wilma-bride
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- Joined
- Jul 13, 2005
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Chapter 6 - High Jinks and Poolside Drinks
For the first time since wed arrived, I actually slept right through the night and didnt wake up until 7. I still maintain that having a couple of drinks helps me sleep and I promised myself, there and then, that I would make the effort to drink more
Welcome to my world mate!
Today, we were off to Islands of Adventure and the early morning routine was much the same as yesterday. Set off at 8, arrive and park up by 8.30, then stop at Cinnabon in City Walk for sustenance. Nat was really looking forward to Islands of Adventure since shed been such a rollercoaster-wuss on their last visit that she hadnt done any of the major thrill rides. Ok! Rub it in why dont you
So, on entering the park just before 9, obviously, we headed straight for the Hulk. Rea and the younger ones went on Storm Force Accelatron, while we rode twice. The second time, we obviously had to pose for the camera.
Next, it was Dr Dooms. Nat wasnt sure if she was going to like this ride but I assured her there was nothing to worry about. The younger ones were tall enough for this but Ellie decided not to ride. And, unfortunately, when Daniel was measured it turned out he was just short of the minimum height a fact that he was actually quite please about, it turned out. He came in with us anyway and we decided to do child swap. Gary, John and Matthew went on first while we waited with Daniel. Then me, Sian and Nat went on next. It was amazing as always; its such a rush when you shoot up into the air. Because of where the boys were stood waiting for us, they managed to get it on video and you can hear our screams drowning out everyone else. I was very apprehensive whilst waiting for this ride more than any of the others I braved. I think because I had wimped out of a very similar ride at Drayton Manor (Maelstrom). Still, I was determined to give it a try and was so glad I did!
Spiderman was next and we were all able to ride together, which made a nice change. There are so many of the rides at Universal and IOA that Rea wont do, its always good when there is something she enjoys.
After Spidey, I explained to Nat that, at this point, we would usually double back and head to The Lost Continent, stopping only long enough to ride One Fish, Two Fish on the way. As she and John were essentially IOA amateurs, they were happy to go with the flow and leave Tour Guide Joh (as was my nickname from then on) to it. I knew she would come in useful!
Gary stuck with tradition at One Fish, Two Fish and refused to ride, claiming its for kids. But the rest of us all enjoyed the opportunity to get a bit wet since it was already very warm. Haha, I followed the instructions and stayed remarkably dry considering.
Due to the work going on in Lost Continent, the main route through was inaccessible and we actually had to detour through Jurassic Park. We got a great view of some of the building work for Harry Potter Land though Im not a fan myself but the girls said it was looking good. I am looking forward to seeing the finished result and and am very interested to see what they do with Duelling Dragons - I can see it being re-branded to fit in with the Harry Potter theme
Duelling Dragons hardly had any line and so we rode the Fire dragon first, at the back. Nat loved it, as did John, and she was particularly impressed that I was able to tell her when to look out for the dragons meeting (which happens at 3 points throughout the ride). Unfortunately, again because of the building work, we actually had to exit the line completely in order to re-ride but we managed to cut back in a little way down the track. There were still no lines and so we decided we would wait for the front of Ice. Since there are only four seats in each row, I opted to go in row 2 so we could all ride together. Typically, as we got to the front, the ride started experiencing technical difficulties. Again, we were playing the waiting game. Luckily, after 10 minutes, it started up again and Nat and John got to experience the front row on Duelling Dragons in my opinion, one of the most exhilarating and thrilling experiences ever. I agree, awesome ride!
Since the lines had built up a little now due to the technical problems, we decided not to ride again as Rea was stuck with the kids. So, moving on, it was time for Jurassic Park River Adventure. I am not a massive fan of this ride I dont like the drop on it and so I was secretly hoping that Daniel would decide he didnt want to go on. No such luck! We couldn't resist the opportunity to get the kids to pose for a couple of pictures first though.
Some of us got rather wet on this ride and some stayed completely dry I can never understand that. As it was almost lunchtime and it was such a lovely day, we had lunch at Thunder Falls Terrace. And very pleasant it was too. While we were finishing up, the kids discovered the splash zone for River Adventure and, within seconds, they were all absolutely soaked. The video footage we have for this is just hilarious, all the kids were totally soaked and loved every minute
Since we planned to do the water rides (Dudley Do-Rights and Bilge Rat Barges) next, this wasnt a major problem anyway. The wait time for Dudleys was an unbelievable 50 minutes so we didnt bother but went on the barges and, its safe to say, none of us escaped a soaking this time.
