# IT`S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE...COCKTAILS, STEAKS AND CAKES..11 JOLLY HOLIDAY NIGHTS @ RPR-DEC 2019



## schumigirl

**









​


*And a very warm welcome to the fourth Orlando Trip Report of 2019 from Carole-n-Tom......and this time we have our favourite person join us......our son Kyle.....I know many of you remember him from our previous reports, and some have met him from previous visits...….and of course everyone seems to know of his love of chocolate cake...in most forms!!!*

















*So, the who, the when and the why.....although is there ever really a need to ask why......hey, it`s Orlando......and the Holidays...….*

*I always struggle how to start these reports at times....so many of you know us so well by now, and introductions seems redundant, but I guess there are plenty who don`t know us yet.....so if you do or don't know us yet, a warm welcome to the Holiday 2019 Trip Report. *


















*Carole and Tom...….we have been very happily married for over 27 years and are both enjoying the fruits of Tom`s early retirement 2 years ago now......his early retirement meant we could come to our favourite place more often, and we have certainly taken advantage of that over the last couple of years. 

In the last two years we have stayed 148 nights, well after the December trip of course, and altogether we have stayed more than 300 nights over the years mostly at Royal Pacific...….latterly we do spend some time at Sapphire Falls too. So, you can see like a lot of people we absolutely adore Royal Pacific, Universal Orlando and Florida in general. 

Being a very happy lady and gentleman of leisure we do like to visit here and it is one of our favourite places in the whole wide world...…..and even better when we have the pleasure of our adult son joining us. 

Kyle is 25 and works full time in the wonderful world of Finance.....and we are thrilled on occasions he still wants to come with us on vacation.....and as my friends remind me often, that is wonderful...….of course vacationing with parents is normally frowned upon by some....but Orlando seems to be a very acceptable place to still go to with the oldies!!! 

The last two Decembers we have visited Royal Pacific, 2017 we stayed a week......not long enough…...2018 we stayed 10 nights...….maybe not quite long enough......so this year we have 11 nights......and later, once flights were booked, we discovered really, we could have stayed two weeks as he had extra vacation days. Doh!!! I think we`ll try for two weeks next December. 

After our lovely stay last December, we knew we wanted to experience all that Universal offered for the Holidays.....so we provisionally gave our friend our dates for this year and patiently waited for flights to come out 331 days from our return to the UK. So, we knew we would be staying 11 nights and our hotel of choice was Royal Pacific. *






























*We did want to fly Virgin, thankfully or that would be another set of TC flights to rebook.....so as soon as they were out in January this year, we managed to get our dates booked with decent Premium seats on both flights.

Our dates are, we fly out on Friday November 29th and fly home on Tuesday December 10th, 11 nights this time. *
















*Definitely our preferred aircraft...…..yes, it has four engines!!! 

I`m not a nervous flyer at all, but four engines, always beats two!! Especially if we fly direct across the Atlantic like we have done a few times......but there is something special about the 747`s, sadly being phased out and being replaced by a so called better aircraft. *




















*The Jumbo`s just seem to glamorise when air travel was something special and even a little glamorous when they were first built.....of course, now, they just look a little dated at times inside. But, we still like them.

We have seats booked upstairs in the bubble going out, Kyle and I will sit together and Tom will get to sit with someone else, both ways, although we are downstairs on the way back, through choice as we opted to have the last row and one in front as you are practically the first off the plane and can get to passport control before the masses. We were fairly pleased with our choice of seats. And being Premium, we get a lot of luggage allowance...….. 

And with Kyle being with us this time again, we have three sets of luggage...…..*
















*When it`s just Tom and I, we often book the front two seats of Premium upstairs, but this time we have booked the last two seats and one in front, of the seats on the left as you`re looking at the picture......the grey seats are all Premium and the curtain separates those seats from Economy, so it is a slightly smaller cabin overall and folks seem to vie to sit up here in either type of seats. Some folks think it`s quieter, and it usually is....but of course, it all depends on who your companions are. 

You do get extra stowage space with the seats upstairs, so you don't need to keep getting up to get your hand luggage down if you want something. And the space is quite large, so we tend to put things in we think we`ll need for convenience. 

I usually sit by the window, but I think I know a certain young man who will decide he might want the window seat...….*

*Although on our first flight to Orlando way back in 2007, I seem to have ended with the window seat.....not sure I ever got it again though......lol......

He looks so young there!!!!! (don`t we all)*

*And the Bubble seats are very different now, it used to be all Premium upstairs...….but all aircraft were refurbed and now have a mix upstairs which we do like as the newer seats are more comfortable. *


















*Usually the night before, we have always stayed at the Radisson for our overnight stay to wherever we were flying from...….and that all changed in September, when we had to change nights due to the Hurricane affecting our flight. We had to change days, so they had no vacancies for the new date, so we tried the Marriott around a 10 minute cab drive from the airport, and we were so glad we did. 

It was a lovely hotel, and we were surprised just how much we did like it. So, as soon as we were home from the September trip, we booked two rooms, both Executive Club Access rooms for around half of what we were playing for a family room at the Radisson. I know I`m awful for not usually considering costs....oops.....but this made an awful lot of sense, even to me. The rooms were immaculately clean and quite large, and we were more than a little impressed with their Executive Lounge and the restaurants attached to the hotel. *



















*The one we ate in last trip, we have booked for our night there next week, Brasserie Blanc which we loved, and the fact they serve very nice steaks went down well with Kyle as he does love a good steak. And the bar area for our afternoon sparkly is lovely too.*












































*Car rental had been booked months before, maybe around June. I have no clue what Tom has booked, I think it`s just a regular type of SUV and again direct from Alamo. We won`t be doing much driving around this time, but still like the SUV style. No Maserati this time! 

Little details I had taken care of during the year, like renewing Kyle`s ESTA without that we don`t get into the USA. You renew it every two years and it`s something like $14 each, so nothing really. *

*He doesn't have Global Entry, and as he will only be visiting once a year, it`s not really worth it for him.…...we`ll just go through the regular line with him, or maybe we`ll just go ahead and he can line up on his own. We`ll see. *

*I`m sure I`ll post some of our plans in the next few posts, but for now......we are just over a week away from leaving. We have our car service coming to pick us up on the Thursday morning to drive us up to Manchester Airport for the overnight. They are coming back for us too on the 11th. It`s so much easier getting door to door. 

To say we are excited is an understatement. Kyle finishes work next Monday evening, so has the Tuesday and Wednesday off which is lovely, but of course meant we could have had two weeks if we`d known. But, our planned 11 nights is going to be excellent. 

Although Tom and I see a lot of Kyle there`s nothing quite like spending special vacation time together....he`s busy with work and his social life, but we treasure our time together always, he`s the best company and so much fun and best of all loves to spend time with us too when he can..…..and (schmaltzy alert ahead ) that's the best part of this trip....is spending time together, it`s worth so much more than anything.*







​






*I promise not to be too sentimental with this trip......well, I`ll try!!!! 

Will be updating our tentative plans in several posts before we leave next week...….I do hope you enjoy reading along with our Holiday trip back to our favourite place...…..it`s always so good to read your comments along the way.....*






















​


----------



## Deb1993

So excited for another trip report!!!


----------



## macraven

WOOT ....!!!!


Another great trip report start from our Schumi


----------



## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> So excited for another trip report!!!



 along Deb1993.......and you`re first!!!!

Glad to see you......hope you enjoy this one......


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> WOOT ....!!!!
> 
> 
> Another great trip report start from our Schumi



And a big    to you mac......always love a good WOOT!!!

I`m glad you made it here again, and as always hope you enjoy this one too......will get a few updates in before we go......look forward to you reading along with this one too......


----------



## J'aime Paris

I was looking out for this!!!!!
YES


----------



## DisneyLifePapioNe

Definitely wouldn’t want to miss this!!!!!


----------



## schumigirl

J'aime Paris said:


> I was looking out for this!!!!!
> YES



Yay....... along Lori........


Yep, had to get it started before we leave......and I had a spare afternoon.......so........why not!

And you get to be in this one too!!!

Glad you’re here........


----------



## schumigirl




----------



## keishashadow

Liking how you’ve decorated the place, especially the little touch of purple lol



schumigirl said:


> Kyle is 25 and works full time in the wonderful world of Finance.....and we are thrilled on occasions he still wants to come with us on vacation.....and as my friends remind me often, that is wonderful...….of course vacationing with parents is normally frowned upon by some....but Orlando seems to be a very acceptable place to still go to with the oldies!!!



Let them frown all they want, the smart kids realize traveling with ma & pa has untold benefits


----------



## J'aime Paris

I love the photo of you and Kyle from when he was younger. Such wonderful memories!!
This was DD and I a while back in Las Vegas if I remember correctly.  
She'd kill me if she knew I was posting this!  During those awkward teen times, lol!
I was a few pounds lighter and a few hair colors darker....


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Woohoo! I am 7 pages behind in the other TR, but so excited to be along for this one! Your TRs are the BEST!   

Maria


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Liking how you’ve decorated the place, especially the little touch of purple lol
> 
> 
> 
> Let them frown all they want, the smart kids realize traveling with ma & pa has untold benefits



 along Keisha...….glad you made it over to this one!!!

You know I loves my purple!!! 

Yep, smart kids indeed...….  Wouldn't have it any other way...….it is a treat indeed to have them still travel with us!


----------



## schumigirl

J'aime Paris said:


> I love the photo of you and Kyle from when he was younger. Such wonderful memories!!
> This was DD and I a while back in Las Vegas if I remember correctly.
> She'd kill me if she knew I was posting this!  During those awkward teen times, lol!
> I was a few pounds lighter and a few hair colors darker....
> 
> View attachment 453766





Oh Lori, What a lovely picture......I wouldn't have recognised you!! And DD!!! She is so like you!!!! 

You look so different a few shades darker...….no worries, I won`t tell her you posted it........lol....

I know, time flies doesn't it…...they grow up so quickly!!! I was celebrating my 40th birthday on the first trip, weirdly that seems like only yesterday...….sadly the mirror says different.....


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Woohoo! I am 7 pages behind in the other TR, but so excited to be along for this one! Your TRs are the BEST!
> 
> Maria



 Maria...…..

lol.....7 pages isn't too bad..…..but I am SO happy you made it over here....it`s always lovely to see you post!!!

And thank you....I will take all and any compliments with a smile...…. and absolutely hope you enjoy this one too!!!!


----------



## I-4Bound

LOVE the picture of you and little Kyle! Can't wait to read along. I'm an official "Carole trip report addict!"


----------



## AprilDreamsOfDisney

Sounds like another wonderful vacation you have planned and all the more special with Kyle along for the ride.

Looking forward to this trip report, too, Carole - hope you have a lovely time! I'll be thinking about you and your family - so excited for you!


----------



## schumigirl

I-4Bound said:


> LOVE the picture of you and little Kyle! Can't wait to read along. I'm an official "Carole trip report addict!"



You made me laugh out loud there......

 along Andrea...….

I adore all the early pictures we took, and just showed him that one as it has been a while since he`s seen it.....he just shook his head and laughed......think he felt old!!!! 

I do hope you enjoy it too Andrea.....can you believe it`s almost two years since we said hello that night in the Studios!!!


----------



## schumigirl

AprilDreamsOfDisney said:


> Sounds like another wonderful vacation you have planned and all the more special with Kyle along for the ride.
> 
> Looking forward to this trip report, too, Carole - hope you have a lovely time! I'll be thinking about you and your family - so excited for you!



 to you too April...….

It is fabulous to have him along for this one.......and it`s so close now!!! I know you shouldn't wish your days away, but I wish it was next Thursday.........no patience should have been my middle name!!!

Thank you, you`re so kind......we`ll certainly try our best to have a wonderful trip.......


----------



## I-4Bound

schumigirl said:


> You made me laugh out loud there......
> 
> along Andrea...….
> 
> I adore all the early pictures we took, and just showed him that one as it has been a while since he`s seen it.....he just shook his head and laughed......think he felt old!!!!
> 
> I do hope you enjoy it too Andrea.....can you believe it`s almost two years since we said hello that night in the Studios!!!



I can't believe it's been that long! I so enjoyed seeing you both that night! I'm desperate for a little holiday getaway, but I don't think it's in the cards for this year. I'll just have to enjoy yours vicariously.❤


----------



## schumigirl

I-4Bound said:


> I can't believe it's been that long! I so enjoyed seeing you both that night! I'm desperate for a little holiday getaway, but I don't think it's in the cards for this year. I'll just have to enjoy yours vicariously.❤



I know, seems like yesterday.....

Oh I hope you have a getaway sometime soon......it`s nice to have a little break.......


----------



## Elsaspiritanimal

Yaaaaassss! So excited for this one! Thanks for letting us all tag along on your trips Carole!


----------



## schumigirl

Elsaspiritanimal said:


> Yaaaaassss! So excited for this one! Thanks for letting us all tag along on your trips Carole!



  along to this one Elsaspiritanimal......glad to see you here too.......

It‘s always lovely to have company along the way......so, yes, a warm welcome back.......


----------



## JaxDad

Hi!


----------



## Raeven

Following along! We’re not doing a Christmas trip this year, so I’m excited to see all your pictures of everything!


----------



## schumigirl

JaxDad said:


> Hi!



  to you JaxDad........

Hi 

Glad to see you.......and again, hope you enjoy this one........I did try to convince my guys to go to St Augustine for the lights, but as we only have 11 nights and heading to KSC I was vetoed.......lol......


----------



## schumigirl

Raeven said:


> Following along! We’re not doing a Christmas trip this year, so I’m excited to see all your pictures of everything!



 Raeven......glad you’re here too!!

I’ll make sure Tom goes into picture overdrive....I adore Christmas pictures anytime.........

And yes, hope you enjoy this one too........


----------



## schumigirl

​





*As many of you know, we are not planners in any way shape or form.....the thought of making a plan and sticking to it fills us with dread......our minimum plans are ones we cannot do without.....*
*
And those are flights, hotels, rental car, travel insurance and obvious things like passports and ESTA`s. 
*
*Anything else we play it by ear and day by day.......things like what parks we will go to we always decide usually when we wake up, same with going anywhere for the day. We wake up and think where will we go today...….

However when Kyle is with us, it`s usually a shorter trip and there are places he would like to go and places he`d like to eat, so he takes precedent over what we want to do, thankfully his tastes are very similar to ours which we are happy about!!! Glad he`s never been the type to want to eat in fast food chains and nowhere else...….*
*
One of our main plans this trip is again to go and visit KSC. 
*
*Last year for some reason, was the first time we visited this and we were blown away by the whole place. Never have we come away from anywhere with such a sense of pride and immediately wanted to go back. 

Kyle is massively into Space and all advancements being made, as well as Astronomy, and has been since he was a small child...….I`m convinced if they ever offered him a seat to go to Mars he`d take it!!! I keep telling him I wouldn't let him go of course.......*
*
We haven't chosen a day yet, but we`ll probably go on a midweek day again as it was relatively quiet and we`d hope for the same again with any luck. 
*
*There really was hardly anyone around when we arrived, and didn't change much the whole day, we were incredibly lucky. *



























*Everything was so impressive, as soon as we walked in we were completely awestruck on every single thing we saw the whole day. *
*
Probably nothing more so than the Shuttle. 
*
*Seeing the reveal is something that brought me to tears, and Tom and Kyle were a little speechless for a while...….and I wish I could experience that reveal again for the first time......*
















*Spacex are a company that are doing tremendous things in Space, sadly a lot more than NASA are doing and are miles ahead in development of many things.....amazing company and so interesting to read about their future plans. *
















*Saturn 5 is another tremendous display to see........and fascinating to hear from the engineers that are around to chat to about the whole experience. *
















*I think Kyle is most excited about going here again....although the parks are a close second. 



The Macy`s Parade is wonderful...….it does scream Holidays and Christmas as soon as it begins......we do like you don't have to be there five hours before it begins to get a good spot......you can see it from almost anywhere and even if you`re not at the front, you can still see everything clear. *








































*I do like a bit of fake snow....….and it is beautiful when it falls as Father Christmas appears and switches on the tree......*
















*Both parks are decorated beautifully, not too gaudy and not overdone, it just sits right with the theme of the parks.....*
















*IOA has the Hogwarts Castle Light Show, and that is worth seeing. The ones througout the year that they had, weren't as appealing to us as the Holiday one is.......they just get everything right...….*

*It does get incredibly busy, some suggest the later shows, which were less people, but I think more people are thinking that way on certain nights....*



























*Those are our must do things. *

*But, Kyle is here for the rides......and he`ll want to hopefully do Hagrid`s.....we were especially fortunate to get to ride when we didn`t expect to, but I guess Mummy dust does exist after all!!!! So, we hope he does get to experience the ride as it`ll be a year before he`s back again. 

We love all the rides......the only ones we won`t do are Jimmy Fallon, Fast & Furious and Pteranadon Flyers for obvious reasons......although not sure I`d ever want to do that one.......it looks very precarious when you walk underneath and see them swaying around.....give me a good old fashioned coaster any day!!! 

I doubt we`ll do any of the water rides......if it`s less than 90F that`s a no from me.......and Kyle isn`t a fan of getting drenched.....he thinks he`s a magnet for the water.......we came of JP bone dry once, and Kyle who was sitting beside me.....got absolutely drenched.......*
*

*
*Food choices coming up........*


----------



## I-4Bound

My hubby teaches astronomy to high school students. Sounds like he and Kyle would get along famously!


----------



## Deb1993

How did you like Hagrid's?


----------



## schumigirl

I-4Bound said:


> My hubby teaches astronomy to high school students. Sounds like he and Kyle would get along famously!



Really!!!!

Oh my goodness......Kyle would bend his ear so much if they met!! They would for sure.......how interesting! 

He‘s recently bought a new telescope.........it’s not The Hubble for sure, but it is much bigger than the first one he had......he‘s also bought a special laptop and all sorts of gadgets so he can control the telescope by programming it from the laptop.........he loves astronomy! 

His pictures are quite impressive too! He’s now wondering how to build an observatory on our land!!! That was a firm NO!!!


----------



## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> How did you like Hagrid's?



It was excellent......we both loved it, and I didn’t think I’d ever forgive them for Duelling Dragons.......lol......

I wouldn’t have stood for hours for it, but I wouldn’t stand for hours for many things.......but we got on very quickly so we were delighted with that.

I can’t imagine anyone finding fault with riding it.......


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

I'm here and ready to go!!!     The picture of you and Kyle when he was younger is adorable!!! And it's only Kyle that has aged... You look the same as you did back then!


----------



## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> I'm here and ready to go!!!     The picture of you and Kyle when he was younger is adorable!!! And it's only Kyle that has aged... You look the same as you did back then!



  Back Nancy.........


Oh you are too kind!!!! Thank you...... I will take the compliment though......lol......we were so excited setting off for our first venture to Orlando......although Kyle was a little nervous as he’d never flown for as long.

But, so happy to see you here, hope you enjoy this report too.....


----------



## Pumpkin1172

I was gone for a few days...I come back...and see you have started a new trip report!!!!!  I'll grab a seat and follow along    You must be getting excited now.  If your countdown in the single digits yet?  

Well...off to finish reading the other trip report.  I can't wait to hear more details on this one!!!!


----------



## angryduck71

Yay!  Get the place warmed up for us and take away all the crowds (right... we'll be there Dec. 30 & 31 -- completely full!  But, we know it going in).  



schumigirl said:


> As many of you know, we are not planners in any way shape or form.....the thought of making a plan and sticking to it fills us with dread......our minimum plans are ones we cannot do without.....



This reminds me... .Monday I'm making plans for us for May 2020.  LOL.  Start feeling the dread!


----------



## schumigirl

Pumpkin1172 said:


> I was gone for a few days...I come back...and see you have started a new trip report!!!!!  I'll grab a seat and follow along    You must be getting excited now.  If your countdown in the single digits yet?
> 
> Well...off to finish reading the other trip report.  I can't wait to hear more details on this one!!!!



  Pumpkin.......


lol.......well, I don’t like to hang around and yes, we are in single digits....we have 7 sleeps till we drive up to the airport for the overnight........

Glad to see you here Pumpkin.....few more details coming up....


----------



## schumigirl

angryduck71 said:


> Yay!  Get the place warmed up for us and take away all the crowds (right... we'll be there Dec. 30 & 31 -- completely full!  But, we know it going in).
> 
> 
> 
> This reminds me... .Monday I'm making plans for us for May 2020.  LOL.  Start feeling the dread!



  along Alice........


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


We’ll try and warm the place up for you if we can......lol.......and looking forward to hearing about your trip too......and ahem.....your May one is of interest to us for sure........especially one of the dining options......


----------



## PoohIsHome

@schumigirl Oh how I wish we weren't a day off in our coming and going! I'd have loved to have been able to meet up with you, Tom and Kyle! This trip, no flu allowed!


----------



## schumigirl

PoohIsHome said:


> @schumigirl Oh how I wish we weren't a day off in our coming and going! I'd have loved to have been able to meet up with you, Tom and Kyle! This trip, no flu allowed!



 along PoohIsHome........


Yes, we’re planning on no down time this year........fingers crossed!

Would have been lovely to say a quick hello to you.......but hope you have the best time on your trip.......and nice to see you on this trip report too, hope you enjoy it.......


----------



## jump00

Hello Carole,
What a wonderful surprise this morning to find your pre-trip report

Brenda


----------



## PoohIsHome

schumigirl said:


> along PoohIsHome........
> 
> 
> Yes, we’re planning on no down time this year........fingers crossed!
> 
> Would have been lovely to say a quick hello to you.......but hope you have the best time on your trip.......and nice to see you on this trip report too, hope you enjoy it.......



After what felt like the longest countdown in the history of countdowns, Tony and I are sitting here twiddling our thumbs waiting on Corey. He’s at school this morning long enough for attendance count and to check in with his AP teachers and then we’ll hit the road. We’ll spend the night in Savannah, GA and pull up to HRH at lunchtime tomorrow.


----------



## schumigirl

jump00 said:


> Hello Carole,
> What a wonderful surprise this morning to find your pre-trip report
> 
> Brenda



  Back Brenda........


lol.......no point in letting the grass grow.......it might help to make the time pass quicker if I do this........time seems to stand still when you’re waiting to leave for a trip!

Glad to see you here too though.......


----------



## schumigirl

PoohIsHome said:


> After what felt like the longest countdown in the history of countdowns, Tony and I are sitting here twiddling our thumbs waiting on Corey. He’s at school this morning long enough for attendance count and to check in with his AP teachers and then we’ll hit the road. We’ll spend the night in Savannah, GA and pull up to HRH at lunchtime tomorrow.



Oh bless!!! It has been quite the year for you hasn’t it!!

It’ll be worth the wait I’m sure.......have a safe and fun drive down to Florida and have the best time......


----------



## buteraa

Hi Carole,

Sorry I haven't commented but I have been reading all of your trip reports.  It sounds like your Halloween trip went really well and you both had some down time which is always nice.  We are coming down on the 14th of December and we are going to try and slow down as well and enjoy the resorts and other areas.  

Looking forward to more of your Christmas trip.  Isn't it amazing how quickly they turn from halloween to Christmas decor?  

Alesia


----------



## schumigirl

buteraa said:


> Hi Carole,
> 
> Sorry I haven't commented but I have been reading all of your trip reports.  It sounds like your Halloween trip went really well and you both had some down time which is always nice.  We are coming down on the 14th of December and we are going to try and slow down as well and enjoy the resorts and other areas.
> 
> Looking forward to more of your Christmas trip.  Isn't it amazing how quickly they turn from halloween to Christmas decor?
> 
> Alesia



A very warm    back Alesia...….

Always good to see you......and I`m glad you posted. Yes, we had a wonderful Halloween trip, and I said to our friend in Orlando last night, I feel as if it`s been ages since we were there!!! Seems crazy to say that......

And you have your trip to look forward to!!!! 14th.....it is an amazing time to be there. It`s lovely you will be taking it easy and explore some of the resorts and beyond. One of the things we love is going round the hotels and seeing all their holiday displays....can`t wait!!! And you`ll have the best time.......

Oh yes, seeing how quick Christmas appears when Halloween is over is quite something.....

It is lovely to see you again......hope you enjoy the trip report....and hope you have a wonderful visit....come back and tell us how it went....


----------



## Tink2Day

Uh Oh I almost missed this!!  Happy to see you're doing a bit of a PTR.

I think I need a trip to the Mall to go to Cheesecake Factory....I don't even like cake but Kyle's picture is tempting even ME!!

Can't wait to see a more recent picture of Kyle, he gets more handsome each year, but he was just so  stinkin cute in that first picture you posted.
Good you're flying Virgin!  They have a spaceport not too far from my home, as I told you before we're a military everything Space kind of a State, maybe Kyle can sign up for one of the trips they plan to Space and beyond.....Kyle would love it here, not sure if I've mentioned it but the VLA (Very Large Array) in my State isn't too far from where I live (not sure if you've ever seen Contact with Jody Foster but that is where a lot of it was filmed). We have so much science and space related stuff here it seems endless.
Four engines? Well give me 8 and I'd be ready to go...I'm just a terrible passenger, they won't let me fly the plane (a bit of a control freak here) 

P.S. enjoy every minute with Kyle.....so happy for you all to be together! No amount of time is ever enough to spend with loved ones.


----------



## schumigirl

Tink2Day said:


> Uh Oh I almost missed this!!  Happy to see you're doing a bit of a PTR.
> 
> I think I need a trip to the Mall to go to Cheesecake Factory....I don't even like cake but Kyle's picture is tempting even ME!!
> 
> Can't wait to see a more recent picture of Kyle, he gets more handsome each year, but he was just so  stinkin cute in that first picture you posted.
> Good you're flying Virgin!  They have a spaceport not too far from my home, as I told you before we're a military everything Space kind of a State, maybe Kyle can sign up for one of the trips they plan to Space and beyond.....Kyle would love it here, not sure if I've mentioned it but the VLA (Very Large Array) in my State isn't too far from where I live (not sure if you've ever seen Contact with Jody Foster but that is where a lot of it was filmed). We have so much science and space related stuff here it seems endless.
> Four engines? Well give me 8 and I'd be ready to go...I'm just a terrible passenger, they won't let me fly the plane (a bit of a control freak here)
> 
> P.S. enjoy every minute with Kyle.....so happy for you all to be together! No amount of time is ever enough to spend with loved ones.



 Tink2Day.......I’m glad you did find my somewhat short little PTR.......

lol....yes, I hate chocolate cake, but it does look gorgeous!!! I think we may be there more than once!!! 

Thank you.......Kyle is our absolute pride and joy, I‘ve warned him picture overdrive will be in effect.....lol.......

He would love to see the VLA! The technology out there is awe inspiring....oh yes, he would be up there in a heartbeat if he could get a seat on those future flights!!

I year you on the plane, I’d love to “drive” it......but have to admit, I adore flying......I have two friends who are scared witless and hate turbulence, which I love.....I always told them I will never, ever fly with them! They would be a nightmare.....

And thank you for the good wishes.......we are so looking forward to being together for this trip......a year feels a long time now since he was last with us......I hope you enjoy this one too....always enjoy seeing your comments.....


----------



## christophfam

Yay! Another trip report, perfect as I just finished your last one. Hopefully your travels with be less eventful this trip! So happy Kyle is with you and you get to enjoy this time together. My children are 20 and 23 so not far behind Kyle. I actually welled up a bit reading your posts about your trip together. Think I’m being a bit sentimental with graduation looming ahead in May for my son and no idea where he’ll end up. We’ve been very fortunate that our kiddos love to travel with us as well. Have an incredible trip and enjoy every moment although I’m pretty sure I don’t need to say that to you!


----------



## schumigirl

christophfam said:


> Yay! Another trip report, perfect as I just finished your last one. Hopefully your travels with be less eventful this trip! So happy Kyle is with you and you get to enjoy this time together. My children are 20 and 23 so not far behind Kyle. I actually welled up a bit reading your posts about your trip together. Think I’m being a bit sentimental with graduation looming ahead in May for my son and no idea where he’ll end up. We’ve been very fortunate that our kiddos love to travel with us as well. Have an incredible trip and enjoy every moment although I’m pretty sure I don’t need to say that to you!



 along christophfam…...

Yes, we`re hoping for a nice easy simple trip with no issues!!! We are so much looking forward to this trip, as is Kyle!!! 

I agree, it is an emotional time with your son`s Graduation coming up....lovely of course, but definitely an emotional moment in life ......I think if they still enjoy travelling with you now, looks like you`ll be lucky and it`ll continue.....it is a blessing.

Thank you, we`ll do our best to have the best time...…..look forward to you reading along with this one too...….


----------



## schumigirl

*Kyle is really easy to please when it comes to food.....pizza, chocolate cake, steak, chocolate cake, fries, chocolate cake, chicken, chocolate cake, ice cream....chocolate of course and he does like an occasional slice or two of chocolate cake........  *

*And isn't overly keen to share his chocolate cake!!! *





​





*He hasn't asked to go to many places...….except......CF for his favourite dessert ever...…...everything gets pitted against the high standard of this cake for chocolate and icing standard. I was thrilled when he said my flourless chocolate cake was the same standard as Linda`s Fudge cake and maybe even a little better...…praise indeed!!!! *
















*It`s not somewhere we have to eat in every trip, but we do like the CF and have enjoyed a good few dishes from there. So, we may eat there once and then get some Cake to go a few times. It is only a ten minute drive to the Mall, so they could easily pop out whenever they feel like it. *

*One of his other choices, is Red Lobster.......he does usually have the maple chicken here as opposed to seafood, but, he really enjoys the Chocolate Wave dessert they have....again, not for me, but it`s a decent sized chocolate cake and it looks to be a more manageable portion than the CF one. *
















*And his favourite sharing dessert is The Chocolate Stampede from Longhorn......I have some of the ice cream and they share it...….Kyle is like a skilled surgeon as he slices the dish between the two of them!!! Not one of them gets an ounce more than the other!!! *
















*And of course you do get a lovely steak in Longhorn too!!! *
















*Pizza is one of Kyle`s favourite foods, he usually has it the night before we fly and more often than not it`s his meal of choice on the first night at RPR as we usually eat in Jake`s American Bar.......plain old cheese pizza is his go to pizza. And usually with a bbq sauce base.......bit like me there, as I prefer that to a tomato base.......Tom is the traditionalist here and sticks to plain old tomato. *

















*Sal`s pizza at PBH is also fabulous. For us it`s the best onsite pizza around...…nothing in the parks or Citywalk beats it. Again, plain old cheese pizza.....yep, our own little Kevin McCallister when he was little!!! *

















*We had planned to take him to Ocean Prime this visit, but after our not so good experience there last visit, we are going to Eddie V`s with him. I know he`ll love everything about the place and especially the steaks!!! I think we are quite excited to take him there this visit. *
















*If we had another spare night, I think we`d go back to The Palm too, but so many places we want to eat and not enough nights.......*

*Orlando Ale House is another place we can`t believe he`s never been to either.......we went last December when Kyle was poorly, which was a shame as I know he`d like it.

A couple of evenings we plan to eat wherever the notion takes us......when we see the Macy`s parade and the Hogwarts Night show, we may just go back to the hotel or Citywalk....NBC is an option there as is Margaritaville of course.....NBC we`d have burgers probably. *

*Lunch options may be more around the park than usual.....for sure Confisco Grille and Kyle has expressed an interest in trying Mythos again and Lombards......he had forgotten we had a negative experience there in September, but he had enjoyed his fish and chips last year.......I said we`ll see.....lol......

I have to look at the Mythos menu, as it has been a while since we`ve gone and maybe they have updated it a little.....*
*
Thunder Falls is another place he may like to go back to....again, it`s been a while, but we did like it, well....except for the way you choose your meal then wait to pay......food gets cold. 
*
*But both parks have some very good food options, both table and counter service......I see people say their options are terribel and have to wonder where they ate......sure there are places we don`t eat in like Mel`s Diner or Cafe 4 and Circus McGurkas.....but most other places are pretty darn good. 



More coming right up.........*


----------



## schumigirl

*IT`S GETTING CLOSE*




​*Over the last couple of years we have seen Andretti Indoor Karting Centre and keep saying we`ll have to go sometime......all three of us love Karting and any kind of Motor Sport.......so we figure we`d enjoy this. *








​


*It`s sits way down on Universal Boulevard behind the Convention Centre and we have seen mixed reviews about it. 

Some say the Karts are a bit of a disappointment and not very fast, but others think they are a lot of fun. We did a Karting place many years ago, in Kissimmee I think and it was a bit of a disappointment, so we have a little more of an expectation of the Andretti place, given who he is. *
*
The other stuff like games, simulators and laser tag doesn`t interest us in the slightest, but we`ll have a good look around and see what else the place has to offer. 
*
*They do have a food option there, not sure if it could be described as a restaurant.....maybe more like a food court, but the menu looks good and it has plenty of variety......I`m not sure we`ll choose to eat there but again, will go have a look. 

There is a membership scheme which might be worth it as one of the things we`d like to purchase can only be bought if you have the membership.....the three race pack for adults. At $50 each it sounds like that might be a good buy for us. Or if we decide not to buy the membership, it`s just $22 for each lap.....not much more to purchase individually. *
*
I`m not sure we`d go on our own if Kyle wasn't with us, but we`ll see. We all love things like this, although maybe we`re used to a little more speed than what is offered here. We all enjoy track days with high performance vehicles on occasion, but I`m sure this`ll be a lot of fun. And if we have some spare time this trip we do plan to give it a try. 
*
*It`s a shorter trip than usual, so with the parks being a main focus, we`re not sure how much time we`ll have for offsite activities. 

I can`t see Kyle being very interested in walking round the lake at Mount Dora, but we may take a drive up only to buy some Olive Oil as we are running low so do need to stock up. It`s a long time till May when we will be able to buy a load more. *

*We don't ever feel the need to completely fill up our time with plans to do this, that and the other.….but it`s nice to have an idea of things we might like to do like this place. One friend has already asked me what day are we doing the Macy`s Parade...…..when are we going to KSC.....when do we want to go to dinner...….*















*I still haven't decided what to do for dinner tonight!!!!*

*I know she`s asking as they are visiting around the same time, they`re just not staying onsite, and want to plan to meet up...…but she also knows this being Kyle`s trip, we go with what he wants to do and he has asked for a trip with no plans!!! Sounds like a plan!!!! 

I love her dearly, but she`s the type of person who visits the doctor and he needs his blood pressure taken when she`s gone!!! She needs to know the in`s and out`s of everything!!! But, she`s a lot of fun too......*

*We have three sleeps now till we leave for our overnight up in Manchester...…..it`s come around so quickly now and only now am I beginning to wonder if I`m organised……..I think I am, and if I`m organised, everyone else is organised..

The next few days will be hair appointment tomorrow morning, then waxing on Wednesday....all mixed in with making sure all clothes we are taking are all laundered and ready to go. *
*
Will decide on Wednesday what type of clothes we`ll take......will have a look at the forecast then and see if it gives us an idea of what it`s going to be like. It`s surely got to be warmer than here! 
*
*We have a few more little touches to pop in place for the trip...….but we`re more or less ready to go...…...*





​


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Just a few sleeps and you can “Let the Adventure Begin!”

Wishing you safe and swift travels, I hope you have a wonderful pre-trip stay and travel day!


----------



## Tink2Day

Ooh Purple ornaments....love it.

I bet Andretti's would be super fun not sure how fast the karts go though....I met Mario once through family friends, also race car drivers   

Wow this trip sure came quickly!  Hope you all have pleasant weather looks like there could be some 'cooler' days in December.

I'm a planner but I would NEVER infringe on the plans of someone else or even ask them what their plans were.....maybe I'd just say we'll see you when we see you.
Although I'm sure your fame has preceded you and she wants to tag along for the best food and most fun! (?)


----------



## jump00

schumigirl said:


> *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 453717*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 453721
> 
> 
> ​
> 
> 
> *And a very warm welcome to the fourth Orlando Trip Report of 2019 from Carole-n-Tom......and this time we have our favourite person join us......our son Kyle.....I know many of you remember him from our previous reports, and some have met him from previous visits...….and of course everyone seems to know of his love of chocolate cake...*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *So, the who, the when and the why.....although is there ever really a need to ask why......hey, it`s Orlando......and the Holidays...….*
> 
> *I always struggle how to start these reports at times....so many of you know us so well by now, and introductions seems redundant, but I guess there are plenty who don`t know us yet.....so if you do or don't know us yet, a warm welcome to the Holiday 2019 Trip Report. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Carole and Tom...….we have been very happily married for over 27 years and are both enjoying the fruits of Tom`s early retirement 2 years ago now......his early retirement meant we could come to our favourite place more often, and we have certainly taken advantage of that over the last couple of years.
> 
> In the last two years we have stayed 148 nights, well after the December trip of course, and altogether we have stayed more than 300 nights over the years mostly at Royal Pacific...….latterly we do spend some time at Sapphire Falls too. So, you can see like a lot of people we absolutely adore Royal Pacific, Universal Orlando and Florida in general.
> 
> Being a very happy lady and gentleman of leisure we do like to visit here and it is one of our favourite places in the whole wide world...…..and even better when we have the pleasure of our adult son joining us.
> 
> Kyle is 25 and works full time in the wonderful world of Finance.....and we are thrilled on occasions he still wants to come with us on vacation.....and as my friends remind me often, that is wonderful...….of course vacationing with parents is normally frowned upon by some....but Orlando seems to be a very acceptable place to still go to with the oldies!!!
> 
> The last two Decembers we have visited Royal Pacific, 2017 we stayed a week......not long enough…...2018 we stayed 10 nights...….maybe not quite long enough......so this year we have 11 nights......and later, once flights were booked, we discovered really, we could have stayed two weeks as he had extra vacation days. Doh!!! I think we`ll try for two weeks next December.
> 
> After our lovely stay last December, we knew we wanted to experience all that Universal offered for the Holidays.....so we provisionally gave our friend our dates for this year and patiently waited for flights to come out 331 days from our return to the UK. So, we knew we would be staying 11 nights and our hotel of choice was Royal Pacific. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *We did want to fly Virgin, thankfully or that would be another set of TC flights to rebook.....so as soon as they were out in January this year, we managed to get our dates booked with decent Premium seats on both flights.
> 
> Our dates are, we fly out on Friday November 29th and fly home on Tuesday December 10th, 11 nights this time. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 453731
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Definitely our preferred aircraft...…..yes, it has four engines!!!
> 
> I`m not a nervous flyer at all, but four engines, always beats two!! Especially if we fly direct across the Atlantic like we have done a few times......but there is something special about the 747`s, sadly being phased out and being replaced by a so called better aircraft. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *The Jumbo`s just seem to glamorise when air travel was something special and even a little glamorous when they were first built.....of course, now, they just look a little dated at times inside. But, we still like them.
> 
> We have seats booked upstairs in the bubble going out, Kyle and I will sit together and Tom will get to sit with someone else, both ways, although we are downstairs on the way back, through choice as we opted to have the last row and one in front as you are practically the first off the plane and can get to passport control before the masses. We were fairly pleased with our choice of seats. And being Premium, we get a lot of luggage allowance...…..
> 
> And with Kyle being with us this time again, we have three sets of luggage...…..*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 453733
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *When it`s just Tom and I, we often book the front two seats of Premium upstairs, but this time we have booked the last two seats and one in front, of the seats on the left as you`re looking at the picture......the grey seats are all Premium and the curtain separates those seats from Economy, so it is a slightly smaller cabin overall and folks seem to vie to sit up here in either type of seats. Some folks think it`s quieter, and it usually is....but of course, it all depends on who your companions are.
> 
> You do get extra stowage space with the seats upstairs, so you don't need to keep getting up to get your hand luggage down if you want something. And the space is quite large, so we tend to put things in we think we`ll need for convenience.
> 
> I usually sit by the window, but I think I know a certain young man who will decide he might want the window seat...….*
> 
> *Although on our first flight to Orlando way back in 2007, I seem to have ended with the window seat.....not sure I ever got it again though......lol......
> 
> He looks so young there!!!!! (don`t we all)*
> 
> *And the Bubble seats are very different now, it used to be all Premium upstairs...….but all aircraft were refurbed and now have a mix upstairs which we do like as the newer seats are more comfortable. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Usually the night before, we have always stayed at the Radisson for our overnight stay to wherever we were flying from...….and that all changed in September, when we had to change nights due to the Hurricane affecting our flight. We had to change days, so they had no vacancies for the new date, so we tried the Marriott around a 10 minute cab drive from the airport, and we were so glad we did.
> 
> It was a lovely hotel, and we were surprised just how much we did like it. So, as soon as we were home from the September trip, we booked two rooms, both Executive Club Access rooms for around half of what we were playing for a family room at the Radisson. I know I`m awful for not usually considering costs....oops.....but this made an awful lot of sense, even to me. The rooms were immaculately clean and quite large, and we were more than a little impressed with their Executive Lounge and the restaurants attached to the hotel. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *The one we ate in last trip, we have booked for our night there next week, Brasserie Blanc which we loved, and the fact they serve very nice steaks went down well with Kyle as he does love a good steak. And the bar area for our afternoon sparkly is lovely too.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Car rental had been booked months before, maybe around June. I have no clue what Tom has booked, I think it`s just a regular type of SUV and again direct from Alamo. We won`t be doing much driving around this time, but still like the SUV style. No Maserati this time!
> 
> Little details I had taken care of during the year, like renewing Kyle`s ESTA without that we don`t get into the USA. You renew it every two years and it`s something like $14 each, so nothing really. *
> 
> *He doesn't have Global Entry, and as he will only be visiting once a year, it`s not really worth it for him.…...we`ll just go through the regular line with him, or maybe we`ll just go ahead and he can line up on his own. We`ll see. *
> 
> *I`m sure I`ll post some of our plans in the next few posts, but for now......we are just over a week away from leaving. We have our car service coming to pick us up on the Thursday morning to drive us up to Manchester Airport for the overnight. They are coming back for us too on the 11th. It`s so much easier getting door to door.
> 
> To say we are excited is an understatement. Kyle finishes work next Monday evening, so has the Tuesday and Wednesday off which is lovely, but of course meant we could have had two weeks if we`d known. But, our planned 11 nights is going to be excellent.
> 
> Although Tom and I see a lot of Kyle there`s nothing quite like spending special vacation time together....he`s busy with work and his social life, but we treasure our time together always, he`s the best company and so much fun and best of all loves to spend time with us too when he can..…..and (schmaltzy alert ahead ) that's the best part of this trip....is spending time together, it`s worth so much more than anything.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 453738​
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *I promise not to be too sentimental with this trip......well, I`ll try!!!!
> 
> Will be updating our tentative plans in several posts before we leave next week...….I do hope you enjoy reading along with our Holiday trip back to our favourite place...…..it`s always so good to read your comments along the way.....*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ​


----------



## jump00

Hi Carole -  After sharing some of your fabulous trip report with my DH he said he is free the last week of August and Into September so he said “let’s go”!!!!.   So......we just booked RPR -  end of August-  Club level for 10 days!  Now we have to figure out if we bring our kids (27 and 24). But trying to arrange everyone schedules will be tough. Have a lovely trip and safe travels.

Brenda


Loved the airplane pictures - 747 is the “King”of the sky.


----------



## Vicki Rickerd

schumigirl said:


> lol....yes, I hate chocolate cake,



Did I know this already? Kyle must get his good taste from Tom. Have a great time on your trip!


----------



## AprilDreamsOfDisney

schumigirl said:


> We have a few more little touches to pop in place for the trip...….but we`re more or less ready to go...…...



Oooooh! I'm so excited for you, Carole! I made the mistake of reading your post about Kyle's love of chocolate cake before I ate dinner and, boy oh boy, that was a mistake! lol  - all the photos look so yummy that my boring meal didn't quite seem as satisfying as one of those pieces of chocolate cake! Tell Tom I'll be expecting lots of cake photos! 

Safe journey, have a wonderful time, and know we will all be thinking of you and your lovely family!


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Just a few sleeps and you can “Let the Adventure Begin!”
> 
> Wishing you safe and swift travels, I hope you have a wonderful pre-trip stay and travel day!



One more sleep now.......although, didn’t sleep much last night.....lol.....

Thank you for the good wishes Maria......excitement has really kicked in now....we are all so looking forward to this one....


----------



## schumigirl

Tink2Day said:


> Ooh Purple ornaments....love it.
> 
> I bet Andretti's would be super fun not sure how fast the karts go though....I met Mario once through family friends, also race car drivers
> 
> Wow this trip sure came quickly!  Hope you all have pleasant weather looks like there could be some 'cooler' days in December.
> 
> I'm a planner but I would NEVER infringe on the plans of someone else or even ask them what their plans were.....maybe I'd just say we'll see you when we see you.
> Although I'm sure your fame has preceded you and she wants to tag along for the best food and most fun! (?)



How lovely you met MA.......he always looked such a nice guy. We saw him in the distance once many years ago at a European GP, he took a lot of time with fans which is always good to see!

Yes, a few cooler days seem to be in the plans.......but, sun will be shining for most of it and it’s going to be much warmer than it’ll be here......we’re bringing some warmer clothes too this time......

That‘s what I told her when I spoke to her later.......she knows we don’t plan much at the best of times, but this trip definitely not. So, I said we’ll see them around........we’d be exactly the same as you. She is fun, but a little high maintenance which she openly admits herself.....I’m not saying stuff behind her back.......I wouldn’t do that......plus she reads here too.....lol......

Yes, anything purple......I’m there.......


----------



## macraven

I bet Schumi is up packing now

She never waits until the last minute like I do 
Lol


----------



## schumigirl

jump00 said:


> Hi Carole -  After sharing some of your fabulous trip report with my DH he said he is free the last week of August and Into September so he said “let’s go”!!!!.   So......we just booked RPR -  end of August-  Club level for 10 days!  Now we have to figure out if we bring our kids (27 and 24). But trying to arrange everyone schedules will be tough. Have a lovely trip and safe travels.
> 
> Brenda
> 
> 
> Loved the airplane pictures - 747 is the “King”of the sky.



Fantastic news!!!

Oh I’m so happy you’re all booked up for RP!!! And best wishes the schedules align for your kids to come too, that would be an amazing trip for all of you! Will keep fingers crossed it all works out.......but that is excellent news.....

Thank you......we’ll do our best to have a fabulous time.......and yes the 747 is a special aircraft. We’ll miss it when it’s finally phased out.......


----------



## schumigirl

Vicki Rickerd said:


> Did I know this already? Kyle must get his good taste from Tom. Have a great time on your trip!



 along Vicki.......good to see you!

lol.......yes, he certainly does get all his good taste from dad.......I’m odd apparently not liking chocolate cake....although one of my brothers is exactly the same, will eat a little chocolate now and again and likes a little cake......but never together.......odd!

Thanks Vicki....we’ll do our best......


----------



## schumigirl

AprilDreamsOfDisney said:


> Oooooh! I'm so excited for you, Carole! I made the mistake of reading your post about Kyle's love of chocolate cake before I ate dinner and, boy oh boy, that was a mistake! lol  - all the photos look so yummy that my boring meal didn't quite seem as satisfying as one of those pieces of chocolate cake! Tell Tom I'll be expecting lots of cake photos!
> 
> Safe journey, have a wonderful time, and know we will all be thinking of you and your lovely family!



lol.......oh I know...food pictures are the worst when you’re hungry!!!

Oh I’ll tell him......  we only forgot one food picture last trip, so we’re under orders to not forget any this time......

Aww....thank you so much......we are so excited......


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> I bet Schumi is up packing now
> 
> She never waits until the last minute like I do
> Lol



Yep, last minute packer here too.....

Cases are down in one of the spare rooms though.......although honestly our two cases weren’t ever put away in the attic when we came home last month......didn’t seem much point!

But, we got Kyle’s case down on Monday.

I have a busy morning today (waxing involved ) but this afternoon or maybe this evening will be packing.......we leave fairly early tomorrow morning for the drive up to the airport hotel, otherwise it would be in the morning. 

And pizza tonight.......another tradition for the evening before we set off......gotta love pizza!!!


----------



## JaxDad

Have a great trip! I just bought Kennedy Space Center tickets this morning. I'm still deciding whether to add the Explore Tour and the Dine with an Astronaut.


----------



## Raeven

Have a great trip!


----------



## tammy

Have so much fun!


----------



## schumigirl

JaxDad said:


> Have a great trip! I just bought Kennedy Space Center tickets this morning. I'm still deciding whether to add the Explore Tour and the Dine with an Astronaut.



Thanks so much......

Lovely!! Only heard good things about both extras......I think we’re going to stick again to the basics as we missed a few things last time with the regular ticket.....but hope you have fun when you do go......we can’t wait to get back.


----------



## schumigirl

Raeven said:


> Have a great trip!



Thanks so much......can’t believe it’s almost here again!!


----------



## schumigirl

tammy said:


> Have so much fun!



Thank you tammy.......we are so excited for this trip.......


----------



## FoodieFriend

Have a great trip! We'll be at Universal right after you leave! I can't wait to see everything decorated for the holidays & our first stay at RPR.


----------



## Minnie17

Safe travels!  Sooooo jealous!


----------



## macraven

It’s now just after midnight est

That means it’s morning time UK for Schumi.....

Her family trip day!

Safe travels !


----------



## schumigirl

FoodieFriend said:


> Have a great trip! We'll be at Universal right after you leave! I can't wait to see everything decorated for the holidays & our first stay at RPR.



 along FoodieFriend........gotta love that username!!! And good to see you post today......

Yay!!!! Your first stay at RP.......I truly hope you have the best time there.....we love seeing all the hotels decorated, especially RP and Sapphire.......and the parks!! Understated but beautiful.......look forward to hearing about it when you come back, but have a fabulous time.....

Thank you so much, we’ll certainly try to have the best time......


----------



## schumigirl

Minnie17 said:


> Safe travels!  Sooooo jealous!



 back to you too Minnie17......good to see you!!


Thank you so much.......we are so excited this morning.......weather is dreadful which is always a good way to leave home knowing you’re heading for better weather in next couple of days........


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> It’s now just after midnight est
> 
> That means it’s morning time UK for Schumi.....
> 
> Her family trip day!
> 
> Safe travels !



Thank you so much mac.......always appreciate good wishes!!!

About organised now I think.......everything is packed including last minute stuff, roll with bacon is about to be enjoyed with big mug of tea and then car service should be here in around 45 minutes.

I’m sure I’ll pop in here and there while we’re gone........


----------



## DisneyLifePapioNe

schumigirl said:


> Thank you so much mac.......always appreciate good wishes!!!
> 
> About organised now I think.......everything is packed including last minute stuff, roll with bacon is about to be enjoyed with big mug of tea and then car service should be here in around 45 minutes.
> 
> I’m sure I’ll pop in here and there while we’re gone........



Carole,Tom and Kyle, have a wonderful time!!!!!


----------



## schumigirl




----------



## jocelyn6

Excited to read and follow along with your newest trip report! So happy that Kyle will be joining you! Safe travels!


----------



## I-4Bound

Hooray for travel day! I know it will be an amazing family trip


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

Have a great trip and Welcome Back!!!!


----------



## Worfiedoodles

It's American Thanksgiving, and one of the things I'm thankful for is the fabulous Carole's family and wonderful trip reports! May it be everything you're dreaming of and more!!


----------



## Owlpost23

Safe travels! Looking forward to reading lots more!


----------



## schumigirl

jocelyn6 said:


> Excited to read and follow along with your newest trip report! So happy that Kyle will be joining you! Safe travels!


 along Jocelyn.......lovely to see you here!

Yes, it’s lovely having him with us.......he’s been incredibly patient as we’ve been doing a lot of chatting since we arrived to folks!!

And thank you.......we had a fabulous flight over.......


----------



## schumigirl

I-4Bound said:


> Hooray for travel day! I know it will be an amazing family trip



Thanks Andrea.........

So far it’s been a lot of fun......and much cooler than September!! We’ve had 82f last couple of days......can’t complain........


----------



## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> Have a great trip and Welcome Back!!!!



Thanks so much Nancy......it’s good to be “home”


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> It's American Thanksgiving, and one of the things I'm thankful for is the fabulous Carole's family and wonderful trip reports! May it be everything you're dreaming of and more!!



Awwww.......thank you Maria.......you are so lovely.........  

So far, it’s been a lot of fun! Kyle is loving being back too.......


----------



## schumigirl

Owlpost23 said:


> Safe travels! Looking forward to reading lots more!



Thank You!! I appreciate the good wishes........

Haven’t done a whole lot yet, but it’s been so good just being here with all the holiday stuff to see and enjoy..........


----------



## JAMIESMITH

Following Along!  We've got about seven weeks until our trip and we can't wait!


----------



## Tink2Day

Yayyou made it to your second home!!

We had a huge snowstorm (10 inches) on Thursday then torrential downpours on Friday, AAAANNND I live in the high desert!  Although we are at the southern tip of the Rockies and in the foothills, it's usually ski in the morning and play tennis or golf when you come down from the mountain so the 82 degrees you mentioned sounds lovely.  Hope you're having fabulous weather and getting lots done (relaxing, eating chocolate cake and just having fun). I know you usually are on emails and face time more when Kyle isn't with you, so look forward to hearing all about the trip and food when you all get back to reality...


----------



## schumigirl

JAMIESMITH said:


> Following Along!  We've got about seven weeks until our trip and we can't wait!



 along JAMIESMITH.......


Good to see you here......and how exciting you have a trip so close...I can imagine how keen you are for your trip to begin.

Hope you enjoy this trip report when it starts properly......


----------



## schumigirl

Tink2Day said:


> Yayyou made it to your second home!!
> 
> We had a huge snowstorm (10 inches) on Thursday then torrential downpours on Friday, AAAANNND I live in the high desert!  Although we are at the southern tip of the Rockies and in the foothills, it's usually ski in the morning and play tennis or golf when you come down from the mountain so the 82 degrees you mentioned sounds lovely.  Hope you're having fabulous weather and getting lots done (relaxing, eating chocolate cake and just having fun). I know you usually are on emails and face time more when Kyle isn't with you, so look forward to hearing all about the trip and food when you all get back to reality...





Oh my goodness that sounds quite dramatic weather wise......I love the sound of that lifestyle......although, I don‘t ski......or play golf.....lol.....but I do enjoy the clubhouse activities......  

It‘s been cooler today, but not as cold as we thought it would be, didn’t need a jacket to go to the Mall earlier. And the pool has more folks in it now than earlier. Last few days have been perfect. 

Yes, it’s been a relaxing couple of days......taking it easy today and no parks tomorrow either.....to be a little colder tomorrow....indoor activities then too!! But, yes, having a lot of fun doing not very much.......


----------



## schumigirl

Absolutely loving our time here........

It is such a beautiful day, if a little cooler than we‘re used to. At least sun is shining and sky is blue.......


----------



## luvdisdogs

Looking forward to reading this trip report!  Hoping to see lots of pictures of Kyle with all his different chocolate cakes!!


----------



## schumigirl

luvdisdogs said:


> Looking forward to reading this trip report!  Hoping to see lots of pictures of Kyle with all his different chocolate cakes!!



 along to this report luvdisdogs......


Good to see you......I think this one is a little low key........but we are having such a blast!!

And yes, Kyle has enjoyed one or two cakes so far........


----------



## Vicki Rickerd

schumigirl said:


> At least sun is shining and sky is blue.......



I saw that is was cold earlier in the week. So glad it warmed up for you. Cant wait to hear if you braved the water rides in December.


----------



## schumigirl

Vicki Rickerd said:


> I saw that is was cold earlier in the week. So glad it warmed up for you. Cant wait to hear if you braved the water rides in December.





Nope........not a chance......lol......it may have warmed up, but unless it‘s the 90’s........no water rides for my family........yes, we’re wimps....

The few colder days weren’t so bad, especially in the sunshine.  It was really only one morning I passed on the parks when they went.....I caught up on laundry and chatted to friends in the hotel.......my morning passed very quickly!


----------



## Disney Ron

Have a great trip schumi, and don't forget the pics of all the new lobby features.

Thanks in advance!


----------



## disneyAndi14

Joining in! I found this 5 pages in and you are over 1/2 way into your trip already!
Sure hope it is going well for the 3 of you. Enjoy!
Looking forward to reading all about when you return!


----------



## schumigirl

Disney Ron said:


> Have a great trip schumi, and don't forget the pics of all the new lobby features.
> 
> Thanks in advance!



Thanks DR......we’ve had a blast!

And yes, Tom did get one or two pics of the lounge area......didn’t personally try the new grab and go, but it looks amazing!


----------



## schumigirl

disneyAndi14 said:


> Joining in! I found this 5 pages in and you are over 1/2 way into your trip already!
> Sure hope it is going well for the 3 of you. Enjoy!
> Looking forward to reading all about when you return!



 along Caroline........

Yep, last night tonight.......but, it’s been a lovely trip. Haven’t done a whole lot, but it’s been so much fun.

Will be getting it started soon........


----------



## Tink2Day

Expecting lots of pictures once you get home and start the report, can't wait!


----------



## Vicki Rickerd

schumigirl said:


> Haven’t done a whole lot, but it’s been so much fun



Just going away with family is the best.


----------



## schumigirl

Tink2Day said:


> Expecting lots of pictures once you get home and start the report, can't wait!



I think we may have taken one or two pictures.......

Should be started next week sometime......


----------



## schumigirl

Vicki Rickerd said:


> Just going away with family is the best.



Never a truer word has ever been spoken........we had a truly lovely time........


----------



## Vicki Rickerd

schumigirl said:


> we had a truly lovely time........




This trip flew by, seems like you just left.


----------



## schumigirl

Vicki Rickerd said:


> This trip flew by, seems like you just left.



The good thing was, it didn't feel quick when we were there.....we wondered if it would fly past being such a short trip, but it was fabulous.....although wouldn't go for any less time!!!


----------



## DisneyLifePapioNe

schumigirl said:


> The good thing was, it didn't feel quick when we were there.....we wondered if it would fly past being such a short trip, but it was fabulous.....although wouldn't go for any less time!!!


----------



## Vicki Rickerd

schumigirl said:


> The good thing was, it didn't feel quick when we were there.....we wondered if it would fly past being such a short trip, but it was fabulous.....although wouldn't go for any less time!!!



Safe travels home!


----------



## schumigirl

Vicki Rickerd said:


> Safe travels home!



Thanks.....we got home Wednesday morning and it was such a good journey.

And got over jetlag fairly quickly!!!


----------



## SCDizFan

I love your reports!

We were in Disney 12/1-12/5 and wondered if you all were enjoying the wonderful weather Orlando was having that week!

My childhood friend Leland Melvin has gone to space twice on the shuttle.  An extraordinary experience for sure!


----------



## kbelle8995

Just a note I'm going through your trip thread while drinking a cup of Royal Wedding Tea checking in to see if you have updated.  Love all your trip threads.


----------



## schumigirl

SCDizFan said:


> I love your reports!
> 
> We were in Disney 12/1-12/5 and wondered if you all were enjoying the wonderful weather Orlando was having that week!
> 
> My childhood friend Leland Melvin has gone to space twice on the shuttle.  An extraordinary experience for sure!



 along SCDizfan......

Glad to see you here!! 

Oh the weather was beautiful wasn't it...….only one day we felt was really cold, so much so I stayed in the hotel and did some laundry and caught up with friends.....they went to the park. I should have gone though as it wasn't as bad as I thought. 

Hope you had a wonderful visit to Disney!! 

Now I am impressed!!!! I`d love to know someone who flew on any of the Expeditions...….he sounds like a real cool guy and has quite a life story. 

Hope you enjoy this report too......


----------



## schumigirl

kbelle8995 said:


> Just a note I'm going through your trip thread while drinking a cup of Royal Wedding Tea checking in to see if you have updated.  Love all your trip threads.



 along to you too kbelle8995.....

Oh Royal Wedding tea sounds delightful! I love a good cup of tea.....I have a cup of earl grey right now.

Yep, just about to start updating today hopefully......we`ve been home a week now, so time to get going......

And Thank you......that's very kind of you to say......I hope this is one you`ll enjoy too


----------



## schumigirl

*And finally I`m getting around to doing the first update of this festive trip report to Universal Orlando Resort and yes, to RPR which really does feel like a second home to us. *

*I can`t believe we`ve been home a week already.....the trip didn't feel as though it went past too quickly, but the week since we`ve come home has gone past like a flash!!!! Thankfully we had most of our Christmas organised before we left, but it`s amazing how you always find "stuff" to do when you get back......excluding the mountain of laundry that we bring back with us!!! But, it`s all worth it.

When we came home in October from our longer trip, I only had 8 weeks till we left again for this trip, so that trip report was done in record time.......housework took a back seat to that.....but we now don't travel till May for our next trip, so I have plenty of time to complete this one without a deadline. Although I do kind of beat myself up if they drag on too long, so I won`t still be writing it next December...….*
*
And can I just say Thank you for all the lovely comments so far, and for all the lovely messages in private.....I appreciate them all. 
*


*So...…...welcome to our Holiday Trip 2019*​











*Yes, I admit, I am far too fond of Christmas Gifs!!!! *







*THURSDAY NOVEMBER 28TH*​*
*
*TRAVEL TO AIRPORT DAY *​




*Surprisingly we all slept really well last night. Usually we all rumble around not sleeping very much and generally not sleeping.....due completely to excitement. Yes, no matter how many trips we take we still feel that undeniable pre trip excitement that's not completely confined to kids......I think we are worse somehow!! *

*Kyle has been in a complete high too.....since he got home from work on Monday when he finished, he`s had a permanent smile on his face. And this morning we heard his shower go before we even got up......yes, he was ready for this vacation more than us I think. Although he had enjoyed a few trips this year, it wasn't Orlando......

Once we were up we all had a quick breakfast and then packed all our last minute things like toiletries. We had packed the suitcases last night so it only took a few minutes to add in what we needed......and it was so much better when we weren't waving Kyle off to work as we prepared to head off on our trips. And the permanent smiles on all our faces showed we all felt the same way. *

*A 20th and final check we had passports, we were ready to go. Our car service was due anytime, and these guys are incredibly punctual so we made sure we had done a final check of the house and out buildings to make sure they were all secure. We did have a key with friends to make sure they could get in if something happened......but fingers crossed they wouldn't be disturbed. And just as Tom did another check of the house, our car service buzzed to say they were here...….it was just after 8am and I felt as though I had been awake for hours weirdly. 

Cases loaded in, we settled down and drove the few hours drive up to Manchester airport. The weather was dreadful the whole way up. We had high winds and heavy rain constantly so it wasn't the nicest of journeys, but we got there around midday which was perfect for us.....as always, just in time for lunch...…. *

*Our driver unloaded the cases and we headed inside to our home for the rest of the day and the evening. We were so looking forward to this trip beginning. The Marriott at Manchester Airport. 

Most of you will of course know we now enjoy a stay here instead of the Radisson where we have stayed for many, many years.....but due to lack of availability due to the Hurricane in September, we switched to staying here and hadn`t looked back. *
*
It`s a cab or shuttle bus ride to the terminal in the morning instead of a walk down the Skywalk, but we did like it a lot and there was no trouble in taking the shuttle in the mornings. And the restaurant here is so much nicer than the restaurant in the Radisson. 
*
*I`m a bit of a Kevin McCallister for Christmas trees!!!! *

















*We checked in with the same lady who checked us in for our September trip, she had spent a year working in Universal Orlando a few years back, so she remembered us from that conversation.....nice young lady. As expected our rooms weren`t ready, check in is from 2pm so we were almost 2 hours early, but we knew this and had planned to go get some lunch anyway. We gave them our luggage to hold and they said they`d put it in our rooms as soon as they were available. That was fine with us, we just made sure we kept the bag with our essentials and of course the camera...….Kyle almost immediately laughed as he remembered our penchant for photographs....he promised he`d be patient......lol...*
















*Yes, first of many pictures together...…..*
















*Everything about the Marriott is quite lovely. It`s not as big or as flashy as the Radisson, but it is also immaculately clean throughout and everything is sparkling, I`m sure for most folks that`s one of the most important things about a hotel. And it is decorated classically and not too garish the way some places can be. *
*
We headed in to the very lovely lounge they have. 
*
*The restaurant and the bar sit together and we do plan to eat dinner there later tonight. Raymond Blanc Brasserie, suitably named Brasserie Blanc, is a classic French restaurant with a British flair...…steak and seafood with several other dishes including duck are on offer, plenty of choice for everyone. We had enjoyed our meal and the service too when we ate here in September, so we were very much looking forward to eating here again, and hoped Kyle liked it as much. *


























*But, as is tradition for us to celebrate the beginning of our trip, we order a bottle of prosecco and Kyle gets an orange and passion fruit drink...…..

And now it was here...........*







​


















*We were quite comfy sitting here, the lounge is lovely, and a lot busier than it was the last time we were here. It was mainly business folks who were all attached to their laptops having meetings and not looking overly thrilled at being there, a few folks on their own, and then there was us........revelling in our upcoming trip!!!! 

Once we had the drinks, the prosecco was lovely, we checked over the menu for lunch. I had hoped it wasn`t just the dinner menu they had, but no, they did have a smaller bar menu which was very nice too. I should probably have checked before we arrived, but I knew we wouldn`t starve. *

*Kyle had an easy decision......fish and chips......although he did discard the pea puree and the tartare sauce as he doesn`t like either...…he`s not much for garnishes. This was so tasty, he really enjoyed it, especially since it had been many hours since breakfast. A bit of a change from his usual sandwich for lunch. *

















*Tom was tempted by the fish and chips, but ordered the hot smoked salmon on a roll which came with potato chips and a small salad, this was delicious I have to say too. *


















*I was quite dull here and went against the grain......I never order things like chicken tenders as I associate that with a children`s menu, and that`s what this was like, but it was very nice and came with a very spicy mayo.......I didn`t want a full meal as I wanted to enjoy dinner later, so this was just enough. *


















*We passed a couple of hours in the bar after lunch, just chatting and what we were most looking forward to on this trip. Although we were desperate to get to Orlando, we still wanted to savour and enjoy every second of the build up to the trip. So, sitting and chilling was just perfect right now.*

*We went through and got our room keys as the receptionist came to tell us the rooms were ready and our luggage had already been taken up, we were glad of this as the hotel is like a rabbit warren and quite a walk to the rooms. She told us the Executive rooms were all located to the very back of the hotel...…it`s only a two storey building and has been expanded 50 rooms at a time over the years, so it`s a very square hotel but the hallways are long! 

Our rooms were next door to each other, which we had asked for, but wouldn`t have been an issue if they hadn`t been. He`s used to being in hotels without us now and has been for a long time. *

*They are light and airy and very fresh feeling......Kyle was happy to have one to himself and he took his case to his room once we let ourselves in to ours. The rooms are identical in every way. Not overly fond of the colour if I`m honest, but clean is more important, and they are very spacious too.  *

















*I do prefer a stand alone shower, but, the shower is decent and they do have some nice products to use too. They were the most citrus flavoured shower gels and shampoos I have ever used.....The towels are also quite nice. Not too soft that they don`t dry you properly, but not rough and old either. *




























*The robes and slippers we never seem to use, the safe is the important thing for us in the room......it`s big enough to hold our important documents and passports. That`s all we need. *









































*The view from our windows weren`t the most inspiring of images.....it was the staff car park and some trees.......not something you take a picture of, so I didn`t. 

With Kyle in his room next door, Tom put the TV on and immediately drifted off for a snooze. *

*I got my ipad out and did online check in for our flight tomorrow. It was showing as on time so far and we all got checked in with no issues. Sometimes they make one person check in at the airport, just for security reasons, but today we all got checked in. 

There was also a reminder we had pre ordered our food for the flight. *
*
This was something quite new it seemed, we had received an email on Tuesday asking if we wanted to pre select the hot meal for the flight, they said to make sure we got the meal of choice and was probably more convenient for them too. But, we did like this new system and hoped it would stay for the future. 

Kyle had now rejoined us and immediately joined his dad watching Top Gear......both laid on the bed, and when I turned round, they both had their eyes closed.........well, this was a good start!!! Two sleepy heads nodding off while watching Top Gear. 
*
*I gave them 15 minutes as I sent an email off and then coughed loudly and said we shoud head down to the Executive lounge where there was some sign of life instead of hibernating in the rooms. 



Coming up next....Executive lounge and dinner. *


----------



## I-4Bound

Hooray! So glad the trip report is starting! I I think I have just about convinced my hubby to take a long weekend this winter before our annual passes expire. So excited!


----------



## schumigirl

I-4Bound said:


> Hooray! So glad the trip report is starting! I I think I have just about convinced my hubby to take a long weekend this winter before our annual passes expire. So excited!



Yay!!!

That sounds fabulous Andrea.......a winter break sounds about perfect......this is a cold one so far for us, so I can imagine your weather!!

And yes, glad to see you’re here for the beginning......I did plan to start on Monday.......but, well, just got a little busy......mostly shopping!!!


----------



## crabbymom

Yay!  So happy to see this starting!  And with Kyle there we get pictures of you and Tom together!  Boy Kyle looks so grown up...I mean, he is, but like all moms I don't ever think of sons growing up!  

I starting pre-ordering meals earlier this year after a miserable trip from Hamburg where I had no choices left by the time they got to my row...Never again!


----------



## Tink2Day

Yay! It's started!!!

Kyle looks the same but different...his hair is a bit longer isn't it?  I think he'll be one of those who looks young forever, a curse when you're young but it sure is nice when you're older!!  The fish and chips looked yummy, the other food looks good but just not my cup of tea...


----------



## schumigirl

crabbymom said:


> Yay!  So happy to see this starting!  And with Kyle there we get pictures of you and Tom together!  Boy Kyle looks so grown up...I mean, he is, but like all moms I don't ever think of sons growing up!
> 
> I starting pre-ordering meals earlier this year after a miserable trip from Hamburg where I had no choices left by the time they got to my row...Never again!



 crabbymom.........


It’s a little overdue......but on the way now!

Yes, I sometimes look over the dining room or kitchen table and think...when did you grow up!!! And yes, they’re always your child regardless of age.......

Virgin never offered this service before, so we’ll use it again. We’ve always been lucky in Premium as we usually get our first choice of the three hot dishes on offer, but some haven’t been as lucky as it was one of their biggest complaints.

It must be annoying though when there is only the least fav dish left, it’s usually the vegetarian option on our flights.

Good to see you here again.....look forward to chatting.......


----------



## schumigirl

Tink2Day said:


> Yay! It's started!!!
> 
> Kyle looks the same but different...his hair is a bit longer isn't it?  I think he'll be one of those who looks young forever, a curse when you're young but it sure is nice when you're older!!  The fish and chips looked yummy, the other food looks good but just not my cup of tea...



Yes, his hair was longer there.......that’s the longest he ever has it, so it was quite unusual for us to see it as long. It’s back to normal short now......when he’s clean shaven he does look so young......so he usually has some stubble.....as his mum I love him clean shaven of course.....lol......he prefers looking a little older of course.

The fish and chips were gorgeous.......


----------



## SCDizFan

Yay! Awesome travel day so far!

Yes, Leland is a really great guy and by far his official NASA photo is the coolest!  He and his two rescue dogs!


----------



## AprilDreamsOfDisney

Hooray! Yay! I'm so glad it's begun!

I've been looking forward to your trip report and am thrilled to read about your travel day. How wonderful it must be to travel with Kyle, and you must enjoy him in a totally new way now that he's all grown up. 

I got a laugh out of this line and could almost picture it! lol


schumigirl said:


> Two sleepy heads nodding off while watching Top Gear.



My husband has been known to do this exact thing!


----------



## schumigirl

SCDizFan said:


> Yay! Awesome travel day so far!
> 
> Yes, Leland is a really great guy and by far his official NASA photo is the coolest!  He and his two rescue dogs!



Thanks!! We did have a fun day......

Oh my, yep, that picture is so cool! And those were rescue dogs! I have an even higher opinion of the guy now.......what an amazing life he has had so far.......


----------



## schumigirl

AprilDreamsOfDisney said:


> Hooray! Yay! I'm so glad it's begun!
> 
> I've been looking forward to your trip report and am thrilled to read about your travel day. How wonderful it must be to travel with Kyle, and you must enjoy him in a totally new way now that he's all grown up.
> 
> I got a laugh out of this line and could almost picture it! lol
> 
> 
> My husband has been known to do this exact thing!



Thanks April......glad you’re still here! Seems to be ages since I last posted an update! 

lol......Tom could nod off professionally!!! I lose count how many times he puts something on and then drops off for a nap! Usually something I have no interest in.....   I do have a picture of them laying on either side of the bed, eyes closed and arms folded exactly the same way.....but I promised not to use it......lol......

We get on so well together, so it’s fabulous when he comes with us, and yes, it’s a different trip when they’re adults......still wonderful though.....


----------



## luvdisdogs

So excited to see you have started this already!  Looking forward to reading it and seeing pictures of Kyle with you!!!


----------



## Worfiedoodles

And you are off to a fabulous start! So nice and relaxing as you get ready for your flight the next day. Your new pre-flight hotel seems bright and cozy. It’s so fun to have all the promise of a trip ahead! Already loving your report, I can feel your building excitement


----------



## Minnie17

So happy to see my notification bell lit up! I was hoping it was for schumigirl. I just love your reports.


----------



## macraven

Woot!
I  Schumi’s trip reports ....


----------



## jump00

Woohoo- the fun begins with Carole’s trip report 
Love the lead up to Orlando. 

Merry Christmas to you and your family☃
Brenda


----------



## disneyAndi14

The day leading up to the trip is always full of excitement and anticipation 
The hotel does look lovely and I love how happy you are having Kyle along for this one!
Sounds like my husband and Jack, they love watching Top Gear and drifting off for a nap, haha!


----------



## schumigirl

luvdisdogs said:


> So excited to see you have started this already!  Looking forward to reading it and seeing pictures of Kyle with you!!!



Ah, thank you.....we loved having him there and he was very patient with the amount of picture taking we do......


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> And you are off to a fabulous start! So nice and relaxing as you get ready for your flight the next day. Your new pre-flight hotel seems bright and cozy. It’s so fun to have all the promise of a trip ahead! Already loving your report, I can feel your building excitement



Thanks Maria.....it was the most relaxing day and we do love the excitement of the day before flying......it`s a mix of wishing it was tomorrow and wishing we could make this day last longer......


----------



## schumigirl

Minnie17 said:


> So happy to see my notification bell lit up! I was hoping it was for schumigirl. I just love your reports.



 woohoo...….good to see you!!!

Thanks so much, so kind of you to say......I hope you enjoy this one too.....we loved this trip!!!


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> Woot!
> I ♥ Schumi’s trip reports ....



Awww.....thanks so much mac...….I appreciate that a lot......

And again, hope you like this one as much as the others.......


----------



## schumigirl

jump00 said:


> Woohoo- the fun begins with Carole’s trip report
> Love the lead up to Orlando.
> 
> Merry Christmas to you and you family☃
> Brenda



Thanks!!! Yes, the build up before the trip is one of the best times.....everything is front of you and it is so exciting!!!! 

Hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas too, and always good to see you here.....


----------



## schumigirl

disneyAndi14 said:


> The day leading up to the trip is always full of excitement and anticipation
> The hotel does look lovely and I love how happy you are having Kyle along for this one!
> Sounds like my husband and Jack, they love watching Top Gear and drifting off for a nap, haha!



lol.....I think it`s a man thing......predominantly anyway!! 

Yes, we love the day before as much as any other trip day....and yes, having Kyle along was fabulous!! This is absolutely our new favourite airport hotel.....can`t find fault with it at all


----------



## schumigirl

*Dragging them away from Top Gear is never easy, especially when it`s some of the older classic episodes, where it was actually brilliant to watch. Now, not so much, we don't even watch it anymore and haven't for a long time......but we began our three mile hike to the lobby area where the Executive Lounge was situated. Most places have such a lounge close to their rooms, but this is completely different but we quite liked it where it was. 

It is a pretty lounge, very understated and quiet for the times we`ve been so far. During the day we seemed to be almost the only ones in for most of the day. At one point the manager had a meeting with someone from an airline, we believe (through overhearing completely by accident ) negotiating a deal for their CC to stay there, that was interesting to listen to and I`m guessing it wasn't a completely private meeting as it was in an open lounge. 

As expected it was deserted when we went in. 

During the day it does seem incredibly quiet, we asked the staff and yes, this was normal, and usually got busier in the evenings once the wines and beers were available along with the appetisers on offer. The lounge was refurbished just over 18 months ago, I`m not sure if this was where it was always located, but we liked the location as it was close to the reception and restaurant areas. *

*The wines and beers were available from 5.30pm till 7.30 and the food was available from 5.30 till 9pm, during the day you had access to the usual variety of teas coffee, and assorted soft drinks including pepsi which I was going to have one of right now. *

*Kyle had a J20 drink which is orange and passion fruit flavoured and Tom had a coffee before he fancied a J20 too....then we just sat and chatted for a while. And Tom of course, took some pictures. *




























































*Even I borrowed the camera for one or two pictures...….I had brought my two ipads of which Kyle was using one, and Tom had my old ipad......so we filled our time easily as we all had internet...….keeps everyone happy!!! *




























*The news was on the TV, and no remote control, so eventually we got fed up with the same news again and again......so I asked one of the staff if we could turn the channel.....he said he was new and would go and find someone who knew how it worked...…...*








​


*We never saw him again!!!!

A little later I asked another employee and said we had asked someone earlier.....he seemed to not have a clue who we meant......we began to think we had all imagined him!!! 

