October 2015 PTR: a “Halloweenie” and her Fearless Companion conquer their first HHN!

[AussieBritTraveller]

Welcome, welcome! And right from the start, no less!!





Very cool!! Are you HHN first timers like us, or have you visited before?

I just heard today that Insidious was officially announced as the 2nd of the themed houses. Heaven help me .

Yes 1st timers here also, of the 4 of us travelling I'm the only real horror fan but we all want to experience Universals Halloween nights! I cannot wait but will be pooping my pants once I'm there

 

[ArwenMarie]

Have you been to Orlando in October, ArwenMarie? How did you find the heat and humidity? We are a bit worried about crowd levels too, since we were so spoiled by the low, low crowds of early May. October's predictions seem like the parks will be noticeably more full.

Early October is still hot hot hot! Not as bad as August, but it doesn't really cool down until November. October can be crowded for sure, it's a busy month now. On the WDW side of things, it seems that people seem to be perceiving the crowds growing each October...with all of the events it makes sense (Food and Wine, the Halloween party) and I'm sure the Universal stuff factors in as well, as well as schools getting fall breaks and parents fitting in vacations around that. October is a great month to go though, love it.

Love your Halloween tees! I'm not a graphic tee person but for Halloween, yes!

 

[Loves The Mouse]

Wow cold enough for winter coats and gloves! Thanks for the information, my husband thinks he is going to be wearing shorts all week, he asked me to pick up a few this week for our trip in January!
Love the Halloween shirts, the Halloweenie is so... Cute!!
We never wore matching shirts, but we do seem to coordinate our outfits together?? ( Not trying) On our family trip last year, a lot of times we were all wearing the same color palette except one person, and they got teased about " Not getting the memo that this is the color we are all wearing today!"

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Love that weenie, that can be me too. I have a scary Mickey pumpkin face that is hard to see, but may be my tshirt of choice during my trip.

Glad to hear you are feeling better.

That will probably be one of the first times that Mickey Mouse will have crossed over to attend an event at Universal!!

Yes 1st timers here also, of the 4 of us travelling I'm the only real horror fan but we all want to experience Universals Halloween nights! I cannot wait but will be pooping my pants once I'm there

Ha ha ... I am not ashamed to admit that I will probably be doing the same!!

Early October is still hot hot hot! Not as bad as August, but it doesn't really cool down until November. October can be crowded for sure, it's a busy month now. On the WDW side of things, it seems that people seem to be perceiving the crowds growing each October...with all of the events it makes sense (Food and Wine, the Halloween party) and I'm sure the Universal stuff factors in as well, as well as schools getting fall breaks and parents fitting in vacations around that. October is a great month to go though, love it.

Love your Halloween tees! I'm not a graphic tee person but for Halloween, yes!

The Monday of our week is Columbus Day (Thanksgiving Day here in Canada). I expect that might increase crowds some, too. I assume most people would have that day off work?

Wow cold enough for winter coats and gloves! Thanks for the information, my husband thinks he is going to be wearing shorts all week, he asked me to pick up a few this week for our trip in January!
Love the Halloween shirts, the Halloweenie is so... Cute!!
We never wore matching shirts, but we do seem to coordinate our outfits together?? ( Not trying) On our family trip last year, a lot of times we were all wearing the same color palette except one person, and they got teased about " Not getting the memo that this is the color we are all wearing today!"

Don't get me wrong, we got some spectacular weather....but evenings and mornings can still be quite cool, and every once in a while, you can get a real cold snap. Just prepare for everything and you should be OK! On a very positive note, January is pretty dry, so the chance of rain will be much less than other months.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

We’ve got a summer storm brewing outside this evening, so rather than my usual 3 km walk, I thought I’d do another PTR entry. It’s been super hot, hazy and humid all day.....at 10:30 this morning, our temperature was the same as Orlando’s!....and as the heat and humidity finally breaks, they’re calling for high winds (apparently gusts that could blow a car off the road), hail, thunder, lightning and possibly even a tornado. We’ve battened down the hatches and we’re staying safely indoors until it passes .


