Cass, Rob & Kira - Disney & Universal August 2018 - The heat index is what???

[Timon]

August 26th, Part 3



It was time to head back to the sun.

One last photo op at the Knight Bus.

And then it was time for other stuff!

I love the subtle nod to Jaws, which is what was here before they built Diagon Alley.

It was now time to ride F & F for the first time.

Rob and I love the F & F movies (well, not the Tokyo Drift one ) and when Kira realized that The Rock was in some of them, she later started watching the series with us.

As much as we love the movies, I hate to say that the best part of this ride is the queue.

This was also our first experience with the facial recognition use for the Express Lines. Not all rides had it but I would say most of them did.

The intro parts are done by Team Members with unisex names like Jamie and Pat so they could swap them out to anyone really.

Very lame, in my opinion.

It's all about Tej and him getting the party bus for us and then someone on the bus is wanted by Owen Shaw and they have to protect their "family" UGH! And then we go through a rather terrible street chase scene. It's the exact same ride as Reign of Kong over in IOA. While it sort of works for King Kong, it definitely doesn't work for the F & F theme.

I didn't like it and for the very same reason I don't care much for the Transformers Ride...it's an EXACT copycat of another ride.

Reign of Kong=Fast & The Furious

Spiderman=Transformers.



I actually enjoy Kong and I love Spidey and those totally work for those themes but I don't think they work for the copycat rides.

Is it that hard to make an original ride, Universal??

Oh and I love the Transformers franchise, so it has nothing to do with the actual movies. The cool slow motion-y stuff works for the movies, NOT in the ride!

The Mummy is awesome...it's a basic rollercoaster themed to an awesome movie and it's like a bazillion years old and it still rocks! Then you build Transformers and Jimmy Fallon and now Fast & The Furious??? UGH! Take a lesson from Harry Potter and do something original please!

Even though I MUCH prefer Spiderman, we did ride Transformers.

Then we rode Minions, which is technically very old (the actual ride) but with Minions, which is super cute!

Then it was time for Rob and I to ride Rip Ride Rocket...

Rob and I love this coaster!! Love love love

I told Kira that we would take turns so one of us is always with her and then she told me that she was going to try it.

Excuse me?

Did you just say what I think you just said???



My chicken girl is going to try to ride RIP RIDE ROCKET!!!!????

WHAAAAAAAAATTT!!!

Wow, I did NOT expect that at all!

She said that she would TRY to ride it, meaning, she would see what happens, maybe chicken out at the last minute, who knows!

Hey, I was THRILLED that she was even considering it!!!

I told her that I knew plenty of adults who won't even try it so I was so stinkin' proud of her for just having the courage to get in line!



She was SUPER nervous but you know what?

SHE DID IT!!!

They sell ride photos and a entire ride videos but we didn't want to pay a bazillion dollars for it but we went over to the kiosk anyway just to look at it. I whipped out my phone and started to record it, waiting for someone to come and tell me that I couldn't film it. Nobody said a thing.

Oh my dog.

I was sooo happy! She didn't love the drop but she did love the rest of the ride. She also said she wouldn't do it again but she was so glad she did it at least once

And she scored $25 USD!

I told her that she would have NO problem doing Hulk after RRR!

I asked her if we should have a celebratory butter beer ice cream and she screamed YES!!

We normally split one but I know she prefers to have her own. She's weird like that. It's not that she will eat it all, because I knew she wouldn't, she just doesn't like to share food

We walked through Diagon Alley while eating our ice creams. We definitely should have just shared one because we didn't even get through half of each of them I hate wasting food.

After ice cream, it was now time to park hop and head over to Hogsmeade.

And guess what we did first?

Not only did she do it...she LOVED it! This was her favourite ride at Universal!

Since she was on a roll, we decided to take advantage of it and go on Dudley Do Right's Ripsaw Falls.

It's been forever, maybe since 2005 I think, that Rob and I have been on it! I forgot just how SOAKED you get on this sucker!

It was like we stepped into the shower fully clothed

I had to wring out my clothes! I wasn't thrilled about getting that wet but I was super excited that I got to share all of these rides with our kid finally

We were wet anyway and she was willing so, up next was Jurassic Park

What's with the tongues, people?

Back to Hogsmeade next!

Two rides on Forbidden Journey was up next! Another great ride. I still prefer Gringott's but this one is definitely up there on my list of faves

To be continued...

 

[Lesley Wake]

Very lame, in my opinion.

It's all about Tej and him getting the party bus for us and then someone on the bus is wanted by Owen Shaw and they have to protect their "family" UGH! And then we go through a rather terrible street chase scene. It's the exact same ride as Reign of Kong over in IOA. While it sort of works for King Kong, it definitely doesn't work for the F & F theme.

I didn't like it and for the very same reason I don't care much for the Transformers Ride...it's an EXACT copycat of another ride.

Reign of Kong=Fast & The Furious

Spiderman=Transformers.



