Yes, We're Satisfied With Our Care! October 2015 TR **NEW 8/21 Final Thoughts

[khertz]

Day 2 Continued: Sunday October 18th

He discovered his new favorite while we were there…the water slide! Now I had avoided this in the past when we had brought him because I thought it was an actual water slide like in a water park and he would need a bathing suit or change of clothes to do it. But it’s a raft slide, so he did get a little wet but nothing more than a splash. He went on that three times in a row! It made me a little nervous the first time because unless you are riding with your kid, they go up on their own. But there is a TM at the top, and a monitor at the bottom so you can see when your kid makes it to the top and is ready to come down.

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Once he’d had enough of that, we went over to check on E.T. again and it was working, so DS and I rode first.

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When we came off, he wanted to ride again with DH, so I stayed outside on a bench with DD, who was finally awake for a little while!

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Her bib says “I Drewl Black and Gold” – She’s been a Who Dat from the womb!​

(It kills me looking at these pics to post, because she looks so much older now just a few months later!)

Meanwhile, DH had taken his camera on board and was taking some pictures of their adventures getting E.T. back to his home planet.

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While I was sitting outside waiting for them, a few of the animal actors from the show of the same name had come out for photo opportunities with guests. Luckily, DS came out just in time to meet a couple of them before they went inside. Can you guess which movie franchise this pup is from?

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Roll over, Beethoven!​

And there was a hawk from (I think) The Mummy.

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That breakfast had been a long time ago now, and our bellies were starting to grumble so we headed over to Springfield to check out Fast Food Boulevard.

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Continued in next post...

 

[khertz]

Day 2 Continued: Sunday October 18th

But once we got there, we found it was not yet open. I found an out of the way bench to feed DD while they rode the Simpsons ride. I was not too disappointed to miss out on this one as it really gives me motion sickness.

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It made me smile that DH took this pic. This was the title of my very first TR!


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Once they were done, we were able to grab some food. I got a grilled chicken sandwich, while DH and DS got burgers and curly fries.

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My only gripe about this place is the clips from the TV show they play on the screens. It’s like a 5 minute loop, so we saw it I can’t even tell you how many times due to DS being the slowest eater in the universe. With SO MUCH source material, it seems like they could make that quite a bit longer!

Once we were full, we were ready for some action. Some might even call it Mayhem...

UP NEXT: Mayhem & Money

 

[Dugette]

He asked for one more showing us how he had ridden with his hands up.

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That is too cute! Congratulations to him for overcoming his fears!

That looks like something Izzy would love! (she was addicted to the real waterslides at Aulani - I think she is my future thrill ride buddy...)

Love seeing all the pictures and details of Universal, as I am not terribly familiar with it.

 

[missangelalexis]

I'm glad DS was enjoying the new rides today! So cute that he loved the Nuthouse Coaster so much

I had no idea that water slide even existed! very cool!

Loved all the pictures in this update!

 

[afwdwfan]

The shooting style games at WDW just have nothing on Men In Black. It’s so fun! And I can actually tell what I’m shooting at!

I like MiB, but I think my gun was off when I was there. I had to find a black spot on a wall to shoot at just to see where my dot was going, because I kept shooting and shooting and wasn't getting points. It was shooting about 3 feet lower than I was aiming. The dot that I thought was mine on a target, clearly wasn't.

Although they have the baby swap areas inside of the queues, it was so nice to have the unlimited Express Pass to get us on and off each ride so quickly. It made swapping nice and easy since DD could not go on most of the attractions.

That would be nice. While I don't like the extra cost or the fact that you have to stay there, their EP really does move you to the front of the line quickly. Definitely a perk that makes an on-site stay worthwhile.

This was pretty much how DD looked for most of our Universal days.

Just not much for her to do... but at least she looks comfortable!

He would have gone on it 10 more times if I had let him. Had to get a pic of him with the sign for being so brave!

That's great!!!

I posted on Facebook, “It’s the little things, like DS overcoming his fear of roller coasters and riding the Woody Woodpecker one over and over again. Sure we could be doing headliners, but the smile on his face is contagious!”

