Canadian Buffoon's Sweet 16 Celebration - Update 01/28 - The End

Ugh, I know. It hit us on November 1 - went from 13C for the daytime high to -12C. Today was the first day that I got up the nerve to get back out there, we have not acclimatized well this year!
Exactly the same here.
Beautiful day!
<next day>
Snow! Cold! Misery!
 


HEY! Since I leave in 2 days for my trip.... still find it hilarious you arrive the day I leave! What are the odds??!!

Anyways, I just want to make sure if I miss the next update I will still have time to comment after I return home Wednesday next week??
I mean, I feel like I will have ample time since you'll be gone too, but just making sure.

Hope you have a wonderful trip!
 
HEY! Since I leave in 2 days for my trip.... still find it hilarious you arrive the day I leave! What are the odds??!!

:sad2:
No idea.
Too bad, though!


Anyways, I just want to make sure if I miss the next update I will still have time to comment after I return home Wednesday next week??
I mean, I feel like I will have ample time since you'll be gone too, but just making sure.

You'll have time.
I doubt I'll have the update
done before I leave.
Going to be busy up to then.

Trying though.

And I definitely won't post
after I leave. :)


Hope you have a wonderful trip!

Thanks! You too!
 


So when do you leave? Are you saying we'll be going weeks before we see an update?

The suspense is killing me!
 
So when do you leave? Are you saying we'll be going weeks before we see an update?

The suspense is killing me!
I’m leaving Tuesday.
But won’t be able to be on
much if at all after tonight.

Working on the update.
It’s rough, but 2/3 done.
Hoping I can get it done
beforehand.
 
In a Hot Dense State


Right out of the gate.
For bonus points...
Without Googling,
can you tell me what the title
has to do with Universal?
(I don't care if you get it right or not,
just if you had to Google or got it.)



It was a dark and stormy night.
Well, I don't think it was stormy,
but it was probably dark.
Unless it was a full moon,
then it wasn't all that dark.


I didn't look out the window, okay?
For all I know the sun got stuck
and it was bright out all night long.


Hmmm... can you still call it "night"
if the sun is out?
And if the sun is still in the sky
when it's supposed to be down,
wouldn't that imply that the Earth
has stopped rotating?
Hmmm... 1,000 mile per hour winds.

I don't think the sun was up.


But it was up when I set out
the next morning to get something
to drink for Kay and I.
I found a breakfast/quick serve counter
down a hallway and stood in line...
for 20 minutes, only to find that they
didn't have orange juice.
What kind of breakfast place doesn't
have orange juice???

I grabbed a Chai Latte for Kay,
(I don't remember what she wanted,
but they didn't have that either.
And... she hated it.)
and a .... Coke... for breakfast...
for me. Gross.

I love Coke... but I don't want it for breakfast!


So with drinks that neither of us wanted,
we set out for our
one and only day in Universal.

But first...
We checked out of our hotel
and dumped the bags in the car.
We're switching hotels tonight.

But now... Universal!

I really had no idea if this would
be an exercise in futility or
the best thing since sliced bread.

Hmmm...
Would the invention of the internet
qualify as better than sliced bread?
What about cell phones?

Hmmm... depending on your viewpoint,
either of those could be the bane
of your existence.

So I'll stick with the sliced bread.
Maybe lightly toasted.
With a big gob of jam on top.


I think I'm hungry.


Where was I?
(I mean other than standing
in front of the fridge,
looking for a jar of jam.)


Right! Universal.

mmm..... jam....


sorry.



We left the hotel and made the short stroll
over to Universal's front gate.
We arrived just as they were opening up the park.

We paused to take a quick photo,
but not for long.
Rides are awaiting, people!

P1030463_zpsdlvieldl.jpg


We walked down towards the box office.
We had our tickets, of course.
But what we didn't have were our
Front of the Line passes.
I don't recall if I purchased them
online ahead of time or not
and just had to pick them up.

No notes.

This whole chapter
and the ones that follow
are all gonna be a bit of a crap shoot.


You were warned.


Faux Fast Passes in hand,
we set out and made an
immediate bee line for:

P1030465_zpsqjjuqeep.jpg


Harry Potter land.
That's what it's called.

At least that's what I call it.
So much shorter than typing out
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Of course now that I've explained that,
it would've been much shorter
just to type it out in the first place.


This is not the first time
one of my "shortcuts"
has resulted in a "longcut".

No trip to HPL
(Harry Potter Land...
man... this shortcut is getting
longer by the second!)
would be complete
without the requisite photo
of the train.

So.... Here:

P1030466_zps3mfppykz.jpg


Choo on that one for a while.

I trust you are all now
fully satiated when it comes
to HPLTs.
(Harry Potter Land Trains.....
you know what?
If you can't keep up, then... too bad!
No more acronym translations!)

