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[CAStevens218]

Happy Birthday to the boys!!!!!! They have gotten so big!!

I haven't been on here much lately, but I will definitely check out your trip report!!

 

[jc040404]

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[CAStevens218]

They definitely have!

I wondered what happened to you when your TR updates stopped. Hope all is well up there!

I got super busy and then I didn't update for a while, and now I've given up! LOL

I got a new job and we are buying a house, so lots going on in our world!! I hope all is well for you too!

No Disney in on our horizons for a little while...my best friend is getting married this summer, so that is time consuming, then next summer we are hoping to do a big Greece/Italy trip with that friend and her new husband! THEN, hopefully, in late 2014 or in 2015 we will be back in Disney! I'm trying to wait it out until New Fantasyland is completely done and the Harry Potter expansion at Universal is done as well. Don't know if we'll make it!! I have in the back of my mind to do a beach trip down there next spring, if we can afford it...and we all know Disney would have to be included!!

 

[jc040404]

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[Dugette]

I'm here, I'm here! My catch-up-on-the-DIS-while-eating-lunch-at-work plan is working!

Just finished your 2012 birthday trip. That T-Rex dessert looks pretty tasty to me, but I do have a weakness for brownies. Also, those build-a-dinosaurs are so cute. Looks fun!

That is one crazy long boat ride. I don't remember it being so long, but it's been a long time since we did that. I love that Blake was so excited to ride a Disney Bus! On your boat-loading strategy comment, that reminds me of my bus-loading strategy (both at home, since I commute by bus, and at Disney)...stand near the curb where the door will end up. It seems like such a simple concept to me, but most people don't do it. It's not like it's a surprise where the door will be, most of the time. Anyway, I usually am one of the first people on dong that.

Belated happy birthday 2013 to all your guys! Can't believe how big the boys are getting! (But, don't worry, you are not old! )

Did you start a report for that trip yet? Can't wait to hear about it!

Oh, also, I understand the stress of waiting for the December discounts to be released. We've been hoping for room-only this whole time, so I'm not too bothered by the probable lack of free dining, but we really need that room-only discount with the Poly! Hoping for the best for both of us!

 

[jc040404]

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[jane2073]

You have passes again!

 

[Dugette]

My favorite pic from.. last week! Everybody knows what that means.

 

[AprilRenee]

Hahahahaha

Yay!!

 

[snowmanlover]

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY Andy-Roo & Blakers! My goodness are they growing up fast!

Their birthday celebration looks like it was awesome....lucky boys!

 

[jc040404]

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[AprilRenee]

I have a feeling this news can't be all that shocking. We've failed at every attempt to skip getting new APs so far! I decided that Blake just wasn't really ready for Universal. So much of it requires 42+ inches. We were going to put that off until maybe next year, but I just won tickets!! Remember anything about those parks?? I'm totally clueless, but trying to plan a visit for Aug or Sept right now.

Universal is fun! Im sure its way MORE fun when you aren't pregnant. :-( I couldn't ride much cause I was 30 weeks pregnant (like I rode 3 things that had stationary seats...in 2 days....it wasn't very fun).

So of things that I rode:
-The terminator attraction was very cool!! Totally worth going on.
-Twister was cool, though a little scary. Not sure I would take a fearful kid on it. But your boys are pretty secure. Lol
-shrek 3D was ok. If you like shrek you'd probably like it. But the stationary seats make it kinda lame (that's right...I had to sit in the stationary seats cause I was pregnant and apparently a bounce in a seat could damage my baby. Never mind that I ride in cars all day long!! *rolls eyes*). And mickeys philharmagic also makes it kinda lame in comparison. Lol
-the Hollywood horror make up show was AWESOME!!! Go see it!! So funny and very very cool!! It was my favorite.
-the animal actors on location show was also AWESOME!! It was my second favorite!!
-Harry potter world (the reason we went) was also WAY cool. Have your boys read these books/seen the movies yet? If so, they'll definitely love it!! If they haven't, I'd suggest seeing the movies before you go. They'll enjoy it so much!! Go first thing at opening or late in the day. It was practically empty in the first hour.
-the adventures of sinbad show was kinda cool. Basically it's the Indiana jones stunt show.
-Poseidon's Adventure was very cool. Nothing like anything at Disney. We enjoyed that a lot.
-and you've got to stop and talk to Cal the talking fountain right outside of Harry potter world. He and I are "besties" now. He said so. Lol
-otherwise I didn't get to ride anything else. Everything had a pregnancy warning. Even the seuss kiddie rides. Totally lame.

