Escaping Irene: A NY family "evacuates" to Disney! *Update 7/7 WWoHP*

[DrMomof3]

Thanks for not naming names or assigning blame!

Wow! Nathaniel looks really mature in the airport pictures.

What a great shirt. Must get this for Ben!

In all fairness I had several sources ALL of whom agreed that Jaws was "safe" from a wet ride perspective.

And I ordered the shirt from the Warner's Brothers website...

Amanda

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Thanks for not naming names or assigning blame!

Wow! Nathaniel looks really mature in the airport pictures.

What a great shirt. Must get this for Ben!

Oh Dee-poor you Are you feeling guilty lol?

In all fairness I had several sources ALL of whom agreed that Jaws was "safe" from a wet ride perspective.

And I ordered the shirt from the Warner's Brothers website...

Amanda

Now not that I'm guiltyof giving you false info but I just wanted to add I've never got even a teeny tiny bit wet on Jaws!
How on earth did you manage to get soaked? Maybe Jaws is getting revenge for being closed down lol!

 

[DrMomof3]

Oh Dee-poor you Are you feeling guilty lol?

Dee guilty??? Could it be???

Now not that I'm guiltyof giving you false info but I just wanted to add I've never got even a teeny tiny bit wet on Jaws!
How on earth did you manage to get soaked? Maybe Jaws is getting revenge for being closed down lol!

We had several CMs (ok, I know they aren't called CMs at Universal but work with me here) comment that we were the wettest or 2nd wettest people they had ever seen after Jaws. It was truly bad luck. Not just being in the "right" seats but being in those seats on that particular boat ride.

Amanda

 

[blessedmom4]

Just wanted to say:

Looking forward to more updates when you have time! ​

 

[DrMomof3]

Thanks Judy!

Amanda

 

[DrMomof3]

Once we were into dry clothes we headed over to MIB. I'm a big fan of this type of ride in general. I love Buzz Lightyear and I love TSM. So I was bound to love this. I found it much more intense than I expected. I enjoyed it a lot but felt slightly dizzy at the end. And I did poorly from a score perspective. Nathaniel seemed to enjoy it but when I offered the chance to ride again, he declined.
We stopped for a treat....

And then headed to The Simpsons. Despite our "front of line access" the wait for this ride was quite long. I watched lots and lots of Simpsons in college and I'm a big fan of the show (I haven't watched in years). I really enjoyed the simulator but found it more intense than I was expecting. And again Nathaniel declined a re-ride.
I may get the order wrong but we rode E.T. which I thought was fine. It was cute but outdated and I thought the later scenes were just stupid. We rode Spiderman which is AWESOME (and this was before the refurb). I was sure Nathaniel would want to ride again but he didn't.
We headed over towards the kiddie play areas and Nathaniel thoroughly enjoyed them.

At this point it was mid-afternoon and we hadn't eaten lunch yet. I dragged Nathaniel out of Curious George and we found some quick-serve. We were both tired and hungry. We headed back to Hard Rock for some rest (which involved me napping a little and Nathaniel watching Nick).

I learned a lot on this day. I thought that Nathaniel, as an eldest child, would appreciate doing more "grown up" things with me since his younger siblings weren't there to "drag him down." To my surprise he reveled in being a child and preferred the attractions aimed at a younger age group. This was not what I expected at all. And since I was hoping to take this trip as a solo trip to do adult things, this wasn't really the trip I had planned. On the other hand I was going to enjoy spending quality time with Nathaniel, even if it meant giving up what I wanted to do. (Please don't think I'm a horrible mother for saying this. I'm being brutally honest and this was supposed to be MY weekend getaway which I changed into a mother-son trip. We had some wonderful bonding time but it wasn't what this trip was supposed to be. Please don't judge! )

Amanda

 

[natebenma]

MIB- I can't figure out how to score points on this ride!

Simpsons- Fun. Once a day is plenty for me though.

ET- I can take it or leave it.

The play area looks like fun, so glad to see you pictures. We never even got close to it. But all I see is water. Didn't you guys JUST get dry???

 

[firecracker725]

I learned a lot on this day. I thought that Nathaniel, as an eldest child, would appreciate doing more "grown up" things with me since his younger siblings weren't there to "drag him down." To my surprise he reveled in being a child and preferred the attractions aimed at a younger age group. This was not what I expected at all. And since I was hoping to take this trip as a solo trip to do adult things, this wasn't really the trip I had planned. On the other hand I was going to enjoy spending quality time with Nathaniel, even if it meant giving up what I wanted to do. <b>(Please don't think I'm a horrible mother for saying this. I'm being brutally honest and this was supposed to be MY weekend getaway which I changed into a mother-son trip. We had some wonderful bonding time but it wasn't what this trip was supposed to be. Please don't judge! )
</b>
Amanda

No judging here. I think it's pretty amazing that you took him with you on your "solo" trip, and it's okay to feel disappointed that it didn't turn out the way you envisioned it.