I actually enjoy Kong and I love Spidey and those totally work for those themes but I don't think they work for the copycat rides.

Is it that hard to make an original ride, Universal??

Oh and I love the Transformers franchise, so it has nothing to do with the actual movies. The cool slow motion-y stuff works for the movies, NOT in the ride!

The Mummy is awesome...it's a basic rollercoaster themed to an awesome movie and it's like a bazillion years old and it still rocks! Then you build Transformers and Jimmy Fallon and now Fast & The Furious??? UGH! Take a lesson from Harry Potter and do something original please!

Yeah, and also they just took the video film from the Universal Hollywood Tram tour for both of those. They added like 1 scene to each, but the main stuff is all a carbon copy! So if you go to Universal Hollywood, then you get to do 1 ride for both of them, including actually driving around a real working studio!

My chicken girl is going to try to ride RIP RIDE ROCKET!!!!????

WHAAAAAAAAATTT!!!

Wow, I did NOT expect that at all!

She said that she would TRY to ride it, meaning, she would see what happens, maybe chicken out at the last minute, who knows!

Hey, I was THRILLED that she was even considering it!!!

I told her that I knew plenty of adults who won't even try it so I was so stinkin' proud of her for just having the courage to get in line!

We did this and never again! It didn't help that we were in the front row plus our audio wasn't working, so all we could hear was the sounds of our screams!

 

[Timon]

I did the same thing when we stayed at Pop (explored AoA, not read HP stories ). We weren't supposed to be there anyways, but Hurricane Irma caused us to arrive 2 days earlier to avoid our flight being cancelled. In theory we were going to bring our work laptops and work on the flight there and then on Friday daytime so we wouldn't take any other vacation time, but after 15 minutes I was through with that plan, so while my sister had to take a conference call I did a lap around hourglass lake to check out everything.

I loved how each area is so distinct and even things like the the foliage or pavements or lightposts change! I think Lion King was my favorite.


Typical Canadians! Whenever people ask why I'm helpful I point out I may be from Los Angeles, but I was raised by 2 Canadians and then went to university up there! But I'm sure that family totally appreciated the help!

They are definitely great resorts to just stroll along and tour

Hahaha, so you're actually almost Canadian, love it

View attachment 357760

Seriously, love it. I would probably want to help them too. I don't know if it's a Canadian thing, or a Disney fanatic thing..or maybe a bit of both!


My DD has been begging to go to a LM room ever since we stayed in a Nemo suite there. But those rooms are never part of the discounts and there's always been a better deal. It's also quite a hike getting back there.

There were tons of people around...definitely a Canadian thing

Yup, definitely a hike! And they have double beds, not queens so we would never be able to stay there.

Yeah, it was super fun when I did it (I've actually done it twice because a friend wanted to try it too)! They are bringing a Wreck it Ralph storyline which I'm actually really excited to try!

Oh my gosh! Wreck It Ralph theme would be UH-mazing!!

What a great trip report. Looking forward to the Universal part next.

Thank you

Interested to see your experience at USO... we spent one day there on our trip 2 yrs ago and other than the HP stuff, did NOT love it. We are not super thrill ride people and not lovers of all the VR (simulators?) stuff that USO does. We absolutely loved all the HP stuff tho.... so amazing and incredibly well done!

Yes, they have a LOT of screen stuff at Universal but they also have some amazing coasters, which we love but I can see why some people don't enjoy it as much.

A lot of people go just for the HP stuff and it's worth it!

Your pictures have reminded me how much fun Cabana Bay can be! I live in that lazy river too. Looks like a great day with some storms to enjoy! We came sooo close to booking Cabana Bay again, but went with HRH at the last minute. I love it too obviously, but now I'm reconsidering. Keke's looks delicious!!!! We must try it. It's fun having new things to do, even when you're Disney veterans, eh???

I don't blame you there! Hard Rock Hotel is one of my top hotels evah

Love finding new, great stuff! Every trip is different and I still learn new stuff every time.

What a fabulous resort. Now I just have to convince my husband to try Universal again. His first visit wasn’t too great.

Oh no! That sucks! Hopefully you can get him back and have a MUCH better time.

Wait...Rob was chatty?



Sounds like a plan!

I will have my people call your people

I remember a similar incident when I was the victim!

Yes, I recall that moment in funny history

Are you sure?

Crazy as it sounds, she is clumsier

Well you didn't tell me you met Han Solo!

BAHAHA! That made me snort-laugh

We don't like it anymore. We hate that it is basically so empty in there and it hardly has anything like it used to. The last few trips we have looked and just been disgusted.

I think it will be much better once it all opens up again.

We crossed there too (several times ) when I went with our work gals. That bridge is just way too far.

Now you know you can take a bus

Wait...they have a parking garage there now?

They've had them for awhile now, I think they were building them when we were there together last time in 2016. Not huge but definitely helps with the parking, one on each side.

