Part 1 was great, come back and tell us more!
Thanks for reading! Plan to do so now, so read on if you are still interested!
Welcome...to Diagon Alley! 4th Annual Universal Trip
- Thread starter KRScar
- Start date
Thanks for reading! Plan to do so now, so read on if you are still interested!
Day 1 - November 15th (Cont.)
When I last posted, we had left the parks around 1:30 for a break at CBBR. Well, J and I thought we would test out the new Garden Walkway. This wasn't the best decision for 2 people as tired as us! Being that I had never stayed onsite before this year, it helped to give me a good sense of direction of the surrounding UO property, and the path itself was a nice escape...but it was longer than we were expecting! It was about a 15 minute walk to get back to the hotel, and luckily our room in Thunderbird is right near the exit of the walkway.
Nothing eventful happened back at CBBR. We got some rest and J and I decided to head back around 4pm, as closing was at 7. The bus was timed perfectly upon our arrival at the hotel bus stop, and we were able to hop on and depart almost immediately.
Back in our element, we decided to head to IoA for the afternoon after a morning at Studios. After and immediate left, we found ourselves under the familiar and monstrous green structure that we know as The Hulk. I think the wait time posted was 20 minutes. UO had recently put into effect this new rule where you can't bring loose articles or any belongings onto the coaster. Well, it was just me and my sister, with nothing but one iPhone and 2 park tickets. And we all know kids...we can be stubborn
. So we avoided the lockers and shiftily got on line. And almost as if it were a sign, I suddenly got an awful stomach ache and forced us out of the line just as we reached the split where you can choose to wait for the front row. I know, right...I couldn't make it 20 more steps. Look, I'm not blaming Mel's chicken fingers, but nobody else had them, and I was the only one feeling badly 
I must have apologized to J about 10 times, because we made a point to come and do rides, and out of nowhere I was not feeling up to it. I needed to just chill out and so we decided to walk through Jurassic Park and over to Hogsmeade. We sat ourselves down on a nice 4 foot wall, in front of the snowman by the bridge to JP, and took in the view of Hogwarts (and people watched) for the next half an hour.The whole time, I was getting conflicted and taunted by the dropping wait time for FJ. Mom and M met us there around 5:30 and J and I decided to go on FJ, which was a 30 minute wait, but was more like 20. It was great to go back through the greenhouse and the halls of Hogwarts once more. It is so wonderfully done. And of course, the ride was great as per usual.
After our one ride stint, it was 6:00 and we went to take the train back to Diagon Alley, as we hadn't went in the opposite direction yet. Of course I loved it, and yes, it is different, so make sure to go BOTH ways! That was a 10 minute wait, so we had about 45-50 minutes left until 7. We used this time to explore Diagon Alley some more and take in the extraordinary are in the nighttime. We visited some shops and I ended up getting a pretty cool Gryffindor windbreaker from Quality Quidditch Supplies, a shop that joins to the Weasleys' shop. I put it on immediately that night, feeling extremely cool. Admittedly, yes...I was under the impression that this took the place of something like a varsity letter jacket. So I call it my Quidditch Captain Jacket
At 7, we left Diagon Alley and entered London to watch the Cinematic Spectacular, which we have never seen before. In fact, this is the first time that we had stayed until closing! It was a very cool show, but I don't think I would make it a point to see it every night or anything. One time was enough to appreciate it. We departed a little early, walking around the water passing MIB, Simpson's, and the like until we reached the entrance. Now, we were in dire straights, trying to figure out dinner. We ended up going over to Pat O'Briens in CW. J and I were not thrilled, as we just wanted to maybe grab Chick-fil-a and head back...side note, I really like Chick-Fil-A. Wish they had them around my home.
We had to waited about a half an hour, which is really what made us not like it. I was fine with trying the restaurant but a long day at the parks can really bring out a bit of impatience.
Mom and M sat at the bar while we waited, but J and I decided to stay outside on a bench. A man from the restaurant brought us out sodas from the bar, telling us its from my mom, who had indeed sent a text asking if we wanted any. We took the drinks, and the guy looked at us saying, "Wow, you really have no reservations taking drinks from strangers!" and he laughed. Ok, in this moment, that comment actually made me scared and question who I've become, but then I got over the drama because he was kidding and everything was alright.
Overall, we liked our dinner - especially in comparison to lunch. Mom and M got fish and chips (which I tried) and we all thought they were awesome. A really good choice if you like that dish. J refuses to eat any fish; she felt really betrayed when she found out that the stuffed clams sh had eaten for years ACTUALLY had clams in them. Don't ask me how she didn't know, because I would think that's a given.