ETA... no more acronyms either. Ah well.


We didn't dawdle too long,
as we had a destination in mind.

The plan was:
Rides first.
Look around later.

I did grab a few quick snaps
as we zipped along, however.

P1030467_zpsvxtecvq9.jpg


P1030468_zps3dlgepdt.jpg


Soon, our quarry came into sight.

P1030472_zpsfvviqbf0.jpg


Ah. Hogwarts.
Location of what is arguably
the best ride on Universal property.
HP and the Forbidden Journey.

But before I get to that,
a brief explanation is in order.

Why the rush?
Why rope drop?
We had Front of the Line passes!

Well... we did, but they aren't unlimited.
The pass allows you access to the front
of the line once for each ride.
So if you want to ride something twice,
then you have to stand in line at least once.

Capiche?

So if we wanted to ensure that we got
a chance to ride everything...
and anything we would like
a second time...

It necessitated rope drop,
and Front of the Line.

In hindsight.
(Stop looking at my behind!
Oh... go ahead.
We'll wait.

Let us know when you're done, Mark.)






All done? Good.


As I was saying,
now that I've done it,
other than a couple rides,
rope drop by itself was good enough.
The pass did come in handy later
for those couple rides,
but if the goal is to ride everything once...
Then rope drop is sufficient.

Having said that, we entered Hogwarts
and were directed to the lockers.
You are not allowed to have anything
on your person.
So... here's a photo of the pandemonium
inside that area...
And that's it.
No camera after that.

P1030473_zpsfnawsnhb.jpg


The queue to get to the ride was very well themed,
and I'd love to show it to you, but...

It was also very fast moving
as there was really no one in front of us
until we reached the ride proper.

We boarded our vehicle and were whisked off
to follow Harry et al on an amazing, wonderful...


Uh...


We no sooner took off
when the video projection stopped running.
We came to an abrupt halt and sat there
for a short while.
Probably not much more than 30 seconds,
but long enough for me to wonder
how we were going to get down.

Just as I started to wonder,
we started to move again.


Well... it was a bit of a disappointment
for at least another 15-20 seconds.
Which doesn't sound like a lot,
but when the ride is only 4 minutes long
to begin with...

But... a ride that moves with
no visual accompaniment is....
Boring.


Just when I was beginning to think that
we were just being taken back
to the beginning (via the entire,
non-functioning ride)
the video started up again.

I have to say... that section
that was cut out, right at the beginning
really tainted the ride for me.
I like to get right into the spirit of the thing,
and that just took me right out.

The ride was good, but I never re-captured
that feeling of awe and delight.

I was very glad we still had
our "fast pass" for this ride.
A do-over was definitely in order.


Exiting the ride, we quickly gathered up
our belongings and walked across the lane
to Hagrid's house.
aka Flight of the Hippogriff.

The theming here, as in all of HPL
is really top notch.
On par with Disney.

(Gasp!)

P1030475_zpso0qh9p1j.jpg


I wonder if this is the original bike,
or simply a copy?

P1030474_zpseqmhsuzf.jpg


P1030479_zpszg63tine.jpg


When you board, the first thing you see
is Buckbeak.

He's just hanging around,
presumable waiting for someone
to take that chain off.

No one does.

Apparently, we're all jerks.

P1030482_zpsh3l9ieww.jpg


Okay, so maybe he's a bit more unnerving
than an emu.
But it's really pretty simple.
All you do is... bow...
and then you can approach and...

MY EYE! MY EYE!!!! OH MY GOD, MY EYE!!!!!!




The ride itself is a pretty tame
little coaster.
Even with blood pouring down
my face, I didn't find it very exciting.
And once you pass Buckbeak
(intact or not)
the theming... just kinda stops.
Just a coaster.

Nowhere near as good as, well...
every coaster Disney has.
(With the possible exception of
Barnstormer, since I've never ridden it.)

Coincidentally, that ride was the longest
we stood in line all day.
Go figure.


Okay! We've got two rides under our belts.
Time for....

What's that?
People are lined up over there.

P1030484_zpsri0axzyg.jpg


Oh!
Well... since we're here and all....

p2_zpsv2tatvab.jpg


We got one of each.
Frozen and not so frozen.
Kay took a sip of each
and promptly claimed the
frozen one for herself.

It was her birthday trip,
so I refrained from throttling her
and taking it for myself.

Yes, the frozen one is the
better of the two.

IMHO.

And I'm never wrong.

P1030486_zpserpjdmvp.jpg


Drinks in hand, we descended
to the Lower Lot to ride the attractions
down below.
I was pretty surprised at how
far down it was.
Two sets of long escalators
take you up and down.

Coming from a virtually flat part
of the country, this caught me off guard.


We rode the three rides down there in rapid
succession.