Let’s talk accommodations then .

As you might have guessed, we will be heading back to our beloved Sheraton Vistana Resort .





Most importantly, we’re using one of our timeshare ownership weeks, which means we know we’ll be assigned to our favourite section of the resort, Fountains I, in a two bedroom, two bath villa. The other sections of the resort are truly lovely, but the Fountains just feels like "home".


For our May vacation, we picked up an extra week at SVR in a one bedroom villa through Skyauction, so we knew Fountains was not a possibility (the Fountains, along with 6 of the other distinct sections within the resort, offer two bedroom configurations only). Our lovely one bedroom premium unit in Lakes was wonderful (and we were super fortunate to be placed very, very close to the Fountains pool) but yet, we missed the layout, style and “feel” of the Fountains Village.
















One thing we did enjoy about being in Lakes: there was an elevator in each building, so we could be lazy and ride up to our top floor villa. In Fountains, its stair access only to the upper floors, aching legs or not:




We always request a top floor unit via Diamond Lane check-in, about two weeks before our scheduled arrival: we love the vaulted living room ceiling with a skylight, and the peacefulness of no foot noise above us. And if I can be totally honest, all the extra steps are probably more of a blessing than a curse, as it helps us justify our vacation indulgences .





We will have a full 1260 square feet of living space at our disposal which is WAY more than we need for just the two of us....but yet, after becoming accustomed to a villa for our vacations, we can hardly bear the idea of an extended stay in just a standard hotel room. And hey.....every woman travelling with a man knows that having two bathrooms is never, ever a bad idea . Enough said.













We will most likely spend most nights (after the parks have closed) enjoying the Fountains pool and hot tubs: after a long day of walking around Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, its great therapy for weary bodies. The Tacky Tiki bar always has some great music playing and we usually find some friendly folks from all over the globe to chat with.


The hot tubs:









And, the Fountains pool:











One thing we have VOWED to do this trip: rent a surrey bike and take a tour of the resort in style. They just look fun! (fingers crossed it won’t be too hot for an hour or so of peddling around the property)





We found the commute to Universal surprisingly fast and easy when we were there in May.....much better than we anticipated, with very little traffic. Of course, the construction on the I-4 may end up being a thorn in our side, depending on how it will have progressed by then. Definitely something I’ll have to check into in the days prior to our departure.


83 days and we’ll be checking in!!!

 

[toystoryduo]

Love that Halloweenie shirt! That's totally me too.

Glad you're feeling better!

 

[ArwenMarie]

Beautiful pictures of the Vistana!

I have to say, I'm envious that you guys found an (offsite) development that you like to return to...we haven't had such luck yet. Must be nice to always go back to the same place and know your way around

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Love that Halloweenie shirt! That's totally me too.

Glad you're feeling better!

Thank you! (its nice to know I'm not the only scaredy cat around these parts )

Beautiful pictures of the Vistana!

I have to say, I'm envious that you guys found an (offsite) development that you like to return to...we haven't had such luck yet. Must be nice to always go back to the same place and know your way around

It really does start to have a "home-like" feeling now , and I like not having to fret in advance of each trip about whether or not I have chosen well for our accommodations. It's funny, though.....people's opinions of that are quite split: its either, "its so nice you've found your home away from home", or "why do you always stay in the same place every time? Don't you want to try somewhere new?".

We have two additional nights tacked onto our April 2016 vacation, so I'm currently on the hunt for where we should stay on May 1st and 2nd. Part of me wants to be wild and crazy and stay somewhere we've never tried....but the other part of me screams out the Vistana . I am secretly hoping we'll get the chance to take in their Grand Event Bingo in October and December and win the big prize (a free two night stay at SVR) so then I won't have to make such a horrribly laborious decision .

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Back to the pre-trip planning.....let's talk about dining.

