PTR/TR: Without the Mouse, Round 2. Flexpasses, Lego & Emerald Is. villa in Aug 2013

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Originally Posted by coastgirl

Going through a guidebook this morning trying to expand our ride repetoire--we are chickens pretty much, so I think we were a little blind to the possibilities.

So, Universal veterans, what would you recommend for a family for whom Atlantis is the pinnacle of fun?

I am a huge ride chicken and enjoyed all of the following on our Universal trip:

- High in the Sky Trolley Train Ride
- One Fish Two Fish
- Cat In The Hat
- Car-o-Seuss-el
- ET Adventure
- Shrek 3D

Storm Force Acceleration is a teacup-style spinny ride, and due to my past head issues I personally avoid the really spinny stuff, but it looked tame enough otherwise.

Ditto for Popeye & Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges (DH and DS rode it.....I skipped it because I didn't want to get soaked and ruin the hairstyle ).

Pteranadon Flyers looked like it was right up my alley, but I didn't have a small child to ride with so I was out of luck. Waaahhhh!

[coastgirl]

Gina, I missed your post somehow--thanks for the ideas. I loved Cinderella's carousel at MK, so maybe I can talk one of my kids into doing the Car-o-suess-el.

Well, not much new except that we are in double digits!!



Can't believe we're half way there. (We booked at about six mos.) I have t-shirts purchased but haven't made any designs for them. I am also about 2 sizes smaller, and still heading in the right direction, so I may actually allow pics of myself this trip.

I also bought a year's sub from Orlando Informer, which has some decent resources. I need to get serious about planning the park days. We are all really excited to get back to WWoHP. Thinking a lot about SeaWorld and LEGOLAND too.

I finally got a smart phone (I know ) and have had fun downloading apps. I have a disboards app of course, the undercover tourist line app, LEGOLAND app, and TripAdvisor Orlando City Guide. I use TA reviews a lot, in this case it's the restaurant reviews--it'll be great to be able to check them "on the fly" when we're driving around. Any other apps? We're not going to Disney at all, so not interested in the purely Disney apps. But what do you like for apps when you travel?

[Nancy for Disney]

Sounds like your plans are coming right along. I have the TA Orlando App too. I am very excited although I think that I pretty much have all the restaurants I want to eat. I "liked" Cafe Tu Tu the other day. The other day they did a post on Mother's Day and if you made a comment you got a free appetizer for Mother's Day. I sent them a message saying I was going to be there for a visit and asked if could use the code for the freebie on my visit. They said Yes!

I was going to downlowd the Undercover Tourist app but I read somewhere that the wait times are posted all over the park and they rarely used it.

Any way enjoy the planning!

[coastgirl]

So we are about 70 days out. This weekend I have been playing with tshirt ideas again. Dh suggested a bunch of images rather than one, so I am going to do a vacation checklist I think, personalized for each of us with maybe 6 images each. So for instance I think mine will have something for WWoHP, Dine with Shamu, a shopping icon dd and I made up, something for the Ohana character breakfast, a "pool time" icon and something (TBA) to signify some nature excursions--we are thinking Wikiva State park at least. I'd like to find something to signify "waterpark' besides just the park logo, but I am having a hard time finding an image.

For the back of the shirts, I have this:



Because of our vacation rule, "you must have ice cream at least once a day, every day". I plan to bring sharpies so we can tick off things as we go. If I am organized enough I may bring the shirts with us and get them signed where appropriate--eg, Stitch or maybe the conductor of the Hogwart's Express. (He signs things, yes?)

Fun fun.

[coastgirl]

Just a note, I was poking around this morning and found the partial TR from our first trip in 2011. I finished it and posted it here, and linked it in my sig: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2655822