Jurassic Park:

P1030494_zpsd7ry23no.jpg


Not bad. But not quite as exciting
as we had both hoped.
And... Kay is not a fan of getting wet.

And you can on this ride.
Not Kali wet... but...


We then rode Transformers.
Pretty good ride,
if a little frantic.
It almost felt like they were
trying too hard? :confused3


Revenge of the Mummy was next.
We rode that and laughed our heads off.
Fun ride!
We immediately turned around and rode it again
using our Front of the Line pass.
(We reasoned that we probably wouldn't
ride it a third time. I know after the second ride
I was starting to feel a bit ooky, anyways.)

P1030495b_zpsjqy85nqz.jpg


And with that, we decided that
our time in the lower lot was over.
Time to move back up to do more
rides/shows/attractions.

P1030496_zps8zqmkylv.jpg


Once we were back up
on the Upper Lot, I checked
the time and suggested
we go now to see
the Animal Actors show.

We didn't have to wait long
and we got excellent seats;
2nd row, center.

Our hostess was entertaining
and the show was a lot of fun.

P1030498_zpsock0pv6b.jpg


They had several kinds of trained animals.
Pigs, both barnyard and Guinea, ducks,
chickens, owls:

P1030503_zpsvadpys8d.jpg


... to name but a few.
Also... all I remember.

They did this neat demonstration
of a bird flying against a fan
with a green screen in the background.
They projected the resulting image.

P1030506_zpsxr5hwyzl.jpg


P1030505_zpsq09nymzt.jpg


I think it was live?
At least I didn't notice
any glaring gaffs.

After the show, we weren't allowed to leave.
Well... I wasn't allowed to.
Not until Kay got to pet
some of the stars of the show.

P1030511_zps7ig3gfii.jpg


P1030512_zpsjejmt1gt.jpg


Okay, you've pet the pooch.
Can we go now?

Hello?



Hello?

Hungry?

That did it.
We knew where we just had to go.
And on the way, we snapped some shots
of the goings on around Springfield.
Everyone knows where Springfield is, right?
I mean there are several in the U.S.
But the one in the show is located in **.

I mean. Obviously.

P1030516_zps9c0yexws.jpg


p4_zpsopyqeeds.jpg


P1030490_zpslsbt7cdb.jpg


P1030515_zpsigzg5vfi.jpg


P1030551_zpsnja7mkci.jpg


We entered Krusty's and ordered up some grub.

p3_zpspfnlli44.jpg


P1030514_zpsowwvhdli.jpg


Not bad, actually.
I've had far worse.

Tummies happy,
it was time for the big one.
The Studio Tour.

I didn't take any pictures
of a few things
that you should be aware of.

The Studio Tour isn't just a tour.
If you remember the old DHS tour,
you'll remember Catastrophe Canyon.
They simulated a flood.
They do that on this tour too.
Except it takes place along a dry
riverbed in an old west town.
They also do it again in an
"earthquake" inside a building.

But the real stars are
Fast and Furious
and King Kong.

These are two huge completely immersive
rides while you are on the tour tram.
King Kong especially is an amazing ride.

Highly recommend.


The ride starts out with a view
of the studios below.

You can see various city-scape backlots:

P1030517_zpszxsgklfn.jpg


We trundled along
and soon found ourselves in the
quaint seaside town of Amity.

I was looking forward to getting
off the tram and just relaxing.
Maybe with a nice swim at the beach.

Oh... shoot.
Beach's closed.

Oh, it's probably just something silly.
I'm sure we can go in.

p5_zpsicn7ujlk.jpg


Graffiti.
Terrible.
You wouldn't see that in Disney!

p6_zpsgvwhg0q4.jpg


The tram took us down along the beach.
Hmmm... looks fine to me.

p7_zpsbr97ubiw.jpg


Agggghhhh!!!!

p8_zpstsxav2zi.jpg


So... realistic!
We were lucky to get out of there alive.
Truly, truly frightening.

I mean... how bad can your special effects be?

Scary.


Continued next post
 
Continued from previous post


We passed from Amity to Whoville.
Jim Carrey was not in evidence however.

p9_zpspfopllgt.jpg


For fans of the hit show
Desperate Housewives,
we did take a tour down
Wisteria Lane.



P1030534_zps8fptbnt4.jpg


P1030535_zpsjp5rnkds.jpg


P1030539_zpsvh03ppij.jpg


Ummmm.... that last one looks a bit....
different.

I looked upon it with bated breath.

Whatever.
I think it has something to do
with this cozy looking motel.


P1030540_zps9gucvxpz.jpg


Nice classic car!

Uh.....

P1030541_zpslcdr1zrf.jpg


Oh...... craaaaaaap......

P1030542_zpsme2lknbu.jpg


We got out of there just in time.
Well, we lost a few people
who were riding towards the rear,
but overall, we got out unscathed.