This is one area of the vacation that Steve really likes to have input ... which is a lot of fun from my end, as most other things he's quite happy to leave up to my exclusive decisions unless I demand and cajole an opinion from that easy-going man. Eating is not just a life-sustaining necessity for my big guy, its something he enjoys. Its a pleasurable and important part of our southern holidays that almost always generates lots of discussion when the loose itinerary is being established.

Once again, we're taking advantage of the no-kids aspect of this trip and dining at some of the places that never grabbed Jake's interest. Our Christmas trip will include an assortment of old family favourites (Chili's, Steak & Shake, Ohana's, Olive Garden, Friendly's, etc.) that appeal to the boy, so we aim to avoid those we know we'll be visiting just 8 weeks after we come home.

A few places at Universal that we visited on our May trip are absolute must-do's again this time around: Confisco's and Finnegan's most noteaby. We also hope to hit up Margaritaville for a second try (for a full dinner this time rather than a light lunch) and I'm pertty sure we'll wind up back at Simpson's Fast Food Boulevard for a mid-day meal (Steve might need another Clogger burger to prepare for a round or two at the Sledgehomer game!!). I had wanted to book an early reservation for Finnegan's and have dinner there before our Halloween Horror Night RIP Tour, but so far the latest I have been able to get is 3:15 pm (which is too early.....sigh). If I can't change it up closer to the date of our trip, I'll probably book a lunch there instead (and grab quick service befor the tour).....so keep your fingers crossed for me in the interim.

Two new places we expect to try this time (and missed in May) are Mythos (yes, I have made a reservation this time!!), Thunder Falls Terrace (probably with the quick service dining plan, since Steve will gravitate to the ribs), and a breakfast at Beverly Hills Boulangerie. Steve also wants to dine at least once at Hot Dog Hall of Fame in CityWalk, so that's on the to-try list as well.

New offsite restaurants that we plan to dine at for the first time are the Cheesecake Factory, Bahama Breeze, First Watch, Freddy's Steakburgers & Frozen Custard, and the just-opened Tom+Chee (lured into the latter by a recent episode of Attractions Magazine the Show).

I am still amazed, after this many vacations, that we are still very easily finding new places that we still want to try.....the number of dining options in Orlando is simply staggering!!!

Rounding out the dining intinerary are Cracker Barrel (probably the night before we fly out, when we are in Buffalo), Sweet Tomatoes, Bubbalou's or Giordano's (depending on whether we want to dine-in or bring dinner back to the villa), Millers Ale House, IHOP and TGI Fridays. The TGI meal will be covered by gift certificates issued by their VP of Client Relations in Texas following a disastrous visit in Syracuse last summer......it's probably time we use them up, though I'm pretty sure there's no expiry date on the vouchers. It's been a while since I had the chance to indulge in a slice of their Reece's peanut butter pie, so its not taking much convincing to get be back there .



Depending on what special deals might be released between now and October via the various savings sites that I regularly frequent (Groupon, Travelzoo, Livingsocial, etc.) these plans could certainly be changed up over the next 11.5 weeks, but the general framework of a plan is in place for the time being. I've also got to research which places have email clubs that I should sign up for ... sometimes those membership perks can be pretty darn attractive, and make a big impact on our overall dining costs. After all, a penny saved is a small deposit towards the next Butterbeer .

 

[Lynne G]

It's funny that where to eat is a big part of vacation. I plan to eat at least one piece of cheesecake from a TR that mentioned it. I bought 2 QS meal plans, so I hope to use one of the snacks for that cheesecake and maybe the pink doughnut too. Hmm, choices. I'll probably stop and buy some soda and snacks when I leave the airport, rather than bring with me. I'll also check out for deals too. Too early, but I keep checking. Mini golf is also on my plan, hopefully at half price or so.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

It's funny that where to eat is a big part of vacation. I plan to eat at least one piece of cheesecake from a TR that mentioned it. I bought 2 QS meal plans, so I hope to use one of the snacks for that cheesecake and maybe the pink doughnut too. Hmm, choices. I'll probably stop and buy some soda and snacks when I leave the airport, rather than bring with me. I'll also check out for deals too. Too early, but I keep checking. Mini golf is also on my plan, hopefully at half price or so.