Eventually, this second guy came back with a remote and said to put on what we liked...….well, this time of day tv sucks. There really is nothing worth watching and of course with very few channels to choose from we put on a game show that was at least a little more amusing than constant news. But, we did wonder what happened to the first guy.......*

*Our afternoon went quickly. Internet and chatter, before we knew where we were it was going on 5.30 and we saw the food being served. *

*Although we had a dinner reservation in the restaurant for 7.30 and didn't plan to use the lounge for our meal, we still fancied a nibble or two to keep us going.....so we were excited to see what was on offer. *

















*The cheese and crackers were nice......it didn't look too overwhelming a serving and there was a fair little selection including a rather nice Brie that I did only take a tiny bit to try......I don't eat a lot of cheese, but Brie is one I do have a bit of a soft spot for. *



























*And the main dish today in honour of it being Thanksgiving was a beautiful looking Turkey, with roast potatoes and roast parsnips which are one of my favourite veg.....no one else likes them, so I don't make them very often...….so we had to try this dish as it looked so nice. *
















*Kyle had a piece of chocolate cake...….lol....he was starting this trip as he meant to go on........and why not, this was his vacation. And he ended up having two slices as he said it was gorgeous.....it did look incredibly rich. *

*The Turkey Tom and I had a little sample of was indeed beautiful......so much so we were tempted to cancel our reservation and have dinner here.....Kyle loves Turkey too, but he had been promised the lovely filet they do here and he was keeping us to that......the boy likes his steaks!!! *

*The potato salad however, wasn't as nice. So, we left that alone. *
















*They do a good old spread and they had a vegetarian offering that no one seemed to touch......but I guess they have to. *

















*The desserts apart from the chocolate cake were kind of average. We did try the pumpkin pie and a tiny bit of the cheesecake, but they weren`t for us. One bite of each was enough. But, Kyle more than made up for it with the chocolate cake!!! *


















*We had a couple of glasses of wine of which they have the basic red and white, and it`s alright.....you just help yourself as they have the white in the fridge along with the beers, and the red choices sit on top.*

*A few more people joined us as we sat chatting, but it was never busy so it always felt very pleasant. *

*Just before 7.30 we headed through the lobby area and saw beside the tree they had set up a hot chocolate and cake stand where you could just help yourself........nice little touch. *



























*We had liked the table last time so much we asked for it again......I did like seeing the kitchen function and I`m always amazed at the organisation in a busy kitchen...….I wouldn't have  clue where to start.....how they keep track of everything I`ll never know! *



























*Me and my boy...…..*















*This being his first time at this restaurant and hotel, we were very curious to hear his verdict on which place he preferred, but wouldn`t ask him just yet. We knew he loved the Radisson but hoped this would become his favourite, but he is a creature of habit!!! 

As we looked over the menu we asked for some olives to pick over and ordered a bottle of wine to share, Kyle decided to stay with water.*

















*Our waitress was the same one who looked after us in September, she was very efficient and we did like her. 

We do like this restaurant, it has a little more atmosphere and is prettier than the Radisson restaurant too. We much prefer the menu here too which offers excellent steaks and a good variety of food options. We did find the other place a little limiting menu wise. *
















*Kyle did order the filet, served medium and he got regular fries to go with it and a little peppercorn sauce which wasn`t nice at all. But he loved everything else.....and it was cooked just as he asked. *
















*We ordered Chateaubriand between Tom and I, served medium rare...….it is 16oz and this picture makes it looks like a good sized filet!!! But, it was decent and cooked more or less as we asked......I could have had it a little more underdone, but for Tom it was perfect. *
















*All carved for us tableside...….*

















*It was beautiful. Ignoring the nasty peppercorn sauce of course....it seems it had brandy in it too which we had missed seeing on the menu. I usually don't mind that, but this one just wasn't good. *

*The chateaubriand however was delicious and I enjoyed the sweet potato fries and Tom had regular fries too......*

*And the bottle of wine was lovely too!!! *
















*We all loved the meal, we were especially glad Kyle enjoyed his meal as it might affect his opinion of the hotel overall.......we so wanted him to love this hotel.....

After a little gap, we ordered dessert...…..there was no chocolate dessert, well, there was one but it had orange flavours through it so as Kyle is a purist with chocolate, that was a big no no.......so he opted for chocolate ice cream, while we went for the blackcurrant pavlova...….*





























*He enjoyed the ice cream, and I think after two slices of cake in the lounge, it was enough I guess. We enjoyed the pavlova as it wasn`t too large, so perfect for us........

After thanking Kasia and paying our check, we headed back to the lounge where we had some tea and coffee and there were around another 8 or 9 people in by now. So, nowhere near busy. 

It was nice just sitting and the lady who was I guess kind of running the lounge was very nice and did a good job of making everyone feel welcome. 

I ended up having three cups of tea and Tom two coffees.....hope that wouldn't keep us awake!!! I know we were all yawning by around 10.30 so we headed up to our rooms....Kyle came into ours for a quick chat and then we said goodnight and he went next door. He sent me a txt when he arrived to look out the window......it was pure white with a hard frost!!!!! It was only the end of November!!!! It looked to be completely freezing outside. 

My next task was to set alarms......I arranged a wake up call by phone, set my phone alarm and my ipad alarm......can`t remember which was going to go off first......but with them all set up we shouldn't really sleep in...…..Kyle asked me to call his room when I had gotten up, so I said I would do that. He`s such an early riser anyway, he doesn't have any issues getting out of bed. *

*Into bed, we watched some tv and we both rather disappointingly said we weren't tired. This didn't bode well for a good sleep. *

*Between being awake and excitement...….well, who needs sleep anyway......*






​




*Tomorrow.......we fly!!!!! *


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

What a great start to your trip!!! And I'm going to keep track of how many pieces of chocolate cake Kyle has... So far he's had 2 and he hasn't even gotten on the plane yet!!!   Gotta love a kid that loves his chocolate cake!!!


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Hmmm, the new restaurant sounds like an improvement overall, just one sauce wasn’t the best. That wide awake feeling the night before travel is the worst. You know you should sleep, but everything is so exciting!

I’m thinking of you and your purple Christmas tree. I know it is so festive!


----------



## J'aime Paris

I'm back on the Dis and following your TR!
Had a bit short hiatus between my trip to Universal and my trip to Las Vegas, but very excited for your trip details and wonderful photos!!


----------



## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> What a great start to your trip!!! And I'm going to keep track of how many pieces of chocolate cake Kyle has... So far he's had 2 and he hasn't even gotten on the plane yet!!!   Gotta love a kid that loves his chocolate cake!!!



lol.......he did have one or two chocolate cakes and desserts on this trip......

I would love to love chocolate cake!! I don’t know where he gets it from.......certainly not me........


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Hmmm, the new restaurant sounds like an improvement overall, just one sauce wasn’t the best. That wide awake feeling the night before travel is the worst. You know you should sleep, but everything is so exciting!
> 
> I’m thinking of you and your purple Christmas tree. I know it is so festive!



We much prefer this restaurant to the other one......huge variety and just seems a much warmer feel all round. Yes, the sauce just wasn’t our taste, I’m sure many would love it. But the steaks were very tasty......

It’s the most exciting of nights.......but the more you tell yourself you should be sleeping.......the more awake you become!!


----------



## schumigirl

J'aime Paris said:


> I'm back on the Dis and following your TR!
> Had a bit short hiatus between my trip to Universal and my trip to Las Vegas, but very excited for your trip details and wonderful photos!!



Welcome home Lori.......good to see you back!

How was the trip?? We were wondering when you got back, I’m sure you told us when we saw you......hope it was fabulous!!!


----------



## J'aime Paris

schumigirl said:


> Welcome home Lori.......good to see you back!
> 
> How was the trip?? We were wondering when you got back, I’m sure you told us when we saw you......hope it was fabulous!!!



(I sent you an email)
I returned home from Florida on Dec 5th, and from Las Vegas on Dec 18th.  Its was a whirlwind couple of weeks!


----------



## Vicki Rickerd

schumigirl said:


> .both laid on the bed, and when I turned round, they both had their eyes closed



Like father like son. Sounds like you had a great start to your trip


----------



## Vicki Rickerd

schumigirl said:


> We never saw him again!!!!



Grrrr! I wish companies would learn that good customer service brings people back. That was one of the reasons we havent stayed on Disney property since that first time. So disappointed with the Polynesian years ago. So many other places did it better and cheaper.


----------



## schumigirl

J'aime Paris said:


> (I sent you an email)
> I returned home from Florida on Dec 5th, and from Las Vegas on Dec 18th.  Its was a whirlwind couple of weeks!



Got your email!

It has been a whirlwind.......and wow! you had quite the time after we saw you......I’m so glad Vegas was so much fun, it sounds amazing!!

And glad to see you back......


----------



## schumigirl

Vicki Rickerd said:


> Like father like son. Sounds like you had a great start to your trip





Vicki Rickerd said:


> Grrrr! I wish companies would learn that good customer service brings people back. That was one of the reasons we havent stayed on Disney property since that first time. So disappointed with the Polynesian years ago. So many other places did it better and cheaper.




It was a lovely day and evening......and yes, they are so alike at times!! Although Kyle never, ever naps.....but I think like us, he hadn’t slept much previous nights, and that bed was so comfortable!!

What a shame the Poly let you down!! We visited it once and although we didn’t like the rooms, I liked the vibe of the hotel......but shame it was as bad as to make you not go back! I understand that.......the weird thing was though, none of the staff seemed to know who this guy was when we described him, but he cleared up our glasses and wiped the other tables!!!

Weird........lol.......


----------



## Vicki Rickerd

schumigirl said:


> the weird thing was though, none of the staff seemed to know who this guy was when we described him, but he cleared up our glasses and wiped the other tables



This is a weird world. Maybe this guy has a table clearing fetish.


----------



## schumigirl

Vicki Rickerd said:


> This is a weird world. Maybe this guy has a table clearing fetish.



lol.....wonder if he is available for hire!!! 

I hate housework!


----------



## schumigirl

*FRIDAY NOVEMBER 29TH*

*FLYING DAY*


​*We must have had the worst nights sleep ever in the history of bad nights sleep.......I can`t even blame the bed as it was incredibly comfortable and had the best pillows anywhere. We just didn`t sleep. *

*Lights went out and we did fall asleep, but around 3 hours later I woke first, then Tom and we just couldn`t get back over......we saw every hour of the clock change. It is so frustrating as we were shattered, we probably should have got up and put the tv on, but we chatted and I checked my ipad to see our friend had sent a safe travel email to us, I had missed it as my ipads are on silent from around 10.30pm.....I would reply in the morning although I knew he`d still be awake. 

And eventually the morning did come around..........the phone alarm went off around 5.30, then my ipad alarm and phone......annoying and predictable thing was.....we could now have gone to sleep. Typical. *
*
I called Kyle`s room, although I could have just banged on the wall....but he answered and said it was the loudest ringer he had ever heard on a phone!!! 
*
*I jumped in the shower and it did make me feel little more awake I have to say......once Tom was ready Kyle appeared with his cases all shiny faced and eager to begin this journey. We were as you can imagine, beyond excited. 

No matter how many flights we take, it still feels like a huge adventure.....I know some may think it`s just a flight, not much to get excited about.....but, we do still think of it as an amazing adventure to head off to America. So, yes, we were all excited. And I didn`t take any pictures of us yet as it was just so early!!! I think I may have been told what I could do with the camera if I had suggested a group picture this early!!! *

*We then lugged our luggage downstairs to the lobby and nipped into the Executive Lounge for some water as we were all a little thirsty. The breakfast was being set up, but it was too early for us to eat anything, we would wait till we had cleared security and were through the other side. But it did look a lovely breakfast. 

Out to reception, the shuttle bus was parked outside and we went out the doors to the coldest November morning we had felt for a while.....it was white all over and everything had frosted up......I had on sandals and a dress......the guys had on shorts of course, but we were grateful for our hoodies!!! Once we were in the terminal we`d be fine. The shuttle bus only had us and one other man aboard. The roads were very icy so he drove fairly carefully and we dropped the other man off first and only a few minutes later we were at T2 getting out into the icy morning. We had a three to four minute walk to the actual entrance and boy did it feel cold!!! It was freezing......and we did feel a little ridiculous dressed the way we were. But at least we weren`t the only ones. 

Once inside the main elevators only had one working, so there was a line to get up to departures, of course the line was by the door so it was still freezing......but, around 10 minutes later we wandered into the warm departure area and headed for the Virgin check in desks. And they were fairly quiet this morning.....we wandered up to the Premium desks and we got a young lady who wasn`t the friendliest check in agent we`ve ever seen....but she was efficient and we were issued our boarding cards quickly. That`s all we want, but a smile is always nice. Our cases were fine weight wise, but, the one that had most of the chocolate in was a little over....but she let it go. I was thinking of the spare weight we would have on the way home once we deposited the chocolate to everyone. 

Up to security, there was a short line, and somehow we got separated and Kyle and I went through one line while Tom ended up in another. Kyle was tagged for an extra security check this morning, I did get scanned again with the wand and then frisked.....maybe we look a little dodgy as Tom also get an extra search today too.......collecting your belongings is always a little manic and worrying as you are so far away from all your valuable possessions......and you do hear of things going missing on occasion, but we collected our items and headed through to airside where breakfast awaited us finally.

We stopped off at our usual T2 breakfast place, and Tom and I order bacon sandwiches and Kyle decides to just have cereal.....it was all very nice and we sat for a while just watching the world and his brother pass us by heading for their flights......it doesn`t look overly busy today, but it`s still busy.....I guess airports don`t have quiet days. 

Our flight was showing on the screens as on time so we went through Duty Free and actually didn`t buy anything this time, except some bottled water for the flight. They do come round a lot with drinks, and you can go up to the galley anytime for drinks, but sometimes it`s just handy having some beside us. We also buy some potato chips in case we want to snack.....you may not be hungry but sometimes just being on a 9 hour flight can cause you to just want to nibble. *

*We saw where the plane was and sat around that area and had a look out of the window.......Virgin`s planes all have names, and ours today was Ruby Tuesday, we had been on that one a few times before. I still think the Jumbo Jet is the most amazing and impressive planes in the sky. *




























*They announce boarding pretty smart this morning, and after assistance passengers with wheel chairs and such, they announce Upper and Premium passengers. As we reach the front we see a man standing with a toddler in his arms and a wife with another younger child and he begins to ask in a loud way why aren't they loading people with young children first, he does seem a little irate. One of the ground crew tells him that wouldn't work on an Orlando flight as it`s predominantly families......makes sense, but, he is very aggrieved that folks are boarding before him and his family. 

We are boarded quickly and we are upstairs in the bubble with the last row of Premium seats for Kyle and I and Tom is in the window seat in front of Kyle. We had chosen these seats as we had no one behind us, so we could recline as far as we liked without disturbing anyone. Tom very rarely completely reclines on a day flight, but Kyle wouldn't mind if he did. The curtain was behind us and then a few economy seats they had put up here. But, we were happy with these seats. *
















*And before long they come round with your welcome glass of sparkly and orange juice for Kyle. I know Tom had his sparkly too and leaned back to clink glasses as we would soon be on our way. *

*At this point we are feeling so happy we are on the flight, no delays and again, everything is in front of us. And I`m especially happy Kyle is with us.....I keep looking at him and smiling......that got old very quickly I`m told......lol.......*

















*These seats are very spacious and very comfortable. The width is good and you do have plenty of legroom too. I never took a picture of them, but in the upstairs cabin you have storage space to the side of you under the window too as well as overhead locker space, so you can keep as much stuff as you like beside you for your flight. I liked this as it saved you getting up and down to the overhead space if you needed anything. I kept my neck pillow, camera (naturally) and drinks and snacks as well as the blankets and pillow they give you.....I do bring a book, but never seem to read it. Kyle had brought some car mags like Top Gear, but I don't think he even glanced at them once. 

Tom had a nice lady sat beside him, who chatted for the appropriate amount of time I`m told......she did seem nice and Tom only disturbed her twice for a bathroom visit. It`s the one thing about sitting next to strangers.....when it`s just us sat together, you don't mind disturbing one another, but we feel bad when it`s someone we don`t know. But as expected, she was fine about it. Can`t do much else. *

*I like to see the pilots...….I`ve never seen one yet I felt uncomfortable with.....and I love the ones with a sense of humour!!!! *











​



*Of course my mother told me it was a sign of getting old when you started seeing pilots and police officers getting younger...….I guess I`m not doing too badly as Virgin always seem to have the more experienced pilots. I always feel safe flying I have to say. Except once in a helicopter many years ago.....the pilot looked about nine years old and kept looking behind him too often at us to make me comfortable.....it was horrible and I vowed them to never go back in such a portable death trap ever again. And I haven't. I`ll stick to planes. *

*But, it is nice to see in the cockpit now and again. I think we all miss the days when you used to be able to visit during a flight...…..sadly a distant memory now. *

















*We pushed back from the gate at exactly 10.35am. Our correct time. We did stop a few times on the way to the runway but at exactly 10.57am we had wheels up and one of the best take offs ever.......the thrust of those engines is something we always marvel at every single time.....the sheer power of them is impressive to say the least......and Kyle enjoys his window seat for the first time in a year. And so did Tom I have to say, as he usually encourages me to have the window as I do love looking out....even if there`s nothing to see. *

*The skymap goes on and we see the flight path we will be taking today and should arrive a little earlier than planned with an excellent estimated flying time of 8hrs 30 minutes which is always good to hear. *


















*Once up and levelled off CC come round with the first set of drinks and a little snack pack....I get Kyle`s snack as he doesn't like them, they`re alright....very small bags. *
















*Fairly quickly into the flight today, they served lunch, which of course we had already chosen our dishes. We had all gone for a pork and noodle dish which came with a sauce that none of us can remember the name of. *

*And more wine with your meal!!! *

























*It tasted a lot better than it looked. The sauce was a kind of teriyaki that Kyle loved.....and he finished his which I was surprised about as he doesn`t usually finish airline food. *
















*I did get his dessert as he doesn't like lemon desserts.....heck if it`s not chocolate, don`t even offer it to him......I liked it!! *

















*Kyle and Tom both watched Avenger type movies on the flight. There are so many pictures to choose from, but none of them appealed to me at all. So, I chose to watch two episodes of Chernobyl. Yep, aren't those fun episodes to choose to watch!!!! *
*
We had watched them all, and although it`s incredibly horrifying to watch, it is so well done. But, I got through two and then decided I`d pop to the bathroom and then sleep, so told Kyle if he wanted to go, to do it now as I wanted to try and sleep a little. 
*
*It was around here I went to sleep. Thankfully the plane was quiet, no one made any noise and no screaming children which is the worst sound to hear on a long flight, on any flight I guess. *
















*Before I dropped off CC came back round with an after dinner liqueur of brandy or Amarula, I declined as I just wanted to go to sleep now. Not a brandy fan nor of Amarula. *

*And sleep we did. All of us managed to have a good and undisturbed sleep for various lengths of time. I think I slept the longest to be honest as when I did.....we had already passed Canada and were getting very close to the USA now. *
















*And this is where the flight starts to feel long......we still have around 3 hours to fly.......but the plane is quiet and the lights are still dimmed which is nice. *

*I grab the bottled water and drink copious amounts before settling back down to watch something else......I have no idea what it was but I know Tom and Kyle were now watching another Avenger super hero style movie.......I usually love the movie selections on Virgin flights, but i had either seen them all, or they were of no interest to me....like Avenger/superhero type movies. But, not this flight. 

CC were as always excellent on the flight at both looking after us and being friendly too. I admire them as they do an incredible job every flight and still manage to smile......*
*
Around 90 minutes away from landing they come round with afternoon tea which is quite lovely, and by now the lights have come back up and most folks look ready for a cup of tea and something to nibble on. 
*
*There are two sandwiches, one had smoked salmon and I forget what the other one was. Then you had a scone with cream and jam, a macaron and a little eclair. All served up with a mug of hot tea. And probably the last tea I`d have till we got home again. None of us ate very much of it, I couldn`t eat the bread rolls so ate a little of the filling and then the scone which was very nice. *
















*And it does help pass the time a little too. We were getting closer and with less than an hour we used the bathrooms for the final time and then strapped ourselves in ready to land and tried not to get too excited as we got ever closer. *















*Seeing MCO is always a welcome sight. *












​

*We did take a slightly more circular route here than usual, but we ended up flying over the same body of water we usually do and soon it was wheels down and another incredibly smooth landing!!! You`d hardly have noticed but for those impressive brakes working their little heart out to slow us down in an incredibly short time today. *

*The flight had taken the predicted 8hrs 30 minutes as we landed at 2.30pm Orlando time. *

*Welcome to the USA*​







​


----------



## Vicki Rickerd

schumigirl said:


> I hate housework!


----------



## crabbymom

schumigirl said:


> *Our cases were fine weight wise, but, the one that had most of the chocolate in was a little over....but she let it go. I was thinking of the spare weight we would have on the way home once we deposited the chocolate to everyone. *
> ​


​This line made me smile...I hope you didn't shop so much that got negated!!


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Well that seems like a lovely flight overall -- I'm glad you weren't seated near the irate father with little ones. Seriously, we've flown to Orlando during nearly every month over the years, and the flights are always primarily families. If families boarded first there would be about 17 people left to get on the plane, spread throughout. 

So nice to get in early! Even if you lose the time later (and I hope you didn't) just landing early feels like you are off to a wonderful start!


----------



## schumigirl

Vicki Rickerd said:


> View attachment 459886



lol......love it!

So true!!


----------



## schumigirl

crabbymom said:


> ​This line made me smile...I hope you didn't shop so much that got negated!!


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Well that seems like a lovely flight overall -- I'm glad you weren't seated near the irate father with little ones. Seriously, we've flown to Orlando during nearly every month over the years, and the flights are always primarily families. If families boarded first there would be about 17 people left to get on the plane, spread throughout.
> 
> So nice to get in early! Even if you lose the time later (and I hope you didn't) just landing early feels like you are off to a wonderful start!




lol.......it’s true......it’s mostly all folks with young families on the Orlando flights.......yes, 17 folks without young kids seems about accurate! 

Thankfully that family were downstairs in economy.......we saw them as we exited the plane......still not looking happy!

Oh landing is the best .......everyone seems to perk up about an hour before we land and everyone just seems so excited.......and I think this was the earliest we had landed in a long time, so we were happy.


----------



## schumigirl

*They opened the doors fairly quickly today and we thanked the CC for looking after us so well and headed downstairs, walked through to Immigration hoping it wouldn't be too bad. From what we could see our jumbo was the first one in today, so fingers crossed there were no lines. Kyle doesn't have Global Entry so although we could have gone through and he could have gone on his own, we said we`d prefer to stay together...….and fortunately being almost first off the plane and no other large planes in yet, the immigration hall was nigh on empty. 

The screens showed the Gatwick flight had just arrived about 5 minutes after us, but we`d beat them by miles. It took us less than 10 minutes to see an Immigration officer who asked if we had anything with us, we told him British chocolate and a bottle of rum we had brought for a friend. He smiled at the chocolate and said he wished he was getting some too.....it was all in the hold luggage or I think he would have happily enjoyed a bar or two. With Global Entry, you don't get a passport stamp anymore, so it was nice getting the old stamp on it again. But, we do look forward to using GE in May again, I think we were just incredibly lucky today. 

Once through to collect luggage, I went to the bathroom and attempted to freshen up a little......then as I came back out 3 of 4 suitcases had been collected, priority did seem to mean priority today....and a few minutes later my smaller suitcase appeared and it must have taken all of 15 minutes since we got to the carousel till we were heading out to go to the people mover on the floor above. We did glance back to see the line now for Immigration.....it was huge and all the way back to where you walk in.....that was a long line to be in!!! 

This is always one of the highlights....when you`re going towards Orlando of course....the other way, not so much! Kyle is grinning from ear to ear now......and we get on to emerge a few moments later into the main area and we see the huge Christmas tree already lit up and it looks beautiful......but no stopping for pictures today, we head straight down to the car hire desk to see what they could offer us today.*

*We see the Alamo desk isn't busy at all, and we get the same guy we`ve had a few times. He doesn't bother with the high pressure sales tactics some of them choose to provide.....he knows what we look for and tells us the Maserati is available......and it is the black one again......we`ll take it...…..we also add Kyle to the insurance as we were sure he`d like a drive of it, so with paperwork complete, we walk out into the fresh air for the first time this trip........

It is hot today, low 80`s had been the high and it was still 80F when we walked outside...but it felt cooler than September already......much cooler and no humidity. It was lovely......the sun was shining and it was a darn sight warmer than where we had just come from. *

*The car wasn't ready as it was coming from somewhere else, but around 10-15 minutes later it arrived. We were certainly glad of the slightly cooler temperatures as we stood in the Alamo area. 

Luggage was deposited in, carefully as our extra case did cause an issue, so it ended up in the back seats, and we set off out towards the main road around the airport and headed on to our usual road to Universal. Kyle is still grinning as he sees the all too familiar landmarks along the way he hasn't seen for a year.......we were just smiling non stop.....*
*
Seeing the hotels approach us we all perk up again and we pull into the parking lot and it is full.....completely full. We ended up using Valet as there was nothing available…...no problems there and then we walked into the hotel for the first time with Kyle leading the way. 
*
*Seeing the tree, the gingerbread village makes us grin from ear to ear......we are home. 

Walking into the completed lobby is of course new to us as well as Kyle and we have a quick glance around before most of the front desk staff descend on us for hugs and welcome words....this was lovely!!!! I did manage to have a little glance at the completed lobby and decided I really, really liked it...….we did get a funny look from a couple who were sat as everyone approached us to say a huge hello...lol...but we went over to get checked in and one of our friends assistants came out to welcome us back. He was on vacation and wouldn't see him for a few days, so it was lovely seeing her today too. It was just so lovely being back and chatting to so many folks we knew as we arrived...and of course Kyle was given an extra special welcome as most knew him, and some had only heard of him and were so keen to meet him which was lovely. 

Once checked in we went straight up and today we didn`t take a single picture of the rooms or the view...you all know what they look by now.....I`m sure I took some over the trip! 

We decided to just unpack everything now......we had plans for later, so thought we`d do it now as after we had gone out I knew we`d never feel like it then......it doesn`t take long to be honest....and after maybe 20 minutes or so we hear a knock on the door......it was a surprise delivery.....*

*Our friend had arranged for the meat selection and a welcome card to be sent when we had checked in....and it was as always, very much appreciated   .....today we were all starving by the time we had arrived at the hotel, so the plate looked as if had been attacked by sharks by the time we were done!!! It was delicious though and the pineapple relish was beautiful......and it did wonders for us as it did fill up the hunger pangs for a while. Those meats were so tasty...*


























*Tom went back down to get a safety deposit box from behind the desk and then once he was up and we had all freshened up a little and we set off for Sapphire Falls and Strong Water Bar......

This isn't our usual first night venue, that's usually Jake`s, but when we were here in September when we told Lenny who is the Rum Captain when we were arriving he asked us if we would come over to see him as he would be off the next three weeks and we wouldn't see him......he was getting married in between visits so we wanted to see him and his wedding pictures too. Plus, we always love to visit there.*

*First we headed down to see Orchids Sushi Lounge complete and open......and to see our second "son" Colby who used to be in the lounge....and as soon as we saw it...…we loved it. We didn't take a hug amount of pictures tonight as we were heading off, but it was nice to see it complete. And good to see the Chef`s are still there...….Dan has worked there forever. *
















*We manage a hug and a chat with Colby who we were glad to see was doing well and was enjoying his new work location......we had a good old catch up and then we set off for the walk to Sapphire......*

*As we walked outside heading towards the ballroom and conference areas, you could feel that early evening chill.....maybe chill is too strong a word, but it wasn't 100F the way it felt the whole of September! My guys had brought their swimming trunks with them......just in case.....they`d be on their own there.....the evenings were far too cool for me to go in and out the pool. 

Once in Strong Water Lenny makes a beeline for us as soon as we walk in....such a nice guy and one of the coolest guys we know, also gives the best hugs......he immediately tells us not to order a drink as he has something for us to try.....if Lenny has something for us to try, we`ll try it.....*
*
Fernando also comes over to say hello as we came in, always lovely to see him too. One of the nicest guys around too. So welcoming to everyone who comes in the bar. 
*
*We didn`t take a picture sadly, but Lenny appeared with two cocktails called Coquinos…..they were an eggnog based drink and looked so pretty with a cinnamon stick in the glass......and they were beautiful!!! I think they were gone before we could blink!! Those guys are amazing with creating some fabulous cocktails......

He then got out his phone and showed us his beautiful wedding pictures......and what a wedding!! We had seen the lovely Ashley`s wedding pictures in September and both wedding`s were spectacular to see.....I`m a real sucker for weddings and seeing folks pictures too. We had a good old catch up and handed him a huge bar of galaxy chocolate for him to give to Mrs Lenny.....she had tasted some of the stuff we brought in September and loved it, so we said we`d bring a bar just for her......I`m sure they enjoyed it. We also handed in a load for the whole team and they did enjoy it all. 

Tom then ordered an old fashioned, I had a rum revival and Kyle ordered a non alcoholic strawberry daiquiri......all were lovely. We also drank our body weight in cold water! We all felt a little dehydrated and drinking water was an obvious cure. *

*I also had a few giggling at me whipping out my plastic straws...…don`t leave home without them....*


























*It is so lovely in here, everyone is very welcoming and they really do look after everyone so well.....We also saw  Ashley who we just adore too....such a lovely girl and again, does a fabulous job of looking after folks and created one of the nicest cocktails, Fools Gold. We love catching up with these guys. *
*
Our thoughts had turned to food now......and just as we mentioned food, Chef Carlos came out to say hello and always jokes we should just move in to one of the hotels permanently......I wish!!! He told us of the special tonight, but thought there might be one left......when he described it Tom said if there was one, he`d have it...….
*
*It was a venison rib dish, with a beautiful sauce and a bed of creamy mashed potatoes......Tom loved it!!! *
















*I don't mind a venison steak as we have some beautiful fresh venison steaks which I love from Scotland back home......but these ribs weren`t for me......they were beautifully cooked and I did like the sauce and a little of the ribs.....but for me they were a little too strong. I wish I had taken a picture of the plate when Tom was done......apart from the bones, the plate was clean!!! *

*Kyle isn't really a fan of the style of food here, so he ordered the tenders and wedges....minus the slaw and hot sauce.....he really enjoyed it though. *















*I went for the seafood tostada.....fresh and so tasty......and just enough tonight. *
















*Kyle was now on his second daiquiri, and as is usual for our Kyle was now ready for dessert......we wouldn't be having any tonight, but Kyle was looking for the spiced chocolate cake....which wasn`t spice tasted at all according to him.....just delicious!!! *

*It looks so rich and Kyle says it`s almost like a ganache and so very dense.....I think he enjoyed it as we were eyeing another plate that looked like it had been scraped clean! *



























*It was fairly quiet tonight, so we had plenty of time to say hello to everyone who was working...….and then one by one we began to feel a little tired.....we were heading for that wall where there would come a time we would just drop and really we wanted to be in our rooms when that happened. *
















*We said our goodnights and said we`d be back over at some point....we wished Lenny a happy honeymoon and said we`d see him in May.....*

*However tired we were, we still found time for a couple of shots in front of the huge tree they have in Sapphire.....we took a couple of each other then a man offered to take a couple of us all together which we were grateful for. *






































*On the way back we took several of the many, many trees laid out all the way along the walkways of the convention areas......they are so pretty......*






































*Our pace was slow as we got nearer our beds!! It was around 9.30pm but we had been awake for a long time and all three of us do like our sleep! *
*
The view from our room is a favourite one.....seeing the pool and Hogwarts Castle is one we love, although tonight Turndown had closed the drapes over and we opened them for a quick peep out before we all collapsed into almost immediate unconsciousness. I closed the door over and said goodnight to Kyle and he never replied....he was sound. 

Climbing in to that comfy bed is bliss.....and we are not sure we even said goodnight to each other. 
*
*Tomorrow, despite it being Saturday we planned to brave the parks! But for now we were just so happy to be back to our second home and it felt fabulous!!! *


----------



## Vicki Rickerd

schumigirl said:


> that got old very quickly I`m told......lol.......



I used to think they would understand when they got older, but now I think its just a mom thing. Amazing to think those tiny squished red faces grow into such wonderful young men. Life flies by which makes the time we spend together more important.





schumigirl said:


> two cocktails called Coquinos



Already added this to my list. I think I am just going to spend a whole day at Strongwater drinking.


----------



## schumigirl

Vicki Rickerd said:


> I used to think they would understand when they got older, but now I think its just a mom thing. Amazing to think those tiny squished red faces grow into such wonderful young men. Life flies by which makes the time we spend together more important.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Already added this to my list. I think I am just going to spend a whole day at Strongwater drinking.




Yes, I think it is a mum thing.......I just made sure I enjoyed every second with him......they do grow up so quickly and yes, time with them is to be treasured.


I think the coquino cocktail is a seasonal one, but hope they extend it longer as it was beautiful.......

I‘m glad they don’t open till 4pm or I’m sure we’d be in there for lunch too......lol.......love it!!!


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Brilliant first day! What a spectacular arrival, you were all situated before the masses deplaned. I'm loving starting the trip with a drink at Strong Water! Now our son is 21, I think we will definitely head over there to try some of the gorgeous cocktails. That meat platter looked like just the thing to fill your tummies enough to keep moving. I hadn't considered adding our son to the rental car insurance, so you've given me a tip. Of course he'd like to drive, I don't know why I didn't think of it...can't wait for another installment!

Maria


----------



## AprilDreamsOfDisney

schumigirl said:


> We must have had the worst nights sleep ever in the history of bad nights sleep.......I can`t even blame the bed as it was incredibly comfortable and had the best pillows anywhere. We just didn`t sleep.


*Oh, that's terrible, Carole! Sleeping poorly before a long day is awful - for me it sometimes turns into a "Toss and turn and know how few hours I have until I have to get up" and then "check the clock and realize I have very few hours until I have to get up and then stress that I'm not sleeping" and then "not sleep because I'm stressing and worrying". Sigh. *



schumigirl said:


> it was all very nice and we sat for a while just watching the world and his brother pass us by heading for their flights......it doesn`t look overly busy today, but it`s still busy.....I guess airports don`t have quiet days.


*Lol, my family and I wonder this each time we're in an airport - are there any quiet days at airports anymore? We also wonder where on earth everyone is going, especially when it's some ungodly early hour like 4 am on a Tuesday ...*



schumigirl said:


> And I`m especially happy Kyle is with us.....I keep looking at him and smiling......that got old very quickly I`m told......lol.......


*Awww, I'm sure you get to have as many fawning moments with Kyle as you please! It's a Mother's Right! You must have been overjoyed to have him along. We're so lucky to have children who bring us such joy.*



schumigirl said:


> So, I chose to watch two episodes of Chernobyl. Yep, aren't those fun episodes to choose to watch!!!!


*I've heard great things about this show - do you recommend it? Is it very difficult to watch, but worth it? *



schumigirl said:


> It was lovely......the sun was shining and it was a darn sight warmer than where we had just come from.


*Hooray for sunshine and warmth! The frigid temperatures on the day you flew out sounded rather unpleasant (as did the cold walk to the airport entrance!) But, I imagine you were happy with your dress and sandals now! Hooray!*



schumigirl said:


> Seeing the tree, the gingerbread village makes us grin from ear to ear......we are home.


*How lovely to be surrounded by familiar things and things you love when you're at your home away from home. *



schumigirl said:


> Our friend had arranged for the meat selection and a welcome card to be sent when we had checked in


*So glad to hear you were welcomed back, as per usual, in such a caring and warm way. But again, you must exude warmth and friendliness! I think people's energy usually comes back to them!*



schumigirl said:


> I also had a few giggling at me whipping out my plastic straws...…don`t leave home without them....


*Is it all converted to paper straws!? Oh, I detest them. They always dissolve and taste terrible. I have a silicone straw that perhaps I should bring with us in March ...*



schumigirl said:


> Climbing in to that comfy bed is bliss.....and we are not sure we even said goodnight to each other.


*Sounds like you deserved a wonderful rest after a wonderful day, Carole! So glad you had a comfy bed and restful sleep.

Loving the trip report, Carole!!*


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Brilliant first day! What a spectacular arrival, you were all situated before the masses deplaned. I'm loving starting the trip with a drink at Strong Water! Now our son is 21, I think we will definitely head over there to try some of the gorgeous cocktails. That meat platter looked like just the thing to fill your tummies enough to keep moving. I hadn't considered adding our son to the rental car insurance, so you've given me a tip. Of course he'd like to drive, I don't know why I didn't think of it...can't wait for another installment!
> 
> Maria




Thanks Maria......

Yes, we were so lucky arriving when we did....I would have hated to have to stand in that line if we had been later!!!! 

I think Strong Water will be our new first night tradition, even if we are at RP.......doesn`t take long to walk over, and, yes, I`m sure you`ll love it.....and your son will too I`m sure. Their cocktails are the best!!! 

Alamo used to have the wife/husband as the second driver, but now they deem a couple as one driver, so adding Kyle was perfect. And as he doesn`t drink......lol....we had a chauffeur....although technically that never happened. Tom doesn't mind not drinking.

The meat platter was divine!!! The pineapple sweet chilli salsa was gorgeous and I still talk about that....I think I may have eaten most of that!!! Yes, it was warmly received......

I`m so glad you`re enjoying reading along so far......


----------



## schumigirl

AprilDreamsOfDisney said:


> *Oh, that's terrible, Carole! Sleeping poorly before a long day is awful - for me it sometimes turns into a "Toss and turn and know how few hours I have until I have to get up" and then "check the clock and realize I have very few hours until I have to get up and then stress that I'm not sleeping" and then "not sleep because I'm stressing and worrying". Sigh.
> 
> 
> Lol, my family and I wonder this each time we're in an airport - are there any quiet days at airports anymore? We also wonder where on earth everyone is going, especially when it's some ungodly early hour like 4 am on a Tuesday ...
> 
> 
> Awww, I'm sure you get to have as many fawning moments with Kyle as you please! It's a Mother's Right! You must have been overjoyed to have him along. We're so lucky to have children who bring us such joy.
> 
> 
> I've heard great things about this show - do you recommend it? Is it very difficult to watch, but worth it?
> 
> 
> Hooray for sunshine and warmth! The frigid temperatures on the day you flew out sounded rather unpleasant (as did the cold walk to the airport entrance!) But, I imagine you were happy with your dress and sandals now! Hooray!
> 
> 
> How lovely to be surrounded by familiar things and things you love when you're at your home away from home.
> 
> 
> So glad to hear you were welcomed back, as per usual, in such a caring and warm way. But again, you must exude warmth and friendliness! I think people's energy usually comes back to them!
> 
> 
> Is it all converted to paper straws!? Oh, I detest them. They always dissolve and taste terrible. I have a silicone straw that perhaps I should bring with us in March ...
> 
> 
> Sounds like you deserved a wonderful rest after a wonderful day, Carole! So glad you had a comfy bed and restful sleep.
> 
> Loving the trip report, Carole!!*



Thank you so much April.......yes, it`s a vicious circle not sleeping!!! the more you tell yourself you need to sleep, the more awake you become!! 

Airports are just alive seemingly 24 hours now! And how good do some people look at 6am!!! I think I`m doing well being showered and hair dried at that time of the day   .....but some ladies just look fabulous!

Chernobyl was hard to watch, and frustrating to watch due to what they did as to what they should have done, but it is amazing tv and very accurate. I wasn't sure at first when it came on over in the UK, but I was hooked from the first second, so although it looks depressing, and I guess it is, but it`s incredibly well done.

Yes, paper straws are everywhere......I detest them......with frozen drinks they are hopeless, actually with most drinks they`re rubbish! 

It was so lovely being back, and yes, receiving such a warm welcome from so many folks we know so well is fabulous! And boy were we ready for that sleep  

Always happy to see your comments April, so glad you`re enjoying this one so far...….


----------



## schumigirl

*SATURDAY NOVEMBER 30TH*






​






*We slept so well......no waking up as we were in a strange bed, no noises from around us and when I did wake I realised we had slept till 7am, which was a good 8 hours....more than I usually sleep at home. I felt a little groggy at first, and didn't really want to get up, but I could hear Kyle was already up, so knowing I wouldn't be disturbing him I got up and went through where he was quite bright looking...….he was keen to start the day!!! Tom meanwhile was still sleeping......I have a very loud laugh and we were howling at something Kyle loves to watch on American tv.....the ads for medication.....they are hilarious and he had been looking forward to seeing them again. His tv had gone on first thing so he could catch a few to laugh at........*







​






*Yes, no wonder folks prefer the disease to the medications!!!!! *
*
Fatal Death!!!! That one really cracked us up a few years ago...…is there any other kind!!!!
*
*Tom soon awoke to our howls of laughter and eventually he got up too.......there really is something quite lovely about the first morning of a vacation......and to our delight, the sun was shining and it was warm.....we would have 81F today. 

Initially we thought of doing the parks this morning, but decided to get sunscreen and other things first and we would go to the parks later today to do some rides and see the Macy`s Parade......despite it being a Saturday. Usually we avoid Saturdays like the plague, but we just didn`t want to wait any longer, and Kyle of course even more so was desperate to get in and do some rides. He had waited long enough. *
*
Once we were all showered and dressed, we headed upstairs to the Club Lounge where wer had a lovely welcome from several familiar faces and were introduced to a couple of new folks. It is so nice to be here...
*
*And we had a little extra welcome too on one of the tables...*

















*We loved this!!!!! I knew Kayla, the manager had done this for us......she is a star!!!! She had made a Halloween themed one for us in September which was so cute......I`d keep this one too as a souvenir......*

*Kyle got tucked into his cereal almost immediately......we were still chatting and catching up on news and how everyone was doing......*

















*Breakfast was lovely......they have a whole new selection of pastries and they look so much better than the older ones....they are larger and have a definite flavour to them, you can see the extra fillings and they do appear more attractive. And tasty! 

Kayla comes up and it is so good to see her!! We adore her and spending time with her is always a pleasure......and she has done some amazing things with the lounge since she took the position of manager here. But, we had a good old catch up and it just felt so lovely being back, sitting down and just talking. *

*We did have a lazy morning, we hadn`t planned on doing much, so after we left the lounge we went downstairs to head off to Wal-Mart for some bits but first wanted to stop off to properly see the new grab and go and Orchids during the day........*
















*We all love the way Orchids looks......it is incredibly modern and fresh and we knew the same standard would be in place and couldn`t wait to have an evening here for sushi. *

*The big tv and the new seating area is particularly pleasing to see....the addition of this works so well, and it seems to be a much more popular area now than it was before.....sometimes during the day you`d see the odd person maybe waiting to leave the hotel, but now it has become a proper area in it`s right to spend some time. It`s nice to see. *


















*The Grab and Go is exactly what RPR has needed for a long time.......Orchids breakfast was always popular, but this will take their offerings to a new level. Similar to Dutch Trading in Sapphire it offers lots of options from breakfast through lunch and dinner. It is so  impressive and there are more seats to sit in than I thought there was going to be, ideal for everyone......they have done it beautifully and it is a hit with guests!! *

*We meant to try some of the food offerings, like the pizza or the sandwiches but we just never got around to it. We always seemed to be doing something else.....*

















*Anytime we passed, it was busy. Very busy, which is lovely to see. I think guest feedback always showed folks wanted a place like this, and it is a brilliant addition to this hotel. *

















*As we came out of the grab and go, we met so many folks we know and chatted away to everyone......and this is one of our favourite things about the hotel......so many know us so well and we love catching up with them too. *

*We had thought we might do Wal-Mart then go for lunch somewhere, but it was now lunchtime (yes, we had chatted a lot) so Kyle suggested we eat in Jake`s and then go pick up sunscreen and other things we needed. So that sounded like a plan......we all like Jake`s, but first some Christmas tree pictures of course....

I love Christmas trees......all shapes and sizes, all colours of decoration work for me......as long as the tree is green. Not a fan of blue, white, black, silver or even purple trees......I very much like traditional ones...in the home anyway I can see why some stores have coloured trees, especially in the parks. They fit there. *

*And the trees at both RP and Sapphire are two of my favourites over here in the hotels.....Christmas here is always amazing...….*





































*The gingerbread village is lovely. You can really smell it and everyday at set times, the pastry chefs are working on it, making it larger and adding more detail. They are happy to chat and you can ask them questions about the display. It`s quite impressive the amount of detail that goes into them.*
















*Down to Jake`s Bar, I of course gravitate to the beautiful tree outside both restaurants down here. *

















*I am drawn to trees and although Tom and Kyle love our trees at home, they haven`t got that same fascination for them that I do......Kyle at this point was studying a menu inside the bar......time for lunch...….*
*
Oh I did find a picture of tree that Tom would love!!!!! 
*
*I told him, no....we`re not having one...….no!*








​



*Jake`s was the quietest we had ever seen it for a Saturday lunchtime...it was already after midday, there`s usually at least a few tables filled by now. *
*
Although we had just sat down when folks did start traipsing in......
*
*Jake`s is so familiar.....and we did love the style and design of the bar, and we did wonder how it would be changed and themed when they finally do get around to updating it. I believe Islands is next for the revamp next year and again, there are so many traditionally themed items in there reminiscent of the South Pacific theme, it`s hard to imagine it any other way. *




​









​









​






​

*Kyle immediately orders a non alcoholic strawberry daiquiri....his favourite......we both stuck to strawberry lemonades. *
*
Although I did have my old faithful plastic straw......not the drainpipe paper things they try to get you to use now. *
​*Strawberry daiquiris and chocolate cake......he`s happy. Oh and Pizza too.....*




​





















*Jake`s pizza is one of Kyle`s favourites…..not as good as Sal`s at PBH according to the expert.......but he loves this one........plain old cheese pizza....*
















*I decided to order, and I`m not sure why, the new chicken sandwich....I should have gone for the burger...…it was alright, but not great. I left off the ranch dressing and asked for a side of honey mustard......the fries however, were amazing. *
















*Tom of course, went for the crawfish chowder......he had dreamed of this since we were last here......it is gorgeous! *
















*The menu has changed slightly for Jake`s. The fish and chips have gone and one of the sandwiches I liked. It feels lacking in something, but still very well executed and there was nothing wrong with my sandwich, it just didn`t suit me. 

Once we paid up we headed out to the car, only stopping to chat once.....and into the car where we went to Wal-Mart which is a five minute drive away.*

*Sunscreen and some goodies for us along with shampoo, conitioner and shower gel were picked up and we headed to Best Buy to put a new bundle in our American phone. Last time we needed a new chip, but she said this time we didn't. So as this was a short trip we put $15 on the phone and then headed back home. It took a while as it was a Saturday afternoon and this area is busy at the best of times......so it took a little longer to get home. 

Where we all had a snooze!! Couldn't believe it, we hadn't felt tired at all, till we got back to the hotel. Then we all looked at each other and we all knew what each other was thinking......sleep!!! 

Wouldn`t do us any harm I guess. *
*
Later we planned to do the Macy`s Parade and if we felt like it the Castle light show........

*
*More to follow......*


----------



## keishashadow

Since we unceremoniously lopped off the U portion of our trip to enjoy the first few days of Rise of the Resistance at WDW, really looking forward to getting my quota of Universal cheer here .  

Again, sorry to miss you guys this trip but i’m Sure you had your hands more than full meeting folks.  A bit of a balancing act on a shorter trip, especially when an adult child is along.  Mine always tease me with mumbling my warning to them of long ago...stranger danger lol.


schumigirl said:


> Alamo used to have the wife/husband as the second driver, but now they deem a couple as one driver, so adding Kyle was perfect. And as he doesn`t drink......lol....we had a chauffeur....although technically that never happened. Tom doesn't mind not drinking.


Now, why didn’t I think of this ingenious idea?  Filing it away for next trip with jr.  So glad he has finally crossed the age threshold where they don’t sock it to him for rentals.


schumigirl said:


> Chernobyl was hard to watch, and frustrating to watch due to what they did as to what they should have done, but it is amazing tv and very accurate. I wasn't sure at first when it came on over in the UK, but I was hooked from the first second, so although it looks depressing, and I guess it is, but it`s incredibly well done.


Probably the best thing on tv in years.  Really enjoyed it but the mr still hasn’t viewed it for some reason.  


schumigirl said:


> Fatal Death!!!! That one really cracked us up a few years ago...…is there any other kind!!!!


Yes, one really has to wonder what brainiac dreamed up that warning lol.


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

That was soooo sweet of Kayla for reserving your table in the lounge for you!!!! 

And Kyle's chocolate cake count is now at 3...


----------



## Owlpost23

Carole-loving the report so far,but I'm really disappointed in the revamp of the lobby area.I would have to see it in person,but it seems so antiseptic,and not South Sea-ish at all.


----------



## Worfiedoodles

What?! No more fish and chips at Jake's?! But, but, we always ate that...I guess we will be finding something new to love, but not that chicken sandwich  

Seriously, it does sound like a very nice first day, finding your feet and getting set up for your fabulous trip! I love that you had a reserved table for your first breakfast. You are such fixtures there, it is really nice to recognize your loyalty -- plus you all are just a delight and everyone loves you!  The revamped pastries sound lovely, it is great the effort is being made to keep things fresh and improving.

Looking forward to our next installment! 

Maria


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Since we unceremoniously lopped off the U portion of our trip to enjoy the first few days of Rise of the Resistance at WDW, really looking forward to getting my quota of Universal cheer here .
> 
> Again, sorry to miss you guys this trip but i’m Sure you had your hands more than full meeting folks.  A bit of a balancing act on a shorter trip, especially when an adult child is along.  Mine always tease me with mumbling my warning to them of long ago...stranger danger lol.
> 
> Now, why didn’t I think of this ingenious idea?  Filing it away for next trip with jr.  So glad he has finally crossed the age threshold where they don’t sock it to him for rentals.
> 
> Probably the best thing on tv in years.  Really enjoyed it but the mr still hasn’t viewed it for some reason.
> 
> Yes, one really has to wonder what brainiac dreamed up that warning lol.




I‘m Sure we’ll manage a meet sometime next year.......yes, short trips and I did laugh at stranger danger......thankfully most folks we meet are normal......lol.......

Oh yes, until Kyle was 25 putting him on the insurance was crazy money.....but now he’s 25.....lol.....we have a chauffeur...although that never panned our this trip! So yes, get your boys as named drivers....

Chernobyl was amazing tv. It’s weird saying I enjoyed it as the incident is anything but pretty, but it was accurate and raw and we were hooked. But, not an easy watch.

Sounds sick, but we love those ads......the worse the disease the healthier they make the folks look in the ad.......and fatal death is a classic!!!

Will try and put plenty of Universal atmosphere into the pictures.......


----------



## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> That was soooo sweet of Kayla for reserving your table in the lounge for you!!!!
> 
> And Kyle's chocolate cake count is now at 3...



He did have quite a few!

Although we have store bought some very chocolatey Yule Logs for over the next few days, I did make a flourless chocolate cake today for my two guys.......that is always popular.......

Kayla is amazing. She is the best thing to hit the lounge for a long time.....and is one of our favourite folks!!


----------



## schumigirl

Owlpost23 said:


> Carole-loving the report so far,but I'm really disappointed in the revamp of the lobby area.I would have to see it in person,but it seems so antiseptic,and not South Sea-ish at all.




Thank you........

Yes, it is losing the South Pacific feel as it had it. Maybe the pictures don’t capture the warmth that is still there.......especially in Orchids.....but when you’re there it feels so much nicer. 

I do hope you like it once you are actually there, it is a change and I do admit to missing the ornate hand carved wood that was everywhere...but it does still feel as warm as it did before.

But, many folks feel the same way you do and yes, it is different.

And again, always glad to see you post here...hope you’re doing ok...


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> What?! No more fish and chips at Jake's?! But, but, we always ate that...I guess we will be finding something new to love, but not that chicken sandwich
> 
> Seriously, it does sound like a very nice first day, finding your feet and getting set up for your fabulous trip! I love that you had a reserved table for your first breakfast. You are such fixtures there, it is really nice to recognize your loyalty -- plus you all are just a delight and everyone loves you!  The revamped pastries sound lovely, it is great the effort is being made to keep things fresh and improving.
> 
> Looking forward to our next installment!
> 
> Maria



Kyle loved the fish and chips.....and I’m disappointed they‘re gone. The chicken I have to say, was cooked beautifully, but the whole sandwich didn‘t work for me.....

I don’t know if you ever tried the burger, but.....it is amazing! For a simple burger it is fabulous!

Thank you.......yes, we feel very valued there and we know so many of the folks there so well. We did smile at the reserved sign.....Kayla is amazing, although there were a few folks in the lounge look disappointed when they saw it was “just us” lol......think some expected someone a bit more special......lol........

Will update soon......


----------



## Tink2Day

It's crazy, it's good for a headache but may cause a headache, good for stomach upset but can cause nausea and/or diarrhea.  It's the FDA that requires all of this , subsequently our patients come in and they argue that they can't take this or that because of the side effects.  
Well I've worked for a practice that did clinical drug trials, my sister has been a QC manager for 30 years with the Federal Clinical drug trial program and any and every potential side effect is required to be listed, even if only ONE person mentions it.  
The whole thing is nuts.
However Fatal Death is really overkill.  

Kyle's pizza looks so good, was it a barbecue base or regular marinara? I know he likes the BBQ base the best. Your chicken sandwich looks like it may have had a Fatal Death, looks kind of pale and sickly.It looks boiled, maybe fried is better??
What? No picture of the chocolate cake?  That means I'll have to read to keep track and not just look at the pictures.

Oh you and my mom would get along fabulously.  She LOVES Christmas trees, we have several and  she's always wanted to keep one of ours up and put decorations on it according to the Holiday, Valentines, St. Paddy's, Easter......I had to have an intervention with her.


----------



## SCDizFan

There is something so exciting about sitting at the airport waiting on an intercontinental flight people watching even though you are looking at a nine hour flight.  It's just so exciting!

I don't know if you know but our South Florida train system, Brightline will be renamed Virgin early 2020 and are supposed to finish the West Palm Beach to Orlando leg sometime in the next 18 months.  That will open up Miami to you guys as an airport.  The Virgin train from Orlando to Tampa will be sometime 2022.  It will be 90 minutes from West Palm to Orlando which is almost an hour off drive time.


----------



## schumigirl

Tink2Day said:


> It's crazy, it's good for a headache but may cause a headache, good for stomach upset but can cause nausea and/or diarrhea.  It's the FDA that requires all of this , subsequently our patients come in and they argue that they can't take this or that because of the side effects.
> Well I've worked for a practice that did clinical drug trials, my sister has been a QC manager for 30 years with the Federal Clinical drug trial program and any and every potential side effect is required to be listed, even if only ONE person mentions it.
> The whole thing is nuts.
> However Fatal Death is really overkill.
> 
> Kyle's pizza looks so good, was it a barbecue base or regular marinara? I know he likes the BBQ base the best. Your chicken sandwich looks like it may have had a Fatal Death, looks kind of pale and sickly.It looks boiled, maybe fried is better??
> What? No picture of the chocolate cake?  That means I'll have to read to keep track and not just look at the pictures.
> 
> Oh you and my mom would get along fabulously.  She LOVES Christmas trees, we have several and  she's always wanted to keep one of ours up and put decorations on it according to the Holiday, Valentines, St. Paddy's, Easter......I had to have an intervention with her.



Oh gosh yes, I agree....they have to put anything on the list if even one person has an adverse reaction!!! I have an uncle who is on a rather strong medication and the first thing on the warnings is you may suffer from suicidal thoughts......lol.....he saw the funny side of that as someone who is constant pain!!! Fatal death was probably the funniest one....although not if you`ve suffered from it of course   

That one was the regular tomato base, he forgot to ask for bbq sauce.....he does get another later in the trip with bbq sauce....I love a bbs sauce base too! Tom not so much......I do have Italian friends who physically shrink away in horror when we have a pizza like that.....lol.....they won`t even taste it to see how good it is...….

I did forget!!!! He got one of the flourless chocolate cake to take away....he popped it up in the fridge and had it later.....before I took a picture of it!!!! So, yes, he`s at 3 now! 

lol.....yes, love the sound of your mum......although maybe she`s worse than me as I do enjoy when they`re all down and we can get the house back to normal.....but actually taking them all down isn`t fun, takes so much time to make sure everything is well wrapped up to avoid breakages......like the sound of your intervention


----------



## schumigirl

SCDizFan said:


> There is something so exciting about sitting at the airport waiting on an intercontinental flight people watching even though you are looking at a nine hour flight.  It's just so exciting!
> 
> I don't know if you know but our South Florida train system, Brightline will be renamed Virgin early 2020 and are supposed to finish the West Palm Beach to Orlando leg sometime in the next 18 months.  That will open up Miami to you guys as an airport.  The Virgin train from Orlando to Tampa will be sometime 2022.  It will be 90 minutes from West Palm to Orlando which is almost an hour off drive time.



Yes, I do love the airport buzz...usually more so once we have dropped baggage and got through security.....then it`s much more relaxing. People are fascinating to watch and chat to...….and occasionally you do see some very odd things! 

Yes, we had seen the info on the train...it does look to be a little exciting for travellers. I didn't realise it was such a huge project till we looked more into it and friends filled us in on details. I`d certainly consider flying into Miami. We have a couple of friends who fly into Tampa and drive to Orlando from there, not too far, but couldn`t imagine driving from Miami after such a flight, guess you could stay overnight, but the train sounds such a good alternative.


----------



## kbelle8995

No more Fish and Chips they have the best fish and chips on property.  This is up when they took away the pretzel bread sandwiches.  Come on Jake's


----------



## disneyAndi14

Very smooth travel day, this is always a plus!
I love how you describe your arrival, definitely home week! It is very nice how you have formed such wonderful friendships with the people at the resorts!
Food pictures and drink ones are always a treat to review, so far so good!
Kyle is enjoying his favorite chocolate cake and pizza so far........


----------



## angryduck71

Carole -- been so busy finishing up my current job (new job starts January 21!), getting ready for Christmas, and getting ready for trip, have been behind!  So happy I am finally on a long break, done with Christmas wrapping and errands, and am mostly packed, so sat down to read the start of your report.  Really getting me ready for our trip! 

Kyle is just so handsome!  We are such lucky moms! 

I absolutely love your family pics! 

Hope you kept the parks warm for us!  Just a couple more days until we're off!!!!!


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> Sounds sick, but we love those ads......the worse the disease the healthier they make the folks look in the ad.......and fatal death is a classic!!!


Same, it’s a bit of a game waiting for those warnings in an otherwise cheery commercial 


schumigirl said:


> Yes, it is losing the South Pacific feel as it had it. Maybe the pictures don’t capture the warmth that is still there.......especially in Orchids.....but when you’re there it feels so much nicer.


I still miss the old ‘dark’ rooms.  That woodwork between the bedroom & bath area was a work of art.  Always hoped they repurposed them somewhere else vs a landfill


SCDizFan said:


> There is something so exciting about sitting at the airport waiting on an intercontinental flight people watching even though you are looking at a nine hour flight.  It's just so exciting!
> 
> I don't know if you know but our South Florida train system, Brightline will be renamed Virgin early 2020 and are supposed to finish the West Palm Beach to Orlando leg sometime in the next 18 months.  That will open up Miami to you guys as an airport.  The Virgin train from Orlando to Tampa will be sometime 2022.  It will be 90 minutes from West Palm to Orlando which is almost an hour off drive time.


Wil be interesting.  Supposedly, an elevated train is in planning stages from MCO to WDW.


schumigirl said:


> couldn`t imagine driving from Miami after such a flight, guess you could stay overnight, but the train sounds such a good alternative.


Oh, Miami is absolutely worth a day or two to explore, especially the bustle of south beach.


----------



## schumigirl

kbelle8995 said:


> No more Fish and Chips they have the best fish and chips on property.  This is up when they took away the pretzel bread sandwiches.  Come on Jake's



I know, their fish and chips were always excellent......I hope they’re getting a lot of feedback on the menu changes.......


----------



## schumigirl

disneyAndi14 said:


> Very smooth travel day, this is always a plus!
> I love how you describe your arrival, definitely home week! It is very nice how you have formed such wonderful friendships with the people at the resorts!
> Food pictures and drink ones are always a treat to review, so far so good!
> Kyle is enjoying his favorite chocolate cake and pizza so far........



Yes, it really was a good day despite the long flight.......and yes, we do treasure a lot of the people who we’ve met over the years there. They are the best!

I’m glad you like the pictures......and yes, Kyle was a happy bunny with his food!


----------



## schumigirl

angryduck71 said:


> Carole -- been so busy finishing up my current job (new job starts January 21!), getting ready for Christmas, and getting ready for trip, have been behind!  So happy I am finally on a long break, done with Christmas wrapping and errands, and am mostly packed, so sat down to read the start of your report.  Really getting me ready for our trip!
> 
> Kyle is just so handsome!  We are such lucky moms!
> 
> I absolutely love your family pics!
> 
> Hope you kept the parks warm for us!  Just a couple more days until we're off!!!!!



Fabulous news! I know how excited you are for the new job.....that is a nice long break for you before you start! And congratulations again......

Thank you.......yes, we are both so lucky.......and we love the pics too! Although I guess I’m biased....lol......

Hope the weather is kind to you and have a wonderful trip Alice, can’t wait to hear about when you get back.......


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Same, it’s a bit of a game waiting for those warnings in an otherwise cheery commercial
> 
> I still miss the old ‘dark’ rooms.  That woodwork between the bedroom & bath area was a work of art.  Always hoped they repurposed them somewhere else vs a landfill
> 
> Wil be interesting.  Supposedly, an elevated train is in planning stages from MCO to WDW.
> 
> Oh, Miami is absolutely worth a day or two to explore, especially the bustle of south beach.



Its almost shameful how much we laugh at those ads! We just don’t get ads like that over here.......

I know some of the TM got some of the wood carvings from the lobby desks which was nice. And yes, I loved the dark wood and the ornate hand carved style was so beautiful......it’s certainly a change.

Tom’s been to Miami but it was many, many years ago and always said he’d like to go back.......maybe one day we will if we fly in to Miami.... I’ve never wanted to visit the Keys, just doesn’t appeal to either of us, but Miami yes, I think we’d like it.


----------



## schumigirl

I just wanted to pop on and wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas.......

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas Day filled with happiness and cheer tomorrow......


----------



## DisneyLifePapioNe

schumigirl said:


> I just wanted to pop on and wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas.......
> 
> Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas Day filled with happiness and cheer tomorrow......



Merry Christmas !!!


----------



## Owlpost23

DisneyLifePapioNe said:


> Merry Christmas !!!


To you too,Carole! You have no idea how much enjoyment I get from your trip reports!


----------



## Carol unsworth

Pretty sure the Fish and Chips at Jakes are still on the Dinner menu, just not the lunch menu, we had them in October


----------



## schumigirl

DisneyLifePapioNe said:


> Merry Christmas !!!



You too......


----------



## schumigirl

Owlpost23 said:


> To you too,Carole! You have no idea how much enjoyment I get from your trip reports!



Thank you so much Owlpost........that is so lovely of you to say......


----------



## schumigirl

Carol unsworth said:


> Pretty sure the Fish and Chips at Jakes are still on the Dinner menu, just not the lunch menu, we had them in October



Yes, it was the lunch menu I was referring to.


----------



## schumigirl

@angryduck71 

Alice, is your email ok.....I just sent one off to you and it’s bounced back saying address not recognised! 

If I don’t catch you before you leave, hope you both have a fabulous trip.....wish we were going to be there with you.......


----------



## angryduck71

schumigirl said:


> @angryduck71
> 
> Alice, is your email ok.....I just sent one off to you and it’s bounced back saying address not recognised!
> 
> If I don’t catch you before you leave, hope you both have a fabulous trip.....wish we were going to be there with you.......



Just had Jason test it and it worked... sent you one to see if you can get it!  (And, why are you awake?  Santa will be there any second or may have passed you by!)


----------



## schumigirl

angryduck71 said:


> Just had Jason test it and it worked... sent you one to see if you can get it!  (And, why are you awake?  Santa will be there any second or may have passed you by!)



lol......I’m wide awake!!! Yes, only 20 minutes till Christmas for us......

Going to bed soon........haven’t received one from you yet......maybe it’s my email! No!!!

I sent a couple off earlier and were fine, but will check again tomorrow.....Tom’s now putting lamps and tree lights off......guess we‘re heading to bed........

Have a good one Alice to Jason and Davy too.......


----------



## angryduck71

schumigirl said:


> lol......I’m wide awake!!! Yes, only 20 minutes till Christmas for us......
> 
> Going to bed soon........haven’t received one from you yet......maybe it’s my email! No!!!
> 
> I sent a couple off earlier and were fine, but will check again tomorrow.....Tom’s now putting lamps and tree lights off......guess we‘re heading to bed........
> 
> Have a good one Alice to Jason and Davy too.......



You guys too!!! <3. Now get to bed!


----------



## schumigirl

angryduck71 said:


> You guys too!!! <3. Now get to bed!View attachment 460448



lol.....yes boss!!! Love that santa finder........

Heading off now........


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Merry Christmas! ️ to Carole and family and all my fellow thread followers!


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Merry Christmas!  to Carole and family and all my fellow thread followers!



Thank you Maria, lovely sentiment........to your family too.......

Merry Christmas, have a wonderful day


----------



## Zosha

Merry Christmas Carol and family, from down under - where Xmas is nearly over! Look forward to reading more!


----------



## keishashadow

It’s a tribute to Carole what a lovely little thread she has created, Happy Holidays all.


----------



## Dynamoliz

Merry Christmas Carole, Tom & Kyle. I hope you have a lovely Christmas season full of family fun.


----------



## schumigirl

Zosha said:


> Merry Christmas Carol and family, from down under - where Xmas is nearly over! Look forward to reading more!


 Thank you Zosha   …..we had a lovely time....and hope your Christmas was wonderful too....and I hope you are nowhere near those dreadful and devastating fires over there right now. The pictures being shown are terrifying.....


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> It’s a tribute to Carole what a lovely little thread she has created, Happy Holidays all.



Awwww...thank you so much Janet.......  

There are some lovely folks post on here.......and yes, hope you had a lovely couple of days too.......


----------



## schumigirl

Dynamoliz said:


> Merry Christmas Carole, Tom & Kyle. I hope you have a lovely Christmas season full of family fun.



Thank you Dynamoliz….....and best festive wishes back to you and your family too.......

We had a lovely couple of days with friends and immediate family.....it was such a lovely time.......


----------



## Tink2Day

Carole, hope you Tom and Kyle had a wonderful Christmas!
I decided not to take my computer anywhere yesterday and don't have the password for Dis on my phone so that's why I'm late.
Well that and the fact that all of us stayed up til midnight Christmas eve playing games and eating the traditional foods of my State, then getting up
early next morning to get lunch/dinner ready.


----------



## schumigirl

Tink2Day said:


> Carole, hope you Tom and Kyle had a wonderful Christmas!
> I decided not to take my computer anywhere yesterday and don't have the password for Dis on my phone so that's why I'm late.
> Well that and the fact that all of us stayed up til midnight Christmas eve playing games and eating the traditional foods of my State, then getting up
> early next morning to get lunch/dinner ready.



We did thank you so much......and sounds like you had a fabulous time too, happy to hear that! I’m curious what your traditional foods are that are enjoyed over the season?? 

It does sound like a fun time.......we love playing games too and of course food is a big part of the fun too! I love time without computer/iPads and similar.......glad you had such a lovely time though. It’s over so quickly though......


----------



## schumigirl

*With our shopping and snoozes out of the way, Kyle indulged in the flourless chocolate cake we had popped in the fridge from Jake`s before we went out......and it was gone before I could take a picture of it.....of course.....he loves that dessert a lot!!! *

*Once we were all freshened up we headed out to the boat to head to The Studios....and we were lucky, there was a boat just coming in and we were first on......and so looking forward to seeing the Parade and the Castle night show tonight...….*
















*We had a fun Captain heading in to Citywalk tonight...….and although the journey is short the Christmas music and an enthusiastic Capt made it a fun journey......*

*Of course the décor for the Holidays begins even before you enter the parks and certainly the first photo op for the night of holiday snaps....*


























*We all had hoodies on, or at least carried them as we were worried it would cool down later like it had last year, it had gotten very cool watching the Parade last year, although the forecast did look positive, and right now it was very warm, we were taking no chances.....*

*Once through the gates, Tom and Kyle went straight on the Minions....I gave it a pass as I think it sucks now, so I went on an early tree hunt. I did plan to do the Christmas Tree scavenge, but not tonight. They came off the ride completely underwhelmed declaring it a one and done which is a shame as we used to love this little ride. *

















*We turned to go to RRR and although we have EP, the line for that was huge tonight......I can`t remember exactly the time but it was too long for us to wait, maybe 40-50 minutes from memory.....we could ride it anytime another day, so we headed back from the entrance and headed to where we wanted to watch the parade from. *

*We stood where we had stood last couple of visits, to the side of Macy`s and with the Christmas tree in front of us......and we did notice tonight it was busy!!! Although it was a Saturday and we didn't expect anything less, but it was so much busier than the last two years had been at the same time in December. *

















*As we found our spot just 5 minutes before the parade began, we didn't have long to wait for the parade to start. We had a young family beside us, one in a rather large stroller which annoyed the family to our other side.....why I`m not sure as a child was in it......but they felt a little embarrassed I guess and the dad moved the stroller out of the way eventually. As they moved the stroller more folks moved in so they had kind of lost their place and were now behind us.....I told the mother she could put her daughter in front of us if she liked, so she thanked us in very broken English. So, we had a little one for company tonight......*
*
And it started...…..*



























*It was probably a little light for the full effect of the glitz and glamour f the parade, but it is still beautiful to see and the TM in the parade are excellent at interacting with the waiting crowds which is so good to see.....*

















































*Gotta love a minion or two...…..and Gru was as usual absolutely fabulous......and this is the one float the little girl in front of us got incredibly excited about seeing...….she was actually squealing...…so funny!!! *




























*I`m a real sucker for fake snow scenes (not overly fond of real snow) but this was beautiful......*



























*A man to the other side of us thought the words were RIP Santa, not Find Santa......lol.....*






























































*So pretty now the lights were taking over the darkness as natural daylight slowly dispersed......*
















*There is something slightly disconcerting about seeing a giant gingerbread man floating high above you held by string!!!! *



























*Thankfully it remained warm as we watched the passing floats and was incredibly pleasant tonight. *

*With Donkey en route, we knew another old favourite Shrek wasn`t far away.......there is such a lovely atmosphere watching the parade. I`m not really a parade fan as such, but this one I love. *


















































*And an even larger Donkey which did look a little loose at one point, but they guys holding the ropes did a good job in holding it together....*
*

*
*More coming up.......*


----------



## schumigirl

*And of course the one person and float everyone is waiting on is heading this way and soon we`d see him and he`d be lighting the tree when he did arrive...…..*

*As a fan of Christmas Trees I particularly loved this part....and who doesn`t love seeing Father Christmas......no matter your age!! *

























*And the main man himself appears in all his splendour before too long to a huge cheer as he is propelled along the route towards the beautiful tree waiting to be lit for the waiting crowds...*
























*And with a short countdown, he magically lights the tree from above his sleigh........we and everyone around us loved it and as expected he got a massive cheer! *















*There`s something about the atmosphere, the snow, Father Christmas and all the lights that always makes me quite teary.....and this is where my son always gives me a little hug.....he knows what I`m like for soppiness......and of course him being here adds to that! *

*And this is where we really felt the crowds...….wow it was busy!!! *


























*The parade is a huge success. It really is something special to see and shouldn`t be missed if you around the hotels or parks......they put so much effort into it and seeing the happy faces of the folks who are holding the balloons is lovely. The whole atmosphere is just festive and fun.

Kyle wanted to do RRR so I said they should go ahead and I`d stay here and grab some pictures and just enjoy the atmosphere for a while....I loved this feeling of Christmas and had plenty of time to do the ride, although, I do like doing RRR in the dark too.....but for now I was happy just wandering around....*




































*The moon was crystal clear tonight, but sadly it doesn't appear as clear in the pictures as it looked in real life......*

























*The little Christmas store was busy, probably busier than I have ever seen it.....I guess the atmosphere had reached a lot of folks too and wanted to purchase a little bit of Christmas.....*

























*We don't really eat Counter Service food in the parks, but we had liked the look of the new updated menu in Monsters Cafe.....it`s never been a place we have enjoyed except for wandering around for picture opportunities but the food has never tempted us at all. And we do prefer table service anyway. It did look like somewhere we may try in the future and Kyle might enjoy the bbq chicken pizza. But not tonight. We didn`t even manage it this trip. Studios have a few places we won`t eat in and this is one of them, the others being Mel`s Diner, Richter Burger and now of course we have knocked Louie`s off our list as our last experience was a pizza that is seriously lacking from previous years quality. *
















*We met up after they came off the ride and slowly wandered towards the exit, stopping of course in the store to look at a few things and get a picture by the stores tree....not the biggest tree, but still a tree......a few minutes before this picture we had bought Kyle a new lanyard as he didn`t have one for some reason......so we got him a Spider-Man one.....it did the trick. We do like lanyards in the parks as they are so convenient.....and we never even notice we are wearing them. I usually put mine on in the morning too going up to the lounge as I can operate the elevator too as the room key scans through the plastic......so, yes, we are definitely lanyard people. *















*We head out of the park now and walk over to IOA where we plan to do a few rides and see the Castle Christmas light show later...….and it`s still hot!! *


----------



## J'aime Paris

Beautiful photos as always!

I did the Christmas tree scavenger hunt, it was so much fun!  Which was your favorite tree?


----------



## Disney Ron

Thanks for this great trip report, schumi. You have a lovely family and I really appreciate the pictures of the lobby renovations at RPR since we will be staying there in August. Thanks for making us more excited than we already were.


----------



## schumigirl

J'aime Paris said:


> Beautiful photos as always!
> 
> I did the Christmas tree scavenger hunt, it was so much fun!  Which was your favorite tree?



Thanks Lori.......

I liked most of them actually, probably the one in the Universal Islands Trading store, the superhero one and the MiB ones I liked the most.......I hate Hello Kitty so didn‘t like that one lol.......I hate pink! Didn’t like Betty Boop either! Loved the Grinch one too......lol......honestly.....I’m a tree addict!!

What was your favourite and what ornament did you get........I got the two eyed minion.....then a TM at the hotel gave me the one eyed minion.....they sit together on one of our trees.........


----------



## schumigirl

Disney Ron said:


> Thanks for this great trip report, schumi. You have a lovely family and I really appreciate the pictures of the lobby renovations at RPR since we will be staying there in August. Thanks for making us more excited than we already were.



Awww thanks so much Ron.......I quite like my family and think they’re amazing!! Guess I’m biased though......

I‘m so glad you liked the pictures and hope you enjoy the rest of the report......and also hope you like the renovations. The refurb seem to split people somehow.......


----------



## J'aime Paris

They were all so pretty, it's tough to choose a favorite!
I liked the Mummy and Grinch ones a lot.  I guess my least favorite would be the Jurassic theme tree.

I did the Scavenger hunt twice, so I ended up with both minions.  
(A TM saw me admiring a tree, and offered the tree hunt map.  I said I'd done it in one day, and she said it was fine to start all over again.)


----------



## Tink2Day

schumigirl said:


> We did thank you so much......and sounds like you had a fabulous time too, happy to hear that! I’m curious what your traditional foods are that are enjoyed over the season??
> 
> It does sound like a fun time.......we love playing games too and of course food is a big part of the fun too! I love time without computer/iPads and similar.......glad you had such a lovely time though. It’s over so quickly though......


Thank YOU!
Tamales, Posole with pork and red chile, chile Con Queso, Guacamole (which is pronounced Walk-a-mole in our 50% Hispanic State just as Guadalajara is pronounced Wa-da- la-hara in Spanish. It drives us nuts when pronounced Gwak a mole )  flour tortillas, cheese enchiladas with green Chile and pinto beans. I do the Guacamole with tortilla chips as long as it's not too hot, the rest is just too hot for me.  We didn't have them this year but I love either Fry Bread or Sopapillas, our cuisine with the Native American and Hispanic influences is very special. My family background is Irish and here in the US they all came from the South but we are in a SW state, so we have Mexican food for Christmas eve...... Blackeyed Peas for good luck on New Year's Eve.....(don't like those either)

Universal seems much prettier this year with the decorations?  Seems that way so far. Is that the same demented looking Gingerbread Man from last year?  The parade overall was so pretty.

I just noticed, Kyle was 'sans' glasses in the pictures??


----------



## Raeven

schumigirl said:


>



That tree is so cute! 



schumigirl said:


> With Donkey en route, we knew another old favourite Shrek wasn`t far away.......there is such a lovely atmosphere watching the parade. I`m not really a parade fan as such, but this one I love.



I love the Shrek section of the parade too, and the snow! I love the pictures from the location you watched from we've only seen it from the Hollywood area.


----------



## disneyAndi14

The parade looks really cheery. Such a Christmas atmosphere. 
I love the giant gingerbread man from Shrek!
I think the menu sounds good at Monsters Cafe, we love looking around in there but have never tried any food there. Maybe one day...


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Thank you for all the gorgeous parade photos! I have to ask, what has happened to the Minions ride? It already didn't do a ton, does it not move at all now? 

I would so be feeling the Christmas spirit after the parade, I would absolutely want a little souvenir! All of the food places you've mentioned that don't appeal to you, I have the same opinion. Actually, I'm hard pressed to name a counter service place in US I would choose to eat -- but we are definitely trying Confisco at IOA on our upcoming trip! 

Maria


----------



## Vicki Rickerd

Tink2Day said:


> Tamales, Posole with pork and red chile, chile Con Queso, Guacamole



YUM!