This is such a pain. I looked at that ticket and it initially says in fine print that there may be black out dates, then when you go to find the dates none are basically listed. I emailed Universal and they replied that there were no black out dates. Why even bother putting it online then.


Loved all the updates! I totally cracked up with Kira at McDonalds. That's so Claire. I pull in for a diet coke and ask her what she wants.....Large fry please....um...we are just getting drinks.

Yup, that's what it was like BAHAH!

Responses above in blue

Funny. I had lunch at Homecomin' that same day. We keep almost crossing paths on our trips
A rest day (or a partial one) is something I have tried to put in my last couple trips. They are definitely needed.


Seems like it, eh? Oh my dog, I will definitely be planning more rest days next time

I'm a bit dumb when it comes to figuring out how to do stuff like that.

Me too, hubby takes care of all that for me


My family ate at Cracker Barrel once years ago. I thought it was good, but nobody else seemed to like it for some reason, and we've never gone back. I would like to try again though.

Skip Cracker Barrel and go to Keke's


I had heard about this. It sounds like fun. I'm a Star Wars fan too (although not to the extent of being in the 501st). The problem is the rest of my family are not fans. At all. They have never seen the movies and have zero interest. I guess I would have to go solo if I ever did this.

We're lucky, we love all of the same things mostly. We have our own interests but the majority of stuff that we really, truly love, we all love it


I was shopping at World of Disney that day, too!
There is more room to get around. But I do miss some of the figures and decorations they had hanging from the ceiling. I heard they may put some of that back once it all finished, but I don't know if that's true. It will be interesting to see it completed.


I don't think they are adding any of that stuff back sadly. If you look at the Disney Store at Downtown Disney in Disneyland, it's almost completely done now, that's how it will look. Very plain but I actually kind of like it. I will miss the old stuff but I don't mind change.

I have only driven past Cabana Bay, but it looks like a nice place and I've read good things about it. On trips were we go to Universal, we normally rent a house during that time, so I don't know if I'll ever stay in a Universal hotel. But I would definitely consider Cabana Bay.

Definitely try it once, it's cheap enough, well themed, a great place for kids, has early entry and you can't beat having VB in your backyard

Responses above in blue

I am now enjoying your Universal review. We can never pull ourselves away from WDW, so it is interesting to see what Universal has to offer.

It's definitely different but still very fun!!!

Pretty easy really, for Apple you need the Lightning to HDMI adapter (about $50) which you'll use the HDMI cord to go from your device (iPad or iPhone) to the TV HDMI input (like input 2 or 3). Pretty much all TV's in your room will have more than one HDMI input. On your TV remote, you want to look for the input selector and go to that corresponding input for your device & VOILA! Instant stuff from your device.
Hope that helps you out!

Your pics aren't showing, babe

I'm glad I have you to take care of that for me

Man you are really making me regret cutting out my Universal day for my upcoming December trip! I just decided it wasn't worth the extra $$ for a 1-day ticket, when I really only like the HP stuff (I did most of the rides last fall and they weren't my favorites)

I'll just need to make sure I hit it next Christmas!

HAHA! Well, to each their own. I know some people who love it more than Disney and I know people who despise it.

We love it but it's definitely different.

Like @Lesley Wake I also am a bit sad that I cut Universal from my August trip. It was the first trip to Florida where we haven't gone to Universal. But, I just couldn't justify the $$$ especially for a family of four. My youngest is not into any of the Universal IP. Myself and my oldest enjoy Harry Potter, but are not obsessed. I really did like Diagon Alley though.

We skipped Universal in 2007, 2009 & 2013 because Kira was so small and we knew we wouldn't get our money's worth. I am so glad she likes it now so we no longer have to skip it. We love Universal and REALLY love Cabana Bay & Hard Rock Hotel and love the fact that we can do all three parks and still have lots of resort time to enjoy

 

[cntkg1]

My goodness. That pic of Kira at Cracker Barrel with a Stuffie. That girl is just gorgeous!!!!

The hash brown casserole is my favorite thing at Cracker Barrel. The pecan pancakes aren’t too shabby either though. I agree with Kira on their syrup. Yuck!

Yes, I knew what you were talking about when you said “til”. It’s not just a Canadian thing but maybe it’s an “old thing”. Oh wait....that’s me and not you!

Love my CBR and I can barely wait to go back. Maybe February.

A 21 pound pack? How did your back handle that? Sounds a little painful to me.

Wolfgang Pucks...DELISH! I love their pizza and tried the breakfast pizza last year before I started eating GF. That breakfast pizza was to die for!! I’ll surely miss it this year.

 

[cntkg1]

Hmmmm, Tim and Jen. How come you didn’t tell everyone to GTS!?! Whahahahahaha

Rob’s Florida Pancake looks amazing! He mustv’e been in heaven with all that fruit.

Were the breakfast potatoes at Keke’s better than the one’s at Cabanas? Now those are da bomb!

You get the best storm pics. I always “just miss” it. My pics are always a second too late.

