DISASTER! A New Universal Trip-Report Starring ME! & My Friends

[nerdboyrockstar]

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008156.jpg

CAST

Me, Anthony: 23
Luis, 23
Nisha, 24

It's that time of year again when we take our annual early Summer trip to Universal (followed by the annual Horror Nights trip.. and any other trip I can squeeze in thereafter..).

Usually we have 4 or more people on these trips but due to work constraints, a 4th member was replaced with games appropriate for 3 people.. such as the Who Gets To Sleep In Their Own Bed nightly lottery and Who's Riding This Ride With A Total Stranger - Play It!.

After getting all our stuff in the car and picking up Luis, we drove thru McDonald's for breakfast before getting on the Turnpike. It was 10:35 now so we weren't actually sure if they were serving breakfast or lunch now.. But when we asked the friendly McDonald's girl, her response was... "Both." BOTH!! Visions of sausage biscuits and french fries were dancing in my head but I settled for the Fruit & Yogurt Parfait.. I can't help it. I don't have the stomach for breakfast during breakfast hours. And I LOVE breakfast food!

The drive was great. We were singing along to the music. The sun was shining. Red and blue police lights were flashing in my rear-view mirror. Wait..red and blue police lights? Am I being pulled over? I asked.. I moved to another lane. The police car followed. I started to stop on the side of the road.. My heart starting to beat fast while cars swooshed by causing the car to shake. The sergeant made his way to my window. For the first time, a trip to Universal is starting off.. a Disaster.

[angela3676]

WOW! I hope everything turned out okay with the po po. How do you play "Who gets to sleep in there own bed nightly lottery"? Sounds very strange.:confused3

Waiting for more!:surfweb:

[alexb0923]

I hope everything works out.

[LeslieR]

I know that feeling--heart drops--even if your not doing anything wrong!!!

Eagerly waiting for more!!

[Hedy]

:scared1:
Waiting for more.

[bubba's mom]

:eek:


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[donaldduck352]

:eek:


http://bestsmileys.com/cars/2.gif

:lmao:

[donaldduck352]

You didnn't get a souviner from the po-po like we did did'ya?

[Seaera]

popcorn:: Can't wait for more!

[nerdboyrockstar]

10 minutes, 1 smart-*** cop and 163 dollars later, I was given a speeding ticket for going 84mph on the Turnpike. It was the first ticket I've gotten EVER.. but I just tossed that puppy into the glove compartment and completely forgot about it until the vacation was over. Literally.. I opened the glove compartment to get some gum when we were at the gas station before heading home and I was like..Traffic Citation?? But not before I kept running over and over in my head a few times that I could've spent another night at the Royal Pacific for that amount.

You can't let something like that ruin ANY time of the vacation you've had planned for months. So about two hours later we were at the Royal Pacific Resort. I've probably stayed here 10 times and it really does feel like a home away from home for me. I'm a UVC member of this Resort if there's ever been one.

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Do I LOOK like I just got a ticket?

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"Come on Nisha, let's start our adventure.."

Check-in went extremely smoothly. I had a great rate of $139/+ tax for the first night and $169/+ tax for the following few nights and this also included 2 Free Simpsons T-Shirts (Love Extra Value Weeks..). We got Room 1704 and even though we got it with a FL Resident Discount, we still got our LoewsFirst Welcome Gift. Maybe the stay won't count towards the membership, I don't know.

The room wasn't exactly ready at 2pm so we left our stuff with Luggage Services and armed with our room keys, hit the parks.

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Don't Cry For Me, Universal.. The Truth Is I Never Left You..

Our first stop was Universal and our very first ride ever on The Simpsons Ride!

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[rpbert1]

Enjoying your TR ,love the pics with it. I hate getting speeding tickets, don`t mind the tickets, its parting with the cash that depresses me.
Love the RPR, my fav resort, .

[nerdboyrockstar]

WOW! I hope everything turned out okay with the po po. How do you play "Who gets to sleep in there own bed nightly lottery"? Sounds very strange.:confused3

Waiting for more!:surfweb:

Well since there was 3 of us and 2 Queen Size beds, the prize was that 1 lucky person got to sleep in their own bed that night! Challenges included UNO games, Music Quizzes on the iPod (tests your speed and memory of songs on your iPod), and more..

[angela3676]

Sorry about the ticket.:( Glade you didn't let it get you down.:cool1: :woohoo:

Please Continue!:surfweb:

[nerdboyrockstar]

Enjoying your TR ,love the pics with it. I hate getting speeding tickets, don`t mind the tickets, its parting with the cash that depresses me.
Love the RPR, my fav resort, .

Haha.. thanks! And you'll be there soon too and then writing an awesome trip report a few days after that. :laughing:

[nerdboyrockstar]

We headed into Universal and walked down Hollywood to get to World Expo where The Simpsons Ride is. The atmosphere in the park was extremely lively. We saw all these characters in our first 3 minutes inside.

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Great Scott! We're at Universal!


This whole area of the park is a lot more animated now that The Simpsons moved in (no pun intended..) and the themeing just looked great. The wait was about an hour but with Express it was about 10 minutes. I almost wished the wait was longer. The screens in the queue play new animation as well as some favorite moments from The Simpsons TV show. You'll be entertained from the moment you walk up until you go out the exit doors. I loved every minute of it.

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And the ride is fantastic! It's so much fun and the animation and everything was done extremely well. I rode it 3 different times and saw completely different things in the pre-show each time and you'll definitely need a few re-rides to catch all the jokes in the ride. I'll definitely be checking out The Simpsons Ride on every trip from now on.

Also, when the weather is in the upper 90's, one of the most popular attractions for us is the Mist Stations.

