A Salute to All Orlando Area Theme Parks But Mostly Walt Disney World ***THE END***

[DisneyKid4Life]

I feel precisely the same way about Universal. Im a huge Harry Potter fan (maybe fanatic!) and I admit I do love what they did with the wizarding world, but it will never be enough to bring the on level with Disney.
I also found the Hulk a little boring once we got going! It was so big that everything felt slow and the turns were wide. And I was nervous going on too.
I wonder if some day Disney will be able to use the marvel characters in Orlando... I imagine they would. I hope so!

I like Jurassic park. We call it Splash on steroids.

Is that little guy a chinchilla? Something like that maybe? I really am not sure. Nice of you to move him, whatever he is!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

Spot on Wendy. It was really Harry Potter that put Universal in the game, and I can't deny they did a phenomenal job. But Uni just does not compete when it comes to "feeling" and "emotion". I would NEVER take a trip to Florida and not go to Disney. I will and have done trips and not done Universal.

Haha, it's so funny you agree on the Hulk. It looks so intimidating and I hear it called this super intense ride, but outside of the launch, it's really not.

They're going to have to pay a ton of money to get those characters in Orlando, sadly. I understand Universal has an agreement that doesn't end.

Yeah, that's a really good description. I still like Splash better though.

Hmmm not sure really. It looked similar to that though. He was so cute, I just couldn't let him get hurt.

Awesome pics!

Thank you!

Having only been to Universal once, I can't comment too much on it but it definitely lacks that Disney feel, I think that's why I steer clear of it. I dunno, I'll get over there eventually I'm sure, but for now the HP section is my only desire to go there. And I'm gonna wait til it's expanded.

Sounds like you guys had a decent morning aside from the grumpy employee at the lockers! Is Jurassic Park scary? Like, dark and things jumping out at you or?

That's a good call on that Katt honestly. I mean, I like the rides, they're unbelievably good, but it is just not Disney. There's just no magic. Truthfully, HP is the main reason people go now.

It was a pretty good morning other than that. But things do take a slight turn in the next update which is where I REALLY go off on Universal.

Nah, I don't find Jurassic Park scary at all as far as things jumping out. The first part of the ride is just a leisurely boat ride with the animatronic dinos. It's really just like Jungle Cruise except they're dinos. The last bit is pretty dark when you go up the lift to set up the final drop. There is a huge T-Rex that you sail towards and then you "drop" to get away from him. He doesn't jump out though as you see him as you approach. It is pretty impressive actually.

 

[natebenma]

What a great HH Night!!! Love your pictures from around the park and of the really cool, gory characters. Blood Bag girl! Vampires with no concept of personal space "I vant to lick your face!"

I agree with you about The Mummy. I think it may be my favorite ride of all time! Can't wait to try it out again in a couple of weeks!

 

[natebenma]

I'm enjoying your time at IoA so far. Nice call on ride choices while everyone else is crowding the Wizarding World. I'll be interested in hearing what it is like when you get there.

I have only been on the Spiderman and Hulk rides once each, so I am excited to try them again, especially since Spiderman has the improved graphics now.

We will be doing the Universal Photo Connect. $40 and you get unlimited ride photo downloads and pictures from in-park photographers, but I don't think there are many.

Love the theming of Jurassic Park! The entrance gate and visitor's center are amazing!

I'm hoping to avoid the lockers for the most part by wearing a fanny pack- that seemed to work last time. But there will be a few times I will want my big DSLR camera, so I am still trying to figure that out. I will also have to keep count of how many times I am told to put my camera down when on rides. Jurassic Park is one and Rip Saw Falls is another place they do not want guests to take pictures or have a camera out.

 

[emmysmommy]

Hmmm.... I'm not seeing the adoration for US that there is for Disney here! The ride photo grumpies and the locker situation doesn't sound so fun but on the brighter side Spider Man sure looks good in his spidey suit. Does he talk and interact with guests? Or is he the silent type who only gestures like Mr. Incredible?

I've only been to US once and I remember Jurassic Park was pretty good. Unfortunately, having a small child I didn't go on any of the thrill coasters. I'm way overdue for some of those types of rides! Years ago Universal Studios was a client of mine (they were called MCA/Universal back then) and I was able to go on the back lot and eat at the commissary when I was conducting business around the time when the Jurassic Park ride opened in 1996. Interesting stories there...