This cheesecake?



You can bet your boots we'll be back at Croissant Moon for more sweet treats, too . I'm not a fan of cheesecake, but I'll be indulging in another one of those Napolean bars .

Yes, yes, YES on the mini golf!! I have been watching Groupon for some deals but so far, there's nothing beyond October 2. I'm hoping the natural slow down at the end of summer might encourage a few more activity deals to be offered up. If there's no good offsite golf specials, we may end up doing the meal and mini golf deal for our Margaritaville dinner.....we still have the Aliens side of Hollywood Drive In Golf to try.

 

[ArwenMarie]

It really does start to have a "home-like" feeling now , and I like not having to fret in advance of each trip about whether or not I have chosen well for our accommodations. It's funny, though.....people's opinions of that are quite split: its either, "its so nice you've found your home away from home", or "why do you always stay in the same place every time? Don't you want to try somewhere new?".

We have two additional nights tacked onto our April 2016 vacation, so I'm currently on the hunt for where we should stay on May 1st and 2nd. Part of me wants to be wild and crazy and stay somewhere we've never tried....but the other part of me screams out the Vistana . I am secretly hoping we'll get the chance to take in their Grand Event Bingo in October and December and win the big prize (a free two night stay at SVR) so then I won't have to make such a horrribly laborious decision .

Hey, if you love it there, I say stick with it for the two extra nights!

Outside of the highly-themed WDW resorts (like AKL) that would be fun to try, I would love to find a offsite resort that we love and keep going back to. The closest we got was at the Omni. We also would prefer to "fall in love" with an offsite resort that has 3 bedroom options. One day!

 

[toystoryduo]

Love your dining choices! A few of those (Giordano's, Sweet Tomatoes, Ale House) are on our agenda for September. There are TONS of dining options in the area. We've been going to the Orlando area annually for about 11 years now, and it seems like there is always something new to try. (New to us at least. )

I've never heard of Tom+Chee. We'll definitely have to look into that.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Love your dining choices! A few of those (Giordano's, Sweet Tomatoes, Ale House) are on our agenda for September. There are TONS of dining options in the area. We've been going to the Orlando area annually for about 11 years now, and it seems like there is always something new to try. (New to us at least. )

I've never heard of Tom+Chee. We'll definitely have to look into that.

Yep, its one of the things we adore about Orlando.....no matter how many times you've been, or how often you go, there's always something new (restaurant, attraction....you name it!) to experience on your next visit . The only downfall to that is we're amassing a ridiculously long list of "favourites"!!

Hey, if you love it there, I say stick with it for the two extra nights!

Outside of the highly-themed WDW resorts (like AKL) that would be fun to try, I would love to find a offsite resort that we love and keep going back to. The closest we got was at the Omni. We also would prefer to "fall in love" with an offsite resort that has 3 bedroom options. One day!

I hope some day you find your "home away from home" . 3 bedroom timeshare villas are definitely harder to come by than 1- or 2-bedroom configurations. As far as space goes, we are suffering from the opposite issue these days....our villas are two bedroom, and going forward, we probably only need one (though it will be nice to invite family and friends to join us on future trips, should their vacation schedules align with ours).

For the extra two nights in April/May, I have tentatively booked us at the Hilton Garden Inn SeaWorld. I am not ashamed to admit that Steve and I are suffering from some serious Seaworld withdrawal these days, and we're hoping and wishing for another awesome Blue Friday sale over the Black Friday weekend (last year they offered BOGO annual passes....should they do so again in 2015, I will be buying those in a heartbeat). At the very least, we'll hopefully be able to buy one or two day tickets and squeeze in a couple of SW days on the end of our week at Universal, and with the HGI being a partner hotel, we'll have all the onsite benefits like free Quick Queue . I was able to book for $79 a night for a king room, which was wonderfully affordable (even with the exchange). In the meantime, its fully cancellable in the event that I find a better option between now and then .