That dinner at Bayliner looks really really good too. Yummmmm

 

[cntkg1]

Ahhhhh, the Disney Dollars. Boy do I ever miss those. They were so much fun to give to friends and even my own kids.

Was that a TRIPLE decker bus? I’d be afraid it would tip over but I’d still ride up top. LOL

Way to go, Kira!! All those rides and all that money.

 

[cntkg1]

OK, finally caught up. Carry on.......

 

[Terra Nova guy]

I didn't like it and for the very same reason I don't care much for the Transformers Ride...it's an EXACT copycat of another ride.

I was really disappointed with the Transformers ride, like you said almost an exact copy of Spiderman. Except I felt like I had been put inside a blender on Transformers. More shaking and jerky movement. It's the only simulator ride that made me feel a bit sick.

I told her that I knew plenty of adults who won't even try it so I was so stinkin' proud of her for just having the courage to get in line!

Good for her. I'm one of the adults who won't do it. I just don't like that big drop at the beginning. Everything else about that ride looks great and I like the speed and turns. I just don't like the feeling of my stomach in my throat!

 

[Timon]

August 26th, Part 4

It was finally time for a very late lunch as it was about 3pm now. We headed in to Three Broomsticks...

Rob got the chicken...they have the best potatoes with this dish!

We were all starving so no sharing today! Kira and I both got the regular fish and chips.

And of course, she got her butter beer finally and was very happy about that

When I was done, I went to get us another butter beer ice cream to share and they handed me this...

UGH! Apparently they no longer offer the soft serve at Three Broomsticks

I was pretty sad. It was super hot out and I was really hankering for some cold, delicious butter beer soft serve.

Rob and Kira ate the ice cream as I didn't care for it.

A quick whine about Three Broomsticks...

The last time we were there, you had to order, grab your food and then they would seat you. This was a nice process because this would prevent people from just coming in and sitting down for a bit and taking up a table (without ordering food) for an hour or whatever. Plus, they usually found you a table rather quickly! Well, they stopped doing that and we had to find our own table which was a PITA!! There were tons of people sitting there without food and it is so spread out, it's not easy to find a table. So, again, we were wandering around with our heavy trays, in search of some place to sit. After about 5 minutes of searching without any luck, a Team Member (grumpily, I add!) comes over and says "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Umm, (trying to hold back all the sarcasm that wants to pour out of me by now) yes, please, that would be great if you could help us find a table!"



After a minute or two of looking, she waved down another TM right next to a table that was being cleaned and they grabbed it for us.

Man, what a stupid set-up! I'm sorry but you really need to go back to helping your guests find tables and keeping people without food out of here. It is a super neat and popular place but still, it should be reserved for those who are paying the money to actually eat here!

Rant over.


After we were done, we went to the owlery to buy some postcards to send to some of Kira's friends. We also got the Hogsmeade post mark stamped on all of them and then also bought Hogwarts stamps. A very neat touch if you want a relatively cheap souvenir to send to your HP-crazed friends/family.

We passed by the now-boarded-up old entry to Dueling Dragons where Rob posed for this very sad photo. We are all heartbroken that it's gone but we are looking forward to seeing the new ride.

Side note...Rob is wearing his Dueling Dragons shirt, which he gets soooo many comments from TM's about!

Time to hit up the stores, Kira had some money to spend and she was dying to find the item that she had picked out online months ago.

Here he is! She found him! Sirious Black in Animagus form, of course

She spent every cent that was in her purse and was way too happy about it

By now, we had had enough theme parking for the day. It was scorching hot out of course and the blisters on my feet were not getting any better.

I wanted to get back to Portofino Bay and check out our room. They did not text me, but, once again, sent me an email letting me know my room number. Good thing I knew where to look for it this time.

We grabbed the water taxi at CityWalk.

And back to the hotel!

Rob went to grab our bags and Kira and I went in search for our room. We had zero clue where to even begin! Then we spotted a sign that had all of the room locations as they were separated by their numbers. Once we found that sign, it was easy and we texted Rob where to find us.

I was a little worried about our key cards working since Cabana Bay actually made you return to the front desk but the email from Portofino Bay did not request that we return to check-in so, crossing our fingers...it worked


Here is our Bay View 2 queen room...

And somehow we managed to get this gorgeous terrace!

Rob found us and they checked out the view.

I will start by saying that we loved the size of these rooms and later, we would find out how amazing the pool is but that was the extent of our love for this resort.

I think the main problem when it came to the room was that they were just old. They were in serious need of a refurbishment. They were probably as clean as you could get it but it looked old/run down a bit just due to age. Take the terrace, for instance...see the dirt behind Rob? Up on the side wall and then up on the back wall near the sliding doors.

And then if you look closely at some other photos, just doesn't have that clean look to it. Paint was chipping everywhere and years-old dirt was found in all of the corners and cracks.

The beds were comfortable but I still preferred the beds at Cabana Bay, I love those beds!

It really was nice to have that extra room though, we could spread out a bit better and not run into each other as much and the bathroom was ridiculously large!