(It kills me looking at these pics to post, because she looks so much older now just a few months later!)

It happens fast, doesn't it?

My only gripe about this place is the clips from the TV show they play on the screens. It’s like a 5 minute loop, so we saw it I can’t even tell you how many times due to DS being the slowest eater in the universe. With SO MUCH source material, it seems like they could make that quite a bit longer!

Yeah, that doesn't make any sense. They could just air one episode after another and you'd never see the same thing twice unless you're there every day.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

It's been years since I was there but I recall MIB being a lot better than Buzz and enjoying it quite a bit.

That's great that DS overcame his fear and enjoyed Woody's so much! It's great when they get that look of being proud of themselves (well, at least when it is for something other than getting into trouble)

That waterslide looks pretty fun - and he looks to be having a blast!

So does DS know what E.T. is? that seems like a ride that would confuse the heck out of people that don't know the movie

That is odd that a Simpson's clip reel at a restaurant is only 5 minutes long - I mean, they could just throw up entire seasons of episodes and people would be happy. The people that work there must really be tired of it!

 

[skier_pete]

Looks all pretty good. It's amazing to me that there is essentially NOTHING left in Universal Studios from when we went in 1997. Well, I guess ET was there. It will essentially be an all-new park to us. I hope two days will be enough. I suppose without riding the coasters it will be.

 

[IowaTater]

He went on with DH and loved it so much that we ended up going on it 3 more times in a row with DH and I rotating turns.

Aww, I love this!! That smile on his face is priceless.

I was not too disappointed to miss out on this one as it really gives me motion sickness.

Oh Mylanta, me too! I had to close my eyes about 20 seconds into it.

 

[khertz]

That is too cute! Congratulations to him for overcoming his fears!

He was SO proud of himself! And the TM working the front of the attraction was just egging him on every time he ran past her to get right back on!

That looks like something Izzy would love! (she was addicted to the real waterslides at Aulani - I think she is my future thrill ride buddy...)

How cute! He has never really had the opportunity for a real waterslide yet, but judging by how much he loved this one, I think he might enjoy them! Guess that gives us something to look at doing over the summer...

Love seeing all the pictures and details of Universal, as I am not terribly familiar with it.

I'm glad you are enjoying it! I was worried it might be too much Universal for people who came here looking for Disney

I'm glad DS was enjoying the new rides today! So cute that he loved the Nuthouse Coaster so much

I had no idea that water slide even existed! very cool!

Loved all the pictures in this update!

It was definitely a hit! It's one of the things he has been asking to ride again when we go next month.

I vaguely knew it was there, but didn't really know much about it. Even after seeing a few people come down, I was skeptical, but he loved it and he never got too wet. It's just enough thrill for him, like a mini Splash Mountain! lol

Thanks!!

I like MiB, but I think my gun was off when I was there. I had to find a black spot on a wall to shoot at just to see where my dot was going, because I kept shooting and shooting and wasn't getting points. It was shooting about 3 feet lower than I was aiming. The dot that I thought was mine on a target, clearly wasn't.

Oh, that stinks! It's definitely more fun when the gun is shooting where it should be. lol

That would be nice. While I don't like the extra cost or the fact that you have to stay there, their EP really does move you to the front of the line quickly. Definitely a perk that makes an on-site stay worthwhile.

We have never found that the cost of paying for the EP is worth it. It's usually cheaper to just stay at one of the deluxes, depending on the time of year I guess. It is definitely expensive, but it moves SO fast! It really spoiled us the first couple days on our trip, and made FP+ lines seem way too long. lol The early entry and walking distance to the parks makes the price of the hotel rooms a little easier to swallow too.

Just not much for her to do... but at least she looks comfortable!

She was pretty content in the stroller for most of those couple days. Once we made the move to Disney she spent a lot more time in the carrier than in the stroller. I'm hoping she will still be content to hang in the stroller now that she's a little older, and will be happy enough people watching!

It happens fast, doesn't it?

Waaaaaaay too fast! She is almost 6 months old already!