Statistically.


We rounded a corner and...
Ever see the movie
War of the Worlds
with Tom Cruise?



P1030545_zpswhwdyomh.jpg


P1030546_zpsosv0f9xd.jpg


The tour was good,
I'd do it again.
Especially, just to experience
King Kong again.

We exited the tour,
and entered the Simpson's ride.

P1030549_zpsmpdhacfu.jpg


Well... Kay did.
I accompanied her as far as
the ride proper,
then took the "chicken" exit.

There were quite a few warnings
for this so I decided to sit it out.
I still had all of Disney to do!
Frankly, I didn't want to do it
from a wheelchair on account
of throwing out my back.


Getting old sucks. Hard.

P1030550_zpsilno1ngi.jpg


Okay!
We're just about finished all of the
rides that Universal has to offer.

It is not as big as Disney.

We headed to one ride
that Kay had especially been
looking forward to.

P1030553_zpstyuv2yen.jpg


She is (or was) a huge Shrek fan.
So she sort of kept this one for last.

And...

It was pretty disappointing.
It's kind of like ITTBAB at AK.
At least in that the seats do stuff.
I wouldn't know.
I was still taking care of my back
and sat in the non-moving seats.
I was, however, right beside a moving seat.
It didn't seem to do very much.
I asked Kay afterwards
and she confirmed that not much happened.

We left, a bit dejected, but... wait!
Look who's here!

p10_zpsewtaw1ww.jpg


And, once again, she didn't want a photo
with him.
Just a photo of him.

Kids these days. :sad2:


Whelp...
Let's go ride Forbidden Journey again!

P1030554_zpswzoijclw.jpg


P1030555_zpsfonjkjq9.jpg


p11_zpsa7hnwcfo.jpg


Funny looking willow tree...

P1030556_zpsks99bw3o.jpg


This time, I decided to sneak
my camera on the ride.
I wouldn't use it during,
but... the queue was fair game.

We did, however take the
"Fast Pass" entrance which
is a bit different
(and shorter)
than the regular queue.

P1030558_zpsop5xxexd.jpg


Hi Dumbledore!
Sorry you got changed
into a newt at the end
of the books!

P1030559_zpszmisxket.jpg


Oh, dear. Did I just ruin it for you?

Not to worry.
That's not what happens to him.

This does:
He gets changed into a stink bug.
Okay, that's not it either. Go read the book(s). Or see the movie(s)

One last photo of the Grumpy Hat
as it's pretty much the last thing
you see before boarding.

P1030561_zpst0why1c2.jpg


This time there were no interruptions.
Much better!
Enjoyed the ride and it made more sense now.
I did, however, feel a bit queasy on it.
So if you're prone to motion sickness.
You've been warned.

puke_zpsztsuuprc.gif


Now that we've ridden along with Harry, et al
a couple of times,
it was time to see how well versed
in magic we really were.

Or at least, Kay.

We made our way over to Ollivanders.

P1030563_zpswbgh5jea.jpg


A secret entrance opened and we went into another room
where a sorceress descended a set of stairs
and picked out a young lady to see about
getting an appropriate wand for her.
(No. Not Kay.)

P1030564_zps71iwatal.jpg


It was fun to watch.
But once you've done it,
you can go in through the side entrance
and skip it if you wish.

P1030567_zpsgkmvejam.jpg


If you've never been,
Ollivanders is a bit... misleading.
It looks like there are thousands
of wands to choose from...
but each shelf holds mostly
identical wands.
And farther shelves
hold duplicates of wands
that are held elsewhere.

I believe there are 13 different
types of wands.
Also, there are interactive wands
and not so (i.e. not) interactive wands.

Kay purchased an interactive one.
Took a while to find just the right one.
But when she did...

P1030569_zpsltuzhskg.jpg


You receive a map which takes you
to various window displays
throughout Hogsmeade.
You stand in a marked spot,
wave your wand in a specific way
(Each location has a different gesture
and it usually takes several attempts
to get it right)
and "magic" happens.
From music pages flying through the air
to a flower blooming.

Kay had a lot of fun doing all the activities.

Which, of course, is hard work.
So it was time to refuel.

But where?

P1030570_zpslfkysofs.jpg


Well, that was easy.

Guess what we got! Guess!
Your guess is as good as mine!
I have no idea!
I know we each got... something.
And that's all I can remember.

But it was really, really good!
Or not!
Who knows?

By now, I think we were pretty much
ridered out.
We wandered around a bit
in the last part of the park
that we hadn't seen yet.

P1030571_zps54lwz7jf.jpg


We came across a tragic scene.
These two cooks were locked
out of their restaurant.
The patrons inside all died of starvation.


Tragic.


Come up with your own story
about that photo.
Bonus points if you do.