 

[JaxDad]

Hi Gina! Did you all give up on 4 Rivers? The kids and I went there on my birthday! It was yummy, especially since we added an assortment of cupcakes from the co-located Sweet Shop!

 

[RocketCityMama]

Woot, joining in for this report too! I am trying to play catch up, we're getting ready for back to school (Aug 4 start date) so been busy and neglecting the disboard!

Sounds like your trip will be super exciting with HHN! My hubby would totally dig it but me not so sure. I love halloween but don't really like the super scary factor, if we do Orlando in Oct, we'll likely head to Disney for their stuff, esp since we will have the kids. I do have to say I LOVE your shirt, that is perfect for me!
I can't wait to read more!

 

[ArwenMarie]

I hope some day you find your "home away from home" . 3 bedroom timeshare villas are definitely harder to come by than 1- or 2-bedroom configurations. As far as space goes, we are suffering from the opposite issue these days....our villas are two bedroom, and going forward, we probably only need one (though it will be nice to invite family and friends to join us on future trips, should their vacation schedules align with ours).

For the extra two nights in April/May, I have tentatively booked us at the Hilton Garden Inn SeaWorld. I am not ashamed to admit that Steve and I are suffering from some serious Seaworld withdrawal these days, and we're hoping and wishing for another awesome Blue Friday sale over the Black Friday weekend (last year they offered BOGO annual passes....should they do so again in 2015, I will be buying those in a heartbeat). At the very least, we'll hopefully be able to buy one or two day tickets and squeeze in a couple of SW days on the end of our week at Universal, and with the HGI being a partner hotel, we'll have all the onsite benefits like free Quick Queue . I was able to book for $79 a night for a king room, which was wonderfully affordable (even with the exchange). In the meantime, its fully cancellable in the event that I find a better option between now and then .

One day! Til then we're resort hoppers

That's a great deal, with the Quick Queues too. I got the BOGO annual passes when we were there in February and I bought them about a week or two before we went...I think it might be a year-round offer now? Or did I just luck out?

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

One day! Til then we're resort hoppers

That's a great deal, with the Quick Queues too. I got the BOGO annual passes when we were there in February and I bought them about a week or two before we went...I think it might be a year-round offer now? Or did I just luck out?

The BOGO deal ran from Black Friday to end of January/early February if I remember correctly.....alas, its no longer an option to purchase (though I have been checking regularly....just in case). I could seriously kick myself for not buying them before the offer expired....our dollar was so much higher then too! ... but with our Universal AP's and Jake's college expenses to consider, we figured it was best to take a pass. Sigh. Not the best decision, considering we could have held them for a year before activating them. Ah well, live and learn! I will be sure not to pass up that deal if we get lucky enough to see it a second time.

Hi Gina! Did you all give up on 4 Rivers? The kids and I went there on my birthday! It was yummy, especially since we added an assortment of cupcakes from the co-located Sweet Shop!

We haven't given up on 4 Rivers, but it never seems to fit into the itinerary. I wish there was one in the LBV/I-Drive area.....then it would be so easy to slot in!!

I doubt we will get there in October, and I'm all but sure it won't fit into the Christmas plans (when the kids' favorites are more of our priority....that could be Jake's last trip with us for heaven knows how long!)....but its a possibility for April, for sure (especially when we have two extra days to play with ).

Woot, joining in for this report too! I am trying to play catch up, we're getting ready for back to school (Aug 4 start date) so been busy and neglecting the disboard!

Sounds like your trip will be super exciting with HHN! My hubby would totally dig it but me not so sure. I love halloween but don't really like the super scary factor, if we do Orlando in Oct, we'll likely head to Disney for their stuff, esp since we will have the kids. I do have to say I LOVE your shirt, that is perfect for me!
I can't wait to read more!

Holy smokes, back to school already!!! Our northern communities don't head back to class until September 8th this year. Always the day after Labour Day. School supplies are just starting to show up in Walmart, and I will admit.....it always makes me a little sad. Especially so this year, when it is most likely Jake's last "back to school" season. That's such an odd feeling, I have a hard time wrapping my head around it.