J and I both got wings, which were pretty good. I think I remember the sauce being good and that is always a big deal for me. I'm a wing fanatic so excuse me if I can't remember correctly - I've had tons of other ones between now and that night at Pat O'Brien's. The restaurant had these contained fire heaters, like pillars, positioned around the outdoor patio, and it was pretty cold. We were originally seated pretty far from one, but our waiter moved us to a table that was like directly between two of them, for which we were eternally grateful. Yes, he got a nice tip that night!
We went back to the hotel, found The LEGO Movie on HBO (great movie), and eventually slipped into dreams of EFG and Diagon Alley. Or at least, that's what I did
Come back for Day 2, where we go early again, come across some annoying people in line, and get a surprise at CBBR!
When I last posted, we had left the parks around 1:30 for a break at CBBR. Well, J and I thought we would test out the new Garden Walkway. This wasn't the best decision for 2 people as tired as us! Being that I had never stayed onsite before this year, it helped to give me a good sense of direction of the surrounding UO property, and the path itself was a nice escape...but it was longer than we were expecting! It was about a 15 minute walk to get back to the hotel, and luckily our room in Thunderbird is right near the exit of the walkway.
Nothing eventful happened back at CBBR. We got some rest and J and I decided to head back around 4pm, as closing was at 7. The bus was timed perfectly upon our arrival at the hotel bus stop, and we were able to hop on and depart almost immediately.
Back in our element, we decided to head to IoA for the afternoon after a morning at Studios. After and immediate left, we found ourselves under the familiar and monstrous green structure that we know as The Hulk. I think the wait time posted was 20 minutes. UO had recently put into effect this new rule where you can't bring loose articles or any belongings onto the coaster. Well, it was just me and my sister, with nothing but one iPhone and 2 park tickets. And we all know kids...we can be stubborn
. So we avoided the lockers and shiftily got on line. And almost as if it were a sign, I suddenly got an awful stomach ache and forced us out of the line just as we reached the split where you can choose to wait for the front row. I know, right...I couldn't make it 20 more steps. Look, I'm not blaming Mel's chicken fingers, but nobody else had them, and I was the only one feeling badly I must have apologized to J about 10 times, because we made a point to come and do rides, and out of nowhere I was not feeling up to it. I needed to just chill out and so we decided to walk through Jurassic Park and over to Hogsmeade. We sat ourselves down on a nice 4 foot wall, in front of the snowman by the bridge to JP, and took in the view of Hogwarts (and people watched) for the next half an hour.The whole time, I was getting conflicted and taunted by the dropping wait time for FJ. Mom and M met us there around 5:30 and J and I decided to go on FJ, which was a 30 minute wait, but was more like 20. It was great to go back through the greenhouse and the halls of Hogwarts once more. It is so wonderfully done. And of course, the ride was great as per usual.
After our one ride stint, it was 6:00 and we went to take the train back to Diagon Alley, as we hadn't went in the opposite direction yet. Of course I loved it, and yes, it is different, so make sure to go BOTH ways! That was a 10 minute wait, so we had about 45-50 minutes left until 7. We used this time to explore Diagon Alley some more and take in the extraordinary are in the nighttime. We visited some shops and I ended up getting a pretty cool Gryffindor windbreaker from Quality Quidditch Supplies, a shop that joins to the Weasleys' shop. I put it on immediately that night, feeling extremely cool. Admittedly, yes...I was under the impression that this took the place of something like a varsity letter jacket. So I call it my Quidditch Captain Jacket
At 7, we left Diagon Alley and entered London to watch the Cinematic Spectacular, which we have never seen before. In fact, this is the first time that we had stayed until closing! It was a very cool show, but I don't think I would make it a point to see it every night or anything. One time was enough to appreciate it. We departed a little early, walking around the water passing MIB, Simpson's, and the like until we reached the entrance. Now, we were in dire straights, trying to figure out dinner. We ended up going over to Pat O'Briens in CW. J and I were not thrilled, as we just wanted to maybe grab Chick-fil-a and head back...side note, I really like Chick-Fil-A. Wish they had them around my home.
We had to waited about a half an hour, which is really what made us not like it. I was fine with trying the restaurant but a long day at the parks can really bring out a bit of impatience.