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We didn't want to overdo it on the first day so I'm pretty sure all we did was The Simpsons, Men In Black, E.T. Adventure and Revenge of the Mummy before grabbing some lunch at International Food & Film Festival and heading out. Say what you will about International Food & Film Festival but the Fried Chicken meal with mashed potatoes and a biscuit is comfort food for me. Like the first meal your mama makes you when you haven't visited home in a while. I can't imagine going to Universal and not having it!


On our way out, we stopped by the new addition to the park more thrilling than The Simpsons Ride, DISASTER! and the new Hollywood Rockit Coaster COMBINED:











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Universal continues to outdo itself.


Coming up.. we get to enjoy the room for about 10 minutes before we have to head out again for an 8pm Blue Man Group show.

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[orlandonyc]

Great stuff anthony.... but no food?

I love that RPR tunnel pic. i have never been there but come this HHN i will be

[nerdboyrockstar]

Great stuff anthony.... but no food?

I love that RPR tunnel pic. i have never been there but come this HHN i will be

I think you found my food pics in the other thread but for those of you looking, I've been posting food pics here.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1031541&page=9

There's some awesome pictures posted by Cass and then mine.

[donaldduck352]

I've seen ithttp://www.runemasterstudios.com/graemlins/images/eating.gifmaking me hungary!Loving the pixs nerdboy.Keep them cominghttp://www.runemasterstudios.com/graemlins/images/jive.gif

[Mrs. D]

Loving it!!!! Great TR, sorry about the ticket...you had the right attitude though...

[RAPstar]

Woo hoo! new trippie!!

[Snowy-girls]

Subbing popcorn:: .Great trip report so far,excellent pics,i can't wait to go on the Simpsons ride next year:cool1: .Food looks delish.Can't wait for more.x.

[nerdboyrockstar]

So we headed back to the resort to hit up our room for the first time before realizing either they didn't tell me or I completely forgot to note what the room number was. So we went to the Lobby first and luckily there was no line and plenty of employees willing to help.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008029.jpg


Yeah, yeah.. the room's nice.

BUT CHECK THESE OUT!!

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Ahhh.. the benefits of LoewsFirst. A boy can get used to this..

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One more look at the room and our awesome view. I usually request Theme Park View. I just love to see the Hulk go by.. But I could NOT complain. This view was awesome. The room was also really close to the elevators so that was really convenient as well.

We had absolutely no time to relax as we had to get ready for our 8pm Blue Man Group show. I've never actually seen Blue Man Group live but I do own a CD of theirs (The Complex, which I love) and have seen one of their tours on TV. But we were definitely all looking forward to seeing the show at Universal since it was announced.

So we all got ready in about 20 minutes and by 7:40, were hauling *** to CityWalk in order to make the show.

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We were literally running up to the theater at about 7:59. The place was really full, save for a few rows in the back but there was A LOT of people. I only got my tickets about a week or two before and we were 7th row. Make sure you're NOT late to the show.. or please do because it makes for a hilarious moment in the show. I won't give it away. :rotfl:

The show was AWESOME! It was funny, weird, awe-inspiring, always entertaining and most of all, a really fun time. It's a perfect fit in CityWalk and the Universal Orlando Resort. Even if you've seen them on TV, in person, it really was a technological marvel. The only thing was I felt was the show was a bit disjointed.. almost like a compilation of different Blue Man Group skits than a fully-realized show. But still, I loved it and it definitely feels like it won't be the exact same show twice. I'll definitely be checking this one out again. Also, be on the lookout for discounts. May was Passholder Appreciation Month and we got our tickets for a total of $59 each.

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This Show Has Been Approved By Luis & Nisha

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Exiting The Blue Man Group Show

The merchandise area was flooded after the show but there's a smaller Merchandise cart located outside with great stuff as well. The band members were already posing for pictures and there was a big crowd waiting for pictures with the Blue Man Group as well, who were not yet out.

We decided to forego this instead for a more intimate Blue Man Group photo shoot of our own.

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*Not Actual Blue Man Group Pictured

[nerdboyrockstar]

Afterwards, we went for dinner at NBA City. It was our first time dining here and other than the service being a little spotty, the food was pretty good. We started with the Parmesan Chicken Tenders and Peach BBQ Wings Your Way appetizer. Both were tasty and gone within a few minutes.

Nisha had the Crab Rangoon appetizer for her meal which I also tried and it was pretty good but I've had really good Crab Rangoon and.. you don't really go to NBA City and get Crab Rangoon.. (don't tell her I said that..) Luis got the Cajun Stuffed Chicken which we were really looking forward to but wasn't exactly what we expected. It was still really good though and it came with a spicy cream sauce that was delish. If he ordered it again, he'd ask for more of it. I got the New York Strip Steak which had a Market Price of $28. A bit much but the steak was really good and flavorful. Not the best steak I've ever had (thank you, Houstons) but if you're going for a steak in CityWalk, one of your best bets.


http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/th_UniversalSummer2008046.jpghttp://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/th_UniversalSummer2008047.jpg
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(http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=25466225&postcount=134)

For a bigger version of the food pics, visit the Universal Food Pics thread by clicking on any of the plates above.

What I didnt take pictures of was some of the drinks we also had while at NBA City. It definitely made the walk back to the hotel VERY entertaining.


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Nisha Falls For The First Time


Okay, so it was my fault. I made her think something was coming out of the bushes. :lmao: But what we weren't prepared for was a game of drunken water limbo.

