Aug '14 Trip Report: The Ride-Chickens go to Universal/Portofino Bay

[Doc Goofy]

I am a big ride chicken and have not been able to make myself ride either SM or Jurassic Park because of the drops. Tell me about Ripsaw and Popeye's… Are they "scary"?

 

[ArwenMarie]

I am a big ride chicken and have not been able to make myself ride either SM or Jurassic Park because of the drops. Tell me about Ripsaw and Popeye's… Are they "scary"?

I skipped Ripsaw. The Popeyes Barges were easy. You get drenched but that's it. Hope this helps!

 

[ArwenMarie]

Thanks for sharing your TR. It's always great to reminisce through other family's trips and look forward to our next one!

Thank you for reading

 

[ArwenMarie]

Noooooooo! Not the end!

Still one more post to go!

 

[macraven]

Still one more post to go!

it's been a fun ride with you so far, waiting for one more....!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Still one more post to go!

Looking forward to the "final chapter"!

 

[ArwenMarie]

For our last night, we just hung about the hotel and got ready for the next leg of our split stay. The next day we moved to the Marriott villas at World Center (which were very nice) and spent 2.5 days at WDW, mostly to do some stuff regarding some big movie or something that everyone seems to be going crazy about

Bye Harbor, I'lll miss you!

<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y515/arwenmarie401/Mobile%20Uploads/FAB76CA0-9E89-4AEA-846E-365AD1CD305A_zpsbzwunphz.jpg" border="0" width="400" height="300" alt=" photo FAB76CA0-9E89-4AEA-846E-365AD1CD305A_zpsbzwunphz.jpg"/></a>​

Final Thoughts

The Hotel: Portofino Bay was great, again. This was our second stay there, and I can definitely say it is is my favorite theme-park hotel in Orlando. If they could just get those mini-fridges in the rooms, that would be super.

The Parks: The parks were really fun. Even as a ride-chicken, I felt like I had so much to do. Aside from the rides, just walking about and seeing everything is fun, and of course, you can always make a vacation out of dining.

(Lack of) Planning: It's just the best being able to go to wake up and decide what you want to do that day.

Length of Universal Stay: I really regretted that we didn't have four full days there, instead of the three. I would have liked a day in the middle just to chill at the resort (and try some more restaurants).

Split Stay: This was the first time we did a split stay between Universal and Disney. The Disney part of the trip felt really short, the Universal part could have been longer. I think if we do a split stay again, we will try to go for a little bit longer.

The Weather: This was the worst part. As I said, we have gone to Orlando in August for the past couple of years and it's been hot, but it's been fine. This week was really brutal. I'm not sure about the end of August anymore. Which totally stinks because it's such a great week for us in all other ways...our schools don't go back until after Labor Day, the prices are lower, the crowds are lower. So we'll see. I'm sure we'll be back next August, but I've definitely lost some love for that week.

Overall: I admit, I still like some of the Disney Parks more than some of the Universal parks. But I like the whole onsite vacation experience at Universal better...the hotels, the dining, and the Express Passes might help with that too. I enjoyed the Universal parks and hotel much more the second time around. Probably because I knew what to expect (NOT Disney) and because I was familiar with the parks (ride-chickens like that!).

I remember reading this article back in July and it really resonated with me. It's from the Orlando Informer and it's called "Disney vs. Universal in Theming." People talk a lot about simulators and roller coasters and height restrictions at Universal versus Disney, and all of those differences are real. But I think this captures the difference best...

Disney parks and resorts around the world are designed to return guests to all the comforts of the idea of “home” – the luxury of having details taken care of for you, of gaining a sense of safety, of believing in a world where innocence and friendliness still have a place. Disney parks tap into our desire to be at home, not in the physical sense of residence, but a place of safety and nostalgia....

Entering a Universal park is like delving into every childhood dream of completing a daring quest and being special. Every environment is meant to hint at an opportunity for glorious exploits, and every ride and attraction strives to make you the hero of the moment, the survivor, the one who saved the day.