----------



## schumigirl

J'aime Paris said:


> They were all so pretty, it's tough to choose a favorite!
> I liked the Mummy and Grinch ones a lot.  I guess my least favorite would be the Jurassic theme tree.
> 
> I did the Scavenger hunt twice, so I ended up with both minions.
> (A TM saw me admiring a tree, and offered the tree hunt map.  I said I'd done it in one day, and she said it was fine to start all over again.)



They were pretty. Yes, the Jurassic tree wasn’t a favourite.......

Nice you got two of them too......yes, you could do it as often as you liked, a little girl in the Club Lounge did them 3 times in a 5 day stay.....she was very proud!!


----------



## schumigirl

Tink2Day said:


> Thank YOU!
> Tamales, Posole with pork and red chile, chile Con Queso, Guacamole (which is pronounced Walk-a-mole in our 50% Hispanic State just as Guadalajara is pronounced Wa-da- la-hara in Spanish. It drives us nuts when pronounced Gwak a mole )  flour tortillas, cheese enchiladas with green Chile and pinto beans. I do the Guacamole with tortilla chips as long as it's not too hot, the rest is just too hot for me.  We didn't have them this year but I love either Fry Bread or Sopapillas, our cuisine with the Native American and Hispanic influences is very special. My family background is Irish and here in the US they all came from the South but we are in a SW state, so we have Mexican food for Christmas eve...... Blackeyed Peas for good luck on New Year's Eve.....(don't like those either)
> 
> Universal seems much prettier this year with the decorations?  Seems that way so far. Is that the same demented looking Gingerbread Man from last year?  The parade overall was so pretty.
> 
> I just noticed, Kyle was 'sans' glasses in the pictures??



Ah, I‘m not fond of any of that style of food.....especially peas of any kind....lol......guess I shouldn’t move to that area!! I love traditions though and it’s always interesting to hear what other folks do different.......I do love spicy food though, I know we’ve discussed that before, but Mexican food just isn’t a thing I like......my sister makes a chilli that I’ve never eaten, as it’s full of those kidney beans.......not for me! I do love guacamole and now I know how to pronounce it correctly.......

I think they made a few new additions to the decorations, they are just as I like them,...not too ostentatious or obvious.......and yes, same gingerbread man who freaked me out last couple of years........lol.....

Kyle now leaves his glasses off when he’s planning on going on rides. He does have prescription sunglasses with him and wears them during the day but although he’s never been worried they come off, he just prefers not to wear them.


----------



## schumigirl

Raeven said:


> That tree is so cute!
> 
> 
> 
> I love the Shrek section of the parade too, and the snow! I love the pictures from the location you watched from we've only seen it from the Hollywood area.



It really is one of the best places to watch the parades. And yes, the snow is just a perfect addition to the whole evening........

We watched the Mardi Gras parades from there too.......it’s a good position.


----------



## schumigirl

disneyAndi14 said:


> The parade looks really cheery. Such a Christmas atmosphere.
> I love the giant gingerbread man from Shrek!
> I think the menu sounds good at Monsters Cafe, we love looking around in there but have never tried any food there. Maybe one day...



It really does have the most amazing atmosphere.....and lol.....I do like the gingerbread man, he’s just a little odd seeing him loom above you......

We’ve never enjoyed food from Monsters Cafe.....mediocre at best, and by the time you pay and sit down it’s usually cold. And that’s one of the things that puts us off CS. And our Scare Actors meal at HHN was truly dreadful......but, we may give it a try in May. I’ll ask around a few people I know and see what they think nearer the time......


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Thank you for all the gorgeous parade photos! I have to ask, what has happened to the Minions ride? It already didn't do a ton, does it not move at all now?
> 
> I would so be feeling the Christmas spirit after the parade, I would absolutely want a little souvenir! All of the food places you've mentioned that don't appeal to you, I have the same opinion. Actually, I'm hard pressed to name a counter service place in US I would choose to eat -- but we are definitely trying Confisco at IOA on our upcoming trip!
> 
> Maria



Oh I’m glad you like them Maria.......and yes, there really is a lovely atmosphere in the parks with all the holiday events......

Yes, CS food isn’t really our thing, we’ll never eat in Mel’s Diner/Richter Burger again for sure.....truly dreadful food. But, such a shame as they both have a good theme.

I do hope you’ll love Confisco..... 

Minions is now 2D instead of 3D and although the ride vehicles still move, you don’t wear the glasses anymore.......it’s not the same for me. I struggle with rides like Simpsons as you don’t wear the glasses, and the first time I went on Minions after it changed, it made me feel quite woozy and it never had before. So, not for me anymore. It wasn’t the most thrilling ride, but I always enjoyed it.......


----------



## schumigirl

*We set off out of the Studios to go to IOA and walked past Toothsome which wasn't as busy looking as I thought it would be. We had tried Toothsome and it`s not high on our list of places to go back to anytime soon. But, the place is usually busy enough I don't think they`ll miss our custom. 

I love how close the two parks are......it`s a five minute walk between Studios and IOA which is why we often extol the virtues of getting a park to park ticket on the boards here. I think some folks who haven't been before can`t quite see how close they actually are, even on a map, but it is so handy going from park to park whether walking or taking the HE. We did stop to chat to a TM we knew as we passed Toothsome, we hadn't seen her for a while and it was nice to catch up. Much as though Kyle likes to pass the time with folks, I could feel him just wanting to get to the next park!! He is patient. 

We love evenings in the parks.....in September it`s usually HHN we are in for, but the Holiday decorations are so pretty at night, and again quite understated in this park too. But, lovely. *
*
Please excuse my indulgence to photographs of just lights......but, I love them!!! I don`t think there`s a single one of us in this quick post. 

Even before you go in the park, the exterior of POE is lit up beautifully....it is so tactfully done but still impressive. 
*
*I tell Kyle and Tom to go ahead and do Hulk, I`ll catch them up and we`ll move round the park together then.....I`m not feeling like riding a coaster tonight, so I get some pictures and mine at times aren`t as good as Tom`s. But I try! *















*With a son who over the years has got me extremely interested in Astronomy and all that goes with it, I do try and capture the moon, but it just doesn`t come out as clear as I`d hoped. I still love this picture though. *
















*I was surprised how busy this area was with people leaving tonight, so getting pictures with no crowds in the way wasn`t easy...…and there were a lot of people doing what we had done, the parade and then the night show, and of course it was a Saturday....probably one of the busiest nights we could have chosen. But, it didn't seem as bad as was predicted. *
















*I did like the jewellery store sign owned by Mr Oh Wau...nice touch. And you could really hear the fake cats on the balcony tonight......I`m not sure if they turned the sound up as it was fairly lively around this area, but it was noticeable. *




























































*I went around and met them as they came off the Hulk which had been a complete walk on with EP, we headed to do Dr Doom and did this ride twice before heading round to Hogsmeade. *
*
But, first stopping off down to the lagoon to overlook the water and beyond. 
*
*Mythos, even from this angle is so pretty at night, and the castle is certainly not shown at it`s best with a giant crane in front. But, I still love this view. *















*We only walked through Seuss tonight, but it is beautiful......and very purple in places!! I really wanted this bow!!!! Not exactly sure what I`d do with it, but I`m sure I`d find somewhere to place it in our home. *














*This area was busy with folks coming and going as is usual with the night shows, so we didn`t plan to hang around or do any of the very gentle rides they have here. Although I wish we`d done the trolley train, just to see everything lit up from the ride. The views over the park from the ride are quite nice and you can see a fair bit of IOA from the train when it`s at it highest. *


























*One of my favourite daytime scenes looks even better at night, although the pictures may not reflect that......*


























*And of course Mythos. It seems to rise in resplendence above all else in this area, even making Poseidons exterior not look as grand as it is. Beautiful building that we have missed out for a couple of years. Some not great experiences in the past, but it is such a lovely place we do want to go back one day soon. *


































*We stop for a bathroom break before heading towards our aim for tonight......*














*Coming up......The Castle light show and dinner.  *


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

I hope you had a Very Merry Christmas!

It looks like you had a great first day... And Kyle's chocolate cake count is now at 4, but I have a feeling it'll be at 5 before the night is over!!!


----------



## schumigirl

*As we went towards Hogsmeade, we could see the end of the previous night show. I can`t remember which time we saw it, but it wasn't the first two shows at least......we had taken our time it seemed to get here tonight. But, it did look good and we were excited to see it again. *

*I don`t think this is Kyle`s favourite thing to do, he does enjoy it, but if given the choice to do this or the parade a second time, I think he`d choose the Parade. Tom and I love them both so couldn't choose.....*




























































*So this is where everyone was. *
*
I hadn`t seen it as busy here in years, of course we tend to avoid the peak seasons and times of day, so it was unusual to see it like this. And it was unusual to have to line up to use the bathroom!!! *



























*I`m not sure if we`re in the minority here, but we like the way they handle crowds for the show. You line up to enter the area in front of the Castle....then as everyone from the previous show has gone over the bridge in the opposite direction, the TM releases everyone to go forward. We were stopped just by Olivanders but not for long. *
*
There are plenty of places to stand and see the show. We opt for close to a post a little further back from the front rows. It`s no overwhelmingly busy as most are heading forward, but we hope it stays like this. 
*
*Then, a man who I would say was in his mid to late 40`s, comes and lays down in front of us!!! 

Seriously.....I had turned around to see how many were still filling in and turned back, moved my foot slightly and hit him very gently (luckily) on the shoulder......I got such a shock.....what was he thinking!!! Tom said to him he was asking for trouble laid on the ground like that.....his head although leaning on a rucksack, was in the path of anyone passing right by us...….*

*He growled at us he was having a nap......a nap......in the middle of Hogsmeade during a light show...…...*









 




*Sorry mate, I don`t want to be worrying about kicking you during the show, so we called over a TM who was one of the more forceful ones and told him in no uncertain terms to move off the ground and go find somewhere to stand or sit that didn't involve laying across the ground. He moved.......

A woman and her family who had come up to stand beside Kyle had watched the performance and she commented how she never failed to be astounded at people and things that they do.....how true.......the TM came back to thank us for alerting them to him as they hadn`t noticed him at all. I`m not quite sure why he thought this might be a good idea. *

*But, the show was now beginning and it was as impressive as we had remembered it from previous visits. *




























































*I think the Christmas Light show is the most impressive of all them.....we don`t always bother with the regular night show, but this one is phenomenal.......the lights and music working together are something to see and enjoy. *







































































*There really isn`t anything to add about the show......it is fabulous and it`s one of these things I`d be incredibly sad to miss when it`s on. The Potter music playing makes it even more magical as you watch. And it`s on so often during the evening. From dusk till park close, and I`d absolutely agree to miss out the earlier shows and wait till as late as possible......there are much less people and although we`ve never caught the last show of the evening, I think I`d like to do that one night. 

You are filtered out away from Hogsmeade and TM are firm to ensure you do go that way as there are always more folks lined up to come in....you go over the bridge as if you are heading back to JP then take the turn to the left over the new bridge and double back where you come out to the side of Fire Eaters Grill. It works. This way there`s no mingling and fighting with crowds going in the opposite direction. *

*It`s a lot quieter in Seuss now, but we still don`t ride anything tonight.......*
















*We really hadn`t decided where to eat dinner tonight, so we asked Kyle where he wanted to go.....he opted for either NBC or Margaritaville.....we weren`t really fussed which, although we had a negative experience a few times here, but would go back for Kyle.....so we walked out of the park and over first to NBC.*
*
That may have been a mistake. 

They said a 45 minute wait and priority seating wasn`t offering much better.....by now I was starving......those two can go for hours and not eat, I don`t know how they do it.....
*
*Not me......low blood sugar hits me occasionally and I become a shaking wreck at times.....not always.......of course, sometimes I`m just hungry! *
















*Yes, I have looked like that before......


So, we headed back to Margaritaville.......it was still hot tonight which was lovely as we walked through Citywalk. It was busy too. We never make reservations for places like this, if one is too busy, we`ll go somewhere else, and if everywhere is too busy we`d always just head to one of the hotels and eat in any one of them. There really is plenty of choice we never need a reservation. *
*
Usually Tom and I sit at the bar and eat, but Kyle likes a table and it wasn`t as busy as it could have been tonight, so we got a table immediately. 
*
*Our drinks order went in fairly quickly, I rather predictably ordered an old favourite in here.......Blackberry Margarita...….it is divine!!! I did swap out the paper straw for one of my own. *















*Kyle his usual non alcoholic strawberry daiquiri or strawberry smoothy in some places.......but he loves them! *















*And Tom had a plain old landshark...…..one of his favourites! *















*Our waitress came over to take our order and I mentioned to her I was allergic to onions and msg. She asked if I wanted to speak to the head chef, I said no it wasn`t necessary. It`s not life threatening or anything like that, so I just mention it briefly.  

Kyle had ordered fried chicken with mash and veg....no gravy, Tom fish and chips and I had gone for the blackened grouper sandwich...minus the onions. *

*Before long the chef Sabina came out for a chat....she just wanted to make sure the extent of any issues....she was lovely. I explained I was fine with seasonings with onion in it was just the raw or cooked pieces....she said that was common with onions, but was happy with what I`d ordered. She also explained that nowhere on Universal property did they use MSG which was good to hear......except HRC, she couldn`t speak for them at all. But, she was excellent and it`s always nice to see they take concern over simple allergies, and I know how seriously they take them all. *
















*When the food arrived, it all looked good......and Sabina came back out to check everything was as it should be...…we all said it looked lovely.....she immediately spotted Kyle had no gravy.... he`s not a fan, and she asked if he`d like a pot of honey to go with it...…he said yes, that sounds good. And a few minutes later she brought it out for him. Nice lady. *

*I laughed because if we had asked him if he wanted honey he`d just have said no it`s alright......but when it`s the chef.....he`ll give it a try. That was how we got him to try teriyaki sauce many years ago in Kobe....the chef more or less told him he`d have it.......we were laughing, and happy as it`s one of his favourite dishes now. He said he couldn`t argue with a chef who had such a large knife in his hand!!! True. *






































*The food was so good here tonight. *
*
We stopped coming here a few years back, but for the last 2-3 years it has steadily worked it`s way back up to being a favourite of ours...and tonight didn`t disappoint. The menu really does have plenty of choice for everyone, even fussy eaters I guess could find something. 

There is always fabulous music playing, usually Jimmy Buffet....and everyone sings along.....amazing atmosphere most nights, we did enjoy it and we were all glad NBC had been such a long wait. 
*
*And I did get a second Margarita.....same flavour. They are delicious.....I do drink a lot of water too though. *















*Once we had paid the check, we walked back and came up through the front entrance way as the pool was now closed, and loved the chance to see the bridge all lit up at night, and rather strangely, with no one on it. *
















*We all went to the bathrooms in the lobby as we were going to Orchids for a drink before heading up to bed. *

*The tree is beautiful in here. It is one of the more prominent of the hotels trees. As I wait for them I notice again how immaculately clean the Loews hotels are......they are always gleaming and even the bathrooms although public, are kept to a high standard.*















*We go sit in a comfy seat in the lounge and Tom orders a beer, I have one of their new cocktails.....and Kyle asks for his usual. *

*It may look a little austere during the day, but it does feel very cosy at night....and the giant tv, although not my thing, looks good and fits in well with the newer style. *
















*Our drinks are soon over and I had ordered a Golden Dawn, it had white rum, pineapple rum, mango and togarashi sprinkled on top....it was lovely and yes, you could taste the spice on top. *
















*The blender wasn`t working so Kyle didn`t get his drink, the waiter offered him an alternative, complimentary.......however, it was one of these bottles that was almost a challenge to open.....weird. And with various Engineering degrees coming out of our wazoos.....none of us could open it!!!! *
*
Tom took it back up and the waiter said there was a trick to it, he`d show us.......
*
*And he couldn`t. lol.......*















*Turns out we had been given a faulty bottle......of course. But, it was funny all of us trying to work out how to open a simple bottle.....and there is a trick to opening it right enough......but jeez...…just make it a screw top in the future!!! Apparently they are a thing today!!! How old am I!!!! *
*
But, after all the fuss.....Kyle didn't like it anyway. It was fizzy and he doesn`t drink soda type drinks......but he was thirsty and he drank some of it before aksing for some more water. 
*
*We sat for an hour or so, and it is nice in here. I was worried it wouldn`t feel the same, but it does. Some of the staff are new, but there are a couple of folks we still know from before the revamp. 

Around 11pm we headed up to bed. I think we knew we`d all sleep tonight even if there was an earthquake.....there`s something about the second night that makes us incredibly tired. Which is why we sat as long as possible before going upstairs. *
*
Turndown had been and left us water and closed the drapes as always. Kyle left his closed but I opened ours slightly, despite some grumbling......Tom loves complete darkness...I like a little light coming in especially when I have the view over the parks and Sapphire Falls. I think we all fell asleep quickly having had a wonderful day. 
*
*Tomorrow was more park time......*


----------



## Vicki Rickerd

schumigirl said:


> So, we headed back to Margaritaville.



Great choice!

I think Margaritaville is one of the best restaurants. You get so much food for your money and it is almost always good; hardly ever a wait and great service. Never had much luck at NBC; slooooow service and while the portions are plenty, the quality was lacking for us.


----------



## Tink2Day

Oh my the lights were GORGEOUS!!  Were the castle lights from a different angle?  They seem so much more spectacular than the various pictures I saw last year.

What in the world was a grown man thinking, laying in the midst of a huge crowd?????


----------



## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> I hope you had a Very Merry Christmas!
> 
> It looks like you had a great first day... And Kyle's chocolate cake count is now at 4, but I have a feeling it'll be at 5 before the night is over!!!



Thanks Nancy......we did have a lovely time......I think we need to get back to normal after all the fun, frivolity and extra eating we have enjoyed!! Hope you and your family had a lovely time too.......

It was an amazing first full day.......the heat helped make it too as we were worried it would be cool, but it was lovely.......


----------



## schumigirl

Vicki Rickerd said:


> Great choice!
> 
> I think Margaritaville is one of the best restaurants. You get so much food for your money and it is almost always good; hardly ever a wait and great service. Never had much luck at NBC; slooooow service and while the portions are plenty, the quality was lacking for us.



Isn‘t it fabulous!!! We love the atmosphere and the bar staff are always top notch. 

I’m glad it picked back up for us, I think it was around two and half years we avoided it, but since we have gone back it has never disappointed us. 

Yes, NBC for us, burgers are always fabulous.....but other food items including steak and ribs were a disaster. Steaks were particularly poor quality. But if Kyle wanted to eat there we’d have gone and just ordered a burger each. But, a 45 minute wait.....nah, wasn’t happening.


----------



## schumigirl

Tink2Day said:


> Oh my the lights were GORGEOUS!!  Were the castle lights from a different angle?  They seem so much more spectacular than the various pictures I saw last year.
> 
> What in the world was a grown man thinking, laying in the midst of a huge crowd?????
> 
> View attachment 461178




lol......how true......even the TM when we pointed him out was shocked as well as bemused at his imbecilic behaviour......I wish we had taken a picture!

I‘m not sure...they looked similar to us, but they do constantly improve everything. I know we were roughly in the same place as two years ago, and it was spectacular to watch again.

I‘m glad you liked them though......


----------



## Squirlz

We like to watch the parade in front of the old Terminator entrance.  There's a bend in the road so you see everything coming straight at you.  After it passes we cross the street and make our way over to a spot across from Macy's in plenty of time to watch Santa light the tree.

We ate a Richter's once, for the first time.  And last.  Nice spot to sit out back by the water, and the food did the job but that's all.  The best new food experience was the Today Show Cafe.  Ate there 4 times and every sandwich was delicious.  The potato salad is very different and tasty.  The General Manager came over to talk with us one time.  He told us everything is made fresh, including that potato salad.  We were very impressed.

We had fun at Toothsome one afternoon.  Place was deserted and we talked with Penelope and Jacques for some time.  The food was fabulous.

It was good to see you, Tom and Kyle once again.  And the Aussie family that we met 2 years ago.  Nice to see old friends and make new friends in the Club lounge.  I don't think we'll get back again until next December.


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Hmmm. Well we had kind of given up on Margaritaville, but with your recent recommendation we will give it another try. I think I must have a blackberry margarita! 

I think I'd maybe give the items in cases at Toothsome a try, my son doesn't like chocolate -- I know, who knew that was a thing?! It sounds kind of complicated to eat there, and like every single thing has chocolate, so maybe not for us. 

Please don't ever apologize for all your fabulous photos of the lights and sights, they just make me happy  

Day 2 was wonderful, I am more and more determined to make it to Universal for the Christmas celebrations!


----------



## schumigirl

Squirlz said:


> We like to watch the parade in front of the old Terminator entrance.  There's a bend in the road so you see everything coming straight at you.  After it passes we cross the street and make our way over to a spot across from Macy's in plenty of time to watch Santa light the tree.
> 
> We ate a Richter's once, for the first time.  And last.  Nice spot to sit out back by the water, and the food did the job but that's all.  The best new food experience was the Today Show Cafe.  Ate there 4 times and every sandwich was delicious.  The potato salad is very different and tasty.  The General Manager came over to talk with us one time.  He told us everything is made fresh, including that potato salad.  We were very impressed.
> 
> We had fun at Toothsome one afternoon.  Place was deserted and we talked with Penelope and Jacques for some time.  The food was fabulous.
> 
> It was good to see you, Tom and Kyle once again.  And the Aussie family that we met 2 years ago.  Nice to see old friends and make new friends in the Club lounge.  I don't think we'll get back again until next December.



We preferred the Boulangerie to Today Café, same Potato salad we were told.  

Toothsome we just don't enjoy, not the theme nor the food, nothing stood out for us there. Glad you enjoyed it though.


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Hmmm. Well we had kind of given up on Margaritaville, but with your recent recommendation we will give it another try. I think I must have a blackberry margarita!
> 
> I think I'd maybe give the items in cases at Toothsome a try, my son doesn't like chocolate -- I know, who knew that was a thing?! It sounds kind of complicated to eat there, and like every single thing has chocolate, so maybe not for us.
> 
> Please don't ever apologize for all your fabulous photos of the lights and sights, they just make me happy
> 
> Day 2 was wonderful, I am more and more determined to make it to Universal for the Christmas celebrations!



Oh the Blackberry Margarita is something else!!! Very fruity and strong.....One of their best cocktails!! Also they do a Margarita Flight.....4 of their best Margaritas in sample sizes......it was very good too!! 

Yes, I`m not the biggest chocolate fan....we did try the chocolate bread as Tom and Kyle wanted to try it...they thought it was disgusting. There was nothing special about it and we had much better food everywhere else.....

Aw thank you, you`re too kind! Yes, their Christmas Celebrations are beautiful.....I think you`d love them....


----------



## schumigirl

*SUNDAY DECEMBER 1ST*​




*We couldn't believe it was finally December this morning. Where had November and October gone!!! It had been barely 7 weeks since we had come home from our last Orlando trip, but time had flown so quickly! *

*We all slept well again, and I could hear Kyle rumbling about so knew he was already up.....he is someone who always gets up early anyway, so no long lies in during our trips away with him around.....thankfully. I `d hate to waste the morning away by laying in bed. That`s not the type of folks we are.....up and out and make the most of the day. And so happy Kyle is the same way. 

Once we were all showered, we headed up for breakfast and we did our usual chatting, but didn`t stay too long as we really wanted to get into the park this morning. The weather was to be beautiful today so we wanted to make the most of it. One lady stopped me and asked how I had enjoyed the parade last night, we told her we had loved it and she said she had read my Mardi Gras trip report and they had stood in the same place last night for the Holiday Parade as we had suggested and loved it. That was nice to hear.....it really is a prime spot for the tree lighting and then straight for some ride afterwards!!! Nice lady didn`t catch her name and they were checking out today. 

Once we had finished breakfast we went back down to put sunscreen on and found our lovely Housekeeper had already been.....I swear she must wait behind the service door and wait for us to leave......well, maybe not, but she is prompt, and is such a lovely lady. 

We decide to go to IOA today......this was always our usual first park day when we used to come once a year and Kyle was always with us, so we walked. And cutting through the pool it feels hot but there is a little breeze which is lovely, and every day we think back to the excessively hot days and nights in September. This was as cool as we like it, and one of the reasons we have extended our May trip instead of coming in March too.....March was just a little too cool for us at night especially.*

*But, the weather this morning was nigh on perfect for us, and I think we reached 83F today, not bad for December! Slightly different from back home right now. 

We still get that excited feeling as we approach the park, even after all these years.....seeing the colours and vibrancy of IOA always makes us smile. The TM always give you a lovely welcome and most will say your name if it shows up from the AP. *
*
As soon as you enter you can feel the atmosphere change and everyone is full of excitement to begin the day. 
*
*We love the music they always play as you walk through, and it does partly make IOA what it is......we love it, but this time of year they are playing Holiday songs, which I can understand some wouldn't choose to have, but we like it.....just for a change, and if possible....amps up the Christmas feel more. *

























*Again, I tell Tom and Kyle to go ahead and I`ll catch them at The Hulk in a little while.....if I`m not there they`ll simply go around again till I get there. We don`t bother with specific times usually to meet up when we`re here. So, I snap a few pictures on the way round......and there is so much to see in POE alone. *

























*And people say Universal have no theming outside of Potter!!! There is plenty of theming if you look......the level of detail is fabulous and I swear, every single trip I find something completely new that we haven't seen or noticed before. *
















*I have a quick wander into the Christmas Store and seeing the tree reminds me to grab the leaflet for the Christmas Tree Scavenger Hunt....it does sound fun and will take not a lot of time as we pass everything anyway, numerous times. *















*It`s one of those places that looks as pretty at night as it does during the day...….I keep banging on about the colours in here and they are so vivid and bright. *




































*The buildings here not only look pretty, but they have sounds that are interesting to listen to and fun too. *

*And one of the things about IOA is everything is there for a reason, as you can see the words Stegosaurus written on the wall above.....it all fits in to the lands around IOA. Cute. *



























*Confisco Grille is without doubt our favourite restaurant in IOA. Far and above Mythos, which I`m sure is very good, but CG just seems to be better for service and menu choices for us. We really can`t speak highly enough of it. I know when we`ve told certain people about it, at times we`ve had to describe where it actually is....folks pass it by so quickly. But it is fabulous. *



























*Attached to CG is Backwater Bar. It has a few tables in and you can order food and drinks sitting at the bar too. Staff are again, very good and make you feel so welcome. If Confisco is busy, which it can be at times, then pop through here and you can enjoy the same menu as the restaurant. *















*Just in case you forget it`s Christmas...…..and with the heat today, that's easy to do! *















*A quick look over to what will be the new JP coaster in a couple of years......I`m hoping they`ll fill the front back in with trees when it`s done and give it back the beautifully full and lush look it had before. *

*They do seem to be getting along nicely with progress on the work which is good to know. I think everyone is excited for the next addition to IOA and it`ll be a real coaster! Hagrids has been such a success, when it works properly of course, and add this one in and IOA will be an even more amazing place to visit. *
















*I can only imagine the look of the landscape in a few years time.....it is exciting to think about the upcoming changes to the parks! *















*I met up with Tom and Kyle as they were heading for Dr Doom. I think they had ridden Hulk about 4 times waiting for me, so they were ready for Doom. *



























*It was only a few visits ago I had paid full attention to this van.....and again, if you listen you hear some sounds appropriate for the theme! *
















*Dr Doom is a short and sometimes much maligned ride. But......don't let anyone put you off going on it saying it`s rubbish because it`s so short....yes, it is, but it is so much fun!!!! That first time being shot up in the air is magic!!! You can see for miles and depending on what side of the ride you sit on you can see miles into the distance or into the hotels and over the parks.....we love it!!! And Kyle is just in his element doing all these rides again. The size of the grin on his face is fabulous to see. *

*I pop in to see this tree too and we have a mooch round the store....we don't spend a lot of time in this store and they do have a few cool products to buy. *
















*We come back out in time to see a few of our favourite characters wandering around...….Kyle was wearing an appropriate tee shirt today for meeting two fun villains! *
*
And like all Universal character meets, the interaction is fabulous!!! We don`t always spend a lot of time with character meets now as I`m sure we have met them all over the years.....but there are some we still like to do when we see them. 
*
*Dr Doom called Kyle over due to his tee shirt and is so funny.....when we left and said Thank you he was very rude.....but in a funny way of course.....I think they are excellent at gauging their audience. *
















*And you can`t have a picture with Doom without the Green Goblin..they did keep in contact with each other and Doom warns him of troublesome folks heading his way and of course he reacts perfectly….*

















*As the Villains disappeared due to the fact they had heard the good guys were in the vicinity...….we heard the sounds of the vehicles bringing the superheroes......as we were here, we may as well wait. *

*Much as though I like Spider-Man......I do like Capt America`s legs!!!! *
















*Confession time......not a fan of superhero movies in any shape or form.....although I did like Ant Man if that counts......they bore me rigid and I really have no clue who they all are......although I kind of know Wolverine, but only through Hugh Jackman!!! Giving all my secret crushes away today...…..*















*We did get a picture anyway......*















*And the tall and friendly Captain America with whom we had a fabulous interaction with......it did go on for quite a while where I did admit to falling asleep during one of the movies.....he said as long as it wasn`t the new one he`d be happy…...well, it wasn`t the new one.....I have no clue which one it was as I fell asleep!!! *
















*I did say my husband and son were huge fans of the movies, so he then got Tom to join us at that point and made funny jokes about me not having good taste in movies......lol.....they are so cool!!!! *
















*But being honest, as far as superheroes go, unless it`s Spider-Man I`m meeting...…..*












*Ooops!!! 



More park time coming up.*


----------



## Worfiedoodles

I love that you don’t have set meet up times, but just reconvene whenever you find yourselves together. That sounds very relaxing, and allows everyone to be in the moment.

Those were great character interactions! They seem to be enjoying it as much as you are ☺

Is it wrong I’m more looking forward to the JP coaster than the last movie of the JW trilogy? Because I am 

Maria


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> I love that you don’t have set meet up times, but just reconvene whenever you find yourselves together. That sounds very relaxing, and allows everyone to be in the moment.
> 
> Those were great character interactions! They seem to be enjoying it as much as you are ☺
> 
> Is it wrong I’m more looking forward to the JP coaster than the last movie of the JW trilogy? Because I am
> 
> Maria



We love no schedules.....it’s why folks with spread sheets make me sweat with nervousness at times......lol......each to their own, but we barely glance at our watches on trips........wouldn’t work for everyone I guess.

We loved those interactions.......one of our best was last December when Spider-Man was waiting on the railings in the EP line one day......he was amazing and it really did make our day!!

lol.....I agree!! I only really liked the first JP movie......the rest......not for me......but we are all so excited for this coaster!! It looks to be fabulous! And it’s annoying to have to wait for so long!!

Patience,  I’ve heard is a wonderful thing........


----------



## macraven

All your pictures are absolutely brilliant in your report!
Color is sharp and outstanding

They really stand out great just like I was in the park looking at the buildings and scenery.


----------



## KatieCharlotte

Although I enjoy hearing about all of your trips, I'm especially enjoying all the park photos in anticipation of my upcoming trip.    

I love Dr. Doom because of the view and because it's enough of a thrill without making me dizzy or sick.  

I need to finally take the time to meet some superheroes on this trip.  Maybe I'll wear my daughter's Loki shirt and see what they say.


----------



## Vicki Rickerd

schumigirl said:


> he said she had read my Mardi Gras trip report and they had stood in the same place last night for the Holiday Parade as we had suggested and loved it



Note to self: Go back and reread Carole's Mardi Gras report


----------



## DisneyLifePapioNe

We used to be some of the ones that would walk past Confisco.....for years we did and would say we should try that place, even though the last couple of years it’s become a regular place for us, I still have some regret walking by all those times and knowing now how great the place is, all around decent food, almost always awesome service, and great atmosphere in general!!!


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> All your pictures are absolutely brilliant in your report!
> Color is sharp and outstanding
> 
> They really stand out great just like I was in the park looking at the buildings and scenery.



Thank you!!!! 

I do love the pictures Tom takes.....and the odd one from me too...lol.....I`m very happy you like them


----------



## schumigirl

KatieCharlotte said:


> Although I enjoy hearing about all of your trips, I'm especially enjoying all the park photos in anticipation of my upcoming trip.
> 
> I love Dr. Doom because of the view and because it's enough of a thrill without making me dizzy or sick.
> 
> I need to finally take the time to meet some superheroes on this trip.  Maybe I'll wear my daughter's Loki shirt and see what they say.



I`m glad to hear it!!! It`ll be here before you know it.....

Yes, I get dizzy easy too, and Doom never does anything bad to me at all....it`s short, but so much fun! 

The Superheroes are fabulous......although we`ve always had amazing meets with Universal Characters in both parks! It`s never just a quick picture and go.....they really do interact with guests. 

(I had to go look up Loki )


----------



## schumigirl

Vicki Rickerd said:


> Note to self: Go back and reread Carole's Mardi Gras report



lol....there`s a couple still around! 

Mardi Gras is a lot of fun.....


----------



## schumigirl

DisneyLifePapioNe said:


> We used to be some of the ones that would walk past Confisco.....for years we did and would say we should try that place, even though the last couple of years it’s become a regular place for us, I still have some regret walking by all those times and knowing now how great the place is, all around decent food, almost always awesome service, and great atmosphere in general!!!



We first went in 2007 and fell in love with it immediately......yep, everything is positive about that place.


----------



## schumigirl

*We left our Superheroes and all commented how good the interactions are here and just how much time they spend with everyone. We were glad we had stopped today instead of just wandering past as we sometimes do. *

*It is feeling very hot today, but so beautiful. it feels wonderful to be walking around in December with shorts on in this heat knowing everyone back home is cold!!! Is that mean???? *














*I hate being splashed, but today the sprinkling of water was a pleasure as it just cooled us down a little now that the sun was beating down on us again...….
*














*With Me Ship The Olive being out of bounds with the refurb of Bluto ride we had to pass by one of our favourite little areas, behind the ship overlooking the lagoon where you can see the work going on for the new JP ride. So, we walked on and noticed my husbands favourite sign informing him he`ll need a vacation from his vacation is still gone and had been since September.......it`s tradition we take that image......but not today. 

Although it`s very warm, we don`t plan to do any water rides.....Kyle already feels he is a magnet to be soaked even if we remain relatively dry.....it`s true, he is!!! So, no Ripsaw Falls or JP today for us. *

*Kong is an alright ride. For me it`s a one and done every trip....and I think for my guys it`s the same, but we have to do it once. And today the EP line is the longest we have waited. The line was just beyond the Facial Recognition stop, but it moved fairly quickly. I think it was around 25 minutes till we got on the vehicle. Longer than we would usually wait, but Kyle wanted to go on it. I dreaded to think what the regular line was and according to the TM later it was at 75 minutes. *















*We didn`t go down to see the splash zone for JP today, but we did wander and take some pictures as the area is so lush and green, and very un theme park looking in so many areas. *














*We came across Universal Orlando`s latest addition to their park as we sauntered on towards Hogwarts. *

*I was howling as we approached the TM at their newest attraction at one point as we heard one man say to his wife.....I don`t understand this........lol......*






​





*The TM were brilliantly selling the exciting attraction and were thoroughly and proudly proclaiming zero accidents and zero wait time since the attraction had opened...….*
*
This little obstacle course was being enjoyed by a small child who was laughing and giggling like he was on the best ride....the TM were amazing and making a simple made up thing so much fun for everyone who participated! 
*
*We however, declined as it looked far too energetic for us........but kudos to the TM who were obviously having a lot of fun engaging with the crowds. *














*It wasn`t really this empty.......we got lucky with the picture!! We were noticing much larger crowds this trip than the previous two years.*














*Seeing Hogwarts is classic. It always impresses and just looks spectacular every time we see it. And of course for Kyle, he is just smiling......he is loving this, as we are, but I think as it`s been a year he is definitley appreciating it a little more. *















*Looking over the other side of the bridge we can see the new bridge, and this was the bridge they now have you walk over to get away from the Castle night show......but it is very wide and will hold a lot of people when it`s fully utilised in the future. *
























*We all went in to ride today, so camera was placed in locker so we just walked through and enjoyed it without stopping for pictures today. The EP line was around 15 minutes and the ride was showing 60 minutes for non express. *

*The non express line is worth walking through if you`ve never done it as you see a few things that the EP line misses out. Only if it`s relatively short though or you`re in no rush, but we like to do that a few times a year. *















*The ride was superb. It really is one of the best rides around and although today I could do it only once, we really enjoyed it. *

*Back down into Hogsmeade we could see the crowds building, it was so much busier than we are used to, but very manageable overall.......*



































*I think everyone was happy when JKR allowed Universal to decorate the Potter areas, as it does add to the whole feel of the place. And it is simply but beautifully done. Nothing garish or neon style in sight. *


































*Two years ago we had seen for the very first time, or rather Kyle spotted the doors in the tower opening and the bird coming out.......well, we hadn`t seen it happen before or since in all our visits......and to be fair, we didn`t notice this one happening either till we looked at the pictures!!*


























*But, we did manage to capture it as it happens again later in the trip. It doesn`t occur with any regularity it seems, I think we were just lucky again. *

*A wander around the back of Honeydukes also leads you to a little area not many folks venture round to. In the window you can see the large pile of dishes washing themselves in the sink with alacrity.*



































*It really is the most beautiful day and we do wander a little aimlessly around for a while soaking in the atmosphere. *
*
I can`t remember if Hagrid`s ride was open, close or down for a break.....but Kyle didn`t get to go on it today.
*
*We left Hogsmeade and wandered past the Fountain who wasn`t chatting today, may have been just a quick break, and went straight to Seuss Landing where we did plan to go on a couple of rides. *



























*Yes, we did go on the EP line for the trolley train......it wasn't too busy at around 35 minutes, but with EP we were straight to the front. Some say they manage just fine without EP, even at busy times. But, not for us. EP is invaluable to us even on quite days, or so called quiet days. For us of course, we like to sometimes spend just a couple of hours in the park, do our favourite rides and then leave.....so EP then is worth it`s weight in gold. *














*We do like this little ride. Absolutely a children`s ride, but adults enjoy it too, and we never feel out of place for not having little ones around to go on as so many without kids do the same. You can see some lovely areas of the park as you go around. *















*Circus McGurkas is very pretty from the outside, but not somewhere we`d ever eat. Food has never appealed to us at all and looks like somewhere you`d take kids to just fill a hunger pang. But, counter service never appeals much to us anyway. But, it is a gorgeous exterior and does look fun on the inside. *















*We see a line for Green Eggs and Ham today too. This food place being open is like a purple moon...very rare. We got a picture of it open a couple of years ago and someone on here told me I was wrong as it wasn't open......but, we had the picture. But, they have revamped their menu a little this year and it did look busy. I don`t think we have ever eaten anything from here. Probably never will. *



























*We came off the ride and headed down to the store below and admired the various festive options on sale. I did wish we had tried the eggnog fudge. Kyle and I aren`t really fudge fans, but I had liked the butterbeer fudge we had tried previously, but we didn`t get any. Tom likes fudge, but doesn`t like eggnog so I`m not sure what he would have made of it. *

























*I love how they have roaming characters around the parks.....and of course the Who`s are somewhat guaranteed this time of year in the Seuss area and they are amazing. Very bright colours too. *
















*And of course they love getting photo ops with everyone......and a few seconds later the others appeared and I was instructed to hold the present, but I wasn`t to keep it I was informed very politely. And the length that they can chat is amazing!!! I`m a chatterbox but these guys take it to a new level!! *

*I had no idea there was a Who that slept all the time...….as I`ve said before, in the UK generally, we weren`t introduced to Seuss till the wonderful movie with Jim Carrey. It wasn`t a popular childhood theme we knew. But these guys were fabulous and it was a fun encounter. *















*Up next......lunch.*


----------



## luvdisdogs

Your pictures of the castle light show are amazing! It's so good to see Kyle with you!


----------



## schumigirl

luvdisdogs said:


> Your pictures of the castle light show are amazing! It's so good to see Kyle with you!



Thank you so much! I’m so glad to read you enjoyed them.....will pass it on to Tom

Yes, it was just lovely having him with us.......we felt very lucky and we did make sure we enjoyed every second........


----------



## schumigirl

Just wanted to wish everyone a very happy New Year.

It’s always lovely to go through trips with you and read your lovely comments, it means such a lot.......and I hope 2020 is going to be a fabulous one for you all.......


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Happy New Year! 

Oh my, those treats look scrumptious! I am looking forward to trying some fudge, I remember last time they had some interesting varieties, and I love the butter beer 

Green Eggs and Ham?! I hope it’s still open in 10 days so we can check it out. Very interested as a novelty, but probably not a meal for us...

The Seuss colors are so brilliant! I’m looking forward to a nice wander through Hogsmeade so we can find those hidden gems ☺

The last time we were at UOR FJ and Gringotts didn’t have EP. We are so looking forward to taking advantage of it, I think we will feel comfortable sleeping in knowing we can walk onto almost any ride...great recipe for a real vacation.

Maria


----------



## KatieCharlotte

schumigirl said:


> I`m glad to hear it!!! It`ll be here before you know it.....
> 
> Yes, I get dizzy easy too, and Doom never does anything bad to me at all....it`s short, but so much fun!
> 
> The Superheroes are fabulous......although we`ve always had amazing meets with Universal Characters in both parks! It`s never just a quick picture and go.....they really do interact with guests.
> 
> (I had to go look up Loki )



I wondered if you might have to.    My older daughter is a Marvel fanatic and has taught me most of what I know.


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Happy New Year!
> 
> Oh my, those treats look scrumptious! I am looking forward to trying some fudge, I remember last time they had some interesting varieties, and I love the butter beer
> 
> Green Eggs and Ham?! I hope it’s still open in 10 days so we can check it out. Very interested as a novelty, but probably not a meal for us...
> 
> The Seuss colors are so brilliant! I’m looking forward to a nice wander through Hogsmeade so we can find those hidden gems ☺
> 
> The last time we were at UOR FJ and Gringotts didn’t have EP. We are so looking forward to taking advantage of it, I think we will feel comfortable sleeping in knowing we can walk onto almost any ride...great recipe for a real vacation.
> 
> Maria



Thank you Maria......you too........

They do have some adorable treats. Kyle has had the chocolate cupcake and said they were very good, very rich and Tom loves their fudge, so yes, you’ll be spoiled for choice!

Yes for us Green Eggs and Ham is somewhere we take a picture of, but wouldn’t make a meal for us. It seems to have got better than it was, my cousins son had something from it and said it was good......but he’s a teen who’ll eat anything!

I love all the little things that aren’t obvious at first around Potter areas, and everywhere else too. There are so many cute little things that aren’t obvious, and I love all that! Oh yes, Seuss is colourful!!

And EP is the best! You’ll be spoiled again with it......it can make such a difference to your day


----------



## schumigirl

KatieCharlotte said:


> I wondered if you might have to.    My older daughter is a Marvel fanatic and has taught me most of what I know.



lol.......I have no clue about some obvious characters and what film they come from......but that name I had never heard of at all!!!

IOA is a gem for fans of Marvel that’s for sure........


----------



## JaxDad

Happy New Decade @schumigirl!

We spent yesterday at Kennedy Space Center. Great time!


----------



## schumigirl

JaxDad said:


> Happy New Decade @schumigirl!
> 
> We spent yesterday at Kennedy Space Center. Great time!
> View attachment 461699



And a very Happy New Year to you too......  

Lovely picture!!

I can imagine how much fun you guys had yesterday.....this last trip it was again, one of our best days!

Good to see you........


----------



## I-4Bound

That weird drink is Ramune. My daughter loves it! I've been away from the report with the busyness of Christmas, so it's nice to catch up. Happy New year!


----------



## schumigirl

I-4Bound said:


> That weird drink is Ramune. My daughter loves it! I've been away from the report with the busyness of Christmas, so it's nice to catch up. Happy New year!



Happy New Year to you and yours too Andrea.......yes, the festive season can be chaotic!

Yes, it was an odd drink......I tasted it and didn’t think much of it, but didn’t get why it was so difficult to get into......apparently it’s very trendy with the marble dropping and all the trouble to get into It!! Guess I’m not trendy.....lol......

Nice to see you and glad you had a lovely time over Christmas.......


----------



## disneyAndi14

I love all the park pictures and the light show looks amazing, minus the guy napping on the ground. Some people yikes

I love Captain America and not only because he is so very brave and honorable haha! He is so handsome!

It does look busier than your usual park days, the EP is awesome, I can’t imagine being without it when it is busy. I love that perk at the Universal Deluxe resorts.

We love the trolley in the sky, I love the views you have up there and of course the Dr. Seuss rhymes.


----------



## schumigirl

disneyAndi14 said:


> I love all the park pictures and the light show looks amazing, minus the guy napping on the ground. Some people yikes
> 
> I love Captain America and not only because he is so very brave and honorable haha! He is so handsome!
> 
> It does look busier than your usual park days, the EP is awesome, I can’t imagine being without it when it is busy. I love that perk at the Universal Deluxe resorts.
> 
> We love the trolley in the sky, I love the views you have up there and of course the Dr. Seuss rhymes.



The light show is impressive! And yes, we love the parks at night and one thing I’d change about September, I’d have the parks open till 10pm regardless of crowds......lol.......yes, folks are funny! We thought he was sitting down at first to maybe tie his laces or something, then when he laid back we were astounded at first! Weird.

I‘m now a fan of Captain America........  

I don’t really think there’s such a thing as quiet times anymore......maybe a little quieter, but some days it was busier than we have ever seen it. But,yes, EP is the best!! We just wouldn’t be without it.......it completely changes your day as I couldn’t imagine waiting in some of those lines.....

The trolley train is so much fun!


----------



## angshewas

schumigirl said:


> Just wanted to wish everyone a very happy New Year.
> 
> It’s always lovely to go through trips with you and read your lovely comments, it means such a lot.......and I hope 2020 is going to be a fabulous one for you all.......



Happy 2020 to you and your family! I love reading your trip reports and have been enjoying this one too. If the stars align we may get back to Universal this year... fingers crossed.


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

You probably fell asleep watching the movie Captain America Winter Solider... It's boring... I fall asleep during it too...


----------



## schumigirl

angshewas said:


> Happy 2020 to you and your family! I love reading your trip reports and have been enjoying this one too. If the stars align we may get back to Universal this year... fingers crossed.



 angshewas........fabulous to see you again!!!


Happy New Year to you too........and thank you, I’m happy you are reading along with this one too!

And yes, fingers crossed big time you get back to Universal......I’d love to read you get another trip organised........

Again, lovely to see you here, hope things are good with you......


----------



## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> You probably fell asleep watching the movie Captain America Winter Solider... It's boring... I fall asleep during it too...



lol.......I honestly have no clue.......Tom watches them now and again, so I tried to watch......but, no, didn’t work!

I tried to watch Iron Man once as I love Robert Downey Jr, but no.....load of old nonsense to me...... they’re just not my thing.......


----------



## Elsaspiritanimal

Happy New Year!! I'm so excited I get to try out some of your tips/tricks at the end of January when I head to Universal/Disney again! I just wish you were there so I could meet the legend in person!


----------



## jnjusoioa

_I always enjoy your trip reports and this one is no different, I know you all take a lot of photos and I was just wondering, I saw a very quick little video thing somewhere of the, I believe it is the book shop in  Seuss Landing and it looks like they have a very cute setup with What Pet Should I Get, I wasn't sure if you were able to get any photo of that or not. So just thought I would check._


----------



## schumigirl

Elsaspiritanimal said:


> Happy New Year!! I'm so excited I get to try out some of your tips/tricks at the end of January when I head to Universal/Disney again! I just wish you were there so I could meet the legend in person!



And a happy new year to you too Elsaspiritanimal......

Awww......thank you, you make me blush!!! You go the end of this month!!! I forgot how close your trip was......you’ll be so excited it’s so close now.....I’m sure you’re all organised and ready to go.......


----------



## schumigirl

jnjusoioa said:


> _I always enjoy your trip reports and this one is no different, I know you all take a lot of photos and I was just wondering, I saw a very quick little video thing somewhere of the, I believe it is the book shop in  Seuss Landing and it looks like they have a very cute setup with What Pet Should I Get, I wasn't sure if you were able to get any photo of that or not. So just thought I would check._



 along jnjusoioa…….glad to see you here!!

Yes, we do take a load of pics, but I don`t believe we even went into that store this trip for some reason! I know we have done in the past, but this time we missed it. Sorry, I wish we had now......

But, hope you enjoy this one too.......


----------



## schumigirl

*Dis Daily Update thread of the day 1/03

As we left Seuss we did stop by Green Eggs and Ham just for a look, and it was busy, some folks were marvelling at the fact it was open at all as it is a rare occasion. I`m sure folks enjoyed the food, but looking at what was coming out, no it wasn`t for us. It looked like tots with just a pile of stuff on top of them, not very appealing, so I guess we still wouldn`t be trying anything from here after all. *


























*Heading out we went straight into Confisco Grille. This place is a favourite of all three of us and always has been for many years. Kyle seems to think this was the first place we ate in all those years ago on our first visit to IOA in 07......it certainly could have been. But, it is one that has never let us down and is somewhere we really look forward to going each visit. 

The restaurant is decorated fairly uniquely and is attractive, as you enter the display above has something from each of the lands in the park which is cute and unfortunately a little too high to see everything clearly. *















*There is no wait for a table which is usual here, but we have never been over Easter or Christmas when it can be busy, but this suits us just fine. *
















*Kyle orders one of two strawberry smoothies straight away and I think we both get Fantas while we decide what to eat, although I already know what I`m having. Mrs Predictable me. *
















*Once we have ordered we have some bread with the beautiful honey butter....it`s weird, I hate honey but love things with honey in the recipes like honey chicken and so on, love honey mustard dressing and honey butter. But straight honey.......*
















*Tom on the other hand absolutely loves honey......especially if the honeycomb is still in it!!! Yuk...…...*
















*Tom opts for the burger today, I`m not sure if it had bacon on it today, but it did have swiss cheese and cooked perfectly for him......*
















*Kyle ordered the plain cheese pizza.....which somehow came out with fresh tomato on it which it doesn`t usually have, I guess it depends on the chef......he just picked them off as he doesn`t like tomatoes.

But the pizza itself was delicious and he devoured it!!!! *
















*Yes, Mrs Predictable ordered those amazing ribs in a sweet and sour sauce on a bed of everything I despise.....polenta and goats cheese.....but somehow it all works beautifully together. And the ribs are as tender as any ribs we`ve ever had anywhere else. *
















*And this is one of the reasons we love this place. Food is amazing....even a simple burger is done to the highest standard.....and service is also up there with the best! 

I was asked if it is worth the money. Well, it`s not expensive to begin with, for what you get it is exceptional value. It can give most table services in Citywalk a run for their money. *

*And we know we`ll be back here again before we leave. Our waitress had spotted our AP and had already given us the discount.....we always forget to say we have an AP!!!So, we pay the check and head back out into the beautiful sunshine and it was gorgeous outside.......hot!!! *

*There really weren`t a lot of people around POE right now......*


























*And of course it`s ideal to spend some time looking around when it`s not crowded at all the little details......*















*The Christmas Store is one of the best stores in both parks......and who better to welcome you back into the store than Mr Grinch himself....*















*We aren`t buying anything today, we`ll keep that for another day, but it`s always good to look around and see what we might pick up later.....*
















*And this was one thing I knew I wanted.....it was a new product and I loved the traditional Christmas look it had......but, it was heavy, fairly heavy. I`d manage it somehow........wouldn't I??? *
























*And Kyle`s photobomb of the day........*















*Heading out the park I looked for a window I had wanted to find.... although I knew where it was, I kept forgetting to snap the image on the way out of IOA......but I got it today. 

David Codiga is the former Executive Vice President of Universal Creative and one of the Architects of IOA. More recently  he is responsible for among other things the High Roller, the world's tallest and most advanced observation wheel*
















*I do love how everything is there for a reason, however obscure and I liked the nod of respect to someone who was one of the folks responsible for this wonderful place. 

This whole area is colourful and vibrant and is like a little visual attraction on it`s own...….*














*Reluctantly we headed out but stopped to enjoy some of the most beautiful areas of Citywalk....I love this view over the waterways.  *


























*The walk back is gorgeous, and although it is incredibly hot, there is a tiny little breeze which just takes that edge of the heat. It`s almost perfect today weather wise. *

*And this is another pinch yourself moment as we see folks swimming and sun bathing, we do remind ourselves......It`s December!!!! 

This is not like any December we really recognise.......*

*But, we love it........*















*I go straight up to the room and Tom with Kyle heads down to Jake`s to get some desserts. Both for Kyle I have to say...….*

*Although we are allowed to enjoy the fruit as they are deemed unnecessary as part of a dessert. Who are we to argue...….*

*He tucks into one immediately, and decides to keep the other one for later.....although I think he could have easily demolished both right then and there. *















*We passed some time and then got freshened up with showers before Tom and I headed up to the lounge, Kyle would join us later......and I had some red wine and Tom had coffee as he was driving later. As usual we would be heading out for dinner a little later. 

I have no clue what the food was tonight, but some folks had joined the line and one was looking at me and smiling.......I smiled back thinking I do know that woman`s face, but not entirely sure....some folks are just smiley people.....but then she said we were here two years ago same time as them.......and I thought back and realised I did remember her.....and was just about to say so when her sister popped round the Christmas tree to say hello.......of course I knew them!!!!! The Australian family!!!! 

It was so lovely to meet up with them again.....we had spent a lot of time chatting two years ago and they remembered so many things we had chatted about.....and the more we spoke the more I remembered about them too......two lovely families. Sisters, with their husbands and both had two lovely children. And they had grown quite a lot in two years, but all four children were obviously lovely kids who had been well brought up, lovely manners too. We were so happy to see them again and knew we would have some lovely chats this trip again as they had just arrived and were here for two weeks before heading to Disney for another two weeks.......

It`s so funny when you meet a group of folks you have a good connection with, and we really did, so we were over the moon to meet up again!! 

They mentioned heading to the parks later, so I did say they closed early tonight.....they didn`t know, so I was glad I mentioned it, and they all headed out for a couple of hours of park time before they hit bed, as they had come an awful long way......and their flights to get to Orlando are the reason I`ll never complain about our almost 10 hour flight time again!!!!! Wow that is a journey and a half....and then some!!! And they all looked great on it too!!! I was very jealous of how fresh they looked after all those hours in the air......*
















*Seriously.....they looked fabulous!!!! .....


We then went down to get Kyle who we thought would be starving by now, but.......told us he had eaten the second chocolate cake about an hour ago......lol.....I should have known!!! We headed downstairs to go out to get the car, stopping to speak to a few folks we knew on the way out....which is always lovely. *

*Longhorn was our dinner of choice tonight. So, we drove the short distance to LBV as we do like the one there. 

The car park always looks mobbed, but we got seated immediately tonight.....it was busy but not overly so. *

*I ordered a long pour Malbec as I had already had some red wine in the lounge, Kyle ordered a strawberry smoothy and Tom a plain old lemonade. *














*My salad arrived incredibly quickly!!! And, they had got it right with no onions......and honey mustard dressing here is lovely...…quite thick though. *


























*Kyle was looking forward to this......his first of two. As well as chocolate cake Kyle did love these drinks. *
















*Ordering food tonight was easy........steaks all round. We are always amazed how good a quality of steak you get for a reasonable price in these places.......around $25 each on average, but they taste more than alright for that price. 

I had gone for the smaller of the filets with a sweet potato.......and medium rare of course. *















*Tom went for the sirloin which for some reason they brought his fries on a separate plate tonight. *















*Kyle had asked for his medium and he had opted for the larger of the filets.......and his was perfect too. *
















*So, that leaves Tom. Who`s steak was far from perfect. 

It was completely cooked through with not a drop of pink never mind red, and was lacking any juiciness whatsoever. We called over our very nice waiter and showed him the steak who immediately said that`s not medium.........he apologised and said they`d do him another one. 

It came back a few minutes later.......completely overdone again. Were they serious!!! Our waiter came back expecting smiles all round...…nope, maybe try again. He didn`t know what to say as it was clearly overdone again.......

At that the manager came over and apologised but did say the steak temp was perfect for medium...…really!!! No.....if it was perfect it would have been medium. He then went on to say how it was such a good cut of meat and what a shame it was wasted.......now, I felt he was suggesting Tom was being unreasonable.....which he wasn`t. So, I told him we had eaten here many times over the years and knew how good the steaks were, but those were overdone. By now Kyle and I had finished our meals. We do like to eat together, but not tonight. 

The third steak came back, accompanied by the manager too. It did look better, but really wasn`t the standard we are used to here. He ate a little less than half and then our plates were cleared. Our waiter noticed he had barely touched it, but didn`t say anything. *

*Normally, I`d say we`ll go somewhere else for dessert if we`ve had a poor or unsatisfactory meal, but.......they have the Chocolate Stampede dessert which we knew Kyle was extremely keen to enjoy!!!! *

*So we ordered it and asked for three spoons......I do enjoy the ice cream off this dessert......that`s the only part I like..........this dessert is incredibly chocolatey, incredibly rich and incredibly large!!!! *
















*They completely devoured it! Although I did help with the beautiful ice cream......and Kyle had the biggest smile on his face as he wiped his mouth when he was done!! It was a little disconcerting watching them both destroy the plate filled with indulgence......Kyle actually showed his dad where the split was and what share he could have......lol......*

*We got the check and our waiter had taken Tom`s meal off the final tally which was the only thing they could do really. But, we still tipped on the full amount as our waiter was excellent. The manager, not so much. We hadn`t seen him before tonight. 

This was unusual for this Longhorn. Out of all our many meals here, we had never sent one back and they certainly had never taken three attempts before. It was quite disappointing but more so because we didn`t eat together. *

*Back in the car, we headed back home and parked the car and walked up to the hotel. We did think of heading into Orchids or Jake`s for a drink, but to be honest we were all ready for bed. 

So, up we went and we did put one of the TV`s on for a while, but there wasn`t much on. I opened our drapes a little and looked down to the now empty pool.....I doubted very much we would make the pool this trip....especially at night. I hadn`t even brought a costume with me, but they had just in case. *

*We went through to bed and again, we were out like lights before we knew it. Kyle said he watched tv for maybe 10 minutes before he too fell asleep. *


*Tomorrow we had a Mall visit and a Dis Meet.........*


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Omg, Carole -- did you see that you made the Dis Daily Updates email?! This thread is one people are encouraged to read!  I have to go back and read, but wanted to be sure you knew you are popular and recognized!!


Maria


----------



## RoliePolieColie

Happy New Year Carole, Tom and Kyle!!!  I'm sure you have said already, but when will you be visiting in May?  My husband, son and I will be staying at RPR May 8th-May13th.


----------



## Cara

Happy New Year! I am here and enjoying your report! 

Unfortunately, neither my February/March 50th birthday Disney trip with my family nor my June conference tagalong trip with my husband (to include Universal) will happen this year. I was diagnosed with breast cancer last month and will be undergoing treatment this year. So vacations are not in my immediate future! I'm looking ahead to 2021 though and will live vicariously through your great reports! Will you all be returning with Kyle next December?


----------



## J'aime Paris

Cara said:


> Happy New Year! I am here and enjoying your report!
> 
> Unfortunately, neither my February/March 50th birthday Disney trip with my family nor my June conference tagalong trip with my husband (to include Universal) will happen this year. I was diagnosed with breast cancer last month and will be undergoing treatment this year. So vacations are not in my immediate future! I'm looking ahead to 2021 though and will live vicariously through your great reports! Will you all be returning with Kyle next December?


Best wishes for your treatment...kick cancer's butt!!!!


----------



## I-4Bound

[/QUOTE]


Cara said:


> Happy New Year! I am here and enjoying your report!
> 
> Unfortunately, neither my February/March 50th birthday Disney trip with my family nor my June conference tagalong trip with my husband (to include Universal) will happen this year. I was diagnosed with breast cancer last month and will be undergoing treatment this year. So vacations are not in my immediate future! I'm looking ahead to 2021 though and will live vicariously through your great reports! Will you all be returning with Kyle next December?



Just said a little prayer for your speedy recovery!❤


----------



## Tink2Day

Yum the food at Confisco Grille all looks so yummy!!
Uhhh okay, what was with the Tots?  Tots a hundred ways?

Question about the Christmas Store, we didn't go in when we were there, does it have an aroma of Cinnamon?  I usually stay away since I'm allergic but the store looks so special.

Hope you got your Christmas 'lantern' ,  I have two of them, one with Santa and one with the Christmas Carolers. They are so pretty.

I rode the High Roller in Vegas at night.  It was spectacular.

Such a shame about Tom's steak! I have the exact opposite problem, I can never get mine cooked enough!   
That dessert looks so decadent.....I think I've lost track of Kyle's chocolate cake count.  

Looks like you all had a blast so far. Kyle looks so happy and of course you and especially Tom always look happy.


----------



## macraven

Worfiedoodles said:


> Omg, Carole -- did you see that you made the Dis Daily Updates email?! This thread is one people are encouraged to read!  I have to go back and read, but wanted to be sure you knew you are popular and recognized!!
> View attachment 462208
> 
> Maria


I hope she did as I titled it to catch readers eyes for it


----------



## smiths02

I've said this before, but putting Confisco on the list for sure!
Sorry about Longhorn.  We prefer Outback.  While $25 is not much for a steak out, it is too much to be cooked well wrong!


----------



## angryduck71

I am reliving my recent trip through you again!    Kyle and I have such similar tastes!  Chocolate cake and strawberry smoothies -- I could live on them!


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

And just like that, Kyle's chocolate cake count is 5, 6 and now 7!!!  And I'm thinking this is just day two of your trip... That boy really loves his chocolate cake!!!

Ok, how does the chef overcook 3 steaks??? First one was a mistake, 2nd one was his fault, 3rd one is because he's an idiot!!! If anything, that 3rd one should have come out under cooked!!! Glad they didn't charge you for Tom's steak.


----------



## jnjusoioa

schumigirl said:


> along jnjusoioa…….glad to see you here!!
> 
> Yes, we do take a load of pics, but I don`t believe we even went into that store this trip for some reason! I know we have done in the past, but this time we missed it. Sorry, I wish we had now......
> 
> But, hope you enjoy this one too.......


_I am sure I will enjoy it, your pictures and the way you write are always so awesome!!!_


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Omg, Carole -- did you see that you made the Dis Daily Updates email?! This thread is one people are encouraged to read!  I have to go back and read, but wanted to be sure you knew you are popular and recognized!!
> View attachment 462208
> 
> Maria



I didn't actually 

I never signed up for the daily emails......I had never noticed there was such a thing!!! I have now though.....lol......

But, how lovely......thanks for letting me know, I`d have had no idea otherwise...….


----------



## schumigirl

RoliePolieColie said:


> Happy New Year Carole, Tom and Kyle!!!  I'm sure you have said already, but when will you be visiting in May?  My husband, son and I will be staying at RPR May 8th-May13th.



 along RoliePolieColie, and a Happy new Year to you too......good to see you again......

Yes, we`ll be there then  although we are at Sapphire for our May trip, but we do spend a lot of time over at RP.....we`ll have to say a quick hello at some point......that would be lovely...….


----------



## schumigirl

Cara said:


> Happy New Year! I am here and enjoying your report!
> 
> Unfortunately, neither my February/March 50th birthday Disney trip with my family nor my June conference tagalong trip with my husband (to include Universal) will happen this year. I was diagnosed with breast cancer last month and will be undergoing treatment this year. So vacations are not in my immediate future! I'm looking ahead to 2021 though and will live vicariously through your great reports! Will you all be returning with Kyle next December?



along Cara..…..

Oh I`m so sorry to read your update! What an awful time you must have been having getting the diagnosis. 

I know we and everyone here will wish you well......and yes, kick cancer in the butt!!! Please don`t be a stranger, even by pm.....we`ll be thinking of you and wish you nothing but positivity and health and of course prayers for a healthier future........

Yes, we hope to get back towards the end of the year with Kyle.....looking at last two weeks in November maybe this time......but, we haven`t decided yet exact dates.......

Take care Cara.......


----------



## schumigirl

J'aime Paris said:


> Best wishes for your treatment...kick cancer's butt!!!!






Just said a little prayer for your speedy recovery!❤
[/QUOTE]


Absolutely ladies...….


----------



## schumigirl

Tink2Day said:


> Yum the food at Confisco Grille all looks so yummy!!
> Uhhh okay, what was with the Tots?  Tots a hundred ways?
> 
> Question about the Christmas Store, we didn't go in when we were there, does it have an aroma of Cinnamon?  I usually stay away since I'm allergic but the store looks so special.
> 
> Hope you got your Christmas 'lantern' ,  I have two of them, one with Santa and one with the Christmas Carolers. They are so pretty.
> 
> I rode the High Roller in Vegas at night.  It was spectacular.
> 
> Such a shame about Tom's steak! I have the exact opposite problem, I can never get mine cooked enough!
> That dessert looks so decadent.....I think I've lost track of Kyle's chocolate cake count.
> 
> Looks like you all had a blast so far. Kyle looks so happy and of course you and especially Tom always look happy.



Confisco really is amazing.....can`t recommend it highly enough!! Yes, Tots everywhere......lol.....not a fan of them particularly with toppings after getting a dreadful meal at Toothsome with them...….yuk.......

Yes, it does have cinnamon in the scent, and it`s quite noticeable and seems to be the prominent scent to me. The other Christmas store in the Studios has the same aroma when you go in. I do remember you mention the allergy before......yes, the store is lovely, but with such an allergy, not worth a visit. 

We did get the decoration!!! Never been to Vegas......it`s kind of in the plans, but not yet, maybe one day! 

If you liked well done steak, those were the ones for you! No excuses.....it`s one thing with food we are fussy about.....well, there`s more than one thing I guess....lol.....yes, his cake count is getting up there so far...….yes, we were having such a lovely time......


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> I hope she did as I titled it to catch readers eyes for it





I didn`t!! I just mentioned in a previous post, I had no idea there was such a thing......I had seen you mention Daily Dis Update when the SAN thread was mentioned, but guessed it was something I just hadn't seen on the page......guess I should have asked!!!


----------



## schumigirl

smiths02 said:


> I've said this before, but putting Confisco on the list for sure!
> Sorry about Longhorn.  We prefer Outback.  While $25 is not much for a steak out, it is too much to be cooked well wrong!



I think you`d enjoy it.....plenty of choices for most tastes......

Yes, that was a shame about the steak, we`ll go back there though as hopefully it`s a one of. Yes, price shouldn't matter.....you just expect a decent meal. 

We used to go to several Outback`s many moons ago, but one or two less than perfect steaks and poor service moved us to Longhorn. Although we do tell everyone not to go to the one on I Drive.....far too touristy!!


----------



## schumigirl

angryduck71 said:


> I am reliving my recent trip through you again!    Kyle and I have such similar tastes!  Chocolate cake and strawberry smoothies -- I could live on them!



lol......he certainly made the most he could of cake and smoothies!! I wish I liked chocolate cake.....although I think Kyle is secretly glad I`m not a fan!!!


----------



## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> And just like that, Kyle's chocolate cake count is 5, 6 and now 7!!!  And I'm thinking this is just day two of your trip... That boy really loves his chocolate cake!!!
> 
> Ok, how does the chef overcook 3 steaks??? First one was a mistake, 2nd one was his fault, 3rd one is because he's an idiot!!! If anything, that 3rd one should have come out under cooked!!! Glad they didn't charge you for Tom's steak.



lol......is it really!!!! Yes, he is a massive chocolate cake fan!! Big chocolate fan too.......

Yes, how one gets steak wrong so many times is beyond me!!! He did expect the last one to be far too rare to eat......lol.....we love cooking steak at home and we do cook it well, but we do love enjoying good steak that's been cooked for us.....but not tonight for Tom! Well, I guess we had a good run there.......we`ll still go back though and try it again though...….although once more is the limit!!


----------



## schumigirl

jnjusoioa said:


> _I am sure I will enjoy it, your pictures and the way you write are always so awesome!!!_



Thank you so much!!! 

I`ll give Tom the credit for the majority of the pictures......lol......


----------



## schumigirl

*MONDAY DECEMBER 2ND*​





*I think we all slept amazingly well last night. I had got up for the bathroom around 2am and Kyle said he never heard me come through....so I guess he was out for the count. I hadn't heard him move around when I woke up this morning, so guessed he`d still be sleeping, and we had no rush to get up this morning as we weren't doing a park today and planned to take it easy and chill a little. *

*When I did go through, Kyle didn't look great!!! Now, those who have read over the years know that around the 3rd or 4th day Kyle kind of has a day where he doesn't feel brilliant......and today it seemed would be that day. It was just a headache…...and spoilers.....he was fine next day. 

We got showered and Kyle took some painkillers and he went back to sleep while we went up for breakfast. I said we`d bring him some food back and would take our time so he could sleep a little longer. He really wanted to go to the Mall at Millenia today as he planned to buy himself a present. But, we could rearrange if he wasn't feeling better. *

*Breakfast was nice, we chatted away to a few folks and some of the staff, really to pass some time. We took Kyle some food and he had showered and got dressed in the time we`d been goone. He didn`t look his usual healthy slef, but did feel better, certainly ok to go to the Mall. 

We took the plates back up to the lounge and grabbed some water, then when we were ready, we went down to the front desk area where we saw some familiar faces too from front desk. Daniel who if he`s ever checked you in you`d remember him......he is very vivacious and so friendly. He was the man who serenaded me on my birthday.....so we said hello to a few folks and introduced Kyle to the ones who hadn`t met him before and had a chat to Kayla too which was lovely.....then we wanted to have a look in Tuk Tuk which did look good. It is an excellent addition to the hotel and a fabulous option for grab and go which had been lacking here. *



























*We had a quick look at the new Orchids which does divide opinion. We really like it, and once the chandelier is in place, it`ll look even better. *






































*And as thankfully there were no smokers outside, we had a wander out to look at the elephants and noticed it was still quite warm today....it had been forecast to change today and become much cooler. But, it didn't feel too bad.*
















*The Mall at Millenia is a ten to fifteen minute drive and as we go the Vineland route, we pass the Porsche showroom where Kyle mentions he`d like a wander in to have a look at what they have one day, we have gone in on a previous visit so we guessed he`d like a mooch too.....I`m sure we`ll manage it sometime. *

*The Mall parking lot isn`t busy this morning so we get parked fairly close and head inside to see the lovely tree they have on display......*







































*Their decorations are quite understated and very pretty...….and of course tasteful. The ones around Father Christmas are almost modern in feel, but still very colourful. *















*We go straight to the top of the Mall as Kyle wanted a new battery for one of his watches, then we had a wander around and headed into the Mont Blanc store as Kyle wanted to buy himself a pen from here. He had bought a wallet last December from them and it was a lovely wallet, so a pen was to be his next purchase. 

I didn`t like the man who had sold him the wallet last year, nothing wrong with him, but just not my cup of tea.....so I was glad to see it was a very nice young lady this time. He had looked online and did have an idea of which ones he wanted to look at, so he asked to try the various ones he was interested in and had a go to see how they felt writing. *

*It didn`t take long and he picked the one he wanted. He did plan to have it very delicately engraved, but it was cutting it fine for it to be back before we left as they don't do that engraving instore, so we said we`d bring it back in May and get it done then. So, he happily paid for his new pen and we decided it was time for lunch. *
















*I knew Kyle wasn`t his usual when he decided not to have Linda`s Chocolate Fudge Cake for lunch today...…..very unusual...….so we went up to the food court and we didn't take any pictures but we all had a Firehouse Sub and then I went to Bath and Body Works and stocked up a fair few items for myself and others too......I didn't buy everything today, but it would give me an idea of what I still needed to buy. 

As Kyle still had a headache we left to go back home at that point. There was no point wandering around for no reason, especially as he had his purchase. *
*
We were just in the room when the door was knocked and we had an amenity delivered........
*
*It was the movie package and the card had been sent from all our friends at the front desk......how lovely!!! A little tray full of goodies and a voucher to watch a movie free of charge. You hand the voucher over at check out and the cost is removed......we would enjoy that!!! And little touches like that are so appreciated. *
















*Kyle was examining his purchase and I had put all the Bath and Body products straight in the suitcases......but Kyle was very pleased with his gift to himself. 
*


























*It is a lovely pen and writes beautifully. He does have several nicer pens, but this is one he has looked at for a while. *
*
Kyle wanted to sleep, so we went up to the lounge to sit for a while to give him a decent sleep. We can always pass time easily up there, and there were a few newer members of staff we could chat to today, it`s nice to get to know them, so that's what we did for the rest of the afternoon. *
















*We were eating in Orchids Sushi Bar tonight for dinner, but we did have a look at what was on offer......it was Mexican Night, so pulled pork with a load of accompaniments......there are also tortilla chips and sour cream not pictured. 
*


































































































*We sat for a while and chatted to our Australian friends and caught up with what they had been doing which was nice, they asked if we were coming back up later, we said no we were having dinner downstairs then meeting a Dis Friend for drinks, but we`d see them tomorrow. The dessert hour is one we very rarely make.....maybe around three times have we ventured up at that time. But, it is nice sometimes to just sit and chat. 

We went down to see how Kyle was eventually, and although he was awake, he said he didn`t feel like coming down to dinner and see Lori with us, so Tom went down to Jake`s and got him a chicken noodle soup. Chicken noodle soup solves all!!!! *

*Tom wasn`t long with the soup, and the girl in Jake`s knew us and said she hoped he felt better soon......and said if he needed anything else, just let them know and they`d get whatever he wanted. 

Kyle was going to watch The Grinch while we were gone and told us to have a good evening with Lori who is J`aime Paris on the boards. I think he`d have liked to have met her, but when you just don`t feel great it`s best to just make yourself comfy. *
*
The Sushi lounge looks much cosier at night than it does during the day I have to say.......it still has that warm feeling and although there are a load of new waiters, the kitchen team are the same with Chef Dan at the helm. 
*
*We choose a table and order a bottle of red wine before perusing the menu......it is almost identical with only a couple of new additions. We opt to have some Miso soup first which we both love. This was the first time we`d had it here and it was excellent. *






































*We decided to have the Dynamite Roll and the newer Tropical Roll, which I believe used to be one of their more popular specials, so I was glad to see it was still there. *















*The food was so good!! I think we could eat here every night and never tire of the food! *

*It really is a step above and the standards are always of the highest calibre. We see Danielle who we knew from Sapphire. Fernando always spoke highly about her and had told us she was here now and to look her up if we went across......but she saw us first and came over to chat immediately......such a lovely girl. 

At that Lori appeared and it was so lovely to see her again. We had met up on a previous trip over at Strong water, and we were delighted to find we would be here at the same time again. That was a definite meet up!!! *

*Lori ordered her drink and when the waiter asked if we wanted dessert we all said yes we would.....Tom and I usually have the deep fried cheesecake, but decided tonight it would be too much, even to share, so I asked for the Key Lime cheesecake in a mason jar, and Lori had a dish that had gingered pear....or something like that with meringue on top. We also ordered Kyle a flourless chocolate cake which Tom took up to the room for him.....he did enjoy it. *
















*Lori`s was lovely......I would order that one again, but mine wasn't the nicest. The key lime part had a strange texture, more like blancmange than cheesecake. I didn`t finish it. *
















*The hours passed so quickly again.......we chatted and laughed the evening away and it was a surprise when we finally saw how late it was! I wondered why they were clearing up around us......lol...…we weren't the last folks in, but almost. *
*
Our evening with Lori had been so much fun and we were glad we could manage another meet up. It`s nice when dates align with folks you want to meet up with. 
*
*And of course we had to get a picture of us all together......last time we met, we had forgotten to ask someone to take one of us altogether, and as there was practically no one around.....Tom managed a selfie. *
















*It was nice Lori was staying here, convenient being in the one hotel with no need for cabs to another,  so we said our goodnights at that point, and we headed back up to our room. 

Kyle was sound asleep when we went in, so we tried to be as quiet as possible as we went to the bathroom as quickly and as quietly as we could before going through to our room and climbing into bed. *
*
It had been a funny day. We hadn`t really done much during the day, but we had enjoyed a lovely evening. The next couple of days were forecast to be cold......quite cold. So, we planned to avoid the parks while it was as cold. We really are wimps when it comes to cold....well mainly me!!! 


*
*Tomorrow.......Mario Andretti Driving Experience. *


----------



## jump00

Happy New Year Carole!!!! Congratulations on being featured (I didn’t know this existed as well). Well deserved.  Having a lovely time reading your trip report.  Kyle and his dad look like they are having a fabulous time together.  Your pictures and commentary are excellent -  I’ve been taking lots of notes for our upcoming trip in August.


----------



## schumigirl

jump00 said:


> Happy New Year Carole!!!! Congratulations on being featured (I didn’t know this existed as well). Well deserved.  Having a lovely time reading your trip report.  Kyle and his dad look like they are having a fabulous time together.  Your pictures and commentary are fabulous-  I’ve been taking lots of notes for our upcoming trip in August.



And a Happy New Year to you too Brenda.......

lol.....Yes, I learned something new today too!!! 

Thank you......I`m so glad you`re enjoying reading along, yes, we all had a blast together, but it`s extra nice for Tom to have a man around and do the rides with him as I tend to wimp out after doing the Hulk once or twice, where Kyle and him can keep going around and around...….

I had a blast just watching them


----------



## J'aime Paris

Tom did a great job getting the three of us in the selfie!  
It was a wonderful evening that passed too quickly....always a fun time seeing you both!
And I'm glad that Kyle was better the following day.


----------



## schumigirl

J'aime Paris said:


> Tom did a great job getting the three of us in the selfie!
> It was a wonderful evening that passed too quickly....always a fun time seeing you both!
> And I'm glad that Kyle was better the following day.