We see a sign that says that after 9pm, there's no more entry to the hotel from the Pool area.. to please use the Hotel Lobby walkway and entrance. At the same time, they had the SPRINKLERS running on the Hotel Lobby walkway. So we're trying to walk down the paved way to the lobby and suddenly we're jumping over water sprinklers and being hit by them.

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Wet.. but finally back at the hotel

*Some further investigation the next day showed that we could have very well continued walking past the pool area to another entrance, just about where the water taxis pick-up and drop-off guests.



Back at the room..


Nisha Falls For The Second Time
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Coming up.. believe it or not.. Day 2!

[Snowy-girls]

Great update-Glad you all enjoyed Blue Man Group.Your room looks lovely+that view is amazing:thumbsup2 .x.

[bubba's mom]

Were you in Tower 2? What was your room number? (ya know someone has to ask...that someone would be me :teeth: )

Cookies look great...but what's with the 2 kids cups? :confused3 Did they think you had small kids with you?

Glad to hear BMG was great....was thinking about it for this year, decided to wait till next.....

I hope your friend forgives you for posting her plastered pic all over the internet :rolleyes1

[nerdboyrockstar]

Were you in Tower 2? What was your room number? (ya know someone has to ask...that someone would be me :teeth: )

We were in Tower 1, Room 1704. It might be a popular room or view because the woman checking us in asked if I had requested it or if they just gave it to me. :laughing:


Cookies look great...but what's with the 2 kids cups? :confused3 Did they think you had small kids with you?

You know.. I have no idea.. I drank out of one for the milk since it was right there.. but when they came and took the plates and milk jar, the cups were gone too. :confused3 Maybe they had us down as kids at heart?


Glad to hear BMG was great....was thinking about it for this year, decided to wait till next.....

I hope your friend forgives you for posting her plastered pic all over the internet :rolleyes1

She knows nothing is withheld from my friends at the DISboards. :rotfl:

[donaldduck352]

Tell Nisha she is not the only one that has done that.I've been there myselfhttp://www.runemasterstudios.com/graemlins/images/drinkers.gif:lmao:

[reelmom]

We just got back also. I keep looking for us in the background of your pictures. I will do the same with mine. Wouldn't that be neat. Anyways, enjoying your TR. Can't wait to hear more.

[bubba's mom]

1704....i see..... When we stayed at RPR (first time), we stayed in 1729....the "odd" side of the hall that faces IOA....that (apparently) is the view from the across the hall ;)

[Akdar]

Nice TR, now I'm feeling guilty :worried: for not getting back to mine yet!

[goofygirl64]

MORE...MORE...MORE... popcorn::

[nerdboyrockstar]

I have this thing where when I'm in Universal, I can't really sleep in that much. I just feel like there's so much to do and that I'm wasting time by sleeping. So I'm awake in bed at like 7:30am.. thinking in my head.. the pool doesn't open until 8am.. I can get up, get ready.. grab something quick for breakfast.. and then the pool should be open by then. So I leave the room a few minutes before 8 while Luis and Nisha are still sleeping. I do this every time so they knew exactly where to find me.

I went to the lobby and visited the continental breakfast in the Orchid Court Lounge. They had a really nice selection, including hot cinnamon rolls.

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I got this.. which was about $8 something. Yup. Welcome to Loews.. where the prices are extremely Highs.


I got to relax in the hot tub for a good while.. They played nice fun music too like Sheryl Crow, Maroon 5, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, some 80's stuff.. I was in heaven.

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Luis called me at around 9:30 to see where I was and if I minded if he joined me. I said of course not and that if he wanted to get some breakfast before that they have a continental breakfast in the Orchid Court Lounge. He said that sounded perfect and he'd see me in a bit.


A few minutes later, Luis shows up with a danish and asks.. "Was this free?"

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Luis tells his story of the grand theft breakfast:

LUIS:
"Pick up some bagels or danishes and some juice and bring it to the pool, that's what I did"... I went to the lobby and walked towards the continental breakfast. There was a nice spread.. bagels, pastries, donuts, cookies, an assortment of juices, coffes and teas. Looks like a free continental breakfast.. I mean if the Ramada has one, why not Royal Pacific? I grab a plate and make my way down the line.. I grab one apple danish. I couldn't find any juice.. I'm walking away and I hesitate for a moment.. Is this really free? I figured I'd just call Anthony and see what he says.. but I figure..it has to be free. I'm at the Royal Pacific! And I walk away. I meet up with Anthony at the pool and I ask him... "Was this free?" .... His response: "YOU DIDNT PAY FOR IT??!?!?!" I THOUGHT IT WAS FREE! IM SORRRRRRYY.. That danish was tainted with lies. I put it aside while I tried to figure out if I should return it and explain what happened but I was so embarrassed! Not even a minute later, by the hammer of Thor a giant bird stole the danish. It serves me right though .. I didn't even pay for it.. I DIDNT KNOOOWWW!

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In Luis' defense, I understood his logic.. but anyone who's stayed in nice hotels knows: the higher the price, the less likely you are to get ANYTHING extra for free. A lesson learned for Luis, a huge laugh for the rest of us.

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The "GIANT BIRD", according to Luis..

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We joked that they must have been Loews employees

[orlandonyc]

Funny man Funny!!:rotfl: :rotfl2: :lmao:

[angela3676]

:lmao: :rotfl: :lmao: :rotfl: http://content.sweetim.com/sim/cpie/emoticons/000200BE.gif (http://www.sweetim.com/s.asp?im=gen&ref=10)

[LeslieR]

:rotfl2: :rotfl2: :rotfl2:

Continental Breakfast has a "free" connotation--Anybody could make that honest mistake! Hilarious!