Mom and M sat at the bar while we waited, but J and I decided to stay outside on a bench. A man from the restaurant brought us out sodas from the bar, telling us its from my mom, who had indeed sent a text asking if we wanted any. We took the drinks, and the guy looked at us saying, "Wow, you really have no reservations taking drinks from strangers!" and he laughed. Ok, in this moment, that comment actually made me scared and question who I've become, but then I got over the drama because he was kidding and everything was alright.
Overall, we liked our dinner - especially in comparison to lunch. Mom and M got fish and chips (which I tried) and we all thought they were awesome. A really good choice if you like that dish. J refuses to eat any fish; she felt really betrayed when she found out that the stuffed clams sh had eaten for years ACTUALLY had clams in them. Don't ask me how she didn't know, because I would think that's a given.
J and I both got wings, which were pretty good. I think I remember the sauce being good and that is always a big deal for me. I'm a wing fanatic so excuse me if I can't remember correctly - I've had tons of other ones between now and that night at Pat O'Brien's. The restaurant had these contained fire heaters, like pillars, positioned around the outdoor patio, and it was pretty cold. We were originally seated pretty far from one, but our waiter moved us to a table that was like directly between two of them, for which we were eternally grateful. Yes, he got a nice tip that night!
We went back to the hotel, found The LEGO Movie on HBO (great movie), and eventually slipped into dreams of EFG and Diagon Alley. Or at least, that's what I did
Come back for Day 2, where we go early again, come across some annoying people in line, and get a surprise at CBBR!
I can't believe it.
I forgot to mention one of the best parts of Day 1. It occured in the morning, when we were still exploring Diagon Alley for the first time. While scanning the London area, we noticed the Knight Bus in all its purple glory - how could we miss it?! J and I waited in a short line (about 2 small groups before us) to take a picture and chat with the conductor and the shrunken head.
One of the best experiences in USF!!
We had a fantastic conversation with the conductor, and it sounded as though we were actually Hogwarts students. We fed off of each other, creating an entire fictional conversation with ease.
I told him how I was a Gryffindor and J was a Slytherin. He asked us how intense that was with Quidditch and what not and we told him how awkward Thanksgiving dinner is going to be...since we obviously beat Slytherin in the match
A holiday with Gryffindor and Slytherin!? Not too good.
J told him how great she was doing in potions and I joked with him about how its only because of her house...Snape always favors them. Then he asked about my 7th year NEWTS and told us to have a great term at Hogwarts. It was the coolest moment ever, being able to talk to someone like we actually existed within the Harry Potter fiction. Just goes to show how incredible, immersive, and detailed Universal is with this property. If you get the chance, do this little attraction, and hopefully you get this conductor. He is the one from the Opening Day Ceremony and in my opinion, one of the best they have!
I forgot to mention one of the best parts of Day 1. It occured in the morning, when we were still exploring Diagon Alley for the first time. While scanning the London area, we noticed the Knight Bus in all its purple glory - how could we miss it?! J and I waited in a short line (about 2 small groups before us) to take a picture and chat with the conductor and the shrunken head.
One of the best experiences in USF!!
We had a fantastic conversation with the conductor, and it sounded as though we were actually Hogwarts students. We fed off of each other, creating an entire fictional conversation with ease.
I told him how I was a Gryffindor and J was a Slytherin. He asked us how intense that was with Quidditch and what not and we told him how awkward Thanksgiving dinner is going to be...since we obviously beat Slytherin in the match
A holiday with Gryffindor and Slytherin!? Not too good.
J told him how great she was doing in potions and I joked with him about how its only because of her house...Snape always favors them. Then he asked about my 7th year NEWTS and told us to have a great term at Hogwarts. It was the coolest moment ever, being able to talk to someone like we actually existed within the Harry Potter fiction. Just goes to show how incredible, immersive, and detailed Universal is with this property. If you get the chance, do this little attraction, and hopefully you get this conductor. He is the one from the Opening Day Ceremony and in my opinion, one of the best they have!
Hello again! So have you gone to DA yet?!?
Day 2 - November 16th
Well, this was the day I planned on making a camera day out of, the one where I would take all my pictures and videos, as I had used Day 1 to just experience Diagon Allley (and UO again). Let's get this off of my chest in the beginning...I didn't clear up my memory card. Ran out of storage before we hit the gates, and I didn't bring my spare.
Anyway, we got up again, bright and early! J and I were ready to go at 7:15 and with an encouraging push, Mom and M joined us shortly after. We got to the park around 5-10 minutes after Early Admission began and - you guessed it - ran straight back to EFG. We weren't messing around with our new favorite attraction.