Also, it wasn't an easy resort to get around. There were some signs but not well-placed or at least, easily missed maybe or just lacking

I don't know, maybe it wasn't as bad as it seems, it just wasn't our thing, you know? Everyone has different tastes and I know some people would find Cabana Bay super tacky but it doesn't stop us from loving it so, don't take my word for it

It's a very beautiful resort so if Italian theming is your thing, definitely give it a try.

Coming up next...pool time and the second best thing I ate

 

[lucas]

After reading your post about Keke's, I did a search to find the location in Orlando. Little did I know, there are so many of them in Florida! I had never heard of Keke's before. BUT, I was shocked to find a location about 2 miles from our house in South Florida! We live in Boca Raton and it turns out there is a new location right in the same strip mall as the Publix we always go to. I guess I didn't realize what it was. We went today and it was amazing. Your review and pics helped me to know about the pancake combo (wow!), and I got it with bacon and the potatoes that you loved so much. They really shouldn't call them home fries, because to me (being from New Orleans originally) that is what we call smothered potatoes. I was trying to tell my dh to get them because my friends from Canada loved them and even got some to go!

Thanks for the heads-up on that one. Can't wait to tell my friends how delish it was.

 

[Timon]

August 26th, Part 5

We were chilling/getting settled in to our new room when Rob spotted a spider crawling on the upper window, over the patio doors. He knows that I don't care for spiders so he went to smoosh it for me. While he was up there he made a comment, something like "Good thing you're not up here!"



Now of course, I was wondering what was up there.

He took a photo and showed it to me...yeah, not a pretty sight. It was like a bug cemetery

Then of course, once I saw that photo, I had the heebie jeebies. You know when you spot a spider and then you're looking around for their brothers/sisters/cousins/aunts/uncles everywhere for the next few hours?

So, as I headed out onto the patio once again, I looked up at the top of the sliding doors and saw this...

I don't know why but this grossed me out enormously! Probably because I had to walk under it.



That's when I started to really notice the oldness/dirtiness of the room. Once you start looking for it, it's super easy to spot.



I felt like I needed to escape the room now so it was time to check out the pool!

This resort has a few pools but the one I was wanting to check out is the main beach pool. Good thing I already knew the general location of the pool because we found exactly one small sign.

It was pretty busy but we managed to find a couple of chairs at the very end. Kira loved these chairs, they were super comfortable.

Kira and I swam for a bit, tried both hot tubs, the slide and then I convinced Rob to come in with us. He is not a pool person. He doesn't like being cold, not even in the least bit and while it wasn't ever cold during the trip, sometimes when you get out of the water, there's a bit of a breeze and he doesn't care for that at all.

He actually stayed in with me for about an hour or so. We made sure to visit the hot tubs so he could warm up. The hot tubs were very nice but oddly shallow. When you sat on the bench part, the water only came up enough to cover my hips. Usually hot tubs are deep enough that they go up to my chest or higher, so these were kind of weird. We had them all to ourselves though.

Kiddie pool.

They also had lemon water and ice water and sunscreen in a pump that you could use.

We were all getting hungry so we headed back to the room.

Loved the sky that night

We had debated on going to Mamma Della's for dinner but I didn't feel like showering and doing my hair so we opted for pizza at Sal's. I had read reviews and knew it was pretty good and it was something we could take back to the room so that totally worked.

We got a large pepperoni to share and in hindsight, I wish we had gotten two!

It was the best pizza I have had in YEARS!!!

And right behind breakfast from Keke's, the second best thing I ate the entire trip!

We also stopped at Starbucks and got Rob a chocolate croissant and a cookie for Kira and I to split.

The cookie was DELICIOUS!!! But I had a hard time paying $4 USD for ONE cookie.

That is FIVE Canadian dollars for ONE cookie.

A very yummy five-dollar cookie but still

We enjoyed our pizza and fancy cookie while watching some Marvel movie that I can't recall now

Notice something new around Kira's neck?

She bought the Marauders Map scarf at the park and wore it for the next three weeks

Then it was time to get some much-needed rest! It was a very long but super fun day, yet again

 

[Lesley Wake]

Rob got the chicken...they have the best potatoes with this dish!

Mmm, I love those potatoes! Even when I ordered fish and chips I had them replace the chips with the potatoes!

A quick whine about Three Broomsticks...

The last time we were there, you had to order, grab your food and then they would seat you. This was a nice process because this would prevent people from just coming in and sitting down for a bit and taking up a table (without ordering food) for an hour or whatever. Plus, they usually found you a table rather quickly! Well, they stopped doing that and we had to find our own table which was a PITA!! There were tons of people sitting there without food and it is so spread out, it's not easy to find a table. So, again, we were wandering around with our heavy trays, in search of some place to sit. After about 5 minutes of searching without any luck, a Team Member (grumpily, I add!) comes over and says "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Umm, (trying to hold back all the sarcasm that wants to pour out of me by now) yes, please, that would be great if you could help us find a table!"



After a minute or two of looking, she waved down another TM right next to a table that was being cleaned and they grabbed it for us.

Man, what a stupid set-up! I'm sorry but you really need to go back to helping your guests find tables and keeping people without food out of here. It is a super neat and popular place but still, it should be reserved for those who are paying the money to actually eat here!

Ugh, I hate that! I also just wasn't a fan of the whole set up - wait in line to order, wait in line to pick up food, wait in line to get a table. I preferred Leaky Cauldron when they brought the meals out to us. Though at Universal Hollywood, they have a Sunday Roast Dinner option on the menu, which is yummy!

The hot tubs were very nice but oddly shallow. When you sat on the bench part, the water only came up enough to cover my hips. Usually hot tubs are deep enough that they go up to my chest or higher, so these were kind of weird. We had them all to ourselves though.

Yup, annoying! I sometimes find when that happens if I sit on the lowest step at the entrance, it covers me up perfectly. Of course, I don't want to be rude and only do that if I am alone in the hot tub - don't want to block anyone else's access!

 

[Terra Nova guy]

UGH! Apparently they no longer offer the soft serve at Three Broomsticks

I was pretty sad. It was super hot out and I was really hankering for some cold, delicious butter beer soft serve.

Well, that's disappointing. soft serve and hard serve are definitely not the same!

It was finally time for a very late lunch as it was about 3pm now. We headed in to Three Broomsticks...

I considered eating there before, but never did. it looks like a good break form the usual theme park pizza and burger though.

The cookie was DELICIOUS!!! But I had a hard time paying $4 USD for ONE cookie.

That is FIVE Canadian dollars for ONE cookie.

Yeah, that's why I rarely go to $tarbucks. I know some people love it, but I just can't justify the prices. I'm also not a coffee drinker, and there's nothing fancy about their tea that I can't do at home, so that has something to do with it I guess.


And I see what you mean about the age and dirt at the hotel. Maybe not something you'd notice right away, but definitely would be enough to put me off if I stayed there for a few days.

 

[jenseib]

I told her that I knew plenty of adults who won't even try it

And I am one of them!

Great day at Universal! I am missing it. I haven't been in 1 1/2 years now and that's just too long!
Good for Kira trying all the rides. It would take more than $25 for Rip Rocket for me though!

That pizza looks really good. I have yet to stay at Portofino and it's on my bucket list. I hope they plan to do a refurb soon. Yeah I now know not to look up at the sliding glass door.

 

[Timon]

August 27th, Part 1


I am going to have to do this in two parts (one post though) because there's two sides to tell today.

The original plan had all three of us going back to IOA and USO parks but I was at the point where I was kind of done with the parks. Mind you, my feet were still VERY sore from my blisters and we still had Volcano Bay coming up and I wanted to give my feet a few days of rest before I could attempt that park.

So, Rob and Kira left that morning for the parks and I took my time getting showered and ready and packed up our stuff.

Bye-bye awesome kid

You can see my tiny little family down there, around the middle of this shot.

Once I was done packing up, I headed down to the porte-cochère and ordered an Uber.

My Uber driver was awesome! Super friendly, really nice, we chatted the whole way.

Back to Cabana Bay, where, oddly enough, I thought loudly to myself "Home sweet home!" when I entered our room.

It's weird to go from a deluxe hotel to a value hotel and still have those thoughts.

There was a point in time last night where we had debated on leaving PB to come back to sleep in "our beds"

Since we were doing the parks this morning and I had wanted to experience the room (sleeping, showering, etc.) we decided to just stay at PB but that thought NEVER would have entered our minds if we had stayed at Hard Rock. We LOVE that hotel and will be staying there next time hopefully

Back to the room, Kira's collection was growing, as per usual on our vacations

Once I unpacked our stuff that we had brought to PB, I headed downstairs to Bayliner Diner and grabbed some breakfast to go. I wasn't in the mood to sit in the now-loud Diner so I took it back to the room and put the TV on. It just so happens that I came across a mini-marathon of Supernatural, one of mine and Rob's favourite shows! If you had a keen eye, you will have noticed that I was actually wearing my Supernatural t-shirt the day we checked into Cabana Bay in the one photo that I posted of myself

They were in season 4 or 5, which I love so I ended up watching the entire thing, which was 4 or 5 episodes I think.


This was my egg and cheese croissant that I asked them to add some ham to. Pretty darn good!

I went in search of some ice and ended up taking a photo of the elevator bank close to us. I just love the theming in this place

Found the ice machine and noticed that there was no Diet Coke in this vending machine. I had some sitting in the fridge (yay for that!) but it brought back memories of the first time I was here with my friend Jen because we couldn't find Diet-Coke in the vending machines! I remember going to about 5 or 6 of them before I finally found one that stocked Diet Coke.

What the heck is up with the lack of Diet Coke!!! So odd because during my following trip (remember, I had another trip almost immediately after this one) I had the same difficulties in finding Diet Coke!

So weird!

By the way, I don't think I have ever been closer to an ice machine before, it was right at the elevators which was only 1 room away from us.

My main goal today was to rest my feet and that I did! I watched Supernatural until it was done and then a massive storm hit!

The lightning was AMAZEBALLS and the thunder was so loud that it shook the entire building!! It even shook the bed that I was laying in.

I watched the storms from our awesome giant windows

And then I remember that I love the pasta salad at the Diner so I went down and grabbed that for my lunch. It was not as good as it used to be, that's for sure. Not bad but the first few times I had it, it was the bomb!

Next thing I knew, Rob and Kira were back and my peaceful solitude was over

Here's a few pics from their day...

I was totally jealous about the butterbeer ice cream

They said they went on Hulk once and got back in line for a second ride and just then, there was a massive BOOM in the sky and they closed all of the outdoor rides so they just ended up coming back to Cabana Bay.

Sad Kira when her favourite coaster closed

Like I said, she would be happy to spend an entire week just in Wizarding World, she loves it so much!

You can see that they were caught in the rain a little...

Back to the room where she showed me some goodies that she suckered her Daddy into buying for her.

We watched the rest of the movie that we started the other day, watched the storm and eventually headed down to Bayliner Diner for dinner again. Originally we were going to head over to CityWalk to eat at Toothsome's but the rain and my feet had their own plans

Rob wanted something different tonight but couldn't decide...

Kira and I had our usual, burger and chicken strips and they were delish!

Rob ended up getting the salmon. He said it was good but the corn was not.

We watched a gorgeous sunset...

And then headed down to the pool again.

I tried to catch Kira in the lazy river but apparently she wanted some space so we just floated alone and then swam in the pool and enjoyed the hot tubs for a few hours.

While my hubby read his book.

I am so glad that I took the day off. It was good for the body, mind and soul

 

[CourtneyKaro]

I have a personal question which you can feel free to ignore. My daughter is roughly the same age as Kira and when it comes to WDW and USO they seem to share similar interests, most of what I see Kira purchasing will be similar likely to what my daughter will want on our trip to both in December. What was her/your budget for souvenirs for her? Approximately what did you&she (since she had some spending cash of her own) end up spending for her souvenirs over the course of vacation?

 

[Terra Nova guy]

then a massive storm hit!
The lightning was AMAZEBALLS and the thunder was so loud that it shook the entire building!! It even shook the bed that I was laying in.

Yep, I remember that storm. This was the day I left Orlando and we had just gotten on the Magical Express to go back to the airport. I poured rain the whole time. As depressed as I was leaving Florida, I was kind of happy not be be caught outside in that storm.

Back to the room where she showed me some goodies that she suckered her Daddy into buying for her.

This happens to me too. A lot. Just one look with those "please daddy" eyes and it melts your heart...and opens your wallet.

 

[Timon]

August 28th, Part 1

There's exactly two things that I don't like about Cabana Bay. The first one is the fact that they lack the top runner over the curtains so every morning I would wake up with the sun to see this...

We have blackout blinds AND curtains in our bedrooms at home because we all like super dark bedrooms so this was not ideal for us.

The second thing I don't like about Cabana Bay is the constant, loud bells from Volcano Bay. We had totally forgot about them from last year until we checked in to our room and started to hear them. Last summer, we had a room overlooking the Volcano, best view ever but the bell tolling was incessant

The rooms in the Bayside tower we stayed in last year were worse because you could also hear the loud music coming from the park as well and it started at 7am every single day even though the park was not open until 8am for early entry. We didn't hear the music from our current room but the bells were very noticeable and we didn't even know what the rhyme or reason was for them. We just knew it happened a lot over the course of the day until the park closed.

So, you can guess that sleeping in was not something we could indulge in at Cabana Bay. Well, not for me anyway. Rob and Kira are sound sleepers and sleep through way more than I can. So, if you're staying on the Tower side, particularly in the two new towers overlooking VB, be prepared for this!

Again, we would be splitting up this morning. Rob was really wanting to have breakfast at Kona Cafe in the Polynesian so he could enjoy his Kona coffee and I was not wanting to join him. I suggested he take Kira with him as he doesn't like doing things on his own.

I had had breakfast there solo back in 2016 while on an agency training get together and did not enjoy it, at least not enough to go back that day. Kona Cafe used to be our go-to, so very delicious but they changed the menu and the food too much for me.

Instead, I enjoyed a do-over at Bayliner Diner and then did a couple loads of laundry.

I grabbed a plate this time because I did not care for eating from a box like yesterday. Although I did take it back to my room again, I made sure to return the plate to the Diner later.

Loved that there is a website for the laundry rooms here so you can see how many washers and dryers were available before you headed down. I was able to grab two machines to get our clothes done faster.

Rob and Kira's morning adventure in photos...