It seemed like as good a time as any to get ice-cream and find a spot in the sun to sit and dry off. So we wandered around to Port of Entry and got soft-serve ice-creams from the booth there. Sian, who doesnt like soft serve, went over to Circus McGurkas to get some Dippin Dots.
As we were sat in the sun, finishing our ice-creams, I heard one of the girls say Hello to someone and looked up to see their cousin, Matt, and Uncle Steve stood in front of us.
We had a little chat and took some photos, then Steven and Matt went off to do some rides, having only just arrived in the park, while we contemplated what to do next. In the end, we decided that, as wed achieved what we wanted, we would return to the resort for a swim. After a quick detour to get some sweets for the kids and treats for the adults, we headed back to the Mystery Machine and drove back to Kidani Village.
Since we had no real plans for the evening, we were able to spend a good couple of hours by the pool, which gave Nat and I the opportunity to sample the Maji Pool Bar offerings.
Poolside Lemonade for me and a Margarita for Nat. Obviously, since I had bought the first ones, we had to even things up and have another. This time I opted for the Orange Dream and Nat had the Pina Colava. Our good friend, Dee (yes, we were already on first-name terms with the bartender as well as being good friends) gave us a sample of the Pina Colava, made with strawberry puree too, which was lovely. While we were waiting for our drinks, Sian came up and asked if she could have one too. When I said no, she stamped her feet, prompting much laughter from me, Nat and the guy behind us at the bar. Kids, eh!! You would not catch me stamping my feet if I was denied alcohol lol
After an extremely pleasant couple of hours in the sun, we decided we really ought to go and get some dinner. Wed had some chat about where to go and settled on either Longhorn Steakhouse (as recommended by Tony and Theresa) or Logans Roadhouse. As Longhorn was a firm favourite of T&Ts, the decision was made to give it a try.
Its safe to say we all thoroughly enjoyed this. The food was fantastic but, unfortunately, most of us were far too stuffed to have dessert. I did brave dessert but I ended up regretting that as I was left feeling very full up
After dinner, we headed down to Walmart to pick up a few bits and pieces. I thought Nat would absolutely love it as she's a massive Asda fan but she hated it (and, in fact, later in the trip when we popped to a different Walmart, she opted to stay in the car as she was too scared to come in)
As we were all feeling rather tired tonight, we decided to head back and get an early night. Looks like somebody definitely needed it!
Coming soon: Chapter 7 - A Few of Our Favourite Things
For the first time since wed arrived, I actually slept right through the night and didnt wake up until 7. I still maintain that having a couple of drinks helps me sleep and I promised myself, there and then, that I would make the effort to drink more
Welcome to my world mate!Today, we were off to Islands of Adventure and the early morning routine was much the same as yesterday. Set off at 8, arrive and park up by 8.30, then stop at Cinnabon in City Walk for sustenance. Nat was really looking forward to Islands of Adventure since shed been such a rollercoaster-wuss on their last visit that she hadnt done any of the major thrill rides. Ok! Rub it in why dont you
So, on entering the park just before 9, obviously, we headed straight for the Hulk. Rea and the younger ones went on Storm Force Accelatron, while we rode twice. The second time, we obviously had to pose for the camera.
Next, it was Dr Dooms. Nat wasnt sure if she was going to like this ride but I assured her there was nothing to worry about. The younger ones were tall enough for this but Ellie decided not to ride. And, unfortunately, when Daniel was measured it turned out he was just short of the minimum height a fact that he was actually quite please about, it turned out. He came in with us anyway and we decided to do child swap. Gary, John and Matthew went on first while we waited with Daniel. Then me, Sian and Nat went on next. It was amazing as always; its such a rush when you shoot up into the air. Because of where the boys were stood waiting for us, they managed to get it on video and you can hear our screams drowning out everyone else. I was very apprehensive whilst waiting for this ride more than any of the others I braved. I think because I had wimped out of a very similar ride at Drayton Manor (Maelstrom). Still, I was determined to give it a try and was so glad I did!
Spiderman was next and we were all able to ride together, which made a nice change. There are so many of the rides at Universal and IOA that Rea wont do, its always good when there is something she enjoys.
After Spidey, I explained to Nat that, at this point, we would usually double back and head to The Lost Continent, stopping only long enough to ride One Fish, Two Fish on the way. As she and John were essentially IOA amateurs, they were happy to go with the flow and leave Tour Guide Joh (as was my nickname from then on) to it. I knew she would come in useful!
Gary stuck with tradition at One Fish, Two Fish and refused to ride, claiming its for kids. But the rest of us all enjoyed the opportunity to get a bit wet since it was already very warm. Haha, I followed the instructions and stayed remarkably dry considering.