We drew nearer to the majestic white bank, close enough to feel the fire, hear the roar...and see the wait time of 10 minutes. 10 MINUTES!! So we almost walked straight through the queue, which included a much clearer hallway this time around when picking up 3D glasses. J and I took the spiral stairs up to the loading platform, with Mom and M waiting outside for us. They are quite lame. After another thrilling decent into the depths of Gringotts, J and I were ready for the rest of the day. Nothing like a dragon to wake you up! Also, I'll mention that this time, we were seated in the back row of the second car, a.k.a. row 6. We found this a lot more fun and thrilling, especially at the part where *slight spoiler* you tilt forward. We got more of a rush and sense of danger...so much fun!
After we departed the bank, there was a 40 minute wait and it was still around 8:40 am. So the gang decided to head back to the front to ride DM, one that we hadn't been on yet in our years at the park. The lines are always so drastically long, and when we showed up with EPA and the draw of EFG, there was only a 5 minute wait for the momentarily forgotten attraction. Well, not forgotten, but more like put on hold...I wish I put it on hold for longer. In it's own right, DM is a great attraction with spectacular and immersive visuals...but even this one was too much for me. I closed my eyes, I admit it. Just wanted it to be over. But Mom and M were on the verge of death...and I mean that as a lighthearted phrase. They were going to make it out just fine, but they didn't know that at the moment. J on the other hand, somehow absolutely loved it. So the ride can go either way...I'm not discouraging you, just giving a fair warning; it's great and fun, but sometimes not for everyone!
The four of us sat on a bench outside the DM store for about 10 minutes, gathering composure. Some needed longer than others, so J and I left the adults to go on RRR, a 5 minute wait. Yeah right. We ran through the chain-link line, zoomed up the steps and got directly onto the next coaster car. I pulled the lap bar across and instantly put on my song - "Stronger", Kanye West. Yep, love it or hate it, I do Kanye every time. I often find that I'm signing in the ride video. In fact, that's the only way I keep cool during the ascent. I'm not scared of flips, or coasters, or dropping hundreds of feet, but that vertical launch always scares the daylights out of me. I have to hang on for dear life. But once we are at the top of the hill, I loosen up and forget that it even happened. It's go time!
We walked right back onto Rockit and claimed front row. "Stronger", scary ascent, fantastic ride, scenic views, and we are back on the ground in no time, and this time feeling lightheaded again. We meet Mom and M and grab breakfast at Beverly Hills Boulangerie, right near the entrance to the park. I don't eat much for breakfast unless it's home cooked, so I just munch on a croissant while the others have bagels and I believe an egg. Can't remember, plus I wasn't feeling great. Anyway, I sat down while the others waited in line. While looking down at my phone, a hand goes over my screen. I look up and there is Curious George giving me his undivided attention, moments before he goes out for a photo op. Pretty cool. I ask him if he's "curious" about my twitter feed that he interrupted, give him a high five, and he's on his way. It was a fun little moment and nobody even saw it happen, believe me I asked: "Hey, did you guys see that with Curious George??" I got 3 "no"'s to that question.
After breakfast, Mom wanted to find something that her and M could do with us. We stopped by E.T. but for some reason it wasn't open yet, and there were people already queued up. We passed and went to MiB, a 10 minute wait that was really much less. Mom and M can do this one, as it is similar to Buzz Lightyear in Magic Kingdom and they can partake in it. I think the physical engagement chases away sickness. I didn't take a note of the scores but I ended up winning. My family still doesn't know about the red button and so they always marvel at my score. They'll figure it out one day...
Sticking with our wide loop around Studios, we get back to London, where we board the Hogwarts Express to take a trip to IoA. When we arrive, we can't pass up a 15 minute wait for FJ. J and I fly with Harry and Co. through peril and come out with smiles on our faces. Those Gryffindors must worship us by now, with all the times that we've helped them win!
We strolled back through LC and Seuss to Marvel Island, where J and I would finally ride Hulk. It was a 20 minute wait, but again, it ended up shorter than that. We sat in the 6th row and got ready. We took off - I love that launch - and then things took a turn for the worst. We don't know what happened. J and I really don't. But when we got off of Hulk, are heads were pounding and we've never gotten that frizzled by that coaster. We didn't enjoy it, which really is sad.