Rob said she was terrible company

But he enjoyed his Kona Coffee so it was worth it for him. Though, he was wishing that Chuck & Nancy were there to enjoy it with him again.

Kira's...

Rob's...

By the time they got back, I was folding our laundry. We camped out for a bit and passed the time until 3pm when we were scheduled to leave for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.

Around 2:30pm, the skies opened up once again. Boy was it a wicked storm week

3pm was creeping up fast and the skies were still spitting rain and not a light rain either but we got our stuff ready and hoped for the best. I didn't mind the rain at all, as you all know but I also didn't want to start our night out with heavy rain because I didn't want our feet to get super wet. I knew it was going to be a late night so I decided to pack some extra shoes for Kira and I. Rob had runners that had a protective coating so unless he was sloshing around in 4-inch puddles, his feet were staying dry. Kira and I were in Skechers which get wet easily and stay wet.

We didn't wear costumes, which worked out because no one would have seen them for most of the night anyway, under our ponchos and rain jackets. I wore my new Stitch shirt that I bought for $10 USD at Kohl's

After getting my shoes on and instructing my family to do so as well, Rob yells out "Are you sure you want to go NOW?"

Umm, yes! It's now past 3pm and it's going to take us 30-45 minutes to get there, if not longer because of the weather and I always like to get to the Halloween parties just before 4pm to make the best use of our time and tickets.

Just as that reply was coming out of my mouth, I looked out the window and saw the rain get even heavier, if you can believe that!

It was coming down in massive SHEETS, blowing sideways! It looked like a freaking hurricane out there!!

Holy crap! It was almost comical because there was no way we could even get to our car without being SOAKED in seconds, poncho or no poncho!! It was blowing in sideways.

We really had no choice but to wait it out. So we waited and waited and it didn't seem to let up. After about 45 minutes, the crazy sideways windy rain subsided but it was still raining pretty good.

Rob and I had ponchos and Kira had a rain jacket but I was thinking we should probably have an umbrella. At least you could hide under an umbrella a little and I wasn't sure if it was going to stop raining. I checked the radar and it didn't seem like there was an end to it, at least not anytime soon.

We headed downstairs to the lobby to see what they had for umbrellas. They didn't have a great selection, actually the only one they had was a little blue one with a Universal logo on it. I wasn't exactly happy about bringing a Universal umbrella to Disney but hey, beggars can't be choosers, I guess.

Off we went!

It took forever to get there, the traffic was completely stopped on I-4 even though the storm had let up a bit. It was still raining and the amount of rain we had gotten in the past hour or so was crazy!

Finally we made it onto Disney property and just as we pulled in, I realized that we had to pay for parking.

It was just so weird that I was not expecting this. I am a type-A personality, super-uber-planner and always have everything planned, researched and documented, along with back-up plans and lists for my lists but while I have been to many, many Halloween parties over the years, we have always been staying at a Disney resort so it hadn't even occurred to me that we would have to pay for parking until we got there.

Parked in Villains for the first time...

And far enough back to have to take a tram!

Can't tell here but it was still raining pretty good but I was dry under my Universal umbrella

Man, that was a CRAP umbrella, I tell ya! Cost $15 USD too! It just kept getting stuck and was very difficult to open and close. I ended up cutting my fingers with it later.

The tram was wet and we got wetter during the ride to TTC. Oh and my shoes were already soaked before we even got on the tram.

Got our bands but didn't see the bags. They opened up that back entrance (to the right of this photo) and that was where they were handing out the candy bags but we wanted a few pics in front of the Castle so we went the other way.

We had dinner reservations for the Plaza Inn and it was now time for those reservations! We were thinking we would get some rides in first because that was the initial plan but the weather had delayed us.

Here's the party map...

I was not wanting to be super full again so I asked Rob if he wanted to just split the Club again with me but he apparently was hungry and wanted something different so I ordered the Club for myself anyway.

Kira got the same thing as last week too, PB & J on white with apples.

Rob ended up with the cheesesteak. He did not enjoy this at all. I had a bite and it was super dry. Like eating cardboard dry. It would have been much better with some au jus.

He ended up eating half of my Club after all

Kira got her cookies again but this time to stay, so she didn't get any extra and did not want to share

Other than the cheesesteak, supper was delicious and it filled our tummies for the night.

Now it's time to do some rides.

 

[cntkg1]

But he enjoyed his Kona Coffee so it was worth it for him. Though, he was wishing that Chuck & Nancy were there to enjoy it with him again.

Awwwww, and we were wishing we would've been there with him too! I still don't know how the 3 of us went through 3 of those pots of coffee though. We must've been on a caffeine high for days!!

 

[BLAZEY]

Loved that there is a website for the laundry rooms here so you can see how many washers and dryers were available before you headed down. I was able to grab two machines to get our clothes done faster.

i love this feature at Disney too! The laundry is right next to the pool. I popped a load in and when swimming with the kidlet, Go out switched it over and back in the pool. It was great knowing when when enough machines were free to do them at the same time!