In addition to HHN, I had secretly hoped we would be able to fit in a MNSSHP to our October plans (we've never been), but with our dreadful Canadian dollar and its effects being felt on the budgets for all three of our upcoming trips, there's no way I can be that frivolous. I can totally see you skipping Halloween Horror Nights and heading to Disney for their festivities with the ages of your young ladies . There's still plenty of time for you to take in Universal's Halloween events when your wee lasses are in their mid to late teens. And trust me (I speak from experience ).....that time will be here before you know it!!

I am hoping our t-shirts, being black, don't have us roasting in the sun during the daytime hours. Probably something I should have considered BEFORE we ordered them . We have also found some cool super hero t's featuring Captain America and the Hulk that we are considering for one of the days we have slated for Islands of Adventure. If we decide to order those ones, though, we'll do so just prior to our trip (assuming they are still available) and have them shipped to our park and fly in Buffalo to save us a bundle on shipping costs. I wish I was as creative as you are, and just make my own!! (I was telling Steve about your "peace, love, bananas" shirts for the girls, and he was suitably impressed ).

 

[RocketCityMama]

Holy smokes, back to school already!!! Our northern communities don't head back to class until September 8th this year. Always the day after Labour Day. School supplies are just starting to show up in Walmart, and I will admit.....it always makes me a little sad. Especially so this year, when it is most likely Jake's last "back to school" season. That's such an odd feeling, I have a hard time wrapping my head around it.

In addition to HHN, I had secretly hoped we would be able to fit in a MNSSHP to our October plans (we've never been), but with our dreadful Canadian dollar and its effects being felt on the budgets for all three of our upcoming trips, there's no way I can be that frivolous. I can totally see you skipping Halloween Horror Nights and heading to Disney for their festivities with the ages of your young ladies . There's still plenty of time for you to take in Universal's Halloween events when your wee lasses are in their mid to late teens. And trust me (I speak from experience ).....that time will be here before you know it!!

I am hoping our t-shirts, being black, don't have us roasting in the sun during the daytime hours. Probably something I should have considered BEFORE we ordered them . We have also found some cool super hero t's featuring Captain America and the Hulk that we are considering for one of the days we have slated for Islands of Adventure. If we decide to order those ones, though, we'll do so just prior to our trip (assuming they are still available) and have them shipped to our park and fly in Buffalo to save us a bundle on shipping costs. I wish I was as creative as you are, and just make my own!! (I was telling Steve about your "peace, love, bananas" shirts for the girls, and he was suitably impressed ).

Yeah, we go early and get out early, Aug 4 is start date and May 22 is end date, so it's kind of nice because most are still in school til mid June and vacation spots are not quite as busy. In SC where I grew up we didn't go until Labor Day either and got out early to mid June, so it's a change for sure. I bet that is bittersweet, my oldest is going to 10th grade this fall, I am like how in the world did she grow up soo fast?? I will definitely cry when she goes off to college.

Bummer about the exchange rate, maybe it'll change for the better once it's closer to time!? That's a ways off, let's think positive LOL Since my hubbys family is Canadian, we keep wanting to make a trip up, they live in the Sarnia area I believe. He has of course been up, but not in 15 years and the kids and I have never been. I want to visit his family and of course make a trip to Niagara Falls etc. One day!

I need to check that site out! I don't think you'll be too horribly bad in Oct, esp compared to say Summer. Hopefully it'll be pleasant! Ha, I don't know that I am creative, I found the designs on facebook groups for the cameo lol and I used Peace, Love and Happiness a lot in school, so it popped in my head to do bananas. Those designs were done on freezer paper, made stencils, I just ironed it on and painted the colors I wanted Simple to do!

 

[Loves The Mouse]

I had to laugh when I read that your DH big part of the trip is planning the meals. My DH is the same! He also enjoys his desserts on vacation, there are many times we haven't tried a new resturant because he didn't like their dessert selections!!
My mouth is watering after seeing the pic of the cheese cake, oh I could go for a slice of that baby with a hot cup of coffee now!!