Don't let kids read this next part, because it's not proper behavior...but I'm 18 so I condoned it. J and I didn't have phones and couldn't find Mom when we got off the ride, but we decided to wonder off alone and go on DDFF. It was a 10 minute wait, what's the worst that could happen. We launched up the tower, and dropped back down in no time. We searched the arcade, walked through Marvel Island, and eventually came back to the Hulk. No sign of our Mom or M. Hulk was 5 minutes...we said why not, we'll give it another try. J figured we should distance ourselves from the back. I believe we sat in the 4th row, but it was to no avail. We still couldn't get on board with Hulk this trip. But don't let Banner know or he may get angry with us...and you know what that means!!
After disembarking the coaster for a second time, we spotted Mom. She forgot that we didn't have our phones and she was getting really nervous. So to any kids who already didn't head my warning: don't go off. Stay where your guardian last knew you to be until they find you, even if it takes 10 minutes. Like I said, the lines move faster than they say, so Mom thought she would be back before we got off. She wasn't and that's where things went a little wrong...Sorry, Mom!
Around 12:30, with everyone back together and J and I not feeling well from Hulk, we decided to take a break again. Plus, it was Sunday, which means NFL football for M and I. Big fans, and his team never plays on TV at home, but they were down in FL. So we made a plan to hang at the hotel until M and I went to Hooters for lunch and the games.
We'll be back in the parks in no time!
Well, this was the day I planned on making a camera day out of, the one where I would take all my pictures and videos, as I had used Day 1 to just experience Diagon Allley (and UO again). Let's get this off of my chest in the beginning...I didn't clear up my memory card. Ran out of storage before we hit the gates, and I didn't bring my spare.
Anyway, we got up again, bright and early! J and I were ready to go at 7:15 and with an encouraging push, Mom and M joined us shortly after. We got to the park around 5-10 minutes after Early Admission began and - you guessed it - ran straight back to EFG. We weren't messing around with our new favorite attraction.
We drew nearer to the majestic white bank, close enough to feel the fire, hear the roar...and see the wait time of 10 minutes. 10 MINUTES!! So we almost walked straight through the queue, which included a much clearer hallway this time around when picking up 3D glasses. J and I took the spiral stairs up to the loading platform, with Mom and M waiting outside for us. They are quite lame. After another thrilling decent into the depths of Gringotts, J and I were ready for the rest of the day. Nothing like a dragon to wake you up! Also, I'll mention that this time, we were seated in the back row of the second car, a.k.a. row 6. We found this a lot more fun and thrilling, especially at the part where *slight spoiler* you tilt forward. We got more of a rush and sense of danger...so much fun!
After we departed the bank, there was a 40 minute wait and it was still around 8:40 am. So the gang decided to head back to the front to ride DM, one that we hadn't been on yet in our years at the park. The lines are always so drastically long, and when we showed up with EPA and the draw of EFG, there was only a 5 minute wait for the momentarily forgotten attraction. Well, not forgotten, but more like put on hold...I wish I put it on hold for longer. In it's own right, DM is a great attraction with spectacular and immersive visuals...but even this one was too much for me. I closed my eyes, I admit it. Just wanted it to be over. But Mom and M were on the verge of death...and I mean that as a lighthearted phrase. They were going to make it out just fine, but they didn't know that at the moment. J on the other hand, somehow absolutely loved it. So the ride can go either way...I'm not discouraging you, just giving a fair warning; it's great and fun, but sometimes not for everyone!
The four of us sat on a bench outside the DM store for about 10 minutes, gathering composure. Some needed longer than others, so J and I left the adults to go on RRR, a 5 minute wait. Yeah right. We ran through the chain-link line, zoomed up the steps and got directly onto the next coaster car. I pulled the lap bar across and instantly put on my song - "Stronger", Kanye West. Yep, love it or hate it, I do Kanye every time. I often find that I'm signing in the ride video. In fact, that's the only way I keep cool during the ascent. I'm not scared of flips, or coasters, or dropping hundreds of feet, but that vertical launch always scares the daylights out of me. I have to hang on for dear life. But once we are at the top of the hill, I loosen up and forget that it even happened. It's go time!
We walked right back onto Rockit and claimed front row. "Stronger", scary ascent, fantastic ride, scenic views, and we are back on the ground in no time, and this time feeling lightheaded again. We meet Mom and M and grab breakfast at Beverly Hills Boulangerie, right near the entrance to the park. I don't eat much for breakfast unless it's home cooked, so I just munch on a croissant while the others have bagels and I believe an egg. Can't remember, plus I wasn't feeling great. Anyway, I sat down while the others waited in line. While looking down at my phone, a hand goes over my screen. I look up and there is Curious George giving me his undivided attention, moments before he goes out for a photo op. Pretty cool. I ask him if he's "curious" about my twitter feed that he interrupted, give him a high five, and he's on his way. It was a fun little moment and nobody even saw it happen, believe me I asked: "Hey, did you guys see that with Curious George??" I got 3 "no"'s to that question.