Thanks Lori, he really was back to normal in the morning. I think it takes him a few days for the jet lag to hit him......lol.....delayed reaction!! 

It was a lovely night, we really enjoyed it....I think it was around 12.30 am when we said goodnight!!! Time really did fly


----------



## Cara

schumigirl said:


> along Cara..…..
> 
> Oh I`m so sorry to read your update! What an awful time you must have been having getting the diagnosis.
> 
> I know we and everyone here will wish you well......and yes, kick cancer in the butt!!! Please don`t be a stranger, even by pm.....we`ll be thinking of you and wish you nothing but positivity and health and of course prayers for a healthier future........
> 
> Yes, we hope to get back towards the end of the year with Kyle.....looking at last two weeks in November maybe this time......but, we haven`t decided yet exact dates.......
> 
> Take care Cara.......


Thank you! I'll be following along and living vicariously through your wonderful trip reports that never fail to make me smile!


----------



## Worfiedoodles

I’m so sorry Kyle was feeling poorly — sometimes you just need that recovery  day to tackle the rest of your trip. You know Kyle isn’t himself when he’s passing on 

It sounds like you and Lori had such a wonderful evening! Really glad you were able to meet up and spend time together.


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

Sounds like you had a nice relaxing day.

Glad Kyle is feeling better!!! It's no fun being sick on vacation.

And now Kyle's chocolate cake count is at 8.


----------



## schumigirl

Cara said:


> Thank you! I'll be following along and living vicariously through your wonderful trip reports that never fail to make me smile!



Thank you...…..I`m so glad to hear that......

Always sending best wishes....


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> I’m so sorry Kyle was feeling poorly — sometimes you just need that recovery  day to tackle the rest of your trip. You know Kyle isn’t himself when he’s passing on
> 
> It sounds like you and Lori had such a wonderful evening! Really glad you were able to meet up and spend time together.



Yes, to see him not want chocolate cake is definitely an unusual occurrence...…..lol......and I think a good rest with some sleep and Chef`s chicken noodle soup worked wonders. 

Yes, we did have a lovely evening, but went far too quickly.....


----------



## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> Sounds like you had a nice relaxing day.
> 
> Glad Kyle is feeling better!!! It's no fun being sick on vacation.
> 
> And now Kyle's chocolate cake count is at 8.



lol.....8 really!!!! Oh my goodness......and to think he only put on around 2lbs the whole trip!!!! Unlike us......  

He was brand new next day, it`s funny how he always has that one blip, but thankfully doesn't last long! And even when we don`t do much, we still enjoy every second...….


----------



## schumigirl

*TUESDAY DECEMBER 3RD*​




*I didn't sleep as well last night, I kept thinking I was hearing Kyle up and down, but I must have been imagining it as he slept amazingly well. He hadn't heard us come in at all, which was quite astonishing as at home he hears a pin drop......he had been the same last year when we had dinner with Mr and Mrs Keishashadow…..we got home after midnight and had to go through the sitting area hoping not to disturb him, but again, never heard a thing. 

He was bright as a button today and raring to go. No parks today as it was cold. Really cold, although the sun was lovely which took away from just how cold it was. Now, I`m sure there will be folks who will say...oh it wasn't that bad.....and it probably wasn't.....but cold weather is not for us and each to their own. *
*
We were pleased he was feeling much better, he even looked a million times better and after we sat down to watch some of those terrifying medical ads again, we each took our turn in the shower and headed up for breakfast, together today. 
*
*It was fairly quiet this morning and we noticed the new pastries that are available for breakfast. They`re bigger and have more flavour and seemed to be just better......*




































*I enjoyed a couple........just try them of course.......I had been asked to give our opinion on them, so wanted to give them the best try I could.......  *

*They were delicious, and a big improvement on the other ones, which seemed fine at the time. But, they do constantly look to where they can improve and listen to guest feedback. So I did give them a positive review!!! 

Kyle enjoyed his usual cereal and of course the lounge offers many food options for breakfast. Various meats, fruits, fresh and diced, boiled eggs, oatmeal, cinnamon bun, assorted pastries and muffins, croissants, yoghurts, bread of various types, muffins, croissants, bagels and assorted preserves and butter, several cereal choices and the usual teas, coffee, juices and water. *

*They also cater well for allergies and can accommodate things like different milks, gluten free to name a few......but I`d always suggest contacting them before you arrive to let them know. They do amazingly well with all sorts of allergies. So, breakfast for us is a fabulous start for the day. And all with a smile and a chat from the staff. 

We chat to our Australian friends again today, which is always a lovely way to start the day......they`re talking MiB with Kyle and Tom who are excellent......and later in the trip one will be asking Kyle advice on how to whoop the others......lol......nice families. *

*But, once breakfast is done, we head back to the room before heading out. We have a bunch of British chocolate to hand in to the front desk too, so we pop down with that and we hand it to Daniel who is there, he always comes out to say hello. I also thank them for the lovely surprise of the movie amenity......it was so nice of them. We chat a little longer and then we head outside to get the car. 

It is cool outside. In the sun it`s not too bad, it`s quite pleasant, but the wind is cold, and I`m glad we all have hoodies on. *
*
We drive down Universal Blvd to where the Andretti driving Experience is.....we had passed this many times and wondered why we hadn't done it before......they have a bowling alley and many, many arcade games too. As we were early, we hoped there wouldn't be too many folks around and no waits to get on the cars. 
*
*The parking lot was almost deserted, it opened at 10am and we were there for then so were among the first in, not that there were many coming in with us. *















*It is a typical arcade inside......although there were no people around, the music is loud and brash as most arcades are I guess. There were a few men came in and played the games as we roamed around before paying to do the cars. I`m not an arcade person at all. *
















*Now, when I saw the Winery......I wished it was later in the day......*
















































*I guess if you love arcade games and all that goes with it, you`d love it here and kids would be amused all day if need be! *
*
Tom and Kyle were doing the cars today....I was sitting out due to my back not feeling great today......I was managing the rides but didn't think this would be the best idea for me. Plus I think three competitive folks out there might not be the best thing!!!!
*
*So I would take the pictures...….*














*They have a track for adults and one for much smaller kids.....those cars are very small!! But, so is the track*














*The one for bigger kids looks decent, but due to the track layout you can`t really see them driving around except for the start and end part, but you can hear them!!! *



























*They go into a briefing room where they are fitted with safety helmets and instructed not to bash each other off the tracks...…lol......and then they`re ready to go get strapped into the vehicle. *



























*And they were off!!!! *

*They did 7 laps around and I could see and feel the competitiveness coming out from them!!!! They are both incredibly competitive and don`t try to hide it....so I could imagine the frustration of one when the other was in front......

I took a lot of pictures of them driving but they were going so fast all the images looked too blurry......so I stopped and just enjoyed watching them. They said the first lap the cars seemed slower, so I think they turn it up when they see the folks can handle the speed.....I don't know that for certain of course, but it makes sense as they said the next lap was noticeably faster. *

*They finished the first set and had to come out the car and get back in for the second run of laps. *














*For the second set, I left and wandered around to see what was in the place. And it does look to be a fun place if you like that sort of thing. 

I went and sat down by the bar area which looked lovely.....I imagined this place could be very busy on evenings. *
*
It wasn`t too long before they came out with massive grins on their faces......they had loved the driving. I can`t remember what the cost was but it wasn`t expensive and they did think it was so much fun. 
*
*Kyle said we should have a couple of games of Ten Pin Bowling, and we had plenty of time, so why not.....he loves bowling. We hadn't bowled for ages, and Kyle definitely had an advantage as he had gone bowling with a couple of girls from work a few weeks before...….that was our justification for when he whooped us later!!!! *

























*It`s not huge as bowling alleys go, but it`s decent and we did look forward to this. *
*
I am a rubbish bowler. Completely rubbish. Tom is decent and so is Kyle, so I knew there was no way in heck I`d win this! 
*
*I didn`t do well, so spent a lot of time sitting watching them as I gave up quickly......so I looked at the bar menu and I have to say it did look good with some lovely sounding dishes on it. I don't know anyone who has eaten here, so I have no idea if it`s as good as it looked. *





































*They did well. *

























*They each had a fair few strikes......and right now I forget who won, but had to completely impartial of course .......but it was good fun and we would definitely do it again. Especially if it was going to be this quiet. 

Andretti place was good, and I`d definitely recommend anyone who loves arcades and bowling would enjoy it a lot. The staff were nice too. *
*
It was almost lunchtime by now, and we were all a bit peckish......but we didn`t plan to eat here........
*
*Yes, we were going to the Cheesecake Factory!!!! *


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Ooh, that does look like fun! If we wind up with a cold or rainy day (totally possible in January), I'm going to suggest we visit so my guys can drive and we can all bowl! Looks like you had a wonderful time! And I have to say, I do appreciate the RPR lounge photos. My husband doesn't do bread or many carbs, so he needs to see that there are things for him to eat as well.  I wasn't able to book it for this trip (maybe when we check in), but I'll be stalking it for a trip later this year, not sure yet if we're going in June, September or late Nov/Dec., but we're getting annual passes so I know we're coming at least one more time in 2020!

I keep forgetting to mention how much I enjoy all your photos with the beautiful Christmas trees. Those are what make the holiday trips just shine! 

Now I have a question for you or anyone else reading along with experience -- I have been tasked with finding a place on I-Drive for us to eat lunch on arrival day. We're looking for something relatively light -- sandwiches, salad, soup -- at a sit down place that is also quick but not fast food... 

TIA!
Maria


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

schumigirl said:


> lol.....8 really!!!! Oh my goodness......and to think he only put on around 2lbs the whole trip!!!! Unlike us......



I think I've gained 2 pounds just reading about all the chocolate cake he ate!!!  

That Andretti place looks like a lot of fun! We love driving go-carts!  But we're not good bowlers at all...


----------



## schumigirl

*CONTINUED........




Heading outside in the sun it is cool, but the heat from the sun our faces was pleasant all the same. But, when we turn the corner to get to the car, the very cool wind hits us and we are glad we`re not doing the park today. *

*In the car we drive to the Mall at Millenia. But before we turn off we pass the newest Universal hotel that will be opening in March this year, ahead of schedule buy a decent amount. 

It is huge. Massive. The first phase is only half of what will be available for guests. When complete Dockside will have 2050 rooms and suites and all for a value price. It`s absolutely aimed towards people staying longer and seeing Universal as a destination rather than just a place you spare one or two days while visiting the other parks in the area. There already is a massive upturn in people having longer stays with Endless Summer and Cabana Bay, so this will only add to their numbers. But.....it is a behemoth of a hotel. *

*This is the first phase that will open in March......*

























*We turn onto the I-4 as the exit is here, and it is getting better.....I think!!!! Very slow progress overall and it`s still like wacky races driving on it, but not being peak times today, we are at least moving along. Somedays it feels like a parking lot, so if we can avoid it, we usually do. 

Five minutes later, we parked easily and went inside for lunch and surprisingly we all felt incredibly hungry today. There was a short wait for a table, so we admired the delicacies on offer in the chilled cabinets. *

*Although desserts aren't my favourite thing, the cheesecakes on offer are ridiculously tempting....and the celebration cheesecake had caught our eye. Most of them are too sweet for me, although Tom could have devoured any of them......except the peppermint bark one.....none of us would eat that. And probably not the pumpkin either......but the vast majority would be more than acceptable...….*


























*And then of course is the main reason we are here today...…….*















*We are called for our table and order our drinks immediately so we can peruse this huge, huge menu......although Kyle doesn`t even bother looking....he knows what he`s having. *

*He orders a fruit smoothy, Tom gets a mango one and I go for their strawberry lemonade which is gorgeous here. *

























*Our waitress brings us bread, but none of us touch it today.....it`s quite hard bread and not the nicest, so it`s easy to pass on. She also checked again Kyle wanted his cake with the entrees and not later.....oh yes!!! *















*Tom opted for a simple pepperoni flatbread with added spice of some kind, I forget what it was he could add, so he did and said it was lovely. It did look a little well fired, but he said it was so tasty.......*
















*I went for the chicken piccata, which came with fries separately today. I had never tried it from here for some reason, and did order the lunch size as I know how large their portions are. *

*This was beautiful. It was even nicer than Vivo`s which I thought was excellent. It was creamy, lemony and the chicken had been cooked perfectly. *














*And of course......the star of lunch.*


























*That is one happy young man!!!! *

*We should have taken a picture of the immaculately scraped plate when he was done...….he had so enjoyed it and it was a joy to see him savour and taste every single piece. 

There was a couple sat to the side of us who were at a table for two.....they weren`t chatting much I had noticed......then after their food was removed, around five employees appeared with a birthday dessert with a lit candle and began to sing Happy Birthday to the man......his wife took pictures while he looked less than impressed. He did have a look of a man who was chewing a wasp!!!! Guess he wasn't as impressed with his birthday surprise as most folks would be!!! He did almost smile and say thank you to the staff when they were done.....then he went back to quite annoyed looking......lol......it takes all sorts I guess. 

We were full. Completely full, but we did get a slice of the celebration cheesecake and Linda`s too take away with us. I`m not sure I`d actually eat much of it, but it looked nice. I knew for a fact Kyle would enjoy his second slice either today or tomorrow....*
















*Outside, it was warmer and the sun was gorgeous.....but although I had taken my fleecy off, it wasn't as warm as I`d have liked. But, it was such a beautiful day. *















*We went into Best Buys for a wander around and to just have a look at what was on offer. We have bought many items from here and they`ve never disappointed. We didn`t stay long as we just didn`t see anything today. 

We also went into the Porsche Showroom. They didn't have our vehicle exactly, but close enough and there`s always several differences between the UK and the US versions of cars. And we wandered upstairs where they have many, many more cars including a few rather unusual ones......one  salesmen was happy to wander round with us even though he knew we were just looking for fun. It was quiet though. And there were some lovely little cars...….

After a while we headed back home, the day had gone past so quickly we couldn't quite believe it was 3.30!  Back up in the room, we freshened up, then Tom and I went up to the lounge for a while. Kyle was going to watch some tv sports show and would be ready for us later, we weren't going out for dinner till after 7ish. So, up to the lounge and we were thrilled to see our friend come up to find us as he was back today!!! Always a pleasure seeing him, and we had a fabulous catch up with him.....of course Kyle missed seeing him, but we`d see him again. We chatted away for a while and as always, could have chatted all evening, but he was heading home soon and we were going down to get Kyle soon. We said we`d catch up again and we set off our separate ways. 

We went down and Kyle was ready to eat...….I asked him if he`d eaten the other fudge cake, he said no he hadn't but I did check the fridge.....lol.....it was still there. He was keeping it for tomorrow. *
*
Downstairs we headed out for the car, and there was a definite cooler feeling tonight. I was glad of a jacket. 
*
*We were heading to the Ale House on Kirkman tonight, it`s around a five minute drive away and this would be the first time Kyle had been.....we couldn't actually believe that, but it was correct. And he was looking forward to trying it out too. *
















*It`s never quiet here, especially at night, but we got a booth straight away. Kyle got a strawberry smoothy, Tom a lemonade and as I`d had white wine in the lounge....I stuck to white wine. *


























*We really, really like this place.....the menu is large and so many choices that you really are spoilt for choice...….I keep saying I`m going to try a burger as they look amazing, but I keep getting drawn to the Big Red sandwich or the filet.......Tom has had the ribs here and thinks they are among the best he`s ever tasted. I think we have enjoyed every meal we`ve had from here. *

*Kyle opted of course for the filet, served medium with fries and broccoli. I did hope he liked the steak after I had raved about it so much......I did forget to tell to ask for no flavoured butter on top, but he just moved it off the plate. I think he put it on mine as it had cinnamon on it...I like it, he doesn`t. *
















*You can`t really see Tom`s steak under the toppings....he had chosen the Southern Sirloin which came smothered in onions and mushrooms which he loves, but doesn't get them very much as I can`t eat them.....bless him.......*

*I had asked for a side of their hottest sauce, and it had came on Tom`s plate.....he wondered what it was!!! *















*My medium rare filet came with sweet potato fries and I had said no broccoli but it wasn't a big deal. I gave mine to Kyle who could eat his body weight in broccoli. *
















*Everything was delicious......steaks were perfectly cooked and I was especially pleased Kyle`s was as he asked. He`s quite suspicious of places he hasn't been to before, but will take our word for it. But, all the dishes were gorgeous and we were glad we had come here tonight*. *And yes, the sauce was incredibly hot!!! 

Kyle had mentioned he wondered what the desserts were like.......well, we`ve never had a dessert here, but they did have one we thought he`d like......well, they have a Ghirardelli Chocolate Brownie Sundae which we were sure he`d enjoy......our waitress told us it was for sharing so she`d bring three spoons......it did have ice cream so I`d try that. *
*
Can I just say the picture does not do the size justice.....this dessert is huge!!! 
*
*It is rich and very dense and according to my two, it was amazing. We had never looked at desserts before, and if it was just Tom and I we`d never consider that because of me......the non chocolate fan!!! *
















*The ice cream was beautiful......and it was nicer than the one from Longhorn the other night......*
*
And for the first time...…….
*
*If this was Man vs Food...…...Food won tonight. They couldn't finish it....almost, but it beat them with the richness of it. And someone wasn't happy...…..  *

















*He reminded me of someone...…...*















*There was probably around 4 or 5 bites left on the plate, but neither of them could squeeze any more in...….so, we paid the check and headed back home. It had been a lovely evening here.....such a good atmosphere in this place where staff do make you feel so welcome and look after you very well. *
*
We waddled out to the car and made our way home......Tom dropped me off at the main doors while they drove to the lot. We were parked up right at the gates as it was quiet, well the parking lot was quiet.
*
*Stopping off to have a look at the tree and gingerbread creations, the smell is quite obvious tonight and it does look fabulous. *

























*We head back upstairs and we all sprawled out to recover from our meal......I was so glad I wasn`t a chocolate fan right now! *
*
I don't think we lasted too long......I didn't even open the drapes that turndown had closed, we were all shattered tonight for some reason, so around 10.30 I think it was lights out and we were all asleep before we knew it. 

We did check the forecast before going to bed, and tomorrow was to be even colder than today.…..*


----------



## angryduck71

schumigirl said:


> We have a bunch of British chocolate to hand in to the front desk too, so we pop down with that and we hand it to Daniel who is there, he always comes out to say hello.


Daniel was the one who checked us in this trip.  Very nice guy.


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Ooh, that does look like fun! If we wind up with a cold or rainy day (totally possible in January), I'm going to suggest we visit so my guys can drive and we can all bowl! Looks like you had a wonderful time! And I have to say, I do appreciate the RPR lounge photos. My husband doesn't do bread or many carbs, so he needs to see that there are things for him to eat as well.  I wasn't able to book it for this trip (maybe when we check in), but I'll be stalking it for a trip later this year, not sure yet if we're going in June, September or late Nov/Dec., but we're getting annual passes so I know we're coming at least one more time in 2020!
> 
> I keep forgetting to mention how much I enjoy all your photos with the beautiful Christmas trees. Those are what make the holiday trips just shine!
> 
> Now I have a question for you or anyone else reading along with experience -- I have been tasked with finding a place on I-Drive for us to eat lunch on arrival day. We're looking for something relatively light -- sandwiches, salad, soup -- at a sit down place that is also quick but not fast food...
> 
> TIA!
> Maria



We really liked Andretti`s and yes, perfect for a colder day. The bowling was fun! 

Oh the lounge is wonderful.....I`m sure your husband could be accommodated there....they really do make sure everyone is looked after. How lovely you have some more trips planned!!! An AP is the perfect reason for another trip...….

I Drive is so full of places, and for lunch my first thought goes to Yard House by the Orlando Eye. It`s very loud at night, but lunch is much quieter and there`s a good menu to choose from. There`s also an Ale House there too and Bahama Breeze....all places that will serve you quickly if you let them know. 

BJ`s Restaurant and Brewhouse is there too, we haven't gone to that one or the Ale House on I Drive, but they seem popular enough. I know they`re all chains, but they seem to be busy enough. 

I`m sure there`s many more places though, will have a think.....


----------



## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> I think I've gained 2 pounds just reading about all the chocolate cake he ate!!!
> 
> That Andretti place looks like a lot of fun! We love driving go-carts!  But we're not good bowlers at all...



lol.....I put on 2lbs at the Marriott in the UK!!!! I don't know how he does it.....actually I do.....he`s young!!!! 

Oh you`d like the go carts.....they were so much fun and I want to do it next time we go!! 

Yes, bowling isn't something I`m good at either.....although I don't admit it often though......


----------



## schumigirl

angryduck71 said:


> Daniel was the one who checked us in this trip.  Very nice guy.



He is lovely!!! I really like him.


----------



## Worfiedoodles

My husband was a collegiate bowler, so he puts us all to shame. He only likes to bowl with his own ball, but he can be convinced if it's to keep us all entertained 

Those sound like great suggestions, I'm going to check out the Yard House menu -- yes, if you think of others please share! 

You had a delicious meal at the Cheesecake Factory! It's a local place, so I don't think to do it in Orlando -- but I'm putting it back on the table because everyone can find something there. Their menu is huge! 

Miller's Ale House is now a candidate for dinner as well, wow everything looks so good. It is true that with the wind whipping around, I don't think I'm in the mood to ride anything...we haven't been to UOR in January with our son before, so lots to consider this time...


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> My husband was a collegiate bowler, so he puts us all to shame. He only likes to bowl with his own ball, but he can be convinced if it's to keep us all entertained
> 
> Those sound like great suggestions, I'm going to check out the Yard House menu -- yes, if you think of others please share!
> 
> You had a delicious meal at the Cheesecake Factory! It's a local place, so I don't think to do it in Orlando -- but I'm putting it back on the table because everyone can find something there. Their menu is huge!
> 
> Miller's Ale House is now a candidate for dinner as well, wow everything looks so good. It is true that with the wind whipping around, I don't think I'm in the mood to ride anything...we haven't been to UOR in January with our son before, so lots to consider this time...



lol......he must be amazing to watch! But I guess hard to play against.....

Cheesecake Factory isn’t a favourite of a lot of people, some Americans have told us they’d never eat there (and plenty of other places we go apparently) but for us UK folks it’s quite unique, so we love it!!

I do hope you get good weather when you’re there, I know it’s not the worst to have it a little cooler, but it’s nice to feel some heat!


----------



## Squirlz

Tuesday and Wednesday were the only days we had to wear jackets into the parks.  Wasn't too much of a pain.  We ate at Miller's once and really enjoyed it.  We were in the same booth!


----------



## keishashadow

All caught up  I’ve learned to pace myself reading your TR.  Grab a tea, settle in, then hope dinner is soon as the food porn is absolutely over-the-top!  





schumigirl said:


> As we found our spot just 5 minutes before the parade began, we didn't have long to wait for the parade to start.


Wow, you hit it just right.  We’ve waited for more than a bit in the past, have to chuckle how people just pop up out of the sidewalk in front of us, but nothing at all as aggressive as MK parades.  I really enjoy the U holiday parade.


schumigirl said:


> With a son who over the years has got me extremely interested in Astronomy and all that goes with it, I do try and capture the moon, but it just doesn`t come out as clear as I`d hoped. I still love this picture though.


Smart lady to engage thusly.  He has such a great smile.  Noticed the Yankees hat.  Is he a fan?


schumigirl said:


> You are filtered out away from Hogsmeade and TM are firm to ensure you do go that way as there are always more folks lined up to come in....you go over the bridge as if you are heading back to JP then take the turn to the left over the new bridge and double back where you come out to the side of Fire Eaters Grill. It works. This way there`s no mingling and fighting with crowds going in the opposite direction.


Sounds as though they have gotten it together on the crowd control for the evening lights.  We skipped it entirely last year, just way too many clueless people...will say none taking a nap on the ground.  Yikes


schumigirl said:


> Tom fish and chips


That looks very good indeed.  Appears they are upping their game, got a new chef.  Last few visits other than burger & pretzels, sorely disappointed.


Worfiedoodles said:


> Hmmm. Well we had kind of given up on Margaritaville, but with your recent recommendation we will give it another try. I think I must have a blackberry margarita!


Same, well probably a Landshark lol


schumigirl said:


> Cheesecake Factory isn’t a favourite of a lot of people, some Americans have told us they’d never eat there (and plenty of other places we go apparently) but for us UK folks it’s quite unique, so we love it!!


They are really hit or miss depending on location.  Same with the Miller’s locations we’ve tried in MCO.  I saw a new one just opened across from the prime outlets near disney during our trip.


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> All caught up  I’ve learned to pace myself reading your TR.  Grab a tea, settle in, then hope dinner is soon as the food porn is absolutely over-the-top!
> Wow, you hit it just right.  We’ve waited for more than a bit in the past, have to chuckle how people just pop up out of the sidewalk in front of us, but nothing at all as aggressive as MK parades.  I really enjoy the U holiday parade.
> 
> Smart lady to engage thusly.  He has such a great smile.  Noticed the Yankees hat.  Is he a fan?
> 
> Sounds as though they have gotten it together on the crowd control for the evening lights.  We skipped it entirely last year, just way too many clueless people...will say none taking a nap on the ground.  Yikes
> 
> That looks very good indeed.  Appears they are upping their game, got a new chef.  Last few visits other than burger & pretzels, sorely disappointed.
> 
> Same, well probably a Landshark lol
> 
> They are really hit or miss depending on location.  Same with the Miller’s locations we’ve tried in MCO.  I saw a new one just opened across from the prime outlets near disney during our trip.



It really is the best spot to watch the parade! And yes, I can vaguely remember the bun fight we saw at Disney during the parade....but, pushed I’m not shy at telling people they are out of order! How rude some people can be.....the organisation for the Castle was so much better this year than previous years. I think they worked on it a lot. 

The NY Yankees hat were given to us when we stayed at the Lotte NY Palace.....they have an affiliation with the Yankees, so the hats are genuine merchandise and not the $5 ones you can buy in the street. So, Kyle and Tom have them and I have a UO one......so no, not a fan as we know nothing about the game.....lol......

I think they have improved a lot......certainly we skipped them for several years, but everything we’ve had has been so good. He did say one of the pieces of fish was a little greasy at the end, but for the most part it was lovely, crisp and fresh. 

Yes, location is everything it seems. You know we love Longhorn, but we’d never recommend anyone to go to the one on I Drive.......truly dreadful, but 15 minutes along the road in LBV, it’s excellent.......(usually lol) 

Glad you enjoyed the food pics.....and hope dinner isn’t too long away......

It’s still funny you haven’t had dinner yet, and I’m off to bed......lol......


----------



## Raeven

schumigirl said:


> I enjoyed a couple........just try them of course.......I had been asked to give our opinion on them, so wanted to give them the best try I could.......



Of course in the name of research you must try them!



schumigirl said:


> Although desserts aren't my favourite thing, the cheesecakes on offer are ridiculously tempting....and the celebration cheesecake had caught our eye.



How'd you like it? It caught my eye recently too, and it's the only one I think I've had that I was a bit disappointed in. I like sweets, but it was wayyy too much for me and when I got it home it was melted quite a bit. My favorite is the Godiva Chocolate one which I might like because it seems to be more chocolate than cheesecake.  (And it's gluten free so Josh can eat it too).



schumigirl said:


> Kyle had mentioned he wondered what the desserts were like.......well, we`ve never had a dessert here, but they did have one we thought he`d like......well, they have a Ghirardelli Chocolate Brownie Sundae which we were sure he`d enjoy......our waitress told us it was for sharing so she`d bring three spoons......it did have ice cream so I`d try that.



Kyle's desserts always look so good! (Although I don't think I could finish that one either  ).



schumigirl said:


> Cheesecake Factory isn’t a favourite of a lot of people, some Americans have told us they’d never eat there (and plenty of other places we go apparently) but for us UK folks it’s quite unique, so we love it!!



I love the Cheesecake Factory! I always eat way too much there.  Josh isn't a fan though, because there isn't a big variety of allergy friendly choices that he likes.


----------



## schumigirl

Raeven said:


> Of course in the name of research you must try them!
> 
> 
> 
> How'd you like it? It caught my eye recently too, and it's the only one I think I've had that I was a bit disappointed in. I like sweets, but it was wayyy too much for me and when I got it home it was melted quite a bit. My favorite is the Godiva Chocolate one which I might like because it seems to be more chocolate than cheesecake.  (And it's gluten free so Josh can eat it too).
> 
> 
> 
> Kyle's desserts always look so good! (Although I don't think I could finish that one either  ).
> 
> 
> 
> I love the Cheesecake Factory! I always eat way too much there.  Josh isn't a fan though, because there isn't a big variety of allergy friendly choices that he likes.




The celebration cheesecake was very sweet Raeven…..I only had one bite and to be honest, didn't taste as nice as I thought it would. So, Tom ate the rest of it, and he said he wouldn't get it again. 

The Ale House dessert was massive!! Four people could share it!! 

Yes, we love the CF but I guess if it`s not great for being allergy friendly Josh wouldn't be a fan.....but the menu is amazing and so many choices! 

We could honestly take forever trying to make up our mind what we want.....


----------



## I-4Bound

Such a handsome picture of Kyle and his chocolate cake!


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> How rude some people can be.....the organisation for the Castle was so much better this year than previous years. I think they worked on it a lot.


That is so nice to hear, glad to hear they got it right.  It does take time.  Some people have blinders on & are so touchy about pointing out things that need a bit of improvement.  I deem it constructive criticism that usually does pay off in the end 


schumigirl said:


> The NY Yankees hat were given to us when we stayed at the Lotte NY Palace.....they have an affiliation with the Yankees, so the hats are genuine merchandise and not the $5 ones you can buy in the street. So, Kyle and Tom have them and I have a UO one......so no, not a fan as we know nothing about the game.....lol......


I figured your NY connection but thought you may have experienced a MLB game.  PS it can be akin to watching paint dry, but therein is the beauty of being there vs watching on the tube.  If you have a great stadium, it’s a wonderful way to slow down & enjoy some ballpark grub and the company of others while you while away a perfect summer night. 


schumigirl said:


> I think they have improved a lot......certainly we skipped them for several years, but everything we’ve had has been so good. He did say one of the pieces of fish was a little greasy at the end, but for the most part it was lovely, crisp and fresh.


Could’ve been just from sitting a bit, fried fish is truly a tricky critter to prepare properly.  Not sure if it’s the humidity in FL or other prep method that messes up the battering process but most of it we’ve tried in Orlando has an odd thing happen.  The breading just slides right off the fish, often in one piece, leaving a slimy odd textured mess.


----------



## schumigirl

*WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 4TH*​





*Another night had passed and we had all enjoyed a much better sleep this morning when we woke up. *

*We do love the beds here and always find we sleep well usually, Tom would prefer different pillows, but I like them. I can really sleep with any kind of pillow though. I know for some people though a good firm pillow is a necessity. 

I pulled back the drapes and could hear Kyle up and around next door so I went through and he was laughing again at the ads on tv.....it was one of those you really would put up with the disease rather than face the meds!! *
*
It looked lovely outside, but a lovely weatherman was telling us different on tv.....it was to be cold. Well, cold for us......but we still had the idea we`d do the park today.
*
*We always have a look at what the lifeguards are wearing to get an idea of temps too......if they`re all wrapped up....it`s usually cold. *

















*We all showered and headed up to the lounge for breakfast which was fairly quiet today. Our Aussie friends had already left this morning so we missed seeing them, we ate, chatted and left.....quick visit this morning.*

*Back in our room, we picked up our jackets and headed out for the boat as we were going to the Studios.....I did wince as we walked out the door as I felt the cold.......it was chilly to say the least. *















*Yes, I am a wimp!!!!*

*Kyle decided to walk so Tom and I went down and had just missed a boat, but they are very regular, especially this time of day as it`s one of the peak times for guests. But, as we got to the boat dock I shivered and said to Tom.....nope too cold for me! The security officers were wrapped up like it was the arctic......gloves, hats and thick jackets today.....it was cold.

Tom said yes, I should just go back and he`d go meet Kyle and they`d spend the morning in the park then come back and we`d head out for lunch. I said I`d be around....not sure where, but I`d be here. He laughed as he knows what I`m like.......*

*I passed my morning easily…..I did some laundry which didn't take long, after a confusing start, but that`s another story!! Then I went down to the lobby, saw our friend and chatted to him, then chatted to some folks there I know well, and a few other folks too, and the morning had disappeared before I knew where I was. My mother always said I could talk for Scotland!!! 

Tom and Kyle found me in the Club Lounge chatting of course. They said it was cold, in the sunshine it was a bit better, but I`d have found it too cold. Another family we knew came in at that point and said they were done for the day, they found it too cold to do the rides and said The Hulk had been horrendous with the cold...…lol....I could imagine.....*

*Back down Tom suggested we try the Celebration Cheesecake before we headed out.......*
















*It was a strange one.....no discernible flavour, just sweet on top of sweet......I had one bite and that was enough. I thought it would be nicer to be honest. Tom ate the rest, but I don`t think he finished it as he said it was sweet too. Kyle still had his other slice of fudge cake in the fridge, he was keeping that till tomorrow I thought. 

We headed out to the car, jackets on and drove down to NYPD pizza on Universal Blvd.......Kyle had never been here either but had heard us mention how much we loved their pizzas, so he was looking forward to this place. *
*
As we passed the Orlando I asked Kyle if he wanted to go on it again this year, but he said he wasn`t bothered, so we said we wouldn`t bother. We had been on it several times anyway. 
*
*NYPD is in a nice little area which has a very nice Publix and a few other eating places too and we like this one as it has a real busy atmosphere about it. It`s always busy and lots of emergency services people are in and out....always a good sign!!! *
















*It was a different lady who was welcoming everyone today....much friendlier than the previous one who always just looked a little.....well, unhappy. But this lady was nice and we got a table and our menu`s straight away. She was also our waitress today which surprised us. *

*The aroma as you come in are so warming and welcoming, you see everyone who comes through the door take an extra long breath in as it is so delicious......*















*I think Kyle just had water, Tom and I had fanta and we had a look at the menu, although we knew what we were having. Kyle I knew would have a cheese pizza with bbq sauce base.......*

*And Mindy did a double take when he did indeed order that.....she did say it sounded so nice, she had asked the kitchen to make another one so she coud try it......Kyle assured her she`d like it. She later said she did indeed enjoy it and had never considered a plain cheese pizza with that base. *















*I think Kyle was surprised how decent a size the personal pizza was....and his looked so good!!! *















*I got my usual......bbq chicken with added pineapple and jalapeno minus the red onion.....and it was delicious as always......*
















*Tom got the meat lovers pizza and added jalapeno too.....I have to say the jalapeno today was incredibly hot!!! I think we both picked some off which was unusual for us......but still delicious!!! *
















*I was pleased again that Kyle loved his pizza...…he said it was up there with the best of them......excellent!!! *

*Kyle had noticed there was a chocolate cake on the dessert menu.....so he ordered it and I did wonder where he was going to put it!!! *
















*He loved it!!! And demolished every last piece...…..we do like to see him enjoy his cakes as he doesn't eat them the same back home. Apart from my flourless chocolate cake which he does think is on par with Linda`s fudge Cake.....praise indeed!! 

We paid the check and back in the car we decided to go to The Florida Mall. *
*
Not really our favourite place, but it was a little better than it used to be a few years back. There`s not a lot of stores we go into there, but they still had the Tesla store for Kyle to have a wander around and I wanted to go to Dillards as our friend had told us they had a collection of Vintage Louis Vuitton bags in there.......I had to go look!!!! 
*
*As it was mid afternoon, it was busy and we were parked about as far away as we could be......we kept our jackets on till we got to the doors, then just carried them......but photo op first.......*
















*You go through their rather nice food court which is so much better than it used to be......there are a few places we could find to eat in here now. *
*
They have a lovely Yankee Candle store that I do avoid going into as my luggage allowance wouldn`t stand for that!!!! I cannot control my spending urges in there at all...….so I decide to just give it a miss.....think it might have been a good decision. 
*
*They had a lovely little area where Father Christmas visits, but empty right now. *


























*We had a good wander round and popped into a few stores before I was drawn to Dillards. *
















*They did have some beautiful vintage bags, and some were a very good price for what they were......but I didn't need another bag right now...Tom did say to get one I was keen on, but no, I was very good and said I`d wait and see what I felt like next year. Tom said I was definitely due a treat........*















*I will say, the sales lady did nothing to encourage me to buy one anyway. I just didn`t like her way, and she was incredibly pushy, even to the point of asking how I`d be paying!!!!! Are you serious was my response to her.......Tom smiled to himself as he knew now I`d never have bought one from her however much they appealed. I hate pushy sales folks.....there`s a fine line and most people manage it, but this one was distinctly over the top. *
*
The Tesla store was next up for my brood......I do like these, kind of.....but electric cars just aren`t for us...…some are nicer than others, and the ones they had today weren`t the nicest. I don`t like the inside of these cars at all, but they are certainly nice to have a seat in and a look round about. 
*
*Give me a good old high powered gas guzzler anyday!!!! *
















*We pass a few hours here today which is the longest I`ve ever spent here ever. We head out and pop into ABC Wines & Spirits to get a gift for someone, we always enjoy a wander round here. They do have some unusual products we just don`t get in the UK. *
*
Back home we sort out a few things before heading up to the lounge again......
*
*Tonight is American night and they`ve changed it slightly. *




































*The mac n cheese used to come with chicken and some peppers through it, but now it`s just plain old mac n cheese and it has a chicken stew on the side. It`s better for allergy/vegetarian folks served this way. *
















*The stew was very red tonight, and over several nights it changed as the chefs played with the recipe until it was just as everyone liked it......I did prefer it the other way, but as we don`t use the lounge for dinner it won`t affect us much. I know some people do use the lounge for dinner instead of appetisers, and it seemed to go down well. I did like the way Kayla was changing things slowly but surely in the lounge. She really tries her best to do the best for all guests. *
















*I had some red wine in the lounge and a small sample of the chicken stew, this one wasn`t for me, but it did get better next time.........Tom was driving so he had sprite and we had a good old chatter with the Aussie families when they came in. We really got on well with them. But, it was so easy as they are just the nicest people and we had a good old giggle with them every night and chatted about many things. *
*
I was now starving......so around 6.45 we left the lounge, collected Kyle and headed off for dinner. 
*
*And tonight, Kyle had asked to go to Red Lobster...….one of his favourite places. We always go to the one down by the Convention Centre at the very bottom end of I Drive....there`s not much beyond it to be honest although the road carries on for a while. *

















*It was busy tonight......but we got a booth immediately and I was pleased to see we had Hans looking after us tonight. he has worked here in this RL for years......he is Dutch and very nice. He may not remember us, but we certainly remembered him. I think waiters and waitresses can stick in your mind for many reasons, some good and some bad of course......Kyle will never forget the rude waiter from the other Red Lobster which is why we stopped going to it altogether. But, this guy was very professional and I wondered if he had a silver service background. *

*I ordered a Blackberry Amaretto Sour, which had a souvenir glass......I didn`t realise this till he brought a clean one for me at the end of the meal. It was a beautiful drink.....and as previously in the lounge I`d had red wine, I stuck to one. *















*And of course the beautiful cheddar biscuits. So hard to resist, especially when you are so hungry you could devour the whole lot!!! *
























*Kyle of course got his strawberry smoothy and Tom a raspberry lemonade......they are so easy to please!! *















*It`s a nice table we have tonight and people around us are very nice too, asking about where we are from when they hear the accent. It`s often a talking point. I can pick up accents usually quite easily, and tonight was easy as they were from Boston....quite a distinctive accent for sure. I asked how the lobster compared to Boston area......they laughed.....yep, I was sure I`d agree. I would like to visit Boston one day and Maine too, and I was sure we`d love the fresh seafood there. But, this was decent enough tonight. *

*I should remind everyone......I was starving  ......so I opted for the Create Your Own Ultimate Feast.....and I did choose four items...…classic Maine tail, coconut shrimp, garlic shrimp scampi and their wood grilled filet cooked medium rare........it came with fries too but they weren't even touched!!! *















*Kyle who had heard me tell of the fabulously cooked steak I`d had here years ago, also ordered the filet to be served medium with fries and brocolli.....*















*Tom opted for the Wednesday special of 1lb of snow and Dungeness crab.....he had fries too and coleslaw which was beautiful.....America really does do the best coleslaws ever!!!! *















*Everything was beautiful......Kyle`s steak was one of his favourites he said, cooked beautifully and had good flavour......Tom`s two types of crab were lovely, and he did help me with mine too as it was a lot of food!! 

The coconut shrimp wasn`t too heavy with being fried and the dipping sauce was a delight. My steak had been cooked as I asked, and the shrimp was lovely too, so it was a success. I don`t think we have ever had a bad meal in here. And we`ve eaten here a lot. *
*
Now of course was another of Kyle`s favourite desserts.......

The Chocolate wave........
*
*Oh my goodness is this surprisingly rich!!! He orders this and again Hans brings three spoons.......well, as there`s ice cream I`m sure I`ll help a little there.......*
















*Between the two of them, they cleared the plate......I ate about half of the ice cream, but I was genuinely too full to finish it. *
*
They enjoyed it though. 
*
*Hans brought the check and handed me a clean souvenir glass which did make it home safely....not sure why I took it home, but it looks a little cute hiding away among all my tall glasses. 

All paid up we headed home...….we planned just to go sit and watch some tv. Not the most glamorous of ways to finish the evening, but we were too full to go to Citywalk and too tired as well. I`m not sure why as we hadn`t done much today at all. *

*I don`t mind spending a little time in the room, an hour or so at night is enough, we much prefer to be out and about. So, we watched something for an hour or so then we said our goodnights and headed to our beds. It had been a quiet day for me, but I had still enjoyed it a lot. 


Tomorrrow we are in the parks. *


----------



## schumigirl

I-4Bound said:


> Such a handsome picture of Kyle and his chocolate cake!



I love that picture!!!!


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> That is so nice to hear, glad to hear they got it right.  It does take time.  Some people have blinders on & are so touchy about pointing out things that need a bit of improvement.  I deem it constructive criticism that usually does pay off in the end
> 
> I figured your NY connection but thought you may have experienced a MLB game.  PS it can be akin to watching paint dry, but therein is the beauty of being there vs watching on the tube.  If you have a great stadium, it’s a wonderful way to slow down & enjoy some ballpark grub and the company of others while you while away a perfect summer night.
> 
> Could’ve been just from sitting a bit, fried fish is truly a tricky critter to prepare properly.  Not sure if it’s the humidity in FL or other prep method that messes up the battering process but most of it we’ve tried in Orlando has an odd thing happen.  The breading just slides right off the fish, often in one piece, leaving a slimy odd textured mess.



I agree with you on the fish. there`s something rather odd about it when it`s deep fried over there....my favourite one is when we go back to Scotland....they do know how to deep fry fish......lol......don't believe the hype that haggis is our national dish......Fish and Chips are hard to beat!!!

Yes, I think they listened to guest surveys and worked a way for the crowds to disperse easier......yes, constructive criticism is always good!!

I have never watched much of American sports......but what I have watched of baseball doesn't inspire much excitement. It`s like a game we play over here called rounders.....well, it`s a kids game really. I think you`re right though about watching it live vs on tv....and I do like the sound of the food.....show me a spicy wing and I`ll watch paint dry!!!!

But, I`m getting better at appreciating American Football...….  I`ll never be an expert though!!!


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

That's too bad that it was so cold when you were there...  The rides aren't as fun when you're teeth are chattering... I hope it warms up for you!!!

I'm counting the fudgey brownie thingy as "chocolate cake" since it was so big that Tom and Kyle couldn't finish it...

Not counting the piece of Linda's Fudge cake in the fridge, Kyle's cake count is now at 12... I would give anything to have his metabolism...


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> But, I`m getting better at appreciating American Football...….  I`ll never be an expert though!!!


Lol there may be a test


NancyLuvsMickey said:


> . I would give anything to have his metabolism..


Me too!


----------



## Tink2Day

LOL we went to our favorite Red Lobster here, none of them close but the one we like is furthest from us of course. 
Mom nearly had the same drink as you, but settled on the white sangria and said it was very good.  I had the usual peach tea, extra peachy. 
The food you all had looked lovely.  Dessert?  Chocolate cake, imagine my surprise.


Wow that dessert Kyle had at the Pizza place should count as 2, maybe 3 chocolate cakes!

Grrr Dillard's here is the WORST for snobby sales people.

p.s. Kyle looked perfect in that Tesla, but as handsome as he is he'd look suave and debonair in a beater car.


----------



## Raeven

schumigirl said:


> The celebration cheesecake was very sweet Raeven…..I only had one bite and to be honest, didn't taste as nice as I thought it would. So, Tom ate the rest of it, and he said he wouldn't get it again.



I agree it was way too sweet, and I'd never get it again. 



schumigirl said:


> Yes, we love the CF but I guess if it`s not great for being allergy friendly Josh wouldn't be a fan.....but the menu is amazing and so many choices!
> 
> We could honestly take forever trying to make up our mind what we want.....



There are so many choices! I used to get the pasta often, but then I tried the Huevos Rancheros, and now I get that every time. The appetizers all sound delicious. I like the potato tots a lot too. 



schumigirl said:


> It was a strange one.....no discernible flavour, just sweet on top of sweet......I had one bite and that was enough. I thought it would be nicer to be honest. Tom ate the rest, but I don`t think he finished it as he said it was sweet too. Kyle still had his other slice of fudge cake in the fridge, he was keeping that till tomorrow I thought.



That's what I thought too! I think it was supposed to be vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry but I didn't get much of any of those. It was just really sweet but not in a good way. 



schumigirl said:


> *Kyle had noticed there was a chocolate cake on the dessert menu.....so he ordered it and I did wonder where he was going to put it!!! *



That one looks delicious too!


----------



## schumigirl

Raeven said:


> I agree it was way too sweet, and I'd never get it again.
> 
> 
> 
> There are so many choices! I used to get the pasta often, but then I tried the Huevos Rancheros, and now I get that every time. The appetizers all sound delicious. I like the potato tots a lot too.
> 
> 
> 
> That's what I thought too! I think it was supposed to be vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry but I didn't get much of any of those. It was just really sweet but not in a good way.
> 
> 
> 
> That one looks delicious too!



Yes, I don`t eat a lot of "sweet" but that one was definitely sweet overload! 

Never tried the tots......might try them next time!


----------



## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> That's too bad that it was so cold when you were there...  The rides aren't as fun when you're teeth are chattering... I hope it warms up for you!!!
> 
> I'm counting the fudgey brownie thingy as "chocolate cake" since it was so big that Tom and Kyle couldn't finish it...
> 
> Not counting the piece of Linda's Fudge cake in the fridge, Kyle's cake count is now at 12... I would give anything to have his metabolism...




Oh My!!!! 12!!!! I have to admit to not keeping count....lol......oh yes, he`s young....that was my reasoning in his miniscule weight gain!!! Yes, the brownie dessert was for one although the waitress said it`s usually shared.....I doubt many people could finish it on their own...….

Oh yes, it did warm up thankfully.......


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Lol there may be a test
> 
> Me too!



lol.....I`d fail badly!!!! I ask very silly questions where sport is concerned apparently......


----------



## schumigirl

Tink2Day said:


> LOL we went to our favorite Red Lobster here, none of them close but the one we like is furthest from us of course.
> Mom nearly had the same drink as you, but settled on the white sangria and said it was very good.  I had the usual peach tea, extra peachy.
> The food you all had looked lovely.  Dessert?  Chocolate cake, imagine my surprise.
> 
> 
> Wow that dessert Kyle had at the Pizza place should count as 2, maybe 3 chocolate cakes!
> 
> Grrr Dillard's here is the WORST for snobby sales people.
> 
> p.s. Kyle looked perfect in that Tesla, but as handsome as he is he'd look suave and debonair in a beater car.



yes, they are rather predictable when it comes to desserts!!!

I`ve never had the white sangria in there.....I think I had the regular sangria once and it was nice! I think we may be lucky we don`t have them in the UK.......we`d be there far too often!!! 

She was so pushy......I think I`m destined not to be lucky in this Mall with sales folk as we met one in Macy`s a few years ago who was dreadful! 

Oh yes, he`s very much a car person......


----------



## smiths02

Those pizzas look good!  I can't believe the jalapenos were too hot for you!  I wouldn't stand a chance.  I am the "adventurous" one in my family who uses the red pepper flakes on pizza.
(I was putting some fresh jalapenos on nachos last night, and my 7 year old daughter wanted to try, she took a lick of one slice and about died.  Then my teenage son was taunting her saying it was no big deal; classic teenage know-it-all.  He put a whole slice in his mouth and about died.  It was so funny!)


I guess Kyle is just so into chocolate cake that he doesn't try the cheesecake, but we just love the Ghirardelli cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory!  Our favorite chocolate cake to make at home is a version of the Cracker Barrel Double Fudge Coca Cola Cake.  Cracker Barrel is hit or miss for us.  We have one close, but we don't eat there often (my in-laws LOVE it).  Our last visit had terrible service, missing food, but my steak with my steak and eggs was actually really good (probably better than the last Longhorn or Outback steaks I had at half the price).


----------



## schumigirl

*THURSDAY DECEMBER 6TH*​




*We were all up early this morning, and we were excited to get back in to do some park time......the weather was forecast to warm up nicely today so although we may have started out with hoodies on, they didn`t last long. *

*This was always a favourite time of day, first thing in the morning the day all ahead of us......our family is definitely a morning family and much as though we always think we may sleep late, it never really appeals to us at all. Even at home, we are exactly the same...….I never sleep much after 6am, even on a weekend. Kyle is exactly the same, even on his days off he`s up with the larks...….I have to admit Tom would probably prefer to sleep a little later at home. But, we don't want to miss the day by sleeping. 

The lounge was lovely and quiet this morning, our Aussie friends were already gone for EE I believe. So we had our usual catch up with a few of the staff and enjoyed our breakfast. *

*The view over to the new hotels shows just how large they are, and the first image is the yet unopened Dockside, the first phase.....the second phase is behind it....massive!!! *
















*And the already opened Endless Summer Resort. We have never gone to visit these hotel, we wouldn't stay in them, but maybe we should go have a look around to see for ourselves how it is.......seems to get very mixed reviews. 
*















*We go back down to the room and Tom pops down to the front desk and comes back with a story I`ll keep for Monday coming up   .....it`s nice though! 

Kyle and I are at the minute plotting our day around lunchtime!! *

*There is a rocket launch today at 12.29pm.....yes, not 12.30.....12.29 exactly......so we are working out where to watch it. You do see them from almost anywhere if you look in the right direction, so as we weren`t coming back to the hotel for lunchtime, we decided we`d stand on the lagoon side of Mythos as we`d be in IOA at that time. We have to get our priorities in order!!! It had supposed to have happened yesterday, but upper winds weren't suitable, so we hoped it would be today as we planned to go to KSC tomorrow.....but if this launch was postponed again, we wouldn't be visiting on a launch day. 

Once we were ready we headed off for the boat, although Kyle again decided to walk and we went down to the boat dock where we got a boat straight away. *
*
Our boat arrived at the dock the same time as Kyle....I think he`d have preferred to beat us....but we set off to go into the Studios.....

It seemed a little quiet this morning...….the sun was beautiful and it wasn't too cold this morning, I`d soon be ditching the hoodie. Kyle kept his on as he hadn`t put any sunscreen on except for the back of his neck......I had put sunscreen on as I hate wearing jackets over here.
*
*The sun was blinding I have to say at this point......*

























*I had decided today I would do the Christmas Tree Scavenger Hunt, so I picked up one of the cards and planned to take my time and do it.....*
















*I said I`d wander down the opposite way today, they were going on Minions and RRR, so I said I`d give it a miss and grab some pictures. We arranged to meet outside The Mummy where we`d ride that together. *

*It was lovely and quiet down here today, most folks automatically go past the Minions and Shrek, it`s a natural way to go for most......but this street is so lovely with some very festive decorations. *















*We`re not sure what we think of the Bourne Stuntacular. I`m not a fan of the movies, although Tom likes them, also not fond of that type of show, but I think it`ll do well here and from what we had heard it was going to be a little different from T2. Well, it couldn't be much worse! *

*I used to enjoy the T2 show as a nap time...….yep, I could sleep right through it. Way back when we did used to spend all day in the parks.....this was a nice respite from the heat and a little nap always did me the world of good. *















*I think this area looks even better at night that during the day with the decorations.....they are so pretty. *



































*There is a store that sells all sorts of memorabilia and has some lovely little unusual displays...…..you can buy everything in here including some rather unique pieces that were part of HHN and things that were once used around the parks. *




































*Some were quite creepy and I couldn't possibly imagine having them around my home in any way.....but again, each to their own......*

*I did like this sign from the Viking scare zone. *
















*I did have a vision of this picture on our wall part of the way up our staircase.......lol......I think Tom would veto that....Kyle too!!! Yes, maybe they`re right!!! 
*













*The stars along the path are always fun to look at....some of them we never really notice anymore, but I do love Bob Hope so got a snap of this one today......*















*I loved the story behind the name Esoteric Pictures......convoluted story of WC Fields and his disenchantment with the way Hollywood produced his movies, so Universal gave him carte blanche to do a movie with a script, production and even actors when they produced the 1941 Never Give A Sucker an Even Break. The movie is him pitching a “film-within-a-film” to the fictional Esoteric Pictures. There`s an image of him standing in front of the fictional company. *

*Sadly it more or less finished WC Fields.*
















*I wandered over to the lagoon where they have the lovely light and water show and during the day at certain times you can see them go through the water routine to music...….when I walked in to the area I`d guessed I wouldn't see it........*















*When all of a sudden the water began whooshing up in the air and the music began as abruptly.......*














*Even without the lights and fireworks it`s still decent to watch...….and all of a sudden I notice the rainbow reflecting in the water and hoped the camera captured it...….*

*It really was pretty. *















*There was hardly anyone else around this area this morning, a little different from evenings when the show is on. *

*I wander round towards the Mummy area and tree, but capture some of the decorations on the way round......*


























*Again, there was hardly anyone in this street but this one guy kept standing where I wanted to take a picture......I moved and he moved too.....he seemed to think it funny......he wasn`t a kid, maybe in his 40`s....but he got fed up eventually when he didn`t get a response.....aren`t some folks funny! *





































*Peering through the window of Gertner`s Bakery is a cute little entrance to the fake coffee shop....it is very twee. *














*The locker area for The Mummy is so much better than the previous locker area, so much more spacious. *













































*We hadn't arranged a time to meet, I just said I`d be at the tree at some point, so when I got there and they weren`t I guessed they were doing RRR over and over.......or they had arrived and had gone in to do the Mummy. *

*The tree is beautiful….but the whole park is just gorgeous, and extra special with all the decorations. *



























*Tom and Kyle arrived the same time as Marilyn and her backing group.....they had done Minions and went on RRR three times, but they said the EP line was longer than usual today. *





































*They are very good. And this little show is always worth watching even without the Christmas theme......they are here every day and I think the times are pretty much the same all the time. *
*
*
*Coming up.....more park time. *


----------



## schumigirl

smiths02 said:


> Those pizzas look good!  I can't believe the jalapenos were too hot for you!  I wouldn't stand a chance.  I am the "adventurous" one in my family who uses the red pepper flakes on pizza.
> (I was putting some fresh jalapenos on nachos last night, and my 7 year old daughter wanted to try, she took a lick of one slice and about died.  Then my teenage son was taunting her saying it was no big deal; classic teenage know-it-all.  He put a whole slice in his mouth and about died.  It was so funny!)
> 
> 
> I guess Kyle is just so into chocolate cake that he doesn't try the cheesecake, but we just love the Ghirardelli cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory!  Our favorite chocolate cake to make at home is a version of the Cracker Barrel Double Fudge Coca Cola Cake.  Cracker Barrel is hit or miss for us.  We have one close, but we don't eat there often (my in-laws LOVE it).  Our last visit had terrible service, missing food, but my steak with my steak and eggs was actually really good (probably better than the last Longhorn or Outback steaks I had at half the price).



lol....yes they were exceptionally hot, and we never usually struggle with jalapenos! Oh bless your kids!!! I bet that hurt a lot, and bet they don't do that again in a hurry.....and I`ll bet your daughter laughed at your son.....lol.....

Yes, Kyle doesn't like cheesecake, even a chocolate one he tried once wasn't his favourite. 

We like CB and went recently for the first time in years for some reason....but we didn't have that dessert...Kyle would like that. I once made a chocolate cake with beetroot in....it sounds gross, but it was so rich and you`d never guess it was beetroot! 

The steak we have in the Ale House is like that....cheap as chips but absolutely perfect....but I do think we`ll go back to Cracker Barrell one time. The one we went to was all locals and no tourists.....we stuck out like sore thumbs......lol.....I`d go back to that one again.


----------



## J'aime Paris

I must be very dense...I had no idea that there was a rocket launch that day???
Beautiful rainbow btw!


----------



## schumigirl

J'aime Paris said:


> I must be very dense...I had no idea that there was a rocket launch that day???
> Beautiful rainbow btw!



It was SpaceX Falcon 9 on a 3 day resupply flight to the ISS. It contained supplies for the astronauts, experiment equipment and of course Christmas gifts for them too...….we watched it live on the ipad and saw it rise above the parks too.....pictures aren't great as we only took two, but will post the ones we got. 

We really just wanted to see it and not focus on pictures for that. 

Yes, I was happy to have captured the rainbow......


----------



## I-4Bound

We saw the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch last night! It was beautiful!


----------



## schumigirl

I-4Bound said:


> We saw the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch last night! It was beautiful!



We watched it this morning…..well, on the website....lol.....it was around 2.20am for us....although I have known Kyle set his alarm to get up to watch these launches. 

They are stunning to watch and every one gives me goosebumps!!


----------



## JAMIESMITH

I love the rainbow picture!  We are counting the days!  Eleven more to go!


----------



## schumigirl

JAMIESMITH said:


> I love the rainbow picture!  We are counting the days!  Eleven more to go!



Thanks!!!! 

And only 11 days!!! Wow...it was around 7 weeks till your trip just the other day it seems...….

Time has really flown......it`s such an exciting time just before a trip.....


----------



## angshewas

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> Not counting the piece of Linda's Fudge cake in the fridge, Kyle's cake count is now at 12... I would give anything to have his metabolism...




Are you counting cocktails and steaks, too??


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

Love the rainbow picture!!!! 

Was there a full moon when you were there??? First the rude sales girl, now the rude guy trying to photo bomb your pictures... Good grief!!!!  

My co-worker's is on vacation in Florida and her nephew gave her VIP viewing tickets to the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch last night... She posted a video of the launch on Facebook... Dang was it loud!!!


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

angshewas said:


> Are you counting cocktails and steaks, too??



I should!!! But with Kyle, I can almost guess what he's going to eat - pizza or steak - strawberry smoothie and chocolate cake...

Gotta love a boy that knows what he likes!!!


----------



## Worfiedoodles

I'm so glad you enjoyed Red Lobster, but I have to tell you the lobster and seafood available in New England is so much better! I do think you'd enjoy a visit to Boston. I'm a transplant and we love it here! 

The rainbow was just beautiful! Actually, all the bright, sunshiny photos are brilliant  I love that you split up to meet everyone's needs. My husband doesn't do roller coasters, so he'll have some chances to catch up on email on his phone while we're riding.

I am three days from our flight to Orlando and I'm about to burst! I have a few things to still do at work, but think I've got everything organized at home. My husband just announced he doesn't want to have to drive to dinner all the time, so I'm also thinking about more onsite dining. So far I'm feeling pretty good about The Kitchen, although we've never tried it. We like Sal's Pizza, Jake's and Vivo. We tried Cowfish and it was ok but nothing I feel the need to repeat...

Anyway, loving this day and the beautiful scenes you are enjoying! 

Maria


----------



## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> Love the rainbow picture!!!!
> 
> Was there a full moon when you were there??? First the rude sales girl, now the rude guy trying to photo bomb your pictures... Good grief!!!!
> 
> My co-worker's is on vacation in Florida and her nephew gave her VIP viewing tickets to the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch last night... She posted a video of the launch on Facebook... Dang was it loud!!!



You know it was strange, the guy wasn't rude, he was just a little odd, I do think he thought he was being funny...….and the saleswoman too was just pushy....I don't think I`ve ever met one as pushy as she was....she almost had my purse out of my handbag as I was standing there!!!! 

Oh wow, what a fabulous thing to see up close!!! I think it must be one of the most spectacular things to watch on earth! 

Glad you liked the picture too....it is nice to see the rainbow so clear in the image......


----------



## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> I should!!! But with Kyle, I can almost guess what he's going to eat - pizza or steak - strawberry smoothie and chocolate cake...
> 
> Gotta love a boy that knows what he likes!!!



We`ve just been laughing about this over dinner......yes, he did seem to live on all those things...….lol......I never post breakfast images, but he has the exact same breakfast every morning...….cereal! 

I think he may have something different one meal.........


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> I'm so glad you enjoyed Red Lobster, but I have to tell you the lobster and seafood available in New England is so much better! I do think you'd enjoy a visit to Boston. I'm a transplant and we love it here!
> 
> The rainbow was just beautiful! Actually, all the bright, sunshiny photos are brilliant  I love that you split up to meet everyone's needs. My husband doesn't do roller coasters, so he'll have some chances to catch up on email on his phone while we're riding.
> 
> I am three days from our flight to Orlando and I'm about to burst! I have a few things to still do at work, but think I've got everything organized at home. My husband just announced he doesn't want to have to drive to dinner all the time, so I'm also thinking about more onsite dining. So far I'm feeling pretty good about The Kitchen, although we've never tried it. We like Sal's Pizza, Jake's and Vivo. We tried Cowfish and it was ok but nothing I feel the need to repeat...
> 
> Anyway, loving this day and the beautiful scenes you are enjoying!
> 
> Maria



Oh I can imagine Maria......where I came from in Scotland, we had beautiful fresh seafood on our doorstep.......lobster, langoustines and scallops usually hand dived......plus all the other stuff like salmon.....oh I miss that. We are famous close by here now for crabs.....they are beautiful but nothing like Scottish seafood. 

So, yes, I think we`d LOVE seafood from that neck of the woods!!! 

Yes, sometimes doing things differently is ok......I quite enjoy wandering around taking pictures or just sitting when Kyle is with us and they can go do rollercoasters till they burst. I can only ride so many times.....

Oh my goodness!!!! You must be beside yourself with excitement!!!! 3 days will fly past.......

There are plenty of onsite choices for sure......I was so glad we eventually tried Vivo.....we were so impressed with it. The hotels often get overlooked for dinner choices, so you are doing well. The Kitchen always seems to get good reviews, it`s been years and years since we were there. 

Thank you, I`m always glad to read you`re enjoying it.....


----------



## macraven

Freddie Mercury, nice!


----------



## J'aime Paris

I just noticed you changed your avatar!
Was listening to Queen in the car a few minutes ago!


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> Freddie Mercury, nice!



Thanks......thought it was time for a change......and who better than the best singer ever........


----------



## schumigirl

J'aime Paris said:


> I just noticed you changed your avatar!
> Was listening to Queen in the car a few minutes ago!



lol......us too! A mix of all our favourites, and that’s most of them.....lol.......I always tear up at Love of my Life.......so emotional!

Yes, it was time for a change of Avatar, and no one better than Freddie..........

Except, maybe George Michael comes close........


----------



## macraven

schumigirl said:


> Thanks......thought it was time for a change......and who better than the best singer ever........


I’ve been a huge fan of his first time I heard him!


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> I’ve been a huge fan of his first time I heard him!



My older brothers had Queen music play on the “record player” (remember them?) all the time. It’s the first music I remember hearing. They used to go to Queen concerts and I would wail because they wouldn’t take me Lol.......I was far too young then! And what young lads wanted to take their little sister 

But, I did see them at Live Aid and Queen were the highlight of the whole day......they were spectacular......


----------



## Minnie17

schumigirl said:


> But, I did see them at Live Aid and Queen were the highlight of the whole day......they were spectacular......


Wow!   The avatar change threw me at 1st, maybe I’ll add an avatar one of these days.


----------



## Tgrgrl

Here’s a screenshot of the launch over our house last night. If anyone wants a great, uncrowded viewing area of a launch, look up KARS Park on Merritt Island. It’s a KSC/NASA employee park, just south of KSC on the Banana River,  but it is open to the public during launches & $5/car


----------



## disneyAndi14

All the different chocolate cake desserts look so delicious. I love reading about them. I’m in agreement with you on Red Lobster, it is a favorite of mine, I always request it on my Birthday! May need to try that cake there next time yum!


----------



## schumigirl

Minnie17 said:


> Wow!   The avatar change threw me at 1st, maybe I’ll add an avatar one of these days.



lol......yes, it’s been Michael Myers for such a long time........I don’t think I’ve ever had a Universal image as an avatar for some reason.....but he’s a hero of mine, so it was either him or George Michael!

Yes, you should go for an avatar......and change them as often as you like.....


----------



## schumigirl

Tgrgrl said:


> Here’s a screenshot of the launch over our house last night. If anyone wants a great, uncrowded viewing area of a launch, look up KARS Park on Merritt Island. It’s a KSC/NASA employee park, just south of KSC on the Banana River, View attachment 463522 but it is open to the public during launches & $5/car




Nice!!!!

We always say we‘d avoid a launch day for obvious reasons, but one TM we know often goes to launches and has said we’d enjoy it.......yes, I think we would but it’s the parking that puts us off......

Although, there are plenty of places along the beaches to see them, but that one sounds good.


----------



## schumigirl

disneyAndi14 said:


> All the different chocolate cake desserts look so delicious. I love reading about them. I’m in agreement with you on Red Lobster, it is a favorite of mine, I always request it on my Birthday! May need to try that cake there next time yum!



They do look delicious.....and I so wish I liked them!!!! Although Kyle is glad I don‘t as he doesn’t need to share three ways......lol......

We do really like RL, despite the jokes about it we’ll carry on going. It’s always one of Kyle’s first choices as a place to visit when he’s there and honestly we’ve never had a disappointing meal there ever.

Oh yes, we all need that kind of treat on our birthday


----------



## schumigirl

*After we had watched Marilyn and her entourage, we dropped our stuff into the lockers and went to do The Mummy.*

*This is a must do ride for us every trip......the theme is phenomenal and many folks take a walk through the full line if it`s not too busy, purely because it`s cool. But, today we did use our EP even though it didn't have a long regular line. 

We ask for the front again and we get it, and then set off without a full vehicle which is quite unusual. This ride is so much fun...….you are hit by the them first then the coaster part starts and it whoops you up before you know it!!! We love it.....there is a reasonable drop after a brief stop and then you go...…..and your teeth can rattle at this point!!! We just whoop and laugh all the way round till you stop all too short.....I wish this ride was longer as it is wonderful! *

*We go on again and this time we get the front again, but the vehicle is full. 

When we come out we see the stilt guys wandering around, and on our last couple of trips we didn't see the guy in the picture below and wondered if he`d left.....over the years since 2007 we have had our picture taken with this man every trip.....so we were glad to see him still there. It`s definitely a tradition. Of course they never speak, but one visit a man tried to push forward to get in front of us to get a picture with him......he very clearly No to the man with his finger wagging...….the guy didn't argue.....lol.....but he does keep in character and is excellent at what he does. He had also given me blooming good scare one year too where he crept up behind me and bent down to right beside my head......I was looking at my camera so had no clue he was there!!!! I jumped about three feet in the air! Cool guy! *

















*The parks are filled with areas where there is live entertainment on offer throughout the day and this group of singers are excellent.......the little crowd always seem to enjoy them and of course at this time of year it is a festive theme they are singing to...…..we stand for a time then move on. *




























*Round by the lagoon we can see just how quiet this area this morning, and we are slightly too early again to see the fabulous Beat Builders...high energy (very high energy) group of young men who bop around to energetic music......they are quite exhausting to watch, but very entertaining. But, we wouldn't be seeing them today again. *
















*San Francisco area is one of our favourites…….very pretty and colourful too. And it does have Chez Alcatraz which is super little bar, which we don`t visit often enough.....and Lombards. Now this is a place that despite a not so good experience last time, is somewhere that we do like, and Kyle likes it too. In fact he asked if we could eat there this time at some point......so despite my vow to not go back.....for my son, yes I`d go back.....*










































*My two love MiB and The Simpsons...….I`m kinda ok with MiB but can`t do Simpsons due to the motion sickness it causes me and think it`s one of the three worst rides in the park.....the other two being Jimmy Fallon....although I do like the Panda and the building, and Fast & Furious...….not quite sure which one is the worst!!! *

*So, they wanted to go do those rides and I said I`d mooch around here while they did that......so I got to sit in the sun which was now lovely and warm.......and take some snaps while they went to fight for the galaxy or something like that!!! I did give them my card to get it stamped beside their tree.......although I could get it another day if they forget......which of course they did!!! *






​






*But, while they were gone I had a lovely time wandering around and spent a huge amount of time chatting to folks today. People just like to chat and I like that a lot.......and you do get into some odd conversations at times.......one guy heard that a lot of Scottish homes didnt have indoor bathrooms!!!!! Seriously!!! Even he laughed......I think he had watched a Scottish show set in the 1700`s! But, what a nice man and lovely family from Indiana who I chatted to for a while.*

*And I think people in general do like to chat, as I sat down beside the fountain and a woman just started a conversation about shoes...…lol.....she was funny. *
















*The shrunken head and the conductor are an absolute hoot.....I didn`t go speak to them today as there was quite a line, but if you get the chance to interact with them, do it, they are so funny, and a little risque.....one time the shrunken head said he didn`t believe we were Scottish as he didn`t smell alcohol off us.....lol....and of course the conductor was suitably mortified.....we laughed a lot at that guy!!*

*And don`t miss going to look at the rear of the bus as you can look in and see the beds and luggage too....it is identical to the bus in the movie. *






































*There is so much to see around these areas you could pass hours just wandering around looking at the detail and precision in the designs of the buildings alone. *
















*I`m looking out for my two now as they shouldn`t be too long now till they`re back.......after a quick wander round DA we plan to get the train over to IOA. So with food coming up soon, I know they won`t be too long. 

There are a few places in the Studios we won`t eat in.....Mel`s Diner is awful, and although we used to love it, we don`t eat in Louie`s for pizza anymore. *

























*I turn and see them coming over the bridge proudly talking about their high score on MiB, I think it was almost 800,000 which the Aussie family were very impressed with!!! And tell me they forgot to get my tree card stamped.......I kind of guessed really! So we head into Diagon Alley and we do enjoy the decorations that JK Rowling allowed to be put up a couple of years ago. *
*
It is beautiful. 
*
*Looking into The Leaky Cauldron you can see their minimalist decor too.....it`s just enough to look Christmassy without being too much or too out of place. *


























*Who doesn`t love Gilderoy Lockhart......he plays his part so well...….*




























































*We missed the Celestina Warbeck singers today, and we also missed where it snows which we liked to see, but today we just planned to do Gringotts once then get the Hogwarts Express. *

*People say they manage fine without EP, but we love it!!!! Wouldn`t be without it and the ability to do rides as many times as we like with barely a line. The regular line was 30 minutes right now and had jumped to 45 by the time we came off. So, we only planned to do it once today and it was fun. 

I always think this isn`t the best ride, I like it, but never think I rave about it like FJ. Until I go on it and remember just how good a ride it is. I wish the drop was steeper, but that`s wishful thinking.......it isn`t really a proper drop but some seem to think it is. It`s not as good as FJ but still a lot of fun. *
*
It is fun and we come off and collect our stuff from the strangely organised lockers today.....no one is gathered in one corner trying to get into one locker......this was the first time I had seen this!!! 

We came back out into the sunshine and grabbed a few more pictures on the way out. 
*
*I did like this kettle.....*




































*There is something very garish about this pink!!! *






































*Back outside it was lovely...….I did wonder if Kyle felt too hot with his hoodie on, but he was fine......I was glad of mine this morning, but now I wish I`d left it at home. *
*
It was so lovely it was warm again though....and had to be nice the rest of our trip and we also hadn`t seen any rain so far which was fabulous.....and we hoped it continued that way!!! 
*
*Outside the entrance to Kings Cross. *
















*Slightly different looking from the real Kings Cross!! But, not too unalike. This was taken on a trip to London a couple of years ago. *
















*There was a little bit of confusion as we went in today, again, some folks didn`t have park to park tickets and some were trying to get in the EP line without having EP .....despite it not being overly busy. But I think some were just confused with which line to go in. *

*The cool is nice in here, unlike the real King`s Cross, and it smells fresher too!!! *
















*This is always a popular part of the line experience. When you can be seen to disappear through the wall.......it is cool!!! 

The family in front asked if we`d mind waiting as they had four kids and they all wanted to go through individually.......of course not, we were happy to wait.......and those kids were all beaming from ear to ear as they went through, and everyone who waited behind us was seemingly happy to wait too.......the dad came back and said thank you, this was their first visit and certainly their last for a lot of years...…bless them!!! *
*
We loved seeing the joy in their faces and wished we had caught them as they saw the HE for the first time. But, they had gone on ahead to join what looked like a whole family tree of folks....lol....
*
*But, it is nice to do this.........*

























*We just caught Hedwig at the right angle! *















*IOA and lunch coming up...…..*


----------



## Squirlz

Have you ever seen ET on the screen in the Mummy?  I have looked and looked but can't see it.  Our tour guide confirmed that it's there.


----------



## macraven

Schumi 
I’m seeing new pictures in this report 
that I haven’t viewed before

The ones you posted above my post are very eye catching especially the invisible wall


----------



## macraven

I continue to look forward to more ...


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> The steak we have in the Ale House is like that....cheap as chips but absolutely perfect....but I do think we`ll go back to Cracker Barrell one time.


CB really used to be so good, when on road trips we’d look for one knowing the food would be decent.  Have given up on it, unless fellow diners insist.


J'aime Paris said:


> I must be very dense...I had no idea that there was a rocket launch that day???
> Beautiful rainbow btw!


Seriously, an amazing pic.  


angshewas said:


> Are you counting cocktails and steaks, too??


Hehe


schumigirl said:


> and the saleswoman too was just pushy....I don't think I`ve ever met one as pushy as she was....she almost had my purse out of my handbag as I was standing there!!!!


That sort tends to make me turn on my heels, hate a hard sell.  Her salary likely largely dependent on both sales commision & a kicker for new CC applicants.  Still, there are far more subtle strategies to employ.


macraven said:


> Freddie Mercury, nice!


The switch out popped out at me too lol. 


schumigirl said:


> lol......yes, it’s been Michael Myers for such a long time........I don’t think I’ve ever had a Universal image as an avatar for some reason.....but he’s a hero of mine, so it was either him or George Michael!


Somewhere, in Haddonfield, IL, a Mr Myers is crying lol


----------



## Vicki Rickerd

schumigirl said:


> We hadn`t really done much during the day, but we had enjoyed a lovely evening.




Sometimes those days are the best; just hanging with friends and family.


----------



## Vicki Rickerd

schumigirl said:


> instructed not to bash each other off the tracks



I wonder if anyone ever abides by the "no bashing" rule



schumigirl said:


> I am a rubbish bowler.



This made me laugh. I am the black sheep of my family in bowling. Both my sister and cousin could have gone pro and I have never come close to a 300 game. 




schumigirl said:


> That is one happy young man!



So happy to see that smile after he was down the previous day.



schumigirl said:


> Ale House on Kirkman tonight



We are trying to decide which to go to when we are down there, the Yard House or Ale House.


----------



## schumigirl

Squirlz said:


> Have you ever seen ET on the screen in the Mummy?  I have looked and looked but can't see it.  Our tour guide confirmed that it's there.


No.


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> Schumi
> I’m seeing new pictures in this report
> that I haven’t viewed before
> 
> The ones you posted above my post are very eye catching especially the invisible wall





macraven said:


> I continue to look forward to more ...



Thanks so much mac.........I definitely take that as a compliment knowing how well you know the parks!!! We always say every trip we find something we’ve never noticed before! And we do think.....how’d we miss that....

And always glad to read you’re enjoying it too........


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> CB really used to be so good, when on road trips we’d look for one knowing the food would be decent.  Have given up on it, unless fellow diners insist.
> 
> Seriously, an amazing pic.
> 
> Hehe
> 
> That sort tends to make me turn on my heels, hate a hard sell.  Her salary likely largely dependent on both sales commision & a kicker for new CC applicants.  Still, there are far more subtle strategies to employ.
> 
> The switch out popped out at me too lol.
> 
> Somewhere, in Haddonfield, IL, a Mr Myers is crying lol



I think what you said about location rings true......a friend of ours went to a CB in Kissimmee and thought it was dreadful......but they tried again at one on the road to Clearwater and loved it!!

Glad you liked the picture......yes, turns me off big time.....it was weird she wasn’t completely pushing the bags, she was focussed on how we’d pay......Tom said we must have looked like hobo’s that couldn’t pay 

Oh poor Mr Myers, there‘s a thought lol...........I’ll maybe bring him back for Halloween.......


----------



## macraven

Your writing style has a professional flair to it 

You keep the report factual and entertaining 
and stay focused 

Readers learn a lot from you


----------



## schumigirl

Vicki Rickerd said:


> Sometimes those days are the best; just hanging with friends and family.






Vicki Rickerd said:


> I wonder if anyone ever abides by the "no bashing" rule
> 
> 
> 
> This made me laugh. I am the black sheep of my family in bowling. Both my sister and cousin could have gone pro and I have never come close to a 300 game.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So happy to see that smile after he was down the previous day.
> 
> 
> 
> We are trying to decide which to go to when we are down there, the Yard House or Ale House.




Yes, I completely agree! We don’t ever feel the need to constantly fill four time with plans and places we have to go.......we’re quite happy just mooching around doing not a lot........