[ATAfamily]

:surfweb: Great trip report so far. Can't wait to read more :thumbsup2

[Snowy-girls]

:lmao: Very funny :lmao: that continental brekkie looked yummy,although expensive.x.

[Risa]

I'm walking away and I hesitate for a moment.. Is this really free? I figured I'd just call Anthony and see what he says.. but I figure..it has to be free. I'm at the Royal Pacific! And I walk away. I meet up with Anthony at the pool and I ask him... "Was this free?" .... His response: "YOU DIDNT PAY FOR IT??!?!?!" I THOUGHT IT WAS FREE! IM SORRRRRRYY.. That danish was tainted with lies. I put it aside while I tried to figure out if I should return it and explain what happened but I was so embarrassed! Not even a minute later, by the hammer of Thor a giant bird stole the danish. It serves me right though .. I didn't even pay for it.. I DIDNT KNOOOWWW!


Too funny! Loving the TR I'll be there in less than two weeks. Love all the pictures.

[goofygirl64]

THOUGHT IT WAS FREE! IM SORRRRRRYY.. That danish was tainted with lies. I put it aside while I tried to figure out if I should return it and explain what happened but I was so embarrassed! Not even a minute later, by the hammer of Thor a giant bird stole the danish. It serves me right though .. I didn't even pay for it.. I DIDNT KNOOOWWW!



This is something my DSS16 would say and do! Hysterical!!!
Great TR keep it coming.

[bubba's mom]

:lmao:


Guess that's karma for ya! ;)

[ckay87]

WOW! I hope everything turned out okay with the po po. How do you play "Who gets to sleep in there own bed nightly lottery"? Sounds very strange.:confused3

Waiting for more!:surfweb:

That's kinda the opposite of what I used to play when I was your age.


OMG, did I just say that??? :scared1: I am TOTALLY JOKING!

I am loving your trip report - you're cracking me up!

[donaldduck352]

:rotfl2: Grand theft breakfast:rotfl2:

Keep it coming,this is 1 of the funniest TR's I've read yet:thumbsup2

[nerdboyrockstar]

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Nisha finally graced us with her presence at around Noon and after shopping for a bit in the Treasures of Bali store, we decided to have lunch at the Bula Bar & Grille by the pool. The food looked so good from Alexis' trip report and it did NOT disappoint. In fact, I'd say it was one of the best meals we had that trip. I ordered the Huli Huli Chicken Sandwich and everything including the bread was really, really good. Nisha ordered the Creamy Shrimp and Spinach Dip.. not at all what we expected but it had a great flavor. Luis ordered the Chimichurri Steak Wrap and it was AWESOME. Our server (Courtney, who was great) told us it was the best thing on the menu and she wasn't lying. It was so good. We thought about eating here again later on but didn't have the time. If you're going to be by the pool or staying at the resort, I definitely recommend it.


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(http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=25466334&postcount=135)

For a closer look at these yum-yums, click on any of the dishes above.


When we finished it was about 1:30 and we went back to the room to get ready to visit Sea World.

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This is usually later than I ever get to Sea World but we've been there a few times and can do it a lot more leisurely now. We know what we HAVE to see and what we don't care if we miss or not. Plus, the park was open until 10pm and what I really wanted to see were the night offerings like Shamu Rocks, Sea Lions Tonight, and Mistify. We also had tickets to the Mahakiki Luau.

We got to Sea World at around 2:30pm and got the VERY last parking space at the end of section F (for Freakin Far..) before they started a new row. I wanted to kick a dolphin.

I'M KIDDING! I WOULD NEVER..


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Manta, a new coaster opens 2009. Nisha, an interpretive dance show, opened and closed May 30th, 2008.


We caught Clyde & Seamore Take Pirate Island first and it was probably the worst performance of it I had ever seen. :lmao: We all agreed. The actor's weren't into it.. it was just really half-assed. But we got a few laughs at least.

We saw the dolphins, the penguins, the manatees.. we caught a showing of Blue Horizons..which is a really good show.

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At 5:30 it was time for us to head to the Mahakiki Luau. We'd never done this Luau but had been wanting to try either this one or the one at the Royal Pacific. The show was great and really entertaining.. but once we tried the food, I wished we could hula outta there.

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Just got Lei'd


They start you with some salad and banana bread. That was fine, nothing to write home about. Then the food came out about an hour later. Tables are served at different times so you could be starving and watching tables eat like 10 minutes before you're served. The spare ribs were really, really good. We asked for seconds on those. The fried rice was bland. The chicken had no taste. The fish was okay. The vegetables were tasteless too. I tried everything but I didn't take more than two bites of anything other than the ribs.

Luckily the show was really entertaining and I'm glad we did it but I will never ever do it again! Sorry.. If the food at Royal Pacific's luau is anything like their Saturday night Taste of the Polynesian buffet, I think that'd be my best bet for a luau next time.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008117.jpg

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008120.jpg


After that, we did a few rides on Kraken and Journey To Atlantis before heading to Shamu Stadium to watch Shamu Rocks, Shamu's night show for the Summer. I'm really not crazy about Believe. I think it's really cheesy and can't believe they show less of Shamu and more of the trainers doing silly dances. So I was really looking forward to Shamu Rocks. And it was awesome.

It was the best Shamu show I've ever seen. Really fun and entertaining, with great songs, lots of energy and lots of Shamu! The screens from Believe were put to great use as well. I definitely recommend you checking out Shamu Rocks if you visit Sea World this Summer, even if it means getting to the park a little later so you can make it to the nighttime.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008121.jpg
Shamu performing Back To Black.. lol.. kidding..