That being said, you totally deserve a real solo trip very soon. As do I, especially since DH has been traveling so much this past year.

 

[DrMomof3]

MIB- I can't figure out how to score points on this ride!

Simpsons- Fun. Once a day is plenty for me though.

ET- I can take it or leave it.

The play area looks like fun, so glad to see you pictures. We never even got close to it. But all I see is water. Didn't you guys JUST get dry???

There were 2 different play areas. The water slide with the tube was actually pretty dry. And in the Curious George area, he mostly avoided the wet parts.

No judging here. I think it's pretty amazing that you took him with you on your "solo" trip, and it's okay to feel disappointed that it didn't turn out the way you envisioned it.

That being said, you totally deserve a real solo trip very soon. As do I, especially since DH has been traveling so much this past year.

Thank you Crystal. I'm getting my solo trip for ToT weekend. I hope. This past year has definitely been a challenge.

Amanda

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Love hearing about your trip to the "other" side

Sometimes it''s hard when things dont turn out as we'd planned (especially when we like the "planning" so much) but I appreciate your honesty (no judging here) and it's good to hear that I'm not the only mum who sometimes wishes for some "me" time even if it was my idea to sacrifice it in the first place!

Bet Nathanial and you will both treasure this trip for many years to come and it will make your solo trip all the sweeter when it happens.

 

[DrMomof3]

Love hearing about your trip to the "other" side

Sometimes it''s hard when things dont turn out as we'd planned (especially when we like the "planning" so much) but I appreciate your honesty (no judging here) and it's good to hear that I'm not the only mum who sometimes wishes for some "me" time even if it was my idea to sacrifice it in the first place!

Bet Nathanial and you will both treasure this trip for many years to come and it will make your solo trip all the sweeter when it happens.

You are 100% right. We both remember the trip fondly. Thanks!

Amanda

 

[DrMomof3]

So after our non-nap it was time to shower and get ready for dinner and the party. It's funny because Nathaniel LOVES bathing in hotel bathrooms. At home we sometimes have to beg him to bathe but on vacation we have to kick him out of the bathroom. Anyway it was going to be a chilly night (by Florida standards - not by NY standards). I wore a short-sleeved dress with tights and knee-high boots (with heels but I wear them to my office hours so I know I can walk for hours in them). I brought a jacket. Nathaniel wore jeans and a white button-down shirt (like Harry Potter) and we packed his HP tie and cloak in my bag.
After much research (I was the very first person to have my question answered on one of the Universal Podcasts - go me!) I had made a reservation at Emeril's Tchoup Chop for an early dinner. The restaurant is at the Royal Pacific hotel (another one of Universal's 3 onsite hotels). Nathaniel was a little antsy so we decided we walk over. We left ourselves MORE than enough time. Along the path we saw a small frog (or toad - I don't really think I completely know the difference) as he ate a bug. I swear to you that this was the highlight of Nathaniel's trip. I didn't get a picture of the exciting event. I will admit it was cool but it never fails to surprise me what the kids enjoy most.
I thought Nathaniel would want a slightly more grown-up dining experience. I guess there are times when he would but at this point in his life, he probably needed a bit more babying. (See earlier post.) Anyway we had a good experience at Tchoup Chop and I would definitely eat there again. The wait staff was wonderful and they couldn't be more attentive (without being annoying). Nathaniel drank as many sodas as he possibly could (they kept his cup refilled). I don't honestly remember what we ate but I thought it was good. The prices were in line with what I expect to pay in NY. Overall it was a good experience, even if we finished a little sooner than I anticipated.
We had some time to kill so we went to the arcade at Royal Pacific and played some video games. It was fun and we both laughed a lot. And then we started a slow walk over to Islands of Adventure. I was super excited to see WWoHP and hoping to meet some DIS friends. There were definitely people who got to the entrance as early as possible and waited in line to be first but we just hung out in the general area near the entrance and waited until they were ready to open the gates. This way Nathaniel could run around a bit instead of just standing in line.