I’m sure there folks who break the rules!! I know I’d struggle not to bash.....lol.......as for the bowling.......I’m glad to hear you’re the same......I just can’t get the technique.....although I have had a few strikes at times, but they were more flukes that talent!!!

Yes, his big smile at that cake was fabulous to see!!

Yard House has some good food, but at night it is the noisiest place on Earth!! We went there last year sometime, got a table and then left as we couldn’t hear ourselves think......the lady on the desk said it’s like that every single night! Lunch was quieter though.

Ale House, for us, we prefer the food compared to YH......much better atmosphere and friendlier all round. We always feel you get the best value at Ale House......prices are amazing for the food we receive. It’s very good bar food.


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> Your writing style has a professional flair to it
> 
> You keep the report factual and entertaining
> and stay focused
> 
> Readers learn a lot from you



Awwww......Thank you so much!!

It is so lovely when someone says they’ve taken a tip or two they never knew before from reading here......always happy to read that!


----------



## Zosha

schumigirl said:


> Thank you Zosha   …..we had a lovely time....and hope your Christmas was wonderful too....and I hope you are nowhere near those dreadful and devastating fires over there right now. The pictures being shown are terrifying.....


Hi Schumi. We are about 30kms as the crow flies from the South Australian ones and in suburbia, so never under threat. My daughter’s pony was on a property that was only a km from the fires though so we definitely had a few anxious days hoping it wouldn’t reignite. I’ve actually steered away from social sites recently because the fire news and images have been so overwhelming. All our beautiful wildlife burning. It’s just hideous. And tonight the Kangaroo Island fire has jumped containment lines and is barreling through the rest of the island. Anyway, I’ve come to immerse myself in your lovely happy trip report and  take a little mental break in universal Orlando!


----------



## schumigirl

Zosha said:


> Hi Schumi. We are about 30kms as the crow flies from the South Australian ones and in suburbia, so never under threat. My daughter’s pony was on a property that was only a km from the fires though so we definitely had a few anxious days hoping it wouldn’t reignite. I’ve actually steered away from social sites recently because the fire news and images have been so overwhelming. All our beautiful wildlife burning. It’s just hideous. And tonight the Kangaroo Island fire has jumped containment lines and is barreling through the rest of the island. Anyway, I’ve come to immerse myself in your lovely happy trip report and  take a little mental break in universal Orlando!



Im glad to read you’re all safe, but it is truly dreadful to watch it all over the news and internet. Seeing all the kangaroo and koala corpses laying for miles is horrible.

I’m glad your daughters pony is safe, how worrying that must have been for you all. It is completely devastating to Australia. Everyone we know has donated to the appeal..... 

Yes, sometimes you need to take yourself away from harsh realities at times.......hope you enjoy reading........


----------



## Tink2Day

The pictures are GLORIOUS!! You are doing great with your photography and of course Tom has always been spectacular with his photos.

The decorations are so tasteful in Potterland so Happy JK allowed them to be used.


----------



## keishashadow

Zosha said:


> Hi Schumi. We are about 30kms as the crow flies from the South Australian ones and in suburbia, so never under threat. My daughter’s pony was on a property that was only a km from the fires though so we definitely had a few anxious days hoping it wouldn’t reignite. I’ve actually steered away from social sites recently because the fire news and images have been so overwhelming. All our beautiful wildlife burning. It’s just hideous. And tonight the Kangaroo Island fire has jumped containment lines and is barreling through the rest of the island. Anyway, I’ve come to immerse myself in your lovely happy trip report and  take a little mental break in universal Orlando!


It’s been heartbreaking to see the devastation and see the numbers as to loss of both human and animal life.  Hugs. Hope it is contained soon.  One thing that stuck with me is the shell-shocked look on the rescued koala’s faces.


----------



## AussieBritTraveller

Hello, Happy New Year to you and Tom and Kyle! Hope you all had a great christmas

Enjoying another great trip report, only 9 months to go till we get to go again


----------



## schumigirl

Tink2Day said:


> The pictures are GLORIOUS!! You are doing great with your photography and of course Tom has always been spectacular with his photos.
> 
> The decorations are so tasteful in Potterland so Happy JK allowed them to be used.



Thanks Tink.....so many of mine end up blurry as I don't wear glasses while I`m taking them.....lol.....maybe I`m getting lucky......

Yes, tasteful is a perfect description of them....they just seem to fit.


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> It’s been heartbreaking to see the devastation and see the numbers as to loss of both human and animal life.  Hugs. Hope it is contained soon.  One thing that stuck with me is the shell-shocked look on the rescued koala’s faces.



Yes, and seeing those little things seek out water from various fire crews was so tragic to watch.


----------



## schumigirl

AussieBritTraveller said:


> Hello, Happy New Year to you and Tom and Kyle! Hope you all had a great christmas
> 
> Enjoying another great trip report, only 9 months to go till we get to go again



 back Matt!!! And yes, a very happy new year to you too.....

We did thanks....hope you all did too! 

September will be here before you know it....and glad you`re enjoying this one......don't be a stranger


----------



## schumigirl

*We got on the Hogwarts Express and we shared the carriage with two other people who were fairly chatty and although they had been on the train before, it was the first year, so a little while back. They were very nice and it`s so nice when people do sit and chat. I hate being in a carriage with unfriendly people.....of course not everyone is a chatty person......we are. 

A short journey later and we pull into Hogsmeade.....and head outside with Kyle checking the rocket launch was still going ahead. It was. *

*We headed left today as we were working our way towards Mythos, not for lunch but for the lagoon side of it so we could see the launch hopefully. I think if we had more time we`d have gone to the top of Sapphire Falls parking lot and watched from there, but we didn`t want to leave the park just for that. *

*Our first stop was the Mystic Fountain......and he was a naughty one today!!! So funny....I had heard this man many times and he can be very clever with his words.....just that little bit adult in jokes but not so much that kids would understand. I could imagine him in real life being very scathing.....lol.......he`s the best though. *















*We wandered around the back and it was very peaceful round here.....hardly anyone comes here so you can wander without folks getting in your way...

It is a beautiful area and feels a little wasted being so tucked away, not many folks will wander round here.*
















*I think some folks might think it`s weird taking pictures of the blue sky and a couple of palm trees, but when it looks as gorgeous as this......we just have to......*






































*The Fountain came to life again as we tried to pass by it......so we waited a few minutes till he stopped singing and we could pass without getting soaked......of course you can go round to the left, but what fun would that be......*
















*Poseidon`s Fury is a stunning building and fits in beautifully to this area as it stands now. Of course in years to come who knows......I think for now Universal seem focussed on the new park coming up, but it will be interesting to see what will happen here.......they have plenty of options that`s for sure. 

For us it`s a one and done..…actually we did it twice to see if it was as bad as we remembered.......yes, we don`t like this one at all. Although the water vortex is pretty cool. *



























*It is boiling today!!!! I swear Kyle must be melting but, he say he`s fine.....so I don't keep asking him......there`s nothing worse than someone constantly asking if you`re too hot.....

The back of Mythos by the lagoon is lovely.....*
















*There have always been fish in the lagoon, and they are very visible as you look in......but....I had never seen them lined up like this before......it was a little disconcerting how uniformed and poised they looked.........*

















*And all we could think about was mutant sea bass from Austin Powers!!! *







​





*The area where the bridge is has a peculiar sound and it`s the sound of the troll who lives under the bridge......it is quite loud and very distinctive.......*
















*Very impressive!!! *
















*So, it was almost time for the launch and we had the ipad open and we were watching it live at the same time.......we stood right up on the steps as if you were going into Mythos, and we had a perfect view of the air space where it was going to ascend into. We had never seen a launch in Orlando, we knew you could see it from just about anywhere in Orlando...as long as you were looking the right way of course.....we had missed a few over the years by hours on occasion and way back for Tom`s birthday we had missed it by a day. So although this wasn't a huge event, it was a supply rocket going to the ISS, we were still so excited to see it. 

We saw it take off on the ipad, then a few seconds later, we saw the trail and managed to pick out the detail as it went up.......

Maybe not the most impressive images, especially if you aren`t interested in this type of thing.....but for us we loved seeing it. *



























*We watched until we couldn't see anything else and we hoped we had managed to capture some of it on camera......although seeing it for real was enough. We love things like this.....and Kyle has a massive knowledge of all things space and stars, so it`s extra special to see a launch. I guess some folks take it for granted, as you might do...but for us, we were delighted. 

We were all getting hungry now, so we set off back to the main walkways and came across a relatively new addition to the park meet and greets......She-Ra...…..*

*She was phenomenal!!! The meet was funny and she was very chatty with all of us......we were all very impressed with her and the guy with her who was taking pictures too asked us if we wouldn`t mind and  make a comment to Guest Services so she may become a permanent meet and greet.....we certainly would do that!!! *

*We thanked her for the time and we set off as more people were beginning to line up to meet her.....I hope they do keep her there as she was fabulous!! *



























*We must have taken a million pictures in here today....it was quiet in certain areas which was strange as the park was busy.....I think we had just found a lull.....

My two guys...…..*

















*Heading into Seuss we passed by the trolley train today and headed down to do CiTH. This was so funny as Kyle had forgotten just how god darn weird this ride is.......I marvel how anyone could possibly come up with something like that!! Of course a lot of his work is rather odd to say the least......

But of course his work led to us having one of the funniest and best Christmas movies to watch every year........I`m not really a fan of Jim Carrey except when he did The Truman Show, but this movie is amazing!! *

















*Love that movie!!!! 

We survived the ride and Kyle just laughed when he came out......what else can you do with this ride...….very odd. *

*The Who`s were out in force again all over Seuss which was lovely, they really are fabulous and interact with everyone......although there`s always one group of folks who completely ignore their attempts at conversation......we did snigger as one not very happy looking family walked through the store and didn't even raise a smile as the Who`s did their level best to get a smile from one of them....nope, wasn't happening.....lol......*

*I think we more than made up for their lack of enthusiasm......we love the Who`s!!!! *















*And they do love to pose for pictures! *



























*Now we were all hungry...….so we had already decided to eat in Confisco Grille again today. We honestly can`t see past this place in IOA. We don't really like counter service, well except maybe Thunder Falls one day again. But this place beats Mythos by miles!!!

And there were one or two little decorations that had been added......*


















*We get a table straight away as the place is almost deserted when we went in, it can be very quiet some days, but we quite like that. If we had to wait for ages, we`d go somewhere else. There are always plenty of places to choose from. 

Tiffany looked after us today, she has worked here for around 17 years and is always exactly the same way......smiling and happy......we have a nice little chat with her, and before we order she offers to take a picture for us......well, of course we accept. *




























*I ordered a glass of Malbec, Kyle his usual smoothy and Tom had his usual lemonade as we were heading out tonight again in the car. And our bread arrived soon after, and today we were all indulging as we were hungry!!! The bread and honey butter were demolished and it wasn`t long before our food appeared today.......*

















*A big smile knowing food was on the way.......*
















*Kyle ordered his usual cheese pizza, and was glad to see it had no large tomatoes popped on top today...…plain cheese pizza!! *
















*Tom and I both had the ribs today. He had ordered them when they first appeared and said I stole his dish when I ordered it next visit.......he`s probably right!! I do that a lot.....he tries a new dish and then I always order it before him......and we very rarely order the same dish.......poor guy!!!! But, today he was having them.......

And all three dishes were gorgeous. Kyle`s pizza, though simple was perfect. Our Italian friends balk at putting most toppings on pizza....they are genuine Italians and basically have the tomato sauce and mozzarella.....that`s the pizza to them.....nothing else except maybe some olive oil...their faces when they first heard we put bbq sauce on a base and some of the toppings we have....it was a picture and they didn`t quite believe us......lol......they would approve of this one!! 

The ribs were amazing......full of flavour and completely fell off the bone.....the sauce and the polenta were as always the perfect mix. *

















*Tiffany mentioned some desserts, but we never have them here and Kyle was going home to eat the second chocolate fudge cake in the fridge. I hoped it would still be fresh enough for him. She said next time we were in desserts were on her!! She is lovely. 

We had a bathroom visit and Tom snapped a few pics while we were gone. *

















*We head back to Hogsmeade and it is busy here.....there is a short line waiting to go on Hagrid`s, maybe up to the entrance of Ollivanders. The ride was down, but....one of the TM`s caught our eye and told us if we wanted to ride today we should join it now.......he didn't need to tell them twice!!! *

















*They did. And within two minutes were moving forward. 


Kyle was beyond excited getting to ride it today......we had been so lucky just turning up as the ride was opening after a short delay!!! 

They joined the line at 1.55pm and they were out just before 2.30!!! We couldn`t believe the luck.......

I had given it a miss today, so I wandered round and took some pictures and went for a drink in the 3B`s as I didn`t know how long they would be.......I then went into the bathroom in Hogsmeade and it was the busiest I had ever see the bathrooms......as I was drying my hands a lady asked if I was the lady who wrote the trip reports.....I said yes I was.....we began chatting as we headed back out to the sunshine.....the lady`s name was Marlene and her and her husband were from Michigan. She reads the Dis, but I don't think she said she was a member.....I forget her husbands name, but they came to Orlando for Universal and went to California for Disneyland......It was so lovely chatting to them both, I was glad she spoke to me. At that Kyle and Tom appeared we said our goodbyes and they set off. 

I was so desperate to hear Kyle`s thoughts on the ride.....and he loved it.....said it was the best ride he`d been on in years!!! He didn`t know any of the spoilers as I had made sure not to write on here how we had enjoyed the ride.....but it is truly amazing!!! Again, I won`t mention spoilers in case anyone reading hasn`t been on it yet and I`d hate to spoil it for anyone......but they were both so enthusiastic about it...…now I wish I`d gone back on again. This more than makes up for the poor effort with Fallon and F&F..….this ride is phenomenal!!!! 

We were just so amazed that they didn't have to wait hours the way some folks do.......it really was pure luck! We would never stand for hours waiting to go on any ride, but I can understand why folks do...…but if we never did it again this trip, at least we can say we`ve all done it. 

We more or less left the area at this point....the line for Hagrid`s had jumped up to over 100 minutes so no re-riding today!!! *




























*We headed out of the park, slowly, and walked back home where we all had a bit of a snooze, then got changed before heading out for the evening...…...*


----------



## smiths02

I would be so sad if they ever got rid of that fountain!  We had to stop every time we passed it.  So many people seem to just walk on by and not notice.  My kids talk about it like they talk about the rides (and the food LOL).


----------



## keishashadow

Great to hear somebody was able to enjoy Hagrids without a long wait.  Just haven’t been able to bring myself to join that line thus far.  

Wonder how long before they add it to FOTL onsite?  Not that it would necessarily be an indicator but, can’t recall how long it took for Kong to make the roll call. thinking it might have been a little under a year. Do you remember?


----------



## schumigirl

smiths02 said:


> I would be so sad if they ever got rid of that fountain!  We had to stop every time we passed it.  So many people seem to just walk on by and not notice.  My kids talk about it like they talk about the rides (and the food LOL).



It is so funny! I agree, some folks just pass it by with no clue it’s there.....oh yes, it’s up there with the best!

Food included.......


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Great to hear somebody was able to enjoy Hagrids without a long wait.  Just haven’t been able to bring myself to join that line thus far.
> 
> Wonder how long before they add it to FOTL onsite?  Not that it would necessarily be an indicator but, can’t recall how long it took for Kong to make the roll call. thinking it might have been a little under a year. Do you remember?



Oh completely agree......we’d never stand in line in anything longer than 20 minutes......lol.....seriously......we just don’t want to....

Kong was fairly quick?? I do know they did want EP fairly early with Hagrid’s but it hasn’t transpired. Can’t wait for when it does get it......


----------



## DisneyLifePapioNe

schumigirl said:


> *We got on the Hogwarts Express and we shared the carriage with two other people who were fairly chatty and although they had been on the train before, it was the first year, so a little while back. They were very nice and it`s so nice when people do sit and chat. I hate being in a carriage with unfriendly people.....of course not everyone is a chatty person......we are.
> 
> A short journey later and we pull into Hogsmeade.....and head outside with Kyle checking the rocket launch was still going ahead. It was. *
> 
> *We headed left today as we were working our way towards Mythos, not for lunch but for the lagoon side of it so we could see the launch hopefully. I think if we had more time we`d have gone to the top of Sapphire Falls parking lot and watched from there, but we didn`t want to leave the park just for that. *
> 
> *Our first stop was the Mystic Fountain......and he was a naughty one today!!! So funny....I had heard this man many times and he can be very clever with his words.....just that little bit adult in jokes but not so much that kids would understand. I could imagine him in real life being very scathing.....lol.......he`s the best though. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *We wandered around the back and it was very peaceful round here.....hardly anyone comes here so you can wander without folks getting in your way...
> 
> It is a beautiful area and feels a little wasted being so tucked away, not many folks will wander round here.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *I think some folks might think it`s weird taking pictures of the blue sky and a couple of palm trees, but when it looks as gorgeous as this......we just have to......*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *The Fountain came to life again as we tried to pass by it......so we waited a few minutes till he stopped singing and we could pass without getting soaked......of course you can go round to the left, but what fun would that be......*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Poseidon`s Fury is a stunning building and fits in beautifully to this area as it stands now. Of course in years to come who knows......I think for now Universal seem focussed on the new park coming up, but it will be interesting to see what will happen here.......they have plenty of options that`s for sure.
> 
> For us it`s a one and done..…actually we did it twice to see if it was as bad as we remembered.......yes, we don`t like this one at all. Although the water vortex is pretty cool. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *It is boiling today!!!! I swear Kyle must be melting but, he say he`s fine.....so I don't keep asking him......there`s nothing worse than someone constantly asking if you`re too hot.....
> 
> The back of Mythos by the lagoon is lovely.....*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *There have always been fish in the lagoon, and they are very visible as you look in......but....I had never seen them lined up like this before......it was a little disconcerting how uniformed and poised they looked.........*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *And all we could think about was mutant sea bass from Austin Powers!!! *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 464091​
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *The area where the bridge is has a peculiar sound and it`s the sound of the troll who lives under the bridge......it is quite loud and very distinctive.......*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Very impressive!!! *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *So, it was almost time for the launch and we had the ipad open and we were watching it live at the same time.......we stood right up on the steps as if you were going into Mythos, and we had a perfect view of the air space where it was going to ascend into. We had never seen a launch in Orlando, we knew you could see it from just about anywhere in Orlando...as long as you were looking the right way of course.....we had missed a few over the years by hours on occasion and way back for Tom`s birthday we had missed it by a day. So although this wasn't a huge event, it was a supply rocket going to the ISS, we were still so excited to see it.
> 
> We saw it take off on the ipad, then a few seconds later, we saw the trail and managed to pick out the detail as it went up.......
> 
> Maybe not the most impressive images, especially if you aren`t interested in this type of thing.....but for us we loved seeing it. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *We watched until we couldn't see anything else and we hoped we had managed to capture some of it on camera......although seeing it for real was enough. We love things like this.....and Kyle has a massive knowledge of all things space and stars, so it`s extra special to see a launch. I guess some folks take it for granted, as you might do...but for us, we were delighted.
> 
> We were all getting hungry now, so we set off back to the main walkways and came across a relatively new addition to the park meet and greets......She-Ra...…..*
> 
> *She was phenomenal!!! The meet was funny and she was very chatty with all of us......we were all very impressed with her and the guy with her who was taking pictures too asked us if we wouldn`t mind and  make a comment to Guest Services so she may become a permanent meet and greet.....we certainly would do that!!! *
> 
> *We thanked her for the time and we set off as more people were beginning to line up to meet her.....I hope they do keep her there as she was fabulous!! *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *We must have taken a million pictures in here today....it was quiet in certain areas which was strange as the park was busy.....I think we had just found a lull.....
> 
> My two guys...…..*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Heading into Seuss we passed by the trolley train today and headed down to do CiTH. This was so funny as Kyle had forgotten just how god darn weird this ride is.......I marvel how anyone could possibly come up with something like that!! Of course a lot of his work is rather odd to say the least......
> 
> But of course his work led to us having one of the funniest and best Christmas movies to watch every year........I`m not really a fan of Jim Carrey except when he did The Truman Show, but this movie is amazing!! *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Love that movie!!!!
> 
> We survived the ride and Kyle just laughed when he came out......what else can you do with this ride...….very odd. *
> 
> *The Who`s were out in force again all over Seuss which was lovely, they really are fabulous and interact with everyone......although there`s always one group of folks who completely ignore their attempts at conversation......we did snigger as one not very happy looking family walked through the store and didn't even raise a smile as the Who`s did their level best to get a smile from one of them....nope, wasn't happening.....lol......*
> 
> *I think we more than made up for their lack of enthusiasm......we love the Who`s!!!! *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *And they do love to pose for pictures! *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Now we were all hungry...….so we had already decided to eat in Confisco Grille again today. We honestly can`t see past this place in IOA. We don't really like counter service, well except maybe Thunder Falls one day again. But this place beats Mythos by miles!!!
> 
> And there were one or two little decorations that had been added......*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *We get a table straight away as the place is almost deserted when we went in, it can be very quiet some days, but we quite like that. If we had to wait for ages, we`d go somewhere else. There are always plenty of places to choose from.
> 
> Tiffany looked after us today, she has worked here for around 17 years and is always exactly the same way......smiling and happy......we have a nice little chat with her, and before we order she offers to take a picture for us......well, of course we accept. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *I ordered a glass of Malbec, Kyle his usual smoothy and Tom had his usual lemonade as we were heading out tonight again in the car. And our bread arrived soon after, and today we were all indulging as we were hungry!!! The bread and honey butter were demolished and it wasn`t long before our food appeared today.......*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *A big smile knowing food was on the way.......*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Kyle ordered his usual cheese pizza, and was glad to see it had no large tomatoes popped on top today...…plain cheese pizza!! *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Tom and I both had the ribs today. He had ordered them when they first appeared and said I stole his dish when I ordered it next visit.......he`s probably right!! I do that a lot.....he tries a new dish and then I always order it before him......and we very rarely order the same dish.......poor guy!!!! But, today he was having them.......
> 
> And all three dishes were gorgeous. Kyle`s pizza, though simple was perfect. Our Italian friends balk at putting most toppings on pizza....they are genuine Italians and basically have the tomato sauce and mozzarella.....that`s the pizza to them.....nothing else except maybe some olive oil...their faces when they first heard we put bbq sauce on a base and some of the toppings we have....it was a picture and they didn`t quite believe us......lol......they would approve of this one!!
> 
> The ribs were amazing......full of flavour and completely fell off the bone.....the sauce and the polenta were as always the perfect mix. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Tiffany mentioned some desserts, but we never have them here and Kyle was going home to eat the second chocolate fudge cake in the fridge. I hoped it would still be fresh enough for him. She said next time we were in desserts were on her!! She is lovely.
> 
> We had a bathroom visit and Tom snapped a few pics while we were gone. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *We head back to Hogsmeade and it is busy here.....there is a short line waiting to go on Hagrid`s, maybe up to the entrance of Ollivanders. The ride was down, but....one of the TM`s caught our eye and told us if we wanted to ride today we should join it now.......he didn't need to tell them twice!!! *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *They did. And within two minutes were moving forward. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Kyle was beyond excited getting to ride it today......we had been so lucky just turning up as the ride was opening after a short delay!!!
> 
> They joined the line at 1.55pm and they were out just before 2.30!!! We couldn`t believe the luck.......
> 
> I had given it a miss today, so I wandered round and took some pictures and went for a drink in the 3B`s as I didn`t know how long they would be.......I then went into the bathroom in Hogsmeade and it was the busiest I had ever see the bathrooms......as I was drying my hands a lady asked if I was the lady who wrote the trip reports.....I said yes I was.....we began chatting as we headed back out to the sunshine.....the lady`s name was Marlene and her and her husband were from Michigan. She reads the Dis, but I don't think she said she was a member.....I forget her husbands name, but they came to Orlando for Universal and went to California for Disneyland......It was so lovely chatting to them both, I was glad she spoke to me. At that Kyle and Tom appeared we said our goodbyes and they set off.
> 
> I was so desperate to hear Kyle`s thoughts on the ride.....and he loved it.....said it was the best ride he`d been on in years!!! He didn`t know any of the spoilers as I had made sure not to write on here how we had enjoyed the ride.....but it is truly amazing!!! Again, I won`t mention spoilers in case anyone reading hasn`t been on it yet and I`d hate to spoil it for anyone......but they were both so enthusiastic about it...…now I wish I`d gone back on again. This more than makes up for the poor effort with Fallon and F&F..….this ride is phenomenal!!!!
> 
> We were just so amazed that they didn't have to wait hours the way some folks do.......it really was pure luck! We would never stand for hours waiting to go on any ride, but I can understand why folks do...…but if we never did it again this trip, at least we can say we`ve all done it.
> 
> We more or less left the area at this point....the line for Hagrid`s had jumped up to over 100 minutes so no re-riding today!!! *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *We headed out of the park, slowly, and walked back home where we all had a bit of a snooze, then got changed before heading out for the evening...…...*



Hagrids really is great, we were lucky every time we rode also our total time was always under 40 minutes......


----------



## schumigirl

DisneyLifePapioNe said:


> Hagrids really is great, we were lucky every time we rode also our total time was always under 40 minutes......



Glad to hear it.......yes, it’s an amazing ride.


----------



## smiths02

Now I was able to read the rest of the update:

Those fish by Mythos are serious!  Our server gave us some bread to feed them, and my kids really wanted to get some to a few turtles we saw, but those fish!  I am pretty sure my DH quoted Austin Powers or the Simpsons about those fish.


My kids love the Jim Carrey Grinch, but I make them watch the 1960s cartoon every Christmas Eve.  I need to rewatch Jim Carrey and maybe give the new one a chance (I do love Benedict Cumberbatch).  

I do have a question for you and others, if you had several park days, would you go through Poseidon just to have done it?  What about Fallon and F&F?  We skipped all those last time because it was our first trip, but we have potentially 6 days to go into the parks and it seems like maybe worth trying?


----------



## schumigirl

smiths02 said:


> Now I was able to read the rest of the update:
> 
> Those fish by Mythos are serious!  Our server gave us some bread to feed them, and my kids really wanted to get some to a few turtles we saw, but those fish!  I am pretty sure my DH quoted Austin Powers or the Simpsons about those fish.
> 
> 
> My kids love the Jim Carrey Grinch, but I make them watch the 1960s cartoon every Christmas Eve.  I need to rewatch Jim Carrey and maybe give the new one a chance (I do love Benedict Cumberbatch).
> 
> I do have a question for you and others, if you had several park days, would you go through Poseidon just to have done it?  What about Fallon and F&F?  We skipped all those last time because it was our first trip, but we have potentially 6 days to go into the parks and it seems like maybe worth trying?



They were quite freaky as one minute there were none......and I turned back and they were all lined up like that!! it was weird........

I like cartoon version too, only saw it for the first time about 15 years ago, and as for Benedict Cumberbatch.......we like Sherlock and that’s about it with him......Kyle cannot watch anything with him in it.....lol......

You have 6 days......absolutely do everything.......Poseidon is worth a view, if only for the vortex......and many like it.......

And by the same token, there are folks that like the other two rides you mentioned. Fallon has a lovely walkthrough to get to the ride. The building is beautiful and it’s worth it for that alone.

F&F is very schmalzy......but, yes, with that amount of time try absolutely everything


----------



## schumigirl

Quick note to @Worfiedoodles 

Hope I've caught you before you leave..hope you have a fabulous and amazing trip...look forward to hearing about it when you come back...


----------



## Pumpkin1172

Wow!!!!!  What a great trip report so far!!!!  The amazing pictures that Tom takes are getting me through this craptastic cold weather we are experiencing right now.  And of course...your story telling is amazing!  Your food porn pictures are also so good.  Your food choices are always amazing...except for the pineapple on pizza!!!!!!     nope...nadda...not happening!  The dh likes pineapple on pizza...but rarely will he get it that way.  Only if the youngest ds wants to have it too.  

Can't wait to read some more!!!


----------



## disneyAndi14

schumigirl said:


> *And don`t miss going to look at the rear of the bus as you can look in and see the beds and luggage too....it is identical to the bus in the movie. *


This is such a great tip, it is just one of many I have used from your great reports!
I hope to get on Hagrid’s one of these trips, I have tried to not watch any spoilers. I have heard it is amazing! 
of course all your pictures are so wonderful to look at, the weather looks beautiful that day.


----------



## schumigirl

Pumpkin1172 said:


> Wow!!!!!  What a great trip report so far!!!!  The amazing pictures that Tom takes are getting me through this craptastic cold weather we are experiencing right now.  And of course...your story telling is amazing!  Your food porn pictures are also so good.  Your food choices are always amazing...except for the pineapple on pizza!!!!!!     nope...nadda...not happening!  The dh likes pineapple on pizza...but rarely will he get it that way.  Only if the youngest ds wants to have it too.
> 
> Can't wait to read some more!!!



Thank you pumpkin!!! I`m so happy you are enjoying it.....I can imagine your cold right now......we see pictures on the news of countries who have extreme weather and it scare the bejeesus out of me!! 

lol...….yes pineapple is something that divides people massively!!! We love it....well, more me...Tom would be as happy without it. But I love the fruit and meat mix in many dishes. But, yes, I can understand why folks don't like it...….


----------



## schumigirl

disneyAndi14 said:


> This is such a great tip, it is just one of many I have used from your great reports!
> I hope to get on Hagrid’s one of these trips, I have tried to not watch any spoilers. I have heard it is amazing!
> of course all your pictures are so wonderful to look at, the weather looks beautiful that day.



Thanks Caroline.....

I`ll keep fingers crossed you get on Hagrid`s.....it really is phenomenal....and I say that as someone who still hasn't forgiven them for dismantling and destroying Duelling Dragons which we loved!! Yes, I hold a grudge...for a long time   

It was a gorgeous day, and we kept having to remind ourselves that it was December...….

In case I don't catch you before you leave, have a wonderful trip next week....look forward to reading about it!!


----------



## schumigirl

*We set off in the car, and it did feel a little cooler tonight which surprised us as it had been so warm today.....but I guess this was nicer because of where we were going tonight. 

Celebration at Christmas we had been told was lovely......and we hadn't gone the previous two years we had been in Orlando, so we, or really being honest, it was just me who wanted to see it and decided we`d go tonight. We had been told it was almost mobbed and parking was a nightmare, so we were fully prepared and had checked out where they had parking arranged around a ten minute walk away from the centre of Celebration. A lot of the town where you can park is blocked off for this, usually you can park so easily here. 

I don't think we had ever gone to Celebration at night, we had often talked of going to look at the homes decorated for Halloween, but again....would rather go to HHN!! Much more fun......but this was something really to say ok, we`ve done that now. 

Doesn't take long to drive there, and we see another beautiful sunset tonight as we head along Turkey Lake Road.......I didn`t have the camera ready earlier further back, and we could see the sun actually setting on the horizon, but this was still so pretty. *
















*The snow falls every hour on the hour from 5pm and goes on till 9pm, so we thought we`d time it to see the 7pm snow and left in plenty of time to park on the outskirts and walk into town, and of course traffic on the way there can be a hit or a miss...usually a miss!!! 

We drive through LBV on the 535 which that whole area really does need an update......there are some places there that look so shabby along with cheap tourist tat stores.........and the same can be said when you turn onto the 192 into Kissimmee, badly in need of a revamp....but we are only driving past and it does look better at night than during the day with all the lights. 

We drive into Celebration with the idea of going straight through and finding the allocated parking. But we looked down a street we usually turn down to get to the parking overlooking the lake which was closed off, but there are plenty of parking spaces in the town itself......so much for folks saying it`s always mobbed. 

We park up and as we park a British family ask us if it`s ok to park here as they've never been here before. We tell them yes it`s fine and there`s no parking meter to pay either!  *

*In the UK for the most part, we pay to park in most places and there are many restrictions for parking in town centre`s, so it`s refreshing to come here and many other places where you can almost park anywhere for free. I know there are places that charge, but nothing like the UK. *

*I would love one of these to get around in!!!*
















*We do like Celebration, and Kyle has never been before, and with it being dark, he doesn`t really get to see how pretty it is. But, he does like what he sees so far and understands why we like it......*


















*We thought this was so pretty, but I looked at my two and I had that questioning look of would they maybe like to do it........*



























*I guessed correctly they would rather have their toenails removed without anaesthesia than go for a ride on this little carriage!!! *


















*You could see the remnants on the part of the street it snows from the previous shows and it did look Christmassy...and not at all as busy as we had feared. I`m guessing that since it was a Thursday and not the weekend, and also quite early in the season still might be why it was quieter. Although one local told us the first snow of the evening was much busier. *

















*This is one of the main areas of Celebration that has some lovely little restaurants and stores, and is the only street it snows in. It`s not huge, but it does look lovely. And the restaurants are mostly full by what we can see. We had considered eating here somewhere tonight but decided against it and would eat later somewhere still to be decided. 

People often ask why we don`t eat our meals in the Club Lounge in the evening, and although we do like a snack in there with a glass of wine before we go out, we much prefer to eat in the thousands of restaurants available to us between the hotels, Citywalk and Orlando and beyond. I know plenty of people do use it for their meals, but it`s far too early for us to eat usually and we do love so many places offsite. And sometimes choices for dinner are made right before we eat....like tonight...we still had no idea where we were eating later. *





































*Of course they have the usual things for families including what is affectionately named the Wally train back home and they also have a little skating rink just to the side of the snow area. *

















*As a kid I was rubbish at ice skating.....just couldn't quite get the balance right, I loved roller boots where apparently I used to terrify my mother with the speed I would charge up and down where we lived and do turns that she couldn`t even watch. So there was no chance of us having a go on here. I don`t think Kyle has ever been on an ice rink now I think on it. *
















*Back to the tree and the snow.......we still had time before the snow started so we wandered around a little, and it was feeling a little chillier now, but not cold but just nice to be wandering around in. 

I have no idea if you need to find a spot earlier when it`s really busy, but tonight you could stand anywhere, and we even found a bench to sit on as we waited. *
















*The snow appears from little boxes on posts, and I was looking at this one in complete mystification and wondering why it said Danger...…..I was beginning to wonder what the heck the snow was made of!!!! 

Till Kyle pointed out the obvious of course......*
















*Mum......look again, were his words...…...maybe think of reindeers and snow......there might a theme here...…..

















And I am supposed to have good distance eye sight!!!! *

*And just at that point......it began to snow. We realised then there was no big build up to the snow beginning...…before a parade or similar they do that, but not here.....as the snow started so did the music......*

*And yes, it was lovely........and strangely did feel a little like snow. *















*I was loving this.....*















*It really was rather nice, and for the 15 minutes or so it fell, everyone had the same happy look......little kids were as excited as if it was real snow and the family stood beside us who had come from Puerto Rico had never seen real snow once.......although that is strange to me, we`ve met a few people in Orlando that have never experienced real snow before. *





























*Yes, it had been lovely.......but, it`s one of these things I now don`t need to do again.....it ticked a box. But, I`d recommend it to see once. It`s cute and there is a lovely Christmassy feel about the place with the families around and of course the snow is lovely. 

Once that is over, we head back to the car slowly and taking in the lovely lake area at night.......I do like the look of the hotel here.....*








































*We got back into the car and Tom asked where was he driving to tonight. We had considered so many places.....should we try Cracker Barrell down this end, or maybe Smokey Bones that we really like.....but Kyle, genius that he is, suggested Kobe........so that`s what we would do. 

We did pass one on Palm Parkway that we used to go to, but we drove to the one on Kirkman and we said we wouldn`t do the Tepenyaki table, we would have an individual table in the bar area. *




























*It was busy. The tepenyaki tables were bustling and we were glad to see the bar area was much quieter. 

We were seated in a few minutes and our waitress, although pleasant struggled quite badly with English.....it was hard for her to understand what we were saying and we did struggle a little with her, but we got there in the end. The other waitresses seemed to be much better with English than this lady. 

Tom ordered a sprite, Kyle his usual strawberry smoothy....that was a hard task asking her for that....and I pointed to the menu to show her I wanted the Mai Tai........that was easy.......although I decided to have a coke too, so she was confused as she thought I didn`t want the Mai Tai.....no, I explained I wanted both......I did wonder at that point what I`d actually get......but it was fine. *




























*This was much nicer than the shared Tepenyaki table.....although we do usually enjoy those type of meals, we hadn`t had the best experience last time, but this was what we would do from now on.....I think when you`ve experienced the shared table a few times, that`s usually enough....it is fun and if you get a good group of people who all gel, it makes it extra fun....but if you get stuck with folks that don`t interact with both other guests and the chef....it`s a little lame. I wonder why folks who don`t enjoy the chef show or interactions, sit there when they could go for a quieter table. 

Our dishes came with miso soup which we all love, even Kyle....it`s so cleansing and very fresh......although Kyle and I both give Tom our mushrooms......*

















*I was the only one to get a salad and it came with a ginger dressing which was beautiful......but neither of them like that so they omitted to have one at all. Kyle isn`t a fan of a salad plate anyway. *

















*There was no rush to have the entrée sent out, and there was a pleasant gap before she brought them out...…Tom had opted for the Japanese Chicken Curry which came with the usual vegetables and potatoes stir fried...he had rice on the side and omitted the big pile of noodles. *

















*Kyle had the filet with teriyaki sauce and again the same sides and rice was in a side bowl......there are two sizes of steak and tonight him and I opted for the regular size, but we said next time we would have the larger steak. *

















*I had gone with the steak and shrimp option minus any mushrooms, and with teriyaki sauce too. It`s a large portion of noodles you get, so I think next time we`d all omit the noodles and stick to the rice as it was lovely, and more than enough to be honest. 

I was just starting to eat mine when I realised there was no teriyaki sauce on mine.......so I called her over and mentioned it......about 15 minutes later she brought me out a pot of sauce that was cold......er, no...it was supposed to be cooked in it!!! I didn`t quibble over what was going to add a dollar on to the check. *
















*The food was all beautiful..…we really did enjoy this place tonight and we were so glad Kyle had suggested it. It had been a while since he had visited Kobe too, so he doubly enjoyed the experience. 

The check arrived and we paid it before setting off. *
















*Kyle wanted some cookies, so we headed down to the Walgreen at the complete other end of the strip, and we were very surprised to see it had more than a few homeless people I think living there. We hadn't seen that before in this little strip so it quite surprising. 

They weren`t threatening in any way and didn't ask for any money but it wasn`t nice to see folks struggling so much. 

Five minutes later we were back home and had a quick stop to admire the additions to the gingerbread village that was added to every day and of course the tree. The lobby is so pretty and the tree just looks amazing at night all lit up. *
















*We had a quick stop by the desk to ask about another member of staff we know well......and he was on vacation, but would be back before we left for the UK. We did miss seeing him in the lounge as he was a supervisor. He`s now through the back at the front desk. 

Then we popped into Orchids to say goodbye to our number 2 son Colby who also used to be in the Club lounge....he was doing great in Orchids we were happy to see. We`d see him in May of course.......*

*No drink in the bar tonight, we went straight up and planned to have an early night as we had an early rise tomorrow. All three of us were yawning our heads off, so after a quick chat about how lovely a day we`d all had we went through to hopefully drop off quickly to sleep. *



*Tomorrow.....KSC. *


----------



## Cara

I'm just popping in to say that those fish are completely bizarre, all facing the same way like that!


----------



## schumigirl

Cara said:


> I'm just popping in to say that those fish are completely bizarre, all facing the same way like that!



It really was!!

I swear, I looked in the water and there were the usual one or two bobbing about........then I turned back and there they were.......like that ............it did freak me out a little........and they stayed like that for ages!

We had seen then pop up looking for food before, but.......never like that!

Good to see you........


----------



## Worfiedoodles

schumigirl said:


> Quick note to @Worfiedoodles
> 
> Hope I've caught you before you leave..hope you have a fabulous and amazing trip...look forward to hearing about it when you come back...


We arrived yesterday, but I had WiFi issues and couldn’t use my iPad. The guys were fine, it was just me...  It is beautiful here! So much sunshine, we are ecstatic! I will catch up after we get back, I really look forward to reading the rest of your report!


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> It really was!!
> 
> I swear, I looked in the water and there were the usual one or two bobbing about........then I turned back and there they were.......like that ............it did freak me out a little........and they stayed like that for ages!
> 
> We had seen then pop up looking for food before, but.......never like that!
> 
> Good to see you........



That fish formation was quite creepy!  Almost as though they were animatronic lol. We look for the turtles, large ones usually sunning themselves on cement bank down in water near Seuss restrooms.  Haven’t seen them last few trips.  Don’t think turtle soup is ‘a thing’ in Orlando lol, probably just moved to different section of the lagoon.

It’s always nice to find something ‘free’ in town.  You’d pay $120 a person to see it snow on MK Main Street, not factoring in the other special offerings of the party lol. Seems as more than a few have never seen it based upon how excited they are, good for them 

Haven’t tried hibachi other than at epcot in MCO.  That place you feature above looks promising.  Last few outings as a couple away from home, seem to be placed with large groups who all know each other.  Had the distinct vibe we were ‘crashing’ their party, awkward.  Wish they’d take more care to set multiple groups together to encourage interaction.


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> We arrived yesterday, but I had WiFi issues and couldn’t use my iPad. The guys were fine, it was just me...  It is beautiful here! So much sunshine, we are ecstatic! I will catch up after we get back, I really look forward to reading the rest of your report!



Yay...….glad to hear you`re there and weather is so good!!!! Glad to hear it.....

Have a blast and catch you when you get back


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> That fish formation was quite creepy!  Almost as though they were animatronic lol. We look for the turtles, large ones usually sunning themselves on cement bank down in water near Seuss restrooms.  Haven’t seen them last few trips.  Don’t think turtle soup is ‘a thing’ in Orlando lol, probably just moved to different section of the lagoon.
> 
> It’s always nice to find something ‘free’ in town.  You’d pay $120 a person to see it snow on MK Main Street, not factoring in the other special offerings of the party lol. Seems as more than a few have never seen it based upon how excited they are, good for them
> 
> Haven’t tried hibachi other than at epcot in MCO.  That place you feature above looks promising.  Last few outings as a couple away from home, seem to be placed with large groups who all know each other.  Had the distinct vibe we were ‘crashing’ their party, awkward.  Wish they’d take more care to set multiple groups together to encourage interaction.



The only turtles we`ve seen recently are the ones at the boat deck at RP....they`re always around there, but, yes, haven't seen the lagoon ones for a while.....will look in May for them. It was freaky Janet....yes, they did almost look animatronic....

Yes, the snow was a new thing for quite a few folks there.....but one dad did seem a little underwhelmed by it all.....Tom chatted to him as Kyle and I enjoyed the snow....he was from Wisconsin.....lol.....guess he was bemused at going to Orlando to see the very thing he was escaping from   

Yes, the Kobe on Kirkman is very good....we`ll go back. Yes, if you get put with either a large group that's together it can be awkward....or folks that just don't like to mingle......we had two younger girls around early 20`s that just sat on their phone the whole meal.....and they barely ate anything at all......the woman beside me whispered she wondered why they even bothered.......but, it would look good on their Instagram page as they took a million food pics with the same amount of pouts as they pretended to eat!!! It was quite something to watch.....but a little scary!!!!


----------



## I-4Bound

So glad Kyle liked Hagrid's! We will be down there in February, and my son and I plan to ride Hagrid's as many times as possible! Our annual passes expire in March, and I know it will be a few years before we get back to Universal.


----------



## schumigirl

*FRIDAY DECEMBER 6TH*​




*We all slept amazingly well last night, which was ideal as we were getting up extra early this morning. I heard Kyle up just before us, we had all set alarms just in case.....wouldn`t that be typical and be the day we all slept later than we ever do.........*

*But, we were fine. Kyle was showered before we even went through, so he was sitting all shiny faced and ready to go while I waited for my face to fall into place.......

The weather forecast was a bit confusing today, some were saying it would be cool, and others said hot. So I put sunscreen on and would take my hoodie just in case, Kyle who doesn`t really sweat, so doesn`t feel the heat like we do, decided to avoid sunscreen, except for the back of his neck and wear his hoodie....Tom would also put sunscreen on his arms. I decided to go with leggings just in case it did cool down......and with a light weight tee shirt, I`d be fine.*

*We were up at the lounge just as it opened and as the doors were open at 7am exactly....very precise.....we walked in the door to the general surprise from the folks working there......there was an audible gasp from one of the girls!!! We are always fairly early, but even this was a little too early.....and we finally saw some of the folks who were staying who were all doing EE!

We ate breakfast fairly quickly this morning, and it was a little early for me, but I tried to eat a decent amount as I knew if I didn`t I`d be starving by lunchtime. So, I ate as much as I could. Those two were fine, cereal for Kyle and croissants for Tom.*

*Back downstairs we pick up my bag and make sure we have the camera....most important thing today.....and then we head off for the hour or so it takes to get there.

To say we are looking forward to this is an understatement. This was one of the most looked forward to days of our trip. Since our visit last year we knew we`d be back again, and of course it should have been yesterday but the delayed launch meant we visited today. And it looked to be a gorgeous day, even if it did cool down a little, the sun was going to shine all day. 

And the conversation all the way over was what we were most looking forward to and things we had seen last time.*

*I think we passed through 3 maybe 4 tolls on this road, I`m never sure why folks avoid tolls as they`re only a couple of dollars, and the road is so much easier than the traffic light city road it took us last year when we followed the satnav! Never again......

It`s very obvious when you get close to KSC. Land just stretches out with not very much around except traffic all seemingly heading the same way. And then we can see the VAB from a fair distance away.*

*This building is one of the world’s largest buildings by volume, and it is the world’s largest one-story building. I won`t drone on with loads of info like I did last year, but this is one stunning and impressive building.*
















*There is a new entrance to the facility, which took us a slightly different route than last time....and we had a Japanese lady driving in front of us who got completely lost once we had paid at the gate and were driving to park.....she missed the vast open space that said car park this way.....and headed to the new exit.....she was completely flummoxed!!! Once we parked she appeared behind us and drove round past us twice...…there were a million spaces!!!! When she eventually chose one, she drove straight into it....almost, then took another three attempts to get inside the lines! You worry about folks like that one the road...if you can`t even park between two lines with no other cars around??? Scary. *
















*We were parked in only the second row but as we looked to the side I think we saw every Florida school kid there is get off many, many coaches!!!!! This didn`t look like a lot of fun!!! It was hot, so opted to leave my hoodie in the car as I was sure I wouldn`t need it now. And already I was wishing I had worn a dress. Although most of the things are inside, so it would be fine. 

Last year, we were here on a Wednesday round about the same date, and there were one or two smaller school groups, and around another maybe 10 people in the place as we went in. This was completely different.*

*Kyle and I wandered over to the huge Christmas decoration at the entrance, although we couldn't really get near it for thousands of kids all sprawled over the ground and throwing bottles of water at each other while some folks tried to get around them.....and this particular group`s chaperones didn`t seem to care.....*

















*Tom got our entrance tickets, and although we could back before next December Kyle said we couldn`t go without him! So, we didn`t buy the multiday which is a fabulous bargain, but 3 regular daily tickets. This is still a fabulous price for what you receive in return from here.*



























*This was the line to get through the gate and security check.....and every lane was exactly the same.*

*Every kid having backpacks of varying size didn't help the line. And folks who weren't travelling with the schools were all complaining there should be a separate line for us non school trip people. But, as it was we had to wait. It did take longer than it should have. One of the Staff members we spoke to called it Frightful Friday. He said, yes they get a lot of school trips most days, but a Friday was the worst.....we`d remember that next year!!! *
















*Once we were in our first stop would have been the Heroes and Legends show. This had been so good last year, we wanted to do it first again, but......the line was already all the way down to the rocket garden with school kids.......we did actually join it, but after 20 minutes when it didn`t move, we decided to give up for today. Just to get in to the first part with this corwd would take an hour or so. As we had done it before, it was an easy pass. *





































*So, we wandered into the Rocket Garden and noticed at that point that most of the groups had dispersed naturally and there were no huge clumps of kids at this point. The odd little group were around but the ones here were all so well behaved and some chatted to us as we looked at the same objects.

Three youngsters were amazed when we said we came from Scotland...….I think we could have said we were from Mars and they wouldn`t have as impressed. They did look like the thought we had come  from another planet. One of the girls first question was had we seen the Loch Ness Monster.....of course we had was my answer....everybody had seen it...…lol.....not sure they believed me!!!*

*They do have some very not too obvious Christmas decorations around.....*



























*This is the Saturn 1B rocket which was being restored when we were here last year.  It`s the last remaining intact and flight-configured Saturn 1B rocket left in existence. And it is huge!!!!*

*The first one launched Apollo 7 on 11 October 1968. 

And we were massively impressed with what they had done with it since last year. *



























*Kyle again* *was entranced again with all the information available...….*



























*We spent around 30 minutes wandering around the Rocket Garden today, it was fairly quiet as most of the kids seemed to be elsewhere at this point. There are little tours you can take where the guide will take you round each rocket and tell you it`s history in detail, but as our son had already done that with us last year we had no need of a guide. But, it did sound very interesting to do if you have no knowledge of the rockets. *

*We were heading towards the Journey to Mars building we had missed out last year. And again, it didn't look too busy around this area.*



























*I think my son is making fun of how short I am!!!!!*



























*Going inside the journey to Mars was new to us, last year we were more aware of wanting to do the two largest exhibits and we missed this one out, so we weren`t exactly sure what we`d see in here.*

*There are some spectacular images around in various forms and it was a busy little place when we went in.*



























*There is short show where one of the employees gives you a brief history and there are films and images shown. I wouldn`t say it`s a must do, but there were some interesting displays to see further back.
*




























































*We did enjoy it, and would do it again next time. You could do it in around 30 minutes. Depending how interested you are in the displays on offer. *

*On to one of the main reasons we were here, and that was to see the Space Shuttle Atlantis display and boy was it a display and a half. *




























*You can also see where you take the bus tours that take you to see the VAB up close and Saturn V. *


























*Coming up.....Atlantis. *


----------



## schumigirl

I-4Bound said:


> So glad Kyle liked Hagrid's! We will be down there in February, and my son and I plan to ride Hagrid's as many times as possible! Our annual passes expire in March, and I know it will be a few years before we get back to Universal.



Yep, he absolutely loved it! He also adored Duelling Dragons, and does miss that ride a lot, so we knew this one better be amazing for him to think it wasn't a mistake replacing what was our favourite coaster here.....and yes, he thinks it`s a worthy replacement. But like us, would prefer it was still here in addition to Hagrid`s.....lol......

I`m sure you`ll both love it. It is worth a wait, not too long but, yes, I`d wait a little while for this one. 

Oh they expire in March????   But, my goodness when you do come back there`ll be so many more new things to discover, I think that`s the best part of taking a break for a couple of years.


----------



## I-4Bound

schumigirl said:


> Yep, he absolutely loved it! He also adored Duelling Dragons, and does miss that ride a lot, so we knew this one better be amazing for him to think it wasn't a mistake replacing what was our favourite coaster here.....and yes, he thinks it`s a worthy replacement. But like us, would prefer it was still here in addition to Hagrid`s.....lol......
> 
> I`m sure you`ll both love it. It is worth a wait, not too long but, yes, I`d wait a little while for this one.
> 
> Oh they expire in March????   But, my goodness when you do come back there`ll be so many more new things to discover, I think that`s the best part of taking a break for a couple of years.



Yes, a little break will keep things fresh. I will miss it, but we are going to Disney, s Sea world, and Aquatica this summer.

Waiting an hour or so for Hagrid will feel like a cakewalk compared to the 9-hour wait last summer!


----------



## angryduck71

OMG I finally caught up again!  Some thoughts:



schumigirl said:


> Tom said I was definitely due a treat........


I think this man is one of the greatest ever.   



schumigirl said:


> But, I did see them at Live Aid and Queen were the highlight of the whole day......they were spectacular......


They were AWESOME -- but I would say tied with U2.   

I could NOT get Davy to try Confisco this trip.  Maybe next!  Last time we were there, Spider-Man was there and spent 30 minutes with Davy.    He had just turned 5.  

You catch so much more stuff than I do.  We didn't do a lot of time in the parks this trip, but one morning, I spent some time just looking around, taking pics, determined to "be like Carole."  I got distracted by warm butterbeer.  LOL.  

Your report is so much fun.


----------



## schumigirl

I-4Bound said:


> Yes, a little break will keep things fresh. I will miss it, but we are going to Disney, s Sea world, and Aquatica this summer.
> 
> Waiting an hour or so for Hagrid will feel like a cakewalk compared to the 9-hour wait last summer!



lol......oh I forgot you waited last year!! I really admire you for that......that’s dedication......and yes, sounds like you have some lovely visits still planned........that’s always good!!


----------



## schumigirl

angryduck71 said:


> OMG I finally caught up again!  Some thoughts:
> 
> 
> I think this man is one of the greatest ever.
> 
> 
> They were AWESOME -- but I would say tied with U2.
> 
> I could NOT get Davy to try Confisco this trip.  Maybe next!  Last time we were there, Spider-Man was there and spent 30 minutes with Davy.    He had just turned 5.
> 
> You catch so much more stuff than I do.  We didn't do a lot of time in the parks this trip, but one morning, I spent some time just looking around, taking pics, determined to "be like Carole."  I got distracted by warm butterbeer.  LOL.
> 
> Your report is so much fun.



lol.....yes, he’s a keeper!!!!

That sounds fabulous with Spider-Man and Davy.......love the interactions at Universal.......does he remember that? 

Yes, it’s easy to get distracted.......lol......especially by food or drink!!!

Well, I detest U2, can’t abide Bono ........so never been a fan. Honestly, no one got near Queen that day for performance and crowd reaction......they lifted the whole arena and no other band got a better response than them......it was phenomenal. I take it you like U2Did I mention I can’t stand Bono........

Thanks my friend, I’m glad you’re enjoying it.......


----------



## disneyfam23

Hi Carole - I don't post much on here and have probably never commented on one of your reports but I want you to know that I have read and enjoyed them all! I started reading them about this time last yr as it has been kind of a dream for us to visit UO at some point. In April last yr I started poking around on the site and next thing I know, I had booked a surprise trip for me and my hubby and my kids! It was their gift from Santa this year and it was SO hard to keep it under wraps. In the meantime, I binged all of your trip reports just soaking up the fun and the knowledge! So we leave for our first every trip this Wed (1/15) and I couldn't be more excited! Well, I could be if it coincided with one of yours and Tom's trips so I could meet you in person! 

I just wanted to post here and say THANK YOU for all of the reports you have shared with us! The tips and photos are just so outstanding! I love that you and Tom adventure to other places around the area and share your experiences and feedback with tons of us "strangers" from all over the world! It really in invaluable! Thank you again and who knows, maybe we can plan a trip one day during one of Carole and Tom's trips and say thank you in person!


----------



## schumigirl

*This is a true highlight of our day.*

*The Space Shuttle story and the history of this magnificent machine is completely mind blowing. No one can fail to be impressed surely seeing it in operating, and I don't think you ever forget that first time seeing it land the way a plane would. I know I still remember that and being overwhelmed by just what we were all witnessing. *















*Well, before the internet fed us every single detail of the process, we had no clue just how much effort went into getting the programme up and running and becoming the impressive success it was. *
*
The Pre Show before you are given the reveal is a condensed story of the successes and failures of the employees who worked tirelessly to get this amazing achievement up and running successfully. And they did have some knocks and setbacks along the way. 
*
*The giant screen show you some of that process with footage and commentary and is really interesting. *














*This is the room that you see the show, and we were again lucky, as there were only around 20 people in with us, so it wasn't busy at all. *















*And then you go through to another room where you get another visual treat complete with sound effects which are loud.....and then the big reveal itself.*

*I said the first time we went and saw this, we had no idea this was how they did it....well I think Kyle had an idea, but for me it was incredibly emotional and is quite overwhelming to see the actual Space Shuttle Atlantis, especially the way it is revealed to you. *















*And it was quite the same this time. 

The reveal is beautiful and one of the most impressive things I`ve ever seen. *


































*The size of the engines is impressive and I`m 5 7" and it completely dwarves me. *














*There are two former Engineers who worked on the programmes over the years and they are so interesting to chat to. They are always opposite the Shuttle itself and they are keen for folks to talk to them and ask any questions. They have a wealth of knowledge and are very nice too, you really could stand and chat to them all day. *


























*A kind of simulator of the Shuttle cockpit.....there are always folks waiting to sit in and have a feel what it was like in there...…cramped I can imagine. *
















*There are many interactive elements for people to have a go at and they are a lot of fun.....it showed me how uncoordinated I really am!!! *

*Tom and Kyle however could do most tasks easily......of course they could!!! *















*The replica of the Hubble is something that really interests Kyle as something of an amateur astronomer.......and there`s no doubt the Hubble is a spectacular piece of equipment. Some of the pictures it has shown us over it`s time in space have been truly spectacular.....and has taught us so much about the origins of the Universe. *
















*This picture below is one Kyle took with his telescope......it`s the Orion Nebula or M42 to give it a technical name. It is huge and can be visible with the naked eye. Very beautiful thing to see and I love this picture although it hasn`t appeared as clear as it really is. *

*Some of his pictures are spectacular, despite not having anything like The Hubble at home. Although when we saw the size of his most recent telescope purchase....we did gasp slightly!!! But, he loves it and it`s something he really enjoys in his spare time. *

























*And again, an almost side view of the Shuttle with the main area open so we can see inside. *


























*At this point those massive doors opened and a whole crowd of people came through from the pre reveal room.....and I was glad we had come in when we did......there were hundreds of them....the rooms must have been filled to capacity. And now those mostly kids, were descending on these displays...…..so we headed downstairs. *















*The underside of the Shuttle is as impressive as the top part....you can really see where the tiles had been replaced over time. *















*There are many things we pass and don't do, a lot are for kids who can walk a glass tunnel with no shoes on, and many more, but we are down to look at some of the exhibits here. *

*Also, the amount of information around to read is wonderful. There are detailed comments all around and packed full of facts a lot of folks like us won`t know. We`ve learned a lot in just over two visits. *
















*The Forever Remembered area is sombre and a very reflective place to walk through. Full of emotional pictures and personal objects of the brave men and women who have died in pursuit of the programme. *
*
Last time we felt a little guilty at taking the pictures of these items, but one of the Employees assured us they are there to be pictured and immortalised forever. We still felt a little uncomfortable though. 
*
*I won`t post as many pictures as last year but suffice to say, if you go to KSC don`t miss this beautiful but poignant area. *



































*Here we have the remains of Challenger`s Body Panel and from Columbia, the cockpit window. *















*We were quite dismayed to see a few of the kids that had come down were running around here laughing and joking and not really understanding what area they were in. Their chaperones seemed to have disappeared at that point. One employee was actively seeking out who was in charge of these kids. I don`t even think they had a clue. The employee was annoyed at the lack of respect shown here. And yes, so did we and the other few people they ran around. 

Once we had left that area Tom and Kyle wanted to do the Space Shuttle Experience. It simulates take off and although I would like to have done it, one of the ladies said it does knock your head a little. So, I gave it a pass and they went on. They were very lucky as it only took them around 15 minutes to get on, after they went through a whole mass of folks mainly kids wen to get in line to go on this too. The employee who let folks in ended up getting a megaphone and had to shout for their chaperones to come forward as they couldn`t go on without them.....that seemed to take forever, and of course kids are noisy.....she almost gave up when the chaperones finally appeared. It didn`t leave a good impression with staff I`m guessing. But, I was glad they hadn`t waited and would have been behind that crowd! 

I will say though, there were some lovely well mannered kids around. I went to the bathroom and one group stopped and held the door open with a smile.....some kids you would have been proud to have been their parents. And I did tell one group leader how polite those kids had been. *



























*They came off and said it was alright....Tom and Kyle both said I`d have been fine with the amount of movement it had. Well, maybe next time. But they were glad they did it and shuddered when they turned to see the line now for the experience. *
*
But, we had loved this experience this morning.....it is completely awe inspiring. 

Now we were all hungry. 

The food here is just to fill you. It`s not fancy and not anything special, so we didn't care where we ate. So as the place we went to before was right next door, we came back out of the gift shop where of course every ride ends.......and walked the short distance to Orbit for lunch. 
*
*We walked in the door and our face fell.........this what we saw...….*












*Every single kid that was here, I swear were lining up in front of us, there were millions of them.....and I have never heard noise like it in years...….We did think about going to the other food place but one very frazzled looking teacher who looked as if she`d rather be anywhere else in the world right now, mentioned that the other half of the kids were there......*

*So, we stood in line....well, as much as we could find a line as they were bouncing around everywhere......and as we stood it got noisier.....and noisier and then another new level of noisy, until eventually in my head I heard a sound...…..*

















*I didn`t actually yell at them …...only in my head. But, it felt better....although it wasn't any better really.....the teacher in front of us was lovely.....she tried to chat though the din and I barely heard much of what she said so I left Tom to talk to her while I rather unusually felt incredibly grumpy........the noise was incredible!!!! She was also bemoaning the lack of chaperones, or rather how they had disappeared and left her to it. 

You order from a machine where you see pictures of the food and you press what you want and how many. You can customise this too and add anything you like. The machine we used took cash, but some were card only I believe. We ordered mac n cheese for Kyle who had wisely wandered off to find a table about twenty minutes before, Tom got the burger with fries and I chose the pulled pork bun. The sauce was on the side with the ketchup and mustard you just helped yourself. 

Tom`s burger was actually nicer than it looked, and Kyle loved the mac n cheese which we were glad about. My pulled pork was at best, just ok.....the sauce was also just ok, but the pork was already too cool. *

*And the tables to the side of us were full of the chaperones eating their lunch with no kids around them. They were all to the other side of us and most took great pleasure on banging the salt and pepper containers on to the table.....I was desperate to leave and carry on with our day. *







































*The food isn't the reason you come here that`s for sure and it wasn't too bad. I think it was just under $50 for three of us. Kyle had a bottle of water and we had a pepsi each. Not expensive, but not great either. It really did just take the hunger away. *
*

*
*Next up.....Saturn V*


----------



## schumigirl

disneyfam23 said:


> Hi Carole - I don't post much on here and have probably never commented on one of your reports but I want you to know that I have read and enjoyed them all! I started reading them about this time last yr as it has been kind of a dream for us to visit UO at some point. In April last yr I started poking around on the site and next thing I know, I had booked a surprise trip for me and my hubby and my kids! It was their gift from Santa this year and it was SO hard to keep it under wraps. In the meantime, I binged all of your trip reports just soaking up the fun and the knowledge! So we leave for our first every trip this Wed (1/15) and I couldn't be more excited! Well, I could be if it coincided with one of yours and Tom's trips so I could meet you in person!
> 
> I just wanted to post here and say THANK YOU for all of the reports you have shared with us! The tips and photos are just so outstanding! I love that you and Tom adventure to other places around the area and share your experiences and feedback with tons of us "strangers" from all over the world! It really in invaluable! Thank you again and who knows, maybe we can plan a trip one day during one of Carole and Tom's trips and say thank you in person!



 disneyfam23...….


So good to see you post!!! I`m so happy to read you`ve enjoyed the reports....always makes my day!!! 

And I`m kind of jealous I have to say.....I`d love to go back and see it for the first time once again....especially today with everything it has now compared to 12 years ago. 

I know you'll have the best time on your trip, and I can imagine what a lovely surprise that must have been for your kids....how old are they??? 

And thank you too for your lovely comments....I do appreciate hearing that.....I love doing trip reports for several reasons, and glad when people enjoy them. And yes, it would be lovely to say hello one day....

Have a wonderful trip and don`t be a stranger....come back and let us know how your trip goes......


----------



## J'aime Paris

Loving all these pictures! 
I will get to KSC for a visit someday!!


----------



## schumigirl

J'aime Paris said:


> Loving all these pictures!
> I will get to KSC for a visit someday!!



Thanks! 

It really is one of the highlights of our December trips.....amazing place and we could kick ourselves for not going before last year!! I think you`d love it......


----------



## Tink2Day

Sorry but I would have told those kids to shape up!  I used to teach elementary school, still am certified to teach K-8 and my classes NEVER misbehaved.

I was warned off two little 2nd grade boys in my class, I adored those two, they reminded me of my brothers when we were all small....Guess what? Those two little boys were the most well behaved in the class, even their parents noticed a change at home.  I NEVER sent one child to the principal, I just treated them with respect and they returned it. Now I can't say the same for all of the parents and other teachers, part of the reason I changed professions.


----------



## schumigirl

Tink2Day said:


> Sorry but I would have told those kids to shape up!  I used to teach elementary school, still am certified to teach K-8 and my classes NEVER misbehaved.
> 
> I was warned off two little 2nd grade boys in my class, I adored those two, they reminded me of my brothers when we were all small....Guess what? Those two little boys were the most well behaved in the class, even their parents noticed a change at home.  I NEVER sent one child to the principal, I just treated them with respect and they returned it. Now I can't say the same for all of the parents and other teachers, part of the reason I changed professions.



Well, between you and I......I did in the Forever Remembered area.....but.......I was “advised” to keep it to myself by my son......lol......Yep, whether or not it was my place, I spoke up.

I hear you. I worked in a school for a while and some kids surprised you.....usually in a good way. Discipline seems to be lacking in so many parents.....it’s not hard to bring children up properly.

Although not sure I’d want to be a teacher today......


----------



## JAMIESMITH

disneyfam23 said:


> So we leave for our first every trip this Wed (1/15) and I couldn't be more excited! Well, I could be if it coincided with one of yours and Tom's trips so I could meet you in person!



We arrive on the 18th, our first time at Universal as well, so maybe we will see you there. Carole's trip reports definitely contributed to us giving the other theme parks a try.


----------



## schumigirl

JAMIESMITH said:


> We arrive on the 18th, our first time at Universal as well, so maybe we will see you there. Carole's trip reports definitely contributed to us giving the other theme parks a try.



Hope you have the best time!! And thank you.....that's lovely to hear.....just hope you love them now......lol......


----------



## schumigirl

*Lunch had been far too loud an experience, and I had the beginnings of a headache, not surprisingly, but a couple of Tylenol and I`d be fine!!! I was very sorry at this point, that KSC does not sell alcohol!!!! *















*We are still in awe of Atlantis after lunch. It truly is one of the most impressive things we`ve ever seen. The history of it is beyond words at times and it`s one of these things you have to experience. 

Before we go for the bus tour to see Saturn V we stop off at the Kugel Constellation Sphere. This is a massive sphere which has 88 constellations etched into it and as most will know a Kugel floats on fountains of water and shows the tremendous force of buoyancy and friction! Science is amazing!!! *
















*The buses have got better since last year. They seemed a little in need of replacing and seems as though they had been. The ones they have now are more modern and seats are a little comfier. *

*The line is huge when we arrive at the tour area, and we think we`re going to have to wait for the next one. They really do come one after the other, so you`ll never wait too long.*

*But, rather surprisingly we did get on this bus, although we were almost at the back, but we did get on the side we wanted to sit this time. For the best views when you get on the bus, sit to your left......*
















*The tour last year passed the launch pads, but this time it avoided them completely which was a big disappointment. They never told us why the change or if there was a reason. So, maybe it was just for that day we were unlucky. I hope so as seeing the launch pads is something special. 

The VAB you can of course see for miles, and this is something everyone wants a picture of as we approach......and this is why we liked to sit on that side of the bus...you got the best view of this behemoth of a building. *


























*The Crawler Transporters are so impressive!! They really are giants in slow motion, that first carried all the Apollo Saturn V rockets, and thereafter have taken every space shuttle on the last Earth bound part of their journeys into space. 

The stats fascinate us, but I know they`re not for everyone. But, just a few....it is between 20-26 feet tall, 31 feet long and 113 feet wide.....and it looks so much bigger when you see them close. It does weigh 5.5 million pounds and has a fuel capacity of 5,000 gallons. And you certainly don't get much value out of fuel consumption!!! Maximum speed 2mph. 

They were working on one of the older ones as we passed I`m guessing for something that is upcoming. *

*Our bus driver was pretty good this year and he did give out lots of relevant info, everything expect why we didn't visit the launch pads. *

*I turned to look out of the other side of the windows at this point, and a woman beside me who was with her son and husband behind.....had rather amazingly......fallen asleep!!! She was out for the count!*
















*And she stayed asleep till we arrived at the Saturn V building! *
















*The giant doors to the one storey VAB takes around 45 minutes to open and close, and they are almost open here today. That seems to take an awful lot of patience!! Our driver did tell us what was in there today, but I was chatting and missed it!! *






































*When we arrive at the Saturn V building, the woman beside me jumps with a start as the bus stops and he son who is around 7 I think gives her into trouble for sleeping but they speak another language so it`s just a guess, but she didn't look happy with him lol........we get off the bus and today we have to wait a few moments for the doors to open, then you wander into a room that again shows videos and has information on the subject. You are standing quite a while in here, but you can go through the exit doors if you really want to. It is worth seeing though. 

Then relive history in the Firing Room as you watch the first crewed Saturn V mission blasts into space. *

















*Saturn V is an immense monster of a rocket. 

Truly...….it is huge and till you stand underneath it you simply cannot appreciate just how much effort and technology it would take to get this thing into the air!!! *



























*Like the one in the garden, you just can`t get the whole of this amazing structure in one shot.....*
















*I have a thousand pictures of today in this building alone, but obviously not going to post all of them!!! But, there is so much to see and do from the moment you step into this building, it really is a complete assault on every emotion you have concerning the Space Programme. 

It is also incredibly busy over this way. But, the building is vast and we never feel crowded. *






































*I think we had missed this little area last year, so made sure we went in today and it was a decent little display. Ad Astra Per Aspera

The Apollo 1 Tribute is dedicated to the lives, accomplishments and memories of Roger Chaffee, Gus Grissom and Ed White. They were sadly the three astronauts who perished in training for the Apollo 1 flight.  *



































































*I could not imagine being stuck in an area this size for all the tea in China!!! You certainly couldn`t suffer from any type of claustrophobia to do this job!!! *
















*They had changed this little display.....you used to be able to put three separate hands in to touch the little piece that came from the moon...but now you can only have two hands touch it at the same time.....  *

*And here we had some lovely polite children who actually stood back till we had taken our picture, I made sure to take the time to thank them. *















*We then went into another area we had missed last year, The Apollo Treasures Gallery. And this place was fascinating and we could have spent so much longer. I think next time we should really do two day here as there is so much to see and do. We all spend a lot of time telling people not to try and do Universal in a day, and this feels a bit like that, and to do it complete justice takes more than one day. Everything we did today was included in the regular admission with no additions which we would like to do at some point. *






































*Apollo 14 command module is so small. It is incredible to imagine this little piece of history going further than a roll around the beach!!! *
















*The image doesn't show just how neat and tiny the inside is, but holy moly.....it is tight. *
















*Rather amazingly, you can still clearly see the moon dust on Alan Shepherds space suit. *
















*We wander around here for at least a couple of hours exploring and we could have stayed longer. Eventually we head outside and although it is late afternoon now, it is beautiful and still hot.*
















*Looking over to the launch pads and the VAB from here it is still as impressive as being up close. 

We were on the grass wandering over by the fence, and* *about now Kyle pointed out an area under the fence where "something" had burrowed either in or out!!!! That was enough for me.....I was up on the podium steps......funnily enough with Kyle close at my heels!!!! 

Not really fans of possibly running into rogue wildlife!!! *



























*Standing up on the podium steps you can see everything so much clearer and we are imagining folks standing here watching all the historic and successful missions that left. And of course the ones that weren`t. I can only imagine what that would have been like, seeing history made in such a triumphant way. But I also remember seeing the camera focus on Christa McAuliffe`s parents and all the children when the Challenger disaster happened. It`s funny how out of any disaster there are some images that remain out of them all. And her parents faces were one of them that stayed with me. But, I also have amazing memories of the ones that were highly successful. 

It is an amazingly beautiful place and we could have stayed her for hours just taking it all in. *

















*Coming up.....last few pictures of KSC including one of my favourite pictures ever...….and dinner!!!! *


----------



## disneyfam23

JAMIESMITH said:


> Carole's trip reports definitely contributed to us giving the other theme parks a try.


If she isn't already she should definitely be on the marketing payroll!!


----------



## schumigirl

disneyfam23 said:


> If she isn't already she should definitely be on the marketing payroll!!



lol.......seems to be a popular opinion.........


----------



## Tgrgrl

Carole, interesting comments about the school kids because NASA, very generously, provides a free field trip to every 6th grade class in Central FL each year, but they only allow two parents & the teacher as chaperones per class. So basically each chaperone has about 10 little darlings to keep up with.  My kids’ school has to have a lottery for chaperones but some of us would gladly pay the admission fee if they would let us accompany our kids! LOL.
I am pretty sure the launch pads from the previous tours have been dismantled, sad to say. I always enjoyed that part of the tour also! Maybe one day, SpaceX will allow one of their pads to be on tour.


----------



## schumigirl

Tgrgrl said:


> Carole, interesting comments about the school kids because NASA, very generously, provides a free field trip to every 6th grade class in Central FL each year, but they only allow two parents & the teacher as chaperones per class. So basically each chaperone has about 10 little darlings to keep up with.  My kids’ school has to have a lottery for chaperones but some of us would gladly pay the admission fee if they would let us accompany our kids! LOL.
> I am pretty sure the launch pads from the previous tours have been dismantled, sad to say. I always enjoyed that part of the tour also! Maybe one day, SpaceX will allow one of their pads to be on tour.



Oh the launch pad is still there. We saw  39a last time and we also passed right by SpaceX buildings and saw an awful lot more in 2018 versus this past December. It was a complete change after the VAB this time. SpaceX leases 39a from NASA and modified it to accommodate Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy.

SpaceX are such a huge part of KSC, completely fascinating what they’re doing. We follow everything about them as well as NASA.

I don’t think it was the amount of chaperones that was the problem, it was some of them just weren’t chaperoning. Sitting chatting while a load of kids were misbehaving was interesting to see.

I have no idea what age 6th Graders are?  We commented about how the groups of kids seemed to vary in age a lot. They were aged from about 7 or 8 upwards, although some groups seemed younger than even that, and some older.

I was always a mum who went on school trips when he was younger, as I was very involved with the school, and I agree it’s a lovely thing to do. Each parent had 5 kids including their own.

It certainly didn’t ruin our day in any way, I’d just avoid a Friday from now on as one of the employees told us Friday was the busiest of the school trip days. He said if he was getting a day off he hoped it was a Friday......lol......


----------



## Tgrgrl

I just rechecked & my daughter’s field trip was Nov 18th, so they weren’t there that day, whew! She was about to get a talking to,


----------



## schumigirl

*Being outside was lovely......it was warm, fresh and the best part was, it was so peaceful. It really is the most beautiful place. *
*
We wandered round to the side of the building and it is a very pretty area with beautiful lawned areas and it leads to a statue with the three astronauts that were the first men on the moon. Michael Collins, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. 















You can really see how huge the building is from the exterior. 














For some reason we hadn't come round here last time, and I wish I knew why not, but we were glad we did. 
















There is the most amazing sculpture of these three men. And we did stand in awe for quite a while looking at it, chatting about it and generally marvelling at their heroism and the legacy they have left since those first steps. 



































We again, stood a little longer and Tom and I were just looking around when Kyle very quickly realised something and we didn't know how we missed it immediately....and I don't often use the expression....but it completely blew us away how awe inspiring in it was in it`s simplicity. 

They were acknowledging the presence of the moon in the distant late afternoon sky! 

The slight salute, the look of adoration and respect in recognition that they had actually been up there, walking around gave us all shivers. 

Kyle especially, found it incredibly poignant. 

































It truly was one of those moments that made us well up with pride in the whole programme and especially for these three men who risked their lives in their endeavour. And we truly never noticed why it was in that position till we went behind it and looked. Although Kyle had realised and glanced behind him realising the moon was up there, and therefore walked round the back of the beautiful sculpture. 

I think these are our favourite pictures of the whole trip. 

We spent quite a while here gazing up around us, and just enjoyed being here.... eventually we wandered back inside and headed to where we lined up for the bus back to the main area of KSC. 

You can see other sets of podium steps where the viewing areas are and wouldn`t we love to see a launch from here!! 













We get off the bus and enjoy the last few looks again of the VAB and some of the places we saw earlier. As we drove along the road, there is a waterway and we actually saw two very large alligators. One was sunning itself on the grass and the other was slowly swimming along. I gasped and said to Kyle there`s one......and the man in front of me got very excited and quite animated he had finally seen a real live alligator.....lol.....it may be quite normal for locals to see them, but for us Brits it is something quite exceptional. I hate them, and wouldn't go out of my way to see them. Which is why Gatorland and similar places have never, ever been on our radar! But, this guy was very excited regardless. 

We are soon back and head into the gift store where we do like a look around and last year Kyle had bought a special limited edition coin from Atlantis. It came in a beautiful display box and is a gorgeous coin. 

He was looking for another, but although several tempting him, he didn`t buy anything today.....but we did pick up one of the coins to put away as part of his Christmas gifts. We also picked up a few touristy things...…a Christmas decoration, a fridge magnet and sticker that bears the one small step quote.....and a few other little things. 














Kyle likes to buy himself something every trip as a treat and I do wonder if this year he`ll buy the commemorative gift box of 11 coins as he has not seen a watch or anything special to buy, so he may get that.....he didn't say, but I did see him eye it. 














The gift shop was crazy too…...it was filled with all the little darlings scurrying around and trying to purchase their little gifts. But again, they were so loud!!! I usually quite like kids, but after today.....I could see them far enough!!! Yes, I had enough of kids today. I`m not usually a grumpy person but this had been a bit manic with them. I met eyes with a woman who was behind me and was shoved slightly by kids trying to reach their friends…...she wasn't happy either. And again, the staff called for them to line up correctly....we were all glad to pay for our purchases and leave the store. 

We headed out towards the exit at that point and we stopped for a bathroom break before getting back into the car.....

We had a lovely drive home and saw again a beautiful sunset. 














All three of us were hungry now, and discussions started about where we would eat tonight.....we had considered the Cheesecake Factory but dismissed it as it is one of the noisiest places to eat in the whole of Orlando!!! Much as though we did like the idea, we chose somewhere else we knew was reasonably quiet. Gosh we sound as if we`re 185 years old......

Kyle however, suggested we go and get him a couple of fudge cakes to take out and then go back to the hotel......so decision made, that`s what we`d do. 

However, traffic around the Mall is always busy, whichever way you come towards it, but around 6.30pm on a Friday evening we forgot just how busy the roads around get.....we turned off and the line to get to the lights was just never ending.....but we were here now, so might as well keep going. However it hadn`t been a fun drive at this point. Traffic had just been crazy since, well, before we even passed the airport!!  

Eventually we did make it into the Mall, and saw the parking lot had not a single space.....I said to Tom, Kyle and I could jump out and get them and he could just drive around...…he was about to agree when someone pulled out of a space and we got straight in to the one they left......a woman appeared to fly from the top end to take it at the same time we were pulling in........poor thing looked distraught as she thought she`d get there first I think....











I`m sure she called us every name under the sun!!!! And I understood as I think we`ve all been there!!! 

But, we had been lucky and we wouldn't be long. We headed in to the Mall, and our only plan was to get into the CF, get Kyle`s fudge cakes and leave. It was horrendously busy.......Kyle said we`d made the right choice not eating here....the wait was around an hour for a table...yep, not for us.  

We got his fudge cakes and we did take one picture of the tree at night as I doubted we`d be back at night this trip. 













We got back into the car and got ready to leave, we had to make sure the two, yes two chocolate fudge cakes were secure and then I got a message on our American phone so, as I am one of these people who can`t read a phone or anything really while the car is moving told Tom to wait so I can respond to the txt I had just received...….**then we pulled out and a very grateful young man waved in thanks......I think he looked as though he had driven around for an hour!!! We will never come back to the Mall again at this time on a Friday evening.....especially around the holidays. *

*Traffic was still so busy, but eventually we made it and were so glad to finally walk back into our home from home and headed straight upstairs to drop off Kyle`s desserts into the fridge.....*















*We freshened up a little and headed downstairs to the Islands Dining Room to enjoy the Wok Experience. Kyle had never done it before but as he loved Teriyaki Chicken, we were sure he`d love this place. He`s always enjoyed the Islands as he had eaten here many times, just never when the Wok Experience was on. *

*We asked if our favourite waiter Casey was on, and he was so we got his table.....he also had never met Kyle before and of course Kyle knew who Casey was. 

And it was so peaceful in here tonight......I think we all enjoyed a much quieter evening *

*He asked if we were doing the Wok Experience and we said yes, we all were, and what we wanted to drink.....and I said a very large and very strong bottle of red wine......he did laugh and Tom said oh she needs it......we did tell him part of the story and he said, yep....avoid the school trips days!!! Kyle asked for a non alcoholic strawberry daiquiri which comes from Jakes...…but he did bring the wine swiftly as requested!! What a star!!!! *
















*The first glass went down a treat!!!! *

*There are two types of soups on offer with the Wok.....a Thai green curry one and the other was a hot and sour, that Tom wasn`t overly keen on. He didn`t like this Thai one as it has lemongrass in it, which he doesn`t like...I love it...and Casey said it used to be one of the sauces on offer with the wok and sometimes he still used it, as it is quite thick....and beautiful. *















*Kyle doesn't really enjoy those types of soups, he`s really only a fan of chicken noodle,  so he enjoyed his first of two daiquiris tonight......as we enjoyed the soups. *















*The Wok Experience is lovely.....we really enjoy this every time we have done it. *
*
You choose your veg and take it up to where the chef is and he cooks it along with your choice of chicken, beef, shrimp or tofu......tofu does not look good!!! 
*
*You can have a mix of all the proteins, and then choose your sauce. *

























*I chose peppers and chicken with shrimp with a mix of teriyaki and Szechuan sauce with rice, Kyle chose broccoli with chicken with teriyaki sauce with rice, and Tom also went with the same as me except he had noodles, snow peas and onion.....poor thing never gets onion at home, so he takes advantage when he can......*
*
They offer you fresh garlic, ginger, salt, pepper and cilantro and I think peanuts as a topping too. 
*
*The new chef is fabulous.....very, very nice guy who I hope stays a long time here. They cook every dish in it`s own wok and Pref is very chatty while he cooks too....it`s one thing we`ve always said about the hotel, the staff have always been incredible. Every single one of them that we come across. *
























*Tom had eyed the chocolate desserts that he thought Kyle might enjoy, despite our fridge having two of his favourites in there......*















*There were only a few tables filled around us tonight, which we were enjoying a lot......it was nice to be able to sit and chat without raising our voices to be heard. Yes, we do sound like we are the get off our lawn types...…we`re really not......*

*But we did enjoy chatting about all the things we had loved about our day, and ignoring the kids everything had been wonderful....and now we had dinner to enjoy. *
































































*The food was delicious.....and best of all, Kyle loved it......and said he`d like to have it again.  It was only on Friday and Saturdays at certain times of the year, but during holidays and summer it`s on every night, so we may manage back again. And this was a change from steak or pizza for Kyle too......*

*You can go up as often as you like and have as many bowls as you can eat, but honestly.....one is enough for us. *














*He did have a plate of those chocolate desserts.....and loved them. They were incredibly rich and very dark, Tom thought they were too rich for him and then Casey offered to box some up for him, but he said thank you he`d better not as he had the desserts upstairs.......but it was tough to say no!!! *

*I had a couple of the lemon cheesecakes to try, but really I`d had enough. Tom was the same.....two tiny desserts were plenty tonight. 

We chatted to Casey for a while as it was practically empty now. He is the nicest young man and is a great asset to Islands. But, eventually we pay the check and head upstairs to chill out. *
*
And once in, Kyle had one of the fudge cakes.....we were watching on in amazement as he did indeed finish it. Although even he admitted it was a lot.
*
*We watched some tv and again, went through our day at one of our favourite places and were already looking forward to going back next time. 

But, we were all shattered now, so we said our goodnights and went through to the bedroom and didn`t even remember falling asleep. This had been one of our favourite days of the trip. *
*


*
*Tomorrow......back to the parks! *


----------



## schumigirl

Tgrgrl said:


> I just rechecked & my daughter’s field trip was Nov 18th, so they weren’t there that day, whew! She was about to get a talking to,



lol......oh there were so many kids that were well behaved too, but the bratty ones seem to just overtake everybody else......and the noise level at lunch was overpowering, yes, but put almost three hundred kids in a cafeteria style building and it`s going to be noisy! 

I`m sure your daughter had a lovely day there


----------



## TommyJK

Why doesn't Tom get onions at home?


----------



## schumigirl

TommyJK said:


> Why doesn't Tom get onions at home?



 TommyJK


Nice to see you here........

Simple answer, I have an intolerance to onions, and since I‘ve stopped eating them, for about three years now, I can’t take the smell of raw onions, so we just don’t have them in the house.

So, when we eat out and onions are there, he’ll have them......


----------



## TommyJK

schumigirl said:


> TommyJK
> 
> 
> Nice to see you here........
> 
> Simple answer, I have an intolerance to onions, and since I‘ve stopped eating them, for about three years now, I can’t take the smell of raw onions, so we just don’t have them in the house.
> 
> So, when we eat out and onions are there, he’ll have them......



Ah.  Thought it might be something along those lines.

ENJOY THOSE ONIONS TOM!


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

KSC looks amazing!!! We really need to take the time and go there... 

Kyle's chocolate cake count is now at 14 (12 from the prior days , 1 left over from the fridge but can't remember when he ate it and 1 new one from today)... And by tomorrow I'm sure it'll be 15 or more...


----------



## Tink2Day

The pictures of the astronauts and the moon were so special.  I wonder what it looks like at night?  

The food looks yum, especially Kyle's chicken teriyaki and broccoli. Although the snow peas in Tom's dish look yummy.

After the day you had with the hordes of ill-behaved children I'm surprised you didn't just pull out one of your straws and stick it in the bottle of wine....  I don't drink but
I would have started right about then.  

Believe it or not, when I was getting my degree, we took field trips so we could learn how to handle children on the school field trips!  We went to the capital, museums etc and it didn't hurt that the Associate Dean of the College of Education always led the trips.(He was absolutely gorgeous). Your experience with the monsters sounded more like some of my excursions for my other degree (Sociology), where we went to the city jail, the detention center, mental hospital etc (you get the picture)


----------



## schumigirl

TommyJK said:


> Ah.  Thought it might be something along those lines.
> 
> ENJOY THOSE ONIONS TOM!



lol.......he does!

Annoying thing is, I actually love onions.....and do miss them, but could be worse.....it could be wine!!!!


----------



## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> KSC looks amazing!!! We really need to take the time and go there...
> 
> Kyle's chocolate cake count is now at 14 (12 from the prior days , 1 left over from the fridge but can't remember when he ate it and 1 new one from today)... And by tomorrow I'm sure it'll be 15 or more...



KSC is an amazing place.......truly, everything about it is special and the Engineers, are so knowledgeable and incredibly interesting....if you like that sort of stuff of course......

lol........he ate that other slice, but I forget when, I think it was the next day when he had a gap between meals!!!

I guess once a year it’s allowed to have so much cake........


----------



## schumigirl

Tink2Day said:


> The pictures of the astronauts and the moon were so special.  I wonder what it looks like at night?
> 
> The food looks yum, especially Kyle's chicken teriyaki and broccoli. Although the snow peas in Tom's dish look yummy.
> 
> After the day you had with the hordes of ill-behaved children I'm surprised you didn't just pull out one of your straws and stick it in the bottle of wine....  I don't drink but
> I would have started right about then.
> 
> Believe it or not, when I was getting my degree, we took field trips so we could learn how to handle children on the school field trips!  We went to the capital, museums etc and it didn't hurt that the Associate Dean of the College of Education always led the trips.(He was absolutely gorgeous). Your experience with the monsters sounded more like some of my excursions for my other degree (Sociology), where we went to the city jail, the detention center, mental hospital etc (you get the picture)




Yes, it would look amazing at night when the moon is up there in front of them! 

If they had a bar there, I’d have been in it!!! I spoke to one of the staff that had to get the megaphone and said about then I wish they served alcohol, she replied they couldn’t or that staff would be their best customers lol......guess school trips are not much fun for them!

lol......bet the jail/detention centres would be easier.......There were honestly some lovely kids there.....

Like the sound of the Dean!!!!


----------



## FoodieFriend

@schumigirl We really enjoyed the Wok Experience during our RPR stay! Everyone was very nice but I didn't enjoy the desserts. Less desserts meant more stir fry bowls, yay!!


----------



## schumigirl

FoodieFriend said:


> @schumigirl We really enjoyed the Wok Experience during our RPR stay! Everyone was very nice but I didn't enjoy the desserts. Less desserts meant more stir fry bowls, yay!!



Yes, the desserts are not outstanding in any way. I was just glad they had a chocolate one that Kyle liked the night we went. He does love his desserts........

They are tiny, so one doesn’t feel like dessert anyway! Not my thing at all.

Glad you enjoyed the Wok Night.......definitely one of our favourite meal options


----------



## schumigirl

*SATURDAY DECEMBER 7TH*​




*I think we had our best sleep ever last night. All three of us said we never heard a thing all night, which is the best! I sometimes think I never sleep straight through without something wakening one of us up.*

*I heard Kyle move around and got up then, but it was early. I was glad as we planned some park time today and it was going to be beautiful we were glad to see....it was forecast to be 80F but ended up feeling much warmer than that. 

Once we were showered and dressed we headed up to the lounge where our lovely friends from Oz appeared quickly and asked where we had been last few days......yes, we had missed them as we hadn`t really been in much at all. We had a good old catch up at what we had all been doing and again, she wanted Kyle to share some tips with her about MiB as he had gotten 800,000.....but we had to keep it quiet from the rest of her family, although she did end up sharing with her family I believe.......lol.....it was so nice to catch up with them after not seeing them. It`s funny you just click with certain people, and we certainly did with both sisters and their families. I think a similar sense of humour helps too!!! But, they really are the nicest people and we were so glad they were back visiting this year...if only they were here more often!!! 

We enjoyed our breakfast and we all felt very energised this morning, and of course laughing through breakfast helps to wake you up too. 

We did ask about one of the supervisors we know well, we hadn't seen her this trip yet, she had been at work, we just seemed to miss her so would make a point of seeing her later today. *
*
Once we had eaten and had another chat with our Oz friends, we headed down to get sunscreen on and then as we were going to IOA today, we were walking. 
*
*First we stopped down to speak to someone at the front desk, then we had a quick look at the Sushi bar as it was lovely and quiet this morning.  *















*The whole area is still quite cosy with the new comfy chairs, and it is very sleek looking. We really liked it despite it being a complete change of design to what it was before. Most either love it or hate it. There doesn`t seem to be many in between views. *


























*As we set out the door we already feel it`s warm....not boiling hot like September, but just warmth which was perfect. *

*We love the pool at RP....although, maybe not in December, it`s not that warm!!! Yes, we are wimps and proud. Tom and Kyle had brought their trunks, I decided not to bring one as it was never going to be warm enough for me to go in the pool, especially as we usually swim at night, not during the day. But, the pool is very pretty and we like the layout of it and there is always plenty of loungers whenever we have gone. the Dive in Movies were still on and there was only one movie we would have watched the whole trip and that was a Harry Potter one. But, we never did go down at night to watch any of them. *
















*While RP doesn't have a slide, they do have a fabulous water play area that kids seem to love. There is also a toddler pool over the far side which is fenced off. They have the usual hot tub which we never go in as we`re not a fan of them and of course they have many Cabanas to rent. If you stay Club Level there is a discount on booking one of them. *



























*The walk is beautiful…...and we take our time as we are still early for the park to open, but it`s nice slowly walking along the path as we chat and pass comment on things we`ve done so far. We never rush...….we honestly would hate to the be that family that is always rushing from one thing to the other......to be honest we`re too lazy to be like that anyway, but we much preferred a calmer, more relaxed pace. Kyle works full time, but Tom and I are in the lovely position of having our working days behind us, so we are the same at home......we take our time and never have to rush anywhere. So, this was lovely. *

*And of course one of Kyle`s many photobombs of the trip!!!! *














*I`m making myself a liar here.......we always say we avoid the parks on Weekends......but here we are...….but with EP it`s not an issue. It`s just the crowds are more than we are ever used to. As we went through the security check, big mouth here mentioned...….but really, how bad could it be.........it wasn't even 8.40am!!! *














*Yes, me and my big mouth!!!! *
*
We were so far back we never even saw the family of the day who were I was told later staying at RP.......*
















*But, we very slowly made our way down to the gates, and wished vehemently they had already implemented the separate AP gate that would be enjoyed during January......hoping of course this does get extended longer. Not having to stand behind folks who haven't already signed their tickets, or had the big A4 sheets that don`t always scan....these things do hold up the lines a lot.....and we always end up behind these people!

Once we are through I stop to speak to a TM manager we know well, but Tom and Kyle hadn't seen him so they waved and headed off....I think they thought I wasn`t riding the Hulk today.....I`d catch them up later. I chatted for a while and caught up on some news with each other and it`s always so nice to see him as we don`t see him every trip. *
*
He headed off and I though I`d catch some pictures before meeting them to go on the Hulk in a while.....
*
*I love POE. *

























*Although I don't like cats, I do love this little balcony complete with cat sounds......thought I was hearing things the first time I heard what sounded like crying cats.......then I looked up!!! *




































*It`s nice to see the slight progress they are making with the new coaster foundations......*














*I loved this little guy either cooling himself down or sunbathing.....not quite sure which...….but he stood like that for ages! *


























*I headed down to stand under the Hulk to see if I could spot my two.....and I caught them completely by chance.......they were right at the back this time. They do sometimes ask for the front, but more often than not, they don't mind where they sit on this ride. *
















*They were having a blast!!! Tom and I love our trips together, we truly do, but we do love when Kyle is with us and Tom adores going on the rides with him for a change…….*















*I decide not to go on after all today, so when they come off we head round to go on Dr Doom together. *
*
This little phone is cute...….*




































*I often say many times Dr Doom is a short but sweet ride that we love and always ride it every day, several times over. We were surprised to see the regular line was 35 minutes this morning.....it`s not often we see it like that, so no going through the regular line for pictures today as we sometimes do. 
*















*I wish it were a longer ride, but short as it is we always have the biggest laugh on here as it shoots you up into the air and slowly come back down after a few little up and down movements...…depending on what side you sit, you may see the hotels, the park or way in the distance for miles.....so, yes, we don`t miss this ride......*

*Spider-Man is up next and the regular line is 40 minutes, but the line is almost out the door. That was going to be longer than 40 mins for those folks. *
















*We popped in the EP line and there was a little line here too. Only as far as where the glasses boxes are stored. So, not too bad, and certainly much less than the regular line. It took us just over 5 minutes to get on the ride and it was as always a huge amount of fun. *

*Although this ride spins a little, it never bothers me. I can`t close my eyes to avoid dizziness as that makes me worse, so when it spins I focus on the front of the vehicle, or the head of the person in front of me....keeps my eyes ahead and stops the nausea feeling. Might not work for everyone, but works for me.*















*The stores around, we don't often buy anything from, but they are fabulous to walk around and see the theme as well as the products.....*
















*We haven't been in Blondie`s for years!!! I always blame the fact we usually come into the park early and pass this place by long before lunch. We would like to try it again one day as the sandwiches are very good, or they were very good! I do only ever hear positive comments about it, so we will try and give it a go another time. I think the problem is there is so much choice out there for places to dine in. And with sandwiches, Bread Box is so good, and so handy as we usually come out in time for lunch, this is easily passed by. *















*The sun was blindingly bright, so maybe facing into it wasn't the best idea...….*














*Even a small area like this is beautifully themed and has so many little bits and pieces to take note of. *















*Bluto and Popeye`s is still closed as of now, for a refurb and you can`t get round to the lagoon side of the ride which is a shame as we love it round there. And we missed watching folks getting drenched unexpectedly a lot!!!! Kyle and I particularly, could spend hours watching the shock on folks faces when they didn`t know it was coming......yes......we are very cruel at times..... but it`s so much fun!!! *


























*And Tom`s favourite sign was still gone!!! 

His usual stance under the "I`m going to need a vacation from this vacation" was missed!!! It always seemed to sum up our trips perfectly.....*
*
This was one tradition we hadn't managed to do this time around......where was the sign!!!! It was there the beginning of September, but gone by the end of the month, and still not back mid December!!! 
*
*Although Tom does look like he has a big Kaboomsky sign is above his head in a speech bubble!!!!!!*














*More IOA coming up.........*


----------



## schumigirl

*It really was a beautiful day and we were loving this walking through the park and just wallowing in the heat, but also the crowds!!! We took sometime to stop and have a few sit downs to look at what was going on around us...….we love these parks!!! *
*
This was why we avoided Saturdays. Around the parks it wasn`t too bad to be honest, crowds disperse easily in these parks, but the lines were noticeably busier. 
*
*Our first stop was Kong.......the regular line was 50 minutes, so we popped in the EP line and we were on quickly. And this is why we wouldn't do the parks without EP! *
























*You do miss out on a nice surprise in the regular line.....some don't like getting jumped out on, but we do...it adds to the fun of the line.....but no Scare Actors in the Express line. *

*You can glance through the holes in the caves and this little old lady is mostly what you can see of the regular line.*















*We quite enjoyed this today, and glad we had done it again. It`s not our favourite ride, but one we always do at least once a trip. *

*I wanted to use the bathroom, so we had a quick wander into Thunder Falls that had just opened as we came around past it. *















*This is a good place for food, although we hadn`t eaten here in a few years, we had always enjoyed it. Although the one complaint we have and this is common for counter service, is food can cool down a lot by the time you have paid and sat down to eat it. But, the chicken and ribs here and the chicken wrap were always excellent. *

















*As we wandered down to have a look at the splashing boats of JP, we see they have another set of entertainers in situ...….they were very popular and kids were getting involved with having a go at some of their instruments...….they were lively!! *
























*We wandered round towards Hogsmeade and again, wondering how the area will look once the new coaster is up and running. I know it`ll look fabulous of course, but very impatient to see it complete. *

*And we see another group of singers performing to the crowds as they pass by........although after I took the picture I asked them if they were employed by Universal or just a group of folks who had randomly started singing......lol......*













*Hogwarts never looked better.....although being honest, it always looks amazing......*















*We headed in and saw the regular line was 45 minutes! So, EP again today.......*














*We dropped bags and camera in the lockers which really aren't the fuss some make them out to be.....it takes a few moments at most to put your items in. Then we headed into the ride.

I do miss taking pictures in line, although I think we have every picture there is to take in there.....but we do like taking pictures of every visit. I know some folks think it`s stupid to do that......but not for us, we love it. *
*
The ride itself was fun...….I always take the end seat to be comfy, and we`re off. This is a ride you shouldn`t miss. It could be one of the best rides around, it`s certainly up there with the best of them. 

But, a one and done for me most days...….
*
*We came out and decided to do the FotH…..people talk about the Hulk and RRR being rough......but......this ride can be as rough as any of them!!! *

























*Kyle and I sit on one row, and Tom sits in front and we set off. We do like this one too, again, it`s a fairly quick ride but does have a decent little drop on it considering it`s a kiddie ride. *















*They want to go back on again and as I was now chatting to a man who knew me vaguely from another site a few years back. It was a F1 and car forum with a section for rallying that we used to enjoy many years ago.....how the heck he recognised or remembered me I`ll never know!!! Nice family and we chatted about one thing and another and they were enjoying their first ever visit to Florida......so, it was nice to speak to them while they redid Hippogriff again. *


























*And managed to catch them coming around just at the rather abrupt stop area. *














*Hogsmeade is next...….*

*We never see it like this usually...….it is so busy!!!! Yes, I think we are definitely spoiled with quieter crowd levels and not visiting on a Saturday........*














*There was no way we were getting back on Hagrid`s today........I can`t even remember as I didn`t write it down, if it was closed or a long line.....but I do know we didn`t ride it today. *

*We had a walk past Mythos and again, we do want to give this place another try one day. But, it`s hard to pass up up Confisco in it`s place.....I`m sure we will go back sometime though. But, it is a stunning building, inside and out. *


























*We took a quick wander round the back to have a quick look around......and we caught the fishes again and they certainly weren`t as uniformed as before. *














*Seuss was next up for us today, but no one felt like going on any rides today, to be honest we were all a little hungry now. *

*Gotta love those Who`s!!!! *
























*This was just not purple enough for me!!! But, pretty...all the decorations were beautiful though and very colourful. *















*My eye had been caught with someone I vaguely knew to speak to, waving at me....and darn it I couldn`t remember their name!!! I hate when that happens......I was glad when her husband said her name almost immediately!!! So, we had a very brief chat as we were honestly ready for lunch now. *

*None of us can remember what Kyle was trying to say to his dad at this point.....we know it was something, but not a clue today!*
















*It kind of looked like he was doing this...…...*














*But, we can`t remember!!! *

*I like the building of Circus McGurkus, it`s very pretty and colourful, but not for us food wise......we`d had a look in and it`s a great place for kids maybe, but not somewhere we`d ever eat. *














*He was really enjoying these photobombs now...…..*














*We honestly kept reminding ourselves we were in Orlando in December, at Christmas and it was 80F!!! *
*
The first time we were here at Christmas was very surreal.......hearing Christmas songs, seeing tinsel and decorations while putting on sunscreen was the oddest feeling ever!!! It wasn`t quite as surreal as the first time, but it was more reminding ourselves that it was December we had to keep doing.....it certainly didn`t feel like any December we recognised. 
*
*Those trees fitted into Seuss perfectly........barely a straight line anywhere......*
























*On the way out of POE we made up our mind where we were going to have lunch.......but first had a few pics taken......*
























*It looks quiet, but we were amazed how many people were heading in as we were leaving......although we did manage to find a few quiet areas to get some pictures taken. *
























*And I get my own back on the photobomb front.......*














*Yep, time to head off for lunch..........*





​


----------



## macraven

I see another photo bomb by Kyle...

and you
Sweet!


----------



## I-4Bound

Loving the photobombs!


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> I see another photo bomb by Kyle...
> 
> and you
> Sweet!



lol......we do love our photobombs......

And er, so do you if memory serves me right...…...


----------



## schumigirl

I-4Bound said:


> Loving the photobombs!



lol......I know some folks hate folks photobombing them......but some can be quite funny!!! 

We had a guy photobomb us in Switzerland many years ago.....I swear we never saw him at the time!!! He looked as if he was popping out the lake behind us...…..

The days of real photographs and not digital images!


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

The photo bomb pictures are cracking me up!!!!


----------



## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> The photo bomb pictures are cracking me up!!!!



It did become something of a challenge to how many photobombs he could do in a day.......lol.......


----------



## Tink2Day

Uhh those fish look just as evil as the one where they were lined up in an attack formation.

We enjoyed the chicken wraps at Thunder Falls Terrace years ago, we shared one and that was still too much.

Oh I enjoyed the area around FotH the view of the castle is neat from that view/ride. I can't remember what the announcement was that keeps repeating over and over but we finally started saying it along with 'Hagrid'....we weren't even in line that long either.

It looks like Kyle is getting ready to salute Tom.

The picture of Kyle on the 'Pineapple Bank' is so cute, your photo bomb made it even better. Kyle is quite the photo bomber so getting back at him was divine justice.


----------



## schumigirl

Tink2Day said:


> Uhh those fish look just as evil as the one where they were lined up in an attack formation.
> 
> We enjoyed the chicken wraps at Thunder Falls Terrace years ago, we shared one and that was still too much.
> 
> Oh I enjoyed the area around FotH the view of the castle is neat from that view/ride. I can't remember what the announcement was that keeps repeating over and over but we finally started saying it along with 'Hagrid'....we weren't even in line that long either.
> 
> It looks like Kyle is getting ready to salute Tom.
> 
> The picture of Kyle on the 'Pineapple Bank' is so cute, your photo bomb made it even better. Kyle is quite the photo bomber so getting back at him was divine justice.



lol.......yes, I don’t like fish (unless I’m eating it) or anything that dwells in water to be honest......but those fish are weird! It’s almost like they know......and what the heck do they all live on in such a small area of water!! We can see ones like that in the water out of the lagoon view window in a Sapphire too.... creepy!!

Yes, Kyle and I shared the chicken wrap too, it is very large, but so tasty!!

I love the views from right under the castle too......

Oh yes, he is quite the photobomber......and yes, it does look like a salute, but I’m sure it wasn’t.......none of us can remember what we were talking about for once........


----------



## schumigirl

*Sal`s Pizza is one of the best onsite pizza`s there is. It`s the only food option we like at PB. And we try to come visit here at least once a trip. *

*We walked to the boats and had to wait maybe almost ten minutes for the Portofino Boat. This time of day is not considered peak time, so it`s not unusual to have a little wait for a boat......they are still regular and you never wait too long. PBH is the furthest of the hotels with a boat, but don`t let that put you off. It`s not a long walk, it`s just a little longer than the others. The walk is in shade most of the way and a very pretty walk like all the paths to the hotels. *
















*A few minutes later we are heading towards PB and it is a lovely resort with distinct features that do resemble the real Portofino area. It has been done very well. *

























*And I do like the huge Christmas Tree in the piazza......we never came to see it at night this year, but it is very beautiful. *












































*It is rather a sprawling resort, some folks are put off by this, but honestly, it`s not that big and everything is not as far as you may think.....I can understand why some folks do want to be close to either the Club Lounge which is lobby level and some want to be close to the boat docks. *

*Beautiful as it is, we`ve never really been drawn to stay here. *
















*Sal`s however is a favourite!! From the first time we ate there, we thought it was magnificent, and brought PB back into our food options onsite as we had several bad experiences with Mamma Della`s and Bice. *
*
They have a whole menu other than pizzas. 

Some delicious sandwiches and there are read made appetisers and pre made salads and sandwiches too. 
*
*It`s also where the grab and go breakfast options can be found. *
























*And of course a good selection of wines, beers and soft drinks to choose from. *

*They also have a soda machine in the premises too. *














*As you can see, during the day you never have to worry about getting seated anywhere in here. *














*We like to sit through in the booths, for no other reason that we like a booth. *















*You order your food and pay, collect your drinks and they give you a buzzer to go get it when it`s ready. Although there are times they do bring your food through, usually when it`s quieter like today. *

*I had got a little bottle of red wine, Tom as were staying onsite for dinner tonight had a beer....and Kyle had his usual water.......and of course got in on the picture...........*
















*We didn`t wait very long and then one of the staff brought through our pizzas.......and they looked delicious!!!!! *

*And apologies again to those who hate pineapple on pizza......*











​



*Kyle opted as usual for a small cheese pizza with a barbecue sauce base.....*

*I say small, but it`s rather large and would do two people easily. *















*For us we got our usual, again a small BBQ chicken pizza with added pineapple and jalapeno......*















*I can feel my Italian born friends shake their heads as they read this...….everything they think is wrong with pizza.....most of them would only eat pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese with oil......…no bbq sauce, no chicken and certainly never, ever, ever would they put pineapple near a pizza!!!! 

I love it!!!!! Tom could leave off the pineapple given the choice and he prefers tomato sauce, but for sharing he isn`t too bothered and as long as I`m happy he`ll eat it. *
*
We absolutely love the pizza`s.......Kyle demolishes his, although he always leaves most of the crusts, as do I funnily enough. We manage to share ours quite happily and it is enough for us. I couldn`t eat a whole pizza as the small ones are very large in my view. The large ones would definitely feed a family. 
*
*We have a bathroom visit and head back out towards the boat.*














*This place is like a ghost town during the day for most of the time.....we have never seen more than two and three people around whenever we have wandered over here. If you are looking for quiet, this is the place to come. *

*Tom found a unique mode of transport!!! *




































*Again, we wait a fair amount of time for a boat today. I think we always seem to wait the longest time for boats when we are here for some reason. I`m sure each hotel is allocated the same amount of boats, so we may just have been unlucky. *
























*The boat ride is lovely. And the heat has really built now and it is glorious......blue skies and warm temps.....this was bliss for us. *

*Kyle had decided to go back into the park, I think he was going to Studios to do RRR and Mummy a few times. We planned to head back to the hotel and maybe go sit by the pool for a while in the shade.....

But, when we got back, Tom was yawning and fancied a snooze. *

*He got settled for his snooze, and I didn`t feel like sleeping, so, went down to the lobby to take some pictures of the tree and the new decor...it was so busy. There was a huge group checking in, but I did run into our friend and had a good old chat to him for a while. Tom wouldn`t worry why I was away for so long as he knew I`d be chatting to someone, or more than likely our lovely friend. He was right. We did arrange to meet up Monday afternoon for a while. 

Eventually around an hour and a half later I made it back up and he was just awake. He had needed a little snooze, so why not. *
*
I had a twenty minute nap myself at this point and about an hour later Kyle appeared and had loved his time on his own in the park.....he had just gone on everything he wanted to again and again.......the joy of EP. 


*
*Coming up.....The Palm. *


----------



## J'aime Paris

Cannot wait for the food pictures from the Palm!  Yum!!!


----------



## schumigirl

*We went up to the Club Lounge for an hour or so tonight, mostly to see our Australian friends who we always enjoyed chatting to every day we could. But, we also wanted to see another of the Supervisors we hadn`t seen yet.......and tonight she came up to see us. She is lovely. Last year she had given Kyle the ginger tea when he was poorly and is just a lovely lady.....with a very good sense of humour!!!! 

We could talk for hours to her and we always have a good giggle. So between chatting to her and the Oz family, our time disappeared quickly. We also managed to fit in a couple of glasses of red wine too!!!! Well, no driving tonight. *

*Back down, we got showered and changed, Kyle hadn't come up to the lounge with us was already changed. So he watched tv and waited for the medical ads to come on to keep him amused while we got ready. *
*Our table was booked for 7.45 so we had plenty of time to go down to the lobby and get some pictures by the tree. Tom did start off with doing some selfies, but one of the TM who knows us took a few of us altogether.......*






























*We chatted for a while and then went out to get a car to take us over to the Hard Rock. There was one waiting and our favourite valet guy Daniel was there...….and still calls me Claire which Kyle found quite amusing.......who`s this Claire??? 

It didn`t bother me he picked up my name wrong, and now it would look odd if I did correct him......lol.......*

*The Hard Rock is only a five minute drive away. The ODC of course now have the $10 charge instead of complimentary as it used to be. But, it`s worth it for the convenience. I guess a cab would be cheaper, but by the time you wait for one you would already be there. And we don`t use Uber. Convenience works for us. *
*We do like this water feature, but this is one of two hotels that leave me cold. It`s not a hotel I`d ever stay in and it never feels like a resort to us at all......of course many like it, each to their own, but if it wasn`t for The Palm, we`d never visit this hotel at all. *
















*We see this little beauty as we wander in........*

*The Lamborghini Urus which has a 4.0 litre V8 engine that enjoys 641bhp.....lovely car. Nice price too!!! *
















*They were revamping the bar area while we were there, so despite some construction you could still get a drink, and of course a nice Christmas Tree doesn`t go wrong.......*

















*The barman very kindly offers to take one for us, sadly the lighting isn`t the best in this area and the tree lights don`t help, but still, it`s one of us altogether. *

















*We go down to The Palm just in time for our reservation. We do miss Lauren who used to work here, she was fabulous, but the lady tonight was very nice too, and we were escorted to our booth immediately.* 

*We had put on the reservation we`d love Joyce to be taking care of us if possible, but turns out she only works during the week and not weekends. We have known Joyce a number of years now and she is lovely. But, we had the most senior waiter looking after us tonight so we were happy with him. Gabe is the one who serenades ladies and gents on their birthdays, and is very professional with a wry sense of humour. We liked him. *

*The Palm is a noisy restaurant, no doubt about it, but being in the booths somehow it doesn't seem as bad. And we`re glad about that as we do love to chat the evening away when we have dinner. Nothing civilised in shouting at one another. *
*We order a bottle of Pinot Noir, a slight change from our usual choice of wine here, but this one sounded so good. And it was. *
















*Kyle asked for his usual daiquiri, Gabe said they didn`t have a blender but could make one up for him to try......he drank it, but it wasn't the best drink he`d had. I think it had basil in and was a little overpowering on the palate. *
















*The water waiters always keep your glass topped up......it barely gets half empty and they miraculously appear at your side......*

*Our bread also appears and we do all have a little sample, but not too much......*

















*Kyle very rarely eats an appetiser. He much prefers a dessert, and Tom and I decided to share one tonight, so we order the shrimp appetiser and my goodness it is delicious.*

*Although neither of us touches the atomic horseradish sauce!!!* 

*The shrimps were huge as always and as fresh and tasty as always......the cocktail sauce has just the right amount of piquancy and heat.....so not to overpower the shrimp. *
















*We had all ordered steaks as usual, and I`m not sure why the filets always look so small in the pictures!!!! *

*Kyle and I both ordered the 9oz filet, his served medium, mine was medium rare and both were perfectly cooked and melted in the mouth too......they are so tasty and we had also asked for them not to be highly seasoned, which they did exactly that. *


















*I do have to say the brandy peppercorn sauce was the only let down of the evening. I like a little sauce on the side and don't use a lot, and Kyle wanted to try it too, but it was harsh and there was too much of a brandy taste for us rather than pepper. So, they remained untouched. *

















*Tom ordered the 18oz boneless ribeye served medium rare for a change........and boy was this full of flavour!!!!*

*And it was perfectly cooked too....I think I may be converting him to medium rare!!! *


















*We usually have the au gratin potatoes, but Kyle had loved the fries last time, so we ordered them as a side for a change, and I have to say, they were the best fries we had tasted in a long time!!! *

*Sorry the picture is so blurry! I guess it must be one of mine...…..  *
















*We declined dessert as we were so full......Kyle would usually have had the flourless chocolate cake but he had a Linda`s chocolate Fudge cake to devour that was still in our fridge. *

*The evening had been completely wonderful. Food had been exemplary, service wonderful and it hadn`t been too noisy. We had chatted the evening away and laughed all the way through our meal. 

We asked Gabe for the check and once we paid we headed off to get a car from the Valet guys to take us back home. But, as is common at HRH they never seem to be readily available. They told us one wouldn`t be long and around 10 minutes later, one did make it. One of the valet guys was just about to take us, but we had a car. *

*A few minutes later we were back home and after chatting to a few people we knew, we went upstairs and the rooms always looked so cosy after turndown people had been in......low lighting, drapes closed over (although I usually opened the bedroom ones slightly) but it`s nice to come into to. *
*
We put the waters in the fridge and put the tv on, while Kyle gets the cake out of the fridge.......I should have taken a picture of it as he ate it, but by now he was almost done when I thought about it. And he loved it!!!! *

*We sat up and watched some tv for a while before we headed through to bed, I think Kyle put the tv off straight away. 

And again, we barely said goodnight to each other. We were shattered. *
*But, we`d had another wonderful day in the parks, and planned to do more or less the same tomorrow. 


Studios tomorrow. *


----------



## schumigirl

J'aime Paris said:


> Cannot wait for the food pictures from the Palm!  Yum!!!



lol......sorry no dessert pictures tonight.....we did plan to have the crème brulee…..but we were just so full!!!


----------



## J'aime Paris

schumigirl said:


> lol......sorry no dessert pictures tonight.....we did plan to have the crème brulee…..but we were just so full!!!


That's alright...I'm more of a steak n fries gal anyway!
Looks delicious as always!!!


----------



## macraven

Thread listed in Dis Daily Update
1-18-2020


----------



## schumigirl

J'aime Paris said:


> That's alright...I'm more of a steak n fries gal anyway!
> Looks delicious as always!!!



lol.....me too!!!

It was a gorgeous meal.......Kyle gave the steak 10/10......not a bad result from him


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> Thread listed in Dis Daily Update
> 1-18-2020



This one too!! I missed it again......lol........


----------



## JaxDad

Hey @schumigirl! I’m still around and following along!

As usual, I loved your KSC report! Although it was pretty busy when we went recently, we were lucky to avoid school groups. We didn’t even deal with the food lines—I brought a backpack cooler with snacks and drinks, then we stopped at Dixie Crossroads in Titusville for a big dinner afterwards.

You should definitely do the shuttle simulator next time. It’s fun and very educational. You’ll learn about “the twang!” We ended up doing the Explore Tour which supposedly goes to places beyond the normal bus tour, plus has several stops when you can get out. It was great for my son to take pictures, plus it enabled us to not worry about the bus lines (although you must still ride the normal buses back from the Saturn V building). We also loved the Treasures Gallery. It was just a great day all around!

Anyway, I’ll keep following. I hope you all are doing well!


----------



## Squirlz

Hi Carole, I just got caught up beginning with your evening in the snow at Celebration.  Reading this just after I cleared 8 inches of heavy wet snow from our driveway!

You know, I'm surprised we have never seen you in the parks as much time as we have spent together there.  Some people I see day after day it seems.  We only see you in the lounge!


----------



## macraven

schumigirl said:


> This one too!! I missed it again......lol........






schumigirl said:


> This one too!! I missed it again......lol........



I used to list the administration’s threads of the day, on the first page of the threads

changed it to posting in the thread for the day it is announced so readers can be aware of it


----------



## schumigirl

JaxDad said:


> Hey @schumigirl! I’m still around and following along!
> 
> As usual, I loved your KSC report! Although it was pretty busy when we went recently, we were lucky to avoid school groups. We didn’t even deal with the food lines—I brought a backpack cooler with snacks and drinks, then we stopped at Dixie Crossroads in Titusville for a big dinner afterwards.
> 
> You should definitely do the shuttle simulator next time. It’s fun and very educational. You’ll learn about “the twang!” We ended up doing the Explore Tour which supposedly goes to places beyond the normal bus tour, plus has several stops when you can get out. It was great for my son to take pictures, plus it enabled us to not worry about the bus lines (although you must still ride the normal buses back from the Saturn V building). We also loved the Treasures Gallery. It was just a great day all around!
> 
> Anyway, I’ll keep following. I hope you all are doing well!



Good to see you!!!

Yes, that sounds a fabulous add on as a tour. This year if we Kyle can get longer off we plan to go twice, so will definitely do something extra.

I will do the shuttle simulator next time I think........yes, it is just a fabulous day that we honestly can’t rate highly enough.

Glad you avoided the mass school trips!!! Funny you mention Titusville, someone recommended stopping off at a place there for dinner, maybe next time as it’s so handy.

Not long till May, and I’m sure we have a trip to St Augustine in mind then, so hopefully we can coordinate a meet up again......

And thank you, glad you’re enjoying it again........


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> I used to list the administration’s threads of the day, on the first page of the threads
> 
> changed it to posting in the thread for the day it is announced so readers can be aware of it



I can’t believe I’ve been a member here since 2007 and didn’t know about this till you mentioned it a few weeks ago!

Of course, now I get the daily emails I won’t miss out on recommended threads........


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

Mmmmm chocolate cake!!!!    (up to 15 now)... I hope you make another visit to the Cheesecake Factory one more time before your trip is over!!! He really needs one for the plane ride home!


----------



## macraven

schumigirl said:


> I can’t believe I’ve been a member here since 2007 and didn’t know about this till you mentioned it a few weeks ago!
> 
> Of course, now I get the daily emails I won’t miss out on recommended threads........


Don’t believe the Dis Daily section highlighted threads until Jackie/administrator took it over 
She does a great job !


----------



## schumigirl

*SUNDAY DECEMBER 8TH*​




*This was a slower start today. We took our time and got ready and all commented again, how well we slept. I`ve mentioned before how comfortable the beds are in RP and Sapphire too, and although all our beds at home are almost pretty darn perfect, for a hotel, here, we always get a pretty good sleep. With the drapes closed the room is pitch black, and I do like  a little light in the room, so do leave them open slightly, and this is the opposite to Tom who would have the room as black as night when he sleeps. But, he doesn`t mind on vacations when I like a light peer through. 

But, once again, Kyle is already showered and has the tv on through there watching the weather channel this morning, his other favourite pastime while here......we do get drawn into some of their stories at times, when folks are in difficult situations and of course they drag it out.....so today we never did find out if they found a family that had got stuck in ice somewhere!! I`m assuming they did...…..*

*Once in the lounge we had a lovely breakfast and took our time over that.....the new pastries they have are much nicer than the older ones and I think I had three this morning!! Along with some continental meats and fruit. Tom and Kyle had their usual cereal and croissants. 

We also saw Kayla who we hadn`t seen for a few days, and she`d had a bad cold so had been avoiding us as she didn`t want to share it with us....bless her! But we had a good catch up on all our news. Our Australian friends also trickled in one by one as they were ready to start their day too. And we couldn`t leave till we chatted to them too. *

*But, once we had chatted each others ears off, we headed downstairs to get our sunscreen on and we chatted to the lady who is head of housekeeping, we have known her for a few years too and it`s always lovely to see her. Once we are sunscreen on, we headed down for the boat as we planned to go to the Studios, but Kyle again said he`d prefer to walk, so headed off on the path and we said we`d meet him at the store inside the park. 

We waited ages for a boat......I have no idea why it was so long, but it was the first time ever we have had to wait anywhere near as long. And the line was growing by the minute. We were just about to walk, when one appeared and as we were almost first in line, we might as well stay now. And the boat was filled and we did set off. Only to be stopped at the lights for another while.........Kyle would be thinking we had got lost! *



























*But, we do make it eventually and he did look a little perturbed as to why it had taken us almost 30 minutes to get here.....I did here a jokey grumble of "should have walked"......yes, we probably should have!!! *

*I think it`s just habit to be honest getting the boat when we go to the Studios instead of walking, but we just do. 

But, we were here now and we are loving this morning already.......the sun is shining and it is HOT!!!!! This is another of those having to remind ourselves it`s December moments! *
*
We turn right today and head round towards Hollywood area and although we are later than normal it is very quiet today. There isn't an area in the park I don't love....well, maybe The Simpsons area, but that`s about it.....everywhere else I love. 
*
*And this area is especially nice at night and when it`s quiet.......certainly very different from when Universal hosts HHN!!! Now, that is always busy. 

We pass by the Today Cafe, and we had looked at the menu previously, and not much appealed to us food wise, the desserts however did look nice and maybe one day we`ll give one a try. The cheesecake on a stick particularly appealed. But, not today. *
*
As we wander past the Café, we see Marilyn appear in front of us and of course we want a picture with her......
*
*I did take a couple of just Tom and Kyle but Marilyn called me over to get in the picture too. And even Marilyn who isn`t an obvious character, stays in her persona for the whole time and is very good!!! *















*The Mystery Machine is there, but no sign of any of the characters yet, but I was sure they wouldn`t be too long till they were out. We don't go looking for pictures with characters any more and haven`t for a long time, as I think we have every one of them several times over, but Scooby Doo is an obvious childhood favourite of so many, so we do stop for him. *

*We had been fortunate more than once to get the whole gang together and that is a fun experience listening to them all as they interact with you.....if you get the chance you have to stop and wait......but, even without the whole gang, it is still an amazing interaction. *


























*Yep, still incredibly quiet...….*















*The red around the building is the AP lounge. They seem to keep extending when it`s open which is good if you use it. You must have an AP to get in. It can`t just be one of you, everyone who enters must show their AP or it`s a no. For us, it`s not somewhere we need to go into again. But, on a hot, hot day.....a little cool might be nice. *















*We turn around and we see Shaggy, Scooby and Velma appear.....so we join the very short line....there was one family in front of us and a grandmother behind us with a little boy of around 5. *

*So, the first family in front are up with the gang and the handler says something and the lady behind me thinks they are saying they won`t be seeing anyone else.....she misheard. But, immediately starts yelling in a whiny voice, almost in tears......but what about the little boy....oh the little boy and points to her grandson who quite honestly didn`t look like he cared......but she was trying to get past us to plead for her grandson.......the lady noticed and told her he would be seen....but jeez she went into hyper panic mode.....I think she expected us to let him go first because waiting isn't fun according to her......there were two families in front of her, including us!!! 

When we went forward, Tom didn't initially step forward, so when Velma asked our names I called Kyle Tom........immediately corrected myself and Scooby went into laughing mode at my blooper......poor Kyle feigned indignance of course...….Velma berated me for not knowing my son`s name...….and Scooby just kept laughing...….it was one of those had to be there moments...…..*



































*Velma of course insisted on Tom coming in the picture and Scooby went to get him for the picture......wish I`d got a picture of that!!!! But we did get a few of us altogether.......which we love. And we love the interactions we have with the characters at Universal, they are all fabulous. Tom had noticed the woman that was behind us looking very annoyed that we had quite a long interaction with them...…lol....I wish I`d seen that.......
*


























*I think Tom took us in the pictures to show there were actually some people around...….it was eerily quiet for this time of the morning, as well as for a Sunday. *


























*We headed down towards ET which was going to be the first ride of the day for us and we ran into Doc Brown on the way....and again, complete interaction from when he stopped to chat to us......*

*I`m guessing if you`ve never seen Back to the Future you wouldn`t have a clue who this weirdly dressed guy was.....but for anyone that does, he is definitely someone you want to run into. *














*ET area is beyond quiet!!!! *















*There was an actual line for ET this morning......although you have EP you go into the first chamber along with other folks to listen to Steven Spielberg plead for your help, the EP split comes later. But, this was the busiest I had ever seen ET in years. 

We are dull at times......we have never used a fake name for going on the ride......I think the TM must roll their eyes inwardly when they hear the obvious ones that really aren`t that funny.......but people still do it......we used our real name.*

*Wandering in a few folks run ahead of us only to be sent the regular line as they don't have EP. And today we all notice the smell in ET isn`t the same anymore...….it used to be quite noticeable, but it was completely absent today again. But, we are immediately drawn by the fact even the EP has a small line.....very unusual......but it doesn't take long and we get the front row of ET......it doesn't matter to us on this ride where we sit, but seems the front is coveted as someone behind grumbles that only kids should ride the front!!!! Not a chance lady. 

ET is charming, gentle, fun but at the same time it`s downright weird along the lines of Cat in the Hat in Seuss Landings!! The second part of the ride is like sailing through a kaleidoscope of colours and then there`s the weird sounds....yes, fun, but distinctly odd. And unmissable. Although Kyle used to miss this one out a lot. He would deign to join us maybe once a trip when he used to come regularly, but generally he`d prefer to be on RRR!!!! *

*And it`s not much busier when we come out. *















*We don't stop for many pictures the way we usually do down by the water today, but, Kyle did take one of us outside Duffs Bar. *

*Because we come so often, we don't take the exact same pictures every time, although we could as we just enjoy taking pictures. But sometimes we just pass things by without a glance. *















*This is where we split up for a short time. *

*I cannot do Simpsons. Not at all. But, they quite like it. It`s not the best ride in the park, it`s not even in the top 20 rides, but they do it every time. So, I wander round and take some pictures and of course chat to folks as I wait for them to come off the demon ride!!! *
























*The view over the lagoon is just so beautiful.....and seeing Harry Potter over the water is pretty cool. *














*The fair type games seem to work here......there are always a few folks taking part and having fun with them......not for us, but if there is still a demand for them then all good. *

























*They come back out and had enjoyed the ride, but not for me. Tom doesn't really go on it when it`s just the two of us, so I`m glad he gets to ride with Kyle. *
*
MiB is up next.........
*
*I can do this ride once, maybe twice....not for motion sickness reasons, but because it bores me silly. I`ve never been a fan of these type of scoring rides so a few times is enough....Tom and Kyle however love them...…well, they love MiB. And they are so competitive...…and I always bring up the story from a few years ago where I didn`t try a jot.......and beat them both!!!! The ride picture is me looking incredibly bored.....and I still beat them...…lol.....Kyle has never forgotten that either! And they do have phenomenal scores on this ride. 

I have no interest in things like computer games either......never have done. And not a single one of my friends play computer games either.......their kids, absolutely...…but not my idea of fun at all........so maybe that`s the reason I don`t understand the interest in this ride......to me, completely boring. 
*

























*There are some lovely areas of the park and this area in front of MiB is one of them......seeing manicured areas in the park is lovely, and I`m always amazed so many don't see it and call the park a concrete jungle or similar descriptions. We love it...….*












































*They go on the ride several times and each time got a better score than before.......thank goodness!!! *

*I head into the store as I was getting hot now, and this store has some very powerful aircon!!! And you cannot miss the full size superheroes for sale in the store........not sure I`d like these guys hanging around my home.......but I`m sure some folks would love it!!! *

























*I did of course need a stamp for the Christmas tree hunt, and a very lovely young man stamped it for me and said it was almost done.....yep, and I knew what the prize was and was looking forward to collecting it. he was very chatty and it was nice talking to him, even if he was a little surprised when I said I didn`t care about saving the galaxy on the ride.......lol......
*














*Harry Potter and Lunch coming up........*


----------



## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> Mmmmm chocolate cake!!!!    (up to 15 now)... I hope you make another visit to the Cheesecake Factory one more time before your trip is over!!! He really needs one for the plane ride home!



Oh my goodness!!! I`m glad you`re keeping count as I lost that count ages ago!!! 

I didn't realise he had so many...….and not including the mini chocolate desserts he had on the Wok Experience!!! They were very small though.....


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> Don’t believe the Dis Daily section highlighted threads until Jackie/administrator took it over
> She does a great job !



She does, I don't really know her at all, but yes, highlighting threads does seem to be a quite a good idea


----------



## schumigirl

*My two decided to go on a couple more times, so I said I`d head over to Potter and I`d get them by the Knight Bus.....they were loving this ride today and beating their own high scores which I`m told is fun for some people........  being a non competitive, non gamer person this meant little to me.....but they were happy, so I was happy.*

*I did however, suggest I might be able to help them get a higher score if I did join them this time..….you know, with my eye for precision and accuracy...…..*

















*I took that as a thank you mum, but I think we`ll manage just fine...…..


So, I headed round to Potter...….I took my time and slowly meandered and stopped along the way to just look around me. *
*
And that is one of the joys of longer trips....you can do that as often as you like......someone mentioned to us in the Club lounge they preferred to take shorter trips once or twice a year, that was enough for them........each to their own of course, but when I saw their dreaded spreadsheet......that didn't look so relaxing to me! 
*
*We know the parks so well after so many years visiting so often the last couple, but we still find it beautiful and we still like to stop and take everything in most days. Especially when it`s as beautiful as today. *


























*There were a load of bags on the benches as I approached.....I didn't notice at the time, but later I had sat down on the other one while I was chatting and saw a TM ask someone who`s bags they were...…someone said they were a tour group and had left them there to go ride Gringotts.....the TM told the person left to look after them to remove them from the benches and put them out of the way. It did seem quite a selfish place to pile them up......it wasn't overly busy when I went in to the area, but once the bags were removed folks did sit there. Kudos to the TM. *
















*A couple were chatting and I sat down with them....they were grandparents who were just enjoying the scenery right now...…and they asked a lot of questions about Potter in particular as they didn`t quite understand the fuss of it all.......I think they were more used to Disney from what they said, lovely couple. I did tell them you didn`t have to knock the door to make Kreacher appear as they thought.......their daughter had told them that he only appeared if you knocked. I said for them to watch as there was no one near the door and Kreacher still appeared at regular intervals...….it`s funny how a lot of people do think you need to knock for him to appear, but you don`t. 

They were very entertaining and yes, would be glad to get back to Disney tomorrow...…bless them. They were trying to see everything in both Universal parks in one day.....without EP, and they said they hadn`t arrived till 9.30am. Not going to happen. They had no clue about the hotel EP or EE or really what rides were in what park. I can see why they were happier at Disney. But, they were so nice and another first, and I`m guessing last visit...…..*


























*A few minutes later my two appeared and they had enjoyed MiB immensely......they were well into 800,000 and yes, I know you can get better than that, but they were happy!! *

*Into Potter it does feel a little cooler in this area than completely outside......and so many things to see!!!! *






































*There are several spells around this area too and a couple involve the Troll and the Blacksmith`s fire. These are very popular spells so this are can back up especially with the Mermaid Fountain Spell so close by. *
















*The Hopping pot is an ideal place for a nice little beverage......they do have some lovely little choices. We don't like Butterbeer, but here we like the tongue tying lemon squash and the Otter`s fizzy orange juice. Alcoholic drinks available are the Wizard`s Brew, Dragon Scale and Blishen`s Fire Whisky. I have heard some people mix the whisky with cider...….not for me, but a few have said it`s lovely. I drink neither so wouldn't really like to try it.  *
















*The Beedle of the Bard show is cute. But, not something you need to see more than once or twice. But if you haven`t seen it, take the time...…Kyle and Tom wouldn`t really stop to see it, I can watch it for a few minutes. *

*I much prefer Celestina Warbeck, but we missed her again today. *


























*Gringotts up next...…..*


----------



## smiths02

Those midway/carnival games are actually a pretty good deal.  I think we paid $25 for a special card to play several games and we won 3-4 stuffed animals (one for each kid at least).  If you do it when they are not busy (early in the morning), you are pretty much guaranteed to win something.  Cheaper than most souvenirs, for sure.  (Although if we were flying and didn't have younger kids, I would not bother either.)


----------



## smiths02

I really like MiB.  I made sure to watch the cheat videos before our first trip so I could beat my husband once (he is a highly trained-former Marine and now a federal law enforcement officer).  I only did it once, and I think I was maybe 300,000-400,000? Not even that good.  He now knows to constantly hold the trigger, shoot the exhaust port, and push the red button, so I don't stand a chance anymore LOL.  
I am not as big of a fan as DH and the kids, though.  I am not ever going to be going for a personal record.


----------



## schumigirl

*The EP line for Gringotts was almost non existent. Regular line from memory was around 60 minutes. *

*I wish we had taken more pictures in here today, as it is just completely stunning. Everything is so impressive and you just can`t take your eyes off of the detail that has gone into every single corner here. *



























*Kyle here was like.....let`s just go on the ride!!!! *  


























*The Goblins do look like nasty little creatures as they are depicted in the movies and the books..….and they are rather creepy, especially given how realistic they look....and when they glance up at you in disdain, you do feel a little unsettled in their irritation and displeasure at Muggles daring to walk in their world!!! *



























*The camera is very fitting with the theme here, and it does look so much like an original in the style. *

*We never stop for the picture anymore as you go in, we did in the beginning, but now we only occasionally buy the ride pictures....*



























*This room is quite funny......but we have the Chatterbox family close by today....and they are loud chatterboxes!!!! Someone else rather unceremoniously tells them to button it...…lol...…and they did. There were several kids on their phones, some quite young,  not even glancing at what was being shown.....seemed very apathetic at what is a magnificent show and effect. Maybe they had seen it a dozen times before, but the light from their phone was distracting a little from the show. *




































*Once on the elevator we have a nervous lady who feels a little apprehensive and anxious. Not sure if it was the confined space of the elevator, which is quite large, but she certainly seemed as if she was going to go into full blown panic mode at one point, but she made it, although her and her husband seemed to disappear and didn`t ride. *

*We climb the stairs, and here Kyle did another photobomb....but it isn`t even remotely clear.......shame! 

The line moves quickly and we noticed the single rider line wasn`t really moving very quickly today. Seemed to be a lot of even numbers going on. But, it did and we got one lady beside us on the middle set of seats. She was from China and spent the whole ride giggling like a child.....she absolutely loved it. *
*
As did we. 
*
*Such a fun ride.....and every single time we do this we always wish the drop was steeper......it is so tame!!! But, we do enjoy this ride a lot. It`s not our favourite Potter ride, that was FJ but now we have to say it`s got to go to Hagrid`s......purely for the thrill of the ride. *
















*We collect my bag and head out to the sunshine again. We are just always thinking could this day BE any more gorgeous!!! Said in a Chandler tone of course! Does anyone who knows Friends episodes well all do this when you say a sentence like Chandler......we do it all the time......*















​




*The sun is beautiful but the park is busy.......I think this is where everyone hides to catch you and make you think the park is quiet...then you come in here.......and really it`s not that bad, it`s just more than we`re used to. *


























*This is one spell that often catches out unsuspecting folk walking past sometimes......not everyone has someone stand in the middle of the umbrella when they try the spell......*
















*And not everyone knows the water does come down and will soak you a little if you walk under it as the person gets the spell correct......I won`t post the ladies face who did get caught out and wasn`t very happy about it.......I was in the bathroom at this point so didn`t see it, but she had yelled a little as the water hit her when she didn`t expect it, can imagine if it`s cold......and the TM apologised on behalf of the little one that had been delighted to master the spell. oops. *
















*We did go into Knockturn Alley but, it was too busy to take any decent pictures today without masses of people in it, so we stuck to Borgin and Burke`s which is a very curious store. *



























*We always love a picture with the vanishing cabinet in here......you have to touch it and listen.......*
















*There are many items to see in here including the Hand of Glory, and the cursed necklace more known as the Opal necklace....that was once on display in the front window. This necklace had a label that read Do not touch! Cursed! Has claimed the lives of 19 muggles. And so many other items including Death Eaters Masks and more normal items like mugs and tee shirts. *

*Our favourite window in KA. *



































*Next up.......Lunch. *


----------



## schumigirl

smiths02 said:


> Those midway/carnival games are actually a pretty good deal.  I think we paid $25 for a special card to play several games and we won 3-4 stuffed animals (one for each kid at least).  If you do it when they are not busy (early in the morning), you are pretty much guaranteed to win something.  Cheaper than most souvenirs, for sure.  (Although if we were flying and didn't have younger kids, I would not bother either.)



That sounds alright doesn't it! 

lol...yes, I can imagine trying to get four large stuffed animals as well as hand luggage on a flight.......some of them do look a lot of fun.


----------



## schumigirl

smiths02 said:


> I really like MiB.  I made sure to watch the cheat videos before our first trip so I could beat my husband once (he is a highly trained-former Marine and now a federal law enforcement officer).  I only did it once, and I think I was maybe 300,000-400,000? Not even that good.  He now knows to constantly hold the trigger, shoot the exhaust port, and push the red button, so I don't stand a chance anymore LOL.
> I am not as big of a fan as DH and the kids, though.  I am not ever going to be going for a personal record.




That is a fabulous score for a first timer!!! Even with watching the cheat videos......lol......yes, I guess the experts might not think so, but yes....for a first timer its fab   

I do like to go on once or twice, but it`s never going to be a favourite ride of mine.


----------



## Elsaspiritanimal

LOL you are too funny! Hi, I'm Chandler, could I BE wearing any more clothes? Such a great report and yes your day couldn't look any more gorgeous!!


----------



## schumigirl

*We were all pretty hungry now and our usual discussion of where we were going to have lunch today came up about now...….it was a little too late to leave the park and go somewhere, and Kyle is looking at me with a smile saying he is starving....that`s usually my line about this time of day. *

*And he says, with a hug.........mum...….and says would I consider going to Lombard`s for lunch...…..*

*I`m the type of person usually once my mind is made up about something, I never change.…..but for my son or husband, I can change my mind. And I do today. 

If you read one of the last reports, you know we didn`t have the best experience in Lombard`s and I flounced out vowing never to darken their doorstep again.......buuuuuuuuuttttt…….Kyle does like it in here and wanted to give it a go again.....so, what do you do when your son asks.....of course you go in. I do get a hug as a thank you...….














Lombard`s is a very pretty restaurant, and not your typical theme park type of place. Food for us over the years has been excellent, poor and somewhere in between. So, I did hope today was excellent as I wanted Kyle to enjoy it. 

At the desk I asked for a table for three and asked who the waitress would be.....if she had said the waitress from the last time, I`d have asked if we could be seated somewhere else. But, she mentioned another name would be looking after us, so we were happy. She did look a little curious as to my question, but never pursued it further. 

I don`t think we`re too demanding as guests, and over the 13 years we had been visiting Orlando, there had only been one waiter we had complained about. So, it was very unusual for us to find so much fault with anywhere. *















*Even the entrance is beautiful. And certainly doesn't have a theme park feel at all. *















*We are seated and our waitress is lovely...….very refreshing and very friendly. We ask for our drinks and she tells us she`ll be back with them and some bread. 

I actually have no idea what to have as I never really thought we would be coming here. But there are plenty of choices for most folks.......*

















*Our drinks arrived and I had opted for the Waterfront which had a lively mix of CM Spiced Rum, Malibu, Orange, Pineapple and Cranberry Juice all mixed together and it was beautiful...….not usually a fan of spiced rum, but in a cocktail, it is lovely. And one of many we do make at home often when we have cocktails. *
















*Tom and Kyle had chosen the non alcoholic strawberry daiquiri......they are like peas in a pod at times. *














*The bread arrived too and I forgot it`s now a lemon butter. Now, I love lemon in almost everything, but this butter is not to our taste at all. It has a very strange flavour, it`s lemony, but not quite...…nope....don`t like it. *

























*I did giggle a bit at the couple from the table beside us.....they tasted the butter and yes, they made the Jack Sparrow face...…..I really don`t think they tell folks it`s lemon......no one told us!*
















*With the choices on the menu it did take us a little longer to make up our minds today...….well, not Kyle as he knew what he was having......creature of habit our boy!!! 

I ended up choosing the grilled mahi mahi sandwich, which came with a ribiche sauce on the side. I had only tasted this sauce once before in France and it tasted similar today, but this one is actually nicer. It`s a sauce that`s mayonnaise based and usually is made from hard boiled eggs that are emulsified with grape seed oil, mustard, and then it`s a little like a tartare sauce,  where it has pickled cucumber, capers, tarragon and chervil. It is lovely. And does go well with the Mahi Mahi which was cooked beautifully and was a decent size portion. *
















*Tom, of course went for the Lomburger…..he chose swiss cheese and it came with lettuce tomato and bacon...….everything is better with bacon!!!! He loved this burger today.....cooked exactly as he asked and said it was so tasty......I didn't even get an offer of a taste, so I`m guessing it was pretty darn good!!! *
















*And the very traditional Kyle opted for the fish and chips. We often talk about how things in batter here can be a hit or a miss. The batter is never as crispy as back home, and can be a little soggy. And although this one wasn`t as good as good old Scottish fish and chips, he did enjoy it! *
















*Our waitress though did make us laugh......she brought vinegar and ketchup to the table and said oh I know you Brits eat everything with ketchup and you must have vinegar......er no.......Kyle never eats ketchup and also never has vinegar on anything, even fries. But, he never said anything to her. But, no, not all Brits have ketchup with everything nor do we like vinegar. Well, Tom does, but he`s the only one in the family that does like it. 

I have to say I was so glad Kyle wanted to eat there today. The meal had been lovely and all three of us enjoyed our meal, although none of us completely finished the food, I guess we all left the fries. There was nothing wrong with them, we just didn't want to eat a whole lot as we were going somewhere very nice tonight. Having a lovely waitress made all the difference too. We saw the lady we didn't want looking after us and she seemed to be exactly the same.....quite abrupt with people and not very friendly. So, we do plan to go back, but will always ask who will be looking after us. 

We pay the check and head outside after a quick bathroom visit and spend some time wandering around this very pretty area. It was so hot now, but so lovely. We were all loitering to just soak up the sun and the heat.......*
















*Kyle`s other request that we hadn`t managed to achieve yet, was to visit another of his favourite places........Ben & Jerry`s. *

*After chocolate cake, his favourite dessert is chocolate ice cream and chocolate sauce.....and he can devour so much of the stuff it`s downright scary!!!! *

*Tom and I haven't got the room for any, and we are also saving ourselves for later tonight. So, we get Kyle a large chocolate ice cream with his adored chocolate sauce.......and he loves it!!! *















*Large portion, is a triple serving and lots of sauce........it is huge!!! *















*We came out after he had finished and we had a quick blast on the Mummy which on a full tummy is quite brave I think!!! We get the front row and with EP we are on in not time......the regular line was long....none of us can remember exactly how long but it was more than 45 minutes. 

What a ride though...….it was fast and we laughed the whole way round......but once was maybe enough after lunch for us!!! 

We caught the Blues Brothers for the first time in a while, they are worth watching.....so entertaining and that lady can really sing too!!! And we do catch their rather dilapidated vehicle round the corner......you have to glance in if you get close enough.....lol.....it gives me anxiety to see how messy it is inside!!!! On purpose of course......*



























*We went into Shrek as we haven't done that this trip either. The one thing I don't like about this is the waiting around. Even for us that don't hang around the parks all day, but it does feel long and I want to sit down.......but once we are through in the main room, it`s nice to be seated, even if you are flung around quite a bit as it goes with the ride.

The screen is a little dated, but such a fun little thing to do. *

*We now decide to head out of the park and head for home...…we had spent for us, a long time in the park today, but we had loved it...….we love these parks and never, ever get bored of them. 

Kyle decided to walk, he`s young.......we take the boat and it`s not a long wait before we head off. We expect to pass him on the path......but no, he beat us again......and was back upstairs as we got off the boat. I think he ran......a suggestion he enthusiastically denied!!!!!! *



*Dinner and Strong Water Bar later.........*


----------



## schumigirl

Elsaspiritanimal said:


> LOL you are too funny! Hi, I'm Chandler, could I BE wearing any more clothes? Such a great report and yes your day couldn't look any more gorgeous!!



lol......that is one of the funniest parts of Friends, them making fun of his sayings and the way he says them.......  

Thanks.....glad you`re enjoying it, and yes, it was such a beautiful day!!! We were so lucky, our whole trip we didn't get one drop of rain the whole time......well, except for just before the plane took off when we were leaving, it started up then. But while we were here....nothing!!!


----------



## lebeau

schumigirl said:


> *SATURDAY NOVEMBER 30TH*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 460253​
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *We slept so well......no waking up as we were in a strange bed, no noises from around us and when I did wake I realised we had slept till 7am, which was a good 8 hours....more than I usually sleep at home. I felt a little groggy at first, and didn't really want to get up, but I could hear Kyle was already up, so knowing I wouldn't be disturbing him I got up and went through where he was quite bright looking...….he was keen to start the day!!! Tom meanwhile was still sleeping......I have a very loud laugh and we were howling at something Kyle loves to watch on American tv.....the ads for medication.....they are hilarious and he had been looking forward to seeing them again. His tv had gone on first thing so he could catch a few to laugh at........*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 460212​
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Yes, no wonder folks prefer the disease to the medications!!!!! *
> 
> *Fatal Death!!!! That one really cracked us up a few years ago...…is there any other kind!!!!*
> 
> *Tom soon awoke to our howls of laughter and eventually he got up too.......there really is something quite lovely about the first morning of a vacation......and to our delight, the sun was shining and it was warm.....we would have 81F today.
> 
> Initially we thought of doing the parks this morning, but decided to get sunscreen and other things first and we would go to the parks later today to do some rides and see the Macy`s Parade......despite it being a Saturday. Usually we avoid Saturdays like the plague, but we just didn`t want to wait any longer, and Kyle of course even more so was desperate to get in and do some rides. He had waited long enough. *
> 
> *Once we were all showered and dressed, we headed upstairs to the Club Lounge where wer had a lovely welcome from several familiar faces and were introduced to a couple of new folks. It is so nice to be here...*
> 
> *And we had a little extra welcome too on one of the tables...*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *We loved this!!!!! I knew Kayla, the manager had done this for us......she is a star!!!! She had made a Halloween themed one for us in September which was so cute......I`d keep this one too as a souvenir......
> 
> Kyle got tucked into his cereal almost immediately......we were still chatting and catching up on news and how everyone was doing......*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Breakfast was lovely......they have a whole new selection of pastries and they look so much better than the older ones....they are larger and have a definite flavour to them, you can see the extra fillings and they do appear more attractive. And tasty!
> 
> Kayla comes up and it is so good to see her!! We adore her and spending time with her is always a pleasure......and she has done some amazing things with the lounge since she took the position of manager here. But, we had a good old catch up and it just felt so lovely being back, sitting down and just talking.
> 
> We did have a lazy morning, we hadn`t planned on doing much, so after we left the lounge we went downstairs to head off to Wal-Mart for some bits but first wanted to stop off to properly see the new grab and go and Orchids during the day........*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *We all love the way Orchids looks......it is incredibly modern and fresh and we knew the same standard would be in place and couldn`t wait to have an evening here for sushi.
> 
> The big tv and the new seating area is particularly pleasing to see....the addition of this works so well, and it seems to be a much more popular area now than it was before.....sometimes during the day you`d see the odd person maybe waiting to leave the hotel, but now it has become a proper area in it`s right to spend some time. It`s nice to see. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *The Grab and Go is exactly what RPR has needed for a long time.......Orchids breakfast was always popular, but this will take their offerings to a new level. Similar to Dutch Trading in Sapphire it offers lots of options from breakfast through lunch and dinner. It is so  impressive and there are more seats to sit in than I thought there was going to be, ideal for everyone......they have done it beautifully and it is a hit with guests!!
> 
> We meant to try some of the food offerings, like the pizza or the sandwiches but we just never got around to it. We always seemed to be doing something else.....*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Anytime we passed, it was busy. Very busy, which is lovely to see. I think guest feedback always showed folks wanted a place like this, and it is a brilliant addition to this hotel. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *As we came out of the grab and go, we met so many folks we know and chatted away to everyone......and this is one of our favourite things about the hotel......so many know us so well and we love catching up with them too.
> 
> We had thought we might do Wal-Mart then go for lunch somewhere, but it was now lunchtime (yes, we had chatted a lot) so Kyle suggested we eat in Jake`s and then go pick up sunscreen and other things we needed. So that sounded like a plan......we all like Jake`s, but first some Christmas tree pictures of course....
> 
> I love Christmas trees......all shapes and sizes, all colours of decoration work for me......as long as the tree is green. Not a fan of blue, white, black, silver or even purple trees......I very much like traditional ones...in the home anyway I can see why some stores have coloured trees, especially in the parks. They fit there.
> 
> And the trees at both RP and Sapphire are two of my favourites over here in the hotels.....Christmas here is always amazing...….*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *The gingerbread village is lovely. You can really smell it and everyday at set times, the pastry chefs are working on it, making it larger and adding more detail. They are happy to chat and you can ask them questions about the display. It`s quite impressive the amount of detail that goes into them.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Down to Jake`s Bar, I of course gravitate to the beautiful tree outside both restaurants down here. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *I am drawn to trees and although Tom and Kyle love our trees at home, they haven`t got that same fascination for them that I do......Kyle at this point was studying a menu inside the bar......time for lunch...….*
> 
> *Oh I did find a picture of tree that Tom would love!!!!! *
> 
> *I told him, no....we`re not having one...….no!*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 460208
> 
> ​
> 
> 
> 
> *Jake`s was the quietest we had ever seen it for a Saturday lunchtime...it was already after midday, there`s usually at least a few tables filled by now. *
> 
> *Although we had just sat down when folks did start traipsing in......*
> 
> *Jake`s is so familiar.....and we did love the style and design of the bar, and we did wonder how it would be changed and themed when they finally do get around to updating it. I believe Islands is next for the revamp next year and again, there are so many traditionally themed items in there reminiscent of the South Pacific theme, it`s hard to imagine it any other way. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ​
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ​
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ​
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ​
> 
> *Kyle immediately orders a non alcoholic strawberry daiquiri....his favourite......we both stuck to strawberry lemonades. *
> 
> *Although I did have my old faithful plastic straw......not the drainpipe paper things they try to get you to use now. *
> ​*Strawberry daiquiris and chocolate cake......he`s happy. Oh and Pizza too.....*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ​
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Jake`s pizza is one of Kyle`s favourites…..not as good as Sal`s at PBH according to the expert.......but he loves this one........plain old cheese pizza....*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *I decided to order, and I`m not sure why, the new chicken sandwich....I should have gone for the burger...…it was alright, but not great. I left off the ranch dressing and asked for a side of honey mustard......the fries however, were amazing. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Tom of course, went for the crawfish chowder......he had dreamed of this since we were last here......it is gorgeous! *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *The menu has changed slightly for Jake`s. The fish and chips have gone and one of the sandwiches I liked. It feels lacking in something, but still very well executed and there was nothing wrong with my sandwich, it just didn`t suit me.
> 
> Once we paid up we headed out to the car, only stopping to chat once.....and into the car where we went to Wal-Mart which is a five minute drive away.
> 
> Sunscreen and some goodies for us along with shampoo, conitioner and shower gel were picked up and we headed to Best Buy to put a new bundle in our American phone. Last time we needed a new chip, but she said this time we didn't. So as this was a short trip we put $15 on the phone and then headed back home. It took a while as it was a Saturday afternoon and this area is busy at the best of times......so it took a little longer to get home.
> 
> Where we all had a snooze!! Couldn't believe it, we hadn't felt tired at all, till we got back to the hotel. Then we all looked at each other and we all knew what each other was thinking......sleep!!!
> 
> Wouldn`t do us any harm I guess. *
> 
> *Later we planned to do the Macy`s Parade and if we felt like it the Castle light show........*
> 
> 
> *More to follow......*



We're between trips currently.  With no likely Universal vacations in sight, I have backed off reading trip reports for a while.  But I'm finally ready for a taste of Universal, so here I am.

We haven't visited RPR since 2017.  While we liked it a lot, we felt like it was missing a quick, lower cost food option.  That was by far our biggest complaint about RPR and it seems like that have addressed that shortcoming.  The update looks fantastic!