Yeah, that doesn't make any sense. They could just air one episode after another and you'd never see the same thing twice unless you're there every day.

Exactly! It took them like a week to show every episode ever when they showed them all on FXX. But they could only scrape together a 5 minute loop for the restaurant? Craziness!

 

[khertz]

It's been years since I was there but I recall MIB being a lot better than Buzz and enjoying it quite a bit.

Definitely better than Buzz! So much easier to tell what you're shooting at, and way more fun!

That's great that DS overcame his fear and enjoyed Woody's so much! It's great when they get that look of being proud of themselves (well, at least when it is for something other than getting into trouble)

Lol that is so true! He was practically dancing through the line, getting more excited with every ride. It was so fun to see him enjoying himself like that!

That waterslide looks pretty fun - and he looks to be having a blast!

Yeah, that one was another big hit. It really surprised me that he loved it so much!

So does DS know what E.T. is? that seems like a ride that would confuse the heck out of people that don't know the movie

Not really. He saw a few minutes of the movie when it was playing on TV once, but wasn't really interested in watching more just yet. It didn't seem to bother him at all not knowing the story, he just thought it was fun! And he loved seeing all of the aliens on E.T.'s home planet.

That is odd that a Simpson's clip reel at a restaurant is only 5 minutes long - I mean, they could just throw up entire seasons of episodes and people would be happy. The people that work there must really be tired of it!

There was one TM near our table who kept quoting it. I can't imagine how annoying that can get while working there. It was getting on my nerves in just the time it took for us to eat a meal!

Looks all pretty good. It's amazing to me that there is essentially NOTHING left in Universal Studios from when we went in 1997. Well, I guess ET was there. It will essentially be an all-new park to us. I hope two days will be enough. I suppose without riding the coasters it will be.

I think you will be find with two days! Even with us having to take turns to ride everything, we managed to do everything we wanted to and then some. If you're skipping the coasters and can do everything all together for the most part, that will help a lot.

Aww, I love this!! That smile on his face is priceless.

Thanks! It's one of my favorites of him from the trip!! It was a great memory making morning.

Oh Mylanta, me too! I had to close my eyes about 20 seconds into it.

It's SO bad!! I think they discussed it on the Universal DIS podcast, and it's the same thing I was thinking...I think it makes the motion sickness so much worse because it's animated instead of real people and places to focus on. Not to mention the strength of the smells. That baby powder smell was sickening!

 

[Gracefulskinny]

The shooting style games at WDW just have nothing on Men In Black. It’s so fun! And I can actually tell what I’m shooting at!

The one thing in Universal worth riding that won't make me puke.

The TM out front was loving watching DS run around and around to get back on!

He would have gone on it 10 more times if I had let him. Had to get a pic of him with the sign for being so brave!

 

[hokieinpa]

It seems like DS had a blast on rides and playing that morning! How great that he overcame his coaster fear - like way overcame it!!

Very cute pictures of DD!

 

[khertz]

The one thing in Universal worth riding that won't make me puke.

Yes, it's definitely one of their few attractions on the tamer side! Good thing it's so much fun too.

It seems like DS had a blast on rides and playing that morning! How great that he overcame his coaster fear - like way overcame it!!

Very cute pictures of DD!

It was SO awesome to see him overcome his apprehension and have such a fun time riding the coaster over & over!

Thanks

 

[khertz]

I had every intention of doing an update earlier, but we have had one sickness after another going around our household! I'm the last one still "suffering" so hopefully it all clears up before Friday when we leave for our Mardi Gras trip to Disney with our family! But I definitely wanted to get an update posted before we leave, so here goes. Not sure if I'll get to the replies before we leave but I will do my best!

Day 2 Continued: Sunday October 18th

After lunch, we were going to shop a bit at the big store in the front of the park, but DD was being really fussy. So I took her back to the first aid to nurse her again and get her out of the sun while DH and DS paid for our purchases and went to ride Minion Mayhem.

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Another tip for those with small kids, this ride does have a height restriction, but there is a way around it. The TMs don’t seem to volunteer this information, but if your child is too short (or if you have motion sickness issues) you can ask for the stationary seats up front. We did this last time we were in Universal and DS was too short and my mom didn’t want to sit in the moving seats anyway. This time, he sat in the moving seats and loved it!