After the Shamu show got out, there was a lot of people standing and laying on the grass to view Mistify. The show started, some water started shooting up.. the audio started going. The water created a Fantasmic-like mist screen. Except.. no projection. We watched this for about 5 minutes before I was like.. this is the worst nighttime show ever.

Apparently, you can only see Mistify from one side of the park..the OPPOSITE side we were on. None of us knew this.. no employees were around to direct people that way either. So we just keep walking to the exit and caught some fireworks on our way out. If I really wanted to see the backside of water, I'll just ride Jungle Cruise.

[Rubbertops]

Great report.

Where do you have to be to see Mistify?

[angela3676]

Nerdboyrockstar, I like the way your write, you are very funny. ::yes:: Luv the pictures.

[nerdboyrockstar]

Great report.

Where do you have to be to see Mistify?

The Waterfront area, definitely. We must've been in the Waterback. :)

[nerdboyrockstar]

That's kinda the opposite of what I used to play when I was your age.


OMG, did I just say that??? :scared1: I am TOTALLY JOKING!

I am loving your trip report - you're cracking me up!

:scared1: :rotfl2:

Maybe in a different scenario but here not so much. Haha.. Glad you're enjoying it. :)

[nerdboyrockstar]

Nerdboyrockstar, I like the way your write, you are very funny. ::yes:: Luv the pictures.

Thanks Angela. :) I'm working on more but I have to find time in between work and being social. :laughing:

[RAPstar]

lol, love that out of all the songs that you picked for Shamu to "peform" to you picked Amy Winehouse. You, sir, are my new best friend! :teeth: Oh, and tell Nisha I'm sorry her intepretive dance show closed. I would've loved to have seen it on my trip! :lmao:

[snchpnz]

HA! What a great way to start the trip, getting stopped by the FHP! NOT! I have yet to be stopped on my way to Orlando but I did get stopped once on my way to the Keys. I was going down some bridge at about 80 something MPH. What bothers me is that the speed limit was 70 and the road was empty. The a-hole just had nothing better to do. It wasn't like I was going 100 MPH or putting anyone in danger but the law is the law. Now I always keep my eyes open for cops at all times, I'm paranoid really. Those $100+ bucks hurt! I've learned from my multiple trips on the Turnpike though that they like to hide behind the trees. You really can't see them unless you look through your rear view mirror. Is that how you were caught? :rotfl: and from where were you driving from, South Florida?

[orlandonyc]

HA! What a great way to start the trip, getting stopped by the FHP! NOT! I have yet to be stopped on my way to Orlando but I did get stopped once on my way to the Keys. I was going down some bridge at about 80 something MPH. What bothers me is that the speed limit was 70 and the road was empty. The a-hole just had nothing better to do. It wasn't like I was going 100 MPH or putting anyone in danger but the law is the law. Now I always keep my eyes open for cops at all times, I'm paranoid really. Those $100+ bucks hurt! I've learned from my multiple trips on the Turnpike though that they like to hide behind the trees. You really can't see them unless you look through your rear view mirror. Is that how you were caught? :rotfl: and from where were you driving from, South Florida?

the problem is that florida is the start of the so called "Iron Pipeline" so the cops are given extra "Liberty". Nothing like a southern cop.

[nerdboyrockstar]

We got back to the resort at about 10:30-something. Me and Nisha decided we wanted to grab some sushi at the Orchid Court Lounge Sushi Bar in order to make up for our disappointing dinner.

Luis HATES sushi or any kind of seafood actually and almost threw up when I tried to get him to try a piece of cooked tuna. So believe me, when I see those threads on here about picky eater DS9 or DS7, I have to take note too. :laughing:

So he went back to the room while me and Nisha got a table in the lounge. They give you complimentary Edamame and we ordered drinks. I ordered something called Tanaka, I think. It's apparently the Royal Pacific's signature drink. It was REALLY good. I recommend it but just a heads up, it's the size of a martini and it was $9.50. ;)

We got some green salads and we're eating facing the bar. And I'm looking at the guy at the bar and I'm like.. Nisha, that's Charlie Murphy.

He was sitting at the bar and I remember seeing on the way to Universal that he was playing Hard Rock Live that night. You'll definitely know who he is if you watch Chappelle's Show and he's also Eddie Murphy's brother. He acknowledged us and we smiled but we didn't bother him. Especially when there were teens coming up to him every 5 minutes! But he was really gracious and took pictures with all of them.

The Orchid Court Lounge makes really good sushi. We had a Volcano roll, salmon, tuna, cream cheese and asparagus topped with cooked conch, and a Lori Lori Roll, which had salmon, tuna, strawberries, avocado, greens, wrapped in rice paper and topped with strawberry yogurt. They were both really good. I love that they added this to the hotel. The Royal Pacific has a lot of dining options now.


http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/th_UniversalSummer2008123.jpghttp://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/th_UniversalSummer2008108.jpg (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=25466585&postcount=136)

Want these in a bigger size to lick the screen? Click on either one to visit the Universal food pictures thread.

We went back up to the room and I felt bad that we had such a good dinner (second dinner?) and Luis was in the room. While we were walking the room, our neighbors had ordered room service and left the cart outside. I got Luis a little something from there.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008126.jpg

HE DID NOT EAT IT.

The next day, I did my routine.. woke up early.. hit the pool, this time with Luis in tow so there'd be no misunderstandings. We swam for a while.. Like 2 hours.. and all I wanted was the stupid bar to open. I was like Luis.. ugh.. all I want is a big fruity drink. And he'd be like "Oh look they're opening!" and I'd think God thank you for listening.. and he'd be like "Just kidding! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.."

I drowned him.

But at 11am on the dot, they were open for business and I was able to get a Mango Daiquiri.. It was EXACTLY what I needed. The breakfast of champions!