----------



## lebeau

schumigirl said:


> *We left our Superheroes and all commented how good the interactions are here and just how much time they spend with everyone. We were glad we had stopped today instead of just wandering past as we sometimes do.
> 
> It is feeling very hot today, but so beautiful. it feels wonderful to be walking around in December with shorts on in this heat knowing everyone back home is cold!!! Is that mean???? *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *I hate being splashed, but today the sprinkling of water was a pleasure as it just cooled us down a little now that the sun was beating down on us again...….*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *With Me Ship The Olive being out of bounds with the refurb of Bluto ride we had to pass by one of our favourite little areas, behind the ship overlooking the lagoon where you can see the work going on for the new JP ride. So, we walked on and noticed my husbands favourite sign informing him he`ll need a vacation from his vacation is still gone and had been since September.......it`s tradition we take that image......but not today.
> 
> Although it`s very warm, we don`t plan to do any water rides.....Kyle already feels he is a magnet to be soaked even if we remain relatively dry.....it`s true, he is!!! So, no Ripsaw Falls or JP today for us.
> 
> Kong is an alright ride. For me it`s a one and done every trip....and I think for my guys it`s the same, but we have to do it once. And today the EP line is the longest we have waited. The line was just beyond the Facial Recognition stop, but it moved fairly quickly. I think it was around 25 minutes till we got on the vehicle. Longer than we would usually wait, but Kyle wanted to go on it. I dreaded to think what the regular line was and according to the TM later it was at 75 minutes. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *We didn`t go down to see the splash zone for JP today, but we did wander and take some pictures as the area is so lush and green, and very un theme park looking in so many areas. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *We came across Universal Orlando`s latest addition to their park as we sauntered on towards Hogwarts.
> 
> I was howling as we approached the TM at their newest attraction at one point as we heard one man say to his wife.....I don`t understand this........lol......*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 461460​
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *The TM were brilliantly selling the exciting attraction and were thoroughly and proudly proclaiming zero accidents and zero wait time since the attraction had opened...….*
> 
> *This little obstacle course was being enjoyed by a small child who was laughing and giggling like he was on the best ride....the TM were amazing and making a simple made up thing so much fun for everyone who participated! *
> 
> *We however, declined as it looked far too energetic for us........but kudos to the TM who were obviously having a lot of fun engaging with the crowds. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *It wasn`t really this empty.......we got lucky with the picture!! We were noticing much larger crowds this trip than the previous two years.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Seeing Hogwarts is classic. It always impresses and just looks spectacular every time we see it. And of course for Kyle, he is just smiling......he is loving this, as we are, but I think as it`s been a year he is definitley appreciating it a little more. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Looking over the other side of the bridge we can see the new bridge, and this was the bridge they now have you walk over to get away from the Castle night show......but it is very wide and will hold a lot of people when it`s fully utilised in the future. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *We all went in to ride today, so camera was placed in locker so we just walked through and enjoyed it without stopping for pictures today. The EP line was around 15 minutes and the ride was showing 60 minutes for non express.
> 
> The non express line is worth walking through if you`ve never done it as you see a few things that the EP line misses out. Only if it`s relatively short though or you`re in no rush, but we like to do that a few times a year. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *The ride was superb. It really is one of the best rides around and although today I could do it only once, we really enjoyed it.
> 
> Back down into Hogsmeade we could see the crowds building, it was so much busier than we are used to, but very manageable overall.......*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *I think everyone was happy when JKR allowed Universal to decorate the Potter areas, as it does add to the whole feel of the place. And it is simply but beautifully done. Nothing garish or neon style in sight. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Two years ago we had seen for the very first time, or rather Kyle spotted the doors in the tower opening and the bird coming out.......well, we hadn`t seen it happen before or since in all our visits......and to be fair, we didn`t notice this one happening either till we looked at the pictures!!*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *But, we did manage to capture it as it happens again later in the trip. It doesn`t occur with any regularity it seems, I think we were just lucky again.
> 
> A wander around the back of Honeydukes also leads you to a little area not many folks venture round to. In the window you can see the large pile of dishes washing themselves in the sink with alacrity.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *It really is the most beautiful day and we do wander a little aimlessly around for a while soaking in the atmosphere. *
> 
> *I can`t remember if Hagrid`s ride was open, close or down for a break.....but Kyle didn`t get to go on it today.*
> 
> *We left Hogsmeade and wandered past the Fountain who wasn`t chatting today, may have been just a quick break, and went straight to Seuss Landing where we did plan to go on a couple of rides. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Yes, we did go on the EP line for the trolley train......it wasn't too busy at around 35 minutes, but with EP we were straight to the front. Some say they manage just fine without EP, even at busy times. But, not for us. EP is invaluable to us even on quite days, or so called quiet days. For us of course, we like to sometimes spend just a couple of hours in the park, do our favourite rides and then leave.....so EP then is worth it`s weight in gold. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *We do like this little ride. Absolutely a children`s ride, but adults enjoy it too, and we never feel out of place for not having little ones around to go on as so many without kids do the same. You can see some lovely areas of the park as you go around. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Circus McGurkas is very pretty from the outside, but not somewhere we`d ever eat. Food has never appealed to us at all and looks like somewhere you`d take kids to just fill a hunger pang. But, counter service never appeals much to us anyway. But, it is a gorgeous exterior and does look fun on the inside. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *We see a line for Green Eggs and Ham today too. This food place being open is like a purple moon...very rare. We got a picture of it open a couple of years ago and someone on here told me I was wrong as it wasn't open......but, we had the picture. But, they have revamped their menu a little this year and it did look busy. I don`t think we have ever eaten anything from here. Probably never will. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *We came off the ride and headed down to the store below and admired the various festive options on sale. I did wish we had tried the eggnog fudge. Kyle and I aren`t really fudge fans, but I had liked the butterbeer fudge we had tried previously, but we didn`t get any. Tom likes fudge, but doesn`t like eggnog so I`m not sure what he would have made of it. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *I love how they have roaming characters around the parks.....and of course the Who`s are somewhat guaranteed this time of year in the Seuss area and they are amazing. Very bright colours too. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *And of course they love getting photo ops with everyone......and a few seconds later the others appeared and I was instructed to hold the present, but I wasn`t to keep it I was informed very politely. And the length that they can chat is amazing!!! I`m a chatterbox but these guys take it to a new level!!
> 
> I had no idea there was a Who that slept all the time...….as I`ve said before, in the UK generally, we weren`t introduced to Seuss till the wonderful movie with Jim Carrey. It wasn`t a popular childhood theme we knew. But these guys were fabulous and it was a fun encounter. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Up next......lunch.*



Totally agree with you about EP.  I suppose it all depends on how you tour.  Like you, we tend to hit the parks in short bursts.  If we had to wait in line an hour for anything, that would completely upend our approach.

A while back, someone argued with me that Green Eggs hadn't been open in at least 10 years.  I told them I had seen pictures.  They were probably your pictures now that I think about it.  I wasn't going to carry on that debate since I didn't see it firsthand but I was pretty sure I had seen evidence of a more recent opening.

We're fudge fans.  Mindy and the girls always seem to buy the stuff when we're at a candy shop.  The butterbeer variety was not a hit though.  It has a very waxy consistency one does not typically associate with fudge.  After a nibble each, the girls were done with it.  I inherited that one despite my warnings per-purchase that I had read bad reviews.  I didn't hate it, but we definitely won't order that one again.  The other fudge flavors were much more popular with the girls.


----------



## Polyonmymind

*I did take a couple of just Tom and Kyle but Marilyn called me over to get in the picture too. And even Marilyn who isn`t an obvious character, stays in her persona for the whole time and is very good!!!* 

"Marilyn" is a personal friend.  She loves the role, and yes she does play it perfectly.  She held the role of a prestigious and popular character over at the land of the Mouse for several years, and would portray "Marilyn" on the side.  She has since left the other place and now only does "Marilyn" in the theme parks.   Great person in real life.


----------



## schumigirl

lebeau said:


> We're between trips currently.  With no likely Universal vacations in sight, I have backed off reading trip reports for a while.  But I'm finally ready for a taste of Universal, so here I am.
> 
> We haven't visited RPR since 2017.  While we liked it a lot, we felt like it was missing a quick, lower cost food option.  That was by far our biggest complaint about RPR and it seems like that have addressed that shortcoming.  The update looks fantastic!



We haven’t had anything from the Grab and Go, but it looks fabulous and is always busy. Yes, it was long overdue for RP to have such a thing there.

They have done a very good job with the refurb!


----------



## schumigirl

lebeau said:


> Totally agree with you about EP.  I suppose it all depends on how you tour.  Like you, we tend to hit the parks in short bursts.  If we had to wait in line an hour for anything, that would completely upend our approach.
> 
> A while back, someone argued with me that Green Eggs hadn't been open in at least 10 years.  I told them I had seen pictures.  They were probably your pictures now that I think about it.  I wasn't going to carry on that debate since I didn't see it firsthand but I was pretty sure I had seen evidence of a more recent opening.
> 
> We're fudge fans.  Mindy and the girls always seem to buy the stuff when we're at a candy shop.  The butterbeer variety was not a hit though.  It has a very waxy consistency one does not typically associate with fudge.  After a nibble each, the girls were done with it.  I inherited that one despite my warnings per-purchase that I had read bad reviews.  I didn't hate it, but we definitely won't order that one again.  The other fudge flavors were much more popular with the girls.



Yes, we just wouldn’t be without EP in the parks.......even waiting a short time is something we don’t want to ever do.....no patience!!

I took a picture a few years ago and it was rather unusually open then. I can’t remember the year, maybe 3 or 4 years ago.......but I remember I mentioned on here it was open I was told it wasn’t......lol......so I did post the picture.

I‘m not really a fudge person, and can only eat a tiny little bit of anything we buy. It’s just too sweet.......I think that’s why I quite liked the butterbeer one as it wasn’t as sweet. I Did laugh at you inheriting the fudge no one liked, poor Tom usually ends up with things I don’t like.......lol........


----------



## schumigirl

Polyonmymind said:


> *I did take a couple of just Tom and Kyle but Marilyn called me over to get in the picture too. And even Marilyn who isn`t an obvious character, stays in her persona for the whole time and is very good!!!*
> 
> "Marilyn" is a personal friend.  She loves the role, and yes she does play it perfectly.  She held the role of a prestigious and popular character over at the land of the Mouse for several years, and would portray "Marilyn" on the side.  She has since left the other place and now only does "Marilyn" in the theme parks.   Great person in real life.



 Along to you Polyonmymind......


Good to see you here!

So, the Marilyn in our picture is your friend.......how lovely.......

She was fabulous, she really was one of the best. Although all the interactions we have are always good, she just shone a little.......she did seem lovely.

Hope you enjoy the rest of the report......


----------



## lebeau

schumigirl said:


> Yes, we just wouldn’t be without EP in the parks.......even waiting a short time is something we don’t want to ever do.....no patience!!
> 
> I took a picture a few years ago and it was rather unusually open then. I can’t remember the year, maybe 3 or 4 years ago.......but I remember I mentioned on here it was open I was told it wasn’t......lol......so I did post the picture.
> 
> I‘m not really a fudge person, and can only eat a tiny little bit of anything we buy. It’s just too sweet.......I think that’s why I quite liked the butterbeer one as it wasn’t as sweet. I Did laugh at you inheriting the fudge no one liked, poor Tom usually ends up with things I don’t like.......lol........



Fudge is often overly sweet.  I have a serious sweet tooth and sometimes I find fudge overwhelming.  The butterbeer fudge is definitely less sweet than the other flavors.  I didn't hate that.  It just has a very un-fudgy texture about it.  I could get past that, but the girls couldn't.  We tend to accumulate half-eaten sweets in the refrigerator back at the room.  If they aren't eaten within 24 hours, the girls are not going to eat them.  Then it's up to me to either finish them off or toss them.  

I hate food waste and the girls waste a lot of food at the parks.  So I won't order food for myself unless there is something that I really, really want.  More often than not, I will just wait for the inevitable half-eaten food that would otherwise go to waste.  Unfortunately this means I usually end up eating whatever appeals to the girls.  Last year, I ended up taking those nasty burgers at Burger Digs to the toppings bar because that was the only way I could get them down!

I was telling the family about your trip report (not the first time we've talked about you guys) and how you almost exclusively eat at table service meals whereas the kids snack non-stop at Universal.  As a result, we don't do a lot of table service.  

If it were up to me, we would eat at more sit-down restaurants and also try some new ones.  We tend to gravitate towards the same places over and over again.  The girls love Cowfish and were shocked when I told them it wasn't one of your regular spots.  Then they asked about Mythos which we just got around to trying last year.  I told them you preferred Confisco Grill which was met with a great deal of skepticism.  I explained that I had heard from several people that CG is under-rated but they remained uncertain.  It took me years to get them to try Mythos, so I will have to work on them for CG whenever we go next.


----------



## schumigirl

*We chilled out a little in the room and I made sure both Tom`s and Kyle`s shirts weren't creased by giving them a good old iron. Then, Tom and I went up to the Club Lounge for an hour or so. He didn`t have any wine as he was driving tonight, but I had a glass of white tonight. *

*The Club lounge staff try and guess whether it`s going to be red or white.....I never drink Rose as it just tastes like sugared water to me, but they do get it right somedays.......I don`t think I have a personal favourite between red and white, but if I had to choose to drink one only for the rest of my life, I think red would just win by a smidge. 

We love sitting in the lounge. It`s a time to sit and chill out, switch off from everything and either catch up on the internet and have a bit of peace and quiet.....or chat to folks we know......and again, our Australian friends were in and we managed to catch up before we went downstairs to get ready to go out for dinner. We always enjoyed chatting to them when they came in. *

*But we did head down in a little bit to get showered and changed, and then headed down to get the car. Well, I waited and chatted with the valet guys as Tom went down for the car.....well, I did have heels on!!! 

We had decided to go back to Eddie V`s tonight. We had so enjoyed our first visit in September, we wanted to take Kyle to see what he thought about this place compared to The Palm. *
*
It`s not far away being on Restaurant Row, but it does take us almost 25 minutes tonight with traffic which is a little longer than normal, but we always leave a little early. We are the type of people that would rather be 3 hours early than a minute late. And all three of us are like that....cannot abide lateness!!! 
*
*We hand the car over to the Valet man and the valet here is complementary, just the cost of a tip which isn`t bad as some places do charge for it. And we head inside. 

We get seated and it is a lovely table where we can have a lovely view of all around us, and immediately study the drinks menu where we see they don`t do a non alcoholic daiquiri the way Kyle likes them, but they try to make one similar.......but Tom ends up with it as it has something sparkling in it........Tom liked it, so he enjoyed it while I chose a couple of glasses of wine. With Tom not drinking I wasn`t going to order a bottle just for me! *

*I did get 2 glasses of the sonoma cutrer I like so much. *















*We have a lovely water waiter, and very nice waitress looking after us, and there was another who brought the food who`s name I did forget to write down, so you really are looked after incredibly well here. *

*The bread was nice, but I did like the butter as it had a spiced salt on it which added something rather nice to the butter.......but we didn`t want to fill up on the bread, however nice it was. *
















*We really like Eddie V`s.......it`s fairly large but still has a warm feel about it at the same time. *















*And we loved their wine storage room. 
*













*We more or less knew what we were going to have. Kyle is not one to have an appetiser, but Tom ordered the Lobster Bisque and I opted for the Shrimp Cocktail.....very predictable for me, but I love them......*

*Tom`s Bisque was on a par with The Palm which was praise indeed as he ranks The Palm`s lobster bisque as the best he`s ever tasted. Even Ocean Prime`s bisque disappointed him as it was too creamy. So, I was glad he liked it.......*
















*My shrimp were huge......plump, tasty and so fresh!!! They gave you the usual cocktail sauce, atomic horseradish and another one which is more like the cocktail sauce we have back home for shrimp cocktails.....it`s like a mix of mayo and ketchup with a hint of cayenne pepper.....and my favourite sauce to have with shrimp. It was beautiful. *
















*They do ask if you`re in a rush, and we said no we had nowhere to go in a hurry, so we guessed there`d be a long gap between courses......it was just about right to be honest for us. *
*
We had all opted for steaks......I had thought about the Chilean Sea Bass, but at the last minute decided against it.....the steak here last time had been sublime and we had looked forward to the same again.....
*
*Tom, had the filet last time, but he prefers a cut with a bit more of a meaty texture.....his words.......so opted for the 18oz NY Strip, served medium rare.......and it was a very large steak.......*
















*Kyle an I both ordered the 12oz filet and our usual cooking preference of his medium and mine medium rare.......both plates look identical, so won`t post two. But they were cooked perfectly. *















*And we shared the Au Gratin potatoes, we all love that style.....and there is plenty for three of us to share. *















*The meals were lovely. Steaks were gorgeous and the whole atmosphere is lovely. *

*But......Kyle wasn`t as keen on the place as we were. I don`t think he could pin point one single thing, but it just isn`t for him. His steak though cooked perfectly, had too much of a crust for his liking and overall he much prefers The Palm.......so, the next time we visit with him we`ll stick to the Palm and may have him try Ocean Prime and see what he thinks of it there. 

One of the managers Rachel came over to check how everything was and mentioned she remembered us visiting in September and we were visiting from RP...lovely lady.*

*Although we weren`t having dessert, she asked if she could send over one their sample dessert plates.....we said of course....we had seen it and it wasn`t too large and quite impressive as they douse the dessert in alcohol and light it at the table......*
















*Tom had a little of the banana dessert and Kyle and I had a little of the ice creams on the plate.......but we were all saving room for later! *

*We got the check and headed out to get the car to go back home......I was sorry Kyle hadn`t been completely wowed with Eddie V`s, but we can`t all like everywhere I guess...…we would visit in May on our own I think. *
















*Our drive home was quicker than getting there, so Tom dropped me off at RP valet while they went and parked the car, we headed upstairs where I changed my shoes into something a little comfier before we walked over to Sapphire. 

It is always lovely walking into Strong Water and seeing everyone we know so well...except we missed Fernando tonight as he was off, but there were so many others we know well, so it`s very welcoming. *
*
We took a table tonight as we wanted to have dessert here as well as a drink.
*
*Kyle got his non alcoholic daiquiri.....and he loved it!!!! *
















*And Tom and I shared a bottle of white wine...….it`s quite funny we saw a woman who looked a little like my mum, who is a complete teetotal and just doesn't like alcohol.....whenever we open wine when we go visit her up there, she appears in her little way, with her very polite Scottish accent saying.... would you not prefer a cup of tea.....lol......I always remind her the Ten Commandments don't mention anything about sobriety......*















*I may have mentioned it a million times, how much we love it in here and how much we think of the folks that always make us feel so welcome, and it is just everything.......staff are phenomenal and food and drinks are so good!!! *

*After we had settled with our drinks, we ordered our desserts.....Kyle of course went for the Spiced Chocolate Cake, which isn`t spiced at all....but he loves this dessert!!! *















*Tom and I wanted to share our favourite dessert here, the Tres Leches cake........oh my......how light but rich is this dessert!!!! *

*And the portion we get is huge! There is no way we will ever finish this even between us! *















*We thoroughly enjoyed this tonight. Staff all came over to say hello at different times so our evening passed so nicely and we just loved our time in here...…one of the managers we hadn`t seen this trip yet, came over to say a big hello and it was so nice to see him. *
*
Not long before we were leaving I saw a face that made me sigh.......
*
*Some of you may remember, a good few trips ago, a woman approached me in Sapphire, introduced herself and told me yes, she used to read the trip reports, but wanted me to know, in a nice way of course......that she came to visit Universal and the hotel more often than we did......weird or what...who says things like that......

The woman lived an hour away......if I lived an hour away or even a couple of hours on a plane, I`d be there every month too! But, here she was again sitting in the bar. *
*
I had to go to the bathroom, which is when I spotted her.......and she actually waved to me.....found out later she had told one of the staff we were friendly!!!! This was getting better.....
*
*Well, not any friend of mine, so I carried on my merry way to the bathroom. I have no time for people like that...…weird competitive behaviour like that I don`t understand. And to think she was telling staff we were friends??? What`s that all about!!  *

*I got back to Kyle and Tom and we paid the check and said all of our goodbye`s to everyone, which takes a while, and asked Mike to give Fernando our best wishes and we`ll see him in May......then headed back home to RP.

And it is Christmas Tree central on the way back along the ballroom and convention areas.......
*
*Yep, he sneaked a little photobomb in here too......*














*We walked fairly slow as this was the last time this trip I think we would be over this way.......and of course grabbed some tree pictures.....this area is always very quiet, you see the odd person wandering between the resorts, but not too many. *















*We went straight upstairs and got comfy, then watched some tv for a while......*
*
This was another day we had just had the best time...…again we`d enjoyed some park time, some beautiful weather and some lovely food tonight.....and having the three of us here was the best of all of it. 

We were heading into the last couple of days of our Holiday trip now, and we were a little sad about that, but we`d had a blast so far and would enjoy the next couple of days of course. 
*


----------



## schumigirl

lebeau said:


> Fudge is often overly sweet.  I have a serious sweet tooth and sometimes I find fudge overwhelming.  The butterbeer fudge is definitely less sweet than the other flavors.  I didn't hate that.  It just has a very un-fudgy texture about it.  I could get past that, but the girls couldn't.  We tend to accumulate half-eaten sweets in the refrigerator back at the room.  If they aren't eaten within 24 hours, the girls are not going to eat them.  Then it's up to me to either finish them off or toss them.
> 
> I hate food waste and the girls waste a lot of food at the parks.  So I won't order food for myself unless there is something that I really, really want.  More often than not, I will just wait for the inevitable half-eaten food that would otherwise go to waste.  Unfortunately this means I usually end up eating whatever appeals to the girls.  Last year, I ended up taking those nasty burgers at Burger Digs to the toppings bar because that was the only way I could get them down!
> 
> I was telling the family about your trip report (not the first time we've talked about you guys) and how you almost exclusively eat at table service meals whereas the kids snack non-stop at Universal.  As a result, we don't do a lot of table service.
> 
> If it were up to me, we would eat at more sit-down restaurants and also try some new ones.  We tend to gravitate towards the same places over and over again.  The girls love Cowfish and were shocked when I told them it wasn't one of your regular spots.  Then they asked about Mythos which we just got around to trying last year.  I told them you preferred Confisco Grill which was met with a great deal of skepticism.  I explained that I had heard from several people that CG is under-rated but they remained uncertain.  It took me years to get them to try Mythos, so I will have to work on them for CG whenever we go next.



We LOVE Cowfish!!!! Only the burgers though, the sushi is like toytown sushi and not the real thing though....lol.....love their cocktails too!!! We didn't go this past trip as it doesn't appeal to Kyle as he`s not really one for burgers in buns and he doesn't eat sushi....so again, we`ll keep that for May. 

Yes, a lot of folks only see mythos, and that`s fine, I`m sure plenty enjoy it, it`s just we had a couple of negative experiences so, we`ll go back at some point. Yes, we very rarely snack over there......we much prefer to enjoy the meals.....although I am determined to have one of those giant cotton candy things from Seuss this next trip......pure sugar, but looks so good!! 

lol.....I couldn`t imagine anything helping those burgers down!!! Tom won`t go out of his way to eat any food I leave, but he has more than a thousand times swapped meals when they arrive, as I don`t like the look of it, or it wasn`t how I imagined it.....he`s a gem!!! 

Yes, fudge is just too sweet for me in any form, but I don`t have the sweet tooth you have......snacks are definitely leaning towards the sweet rather than the savoury which is my preference


----------



## smiths02

I'm laughing about your teetotaler mother, sounds like my mother-in-law.  We are not big drinkers (more special occasion, we might go weeks or even months without a drink at all).  

I was just listening to the Unofficial Universal Orlando Podcast and they are having a meet up on a Thursday in February at Strongwater when we are there.  I feel weird trying to meet podcast/vlogging personalities, but maybe it would give me an excuse to go to Strongwater!


----------



## lebeau

schumigirl said:


> We LOVE Cowfish!!!! Only the burgers though, the sushi is like toytown sushi and not the real thing though....lol.....love their cocktails too!!! We didn't go this past trip as it doesn't appeal to Kyle as he`s not really one for burgers in buns and he doesn't eat sushi....so again, we`ll keep that for May.
> 
> Yes, a lot of folks only see mythos, and that`s fine, I`m sure plenty enjoy it, it`s just we had a couple of negative experiences so, we`ll go back at some point. Yes, we very rarely snack over there......we much prefer to enjoy the meals.....although I am determined to have one of those giant cotton candy things from Seuss this next trip......pure sugar, but looks so good!!
> 
> lol.....I couldn`t imagine anything helping those burgers down!!! Tom won`t go out of his way to eat any food I leave, but he has more than a thousand times swapped meals when they arrive, as I don`t like the look of it, or it wasn`t how I imagined it.....he`s a gem!!!
> 
> Yes, fudge is just too sweet for me in any form, but I don`t have the sweet tooth you have......snacks are definitely leaning towards the sweet rather than the savoury which is my preference



I will let the kids know you like Cowfish.  Might improve your credibility to the point where they will give Confisco a try!    We're not sushi eaters, but we like the fake sushi there.  Mindy always orders the same thing - burgerooshi.  Literally every time.  And the kids always get the bento boxes.  Terrific kid options there.

Bad news.  I heard Honk Honkers closed for good.  Hopefully they will relocate the cotton candy elsewhere.  Apparently it was expensive to staff.  The FL humidity could do terrible things to that massive mound of cotton candy.  They gave us a plastic baggie and I quickly realized why.  The candy crystallized within minutes of exposure to the air.  Made for some great pictures though.

Burger Digs was an act of desperation.  It was our last day and we were mostly bumming around IOA before we had to leave for the airport.  Earlier in the trip, we had gotten a walk-up to Mythos and I foolishly though we could do it again.  On some level, I knew I should have made a reservation but I didn't.  By the time we got there, the kids were hungry and there was an hour long wait.  I told the kids it would probably be more like 40 minutes, but there weren't having it.  We walked through Hogsmeade which was insanely busy and Kara was turning up her nose at the menu anyway.  Her mood was going downhill fast.  The only thing that was going to make her happy at that point was a burger.  Of course we get to Burger Digs and it's a freaking madhouse.  It had to be a 40 minute line just to order one of those flavorless sandwiches.  Thankfully, they had introduced mobile ordering.  We were able to get our food in less than a minute!  (Mobile ordering rules!)  Mindy actually liked her grilled chicken sandwich but those burgers... ew.  The toppings bar was mandatory!

Of course while we were eating we got the text that our table at Mythos would be ready soon.  I asked if the kids wanted to go back for dessert but by then they were over it so I cancelled.  Next time I'll try to get them into Confisco instead.

I can relate to Tom!  He always seems so happy to be there!


----------



## schumigirl

smiths02 said:


> I'm laughing about your teetotaler mother, sounds like my mother-in-law.  We are not big drinkers (more special occasion, we might go weeks or even months without a drink at all).
> 
> I was just listening to the Unofficial Universal Orlando Podcast and they are having a meet up on a Thursday in February at Strongwater when we are there.  I feel weird trying to meet podcast/vlogging personalities, but maybe it would give me an excuse to go to Strongwater!



lol......I think we all know someone like that........

Oh you should go. Any excuse to visit Strong Water is a good one......I wouldn‘t have a clue who any of those folks are....I never watch vlogs or listen to Podcasts......I’m so old fashioned........I much prefer the written word  But, if you know these folks, Yep, definitely go, I know you would enjoy Strong Water regardless........


----------



## schumigirl

lebeau said:


> I will let the kids know you like Cowfish.  Might improve your credibility to the point where they will give Confisco a try!    We're not sushi eaters, but we like the fake sushi there.  Mindy always orders the same thing - burgerooshi.  Literally every time.  And the kids always get the bento boxes.  Terrific kid options there.
> 
> Bad news.  I heard Honk Honkers closed for good.  Hopefully they will relocate the cotton candy elsewhere.  Apparently it was expensive to staff.  The FL humidity could do terrible things to that massive mound of cotton candy.  They gave us a plastic baggie and I quickly realized why.  The candy crystallized within minutes of exposure to the air.  Made for some great pictures though.
> 
> Burger Digs was an act of desperation.  It was our last day and we were mostly bumming around IOA before we had to leave for the airport.  Earlier in the trip, we had gotten a walk-up to Mythos and I foolishly though we could do it again.  On some level, I knew I should have made a reservation but I didn't.  By the time we got there, the kids were hungry and there was an hour long wait.  I told the kids it would probably be more like 40 minutes, but there weren't having it.  We walked through Hogsmeade which was insanely busy and Kara was turning up her nose at the menu anyway.  Her mood was going downhill fast.  The only thing that was going to make her happy at that point was a burger.  Of course we get to Burger Digs and it's a freaking madhouse.  It had to be a 40 minute line just to order one of those flavorless sandwiches.  Thankfully, they had introduced mobile ordering.  We were able to get our food in less than a minute!  (Mobile ordering rules!)  Mindy actually liked her grilled chicken sandwich but those burgers... ew.  The toppings bar was mandatory!
> 
> Of course while we were eating we got the text that our table at Mythos would be ready soon.  I asked if the kids wanted to go back for dessert but by then they were over it so I cancelled.  Next time I'll try to get them into Confisco instead.
> 
> I can relate to Tom!  He always seems so happy to be there!



lol.....oh yes, Tom is always a happy bunny! 

I hope the family do give Confisco a try......I don‘t know anyone who hasn’t liked it to be honest. And we’ve never had to wait......

Yes, I can see why you ended up in Burger Digs........glad the chicken was a success though!


----------



## Deb1993

Loving your trip report!  We are heading down in April over Easter with my in-laws and sister-in-law, staying at Sapphire - cannot wait to visit Strong Water again and will definitely have to have that cake!  

Really brazen of that woman to insinuate she's friends with you.

Loving all the pictures - your family is so lovely.


----------



## schumigirl

Deb1993 said:


> Loving your trip report!  We are heading down in April over Easter with my in-laws and sister-in-law, staying at Sapphire - cannot wait to visit Strong Water again and will definitely have to have that cake!
> 
> Really brazen of that woman to insinuate she's friends with you.
> 
> Loving all the pictures - your family is so lovely.


 

Oh it’s not that long till Easter, it’ll be here before you know it.......how lovely with such a get together......and yes, Kyle recommends that cake highly!! 

Yes, why she would even for a second call us friends I have no idea......not the first time someone we barely know has told TM they’re friends of ours......weird.

Thank you........ I’m so glad you’re enjoying reading along......


----------



## DisneyLifePapioNe

schumigirl said:


> Oh it’s not that long till Easter, it’ll be here before you know it.......how lovely with such a get together......and yes, Kyle recommends that cake highly!!
> 
> Yes, why she would even for a second call us friends I have no idea......not the first time someone we barely know has told TM they’re friends of ours......weird.
> 
> Thank you........ I’m so glad you’re enjoying reading along......



Funny you mention this, after our trip in September when we finally got to meet up we were reminiscing on the way home some of the fun events and such and our boys said it was nice to meet some of  Dad’s Disboards friends! Tom and Carole are very nice!!!

My wife was even under the impression that we had met on a solo trip of mine in the past or with one of the kids, I said nope first time meeting the Dis Legends myself!!!!!

It was nice being able to catchup a few times in the lounge!!

I’m kinda getting sad the trip is winding down myself.........but I know there is always one around the corner!!!


----------



## schumigirl

DisneyLifePapioNe said:


> Funny you mention this, after our trip in September when we finally got to meet up we were reminiscing on the way home some of the fun events and such and our boys said it was nice to meet some of  Dad’s Disboards friends! Tom and Carole are very nice!!!
> 
> My wife was even under the impression that we had met on a solo trip of mine in the past or with one of the kids, I said nope first time meeting the Dis Legends myself!!!!!
> 
> It was nice being able to catchup a few times in the lounge!!
> 
> I’m kinda getting sad the trip is winding down myself.........but I know there is always one around the corner!!!



Aww how lovely!! You have a lovely family too and yes, it was so nice to finally meet up with you too......yes, it was an easy conversation and we could have chatted longer......

Yep, almost 100 days till May trip.......not that I count or anything......


----------



## Tink2Day

More yummy food, as usual.
Too bad Kyle didn't like Eddie V's, maybe because they don't have his drink he likes that set the tone?
I'm kind of that way, if I want to have something such as a particular beverage or something it seems like it causes my take on the meal to be off....or maybe that's just me being weird.
Kyle's last Christmas tree photo bomb was hysterical!!!  

My thinking on your long lost 'friend' ( ), she probably figured she could use that as leverage to get perks for herself since you all are such favorites of the staff
at the hotels.....uhh, doesn't work that way.. maybe if SHE was as nice as you all are she would get the same treatment?  Just saying......


----------



## macraven

It’s been a hoot looking for Kyle and his photo bombs


----------



## schumigirl

Tink2Day said:


> More yummy food, as usual.
> Too bad Kyle didn't like Eddie V's, maybe because they don't have his drink he likes that set the tone?
> I'm kind of that way, if I want to have something such as a particular beverage or something it seems like it causes my take on the meal to be off....or maybe that's just me being weird.
> Kyle's last Christmas tree photo bomb was hysterical!!!
> 
> My thinking on your long lost 'friend' ( ), she probably figured she could use that as leverage to get perks for herself since you all are such favorites of the staff
> at the hotels.....uhh, doesn't work that way.. maybe if SHE was as nice as you all are she would get the same treatment?  Just saying......



lol.....he does like his photobombing!!  There were a few others, but some were too fuzzy to post.......

I‘m not sure exactly all the things Kyle didn’t like about the whole evening, but yes, not having his favourite drink didn’t help......lol.......but he just preferred the Palm in so many ways. I know what you mean about something putting you off a place.......sometimes it doesn’t take much....

You know the vast majority of folks we meet are lovely, and most we have kept in touch with in different ways......but, every now and again, there‘s an oddball or two......and she certainly fitted that mould  

But, glad you’re enjoying reading along........


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> It’s been a hoot looking for Kyle and his photo bombs



Thanks mac.......he did so many, but usually the ones I took went too blurry to post.......I blame him for moving too quickly.......lol.......gotta blame someone!!


----------



## jnjusoioa

_I just love looking at all your photos, the Harry Potter ones are so great, they are even almost making me think about getting an interactive wand so I can cast some spells as I walk around. So many neat things, I went down a few years ago and saw Diagon Alley and I missed so much, when I got home and started looking at other peoples reports I was like oh my gosh, so this time for sure want to walk around and take it all in._


----------



## macraven

schumigirl said:


> Thanks mac.......he did so many, but usually the ones I took went too blurry to post.......I blame him for moving too quickly.......lol.......gotta blame someone!!


I think it was really kewl Kyle snuck into the pictures and some you did not realize he did that until you were looking through your pictures deciding which ones to use in your report 

I’ve been checking out all the pictures you show in case there is another “where is Waldo “.......

Your “man child” is always smiling when he photo bombs you

I get a kick out of it

he seems to have a fantastic sense of humor!


----------



## jeanelle

I haven't commented yet but I want you to know that I love your trip reports!  You really are making me look forward to our stay at RP in November!


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

Kyle's chocolate cake count is up to 16!!!!    I swear, I've gained 5 pounds just by keeping track of how many he's had this trip!!!  

I know why the lady said you're "friends"... It's because you're famous and she thinks she can ride on your coattails and pretend that she's "famous" too...


----------



## TommyJK

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> Kyle's chocolate cake count is up to 16!!!!    ....



It's time for Kyle to try the Kitchen Sink Challenge!


----------



## schumigirl

jnjusoioa said:


> _I just love looking at all your photos, the Harry Potter ones are so great, they are even almost making me think about getting an interactive wand so I can cast some spells as I walk around. So many neat things, I went down a few years ago and saw Diagon Alley and I missed so much, when I got home and started looking at other peoples reports I was like oh my gosh, so this time for sure want to walk around and take it all in._



Thank you....I love the amount of pictures Tom takes....we`ve never bought a wand for us to use, but they do look like a lot of fun for those that do have them. Any we have bought for friends kids to use next time they visit, they`ve always loved using them. 

Yes, when you see something you missed when you get home, we`re like....wow how did we miss that......lol......

I`m glad you`re enjoying it.….


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> I think it was really kewl Kyle snuck into the pictures and some you did not realize he did that until you were looking through your pictures deciding which ones to use in your report
> 
> I’ve been checking out all the pictures you show in case there is another “where is Waldo “.......
> 
> Your “man child” is always smiling when he photo bombs you
> 
> I get a kick out of it
> 
> he seems to have a fantastic sense of humor!



mac, he has a wicked sense of humour!!! He looks to be quite sensible on the outside, but underneath he has the best sense of humour.....gets it from me of course......lol..…...

I`m sorry some of them didn't turn out so good.....I was looking at them and thinking....how did he get round there so quickly!!! 

I always forget you never met him anytime we met up.....you`d like him a whole lot!!!


----------



## schumigirl

jeanelle said:


> I haven't commented yet but I want you to know that I love your trip reports!  You really are making me look forward to our stay at RP in November!



 jeanelle.....

Thank you so much!! Always glad to read you enjoy them.......I can`t believe we`re almost at the end of this trip already!! But, it`s been a blast reliving it again......

Glad to have you along.......


----------



## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> Kyle's chocolate cake count is up to 16!!!!  I swear, I've gained 5 pounds just by keeping track of how many he's had this trip!!!
> 
> I know why the lady said you're "friends"... It's because you're famous and she thinks she can ride on your coattails and pretend that she's "famous" too...



lol...….it`s quite a lot of chocolate isn't it!!!! But, once or twice a year I guess is fine...…..I think I put on more weight last night than he did the whole of his trip.......  I lost count early on though how many he had......

Yes, it`s a strange thing to do.......Tom says just ignore her.....so sounds like a plan, as I`m sure at some point in May we`ll see her.


----------



## schumigirl

TommyJK said:


> It's time for Kyle to try the Kitchen Sink Challenge!



That is quite the challenge!!! 

I`m not sure even he could manage the cake alone...….although he could try......


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

TommyJK said:


> It's time for Kyle to try the Kitchen Sink Challenge!



My money is on Kyle finishing the WHOLE thing all by himself!!!


----------



## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> My money is on Kyle finishing the WHOLE thing all by himself!!!



You could be right!!!

Although reading the description...….there`s a lot in there he doesn't like.....if it was all chocolate cake.....that`d be different.......









"Each slice weighs three pounds and has seven layers: brownie, devil’s food cake, vanilla cheesecake, pecan pie, chocolate chunk cookie, vanilla chiffon, and peanut butter crunch – all held together with rich buttercream frosting between each layer, and smothered in chocolate ganache, chocolate chips, chocolate sauce, and Heath bar crunch. Oh, and a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream"

Anything that`s not chocolate there.....he doesn`t like...….especially peanut butter!!! 

Maybe they need to make it all chocolate...….


----------



## KathyM2

Trying to catch up around here! Gonna go back and read more of your reports because we are finally doing a day at Universal in March!! Also we are staying offsite so I want to look at what great restaurants you found around the area for mostly some breakfasts and casual dinners with family and friends!

That is the craziest cake!! I think it all sounds pretty good although I'm not that much of a pecan pie fan so that would have ruined it for me, but I guess you can eat around it maybe. The icing looked fantastic!


----------



## schumigirl

KathyM2 said:


> Trying to catch up around here! Gonna go back and read more of your reports because we are finally doing a day at Universal in March!! Also we are staying offsite so I want to look at what great restaurants you found around the area for mostly some breakfasts and casual dinners with family and friends!
> 
> That is the craziest cake!! I think it all sounds pretty good although I'm not that much of a pecan pie fan so that would have ruined it for me, but I guess you can eat around it maybe. The icing looked fantastic!



KathyM2...…..glad to see you!!!

It is hard to keep up with posts at times......

How lovely.....you`ll be there for Mardi Gras!!! We did the last two MG but decided this year as it wasn't our favourite event, to extend the May trip and give March a miss. In all honesty, we are wimps and some nights and mornings were a little too cool for us....yes, even in the high 70`s it felt cold!!! But, hope you have the best time!!! 

There are so many fabulous places offsite......we`re often spoiled for choice where to eat dinner!!! 

The icing looks the nicest part of that to me.....and I`m not keen on chocolate icing either!!! The cheesecake is the only part I`d like.....

But, good luck on researching for your March trip.....gosh it`s just around the corner now!!! If I can answer any questions I`d be happy to help......


----------



## KathyM2

schumigirl said:


> the only ones we won`t do are Jimmy Fallon,



I may have missed this somewhere, but why don't you ride Jimmy Fallon? Since I am a total ride wimp I'm trying to figure out what rides I can manage there at US, and I thought this was one that looked ok?



schumigirl said:


> But, good luck on researching for your March trip.....gosh it`s just around the corner now!!! If I can answer any questions I`d be happy to help......



Thanks!! I am researching like a fiend! I am going through your reports and looking for recos! Found a few things I want to try! Do you have a fave breakfast/brunch place?


----------



## JAMIESMITH

Would the undesirable waitress at Lombard's happen to be Maria? We had her and she was so strange. We were never offered bread and she was perturbed thaty husband asked for a refill of his tea even though he was done eating.


----------



## schumigirl

KathyM2 said:


> I may have missed this somewhere, but why don't you ride Jimmy Fallon? Since I am a total ride wimp I'm trying to figure out what rides I can manage there at US, and I thought this was one that looked ok?
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks!! I am researching like a fiend! I am going through your reports and looking for recos! Found a few things I want to try! Do you have a fave breakfast/brunch place?



Well, we found the ride lame. It’s just a screen with moving chairs......which is exactly what Shrek is, but we like Shrek.........main difference is we detest Jimmy Fallon so maybe that has a place in our opinion.......lol......you’ll be fine doing that one....it’s tame and nowhere near a thrill ride. I tell everyone to try it for themselves....we all enjoy different things. 

Plus the building is very cool you go through to get on the ride. That’s what we do now, is walk through and don‘t ride. We only went on it a third time because Kyle wanted to experience it.......he was less than impressed too.

We’re not the biggest breakfast people, so we tend to only eat in the Club Lounge, but do enjoy the buffet breakfast in RP and Sapphire on occasions.

But Keke’s in Dr Phillips and there’s also one near the Mall at Millenia are fabulous....it’s been a good few years since we’ve gone there but consistently gets excellent reviews.

We (Tom) loves Ihop......... When he visited Miami in the early 80’s, it was the first place in America he ever ate.....so it has nice memories for him. But, if you were to go there, go to the one on Kirkman Rd and not the one at the top of I Drive!


----------



## schumigirl

JAMIESMITH said:


> Would the undesirable waitress at Lombard's happen to be Maria? We had her and she was so strange. We were never offered bread and she was perturbed thaty husband asked for a refill of his tea even though he was done eating.



Oh gosh they have two surly staff members?? No, wasn’t Maria......what a shame though, as it’s such a lovely place. 

Not good though you didn’t get excellent service there. We had Autumn last time and she was fabulous!


----------



## schumigirl

*MONDAY DECEMBER 9TH*​




*This was another morning where we all woke up and had all enjoyed a lovely sleep. Our bed at home is bliss, but we did like these beds a lot. Pillows were a little too soft for Tom, but for me who usually ends up throwing the pillows off the bed during the night anyway, they were fine.*

*We were all up very early this morning, well, we usually get up early as most of you will know as we hate to waste the day, but today we had been invited to have breakfast in the Islands with Mr Beiderman. 

To go back to last Thursday, Tom had gone down to the lobby and had immediately ran into him, of course he asked where I was and Tom said we were upstairs getting ready to head out. He said we must get together for either a coffee or something, so he said he would email me. He did ask if I checked my email while we were here....Tom laughed and said it was almost a religion....lol....I guess I do like to check an email or two!!! So, later in the morning we arranged to meet for breakfast today at 9am. *

*So, we were really looking forward to a chance to sit down and have a chat while relaxing over breakfast, this would be nice. And it had been a long time since we had breakfast in The Islands. And incredibly thrilled that he was taking time out of his day to spend time with us. 

We met him for the first time years ago, and we always see him every trip, sometimes several times a trip. So, we know him fairly well and I have to say, he is the nicest man. Very down to earth and very obviously cares about his staff as much as his guests. We cannot speak highly enough about him. *

*Once we were showered and dressed we headed down to Islands where we did of course get a picture of the lovely tree at the bottom of the staircase that leads you to Jake`s or The Islands. *

















*We told the host we were meeting Mr Beiderman, so he showed us to the table which was way back by the window....we always liked this table funnily enough. And it was only a few moments later when the man himself appeared. It is always lovely to see him and it is like meeting an old friend, the conversation is so easy and free flowing and we knew this was going to be lovely. *

*We had the lovely Mustapha looking after us this morning. We had never met him before, but we had heard he was one of the most popular waiters and gets amazing reviews. He really was lovely. 

I had just mentioned how we hadn't ran into one of the managers we usually see yet, John, who is in charge of the food and Beverage for Loews, when as if by magic he appeared to say a big hello......this was so nice! Again, this is another man who we`ve known for a few years and is so nice. *
*
At this point the chefs come out and this one we have never met before, John and he tells us he has made a little taster for each of us to start with.....and it looks lovely. Such a nice man and we were glad to meet him. 
*
*This was lovely. It was like a little Spanish tortilla with asparagus and I forget the flavour of the sauce on the plate, but it was all delicious....even Kyle enjoyed it!!! *
















*Looking at the menu, Kyle decided to just have cereal as he normally does, I chose an egg white omelette with some little sausages through, Tom had a croissant and we would share some smoked salmon while I had some avocado, and Mr Beiderman had an omelette and bagel toasted, and it all looked delicious. *

*I forgot the omelette would come with potatoes, and that was a lot.....I didn`t eat many of them, but they were lovely.  *
























































*I have to say, breakfast was lovely. But for us we felt very honoured Mr Beiderman took the time out of his incredibly busy day to spend a couple of hours with us. And we loved being able to sit down and have such a lovely chat with him. This really had been lovely. 

Eventually, of course, it was time to say thank you and he set off for the rest of his day, so with big hugs and lots of thanks for breakfast, we said we would see him in May of course, and we would look forward to that. *

*We said thank you again to Mustapha and we stopped to take some pictures of the breakfast buffet. I mentioned to him how much we thought of Casey who works nights, and he said oh you should go back tonight.....I said wasn't it just Fridays and Saturdays right now, and he said no with it being the Holidays it was back to being every night......so Kyle immediately said he`d like to do it again. Dinner was sorted tonight. 

I will say some pictures didn`t turn out very good at all.....the lighting isn`t the best and with no natural light in there, it can appear darker. *

*But they do have an excellent breakfast with lots of lovely choices for everyone......including Gluten Free and they have a whole little area of foods that are GF and it`s well marked. As is all the food in Loews restaurants. *









































































































*I love smoked salmon!!!! It is one food I could never get bored eating, and this was beautiful. *













































*Everything is so fresh and I was sorry we never got the chance to meet Amy who is so famous for making the best omelettes onsite anywhere!!! Maybe next time we`ll get to say hello.......*
*
We had just loved our morning so far. We were meeting our friend later in the afternoon in the park so for now, we were heading out to do some last minute shopping (yes more) so we popped back upstairs to get some sunscreen on and although it was almost 11.30am, there was no one in the pool.....and it was hot outside!!! Quiet day......*














*Heading outside, it was so beautiful.....and yes, hot...….*
*
We obviously wouldn`t need lunch today, so we just planned to go get the car and then head out to get our last minute shopping......
*
*Not the sportiest car in the world, but for a rental, it was alright. *
























*We went to Bed Bath & Beyond and popped into Whole Foods for a few items we had promised to take back, then into Publix and picked up some regular items like Pepperidge Farm cookies for Kyle to enjoy back home...….and a few other little bits and pieces. *
*
There`s a lot of things we can`t buy without a prescription in the UK, but you can buy them otc in the US. So, we stock up on them......I`m sure our cases rattle with pills and potions going home. 
*
*We headed back home to drop off all our purchases before heading into the park for an hour or so.  *


----------



## KathyM2

schumigirl said:


> Well, we found the ride lame. It’s just a screen with moving chairs......which is exactly what Shrek is, but we like Shrek.........main difference is we detest Jimmy Fallon so maybe that has a place in our opinion.......lol......you’ll be fine doing that one....it’s tame and nowhere near a thrill ride. I tell everyone to try it for themselves....we all enjoy different things.



Thanks for the info! Because I am a total ride wimp I might like this one lol...I will maybe do it while everyone else is on something more exciting lol



schumigirl said:


> ut Keke’s in Dr Phillips and there’s also one near the Mall at Millenia are fabulous....it’s been a good few years since we’ve gone there but consistently gets excellent reviews.
> 
> We (Tom) loves Ihop......... When he visited Miami in the early 80’s, it was the first place in America he ever ate.....so it has nice memories for him. But, if you were to go there, go to the one on Kirkman Rd and not the one at the top of I Drive!



I love IHOP too! Being from Canada we never used to have it either. We have a few now, but they are pricier than in the US and just not the same, so I love going when in the states. They have this yummy crepe with berries and cream that I love. Denny's is another US diner fave for us!



schumigirl said:


> There`s a lot of things we can`t buy without a prescription in the UK, but you can buy them otc in the US. So, we stock up on them......I`m sure our cases rattle with pills and potions going home.



Yup, same for us! Alleve PM anyone? lol And it's SO much cheaper in the US.


----------



## macraven

I’m glad you finally met Mustapha!

He is a gem...

I do breakfast most mornings at Islands and always request his section
It’s the best way for me to start my day

I met him years ago when he started there
and always look forward to seeing him each trip


----------



## keishashadow

Enjoyed catching up!  just the thing to brighten a rainy winter afternoon. Is it me or does Xmas seem  ages ago?

hope your thread inspires people to get out of the bubble and explore central FL. KSC is inspiring, you can’t grasp the scope of it unless visiting but you’ve come close. Good job.

That is an amazingly detailed pic that Kyle captured, that must be one powerful ‘scope!  Between that and his love of smoothies and chocolate cake, he’s Definitely a bit of a renaissance man


----------



## schumigirl

KathyM2 said:


> Thanks for the info! Because I am a total ride wimp I might like this one lol...I will maybe do it while everyone else is on something more exciting lol
> 
> 
> 
> I love IHOP too! Being from Canada we never used to have it either. We have a few now, but they are pricier than in the US and just not the same, so I love going when in the states. They have this yummy crepe with berries and cream that I love. Denny's is another US diner fave for us!
> 
> 
> 
> Yup, same for us! Alleve PM anyone? lol And it's SO much cheaper in the US.



Yes, you’ll be fine with Jimmy Fallon. The chairs move and you watch a screen......but, as I said the building is lovely you go through......look out for the Panda......

It’s been a while since we ate in Ihop, I think we ate there before going to St Augustine last year sometime......we just don’t have anything like that over here! I wish!!

Yes, the meds are so cheap in the US!!! I also buy Neosporin by the boatload.......everyone loves it over here......I swear you could cut your arm off and you’d just have to put Neosporin on and it would grow back!!!

I was glad of the Tylenol cold and flu last few days......think it cleared up a cold in two days instead of a week!!


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> I’m glad you finally met Mustapha!
> 
> He is a gem...
> 
> I do breakfast most mornings at Islands and always request his section
> It’s the best way for me to start my day
> 
> I met him years ago when he started there
> and always look forward to seeing him each trip



He really was so lovely.......I had heard so many good reviews of him, so yes, it was lovely to meet him. Like you, I’d ask for him if we do have breakfast there next trip.

I’d have remembered him if we had met him years ago as he is so nice and so professional


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Enjoyed catching up!  just the thing to brighten a rainy winter afternoon. Is it me or does Xmas seem  ages ago?
> 
> hope your thread inspires people to get out of the bubble and explore central FL. KSC is inspiring, you can’t grasp the scope of it unless visiting but you’ve come close. Good job.
> 
> That is an amazingly detailed pic that Kyle captured, that must be one powerful ‘scope!  Between that and his love of smoothies and chocolate cake, he’s Definitely a bit of a renaissance man




You‘re so right! Christmas seems forever ago......I said to Kyle a few days ago, it feels like January the 74th!!!

We love KSC!!!! Hoping to visit twice this December trip coming up......it is the most amazing place!! I agree, it’s one of those places you have to see to believe. Especially the Space Shuttle and Saturn V. There’s not many things leave me speechless, but those certainly did. Can’t wait to get back.

The newest telescope he has is huge......not quite in the Hubble mould, thankfully  but, he does capture some amazing images!

Glad you’re all caught up......


----------



## Squirlz

I can tolerate Jimmy Fallon and I enjoy the ride itself.  I despise the pre-shows however.  They should have recorded at least 3 pre-shows and rotated them.  Watching Jimmy play that little girl is painful.


----------



## macraven

Can’t wait til you tell us more about your trip!

Sometimes I just skip posts until I see the purple .......lol


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> Can’t wait til you tell us more about your trip!
> 
> Sometimes I just skip posts until I see the purple .......lol



Thanks mac .....always glad to read you’re enjoying it.......and it’s almost done......I thought it might have taken me longer this time despite it being a short trip this time. But.....surprised myself......


Yes, I do love purple!!!


----------



## schumigirl

*We went down to the lobby before we headed to the park, I didn't get many pictures today, and do plan to take some better ones next trip to go into the RP thread. But, we do like the lobby and how they`ve done it. 
*

























*The plan is to have some 3D art on the back wall in the picture below, and the lamps aren't on the desks yet. But, overall we do like the changes. *

*The Grab and Go has been a huge success which is good to see. *


















*Although there is a little novelty tree decoration from NASA too on the third picture......*





































*This snow scene goes through batteries like no ones business!!!! But it is so pretty........*
















*This day had been so lovely so far, between spending time with two people we think so much of and getting some (more) last minute shopping.....although Christmas decorations are essentials rather than luxury.....lol.....aren`t they???? *


















*We spent some time this afternoon packing as we planned to go to the parks tomorrow morning, we had already been asked what time we wanted to keep our room till tomorrow as we weren't leaving till much later, so that was all organised. But, packing is never fun...…..but we did well and did manage to squeeze in ALL of our shopping....but we did have the fourth suitcase as well as Kyle`s case too which was huge and thankfully he didn`t even have his 3/4 full on the way out...….yay!!!! More space for purchases. 

I had also handed in my Christmas Tree Scavenger Hunt card and received my little minion ornament as a gift. It was cute, and I was thrilled when one of the TM at the hotel gave me the other one too....so I had a matching set. Although I have to say, I did give them away to my friends little Grand daughter who loves minions. But, it was a nice little prize for a very easy scavenger hunt! The trees were all unmissable and didn`t take long at all to collect all the stamps. 

And we managed more or less everything this afternoon. We looked out what we wanted to wear tomorrow in the morning and what we would be travelling in later. I couldn't wear the same clothes during the day for our overnight flight…...and neither could Tom and Kyle, so, didn`t take long to sort that out, and it meant tomorrow we only had to pack the last minute stuff before we left. *

*There`s something quite depressing seeing all the cases packed up and ready for when we leave....of course, it `s different on the way coming out....that is a happy sight!!!! 

Later in the afternoon we spent a little time in the Club Lounge.....we were happy to see the two Australian girls come in just as we did, so we got a good chat with them tonight which was nice as it was our last night. We did have a good old giggle!!!! *

*Kayla had asked us to try it and see what we thought of the change in the new chicken casserole dish, and it was better......not so tomato based, and quite tasty, but we only had a little taste as we wanted to enjoy our Wok Experience later, but when you`re asked to try something.....well, you`ve got to try it.....lol.....*
















*Although we don`t use the Club Lounge for meals, we do like to have tasters and give everything a try. I know Kyle loved the chicken mac n cheese when it was all in the one dish, but now, it`s different. I think it`ll be very popular. *





































*We enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine tonight, and had that usual sad feeling that this was our last night before we left......but, we aren't allowed to be sad for too long. The staff know us well and soon bring the smile back on my face in particular...….*

*We both got hungry as we didn't need lunch as we had such a lovely breakfast this morning, so my tummy grumbling was the sure sign it was time for food. And I knew Kyle would looking to eat soon, so we headed over to say goodbye to our new friends from Australia......we would certainly miss chatting and having such a good time with them this trip. You do make connections with people at times, and we did with these lovely ladies and their families......I think we have a similar sense of humour and the same values too which became apparent over our chats. So, yes we would miss seeing them. 

We went over to chat before we left and we all wanted to get a picture or two together, but first we made sure we exchanged emails as we do plan to keep in touch and have exchanged some already. Have I mentioned how much we liked them......lol...….*

*Jonathon, one of the newest members of the team, offers to take our pictures outside the lounge…….we take a couple with just the ladies, but we all wanted some of the three couples. *


























*I wished we had one of Kyle and all four of their kids too, but Kyle hadn`t come up and not all of the Australian kids were there....so, maybe next time??? *
*
It was then hugs all round and goodbyes, till hopefully next time we`re there at the same time......

I know they`re reading this, so want to say a great big hello to some of the nicest people we have ever met...…..we miss chatting to you......  
*
*We popped down to pick up Kyle and yes, he was starving...….so it was straight down to Islands.*

























*It`s a smaller tree down here, but it is lovely and has some very unique decorations on it which we liked. *


























*Although we weren`t going to Jake`s I popped round to take a picture of the waterfall outside, it`s right underneath the entrance bridge as you walk in to the resort. *
















*We got seated immediately and yes, we had Casey again, who was surprised to see us as we had said we wouldn`t be back this trip, but we explained we didnt realise it was on every night......so we wanted to do this again. I was delighted that Kyle had enjoyed it so much, a she can be quite fussy and if he doesn`t like somewhere he won`t really want to go back.....but when he does enjoy something or a place, he`ll want to go again and again. And as we love it here, we were delighted.  *

*It wasn`t too busy again tonight, so we ordered a  beer for Tom, red wine for me and Kyle got his usual two strawberry daiquiris......*
















*We didn`t bother with soup tonight, and this is Tom`s dish with chicken, shrimp, snow peas, onion and extra onion too......lol......*
















*Kyle had his now usual choice of teriyaki sauce with just chicken, baby corn, brocolli and rice. *
















*And I guess my usual of chicken, shrimp, peppers and rice all bound together with szechuan and teriyaki sauce...…same sauce that Tom and I always seem to choose. *















*He does love those daiquiris!!!! *














*We don`t usually have the salad that you can also help yourself too, but we saw the noodle salad tonight and wanted to try that. It was nice enough with a sesame oil taste which was pleasant...….*

























*The food again, was gorgeous......we all really enjoyed every spoonful......and again, one dish is enough for us each. Of course you can go up as often as you like and have as much as you like of everything......but, we`re beat at one bowl. *

*Kyle of course has room for dessert........he always has room for dessert!!! These little chocolate cakes weren`t as good as the ones from the previous night according to our little expert......but he enjoyed them as his plate was clear!!! *















*As it was quiet, we sat for a little longer than usual and chatted to Casey about one thing and another, but eventually we paid the check and headed up to our room. We weren't having a late night tonight.....

Islands is such a lovely restaurant, good food and service and this year it`s going to see some changes too according to the staff. I`ll look forward to seeing the changes here too. *
*
We headed upstairs and then sprawled ourselves out and watched some tv before we all looked absolutely shattered and decided it was time for bed. 
*
*So, we had a lovely day today too. We had enjoyed a lovely breakfast with Mr Beiderman, we then spent some lovely time with our very special friend who we adore, he really is our favourite person in the whole wide world......and we did get some lovely little decorations from the Christmas store in IOA. And enjoyed some lovely food too!!!! Not a bad day for a last full day. 

I opened the drapes in the bedroom and had a last look out at the parks and pool all lit up for this trip, it is so lovely. But, tiredness overtook me at this point and I just wanted to go to sleep. I think Tom wa salready sleeping!!! *

*Tomorrow, we planned to spend some time in IOA in the morning, have lunch in Jake`s and catch a few people before we leave later in the afternoon. *


----------



## J'aime Paris

What a nice group photo!!


----------



## keishashadow

Good show Tom  that concoction looks Delicious.  Can’t say I remember seeing that noodle salad when last we visited. do wish they’d add udon noodles in some fashion to their offerings, either soup or in lieu of rice and lo mein.

So glad to hear they’ve tweaked things since our last go-round. Quality really depends on the chef’s skills. Looking forward to trying it again


----------



## schumigirl

J'aime Paris said:


> What a nice group photo!!



Thanks Lori......they are such a lovely group of people and we just loved chatting to them and getting to know them again.......


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Good show Tom  that concoction looks Delicious.  Can’t say I remember seeing that noodle salad when last we visited. do wish they’d add udon noodles in some fashion to their offerings, either soup or in lieu of rice and lo mein.
> 
> So glad to hear they’ve tweaked things since our last go-round. Quality really depends on the chef’s skills. Looking forward to trying it again



He has such good taste in stir fries!!! I miss onions........

I didn‘t remember that little salad before, it was nice, but have to admit, I prefer warm noodles.

And yes, we hope the new chef they had stays around.....he was the best one yet for the Wok nights. He remembered the second night I had no garlic but lots of ginger......Tom was the opposite and Kyle had neither but liked pepper!!! Good memory.......


----------



## Vicki Rickerd

schumigirl said:


> There`s something quite depressing seeing all the cases packed up and ready for when we leave



Can't believe it's almost over already.


----------



## schumigirl

Vicki Rickerd said:


> Can't believe it's almost over already.



I know!!

This one seems to have been completed quicker than I thought I’d manage it. But it’s always fun to relive our trips this way.

And not that long till the next one which makes us happy.........


----------



## Tink2Day

Oh no, it's almost coming to an end...oops wait, it already ended, but I like to pretend the report coincides with the trip....almost 2 months long now  THAT would be an extended stay. So nice you got to have breakfast and a nice visit with Mr. Beiderman!

I agree on the ornaments, in fact I think there is a law on the books that one MUST buy any new or unusual ornaments (that's my story and I'm sticking to it  )

LOVE the Hedwig ornament and the owl post one.  Adorable Christmas stockings, are the stocking hangers the Hogwarts Express or just trains?  We didn't even use our brand new lanterns, we had so much new stuff just no time to put all of it up so I saved on batteries.

Wok Experience looks YUM.  Poor Kyle, having to eat chocolate cake yet again 

You don't go until May?  Or are you going in March?  May is too far away!


----------



## Vicki Rickerd

schumigirl said:


> And not that long till the next one which makes us happy.........



When do you go next?


----------



## schumigirl

Tink2Day said:


> Oh no, it's almost coming to an end...oops wait, it already ended, but I like to pretend the report coincides with the trip....almost 2 months long now  THAT would be an extended stay. So nice you got to have breakfast and a nice visit with Mr. Beiderman!
> 
> I agree on the ornaments, in fact I think there is a law on the books that one MUST buy any new or unusual ornaments (that's my story and I'm sticking to it  )
> 
> LOVE the Hedwig ornament and the owl post one.  Adorable Christmas stockings, are the stocking hangers the Hogwarts Express or just trains?  We didn't even use our brand new lanterns, we had so much new stuff just no time to put all of it up so I saved on batteries.
> 
> Wok Experience looks YUM.  Poor Kyle, having to eat chocolate cake yet again
> 
> You don't go until May?  Or are you going in March?  May is too far away!



That would be an extended stay!!! Yes, it was so lovely having breakfast with Mr Beiderman, he really is lovely.

I love our Universal decorations......one tree is more or less full of just the ones we’ve bought from there over the years...along with purple accessories.......love it!! Yes the stocking holders are the Hogwarts Express. We bought three of them last year, they are so heavy!!! But we used them with our old stockings, but although we still have the older ones, we bought the Potter ones this year so they match......we do have three, just didn’t picture them all.

Yes, those batteries just seem to be zapped in no time!!! This year we’ll stock up before the festive season!!!

We are missing March out this year.......it was just a little chilly for us some nights and mornings too, so we extended our May trip to 23 nights instead of going twice. May is much warmer....... 

We quite enjoyed Mardi Gras, but having done it twice, that was enough for us.....yes, May does seem quite far at the minute......


----------



## schumigirl

Vicki Rickerd said:


> When do you go next?



We will be there in May for 23 nights.......extended that one as we were giving March a miss this year.

Think it’s 97 or so days now till we fly........least it’s under a 100


----------



## schumigirl

*TUESDAY DECEMBER 10TH*






​





*Yes, it was finally here. *

*The day we all never look forward to. It really doesn't matter how many times we visit, or how long we stay....we are never ready to say goodbye to RP, Universal or Orlando......even knowing another trip is only a few months away doesn`t take away that sting you feel going home. 

But, it had come around, and we had thought we might sleep a little later this morning........never happens though. I heard Kyle rumbling around, so I thought I might as well get up. I gently opened the drapes a little and saw it was indeed another beautiful morning. *

*We had all slept amazingly well again, and we were all a little subdued, but looking forward to getting into the park this morning. 

Once we were showered we went up to the lounge for breakfast, and it was quick this morning as we wanted to get into the park for opening time. And breakfast was as always, lovely and quite relaxing. And this is one of the lovely things about the lounge, you can just recharge your batteries and relax, there is space to do that here and of course the staff look after you so well. *

*Saying goodbye is never fun, but although we would be in the lounge later, the staff from now would be gone, so a quick round of goodbyes and we headed back downstairs to get sunscreen on......we had a few people we would catch downstairs before we left too. 

We got on the elevator and as we got out we run straight into our friend which was a surprise, we had a brief chat and said he`d see us later in Jake`s which was going to be our "last supper" at RP this trip. We looked forward to that. *

*The walk was slow and deliberate this morning and we tried to take in every single moment today again. For us it would be fine as were back in March, but for Kyle it would be a year till he came back, so it was worse for him. We weren't sad although it may sound as if we were, we were just a little thoughtful I guess. *
















*It was quiet walking to the park today, we passed no one on the path and it was beautifully hot already and it was only around 8.30am. *
*
Going through the security check by Margaritaville takes seconds.....and then you`re done......if you don't walk and take the boat, you have the security check before you get on the boat. It is so quick and very convenient. 
*
*We turn left to go to IOA and we see the line immediately.....*



























*I have to say, we are never usually there at the gates so early, and I don't think we`d do it again.....waiting 20 minutes or so would have made the difference. People often ask why we never do EE....for us as we always have EP, there`s no need. We can still do everything we need and want to numerous times with how we do the parks already. Even if Hagrid`s was open during EE we still wouldn't make it. *

*So, we did what anyone would do, we stood in line and waited for the gates to open, and it was around 9am when we did get in, so took about 20 minutes from where we were standing. *

























*They went straight to Hulk and I had a wander round to grab a picture I wanted to get......of course, later I discovered we actually took it about 8 years ago!!!! I forgot. *

*The area that covers POE is just lovely.....each area is so colourful and well themed, ther are just a plethora of beautiful buildings and features to photograph.......*



































*The lockers here, you do pay for, and they have various sizes, so if you need a larger size to store your items for the day, or just a smaller size for the odd thing. *





































































*The two little love birds have been there for eons......but these I only got for the first time last year.......they do make cute little coo-ing bird sounds......but they are so hidden, and as most people are heading out this way, they tend not to notice them very often. 
*















*And this was the window I had been looking for without realising I had pictured it before.......*

*Codiga Adventures.......is a nod to David Codiga, and he is a former Executive Vice President of Universal Creative. He is involved with the High Roller wheel in Las Vegas and so many other fabulous creations. I love little snippets of info like this and there are things like this all over the Universal parks. *














*More coming up.........*


----------



## Polyonmymind

Is your family always this happy?  Their smiles are contagious!   I'm smiling at your pictures of them smiling, and they have no idea who I am smiling back at them.  Their pictures always make me happy.   Thanks for sharing your trip!


----------



## schumigirl

Polyonmymind said:


> Is your family always this happy?  Their smiles are contagious!   I'm smiling at your pictures of them smiling, and they have no idea who I am smiling back at them.  Their pictures always make me happy.   Thanks for sharing your trip!



Thank you!!!

lol.....yes, we are always that happy if I’m honest......I’m very lucky with my lot.......

I‘m so glad you’re enjoying it though, happy to read that......


----------



## KathyM2

Departure day is the worst...I'm glad you got to go to have some park time anyway, it's hard to not be sad about going back to reality when Orlando is such a great escape!! It's also great that you have so much loyalty at the US hotels and they treat you like royalty!!


----------



## schumigirl

KathyM2 said:


> Departure day is the worst...I'm glad you got to go to have some park time anyway, it's hard to not be sad about going back to reality when Orlando is such a great escape!! It's also great that you have so much loyalty at the US hotels and they treat you like royalty!!



Oh gosh, it really is!!! And usually we cheer ourselves up by saying we get to see Kyle soon.....but as he`s with us, he`s as fed up at going home as we are!!! 

We honestly are so lucky to have met so many wonderful people over the years, first at RP and over the last three years Sapphire too, and so many that we keep in touch with regularly. They do look after everyone so well and they do make us feel extra special!!


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> We quite enjoyed Mardi Gras, but having done it twice, that was enough for us.....yes, May does seem quite far at the minute......


Don’t blink, it’ll be here before you realize it


schumigirl said:


> We will be there in May for 23 nights.......extended that one as we were giving March a miss this year.
> 
> Think it’s 97 or so days now till we fly........least it’s under a 100


As Bart would say:  “Holy cow, man”. How cool is that?


schumigirl said:


> Oh gosh, it really is!!! And usually we cheer ourselves up by saying we get to see Kyle soon.....but as he`s with us, he`s as fed up at going home as we are!!!


You know you’ve done it up right when you just are t quite ready to head back to RL.


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Don’t blink, it’ll be here before you realize it
> 
> As Bart would say:  “Holy cow, man”. How cool is that?
> 
> You know you’ve done it up right when you just are t quite ready to head back to RL.




It will won’t it!!! I can hear the lovely Bart Simpson say that......lol.....

Yes, I think we do. I love how we vacation, whether it be the two of us or the times we are so lucky that Kyle still wants to spend some of his vacation with us.......naturally he doesn’t want to spend all his vacation time with us, so we enjoy while we can!!

It was the cold weather we were all not looking forward to more than anything.......having this gorgeous weather every day was going to be hard to leave.


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> Yes, I think we do. I love how we vacation, whether it be the two of us or the times we are so lucky that Kyle still wants to spend some of his vacation with us.......naturally he doesn’t want to spend all his vacation time with us, so we enjoy while we can!!



you know you’re doing it right when the kids still come ‘round, especially when there is limited eye rolling involved.  Everyone has Their off days, yet I’ve been stunned observing what seems to be quite a lot of heated family drama in MCO That plays out in very public places. Maybe it’s the heat? Lol


----------



## J'aime Paris

keishashadow said:


> you know you’re doing it right when the kids still come ‘round, especially when there is limited eye rolling involved.  Everyone has Their off days, yet I’ve been stunned observing what seems to be quite a lot of heated family drama in MCO That plays out in very public places. Maybe it’s the heat? Lol


I've witnessed it also unfortunately. 
We saw a couple getting into a physical altercation in City Walk...my guess is alcohol was involved??
Thankfully security showed up quickly!


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Wow, coming to the end of the trip and now I'm all caught up! What wonderful adventures you had


We ate at Confisco and decided we would definitely be back, so you have another convert! We would have never tried it if you weren't so positive in your reviews


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> you know you’re doing it right when the kids still come ‘round, especially when there is limited eye rolling involved.  Everyone has Their off days, yet I’ve been stunned observing what seems to be quite a lot of heated family drama in MCO That plays out in very public places. Maybe it’s the heat? Lol



lol.....yes, I think I got the eye roll only once........and that was when I offered my help on MiB.......yes, even I didn’t quite think that was going to be accepted........

We‘ve seen many incidents over the years of meltdowns and I guess full blown temper tantrums......from adults!

A woman’s mini meltdown coming up in the next post!!! No, not from me...........


----------



## schumigirl

J'aime Paris said:


> I've witnessed it also unfortunately.
> We saw a couple getting into a physical altercation in City Walk...my guess is alcohol was involved??
> Thankfully security showed up quickly!





I can’t imagine being that stressed ever!!! Some folks though really shouldn’t be indulging in adult beverages as they just can’t take it I guess.

We always remember one morning coming out by Margaritaville after the security check and as we turned left for IOA, a family coming in for the day from the main entrance were ranting at each other like you wouldn’t believe.......how can you be that stressed at 9am!!!!


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> Wow, coming to the end of the trip and now I'm all caught up! What wonderful adventures you had
> 
> 
> We ate at Confisco and decided we would definitely be back, so you have another convert! We would have never tried it if you weren't so positive in your reviews



Oh I’m so glad you enjoyed Confisco!! For us, it’s one of the best places in the parks to eat. And I hope your trip was a huge success too........  And that you got some lovely weather too.....one of my friends and her family arrived Tuesday and sent me a chilly emoji!! It’s just colder than they’re used to As this is their first January visit.........and their last I think.....lol......

Yes, almost done now.......it’s been a quick recap, thankfully the trip felt a lot longer at the time!!

Glad to see you back.......


----------



## schumigirl

*The other side of POE has the photography place and guest services. Have to say it`s one of the nicer guest services offices I`ve ever seen. *
























*To the side of guest services is a sign I had genuinely never seen before, and I thought it was unique and very pretty. And the Open Arms Hotel does sound rather lovely. *



































*There were a good few people heading in this morning, and it did feel busier than we were used to. But, one of our favourite things to do in the parks, is wander slowly around and take it all in as we pass. And even with the crowds billowing past me, I still managed to get plenty of pictures as most people don`t stop and just head to wherever their first target of the day is...and most seemed to be heading right which will usually mean Hagrid`s. We weren`t even going to try today......of course if it looked like we could get back on we would, but we didn't plan to line up as we were only in for the morning. *

























*I loved this little themed area where it had the escaped prisoners from the Hoosegow escape using a ladder made of sheets. *














*If you stand underneath you can hear the voices of the prisoners still left inside arguing....I love details like this in these parks. *














*And of course the key to the prison is hanging on the wall below......*



































*And of course, the other side of POE is themed just as well.....and with a good sense of humour. *
























*The balloon inscribed on the wall is the same type as the one in the store as you enter POE....and don't laugh.....I didn't notice that there was a huge balloon in there for years!!!! *

































































*I honestly love POE and there are so many little special features to notice, you could be there for ages just finding them. *
*
And right about now, I had planned to take loads more pictures around this area......when the camera told me the chip was full!!!! 
*
*And guess who didn`t have a spare chip with me today...….*














*Usually at the beginning of every trip, we have 10 chips for the camera that we change every 3 days or so, it makes loading the pictures onto the computer easier and in order. And this trip we had used 4 chips already, and Tom thought there was plenty of space left in this last one.......unfortunately.....it was full!! We had taken a LOT of pictures this trip. *
*
So, I grudgingly and rather annoyed put the camera in my bag and headed to meet them at The Hulk, where I informed Tom the camera sucked!!!! Of course it was the camera`s fault. 
*
*He was gutted the chip was full, and said he didn`t think it would be so full.....he should have checked it. But, of course it`s just one of these things......but so annoying!!! 

I did have a kind of secondary answer......but not as good.......I had one of my ipads with me as I was expecting an email from our friend, so although I don`t usually take an ipad to the park, I had one today....and of course, it has a camera. *
*
But, the pictures are nowhere near as good as the camera...but it would have to do. Kyle and Tom shared a few relieved glances that I hadn't over reacted......as if I would.....

So, the next post is filled with pictures that aren`t anywhere near as good. But I`d be glad I had it. 


*
*More coming up......*


----------



## schumigirl

*So, the rest of the pictures up to lunch, are all taken with the ipad, so I do apologise for the poor quality of them.

I do like good pictures, and I love the way the camera takes them.....I don`t like pictures that have been touched up too much so it looks like they`re fake. But, I did try to fiddle with these ones as they just weren`t the best. *

*We did the usual, Doom and Spider-Man before wandering further round as I made funny but snarky comments about not having a camera, I`m a real peach ...….and although we do always enjoy some times without a camera in the parks, this was my planned day to just capture some of the more out of the ordinary snaps.....but hey ho.....was I complaining?? Absolutely not......here I was in the happiest place on Earth (for us) with my husband and son....what more could I want!!! Well.....a chip for the camera would be nice......lol......

It was very warm today, we reached 89F and it felt like it, even at this point of the day. *

*Tom wanted to do Kong, so we headed round and sadly, it was not working today, no idea why and we weren't going to hang around for any length of time as we had other things we wanted to do more. Kong is one of these rides, it`s not a must do ride every trip. So we headed on and headed towards Potter but stopping for a few minutes to watch the splash from JP. Although we had no plans to ride it today. 

We did FJ and the EP was fairly quick which we were so glad of as the regular line was longer than normal, or at least longer than we are used to generally. *

*This ride we love. It is pure fun and Kyle loves it a lot......and they decide to do it again, so I say I`ll meet them by the Hagrid ride when they`re done. It`s a ride I can usually do once, maybe twice.....but today was a one and done as I didn`t want to knock myself funny when I`m due to fly later. So, I headed down to Hogsmeade and wanted to snap a few pictures. *
















*I love the owlery and in 2017 we saw for the first time, the owlery steeple open up and the bird came out. It was Kyle that spotted it, and we had never seen it before......much excitement as we barely captured it on camera.......*

*It`s not something that happens regularly, like Kreacher appears automatically every few minutes, this was different and we had only seen it one other time since. *














*I had just begun snapping the owlery when by pure fluke I noticed it open up again........well, I cursed not having the camera that takes such beautiful pictures with me today.....just a little!!! *

































































*I was thrilled to have captured this today...…a few unnamed people didn't believe me this happened at all...…..*

*So, to them I say...……..*


















​


*Tom and Kyle appeared just after this happened and were sorry they had missed it again. But, they had so enjoyed doing FJ again and again.....the joys of Express Pass........*
*
Wandering out slowly and yes, a slight feeling of sadness we headed into Seuss Landing......
*
*This area is always fun, and during the Holidays you have lots of Who`s wandering around the land and they are fabulous!!! Their interactions are incredible, and so much fun. And very, very realistic.....you can almost see them in the Grinch movie with Jim Carrey.....*



​










*Tom used to have a sign like this in his office before he took early retirement.......yes, he was a good boss!!! *















*We stopped for a few seconds on one of the carts opposite Confisco Grille where Len was working. He had been in the Christmas store yesterday and had looked after us. He has worked here forever.....or so it seems and works between the two places. Very lovely older gentleman who adores the place. And he never forgets you. We chatted briefly to him and told him we`d see him in May if he was still there.....oh he planned to be!!! 

There are so many TM in the parks we know as we visit so often, and it is lovely when so many of them remember us visit after visit......I did love when a couple of them shout out "Scotland`s back again" with a huge emphasis on the "again" whenever they see us.......love it!!! *
*
Down to look at the changes in the new JP coaster (cannot wait for this to be revealed) and it looks like there hasn't been many changes, but lots of work has been done with foundations and similar that we can`t see. I`m sure once it begins to rise, it will rise quickly. 
*
*I think Kyle was having a little reflective moment of "see you next year"*
















*He loves Universal, RP, Orlando and America as much as we do, so it has to be hard to know it`s going to be a year till he gets back. *

*And this is where we feel incredibly lucky that....once a year, he still wants to spend time with us on one vacation in America and our favourite place. The rest of his vacation time, and it is a lot, he has other plans and we`re happy about that. I think he already has plans in place for the year already!!! We`re so glad he fits us in!!!! *
















*We stop off in the Christmas store once again, although I think I`d be pushing it to buy anymore items!!!! *

*But, as I alluded to in an earlier post, we witnessed a partial meltdown in the store today...….maybe meltdown is not the right word, but a woman seemed to lose the plot telling her family she hated this place, hated how hot it was....actually how god darn hot it was, it wasn`t fun, Hagrid`s sucked as did the whole of Harry Potter, the rides here are dreadful, it`s too busy and there`s no good food!!! And she was never coming back here again......*














*It was quite the sight if I`m honest. And everyone that was in the store had stopped and were openly watching this woman rant to her rather embarrassed looking husband.....who had a Harry Potter robe on.....so I`m guessing he was a fan!!! *

*When she stopped for breath, everyone seemed to just carry on with what they were doing.…..although the TM rather bravely asked her if she could do anything for her......I didn`t hear the answer as we sort of sidled out the store trying to look like nothing had happened at all!!!! *
















*Leaving the park for the final time on a trip, is never, ever fun. We ALWAYS have such an amazing time in the Universal parks, we do miss them when we go home. Well, we miss everything that`s here......
*


























*We walk back, and of course I didn't take as many pictures as we would normally take. The walking path looks so beautiful with the water as we head back. We were fairly quiet too although we were looking forward to lunch and seeing our favourite person there. *

*Up to the room we showered and changed and got into clothes we would be travelling home in. We like to be as fresh as possible starting out, so we don`t like to travel in clothes we have wandered round the park in most of the day. Couldn't imagine doing that. 