-please ride ET and tell me how awesome it is. I wanted to ride it so bad, we even went thru the line. And then I chickened out and decided not to risk my pregnancy for a ride even though people online said it was ok. :-(

 

[jc040404]

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[jane2073]

You can totally do Disney and other things! We do!!

We all really want to try the dark side but I am not sure Em is ready yet.

 

[AprilRenee]

I have so much research to do!! Most of this is stuff I wasn't counting on, so I need to look over rides/shows some more. I bet it must be a little rough doing the park while you were pregnant, but it'll probably help me decide which John shouldn't try. It seems like everything has warnings about motion sickness! We'll definitely do ET though. That one looks so neat. We're adding it to a movie night before we go.

I don't think the boys have seen any of the Harry Potter stuff. Maybe a little bit of a movie when it was on television. I can't remember watching them myself, so I need to catch up, too. I wasn't sure if those books were age appropriate for Andrew yet, but he claims one of his friends has them. I'm going to pick the first one up this weekend, I think. He seems excited to read it. I'll be thrilled to get off the "Wimpy Kid" kick he's been on with something new anyway.

Universal is such a different world! We went once when they sent tickets in the mail for some reason, but it was so long ago! I'm loving that we'll get to check it out with free tickets again. These are only 1-day, 2 park tickets, so it's going to be interesting. We're calling it a "taste of the dark side" to make a decision about next year. I have so much reading to do!!

It really is a different world. We enjoyed it but definitely like Disney better. If I were you and if Harry potter isn't your 1st priority, I'd start your morning at Universal Studios. There was a lot more to do over there that wasn't giant roller coasters. We really enjoyed that side. Islands of Adventure had fun stuff (HP, Jurassic park, and Seuss) but it was mostly giant roller coasters or things I couldn't go on. I enjoyed the film lot theming over at US better too.
But I'd say you'll probably be fine with 1 day. Especially as a "check it out" trip. You might not get everything done but you'll be able to see a lot. We were definitely done after 1 day, we did a second day to enjoy the HP stuff again but we would have been fine without it.
Though, do your own research on the motion things cause they have warnings on every dang thing and I don't think they're all really so bad! Even the stuff that I had to stand or sit in the "stationary" area, I walked out of going, "ummm I could have done the normal seats without a problem. The bus ride over here was worse than that!"
But the hollywood horror make up show...do it! If you do nothing else on my list. Do that one! We almost went again the second day cause it was that much fun! (And it's like old school horror movies. Not modern stuff. It's not actually gross and gruesome. Just fun)

 

[jc040404]

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[jc040404]

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[AprilRenee]

It's so funny that you keep mentioning that make up show! When I saw "horror" in the name I crossed it off. It doesn't sound like it would too kid friendly! After reading a bit, it does sound cool but I'm still not sure about Andrew. I need to check out some videos. Thanks for all your comments on the parks!

First...that pic of Andrew is adorable!! Love it!!

Second, yeah I totally crossed that show off my list too until we were there and there wasn't anything I could ride. Even waiting in line I was like "dude! This better be good!"
Yeah. Watch a YouTube video! It's really just a comedy show and they talk about how they make special effects with make up and prosthetics. But mostly they goof off.

 

[jc040404]

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[AprilRenee]

I do know the Twister attraction is definitely out! We had some pretty bad storms again tonight and the boys were nuts. The TR gets put off again. This mom is worn out! I'm making John watch The Princess & the Frog with me instead.

Lol! Nice choice!

And yeah, twister was kinda intense and I'm an adult. I think that's a good decision.