Luis was then resuscitated and we went back to the room to wake up Sleeping Booty. Once we got her up, it was time to visit Islands of Adventure.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008129-1.jpg

[Snowy-girls]

Great update-we love Seaworld and can't wait to see Shamu Rocks as we have'nt seen it before.Food looks great:thumbsup2 .x.

[rebecca06261]

:worship: you are a tr god. lovin' it!

[NH-R-T-Cha]

:worship: you are a tr god. lovin' it!

:thumbsup2 :thumbsup2 What a fun TR!

[rebecca06261]

popcorn::

[goofygirl64]

Hi Nerdboyrockstar

I will be going to Universal in August. We are on a tight budget. Is the Taste
of Polynesia Buffet at RPR worth the money???

Love your trippie.
:goodvibes

[LeslieR]

Hellooooo???? Nerdboy????RockStar???? Anthony????Hellllllloooooooo????

[Disneychix]

Sleeping Booty! I love it!

Great report!

[nerdboyrockstar]

Hellooooo???? Nerdboy????RockStar???? Anthony????Hellllllloooooooo????

Leslie, I am so sorry! I've been so busy! And I've been thinking how I let my Disboards friends down. I could've at least left you guys with some reruns. :rotfl:

But I'm back and I hope to finish this soon. I can't believe my trip report is taking so much longer than my vacation! :laughing:

[nerdboyrockstar]

:worship: you are a tr god. lovin' it!

:lmao:

You guys are too sweet.

[nerdboyrockstar]

Hi Nerdboyrockstar

I will be going to Universal in August. We are on a tight budget. Is the Taste
of Polynesia Buffet at RPR worth the money???

Love your trippie.
:goodvibes

Food-wise, it was my second time eating it and I loved it. The food is good and there's a nice selection. If you're on a tight budget, it might not be your best bet. I thought it was worth the money but between Universal and Disney, it's about $28 for all the buffets anyway. :)

[nerdboyrockstar]

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008014.jpg


Having just walked from our hotel to Islands of Adventure with the temperature in the upper 90's, we hit the first water attraction once you get inside.


http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008132.jpg

The Mist Station.


After that we got our first ride in on The Hulk (and stowed away our stuff in lockers by The Hulk and kept them there while we did the water rides).


http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008140.jpg

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008139.jpg


Spider-Man and Popeye's were great as usual (especially with the new Express line on Popeye's. It works SO much better and quicker now..). But Dudley Do-Right's... oh Dudley Do- Right's..

So I'm not gonna lie, Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls is one of my favorite rides in Islands if not my favorite. It's a really fun ride and the drop is outstanding. Now with the new lapbars installed, the only way I might be getting on it again is doing Dudley Do-Right's Lowcarb Diet for about a year.

When the new log first pulled up, I asked the mountie/employee "These aren't One-Size-Fits-All are they?" And he laughed and then flat out said "No.. no they're not. The rows with the most room are 2, 3 and 4. Nisha was in Row 1, me and Luis in Rows 2 and 3. Once we got situated, I was literally in pain. The sides of the new lapbars were really digging into my legs. I'm like 5'11 or 6'0. I have long legs. Luis said to stretch them out so that way my legs were basically wrapped around Luis and caressing Nisha for the entire ride.

After that ride, in some cultures, me and Luis were married.

I don't know what happened to the Jurassic Park ride but one look at the Express line and we turned around and went for another ride on Popeye's.

After that, we changed into our dry clothes which we brought in a book bag and left in those lockers by The Hulk. (While Nisha has been quoted as saying that Luis and I brought a change of clothes to the park for ourselves without asking her, this statement is in no way true. Although the following photographs show Luis and I in completely different outfits while Nisha is still in her wet clothes, we are in no way responsible for her lack of comprehension of the verbal agreement that took place in the hotel room between myself and Luis and the visual evidence of a bookbag with fresh clothes.)

After we were all changed, it was time for a meal at Mythos!

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008171.jpg

[donaldduck352]

[QUOTE=nerdboyrockstar;25644997]



After that ride, in some cultures, me and Luis were married.

:rotfl2: :rotfl2: :rotfl2: To funny man!!!

[goofygirl64]

[QUOTE=nerdboyrockstar;25644997]http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008014.jpg

.

After that, we changed into our dry clothes which we brought in a book bag and left in those lockers by The Hulk. (While Nisha has been quoted as saying that Luis and I brought a change of clothes to the park for ourselves without asking her, this statement is in no way true. Although the following photographs show Luis and I in completely different outfits while Nisha is still in her wet clothes, we are in no way responsible for her lack of comprehension of the verbal agreement that took place in the hotel room between myself and Luis and the visual evidence of a bookbag with fresh clothes.)


Do you see any one wearing bathing suits for the wet rides? ponchos?
Which rides do you really get soaked?

:confused3

[LeslieR]

I'm addicted...Thanks for the fix!

[tlinus]

Do you see any one wearing bathing suits for the wet rides? ponchos?
Which rides do you really get soaked?

:confused3

Lots of people wear bathing suits or that quick dry stuff - I unknowingly got into the "soak me" seat on Popeye's(there really isn't one, its all random, but I was more wet than anyone else in our raft)........you WILL get wet on that ride, but it felt great :thumbsup2 :thumbsup2

[nerdboyrockstar]

Do you see any one wearing bathing suits for the wet rides? ponchos?
Which rides do you really get soaked?

:confused3

I've seen bathing suits, ponchos.. Nisha has even worn a SHOWER CAP, I kid you not.. :rotfl:

You can definitely get soaked on Popeye and Dudley Do-Right's.. and you can also get wet on Jurassic Park River Adventure.