P1030573_zpspdpjby7c.jpg


P1030574_zpsrdilecyh.jpg


Seen the real thing in Paris.
Where are the vanes???

We rounded a corner.
Despicable Me ride just up ahead!

And Kay said she didn't want to ride it.

P1030576_zpsx8hb9ys2.jpg


I was pretty surprised, actually.
I guess she really has had enough.
Or maybe she's just not that much a fan.

One last photo...

P1030579_zpsyntknz6x.jpg


... and it was time to head out.
It's 5:30pm.
Next stop... Anaheim.

I'm sure LA rush hour traffic
isn't as bad as I've been told.
People exaggerate, you know??




Contest

For those of you who
had trouble "seeing it":

P1030391_zpsrwdrsmdi.jpg


I hate when restaurants
steal straws from my planes.


Answers to previous questions:

1. We do actually go to Universal.
Do we:
a. purchase ($70 each)
Front of the Line passes?
b. Or do we do rope drop?
c. Or both?
Answer: c. Both - 15 points.

2. What's our first ride?
a. Flight of the Hippogriff
b. Forbidden Journey
c. Shrek 4D
d. The Simpsons Ride
Answer: b. Forbidden Journey - 15 points.

3. What happens on the ride?
a. Drink spills on Kay.
b. Kid throws up.
c. Ride breaks down.
d. Lose my hat.
Answer: c. Ride breaks down - 15 points.

4. Which (if any) of the following
do we see? (Pick up to 3)
a. Studio Tour
b. Special Effects Show
c. WaterWorld
d. Animal Actors.
e. Walking Dead Attraction
Answer: a. Studio Tour, d. Animal Actors - 15 points each.
b, c, e - deduct 10 points each.

5. What souvenir does Kay buy?
Answer: wand - 20 points.

6. Which one of the following
do we not ride?
a. Flight of the Hippogriff
b. King Kong 360 3-D
c. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
d. Fast and Furious - Supercharged.
Answer: c. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem - 15 points.

7. Of the following, which is Kay's fave?
a. Jurassic Park - The Ride
b. Transformers - The Ride-3D
c. Revenge of the Mummy - The Ride
Answer: c. Revenge of the Mummy - 15 points.

8. Butter Beer.
Yeah, we try it.
It comes in frozen and non.
Which do we try?
a. Frozen
b. Not frozen
c. Both
Answer: c. Both - 15 points.

9. Which ride do I refuse to go on.
a. Transformers - The Ride-3D
b. The Simpsons Ride
c. Flight of the Hippogriff
d. Shrek 4D
Answer: b. The Simpsons Ride - 15 points.

10. Ya gotta eat. Where?
a. Suds McDuff’s Hot Dogs
b. Jurassic Café
c. Plaza Grill
d. Krusty Burger
Answer: d. Krusty Burger - 15 points.

11. Are you sick of this contest yet?
a. Yes.
b. No.
c. Yes. But I'm too polite to say.
d. No. But I lie a lot.
Answer: Any - 10 points.



DonnaBeeGood - rope drop, forbidden, barf, studio, animals, dead, wand, f&f, mummy, frozen, hypo, krusty, no, saw both, pretty woman, bueller, yes - 150 points.
rndmr2 - both, forbidden, hat, animals, wand, f&f, mummy, both, simpsons, Jurassic, no, saw both, pretty woman, bueller, yes - 175 points.
MeghanEmily - rope drop, forbidden, breakdown, none, sweatshirt, minion, mummy, both, shrek, krusty, no, saw both, pretty woman, bueller, yes - 155 points.
CyndiLouWho - rope drop, forbidden, breakdown, tour, animals, dead, wand, King Kong, Jurassic, both, simpsons, plaza, no, saw both, pretty woman, bueller - 155 points.
Canadian Harmony - both, Hippo, breakdown, tour, animals, dead, wand, King Kong, Jurassic, both, simpsons, krusty, no, saw both, pretty woman, bueller, yes - 180 points.
Steppesister - both, forbidden, barf, tour, animals, dead, wand, minions, mummy, both, shrek, suds, no, saw both, pretty woman, bueller, yes - 180 points.
Captain_Oblivious - rope drop, forbidden, breakdown, tour, animals, wand, minions, mummy, both, transformers, krusty, yes, saw both, pretty woman, bueller, yes - 190 points.
Mrs T 2009 - both, forbidden, breakdown, tour, animals, dead, wand, King Kong, Jurassic, both, shrek, krusty, no, saw both, pretty woman, bueller, yes - 180 points.
afwdwfan - rope drop, forbidden, breakdown, tour, animals, dead, wand, minions, Jurassic, both, hippo, plaza, no, saw both, pretty woman, bueller, yes - 165 points.
Mac Brew - both, forbidden, breakdown, tour, animals, dead, wand, hippo, mummy, both, hippo, Jurassic, no, saw both, pretty woman, bueller, yes - 180 points.
GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes - both, forbidden, hat, tour, animals, dead, wand, hippo, mummy, frozen, simpsons, plaza, no, saw both, pretty woman, bueller, yes - 165 points.
MAGICFOR2 - pretty woman - 10 points.
mustinjourney - both, hippo, breakdown, dead, wand, fast furious, transformers, both, transformers, Jurassic, no, saw both, pretty woman, bueller, yes - 120 points.
juniorbugman - rope drop, hippo, breakdown, tour, animals, dead, wand, fast furious, transformers, both, simpsons, krusty, no, saw both, pretty woman, bueller, yes - 165 points
Terra Nova guy - rope drop, forbidden, hat, tour, animals, wand, hippo, mummy, both, simpsons, plaza, no, saw both, pretty woman, bueller - 165 points.
Chrystmasangel - both, hippo, hat, animals, dead, shirt, fast furious, mummy, both, transformers, krusty, no, marvin, pretty woman, bueller, yes - 115 points.
franandaj - both, forbidden, breakdown, tour, animals, wand, King Kong, Jurassic, both, simpsons, krusty, yes, saw both, pretty woman, bueller, yes - 205 points. (High score!)
vamassey1 - rope drop, forbidden, barf, tour, animals, dead, wand, minion, Jurassic, both, simpsons, Jurassic, no, saw both, pretty woman, bueller, yes - 165 points
Princess Leia - rope drop, forbidden, breakdown, tour, animals, dead, wand, fast furious, mummy, both, Shrek, Jurassic, no, saw both, pretty woman, bueller, yes - 165 points.
Kiotzu - FP, hippo, barf, tour, dead, wand, King Kong, Jurassic, both, Shrek, krusty, no, pretty woman, bueller - 85 points.
QueenJen - FP, forbidden, breakdown, tour, animals, dead, books, hippo, mummy, both, transformers, krusty, no, saw both, pretty woman, bueller, yes - 160 points.
lisaviolet - both, forbidden, drink, dead, water, wand, minion, transformers, both, shrek, dog, yes, bueller, yes - 90 points.


Bonus:
Did you see it?
(Marvin, in line - 10 points.)
Did you see the other one?
(pkondz straws - 15 points.)

Also bonus points for:
Got the connection?
From the movie Pretty Woman
Kit (portrayed) tells Vivian where to shop:
"Rodeo Drive, baby."
(10 points)

Additional bonus points for:
Cameron Frye, am I right?
(10 points.)

More bonus points for:
Excited about room photos.
(Say yes - 10 points.)


As usual, if I've made any mistakes,
either above or below, let me know.

Score

GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes - 540
Steppesister - 540
MeghanEmily - 520
Princess Leia - 490
CyndiLouWho - 485
rndmr2 - 480
Captain_Oblivious - 475
franandaj - 475
Terra Nova guy - 470
vamassey1 - 465
QueenJen - 455
juniorbugman - 450
Mac Brew - 450
Chrystmasangel - 435
Mrs T 2009 - 435
mustinjourney - 420
DonnaBeeGood - 400
Canadian Harmony - 380
afwdwfan - 340
Kiotzu - 320
lisaviolet - 295
Curiouser&curiouser! - 245
natebenma - 135
chunkymonkey - 125
SoccerDogWithEars - 125
Crashbeckycoot - 105
orangecats2 - 80
queenbetsey - 60
Jaina - 55
cindianne320 - 50
irene_dsc - 10
MAGICFOR2 - 10


Questions next round:

1. How long does it take
to get to our next hotel?
(You can Google map it if you like:
Annabella hotel, Anaheim)
a. 2 hours
b. 3 hours
c. 4 hours
d. 5 hours

2. Where do we eat dinner?
a. Shake Shack
b. Closest restaurant to the hotel.
c. We don't. We're still full.
d. Room service.

Most of the following day's
events have been documented...
in two other TRs!
So.... any more questions
would give a certain pair
of ladies an unfair advantage. ;)

However, Kay and I were alone
for a little bit.

3. Which ride does Kay do alone?
a. Grizzly River Run
b. Mickey's Fun Wheel
c. Silly Symphony Swings
d. California Screamin'

4. Which ride do we go on
more than two times.
a. Soarin'
b. TSMM
c. HM
d. BTMRR

5. Which souvenir do I buy for Elle?
(oldest DD who didn't come along)
a. Mouse ears
b. T-shirt
c. Mug
d. Ornament

Bonus: Did you see it?
PM your guess.
Posting will result in deductions.

Coming up: Original Mouse House!


See you when I get back from Disney!!!



 
Last edited:
I've been enjoying your TR with Kay. You have done so many fun and cool things so far! Came in too late for contest, which I would suck at anyways. I'll switch the quote to "Can't LOSE, it you don't play" That's me.
Just wanted to take the time before you leave on ANOTHER Disney trip (jealous am I?) to wish you Lots of fun, good times and all around wonderful trip!!
Do I need to remind you that a trip report will be expected. I want you to know I DO appreciate them (I need to show you better though) and you put a lot of work in to them -Thanks!
FYI, if you tell me you don't like doing TRs.....Then you should just stay HOME!:laughing: Just kidding

pixiedust:
Shelly
 
Those were great photos, thank you! The kids are going to love Universe(al). I"m a HUGE Naked Lady Bears fan. In fact, we're seeing them in concert on Wednesday night!

My story about the photo: the two chefs are spies and checking out why everyone is that this restaurant instead of theirs.

1. How long does it take to get to our next hotel?
(You can Google map it if you like:
Annabella hotel, Anaheim)
a. 2 hours

2. Where do we eat dinner?
b. Closest restaurant to the hotel.

3. Which ride does Kay do alone?
d. California Screamin'

4. Which ride do we go on more than two times.
c. HM

5. Which souvenir do I buy for Elle? (oldest DD who didn't come along)
b. T-shirt

Bonus: Did you see it? PM on the way!
 
Looks like you had a fun day at Universal.

In a Hot Dense State


Right out of the gate.
For bonus points...
Without Googling,
can you tell me what the title
has to do with Universal?
(I don't care if you get it right or not,
just if you had to Google or got it.)

--- I Googled but was unsuccessful in finding a connection, but I do know that the title is part of the first line of the lyrics for the Big Bang Theory theme song. Not sure if that's what you were looking for or not.

1. How long does it take
to get to our next hotel?
(You can Google map it if you like:
Annabella hotel, Anaheim)
a. 2 hours
b. 3 hours
c. 4 hours
d. 5 hours
----------------------------2 hours

2. Where do we eat dinner?
a. Shake Shack
b. Closest restaurant to the hotel.
c. We don't. We're still full.
d. Room service.
--------------------------------Shake Shack


Most of the following day's
events have been documented...
in two other TRs!
So.... any more questions
would give a certain pair
of ladies an unfair advantage. ;)

However, Kay and I were alone
for a little bit.

3. Which ride does Kay do alone?
a. Grizzly River Run
b. Mickey's Fun Wheel
c. Silly Symphony Swings
d. California Screamin'
-----------------------------California Screamin'

4. Which ride do we go on
more than two times.
a. Soarin'
b. TSMM
c. HM
d. BTMRR
---------------------------------Gotta be HM

5. Which souvenir do I buy for Elle?
(oldest DD who didn't come along)
a. Mouse ears
b. T-shirt
c. Mug
d. Ornament
----------------------------T-short

Bonus: Did you see it?
PM your guess.
Posting will result in deductions.
---------------------------------------PM Sent
 
This is not the first time
one of my "shortcuts"
has resulted in a "longcut".
Ahh, speaking my language. I am fabulous at making short stories long.

The theming here, as in all of HPL
is really top notch.
On par with Disney.

(Gasp!)
WHAT!??!? Blasphemy!

Revenge of the Mummy was next.
We rode that and laughed our heads off.
Fun ride!
Why was it so laughable?!

If you remember the old DHS tour,
Sure do... :sad2:

This time there were no interruptions.
Much better!
Enjoyed the ride and it made more sense now.
I did, however, feel a bit queasy on it.
So if you're prone to motion sickness.
You've been warned.
puke_zpsztsuuprc.gif
Uh oh... this little green face bears a striking resemblance to... well, me. Sounds like a double dose of motion sickness meds for me on that one! :thumbsup2

Have a WONDERFUL trip!!!!!!!!!! :jumping1:

I'm so excited for you and can't wait to hear all about it! Also, can't wait for one of our trips to finally coincide. ::yes::
 
Without Googling,
can you tell me what the title
has to do with Universal?
(I don't care if you get it right or not,
just if you had to Google or got it.)
Well there's a song... The whole universe was in a hot dense state...

But I don't know what that has to do with Universal

Other than the word universe is in the song.

There's about to be a big bang in my head trying to reason this one out.

OK, moving on.

What kind of breakfast place doesn't
have orange juice???
Starbucks???

Would the invention of the internet
qualify as better than sliced bread?
What about cell phones?
I will say yes. Not that life revolves around those 2 things, but lets reason it out. I, for one, think sliced bread is overrated. You can eat bread that isn't sliced. You can still break it and make a sandwich. Or you can still use a knife and slice your own bread. So really, is it that spectacular of an invention?

Harry Potter land.
That's what it's called.
::yes::

Of course now that I've explained that,
it would've been much shorter
just to type it out in the first place.
::yes::

Well... we did, but they aren't unlimited.
The pass allows you access to the front
of the line once for each ride.
So if you want to ride something twice,
then you have to stand in line at least once.