Once I was finished feeding DD, we met up and walked over to Diagon Alley to do some shopping, enjoy the atmosphere, and take pictures since we knew the wait for Gringotts would be a little too long by now.

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Back through the bricks!


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One thing we knew we had wanted to do in Diagon Alley was get some Gringotts money, so we went through the money exchange. It’s very small and they wind people through switchbacks inside, so we didn’t all go in together. I stayed out with the stroller while DH went in to exchange some money, then I went through just to see. The goblin in there even answers questions you ask him.

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We caught the tail end of a Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees performance and saw there would soon be a performance of The Three Brothers, which we had both really wanted to see. And now seemed like the perfect time, since both kids were passed out in the stroller!

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Mommy & Daddy Selfie​

Soon enough, the performance started. It mixes a little comedy in, but overall, it’s a truly incredible show featuring beautiful puppetry telling the story of The Three Brothers as told in the 7th novel, The Deathly Hallows. If you haven’t read the novels and aren’t familiar with the story, the excerpt from the book can be found HERE.

The puppets are very similar to the animation used to tell the story in the movie.

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It was a really fantastic show, and despite all those pictures (and that was only a few that DH took!), it’s not long at all. Definitely worth making the time to stop and watch! It happens a few times a day, and it seemed like the puppet show rotated with Celestina Warbeck at pretty regular intervals so it’s easy to catch.

UP NEXT: For All Your Dark Magic Needs

 

[Dugette]

I had every intention of doing an update earlier, but we have had one sickness after another going around our household! I'm the last one still "suffering" so hopefully it all clears up before Friday when we leave for our Mardi Gras trip to Disney with our family!

Hope you are feeling better soon! (By the way, it seems you leave for WDW the same day we leave for DLR!)

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Love both of these! Happy family pictures.

 

[missangelalexis]

Hope you feel better soon and have a great time in Disney!!

Sleeping kids = happy parents! Love those 2 pictures!

Glad you were able to catch the show and enjoyed it!

 

[skier_pete]

Cool show - we are pushing our daughter to get through the last two books of HP. She got "hung up" on Book 5 for about a year. (That book is brutal for younger kids to get through - especially if they are not voracious readers.) But she finally got through Book 5 but hasn't started Book 6. That "Three Brothers" show looks pretty neat.

How does the "money exchange" work. Do you actually get wizard money that you can spend in the stores? Or is it all for show.

 

[afwdwfan]

I'm glad that you got some time to explore Diagon Alley and catch the puppet show. And even better yet that both kids were napping in the stroller so that you could enjoy it at your own pace without having to worry about keeping everyone happy.

 

[amazingact21]

I'm an update behind, so I apologize for that. I've only got about ten minutes before Landon wakes up from his nap, so I'll have to read that one later...


Men in Black is such an awesome shooter game. I remember it being more thrilling than any of the Disney ones.


Kreacher in the window! How cool!

Oh my goodness, Paxton's face on Woody Woodpecker's Coaster is awesome. He was having so much fun! It's great that your DH was able to capture that expression; such a great memory to have!


TV slows kids down terribly when they are eating. Even when it is the exact same thing playing over and over again.



You mentioned the benefit of the express pass in one of your posts. Would you say the pass is worth buying (if you don't stay at a hotel that offers one with the room)? Alex and I are trying our hardest to go for 3 days in early May, and with 2 kids who can't ride anything, really, I wandered if the price of the passes is worth the extra time you gain by not waiting in line. I figured since you took DD there at 3 months, you'd have a good opinion on the matter.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

First off - have a great family trip!

The Minion ride seems pretty cute and it is nice they have that option to ride with the seats not moving and for littler ones

That three brothers show looks really cool and the puppets do look very similar to what was in the movie! I love all the details like this in the Harry Potter lands and hope they do similar in the Disney Star Wars lands. I'd much prefer if they can cover the prequels via a 7 minute puppet show rather than 6 hours of movies