Due to the work going on in Lost Continent, the main route through was inaccessible and we actually had to detour through Jurassic Park. We got a great view of some of the building work for Harry Potter Land though Im not a fan myself but the girls said it was looking good. I am looking forward to seeing the finished result and and am very interested to see what they do with Duelling Dragons - I can see it being re-branded to fit in with the Harry Potter theme
Duelling Dragons hardly had any line and so we rode the Fire dragon first, at the back. Nat loved it, as did John, and she was particularly impressed that I was able to tell her when to look out for the dragons meeting (which happens at 3 points throughout the ride). Unfortunately, again because of the building work, we actually had to exit the line completely in order to re-ride but we managed to cut back in a little way down the track. There were still no lines and so we decided we would wait for the front of Ice. Since there are only four seats in each row, I opted to go in row 2 so we could all ride together. Typically, as we got to the front, the ride started experiencing technical difficulties. Again, we were playing the waiting game. Luckily, after 10 minutes, it started up again and Nat and John got to experience the front row on Duelling Dragons in my opinion, one of the most exhilarating and thrilling experiences ever. I agree, awesome ride!
Since the lines had built up a little now due to the technical problems, we decided not to ride again as Rea was stuck with the kids. So, moving on, it was time for Jurassic Park River Adventure. I am not a massive fan of this ride I dont like the drop on it and so I was secretly hoping that Daniel would decide he didnt want to go on. No such luck! We couldn't resist the opportunity to get the kids to pose for a couple of pictures first though.
Some of us got rather wet on this ride and some stayed completely dry I can never understand that. As it was almost lunchtime and it was such a lovely day, we had lunch at Thunder Falls Terrace. And very pleasant it was too. While we were finishing up, the kids discovered the splash zone for River Adventure and, within seconds, they were all absolutely soaked. The video footage we have for this is just hilarious, all the kids were totally soaked and loved every minute
Since we planned to do the water rides (Dudley Do-Rights and Bilge Rat Barges) next, this wasnt a major problem anyway. The wait time for Dudleys was an unbelievable 50 minutes so we didnt bother but went on the barges and, its safe to say, none of us escaped a soaking this time.
It seemed like as good a time as any to get ice-cream and find a spot in the sun to sit and dry off. So we wandered around to Port of Entry and got soft-serve ice-creams from the booth there. Sian, who doesnt like soft serve, went over to Circus McGurkas to get some Dippin Dots.
As we were sat in the sun, finishing our ice-creams, I heard one of the girls say Hello to someone and looked up to see their cousin, Matt, and Uncle Steve stood in front of us.
We had a little chat and took some photos, then Steven and Matt went off to do some rides, having only just arrived in the park, while we contemplated what to do next. In the end, we decided that, as wed achieved what we wanted, we would return to the resort for a swim. After a quick detour to get some sweets for the kids and treats for the adults, we headed back to the Mystery Machine and drove back to Kidani Village.
Since we had no real plans for the evening, we were able to spend a good couple of hours by the pool, which gave Nat and I the opportunity to sample the Maji Pool Bar offerings.
Poolside Lemonade for me and a Margarita for Nat. Obviously, since I had bought the first ones, we had to even things up and have another. This time I opted for the Orange Dream and Nat had the Pina Colava. Our good friend, Dee (yes, we were already on first-name terms with the bartender as well as being good friends) gave us a sample of the Pina Colava, made with strawberry puree too, which was lovely. While we were waiting for our drinks, Sian came up and asked if she could have one too. When I said no, she stamped her feet, prompting much laughter from me, Nat and the guy behind us at the bar. Kids, eh!! You would not catch me stamping my feet if I was denied alcohol lol
After an extremely pleasant couple of hours in the sun, we decided we really ought to go and get some dinner. Wed had some chat about where to go and settled on either Longhorn Steakhouse (as recommended by Tony and Theresa) or Logans Roadhouse. As Longhorn was a firm favourite of T&Ts, the decision was made to give it a try.
Its safe to say we all thoroughly enjoyed this. The food was fantastic but, unfortunately, most of us were far too stuffed to have dessert. I did brave dessert but I ended up regretting that as I was left feeling very full up
After dinner, we headed down to Walmart to pick up a few bits and pieces. I thought Nat would absolutely love it as she's a massive Asda fan but she hated it (and, in fact, later in the trip when we popped to a different Walmart, she opted to stay in the car as she was too scared to come in
)As we were all feeling rather tired tonight, we decided to head back and get an early night. Looks like somebody definitely needed it!
Coming soon: Chapter 7 - A Few of Our Favourite Things
I am a MAJOR ride wuss (bad experience on Kraken) but would love to try the rides so maaaaybeee I'll man (woman?) up next time around... 