Capiche?
Got it! And I got the pass too. At Orlando anyway.

So... here's a photo of the pandemonium
inside that area...
That actually looks rather tame...

Well... it was a bit of a disappointment
for at least another 15-20 seconds.
Which doesn't sound like a lot,
but when the ride is only 4 minutes long
to begin with...

But... a ride that moves with
no visual accompaniment is....
Boring.
I've always complained about those stupid screens ruining their rides for me. I'm glad they've finally started to listen!!!

The ride was good, but I never re-captured
that feeling of awe and delight.

I was very glad we still had
our "fast pass" for this ride.
A do-over was definitely in order.
I'm honestly surprised that they didn't give you a pass or a re-ride when you got off since it was mired with technological issues. Did anyone say anything to a TM? Did they even know there was a problem with it?

Nowhere near as good as, well...
every coaster Disney has.
(With the possible exception of
Barnstormer, since I've never ridden it.)
I'd say they're pretty close in intensity, although I'd actually give Barnstormer the theming nod because it continues the theming all the way through the queue and the ride.

Coincidentally, that ride was the longest
we stood in line all day.
I don't get it...

Yes, the frozen one is the
better of the two.
::yes::

We then rode Transformers.
Pretty good ride,
if a little frantic.
It almost felt like they were
trying too hard? :confused3
I like it! I was excited for that ride and just felt a little bit disappointed in it. I think for one thing it really mirrors Spiderman too closely, but I think you really explained it with that last line.

After the show, we weren't allowed to leave.
Well... I wasn't allowed to.
Not until Kay got to pet
some of the stars of the show.
I knew it!

So... realistic!
We were lucky to get out of there alive.
Truly, truly frightening.

I mean... how bad can your special effects be?

Scary.
And here I am still bummed that we lost this ride in Orlando for Diagon Alley.

The tour was good,
I'd do it again.
Especially, just to experience
King Kong again.
Looks like a great attraction! How long did it last?

Frankly, I didn't want to do it
from a wheelchair on account
of throwing out my back.
I hear ya. I know we've shared bad back stories several times. Threw mine out yesterday. Bet you can't guess what I was doing when it happened.

She is (or was) a huge Shrek fan.
So she sort of kept this one for last.

And...

It was pretty disappointing.
::yes:: I'm sure it is the same on that is in Orlando. And frankly, it needed some work probably 10 years ago.

I did, however, feel a bit queasy on it.
::yes:: See!!!! It's those damn screen sequences on the broom! They were trying to help you out on that first ride by skipping that part!

I know we each got... something.
And that's all I can remember.

But it was really, really good!
Or not!
Who knows?
I'm going with the "or not." If it was really, really good, you'd remember it.

We came across a tragic scene.
These two cooks were locked
out of their restaurant.
The patrons inside all died of starvation.


Tragic.


Come up with your own story
about that photo.
Bonus points if you do.
One of them is from Mel's which means they're clearly there to scout the competition.

Oh wait a minute. Did I say scout? What I really meant to say is that they're watching to see the aftermath from the Coscto size container of Ex-lax that they sabotaged the food with in order to drum up more business over at Mel's.

I'm sure LA rush hour traffic
isn't as bad as I've been told.
People exaggerate, you know??
I wouldn't know. I specifically did all I could to avoid it.

1. How long does it take
to get to our next hotel?
(You can Google map it if you like:
Annabella hotel, Anaheim)
a. 2 hours
b. 3 hours
c. 4 hours
d. 5 hours
B

2. Where do we eat dinner?
a. Shake Shack
b. Closest restaurant to the hotel.
c. We don't. We're still full.
d. Room service.
B

3. Which ride does Kay do alone?
a. Grizzly River Run
b. Mickey's Fun Wheel
c. Silly Symphony Swings
d. California Screamin'
D

4. Which ride do we go on
more than two times.
a. Soarin'
b. TSMM
c. HM
d. BTMRR
C

5. Which souvenir do I buy for Elle?
(oldest DD who didn't come along)
a. Mouse ears
b. T-shirt
c. Mug
d. Ornament
C
 
Okay, so I have not been on all week. Need to get my schoolwork in order before I leave. On the plus I leave on Thursday!

No worries!
Life. It happens!

You're telling me!

Really? Why?
Because there's so few of them?

I've flown probably 150 times in my life and never been on one. Very 2-3 Configs on planes as well which is cool.

Okay... no more.

Well.... maybe one.

Third Times a charm

:laughing:
Sounds like the voice of
experience talking, there.

It only works until the owner parks behind you so you are trapped and you have to wait until he leaves the next day to go back and get your car. :/

So I'd fit right in, then?

You remind of a young Archie Andrews, so yes I will go with yes.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!










Top