*I don`t like tacos of any kind......but I did like the look of the Fish Taco JD had ordered.....very fresh looking, but I`m sure it had cilantro in it which is a huge no no for us........*















*Mine looked a little lacking from what I usually order, but it was nice. I went with the Grouper with a lemon cream sauce and a side salad with my favourite honey mustard on the side.....*


























*Tom ordered rather unusually a deep fried combo, not something he would usually choose, but he did enjoy it. I don`t think I got a taste of that either!! *














*JaxDad son and his girlfriend dropped in and we managed to get a proper chat with them this time, last time it had been a very brief meet with his son, they make a lovely couple and it was nice to hear of their plans coming up with college, always an exciting time. *

*And of course we had a picture..........*















*We`d had a lovely meet up again with some good food and once we said our goodbye`s we did think of dropping in to the Gin distillery again, but to be honest, we ended up just leaving and not visiting Flagler College and the other places we usually visit. But, it is such a nice place to visit. *
*
I don`t think we`ll visit for St Augustine for a while, we`ve done everything we want to see there so we`ll maybe find somewhere else to go to in that area. There are a few beach places friends have suggested we`d like, so we may do that. 

St Augustine is somewhere you can pass a few days, it is lovely, but they have a homeless problem, like so many other places of course, but you do feel odd seeing such poverty and desperation in such an affluent and beautiful place. The Bandstand is usually adorned with tourists, but today it was filled with several homeless people and although they`re not threatening in any way to folks, it`s just so sad to see folks living this way. *















*We have a good drive home and had a quick snooze and freshen up before we headed over to the Club Lounge.......our lovely Lindsey was working and it was lovely to see her and we met the 3rd Supervisor who we had missed so far, he was nice and it was nice to put a face to a name. *

*This was as usual a fun filled chatty time and they were amazed again that in all our years staying, we had only made dessert hour so few times, 2 or 3 tops.....so we were given some desserts to take away for later which was lovely as they were key lime flavour and they were lovely. *















*We sat till around 7.30pm, I know.....we chat a lot!! And we still hadn`t decided where to eat dinner tonight. Strong Water is too easy....we could easily eat there every night, but might get a little dull and there are so many places to choose from around......eventually discussing it with everyone who would listen......we opted to go to Hot n Juicy Crawfish. *
*
Decision made, we headed back over to Sapphire....yes, that groove we were making walking back and forward so often was getting deeper! But, we got the car and drove the 10 minutes or so to Sand Lake Road where the restaurant is, its in the same section as Eddie V`s and a nice Publix store, so not far. 
*
*It is always busy and when we went in there were two tables available so we were lucky as just after we sat down, the other tables were filled immediately and then there were people waiting by the door, it`s hugely popular and although there are imitations of this style of food, this one is the original and the best! *















*Basically you order food in a bag here.......lol...but it is amazing!! *
*
We both order the same thing tonight, but I decide to give the oysters a go tonight before our entree and they were just ok.....very small, but I didn`t really expect the same as what I`d get in an upmarket place, but they were nice. *















*So, Tom and I both ordered a pound of shrimp, both spicy with Hot n Juicy seasoning. There are several flavours to choose from and various heat levels.....there is one spice level above what we opted for, but this one was perfect for us and maybe even a little hot tonight for us. *

*They had a new option in the mix now, we always ordered shrimp, but you could now order headless shrimp, few dollars more and worth it. We don`t mind stripping down seafood, but it just meant we could devour them faster!!! *















*Yes, we wore the bibs and we didn`t use the plastic gloves as it is just easier with bare fingers. *

*They are lusher than lush!!!! Perfectly cooked and the flavours are simply wonderful and we did wonder if we could manage another bag between us......we couldn`t! *















*This had been gorgeous. And a place we would keep in to visit every trip. *
*
We headed back home and went to Strong Water for one drink and dessert, we thought we might manage that tonight. 
*
*Our usual cohorts weren`t in tonight, but we still chatted to several staff we know well, but we were tired tonight, so I ordered the ice cream dessert and Tom went for the chocolate cake again......we each loved our own desserts! *















*Last Typhoon and a beer, and for some reason I had a glass of red wine too.......but all were lovely. *

























*I think it was around 11pm and we decided enough was enough for us.....we were yawning our heads off and we headed down that short corridor to our room and no tv tonight......straight to bed for us. *


----------



## MamaKate

schumigirl said:


> along MamaKate…….good to see you here and hope you enjoy it……
> 
> The quality is so good in those Universal shirts, they’ll last forever! I do like that shirt too.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> If you go in the KA entrance next to the Leaky Cauldron and look up to the left as you wander in, you’ll see it there. It does change from burning so keep watching



Thank you for the warm welcome.  I usually follow your trip reports.  I just don't comment much lol.


----------



## Deb1993

Those hanging flower pots in St. Augustine are incredible!!  Sounds like a very lovely day and a nice meet-up.


----------



## disneyseniors

Deb1993 said:


> Can also give a good review of Walker Mobility - we've rented from them several times.


Yes, DEb, I'd love to hear your review of Walker Mobility and any hints to help.   Keisha shadow has been very helpful too.


----------



## Deb1993

disneyseniors said:


> Yes, DEb, I'd love to hear your review of Walker Mobility and any hints to help.   Keisha shadow has been very helpful too.


Used Walker Mobility many times.  They delivered to PBH in lobby when they said they would.  Paid ahead of time.  Once had an issue with a battery and they came to replace.  Chairs were in good condition, lasted all day and night, charged in rooms in evening.  This was our contact there - Nancy Buffill <NBuffill@walkermobility.com>.


----------



## disneyseniors

Deb1993 said:


> Used Walker Mobility many times.  They delivered to PBH in lobby when they said they would.  Paid ahead of time.  Once had an issue with a battery and they came to replace.  Chairs were in good condition, lasted all day and night, charged in rooms in evening.  This was our contact there - Nancy Buffill <NBuffill@walkermobility.com>.


Thank you Deb.  That sounds like a good company too.


----------



## JaxDad

Woo hoo! I’m in another @schumigirl trip report! It was a great pleasure having lunch with you both. I felt bad taking you away from touring time in St. Augustine, but it looks like you still managed to see quite a bit.

We just returned from a week+ trip to South Dakota on Sunday. It was truly awesome! We’ll probably be mostly homebodies the rest of the summer, with just our annual neighborhood Ichetucknee River tubing event and a couple other day trips.

Please say hi to Tom for me, and I hope to see you again soon!


----------



## BroadwayHermione5

That chocolate cake is calling my name!


----------



## schumigirl

MamaKate said:


> Thank you for the warm welcome.  I usually follow your trip reports.  I just don't comment much lol.



Well, I`m glad you joined in to post.......look forward to seeing you more


----------



## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> Those hanging flower pots in St. Augustine are incredible!!  Sounds like a very lovely day and a nice meet-up.



It was a lovely day, and yes, a lovely meet up too. 

St Augustine is stunning.......


----------



## schumigirl

JaxDad said:


> Woo hoo! I’m in another @schumigirl trip report! It was a great pleasure having lunch with you both. I felt bad taking you away from touring time in St. Augustine, but it looks like you still managed to see quite a bit.
> 
> We just returned from a week+ trip to South Dakota on Sunday. It was truly awesome! We’ll probably be mostly homebodies the rest of the summer, with just our annual neighborhood Ichetucknee River tubing event and a couple other day trips.
> 
> Please say hi to Tom for me, and I hope to see you again soon!



We so enjoyed meeting up with you again too, and getting to see your boy again was lovely. 

No, we had no real plans to do much this visit, we`ve done all we wanted to do on previous visits and yes, we did see what we wanted to do. We could walk along that waterfront for hours.

Oh I`m so glad your trip was a success, it did sound a beautiful place to go see and some day trips and short trips sound just about perfect for the summer. 

Tom says hi right back......and yes, I`m sure we`ll manage another meet


----------



## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> That chocolate cake is calling my name!



lol....I always wish I liked chocolate cake.......they look so delicious. I do like the flourless chocolate cake I make for them.....but even then, It`s the tiniest piece I take, that`s more than enough. 

I think you`d like it.


----------



## BroadwayHermione5

schumigirl said:


> lol....I always wish I liked chocolate cake.......they look so delicious. I do like the flourless chocolate cake I make for them.....but even then, It`s the tiniest piece I take, that`s more than enough.
> 
> I think you`d like it.


Here’s the thing-I’m not a big cake person! Sometimes I love a good cupcake and I do enjoy cheesecake but regular cake is not my thing. The fact that cake is calling my name says a lot lol


----------



## Pumpkin1172

All caught up again!  It really looks like it was a relaxing vacation for both of you.  



schumigirl said:


> We should have paid attention when our waiter barely grunted at us and tapped the barcode to indicate there was no paper menu....well, ok then. He said one word.......drinks? I was getting a bad feeling about this waiter.....his eyes were darting around the restaurant as he waited for us to order something despite us not having looked at the menu yet......so I just asked for water as did Tom....I guess he realised he wasn`t making a lot of money out of us today.


I HATE when we get bad service like that!  We were fortunate when we were there we had no bad service.  But there was no excuse for the service you had.  


schumigirl said:


> *I don`t think I got a taste of that either!! *


  I know what we would both try to order different meal so we could each try eachother's meals.


----------



## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> Here’s the thing-I’m not a big cake person! Sometimes I love a good cupcake and I do enjoy cheesecake but regular cake is not my thing. The fact that cake is calling my name says a lot lol



Yes, sweet things are not generally for me.......I can eat a little cheesecake, but it`s usually too sweet so one bite is enough. 

A vanilla cupcake is another that will tempt me though and I do like madeira cake which is similar to butter cake. And Dutch apple pie, cherry pie.......maybe I like dessert more than I realise.......


----------



## schumigirl

Pumpkin1172 said:


> All caught up again!  It really looks like it was a relaxing vacation for both of you.
> 
> 
> I HATE when we get bad service like that!  We were fortunate when we were there we had no bad service.  But there was no excuse for the service you had.
> 
> I know what we would both try to order different meal so we could each try eachother's meals.



It really was a relaxing trip, we love not having to rush to do anything. 

Yes, it`s a rare occasion when we`ve had bad service, very rare, but this guy was off the scale rude. Apparently we weren`t the only ones to complain about this guy. 

We`re the same!! Usually order different meals so we can share each others dishes.....that`s what couple`s do don`t they   but he told me later when I mentioned it the batter wasn`t very good on the fish so that`s why he didn`t offer me any.....I knew there had to be a reason.........


----------



## KathyM2

Finally had a chance to catch up around here!! Wow...all the food...and rides...and also the heat...so want to be in FL right now lol!! It's strange how what appeals to us changes over the years lol...I like different things than I did when I was younger too lol but it's not always less adventurous lol...but I hear you on not wanting to shake up the brain lol

I like Margaritaville too, it's cliche and touristy but I find it fun and the food I have tried has always been good!


----------



## NashvilleTrio

Thoroughly enjoying your TR as usual!!  Thanks for sharing!  Looking forward to the rest!


----------



## schumigirl

KathyM2 said:


> Finally had a chance to catch up around here!! Wow...all the food...and rides...and also the heat...so want to be in FL right now lol!! It's strange how what appeals to us changes over the years lol...I like different things than I did when I was younger too lol but it's not always less adventurous lol...but I hear you on not wanting to shake up the brain lol
> 
> I like Margaritaville too, it's cliche and touristy but I find it fun and the food I have tried has always been good!



Glad you made it back Kathy....

Oh yes, I could go a quick trip right now too........

Yes, getting my brain rattled is not my idea of fun anymore, never really was, but I did all the rides I could. Now, I`m choosy and will only do the rides that are fun, but don`t knock me sideways for three hours!!

I always tell folks, you won`t get upmarket fancy food at Margaritaville, but it`ll be good and substantial portions too, some nice drinks too. I do like the atmosphere in there.


----------



## schumigirl

NashvilleTrio said:


> Thoroughly enjoying your TR as usual!!  Thanks for sharing!  Looking forward to the rest!



 along, good to see you here!!

I`m so glad you`re enjoying it.......we did look for you in the parks, anytime I saw a face I thought I recognised I did a double take......lol.......

More coming up........hope you`re all doing well.....


----------



## Cara

Your photos of St. Augustine are lovely, and I remember that you all have visited there before. That's a place I have never been, but everyone says it is gorgeous. I am looking for a place to take my adult daughter for four nights or so for a mother-daughter trip in March -- close to our birthdays. I hadn't thought of St. Augustine before, but now you have me thinking...  We could stay at the beach and then visit old town! I'll have to see what she thinks about it!


----------



## schumigirl

Cara said:


> Your photos of St. Augustine are lovely, and I remember that you all have visited there before. That's a place I have never been, but everyone says it is gorgeous. I am looking for a place to take my adult daughter for four nights or so for a mother-daughter trip in March -- close to our birthdays. I hadn't thought of St. Augustine before, but now you have me thinking...  We could stay at the beach and then visit old town! I'll have to see what she thinks about it!



Thank you Cara......it is a beautiful place and we`ve enjoyed many visits there now, so time for a break for us I think.

It would be a perfect place for mother/daughter trip.......there are so many options to stay there. We saw some beautiful little guest houses in the centre of the town which looked incredible. But, I`m sure you`ll be spoiled for choice with options to stay there and you`ll be able to fill your time easily there.

Sounds like a fun trip for you both......


----------



## schumigirl

*SUNDAY MAY 15TH*​




*Today, and the next few days are park free. It wasn`t intentional, just the way things worked out with meeting some folks. We do always say we don`t need to go to the parks every day, but sometimes we do just pop in for one ride, or to do the water rides, but not this time. *
*
We lazed a little this morning, didn`t rush to get up and showered which was nice....I was still up as early though, but went through with my ipad to the dining table and sat watching the sun come up again which was just the perfect way to start the day for me. 
*
*We wandered across to RP for breakfast, and again, took our time and I enjoyed some lovely fizz, this really was becoming a lovely little habit in the morning but I wasn`t the only one thankfully, the morning Mimosa choices were very popular with many guests. 

After we had chatted as usual, headed back for the car and went to Publix for a few things, Bed Bath & Beyond and for the first time we left that store not buying a single thing........strange as we usually find something we like. But, we`d come back another day and hopefully find what we wanted. So, we headed to the nicest Mall in Orlando, Mall at Millenia.......*
*
I had a few things I wanted to pick up today, one was in Bloomingdales as they stock Bobbi Brown and one of my eye shadows that is glittery and sparkly was coming to an end, so popped in there and asked for the colour I wanted, paid and headed to Clinique where I had the nicest man serve me and I got all the products I wanted and he didn`t tell me I looked old......and sold more products because of that.......lol......

Our next stop was Tiffany.......my favourite store in the Mall.......not buying anything today, we just wanted a look around and hoped to see the man we have dealt with for our last purchases, we hoped he had survived the pandemic. So on entering we saw that they had redesigned the store since we were last in. It looks beautiful and much nicer than before. 
*
*We had a lovely lady look after us, she told us Amit was still working and was just off today which was a shame, would have been nice to see him. She emailed him and said we had been in and we`d be in touch if we did want to buy anything coming up. Today I just wanted my rings cleaned and appraised, it wouldn`t take long at all, but we did have a look around as we waited for the lady to get sorted. *
















































*I loved this wall.......I was trying to convince Tom we could replicate it in a space somewhere in our home ........we had a stand alone brick wall in the kitchen that was kind of spare......I thought it would look lovely covered in this...*














*Tom however, looked at me with a distinctive expression.........*  












*Maybe not then.......*
*
I handed my rings over for cleaning and we said we`d be back in an hour or so after we had eaten.
*
*It was fairly busy today although it was Sunday so not unexpected, but it is such a pretty mall, we do enjoy just wandering around even if we don`t buy anything.*















*Lunch today was The Cheesecake Factory. The home of Kyle`s favourite dessert in the USA *
*
We knew we`d have a little wait as this place is always mobbed......even when I went with my mum and Aunt Doreen to one in LI, it was still so, so busy, but it is incredibly popular. We don`t have anything similar in the UK and the portion sizes always impress us Brits who don`t usually see such massive portions anywhere in restaurants. And for such a large menu, the quality always seems to be top notch, not high end, but good food and always have good service.
*
*The hostess told us it would be around 15 minutes for a table, so Tom of course got images of some of the cheesecakes on offer here. Most look gorgeous......but anything made with dark chocolate, Oreo, peanut butter or low calorie versions are most definitely not for me!! But, something for most folks. *






































































*The coconut cream pie and caramel apple appealed to me and I`d think about it later to get some to take home....or the Mango Key Lime........*
*
But, for now I was thinking about entrees........there are so many options here from appetisers, sandwiches, pizza, salad, burgers, steaks and some gorgeous dishes like chicken piccata and so many more. I don`t think I`d be disappointed in anything ordered here. 

We got the bread and ordered strawberry lemonades which are just the nicest here.....the bread I find just ok, it`s usually too hard for me to enjoy too much. 
*
*It`s a fairly noisy place and very popular with the Brits who seemed to make up a large majority today!! Folks either side of us were from the UK and one first time family who were lost with the menu.......it is a huge menu. *















*After long deliberation, I decided to go for the Bang Bang chicken and shrimp, and asked for a side of jalapenos as it is in no ways spicy despite them telling me it was spicy and was that ok for me.......lol.....*

*I don`t usually eat rice or pasta, but for this one I kept the rice as it did look good.....and the dish was lovely, not at all spicy so I was glad of the jalapenos, but it was a very tasty dish.*















*Tom would usually get Linda`s Chocolate fudge cake as it`s Kyle`s favourite, but today he wanted something different and opted for Red Velvet Cheesecake for his lunch.*














*He loved it. It wasn`t for me but he cleared the plate and I almost cleared mine, but there was just too much rice for me. *
*
Our waitress tried to talk me into dessert, but I had no room and decided I`d pick some up before we left. I forgot!! 

We headed back to Tiffany to pick up my rings, and there was a line to get in.......lol......I had refused to wait in line for Bath&Body and Louis Vuitton on previous visits......it`s the new way of shopping in some stores now, but we didn`t have an option except to wait. But, the lady we were dealing with spotted us and we got in and sat down to get the rings back. 

She emptied them out into a lovely black tray and said we have two rings........er, wait......there were three rings! 

You know when you see someone have that blind panic across their face for that split second.....she had it bless her!! But, the third ring was tucked away in the little bag....phew!! 

My rings were seriously sparkling again........I do clean them myself, but they never sparkle quite the same way as when they do it professionally. We thanked her and headed out of the mall....forgetting my cheesecake to go!!! 

But, we wanted to get on and buy something this afternoon that we weren`t sure we`d be able to find.........



*


----------



## Cara

schumigirl said:


> Thank you Cara......it is a beautiful place and we`ve enjoyed many visits there now, so time for a break for us I think.
> 
> It would be a perfect place for mother/daughter trip.......there are so many options to stay there. We saw some beautiful little guest houses in the centre of the town which looked incredible. But, I`m sure you`ll be spoiled for choice with options to stay there and you`ll be able to fill your time easily there.
> 
> Sounds like a fun trip for you both......


Carole, I will impose on you again. Do you happen to recall during which trip you visited St. Augustine and recorded the most information? I would love to read them again. So sorry for constantly getting sidetracked!


----------



## schumigirl

Cara said:


> Carole, I will impose on you again. Do you happen to recall during which trip you visited St. Augustine and recorded the most information? I would love to read them again. So sorry for constantly getting sidetracked!


Not a problem Cara.......I don`t mind at all, ask whatever you like, if I can help I will.....

I "think" these are the two trips that we spent the most time there. I`m not sure the Gin distillery is in any of those, I can`t seem to find that one......but these should give you a little look around St Augustine.



https://www.disboards.com/threads/w...rs-more-a-2019-hhn-sfr-rpr-tr.3761899/page-42

https://www.disboards.com/threads/b...-18-trip-report.3684737/page-10#post-59319265


----------



## KathyM2

schumigirl said:


> We do always say we don`t need to go to the parks every day, but sometimes we do just pop in for one ride, or to do the water rides, but not this time.


This is what sounds so appealing to me about your long trips!! You don't have to go to parks every day, and when you do you can just go in for a bit and not feel like you have to stay dusk till dawn to get your money's worth!! I so hope to do this one day!


schumigirl said:


> the nicest Mall in Orlando, Mall at Millenia.......


Really hope to visit this place some day!! Again...never have long enough trips to get to the malls lol...on our shortened thanks to covid trip in 2020 we had planned to finally check this mall out...but it wasn't to be...next time I hope!!


schumigirl said:


> We don`t have anything similar in the UK and the portion sizes always impress us Brits who don`t usually see such massive portions anywhere in restaurants


Their portions are ridiculous!!! I love the food there and the atmosphere...but it's hard when you are travelling and may not have a fridge or anywhere to put leftovers...I feel bad leaving so much food. But I never seem to be able to share because the people I'm with never want the same things lol


schumigirl said:


> but today he wanted something different and opted for Red Velvet Cheesecake for his lunch.


The red velvet cheesecake is my fave...I'm actually not a huge cheesecake fan but that cake has a lot of actual cake it in it lol


----------



## schumigirl

KathyM2 said:


> This is what sounds so appealing to me about your long trips!! You don't have to go to parks every day, and when you do you can just go in for a bit and not feel like you have to stay dusk till dawn to get your money's worth!! I so hope to do this one day!
> 
> Really hope to visit this place some day!! Again...never have long enough trips to get to the malls lol...on our shortened thanks to covid trip in 2020 we had planned to finally check this mall out...but it wasn't to be...next time I hope!!
> 
> Their portions are ridiculous!!! I love the food there and the atmosphere...but it's hard when you are travelling and may not have a fridge or anywhere to put leftovers...I feel bad leaving so much food. But I never seem to be able to share because the people I'm with never want the same things lol
> 
> The red velvet cheesecake is my fave...I'm actually not a huge cheesecake fan but that cake has a lot of actual cake it in it lol



I really do appreciate that for some folks parks from opening till close is a must do if they`re only there for a shorter time, I don`t think I could do it though with the heat.....the cool of the hotel room or somewhere else calls me a lot!! You`ll love it!! 

Mall at Millenia is only 5 -10 minutes away from home, and it`s not a huge mall so you don`t need a lot of time to get through it, I think you`d like it a lot. It`s just so bright and airy and of course it has the Cheesecake Factory. 

I never feel bad leaving food.....honestly, I`d much rather folks enjoy what they eat and leave it, rather than try to cram themselves full. We heard folks at the next table a few trips ago try to make their kids eat everything, their plates were almost untouched.....they were Brits so we tend not to do leftovers especially if they were in a hotel.....I`m generalising here of course.....but, we never take food away from restaurants, it`s just not something we do over here either, very rare to see anyone do that, of course portions are a lot smaller over here too. 

I very rarely want to share with anyone anyway.......lol....it`s nicer to get a taste of everyone else`s food!

Yes, Tom said that one had more cake in it which he liked. I did get a taste of the cheesecake part.....it was gorgeous!!! He would get it again.......


----------



## schumigirl

*We left the Mall and set about on our mission for this afternoon. *
*
Since we met Lindsey and found out about her fabulous boyfriend and how he actually is Spider-Man......I had joked she needed a tee that told the world her boyfriend was indeed a superhero!! We had kinda laughed about it, but my little brain started thinking we need to get that girl as teeshirt with that written on it. 
*
*So, we had gone to a few places we thought might do it, but we were not succesful......we had about given up when Tom mentioned picking up something from Wal-Mart........*












*Yep........so simple......there was a shirt printing business in Wal-Mart!!!! Doh.........*

*So, off we trundled to Wal-Mart, not a fun place to be on a Sunday, but it wasn`t too bad to be fair.......Tom went into get some more sunscreen and I headed in to the tee shirt place, picked up the smallest tee I could find and the very cool dude asked me what I wanted on it..........I of course repeated........My Boyfriend is Spider-Man........his eyebrow raised like Roger Moore in a James Bond movie and he looked at me like I was Lola from Barry Manilow`s Copacabana after she lost her mind.....*

*I did laugh and said it wasn`t for me, don`t think he was too surprised by that news........so he asked what she liked and I described her vibe and he said come back in 10 minutes.........I hoped it would be exactly what I had in my mind!!! But, this guy looked as if he knew what he was doing.......*
*
We picked up some groceries.........why can we never come in for one thing and leave.....I swear we are never less than $50 every time we come in here!! Then we went back and we were thrilled with the results! She would love this!!! 
*
*Back home I brought it out the sealed bag and popped it in a gift bag we picked up......it was now mid afternoon, so we headed out to walk to RP as the lounge would or should be quiet this time of day and I knew Lindsey was working this afternoon with the lovely Raphael. 

The lounge was indeed deserted so when they came over to the table, I handed her the package and she was confused as it was obviously a gift bag.......I told her it was for her and hoped she liked it.........*

*Her reaction was off the scale!!! She actually dropped when she realised what it was......it was one of those had to be there moments........Raphael as soon as he saw it was a gift shouted for us to get the camera......another Doh moment, so Tom grabbed the camera just before she opened it.*




































*I think completely overwhelmed could describe it........she was so surprised we had taken the time to go and get something like this for her.....but as soon as I had thought of it last week, I knew we`d go get one for her somehow.....even if we had to go further afield to get it. She is so sweet. *














*And here is the tee.........*



























*It was lovely!! And she put it on heading home and Spider-Man was as thrilled to see it as she was.......I can now honestly say I`ve had an email from a real live Spider-Man......and what a lovely email it was too!!!! *
*
She sent us a picture of her wearing it that night at home with her lovely boyfriend in it too......and it looks fabulous!!! 

It was lovely to see her so happy with the gift.....she is a very happy young lady anyway and has a very vibrant personality, so we were thrilled to see such a lovely reaction from her. 

We sat and chatted some more, and both had a glass of wine tonight as we were planning to eat in Citywalk tonight, nice for Tom to be able to enjoy a glass or two of wine from the lounge. The Concierge Manager came in, waved and sat down with us and chatted tonight, we had spoken to her several times over the last two trips, but it was nice having this time to get to know her a little better, she is so lovely and nice she took the time to sit down and chat to us too. 
*
*Maria who is the manager in Orchids also came up to say hello to us tonight. We hadn`t managed to get back down there for dinner yet, but it was so lovely to see her and nice of her to come up and say hello. We`re so lucky to be able to get to know some lovely people over our length of stays.*

*We didn`t have any, but tonights options were mac n cheese with chicken tenders, one of the more popular choices on offer. *



























*I mentioned how we never fancied BigFire as so many folks we know had told us not to bother as it wasn`t great....mostly TM from the hotel and parks too......not good when staff won`t go!! There are several places we won`t eat onsite, Bubba Gump is the main one as we have tried it twice and found it to be dreadful and not somewhere we`ll go again, cocktails were decent though. NBC is now another but Lindsey said she would make a reservation for us in BigFire if we wanted, we said we were just going to wing it and walk up, but she booked it so we`d be guaranteed a table.......which was very kind of her.*
*
Staff in the lounge are Concierge trained, so they can make reservations and do the same things as the staff at the concierge desk downstairs, somefolks don`t realise and head downstairs to ask. 

We sat again a little longer but looking at the sky outside, we did wonder if the rain was heading our way so thought we better make a move. 
*
*Before we did, the staff know we never make dessert hour, so we got a plate of desserts to enjoy before we did leave. The apple pie ones are very nice, and Tom ate the chocolate ones and did enjoy them, a nice little taster.*















*We headed down to the boat and it wasn`t too busy which was unusual this time of the evening, but once we got off at Citywalk and walked up to Fat Tuesday`s, we saw they had closed down the boat service due to lightning in the area. We had been lucky to catch the last one for a few hours. *
*
Tom went to the bar while I got a table........it felt incredibly humid tonight and you could feel there was a storm on the way. Tom shouted me at this point, I had forgotten the one drink per person rule, so waved to the barman as the recipient of the second drink.......
*
*I have no clue what we both ordered, I know they were both different, but whatever they were, we did enjoy them! I do use my own plastic straws a lot of the time, I hate paper straws with a passion!!*

























T*he sky quickly changed to looking very ominous.........*















*We were a little early for our reservation, but wanted to beat the rain and we got to the door of BigFire just as the heavens opened.....and boy was it a doozie of a storm in the end!!! *

*No problem being early, and we did have a very nice table upstairs.......*















*Our waiter was lovely, he was genuinely very nice and we looked forward to this meal tonight now despite our concerns. *
*
One thing I didn`t like was the bathrooms in here......I loathe shared bathrooms with men. Not all men are messy of course, but generally speaking......it`s a no from me. 
*
*We ordered a bottle of wine which was so-so.......nice enough though. *















*It was a nice little area up here, not too busy and there were tables available all over the restaurant. *

*We were enjoying watching the rain out of the window....it was sweeping in and we hadn`t seen it as bad for a long time. The thunder was now rumbling like crazy and lightning was indeed illuminating the night sky.....we were so glad we had made it before it started as we would have been drenched. *
















*Tom ordered the mussels as an appetiser, I went for the oysters rockefeller which were covered in a béarnaise sauce, spinach, bacon and bread crumbs , even though they weren`t my favoured way of serving them, I prefer them raw with lemon and tabasco, but I`d give them a try. *

*I went to the bathroom, came back and they had just arrived......they looked ok, just a little small. *















*Tom`s appetiser hadn`t arrived yet, and it only took a few seconds for me to devour these tiny little craters.........and then I was finished. Wouldn`t get them again. *
*
And we waited a little longer.........and then even longer.......it was 15 minutes before our waiter appeared to take my plate and noticed Tom hadn`t has his mussels. He said he would go chase them up. About 10 minutes later, we were just about to give up, his mussels appeared at the tabel and they did look lovely......but at the same time our entrees were being brought up the stairs we could see and sure as fate, a second later the entrees were delivered to our table. Not good. 

We told our waiter who had appeared, we didn`t want the mussels now, which he apologised for and said they`d be removed from the check. Tom was gutted......lol.....they did look good. 

So, our entrees looked a little unattractive to be honest. 

I had gone for the BBQ shrimp which the dish was described as blackened shrimp, a cream sauce. sides of coleslaw and cornbread.
*
*The shrimp were cold and not blackened, there was no cream sauce, they had added sweetcorn which I don`t eat and there was some kind of crumbled cheese on top that I didn`t care for nor did I want it on my dish. This was not good. *















*They cook the steaks in quite a distinctive flavouring, some love it some don`t......we didn`t care for it. Tom said he could eat it, but wouldn`t order it again, however it was well cooked. And that`s about the only good thing we can say about it. *
*
Carrots and potatoes were undercooked to the point of being raw and lacked any flavour whatsoever. Quite an achievement to cook food in such a bland way. 
*
*Tom could eat his steak, but even at that, it should have been sizzling on the outside considering how they brag about the heat on the grill they cook on. *














*Our waiter did appear to check on us eventually.....I relayed the issues with my dish and he did again, apologise and say he`d redo it for me.......oh I will say, I had tried the cornbread and it was amazing!!! The best cornbread I have ever tasted anywhere.....even my own!! But, apart from that it was a complete failure from the kitchen. *
*
I said no thank you on the offer of remaking the dish and received no explanation of why there was no sauce or blackened shrimp on the plate and why cheese and corn had been added??? More importantly for me, it was cold. 

Tom and I like to eat together and it irks us when service or food compromise that time......we enjoy sharing and this was not correct. The kitchen weren`t exactly overwhelmed tonight, so I doubted it was because they were too busy. 

The manager came up and apologised again and asked if there was anything they could do to make up for it, we said no thank you, but they sent desserts anyway which were not good either. 
*
*We appreciated her taking the time to come and talk to us and obviously remove the items off the check.....we still tipped our waiter as he hadn`t cooked the food so badly and he was very nice. 

This was just a heavy pile of thick claggy pastry with a small amount of apples and ice cream on top, the one Tom received was a chocolate dessert that you could have brick up a house with.......and the ice cream on top was slightly off. We didn`t touch either after we poked them a little.*


























*This is a place we will never return to either.......we`re running out of places to eat in Citywalk now!!!! *

*Such a disappointment for us as we had hoped it would be a success. Everyone we told about our meal said exactly the same thing............*










*lol....we deserved that!!! *
*
Definitely somewhere we won`t recommend nor will we go back again. A one and done.....

The rain had finally gone off now thankfully, so we decided to walk as it was such a lovely evening now.......*














*And such a peaceful walk back home. *














*We cut through RP and were home in no time at all. Tom asked if I wanted any food as I must be hungry, but it was late and I really wasn`t hungry. So we watched some tv and I fell asleep watching something or other. Tom lay and watched the whole movie and said I didn`t budge the whole time despite the tv being on. I was tired.*
*
It had been a mixed day, such a lovely afternoon, but dinner had been so dreadful.
*
*Tomorrow we had another quiet day, but a lovely Dismeet *


----------



## disneyseniors

Okay, Carole, I can't get past your comment about sharing the bathroom with the men?????!!!!!! 
I have never heard of this at any restaurant before, though we hadn't tried Big Fire, but still....
I know they have family restrooms where you can go together with the kids if needed.  Weird!  Now I know I will never eat there or, LOL.
Otherwise, loved the reaction of Lindsey and what a sweet thing to do for her!  Can't wait for more!


----------



## schumigirl

disneyseniors said:


> Okay, Carole, I can't get past your comment about sharing the bathroom with the men?????!!!!!!
> I have never heard of this at any restaurant before, though we hadn't tried Big Fire, but still....
> I know they have family restrooms where you can go together with the kids if needed.  Weird!  Now I know I will never eat there or, LOL.
> Otherwise, loved the reaction of Lindsey and what a sweet thing to do for her!  Can't wait for more!



lol.....no, not for me either. We were somewhere recently that had shared bathrooms, I forget where now and the lounge at Manchester Airport were shared facilities too.....I opted to leave the lounge and use the ones outside in the corridor instead. 

Tom said they were clean when he went in, but who knows....I just don`t like it. 

Lindsey was so taken aback with her surprise, it was so sweet to see her reaction! 

More coming up soon......


----------



## Lynne G

Yeah, we ate at Big Fire once.  We had water dripping on us, so we asked to move to a different table.  They were annoyed at that.  Our meals were just okay, and have never been back.  There are much better steak places not far from the parks.  We even drove 25 minutes away to a most gorgeous wood decorated steak house, that had one of the best filets I have had, and my daughter almost licked bowl the mashed potatoes side were in, as we had ordered with the steak. The food was that good.  And waitstaff was perfect. We rarely eat in CityWalk, other then grabbing pizza there. Why we always have a rental car.  Sad you had such a bad experience from the kitchen. 

Enjoying reading your reports, and awesome pictures in it.  Oh, and we always seem to go that mall, as short drive, and pretty mall. Plus, there’s that donut place and a Target near it too.


----------



## anca

hi mate, long time reader in oz here. i found the dis forums a few years ago and was instantly fascinated and have been enjoying them ever since. i may be a bit different from the majority of dis-users in that i actually have no desire to go to disneyword/land and am not a super fan! i say that with utter respect to everyone here, and because despite having other main hobbies/holiday preferences, i love reading these boards so much, particularly the trip reports. 

i do find most topics here so interesting to read about, especially the trip reports. probably as i adore memoirs and autobiographies so much! i don't comment mainly because i am reading prior reports like they are books, and some are very old. also i don't need any holiday advice.

but i have caught up with this one so thought i would write you a note, @schumigirl , to say hello, and thank you for being my favourite writer on here! 

mate i adore your reports, your personality just shines through and it is glorious. tom and kyle are absolute sweeties, and so are you! the level of detail you provide is superb, i truly feel like i am experiencing a vicarious holiday through you, which has been a wonderful gift over the last couple of years. books rarely have that type of detail but you have the ability to publish so freely here that it is possible. 

the consistency of your reports is particularly soothing in this brave new world. you and tom and kyle remain unbothered, grateful, kind, and fun, in all your encounters. even sending the odd meal back is a lesson in true grace. your enjoyment of all aspects of your trips is lovely, as is your generosity towards the hotel staff. i love returning to the same resort and bars with you, the familiarity is as enjoyable as it always is in a well-written series in a genre you love. 

i have read all your reports but am a bit glum i have reached this ones point, may have a reread of one. i would read outside but it is absolutely freezing cold at 15 deg celsius, a bitter winters day! you would love my weather....mid/high 20s into low 30s for most of the year, bright sunny winters, lots of dramatic thunderstorms! 

i wanted to just say hi @schumigirl love your work but here have this essay instead. please say g'day to tom and kyle for me...congrats on the new job kyle!


----------



## schumigirl

anca said:


> hi mate, long time reader in oz here. i found the dis forums a few years ago and was instantly fascinated and have been enjoying them ever since. i may be a bit different from the majority of dis-users in that i actually have no desire to go to disneyword/land and am not a super fan! i say that with utter respect to everyone here, and because despite having other main hobbies/holiday preferences, i love reading these boards so much, particularly the trip reports.
> 
> i do find most topics here so interesting to read about, especially the trip reports. probably as i adore memoirs and autobiographies so much! i don't comment mainly because i am reading prior reports like they are books, and some are very old. also i don't need any holiday advice.
> 
> but i have caught up with this one so thought i would write you a note, @schumigirl , to say hello, and thank you for being my favourite writer on here!
> 
> mate i adore your reports, your personality just shines through and it is glorious. tom and kyle are absolute sweeties, and so are you! the level of detail you provide is superb, i truly feel like i am experiencing a vicarious holiday through you, which has been a wonderful gift over the last couple of years. books rarely have that type of detail but you have the ability to publish so freely here that it is possible.
> 
> the consistency of your reports is particularly soothing in this brave new world. you and tom and kyle remain unbothered, grateful, kind, and fun, in all your encounters. even sending the odd meal back is a lesson in true grace. your enjoyment of all aspects of your trips is lovely, as is your generosity towards the hotel staff. i love returning to the same resort and bars with you, the familiarity is as enjoyable as it always is in a well-written series in a genre you love.
> 
> i have read all your reports but am a bit glum i have reached this ones point, may have a reread of one. i would read outside but it is absolutely freezing cold at 15 deg celsius, a bitter winters day! you would love my weather....mid/high 20s into low 30s for most of the year, bright sunny winters, lots of dramatic thunderstorms!
> 
> i wanted to just say hi @schumigirl love your work but here have this essay instead. please say g'day to tom and kyle for me...congrats on the new job kyle!



 along anca......

I`m so glad you decided to post after reading for so long, and I`m glad you posted on this one, your post is honestly such a lovely one to read.

Thank you so much for your lovely comments, they do mean a lot to me  I`m so glad you enjoy all the detail and yes, some repeat places to eat and drink....we are creatures of habit at time!

Disneyworld is not on our radar either, we have no thoughts of ever returning to be honest, nothing appeals to us and certainly not the preplanning required and seemingly the need to be attached to a phone to do a lot of things. One of the reasons we love Universal so much, no planning required, just turn up and enjoy!

Your weather does sound like I`d love it there, even the thunderstorms! And I adore reading autobiographies and memoirs too. I`ve just finished reading Margaret Thatcher`s autobiography, it was so interesting, I`ve read a lot of books about her as she is a fascinating woman, very divisive of course to many.

Thank you for the good wishes for Kyle......he is loving his new job and has settled in so well, as if he`s always been there. And I`ll most certainly pass on your G`day to both of them.....

Don`t be a stranger on the TR, it`d be lovely to see you post more from the other side of the world.......we`ve met some lovely Australians over the years, including some we still keep in touch with.....and hope your winter weather warms up a little soon.

Thank you once again.......


----------



## schumigirl

*MONDAY 16TH MAY*​



*Today was going to be another quiet one for us.......looking back* *I didn`t realise just how many days we had missed going into the parks at all! We`d certainly remedy that in September. 

But, for today we got up and headed again over for breakfast. We liked our morning routine, some foks say they couldn`t be bothered with all the walking, but for us, we enjoyed that morning amble over to RP. 

We took our time and I did enjoy a couple of glasses again of champagne, and I even turned down extra refills as we had sat so long chatting.....I don`t think I suit an empty glass!! 

We were heading back to the Mall at Millenia this morning......I had not asked for the correct eye shadow yesterday, I thought I had asked for the glittery shimmery one, but when I got home and opened it, it was just the non shimmery one, so we wanted to exchange it for the correct one if they had it. So, headed back over for the car and passed a lovely TM I hadn`t seen for ages, I didn`t recognise her initially as she had changed her hair so much and the other girl knew us, but I had no memory of meeting her. I always feel bad when folks say they know us and we can`t remember them, I used to have such a good memory for faces, but now I think it`s names I remember more! But, we had a nice little chat and found out what had changed in her life since we had last seen her and glad to hear she was doing so well. 

We went back to the room to pick up the make up and use the bathroom, I do admit I got a little distracted as the housekeeper was in the room, so I quickly went to the bathroom, and we left again. We got to the car and Tom looked at me and asked where the Bloomingdales`s bag was.........*





*



*​




*Yep, we had to head all the way back and get the bag.......I`m not usually forgetful like that, but I don`t like disturbing the ladies when they`re doing the rooms.

Bag picked up, we again headed to the car with the Concierge lady glancing at us wondering if we were just wandering for fun this morning........but, we made it to the Mall but traffic this morning was horrendous. And crazy drivers everywhere...I know this road is not the best and drivers are a little carefree, but today seemed a lot worse, and it`s only a 10 minute drive! 

We should have taken some pictures in the Mall today as it was so gorgeous looking as we walked up to it. We had gotten into trouble a few years back for taking pictures of the outside and inside the Mall. There was not a single person outside at all, which is quite unique, so we grabbed some pictures then we were stopped by an overenthusiastic security officer. 

Apparently you can take pictures with people in it, inside or out, but you`re not "allowed" to take pictures of the property with no people in it!!!!! There are no signs up to say you can`t take pictures, they don`t want to do that as it would confuse folks......yes, that`s confusing!!! We had some emails back and forth with the management of the Mall, who eventually didn`t answer my question of were we allowed to take pictures of the Christmas tree the way I had done many times as did thousands of other people. 

We`ve since taken lots of pictures with neither of us in it and have never been approached by the many security and police officers who are usually around. But, he wasn`t making it up, it was a rule, but a rule they don`t tell you about and don`t enforce it anywhere. Crazy. 

So, Bloomingdales. It was like the Marie Celeste......not a soul seemed to be working, eventually a little lady appeared from somewhere and I explained to her I had asked for the wrong one and could I exchange it, sure she said......but she then said she didn`t work for Bobbi Brown and didn`t know the stock or what I was talking about.....I did begin to wonder at this point if she was just a customer who had wandered in....but to save any further time I said we`d be happy with just a refund which suited her fine I think as she genuinely didn`t seem to know anything about their products. 

Weirdly, the money she gave us back was the same notes we had handed over yesterday to pay as we had used cash. Tom checked the serial numbers on the small amount of cash we kept in the room safe and they matched! I guess very few folks use cash these days! But, what were the chances of getting the same money back. 

We wandered around and had a look at a few things, I did look for a new MCM bag, but didn`t see one I liked, then we wandered around a little but didn`t buy anything this time, it`s just such a nice Mall to wander around in and do a little people watching too. 

We then headed back home and went back to our room to freshen up before heading to RP and Jakes for lunch with my good friend Maria aka....Worfiedoodles and Mr Worfie too. 

I think we were a little early and headed in for our table, but we didn`t have to wait too long and it was so lovely cacthing up again. We email of course, but it`s nice meeting up in person as we had done on our December trip last time. 

Jake`s is a nice place to eat, but for us it`s not the same as it used to be somehow. I can`t quite put my finger on it, but it`s just not somewhere I`d say we have to eat every trip now the way we used to. It`s not dreadful, just not as good. 

Chatting away, it did take us some time to order and when we did we all got the crawfish chowder, I had some sweet potato fries and Mr W had a salad. Maria and I both had a Mai Tai I think and Tom had Jake`s Spicy Margarita.*















*I do have to say I was so disappointed in the chowder this time around.......I always raved about how good it was, but this time it lacked that punch of flavour that we were so used to, and a definite lack of crawfish in our bowls which is a shame as I recommend it to so many folks....not any more. It should have been boiling hot too, but it was tepid. *















*The Mai Tai was gorgeous I have to say, I think we both enjoyed this one. 


*












*Tom said the Margarita was tasty, but lacked substance, something we were noticing a lot with Jakes recently......they were always known as a place for a good pour, but not anymore. I do say though, mine was strong enough! Especially for lunchtime! *
















*But, of course, food is secondary when you`re meeting up with your buddy......and we did have a lovely lunch with lots of laughter and chatter and time passed so fast!!! Where does the time go when you`re having fun......

And of course, our usual picture together........
*















*We eventually said our goodbye`s I think they were heading to the parks for some fun.......we did have plans, but they had been changed last minute, so we had a free couple of hours. 

I do love this little open walkway from the lobby to the elevators and rooms in Guest House 2, it`s so light, bright and airy. *
















*Not my favourite pool in the resorts, but it is very pretty and on a day like today, it looks beautiful. We are not folks who frequent pool during the day due to our West of Scotland skin type that is not conducive to sunbathing! We are more moonbathers, preferring to sit round the pool in the evenings when you still have the heat, but no glaring sunshine. *















*Tom put the tv on in the sitting room and I went through to the bedroom and snooze I did! I swear I never felt as tired before as I felt some days this trip...it was exceptionally hot which is not a complaint of course but we did feel a snooze was a real luxury for us. 

Tom did fall asleep watching something or other on tv, but we didn`t sleep too long, just enough......I woke first, popped my head through to the sitting room to check Tom was awake and headed for the shower before getting changed and then we headed over to the Club Lounge.

Tom and I both had some salad tonight, added a load of tabasco to it too, and as were staying onsite, he could partake in the wine offerings tonight.......

Me in my other sitting room as one of the staff called it......lol....

I really need to remember and take off my lanyard when I`m not going to and from the parks! 















CJ brought us over a little plate with some desserts on it again.....most of them are not for me as they are chocolate based, but I did eat the frosting on two and it was rather nice. But, nice of them to bring them over to folks who don`t make dessert hour. *
















*Tonight we were planning to eat in Citywalk and in what we consider to be the best restaurant in this area. There aren`t many places we do like here to be honest, we much prefer to eat in the hotels or around about offsite where we know many lovely restaurants and have done that for many years. There are so many places to choose from and most are excellent. 

We didn`t wait long for a boat tonight and although we don`t eat here a lot, we do like wandering around Citywalk, it`s not huge and not a lot to do, but it passes some time. *















*Tom asked me if I had ever had a picture on the Voodoo chair....I honestly couldn`t remember, surely I must have......but we took one anyway. *














*There was a huge line for Vivo tonight, but there were plenty of tables free when we walked in to sit at the bar and I think like so many places now, they are struggling for staff. They have the tables, they have the guests, but unfortunately don`t seem to have the staff to cater for them. We did notice a lot of tables weren`t cleared for a long time which of course exacerbated the wait times folks were experiencing. 

We like the bar!!

Sean and Tommy are two of the best barmen in Citywalk and we always enjoy seeing them working......Sean was at the other bar, but came over to say hi which was nice. 

The bar was fairly busy tonight but we didn`t wait long for bread with the lovely olive oil and I ordered a glass of malbec as we had enjoyed several in the lounge.....didn`t feel we wanted a whole bottle. I think Tom stuck to water here as we were heading to StrongWater later. *















*We both knew what we were having tonight....Tom going back to his linguini with clams which he loves, it`s a little spicy, but not hot, anyone who fears heat in food don`t need to worry, it is very delicate. *














*Usually I have chicken, but I liked the sound of the monkfish, so opted to have that. 

I had taken a chunk out of the monkfish before Tom took a picture, and it was very nice, it was very well cooked I have to say and had a lovely flavour which was again quite delicate. It wasn`t the most filling of meals I have to say, but it was enough for now. It came with shrimp and mussels and the broth was very nice. I love monkfish and I would get this dish again and Tom would get the clams too, he doesn`t mind pasta now and again, but it`s not something I ever order. *
















*We used our gift cards we were given from the OI event tonight to part pay for this meal, so it barely cost at all, and once we had paid we decided to walk back as it was so beautiful. 

Cutting through the ballroom/convention area takes no time at all and we get a lovely hug from everyone when we come in, it really is the most welcoming of bars and everyone is made to feel so welcome whether you`re in for food or just drinks.

It`s fairly quiet tonight and Fernando said to get a table as he had planned a rum tasting for us.......  *














*Tom nipped out before they brought the rums over and took some snaps of the view from the balcony and you get a good view from the fire pit too, such a lovely evening.*
















*We ordered a Mai Tai and a rum revival while we waited for Fernando and Lenny and did comment it was so quiet, I know it was only Monday, but usually it`s busier than this, we weren`t complaining though we quite liked it like this. *















*We love spending time with these guys......and here Fernando was telling us what rums he had for us to taste......and his explanations of where they came from and the abundant flavours in all of them is so interesting, they both really, really know their rums! *
































​



*I was going to to be puggled drinking these!! *















*They were all lovely, and we all had the same favourite and same least favourite weirdly......The Botany Bay was the stand out for all of us and I did like that one straight. I do love rum but usually have it in a cocktail unless it`s a genuine higher end rum. 

I could be a pirate........*









​


*This was a rather unique rum we were privileged to try too, it was something special and Tom enjoyed this one more than me. 

*













*Over the years we had tasted many rums Fernando had offered us to try, form some very unusual places you`d never expect, least of all the Scottish rums we bring him.......lol......but it`s so kind of him to think of us like this and know we`d enjoy and appreciate it a lot. 

We did turn down another taste of the bottles.......wheee....I`d be completely pickled if I had any more alcohol!!!! 

We`d had such fun with them tasting through the rums tonight, and we said again how much we`d miss our Lenny......but we decided to have something to eat, we didn`t want a lot, but something......fernando said he had the perfect thing as they had all the ingredients for the Guava Pork dish that was going back on the menu, we were supposed to have that dish on the tasting menu Chef made up for us, but we`d be able to try it now. 

Guava-rum bbq pork was a smoked pork shoulder, with tostones with a garlic habanero pepper mojo.....we had so looked forward to tasting this dish. 

Fernando told us we had to dip right into the mojo to get all the garlic and pepper flavours.....well, we do as we are told........
*















*This was gorgeous! This and the Tuna Tirodito were our two favourite dishes now......lordy!!! Everything was perfect and we both ate all the tostones which we didn`t think we would, but they were so good and the perfectly cooked pork with the sauce and the mojo.....all together this was perfect!! I knew we`d order this dish a lot in the future. Fernando said he`d pass on our comments to Chef as he wasn`t in tonight. 

All of a sudden the bar began to fill up.......two words......

Convention people!!! 

They had been at an event till now which was why it was so quiet, but once they come in, you know they`re there!! 
*















*Fernando laughed when we said that was our alarm call to leave for the evening.......the whole ambience changes when it fills up like this, but it`s good for business of course.

We thanked Fernando for such a lovely evening again and told him we had really enjoyed the tasting tonight......then we said our goodnights and gave our Lenny a wave as he was now completely surrounded by folks wanting drinks.....

It was around 11.30 when we got back in, and for me straight to bed after drinking a gallon of water! And then once again, I was out for the count........*


----------



## disneyAndi14

So sad the food at some of the restaurants around Universal just weren’t up to standards! I also despise lukewarm food, ugh!
I have to say the tomato soup and 1/2 grilled cheese I had at Jake’s in 2021 was delicious! 
I know how much you loved the crawfish chowder, so sad it isn’t as good now!
How nice of you to buy your friend the Spider-Man boyfriend t-shirt! 
I love how you explain some of the people you encounter, like the guy behind the counter doing the t-shirt printing and the older lady at the make-up counter, gives me a really good chuckle  
Keep up the wonderful trip reporting, I love it


----------



## Cara

Carole, thank you so much for linking to the previous trip reports. You are so sweet and helpful! I would have said thank you before now, but we had our grandson for five days and are tuckered! There is a reason people in their 50s do not have babies!!

What a disappointment Big Fire was! To be honest, my husband and I have always really enjoyed eating out, but in the last 18 months or so we have been sorely disappointed. In general, quality has not been great, most places are severely understaffed, and service is not great. I prefer my own cooking most of the time, which is something I never thought I would say! And shared bathrooms are not for me either!

I am keeping a list of your favorites though! Confisco Grille, Storm Water, Margaritaville and Sal's are on it!


----------



## schumigirl

disneyAndi14 said:


> So sad the food at some of the restaurants around Universal just weren’t up to standards! I also despise lukewarm food, ugh!
> I have to say the tomato soup and 1/2 grilled cheese I had at Jake’s in 2021 was delicious!
> I know how much you loved the crawfish chowder, so sad it isn’t as good now!
> How nice of you to buy your friend the Spider-Man boyfriend t-shirt!
> I love how you explain some of the people you encounter, like the guy behind the counter doing the t-shirt printing and the older lady at the make-up counter, gives me a really good chuckle
> Keep up the wonderful trip reporting, I love it



Yes, if food is supposed to be hot, it needs to be sizzling hot. I have heard good things about the tomato soup and sandwich, it`s such a shame when things change and not for the better. The chowder was odd as it looked the same as before but lacked any flavour, not sure I`d order it again.

She loved the teeshirt so I was happy with that, suits her too!!

lol.....I`m glad you`re enjoying it Caroline and good to see you.......


----------



## schumigirl

Cara said:


> Carole, thank you so much for linking to the previous trip reports. You are so sweet and helpful! I would have said thank you before now, but we had our grandson for five days and are tuckered! There is a reason people in their 50s do not have babies!!
> 
> What a disappointment Big Fire was! To be honest, my husband and I have always really enjoyed eating out, but in the last 18 months or so we have been sorely disappointed. In general, quality has not been great, most places are severely understaffed, and service is not great. I prefer my own cooking most of the time, which is something I never thought I would say! And shared bathrooms are not for me either!
> 
> I am keeping a list of your favorites though! Confisco Grille, Storm Water, Margaritaville and Sal's are on it!



You are so welcome Cara, glad to help. 

You must have had the best 5 days looking after that little darling! Yes, couldn`t imagine starting all that over again....it`s nice to give them back, but you`ll have loved having him stay. 

We don`t seem to be too bad over here with restaurants for service, we tend to go to a lot of the same places restaurant wise and pubs we visit for food are family run and don`t seem to struggle getting younger staff as waiters/waitresses I`m glad to say. 

I do like my cooking too lol.....I enjoy it too but I do love eating out! 

BigFire was a huge disappointment I have to say, definitely not going back there again and yes....shared bathrooms......no.


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## schumigirl

*TUESDAY MAY 17TH*​




*Another morning where the sun was blazing above us and skies were a beautiful aquamarine blue, almost perfect.......and yes, it was going to be another scorcher.......

And another few glasses of champagne lay ahead with breakfast this morning.....it does feel lovely starting the day with a glass of fizz, maybe every day was too much......but hey, who gets to decide that anyway ........I was loving it!! *





*



*​*




We took our time this morning as we had no real plans till this afternoon and early evening, but we did have somewhere to be this morning after breakfast. 

Breakfast was nice and we sat and just chatted for the longest time and enjoyed some grape jelly that no one else seems to like!! I loved it, but it wasn`t popular so the lovely staff got me some from downstairs as there only seemed to be jam on offer in the little pots. Grape jelly and cream cheese is classic! I only really drink tea, very rarely do I touch coffee, but they had changed the tea bags since last time and they`re ok.....not the best but drinkable, but this morning I tried their camomile and it was one of the nicest ones this brand offer, their Earl Grey was good too, just the breakfast tea lacked substance so I always had two teabags when I had a cup of that. 

It had been arranged for us to go visit the Club Lounge that had been completely refurbed over at PB this morning, Jen confirmed with us the manager was expecting us around 10.30ish if that suited, so as soon as we were ready we headed down to get the boat. 

It was gloriously hot......seriously going to be a roaster today again.

Didn`t wait long for a boat at RP, and we arrived at the boat dock to be told just hop along to the awaiting PB boat, there was hardly anyone around which was nice. I commented it had been a long time since we had a boat to ourselves.......*















*Here below you can see the offending outdoor part of the boat door that folks think is a seat.......so many times folks will park themselves there thinking they have the best seat in the house......lol.......*














*We had Capt Rob again this morning of the not so funny but funny dad jokes all the way to PB...he is one of the best Capt`s around and we said we hoped he didn`t leave for the longest time as he is a character and a half. A lot have left now that had been there for so long, so he`d be missed too when he went. 

It`s a nice little boat ride to any of the hotels, and it is nice when PB opens up under the last bridge, it`s an impressive looking set of buildings and again, on days like today it looks even more beautiful. *
















*We had to stop off at the Concierge desk to pick up a key to get into the lounge, although we could have just knocked, someone would have answered, but we went in to get the key and headed to the lounge which is just off the main lobby and now included what had been Bar American which was also just off the main lobby, I was keen to see how they had merged it altogether. *
















*We let ourselves in and one lady immediately asked if we were there to meet the manager.....we must have looked like we didn`t belong.......lol......I`m ashamed to say I forget his name which is incredibly rude, but it just evades me for now, he was very nice and was obviously very proud of his new lounge although he hadn`t been there for very long. 

This was the first area we saw which is to the left when you enter the Lounge. I did like this area and liked the booth style, it felt quite cosy. *















*I will say, I did prefer the chrome look for the coffee pots and hot water, and the fridge for the cold drinks was an improvement on what RP lounge had. *


























*This area I didn`t like, the floor is just too busy and looks like a cafeteria to me......but it does make it easier for folks to get a seat when it`s busy. *















*This used to be Bar American, I always thought that should be Bar Americana......but, it does look lovely since they revamped it, it used to be very dark inside, I guess they would call it atmospheric, but it is much brighter now which made it look so much better. 

They can close this area off from the lounge for private events if need be when someone needs a space, and it would be lovely for any occasion. I think this was my favourite part of the new lounge. *


























*You do have a lovely view from the lounge over the bay which is so pretty....and we do capture 2 actual real life people walking by which is so unusual here!! *















*We had enjoyed seeing the lounge and thanked our host for taking the time to show us around when we could easily have just wandered around on our own, it was so kind of him. 

The lounge itself.......parts of it are nice, but it doesn`t flow together as one space and feels very disjointed. It is pretty and certainly much better than it was before as it really needed an update, but overall it didn`t make me swoon over it. There`s something missing from it. But, I feel that about PB in general....nice, but not for us. 

And we did get a boat to ourselves today for the first time in a long time! *














*We headed back home to get the car and we headed off to Winter Garden which is around 25 minutes away by car and it was drives like this we found the Visitor Toll Pass to be a real gem. A lot of tolls are unmanned now, so this was ideal for us. 

Winter Garden is a lovely place.....it`s as quiet as Mount Dora when you walk around which we really like and there are some lovely stores and restaurants here too and again you`re spoiled for choice. 

Chef`s Table at the Edgewater was one place we had really enjoyed prepandemic, and we did think of going back, but the menu for the Chef`s Table is quite limited and there wasn`t really anything suitable for me. Tom would have loved it, but he wants me to really enjoy our meals when we go out, not just have something for the sake of it. 

But, there are plenty of places to choose from. 

It`s a classically beautiful little downtown area, there are other areas where there are food options but not as nice as downtown. *
















*To be very honest, we only wandered round a little as we were starving now.....well, it was lunchtime now! 

Even though we had several places to choose from, we decided to go back to the place we had eaten on our last lunch visit.......it was a really nice bar with food we had enjoyed, so why not go back, especially as we weren`t looking for a big lunch. 

Moon Cricket Grille.........we had mentioned it to one of the ladies in the Club Lounge as she lives here, and she did confirm it was still as good as it had been before and that we`d enjoy it, good to hear. 
*




































*Last time we ate here we had sat at the bar to eat as it had been so busy, but today there were a couple of booths available so we got settled down and checked out the menu which is a nice one and ordered a Merlot for me and lemonade for Tom as usual.

Tom ordered a Chef Salad with thousand Island dressing, I went for the Asian Chicken Salad which came with an Oriental Ginger dressing and it was gorgeous!!  *


























*The salads were incredibly fresh and fairly filling considering it`s just salad.......but we did enjoy them and it is a nice place to eat and I think at night it would be a fun place to have a drink with the live music they play on weekends. 

We headed out into the sunshine and jeez......hot!! 

But, it`s so beautiful here so we did want to have a proper wander round in the sun and we headed to the central area where there are chair swings in the shade around the fountain and we got lucky as someone left one just as we came towards the fountain. *















*We passed an hour or so just sitting and swinging back and forward just watching the not so busy world go past, this was so relaxing I half expected my mister drop off to sleep as we rocked back and forward! But, it was just nice. 

Eventually we got up from the swing and had a wander round the rest of this area, and again marvelled at just how quiet this place was. *


























*We had heard of this restaurant from several folks, The Hangry Bison and it was supposed to be excellent. The menu didn`t exactly scream out at me, but I think one day we`ll give it a try. It was certainly busy enough. *














*More to come *


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## Pumpkin1172

All caught up again   



schumigirl said:


> Tom would usually get Linda`s Chocolate fudge cake as it`s Kyle`s favourite, but today he wanted something different and opted for Red Velvet Cheesecake for his lunch.


As soon as you posted the first picture of that dessert, I totally would have ordered that!  I LOVE red velvet!  I don't know if I could eat a whole slice of cheesecake.  I get horrible stomach pains from it -  my gallbladder doesn't like it   It's good to know that it was delicious!


schumigirl said:


> All of a sudden the bar began to fill up.......two words......


I am the same way.  I need a reprieve from loud/crowded places.  It's the introvert in me.  I can only handle the loud for so long, then I need to seek out quiet space - especially when we are eating out.  I would have been heading out too!!!!  Just looking at the picture I can hear the volume of the room and my anxiety would have me running for the safety of our room 


schumigirl said:


> Another morning where the sun was blazing above us and skies were a beautiful aquamarine blue, almost perfect.......and yes, it was going to be another scorcher.......


Those beautiful Florida skies!   As we were driving home yesterday, we were chatting about the beautiful day and I commented about how the sky today looked like the bright Florida skies!  He said I was right    ( Imagine that...me...right  ) that our bright skies today look and felt like Florida!


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## schumigirl

Pumpkin1172 said:


> All caught up again
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> 
> As soon as you posted the first picture of that dessert, I totally would have ordered that!  I LOVE red velvet!  I don't know if I could eat a whole slice of cheesecake.  I get horrible stomach pains from it -  my gallbladder doesn't like it   It's good to know that it was delicious!
> 
> I am the same way.  I need a reprieve from loud/crowded places.  It's the introvert in me.  I can only handle the loud for so long, then I need to seek out quiet space - especially when we are eating out.  I would have been heading out too!!!!  Just looking at the picture I can hear the volume of the room and my anxiety would have me running for the safety of our room
> 
> Those beautiful Florida skies!   As we were driving home yesterday, we were chatting about the beautiful day and I commented about how the sky today looked like the bright Florida skies!  He said I was right    ( Imagine that...me...right  ) that our bright skies today look and felt like Florida!



I feel your pain! Best thing I ever did was get my gallbladder removed years ago! Worst pain ever when it flared up. But, yes Tom loved that one and said he’d get it again.

It’s funny, I’m quite a loud person, or so I’m told…….no, I suppose I am, when I laugh, everybody hears it but I hate a loud atmosphere at times. Like you, I’m ok for a very short time, then I retreat. It’s not fun.

I do miss that vibrant blue sky when we’re home here……we have a mix of about 4 different greys this morning……very different! But, yes, I can imagine what you meant……and being right too……lol……..

Glad you’re all caught up!


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## Deb1993

schumigirl said:


> *We left the Mall and set about on our mission for this afternoon. *
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> *Since we met Lindsey and found out about her fabulous boyfriend and how he actually is Spider-Man......I had joked she needed a tee that told the world her boyfriend was indeed a superhero!! We had kinda laughed about it, but my little brain started thinking we need to get that girl as teeshirt with that written on it. *
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> *So, we had gone to a few places we thought might do it, but we were not succesful......we had about given up when Tom mentioned picking up something from Wal-Mart........*
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> *Yep........so simple......there was a shirt printing business in Wal-Mart!!!! Doh.........
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> So, off we trundled to Wal-Mart, not a fun place to be on a Sunday, but it wasn`t too bad to be fair.......Tom went into get some more sunscreen and I headed in to the tee shirt place, picked up the smallest tee I could find and the very cool dude asked me what I wanted on it..........I of course repeated........My Boyfriend is Spider-Man........his eyebrow raised like Roger Moore in a James Bond movie and he looked at me like I was Lola from Barry Manilow`s Copacabana after she lost her mind.....*
> 
> *I did laugh and said it wasn`t for me, don`t think he was too surprised by that news........so he asked what she liked and I described her vibe and he said come back in 10 minutes.........I hoped it would be exactly what I had in my mind!!! But, this guy looked as if he knew what he was doing.......*
> 
> *We picked up some groceries.........why can we never come in for one thing and leave.....I swear we are never less than $50 every time we come in here!! Then we went back and we were thrilled with the results! She would love this!!! *
> 
> *Back home I brought it out the sealed bag and popped it in a gift bag we picked up......it was now mid afternoon, so we headed out to walk to RP as the lounge would or should be quiet this time of day and I knew Lindsey was working this afternoon with the lovely Raphael.
> 
> The lounge was indeed deserted so when they came over to the table, I handed her the package and she was confused as it was obviously a gift bag.......I told her it was for her and hoped she liked it.........
> 
> Her reaction was off the scale!!! She actually dropped when she realised what it was......it was one of those had to be there moments........Raphael as soon as he saw it was a gift shouted for us to get the camera......another Doh moment, so Tom grabbed the camera just before she opened it.*
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> *I think completely overwhelmed could describe it........she was so surprised we had taken the time to go and get something like this for her.....but as soon as I had thought of it last week, I knew we`d go get one for her somehow.....even if we had to go further afield to get it. She is so sweet. *
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> *It was lovely!! And she put it on heading home and Spider-Man was as thrilled to see it as she was.......I can now honestly say I`ve had an email from a real live Spider-Man......and what a lovely email it was too!!!! *
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> *She sent us a picture of her wearing it that night at home with her lovely boyfriend in it too......and it looks fabulous!!!
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> It was lovely to see her so happy with the gift.....she is a very happy young lady anyway and has a very vibrant personality, so we were thrilled to see such a lovely reaction from her.
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> We sat and chatted some more, and both had a glass of wine tonight as we were planning to eat in Citywalk tonight, nice for Tom to be able to enjoy a glass or two of wine from the lounge. The Concierge Manager came in, waved and sat down with us and chatted tonight, we had spoken to her several times over the last two trips, but it was nice having this time to get to know her a little better, she is so lovely and nice she took the time to sit down and chat to us too. *
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> *Maria who is the manager in Orchids also came up to say hello to us tonight. We hadn`t managed to get back down there for dinner yet, but it was so lovely to see her and nice of her to come up and say hello. We`re so lucky to be able to get to know some lovely people over our length of stays.
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> We didn`t have any, but tonights options were mac n cheese with chicken tenders, one of the more popular choices on offer. *
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> *I mentioned how we never fancied BigFire as so many folks we know had told us not to bother as it wasn`t great....mostly TM from the hotel and parks too......not good when staff won`t go!! There are several places we won`t eat onsite, Bubba Gump is the main one as we have tried it twice and found it to be dreadful and not somewhere we`ll go again, cocktails were decent though. NBC is now another but Lindsey said she would make a reservation for us in BigFire if we wanted, we said we were just going to wing it and walk up, but she booked it so we`d be guaranteed a table.......which was very kind of her.*
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> *Staff in the lounge are Concierge trained, so they can make reservations and do the same things as the staff at the concierge desk downstairs, somefolks don`t realise and head downstairs to ask.
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> We sat again a little longer but looking at the sky outside, we did wonder if the rain was heading our way so thought we better make a move. *
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> *Before we did, the staff know we never make dessert hour, so we got a plate of desserts to enjoy before we did leave. The apple pie ones are very nice, and Tom ate the chocolate ones and did enjoy them, a nice little taster.*
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> *We headed down to the boat and it wasn`t too busy which was unusual this time of the evening, but once we got off at Citywalk and walked up to Fat Tuesday`s, we saw they had closed down the boat service due to lightning in the area. We had been lucky to catch the last one for a few hours. *
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> *Tom went to the bar while I got a table........it felt incredibly humid tonight and you could feel there was a storm on the way. Tom shouted me at this point, I had forgotten the one drink per person rule, so waved to the barman as the recipient of the second drink.......*
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> *I have no clue what we both ordered, I know they were both different, but whatever they were, we did enjoy them! I do use my own plastic straws a lot of the time, I hate paper straws with a passion!!*
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> *We were a little early for our reservation, but wanted to beat the rain and we got to the door of BigFire just as the heavens opened.....and boy was it a doozie of a storm in the end!!!
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> *Our waiter was lovely, he was genuinely very nice and we looked forward to this meal tonight now despite our concerns. *
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> *And we waited a little longer.........and then even longer.......it was 15 minutes before our waiter appeared to take my plate and noticed Tom hadn`t has his mussels. He said he would go chase them up. About 10 minutes later, we were just about to give up, his mussels appeared at the tabel and they did look lovely......but at the same time our entrees were being brought up the stairs we could see and sure as fate, a second later the entrees were delivered to our table. Not good.
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> I had gone for the BBQ shrimp which the dish was described as blackened shrimp, a cream sauce. sides of coleslaw and cornbread.*
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> *The shrimp were cold and not blackened, there was no cream sauce, they had added sweetcorn which I don`t eat and there was some kind of crumbled cheese on top that I didn`t care for nor did I want it on my dish. This was not good. *
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> *They cook the steaks in quite a distinctive flavouring, some love it some don`t......we didn`t care for it. Tom said he could eat it, but wouldn`t order it again, however it was well cooked. And that`s about the only good thing we can say about it. *
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> *Carrots and potatoes were undercooked to the point of being raw and lacked any flavour whatsoever. Quite an achievement to cook food in such a bland way. *
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> *I said no thank you on the offer of remaking the dish and received no explanation of why there was no sauce or blackened shrimp on the plate and why cheese and corn had been added??? More importantly for me, it was cold.
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> Tom and I like to eat together and it irks us when service or food compromise that time......we enjoy sharing and this was not correct. The kitchen weren`t exactly overwhelmed tonight, so I doubted it was because they were too busy.
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> *We appreciated her taking the time to come and talk to us and obviously remove the items off the check.....we still tipped our waiter as he hadn`t cooked the food so badly and he was very nice.
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> *This is a place we will never return to either.......we`re running out of places to eat in Citywalk now!!!!
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> *It had been a mixed day, such a lovely afternoon, but dinner had been so dreadful.*
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> *Tomorrow we had another quiet day, but a lovely Dismeet *


OMG - that shirt!!!  I love it!  Lindsey's reaction was absolutely too cute!  I love how Tom captures the BEST photos.  Adorable.

So sorry about that dreadful dinner.  Rachel and I had a nice meal there last year - definitely got lucky!


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## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> OMG - that shirt!!!  I love it!  Lindsey's reaction was absolutely too cute!  I love how Tom captures the BEST photos.  Adorable.
> 
> So sorry about that dreadful dinner.  Rachel and I had a nice meal there last year - definitely got lucky!



lol....thank you, yes her reaction was incredible....and if it hadn`t been for Raphael we`d never have captured it as he was yelling to get the camera.......

I think many folks have had good meals there and I`m glad to hear it, but ours was just dreadful and I do wished we`d listened to folks who said we wouldn`t like it. Still we tried it, now we know not to go back.


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## MamaKate

The Spider-Man shirt was amazing! How thoughtful of you to do that for Lindsey .


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## Worfiedoodles

You made it to the best part of our trip, the lovely meet-up with you and Tom! It was such a pleasure to see you and then to see you again a few times in the club lounge -- what a wonderful occurrence   

I agree Jake's seems to be a bit off now. Even since December it seemed not quite what we had been used to -- but as seeing you was the highlight, the food was passable and the company divine! 

I still can't get over your experience at NBC Grill. Needless to say we'll be giving that one a miss. And I do love that you are able to check out some of the wonderful surrounding areas. So nice to break up your park days with a lovely meander through the picturesque towns!

I am loving every minute of this TR -- Thank you for bringing some sunshine!


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## schumigirl

MamaKate said:


> The Spider-Man shirt was amazing! How thoughtful of you to do that for Lindsey .



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## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> You made it to the best part of our trip, the lovely meet-up with you and Tom! It was such a pleasure to see you and then to see you again a few times in the club lounge -- what a wonderful occurrence
> 
> I agree Jake's seems to be a bit off now. Even since December it seemed not quite what we had been used to -- but as seeing you was the highlight, the food was passable and the company divine!
> 
> I still can't get over your experience at NBC Grill. Needless to say we'll be giving that one a miss. And I do love that you are able to check out some of the wonderful surrounding areas. So nice to break up your park days with a lovely meander through the picturesque towns!
> 
> I am loving every minute of this TR -- Thank you for bringing some sunshine!



Yes, it was nice being able to see you in the lounge too several times, but we did enjoy our lunch together, it always passes too fast!! Meeting up is far more important than food, but yes, Jake`s is not the same as it used to be which is such a shame. Several folks have said the same thing to us too.

We love wandering round and seeing other places, they are all so lovely and it is nice to get away from the park area too....much as we love them, I couldn`t and wouldn`t want to spend all day every day in them. 

Thank you Maria, I`m so glad to hear that.......


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## schumigirl

*We got back home late afternoon and felt a little whooped as it had been so hot today, but we did freshen up quickly and headed over to the lounge for a couple of hours relaxation.....although we did think we had enjoyed a lot of relaxation over these last days, but we were having so much fun. 

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*



*​




*There are times when being blunt is the only language some folks understand. 

We eventually escaped the chatty and nosey woman as her family appeared and they headed off to the parks I think and we could sit and chat and I enjoyed a glass of wine. 

We left fairly early as we were driving to Celebration to briefly meet up with someone who works in The Studios and we hadn`t managed to see him yet, so he had a little time tonight so we said we`d be there and did manage to have a quick coffee/tea before he had to go. This was the briefest meet I think we had with anyone! 

We drove to park in the town centre and it was fairly busy tonight, apart from Christmas we had only ever visited during the day, so we were parked further away than normal, but it`s a small town where everything is close. *

























*Celebration is an odd place. Once owned and ran by Disney, it was touted as a special place to live......yes, very special, but not for us. There are some very beautiful properties here but jeez.....so many tourists, and yes I do get the irony in that statement. 

The hotel is very nice, but had been getting completely mixed reviews and the guy we know that lives here does not recommend it, so that`s enough for us. But, it does look very nice on the little lake. *














*There are some very cute and not very comfortable rocking chairs around the lake and very popular.....there are always folks sitting on them whenever we have passed, but tonight we managed to bag a couple and had a nice little seat watching the sun slowly resting. *


























*After what seemed like ages, we got up, well I started walking but a lady asked Tom if he would take a picture of her and her family on the rockers, of course he would. I meanwhile wandered off thinking he was right behind me.......eventually I turned around and headed back as he was walking towards me......I laughed and thought he must have taken loads of pictures....he had. *















*The family had wanted a picture for their family holiday card!! But, he said they were very nice about it. 

Celebration has some lovely little stores and restaurants and even though the parking spaces were busy, it still seemed a little deserted and we assumed everyone was in bars and food places eating but there were hardly any bodies roaming around. *
















*I was very good in this delightful store and didn`t buy a single thing!!! *




































*In the centre of town is the beautiful retro looking Cinema which has sadly closed. It`s such a shame as it is a gorgeous building and could make something wonderful in the place of the cinema for the whole town. The design is inspired by the gorgeous Art Moderne style of the 1930’s to 1950’s era.

It`s strongly rumoured from folks that AMC claim it`s cheaper to take a loss on keeping it closed than it is to pay staff and operate it which is sad in itself. The last two movies shown were Harry Potter 7 and Megamind which I have no clue what that was about. There was talk it was reopening as a dine in stage/movie venue, but have no clue if that`s ever going to happen. *













*It was nice wandering around for a little while, peaceful and pretty but it never feels like real life despite it not being Disney owned now. We visited at Christmas when they make it "snow" and it is very nice, but something you need only do once. 

We drove back towards home and headed to Kirkman where we planned to eat in Kobe, hadn`t been for a while and decided we`d go back but not for the Tepenyaki tables which is a nice show, but again something you only need do once, maybe twice. 

We much preferred sitting at normal tables, and tonight there was a 15 minute wait, seemingly down to staffing as there were a good few empty tables. You can also choose to eat at the bar, which tonight was completely full. *














*We waited the full 15 minutes and we got a booth which was nice and a little private. 

Both of us ordered coke tonight and we didn`t take long to order as we knew exactly what we wanted. They do have a very good mix of chicken, steak and seafood on offer. *


























*As always we start with miso/onion soup and the littlest salad which comes with a soy ginger dressing, not Tom`s favourite but he does eat most of it and the miso/onion soup always feels like it`s cleansing you as you eat.*


























*I could eat those dipping sauces on their own, they are lovely. 

Tom had ordered sirloin and chicken in teriyaki sauce which comes with copius amounts of veg, noodles and a little pot of rice. He had asked for the steak to be medium rare, and it was cooked to perfection. *















*I had opted for the trio of steak cooked rare, chicken and shrimp again with teriyaki sauce and came with the same sides, although my veg and noodles remained mainly untouched. I was glad they didn`t give you potatoes the way they used to. This is already too much food, but your plate a few years ago was completely overflowing. 

This however, was gorgeous. *















*My steak was rare and all the food we had was absolutely delicious. We as always, were too full for dessert although we really wanted to have something, but we could barely move from being so full. 

We asked for the check and paid......we didn`t notice until later, we double tipped. If we had paid attention we`d have noticed an 18% tip was already included and on the receipt were suggestions for additional tips of 2, 3, 5 & 7%. Well, no matter, service and food had been exceptional. 

It was time for home now, it was almost 10pm so we headed back to the room and chilled out with a bottle of wine and some tv. It was odd as all day today it had felt like a Sunday not Tuesday. 

We watched tv till around midnight both laying like sloths along that large sofa....we had eaten a lot tonight in Kobe and were grateful we hadn`t indulged in dessert either. 

*


----------



## Deb1993

How lucky for that family to have Tom take their Christmas photo!!!


----------



## KathyM2

schumigirl said:


> It was lovely!! And she put it on heading home and Spider-Man was as thrilled to see it as she was.......I can now honestly say I`ve had an email from a real live Spider-Man......and what a lovely email it was too!!!!


This is the best thing ever!! So nice of you to do this for her! Also, what a cool service at Walmart!!! I will have to check that out.

Your teppenyaki looked good! I never thought to sit away from the tables though lol I think I might like it better too!!


----------



## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> How lucky for that family to have Tom take their Christmas photo!!!



lol.....he is often asked to take pictures of folks. I do remember one trip he was taking a picture of one couple, when several came up behind and asked if he`d take theirs too....told him he could make a buck selling his skills!!


----------



## schumigirl

KathyM2 said:


> This is the best thing ever!! So nice of you to do this for her! Also, what a cool service at Walmart!!! I will have to check that out.
> 
> Your teppenyaki looked good! I never thought to sit away from the tables though lol I think I might like it better too!!



We were impressed by his art work, and all in a few moments!! Very talented guy, I assume all the franchise guys have the same high standard. 

Oh we`ll never go back for the tepenyaki now, if you`ve seen it once, you`ve seen it all. We much prefer sitting at a regular table. Yes, the food was delicious!


----------



## Worfiedoodles

That salad at Kobe was the smallest I've ever seen! Everything looks absolutely delicious. 
I do have to say, Celebration looks a bit...sad. I shouldn't say that as I've never been, but just seems off somehow to me. 

I do admire your restraint in the Christmas store. I am a sucker for most Christmas things and have a lot that never makes it out each year. 
There are worse hobbies  

I really think you can't get too much relaxation on a vacation. Isn't that the whole point of going?!


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> That salad at Kobe was the smallest I've ever seen! Everything looks absolutely delicious.
> I do have to say, Celebration looks a bit...sad. I shouldn't say that as I've never been, but just seems off somehow to me.
> 
> I do admire your restraint in the Christmas store. I am a sucker for most Christmas things and have a lot that never makes it out each year.
> There are worse hobbies
> 
> I really think you can't get too much relaxation on a vacation. Isn't that the whole point of going?!



lol.......yes, teeny tiny salad, but the dressing was lovely. 

Celebration is sad.....that`s probably what I was trying to say but failed badly.....it is a weird place, too many tourists for sure. The guy we know that lives there wants him and his family to move out, but just not possible right now. For us, we may go back at some point for a wander, but it`s not high on our list for places to go back to visit. 

I was soooo tempted in that store......Tom admired my restraint!! 

Yes, we loved how relaxing this trip was overall


----------



## Cara

Still very much enjoying your report. Side note: I DESPISE potatoes in my Hibachi dishes. I have no idea why, but just BLECH. I always feel it is a cheap and out-of-place filler.


----------



## BroadwayHermione5

I am back and all caught up and also hungry (between work and me having a big birthday its been a chaotic week and change since I last was on the boards!)

First off: stop making me hungry lololololol! Seriously though I love reading and seeing the food photos!

Secondly: as always beautiful photos!

I am so sorry to hear about you horrible meal at BigFire! It was one of our best meals on our most recent trip (and my sincere apologies to Tom as that mussels appetizer is AMAZING!) 

Gotta love a Worfiedoodles couple cameo!

Also love what you did with the shirt for Lindsay! So thoughtful and you can tell from the photos she appreciated it!

As for the nosey woman in the lounge: why?!?!?!?!

Can't wait to hear about the rest of the trip!


----------



## schumigirl

*WEDNESDAY MAY 18TH*​



*Today was the day we took the least amount of pictures ever!! I was amazed as even when we don`t do much, we always seem to still have loads of pictures! 

This morning we headed over as usual for breakfast and yes, I am a creature of habit and did enjoy some champagne along with toast and cream cheese with grape jelly and fruit....weird mix with champagne, but pleasant all the same. 

We headed out after breakfast to meet up with a friend for a couple of hours, just to chat and catch up and then we were fortunate to be meeting up with the lady we ran into a few nights ago in Sapphire. 

Tatiana had been one of the supervisors in the Club Lounge for a few years before leaving Loews and we had always got on so well with her and kept in touch, but email mix up meant we had lost contact but we were sorted now as we had the correct ones and phone numbers too. So today we were meeting her for lunch in her favourite Peruvian restaurant, and we were so excited to try this place. We had studied the menu and knew exactly what we were having. Neither of us had been to this type of restaurant before, so it was all new to us. *

*This view from the bridge over the I-4 has changed so much over the last years, the skyline looked very different in 2007. For the better of course. *















*The best laid plans. *

*We had agreed to meet Tati at 11.30 and as is usual, we were early and when we pulled in to the parking lot the restaurant looked closed and one man was there with his daughter looking in the window and trying to see if anyone was around, and the place was deserted. *

*There was a sign on the door that seemed to say it had closed down which wasn`t good.......lol.......I sent Tati a txt to ask if this was the right place, it was and she said she`d be there in 2 minutes. She pulled in almost immediately and said yes, the place had closed down........she had checked and they said they`d be open, but it wasn`t. So, we had a last minute decision to make as to where to eat and we both suggested Hash House a Go Go, purely because it was so close, so we both drove up there and parked. *
















*I have to admit, we really don`t like this place a whole lot. For us, it`s portion size over substance and not much more, but it is very popular.

Some of the staff were lovely, the lady who took us to our booth was nice and of course we did get a picture of us together before we studied the menu. *















*Tati and I both ordered different Margarita`s with an extra shot and Tom got his favourite strawberry lemonade......... *
















*I`m not thrilled with the food here generally, and again the food is secondary when you`re meeting up with friends, chatting, laughing and having fun is much more important. *

*Tom went for some Chorizo Hash with over easy eggs........not something I`d ever order so he was safe from me wanting a taste!!! The melon seemed a little lost in there somehow. *

*He didn`t touch the tortilla as it was just too much food. He struggled as it was with the portion in front of him.*














*Eventually I decided to have the Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich, there wasn`t much else I would have opted for on the menu as the portions are just mahoosive......Tati ordered the same dish as me as she did like the sound of it too. *

*The chicken was nice, it was spicy for the parts of the chicken that had the coating on it, it was well cooked I have to say but the size of it put me off. *
















*Yes, you can eat what you want and leave what you don`t want, and we don`t ever take away leftovers, but this place is not somewhere we`d go back to again. However, this chicken was nice, fries were ok and drinks were decent. 

Tom did enjoy what he ate of his.*

























*We sat well over the 2pm closing time......oops.......they were nice though and said if we didn`t mind them cleaning we were ok to stay and chat which was fine by us, although a couple of members of staff were clearly annoyed which is fair enough. *

*Eventually we did say our au revoirs for now. *

*We`d had a lovely time chatting and catching up with Tati......and we`d make sure we saw her in September too. She is so much fun and I`m sorry she is not with Loews anymore. *















*We headed off to ABC wines in LBV now as we wanted to buy a gift for Chef Carlos for preparing the lovely tasting menu from last week, we had asked Fernando to find out what he liked, if there was any particular thing he liked to drink and we`d get him something special if we could. 

This is a very nice store and the staff are incredibly helpful if you need anything. We had a good old wander around and picked up what we hoped would be a good gift for such a lovely man.

By the time we got home it was almost 4.30pm, so we dropped some stuff off in the room, Chef wasn`t working tonight so we`d give him the gift another evening. 

We wandered over to the Club Lounge and sat there for a couple of hours and Tom could get some wine as the weather had changed and didn`t look good for tonight, so we would stay onsite and eat later in Strong Water again.....always a pleasure for us to eat there. 

Around 7.30 we went back over to Strong Water and we got a table tonight and the lady who seats you made sure we were in Maggie`s section which is our favourite section to sit in as she is so lovely. 

We opted to have some wine tonight as we`d had a few over in the lounge, so chose two glasses of Cabernet and ordered the BBQ pork dish we love so much, we planned to share it and have desserts later. *
















*Maggie also brought out a dish that was a special that night from the other Chef who was on tonight, it was Yam based and Maggie said we had to try it and it came with the same garlic mojo sauce the bbq pork had. *















*The Yam dish was incredibly dense and very filling. I`m not sure I`d order this one, purely for how filling it was as it was rather tasty, but the bbq pork is absolutely wonderful.

The evening was passing so nicely, we got some chats with several of the staff and heard one of the ladies who has worked there for ages had left. 

Brittney had told us she was thinking of changing careers and she did. We would miss her a lot, but she pops in now and again, so hopefully we`ll see her at some point. Then the lovely Maria who is the manager in Orchids came over to see us and told us she was leaving too!!!! Now that was a shocker. Never expected that and we would miss her a lot too. We hadn`t managed to get over to Orchids again this trip, and she had looked to tell us earlier as she didn`t want to tell us in an email.......so sad face emoji`s all round there. She will do very well where she is going. She said she`d see us before we left regardless. 

So many losses of good folks.....

And it was getting busier as there was rain and lightning going on, so no-one was sitting outside tonight. 

Dessert was shared between the two of us......the white chocolate ice lolly and the Tres Leche cake......*


























*We both enjoyed dinner and dessert tonight and once we had said our (long) goodnights to everyone we headed back to our lovely room and again, watched the weather, caught up with some emails and internet while we watched some tv. 

This had been a very low-key day......we had met up with two friends and enjoyed some good food and I think we were beyond relaxed right about now.......*


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Sorry you ended up at Hash House, I agree they give you too much of something you don’t want a lot of…but so glad you had that lovely meet up!

Everything at Strong Water looks so delicious! I did love that white chocolate treat, I ordered it after your recommendation 

It is a shame when people move on, so nice to see some of the same faces every time.

It was a lovely relaxing day


----------



## schumigirl

Cara said:


> Still very much enjoying your report. Side note: I DESPISE potatoes in my Hibachi dishes. I have no idea why, but just BLECH. I always feel it is a cheap and out-of-place filler.



Thanks Cara.....appreciate that. 

Yes, potatoes have no place on your plate with Japanese food.......I agree, it`s a cheap filler I can well do without.


----------



## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> I am back and all caught up and also hungry (between work and me having a big birthday its been a chaotic week and change since I last was on the boards!)
> 
> First off: stop making me hungry lololololol! Seriously though I love reading and seeing the food photos!
> 
> Secondly: as always beautiful photos!
> 
> I am so sorry to hear about you horrible meal at BigFire! It was one of our best meals on our most recent trip (and my sincere apologies to Tom as that mussels appetizer is AMAZING!)
> 
> Gotta love a Worfiedoodles couple cameo!
> 
> Also love what you did with the shirt for Lindsay! So thoughtful and you can tell from the photos she appreciated it!
> 
> As for the nosey woman in the lounge: why?!?!?!?!
> 
> Can't wait to hear about the rest of the trip!



Belated birthday wishes BH.......hope it was a good one 

Food pics at the wrong time of day can be a nightmare.....but, love em!!!

Yes, we should have listened to friends about BigFire, it`s just not for us and we can get good mussels anywhere so it`s not essential for us to go back. I`m glad you enjoyed it though. 

She did love the teeshirt! I was so happy to see her reaction, she was genuinely shocked by it and loved the sentiment behind it. 

Oh nosey folks......we`ve met more than a few people who we don`t know or barely know who think they can ask us anything, then get offended when we don`t answer them! Rude. But, you can usually spot them a mile away.

Thank you for the lovely comments, I`m glad you`re enjoying it and will pass on the comment on the pictures to Tom......


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Sorry you ended up at Hash House, I agree they give you to much of something f you don’t want a lot of…but so glad you had that lovely meet up!
> 
> Everything at Strong Water looks so delicious! I did love that white chocolate treat, I ordered it after your recommendation
> 
> It is a shame when people move on, so nice to see some of the same faces every time.
> 
> It was a lovely relaxing day



Yes, we would loved to have tried the Peruvian place, Tati has mentioned it several times and how authentic it was, but we will try it at some point as it is open again. Hash House is another place we won`t return to. But, we`d have been happy meeting her anywhere. 

I`m so glad you enjoyed that dessert, it`s so gorgeous!! 

Oh we have seen so many folks come and go over the years from the hotels, but fortunately we keep in touch with a good few, and we`re happy about that. At least they`re usually moving on to something better for them. 

It was another lovely day for us for sure


----------



## BroadwayHermione5

schumigirl said:


> Belated birthday wishes BH.......hope it was a good one
> 
> Food pics at the wrong time of day can be a nightmare.....but, love em!!!
> 
> Yes, we should have listened to friends about BigFire, it`s just not for us and we can get good mussels anywhere so it`s not essential for us to go back. I`m glad you enjoyed it though.
> 
> She did love the teeshirt! I was so happy to see her reaction, she was genuinely shocked by it and loved the sentiment behind it.
> 
> Oh nosey folks......we`ve met more than a few people who we don`t know or barely know who think they can ask us anything, then get offended when we don`t answer them! Rude. But, you can usually spot them a mile away.
> 
> Thank you for the lovely comments, I`m glad you`re enjoying it and will pass on the comment on the pictures to Tom......


Thank you!  It was a big one (though to most people i probably still look like I'm in college/grad school-blessed with good genes and great skin!)

Nightmare but love em is right!

I can totally see how BigFire is not for everyone! My dad has been finding it hard to find good seafood dinners as well (though my bday dinner he was very happy he got to have a salmon dish which he said was delicious-salmon is the one fish i consistently try and consistently hate!) It is one of our faves though, and I know many of my friends would enjoy that food. Sadly we never got to try the smores platter that night as we were stuffed and tired!

Surprise gifts are often the best!

Was once in Six Flags for a day trip when some guy got really nosy and weird with our group-very bizarre.

You're welcome! and hi Tom!


----------



## schumigirl

*THURSDAY MAY 19TH*​



*We were both up very early this morning, not Early Entry early hours.....that`s a little much for us as we have never wanted to do EE in all our visits, with EP for us, we just don`t need to do it, and being brutally honest, never, ever wanted to do it. 

With EP the guide is, you should wait no more than 20 minutes, of course exceptions can happen like a ride breaking down, protein spill where cleaning is necessary or it`s an extremely busy time and for the most part we have never waited longer than 10-15 minutes unless the cause was one of the previous reasons. So, we are more than happy with using EP to get through all the rides without having to get up ridiculously early. Obvious exceptions are Hagrid`s and Velocicoaster for now. 

We showered quickly this morning and headed over for our breakfast.....couldn`t start the day without eating something, I`m always amazed when folks say they can do 3 hours before wanting to eat.....wow!! I`d be chewing the walls after that length of time. 

Sapphire has the brightest and lightest of all the hotel lobbies, and it`s very rare you see it as empty as this, usually there are several folks wandering and more waiting on either checking in or their transport away, so we grabbed a couple of pictures as it was almost deserted. *







































*Once in the lounge we enjoyed some of the lovely fruit kebabs on offer again today, everyone seemed to enjoy them instead of regular diced up fruit, although there was some diced up melon too below. 

And yes, champagne too for me!! I think everyone was surprised how early we were compared to usual, not that we`re late, but this was not our usual time. *
















*We didn`t stay for very long in the lounge this morning and walked to IOA. We had to go round the outside of th epool instead of cutting through it and going out the gate onto the walking path as the pool didn`t open till 9am this morning, so we walked towards the boat dock and cut onto the pathway from there. 

Always a beautiful walk to the parks, and it was boiling this morning!!! This almost felt like September temperatures and certainly there was a little bit of humidity in the air as we walked. 

One of the benefits of staying in the closest hotels is being able to walk gives you a security check on the path, or before getting on a boat which saves a lot of time over folks who walk from the parking garage. The one on this path is right before the side of Margaritaville and only takes a few minutes to put your bag or whatever you are carrying through the scanner and you walk through a metal detector. 

There were lines for the main gates and they were quite long, so we were very glad of the seperate EP entrance off to the left of the main gates as there was no-one there apart from us and the three TM`s operating the scanners. 

Once in I am already feeling the intense heat.....and of course I can`t complain darn it!!! Even Tom admitted this morning was a roaster and more akin to what we`re used to in September as opposed to May. 

Port of Entry, as I`m sure folks who read most of these knows I love this area......it`s beyond colourful and full of intricate detail that I`ve posted so many pictures of over the years and not least the little turtle doves near the window sign mentioning David Codiga who among others oversaw the design, development and construction of both parks and so much more over the years, another nice nod to folks who are responsible for these amazing parks. *
















*We head straight into the store today, mostly to cool down....this was going to be uncomfortable this morning, but we did want to purchase a few things and get them sent back to the room which is another perk we love of staying onsite, and they do go straight to your room the next day, not just to the resort. So, we picked up what we wanted, mainly gifts for others little ones and also Kyle wanted a hat......lol.....simple ask, so we bought him the dark blue hat with Universal embossed into it, he likes plain things not anything with too much detail. I have the white one but not for him. The TM will take your details and hotel and ask if you`re leaving the next day, if you are they won`t allow you to send it to the hotel as they can`t guarantee it won`t be there by the time you leave. 

We do like a good wander round the store and they do have a very good Potter merchandise selection.*
















*Tom wanted to go on the Hulk this morning, I would usually walk through the line and take the chicken exit if I wasn`t riding. I do like this ride and have been on it many times, but a little like RRR, that last part knocks my head a little funny. It`s annoying as I do love that ride.....that take off is exceptional!! 

But today I tell him I`ll take the camera and he tootles off on his own, with EP there was barely a line to be seen. 

I love these flowers......they are in several areas around the parks and when they are in full bloom, they are stunning. *















*I do just manage to capture Tom on the Hulk today......I really hadn`t expected him to be on the ride so quickly, but I was pleased all the same. *
















*But, this was the new beastie on the block we just wanted to ride whenever we were in this park now. We couldn`t wait to ride again today and had decided to ride it regardless of the length of the line. *
















*When Tom found me he asked if I wanted to go on Dr Doom, and chicken that I had become I said no. I did want to, but couldn`t, I was going to have to get over this fear......I thought if I could ride the Velocicoaster, I could ride Dr Doom?? 

Instead we played it safe and rode Spider-Man. I was surprised to see the regular line was as long as it was since it was still fairly early, but we hot footed it into the EP line and we rode this one twice before moving on. This is a fun ride. There is one part, maybe two where if you suffer from motion sickness it might hit you, on these parts I focus my eyes on one spot on the ride vehicle, or if there`s someone in front of you, focus on the back of their head and do the old ballet/ice skater trick of just focussing on that one spot as you spin.....works for me. Some folks can close their eyes, but that is the worst thing to do for me, everyone will deal with vertigo/motion issues differently. 

But, we won`t miss this ride for anything. Transformers is a similar ride, but the pixellation is different and I cannot ride that without feeling nauseated, so I don`t do it anymore. It`s not the throwing you around that causes dizziness and so on, it`s the movement on the screen itself. *
















*Toon lagoon is another colourful place filled with little gems I have often missed, some of them in my face, but they`ve still eluded my line of sight somehow....I do think at time I`m not the most observant walking round the parks  *
















*As a child in the UK, growing up I had never heard of Dudley or Bullwinkle for that matter until we first went to Universal. I have no memories of these shows ever being shown when I was a child, I have lots of memories of Scooby Doo and so on, but these, nope and no-one my age has any memories of them either. So I have no real affinity to the ride or memorabilia surrounding them, we do enjoy Dudley as a ride though......it has a very good drop! *







































*Again, Betty Boop.....we know her, but I don`t think I`ve ever seen a cartoon of her. Funnily enough I woud say almost the same of Mickey Mouse....we did have the Wonderful World of Disney on tv once a week in the UK, but have no memories of his cartoon being shown, only the classic Disney movies of course. So, no affection there either for us. *
















*Flash Gordon sign.........this always makes me smile for a couple of reasons.......

This was the sign I didn`t notice till we had visited about 178,000 times!!! It was one of those moments, a bit like the balloon in the store in POE I hadn`t noticed.......I pointed and said, oh that`s new......lol.......*
















*My other reason is, I adore Freddie Mercury and Queen, but Flash Gordon is my least favourite song of theirs......but, whenever I see or hear Flash........this comes to mind!!!! 

What a superstar Freddie really was *













*We were in the parks too early to head down to behind Bluto`s barge ride this morning and I was disappointed as we love going down there, first watching folks get drenched on the barges, and also just seeing and hearing that amazing coaster we`d soon be riding again today. You are so close to the ride there, you can make out individual faces as they either contort in complete happiness or in complete terror......and you can hear the screams and sometime curses of the riders which is so funny, but overall you can see and hear the excitement of everyone. Other closest place to do this is behind the 3 Broomsticks where you can sit and just watch and listen too. It`s a lot of fun!! 

Today we made do with a picture with Popeye in it and a picture of Blondie`s which we still hadn`t managed to eat in this trip either....I doubted we`d do it now. *



























*I completely forget if we just didn`t go on Kong this morning or if it was one of the days it was down for a while as we were passing, regardless it was a pass for us today again. I do think once a trip is enough for us on this ride. It is good, certainly better than F&F or Jimmy Fallon, but then that wouldn`t be too hard......dreadful rides. *















*Right about now I wondered if my husband had ever met me before as he made an off the cuff comment.........

We had stopped and had sat down to have a drink we had bought, I was commenting how much I was loving this trip and how it was wonderful to be back and generally praising the hotel/ parks/food and everything inbetween, when my ever loving husband remarked we only had 5 full days left before we went home...........

Why???? Seriously, this was what you were telling me right now!!!!! I almost went speechless for a nano second!! 
*











*He excused himself as having a senior moment and forgot his audience ......yeah, we don`t need any reminders like that!!! 

The reality was he was right, 23 nights sounds a lot, and it is, but it was now passing quicker than we`d have liked and it was getting nearer to getting home. I did give him a disapproving scowl now and again after that.......he thought it was funny!!! 

We moved along and realised just how much many little areas in the park were changing slowly from what they had been previously. 

Burger Digs is a place we don`t eat in either, food just never made the cut for us, but they now have extra seating outside so it must be popular enough I`m glad to say. 



*











*I don`t like these fairground type stalls that for me are out of place in the parks. I`m sure they are moneymakers for them, but I wish they weren`t situated around certain areas, although to be fair, some folks do like them as you do see plenty of folks having a bash....and usually failing badly!!! *



























*Coming up......Potter and we ride the Velocicoaster again!! *


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

I love the Spiderman Boyfriend tshirt you gave Lindsey!!! It was the perfect gift and very thoughtful!!! **


----------



## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> Thank you!  It was a big one (though to most people i probably still look like I'm in college/grad school-blessed with good genes and great skin!)
> 
> Nightmare but love em is right!
> 
> I can totally see how BigFire is not for everyone! My dad has been finding it hard to find good seafood dinners as well (though my bday dinner he was very happy he got to have a salmon dish which he said was delicious-salmon is the one fish i consistently try and consistently hate!) It is one of our faves though, and I know many of my friends would enjoy that food. Sadly we never got to try the smores platter that night as we were stuffed and tired!
> 
> Surprise gifts are often the best!
> 
> Was once in Six Flags for a day trip when some guy got really nosy and weird with our group-very bizarre.
> 
> You're welcome! and hi Tom!



I must admit to usually getting seafood in specialist restaurants only, generic places tend to serve frozen which is not the best. We love Scottish salmon, very biased towards that of course!! 

I do wonder what makes folks not realise they are crossing boundaries.....as Joey would say "you`re so far over the line, the line is a dot to you"...only if you know Friends quotes of course......lol.....but people amaze me constantly what they think is ok to ask and it is a little creepy.

We`ve met folks in the lounge for example who we have clicked with immediately and a natural conversation emerges and we all share info, and we love that, we`ve made some very good friends that way. But that`s different from creepy, I know what you mean. 

Tom says hi back.....


----------



## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> I love the Spiderman Boyfriend tshirt you gave Lindsey!!! It was the perfect gift and very thoughtful!!! **



Thank you Nancy!!! I did enjoy how happy she was with it......

Hope you`re doing ok, good to see you....


----------



## BroadwayHermione5

schumigirl said:


> I must admit to usually getting seafood in specialist restaurants only, generic places tend to serve frozen which is not the best. We love Scottish salmon, very biased towards that of course!!
> 
> I do wonder what makes folks not realise they are crossing boundaries.....as Joey would say "you`re so far over the line, the line is a dot to you"...only if you know Friends quotes of course......lol.....but people amaze me constantly what they think is ok to ask and it is a little creepy.
> 
> We`ve met folks in the lounge for example who we have clicked with immediately and a natural conversation emerges and we all share info, and we love that, we`ve made some very good friends that way. But that`s different from creepy, I know what you mean.
> 
> Tom says hi back.....


Love Friends-was watching friends when I probably shouldn't have lol-it ended when i was in middle school! Its so horrible with the boundary crossing! And yes I love having little random polite conversations-when i go to the theatre alone I have always met some lovely humans who are usually also seeing the play alone or their spouse and their friends are down in the orchestra and they are the designated driver and got a last minute ticket in the mezz next to me!

I do not blame you for being biased-some of the best seafood i had was when I was in Ireland (take me back someone please)!

Hi Tom!


----------



## schumigirl

Friends is certainly an institution we all quote far too often.......lol.......that and the Big Bang Theory.........bazinga.......

I love chatting to folks, everyone has a story and it`s so interesting to chat to folks from all over the US and beyond, and I do believe most people are genuinely nice...there`s always the odd one who isn` t though, but you can spot them a mile away usually. 

The UK waters have some of the best seafood around, but I`d love to try some seafood from Maine.........those "lobstahs" would tempt us........lol......love that Boston accent!!!!


----------



## schumigirl

*Heading round to go on the best coaster in Orlando, we always stop for some pics of the castle from most angles and this is one that really needs the trees cut back a little, but it`s a nice view heading out of the Jurassic area and into Potter. *
















*At this point we heard a woman yelling out "leave it alone".......we turned around and saw this beautiful bird being harrassed by an overexcited toddler who surprisingly, the parents were laughing.....I`ll bet they wouldn`t have been laughing if the bird had pecked the kid. The woman was irate and had a go at the parents for allowing it, they didn`t seem overly bothered I have to say, but we kept walking at this point in case this intesified into somethign more......it`s always uncomfortable seeing any altercation. *
















*Who doesn`t love this view of the Castle!!! 

I always wish they had put in a special suite of rooms, like Cinderella Castle in MK has. 

I imagined a suite of rooms for special occasions or special guests that you can`t book, you have to be chosen and it was all Hogwart themed just like the books. The bedroom would be a lot nicer than the one they shared in the movies, there would be a huge traditional four poster bed and matching furniture that would have a warm and cosy look, and the Gryffindor common room with the huge fire would make a lovely sitting area......but, they didn`t, so I would just have to imagine what it could have been. *
















*Hogsmeade was busy, as in really busy this morning....we just weren`t used to seeing crowds like this but we managed to navigate them just enough to see the line for Hagrids was over 100 minutes, guess we wouldn`t be riding that today. 

So, we wandered a little around Hogsmeade and got some pictures, albeit quickly as there were just so many people around and everyone wants pictures, so we don`t hang around long at each picture op. *


























*We risk the wrath of the Gatekeeper who was the same man who was on the door on our last trip and bellowed at us we couldn`t sit down inside the 3B`s....not that we were planning to anyway......*





*



*​




*This was rather unusual for a Universal TM to be honest as we never come across TM`s who are grumpy, but this guy broke that rule. *
















*We hurtled round to the Velocicoaster at this point as we just couldn`t wait any longer, we`d head back to see the new Halloween boutique that had opened a few days before after we had been on the coaster......

The line was around 35 minutes and it was almost exactly a 35 minute wait. The slowest time was at the lockers where folks just didn`t seem to have a clue today and the poor TM`s who were trying to keep everything flowing and then at the scanners, there were a couple of men who had items in their pockets they shouldn`t have including a phone.....he argued he wanted a picture from the ride apparently.......lol........he lost that argument. 

You have to feel for the TM when they have to waste time arguing with folks who think the rules don`t apply to them. 

But, we were off up the stairs and the line did move well for the ride.....we do like the pre show with Chris Pratt so that helps it pass too and you don`t notice waiting really. 

I`m not as nervous going on the ride today, it always seems to be the first time after a gap of riding I do tense up a little, but today I just wanted to get on it. No front row for us but we did get the back again and on asking the folks behind us quickly asked us if the back row was fun and worth doing.......*





*



*​




*They were first timers I think, but hope they asked for the back at some point as it is completely breathtaking. Yup, the front is also good, and to be fair there isn`t really a bad seat....but the airtime on the back is just incredible!! 

I do love that tense few moments when you have pulled the harness down and know you can`t back out now......and it does cross my mind on occasion that I really do want to get off, but before you can actually try to escape you are being propelled forward and then in another second or two, you are off and flying with the wind around the most amazing ride in the parks, maybe even in Orlando.......

The exhileration never fades and each and every twist and turn still brings on that high you experience as you come out of your seat dropping or be out of that same seat as you are completely upside down facing the green of the water which is probably the biggest scream from all riders....even more than the part it revs up before we go over the top hat!!! 

There isn`t a single part of this ride we don`t love. Except the part we stop and have to get off. *





*



*​




*You come off this ride so completely euphoric all you want to do is ride it again and again....and then some more!! But, sometimes I can only do these rides a few times, so twice was enough this morning....and it was also hotter than hades so we knew we wouldn`t be in the park for long today......and of course neither of us could complain.......lol......

We reluctantly walked away and headed round to the 3B`s to get a Pumpkin Fizz to share.....it`s a little too sweet to drink one on my own, so we always share it, and we go and sit round the back of the 3B`s to watch and listen to everyone enjoying that amazing ride.

This is one of the best places to see the close up reactions of riders......and hear them having so much fun too! *






































*The newest addition to IOA was the ever changing spot beside the Mystic Fountain that was once the dreadful magic show that thankly is no more......but last week it had reopened as a Beach themed Halloween Boutique......we had passed it and hadn`t gone in, but today we needed to see it for ourselves. *
















*It certainly was beach themed in the weirdest and most wonderful way!!! 

I envisaged Boris Karloff turning in his grave if he could see this display....or then again, maybe he`d love it.......  *




























*They do these themed areas so well......once your eyes adjust to just how dark it is in there there are some cute little details. *








































*I do regret we didn`t buy any of the sauces or seasonings they were selling in here. I think we`ll get some in September to try them, we did pick up some candles with the preverbial Halloween theme of course. One or two weren`t pleasing, but we got two we liked. *
















*And then I had one of those moments.....it was a weird déjà vu moments.....well, it was only weird to me really.......and now I think on it, wasn`t that weird at all.......

The whole place had a funny sort of retro vibe and as I was looking around I spotted something that took me right back to my childhood. *
















*When I was around 9, someone gave us this exact tray with Florida on it......I hadn`t thought about it or even remembered we had one way back then, and didn`t even remember knowing anyone who had gone to Florida back in the late 70`s......and it was just odd seeing something so nostalgic I had completely forgotten about after all those years. *

















*I asked my mum if she remembered it and she did, but like me had no clue who gave it to us. It had obviously been discarded many years previously but it was just funny seeing something so obscure from my childhood. I can still see it sitting on the counter top in the kitchen from one of my childhood homes .....mum used to bring us mugs of hot chocolate with that tray, I`m sure she used it for other stuff, but that memory sticks more than others. 

We did eventually remember an aunt and uncle had given it to us......took a while though to think about that!!! *















*More to come.........*


----------



## Minnie17

Hi!  Still here and have so enjoyed reading about your most recent travels.  Hope you are doing and planning more travels!


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Frank and his bride soaking up the sun was one of my favorite store displays! I also bought the candles -- a few more than 1 or 2 as I found some in other areas I liked as well. You might think I have a candle problem, but I figure there are worse things to hoard   

I love that you found that nostalgic Florida tray! How fun that you had one growing up! I thought for sure you were pointing to the old-fashioned scuba helmet. I remember seeing those on Scooby Doo  

Hogsmeade seemed to be so very crowded this time. It's like everyone in the park had to get their Potter on at once. That makes me think an OI event would be a great opportunity to feel fully at ease in the area. 

I love how happy you are coming off of Velocicoaster! I'm afraid that would not be my reaction, but I'm a big chicken 

And I completely understand skipping the 100-minute wait for Hagrid's. I do love that ride, but No, Thank You. I think once they make it Express Pass eligible I will be riding it regularly


----------



## schumigirl

Minnie17 said:


> Hi!  Still here and have so enjoyed reading about your most recent travels.  Hope you are doing and planning more travels!



Hey Minnie......good to see you! Hope you`re doing well......

Yep, got a few things to look forward to including a visit to Scotland next month and of course September is ever closer!

And glad to know you`re enjoying reading along.........


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Frank and his bride soaking up the sun was one of my favorite store displays! I also bought the candles -- a few more than 1 or 2 as I found some in other areas I liked as well. You might think I have a candle problem, but I figure there are worse things to hoard
> 
> I love that you found that nostalgic Florida tray! How fun that you had one growing up! I thought for sure you were pointing to the old-fashioned scuba helmet. I remember seeing those on Scooby Doo
> 
> Hogsmeade seemed to be so very crowded this time. It's like everyone in the park had to get their Potter on at once. That makes me think an OI event would be a great opportunity to feel fully at ease in the area.
> 
> I love how happy you are coming off of Velocicoaster! I'm afraid that would not be my reaction, but I'm a big chicken
> 
> And I completely understand skipping the 100-minute wait for Hagrid's. I do love that ride, but No, Thank You. I think once they make it Express Pass eligible I will be riding it regularly



Oh those candles are addictive!!! Not sure what it is about them and Yankee Candles too, I just can`t resist them! Yes, there are much worse things to collect to take up space in our homes! 

lol....I didn`t even notice that helmet at first.....I  was too focussed on that tray. It was just so odd to see something I recognised it being the same as one we had from way back. 

Yes, crowds were something. My nephew has been at Universal these last 4 weeks and mentioned crowds have been the worst they have ever seen and everyone wants to be in the Potter areas. It was lovely during the OI event, but Hagrid`s was still 80 minutes, which we did wait for as a one and done. I agree, it needs EP soon.

Oh you`d love VC if you gave it a go....lol......it`s not that exciting really, in fact it`s quite dull   We just love it so much!!!


----------



## disneyseniors

Worfiedoodles said:


> Frank and his bride soaking up the sun was one of my favorite store displays! I also bought the candles -- a few more than 1 or 2 as I found some in other areas I liked as well. You might think I have a candle problem, but I figure there are worse things to hoard
> 
> I love that you found that nostalgic Florida tray! How fun that you had one growing up! I thought for sure you were pointing to the old-fashioned scuba helmet. I remember seeing those on Scooby Doo
> 
> Hogsmeade seemed to be so very crowded this time. It's like everyone in the park had to get their Potter on at once. That makes me think an OI event would be a great opportunity to feel fully at ease in the area.
> 
> I love how happy you are coming off of Velocicoaster! I'm afraid that would not be my reaction, but I'm a big chicken
> 
> And I completely understand skipping the 100-minute wait for Hagrid's. I do love that ride, but No, Thank You. I think once they make it Express Pass eligible I will be riding it regularly


I completely agree with the velosacoaster!   I wouldn't ride it,but my husband would definitely ride it.   I am a big chicken when it comes to coasters, too  I would like to watch the brave riders, though, and check out their reactions.


----------



## schumigirl

*We headed down towards Poseidon`s Adventure next. Although we don`t particularly like the walk through, the building is stunning and it had just recently reopened after a facelift where they had retouched all the outside of the building and it did look very good and it wasn`t till it was revamped did we notice how badly it had needed it. 

Universal are excellent at the upkeep of the whole park depsite some folks commenting it looks old, jaded and in need of freshening up. There were many areas of the park being updated right now which was lovely to see. *




















































*I don`t know if it was the refurb of the building that had made little details more distinguishable than they had been before. 

Being honest I had never noticed this detail below before which to me looked like a little creature with two eyes and a smudgy nose looking out at us.......Tom thought it simply looked like a shell. We all see things so different at times.  *

















*I remember years ago, I bought my first apartment and I had a friend papering the feature wall in the sitting room. When the main wall was finished, one of my brothers was in having a look and asked me what I saw when I looked at the wall, strange question. 

When I had chosen the wallpaper, it was the 1980`s, I did think it looked like a wall of beautiful large shells.......he laughed and said he saw rows and rows of tombstones.......*





*



*​



*He was right. 

They did look like tombstones. 

Yes, my decorator was already up the ladder starting to strip it back off before I could turn around. He said he saw the horrified look on my face and knew I would be choosing another wallpaper......lol....my brother never made a comment like that again.......

So, I knew everyone sees certain things in a different way. Some rather odd at times.......lol.......

The store outside of this rather magnificent building sells lots of little curios, pearls and different jewellery, not that we`ve ever bought anything from inside except some ice cold water one day, but it is a joy to walk around and has some lovely displays to admire. *











































































*As is usual, we didn`t purchase anything in here, I keep saying one of these visits I will buy something. They do have some very cute items that one of my goddaughters would like, maybe a Christmas gift at some point. 

We went down to the front of Mythos for a wander, it`s lovely down here and so peaceful at times. *
















*If you stand on the bridge here overlooking the water where the weird fish that converge together like mutant seabass, you can hear the troll that lives under the bridge growl in anger and frustration at you crossing over his lair. I once suggested to someone high up from the Studios they should have a fake troll pop up intermittently as folks pass.......my suggestion was greeted with initially a look of delightful thoughtfulness wondering if that might work......to a worrying sense they may scare someone to death!!! The latter is more likely I suppose.....I still think it could work....*
















*It was about now we headed out the park and boy were we boiling hot about now. 

There were no boats waiting when we got there and we did consider walking to RP then walking through to our hotel, but just as we thought it was just too darn hot, a boat appeared and it was the Sapphire boat I`m glad to say. *

















*One of the nicest views of Sapphire Falls is when you approach on the boats, at night too it is very beautiful with the full lobby window, the balcony from Strongwater Bar and when it`s working, the lovely water wheel. *















*Walking into the hotel when it`s as hot as this is incredible.....when that cool blast hits you, there`s nothing quite like it. 

We headed straight up to our room and had a cool down before taking showers again......and how much did I like this large shower!! The space in this suite is wonderful, The Sapphire Suite is just beautiful and we always enjoyed our time in it. Our housekeeper was wonderful and always appeared early so it was always done by the time we got back, even if it was just before lunch or mid morning. 

Once we were showered and changed we headed out to get the car and drove the short distance down to the Orlando Eye, or Icon Park as it`s known now. We wanted some updated pictures of the new Epic Universe park which is adjacent to the huge wheel, it had been 2 years since we last saw any building developments in the park for ourselves. 

But, first lunch. 

There are a few places we considered down here, Yard House is one of them, but somewhere new caught our eye today. 



*










*There were people already going in and the menu did catch my eye a sit looked like it had plenty of dishes we could choose from, especially some salad choices and this one below, the Luau Salad, when I saw it, I said to Tom, yep, I like the look of this place. *
















*It was a very nice place, friendly staff and it was spotlessly clean with a very nice menu, and best of all, it was new to us which we liked. Although we are creatures of habit at times, we do love to try anywhere new for a change, and this looked perfect. 

Tom ordered his usual lemonade and myself as the non driver....again......well, I ordered the Pain in the Pilar.....something Tom may or may not have called me on occasions........

The cocktail consisted of Papa’s Pilar dark rum, coconut cream, orange and pineapple juice, simple syrup and nutmeg floating on the cream like topping and was a very decent size, especially for lunchtime! 

*

























*The barman was looking after us today and he was very personable and we had studied the menu profusely and Tom was definitely going for the Havana sandwich and even I thought it sounded gorgeous, he also got some tator tots which I was sure I`d enjoy a few of them too. *

















*This sandwich was huge....I mean really huge and tasted absolutely delicious, Tom said even then if we come back here he`d have the same one again. And that was after one bite. *
















*After having a good read of the lovely menu, I decided not to have the Luau salad, but instead opted for the North Palm Beach salad which not only was it aesthetically pleasing, it was the freshest tasting salad like this I`d enjoyed for a long time. *
















*Weirdly I said to Tom I wished I had asked for some jalapenos for the side of my salad, I think our barman read my mind as he said he had brought me a pot of spicy chipotle for the side. He knew what he was talking about, it went perfectly. 

The salad was chopped greens, avocado, roasted corn, tomatoes, shrimp salad, lump crab all with a balsamic vinaigrette....I hate sunflower seeds, but they were easy to put to the side. And it was served beautifully. 

This place was lovely and we were so glad we had come in, we paid the check and headed back out to the sunshine.....well, it had gone a little dull, but the heat was still rising rapidly. 

We headed to the entrance to the Eye and on the way we passed one place we`d never go to, Gordon Ramsay`s Fish and chips.....well first of all, can`t abide the man, secondly it was fries they served, not chippy chips the way they should be, but we had heard it wasn`t that good anyway. Not for us. It`ll be interesting to see if it lasts any length of time in business here. 
















Up next.....The Orlando Eye and a surprisingly simple dinner. *


----------



## JaxDad

Hmmm…a Sloppy Joe’s in Orlando?!

You guys need to plan a trip to the real one in Key West someday…


----------



## mnmmoney

Really enjoying your report.  My family and I were there staying at the RP May 13-20… was hoping to run into you but did not…. I will agree that was the hottest and the busiest May we have ever had and we have been there about 6 times in May!  A scorcher! But of course had a fabulous time.


----------



## TotallyTink

schumigirl said:


> *This is a place we will never return to either.......we`re running out of places to eat in Citywalk now!!!!
> 
> Such a disappointment for us as we had hoped it would be a success. Everyone we told about our meal said exactly the same thing...........
> 
> 
> 
> lol....we deserved that!!! *
> 
> *Definitely somewhere we won`t recommend nor will we go back again. A one and done.....*



I am just getting caught up on your report after a whirlwind of back to back trips...our first trip to Universal and then a trip to Montana for a wedding. I was so disappointed with Bigfire too.  Despite seeing bad reviews, I booked it for Father's Day to treat my husband. The filet mignon was dry and my pork tenderloin was so tough and overcooked. The waitress said that they usually cook it well done but I replied that I preferred it medium. I know people can be nervous about eating undercooked pork, but there is no reason it needs to be cooked to well done.  Of course, the meat came out well done.  I should have complained, but I didn't.  Even the filet mignon was dry. My husband and daughter requested medium rare and it was cooked properly, but it was still so dry.  We also ordered the bourbon cheese fondue and the cheese tasted so....processed...almost like American cheese slices.  Not good. I did see others order the mussels and they did look good.  So sorry that Tom didn't get to enjoy them.


----------



## schumigirl

JaxDad said:


> Hmmm…a Sloppy Joe’s in Orlando?!
> 
> You guys need to plan a trip to the real one in Key West someday…
> View attachment 683397




lol.......I knew they had one down there as they had something on their wall about it, but I`d never heard of it before that visit. 

If we ever do venture down that way, I would go there for sure


----------



## schumigirl

mnmmoney said:


> Really enjoying your report.  My family and I were there staying at the RP May 13-20… was hoping to run into you but did not…. I will agree that was the hottest and the busiest May we have ever had and we have been there about 6 times in May!  A scorcher! But of course had a fabulous time.



Oh I`m sorry we never saw you.....would have been nice to say a big hello........

It was exceptionally hot for May, even the locals we are friends with all said the same thing.......and yes, where did those crowds come from!! 

But, I`m so glad you had such a fabulous trip!!


----------



## schumigirl

TotallyTink said:


> I am just getting caught up on your report after a whirlwind of back to back trips...our first trip to Universal and then a trip to Montana for a wedding. I was so disappointed with Bigfire too.  Despite seeing bad reviews, I booked it for Father's Day to treat my husband. The filet mignon was dry and my pork tenderloin was so tough and overcooked. The waitress said that they usually cook it well done but I replied that I preferred it medium. I know people can be nervous about eating undercooked pork, but there is no reason it needs to be cooked to well done.  Of course, the meat came out well done.  I should have complained, but I didn't.  Even the filet mignon was dry. My husband and daughter requested medium rare and it was cooked properly, but it was still so dry.  We also ordered the bourbon cheese fondue and the cheese tasted so....processed...almost like American cheese slices.  Not good. I did see others order the mussels and they did look good.  So sorry that Tom didn't get to enjoy them.



Oh what a shame your meals were so bad! I`m hearing this from so many folks who go there or have gone and won`t go back. I have to wonder what they`re doing that`s so wrong!! For me it`s a chef issue as they seem to have plenty of staff.

Yes, there`s a difference between medium with pork and undercooked......we try to cook it medium but not raw at home, over dry pork is horrible. Yes, complaining is something no one likes to do, and we don`t like to do it either, but the few occasions we have sent food back this trip, it was really bad! 

Sounds like the quality of their steak isn`t good if it was dry. Such a shame as it should be the pinnacle of Citywalk restaurants. 

Yes, we won`t be going back for the mussels.....lol.....but we can get them anywhere. 

Hope you had two lovely trips though, Montana and your first visit to Universal!!!!


----------



## kbelle8995

Now I'm going to have to go to the bridge to hear the Troll.     I always find out something new in your posts.

And that salad.  I used to live in North Palm Beach.  The salad is much more tropical than the town.  The avocado and shrimp in on target.  Part of why I miss South Florida.  Avocados everywhere.


----------



## schumigirl

*Next up for us today was the Orlando Eye. 

I`m not fond of heights at all, but I`d been "ok" on this on our previous escapades on it. So, today we looked forward to seeing the changes in Epic Universe, as it had been a while. So, big girl time and just go on it again, I was usually fine once I was up there and always enjoyed it.  

I think it was around $70 for the two of us with tax to get on the wheel, you can go cheaper if you book ahead I believe, but last time we had bought tickets to go straight on, the lady had tried quite a high pressure sales tactic for us to buy a package for the other attractions there, of course she was wasting her time as we have no interest in seeing anything else there. This time the lady asked if we were interested and as I very politely said no we wouldn`t, she just as nicely said ok and gave us our tickets. 

They do try to get you to take a picture before you go on it and then sell you it in the gift shop at the end, we decline this too. 

They Eye, or the Wheel as they call it now is pretty impressive. 400 feet or 122 metres high. I`d honestly only do it during the day, especially a clear day where you can see for miles. There`s not much to see at night. Las Vegas or London are much better in the dark, Orlando`s surrounding area is not lit up as much, unless you can see the fireworks of course, that would be nice. However The Wheel itself is beautiful at night with a vast arrays of light displays that vary every evening and they also have special displays for different events throughout the year. *
















*Sorry this picture is a little dark, but the light was terrible.....

We have only ever had a pod to ourself anytime we have visited, it`s usually not too busy, but we have heard from folks who had to share with others before Covid. I don`t know if they have a policy now on groups mixing with others. But, today there was us and one other couple waiting to get on, so we knew it would be just us. *
















*They are air conditioned and they do feel spacious with just 2 or 3 of us in it. I would not like to be in with a group. When did the London Eye, the pods are much larger and they are filled with a lot of people who do NOT stand in one spot and don`t move which I would insist on......but, I`m a complete chicken with heights and hate someone moving or leaning against the glass....that freaks me out massively!!! So, I did not really enjoy the London one very much. *
















*The views are lovely and thankfully my husband has no such fear of heights or moving around up there......I don`t see much as my eyes are closed and I`m sitting on the middle gripping for dear life on to the metal pole. This was not fun today and I wanted to get off as soon as the doors closed. *
















*Lockheed Martin is a huge space and beyond is what will be Epic Universe. It is huge.....mahoosive!! *



























*This is as far to the right as it goes, reaching Sand Lake Road and you can see a lot when you pass on that road too, and looks even larger from there somehow. *

















































*Of course since we took these pictures, landscaping has come on massively.....you can see some amazing pictures on Bioreconstruct and the amazing Alicia Stella twitter pages. They really are moving along nicely. It`s hard to get too excited for this yet as it`s 2 years away, but all of a sudden it will be upon us I`m sure. 

I am not comfortable up at 400 feet. but 40,000 feet on a plane is a piece of cake.......  *
















*In the distance you can see the huge Orlando Florida temple of Latter Day Saints near Windermere, it is beautiful and absolutely one of the clearest things you can see so far away. *
















*On one side of the Eye is the ride that last year the poor young man was killed on. The ride is boarded up at the bottom, but you can still see the seats and it is horrible. 

When I saw this, I think that was the reason I had a slight panic attack up there. *















*Now this was a view I did like, but missed it as my eyes were closed......*















*The apartments on this side of the lakes are almost new to Turkey Lake Road area. A few years ago the land was empty and almost abandoned to be honest, then one day as we were exiting Wal-Mart, the diggers appeared and months later.....a new development had popped up like in so many other areas along Turkey Lake. 

In the top left you can just see the Contemporary and one of the buildings in MK. We have seen the Epcot ball before and ToT, but it was just too misty today to see anything clear. *
















*To the other side is the Starflyer, the worlds tallest swing ride,  another ride we will not go on, for varying reasons. 

When it was being built a young 21 year old worker was killed conducting a routine safety check on the ride. Absolutely horrific to think of such a thing happening. *
















*I did watch them fitting these globe decorations live on youtube one day....albeit with sweaty palms and eventually only lasted a few minutes due to the height.....I`m a wimp.*
















*I do have a picture Tom snapped of me up there during my "moment"....and no I won`t post it.......lol.....

It was nice to get back down onto solid earth. But, my reaction up there maybe means I don`t think I`ll go back up there again. Tom and Kyle might one day, but I think I`ll stay ground level and go have a cocktail. 

That was us done at this place, there`s really not a lot to interest us here so we headed back to the parking lot and spotted this guy on the wall looking out at us.........*


















*We had no real plans for the rest of today, so drove home and had an hours snooze before heading over to the lounge. Our little Lindsey was working along with Alex who is also lovely and so funny. There were some funny incidents tonight and at one point I was trying not to laugh as someone made the most ridiculous complaint and I knew if I laughed I would set the guys off....so I smothered my face and headed out of the lounge pretending to choke......but we laughed and laughed and then laughed some more about the "incident" as it became known as. 

We adored these girls and boys too. 

Tonight we enjoyed some wine and I think we had some salad and cheese, but we weren`t overly hungry after our lunch. It was nice just sitting and relaxing again and Tom could have wine as we were staying onsite tonight, so we didn`t rush away and enjoyed some lovely chatter and some giggles too. 

Eventually we said our goodnights and headed down to get the boat to Citywalk as we felt like sitting at Fat Tuesdays for a cocktail or two. 

It was hot....as to be expected of course and Citywalk wasn`t too busy, but I forget what time the parks closed tonight, I think it was later than when we went into CW. 

Fat Tuesdays wasn`t too busy so we got a seat easily and made ourselves comfy, well as comfy as you can be on those high seats. 

I forget what drinks we ordered but they were lush!! *















*I have no idea what Tom is doing here.......*















*Citywalk is so pretty at night....and folks just mill around aimlessly at times enjoying the warm weather, food and drinks on offer. Many just sit on the steps and enjoy the atmosphere. I have never once seen any trouble here in all the years we`ve been visiting, it has a lovely family atmosphere and we feel very comfortable wandering around. *



























*We had a couple of cocktails each and they are fairly strong, and full of flavour too but we move off and decide we are both a little hungry now. Not hungry enough for a full sit down meal and hungrier than eating just a doughnut......

So, we ended up in Panda Express for some reason. 

Never again. 

The line is ridiculous, but we were in line so decided to stay as we have enjoyed PE in MCO before so wanted to give it a try here as it had been about 12 years since we last ate up here. 

Eventually we nearly made it to the front and we had decided already what we were having as you can see what`s there from various places in the line. 

But, of course.....the folks in front of us had no clue.....they didn`t know if they wanted rice or noodles....or nothing at all......could they have this instead of that and could they have egg noodles in place of an entree.......I almost rolled my eyes into the back of my head after a few minutes.......eventually.....another person appeared and took our order which took about 15 seconds to make. 

I prefer table service. I really do. My friends always say I`m slumming it when I eat in places that are counter service  I do think I should be offended really by that......lol......but we did want to enjoy this food. 

We both had noodles, and we did ask for a tiny portion of them, Tom chose Honey Walnut Shrimp, Kung Pao Chicken and Black Pepper Chicken*
















*I opted for the Black Pepper Steak, Honey Sesame Chicken and Orange Chicken. 

We did get spring rolls too, but we ate them before we got a picture and we only had water and fanta to drink. *















*The food wasn`t too bad, but by the time we found a table it wasn`t as warm as it should be, we like our food sizzling hot, but it was more the crowded feel we didn`t like. No one gave an inch and one woman asked a family of 3 if she could sit down and they were quite rude, we were about to say she could sit with us when someone else offered so she sat with them. 

Tables could have been cleaner and some folks just abandoned all of their leftovers on the tables when they really should have taken them 3 steps to the nearest trash bin. 

The staff seemed to be doing their best but with the constant line out the door, they couldn`t cover cleaning tables and serving properly.

We would not rush to eat here again anytime soon. I think it sounds better than it actually is. 

Down to get the boat there was a huge line as parks seemed to be clearing out.....we timed that badly. However we did wait in line for the Sapphire boat and many of us didn`t make it on to the first one, but the second boat was just behind it so we made that one and by the time it left there was another huge line for all of the boats. 

When we go to HHN, we normally walk back to RP, it`s a short walk and better than standing for ages waiting on the boat, and waits are long then. But Sapphire is just that little bit further away. 

We got home and we always leave a low light on so it`s not completely dark when we get in and it looks so cosy too. 

Tom opens a bottle of wine and we order a movie that I have no clue what it was now.......if I don`t write some things down, I never remember them!! But, we settled down with jammies on, wine poured and watch it from the comfy sofa again......I think it was well after midnight we finally climbed into bed. 

I was shattered and planned to sleep late tomorrow morning. *


----------



## schumigirl

kbelle8995 said:


> Now I'm going to have to go to the bridge to hear the Troll.     I always find out something new in your posts.
> 
> And that salad.  I used to live in North Palm Beach.  The salad is much more tropical than the town.  The avocado and shrimp in on target.  Part of why I miss South Florida.  Avocados everywhere.



You can hear it quite clearly too, it`s just one of those cute little touches Universal is so good at. 

How lovely......I adore Avocados in any form and that salad was delicious....anything with shrimp and I`m happy!!


----------



## BroadwayHermione5

schumigirl said:


> Friends is certainly an institution we all quote far too often.......lol.......that and the Big Bang Theory.........bazinga.......
> 
> I love chatting to folks, everyone has a story and it`s so interesting to chat to folks from all over the US and beyond, and I do believe most people are genuinely nice...there`s always the odd one who isn` t though, but you can spot them a mile away usually.
> 
> The UK waters have some of the best seafood around, but I`d love to try some seafood from Maine.........those "lobstahs" would tempt us........lol......love that Boston accent!!!!


Huge TBBT and Young Sheldon fan over here-told my parents when we go to CA they aren't getting me away from the sets until I can't be there no more lol! My dad and I are always quoting something from TBBT to one another


----------



## BroadwayHermione5

All caught up!

Love Alicia Stella and Bioreconstruct!

I want the Pain in the Pilar! (I am a lover of Rum)

Love the pics from the eye!

Also in every theme park I have ever been too, work is constantly being done-I will never understand why people complain (and in reality its the guests that are rude who destroy stuff it makes me want to just scream!). Maybe they should come see the little amusement park near me and they will understand (not trying to dox myself but it has a few historical landmark rides.....and it is showing its age even with updates over the past few years).

Also that picture of Tom is hilarious!


----------



## Pumpkin1172

All caught up again.  Thanks to a slow day at work 

Loving all the photos!

I don't think Hash House would be for me.  I'm one of those people who doesn't really like my food to touch or mix together.  That just looked too  for me lol.  Dh on the other hand - mixes everything together 

I am the same as you, I need to have breakfast before we can do anything.  And it doesn't have to be much.  A little tea and a muffin and I'm good to go!  I made the mistake of my breakfast on our first trip to Universal - never again   I was violently ill and moaning with Moaning Myrtle  in the bathroom from motion sickness.  I was really good this trip and have no problems.  I even had a headache for our Universal days - and riding Velosicoaster cured it  That's my story and I'm sticking to it!


schumigirl said:


> that high you experience as you come out of your seat dropping or be out of that same seat as you are completely upside down facing the green of the water which is probably the biggest scream from all riders....even more than the part it revs up before we go over the top hat!!!


It really is a fantastic ride!  Dh wanted to do RRR and we never got back to do it.  He did ride hulk on our way out of the park and he loved it.  Like I said, I was careful about what I wanted to ride that wouldn't contribute to any motion sickness.  Maybe next time I might brave it.  I was really wanting to ride Velosicoaster and Hagrid's over  RRR and Hulk.  


schumigirl said:


> The cocktail consisted of Papa’s Pilar dark rum, coconut cream, orange and pineapple juice, simple syrup and nutmeg floating on the cream like topping and was a very decent size, especially for lunchtime!


That looks like my type of drink that I seemed to pick on our trip!!!!  I loved them allllllll!  The best one I think was still at The Boathouse in Disney Springs.  It packed a punch and dh almost had to carry me up to the room at the end of the night.  But then again, I'm a light weight .

I told Dh he wasn't allowed to tell me ANY countdowns about going home   - EVER!!!!!!  I know when it's coming up.  If he didn't want me in tears - then he best not speak of any countdowns.  

Can't wait to hear about your final days.


----------



## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> Huge TBBT and Young Sheldon fan over here-told my parents when we go to CA they aren't getting me away from the sets until I can't be there no more lol! My dad and I are always quoting something from TBBT to one another




I can`t quite say we like YS as much as BB, but it has it`s moments....and yes, between Friends and BB, our conversations are always littered with quotes from both shows......and we always exactly what each other is going to say in most situations.......lol......




BroadwayHermione5 said:


> All caught up!
> 
> Love Alicia Stella and Bioreconstruct!
> 
> I want the Pain in the Pilar! (I am a lover of Rum)
> 
> Love the pics from the eye!
> 
> Also in every theme park I have ever been too, work is constantly being done-I will never understand why people complain (and in reality its the guests that are rude who destroy stuff it makes me want to just scream!). Maybe they should come see the little amusement park near me and they will understand (not trying to dox myself but it has a few historical landmark rides.....and it is showing its age even with updates over the past few years).
> 
> Also that picture of Tom is hilarious!



I remember Alicia Stellawhen she worked on the Jaws ride.....I`m sure I have a picture of her somewhere as our Captain........she is very knowledgeable and her info is always spot on. 

We love rum drinks and can blame Strong Water for our love of rum. Well Tom always liked it, but I wasn`t really a fan......till we met the SW team.....  ......but now, rum is probably our main cocktail base at home.

Epic Universe is going to be epic!! 

Yes, folks who gripe about things being refurbed are usually the same folks that complain Universal is dated and in need of a refurb!!! Have seen such comments on the boards before. It`s a no win situation for them with some folks.

I like that picture....but have no clue what I said to him!!! 

Glad you`re all caught up.......


----------



## schumigirl

Pumpkin1172 said:


> All caught up again.  Thanks to a slow day at work
> 
> Loving all the photos!
> 
> I don't think Hash House would be for me.  I'm one of those people who doesn't really like my food to touch or mix together.  That just looked too  for me lol.  Dh on the other hand - mixes everything together
> 
> I am the same as you, I need to have breakfast before we can do anything.  And it doesn't have to be much.  A little tea and a muffin and I'm good to go!  I made the mistake of my breakfast on our first trip to Universal - never again   I was violently ill and moaning with Moaning Myrtle  in the bathroom from motion sickness.  I was really good this trip and have no problems.  I even had a headache for our Universal days - and riding Velosicoaster cured it  That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
> 
> It really is a fantastic ride!  Dh wanted to do RRR and we never got back to do it.  He did ride hulk on our way out of the park and he loved it.  Like I said, I was careful about what I wanted to ride that wouldn't contribute to any motion sickness.  Maybe next time I might brave it.  I was really wanting to ride Velosicoaster and Hagrid's over  RRR and Hulk.
> 
> That looks like my type of drink that I seemed to pick on our trip!!!!  I loved them allllllll!  The best one I think was still at The Boathouse in Disney Springs.  It packed a punch and dh almost had to carry me up to the room at the end of the night.  But then again, I'm a light weight .
> 
> I told Dh he wasn't allowed to tell me ANY countdowns about going home   - EVER!!!!!!  I know when it's coming up.  If he didn't want me in tears - then he best not speak of any countdowns.
> 
> Can't wait to hear about your final days.



And glad you`re all caught up too Pumpkin! Glad you like the pictures, I am always spoiled for choice with his pictures on all our trips, he does excel at taking pictures for me, and he has such a good camera which helps. Phone camera`s don`t touch a real phone for me in quality and clarity.

Hash House, I don`t get the hype about it. Last time we went in it wasn`t very clean, but although it was cleaner this time, I just don`t like the vibe and the food is overwhelming to say the least. And not the best either. 

Oh I agree.....even something small to eat is good for breakfast. Funnily enough someone we were in line with mentioned they can only do these rides with an empty tummy....I told her I was the complete opposite.....both men looked on rather bemused saying they can ride it anyway.....maybe a woman thing.....lol.....yes, VC and Hagrids are so much better than RRR & Hulk, although Hulk still have that fabulous take off which we love. Not as jarring either. I`m done with RRR for sure now. 

lol.....I can imagine you after that cocktail!!! It was delicious and I do like to know I have alcohol in my drinks, if I can`t taste the alcohol, I sometimes don`t realise how strong they are.....never a good idea!! We liked Boathouse when we went, but don`t think we plan to go back to Disney Springs again. 

Yes, no countdowns to going home ever again.....someone else did mention it to us after that.......they got the stink eye......lol......


----------



## I-4Bound

Hooray, caught up again! I stopped getting emails from the Dis for some reason, and I got behind inadvertently.

Sloppy Joes looks yummy! It’s always nice to find new places!

I’m super excited, because I booked a long weekend trip for my birthday! I get to turn 47 on the Velocicoaster It will also be Food & Wine Festival at Epcot, and my hubby and I can’t resist stuffing our faces at any Epcot festival  So, it will be the perfect birthday for me, as long as I don’t melt into a middle-aged puddle on the sidewalk!


----------



## schumigirl

I-4Bound said:


> Hooray, caught up again! I stopped getting emails from the Dis for some reason, and I got behind inadvertently.
> 
> Sloppy Joes looks yummy! It’s always nice to find new places!
> 
> I’m super excited, because I booked a long weekend trip for my birthday! I get to turn 47 on the Velocicoaster It will also be Food & Wine Festival at Epcot, and my hubby and I can’t resist stuffing our faces at any Epcot festival  So, it will be the perfect birthday for me, as long as I don’t melt into a middle-aged puddle on the sidewalk!



Hey Andrea.....good to see you!! Wondered where you were.......

Yep, I`d recommend eating there, good quality food and excellent service. 

Congratulations!!!! I`m super excited for you to be heading back and doing F&W too along with experiencing that Velocicoaster........F&W always sounds like it would be a good place to visit and try some of the offerings. 

You`ll have a blast I`m sure....and yes, try to keep cool if you can........love the heat but it sure can be intense!


----------



## heidijanesmith

That is too bad that Tom did not get his mussels, as they were my favorite!  That was the only dish that my DH and I liked. We are not too keen on going again.


----------



## schumigirl

*FRIDAY MAY 20TH*​




*We didn`t sleep late after all....no surprises there for us. I always say I would love just once to sleep till around 10am.....our housekeeper wouldn`t be very pleased though. Even at home, we just get up early all the time as it`s what we`re used to, and we prefer it that way, get up and get the day started. 

Yesterday we had emailed Samuel who worked in the offices at RP, we had managed to see him once already, but wanted to catch him as I knew he was off from today and we wouldn`t see him if we didn`t catch him today. So, we had arranged to stop off and ask someone to let him know we were in the front desk area. We met Samuel several years ago and clicked instantly with him, we keep in touch over email usually, but we think the world of him and always enjoy seeing him. 

So, today we had planned to do the parks, but the weather wasn`t looking so good so we had a quick change of plan and decided to pop to the Mall then go to Winter Park where when the weather didn`t look so good, we emailed and arranged to see a lovely lady who used to work Concierge and again, we kept in touch over the years and she was off work this afternoon so she said she was home today and asked if we were free to pop in to see her, so our day was pretty much set despite the bad weather. 

We walked over to RP and found Samuel immediately and we did have that good catch up again and we looked forward to seeing him next time too, but we`ll email in between of course. 

Rob from Bell services also had some free time so we chatted with him too......Rob knows everyone and everything about the hotel and parks too....he is a font of knowledge and a heck of a nice guy too. 

We made it up for breakfast and it was raining heavy at this point so we had made the right decision to not go into the parks. It was a little later than usual for us, so we didn`t sit too long, and I had some fruit and croissants while Tom had his usual croissants with honey. 

I have no idea why we went to the Florida Mall today, but we did and I don`t remember buying anything which must be an unusual occurrence surely!! *















*We left the Mall and took a turn we don`t usually take and ended up on S Orange Blossom Trail  

There were some sights on that street I don`t care to see again!! Certainly not where tourists would want to be. But we eventually made it to easily recognisable areas to us and didn`t take us long to drive into Winter Park, get parked and head into town. 

The parking lot we used today was the other side of the train station and takes moments to get to the shopping area but first you pass through their very lovely park. *
















*Today we didn`t plan to do any of the things we said we`d do the next time we visited as we had plans to visit someone this afternoon. We said we would take the boat trip round the lake which had some very good remarks from folks we know that had done it. But, not today. 

I wanted to pop into the Olive Oil store, their oil wasn`t as good as Mount Dora`s oil store, but they do sell other products too we wanted to pick up. 

It`s set back in a little mews area, if you didn`t know it was there you`d miss it. Weirdly, every time we had gone in it was being run by very different people. *















*We did have a good few tastes of some of the balsamic vinegars which were very nice, but we only purchased some spicy sauces and seasonings they sell at the back of the store. *
















*I think this was the least amount of time we had spent in town......but we did enjoy a little wander through the park area before heading back to the car. It felt incredibly humid today, we could feel there would be more rain coming. *

















































*As a Brit, we love the huge Amtrak trains and we were delighted we could see one about to pass, well we heard it before we saw it. I knew this wasn`t the great big ones that go great distances, but it was big enough for us to see. Very reminiscent of watching old movies set on trains, it always looks like something we would love to do one day......it would have to be luxurious of course!!! 

Before we went to visit, we stopped off for lunch at 4Rivers....one of our old favourites for lunch, always busy and the line can be out the door some days, but it`s worth the wait. *
















*There are so many choices on the menu we like......I don`t think there`s one dish we wouldn`t eat. I`m not the biggest sandwich fan, but Tom is and I guessed he would order one today, and he did, he went for the brisket sandwich as one of the staff members walked through with a huge hunk of meat to start carving it and he asked what it was as whatever it was he wanted it.......lol....he`s so easy to please. So, brisket sandwich, mac n cheese and coleslaw for him. *

















*For me, I chose the half rack with coleslaw, sweet potato casserole and cornbread, we also ordered a side of smoked jalapenos which were delicious. Ribs slid off the bone. 

We love the sauces they have on the tables, spicy and sweet which I do like to just mix together on the tray, they are lush! 

Food is delicious and we almost clear the trays dry. The meat here is divine.....I have no idea how vegetarians could turn this down, the smell alone is tempting enough! 

I will say this time the coleslaw was disappointing from what we remembered from our last visit. Same really with the cornbread which we have always raved about, it seemed dryer than usual and lacking in the jalapeno department. *
















*4Rivers is an incredibly friendly place, staff are genuinely keen to make sure you have the best experience you can have. Seats are communal tables in the middle of the restaurant with some booths to the side, so you could easily be sat beside someone else if you don`t get a booth as it genuinely does get incredibly busy. *




























*They have the best bakery here and some of their treats are a complete delight. We have sampled the coconut bombe and the salted caramel bar which are both divine!! 

We picked up a couple of items to take to Joss`s home, I knew she and her husband both had a sweet tooth and I was sure they`d enjoy them too. *





























*We knew roughly where we were driving too and only took about 15 minutes to get there and we passed a lovely few hours and time did pass quickly again. We didn`t get to sit out as it rained back and forward, but we did enjoy our time catching up again as it had been a while. I do like Winter Park and the folks we were visiting had a stunning home I would happily have moved into......very beautiful area. 

They did ask us if we wanted to go to one of the Disney parks tomorrow as they had complimentary tickets we could use, I could see Tom show a slight interest........

I however had a different view.......*





*





(sorry  )*​



*It was very kind of them of course, and they said they`d have been shocked if we had said yes......lol....they are huge Disney fans and both work for Disney so it`s a huge part of their life and their eldest daughter is planning to work there for a while too till she finds something permanent. 

Driving home we experienced some of the worst driving we have ever seen around the Orlando area......goodness me, especially as the rain was on back and forward, but we made it back in one piece and headed to our room to get ready for dinner tonight, we were going to Nagoya Sushi again. 

We didn`t go to the Club Lounge tonight, and they almost sent out a search party for us apparently.......lol......

As we passed Strong Water, one of the ladies who is a greeter waved us over and asked if we wanted to reserve a table for later as it was going to be busy, we said yes we`d probably do that as we would come back here tonight looking at the weather, so we said around 9.30ish, but we might be early or late we weren`t sure, she said that was fine and we`d see her later. 

It was raining lightly when we left the hotel and 10 minutes later as we parked to the back of Nagoya and as we got out the car, the heavens opened and the downpour began. I was immediately reminded it was a Grad night.....bless them, if it was still going ahead they would be drenched!! However we did find out later it did indeed go ahead.

We had booked a table tonight, and we got one near the bar, we did plan to sit up there one night and watch the chef`s the way you can do in Orchids too. We absolutely love this place and can`t say enough good things about it, especially as you don`t see too many tourists in there!! 

As soon as we entered the restaurant, the thunder and lightning began in earnest.....holy moly the rain was bouncing down and every few moments we saw the intense lightning strikes and heard the thunder cracking as if we were sitting outside listening to it. I have to admit part of us wished we were in our suite watching it again. We were in BigFire last time there was a huge storm so we missed that one too, but it was so nice to be inside watching it out there and not out in it the way some poor folks would be tonight. *









































*We only ordered cokes to drink tonight, and after studying the rather large menu, we opted to share the Tuna Tataki which was a dream of a dish....the tuna was so fresh and delicate and I think we should have had one each as we eyed one another up for the last pieces as we worked our way around them!!! *
















*With the entrees you get onion or miso soup to start which were both delicious, I think I`d get the onion one again instead of my usual miso, but both are gorgeous. *















*After much perusing, Tom decided to have Teriyaki Beef Bento Box, again a real Bento Box not one that was filled with edamame beans and french fries!!! What is that all about........

He asked for his beef to be rare and it was gorgeous. Alongside the beef in sauce, you have tempura veg, butterflied shrimp, onion ring, stir fried veg, rice and a sushi option with some beautiful dipping sauce. This was perfect. *
















*I normally get the same thing in here, so decided tonight to order something different, so went for Chicken Sukiyaki which was thinly sliced chicken on top of noodles and vegetables and it was all cooked in a sweet sukiyaki sauce which was broth instead of sauce but my goodness, it was one of the most flavourful dishes I`d ever eaten. 

Our waiter was very observant and saw me wonder how I`d eat these large chicken slices with a spoon, he brought me a fork, but I wished he`d also brought a knife, but it was fine with the fork and spoon. There were some vegetables I don`t eat in it, brocolli for one and those dreadful edamame beans......but everything else was a treat. 


*













*The staff in here are exceptional, very polite and so friendly, we heard several folks make some odd requests and they were very responsive to them all. 

We had thoroughly enjoyed our meal tonight, and fortunately after we paid the heavy rain had ceased a little so we got out to the car more or less dry. 

Although it did start up again, so driving wasn`t fun. 

This is where it went a little strange......

We went to turn into Hollywood Way from Turkey Lake Rd to get to Sapphire and we saw the police had blocked the whole right turn off for the usual Friday night grad bash....usually they block one lane and you can still turn in, but we were directed round the back and had to take the turn passing PB and HRH so we could turn into Hollywood Way from that side.

So we went to turn only to see they had blocked that entrance also!!! We put the window down and asked the community officer why we couldn`t go in....he said it was his job to make the road safe and we couldn`t go in that way??? He directed us to go back around, telling us to go via International Drive onto the I4 and we`d get in that way....we said he`d given us directions to get back to where we were right now.....he looked a little vague and then said no, you`ll come in off of Turkey Lake Road, We sighed and said we had just tried that way and it was blocked off. 

At that point he turned and said the road was partly opening up but it was being split for all traffic to go one one side......odd but we turned, only to discover we could only go as far as the entrance to RP. 

We stopped and asked another community officer sitting in a car why couldn`t we drive to Sapphire where we were staying....she was very abrupt and not at all helpful repeating we couldn`t drive to Sapphire Falls and only to RP and at that she put her window up again.......*





*



*​




*Well, there was only one thing to do.....we drove into RP and Tom dropped me off and went to park the car in the lot and we`d get it in the morning. 

I spoke to a young valet guy and he said it wouldn`t be an issue getting the car in the morning, just to explain what happened and we wouldn`t be charged. I wasn`t worried about that, it was just an inconvenience and couldn`t imagine how much of a mess this Friday night bash was causing for so many others. 

We walked over to Sapphire through the conference/ballroom area and we were glad to be inside as the rain was still heaving down and we were also late for our table. You do get 20 minutes I believe and then they give the table away, but we were confident ours would be ok. And it was, she did say she wondered as we are never late, but she knew we`d be there at some point. 

We got our table and were chatting to the staff explaining what had happened and several of them mentioned how much disruption it caused them leaving at night too, not very good especially as they leave late as it is, never mind being diverted somewhere....but seems to be allowed as I`m guessing they pay a lot of money for the parks to be closed to everyone but the grads. 

We didn`t stay annoyed for long and we had dessert to look forward to now and a cocktail or two. 

Tom nipped back to the room to get the gift for Chef Carlos, we really hoped he`d like it.....if he didn`t we`d blame Fernando.....lol......he was genuinely surprised and asked what it was for, when we told him he said the pleasure was all his, what a gent. He thanked us and chatted for a time, but he headed back into the kitchen as it was getting incredibly busy with everyone seemingly heading in here due to the weather.

We both got the same dessert tonight and it is gorgeous. I was glad we weren`t ordering food as folks were being told 40 minutes or longer for food!! I`d hate to be hungry coming in tonight. *




























*We only had one drink tonight, there were a lot of folks waiting for a table to eat, so we headed back to our room and watched the remnants of the storm that had mainly passed over now, but there were the odd flashes to watch. 

Tonight we were both shattered......I think the heat and how busy we had been was finally catching up with us. Staying up till midnight and up at 6am was also catching up I think too......but, we weren`t done yet!!!! 

Tomorrow is another day.....and how many days did we have left here now.......*





*



*​


----------



## schumigirl

heidijanesmith said:


> That is too bad that Tom did not get his mussels, as they were my favorite!  That was the only dish that my DH and I liked. We are not too keen on going again.



That seems to be a common theme for that place.....not many want to go back again after they visit. 

Yes, the mussels looked good, I`m sorry to hear you didn`t enjoy your meals either, such a shame as it should be an amazing place in a prime location.


----------



## schumigirl

*SATURDAY MAY 21ST*​



*This morning I was up with the birds as usual, Tom slept while I managed to go do a load of laundry and he was quite amazed when I appeared with clothes that had been washed a dried already. He assumed I was just through in the sitting area as he slept. We were planning an early morning chat on Skype with Kyle before we headed out for the day. 

Yesterday had been his last day in the job he`s had for just over 4 years. Last night a group of friends had been going out straight from work, so we never got a chance to chat to him and see how his last day had went. His boss and her boss made a point of coming in as it was his last day, both work from home most of the time only being in the office for a week every 6 weeks, so he was delighted when he turned in one office and saw them both there. His immediate boss he especially gets on with and they`ve worked well together all this time with Kyle being her go to guy in the office. He had given her a gorgeous and huge bouquet of flowers 3 weeks before when he thought it would be the last time he saw her, but was glad she had come in today to see him off.

He was sad at leaving the folks he had worked with, but wouldn`t miss the job itself as it had changed a little due to the pandemic, but he was very excited for Monday. They gave him some very thoughtful leaving gifts and some of the comments on the card were very touching to read, they thought a lot of him. 

So, he was out with his running club on a Saturday, by the time we were getting up, he`d be back home so as soon as we were showered and dressed we Skyped and he was incredibly happy and it was fabulous to see him so excited. He was full of tales of the last few days and he had plans for today and back out tomorrow night for dinner with other friends...we could have chatted for hours but he was busy and we wanted to start our day too. 

We did wish we were going to be there on Monday when he started the new job, but we`d absolutely chat first chance we could that afternoon.

We said our goodbyes and wished him a lovely weekend, then we set off over to RP not only for breakfast but to retrieve our car and get it back to Sapphire. We also weren`t sure what to do today as the weather didn`t look great, so we thought we`d go offsite and do something else. 

Coming down on the escalator right at the back of the hotel where they both join up for conference area, we saw a family come in the doors that tourists really shouldn`t be using and looking at the vague map on the wall. We asked them if they were lost and they said yes, they really were. I asked where they had parked and they said the car park, so couldn`t work out how they had ended up round there. Turned out they had parked in the convention car park, if you put the address into the gps, it does take you to that area apparently. 

So, we said to follow us as they were looking for the check in desk at RP. Bless them, as we walked they said they`d never have found it without us. We took them to the elevator and walked them to the check in desks, they were grateful and said they were only there for one night so wanted to make the most of it. We were glad to have been there to help them....it`s horrible being lost! 

We then went up for breakfast and enjoyed a lovely relaxing time as it wasn`t too busy again, I spoke to the concierge manager Jen as she was in and told her our tale of woe with the car, she said she`s give us a parking validation to get the car out. We knew they would of course, it was just annoying. She said to pick it up from the concierge desk downstairs when we were ready to leave. We thanked her and headed off downstairs to pick up the parking validation ticket. 

I love the entrance to RP. *






































*As we were getting in the car, the weather cleared and it looked much brighter than it had, so we decided to go to the parks after all. Once we had parked we went back to the suite and got changed into park clothes and headed to the boat as we thought we`d go to the Studios this morning. 

It did seem quiet today for a Saturday, and we weren`t early at all, it was fairly late on for us to arrive in the parks, but we wondered where the crowds were today. 

We turned right today instead of straight on and came across this marching band heading our way.....they were very good!! *

















*I don`t have a musical bone in my body, not a single one.....so I do admire folks who can play instruments, especially while walking at the same time.....it`s a talent. *

















*It really was quiet.....usually Saturdays are heaving, but we did wonder how many would be in IOA compared to the Studios. IOA seemed to have more going on for it right now, especially with The Mummy being closed for a refurb. *

















*We wandered into Five and Dime for a look around....they have some lovely classic monster memorabilia in there and although I think they could make it a little more atmospheric given the genre.*





*



*​





*However, they do have a good selection of Classic Monster products for sale. *



















































*I did like this little area that are just offices for TM in The Studios, but it always looked like it would make a lovely Spanish style home somewhere. The garden area is beautifully kept and have a lovely array of flowers and plants on display. *



























*Our main reason for hanging around this area this morning was to finally do The Bourne Stuntacular. 

We hadn`t managed this trip, so wanted to make sure we did it before we were headed home. I forget the times but we knew it wouldn`t be long till the show started so headed in and wen through the regular line, but it`s one of those that you don`t really miss much at all in this line. *




























*It was still identical to how it was when this was The Terminator ride  "Welcome....to Cyberdyne" anyone?? she was such a hoot as a character. *
















*The show itself is phenomenal....stunts, pyrotechnics, actors...this show has them all and it is amazing, one of the best live action shows they`ve had. And I don`t even like the movies, but this works so well. 

It was almost lunchtime by the time we got out, we forgot how late we had arrived and we were kind of hungry now......

I was never keen on mobile ordering and had never done it before, but we thought we might try it today. One of the things we really don`t want to do is use a phone for anything apart from txt or call friends. But, we`d give it a go and Tom had set up an account yesterday so we were set to jumble our way through this new technolgy......

It was easy peasy.....if we could do it, anyone could. 

We thought we`d try Louie`s for a couple of slices of pizza, so we sat on the bench close by and ordered our slices and some fanta, pressed the button to say we were close and went in to the restaurant expecting to wait a little bit. 

The regular line was huge......exceptionally long and we were glad we didn`t have to stand in that line. 

The mobile ordering counter was completely deserted and our slices of pizza were waiting for us. *



























*Usually I complain the pizza from here is never as hot as it should be when we get them.....this time I almost burned my mouth eating that first bite, the slices were sizzling hot which was a first and although I think they are a little too big as slices, they were very nice. 

*













*We had complained a few years back as they had changed the dough and seemingly were using a cheaper pepperoni, but they seemed to be back to their usual standard and we did enjoy them. And more importantly, we were happy to use mobile ordering. Wouldn`t choose to do it all the time, but on occasion it would be handy. 

Louie`s was in the middle of a refurb, so there was less seating around but they were still operating as normal, but it did feel busier and a little cramped.

We headed down towards Mummy where we wanted to see the exterior of the new Tribute Store. And it still seemed so quiet. *


----------



## Deb1993

Carole - OMG that photo of you in the white floral dress!  Gorgeous!!!


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## Elsaspiritanimal

schumigirl said:


>


Carole you look so lovely in this dress! Not that you don't always look lovely, but this is especially stunning on you. Still loving your great trip report!


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## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> Carole - OMG that photo of you in the white floral dress!  Gorgeous!!!


 Awww.....thank you so much! You made me smile reading that......


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## schumigirl

Elsaspiritanimal said:


> Carole you look so lovely in this dress! Not that you don't always look lovely, but this is especially stunning on you. Still loving your great trip report!



And thank you too Elsa.....I know what you mean....I often say to folks they look so good then wonder if they think they haven`t looked good before lol......

Glad you`re enjoying it, and glad to see you post, hope you`re doing good......


----------



## schumigirl

*We headed down to see the new Tribute store, stopping to look at the little display outside that we think we may have missed the last time. 

This place feels so deserted right now while Mummy is being refurbed, folks only walk past heading for Potter usually. *



























*We headed to the store when we heard a voice say "Carole"......and we turned and a lady introduced herself as being a Dis member, queenofthehill who had read these trip reports and was visiting the parks again......well it was lovely to meet them both.....and we had a lovely little chat which was so nice and of course we got a picture.......I`m glad Tom mentioned it as I forgot to say about a picture.....

So, here we are. *
















*It is lovely when someone sees us and says hello.....someone at the hotel asked if it`s strange being so far from home and someone shouts your name when they see us......lol.....no, not really, it`s rather nice and we meet some lovely folks too!! 

The Tribute Store wouldn`t be too long till it was up and running again, but we`d just miss it changing themes again. They do a decent job of this store for whatever event. *
















*Today we didn`t feel like doing much at all.....we considered heading round to Potter and doing Gringotts, thought about doing ET.......nah......

Tom came up with a brainwave and asked if I wanted to go to Finnegans for cocktails......*




*



*​*
 




Finnegans is not a place we like for food.....we`ve never been impressed with anything in there and the theme isn`t one we like very much either. But, the bar is a different story......

They always have very good staff and it`s almost like a real bar and not one in a theme park.......one of the best barmen Jim, retired a few years ago now, he was a classic.....deadpan humour and could mix a mean cocktail and he had a heavy hand with his pours, which to be fair they all do in there. 

Today we got a seat at the bar as soon as someone moved.....the bar does get busy for good reason. And Kat was looking after us today and she was marvellous, just as you hope bar staff are going to be....full of fun and have some character about them.....

She asked what we`d like and what we really wanted was a drink they used to do when Jim was there, but it was no longer on their drink options. So we asked if she could make and old drink on the menu called a Rum Neuralyser......her face lit up and said she`d make us the best one we`d ever had......and hardly anyone asked for them anymore...... *















*They were delicious!!! 

So delicious, we had another round after this one......this lady knew her drinks too! And in chatting we asked if she had ever been to Strong Water, she said she hadn`t but did plan to.....we told her she`d be blown away by the cocktails there......she`d heard they were out of this world and was looking forward to trying it at some point. *
















*So, although we don`t like Finnegans as a restaurant, as a bar it is a very good one. At HHN you usually can`t get near the bar any night it`s on, the line is back outside from the bar of folks trying to get drinks. We have tried a few times.......lol.......*
















*We had a wander round the parks, not doing much really, just enjoying the park while it was fairly quiet for a change and enjoying the heat which was fabulous. *
















*Williams of Hollywood was a lovely place to wander round and look at some classic memorabilia and items that had been in movies from a long time ago and they sell everything in there including old props from HHN....some of which are quite spectacular.....Tom would have loved the full size statue of Chance.......but, no, wouldn`t be able to get it home was my excuse......*






































*Sadly Williams of Hollywood has now closed, it is a shame as they did have some completely unique items.....I always wanted to buy a vintage hat from there, I love hats.......but never got round to it, now I won`t be able to. 

It was late afternoon before we headed out of the park.....and as we walked out, Tom stopped to take a picture and I heard a man talking on the phone, quite animated telling someone on the other end at that moment in time he was walking to the gates of IOA and why couldn`t they see them.......his wife looked fed up......lol.......I stopped by them and said he was walking towards The Studios not IOA.......oops. He immediately said thank you and told the person on the other end he`d find IOA. We then pointed them in the right direction for IOA.....I think he was a little annoyed he`d got the wrong park. 

We got the boat and went back home to shower and change and decide what we wanted to do tonight. We were planning to stay onsite as we had both enjoyed some cocktails, but would decide later. 

We wandered over to the Club Lounge and we had no Lindsey for a few days, but we still enjoyed sitting and chatting with the other TM`s.......they are a very good bunch and it was a pleasure to spend time with them. 

The lounge is a lovely space to chill out in. Outside of when they serve food, it`s usually fairly quiet and a nice relaxing place if you wanted an hour on your own, or like us sometimes just go up to chatter away and have a soft drink or tea which are available all day while the lounge is open. *




























*We sat and thought about our food options for tonight.....we did have a little taster of the club offerings tonight which were the meatballs and garlic mash, so a couple of meatballs and salad washed down with several glasses of red wine was just nice. 

But, we finally opted to do the Wok Experience which is in Islands restaurant opposite Jake`s. It`s now running Friday`s and Saturday`s only and we had always enjoyed it whenever we had done it. 

Although we did have a little dessert taster before we left as the supervisor gave us some mini key lime pies and something chocolate......the key lime were very nice and Tom seemed to enjoy what he had. *















*You really don`t need a reservation for this as it`s never really filled up, but there were a few tables filled when we went down tonight. 

Our favourite waiter from here has left and is working elsewhere now, and we did miss him as he was so lovely. *



























*Our waiter tonight was just ok. 

We told him we`d be doing the Wok experience and ordered 2 cocktails which we knew came from Jake`s. He never asked if we had eaten there before but wandered off, which was ok but the wok had changed since last time so we did wonder how the soup worked now. 

When he brought the drinks back we asked him where the soups were, there used to be two options....he said now you had one soup and they brought it from the kitchen.....fair enough....it was egg drop soup. I asked what happened to the green curry and coconut ones, he eagerly informed us if we wanted to order them seperately we could......no thanks. 

I wish we had though......the soup tasted of nothing at all. It was completely flavourless and was quite greasy which was unusual, but we barely touched them.*
















*We left the soup and were still waiting on our drinks......Jake`s is not that far but we weren`t in any hurry really......

The counter for the Wok had moved and there were 2 chefs and looking at the veg there were some missing that used to be an option for the stir fry and now there were only four sauce options instead of six. 

We both chose our meats, chicken and shrimp for me and beef with chicken for Tom.

Usually when you started they asked if you wanted garlic, ginger, peanuts and scallions at the end....they only offer garlic now which is a big difference to the little touches that makes the final meal. *



























*The meal was just ok. Nothing special but not as good as before, portions were smaller....now I know you can go up as often as you want to, but we only ever have one bowl as that is more than enough for us. 

The chefs weren`t interacting with anyone the way they used to either. No friendly chatter or banter, and one looked distinctly annoyed at everything. 

Our drinks finally arrived and I can honestly say the soup had more taste than they had. A teetotaller could have drank them and been fine.......so we left them too and would tell our waiter if we ever saw him again they were poor. *
















*There used to be a selection of desserts on offer....similar to the mini ones in the Club Lounge, but they no longer offer that option which is a shame.....you can order desserts of course. 

The whole thing felt like they have cheaped out on this now. I didn`t mind the desserts not being there, but I did miss the soups and some of the touches with the food. Tom wasn`t too bothered, but I felt a little annoyed that I felt this way, so finally found our waiter......not a joke, I forgot what he looked like as we had seen so little of him......and asked to speak to the manager, something that hurts me to do. I hate complaining. 

The manager was lovely, we told him what our issues were in a very calm way and explained we had been visiting the Wok experience for many years and this had been such a disappointment to what we were used to. We also mentioned the almost full glasses contained cocktails with no flavour and we couldn`t taste the alcohol. 

He apologised and explained the issues they were having which is understandable and he very kindly took care of us with the check. 

But, we just felt annoyed that it had been so poor.....not dreadful, but not great. I have no clue what the cost is now, but it wasn`t worth it to us tonight at all and I was gutted we`d had to complain. 

I hope it does improve and get back to the same high standard it used to be as I detest complaining especially in RP or Sapphire as we usually have nothing to complain about. 

We walked back to Sapphire and we had said we might pop into Strong Water, but we headed back to our suite and had some wine and watched a movie.....again, I have no memory of what it was. 

I sat and wrote a few emails too while the movie was on and before we knew it, we were already at midnight. 

Time for bed and those beds are incredibly comfortable and the bed is huge......so we were both zonked out before we knew it! *


----------



## BroadwayHermione5

All caught up!


I hope the prop shop returns in some way shape or form. There used to be one at Disney's Hollywood Studios but that sadly has gone the way of the dodo now too! And I am loving these tribute stores!


Your experience at Wok was similar to ours at Jake's (although I am happy to say we did see our waiter more than twice! And for the most part the food was not bad-minus the pizza being undercooked-it just was lacking something you know?) I'd still go back and try Jake's again, but I am happy we opted for that as opposed to the wok.


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## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> All caught up!
> 
> 
> I hope the prop shop returns in some way shape or form. There used to be one at Disney's Hollywood Studios but that sadly has gone the way of the dodo now too! And I am loving these tribute stores!
> 
> 
> Your experience at Wok was similar to ours at Jake's (although I am happy to say we did see our waiter more than twice! And for the most part the food was not bad-minus the pizza being undercooked-it just was lacking something you know?) I'd still go back and try Jake's again, but I am happy we opted for that as opposed to the wok.



Oh that`s a shame about Jake`s. I don`t think they have recovered from the pandemic yet with staffing issues. We didn`t have the best food in Jake`s either this time, it wasn`t as good as it has been in the past. Disappointing. This is the first trip we have experienced several meals that weren`t as good as they should have been. 

Jake`s and Islands have always been staples for us....but not so good this trip. 

The Tribute Stores are so good. Someone told us a year ago the parks would soon be filled with classic monsters.....they were right! 

Glad you`re all caught up.....


----------



## schumigirl

*SUNDAY MAY 22ND*​



*We were up far too early this morning, not unusual for me but even Tom was wide awake early doors. But, both of us felt quite tired today, so instead of our original plans, we thought we`d have another quiet day and head to Lake Eola which is very tranquil and also Sunday is Farmer`s Market Day which we have enjoyed a couple of times before. 

We walked over for breakfast and it was so quiet in the lounge this morning.......we saw a lady ask for champagne as it wasn`t set out, she was a little abrasive, but she was told due to licencing laws, they couldn`t serve it till 9am on a Sunday......seems an odd one but our licencing laws in the UK for a Sunday are crazy too.....she wasn`t too happy though. 

I think we chatted for quite a long time this morning as we were in no rush to go anywhere, but we did leave before the champagne was served.....first time I missed it....lol......

Walked back to Sapphire for the car and drove the 20 minutes or so to Downtown Orlando. Roads are fairly quiet and we find a place to park very close to the park. There are several parking buildings and some small open parking lots that you can pay $5 for some and others can be more.....but you`ll be able to find somewhere to park as there are loads around. 

Lake Eola is very beautiful and this morning it was the busiest we had seen it, but there was a kind of park run on where there were hundreds of runners everywhere. I mean everywhere!!! 

One upon a time they would have irritated us.....but as Kyle had become a serious runner this last year, we had to be more tolerant.....or so we were told!!

There are some paddle boats that look like swans you can hire to go on the lake with......looks like it would be a lot of effort for not very much, we are not paddle boat fans as we are far too lazy! *
















*Lake Eola isn`t really a lake, it`s a giant sinkhole and around 80 feet deep. The sink hole appeared on the outskirts of land owned by the Cattle King Jacob Summerlin in 1873, due to a natural aquifer below ground and storm water, Sandy Beach as it was known then was an ideal spot for locals to enjoy. 

Some time later, the Summerlin family donated land around the lake to the public and was then renamed Lake Eola in memory of Robert Summerlin`s late wife which is quite cute thinking about it, and it has been a public park as far back as 1888. 

The rainbow coloured building on the other side of the lake is the Walt Disney Amphitheatre and was built in 1886, also known as the Band Shell where you can see live concerts and events. 

*














*We don`t know Downtown Orlando very well at all, but we hope to rectify that in the next few trips. 

There are a lot of homeless folks around both outside and inside the park, they aren`t threatening in any way, well, we haven`t seen anything to make us concerned. But, if you`re not used to seeing homeless folks it might be a concern. Where we live we just don`t see it at all, but I can honestly say whether it be in Manhattan, St Augustine or here, it wouldn`t put me off visiting again. It`s not nice to see folks living like that though and you just wish you could do more at times. *















*This picture is a little dark, but it`s the Chinese Ting, donated as a token of friendship by a powerful man called Nelson Ying. Although it was built in China and had to be disassembled before being shipped to Orlando and then rebuilt. 

It is very pretty. *
















*There are so many stalls out on Sunday`s, most of them food I have to say, and this one really caught our eye the first time we came here and again, everything they cook looks amazing.....and the aroma coming from this food was lipsmackingly good! 

If we were folks to eat outside, we`d definitely try something from here.....but we`re wimps who like to eat in airconditioned buildings out of the heat. And today again was a sizzler. *




























*This odd little house seemingly abandoned in the middle of the park is Eola House originally built in the 1920`s and is considered one of the newer additons to the park!!

It`s now offices for folks that run the park and I think you can have small events there, you can certainly take a tour of it every day. It looks lovely and hasn`t been changed in any way since it was built. *



























*We were so tempted with the Cheesecake!!! *















*This stall was Tom`s idea of heaven.......honey. 

He loves honey, I don`t...unless it`s in honey mustard dressing or if I have a sore throat, nothing better than honey for that of course. So they have so many flavours and you can taste them all before you decide, although I think Tom wanted to buy one of every kind. 

These ladies have a real passion for their product and could talk at length about the process and end product, finally thinking about weight limits on our luggage he opted to buy three different ones, raspberry, hot and plain old regular. I have to say, I have tried them and they are actually very nice. *
















*With all the food options around they do have an open seating area in the centre, it gets incredibly busy though and far too many bugs around for us to want to be eating there. *





























*It was blazing hot by now, so we saw a stall that sold fruity rum drinks, so Tom bought me a pineapple-mango concotion and we decided to sit down on a little wall while we drank it. Tom bought himself a non alcoholic version which was equally as delicious. 

As it was so hot and it was too early for lunch, we sat on that wall for maybe half an hour or so.....it was obviously comfortable enough for me not to move!! *
















*When we moved off, we walked past a man I had noticed, but hadn`t noticed what he was doing. Tom glanced over his shoulder as we passed and smiled. When we sat down further along to watch some swans he told me the man had drawn me from the side and wished he`d asked to see it properly...it was only a sketch but he said he could see it was me. Tom then went back along to ask the man if he could see it......the man explained he tried to draw without anyone noticing, Tom said he thought it looked good so could he take a picture of the drawing and of course the man said he could. He did offer to scan it when it was done and email it to us, but Tom said the picture would be enough and not put him to any trouble.

I must say, I did like it.....lumps, bumps and all . He had captured me sitting on that wall. 

I`m not artistic in any way....can`t sing or play a musical instrument and I certainly can`t draw to save my life.....so I genuinely admire folks that can do. I think this man was a real artist and this was just a doodle to him, so I`m sure his real artwork would be something special. *

















*A woman approached us as we sat on the bench beside the swan handing us a sheet of paper with some words on it.....the lady was very obviously a trans woman but was incredibly polite, not forceful or aggressive in any way and the writing on the sheet was all about love and tolerance, nothing provocative in any way. We said thank you and wished her a good day and she wandered on. 

A man behind us took incredible offense at this and we heard him shout disgusting things to this woman, way over the top from what she was actually doing. This was honestly horrible to see and the anger in the man`s face was scary, we were still close enough to see it. The woman remained calm and just said he was entitled to his opinion but maybe cursing in front of his kids and other folks kids wasn`t the best idea. Thankfully it didn`t erupt further, but everyone around us were all horrified at the man`s reaction. Regardless of your personal opinion, this lady was not doing anything to deserve such an attack. 

And the swan`s babies appeared at that point. I did turn to see how the lady was, but she was much further round the path by now and the angry man was headed the other way. 

These were so cute......and we were amazed how tame the swans were. Swans here are something we don`t get too close to, especially if they have babies....they`ll break your arm with one swipe of that wing. *
















*It was getting near lunchtime now and I was starting to feel hungry, so we headed for where we were eating today. It was just off the park and although we didn`t know anything about the place we`d give it a try. 

Persimmon Hollow Brewing Co looked very nice and as soon as we walked in, we liked it.*
















*We were seated and Tom went into picture taking mode, we loved the natural look and having the beer vats with pumps in the Taproom added to the atmosphere of the place. 

Staff were lovely and although the menu wasn`t huge, there were a lot of items we could enjoy. *



























*My first mimosa of the day......this one was pineapple-jalapeno and it was very refreshing and did have a little kick to it which was nice.*
















*We would share the Pear-Tridge in a Fig Tree salad for lunch which was a pear soaked in red wine, pine nuts, chopped figs, tomatoes, balsamic drizzle and a red wine vinaigrette with mixed greens. We did omit blue cheese crumbles which neither of us like. *
















*The other item we`d share is the Dark and Stormy flatbread with added chicken which had pepper jack cheese, arugula and pineapple pico and our favourite bbq sauce base. Not everyone`s idea of a perfect pizza, but it is for me....if it had jalapenos on it of course it would have been completely perfect! *
















*Both these items were beautiful. The salad was incredibly fresh and the flavours worked so well together and the flatbread was lovely too. 

I had another mimosa, this time trying the blackberry-basil which was just ok, it was nice but I preferred the pineapple-jalapeno one from earlier. *
















*I did snatch the camera to get a picture of my lovely husband enjoying his ginger ale......

We had enjoyed this lunch, light enough but we felt full enough that would keep us till dinner tonight. In fact as we were eating this meal Tom was asking where we would eat tonight!!!! Men. *
















*Traffic was different on the way home, and it took ages to get back, but we made it and showered and changed and headed over to the lounge to sit for a while. 

Second nasty incident of the day here, but I kept my mouth shut on this one. 

Lady sat at the table beside us was ranting about something, I had noticed her in the morning and several times over th elast two days and we had never spoken. While she was ranting she said a word out loud you don`t hear very often describing people with reduced mental capacity, she was describing the folks around her so I guess I was included too. My face displays every emotion I`m feeling and I was genuinely shocked. She did have the grace to look rather embarrassed I had heard. I didn`t say a word but did mention it to the Club Staff later who were horrified as they had been so nice to her. Not nice to hear though. 

We had another chatty evening and chatted to some other guests who had been staying a few days and a British couple who remembered us from when the Club Lounge was being revamped several years back. I didn`t remember them, and they said we were travel agents or something like that.......lol.....er no. Not sure who they were thinking of but it wasn`t us. He did remember us though. 

We headed off and went to get the car as it was quite late now and we wanted to eat in the Ale house on Kirkman tonight....being a Sunday night it would be busy and we do like to sit at the bar in there. 

It was good timing we got two seats at the bar when we went in, a couple just left and I think their seats were still warm when we sat down! 

This is an incredibly friendly place....staff are brilliant and we like how folks sitting beside you will just start up a conversation and you get to know their whole life story at times.......people do like to share. But, we`ve always met such lovely folks sitting at the bar in here, but we`ve been incredibly lucky meeting lovely folks through all our trips over here. 

Just the odd nasty pasty now and again in the past........
















Dinner was an easy choice tonight, we would share the fried potstickers to start which we usually get every time, or maybe it just seems like it, but they are nice. 

Food in here is cheap and cheerful, have never had a bad meal here and we`ve been many times. *
















*We had a gap between appetiser and entrees tonight.....we were so enjoying just sitting here and soaking up the atmosphere which is pure fun, despite it being predominantly a sports bar, which we are most definitely not fans of....although we did see an F1 race on the faraway screen......so we squinted our eyes to watch that....

We both wanted steaks tonight and they`ve always been wonderful here and when I asked for rare or medium rare, they have turned out perfect. 

Tom went for the ribeye and asked for it rare, which it was and it came with a sauce which I forget what it was, maybe garlic and something, but he liked it. *
















*I went for the filet which I always get in here, with fries and salad. I also got rare and it was perfect, couldn`t have done better myself.

Again, the food was perfect and I had a couple of Blackberry Smash cocktails......they were nice, but very artificial compared to Strong Water......I had been spoiled. *
















*We sat for a long time as we had some very nice folks around us and we just chatted the night away.....I think it was almost 11.15 before we thought we should make a move. 

I think our day had been very relaxing, we had loved wandering around with no timetable or agenda to fill. 

Back in our room, we went straight to bed, after I sent Kyle a good luck email for tomorrow.....first day in his new job and we were so excited for him. *


----------



## Cara

Hello, Carole! I love the look of that fig salad and am much-impressed by photos from the Ale House. I would not have expected such yummy-looking food! I am sad that your trip is nearing the end...


----------



## disneyseniors

Carol, Wow, I just finished your last 3 reports.  Don't know how I got so behind!  
A few things that stood out for me:  The Eye in Orlando!!!   I don't know how you did that at all!  I got sweaty hands just looking at the pictures.   I could only focus on the picture that showed the steps running below the cars.  I just pictured having to get out and walk/climb/crawl down them.   Did I mention that I am afraid of heights and a chicken too, LOL.  You were very brave to even do it.

About your Studios day:   We actually like the Studios areas better than IOA.  I don't know why?  Maybe just the atmosphere and we love the attractions there too.   We do like IOA, but find ourselves going back to the Studios side.  I'm glad you go t to do the Bourne Experience too.

Speaking of being a chicken?  I wouldn't venture out to downtown Orlando.  I guess it's because I don't know the area, and usually big city downtown areas are not the best to visit in the US, IMO.  Lake Eola does look beautiful though.  

Again, I immensely enjoy the photos that Tom takes.  It's like being on the trip too


----------



## schumigirl

Cara said:


> Hello, Carole! I love the look of that fig salad and am much-impressed by photos from the Ale House. I would not have expected such yummy-looking food! I am sad that your trip is nearing the end...



Thank you Cara......

That salad was beautiful and got me back into eating fresh figs again.....and yes, the Ale House serves very good food and has a lovely varied menu. We keep saying we need to try more new restaurants but some we don`t want to give up and that`s one we want to keep going back to. 

Yes, it is getting close to the end of this one.....only a few more days and then I can think about September TR........one of my lovely Goddaughter`s has already inadvertently named it......


----------



## schumigirl

disneyseniors said:


> Carol, Wow, I just finished your last 3 reports.  Don't know how I got so behind!
> A few things that stood out for me:  The Eye in Orlando!!!   I don't know how you did that at all!  I got sweaty hands just looking at the pictures.   I could only focus on the picture that showed the steps running below the cars.  I just pictured having to get out and walk/climb/crawl down them.   Did I mention that I am afraid of heights and a chicken too, LOL.  You were very brave to even do it.
> 
> About your Studios day:   We actually like the Studios areas better than IOA.  I don't know why?  Maybe just the atmosphere and we love the attractions there too.   We do like IOA, but find ourselves going back to the Studios side.  I'm glad you go t to do the Bourne Experience too.
> 
> Speaking of being a chicken?  I wouldn't venture out to downtown Orlando.  I guess it's because I don't know the area, and usually big city downtown areas are not the best to visit in the US, IMO.  Lake Eola does look beautiful though.
> 
> Again, I immensely enjoy the photos that Tom takes.  It's like being on the trip too



Glad you caught up tonight. It is easy to miss a few days and think....how`d I miss so much.....lol......

I won`t post it as it is ridiculous, but Tom took one picture of me that shows how I was really feeling up there. I don`t like heights at all, but force myself to go up there and cling for dear life onto the middle part.....lol....they think it`s funny, but they have no fear of heights, it is horrible but understand your hand sweating, mine do that too and legs just crumble......

I do love the Studios....I agree, and for a long time we always said the Studios was our favourite as we seemed to spend more time there out of the two parks. It still does have it`s attractions though and it is lovely in certain parts. 

Well, after several nefarious outings we had in the past, friends at the hotel have told us we`re not allowed to go anywhere new without running it past them first....but they`ve all said the parts of Downtown we`d be going to are all right in the evenings...but, when we do go, we will ask first to check it`s ok with them......lol......

Thank you, I`m so glad you`re enjoying this one and the pictures too......


----------



## schumigirl

*MONDAY MAY 23RD*​



*I went to sleep really quickly, but woke up around 1am our time, weirdly around the same time Kyle gets up in the UK at around 6am, and usually just before that. I knew he`d be looking forward to starting his new job today and would be up with the birds and full of excitement. This job was an amazing opportunity for him and we know what a star he is, and we knew the firm he was going to work with would be wonderful for him, and them too. To be asked to go join them was something we were very proud of. 

And then I couldn`t get back to sleep......so I got up and went through to the sitting room and sent him a good luck email....not that he`d need it of course.....he replied with a "go back to sleep mum" lol.....he was so looking forward to this. 

Eventually I did fall back over and woke to knowing he`d be well into his first day. 

We got up and it was still early, I think I maybe slept for a couple of hours at best. I came back through to get some orange juice out of the fridge and saw it was another beautiful day ahead, and going to be another hot one! 

We love the lagoon view at Sapphire, it`s such a pretty view of the boats coming and going and of course you can see just how many folks are waiting for the early boats.....something we never do......we like to be up early, but not for early entry. *



























*We were quite early this morning heading over for breakfast and the place was so busy we had to sit on the high tops. It can vary so much as to how busy it can be, it can be full capacity but the lounge isn`t obviously busy, or at other times it can be quite full, it did clear fairly quickly after 15 minutes or so. 

We do enjoy our breakfast here, we don`t really look for cooked items in the morning, so this works nicely and fruit with either toast for me and croissants for Tom and our morning tea and coffee, and yes of course......champagne........*

















































































*We took our time as usual and we chatted to the couple who remembered us from several years back, they were nice and we chatted about the changes in the hotel last few years. Some folks love it , some don`t. 

We headed down to get the boat eventually, we do chat a lot....and it was meltingly hot and I already looked hot and bothered and I had only got to the boat dock! *
















*The boat was only a few minutes wait this morning and then we were enjoying a slight breeze as the boat moved along the water which was very welcome. It is a beautiful little ride along to Citywalk, all the hotels have a lovely little route by boat to the parks I have to say and is a good alternative to walking if you don`t feel like it. We tend to get the boat back after a day at the Studios, and most certainly after an evening at HHN if there`s one waiting, if not sometimes it`s easier on the feet to keep walking that to stand for a long time. *
















*The walking path is also very beautiful and very safe if you`re walking at night or alone, it`s well lit and there are always folks milling around and we always see families too, even very late. *



























*It dawned on us this morning watching the hordes of folks scrambling for a spot in front of the Universal Globe, it had been years since we took a picture in that spot for some reason.....maybe it was just too busy whenever we passed. It`s a classic picture though for any family to have. 

There were lines at the gates, I wished they had an AP holder entrance here like IOA had right now, it did save some time, not that we were in any rush though. 

Tom asked if there was anything else we needed to buy as gifts for folks as this would be the last day we could get items delivered to our room, I couldn`t think of anything to be honest and if I did we could pick it up on the way out today or tomorrow. 

We headed down to the right today as we weren`t doing Minions, and there`s nothing else down that way right now for us to do. Next time we visited Mummy would be back up and running and we were so looking forward to that as we had missed it this trip. *


























*We meandered around Five and Dime and as we headed out we saw Ms Marilyn had appeared for pictures.....well, I kind of pushed Tom forward and she joked I was throwing my husband at her.....I kinda did I guess......she was brilliant and very funny too and eventually I did get my husband back. *
















*It wasn`t too early, but the park still looked incredibly quiet, even for a Monday morning, we had seen it much busier, but it was nice not having to trawl through people in this heat. *
















*I heard a voice at this point ask why I wasn`t taking his picture....I turned to see Shaggy and Scooby heading down to their meet and greet point. This guy did not look like Shaggy at all, but he did sound like him, remarkably so. *

















*A deserted park is always good for pictures and we did get a few this morning, Cafe La Bamba was deserted and of course it was too early for Horror Make up Show yet. *







































*We cut through Springfield area, it`s not an area we are very interested in to be honest......we aren`t really fans of The Simpson`s as a show and that fairground feel doesn`t appeal at all, so we go through it without stopping today. 

Diagon Alley is of course much busier, but not too bad. 

This is such a lovely area and loads to snap pictures of. The first time you walk through those bricks and see Diagon Alley is a moment you do remember, well, we do. To see it come to life for yourself after reading the books or seeing it in the films, well, it is rather special. 

We did plan to buy an orange drink from The Hopping Pot, but the line was so long we decided not to bother, we hadn`t managed one this trip but would make sure we`d try in September. *




































*I did find this face a little creepy to be honest......  *














*Gringotts was on our agenda this morning and the regular line was fairly long. It`s a good ride, but not one I`d wait any length of time for. 

With EP we managed to do this ride twice in a row, and it is a fun ride for sure. Folks say there is a drop, but it really isn`t a drop in the sense of the word. 

When we come out of the ride and retrieve my bag we have a good look at the telescopes on the upper shelves which I`m sure I mentioned some of them are made from the old Jaws track and items from the line which is a lovely nod to the old Jaws ride that was replaced by this wonderful addition to the parks, Diagon Alley.*



























































*At this point there were a lot of folks starting to head in to DA so for us, that usually means it`s time for us to head out. *

























*Lunch coming right up........*


----------



## keishashadow

Elsaspiritanimal said:


> Carole you look so lovely in this dress! Not that you don't always look lovely, but this is especially stunning on you. Still loving your great trip report!


She always looks as tho she’s stepped off a runway there.  How, I cannot imagine…I’m the one who often looks as tho they were fished out of a swimming pool.

all caught up, had to lol when i saw the FL tray…found similar one when I was clean out my mom’s stuff a few years ago.  Yes, I did box it up, to keep 

those potstickers looked good.  Wanted to mention that we did order takeout from Millers next WDW recent trip for lunch.  Would you believe half of the potstickers were empty?  everything was tasty tho, go figure lol


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> She always looks as tho she’s stepped off a runway there.  How, I cannot imagine…I’m the one who often looks as tho they were fished out of a swimming pool.
> 
> all caught up, had to lol when i saw the FL tray…found similar one when I was clean out my mom’s stuff a few years ago.  Yes, I did box it up, to keep
> 
> those potstickers looked good.  Wanted to mention that we did order takeout from Millers next WDW recent trip for lunch.  Would you believe half of the potstickers were empty?  everything was tasty tho, go figure lol



I take any and all compliments……lol……thank you….

Janet, it was the strangest thing…..I saw it and it immediately took me back. It was odd. Oh I’d have kept it kept that one too if I’d found it the way you did.

lol…..I’d have been laughing so hard at the potstickers being empty……then instantly annoyed Glad the food was good though, can’t go working really with their food.

Glad you’re all caught up……..


----------



## BroadwayHermione5

All caught up again!

If it weren't for you I wouldn't know where to look! Never knew there was a dementor like figure atop one of those stores.


I want to say thank you for being kind to that trans woman. I don't want to get political on here, but I hate to hear that these things happen. Let people live their lives! From the way you described she did nothing horrible and was very polite. I just wish others could understand that. 


That drawing of you at Lake Eola was also very well done!


Hope Kyle is loving his new job!


----------



## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> All caught up again!
> 
> If it weren't for you I wouldn't know where to look! Never knew there was a dementor like figure atop one of those stores.
> 
> 
> I want to say thank you for being kind to that trans woman. I don't want to get political on here, but I hate to hear that these things happen. Let people live their lives! From the way you described she did nothing horrible and was very polite. I just wish others could understand that.
> 
> 
> That drawing of you at Lake Eola was also very well done!
> 
> 
> Hope Kyle is loving his new job!



It`s on the stall you buy the gilly water from. They have several figures around the top, but that one is the best. 

Yes, I`m very much a live and let live person....the man was unreasonable in my opinion as she wasn`t being provocative in any way, sad to see someone being so horrible to another human being in such a way. 

You know it was, I really liked it and wished Tom had given our email for the finished picture. 

Thank you, Kyle is loving this new position with this firm. He has settled in incredibly well and it was the best move he has made. I think he`ll be there for a very long time


----------



## Worfiedoodles

What wonderful installments! Thank goodness the good outweighed the not so great. 

I agree the photo of you in the white floral dress is stunning! It really flatters you  Tom looks quite handsome as well 

Lake Eola looks quite nice for a sinkhole  That intolerant man just showed his ignorance. 

Sorry to hear the Islands wok experience was a dud. I know you don’t like to complain, but I’m glad you did. They need to know people are not satisfied with the offerings. 

I love the drawing of you! That artist is definitely a good one 

I am enjoying the high quality photography— you bring everything to life!


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> What wonderful installments! Thank goodness the good outweighed the not so great.
> 
> I agree the photo of you in the white floral dress is stunning! It really flatters you  Tom looks quite handsome as well
> 
> Lake Eola looks quite nice for a sinkhole  That intolerant man just showed his ignorance.
> 
> Sorry to hear the Islands wok experience was a dud. I know you don’t like to complain, but I’m glad you did. They need to know people are not satisfied with the offerings.
> 
> I love the drawing of you! That artist is definitely a good one
> 
> I am enjoying the high quality photography— you bring everything to life!



Thanks so much Maria......yes, we had very few moments that weren`t perfect, but they dissipated into nothing in the end. 

I`ll tell him you said that......lol.....I think he is!! Thank you.....

It is a beautiful park, but knowing it`s a sinkhole did give me pause for sure.....but it`s Florida! Yes, the man did look like he was intolerant of many folks judging by the tee-shirt he was wearing. I`d forgotten about that till Tom reminded me.

The likeness was quite uncanny. I was so impressed by someone who can just draw.....I can barely draw a squiggly line!!

We said this trip, we had more meals that weren`t right than we`ve ever had. Nothing major, just not as good as they should be which tells us things aren`t quite back to normal yet in hospitality. But, we had many lovely meals and good service too, so positivity wins this time again......

I`m so glad you`re enjoying the report and the pictures and glad you`re all caught up again.......


----------



## schumigirl

*We wandered round and planned to have a quick cocktail in Chez Alcatraz again.....but it was so busy we didn`t bother. *

*One of my favourite things in the park is the Fisherman statue that now sits behind Lombards Restaurant.  Based on a real statue named Man at the Wheel in Massachusetts, this guy used to reside in Amity when the Jaws ride was in Universal. I was glad to see he had been repurposed again as he was missing for the longest time. *















*It was blazing hot now.......and although it was a little early for lunch, well, it was midday, we headed in to Lombards where we hoped lunch would be good. *







































*Now, don`t laugh.......we thought we`d use the online booking to reserve a table about an hour ago, and was surprised to see we could get anytime we wanted......anytime!! So much for bookings being essential everywhere now.......not that we found on this trip....

Glad we booked.......  *















*We had a lovely waiter who we knew had worked here for the longest time, but we had never have him look after us before, he did say he recognised us, but of course I`m sure they say that to a lot of folks. 

First up today was a cocktail......

Tom ordered the Lombards Margarita and I went for the Fish House Punch, which I have to say the name didn`t thrill me.....but it tasted delicious. Very fruity and strong. 

Tom did enjoy his margarita too. *















*What the heck is going on with my hair here??? *















*We took our time ordering our food today and enjoyed the cool A/C and it was nice as it was so quiet for a change. It did get busier though as we ate. 

Tom opted for the burger with fries and asked for it medium, I think it was more well done, but he said it was delicious and not dry as he thought it would be. And it was tasty.*















*I knew what I was having, I had decided to go with two appetisers of Tuna Poke and the Shrimp Cocktail.

The shrimp was fresh and just the right amount and the Tuna was very nice, again as fresh as you`d expect. It wasn`t the best Tuna Poke I`d ever eaten, but I think I`m being unfair as I`m comparing it to far more expensive places, I would get it again though. *



























*We had a second cocktail, both of us having the same one again, always a good endorsement of the quality of the drink......imo of course......lol......

Then we headed out back into the blazing heat and finally......we saw crowds. 

The park was now as busy as we had seen it in a while. *















*It was time for us to leave with the crowds and the heat so we headed out and we were in time to see Beat Builders for the first time in a while. They are a genuine high energy group who do put on a good show....I wouldn`t work my day around seeing them, but if you can catch them, it`s a fun little show. *















*We walked as the boats seemed to have been slow today, so we cut through RP as it`s much cooler doing it that way and were home in no time at all. 

Immediately we put on the ipad and Skyped Kyle as we were so keen to hear how his day went. 

He answered straight away as he knew roughly when we`d be skyping and he had the biggest grin on him face as soon as he appeared on the screen.......this was going to be all good!! 

And it was, he said he felt at home straight away and we know most of them that work there, so we knew he`d enjoy working with them as they are lovely folks. It was fabulous listening to him talk about his day, although a lot of it was compliance stuff he had to complete and the usual getting logged into the system stuff....but he was already at home there. 

We chatted longer about this that and everything in between before saying we`d chat soon. We were so happy though it had been the success we knew it would be. 

We spent some time organising our many purchases, we would have to start thinking about where everything was going to fit, and we were so thankful we had that extra suitcase. 

I think I dropped off for an hour, then we got freshened up and headed over to the lounge where we had such a fun time. Our little Lindsey was back from her few days off so we had a lot to catch up on, but the crew that were on tonight were just fabulous and as it was fairly quiet we could chat quite a bit as they weren`t too busy. 

We enjoyed several glasses of red wine and so did Tom as he wasn`t driving tonight, eventually we decided to eat in Vivo tonight, one of Tom`s favourite places. 

Club staff had asked if we wanted a reservation, but we like to sit at the bar in here.....much nicer than a table and the bar staff are fabulous here. 

The line for a table was long and we walked straight in walking past the line and managed to get two seats at the side, the bar was busy again tonight. You can also sit at the other bar where they cook the food right at the back of the restaurant, but we had never done that before. 

This is a nice restaurant, it`s busy but service is always excellent and meals are always good. I`ve said before, Italian is not my first choice for cuisine....pizza and lasagne aside, I don`t really eat pasta so the fact they have plenty of alternative dishes to choose from makes it a place I`m happy to visit.*















*Bread service is decent. The bread is a little too hard for me, but I can pick away at it and the oil is very nice too. *















*We ordered a bottle of malbec and took our time ordering food tonight again. And you`re never pressured to rush at the bar which we like. 

Tom had wanted to try the pizza for a while, so tonight that`s his choice and pepperoni with beef was the one he opted for. *















*My favourite dish in here is Chicken Picatta and the lemon sauce is always just perfect for me. I love how tender the chicken is here and although I`d prefer it not so heavily breaded, it is lovely. 

Except........

Yep, tonight my meal was simultaneously overcooked and cold. 

I thought the top piece was slightly burnt looking, but thought I`d leave that one. But, when I cut into the chicken it was rubbery and tough, and yes, cold. 

We called over Tommy who was mortified it wasn`t right and said they`d get another one out immediately. And we didn`t wait to long and the replacement dish was just about perfect and I got more sauce!!! I do like that lemon sauce, and Tom doesn`t.....so I don`t need to share......lol....*
















*Tommy again apologised but I told him I knew it was a one off as we knew food was always so good here. 

It had been a nice evening and we had some nice folks around us who were chatty which we always like. But, we were yawning our heads off so after we paid, we headed down for the boat and managed to catch the Sapphire boat just in time. 

We did plan an early night tonight, we had thought of going to M`ville for one drink or Strong Water, but really we just wanted to sleep. 

Once back into the room we noticed immediately a box placed on the dining room table and we were intruiged to see a bottle of wine with a card attached.......

It was from the lady who is the Housekeeping manager over at Royal Pacific. She is the nicest lady and we have known her for many years and we always chat when we see her.  It was so thoughtful of her to send us a gift with such a lovely message inside. 

There are some very lovely and very thoughtful people around. 

We did watch some tv before bed, and around 10.45 the internal room eergency alert system sounded informing us there had been an alarm activated and they were investigating, stay close to the alarm for further updates. This went on constantly for about 30 minutes. Finally they announced it was a false alarm. I would hate for that to go off during the night....would scare the wits out of you!!! 

I was so conscious of only having 2 more nights to sleep here, it was bittersweet as always. We didn`t want to leave, but wanted to get back home to see Kyle. 



Tomorrow....more park time......

*


----------



## BroadwayHermione5

Happy to hear Kyle is loving the new job!

I shall have to remember Lombards as that seems like a place my whole family would enjoy (my one aunt is very picky-though also oddly likes some things the rest of us don't like-and my grandmother is getting older and eats like a bird so we tend to split something with her).

Happy to know the alarm system works good but that is crazy!


----------



## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> Happy to hear Kyle is loving the new job!
> 
> I shall have to remember Lombards as that seems like a place my whole family would enjoy (my one aunt is very picky-though also oddly likes some things the rest of us don't like-and my grandmother is getting older and eats like a bird so we tend to split something with her).
> 
> Happy to know the alarm system works good but that is crazy!



He really is thank you.....Financial things are a real passion of his, since he was young it was very obvious he would end up being a Financial Advisor or similar. So he is in the right place for sure. 

Lombards is a nice place that has a good menu for those that don`t like seafood, we really enjoyed that meal today. 

Yes, good to know it works, but holy moly it went on a while......lol......


----------



## Pumpkin1172

All caught up again!  

It's great about Kyle's job.  No one needs to work in a toxic environment. 

We didn't get to do the Borne Spectacular...and I know we would have really liked it.  Oh well, just another tick for me to mention at dh about a return trip  

We took a picture if front of the globe, and Bruce and a few other areas in JP.  Dh didn't like Diagon Alley.  It was stupid crazy and super crowded by the time we got there.  We were in and out.  Plus we won't wait to ride the Gringott's ride.  Nope nadda  It was ok...but nothing to write home about.  We  much preferred Hogsmead.  We definitely spent more time in there.

That sketch was lovely!  I am not talented in the art/drawing department.  I admire those who are.  



schumigirl said:


> But, we finally opted to do the Wok Experience which is in Islands restaurant opposite Jake`s. It`s now running Friday`s and Saturday`s only and we had always enjoyed it whenever we had done it.


It really is disappointing when you  have a poor experience in a place that used to provide a superior experience.  


schumigirl said:


> What the heck is going on with my hair here???


  I did giggle a little.  I have a picture of me like that from our Disney day!  I was glad to sit down in air conditioning and have a bite to eat!  
I must say, that white flower dress at the entrance of the hotel.... you look marvelous 

It's sad your report is slowly wrapping up...but your getting closer to your fall trip


----------



## schumigirl

Pumpkin1172 said:


> All caught up again!
> 
> It's great about Kyle's job.  No one needs to work in a toxic environment.
> 
> We didn't get to do the Borne Spectacular...and I know we would have really liked it.  Oh well, just another tick for me to mention at dh about a return trip
> 
> We took a picture if front of the globe, and Bruce and a few other areas in JP.  Dh didn't like Diagon Alley.  It was stupid crazy and super crowded by the time we got there.  We were in and out.  Plus we won't wait to ride the Gringott's ride.  Nope nadda  It was ok...but nothing to write home about.  We  much preferred Hogsmead.  We definitely spent more time in there.
> 
> That sketch was lovely!  I am not talented in the art/drawing department.  I admire those who are.
> 
> 
> It really is disappointing when you  have a poor experience in a place that used to provide a superior experience.
> 
> I did giggle a little.  I have a picture of me like that from our Disney day!  I was glad to sit down in air conditioning and have a bite to eat!
> I must say, that white flower dress at the entrance of the hotel.... you look marvelous
> 
> It's sad your report is slowly wrapping up...but your getting closer to your fall trip



Maybe I misinterpreted his previous company. He liked the folks he worked with, but since Covid, things changed business wise and promotions were thin on the ground. But this is a much better job overall and he`s much happier. 

Your return trip will be filled for sure!! We did like the Stuntacular, it did impress us and yes, we wouldn`t wait for Gringotts if we didn`t have EP, it`s good, but not great. 

Yes, I did like the drawing, I wonder if he`s there every week.....he did say he tried to do it without anyone noticing. 

We did have a few more poorer experiences with food this trip, but most were excellent, we hate cold food and that was disappointing as well as not being able to eat together which is part of the fun for us. 

Thanks....I do like that dress! And yes, I have some whoppers of pictures with the hair all over the place.......you have to laugh! 

It is only about 6 weeks now.......new TR will be starting soon....... 

Glad you`re caught up......


----------



## Deb1993

All caught up!  That sketch of you was amazing.  

We are finally planning to have a meal at Lombard's on our upcoming trip.  Those drinks looked really good!  The piccata at Vivo is my fave.  So happy to hear that Kyle was loving his new position!!

I am so enjoying your trip!!


----------



## Worfiedoodles

I love it when they spoil you at UOR! You are so generous and thoughtful, it’s nice when others think of you as well 

Sorry about the first round of food from Vivo, so glad they made it right with a better version 

Looks like the humidity was rough for your lunch at Lombards  The food looks delicious, your hair was just excited to experience some air conditioning 

It’s hard when you want to be in 2 places at once — there for Kyle and your vacation. You did a good job bridging with the Skype. I’m so glad he has landed in a wonderful new position which makes him so happy! You really can’t put a price on that


----------



## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> All caught up!  That sketch of you was amazing.
> 
> We are finally planning to have a meal at Lombard's on our upcoming trip.  Those drinks looked really good!  The piccata at Vivo is my fave.  So happy to hear that Kyle was loving his new position!!
> 
> I am so enjoying your trip!!



It was uncanny how with just a brief sketch we could see it was me in an instant, I think he must be very talented. 

Oh I hope you like Lombards. We have always enjoyed the food there and it is a nice restaurant to sit in, feels much nicer than the usual theme park places. And yes the piccata is so nice there!! 

Thank you, we`re thrilled for him......and I`m so glad you are enjoying the TR.....


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> I love it when they spoil you at UOR! You are so generous and thoughtful, it’s nice when others think of you as well
> 
> Sorry about the first round of food from Vivo, so glad they made it right with a better version
> 
> Looks like the humidity was rough for your lunch at Lombards  The food looks delicious, your hair was just excited to experience some air conditioning
> 
> It’s hard when you want to be in 2 places at once — there for Kyle and your vacation. You did a good job bridging with the Skype. I’m so glad he has landed in a wonderful new position which makes him so happy! You really can’t put a price on that



I agree, there are some very thoughtful folks out there, to know they just take a few moments to do something like that for us is so appreciated.

lol......the humidity certainly played a part there, it was blazing hot!! There were a few occasions where the food was certainly cooler than it should have been, but overall we can`t complain about the food. 

Skype has been a godsend on our trips away!! And you`re right, you can`t put a price on our kids, however old, being happy and content in a wonderful job. His last job was good, but this one is more direct Financial Advisor focussed. He definitely gets his math brain from his dad, not from me.......


----------



## schumigirl

*TUESDAY MAY 24TH








*​




*Cannot believe this is our last full day in Orlando...where did all those nights go? 

It`s always a little bittersweet when the trip is almost ever. We do want to now try and capture every second, more than we usually do but it`s always in the back of our minds that we leave tomorrow. So, although I was up very early this morning, more than usual, we really took our time today and didn`t rush anything. 

Except to get over for breakfast! I had some champagne to sip and today we weren`t going offsite at all, it was all Universal and hotel time.

And we did enjoy several glasses of champagne......*





*



*​

​

*This morning we sat and laughed constantly. We knew Lindsey wasn`t there as we were meeting her later tonight but Raphael and Alex were working this morning and they are both fabulous!! And we were well topped up with some sparkly this morning too.....I think I may even have been a little squiffy on leaving the lounge  (not really) but it was fun. The atmosphere in the lounge is very convivial and relaxed as it should be and the TM`s do make that most of the time. 

We may have sat longer than planned this morning and we stayed after most folks had left, but we wanted to say goodbye to both of them in private, which we did and we looked forward to seeing them again soon. It`s funny how you get attached to folks so quickly at times and we were so fond of these guys, all of them. 

The lovely Raphael.....*
















*It was time to go, we said we would pop over tonight as two of the girls wanted to say goodbye to us, we should manage that ok, but for now it was time to go do some park stuff for the last time this trip! 

The view from the elevator window over the pool, parks and Sapphire is just beautiful on a day like today. *
















*The pool at Royal Pacific is our favourite out of all the hotels. For us, it`s never been overly busy, we`ve always managed to get a lounger and it`s a nice depth for me as a non swimmer, but not too shallow like Hard Rock pool. There are events going on around the pool most of the time but it`s never been overly boisterous which we like, so it fits us perfectly.

This hotel fits us nicely I have to say. It just felt so right for us the first time we walked in the doors and it`s felt like that ever since, and although Sapphire is also perfect, Royal just edges it for us I think..... I think.......lol......*


























*Although Royal doesn`t have a slide, it does have a splash are for kids with water jets and it`s incredibly popular with families. *
















*On the walk to the parks from Royal you do get a lovely view of Sapphire and the pathway is mostly covered all the way to Margaritaville for the security check and is a beautiful walk to get to and from the parks, and mostly in shade which is nice. *







































*This is the icon of IOA......the famous lighthouse which you can see for miles at night when it is lit up and it is so associated with this area of the parks. *















*Even though we are later than planned, much later, but we don`t mind, the lines are rather long to get in the gates, and we are very glad to be able to take advantage of the AP holder entrance to the left of the lighthouse and we are delighted to see there is no one there. *
















*Even on the outside of POE, the attention to detail down to the most miniscule of detail is completely stunning and fits in exactly with the themeing of the whole area. We adore this area and never get bored of picking out the minutest of detail of which there are many. *
















*This is so much better than trying to wrangle your way through seemingly neverending lines at the gates. 

There are a party of four who pass and that`s about it for crowds for us this morning. The ladies and gents are always so nice and mostly thank you for being AP holders as we go through the gates. *















*We headed over to Guest Services as we wanted to leave positive feedback for two TM`s we encountered yesterday and forgot to drop in on the way out. 

This has to be the most stunning Guest Services entrance ever......I do really want to stay in this Open Arms Hotel......appeals to me anyway!!! *
















*The First Aid stations round the park are all well stocked with almost anything you might need for a minor catastrophe, or a simple blister! They welcome you if you even just need a break from the heat if it`s too much some days. I`ve only been in the one near Louie`s pizza when I needed a band aid, I cut my hand opening a plastic bottle......yep, so easy done apparently.....and it was way back and I asked for a plaster.....we call them that in the UK, the woman smiled and said no you want a band aid.....lol....Band Aid were the group with one of the best charity sounds ever to me......lol......but from then on, I used the word band aid. *














*The lady took her time and made sure she had all the details of the TM`s we were praising to make sure they had all the information and the correct departments would be informed and that made sure the TM`s got the recognition for positive guest feedback. Didn`t take too long though. *
















*Love this sign......and it always does feel like the adventure begins every time we set foot in the parks! *















*More to come...*


----------



## Deb1993

Oh no!!  I hate that your trip is coming to an end.

I can vouch for Universal first aid services!  My DS, DD and I were in the Starbucks at IOA and I was buying a "you are here" mug - I love those. Anyway, it slipped out of my hands and in the process of hitting the floor sliced open DS's ankle.  I swear it all happened in slow motion and before we could even tell what happened the blood was pouring out of DS's foot.  First Aid was there immediately and patched him up.  I could not believe how bad it was but they had him all good in no time.


----------



## BroadwayHermione5

And so the adventure is starting its end......at least we have another one coming soon!


----------



## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> Oh no!!  I hate that your trip is coming to an end.
> 
> I can vouch for Universal first aid services!  My DS, DD and I were in the Starbucks at IOA and I was buying a "you are here" mug - I love those. Anyway, it slipped out of my hands and in the process of hitting the floor sliced open DS's ankle.  I swear it all happened in slow motion and before we could even tell what happened the blood was pouring out of DS's foot.  First Aid was there immediately and patched him up.  I could not believe how bad it was but they had him all good in no time.



Few more posts to go yet........

Oh my, what a thing to see happen and know you can`t stop it!! That slow motion is horrible......glad they managed to sort him out. Hope he wasn`t too shocked by all the blood. 

lol.....one of my friends collects those mugs wherever she can......not sure how many she has now. 






In case folks don`t know you can see first aiders wandering the parks day to day, if you ever need some help away from the first aid stations these are the guys that will usually get to you first. 

Or if you see them, they`re happy to hear any concerns you may have. 

Sometimes they double team, othertimes you see a single person wandering around.


----------



## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> And so the adventure is starting its end......at least we have another one coming soon!



It`s getting there, I have got almost a day and a bit to go, but yes, new will be up soon when this one is done......


----------



## Deb1993

schumigirl said:


> Few more posts to go yet........
> 
> Oh my, what a thing to see happen and know you can`t stop it!! That slow motion is horrible......glad they managed to sort him out. Hope he wasn`t too shocked by all the blood.
> 
> lol.....one of my friends collects those mugs wherever she can......not sure how many she has now.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> In case folks don`t know you can see first aiders wandering the parks day to day, if you ever need some help away from the first aid stations these are the guys that will usually get to you first.
> 
> Or if you see them, they`re happy to hear any concerns you may have.
> 
> Sometimes they double team, othertimes you see a single person wandering around.


He was good about it - the rest of the customers at Starbucks didn't miss a beat!!!  No one even reacted, just kept ordering their drinks!  ROFL


----------



## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> He was good about it - the rest of the customers at Starbucks didn't miss a beat!!!  No one even reacted, just kept ordering their drinks!  ROFL



Oh bless him......kids are so resilient!

And no one reacted at all!!! Crikey at the very least you`d offer some kind of help, especially with it being a child! 

Although talking of folks carrying on as normal, you reminded me many years ago where we used to live, Tom and I were in a store and an elderly lady slipped on a grape that had been dropped on the floor, fell on her knee completely shattering it (horrible sight) 

It was right in front of us, so we went over and covered her with my jacket while Tom went to get someone to call an ambulance. While I was half holding this lady as she was in complete agony, two folks leaned over me to get to the packs of tomatoes one after the other!!! I was stunned at first, but then yelled at the second guy.....he asked what the big deal was, so I pulled the jacket slightly to show him the ladies shattered knee with bone that had burst through the skin.....thought he was going to pass out!! 

Completely oblivious!!


----------



## Worfiedoodles

It is bittersweet nearing the end, Thank Goodness you have another one coming up soon! 

Band-aid is a brand name we use generically to mean a type of item -- I looked this up it's called a proprietary eponym  We would say band-aid for a bandage, Kleenex for a tissue, Chapstick for lip balm...I'm sure you have some in the UK, too 

I do love that walk from RPR to CityWalk. It's so peaceful now we aren't jumping out of the way of the bike cabs...but of course I'd welcome them back, too.

I'm so glad you had a proper goodbye with the lounge staff. You are like family! And of course you really can't start the day with too much bubbly! I've decided this year for the holidays we will have pineapple mimosas as I've discovered I'm fond of them. I might be talked into trying some new juices as well. Mimosas are always appropriate 

I hope you are surviving the heat. I never watch our news but caught a minute yesterday and they were covering the heat wave you are enduing. You must be secretly pleased as punch!


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> It is bittersweet nearing the end, Thank Goodness you have another one coming up soon!
> 
> Band-aid is a brand name we use generically to mean a type of item -- I looked this up it's called a proprietary eponym  We would say band-aid for a bandage, Kleenex for a tissue, Chapstick for lip balm...I'm sure you have some in the UK, too
> 
> I do love that walk from RPR to CityWalk. It's so peaceful now we aren't jumping out of the way of the bike cabs...but of course I'd welcome them back, too.
> 
> I'm so glad you had a proper goodbye with the lounge staff. You are like family! And of course you really can't start the day with too much bubbly! I've decided this year for the holidays we will have pineapple mimosas as I've discovered I'm fond of them. I might be talked into trying some new juices as well. Mimosas are always appropriate
> 
> I hope you are surviving the heat. I never watch our news but caught a minute yesterday and they were covering the heat wave you are enduing. You must be secretly pleased as punch!



Oh we have some huge differences in words.....we speak the same language but in very different ways at times. Mention fanny pack to a 12 year old boy/girl and you`ll be met with huge muffled giggles......lol.......

biscuits = cookies
coriander = cilantro
rubber = eraser
aubergine = eggplant
nappy = diaper
jugs = pitcher
courgette = zucchini
candy floss = cotton candy

To name a few.......there are thousands......and potty is a word only used when dealing with toilet training a tot!!! 

And telling someone they have nice jugs is acceptable here.....

Don`t miss the pedi cabs at all. They are handy at times though.......lol.....

The morning mimosas are the best way to start a day....any day!! The cranberry one looked nice, we make a Christmas cocktail with champagne, cranberry juice, pomegranite juice or grenadine and a christmas flower......nice! Yes, we love the staff there. 

Oh blink and you`d miss it.....heatwave is gone now, lasted 4 days all in. Although it`s still not cold, just more what we`re used to here in the UK this time of year! Apart from yesterday afternoon when it was just too excessive, it`s been ok for us. Some haven`t fared so well though and we still have loads of grass fires around. Mainland Europe is so much worse than the UK though. 

Glad you`re all caught up....hope you`re not working too hard and have some lovely weather too...


----------



## Deb1993

schumigirl said:


> Oh bless him......kids are so resilient!
> 
> And no one reacted at all!!! Crikey at the very least you`d offer some kind of help, especially with it being a child!
> 
> Although talking of folks carrying on as normal, you reminded me many years ago where we used to live, Tom and I were in a store and an elderly lady slipped on a grape that had been dropped on the floor, fell on her knee completely shattering it (horrible sight)
> 
> It was right in front of us, so we went over and covered her with my jacket while Tom went to get someone to call an ambulance. While I was half holding this lady as she was in complete agony, two folks leaned over me to get to the packs of tomatoes one after the other!!! I was stunned at first, but then yelled at the second guy.....he asked what the big deal was, so I pulled the jacket slightly to show him the ladies shattered knee with bone that had burst through the skin.....thought he was going to pass out!!
> 
> Completely oblivious!!


OMG !!!!  That was so nice of you and Tom to help.  People can be a little dense.


----------



## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> OMG !!!!  That was so nice of you and Tom to help.  People can be a little dense.



Oh anyone would have done the same I`m sure. We were just there at the right time. 

We ended up as witnesses for her in court 2 years later as she was encouraged to sue the store. She won and the judge mentioned us in his summing up as being excellent witnesses and our testimony was clear and honest. We were thrilled for her. The store involved were quite nasty through it all, but she won in the end. 

Yes, people can be clueless.


----------



## schumigirl

*Once we were through we always take our time in Port of Entry and take it in, the colours and the sounds if you stand under the right windows along the path. It`s fun listening to the sounds they emit to fit with the theme of this area. 

We never saw the Mayor out this trip, I`m sure he was but we are usually too early to see them, or maybe just missed them altogether. 

There are some wonderful character interactions around the parks and some aren`t to be missed as they are so good. It was a shame She-Ra wasn`t kept longer, she had a meet and greet near mythos and Poseidon`s Adventure, we really enjoyed that, but maybe enough people didn`t go comment how much they enjoyed it. *














*I think this is the least we have ever went on the Hulk on any trip.....but that new kid on the block on the other side of the lagoon had taken away and fondness for the green giant, but Tom did go on it once this morning and declared it....rough. I was glad I passed, but he did enjoy it I`m glad to say. I sat and chatted with a nurse from Sheboygan......that name still makes me laugh as I always thought it was made up and not a real place! She did say she had heard that before and from a Brit too!! *















*I decided to brave Dr Doom again this morning, not sure why I was so nervous on it now, but I knew it would be fine......and as we walked towards it, the little guy of this pair attracted my attention in a rather obvious way.........yep, we`d get a picture or two here!! 

We`d had several wonderful meets with these two over the years....this one was way back in 2012 where they spent ages with us and instructed us in all sorts of pictures for fun!!! 

LOVE the photobomber guy.......  














There was another good one a couple of years ago when Kyle was wearing the "You say Villain like it`s a bad thing" shirt......they had a lot of fun with that one!! 

This time they encouraged us to come get a picture as we were just going to snap them, then go do the ride.....well, you can`t say no to a super villain can you!!! 


*












*This was fun, I was glad we did stop for a picture before riding. We have so many pics from meet and greets over the years, we don`t always make a point of stopping for them now, but there are the occasional ones we will always take. *














*We headed up to do Doom, and there was barely a soul in the EP line, so we got on instantly, I don`t think there were many folks in the regular line either now I think on it. 

I did it. And it was fine......although it is brief, that first instant of being shot into oblivion is fabulous!! And the TM who was setting it off did the fake countdown which we do like........

The woman sat beside us however, was a wreck! Her first ride and her husband wouldn`t go on with her.....imagine!!! She hated it, genuinely hated it and was in tears when she got off vowing to remove some parts of him you don`t talk about in public 

I did look to see him but we missed where they went, unless he was off hiding of course which I wouldn`t blame him going by her mood......lol.......

You see allsorts of reactions on most rides. This one I`m surprised at as you can see exactly what`s happening and how high you go before dropping. Not sure what she expected. Tower of Terror I can understand as you have no idea what it`s going to be like....I do like ToT. *



























*And after saying we don`t really get our picture taken as much.....lol.....well again, she chatted first, so of course I nominated Tom to go get a picture. 

Her voice is also uncanny, completely as you`d expect of course, but it is odd when they sound so like their characters. *


























*The park was a little quiet considering how late we were, but we were sure we`d meet crowds as soon as we headed through Potter. Not that we were complaining as we do like the park a little quieter. *
















*Me ship the Olive is a wonderful interactive boat, ideal for little ones to roam around. It has a slide from top to bottom inside, stairs or the elevator if you need it with many interactions on each floor. 

And of course, the top has the water jets that are decent to coat riders already soaked anyway on the barges as they sweep past the bottom of the boat below you. *
















*The area behind the boat is very nice, not many folks head down there, although there are more now since VC opened and you do get a fabulous view of it from down there. 

The backside of the ship has some nice little touches and nods to Popeye which are very cute, but it is a nice little area to chill out in for a little time. *





































*And an almost perfect view of the best addition to IOA for years.....seeing folks on the ride here is nice, you can really see and hear the excitement, or terror as they get rolled along. Amazing. *


























*We do sit for a while and watch the coaster vehicles pass us numerous times with huge smiles on our faces each time as most folks seem to just be loving it.....no-one looks as though they are hating it although some folks faces are hard to read at times.....especially going that fast.......

These guys are loving this ride......aren`t they........*





*



*​




*We wander away from that area reluctantly as it so lovely, and the park is getting a little busier now. 

And we still never made it to Blondie`s this trip as we planned!! One of these days we`ll make it......*


























*More coming up......*


----------



## schumigirl

*We headed round to get on the VC now and we love to stop off and watch this part of the ride where the ride vehicles start to build up that extra speed to get you over the top hat part, you can really hear it revving up, so we do watch it for a few moments before we go ride it. *
















*The line showed 65 minutes for the VC, but it looked longer, however we decided to just wait even if we only did it once today we`d be happy. 

It was almost 45 minutes before we got to the front of the line, but you never really notice it as you move most of the time and again we feel so sorry for the TM who are trying to explain to folks how the lockers work and no you can`t take your phone on the ride! 

We ask for the back row again and we got it....next time we`ll wait for the front more I think. But, the back row is definitely a favourite of ours as every single time we are blown away by the sheer airtime you get on there. *
















*We got off and again exclaimed what a fabulous ride this really is......it is everything a coaster should be and then some!!! When we came off we looked to go on again as this was our last chance this trip, but the line was just much longer than before and it was bloomin hot now!!!

We did have a wander in the Discovery Centre which is something we don`t do very often as it just doesn`t interest us very much. It`s fun for little ones though. *


















































*It was a slow wander round towards Potter, but we had a stop to make first today. 

Every visit we keep saying we`re going to have a drink at The Watering Hole which sits among the greenery and plants of the Jurassic Park area just before Hogsmeade, and the cocktails have always looked so nice but it`s always been too early or some other reason not to, but we did plan a stop here today. *
















*This had a good few choices for us, so it took some time to decide, eventually I went for the Mai Tai which was Gosling`s Rum, Myers dark rum, grenadine, orange, pineapple and lime juice and is the darker of the two and Tom had Bird of Paradise which was Malibu passion fruit rum, cruzan rum, bitters, passion fruit and lime juice and they come in a tiki mug which you get to keep and I think there was a discount on the 2nd drink with those. 

I have to say, the guy pouring the drinks had a very heavy pour!!! 

We found a table as there were plenty, but we did move after a few minutes as the sun was beating right down on us at one point, we were just unlucky as the place has trees overhanging everywhere. *
















*This was so nice just sitting and watching the world go past you with a nice cocktail.....or even better with two!! 

I decided on the same Mai Tai again and Tom went for the Fossiliser which had coconut rum, blue curacao, pineapple juice, sour mix and sprite....I have to say these cocktails were lovely!! 

They took the tiki cups back and gave us two clean ones to pop in my bag, to be honest we`d never use them. *




























*We popped on FJ and we were on and off in no time at all. FJ is a good ride, very clever and it`s one we do maybe once or twice, it`s not a ride we have to do every day we`re visiting. 

It was so busy today......that gap wasn`t an empty gap for too long as soon enough there were throngs of people swarming into any empty space. This was too busy for us......*
















*Food is never very far from our thoughts....and it was getting near lunchtime now, so we headed out of Potter as we don`t like the food there at all and tried to think where we might like. 

We did think about Fire Eaters grill for food many times and did have some Chicken Stingers during the OI event in December, but they were quite disappointing from what we remembered them being like in 2007.....who`d a thought they`d change in all that time.......lol....*















*This was a new addition to the park, I assume only when it`s busy is this little cart placed on the bridge between the Lost Continent and Dr Seuss area. Handy idea for upping sales there. *















*We stopped off after doing Cat in the Hat......what the heck is that ride all about!! Makes ET look tame.......but we thought about where we`d like to eat for lunch and after going through several possibilities including Bread Box, M`ville or somewhere else we took the handy option and thought we`d try Confisco Grille. 

*













*So many folks had said you had to book so we expected we might not get a table, but they said if we could wait 5 minutes we`d be good to go.....absolutely fine by us......and that was only a 5 minute wait because we asked for an upstairs table, otherwise we would have walked into one straight away. 

Tom got a few pictures before they shouted my name......we waited about 40 seconds. *



























*It is so much lighter and brighter upstairs. I do love the downstairs as it is themed beautifully, but we just felt like some light today. *














*And the views are not too bad either......*






































*There were plenty of tables up here that were free. They had seated us over by the windows on a table for two, but we asked if we could move as we felt as though we were sitting in a corridor there, and of course no problem, the table we got was much better. *


























*We do like this restaurant.....always have done and the menu is very good, although we did miss a few dishes they had got rid of over the years. But, it`s varied and has many good choices. 

We both ordered fanta as we`d had two cocktails already, and we knew what we wanted today, Tom ordered the ribs with side salad and I went for the AP holder special of Dan Dan Noodles which they promised would be spicy. I hoped so. 

I must admit, this was getting old now.......Tom`s ribs were cold when they arrived. How hard is it to serve food that is boiling hot....it`s not hard at all. But, the chef who brought Tom`s new dish up was very nice and very apologetic saying his dish wasn`t supposed to be served and had been brought in error....no problem really. And mine was sizzling hot so I was still eating when his was brought back. 

The second ribs were lovely, these were sweet and sour flavour and he enjoyed the Asian coleslaw that went with it. Although it didn`t really look like any coleslaw I`d ever seen. *







































*My salad was fresh, despite asking for no onions, there were onions in it, but they were easily picked out. 

The Dan Dan Noodles were lovely....really nice. Spicy Sichuan noodles,  beef, chili oil, bok choy, peanuts, with scallions. The beef could have been more flavoursome, but as a whole it was decent and it was a little spicy which was a nice surprise. *
















*Last evening coming up.......*


----------



## NashvilleTrio

schumigirl said:


> Last evening coming up.......


Noooooooooooo!!  Lol


----------



## schumigirl

*Leaving the parks for the last time is always a bittersweet moment.......on one hand we are just so happy being here, it`s almost impossible to be sad, but knowing it will be a good few months before we`re back is not so nice. I know we`re lucky with all our trips and the time spent here, but that last full day is always edged with a sense of sadness in the background. 

We walk past Voodoo and realise we never did get back there either.....so many places we didn`t make this trip....you think 23 nights is a lot, but it soon disappears. 

They have a mobile ordering pick up spot now, opposite the store itself and you certainly can`t miss it that`s for sure!! *



























*We got a boat straight away, it was mid afternoon, maybe 3pm by now, I forget exactly what time we headed back home. 

Hate that last boat ride back.........*





*



*​















*We had plans tonight and we also had to pack up which we hadn`t really started yet. Not my favourite task.......but before we got back to the room we met a lady we hadn`t seen for a long time and we chatted for ages to her finding out where she was working now and how she liked it and generally just chatting. She said she had been looking out for us all this last week....but we were glad to have seen her. 

So, by the time we got back to the room it was too late to go to the lounge, chat to Kyle, pack and meet our dinner date tonight. So we decided we just didn`t have the time to go to the lounge which was a shame as we would miss saying goodbye to two of the ladies after saying we would. I did ask one of the ladies to apologise for us. 

We Skyped Kyle who was still as high as a kite in his new job, we chatted about getting home and what he had sorted for us back home, he was certainly organised with what he had got. We were so looking forward to seeing him and him us I have to say. We are so lucky with him!!!

So, we got stuck into packing.......and you know that extra suitcase we brought along.........it wasn`t big enough.....we should have brought another one!!!! *












*Heck!!!! 

This was tight, but we did actually, almost, nearly, essentially, practically get most things packed.......  

If we were getting a badge from school, ours would say.....I tried my best!!! Poor Tom.....even he was looking perplexed at where we were going to put everything!! We decided we`d try again tomorrow as we still had all our toiletries and last minute things to put in there too.......this was not looking good!! I assured Tom this extra case would be plenty......lol.......

We showered and got changed as we had a dinner date in Strong Water and say goodbye to an old friend.....temporarily.........

Lindsey was meeting us in Strong Water tonight for dinner and drinks, we had arranged it a few days ago and were looking forward to it. We had of course asked Spider-Man along too but he was working, which was a shame as we`d loved to have met the real man under the mask. 

We headed down to the lobby a little early so we`d be in the bar for her coming in......we walked into the lobby from our Guest House corridor and she had been sitting in the area in front of Strong Water and when she saw us coming she rushed towards us with the biggest smile on her face announcing she had brought a guest with her.........

It was Spider-man himself........

We were thrilled to bits to meet the man himself who we had only encountered so far in character and through a lovely email......and I can honestly say he is just the nicest person.....and I told Lindsey later, I had a little "mum" crush on Spider-Man.....he is a lovely guy who absolutely adores our Lindsey, well his Lindsey really, but we absolutely adored them as a couple, they really are so well matched and watching them together was so lovely. 

He was joining us for an hour or so as he had an event to go to, so we would make the most of him and get to know him when we could. 

We ordered drinks and Lindsey who had never been here before said she`d go on what I suggested.....so Rum Revivals all round, except Spider-Man who was driving and working so he stuck to water but did have some food with us. *
















*Lindsey we knew so well by now and could talk the hind legs off a donkey when we got together with chatting, and Spider-Man was just as easy to talk to......I say again without any embarrassment, lovely, lovely guy who clearly thought the world of her which was so nice to see. 

And of course we took lots and lots of pictures........

I am protecting his privacy considering his job by not posting his face publicly, but we have loads of pictures of us all, so blocking out his face in two pictures for the boards is no problem. *


























*Maggie was looking after us tonight and I introduced them both to her and they thought she was as lovely as they saw her to be too. And it was time to order some food now......

Spider-Man had the Camarones Al Ajillo, one of my favourite dishes here which have shrimp, garlic, white wine, cilantro, tomatoes, lime juice. as I told him they were divine and he agreed.......they are just the nicest, lightest dish, full of flavour and not too heavy. *















*Lindsey being a pescatarian enjoyed the Vegan Breadfruit Tostones which looked delicious accompanied by sauteed mushrooms, avocado puree, red pepper sofrito and vegan chicharron which she said was divine. *















*I opted for the Florida Ceviche, local whitefish and scallops, shrimp, mango purée and fresh fruit.....this is lovely. Not my favourite ceviceh, but delicious and so fresh. 


*













*I haven`t forgotten my lovely husband with the presence of Spider-Man ....he had the Camarones too, but didn`t get a picture of both plates as they were the same. 

We also ordered the Tuna Tiradito as we had raved about it to Lindsey, so we wanted her to try it....and like us, she loved it. 

It is one of the nicest dishes, and again so fresh and full of flavours you don`t expect. *
















*After we had eaten, we sadly had to bid goodnight to Spider-Man who had to leave, but we thanked him so much for making it to meet us. He was so lovely and said some lovely comments, that we all fell in love with him a little bit more. If Lindsey had been our daughter, we would be proud to have this young man as a son in law. 

We wanted to try another drink, so I suggested we have The Last Typhoon which is also quite fruity, and yes, our guest enjoyed this one too. *
















*We were having the nicest evening......we had spoken to Lenny earlier saying we`d see him later as he was busy tonight, but the night passed so fast. 

Fernando had popped over a few times too to chat, and said to us Maria who was the manager of Orchids, but was leaving Loews was coming in to see us and Lenny and it was her night off......she had been delayed and called Fernando to tell us not to leave till she got there.......lol...we`d still be there. 

At one point Fernando came over and had a package for us. Bless him, he had popped one of our favourite special wines they have for special occasions in SW, and there were two left. 

He very kindly gave us one as a leaving gift which touched us tremendously. He knows we love that wine and will appreciate it a lot. We kept the last bottle he gave us for New Years Day dinner and we would also keep this one for something special. That wine is so good I want to take a bath in it!!! 

It was so lovely and again bittersweet because we think so much of Fernando and it`s sweet he thinks enough of us to do something so kind is just so lovely. We have lots of hugs tonight with him too. 

Eventually Maria makes it, she had car trouble and hadn`t wanted us to leave without seeing her. Next time we see her she`ll be working for someone else which is sad as she is so lovely. 

She also gives us a gift and a lovely card which does make me tear up reading it later. Such a special lady, and again, we hug and we wish her well in her new position, she`ll do well. 

Our evening is slowly drawing to a close and it has been so much fun.....we couldn`t believe how late it was, and this young lady has to get home and get back to work in the morning.....*















*Lindsey orders an Uber and it`ll be here in minutes, so we walk her out to make sure she gets in alright and wave her off, we`ll see her tomorrow, so it`s not goodbye just yet. 

We head back in to say a special goodnight and au revoir to someone also very special to us. 

Lenny we have known for the longest time. He is the best rum master/barman we have ever had the privilege of knowing. We have shared a lot of laughs, shared some stories of our lives to each other and generally love spending time getting to know him not just as our best barman. We know we`ll see him again of course and he will be back at Strong Water on occasion, but we do wish him the very best for his future which will be a bloomin good one with his Mrs Lenny. *
















*After we had said out goodbye`s to him, we do the rounds of everyone else.....can`t leave without saying goodnight and we do look forward to seeing them all again in September. We manage to find Fernando and Maggie for special hugs and goodbyes. We are so lucky to know these lovely folks and have them in our life when we do visit. 

I feel quite sad when we get back to our room......

But, we have a couple of lovely bottles as gifts to take home.....and the nicest card!!! *
















*I have no clue as to how we`re going to sleep tonight.....we don`t have to worry about sleeping in, but it`s usually a last restless night for us.

The rest of the packing will wait till morning, for now I spend a little time looking out the window to all the lights in the distance for the last time till September, it`s a view we miss a lot when we`re not here. 

I eventually make it into bed, we have a long day tomorrow. *





*



*​


----------



## schumigirl

NashvilleTrio said:


> Noooooooooooo!!  Lol



lol......yep....last day coming up next.......


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## Deb1993

How wonderful that you were able to spend time with so many lovely folks - and Spiderman!!!!!  How fantastic is that.  I love that his identity is a mystery to us.


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## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> How wonderful that you were able to spend time with so many lovely folks - and Spiderman!!!!!  How fantastic is that.  I love that his identity is a mystery to us.



We meet the nicest of people on our trips. We have only met one or two folks who were not who they claimed to be and thankfully will never meet them again, 

Our Spider-Man is such a beautiful person inside and out, but out of courtesy, we’ll keep him invisible…..I know everyone will understand.

And he’s so good looking too!!! He should be the next Spider-Man in the movies!!! He is the coolest guy ever, and again, they make the perfect couple.


----------



## margareton27

schumigirl said:


> Oh anyone would have done the same I`m sure. We were just there at the right time.
> 
> We ended up as witnesses for her in court 2 years later as she was encouraged to sue the store. She won and the judge mentioned us in his summing up as being excellent witnesses and our testimony was clear and honest. We were thrilled for her. The store involved were quite nasty through it all, but she won in the end.
> 
> Yes, people can be clueless.


Wonderful of you to help. An interesting tidbit about grapes and supermarkets. Years back grapes started appearing in bags as opposed to just bunches that you bagged yourself. The produce manager at our store said that the number of lawsuits were rising because when people were picking over the grapes they were dropping on the floor and people were slipping and falling. 

Have you ever tried ricotta gnocchi? Melt in your mouth.  Heavenly with a nice light brown butter sauce. Yummy!


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## margareton27

Double post


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## schumigirl

margareton27 said:


> Wonderful of you to help. An interesting tidbit about grapes and supermarkets. Years back grapes started appearing in bags as opposed to just bunches that you bagged yourself. The produce manager at our store said that the number of lawsuits were rising because when people were picking over the grapes they were dropping on the floor and people were slipping and falling.
> 
> Have you ever tried ricotta gnocchi? Melt in your mouth.  Heavenly with a nice light brown butter sauce. Yummy!



lol......I hate ricotta cheese.......and not a fan of gnocchi either to be honest! I do like grilled trout with a brown butter sauce......  

Yes, it is quite an issue here too with loose grapes and forced them to have solid non stick mats around those areas. But folks tripped up over them.....

Now, like you said they are all ready bagged unless you go to a farm store where you can still find them loose in some places. Now I want some grapes......lol......


----------



## BroadwayHermione5

Now i want all the rum drinks!


And you met spiderman!!!!!!!!!! So happy he made an appearance!


The packing........yeah thats the worst  lol!

Why is the last night always so restless lol


----------



## schumigirl

*WEDNESDAY MAY 25TH*











​
*It was finally here.......our leaving day. Arrival day seemed such a long time ago and yet here we were leaving already....didn`t we just get here??????

We had rather unusually slept really well last night, I only woke up once and went straight back to sleep as I didn`t want to disturb sleeping beauty next to me. 

Instead of doing some packing first, once showered and dressed we headed over for breakfast, and we were quite hungry this morning....and I could already taste the champagne for breakfast for the last time in a while.....we do sometimes have friends for brunch and do the same at their homes and champagne is always on offer then, but routinely every day.......maybe not the best idea!! *











*We walked over and it was Lindsey and Raphael in the lounge this morning which we knew so it was lovely seeing them both and Lindsey looked remarkable considering how late she got in and how early they start work on the mornings......the joy of youth!!! I swear it takes me hours before my face falls into some kind of order!! 

And I did indeed enjoy some champagne as we sat and chatted, and it was lovely and quiet today so we were able to chat while they worked. 

Jen the Concierge manager came up and we managed to say goodbye to her too and asked her to apologise to the other ladies we missed last evening, she said she would. 

We stayed a little longer as I was not looking forward to saying goodbye to our little Lindsey.....we waited till they had cleared up the breakfast offerings and we did have a lovely goodbye with both of them. And we do keep in touch I`m glad to say and both her and Spider-Man are doing exceptionally well I`m happy to say. There were a few tears though. 

Downstairs in the lobby we looked for Rob and Milton to say goodbye to also, Rob had told us not to leave without saying goodbye, so we wouldn`t. And we were glad to have a good chat with Rob today as he had plenty of time which was nice. But we had to get back to finish this darn packing!! 

It was such a beautiful day, we wished we were going to the parks instead of this, but as Tom and our friend reminded me, the sooner we leave, the sooner we`re back, which is of course true. 

We had three bottles to wrap up and we did have some thick plastic bottle protectors that held the bottles of rum we brought over for Fernando and Lenny so the wines went in there and we wrapped the gin in bubble wrap and clothes and hoped for the best. We`ve never had a bottle break on us yet....famous last words!! 

But, we did it......finally!!! *





*



*​*



We had a late checkout so we weren`t in any rush at all today, we were meeting our friend for a goodbye before we left, so we`d clear out of the room and meet him in the lobby. 

Also we weren`t planning to eat lunch here as we liked to eat at the airport restaurant, so we again were in no rush to go anywhere. But, all of a sudden it was just after 1pm and time to meet our friend, the morning had passed so fast in the end. 

Without tears this time, we left the room after a final check and headed down to the desk to let them know we had gone and the room was empty which didn`t take long as miraculously there was no line at the desks. 

We were just in time to meet and chat to our friend who had one of his assistants with him. They are both lovely and we liked them a lot, one we had known for years but this lady was quite new but she knew us......lol......

I hate saying goodbye to him, but we eventually thanked him for everything as always and yes, of course I`d send an email when we got home. So after lots of goodbye hugs it was time to leave........

Held it together for a little bit......*




*



*​




*Poor Tom!! He hates to see me upset and starts talking about Kyle and how we`ll see him and HHN coming up soon.....so I did perk up a bit. 

But, leaving the hotel, friends and Orlando in general is never easy. 

However, we have a long day ahead and night too, so we set off on the drive of shame down Universal Blvd which is just a beautiful area, but I much prefer it when we`re travelling in the opposite direction! 

We pull into the airport and hand the car over after getting our receipt that says there are zero charges to pay, which we do and it`s fine, we post the Visitor Toll Pass into the box that you pass then walk over taking in our last fresh air for many hours away. 

Up in the elevator we get out and head to Virgin Premium Check in desks which are busy. We didn`t realise there were several flights all taking off around the same time. But the line moves slowly and we again think to ourselves how much easier this is without the testing to come home we had in December, that was a nightmare and thankfully all testing is gone now. 

Eventually we get to the front and it`s the same woman who checked us in back in December......she looked and said I know both of you don`t I......how`s your luggage this time......lol.....I was doing that nervous laugh as I was a little worried due to how heavy they felt dragging them, I think I was going to get the stink eye from Tom when cases were weighed!!! 

This lady has checked us in many times and again we hand over passports and ask her to check if our trusted traveller number is on it so we`ll get TSA precheck, it makes such a difference going through security. It was. But it`s best to check we`ve found as one time they missed it and we had to go through regular line which took far too long. 

Now, our cases........*



*



*​




*We have 4 cases and each is allowed 50lbs.....surely we wouldn`t be over....I had been so careful this time......

First two were around the right weight......third one was spot on and the 4th one was 6lbs over.......that wasn`t too bad was it......lol.....she did laugh and very kindly didn`t charge us this time, but she did remember charging us last trip.......so we breathed a sigh of relief and thanked her, took our boarding cards and high tailed it through to the food court and upstairs to McCoys restaurant for some food....we were both starving now as we hadn`t eaten since breakfast and it was now around 4pm. 

McCoys is where we had eaten in December and had really enjoyed it. There was a family sitting on the seats by the bar and they were asked to move if they didn`t have a restaurant reservation, we didn`t have a reservation but the place was usually empty when we had been, and today was no different. 

The young girl on the desk could have been friendlier I have to say and I did smile when she asked if we had a reservation, the place was completely deserted, not another soul in there. And weirdly she took us to the farthest table in the whole place, it was by the window I guess, not that there`s much to see here. *















*A bottle of champagne was our first order today and again, the waitress wasn`t the friendliest we`ve ever had initially. She got better as we went along though, and I again smiled when Tom asked for a bottle of champagne and she repeated it sounding surprised......we must look like we can`t afford it lol......

But, she eventually brought it and bless her couldn`t open it for love nor money. Tom didn`t want to offend her by offering to open it but at the same time we didn`t want half the contents all over the floor, so I said do you mind if my husband opens it for you as that one seems a little tough. She gladly accepted and watched how he did it before admitting she hadn`t opened one before! 

And it was very nice!! *














*We took our time as we did have plenty of time today, our flight wasn`t till after 8pm, we were only so early as we had to have the car back otherwise we`d have stayed till much later. 

We both opted to have the crawfish chowder but we ate it before we remembered a picture. It is divine, much better than the offerings we had from Jake`s this visit, this one was amazing and had a real depth of flavour and full of crawfish! 

Tom ordered the meat feast pizza and I had the hot honey chicken sandwich again with a salad....the same meals we had in December, but they were both so delicious. The chicken was even a little spicy which was nice. *








































*After we had eaten and paid we headed along to the quieter end of the lobby area to chat to Kyle by Skype and he was doing great and excited we would be back tomorrow, he checked what time we`d be home and said he had left some items in the fridge for us along with some bread in case we fancied some toast which I sometimes do when we get in. 

As soon as we had chatted we headed down to security and went through the TSA precheck line which was much shorter than the regular lines. The officer was very pleasant and then we were also met by pleasant officers as we went through, it`s so much easier not having to bring out electronic items or take shoes and belts off. I did get the extra check as I usually do, but takes seconds. 

Getting on the mini train is miserable. Genuinely miserable and everyone looks exactly the same as they all head to their flights out of Orlando. 

There is an Outback Steakhouse and a Bahama Breeze through this side as well as several other options and they are all heaving with folks!! We much prefer the peace and tranquility of the restaurant. 

Pop in for some duty free is a quick and painless experience, we know what we want, some pineapple and coconut Ciroc Vodka`s, and two different rums. We pay and then head down to the gate where we don`t have to wait too long for the gate opening. However, everyone is coughing, I mean everyone. The man beside me was a little annoying as he kept trying to tell me how he was a travel expert and most folks weren`t.....why is it always me!! Eventually he asked me how long did I think he had waited for his passport......it was one of those....go on guess, bet you can`t guess, you`ll never get it right, but guess anyway......I sighed and very nicely told him I just didn`t care. Rude, maybe but jeez this guy had droned on and on and I sincerely hoped he`d stop talking now. He did. 

It wasn`t long till they began loading the plane and they called for Upper Class first, then Premium and as usual we had to squeeze our way through many passengers who were not in the Premium seats but decided they wanted to stand at the entrance anyway! 

I went on and Tom stopped to pick up the duty free which was a heavy one today....I had got our seats and popped my bag in the overhead bin when Tom appeared and we got both bags and duty free in the bin above us. Then I remembered I needed my glasses and wanted the camera......as I always have the window seat, poor Tom was up again without a grumble....well, not too much of a grumble!! I got my glasses as the bubbly arrived for us, a nice little start to the flight. 

I saw the chatty man pass and he headed to the back of the plane, I was glad to see that. Although our seats were just 2 together no-one really chats much to you. 

I thought this picture was dreadful, but it shows you how not to take a close up.......lol.......*























*Tom looks good though!!! 

I do like having the camera handy, and the outlook was pretty with the sunset tonight......*














*They came round and handed out our menu`s for the food tonight and this can be a hit or miss which is why we eat a decent meal before the flight.

Nothing much caught my eye apart from the lemon cheesecake which I do love, Tom isn`t keen on it, but I thoght he`d give it a try. *
















*We taxied away and it was a quick hustle to the end of the runway where our pilot tonight didn`t even stop at the end as they usually do, then we are hurtling down the runway and we take off like we have never taken off before......we were almost upright and holy moly it took everyone by surprise, not least us....there were several audible gasps and a shriek or two and one guy shouted heck are we headed for the moon!!! This was a little unsettling but I`m sure it was due to avoiding some kind of weather system.

Once we were up we all kind of looked at each other in a nervous way trying to judge the general mood of the passengers.....

I`m not sure that was the reason CC gave everyone two drinks before the dinner service tonight......lol.....some give you one, some ask if you want two but tonight she just set them down when I asked for white and Tom asked for a beer. We didn`t say no.  *



























*I do like the interior lighting of the Virgin planes, it looks pretty and is supposed to relax you......well, not sure about that but it looks good. *















*I watched some of the new Scream movie....I guessed the culprits within minutes, not really difficult. Not a good movie. 

On the night flights like this one, they serve the food pretty quickly, I think they know some folks like to get their head down and also if  we`re sleeping they aren`t as rushed off their feet as they can be, don`t blame them really. And it does get noticeably warmer, works for me. 

Food was served and we got another two drinks to go with dinner, wine from a can is not something I`d ever consider, but this is supposed to be more eco friendly......hmm. And it was ok to be fair.....

I had chosen the Red Thai Curry which came with salmon and noodles.....very odd dish indeed. I picked at it as I wasn`t really hungry, but it does pass time. It was fairly dry as you`d expect and there were the devils veg underneath......green beans!!! 

The salad was tasteless and bread roll like a brick, but the dessert was gorgeous! 

I had wine though, so I didn`t care........*















*Tom had gone for the vegetarian shepherds pie and said it was actually alright and he loved the lemon cheesecake, so I didn`t get a piece of his darn it.......lol.....*
















*You can go up and help yourself to drinks and snacks on what is known as the Wonderwall on the plane....ideal if you fancy another drink, non alcoholic drinks, water and a selection of savoury and sweet snacks. 

But, for us, once the trays were cleared we used the bathroom and then got the blankets out of their wrapping, got my neck pillow, eye mask and we had the seats recline as far as they could before getting to sleep. 

We have no one behind us which is one of the reasons we love these seats and reserve them when we book the flights. 

I should say at this point......we named this flight.....the death plane......so many sounded as if they weren`t going to make it home alive. One poor woman just couldn`t stop coughing which is horrible when it happens, but we felt so bad for her as she knew everyone could hear her and I`m sure she worried she was annoying folks. I`m sure some folks were annoyed but having had a cough like that on occasions, I felt only sympathy for her. CC were bringing her hot drinks with honey in it but bless her she was in a state. But, so many coughers on this flight!! 

I fell asleep quickly......there was no turbulence at this point which I enjoy falling asleep to when it starts.....but I was tired and so was Tom. I glanced at one point and he was out for the count which I was glad to see.......at that point I turned to get comfy again and bam.......the darn plane dropped!!!!! Granted it didn`t drop far, but you felt that change of altitude like you were dropping on Tower of Terror!!!! There were some curse words heard around the cabin!! We always keep our seatbelt on while we are in our seats anyway, but we were so glad we did. 

Some hadn`t noticed so we all got settled back down soon enough and before we knew it, the lights were being put back on and they were bringing breakfast round. The night had flown past. 

Neither Tom nor I like oats of any kind, but this one sounded good....if you excluded the oats! But, the sausage, egg and cheese biscuit was delicious.....ok not the best, but decent enough. I did try the oats and thought they were lovely, but I love anything with coconut. And American tea is not good!! But, it was the only thing there I wanted.  *
















*Our flight had taken 8 hours exactly, and once we were through the usual cloud cover we landed to a dull Manchester with an absolute bang......never before have we come down with such a thud, it was as if the runway surprised the pilots! But, any landing you walk away from is a good one. 

We were straight to the terminal building which was good as we could sometimes park in the middle of nowhere and get bussed back to the main building. As soon as the airbridge was there, they opened the doors and we were out for the seemingly 15 mile hike to passport checks. This is crazy how long this walk is. 

The machines are empty as we are almost first there and at first I didn`t think the facial recognition was going to accept me....but after 3 goes, it let me through and we head down to baggage reclaim with me heading to the bathroom while Tom waited for the cases. 

By the time I got back, 3 out of 4 cases were there......and then the 4th appeared. This was a result. 

We hustled down the Skywalk to get to the Radisson before they stopped serving breakfast. We thought it was 10, but 10.30 was closing so we had plenty of time. We got a table by the window and yes, we had more bubbly....well Tom wasn`t driving so he was ok to enjoy some. 

It`s help yourself buffet style here, and that included the champagne too, so Tom kept us topped up while we also had a huge pot of tea to go along with various breakfast items. I only had bacon, with toast and marmalade and it was lovely. 

Staff here are very nice and they told us we could stay after they had cleared up but did we want any more food as they were doing that now, but we`d had plenty. 

We should have taken some pictures, but we didn`t and none of us as we looked dreadful......lol......

Our car service called to say she was 10 minutes away and to call her when we were down at the doors. She can`t wait there for longer than a drop off or pick up or they charge them, we siad we would do that, so after a bathroom visit we went down, called and she was there. We joked we were glad she made it as in December there had been a huge accident and she had been stuck on the road for hours, we had to get the train home, but not today! We chatted for a short time and then we were both unconscious. Almost 3 and a half hours later we woke up and she said we were 20 minutes away. 

Once we were home, first thing we did was empty the suitcases and get the washing machine on.......yes, I can`t help myself, it has to be done as soon as possible. We didn`t feel tired as not only did we sleep on the plane, but for over 3 hours in the car on the way home. So we managed to get everything sorted and into their new place or into piles for whoever was getting items we had brought back. 

I emailed our friend to let him know we were home safely, called my mum and caught up with her then thought I`d sit down with a cup of tea, and woke up an hour later.......how did that happen!! 

Kyle was at the door around 5.15 and it was marvellous to see him.....I love he wears a proper suit in this job, the last place had gone casual so they could wear almost anything within reason, it was still an office, but he looks so smart in his suits and he has a million ties which all look amazing. But, it was so good to see him!!! 

We ordered takeout Chinese for dinner and it was lovely and spent some time just catching up with each other. We managed to stay awake till around 10pm, then we were like the Walking Dead......so bed it was for us.  

It was good to be home. *






*Highlights.......*​



*Just about everything. 

We had no lows to speak of with regards to the hotel which was magnificent as always. The weather was just amazingly hot for May which we loved we felt as if the sun never stopped shining. 

With this May trip over, we have completed rather amazingly,  355 nights staying between Royal and Sapphire. And this trip was as good as ever. I forget who told us but I didn`t realise it was as many. 

Staff were wonderful as always, they do make you feel like you have come home whenever you enter the hotels and it stays like that for the whole trip. Housekeeping was perfect. We had a lovely housekeeper who was excellent, we tend not to leave the place untidy, but she did a good job as everything was always glistening. 

Club Lounge at Royal is just the best. Staff were fabulous and look after everyone so well. 

Meeting a real life Spider-Man was certainly a highlight, as well as our little Lindsey. Both of them have an amazing future in front of them. 

Parks were excellent as always. They are immaculately clean and well maintained, rides are wonderful and we only saw one grouchy TM the whole time. TM`s are fabulous and I never understand when folks say they are all horrible....and I have seen that written before. 

Restaurants on and offsite were mainly top notch, but we did have a couple of meals where the kitchen let them down whether it be cool, cold or late.  But, we visited some new places and loved them. 

Seeing friends as always is the best! Some were leaving after this trip, but we`d see most of them again and some we just wished well. 

There were several things/places we didn`t get to experience this trip, but we`ll try again for some.

Someone asked me how can I remember everything that happens on the trip as we are there for so many days....well, I have a very good memory to begin with. But, pictures remind me when they are uploaded and as we are there for such a long visit, I have the time to sit and write down notes after we come back from the parks/days out/restaurants. It certainly doesn`t affect our enjoyment of our time there......

Virgin flights were excellent as always, can`t fault anything about them. 

MCO was excellent this time. Officers were very pleasant and we didn`t see or hear any rudeness folks have reported.

I think that`s about everything to sum up.......we had the best trip!! 







But I do want to thank everyone here for your lovely, lovely comments along the way......I genuinely appreciate each and every one of them. I feel like I know some of you so well now after all these reports but it is so nice to log in and read all the comments. 

It means an awful lot to know you enjoyed reading it.

But, until the next time, which is not that far away, hope to see you all on that TR too 







*





​


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## Cara

Almost a year of your life in your favorite place! That's a wonderful blessing! 

I so enjoyed your report and will look forward to September.


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## puppawuppa

Thank you for the trip report. You are always so detailed. I always love reading them and the pictures are great. 
Can't wait for the next one.
Kim


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## schumigirl

Cara said:


> Almost a year of your life in your favorite place! That's a wonderful blessing!
> 
> I so enjoyed your report and will look forward to September.



Thank you Cara......yes, almost a year of our lives have been spent there.......

I`m so glad you enjoyed it, it`s been lovely having you along, and yes, September one will be here soon.......


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## schumigirl

puppawuppa said:


> Thank you for the trip report. You are always so detailed. I always love reading them and the pictures are great.
> Can't wait for the next one.
> Kim



Thank you so much puppawuppa.......

I appreciate Tom taking the time to take the pictures for me, he does enjoy it though. 

And yes, look forward to seeing you on the next one too......


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## Elsaspiritanimal

Wonderful trip report as usual! Sounds like you had such a great vacation and now you are only a little over a month away from the next adventure! Can’t wait to hear all about that one too. Thanks for letting us all share part of the magic you guys experience!


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## disneyseniors

Thank you again, Carole, for taking us along with you on this trip report.
As always, it was wonderful, and I think Tom is a fantastic photographer.
The beautiful photos are always welcome.  I've learned so much that I have missed previously but will now look out for.   
We are hoping for a November trip this year, and can't wait.

Ruth


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## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> Now i want all the rum drinks!
> 
> 
> And you met spiderman!!!!!!!!!! So happy he made an appearance!
> 
> 
> The packing........yeah thats the worst  lol!
> 
> Why is the last night always so restless lol



I`m just about to make Tom and I up some rum punch.....papas pilar rum, pineapple juice, ginger beer and lots of fresh lime.......lush!!! 

Yes, we were thrilled to meet him, he is so lovely......and we were so happy he made it after all. 

Like most folks I enjoy packing for coming out, but going home....it`s a trial!!! And we were surprised how well we slept the night before this time, usually I`m up and down like a yoyo......


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## schumigirl

Elsaspiritanimal said:


> Wonderful trip report as usual! Sounds like you had such a great vacation and now you are only a little over a month away from the next adventure! Can’t wait to hear all about that one too. Thanks for letting us all share part of the magic you guys experience!



Thank you Elsa......we did have a fabulous trip and yes, it`s not long till we get back! 

Hope to see you on the next one too and was glad to have you along for this one too.......


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## schumigirl

disneyseniors said:


> Thank you again, Carole, for taking us along with you on this trip report.
> As always, it was wonderful, and I think Tom is a fantastic photographer.
> The beautiful photos are always welcome.  I've learned so much that I have missed previously but will now look out for.
> We are hoping for a November trip this year, and can't wait.
> 
> Ruth



Thank you so much Ruth.....

Oh a November trip will be fabulous, yes I`ll bet you can`t wait for that.

I`m so glad you enjoyed this one and the pictures too...I`ll pass those kind words on to him......he always enjoyes hearing that.....lol.......

Thank you again for your comments along the way......


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## I-4Bound

Another wonderful report and a great read! I’ll be having my first ever ride on Velocicoaster in one week, and I’m so excited!!


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## Worfiedoodles

Ahhhh, and thus ends another magnificent TR! It really is so wonderful of you to share your experiences with us  

Thank you for the beautifully composed photos, the engaging commentary, and including all the small details that make everything so special 

We’re ready for the next one, and I know you are, too!


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## Minnie17

Carole, I have to tell you…. We just arrived in New Smyrna Beach and have already devoured 2 pieces of key lime pie from JB’s Fishcamp…..

Thx for the recommendation


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## schumigirl

I-4Bound said:


> Another wonderful report and a great read! I’ll be having my first ever ride on Velocicoaster in one week, and I’m so excited!!



Oh thank you Andrea......I`m so glad you enjoyed it!! 

Next week!!!! wow......you must be so hyped up for that trip and I cannot wait to hear how the Velocicoaster was for you, I`m sure you`ll love it above all other coasters!!! 

You have to let us know how it went, I`m excited to hear about that......and have a fabulous time, hope it`s a perfect trip for you......


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## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Ahhhh, and thus ends another magnificent TR! It really is so wonderful of you to share your experiences with us
> 
> Thank you for the beautifully composed photos, the engaging commentary, and including all the small details that make everything so special
> 
> We’re ready for the next one, and I know you are, too!



Ah bless you Maria......I`ll take any and all compliments........  and I do appreciate the lovely comments, I`m so glad you enjoyed it.

Absolutely.......I could start tomorrow but I won`t......lol.......and I know you`ll join in with the next one too!!! 

Thank you again.......


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## schumigirl

Minnie17 said:


> Carole, I have to tell you…. We just arrived in New Smyrna Beach and have already devoured 2 pieces of key lime pie from JB’s Fishcamp…..
> 
> Thx for the recommendation



Oh that is fabulous to hear you enjoyed the key lime pie so much!!!!

It is absolutely gorgeous.....hope you have some again, and hope you have a fabulous time there, we love that beach. So many wonderful choices for food too!!! 

Have fun......


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## BroadwayHermione5

Beautiful trip report Carol (and Tom!) Looking forward to the HHN one! Let us know when you post it!


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## schumigirl

BroadwayHermione5 said:


> Beautiful trip report Carol (and Tom!) Looking forward to the HHN one! Let us know when you post it!



Thank you BH........I`m glad you`ve enjoyed this one and I`ll share with Tom too.....couldn`t do it without him really!!! 

I will, I`ll put a link here when I do start the September one.......we are so excited for HHN after missing 2 years!! I don`t think we`re alone in that.......lol.......


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## Deb1993

Sad this wonderful trip report is over, but so looking forward to the next trip!!!!


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## Gr8t Fan

Thank you so much for such a very detailed trip report. Sorry this trip is over but looking forward to the next trip report (no pressure  ).


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## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> Sad this wonderful trip report is over, but so looking forward to the next trip!!!!


 
Thank you Deb.....I`m always sad to finish a report, but glad to see it done if you know what I mean......

Next one soon.......


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## schumigirl

Gr8t Fan said:


> Thank you so much for such a very detailed trip report. Sorry this trip is over but looking forward to the next trip report (no pressure  ).



lol.....I thrive on pressure!!! 

Thank you!! I`m so glad you enjoyed it, always glad to see your comments along the way.......


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## margareton27

Great TR as usual. Thanks for taking us along for the ride! On to September


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## schumigirl

margareton27 said:


> Great TR as usual. Thanks for taking us along for the ride! On to September



Thank you so much margareton......I`m happy you enjoyed it. And scarily, September is just around the corner......  

Will be glad to see you on the next one too.


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## angryduck71

I am SO behind so I am cheating and started with the latest post and will go backward.  LOL.   Anyway, so happy for Kyle!!!!   Sounds like a great fit career-wise.   

I am not sure if I told you this story -- a few months before we divorced, my then-husband, Davy, and I went to Disney and Universal for Davy's 5th birthday.   Davy just kept banging his face in -- he fell at Tom Sawyer's island (my ex wasn't paying attention when I took literally a ten minute break in the shade), he bumped into a pole when my ex was pulling him along at the race track at Disney, and he fell on his face at a picnic table.   My ex was sure then I was going to divorce him (I was).   But, I know none of that was on purpose -- but it DID look like we had beaten the poor kid.   Spiderman -when there used to be a character lunch at Confisco Grill -- spent like 30 minutes straight with Davy.  Probably trying to figure out if he needed to call social services or just put us in a web prison right there.  But, it just delighted Davy.   He was and still is a HUGE Spidey fan -- I'm sure probably not the "same one" you met as this was obviously 10 years ago, but I still have a soft spot for the guy.   

I will try to catch up -- thought things were going back to normal, but my tennis team just got invited to a five-state-area competition so I am rushing to get ready for that.


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## jump00

schumigirl said:


> *WEDNESDAY MAY 25TH*
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> *It was finally here.......our leaving day. Arrival day seemed such a long time ago and yet here we were leaving already....didn`t we just get here??????
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> We had rather unusually slept really well last night, I only woke up once and went straight back to sleep as I didn`t want to disturb sleeping beauty next to me.
> 
> Instead of doing some packing first, once showered and dressed we headed over for breakfast, and we were quite hungry this morning....and I could already taste the champagne for breakfast for the last time in a while.....we do sometimes have friends for brunch and do the same at their homes and champagne is always on offer then, but routinely every day.......maybe not the best idea!! *
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> *We walked over and it was Lindsey and Raphael in the lounge this morning which we knew so it was lovely seeing them both and Lindsey looked remarkable considering how late she got in and how early they start work on the mornings......the joy of youth!!! I swear it takes me hours before my face falls into some kind of order!!
> 
> And I did indeed enjoy some champagne as we sat and chatted, and it was lovely and quiet today so we were able to chat while they worked.
> 
> Jen the Concierge manager came up and we managed to say goodbye to her too and asked her to apologise to the other ladies we missed last evening, she said she would.
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> We stayed a little longer as I was not looking forward to saying goodbye to our little Lindsey.....we waited till they had cleared up the breakfast offerings and we did have a lovely goodbye with both of them. And we do keep in touch I`m glad to say and both her and Spider-Man are doing exceptionally well I`m happy to say. There were a few tears though.
> 
> Downstairs in the lobby we looked for Rob and Milton to say goodbye to also, Rob had told us not to leave without saying goodbye, so we wouldn`t. And we were glad to have a good chat with Rob today as he had plenty of time which was nice. But we had to get back to finish this darn packing!!
> 
> It was such a beautiful day, we wished we were going to the parks instead of this, but as Tom and our friend reminded me, the sooner we leave, the sooner we`re back, which is of course true.
> 
> We had three bottles to wrap up and we did have some thick plastic bottle protectors that held the bottles of rum we brought over for Fernando and Lenny so the wines went in there and we wrapped the gin in bubble wrap and clothes and hoped for the best. We`ve never had a bottle break on us yet....famous last words!!
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> But, we did it......finally!!! *
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> *We had a late checkout so we weren`t in any rush at all today, we were meeting our friend for a goodbye before we left, so we`d clear out of the room and meet him in the lobby.
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> Also we weren`t planning to eat lunch here as we liked to eat at the airport restaurant, so we again were in no rush to go anywhere. But, all of a sudden it was just after 1pm and time to meet our friend, the morning had passed so fast in the end.
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> Without tears this time, we left the room after a final check and headed down to the desk to let them know we had gone and the room was empty which didn`t take long as miraculously there was no line at the desks.
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> We were just in time to meet and chat to our friend who had one of his assistants with him. They are both lovely and we liked them a lot, one we had known for years but this lady was quite new but she knew us......lol......
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> I hate saying goodbye to him, but we eventually thanked him for everything as always and yes, of course I`d send an email when we got home. So after lots of goodbye hugs it was time to leave........
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> *Poor Tom!! He hates to see me upset and starts talking about Kyle and how we`ll see him and HHN coming up soon.....so I did perk up a bit.
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> But, leaving the hotel, friends and Orlando in general is never easy.
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> However, we have a long day ahead and night too, so we set off on the drive of shame down Universal Blvd which is just a beautiful area, but I much prefer it when we`re travelling in the opposite direction!
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> We pull into the airport and hand the car over after getting our receipt that says there are zero charges to pay, which we do and it`s fine, we post the Visitor Toll Pass into the box that you pass then walk over taking in our last fresh air for many hours away.
> 
> Up in the elevator we get out and head to Virgin Premium Check in desks which are busy. We didn`t realise there were several flights all taking off around the same time. But the line moves slowly and we again think to ourselves how much easier this is without the testing to come home we had in December, that was a nightmare and thankfully all testing is gone now.
> 
> Eventually we get to the front and it`s the same woman who checked us in back in December......she looked and said I know both of you don`t I......how`s your luggage this time......lol.....I was doing that nervous laugh as I was a little worried due to how heavy they felt dragging them, I think I was going to get the stink eye from Tom when cases were weighed!!!
> 
> This lady has checked us in many times and again we hand over passports and ask her to check if our trusted traveller number is on it so we`ll get TSA precheck, it makes such a difference going through security. It was. But it`s best to check we`ve found as one time they missed it and we had to go through regular line which took far too long.
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> Now, our cases........*
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> *We have 4 cases and each is allowed 50lbs.....surely we wouldn`t be over....I had been so careful this time......
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> First two were around the right weight......third one was spot on and the 4th one was 6lbs over.......that wasn`t too bad was it......lol.....she did laugh and very kindly didn`t charge us this time, but she did remember charging us last trip.......so we breathed a sigh of relief and thanked her, took our boarding cards and high tailed it through to the food court and upstairs to McCoys restaurant for some food....we were both starving now as we hadn`t eaten since breakfast and it was now around 4pm.
> 
> McCoys is where we had eaten in December and had really enjoyed it. There was a family sitting on the seats by the bar and they were asked to move if they didn`t have a restaurant reservation, we didn`t have a reservation but the place was usually empty when we had been, and today was no different.
> 
> The young girl on the desk could have been friendlier I have to say and I did smile when she asked if we had a reservation, the place was completely deserted, not another soul in there. And weirdly she took us to the farthest table in the whole place, it was by the window I guess, not that there`s much to see here. *
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> *A bottle of champagne was our first order today and again, the waitress wasn`t the friendliest we`ve ever had initially. She got better as we went along though, and I again smiled when Tom asked for a bottle of champagne and she repeated it sounding surprised......we must look like we can`t afford it lol......
> 
> But, she eventually brought it and bless her couldn`t open it for love nor money. Tom didn`t want to offend her by offering to open it but at the same time we didn`t want half the contents all over the floor, so I said do you mind if my husband opens it for you as that one seems a little tough. She gladly accepted and watched how he did it before admitting she hadn`t opened one before!
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> And it was very nice!! *
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> *We took our time as we did have plenty of time today, our flight wasn`t till after 8pm, we were only so early as we had to have the car back otherwise we`d have stayed till much later.
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> We both opted to have the crawfish chowder but we ate it before we remembered a picture. It is divine, much better than the offerings we had from Jake`s this visit, this one was amazing and had a real depth of flavour and full of crawfish!
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> Tom ordered the meat feast pizza and I had the hot honey chicken sandwich again with a salad....the same meals we had in December, but they were both so delicious. The chicken was even a little spicy which was nice. *
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> *After we had eaten and paid we headed along to the quieter end of the lobby area to chat to Kyle by Skype and he was doing great and excited we would be back tomorrow, he checked what time we`d be home and said he had left some items in the fridge for us along with some bread in case we fancied some toast which I sometimes do when we get in.
> 
> As soon as we had chatted we headed down to security and went through the TSA precheck line which was much shorter than the regular lines. The officer was very pleasant and then we were also met by pleasant officers as we went through, it`s so much easier not having to bring out electronic items or take shoes and belts off. I did get the extra check as I usually do, but takes seconds.
> 
> Getting on the mini train is miserable. Genuinely miserable and everyone looks exactly the same as they all head to their flights out of Orlando.
> 
> There is an Outback Steakhouse and a Bahama Breeze through this side as well as several other options and they are all heaving with folks!! We much prefer the peace and tranquility of the restaurant.
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> Pop in for some duty free is a quick and painless experience, we know what we want, some pineapple and coconut Ciroc Vodka`s, and two different rums. We pay and then head down to the gate where we don`t have to wait too long for the gate opening. However, everyone is coughing, I mean everyone. The man beside me was a little annoying as he kept trying to tell me how he was a travel expert and most folks weren`t.....why is it always me!! Eventually he asked me how long did I think he had waited for his passport......it was one of those....go on guess, bet you can`t guess, you`ll never get it right, but guess anyway......I sighed and very nicely told him I just didn`t care. Rude, maybe but jeez this guy had droned on and on and I sincerely hoped he`d stop talking now. He did.
> 
> It wasn`t long till they began loading the plane and they called for Upper Class first, then Premium and as usual we had to squeeze our way through many passengers who were not in the Premium seats but decided they wanted to stand at the entrance anyway!
> 
> I went on and Tom stopped to pick up the duty free which was a heavy one today....I had got our seats and popped my bag in the overhead bin when Tom appeared and we got both bags and duty free in the bin above us. Then I remembered I needed my glasses and wanted the camera......as I always have the window seat, poor Tom was up again without a grumble....well, not too much of a grumble!! I got my glasses as the bubbly arrived for us, a nice little start to the flight.
> 
> I saw the chatty man pass and he headed to the back of the plane, I was glad to see that. Although our seats were just 2 together no-one really chats much to you.
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> I thought this picture was dreadful, but it shows you how not to take a close up.......lol.......*
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> *Tom looks good though!!!
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> *They came round and handed out our menu`s for the food tonight and this can be a hit or miss which is why we eat a decent meal before the flight.
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> Nothing much caught my eye apart from the lemon cheesecake which I do love, Tom isn`t keen on it, but I thoght he`d give it a try. *
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> *We taxied away and it was a quick hustle to the end of the runway where our pilot tonight didn`t even stop at the end as they usually do, then we are hurtling down the runway and we take off like we have never taken off before......we were almost upright and holy moly it took everyone by surprise, not least us....there were several audible gasps and a shriek or two and one guy shouted heck are we headed for the moon!!! This was a little unsettling but I`m sure it was due to avoiding some kind of weather system.
> 
> Once we were up we all kind of looked at each other in a nervous way trying to judge the general mood of the passengers.....
> 
> I`m not sure that was the reason CC gave everyone two drinks before the dinner service tonight......lol.....some give you one, some ask if you want two but tonight she just set them down when I asked for white and Tom asked for a beer. We didn`t say no.  *
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> *I do like the interior lighting of the Virgin planes, it looks pretty and is supposed to relax you......well, not sure about that but it looks good. *
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> *I watched some of the new Scream movie....I guessed the culprits within minutes, not really difficult. Not a good movie.
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> On the night flights like this one, they serve the food pretty quickly, I think they know some folks like to get their head down and also if  we`re sleeping they aren`t as rushed off their feet as they can be, don`t blame them really. And it does get noticeably warmer, works for me.
> 
> Food was served and we got another two drinks to go with dinner, wine from a can is not something I`d ever consider, but this is supposed to be more eco friendly......hmm. And it was ok to be fair.....
> 
> I had chosen the Red Thai Curry which came with salmon and noodles.....very odd dish indeed. I picked at it as I wasn`t really hungry, but it does pass time. It was fairly dry as you`d expect and there were the devils veg underneath......green beans!!!
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> The salad was tasteless and bread roll like a brick, but the dessert was gorgeous!
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> I had wine though, so I didn`t care........*
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> *Tom had gone for the vegetarian shepherds pie and said it was actually alright and he loved the lemon cheesecake, so I didn`t get a piece of his darn it.......lol.....*
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> *You can go up and help yourself to drinks and snacks on what is known as the Wonderwall on the plane....ideal if you fancy another drink, non alcoholic drinks, water and a selection of savoury and sweet snacks.
> 
> But, for us, once the trays were cleared we used the bathroom and then got the blankets out of their wrapping, got my neck pillow, eye mask and we had the seats recline as far as they could before getting to sleep.
> 
> We have no one behind us which is one of the reasons we love these seats and reserve them when we book the flights.
> 
> I should say at this point......we named this flight.....the death plane......so many sounded as if they weren`t going to make it home alive. One poor woman just couldn`t stop coughing which is horrible when it happens, but we felt so bad for her as she knew everyone could hear her and I`m sure she worried she was annoying folks. I`m sure some folks were annoyed but having had a cough like that on occasions, I felt only sympathy for her. CC were bringing her hot drinks with honey in it but bless her she was in a state. But, so many coughers on this flight!!
> 
> I fell asleep quickly......there was no turbulence at this point which I enjoy falling asleep to when it starts.....but I was tired and so was Tom. I glanced at one point and he was out for the count which I was glad to see.......at that point I turned to get comfy again and bam.......the darn plane dropped!!!!! Granted it didn`t drop far, but you felt that change of altitude like you were dropping on Tower of Terror!!!! There were some curse words heard around the cabin!! We always keep our seatbelt on while we are in our seats anyway, but we were so glad we did.
> 
> Some hadn`t noticed so we all got settled back down soon enough and before we knew it, the lights were being put back on and they were bringing breakfast round. The night had flown past.
> 
> Neither Tom nor I like oats of any kind, but this one sounded good....if you excluded the oats! But, the sausage, egg and cheese biscuit was delicious.....ok not the best, but decent enough. I did try the oats and thought they were lovely, but I love anything with coconut. And American tea is not good!! But, it was the only thing there I wanted.  *
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> *Our flight had taken 8 hours exactly, and once we were through the usual cloud cover we landed to a dull Manchester with an absolute bang......never before have we come down with such a thud, it was as if the runway surprised the pilots! But, any landing you walk away from is a good one.
> 
> We were straight to the terminal building which was good as we could sometimes park in the middle of nowhere and get bussed back to the main building. As soon as the airbridge was there, they opened the doors and we were out for the seemingly 15 mile hike to passport checks. This is crazy how long this walk is.
> 
> The machines are empty as we are almost first there and at first I didn`t think the facial recognition was going to accept me....but after 3 goes, it let me through and we head down to baggage reclaim with me heading to the bathroom while Tom waited for the cases.
> 
> By the time I got back, 3 out of 4 cases were there......and then the 4th appeared. This was a result.
> 
> We hustled down the Skywalk to get to the Radisson before they stopped serving breakfast. We thought it was 10, but 10.30 was closing so we had plenty of time. We got a table by the window and yes, we had more bubbly....well Tom wasn`t driving so he was ok to enjoy some.
> 
> It`s help yourself buffet style here, and that included the champagne too, so Tom kept us topped up while we also had a huge pot of tea to go along with various breakfast items. I only had bacon, with toast and marmalade and it was lovely.
> 
> Staff here are very nice and they told us we could stay after they had cleared up but did we want any more food as they were doing that now, but we`d had plenty.
> 
> We should have taken some pictures, but we didn`t and none of us as we looked dreadful......lol......
> 
> Our car service called to say she was 10 minutes away and to call her when we were down at the doors. She can`t wait there for longer than a drop off or pick up or they charge them, we siad we would do that, so after a bathroom visit we went down, called and she was there. We joked we were glad she made it as in December there had been a huge accident and she had been stuck on the road for hours, we had to get the train home, but not today! We chatted for a short time and then we were both unconscious. Almost 3 and a half hours later we woke up and she said we were 20 minutes away.
> 
> Once we were home, first thing we did was empty the suitcases and get the washing machine on.......yes, I can`t help myself, it has to be done as soon as possible. We didn`t feel tired as not only did we sleep on the plane, but for over 3 hours in the car on the way home. So we managed to get everything sorted and into their new place or into piles for whoever was getting items we had brought back.
> 
> I emailed our friend to let him know we were home safely, called my mum and caught up with her then thought I`d sit down with a cup of tea, and woke up an hour later.......how did that happen!!
> 
> Kyle was at the door around 5.15 and it was marvellous to see him.....I love he wears a proper suit in this job, the last place had gone casual so they could wear almost anything within reason, it was still an office, but he looks so smart in his suits and he has a million ties which all look amazing. But, it was so good to see him!!!
> 
> We ordered takeout Chinese for dinner and it was lovely and spent some time just catching up with each other. We managed to stay awake till around 10pm, then we were like the Walking Dead......so bed it was for us.
> 
> It was good to be home. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Highlights.......*​
> 
> 
> 
> *Just about everything.
> 
> We had no lows to speak of with regards to the hotel which was magnificent as always. The weather was just amazingly hot for May which we loved we felt as if the sun never stopped shining.
> 
> With this May trip over, we have completed rather amazingly,  355 nights staying between Royal and Sapphire. And this trip was as good as ever. I forget who told us but I didn`t realise it was as many.
> 
> Staff were wonderful as always, they do make you feel like you have come home whenever you enter the hotels and it stays like that for the whole trip. Housekeeping was perfect. We had a lovely housekeeper who was excellent, we tend not to leave the place untidy, but she did a good job as everything was always glistening.
> 
> Club Lounge at Royal is just the best. Staff were fabulous and look after everyone so well.
> 
> Meeting a real life Spider-Man was certainly a highlight, as well as our little Lindsey. Both of them have an amazing future in front of them.
> 
> Parks were excellent as always. They are immaculately clean and well maintained, rides are wonderful and we only saw one grouchy TM the whole time. TM`s are fabulous and I never understand when folks say they are all horrible....and I have seen that written before.
> 
> Restaurants on and offsite were mainly top notch, but we did have a couple of meals where the kitchen let them down whether it be cool, cold or late.  But, we visited some new places and loved them.
> 
> Seeing friends as always is the best! Some were leaving after this trip, but we`d see most of them again and some we just wished well.
> 
> There were several things/places we didn`t get to experience this trip, but we`ll try again for some.
> 
> Someone asked me how can I remember everything that happens on the trip as we are there for so many days....well, I have a very good memory to begin with. But, pictures remind me when they are uploaded and as we are there for such a long visit, I have the time to sit and write down notes after we come back from the parks/days out/restaurants. It certainly doesn`t affect our enjoyment of our time there......
> 
> Virgin flights were excellent as always, can`t fault anything about them.
> 
> MCO was excellent this time. Officers were very pleasant and we didn`t see or hear any rudeness folks have reported.
> 
> I think that`s about everything to sum up.......we had the best trip!!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> But I do want to thank everyone here for your lovely, lovely comments along the way......I genuinely appreciate each and every one of them. I feel like I know some of you so well now after all these reports but it is so nice to log in and read all the comments.
> 
> It means an awful lot to know you enjoyed reading it.
> 
> But, until the next time, which is not that far away, hope to see you all on that TR too
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *
> 
> Hello Carole!


Just finished your trip report - Wow!!! It is my favourite read.  The details you add are so helpful……I’ve taken notes for our trip in August. Although I’m still nervous about Velociraptor. Thank you for all the wonderful pictures and making us smile and laugh along the way.  
Brenda


schumigirl said:


> ​


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## schumigirl

angryduck71 said:


> I am SO behind so I am cheating and started with the latest post and will go backward.  LOL.   Anyway, so happy for Kyle!!!!   Sounds like a great fit career-wise.
> 
> I am not sure if I told you this story -- a few months before we divorced, my then-husband, Davy, and I went to Disney and Universal for Davy's 5th birthday.   Davy just kept banging his face in -- he fell at Tom Sawyer's island (my ex wasn't paying attention when I took literally a ten minute break in the shade), he bumped into a pole when my ex was pulling him along at the race track at Disney, and he fell on his face at a picnic table.   My ex was sure then I was going to divorce him (I was).   But, I know none of that was on purpose -- but it DID look like we had beaten the poor kid.   Spiderman -when there used to be a character lunch at Confisco Grill -- spent like 30 minutes straight with Davy.  Probably trying to figure out if he needed to call social services or just put us in a web prison right there.  But, it just delighted Davy.   He was and still is a HUGE Spidey fan -- I'm sure probably not the "same one" you met as this was obviously 10 years ago, but I still have a soft spot for the guy.
> 
> I will try to catch up -- thought things were going back to normal, but my tennis team just got invited to a five-state-area competition so I am rushing to get ready for that.



Oh good lord that`s actually quite scary!!! Poor Davy getting bashed like that, even by accident!! 

Yes, Spider-Man would have been observing I`m sure.........I do remember the character meals there. 

Thanks so much ......he is blending in wonderfully with this firm and career wise, it`s perfect for him!

Good luck with the tennis........


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## schumigirl

jump00 said:


> Just finished your trip report - Wow!!! It is my favourite read.  The details you add are so helpful……I’ve taken notes for our trip in August. Although I’m still nervous about Velociraptor. Thank you for all the wonderful pictures and making us smile and laugh along the way.
> Brenda



Awww....thanks so much Brenda......  

Oh you have to go on the VC!!!! And I want to hear how much you enjoyed it afterwards.......

And thank you for all the lovely comments along the way, I enjoyed reading them all. Hope you have an absolutely wonderful trip next month, I`m excited for you going back....


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## NancyLuvsMickey

I can't believe this trip is over already!!! Time sure did fly by!!!  I don't think 23 days is enough... It goes by to fast in my opinon!!!!

So glad only one suitcase was a bit overweight... Guess that means you didn't shop enough!!! 

July is almost over, August will go by fast and then it's September and you'll be back!!! The countdown has begun!!! 

Thank you for sharing your trip with us!!! And tell Kyle congrats on his new job!!!


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## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> I can't believe this trip is over already!!! Time sure did fly by!!!  I don't think 23 days is enough... It goes by to fast in my opinon!!!!
> 
> So glad only one suitcase was a bit overweight... Guess that means you didn't shop enough!!!
> 
> July is almost over, August will go by fast and then it's September and you'll be back!!! The countdown has begun!!!
> 
> Thank you for sharing your trip with us!!! And tell Kyle congrats on his new job!!!




I certainly will pass that on Nancy, thank you....we`re still so thrilled for him with this! 

I`ll tell Tom 23 nights is not enough......lol....it was so lovely as nothing felt rushed and we were so relaxed although we did seem to be busy a lot. 

I`ve told all my friends......(even you Felicity) that I`m not shopping for anyone this upcoming trip......only for us, and we hope to get away with 3 suitcases......I groaned a lot at having to hustle 2 full suitcases......lol.....

Yep, 5 weeks tomorrow till we leave for the airport   

And thank you for the lovely comments along the way, I`m so glad you enjoyed it, and hope to see you on the next one too.....hope you`re doing ok.....


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## Pumpkin1172

I am sad this report is done now   but it was a great report.  I can't wait for your new trip report to start!!!!!


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## schumigirl

Pumpkin1172 said:


> I am sad this report is done now   but it was a great report.  I can't wait for your new trip report to start!!!!!



Thanks so much Pumpkin......I`m so glad you enjoyed it and thank you for your comments along with the way. I always love writing them, so next one will be soon-ish.......

Look forward to seeing you there........


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## luvpoohandcompany

Thanks so much for taking us all along on your travels. Loved reading your report- Tom’s photos are fab!  Delighted for your son that he’s enjoying his new job. Can’t wait  to hear all about your next adventure


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## schumigirl

luvpoohandcompany said:


> Thanks so much for taking us all along on your travels. Loved reading your report- Tom’s photos are fab!  Delighted for your son that he’s enjoying his new job. Can’t wait  to hear all about your next adventure



Oh thank you luvpoohandcompany.....it was a pleasure and thank you for keeping me company along the way too! 

I`ll pass those comments on to my two.......thank you! 

It`s 5 weeks today till we leave for our overnight at the airport....so yes, getting excited for that now too.......look forward to seeing you there too


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## schumigirl

September Trip Report up and running

Hope to see most of you there....... 


https://www.disboards.com/threads/h...ion-hhn-too-sf-rpr-september-2022-tr.3891236/


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## shh

Every time you visit, it's another great UO vacation for me - it feels like I'm right there with you. If you ever visit Key West, I think you'll enjoy the Papa Pilar rum tour. I believe there are samples at the end


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## schumigirl

shh said:


> Every time you visit, it's another great UO vacation for me - it feels like I'm right there with you. If you ever visit Key West, I think you'll enjoy the Papa Pilar rum tour. I believe there are samples at the end




Someone mention Rum????? 










​That looks an amazing tour for a distillery!! And samples too.....oh yeah.......

I had no idea they did a blonde rum, we`ll look for that in September and bring it home with us, there are some nice cocktail recipes on their site with both blonde and dark. 

Thanks so much for the lovely words shh....always glad to see you comment along the way...


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## musika

I know you've already got the other PTR going but just wanted to pop in now that I've finished and say thanks for this one! Always a treat to read.


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## schumigirl

musika said:


> I know you've already got the other PTR going but just wanted to pop in now that I've finished and say thanks for this one! Always a treat to read.



Thanks so much musika......I`m so glad you enjoyed it, it was fun writing it and hope to see you on the next one too!!


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## SCDizFan

Schumigirl, I absolutely love your TRs!  They are amazing and have me looking into Universal this fall!

Thank you for the Virgin Atlantic tip!  I don't know that we will fly anyone else trans Atlantic and longer!  I have the exact same photos of the Nice Sauvignon Blanc flying Virgin to London back late May on our trip to Greece! We were supposed to fly back through London and spend time for the Queen's Jubilee but our flight got cancelled last minute out of Mykonos back to London and we had to fly home through Paris (Paris is my heart and I always love extra time there).  The good news is that Air France upgraded us to business and we got to drink Sancerre instead of Sauvignon Blanc on the way back to the states.

BTW, that bird that kid was taunting would have taken the kids finger off if the kid had gotten too close.  Those beaks have razor sharp edges and snap a grown snake or rodent in half.

Can't wait for your September trip!


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## schumigirl

SCDizFan said:


> Schumigirl, I absolutely love your TRs!  They are amazing and have me looking into Universal this fall!
> 
> Thank you for the Virgin Atlantic tip!  I don't know that we will fly anyone else trans Atlantic and longer!  I have the exact same photos of the Nice Sauvignon Blanc flying Virgin to London back late May on our trip to Greece! We were supposed to fly back through London and spend time for the Queen's Jubilee but our flight got cancelled last minute out of Mykonos back to London and we had to fly home through Paris (Paris is my heart and I always love extra time there).  The good news is that Air France upgraded us to business and we got to drink Sancerre instead of Sauvignon Blanc on the way back to the states.
> 
> BTW, that bird that kid was taunting would have taken the kids finger off if the kid had gotten too close.  Those beaks have razor sharp edges and snap a grown snake or rodent in half.
> 
> Can't wait for your September trip!



I`m so glad your trip went well!!! I did wonder how you got on in Greece. And glad you got to spend some extra time in Paris. Folks ask why we are so loyal to VA.....well, yes, they may be more expensive usually, but we like the service and flying direct is very important to us. Some folks stop over in places like Philly or similar.....nope, no interest in doing that, it`s a long enough flight as it is. 

But, I`m happy to hear you enjoyed flying with them. 

I wouldn`t have blamed that bird if it had pecked at that kid who was being a brat. It was the lack of concern from the parents over kid and bird safety that really amazed me. Wow, I didn`t realise they have such lethal beaks either. 

Yep, we are excited for September too!!!!


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