Ok so I'm getting the feeling that your next update may have a few frowny faces?? Can't wait to hear....

 

[natebenma]

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

What a great HH Night!!! Love your pictures from around the park and of the really cool, gory characters. Blood Bag girl! Vampires with no concept of personal space "I vant to lick your face!"

I agree with you about The Mummy. I think it may be my favorite ride of all time! Can't wait to try it out again in a couple of weeks!

Thanks Dee. Yes, the blood bag girl was a nice, um, photo-op. HHN is really a whole heep of fun. Now I'm trying to decide on this year. They just announced the first house, Cabin in the Woods, which should make a wicked house.

Oh my isn't the Mummy fantastic? I just can't get over how good it is.

I'm enjoying your time at IoA so far. Nice call on ride choices while everyone else is crowding the Wizarding World. I'll be interested in hearing what it is like when you get there.

I have only been on the Spiderman and Hulk rides once each, so I am excited to try them again, especially since Spiderman has the improved graphics now.

We will be doing the Universal Photo Connect. $40 and you get unlimited ride photo downloads and pictures from in-park photographers, but I don't think there are many.

Love the theming of Jurassic Park! The entrance gate and visitor's center are amazing!

I'm hoping to avoid the lockers for the most part by wearing a fanny pack- that seemed to work last time. But there will be a few times I will want my big DSLR camera, so I am still trying to figure that out. I will also have to keep count of how many times I am told to put my camera down when on rides. Jurassic Park is one and Rip Saw Falls is another place they do not want guests to take pictures or have a camera out.

Yup, at that point in the day it was definitely the right call. Our wait times were virtually walk on. Since I had already seen Potter before, it wasn't as important to rush there. My first time though, it was a mad dash.

Spiderman is so good, especially considering its age. The upgrades are stunning.

I've heard about that. It's pretty new, so I can't remember if it was offered on this trip or not. As you'll see in the next update, I think I was at a point where I just didn't want to give Universal any more money, lol. You're right, there aren't a whole lot of photogs around, but for $40, it's still a good deal.

It's an amazingly themed area. They really are a strong theme park contender, despite some flaws.

Yeah, the best thing is to have nothing on you (though a fanny pack does work). I was yelled at a few years back on Jurassic Park for using a camera. I know they're probably looking at a safety issue, but I just don't like the way they do some things.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Hmmm.... I'm not seeing the adoration for US that there is for Disney here! The ride photo grumpies and the locker situation doesn't sound so fun but on the brighter side Spider Man sure looks good in his spidey suit. Does he talk and interact with guests? Or is he the silent type who only gestures like Mr. Incredible?

I've only been to US once and I remember Jurassic Park was pretty good. Unfortunately, having a small child I didn't go on any of the thrill coasters. I'm way overdue for some of those types of rides! Years ago Universal Studios was a client of mine (they were called MCA/Universal back then) and I was able to go on the back lot and eat at the commissary when I was conducting business around the time when the Jurassic Park ride opened in 1996. Interesting stories there...

Ok so I'm getting the feeling that your next update may have a few frowny faces?? Can't wait to hear....

Universal just ain't Disney. I certainly appreciate what they've been able to do, and I honestly do like it. They are indeed serious competition now. It can be a heck of a lot of fun, but you miss the "feel" you get in Disney. Nothing compares to that. I've had some wonderful times there over the years and some of their "special events" like HHN and Mardis Gras are so much fun. There are just some things they do that are just so wrong.

Yes, Spiderman does indeed speak.

Was this US Orlando or Hollywood? Since you mentioned coasters I assume Orlando. I agree, there's nothing quite like the big outdoor coasters for thrills. Of course, with California Screamin' close by, you're never too far away. I loved that ride.
Hmm, I think I need to hear some of these stories!!

Haha, yes very true. Kind of the perfect storm on the way...

Awww thank you Dee. How sweet!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

UNIVERSAL’S GREAT... BUT IT AIN’T DISNEY!
Day 8 – October 15, 2012 Part 2


After hitting all the other main attractions on our list, we finally saw this.

I jumped in line for a quick photo op with these folks

Then it was off to Hogwarts and the Forbidden Journey.