<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y515/arwenmarie401/Mobile%20Uploads/E97DDABC-7A29-4BC1-ACA0-A2809E48519A_zpsacwf1h0i.jpg" border="0" width="400" height="300" alt=" photo E97DDABC-7A29-4BC1-ACA0-A2809E48519A_zpsacwf1h0i.jpg"/></a>​

Thank you so much for reading, I really appreciate it!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Your report was awesome, and I am so grateful that you shared your experience with us!

Will you be doing a Disney TR for the mouse-inspired portion of your vacation? If so, I would love to follow along on that as well .

 

[wishing4PA]

Thank you so much for reading, I really appreciate it!

I hope I can remember that quote you used! I have a spotty memory, but I really like it (the quote), and will try to keep that in mind if we end up going on the Universal trip. DD got into the choir, but their trips are pricey for the amount of time they take. At least someone else does the driving.
Thanks so much for your TR! It was fun to read, and I'll probably go back to this and re-read the specific ride comments prior to the trip!

 

[Gr8t Fan]

Thanks for sharing your trip with us! We were also in Orlando during the last week of August and it DEFINITELY felt hotter than it has felt for the last 10 years. We will still visit because our kids don't start school until after Labor Day either, but I did commiserate with DH (who hates even a regular August in Florida) because it was just that brutal this year.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Your report was awesome, and I am so grateful that you shared your experience with us!

Will you be doing a Disney TR for the mouse-inspired portion of your vacation? If so, I would love to follow along on that as well .

Thank you for reading it

That's so funny you mentioned a Disney trip report...When I was writing this, I realized I only took about ten pictures on our Disney part of the trip...I must be Disney'ed out!

 

[ArwenMarie]

I hope I can remember that quote you used! I have a spotty memory, but I really like it, and will try to keep that in mind if we end up going on the Universal trip. DD got into the choir, but their trips are pricey for the amount of time they take. At least someone else does the driving.
Thanks so much for your TR! It was fun to read, and I'll probably go back to this and re-read the specific ride comments prior to the trip!

Thanks for reading!

Good luck planning if you decide to go on the choir trip!

 

[ArwenMarie]

Thanks for sharing your trip with us! We were also in Orlando during the last week of August and it DEFINITELY felt hotter than it has felt for the last 10 years. We will still visit because our kids don't start school until after Labor Day either, but I did commiserate with DH (who hates even a regular August in Florida) because it was just that brutal this year.

Thanks for reading it!

Glad it wasn't just me thinking it was hotter! I'm sure we will give it another shot next year too.

 

[mrsabbott]

I really enjoyed your TR! It made me anxious for Spring Break to get here.. I can't WAIT to go back!!

 

[glocon]

Thanks for the Trip Report- it was a lot of fun reading it, and great pictures too!

 

[ArwenMarie]

I really enjoyed your TR! It made me anxious for Spring Break to get here.. I can't WAIT to go back!!

Thank you for reading!

Spring will be here before you know it!

 

[ArwenMarie]

Thanks for the Trip Report- it was a lot of fun reading it, and great pictures too!

Thanks for reading!

 

[angryduck71]

Lovely report. I read it over lunch (and, well, into my work time too...shhhhh!). As with everyone else, makes me excited for my trip but I have until late May to wait (but it also makes me glad it'll be in May instead of the heat of August). My boyfriend's ex-wife took his kids this past August. They weren't too thrilled with it. My son was like, "we know better!" Actually, the thing is, when I was a kid, my folks took me to Disney World in August -- I had a heat stroke! NEVER again!

 

[ArwenMarie]

Lovely report. I read it over lunch (and, well, into my work time too...shhhhh!). As with everyone else, makes me excited for my trip but I have until late May to wait (but it also makes me glad it'll be in May instead of the heat of August). My boyfriend's ex-wife took his kids this past August. They weren't too thrilled with it. My son was like, "we know better!" Actually, the thing is, when I was a kid, my folks took me to Disney World in August -- I had a heat stroke! NEVER again!

Thanks for reading

Yes, May will be better than August. I need to make sure I come back and read this before I ever plan for August again, just to make sure we really want to do that again!

 

[sdomino11]

Enjoyed reading your TR! We're probably making our 2015 a split stay at Universal and WDW. I'm even more excited to see Universal now, after reading about all the fun you had. And I love that quote!