And put a new chip in the camera!!!!! *


























*Before we went down for lunch, we had a few people to see before we left. And we managed to see most of them around the lobby. Including the lovely Samuel who had been on vacation for most of our trip. He used to be the Supervisor in the lounge, and had got promotion to the front desk.....we love him!!!! He is a little special to us, and we miss the amount of time we used to chat to him in the lounge....but glad to see he`s doing well. So, it was like a hello and goodbye in one today. 

We said we`d see Kayla later in the day to say goodbye properly, but she was in the lobby right now so we stopped to chat as always, then the lady who is head of HR for Loews passed and we are always delighted to see her. We were introduced to her a while back, and she never passes us if she sees her. Very lovely lady who again, has a genuine kindness about her. She was pleased to meet Kyle as she had heard a lot about him, and she is a hugger which we love!!! Kayla did laugh and ask if there was anyone here at the hotels we didn`t know.......lol.......We chatted a little bit longer before they set off....us promising Kayla we would stop by concierge on the way out before we left if she wasn't in the lounge. 

But, now it was time for food.....and this would be our last real meal before getting on the plane where food can be a hit or miss. So, we wanted to enjoy it for sure...….*
*
Kyle loves Jake`s. It was the first restaurant he ate in at RP and has a fondness for it, we all do, but for him it`s his first choice for food here. 
*
*We are seated and our friend said he`d be there soon, so we ordered a strawberry lemonade for Tom and I, and of course Kyle ordered his last strawberry daiquiri of this trip. *



































*We all knew what we were ordering, Kyle had his usual cheese pizza with barbecue sauce base....and our waitress looked at him in wonderment at his request.......had no one else ever ordered that before? She said she`d have to go check if the chef would do it, we told her it was fine as he had ordered it many times here....she did look as if she didn't believe it, but took the order anyway. *
















*Tom went for the meat pizza with added jalapeno.....and as we weren't sharing this one today, no pineapple!!! BOOOOOOO*

*I love pineapple on pizza!! *
















*I opted to have the Bomber Burger with the best sweet potato fries ever!!!! *















*Everything was amazing!!! The food was perfect and although we didn't finish everything, we loved what we had. My burger was cooked exactly how I`d asked, and I didn't remember enjoying a burger from here as much. And both pizzas were tasty and they enjoyed every morsel they wanted to eat. 

No dessert today!!!*
*
Our friend had come down to spend some time with us before we left. We always love to see him and love the time he makes for us every visit. 

So, we chatted away the rest of the afternoon and we had such a lovely time laughing and chatting, and it was just nice. 
*
*Eventually though, it was time to say goodbye for this trip, I promised to pop off an email when we got back home and we would see him in May. We never enjoy saying goodbye, even for a few months. 

We went up to our room as we had a late check out very kindly arranged for us, so we spent a little time in the lounge and got to say goodbye to folks up there, and one of the supervisors had a gift of a box of special tea for which we were very grateful as we love it!!! *
*
It was getting late so we thought we`d better head off soon. Back down to our room we picked up all our rather unsurprisingly heavy cases and went down to the front desk. 
*
*We asked one of the concierge team if they would kindly call Kayla and let her know we were here if she was around. If she was busy we`d have been gutted to miss her, but the young lady said she was on her way right now. Yay!!!! 

Kayla appeared seconds later and laughed when she saw us and said she got into the elevator and could smell my perfume and knew we must just have come down in that one...…lol....she was right!!!*

*Saying goodbye to Kayla is never fun. But, we email and can keep in touch that way, even so we would miss her as she is the nicest and kindest person. And we love being honorary work "mom and dad" to all of our "American kids" in the lounge......she actually thought we were back in March like last year, and did the sad face when we said it would be May before we came back.....yep, we`d miss her too.

I was beginning to bubble now. This is always such a hard time when we leave, saying goodbye to people we spend a lot of time with while we are here, and we are proud when they tell us we are indeed family. And we feel the same right back. But, Kyle very kindly leads me out after a final wave to our work daughter Kayla......*
*
Walking out over the bridge I feel the tears smarting but, do pull it together.

One final look back and we get the car loaded up and we set off for the airport. 
*
*Cameron Tucker`s drinking game idea sounded good to me right now.....*


----------



## KathyM2

Awww leaving is so sad. No matter how long a trip it's never long enough. Although if you got to to to Universal every day...maybe the fun would eventually wear off? I doubt it, just trying to make you feel better...at least you will be back in a few months!


----------



## keishashadow

J'aime Paris said:


> I've witnessed it also unfortunately.
> We saw a couple getting into a physical altercation in City Walk...my guess is alcohol was involved??
> Thankfully security showed up quickly!


Will say their sec is top notch at city walk 


schumigirl said:


> how can you be that stressed at 9am!!!!


I don’t want to find out lol

no idea of ballon, prison, keys or owl cookoo u mention.  Where’s that dunce hat?


----------



## cocofifi

Carole, as always, thank you for sharing your trip and beautiful photos. Each installment is such a treat. I’m already looking forward your May report!


----------



## schumigirl

KathyM2 said:


> Awww leaving is so sad. No matter how long a trip it's never long enough. Although if you got to to to Universal every day...maybe the fun would eventually wear off? I doubt it, just trying to make you feel better...at least you will be back in a few months!



That`s true....even on our longer trips, we`re never ready to leave.

I think the fact we don't spend all day every day in the parks helps too.....we do love to get around and see things in the area. But, so far......haven`t even remotely got fed up with how or where we vacation. Maybe not for everyone, but works for us.....yep, counting down the days till May


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Will say their sec is top notch at city walk
> 
> I don’t want to find out lol
> 
> no idea of ballon, prison, keys or owl cookoo u mention.  Where’s that dunce hat?



Yep, we`ve always been impressed with how quick security respond to something. Saw an upset toddler who had been separated from parents.....it was seconds and four or five plain clothes guys appeared from nowhere. We didn't get the chance to report the kid to a TM and they were there. Parents were only a few feet away, but it was so busy that day. 

Maybe I`m too lazy to be stressed.......lol.......

No dunce hat needed......I`m a complete geek that hold various amounts of information that is not really of use to anyone.....or the saddest person on the planet that finds all the back information completely fascinating!!! Not sure which is the more correct description.....


----------



## schumigirl

cocofifi said:


> Carole, as always, thank you for sharing your trip and beautiful photos. Each installment is such a treat. I’m already looking forward your May report!



Thanks cocofifi!!!! 

I`m so happy you`ve enjoyed it, and yes, we are starting to get excited for May, even though it does seem a long way off right now...….


----------



## schumigirl

*The drive to the airport is filled with blowing raspberries as we near the airport. Better than cursing...right !!! But, the short journey is uneventful and we are pulling into Alamo before we know it...…..still hoping for a delay or something...…..but, no.....*

*Alamo are flawless and have been like that for years with us, we get a receipt saying we owe zero and we get our stuff out of the trunk and head off over to the terminal building, gosh my cases are heavy now!!! But, I don`t complain as most of the purchases that is causing the heavy suitcases is all me........oops! 

We take our usual last gulp of fresh American air before heading inside and going straight up to the Virgin Atlantic desk. *

*The staff here are lovely. I think they sense everyone is a little blue at going home and they do make an extra effort to be nice to everyone. Our cases are rather unsurprisingly a "little" over the weight they were supposed to be. But, it couldn't have been enough to add some charges......I`m always waiting for this moment......*





​





*Not today. *

*Tom and I have Global Entry but Kyle doesn't, so we did wonder if we would all get TSA pre check. We get it automatically with VA going home, so we asked if he would get it. She said sometimes putting in the first name and the trusted traveller number, gives it to everyone and sometimes it doesn't......so she put my name through first and lo and behold....we all got Pre check!! Yay......so we all got checked in and headed through to Security. 

We were much later than usual doing check in today, as we had decided we`d rather spend our last hours at the hotel than in the airport, we made good time to drop off the luggage and go through to the gate. I think we`d do this again if our flight is as late, staying at the hotel till much later in the day was perfect and the hotel are always so good about us doing that, so this was ideal. *

*We had a quick stop for our usual picture by the beautiful Christmas Tree in the centre area of the airport.....and they had a lot of entertainment going on around it today. *















*And one of my favourite American flags. *

*I love how the flag is flown with pride in the USA. We don`t do it in our country generally, so it is lovely for us to see the flag everywhere with pride. *

















*It took a few moments to get through security as there was hardly a line with Pre Check, and not having to take shoes off or ipads out is so much easier. 

We never really take pictures on the people mover, or when we are at the gate......to be honest, we don`t feel like it.....it`s always busy and we just never get around to doing it......and airport gates aren`t the nicest of places. 

I wish we had taken a plane picture as it had the Millenium Falcon design on it....not a big thing for me, but they liked it. *
*
We find some seats and leave Kyle there as we head back up to Duty Free. It was so busy and we just made the cut to purchase as our flight time was so close. Tom bought the giant Jack Daniels, two bottles of rum and I picked up a bottle of Calvin Klein....just because.......
*
*Back down there was hardly any room as the gate was full now, but it was only a few minutes and they were calling for Upper and Premium passengers to board. 

We did our usual fight our way through everyone else who was in economy but had decided to stand and block the access....happens every flight......not quite sure why!!! We all have a seat.......*

*Tom offered to carry both our hand luggage as they weighed a ton, and I stopped to pick up the duty free...….the guy looked at my receipt and looked at all the bags.....I had already spotted ours, and said he couldn`t see it....he`d deliver it to our seat......I pointed it to him......it was right in front of him!!! He looked suitably embarrassed and handed me our very large bag......I thanked him and headed on to the plane........

I knew the CC who was welcoming everyone, she had been on several flights we had taken these last couple of years and did remember us and said she wondered where I was when she saw Tom......she is lovely. *

*We had the last two seats in Premium downstairs, and Tom was in the row in front of us by the window......we had the luxury of no one behind us, and we are first off the plane!! This is why we like these seats coming home. 

I deposit the duty free with Tom to put in the overhead baggage space, and got settled down in our seats fairly quickly. I always give Kyle the window seat when he is with us...…and Tom get the other window seat in front, which is rare for him as he always gives me the window seat!!! Bless him.....although on a night flight it really doesn`t matter for most of it......but it`s still nice for take off and landing......*

*Within a few minutes we are served the sparkly and Kyle chooses orange juice......*














*Everyone had settle down really quickly in this cabin, sometimes we have people come in last minute and holds things up, but tonight, we were all boarded. *














*We hadn`t seen one drop of rain the whole trip this time.....our weather had been so awesome and we had been surprised how beautiful it had been...…..so, we were surprised to look out when the airbridge pulled back and we saw it was bouncing down with rain......*

*His last photobomb of this trip!!! *














*I very rarely watch a movie on the night flight, I tend to keep the Skymap up for the journey, so if I wake up it`s there and I can see where I am and how far we have to go. *

*It seemed we were half going along the Eastern Seaboard tonight, but we weren`t hugging it as close as we usually did, usually we went over land for most of it, or we go straight out over the ocean.....doesn`t bother me which we go. *
























*We pulled back on time tonight, and we enjoyed a very smooth take off tonight, we barely noticed it actually......and before we knew it, we were saying goodbye to land and heading for the ocean...….the pilot had announced the flight would be just under 7 hours, which sounded good to us, anything less than nine and a half hours is good!!! *














*They came round with the first drinks service and I chose a red wine and you get the little bag of pretzels, which ironically I don't like generally....but I do like these ones. I get Kyle`s too as he doesn`t like them.......*














*We got the feeling tonight they were rushing everything to get us all settled down to put the lights out......as I hadn`t even finished the wine when they began serving the meals. This was quick. 

I had received an email four days ago from Virgin asking us to choose our meals again, we liked this idea as it saved you from being left with the vegetarian option which is usually not the nicest of dishes......so I hope they keep this up in the future. *

*Tom had gone for the beef stroganoff which came with rice and roasted veg, which comes with a salad with your little bottle of balsamic dressing, a bread roll with butter, cheese and crackers and a dessert along with bottled water and your choice of wine. *














*Kyle and I both opted for the Hawaiian BBQ chicken which came with a mustard mash, sweetcorn and a roasted mini pepper, and everything else was the same. *

*I have to say, this was the nicest airplane food coming back from America I have ever tasted. It was genuinely nice. And even Kyle enjoyed it which I was surprised at, but glad to see it. *
























*The dessert was a lemon something or other that had the weirdest texture! I have no idea what it was...…..but we all left it after a small taste. *















*They came round with an after dinner brandy or some kind of amarula type drink, we declined and had some more water of which we had plenty as we had bought a large bottle to share at the terminal. Yes, you can ask for as much as you want, but sometimes you don`t want to move. So we kept it under the chair in front. I think Tom may have had a brandy. 

Then the main cabin lights went out......quickest time ever!!! *

*Usually now I settle down to sleep after a bathroom visit, but I found myself watching episodes 2 and 3 of Chernobyl. We had all watched it when it was on tv, and had weirdly enjoyed it if that`s the right word. But, after 2 episodes, it was just too depressing to watch again. I tried to watch some of Christmas Vacation, but it`s not the same on the plane screen. 

So, as Kyle had now settled down to sleep, I put my eye mask on and pulled the blanket over me.......I fully reclined the seat as we had no one behind us, and fully expected the man in front of me to recline, but he didn`t which game me even more room. *
*
Tom didn`t really recline much either. I saw he was still watching a movie when I went to sleep, I guessed he`d sleep later. 
*
*When I woke up we had more or less crossed the Atlantic and they were putting the main lights back on.....guess it was time to wake up.......*














*Breakfast was making it`s way round the cabin and it was the worst breakfast I had ever seen with Virgin. *

*It was a cold oatmeal which was solid.....I wouldn`t eat that anyway.....although the tea was pleasant. *















*I didn`t have my glasses on so I couldn`t see what the little bottle was......turns out it was a beet drink with pomegranate, lime and black pepper....it was gross. I thought it was a regular juice. Won`t make that mistake again!! *

*The other item was a roll with bacon it......it was tiny and certainly not like any roll with bacon I`ve ever made!!! But, it filled a hunger gap.  *


























*I got up to go the bathroom when the trays had been cleared and met my husband there.....we had a brief chat as there was a little line, then we got back in our seats to prepare for landing which was about half an hour away now.......*

*And this as our view as we came into the UK. *
















*Another smooth landing which is always nice apparently.....I don`t mind a bit of a rumble and a jolt......but it was very smooth and we taxied straight to the gate which was unusual too. We were also 30 minutes early. It had been a very good flight. *
*
Everyone around jumped straight up as the seat belt sign went off, and eventually so did we as it is quite good to stand up. 
*
*The airbridge didn`t seem to be moving towards us which was a concern, as it`s usually fairly quick. Then the pilot announced they couldn`t move it as they had discovered a bag that had been left unattended on it and were waiting for the bomb squad!!!! And we had landed so early........we all groaned and thought we would be here for hours. 

But, it was only maybe 20 minutes till we saw it moving forward and being attached to the aircraft. We waved to the CC lady we knew as she was further up the plane in economy and we stepped off the plane to feel the chill of the UK morning. Welcome to the UK. *

*Going through Passport control took seconds, it`s all automated and facial recognition, so we all got through and down to pick up our luggage which of course took a while today. 

This is never fun. And today some man told his two young kids to wait for the luggage.....they must have been about six and seven......and boy did they get in folks way. Eventually one man went to find a staff member and told the man to keep his kids away from the carousel. It really doesn`t need a lot of brains to realise kids and heavy luggage don`t go together. Happens every time. *

*Eventually our luggage came through, all three together, and we had to wait longer for my extra case....but it did come through finally. At least they are all here which is something we`re always grateful for. 

We head for the elevators to take us up to the level we can walk to the Radisson for breakfast, and these are always a scrum....but we make it up and see that the elevators to take us up to the level we need to be to walk to the Radisson are down to one and there is a huge line to use them. *

*I say to Tom I`ll check the website to see when they stop breakfast as we had been so delayed with the luggage, so I go into ny bag to find my glasses......I can`t see my glasses.......I last used my glasses to watch Chernobyl......I put my glasses in the pocket in front of me......my glasses are still in the seat pocket in front of me!!!! Darn it!!! 

Without my glasses I can`t read or worse...…use the internet!!!! *
*
I say to Tom I`ll contact Virgin as soon as we get home, but he heads back upstairs on the escalator to ask at the Virgin desk there who we contact for lost property.....the girl says what seat was she in and makes a call to see if she can catch anyone still on the plane. 
*
*She contacted one member of staff who deals with assistance passengers and informed her she would be heading back to the plane in about 10 mins and would see if they were there!! 

About 15 minutes later, he appeared down the escalator with my glasses in hand!!! Thank goodness!!! We were so grateful to them for doing that for us, they of course deal with that day in day out and said it was no problem, but it saved us some bother trying to get them back. *
*
Of course now we had missed breakfast, so we just bought three bacon rolls from the coffee place in the terminal and sat and ate them there. Then we wandered down to the Radisson where our car service was going to be picking us up. 
*
*A quick bathroom visit then called her to let her know we were there, and even though we were early, she was almost there and about 10 minutes later, we saw her pull up outside. 

It was cold. *
*
But, we all fell asleep in the car going home and I slept for almost three hours in the car after chatting for a while with our driver. And then we were home safe and sound. 
*
*The usual followed........empty out all suitcases on the floor near the washing machine and I put the first load on before I made us a big mug of tea. Kyle said he was going to bed for a couple of hours......he still had the rest of the week off and the weekend of course which was nice he didn`t have to rush back to work, but he looked shattered and said not to wake him he`d come down when he woke up naturally. 

We sorted out the laundry, sorted out all our purchases and sent an email off to our friend to let him know we were home safe. Then we just lazed on the sofa and opened up all our mail that had gathered while we were away. *

*Kyle came down around 6.30pm and they went for pizza for him and Tom and I got a lovely hot and spicy curry from our favourite Indian Restaurant......and it was lovely. Along with a nice bottle of wine. I think we lasted till around 11pm before we went to bed. And we spoke most of the evening about what a lovely trip it had been. We really and truly had the best time. *









*FINAL THOUGHTS*
​*This trip was so special for several reasons. First of course was the time we get to spend with our son once a year. We are genuinely thrilled he still wants to spend some of his vacation time with us oldies......but we`ll take it while we can. Life is busy for him with work and one thing and another so yes, we consider ourselves lucky to still be able to enjoy this time with him in Orlando. *

*There are always highlights, and we have so many......of course just being at RP, Universal and in Florida is special enough, but we`re always so lucky to spend time with many people we have known for a long time and some newer friends of course. 

KSC is a stand out for all of us, especially Kyle who is very much into Space and the exploration work that is going on out there. I`m secretly worried if the chance came up for a civilian to make the journey to Mars, he`d be off like a rocket.....no pun intended of course!!!! But, the day there is just the best!!! *

*The hotel of course makes us so welcome and we value everyone there so much. It really does have a family feel about it and we feel so comfortable there and at Sapphire too. There are so many people there we care an awful lot about and it`s always so lovely to see them each trip. I`m glad we can keep in touch with so many of them too. We cannot thank them all enough for how special we are made to feel. 

The parks of course we LOVE!!!! And being there for the holidays is lovely.....there is so much going on between the Parade and light show as well as all the everyday Holiday events, it`s hard to not love it. *

*Kyle getting on Hagrid`s was a gem!!!! We so wanted him to experience it this trip and he loved it......and by pure fluke there was no wait. Excellent. 

Restaurants of course, we loved them all!!! There were some stand out ones as always, but nothing was disappointing and we enjoyed ourselves immensely eating out around Orlando. *

*Meeting up with friends is always lovely, and we managed to have a Dis Meet with J`aime Paris again, and that was just lovely.......also meeting up again with the Australian family was very special. We look forward to meeting up with them again in the future and for now we`ll keep in touch by email. Everyone laughs we don`t have Facebook.....nope.....never will have it either. Emails work just fine. 

We missed meeting up with the lovely Keishashadow and her lovely husband this trip.......but I`m sure we`ll manage it another time. 

Virgin Atlantic flights, we cannot fault. We may pay more for them, but they are worth it and we always enjy our time on their planes. *

*Coming home was the only down side. But, that`s never fun for anyone.......

Our next trip is May where we have 23 nights at Sapphire Falls booked, then in September we have 26 nights booked with a few nights at Sapphire Falls before moving over to RPR for the remainder of the trip. *
*
And last but not least.........Kyle has agreed to come back with us for two weeks in the end of the year again!!! Yes, we have two weeks at RPR for the Holidays again........it`ll be a Nov/Dec trip and yes, 14 nights this time.......he is taking 3 weeks off of work so he has some time after as well. We are really excited he wants to join us again for some Holiday fun!!!! 
*
*So, we booked our flights a few days ago and got some good Premium seats again.......so another countdown for that trip. 

But, I want to again Thank you so much for all the lovely and very kind comments along the way. *
*
*
*I write these trip report as a memento of our trips primarily. And one of the nicest outcomes is when folks post how they have found some useful info along the way......or how they tried somewhere they may not have tried before......it`s always lovely to read that. And it means a lot to read the comments from you along the way. It is lovely to know I`m not talking to myself and that  some people do enjoy them. 

So, again.....THANK YOU SO MUCH ❤...….It means such a lot to read the comments.......*

*Hope to see you on the May TR.....which should be coming up real soon........*


----------



## I-4Bound

Another terrific trip report! Such an enjoyable read, as always. We're heading out mid week for a long weekend trip before our passes expire, and we're all getting excited! Bring on the ice cream!


----------



## FoodieFriend

Thank you so much for your wonderful trip report! Christmas is a wonderful time to visit the parks. I was inspired by you to try RPR for the first time in Dec & we did enjoy it's proximity to the parks. But for our next visit in '21, you've inspired me to attempt to drive the Orlando area therefore we won't be staying on property during our time visiting Universal. Especially because there's 5 of us traveling this time instead of the usual party of 3, I think we'll save a bit by trying the car rental thing. We'll see! I'll be re-reading your trip reports for tips on off property dining in the Universal area.


----------



## JaxDad

Thanks for another awesome trip report! I hope we can meet up again in May. It looks like I’ll be in DC most of the week of the 25th, but otherwise I should be around. Cheers!


----------



## J'aime Paris

Just an AWESOME trip report Carole!!!!!!!!!!!!!  The time and effort you put into these TR's is appreciated by many


And....You had Wisconsin White Cheddar cheese on your flight back home


----------



## schumigirl

I-4Bound said:


> Another terrific trip report! Such an enjoyable read, as always. We're heading out mid week for a long weekend trip before our passes expire, and we're all getting excited! Bring on the ice cream!



Thanks Andrea.......I’m glad you enjoyed it!

And you have a trip next week!! That is fabulous.......hope you have a fabulous trip and yes, enjoy that ice cream!!


----------



## schumigirl

FoodieFriend said:


> Thank you so much for your wonderful trip report! Christmas is a wonderful time to visit the parks. I was inspired by you to try RPR for the first time in Dec & we did enjoy it's proximity to the parks. But for our next visit in '21, you've inspired me to attempt to drive the Orlando area therefore we won't be staying on property during our time visiting Universal. Especially because there's 5 of us traveling this time instead of the usual party of 3, I think we'll save a bit by trying the car rental thing. We'll see! I'll be re-reading your trip reports for tips on off property dining in the Universal area.



I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed your trip, and delighted you’re going to spread your wings some more!!

There is so much to see out there beyond the parks, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it a lot. 

Thank you so much for your lovely comments along the way, and hope to see you on the next one too


----------



## schumigirl

JaxDad said:


> Thanks for another awesome trip report! I hope we can meet up again in May. It looks like I’ll be in DC most of the week of the 25th, but otherwise I should be around. Cheers!



Yep, hope we can meet up again too!! 

We arrive May 4th and leave the 27th, so we will be going to St Augustine at some point. Looking forward to it already.......

And thank you, always glad to hear you enjoyed reading along...


----------



## schumigirl

J'aime Paris said:


> Just an AWESOME trip report Carole!!!!!!!!!!!!!  The time and effort you put into these TR's is appreciated by many
> 
> 
> And....You had Wisconsin White Cheddar cheese on your flight back home



lol......I did think of you when I saw that cheese.........

Thanks Lori.......I’m so happy you enjoyed it, and thank you for your lovely comments along the way.......always enjoyed reading them......


----------



## smiths02

Thank you for the great report, as usual!  We leave for a week at Portofino in two weeks, so I think May/June, so I might be emotionally ready to read your next report by then!


----------



## Minnie17

Carole, thank you for taking the time to write such lovely trip reports.  It gives me such a nice escape from my normal day to day.  You write so nicely and the pictures are nothing short of fantastic.  Looking forward to the next report!


----------



## schumigirl

smiths02 said:


> Thank you for the great report, as usual!  We leave for a week at Portofino in two weeks, so I think May/June, so I might be emotionally ready to read your next report by then!



Oh I hear you ...….and your trip is in 2 weeks!!!

I`m sure you`ll have the best time and it should be a little warmer by then than it has been recently.....

Thank you, I`m happy you enjoyed it, and thank you for joining along with it, always happy to see your posts......see you on the next one hopefully.....and have a wonderful trip......


----------



## schumigirl

Minnie17 said:


> Carole, thank you for taking the time to write such lovely trip reports.  It gives me such a nice escape from my normal day to day.  You write so nicely and the pictures are nothing short of fantastic.  Looking forward to the next report!



You are so welcome Minnie17...….I am so happy to read that you enjoyed it so much...….

And thank you for your lovely comments along the way, I`ve enjoyed seeing your posts.….and yes, look forward to seeing you on the May trip report......


----------



## Owlpost23

Always an enjoyable read,Carole! Really appreciate the time and effort you put into your reports-they're a nice little treat,so thank you!


----------



## schumigirl

Owlpost23 said:


> Always an enjoyable read,Carole! Really appreciate the time and effort you put into your reports-they're a nice little treat,so thank you!



Thanks so much Owlpost…....

I do love writing them, so it`s a lot of fun for me too, but so glad you enjoyed it...….

And hope to see you on the May one too.......


----------



## crabbymom

Lovely report Carole, as always!  I am in the same boat with my older boys, so happy when they want to vacation with me!  The youngest and I are heading to Portofino on Friday, since she's only 8 I have a bit of time left with her.  This will be both of our first time at Mardi Gras so I am hoping she gets picked to ride on a float!


----------



## mnmmoney

Just a quick THANK YOU for all the time you put into these reports - a big fan!


----------



## Tink2Day

I had to take a few moments (days)to comment. 
Another wonderful trip report, cannot WAIT until the next report starts.

Always love the photos (those from your Ipad weren't bad at all), food, family and fun in all of your reports.


----------



## Vicki Rickerd

schumigirl said:


> Without my glasses I can`t read or worse




I think I resemble the "or worse" part of that statement.

Not sure who is more disappointed when your trip ends, you or us, your readers. You bring so much life to every report and I plan to put your tips to good use this trip. I am not forgetting my book this time. 

Cannot wait until you start your pre-trip report for March.


----------



## Squirlz

Glad your trip home went well.  It was good to see you guys again!


----------



## macraven

I always look forward to your trip reports 

I’m your biggest fan!

(not to be confused with the actress in the 1990 Misery movie )


----------



## Elsaspiritanimal

Thank you for another great report! I love all the detail and heart you put into them. I so look forward to your May report and am happy you had a wonderful time with your family.


----------



## luvdisdogs

Thank you for another wonderful trip report!


----------



## schumigirl

crabbymom said:


> Lovely report Carole, as always!  I am in the same boat with my older boys, so happy when they want to vacation with me!  The youngest and I are heading to Portofino on Friday, since she's only 8 I have a bit of time left with her.  This will be both of our first time at Mardi Gras so I am hoping she gets picked to ride on a float!



Thanks crabbymom......isn’t it the best when they still want to join us!!! We love it......

Oh I do hope she gets to ride a float this year! She’ll have so much fun......and yes, they grow up so quickly.....

Have a wonderful time at Mardi Gras and Portofino too, it’s such a beautiful hotel......and thank you, I’m so glad you enjoyed reading along........see you on the next one hopefully......


----------



## schumigirl

mnmmoney said:


> Just a quick THANK YOU for all the time you put into these reports - a big fan!



mnmmoney........and thank you too!!!

I love writing them and always glad to read your comments......look forward to seeing you on the next one hopefully.......


----------



## schumigirl

Tink2Day said:


> I had to take a few moments (days)to comment.
> Another wonderful trip report, cannot WAIT until the next report starts.
> 
> Always love the photos (those from your Ipad weren't bad at all), food, family and fun in all of your reports.



awwww........Thank you!!!

I‘ve so enjoyed your comments along the way and I’m thrilled you enjoyed it so much.......

I think I’m so spoiled with high quality pictures from Tom, I’m terribly critical of any other pictures.......I think my phone takes better pictures, but still nowhere near as good as his......I see them as grainy and not as defined.......but, yes, I’m being picky!

Next trip report is just around the corner and I’ll be thrilled to see you there too.......


----------



## schumigirl

Vicki Rickerd said:


> I think I resemble the "or worse" part of that statement.
> 
> Not sure who is more disappointed when your trip ends, you or us, your readers. You bring so much life to every report and I plan to put your tips to good use this trip. I am not forgetting my book this time.
> 
> Cannot wait until you start your pre-trip report for March.




lol......you and me both!!!

Awww, thank you too Vicki.......your comments are so kind.....and yes, don‘t forget your little book this time!!

Have a wonderful trip, hope you have the best time.......oh, we don’t go till May this year.......it seems so far away this time.....

Have so much fun.........


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> I always look forward to your trip reports
> 
> I’m your biggest fan!
> 
> (not to be confused with the actress in the 1990 Misery movie )





Now I did splurt my tea out reading that......and yes, I could hear Kathy Bates say that in my head, in that scary tone before I read your last line....

She is just the best actress!! I just watched her this morning in an episode we had on the dvr of Mike and Molly.....she was funny on it. I miss that show.......

But, as always I’m so happy to read you enjoyed reading along, I always appreciate your lovely comments.......thank you!!!

I do look forward to seeing your posts on the May one......I think I really need to do a pre trip as it seems SO far away right now......


----------



## schumigirl

Elsaspiritanimal said:


> Thank you for another great report! I love all the detail and heart you put into them. I so look forward to your May report and am happy you had a wonderful time with your family.



Elsaspiritanimal........my auto correct goes crazy with your name......you should see some of the things it changes it too......lol.......

Yes, we did have the best time and it’ll be strange being there in May without him again.......but it‘ll still be lovely I’m sure. 

Thank you so much, I do appreciate each and every one of your comments and yes, I look forward to seeing you on the May trip too......


----------



## schumigirl

luvdisdogs said:


> Thank you for another wonderful trip report!



And thank you too luvdisdogs........I’m glad to read you enjoyed it and look forward to the next trip too, hope to see you there.....

My autocorrect is going crazy today!! Took me four attempts for it to accept your username too!!!


----------



## acndis

Carole,

Another wonderful report!  Can't wait until May.  We were at UO in December, too.  We were able to go to Hot and Juicy on your recommendation and it is now a 'must-do' for every trip.  Thanks again for the reports and the wonderful pics.


----------



## tammy

What a wonderful report.  I enjoyed every second.  I totally agree with you about Kyle still wanting to vacation with you guys, I mean, who wouldn't  my adult son stills enjoying traveling with me and now he has his own family which makes it even more special to me.   I can't wait for your next vacation.  Thank you so much for sharing, we really appreciate it!


----------



## schumigirl

acndis said:


> Carole,
> 
> Another wonderful report!  Can't wait until May.  We were at UO in December, too.  We were able to go to Hot and Juicy on your recommendation and it is now a 'must-do' for every trip.  Thanks again for the reports and the wonderful pics.



I’m so glad you loved Hot n Juicy!! It is so good......we missed it in December as Kyle isn’t a pull the heads off of shrimp kind of guy.....lol.......but we’ll be there in May again.

I‘m so happy you enjoyed reading, and as always thank you for your lovely comments too......they do all mean a lot......


----------



## kbelle8995

Really love your trip reports.  Really loved the photo with the xmas ornaments.  I came home with five.  Yeah, I'm a Christmasoholic


----------



## schumigirl

tammy said:


> What a wonderful report.  I enjoyed every second.  I totally agree with you about Kyle still wanting to vacation with you guys, I mean, who wouldn't  my adult son stills enjoying traveling with me and now he has his own family which makes it even more special to me.   I can't wait for your next vacation.  Thank you so much for sharing, we really appreciate it!



Oh it is the best feeling when they still want to share travels and vacation time.......and having your son and his family travel with you too must be wonderful!!! It is such a joy!

Yep, next trip is just around the corner......We are looking forward to it a lot........and thank you too for all the lovely comments along the way. They really are always lovely to read and I do enjoy them all.....


----------



## schumigirl

kbelle8995 said:


> Really love your trip reports.  Really loved the photo with the xmas ornaments.  I came home with five.  Yeah, I'm a Christmasoholic



lol.......we need to start a Christmasoholic support group.......I don’t really think there’s a cure though 

Thanks so much......I’m glad to read you enjoyed this one too......and it’s been so lovely to read your comments along the way too.........


----------



## angryduck71

I FINALLY caught up.  Now, need to work on mine!  But, finishing yours was more of a priority for me.  <3



schumigirl said:


> It was quite the sight if I`m honest. And everyone that was in the store had stopped and were openly watching this woman rant to her rather embarrassed looking husband.....who had a Harry Potter robe on.....so I`m guessing he was a fan!!!


She sounds like my ex-husband.  One of the reasons he's my ex.  



schumigirl said:


> I wish we had taken a plane picture as it had the Millenium Falcon design on it....not a big thing for me, but they liked it.


You failed me!!!   

Can't wait for you to go back (because it means it's time for me to too!).  Love your reports!!!


----------



## schumigirl

angryduck71 said:


> I FINALLY caught up.  Now, need to work on mine!  But, finishing yours was more of a priority for me.  <3
> 
> 
> She sounds like my ex-husband.  One of the reasons he's my ex.
> 
> 
> You failed me!!!
> 
> Can't wait for you to go back (because it means it's time for me to too!).  Love your reports!!!



Thanks Alice........I know how busy you have been recently.......yes, you have a good excuse for lapsing on your report for a while......lol......you’re forgiven!!

Oh you know me and Star Wars I’ll find a picture on Google of it for you.......

Yep......May will be here before we know it.......and because of you.......we’ll be venturing back into Disney property 

I‘ll be singing the Lion King next....... nah.....maybe not!!! Jk.......looking forward to our meal together........

And thanks also for your comments along the way......always appreciate them........


----------



## schumigirl

@angryduck71 just for you…...

Yes, a few folks were quite annoyed with me that I didn't get the picture......





Pic from Google.


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> Yep......May will be here before we know it.......and because of you.......we’ll be venturing back into Disney property


Lol if you do it right it may just turn you to the (Star Wars) dark side 

believe you are visitng one of my favorite ‘home away from homes’, animal Kingdom jambo?

Make sure to time your visit to enjoy the savannas & stroll through the hundreds of African exhibits of true museum quality


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Lol if you do it right it may just turn you to the (Star Wars) dark side
> 
> believe you are visitng one of my favorite ‘home away from homes’, animal Kingdom jambo?
> 
> Make sure to time your visit to enjoy the savannas & stroll through the hundreds of African exhibits of true museum quality



lol......doubt it......I’m too far gone.....I just wished I even remotely liked SW!!! Tom would love it.......

Yes, we are and looking forward to it. I think Alice and her son have plans after lunch, so we’ll definitely have a good wander round everything. It was 2007 we last visited it, but it was a very short visit as we were just dropping off my cousin who was staying there.....to be honest I barely remember it.

There does seem to be a lot to take pictures of for sure


----------



## angryduck71

schumigirl said:


> Yep......May will be here before we know it.......and because of you.......we’ll be venturing back into Disney property



I will attempt to kidnap Tom for some Star Wars time at DHS!


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

I can't believe your trip is over already!!!  
But I'm glad next years trip with Kyle will be two weeks long!!! 
I have Kyle's chocolate cake count at 17  (I counted that last one even if it wasn't a true cake, it was 4 large pieces of chocolate dessert)... He did good!!!! Now he has something to beat next year!!! 

Thank you for taking us all along on your family vacation!!! I can't wait to read all about your March trip!!!!


----------



## schumigirl

angryduck71 said:


> I will attempt to kidnap Tom for some Star Wars time at DHS!



lol......he thinks he’d like it if it was based on the original SW movies....he’s lost interest since he’s heard friends views on it who have been to see it.......shame. 

He did remind me though how I was once chased by Chewbacca....we were in DLP the year it opened, 1992. We were getting married in the September so as a surprise for me, he booked us a week in Paris as an early wedding present, so two and a half of those days we spent in DLP.

We came off of Star Tours and I saw this big hairy thing that looked like a decoration on the walkway out......yes, you know what’s coming......he raised his arms and bellowed or whatever wookie things do  I screamed and took off like a bat out of hell......I could really run back then and the darn thing chased after me!!! Tom had collapsed in a heap laughing and couldn’t move!!!

Maybe that added to why I don’t like SW......


----------



## angryduck71

schumigirl said:


> We came off of Star Tours and I saw this big hairy thing that looked like a decoration on the walkway out......yes, you know what’s coming......he raised his arms and bellowed or whatever wookie things do  I screamed and took off like a bat out of hell......I could really run back then and the darn thing chased after me!!! Tom had collapsed in a heap laughing and couldn’t move!!!
> 
> Maybe that added to why I don’t like SW......



The thought of this made my day!!!  LOL!!!


----------



## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> I can't believe your trip is over already!!!
> But I'm glad next years trip with Kyle will be two weeks long!!!
> I have Kyle's chocolate cake count at 17  (I counted that last one even if it wasn't a true cake, it was 4 large pieces of chocolate dessert)... He did good!!!! Now he has something to beat next year!!!
> 
> Thank you for taking us all along on your family vacation!!! I can't wait to read all about your March trip!!!!



17 

That is a lot of chocolate cakes!!! Yes, I’d have counted those desserts as one too!! Glad you kept count, thanks for that.....we lost count at 4!!!

Yes, two weeks in December......and I’ll bet he smashes that count of 17!!!

I am so glad you enjoyed it, and I’ve loved your comments along the way  

So, May is just around the corner...... no March trip this year as I’m such a wimp with the cooler temps!!! But, look forward to seeing you there too I hope.......and thank you once again......


----------



## schumigirl

angryduck71 said:


> The thought of this made my day!!!  LOL!!!



lol......I was glad it was the days before cell phones with cameras.......


----------



## keishashadow

There’s lots to do at AKV to occupy a week, let alone a day 

Millennium Falcon ride is good fun, akin to an interactive video game.

ROTR is all that and a bag of chips!  My expectations are always set ridiculously high when any park rolls out a new attraction. Let’s just say I didn’t swing hard enough imagining how ROTR would be set up.  Not once but twice was I utterly dumb-struck by the illusions. Still can’t get over it. 

There’s lots of hoop jumping & greeting of the dawn to experience it at this point in time. IMO  time well spent the two times I was fortunate to experience it.  For those who are accustomed to ROTL via onsite at Universal, well, it could invoke a different experience no matter if fans of the franchise or not.  

One of the things I do like is how it’s set up now to obtain a boarding group in order to ride.  All guests who enter the park on any given day (locals, onsite guests, etc.) currently have the same chance to score a boarding group as long as they do a bit of research and follow the hints. Once the SW hotel opens up with it’s immersive experience, hate to think it will impact the availability of current time slots.



schumigirl said:


> he raised his arms and bellowed or whatever wookie things do  I screamed and took off like a bat out of hell......I could really run back then


Aw, he just wanted to share some Wookiee luv, via a hug. Are you sure you don’t have a picture to share?  Heck, turn that encounter into a tour and it’d set you back a couple of hundred $ to be so up close & personal these days.


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> There’s lots to do at AKV to occupy a week, let alone a day
> 
> Millennium Falcon ride is good fun, akin to an interactive video game.
> 
> ROTR is all that and a bag of chips!  My expectations are always set ridiculously high when any park rolls out a new attraction. Let’s just say I didn’t swing hard enough imagining how ROTR would be set up.  Not once but twice was I utterly dumb-struck by the illusions. Still can’t get over it.
> 
> There’s lots of hoop jumping & greeting of the dawn to experience it at this point in time. IMO  time well spent the two times I was fortunate to experience it.  For those who are accustomed to ROTL via onsite at Universal, well, it could invoke a different experience no matter if fans of the franchise or not.
> 
> One of the things I do like is how it’s set up now to obtain a boarding group in order to ride.  All guests who enter the park on any given day (locals, onsite guests, etc.) currently have the same chance to score a boarding group as long as they do a bit of research and follow the hints. Once the SW hotel opens up with it’s immersive experience, hate to think it will impact the availability of current time slots.
> 
> 
> Aw, he just wanted to share some Wookiee luv, via a hug. Are you sure you don’t have a picture to share?  Heck, turn that encounter into a tour and it’d set you back a couple of hundred $ to be so up close & personal these days.



Now, the Star Wars hotel may pique his interest......even I think that will be something special.....although in my mind I’m picturing the Enterprise from Star Trek Next Generation......I know it’s not, but how I imagine it. ROTR does sound amazing but just not enough for him to want to go.....although you do make it sound fun!!!

Well, it was in 1992 so cameras were real.....the ones we had to get developed.....gosh remember those days!!!!  But, we just didn’t take the same amount of pictures back then, and me running away I’d probably have the camera in my bag........yes, experiences like that are priceless. 

We have thousands of pictures up in the attic all in boxes.....must get them down and have a rumble through. Will take forever I imagine!!


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

schumigirl said:


> no March trip this year



No March trip???    You should try it at least once!!! I've heard March is warmer than December!!!


----------



## schumigirl

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> No March trip???    You should try it at least once!!! I've heard March is warmer than December!!!



We visited during March in 2018 and 2019. And we did have fun on both trips, MG was fun, but not as big a draw for us as things like HHN and Christmas.....

But, some nights and mornings in March were just a little too cool for us..... We don’t want to be wearing jackets on our trips. 

So instead of going for 14 nights in March, then 14 nights in May again.....we extended our May trip to 23 nights. Would have been a few nights longer but a close friends daughter is getting married a few days after we get home now, and I’ve known this young lady since she was days old, so couldn’t miss her wedding.

Don’t laugh I did try to convince her to have it in Florida so we could see them married then fly home......lol......she declined my kind advice.....


----------



## macraven

schumigirl said:


> We visited during March in 2018 and 2019. And we did have fun on both trips, MG was fun, but not as big a draw for us as things like HHN and Christmas.....
> 
> So instead of going for 14 nights in March, then 14 nights in May again.....we extended our May trip to 23 nights. Would have been a few nights longer but a close friends daughter is getting married a few days after we get home now, and I’ve known this young lady since she was days old, so couldn’t miss her wedding.


You will better weather in May than in March
And, crowds will be less 

You have been at the Darkside for most of all months in the year

I always found May to be great

The big question I have, which new eateries are you going to try this year?


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> You will better weather in May than in March
> And, crowds will be less
> 
> You have been at the Darkside for most of all months in the year
> 
> I always found May to be great
> 
> The big question I have, which new eateries are you going to try this year?



Oh absolutely agree with you......May is fabulous!! This will be our third May in a row and we’ve enjoyed the weather a lot during our time there.

You know us so well!!! We always like to wander off site for many of our meals, and we may have one or two lined up for May, and as always a few old favourites........there’s a couple on Sand Lake Rd we’d like to visit. Main one is Roy’s and the other is a sushi place we haven’t tried yet. But, of course there are so many, we are spoiled for choice!!! 

Also looking at a few new towns to visit.......may finally get to visit Sarasota.....


----------



## Elsaspiritanimal

schumigirl said:


> Oh absolutely agree with you......May is fabulous!! This will be our third May in a row and we’ve enjoyed the weather a lot during our time there.
> 
> You know us so well!!! We always like to wander off site for many of our meals, and we may have one or two lined up for May, and as always a few old favourites........there’s a couple on Sand Lake Rd we’d like to visit. Main one is Roy’s and the other is a sushi place we haven’t tried yet. But, of course there are so many, we are spoiled for choice!!!
> 
> Also looking at a few new towns to visit.......may finally get to visit Sarasota.....


Oh if you head down that direction be sure to check out Anna Maria Island! There are some fabulous places on the beach (I adored the Sandbar restaurant). Plus there is an awesome little customize your donut place where you can choose the frosting and toppings on these little cake donuts fresh out of the fryer.


----------



## schumigirl

Elsaspiritanimal said:


> Oh if you head down that direction be sure to check out Anna Maria Island! There are some fabulous places on the beach (I adored the Sandbar restaurant). Plus there is an awesome little customize your donut place where you can choose the frosting and toppings on these little cake donuts fresh out of the fryer.



Oh I do like the sound of that.

It does look so beautiful down there and yes I do know Anna Maria Island. Friends have gone and said it’s so beautiful. I’ve heard of the Sandbar restaurant........

We do keep meaning to go further down that way, but, end up not going where we plan......lol......we do that a lot!!

But, thanks for the tip.....always good to hear suggestions.......hope you’re doing ok......


----------



## macraven

Sorry if I am off track asking here instead of sending you a pm (hate to get your thread off track) but is the next trip when you do the day at St Augustine?

Would enjoy pictures of that area if it is on your tentative plans


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> Sorry if I am off track asking here instead of sending you a pm (hate to get your thread off track) but is the next trip when you do the day at St Augustine?
> 
> Would enjoy pictures of that area if it is on your tentative plans



Yes, we do plan to visit St Augustine......you know how much we love it there and hopefully we can meet up with the lovely Jaxdad again.......we had a lovely meet with him last year after many visits and not managing to coordinate a meet......but, we get there eventually......

It is such a beautiful place to take pictures of........


----------



## macraven

Squirlz said:


> I'm still wondering who Mr. Beiderman is?


I thought you stayed at RP regularly?
He is the GM of that hotel 

Let’s move on about Schumi’s trip report
Hope they do include St Augustine in the next trip report !  It’s a fascinating city 
Wish she was going sooner than May


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> I thought you stayed at RP regularly?
> He is the GM of that hotel
> 
> Let’s move on about Schumi’s trip report
> Hope they do include St Augustine in the next trip report !  It’s a fascinating city
> Wish she was going sooner than May



Thank you mac.......


----------



## macraven

Squirlz said:


> Oh I do!  Why would that be something a guest would normally know?


Larry Beiderman’s name is written/signed on all the reservation confirmations

Since you have stayed at RP, I assume you have read your confirming bookings

I have asked you earlier to move on from changing the theme of this present trip report

Chit chat like this takes away readers away from the theme of the ongoing report


----------



## Tink2Day

So, the big question is, will Tom pick up the mantle of the Chocolate Cake quest in honor of Kyle or will we have to wait until December to see that
yet again? Enquiring Minds need to know.   I'll miss the photo bombs but can't wait til the new report/trip starts.


----------



## macraven

Now I remember Schumi telling us in her pre trip report that her son loves chocolate cake and they planned to make sure Kyle has cake everyday 

Some of us sent her a pm on places where they could get cake at RP hotel or in the parks  for the many days for him
 Parts of schumi’s reports is discussing food and I believe she asked all of us where can they surprise her son Kyle with chocolate cake
He Was getting cake each day and would photo bomb her pictures showing the cake he had

made all the readers laugh when we saw Kyle photo bomber her with cake in his hand

she wrote in the pre trip report they had to find all the places at UO to surprise her son
Schumi has told us she will not eat chocolate cake as it Is not her thing  but needs to find it for her Kyle  
Being the food mom she did take the family to eateries off site so she could surprise him with the cake he loved 

believe quite a few answered her question and I assume Kyle had his chocolate most every day

Tink2day my guess is that Tom her husband will be the provider or the searcher for their 23 days of cake for Kyle on their May trip

with Carole/Schumigirl. She adores her son and told him he could  have all
The  chocolate cake he could eat as long as she did not have to eat any of it hahahahaha

She has already posted in this pressnt report  Next trip in May Kyle will be joining them again
So that will be the trip of Kyle having 23 days of cake 
Each trip she Shares with us is about food they must have, new places they will go to in Florida and the peeps they meet

trips are fun to share with your friends
And it gives us ideas where to go for the best chocolate cake 
Lol

Tink2 day you will have to keep reading her reports on how she tops the next trip for son in the May vacation in three search for choc cake


----------



## schumigirl

Tink2Day said:


> So, the big question is, will Tom pick up the mantle of the Chocolate Cake quest in honor of Kyle or will we have to wait until December to see that
> yet again? Enquiring Minds need to know.   I'll miss the photo bombs but can't wait til the new report/trip starts.





Thank you.....your post made me lol.......glad I wasn’t sipping tea!!!

I’m not sure Tom has the stomach for all those chocolate cakes......but will give it his best shot I‘m sure.........

Yep, come the Christmas trip Kyle will be looking to beat his record, which again won’t be too much of a challenge for him......I’m so glad we had a final count for this trip!!! 

I love the photobombs too!! I swear he did two and I never noticed until I uploaded them! We will definitely miss him on our May trip......thank you again Tink2Day....


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> Larry Beiderman’s name is written/signed on all the reservation confirmations
> 
> Since you have stayed at RP, I assume you have read your confirming bookings
> 
> I have asked you earlier to move on from changing the theme of this present trip report
> 
> Chit chat like this takes away readers away from the theme of the ongoing report



Thank you again macraven........


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> Now I remember Schumi telling us in her pre trip report that her son loves chocolate cake and they planned to make sure Kyle has cake everyday
> 
> Some of us sent her a pm on places where they could get cake at RP hotel or in the parks  for the many days for him
> Parts of schumi’s reports is discussing food and I believe she asked all of us where can they surprise her son Kyle with chocolate cake
> He Was getting cake each day and would photo bomb her pictures showing the cake he had
> 
> made all the readers laugh when we saw Kyle photo bomber her with cake in his hand
> 
> she wrote in the pre trip report they had to find all the places at UO to surprise her son
> Schumi has told us she will not eat chocolate cake as it Is not her thing  but needs to find it for her Kyle
> Being the food mom she did take the family to eateries off site so she could surprise him with the cake he loved
> 
> believe quite a few answered her question and I assume Kyle had his chocolate most every day
> 
> Tink2day my guess is that Tom her husband will be the provider or the searcher for their 23 days of cake for Kyle on their May trip
> 
> with Carole/Schumigirl. She adores her son and told him he could  have all
> The  chocolate cake he could eat as long as she did not have to eat any of it hahahahaha
> 
> She has already posted in this pressnt report  Next trip in May Kyle will be joining them again
> So that will be the trip of Kyle having 23 days of cake
> Each trip she Shares with us is about food they must have, new places they will go to in Florida and the peeps they meet
> 
> trips are fun to share with your friends
> And it gives us ideas where to go for the best chocolate cake
> Lol
> 
> Tink2 day you will have to keep reading her reports on how she tops the next trip for son in the May vacation in three search for choc cake



I love this post!!!

Yes, Kyle‘s chocolate cake habit has certainly been a running theme through this trip report........lol........that boy does love his cake!!! I’m so glad Tink2Day kept score as we lost count early on......

Yes, it’s so weird I don’t like it.......they both love it......but nope, not for me.......give me savoury snacks any day!

And yes, we’ll miss his photobombs in May.....but again, I’m sure he’ll find a few opportunities in December........and I think I found a new place for a new chocolate cake.

I can’t remember the poster but she sent me a pm telling me about the chocolate cake dessert at PF Chang’s.........got to be worth a try for the Holiday trip with Kyle....

Again, I’m so glad you enjoyed all the aspects of the trip report......I always enjoy reading your comments along the way......


----------



## jump00

Just finished Carole’s lovely trip report ....... always a little sad when it finishes.  It‘s such a wonderful read....... with amazing pictures and commentary.  I‘m so looking forward to our trip - 10 days in August/September.  Carole has given us some great suggestions for dining and......Hagrid’s will be our first ride!!! 
 Can’t wait for your next report!
Brenda


----------



## AprilDreamsOfDisney

Hello, Carole! I'm sorry I've not been here lately - a rather unexpected January left me unable to read here, but that's another story.
I'm all caught up and thrilled to read you'd been having a ball! You're such a vivid storyteller, Carole - I so enjoyed reading all the pages of updates and can't wait for more. 
Hope you're well!


----------



## schumigirl

jump00 said:


> Just finished Carole’s lovely trip report ....... always a little sad when it finishes.  It‘s such a wonderful read....... with amazing pictures and commentary.  I‘m so looking forward to our trip - 10 days in August/September.  Carole has given us some great suggestions for dining and......Hagrid’s will be our first ride!!!
> Can’t wait for your next report!
> Brenda



Thanks so much Brenda......

Yes, it`s kind of sad to finish, but means we`re closer to next trip, always a silver lining!!! 

It is weird how quickly Aug/Sept will come around......and your trip will be fabulous I`m sure......and by then hopefully Hagrid`s will be a little less troublesome and hopefully have EP!!! 

I also look forward to hearing where your dining choices will be......always very important decisions 

Again, thank you for your lovely comments along the way, it`s always lovely to se you post here, and will definitely hope to see you on the next one too...….


----------



## schumigirl

AprilDreamsOfDisney said:


> Hello, Carole! I'm sorry I've not been here lately - a rather unexpected January left me unable to read here, but that's another story.
> I'm all caught up and thrilled to read you'd been having a ball! You're such a vivid storyteller, Carole - I so enjoyed reading all the pages of updates and can't wait for more.
> Hope you're well!





April, I did wonder where you were!!!! Hope everything is ok with you though...…. We`re all fabulous thanks!!! 

Thank you so much April....I am so happy you enjoyed it so much, that always makes my day   and always delighted to see you here.

It` s so close to your trip now, it must be right around the corner for your visit to Orlando....how exciting!!!! And I`m definitely excited to hear all about your trip.....please post to let us know it went.......

Yes, new pre trip will be up and running soon, and will look out for you there .......take care


----------



## jump00

schumigirl said:


> Thanks so much Brenda......
> 
> Yes, it`s kind of sad to finish, but means we`re closer to next trip, always a silver lining!!!
> 
> It is weird how quickly Aug/Sept will come around......and your trip will be fabulous I`m sure......and by then hopefully Hagrid`s will be a little less troublesome and hopefully have EP!!!
> 
> I also look forward to hearing where your dining choices will be......always very important decisions
> 
> Again, thank you for your lovely comments along the way, it`s always lovely to se you post here, and will definitely hope to see you on the next one too...….


Thanks Carole!!!!


----------



## AprilDreamsOfDisney

Hello, Carole! I'm so sorry to have disappeared for the past several weeks - an unexpected January left me unable to read and comment (but that's another story for another time!)
I'm all caught up now and can't believe your whole report is finished. What a lovely trip you've had, and so special with Kyle along for the time with you and Tom. You have such an ability to tell a story, Carole - accompanied by the photos, what a beautiful picture you paint of family time in your favourite place.
Of course, I'm sad it's all over but I'll be along for the May trip -it's so long until you're there again! Perhaps you have another trip in mind in between your Universal trips? I imagine we'd all vote for you to post those trip reports, too (we all enjoy your reports so much!)

I'm off in March to RPR and Universal, all thanks to you! Perhaps I'll post some photos and try my hand at a trip report as you continue to inspire me and I'm so grateful.

Thanks again, Carole (and Tom!) for a wonderful trip report!


----------



## macraven

2/08/2020

Dis Daily Update thread of the day


----------



## schumigirl

AprilDreamsOfDisney said:


> Hello, Carole! I'm so sorry to have disappeared for the past several weeks - an unexpected January left me unable to read and comment (but that's another story for another time!)
> I'm all caught up now and can't believe your whole report is finished. What a lovely trip you've had, and so special with Kyle along for the time with you and Tom. You have such an ability to tell a story, Carole - accompanied by the photos, what a beautiful picture you paint of family time in your favourite place.
> Of course, I'm sad it's all over but I'll be along for the May trip -it's so long until you're there again! Perhaps you have another trip in mind in between your Universal trips? I imagine we'd all vote for you to post those trip reports, too (we all enjoy your reports so much!)
> 
> I'm off in March to RPR and Universal, all thanks to you! Perhaps I'll post some photos and try my hand at a trip report as you continue to inspire me and I'm so grateful.
> 
> Thanks again, Carole (and Tom!) for a wonderful trip report!



We really did have a wonderful trip. I think it helps we all really enjoy each other’s company!!!

We have a 5 day visit to Scotland planned for March. Spending some time with family for a birthday celebration and seeing some friends......and enjoying our favourite Spa Hotel up there.

Oh you should do a trip report, I’d love to read that!! I’d love to see your pictures too.......

I really hope your trip is a huge success!! And I certainly hope you enjoy RP as much as we do......and again, thank you too April for all your lovely words long the way......always a pleasure to read.....look forward to reading about your trip, and seeing you on the May trip report too........


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> 2/08/2020
> 
> Dis Daily Update thread of the day



Nice!!!

And as I do get the emails now, I saw it this time.......lol.....


----------



## schumigirl

Cara said:


> Happy New Year! I am here and enjoying your report!
> 
> Unfortunately, neither my February/March 50th birthday Disney trip with my family nor my June conference tagalong trip with my husband (to include Universal) will happen this year. I was diagnosed with breast cancer last month and will be undergoing treatment this year. So vacations are not in my immediate future! I'm looking ahead to 2021 though and will live vicariously through your great reports! Will you all be returning with Kyle next December?



@Cara 

Just wanted to say a great big hello  and hope things are going as well as they possibly can for you.

You’ve been in my thoughts this year, and wanted you to know that I and I’m sure many others who read your post are thinking of you.....

Take care and sending you lots of good wishes........


----------



## disneyAndi14

I tucked in and finished your wonderful report!
I do love reading all about your trips and enjoyed this one very much.
I can tell by your reporting how wonderful it is having your son along on his yearly trips!
I seem to always have a craving for chocolate cake after I read, not sure why  
How exciting for the 3 planned trips in 2020. I will be reading along!
Talk to you soon Carole


----------



## keishashadow

truth be told, not a fan of chocolate cake but it sure appears you’ve found some tasty looking ones for Kyle.

I do have a boozy, bailey’s chocolate cake recipe i’ve Been eyeing up tho lol. 

Sarasota’s been on our radar too, seems just a mite too far for us to enjoy as a day trip.  


schumigirl said:


> We have a 5 day visit to Scotland planned for March. Spending some time with family for a birthday celebration and seeing some friends......and enjoying our favourite Spa Hotel up there.


That sounds so relaxing. What sort of weather do you expect to encounter there that time of year?


----------



## DisneyLifePapioNe




----------



## macraven

I plan to get a front row seat when the May 2020 and then the Sept-Oct 2020 trip reports begin


----------



## schumigirl

disneyAndi14 said:


> I tucked in and finished your wonderful report!
> I do love reading all about your trips and enjoyed this one very much.
> I can tell by your reporting how wonderful it is having your son along on his yearly trips!
> I seem to always have a craving for chocolate cake after I read, not sure why
> How exciting for the 3 planned trips in 2020. I will be reading along!
> Talk to you soon Carole



Thank you Caroline......I’m so glad you enjoyed it, and oh yes, we adore when Kyle is with us. I know you know how much that means with the time you spend with Andi on trips......

It’s steak I crave when I read it......lol......

We are so looking forward to all 3 trips......just need May to come around a little quicker.......

I hope your snow isn’t too bad right now, it looked so bad!!! But, thank you for joining in for this one too, it’s always lovely to see you and yes.....will look for you on the next ones too.......take care Caroline.......


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> truth be told, not a fan of chocolate cake but it sure appears you’ve found some tasty looking ones for Kyle.
> 
> I do have a boozy, bailey’s chocolate cake recipe i’ve Been eyeing up tho lol.
> 
> Sarasota’s been on our radar too, seems just a mite too far for us to enjoy as a day trip.
> 
> That sounds so relaxing. What sort of weather do you expect to encounter there that time of year?



lol......yes, I don’t quite get the love for chocolate cake.....although I do make the best flourless chocolate cake.......it’s like a very rich ganache......even I find myself having a few spoons of that now and again!! Then I regret it.....

I have tried Baileys in cheesecake.......lush!!!!

Yes, Sarasota is definitely on the radar this year. It is a way to travel in one day, but, don’t laugh, we drove to Clearwater once jut to eat dinner and see the sunset......lol......so, driving in Florida is so much fun for us.......so many options out there!!!

It’ll still be cool in March up there......Scotland can have all seasons in half an hour which is fun!!! We love that hotel and glad we got it booked for that visit. And we get to a lovely family celebration too!!


----------



## schumigirl

DisneyLifePapioNe said:


>


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> I plan to get a front row seat when the May 2020 and then the Sept-Oct 2020 trip reports begin



Excellent!!!!

Front row seats are the best! Always look forward to your posts on here, always glad to see you.......

And will look for you on the next ones too, will have to add some bacon on that trip........


----------



## DisneyLifePapioNe

macraven said:


> I plan to get a front row seat when the May 2020 and then the Sept-Oct 2020 trip reports begin



Save me a spot Mac!

!!!


----------



## keishashadow

macraven said:


> I plan to get a front row seat when the May 2020 and then the Sept-Oct 2020 trip reports begin


AP holders get preferred seating lol


schumigirl said:


> Yes, Sarasota is definitely on the radar this year. It is a way to travel in one day, but, don’t laugh, we drove to Clearwater once jut to eat dinner and see the sunset......lol......so, driving in Florida is so much fun for us.......so many options out there!!!


you guys sure do enjoy a good, road trip . Some people just travel (very) well


----------



## schumigirl

DisneyLifePapioNe said:


> Save me a spot Mac!
> 
> !!!



Hope you and mac don’t make a mess throwing peanut shells or popcorn from that front row.......


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> AP holders get preferred seating lol
> 
> you guys sure do enjoy a good, road trip . Some people just travel (very) well



An AP holder area with preferred seating..........love it!!!

We do love to travel around. And when folks ask us why we keep going back to the same place....visit after visit after visit.....I tell them there’s always somewhere new to visit every time. As well as all the places we already love.

We’ve visited everywhere else in the world we want to visit, except maybe Banff.....I‘d love to go there.  But, everywhere else we‘ve done it and several places we’d never go back to......quite a few actually!

We will make California and Maine at some point.......


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> Hope you and mac don’t make a mess throwing peanut shells or popcorn from that front row.......



No promises if you decide to work in  Rocky Horror Picture Show...there will be dancing & tossing of popcorn galore.


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> No promises if you decide to work in  Rocky Horror Picture Show...there will be dancing & tossing of popcorn galore.



Dammit Janet.....ask and ye shall receive...….always have time for a bit of RH......








I can live with that!!!!


----------



## keishashadow

Where’s the Jiffy Pop?


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Where’s the Jiffy Pop?



Janet.....I`m howling with laughter!!!!! I  had to Google what that is...….and yes, it`s a harmless popcorn......but Urban Dictionary has it as something rather different...….


----------



## DisneyLifePapioNe

schumigirl said:


> Hope you and mac don’t make a mess throwing peanut shells or popcorn from that front row.......



I thought we had to be at our best in front of such greatness........or do we....?!??!??!


----------



## schumigirl

DisneyLifePapioNe said:


> I thought we had to be at our best in front of such greatness........or do we....?!??!??!



lol......nah.....couple of cocktails and a set of fabulous 80`s music and all bets are off!!!! We can party all night....well, maybe till midnight as I am 51 now......no wait, I`m 52......heck!!! Had to think about that...…..  I wish I was still 35!!!!

Parties at our home are the best!!!!!

(but, I do struggle with untidiness, so no peanut shells )


----------



## DisneyLifePapioNe

schumigirl said:


> lol......nah.....couple of cocktails and a set of fabulous 80`s music and all bets are off!!!! We can party all night....well, maybe till midnight as I am 51 now......no wait, I`m 52......heck!!! Had to think about that...…..  I wish I was still 35!!!!
> 
> Parties at our home are the best!!!!!
> 
> (but, I do struggle with untidiness, so no peanut shells )



I thought 52 was the new 35!!! 

Tell that young fellow Tom I said hello also!!!


----------



## schumigirl

DisneyLifePapioNe said:


> I thought 52 was the new 35!!!
> 
> Tell that young fellow Tom I said hello also!!!



I whole heartedly agree  

He says hello back to you and your lovely family........


----------



## Tink2Day

I'll have to settle for the middle row.....I'm dangerous with food in a theater (or trip report) reference the popcorn throwing.

When I was around 18 my friend and I went to the movies in an actual theater.  She worked at a KFC and got free food at the end of her shift, so we snuck our food in since we were poor college students. Well we were watching some Steve McQueen action movie (not my favorite genre) and when a car chase or shooting or something happened it startled me and my drumstick went flying at the movie screen!! Thank goodness I broke my cardinal rule of never eating drumsticks because it was barely noticeable, just imagine if it would have been a large chicken breast. You wouldn't want a bucket of chicken coming at you through the computer screen. 
That trauma could be why I don't like KFC.   As for RHPS,  my other friend adores the movie and always went to see it at the theater, dressed up and joined with the rest of the audience.  I was always too shy to go with her.....

p.s. You MUST go to Banff! It was one of the most spectacular places I have ever visited.  I was quite young but remember every minute of time there....even though I do try to forget my two encounters with bears on the road trip through Yosemite up to Canada and then back through Yellowstone to home.  Subsequently I'm not much of a camper....


----------



## schumigirl

Tink2Day said:


> I'll have to settle for the middle row.....I'm dangerous with food in a theater (or trip report) reference the popcorn throwing.
> 
> When I was around 18 my friend and I went to the movies in an actual theater.  She worked at a KFC and got free food at the end of her shift, so we snuck our food in since we were poor college students. Well we were watching some Steve McQueen action movie (not my favorite genre) and when a car chase or shooting or something happened it startled me and my drumstick went flying at the movie screen!! Thank goodness I broke my cardinal rule of never eating drumsticks because it was barely noticeable, just imagine if it would have been a large chicken breast. You wouldn't want a bucket of chicken coming at you through the computer screen.
> That trauma could be why I don't like KFC.   As for RHPS,  my other friend adores the movie and always went to see it at the theater, dressed up and joined with the rest of the audience.  I was always too shy to go with her.....
> 
> p.s. You MUST go to Banff! It was one of the most spectacular places I have ever visited.  I was quite young but remember every minute of time there....even though I do try to forget my two encounters with bears on the road trip through Yosemite up to Canada and then back through Yellowstone to home.  Subsequently I'm not much of a camper....



lol.......so funny with the chicken!!!! If it happens again......I like spicy chicken...... 

Banff has always had an appeal for me since I was a kid, not sure why. Although I do have some family scattered around there.....we’re so close I have no idea if they’re still even there.....lol.....

Although we did see a sign for bears in Florida for the first time last year......I was so busy worrying about alligators I never gave bears a thought!!! 

And you had two encounters with bears   These places  like Yosemite and Yellowstone always sound so lovely, but.........bears!!!

Camping in anyway shape or form is not for me. Tom is the same.....we like our luxuries and comforts......when we met I jokingly said the only stars I’d sleep under is five stars.....thankfully he felt the same way!!! Although some of those luxury RV’s do look like fun.....but I guess that’s not considered real camping.....lol......slumming in fields and tents.......no thanks.....five star hotels.....absolutely.......


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> Janet.....I`m howling with laughter!!!!! I  had to Google what that is...….and yes, it`s a harmless popcorn......but Urban Dictionary has it as something rather different...….


Nwahaha 

Sleeping under the five stars? Good one . glamping is oh-so trendy now.  I never wrapped my head around that concept. we were tent campers all the way when kids were young.


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Nwahaha
> 
> Sleeping under the five stars? Good one . glamping is oh-so trendy now.  I never wrapped my head around that concept. we were tent campers all the way when kids were young.



I think glamping might not be for me either......but I admire your bravery on real camping.......lol.......

Kyle went camping once with friends and their parents......he lasted one night......well, not even a full 24 hours......he is definitely an embodiment of his parents!!! He never asked to go camping again......


----------



## Tink2Day

We camped in tents....older, dumber brothers who thought they were pioneers or something (my oldest brother ended up actually hiking and camping in the wilderness all over America and Canada when he grew up...learned a lot from  that one trip I guess).  Mom's rule was a hotel every second night. That trip was a month long....needless to say no camping trips with Mom and I along after that one. Even though I was a great fisherman (Dad said it was because I had the patience of a Saint) and we went on day trips to fish, plus I loved to hike and climb mountains, was better at that than my second oldest brother....he was a disaster.
Mom also reminded me of the 3rd bear encounter of that trip, although that one was just raiding the campsite and it didn't involve me directly like the other two.......

Moral of the story: Don't let your 7 year old keep lifesaver candy under their pillow in the tent nor feed a bear candy through the window of the car.  
Especially when you have two older brothers who, when told to roll up the window by Mom, did so with my hand still out the window....and my oh so concerned Dad filming the whole thing on his old time movie camera.....We are quite the family.....you don't want to know what we got up to as kids.

My favorite parts of up North were all of British Columbia and Calgary.


----------



## schumigirl

Tink2Day said:


> We camped in tents....older, dumber brothers who thought they were pioneers or something (my oldest brother ended up actually hiking and camping in the wilderness all over America and Canada when he grew up...learned a lot from  that one trip I guess).  Mom's rule was a hotel every second night. That trip was a month long....needless to say no camping trips with Mom and I along after that one. Even though I was a great fisherman (Dad said it was because I had the patience of a Saint) and we went on day trips to fish, plus I loved to hike and climb mountains, was better at that than my second oldest brother....he was a disaster.
> Mom also reminded me of the 3rd bear encounter of that trip, although that one was just raiding the campsite and it didn't involve me directly like the other two.......



Pioneers.....lol......I`ll bet he had a blast doing all that touring, that is brave. I think it is an amazing thing to be able to enjoy nature like that.....and fishing....I`ve never fished, ever......mainly because I don't like water! And where we used to live in Scotland when I was a kid was so beautiful with Lochs and little streams......lots of lovely fishing, but I never tried it. I`m such a wimp!!! Nor did I ever climb as I don't like heights...… I`m beginning to wonder what I did do as a child lol.…...

I think I mentioned before, all we had to worry about in Scotland was midges and wasps....maybe the odd grass snake or jelly fish.......certainly nothing like a bear!!!  I just couldn't imagine.....


----------



## Worfiedoodles

I finally made it through your fabulous trip report! As always, you knocked it out of the Parks! 

It is so much fun to feel like we are there right along with you, and we know for the December reports there will be cake!

Looking forward to the next one, I believe we are due more lush drinks


----------



## schumigirl

Worfiedoodles said:


> I finally made it through your fabulous trip report! As always, you knocked it out of the Parks!
> 
> It is so much fun to feel like we are there right along with you, and we know for the December reports there will be cake!
> 
> Looking forward to the next one, I believe we are due more lush drinks



Glad to hear you enjoyed it so much.....

Oh I think there will be so much more cake in December.....lol....he has a challenge to beat now, and he is very competitive...... 

Yes, Sapphire Falls is coming up.....we are so looking forward to staying there again too......and oh yes,........I`m sure there will be many more cocktails since our favourite Strong Water Bar will be oh so handy......

Thank you for being so kind with your comments....I have loved reading them all......and will be so happy to see you again on the next one........


----------



## Pumpkin1172

Schumi....thank you for another amazing trip report!!!!!  I'm going to go back through the pictures again and just enjoy.  Lately our weather is just so cold, gross, windy and just BLAH!!!  I have enjoyed each post and the pictures that Tom and you take, are simply amazing.  Thank you for putting so much love and effort into your trip reports.  

And PS...if you ever want to come to Banff....Stay in Calgary...it's only an hour drive to get to Banff instead of camping...and I will be your personal tour guide...and if your visiting Banff...you should just visit Jasper as well ( that's even closer to me ) as it is simply just a beautiful.  Hopefully that entices you to make the trip here ( in the summer!!!!


----------



## schumigirl

Pumpkin1172 said:


> Schumi....thank you for another amazing trip report!!!!!  I'm going to go back through the pictures again and just enjoy.  Lately our weather is just so cold, gross, windy and just BLAH!!!  I have enjoyed each post and the pictures that Tom and you take, are simply amazing.  Thank you for putting so much love and effort into your trip reports.
> 
> And PS...if you ever want to come to Banff....Stay in Calgary...it's only an hour drive to get to Banff instead of camping...and I will be your personal tour guide...and if your visiting Banff...you should just visit Jasper as well ( that's even closer to me ) as it is simply just a beautiful.  Hopefully that entices you to make the trip here ( in the summer!!!!



Camping      It’s just not in my DNA.....

lol.......I quite liked the look of the Fairmont Banff Springs....and a couple of other nice hotels......friends of ours stayed at The Fairmont last year, actually year before now I think. Loved it!

Jasper looks lovely too......yes, if I was to visit Canada it would be there. I do have family near Quebec (forget where) but no real desire to go there. Banff has always just had something that appeals to me.....even if it is cold....lol......

Canada is the one country in the world we want to visit but haven’t....certainly there are other areas of America we want to visit, but doubt we’ll ever make it to Canada......sadly. We don‘t want to visit mainland Europe anymore......maybe Switzerland or Norway, but nowhere else.....seen enough over there. But if we do....I’ll give you a call.......

But, thank you so much......I’m so glad you enjoyed reading along......always glad to hear that. The pictures do take us back to a warmer and much sunnier place.....

Hope to see you on the next May trip report......coming along soon......


----------



## bobbie68

Hi I am glad I finally got to read your report. I am so glad you had a great time with Kyle. I know how you feel I am always glad when the teens want to do something with us especially vacation.

 I love your food reports and I am taking notes for when I move down there. Thanks for all the pics the parks are so lovely at Christmas, I can't wait to see them in person. 

What a great thing they do with the "snow" I might have to check it out when we move down there, not that I will miss snow. I have seen enough in my life.

What great timing for the Hagrid's ride. Glad that Kyle gave it such a good review, we look forward to trying it. The renovations look really nice at RPR and we look forward to staying there one day. 

Will look forward to your May trip report.


----------



## schumigirl

bobbie68 said:


> Hi I am glad I finally got to read your report. I am so glad you had a great time with Kyle. I know how you feel I am always glad when the teens want to do something with us especially vacation.
> 
> I love your food reports and I am taking notes for when I move down there. Thanks for all the pics the parks are so lovely at Christmas, I can't wait to see them in person.
> 
> What a great thing they do with the "snow" I might have to check it out when we move down there, not that I will miss snow. I have seen enough in my life.
> 
> What great timing for the Hagrid's ride. Glad that Kyle gave it such a good review, we look forward to trying it. The renovations look really nice at RPR and we look forward to staying there one day.
> 
> Will look forward to your May trip report.



Thanks bobbie......

I’m so glad you enjoyed reading it.....I know my trip reports aren’t for everyone, but I’m happy to know you liked it.

Hagrid’s ride is so much fun, and yes RP is lovely.

Restaurant choices are always important to our trips......and glad Kyle enjoyed most of them. We love when he’s with us and can’t wait for two weeks together at Christmas this year......yes, we’re still so happy he wants to spend some of his vacation time with us. He has another 5 weeks for other plans, and we’re glad he does his own thing too.

Thank you for your lovely comments......always appreciate them.....and yes, look forward to seeing you on the May report too......


----------



## Cara

Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship


schumigirl said:


> @Cara
> 
> Just wanted to say a great big hello  and hope things are going as well as they possibly can for you.
> 
> You’ve been in my thoughts this year, and wanted you to know that I and I’m sure many others who read your post are thinking of you.....
> 
> Take care and sending you lots of good wishes........


Thank you, Carole! I appreciate it so much. I'm doing pretty well. I'm having my third treatment next week. This isn't the most fun I have ever had, but it is doable, and it's curable. I plan to have many more adventures ahead of me!


----------



## schumigirl

Cara said:


> Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship
> 
> Thank you, Carole! I appreciate it so much. I'm doing pretty well. I'm having my third treatment next week. This isn't the most fun I have ever had, but it is doable, and it's curable. I plan to have many more adventures ahead of me!



Cara, so good to hear from you!

I’m so glad to hear you’re doing as best you can be......no, it won’t be fun, but I’m sure you’re strong enough to get through it and keep concentrating on the positive outcome of your treatment.

Yes, we need to have a visit at the same time in the future, it would be lovely to say hello when you’re better 

Continued good wishes and many hugs to you Cara......


----------



## schumigirl

New Pre Trip is up and running...….

https://www.disboards.com/threads/b...a-may-2020-trip-report.3795691/#post-61650507


----------