Universal really hit a home run with this.
The ride on Forbidden Journey is exceptional not to mention the intricate level of detail of the ride queue through the castle.

Mixing animatronic live sets with video and a ride mechanism similar to the Sum of All Thrills at Epcot on a track, it’s a thing to behold.

Truly spectacular.

Katie’s verdict… “OK, THAT was incredible”. I could not agree more.

However, with all the heaps of praise I can reap upon the ride and the area in general, now comes the bad.
And that would be due to that dreaded locker situation again.

This is where the day really began to go south.

For anyone who hasn't navigated the lockers at the Forbidden Journey, let’s just say the area is extremely congested and poorly designed.
And this wasn't even a particularly busy day.

Not to mention, all the ride lockers have one central location to lock/unlock an entire bank of lockers.

What that means is you often have to wait a significant amount of time to even try to open a locker because there are so many people either getting or re-opening one.

It’s a complete mess frankly.

We returned to the locker after waiting in the line to find it wouldn’t open.
Then, the on screen announced a charge of $3 to open it.

I was not amused.

Having no small bills on me, I reluctantly inserted a $20 bill.
The locker finally opened…
PLUS
I was now the proud owner of

SEVENTEEN $1 COINS!

My mood was getting progressively worse.

Not only would I have to put up with these stupid lockers,
Now I would have to use them to store SEVENTEEN $1 COINS! whenever I wanted to ride something.

I was really starting to hate Universal.

I understand it, just like Disney, is a business. I totally get that.

But I was feeling more and more like Universal was nickel and dime-ing their guests to death, and I was getting very annoyed.
I’m just waiting for the day that they install coin operated water fountains.

Do yourself a favour.
If you plan on visiting the Wizarding World (or Universal in general), plan to travel very light.
You will thank me.

We both decided to try and walk it off and enjoy the amazing sights of Hogsmeade Village, which are spectacular.

While in the Hog’ s Head Pub, we each ordered a frozen Butterbeer in an attempt to better our moods.

I highly recommend getting your Butterbeer in the pub as opposed to the carts outside.
The wait time is significantly less.

For what it’s worth, Butterbeer is SO GOOD.

I couldn’t handle large amounts because it is very sweet, but darn it, it sure is tasty.



CONTINUED NEXT POST​

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Day 8 – October 15, 2012 Part 2 Cont.


After we partook of our Butterbeer, I tried to pull myself together because I wanted to enjoy my day.

Perhaps a ride on Dragon Challenge would help.

It only had a 5 minute wait. K8, however, wanted no part of it.

She had enough of this locker situation, but was happy to hold my stuff while I rode.
I wasn’t happy with this decision, but I understood.
She said she was fine with it, no worries, she just was done with the lockers and would happily wait while I rode.

So I reluctantly headed in to ride the Dragons. This queue is REALLY long.

I arrived at the ride with only a small number of people in front of me.

However, I was greeted with the announcement that the ride was currently experiencing technical difficulties and to please stand by.

I waited approximately 10-15 minutes when I finally gave up. This was just not our day

So I headed back out to meet up with K8.
It was at this point that I realized we were done.

We had been going pretty much non stop for the past week in the hot, humid weather.
With a late night the night prior, and a late night planned the next day, we were both getting cranky.

We needed a break.

So we made our way to the exit and headed back to the condo.

K8 went out to look around the nearby gift shops while I went out on the deck and just relaxed for a bit.

We met up a short time later and, feeling hungry, decided on Denny’s for dinner.

The main reason I bring up the Denny’s meal is because I had to make a special mention of the level of service at this place.

I can’t speak of any other Denny’s, but the people here were the absolute BEST I have ever experienced.
We were both floored.

Our server was phenomenal.
I really wish I could remember his name, but he was just so good.
Everyone else that worked there was truly on point.
It was amazing, and really turned our day around.
I told him he needs to get a job at Universal to show them how customer service works.

Anyway, the food was terrific (and cheap), and the service was exceptional.
Our day was salvaged, and we were finally back on track.
So a great big thank you to the folks at Denny’s on US 192!

On the walk back to the condo I just had to snap these photos of McDonald’s because we just found it so funny.

We came to refer to it as Ghetto McDonald’s.
Just look at the high quality signage.

We Are Open indeed… But I ain’t eating there.



CONTINUED NEXT POST​

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Day 8 – October 15, 2012 Part 2 Cont.


We got back to the condo in much better moods.
We sat out on the deck, relaxed, and just talked for hours.
It was a really nice evening, and exactly what we needed at that point in the trip.

Eventually though, I got a little restless. I’m in Florida. I need me some Disney.
Especially after the day we had.

So, I decided I needed a little Downtown Disney.

K8 decided she didn’t really want to and was going to maybe take a swim and relax.
No prob by me.

So I headed out on my own.
I also was after something in particular; My 2012 Disney Mini Snow Globe.
I collect these each and every year, so this was a priority.

I arrived at the parking lot at about 8:30.

Halloween had arrived in the Downtown Disney area.
I basically just spent the evening strolling and taking the odd photo.
It’s really quite beautiful at night.

I loved these.

It was in the World of Disney that I was certain to find that elusive globe.

I checked with the information desk inside, as they have access to every retail location on property.
Wherever it was, they would find it.

I was shocked to find out that there was absolutely none to be had anywhere on property.
Not only that, but there probably would be no more coming.

This was the middle of October. There’s still 2 1/2 more months left of 2012.
And there would be no more. I was devastated.

I consoled myself with the knowledge that I had an identical one back home.

The only difference was it said Disneyland, not Walt Disney World. Other than that they were identical.
That said… I still wanted my WDW globe!!!! Oh well, it just wasn’t meant to be.

I strolled around a little more just taking in the sites before heading back to the condo to get some rest for the next day…

And a return to the magic of Disney and the long awaited Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.





UP NEXT… AIN’T NO PARTY LIKE A MICKEY PARTY ‘CUZ A MICKEY PARTY DON’T STOP!​

 

[courtneybelle]

My jaw literally dropped at the 17 $1 coins! I just do not understand who at Universal thought that was a good idea.

I wasn't huge on IoA when we went in June 2010. I loved the Wizarding World and Spider-Man was fun, but a lot of the rides we wanted to do were down for technical difficulties. I'll probably go back once the Harry Potter expansion is finished, but I'm not in a rush. I did love Universal in California, though, because I'm a movie person and it was amazing seeing the sets!

Love your photos of DTD at night! Sorry about your snow globe though

 

[emmysmommy]

It's wayyyy past when I should be asleep but I had to read all of your updates first! It's a great way to end an evening!

I've read a review that raved about the Forbidden Journey so I imagine it is pretty spectacular!

As for the $17 in coins (what were they thinking??) at least it wasn't Canadian quarters you received for change... Oh wait, that wouldn't be bad.

Sorry the day turned sour. Like you said US just ain't Disney!! But look on the bright side, you didn't visit a washroom with vending machines on the wall this trip! That's still so funny to me. I hope you don't mind me sharing - I'll change your name so that no one is made to feel awkward! I'll say I know a guy let's call "Robert"

That McDonalds was for real??? Their sign should have said "We R open" to fit with the ghetto them much better.

Those Mickey (Steamboat Mickey??) are cute! But sorry there were no globes to be had anywhere in Disney World. Crazy!

 

[teekathepony]

Hi Rob, hope you had a good canada day weekend!

I am pretty much in love with the Forbidden Journey, I hate to admit it but it really is my favourite ride on Earth.

$17 in coins. Wth!?!? Seriously? How ridiculous. I can see that turning anyone's day around for the worse.
I love butter beer. I could chain-drink the regular kind. If I could get my hands on that foam, I would make it my dietary staple.
Ugh, dragon challenge let you down too? Definitely time to hit the road.
I'm so glad that Denny's was a good experience at least! And that ghetto McDonald's... Wow. Just wow. "We are opeo" ? Haha nice. Classy.
Boo, too bad about the missing snow globe. that's awfully early in the year to be running out of dated items.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[TheMaxRebo]

sorry to hear about the issue with the lockers ... I mean, to carry around 17 $1 coins is just annoying

The whole system sounds a little dollar wise and pound foolish by universal. The locker situations at least contributed to you leaving early - instead of, you know, staying and buying food and souvenirs, being not at Disney, etc.

If they are going to insist on using lockers, maybe they could have it that you can by a card when you come in and that covers your locker usage for the whole day or something

 

[Marsheliz]

YAY, I can't wait to hear about the party!!! Universal is fine and all but like you said, it just ain't Disney!!

 

[katt789]

Aw man, sorry that Universal was so poopy for you guys! I know I certainly didn't like that locker situation, hence why I sat out of Jurassic Park and once it started to rain a little bit we left. Just not my place!

Wow, ghetto McDonalds! I still think my favorite thing in that little area of hotels was the extremely patriotic gift shop that had all the flashing lights on it, like, whoa, calm down. Bahha

ps: after reading your TR I started checking out entertainment in the "other" parks down in Orlando and apparently signed up for some kind of mailing list for Uni as I got an email inviting me to HHN auditions...

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

My jaw literally dropped at the 17 $1 coins! I just do not understand who at Universal thought that was a good idea.

I wasn't huge on IoA when we went in June 2010. I loved the Wizarding World and Spider-Man was fun, but a lot of the rides we wanted to do were down for technical difficulties. I'll probably go back once the Harry Potter expansion is finished, but I'm not in a rush. I did love Universal in California, though, because I'm a movie person and it was amazing seeing the sets!

Love your photos of DTD at night! Sorry about your snow globe though

Hahaha, yours and mine both, believe me. As it was happening I could actually feel my blood pressure rising.
Something tells me that Universal knows people don't want to walk around with all those coins, so the only way to get rid of them is to spend them. That's my theory anyway.

The thing about Universal (at least for me) is the rides are so good and so well done that I can usually put up with all the "other" junk. They do a great job with theming too, but there's just something missing.
You know a lot of people seem to be waiting on the Potter 2.0, so you're definitely not alone. I have done Universal Hollywood and I agree, the studio tour was exceptional!

Aww thank you. It's so pretty. I was disappointed at the time, but now I'm good, but thank you just the same.

It's wayyyy past when I should be asleep but I had to read all of your updates first! It's a great way to end an evening!

I've read a review that raved about the Forbidden Journey so I imagine it is pretty spectacular!

As for the $17 in coins (what were they thinking??) at least it wasn't Canadian quarters you received for change... Oh wait, that wouldn't be bad.

Sorry the day turned sour. Like you said US just ain't Disney!! But look on the bright side, you didn't visit a washroom with vending machines on the wall this trip! That's still so funny to me. I hope you don't mind me sharing - I'll change your name so that no one is made to feel awkward! I'll say I know a guy let's call "Robert"

That McDonalds was for real??? Their sign should have said "We R open" to fit with the ghetto them much better.

Those Mickey (Steamboat Mickey??) are cute! But sorry there were no globes to be had anywhere in Disney World. Crazy!

Aww Brenda, you're just so sweet. You know what's really funny though? Before even reading a word of this I noticed the time and, doing my amazing time zone conversion trick, realized it was 12:30am!!! So yes, you should have been asleep. But thanks for staying up with me!

It really is. I will never take away how good the rides are at Universal and FJ is at the top (well behind the Mummy for me but still).

Oy!! It was ridiculous. In a way though I was thankful dollar coins existed (we've had them here for years) because can you imagine getting all quarters back?
Canadian quarters right now wouldn't be good because the exchange rate is dropping. Maybe then it would have been more valuable.
Another piece of irony. A few years back I discovered the dollar coin's existence and went to great lengths to get my hands on one to bring home. Be careful what you wish for...

You know, in retrospect it may have been a good thing because I think we really needed a break and this just forced the issue. We did pretty much everything we wanted so it wasn't a total loss.
Bahahaha, this is true, no washroom faux pas. Goodness, you are completely free to share that story anywhere you like. Believe me, I would never have brought it up at all if I felt otherwise. So share away with my complete blessing!

oh man so true. Yup, it was real. We just thought it was the funniest thing.

I just thought they were so clever in B&W. Seriously I should have bought one. I probably will next time. I thought Steamboat Willie (Mickey) myself though we noticed some other characters done the same way so I'm not completely sure. The snow globe was a disappointment (and honestly a huge surprise), but at least I still have my Disneyland version.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Hi Rob, hope you had a good canada day weekend!

I am pretty much in love with the Forbidden Journey, I hate to admit it but it really is my favourite ride on Earth.

$17 in coins. Wth!?!? Seriously? How ridiculous. I can see that turning anyone's day around for the worse.
I love butter beer. I could chain-drink the regular kind. If I could get my hands on that foam, I would make it my dietary staple.
Ugh, dragon challenge let you down too? Definitely time to hit the road.
I'm so glad that Denny's was a good experience at least! And that ghetto McDonald's... Wow. Just wow. "We are opeo" ? Haha nice. Classy.
Boo, too bad about the missing snow globe. that's awfully early in the year to be running out of dated items.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

Well hello yourself Wendy, thank you and I hope you did as well.

I won't call it my favorite (I already did that with Manta and second with Mummy), but I certainly do get why one would place it first. It's mind boggling. It really is.

Yeah, it was really the proverbial straw. Looking back it's kind of funny, but not so much at the time. I was starting to wonder if I was on Candid Camera?

Haha, it is good isn't it. Strangely I haven't had the regular yet, just the frozen.

Ha yeah, I think Sorcerer Mickey was telling me to come back home.

We were blown away by Denny's. It was so good. And that McDonald's was one of the funniest things ever. Classy indeed.

The globe situation did suck, but at least I knew and could stop searching. I thought it was extremely early in the year too. I ran into the same problem in April this year.

sorry to hear about the issue with the lockers ... I mean, to carry around 17 $1 coins is just annoying

The whole system sounds a little dollar wise and pound foolish by universal. The locker situations at least contributed to you leaving early - instead of, you know, staying and buying food and souvenirs, being not at Disney, etc.

If they are going to insist on using lockers, maybe they could have it that you can by a card when you come in and that covers your locker usage for the whole day or something

Thanks, it was pretty awful. I guess the moral is to always travel light at Universal.

Very very true. I hadn't really thought of that honestly, but it's a really good point. We ultimately spent little time at Universal on this trip outside of Horror Nights and really spent very little money at Universal at all.

That would be an interesting idea. They do have regular lockers in the front like at Disney for a daily charge. These lockers are specifically designed for the rides. The real beef I have with them is, well , the obvious design flaw, but also the time constraint. By that I mean the "free" period is just too short. There's just not enough lee-way. Basically, everything has to go perfect in order to stay within the allotted time. It's awful.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

YAY, I can't wait to hear about the party!!! Universal is fine and all but like you said, it just ain't Disney!!

Hey Marcie!! Was it too obvious that I sort of zoomed though the Universal updates, HAHAHA? I just had to get back to Disney updates, ya know!

These were probably the updates I least enjoyed writing even with the wonderful Wizarding World. Thank goodness we're back to Disney and MNSSHP!!

Aw man, sorry that Universal was so poopy for you guys! I know I certainly didn't like that locker situation, hence why I sat out of Jurassic Park and once it started to rain a little bit we left. Just not my place!

Wow, ghetto McDonalds! I still think my favorite thing in that little area of hotels was the extremely patriotic gift shop that had all the flashing lights on it, like, whoa, calm down. Bahha

ps: after reading your TR I started checking out entertainment in the "other" parks down in Orlando and apparently signed up for some kind of mailing list for Uni as I got an email inviting me to HHN auditions...

It was poopy!! That's the word I needed, hahaha. The locker setup is a complete joke. In the future, I think going light will be the order of the day. In fact, when we went back for another HHN night, K8 left her bag and everything else home as did I. It sure ain't Disney!!

Haha, I think it's no longer ghetto, but man did it make us laugh. I understood they were renovating, but seriously, that sign is what killed us. Oh man we just died laughing. Seriously, that's the best you can do Billion Dollar Corporation?

OMG I know the exact shop you're talking about right across the street. That sign is seriously blinding to the point of being dangerous!! You know what's even more amazing... They've actually toned it down.

Bahaha, that's awesome. Yeah I understand they just started auditions for this year. Just think you could be a creature from Cabin in the Woods or a Walking Dead walker or whatever else they come up with this year. That's too funny! Of course you might end up getting punched...

 

[khertz]

What a bummer about the locker situation, especially all those $1 coins!! That's ridiculous. We had an issue with lockers last time we visited Universal/IoA in 2009. Kind of makes me relieved we will have the stroller! No lockers needed. What a pain.

However, I'm SO EXCITED to finally see WWoHP!!! I love the picture of you with the students, that is so cool! I didn't realize they had "character" greets in that area. Gah, I just can't wait!

Looking forward to your MNSSHP updates.