[angela3676]

this is some funny stuff....:rotfl2: Lovin it!

[macraven]

shower cap..............oh my.......

[nerdboyrockstar]

Now Mythos is a place I've dined at countless times (okay not countless.. like 10).. and I have never ever been disappointed with a meal there. I even crave it when I'm at home.. it's one of my favorite restaurants ever! We started with the Chef's Pizza of the Day. Some of the times I've gone recently it's been like regular Pepperoni.. but this time it was like real tomatoes, onions, really fresh cheese.. really good and inspired. We also get the Tempura Sushi appetizer which is great but I do miss my Mushroom Brioche.. Come back to me/I'm begging you please..

Luis got the Bistro Filet and liked everything about it except the Burgundy mashed potatoes.. he knew he wouldn't though and had ordered the cheese mashed potatoes instead. Either the server or the chef forgot but it was brought out a few minutes later. Nisha got the Blueberry Pork with mac and cheese.. I've tried this before and the flavors are really interesting. She doesn't eat spinach apparently so I took it and put it in my pasta. :) The Pastabilities that day was a like a Fettuccine Alfredo with a spicy tomato sauce, pork, onions and peppers. It was delicious.. I usually get the Risotto of the Day because it usually sounds amazing but this time the Pastabilities description sounded really good. And even if it doesn't sound good, it's really good. I remember one time the Risotto was Beef Shoulder Tips.. and I was like I don't even know what that is. I will have that.



http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/th_UniversalSummer2008137.jpghttp://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/th_UniversalSummer2008143.jpghttp://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/th_UniversalSummer2008145.jpg
http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/th_UniversalSummer2008146.jpghttp://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/th_UniversalSummer2008144.jpghttp://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/th_UniversalSummer2008150.jpg
(http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=25467086&postcount=139)
For a closer look, click on any of the dishes above to be taken to our Food Pics thread.


In case they forget to go over it, remember when you're in Mythos to ask what the Chef's Pizza of the Day, Risotto of the Day and Pastabilities are for that day.

Believe it or not, I still found room in my stomachs for the Chocolate Banana Gooey Cake..

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008148.jpg
Oh, this.. ISN'T a dessert shot?


Nisha took an early exit before dessert (wet clothes + air conditioning= no fun) so she went through the back of the restaurant outside to enjoy the view of the Islands. It's actually a really nice spot here and we decided to relax and take a few pictures before getting on any rides.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008155.jpg
Oops.. Zoom is on.. Let's try that one again.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008158.jpg
Better.


http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummerMythos.jpg
What I'd look like if we tried to do Dueling Dragons right now..


Since we still needed some time to digest, we visited the High In The Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride.


http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008178.jpg


One of the attendants.. I forget his name but he was really nice and was from Jamaica.. was talking to us while we waited, asking where we were from and if we had ridden before. We had but I pretended that we didn't.. "How fast is the launch?" I asked. He looked with a blank stare.. "Is it true it goes 0 to 60 in 3 seconds? When it goes upside down, it is indoors or outdoors?" He was just like "WHO TOLD YOU ALL THIS?" I was like "The girl out front.." He was like "NO, no.. she was kidding!" But really I was just kidding and we were laughing about it.


Luis was the slowest to get into a row with one of us and ended up riding with a stranger. He was thrilled!


http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008183.jpg


And so were we..


http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008189.jpg

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008193.jpg


We saw our attendant friend on the way out and pretended to be dizzy and stumbling out of the ride. He was laughing..

Later on we did The Cat In The Hat, Dueling Dragons (Luis' first time experiencing it with no shoes.. he's like a new man) and Jurassic Park River Adventure before heading back to the resort.

[tlinus]

:thumbsup2Anthony -

This is an awesome report!!!

Seems like my days are gong to be full of DISsing between reading yours and writing mine :rotfl2: :rotfl2:

[Hedy]

So Dueling Dragons is best sans shoes?

[rebecca06261]

:lmao: This is the hardest I have laughed in weeks!!! More more more!!! :hyper:

[macraven]

http://bestsmileys.com/signs14/23.gif

[nerdboyrockstar]

:thumbsup2Anthony -

This is an awesome report!!!

Seems like my days are gong to be full of DISsing between reading yours and writing mine :rotfl2: :rotfl2:

I KNOW! If you see a post from me, that means I'm not getting any work done. Haha.. but I'm looking forward to the rest of yours. :)

[nerdboyrockstar]

So Dueling Dragons is best sans shoes?

Feeling the wind between your toes.. YES. haha.. We usually wear flip flips and just sit on them during the ride.

[Snowy-girls]

Excellent update-i love the way you write:thumbsup2 .x.

[goofygirl64]

Nerdboyrockstar your trippie is the bomb!!:woohoo:
Can' wait for more!! :surfweb:
I have never been to Universal and can' wait!! I have always wanted to
go but I have been waiting for the kids to be older. So now is the time.
Do you have any tips for a newbie??? :eek:

[LeslieR]

You must be working really hard!!!

[Assisi]

I am enjoying your report. Thank you for posting the pictures of the Royal Pacific. I am trying to decide where to stay. Was there plenty of room for the 3 of you?