Amanda

 

[DrMomof3]

So we were finally brought into the party! I saw a few of the Podcast crew that I had met before and introduced myself. Nathaniel was tired and being a bit shy. He wasn't super excited to meet a bunch of strangers. While there were some children at the party, there were definitely more adults. We knew that Nathaniel wasn't tall enough to ride Forbidden Journey but we were able to do the castle walk-through. It truly is amazing! And totally worth seeing for any HP fan. The nice thing about not being able to ride is that we really spent our time walking through the castle. I enjoyed that a lot. I wish we could have ridden but it was ok. We shopped at the store at the end of the ride (Universal must have learned the same lesson as Disney - to empty each ride into a store). We then rode Flight of the Hippogrith. About 6 times. It was a walk on each time and sometimes we were the only riders but they still made us get off and walk all the way around and through the line. It was a little annoying since this was a private party but whatever. We found that the last row was significantly faster than the front so we started requesting it.
We went to the wand shop and waited in line. Nathaniel was dressed in HP robes but a teenaged girl was picked for the wand selection. Nathaniel was very upset and we had a mini-temper tantrum for about 15 minutes. I bought him a Harry Potter wand for a small fortune (I don't get it to be honest - $35 for a piece of wood that doesn't do anything). He was mostly overtired.
We did get to meet one of my disboards friends - Trish. She and I are now planning to be roommates for the ToT race in September. She was lovely and it was fun to catch up. We bought some candy at the store. Nathaniel was pretty much done by this point in time. I was hoping to meet several other DISers but it just wasn't possible. I carried Nathaniel out (he had to walk every few minutes because it was too much for me). We got out of the park and to the boat dock where we waited. And waited. And waited. While we were waiting for our boat, a very drunk man got in line with a much more sober friend helping him. I was not thrilled to have Nathaniel close to this man. Luckily one of the bicycle guys who drives people home arrived at that moment. I think I tipped him a lot because I was so grateful. We were soon back in our room and sleeping.

Amanda

 

[firecracker725]

Sounds like a good time! I don't know how in the world you have time to write these reports. I'm not even working right now, and I barely have time to DIS.

So happy you found a roommate for ToT. I've read Trish's reports, and she sounds like such a fun person. I imagine y'all will have a fabulous time.

 

[DrMomof3]

Sounds like a good time! I don't know how in the world you have time to write these reports. I'm not even working right now, and I barely have time to DIS.

So happy you found a roommate for ToT. I've read Trish's reports, and she sounds like such a fun person. I imagine y'all will have a fabulous time.

I don't really have time. But I'm trying to finish this one up so I can focus on more recent events. And I never wrote my marathon trip report. I have my blog from the marathon and that might just be it.

Amanda

 

[ddluvsdisney]

OMG Amanda I forgot all about this trip!
I must have gotten unsubscribed somehow????
I didn't even know about Nathanial going.
I would never judge you, I know how much moms look forward to alone time!

 

[ddluvsdisney]

I hit return by mistake- wasn't finished yet
We are all huge HP fans in our family too. We have been to WWoHP 3 yrs. in a row!! Love it!
I started reading the books right after the first book came out. I read Sorcerer's Stone to my Gr.3 class and had a field trip to the movie at the end of that year. It was the best!!
My DS15 is the biggest fan- my DH brought him to the bookstore at midnight to get his copy of book 7. It really was bittersweet reading the last one. I miss them.
My DS15 also got a Marauders Map t-shirt on our first trip. Both my boys have a wand but had no interest in waiting in line for the show- phew!
We never got wet on Jaws!

 

[DrMomof3]

OMG Amanda I forgot all about this trip!
I must have gotten unsubscribed somehow????
I didn't even know about Nathanial going.
I would never judge you, I know how much moms look forward to alone time!

Thank you!

I hit return by mistake- wasn't finished yet
We are all huge HP fans in our family too. We have been to WWoHP 3 yrs. in a row!! Love it!
I started reading the books right after the first book came out. I read Sorcerer's Stone to my Gr.3 class and had a field trip to the movie at the end of that year. It was the best!!
My DS15 is the biggest fan- my DH brought him to the bookstore at midnight to get his copy of book 7. It really was bittersweet reading the last one. I miss them.
My DS15 also got a Marauders Map t-shirt on our first trip. Both my boys have a wand but had no interest in waiting in line for the show- phew!
We never got wet on Jaws!

I've hit enter too soon many, many times!
I'm a huge HP fan! I think I started reading after the 2nd book came out. So not right at the beginning but certainly well-before the 4th book. I bought the 4th book and each subsequent book on release day. Not at midnight (I'm really a morning person) but early the following morning. And read each book cover to cover that same day! (I read quickly.)
Nobody has ever gotten wet on Jaws. Except Nathaniel and me.
We bought several souvenirs for the family back home!

Amanda