After breakfast, Mom wanted to find something that her and M could do with us. We stopped by E.T. but for some reason it wasn't open yet, and there were people already queued up. We passed and went to MiB, a 10 minute wait that was really much less. Mom and M can do this one, as it is similar to Buzz Lightyear in Magic Kingdom and they can partake in it. I think the physical engagement chases away sickness. I didn't take a note of the scores but I ended up winning. My family still doesn't know about the red button and so they always marvel at my score. They'll figure it out one day...
Sticking with our wide loop around Studios, we get back to London, where we board the Hogwarts Express to take a trip to IoA. When we arrive, we can't pass up a 15 minute wait for FJ. J and I fly with Harry and Co. through peril and come out with smiles on our faces. Those Gryffindors must worship us by now, with all the times that we've helped them win!
We strolled back through LC and Seuss to Marvel Island, where J and I would finally ride Hulk. It was a 20 minute wait, but again, it ended up shorter than that. We sat in the 6th row and got ready. We took off - I love that launch - and then things took a turn for the worst. We don't know what happened. J and I really don't. But when we got off of Hulk, are heads were pounding and we've never gotten that frizzled by that coaster. We didn't enjoy it, which really is sad.
Don't let kids read this next part, because it's not proper behavior...but I'm 18 so I condoned it. J and I didn't have phones and couldn't find Mom when we got off the ride, but we decided to wonder off alone and go on DDFF. It was a 10 minute wait, what's the worst that could happen. We launched up the tower, and dropped back down in no time. We searched the arcade, walked through Marvel Island, and eventually came back to the Hulk. No sign of our Mom or M. Hulk was 5 minutes...we said why not, we'll give it another try. J figured we should distance ourselves from the back. I believe we sat in the 4th row, but it was to no avail. We still couldn't get on board with Hulk this trip. But don't let Banner know or he may get angry with us...and you know what that means!!
After disembarking the coaster for a second time, we spotted Mom. She forgot that we didn't have our phones and she was getting really nervous. So to any kids who already didn't head my warning: don't go off. Stay where your guardian last knew you to be until they find you, even if it takes 10 minutes. Like I said, the lines move faster than they say, so Mom thought she would be back before we got off. She wasn't and that's where things went a little wrong...Sorry, Mom!
Around 12:30, with everyone back together and J and I not feeling well from Hulk, we decided to take a break again. Plus, it was Sunday, which means NFL football for M and I. Big fans, and his team never plays on TV at home, but they were down in FL. So we made a plan to hang at the hotel until M and I went to Hooters for lunch and the games.
We'll be back in the parks in no time!
Day 2 - November 16th (Cont.)
This is important enough to be mentioned. The Hooters we went to was the best that we've ever hit, meaning food. I am huge on wings and these were the best that I've ever had from this chain, and M agreed. So we had a great time that afternoon. I can't remember the street it was on, but we ended up turning left, left, right out of CBBR, bringing us along a road behind IoA and Studios. Anyway, on our way home, we saw a pretty bad accident on that street. A woman's Mercedes was completely spun in an intersection, damaged pretty badly, with another car perpendicular to it. She was young and her tears made her makeup bleed down her face...I'm sure it wasn't a good day for her.
We, on the other hand, full from a great lunch and ready to head back to the parks, were having a fantastic day! We went back to US around 5:20, ready to spend a bit of time there and end the night. It ended up being just me and J heading back, which wasn't unusual at this point. We took the bus from CB and went to ride Mummy right away, a 15 minute wait. Well, this was a good and bad choice. Of course, we love mummy and had a great time riding. But sometimes, especially with just two of us, it is possible to get stuck with an undesirable group. And this was the case today...
If you've been paying attention, this day is Nov. 16th, meaning that the Today Show would be in UO tomorrow with One Direction. Cue the 1D fans. We got stuck in line behind a group of 4 girls with self-indulgent motor mouths. I'm a person, I talk sometimes, and so I understand that they are having a conversation, something usually good to pass time in a line. But they just didn't have respect for their surroundings, and were being loud and obnoxious about it. THAT gets under my skin. By the way, I'm not sure they were as big of fans as they think. One asked why the one member, Louis, never sings on the songs. Well, I've listened to a few of their songs via radio and what not, and look, Louis has a very distinctive voice...it's pretty easy to hear him on every song. Anyway, enough showing these girls up in my head. We got on the ride (same car as them) and enjoyed it - aside from the loud and obnoxious screaming, which has evolved from the loud and obnoxious talking from moments before. Mummy is fun, but we got out of there as quickly as we could. These boy band groupies can get a bit much.
We had time for one or two more rides at this point, so where do you think we went? Gringotts, of course!
It was a 30 minute wait, which fortunately was considered a long wait for this trip. We entered the bank and breezed through the ornate and magnificent hall to the office of Bill Weasley. In this area, J and I realized that everyone gravitates forward toward the show, so having already seen it, we slunk all the way across to the doors in the back. Not that this matters much - everyone from that room gets in the elevator together regardless.
However, when we got to the elevator, we stayed there. The doors didn't close. Nothing moved. We just waited in the elevator. One young girl, about my age (18) went up to the TM in the room and asked if we could get a move on. She could've been nicer about it, but I was glad someone decided to ask. The TM informed us that it was congested on the other side of the elevator, where the 3D glasses are, so she was just keeping us here until it was better. I, and most other people accepted that and understood. But this girl turned into yet another obnoxious guest. She went back up to the TM 2-3 more times in about 2 minutes to try and argue with her. Eventually, the TM got fed up (I would've been as well) and asked "Ok, you want me to put you through?" The girl said some rude to the effect of "uh, yeah, damn right" and we were on our way to the next hall. But before the doors shut, I saw the TM give a look like "I told you so"
When we got out of the elevator, we could barely move. We managed to take a few steps and stand as the herd of people slowly moved down the hall and up the steps. Everyone from our elevator looked at the girl and rolled their eyes, or something to that degree. To make it worse, her and her friend began pushing through the line, making their way to the steps without anybody stopping them. These kind of people are just rude and do not have the manners needed of a theme park guest. Maybe it's because I was brought up on the parks and respect, but there's really no place for that to me. Anyway, we made it up to the loading platform, watched them take off and waited about 4 more cars to get on. I don't remember what row we were in this time, but we still loved it. EFG closed out the night at the parks for us, and we wouldn't have had it another way. When we retrieved my backpack from the locker, I checked my phone and saw that Mom texted me. This is what she said: "I think 1D is at our hotel."
Well, great.
J and I hopped on a bus, cautious but curious to see what exactly was happening at Cabana Bay. There weren't many people on the bus, and we jumped off to head through the lobby to the pool, where Mom said she was. Oh god, approaching the doors, we saw a lot of people and heard a lot of noise. It turned out that the band was NOT there, but someone from their crew was, shooting a video of fans singing the songs and having a 1D pool party. In short: A lot of teen girls with signs screaming. But it was still a pretty cool thing to see. I'm really into videography, so I was more watching the camera man then anything else, seeing him panning around the crowd. Pretty neat. Eventually, there was a phone call that got the band on speaker phone - apparently they had been listening to the fans singing the whole time. Just imagine the noise level of screams when the host got the band to say hello through the phone. That was enough for us, Bayliner Diner was down the hall and we were hungry. Mom was tired and said that was our only option for dinner, so we went.
J got the oven roasted chicken or something, which she seemed to enjoy, even though she is picky about her meats. I wasn't extremely hungry, but had a bit of the Pot Roast that M got, which I thought was good too. It was a sufficient dinner, but not very special. The dining hall has three huge projection TVs, all playing the Sunday Night Football game, which we were happy about. But at 8:45, we made the trip back to Thunderbird - we had plans to watch The Walking Dead on AMC. Don't remember the episode but we went to sleep right after that.
Day 3 to come - yup, the One Direction day. Warning: The morning doesn't go well.
This is important enough to be mentioned. The Hooters we went to was the best that we've ever hit, meaning food. I am huge on wings and these were the best that I've ever had from this chain, and M agreed. So we had a great time that afternoon. I can't remember the street it was on, but we ended up turning left, left, right out of CBBR, bringing us along a road behind IoA and Studios. Anyway, on our way home, we saw a pretty bad accident on that street. A woman's Mercedes was completely spun in an intersection, damaged pretty badly, with another car perpendicular to it. She was young and her tears made her makeup bleed down her face...I'm sure it wasn't a good day for her.
We, on the other hand, full from a great lunch and ready to head back to the parks, were having a fantastic day! We went back to US around 5:20, ready to spend a bit of time there and end the night. It ended up being just me and J heading back, which wasn't unusual at this point. We took the bus from CB and went to ride Mummy right away, a 15 minute wait. Well, this was a good and bad choice. Of course, we love mummy and had a great time riding. But sometimes, especially with just two of us, it is possible to get stuck with an undesirable group. And this was the case today...
If you've been paying attention, this day is Nov. 16th, meaning that the Today Show would be in UO tomorrow with One Direction. Cue the 1D fans. We got stuck in line behind a group of 4 girls with self-indulgent motor mouths. I'm a person, I talk sometimes, and so I understand that they are having a conversation, something usually good to pass time in a line. But they just didn't have respect for their surroundings, and were being loud and obnoxious about it. THAT gets under my skin. By the way, I'm not sure they were as big of fans as they think. One asked why the one member, Louis, never sings on the songs. Well, I've listened to a few of their songs via radio and what not, and look, Louis has a very distinctive voice...it's pretty easy to hear him on every song. Anyway, enough showing these girls up in my head. We got on the ride (same car as them) and enjoyed it - aside from the loud and obnoxious screaming, which has evolved from the loud and obnoxious talking from moments before. Mummy is fun, but we got out of there as quickly as we could. These boy band groupies can get a bit much.
We had time for one or two more rides at this point, so where do you think we went? Gringotts, of course!
It was a 30 minute wait, which fortunately was considered a long wait for this trip. We entered the bank and breezed through the ornate and magnificent hall to the office of Bill Weasley. In this area, J and I realized that everyone gravitates forward toward the show, so having already seen it, we slunk all the way across to the doors in the back. Not that this matters much - everyone from that room gets in the elevator together regardless.
However, when we got to the elevator, we stayed there. The doors didn't close. Nothing moved. We just waited in the elevator. One young girl, about my age (18) went up to the TM in the room and asked if we could get a move on. She could've been nicer about it, but I was glad someone decided to ask. The TM informed us that it was congested on the other side of the elevator, where the 3D glasses are, so she was just keeping us here until it was better. I, and most other people accepted that and understood. But this girl turned into yet another obnoxious guest. She went back up to the TM 2-3 more times in about 2 minutes to try and argue with her. Eventually, the TM got fed up (I would've been as well) and asked "Ok, you want me to put you through?" The girl said some rude to the effect of "uh, yeah, damn right" and we were on our way to the next hall. But before the doors shut, I saw the TM give a look like "I told you so"
When we got out of the elevator, we could barely move. We managed to take a few steps and stand as the herd of people slowly moved down the hall and up the steps. Everyone from our elevator looked at the girl and rolled their eyes, or something to that degree. To make it worse, her and her friend began pushing through the line, making their way to the steps without anybody stopping them. These kind of people are just rude and do not have the manners needed of a theme park guest. Maybe it's because I was brought up on the parks and respect, but there's really no place for that to me. Anyway, we made it up to the loading platform, watched them take off and waited about 4 more cars to get on. I don't remember what row we were in this time, but we still loved it. EFG closed out the night at the parks for us, and we wouldn't have had it another way. When we retrieved my backpack from the locker, I checked my phone and saw that Mom texted me. This is what she said: "I think 1D is at our hotel."
Well, great.
J and I hopped on a bus, cautious but curious to see what exactly was happening at Cabana Bay. There weren't many people on the bus, and we jumped off to head through the lobby to the pool, where Mom said she was. Oh god, approaching the doors, we saw a lot of people and heard a lot of noise. It turned out that the band was NOT there, but someone from their crew was, shooting a video of fans singing the songs and having a 1D pool party. In short: A lot of teen girls with signs screaming. But it was still a pretty cool thing to see. I'm really into videography, so I was more watching the camera man then anything else, seeing him panning around the crowd. Pretty neat. Eventually, there was a phone call that got the band on speaker phone - apparently they had been listening to the fans singing the whole time. Just imagine the noise level of screams when the host got the band to say hello through the phone. That was enough for us, Bayliner Diner was down the hall and we were hungry. Mom was tired and said that was our only option for dinner, so we went.
J got the oven roasted chicken or something, which she seemed to enjoy, even though she is picky about her meats. I wasn't extremely hungry, but had a bit of the Pot Roast that M got, which I thought was good too. It was a sufficient dinner, but not very special. The dining hall has three huge projection TVs, all playing the Sunday Night Football game, which we were happy about. But at 8:45, we made the trip back to Thunderbird - we had plans to watch The Walking Dead on AMC. Don't remember the episode but we went to sleep right after that.
Day 3 to come - yup, the One Direction day. Warning: The morning doesn't go well.
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Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