[nerdboyrockstar]

After hanging out in the room for a while and a few UNO games later, we decided to get ready to visit the Islands Dining Room for dinner. I had visited the RPR solo back in December and it was my first taste of the Polynesian buffet on Saturdays in the dining room. I was floored. I remember being at the buffet, calling Luis on the phone and asking "HOW FAST CAN YOU GET HERE???" Since we live a 4 hour drive away, it was impossible. But crappy cell phone pics and my descriptions would have to be enough until Luis was able to try it for himself. His thoughts:

LUIS:
This is not your average oriental buffet... Everything is so fresh and tastes wonderful. The beef was fantastic and the wings were so good, almost perfect. I never eat lo mein and at this buffet I couldn't get enough of it. When Anthony told me they had a kids part of the buffet, I jumped so fast out of my seat and ran. I love their little popcorn chicken! The pot stickers were so good.. I didn't try all of the sauces but they did look migh-ty fine and tasty.They had some kind of tuna martini that looked delicious .. and I hate SEAFOOD. lol ... The desserts, awesssomme. I loved the strawberry tarts. What's that you say? They don't make those? You're right.. I made them myself out of the tart from one dessert and strawberries from another.. lol But all the rest of the desserts looked so good. Loved that dinner..

A rave review from Luis.. edited for atrocious grammar and spelling errors by your good friend Anthony.


http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/th_UniversalSummer2008210.jpghttp://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/th_UniversalSummer2008217.jpghttp://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/th_UniversalSummer2008216.jpghttp://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/th_UniversalSummer2008215.jpg
http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/th_UniversalSummer2008214.jpghttp://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/th_UniversalSummer2008213.jpghttp://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/th_UniversalSummer2008211.jpghttp://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/th_UniversalSummer2008255.jpg
(http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=25481627&postcount=152)

For a Fat Free dining experience, click on any of the dishes for a larger view and drink a glass of water.



But what we didn't know.. was that this was a CHARACTER DINNER!

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008218.jpg

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008251.jpg

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008252.jpg

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008253.jpg
Tastes of the Polynisha

[angela3676]

hummm, looks like old Woody was puttin the moves on Nisha. puckerup: The foods looks great.::yes:: :stir: Looks like you guys had a ball. Did you get any authographs? :)

[RAPstar]

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008251.jpg

Woody looks like he's doing something slightly naughty in this pic. or is it just me?

[goofygirl64]

Food looks yum-o!!! Were the potstickers, dim sum and spring rolls as good
as they look? What other kinds of dessert did they have? Ice cream?
Did they have fried rice?

Thanks for the pics.
Boy am I full!!! :rotfl:

[nerdboyrockstar]

I am enjoying your report. Thank you for posting the pictures of the Royal Pacific. I am trying to decide where to stay. Was there plenty of room for the 3 of you?

Yeah, the rooms are a perfect size.. I'm sure if we all have our luggage open there's not much room for cartwheels, but all in all when we keep it tidy, it never feels cramped. :)

[nerdboyrockstar]

Nerdboyrockstar your trippie is the bomb!!:woohoo:
Can' wait for more!! :surfweb:
I have never been to Universal and can' wait!! I have always wanted to
go but I have been waiting for the kids to be older. So now is the time.
Do you have any tips for a newbie??? :eek:

Stay on-site! Even if you have to arrange your dates to go during cheaper times when you can get a room for in the $160's range, for the absolute best experience you HAVE to stay on-site.

Food looks yum-o!!! Were the potstickers, dim sum and spring rolls as good
as they look? What other kinds of dessert did they have? Ice cream?
Did they have fried rice?

Thanks for the pics.
Boy am I full!!! :rotfl:

No ice cream.. they had some fruit tarts.. some bread pudding.. wow I don't really remember what else they had.. But no fried rice..

[nerdboyrockstar]

hummm, looks like old Woody was puttin the moves on Nisha. puckerup: The foods looks great.::yes:: :stir: Looks like you guys had a ball. Did you get any authographs? :)

Aww, me, George and Woody all go way back. It was like dinner with old friends. :)

Woody looks like he's doing something slightly naughty in this pic. or is it just me?

Ya little NASTY.. :rotfl2:

[nerdboyrockstar]

After being completely stuffed, we could hardly make it back to our room.. although the original plan was for us to hit up CityWalk and visit the new Rising Star Karaoke Club and the Red Coconut Club which I've only been by before but I was with someone under 21. (NOTE: Leave all kids at home..) It looked really fun though.

A quick survey of the room showed that NO ONE was interested in going to CityWalk for our last night! So instead.. well.. we kinda had a pajama party.


http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008089.jpg


These are the T-shirts they gave us for staying during Extra Value Weeks. I love it! Other freebies coming up this year include 2 free movie tickets and a $10 concession voucher, and later on a free $25 gift card.

We played some more games, took some pictures in the room, and to no one's surprise, Nisha fell again..


http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008256.jpg

Too many Ahi Tuna Martinis????


http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008161.jpg

Too full for fun..


I always take my BOSE speakers and my iPod on vacation with me so there's a party anywhere I go.

http://www.freshtrend.com/images/bose-sounddock-ipod.jpg



Once Luis got some pep in his step, we filmed music videos for Guns 'N Roses "Sweet Child O' Mine" and Missy Elliott's "Ching-A-Ling".. :lmao: Those will NEVER see the light of day.


I found some glasses/goggles that Nisha had and loved them. :laughing:

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008085.jpg

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/nerdboyrockstar/UniversalSummer2008075.jpg


And we stayed up until the wee hours just making our own fun in the hotel room. A late night trip to CityWalk would just have to wait until our next trip.

[jillybeene71]

Woody looks like he's doing something slightly naughty in this pic. or is it just me?

:rotfl2:

[LeslieR]

Don't cha just love vacations..........doing what-ev...

Great report. I don't want it to end!

[Adadmin]

This was so much fun...Poor Nisha I feel her pain, not a stranger to hitting the floor myself :rotfl:

[donaldduck352]

Looks like Luis enjoyed the character meet:lmao: