Chilly MLK Weekend Stay at Aventura~Completed 2/6/22

[wdwrule]

We just got back from our 3-day weekend stay at UO. This time around it was hubby, daughter and myself. Considering the chilly but beautiful weather (aside from Sunday morning) and a few ride closures we had a blast!!

We flew in on Spirit Airlines Friday evening. We were reluctant to use Spirit back in September for the first time but have not had one issue with anything. We’ve used them at least 5 different trips since and it’s been smooth sailing. I will say, we usually go for short weekend trips so we only carry one bag each so no additional fees or anything. Love $60 - $100 round trip!

We also always book Tony Hinds transports service and have had wonderful experiences with that as well. Sure enough, one of his drivers was there to pick us up and take us to Aventura. This will be my first time staying at Aventura… hubby and DD stayed there back in October.

We arrived around 10:30pm or so and of course food places were closing down or had already been closed. We asked about the rooftop bar which was still open but they close food service around 10:00. We booked it over to Strong Water at SF but we realized they served more tapas style meals… and we were quite hungry. So off to Jake’s we went at RPR. We had a delicious burger there and loved the experience last month. We walked on which was quite a chilly walk to RPR but nothing like our 12 degrees at home.

Ahhh that warm fresh juicy burger is so wonderful! The bacon on it is crisp and the fresh patty just melts in your mouth. I prefer medium rare and it’s always cooked to perfection. The burger, crispy fries and a Blue Moon hit the spot!

Next up, description/opinion of Aventura…

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Looking forward to your report! Jake’s burgers are so delicious

 

[wdwrule]

Looking forward to your report! Jake’s burgers are so delicious

Thanks and yes…. Jake’s burgers are so fantastic! That one and the wagyu burger from Confisco’s are our top two on UO property so far.

 

[wdwrule]

So we then walked back to Aventura for a good night’s sleep which indeed we did have. The beds were very comfortable. Here are some of my personal opinions about the room that I liked: as noted comfy beds, nice big shower with sliding door instead of a curtain, all rooms are easily accessible and not spread out (all accessible via elevator), size of room seemed comparable to RPR standard room although maybe slightly smaller, huge window with great view on higher floor (even facing parking garage), multiple small trash cans (the deluxes we’ve stayed in usually just have one and often none in bathroom), huge closet to easily store luggage, easy access to coffee maker (RPR frees up counter space but I have to make coffee/tea on my knees because of where it’s located during mornings when I choose to make it), very quiet room.

Some things I don’t necessarily care for about the room: lack of multiple light switches and having most things controlled via iPad, (plus sometimes I just wanted a tv remote because it’s what I’m used to and I’m very tech savvy), the modern/futuristic decor is not my thing but I’m sure many love it, there’s not a lot of sink counter space.

I will add that when hubby and daughter stayed here a few months ago they kept getting confused which hallway to go in to get to their room after exiting the elevator. The elevators are in the center then it branches off to three hallways. We learned from a vlog that you just need to remember your color of hallway. Exiting the elevators, there’s a big pattern on the floor consisting of three separate colors, each one leading to its own hallway. We were in the blue section so it made it very easy once exiting the elevator instead of getting disoriented.

As for the resort itself, the staff were all very friendly and helpful. We utilized their counter service for breakfast two of the three mornings and each time got heaping bowls of delicious oatmeal. Be aware, I saw someone order oatmeal to go and they use teeny tiny containers to go. I was shocked at the portion amount difference for the same price! Ordering to eat there is the way to go, at least for oatmeal. It is so filling too!!

They also have a full service Starbucks instead of a shop that ‘proudly serves Starbucks’. Best bet is to get in line before 8am, or better yet, 7:30am. Once 8am hits, the line starts to lengthen. But back to breakfast, they also offer hot platters such as bacon, eggs, pancakes etc at a different station. I actually prefer a quick breakfast at Aventura in comparison to Tuk Tuk from RPR or across the way at Sapphire Falls. Once during a stay at SF, we walked over to Aventura for their yummy oatmeal and Starbucks.

To me, the lobby is nothing special and is very modern with a few ‘robots’ gliding around. I believe you can have the robots deliver items such as toiletries to your room but we never tried. When we do need something, we just text the front desk. I just love this texting feature and hope it stays!!

We love walking to the parks and to us, this was an easy walk. No it’s not nearly as close if staying at HRH or RPR but it’s completely do-able. I think we averaged 15-18 minutes. It’s just so beautiful though! Some of my best trip memories are our conversations on these walks and hearing Hulk’s grunt Love all those park sounds! We sometimes see a boat approaching with no wait but we still choose to walk. Not to mention weather was 60-70s during the day for the most part.

Overall, even though Aventura didn’t wow me aesthetically, I would totally stay here again. With AP discounts this resort is usually the cheapest aside from Endless Summer and I love Dockside but I love the walking path/accessibility better at Aventura. It was very clean, quiet and friendly. We usually just use resorts for a shower and to sleep… we have yet to swim at UO.

Up next, after a good night’s sleep, we’re up and at ‘em headed to the parks…

 

[moesy4]

Can’t wait to read more! I agree the texting feature was by far one of my favorite things, it made it so easy!

 

[wdwrule]

Can’t wait to read more! I agree the texting feature was by far one of my favorite things, it made it so easy!

Yes! No being on hold and the convenience is wonderful. Sometimes I’m in the parks when I suddenly remember we’re out of shampoo or coffee or whatever and a quick text does the trick. When it’s time to head back to the room… there are the bagged items tied to the door handle. Once on a previous trip at RPR, I used it to troubleshoot the coffee maker since it blew up . About 5 minutes after, they ended up arriving with a new coffee maker that they installed. I always check-out via text as well.

 

[wdwrule]

Saturday morning, we get up and get ready for the parks. It was tricky to figure out what to pack to wear because I knew it would be chilly in the mornings and evenings but decent during the day. I will have to say that layers are key! On this day I ended up wearing a tank top with a long sleeve shirt over top and an athletic skort. I think I was wishful thinking that it would be warmer during the day because my legs ended up being cold all day long. I believe it reached low 70s that day but the cool breeze made it seem cooler. I can’t complain though, it was gorgeous out and no typical Florida humidity! Amen!

We had our heaping bowls of oatmeal and were off. I can’t say it enough, but I just love the leisure walk to the parks… The sights and sounds are glorious. A quick zip through the little security checkpoint and we were on our way to IoA. I really should take notes on these trips but I do not. Too much fun to be had I guess! I know we rode many rides including our favorite… Velocicoaster. The scariest part when I first went on this ride back in August has become my most favorite part of the ride. That awesome quick acceleration right before the top hat! So much fun! I believe we rode this ride at least twice on this day. Later in the day we finally became a little hungry. That oatmeal really holds us over for a long time. The three of us split two jacket potatoes… The loaded one and the broccoli and cheese one. I think my two top favorites there are the loaded and the shepherds pie potato.

After more rides, we walked over to CityWalk for my favorite drink on property so far (and for our early dinner reservation at Vivo). The Perfect Margarita (which is actually what it’s called) from the side Margaritaville window. This is basically all alcohol with a little bit of lime juice. It’s so refreshing! We meandered around Citywalk a bit looking and shops and such before heading over to Vivo.

This was our first time at Vivo and I will just say… We will definitely be back! We were all extremely pleased with the quality of food and service at this restaurant. We had a lovely complementary bread service and we also ordered the fried ricotta.

These were so good! Crunchy outside with pillowy soft inside of ricotta and a hint of fresh lemon. Daughter and I split the chicken fettuccine Alfredo and their homemade pasta is excellent. Hubby got Chicken Saltimbocca which is: sautéed chicken topped with speck, white wine sage sauce, baby potatoes, asparagus. Wow this was very flavorful!

After our lovely dinner, we headed back to IoA to hit up many more rides including using express pass that we have attached to our premiere AP. At the end of the night we rode on the Velocicoaster for the first time in the dark. So cool!

On our way out of the park, we mobile ordered some voodoo donuts to have the next morning like we do on almost every trip we’ve gone on so far. They do have a new system now where there’s a little pick up hut separate from the store. This was my first time experiencing a very long wait for the donuts to be ready. After waiting about 20 minutes I went up to ask a TM in the pick up hut about the status of my order. She said that they are at capacity right now and that the wait average is 45 minutes to an hour. Yikes! She did say mine should be ready in about another 20 minutes. I witnessed another woman canceling her order because of the long wait. We have always ordered right around part closing and had maybe a 20 minute wait tops so maybe this is the new norm. I would recommend if you mobile order their donuts near park closing to order them early and click on ‘I am here’ about an hour ahead of time… especially on a weekend night. They are so yummy though! I ordered two of my favorites: ODB (basically chocolate and peanut butter goodness) and the vegan PBJ:




They are so good and fresh the next morning… At least in all of our past experiences.

As we settled into bed that night, we figured we’d sleep in a little bit as we heard it was supposed to be very rainy and windy during the morning hours. To be continued, including a tornado warning and later finally visiting Strong Water Tavern.

 

[wdwrule]

We did sleep in a bit the next morning, that is until our phones blasted the emergency signal due to a tornado warning (at least it’s good to know it’s effective) a few minutes before 8am. We turned on the news and it didn’t look like we were directly on the path. Looking outside, it was extremely windy and rainy. We more or less dawdled around and lazily took our time getting ready. Lol no rush to go out in that weather! We ate our luscious doughnuts while hubby went downstairs on a Starbucks run. An hour or so later we ventured out and by now, it was gloomy out but there was only a drizzle.

I’m glad we ventured out because crowds were very low. Hagrid’s was running but of course wait times were high regardless of the weather issues. We ended up joining the single rider line and got on. The wait ended up being close to regular standby. I find that one is hit or miss with single rider line. Our encounters with SR line on Forbidden Journey and MiB and a few others were walk-ons. I have to say, SR line on several rides throughout our trip saved us a lot of time. We don’t typically use it, but now and then, yes.

I believe this day we had lunch at Thunder Falls. We usually hit this place once each trip. Every time it’s been consistently delicious and fresh. When we went in December I tried the Brookie for the first time and loved it. I’m also a chocoholic

Thunder Falls reminds me slightly of Animal Kingdom’s Satuuli Canteen. So wonderful!

We then rode more rides and meandered around the park. The drizzle didn’t last long and ended up being a nice day, although damp and chilly. Especially in the late afternoon. I remembered thinking if I only had my winter coat on, I’d be perfectly comfortable. Who would’ve thought?!?!

Early dinner was at Bigfire which was our first time there. We were seated near the windows and it was just lovely! I love people watching while chatting and eating. We started with an artichoke dip… didn’t think to take a pic until we were almost through it

It was very tasty. Then hubby got a chicken Cobb salad for his meal which was enormous! Oh this was so delicious! Again, took a pic after it was dug into.
It came with a wonderful slab of cornbread. Daughter and I split a great burger with fries and a side of Mac and cheese which was thick and creamy.
We really enjoyed the food and atmosphere here and will definitely return. Service was excellent here as well.

Then back to more rides including a nighttime ride on Velocicoaster.





We loved the nighttime views while in the outdoor queue! After this, we headed back towards our resort and decided to try Strong Water Tavern. Yay I heard so many great reviews so was super excited! Daughter went back to the room at Aventura and we then walked back across the street to SF. Love the SF lobby and super excited to stay there again during an upcoming trip.

I have to say, we ran into a lot of bad luck at Strong Water. It was a big football game night and it appeared there were many people there from a convention. We checked in at the front area and were told it would be at least 30 minutes. We really just wanted a drink and to try their tres leche cake. So I sat down in the lobby watching the game and hubby wanted to try standing in line by the bar to order drinks to then sit in the lobby with them since there were no seats left at the bar. He waited a looonngg time and many in front of him had big orders of food etc. They ended up calling us before he made it to order. Then some guy interrupted to argue with the hostess about demanding a seat in the lounge area of the tavern. It was really awkward so hubby spoke up about seating us to save the poor hostess.

We were seated at a table and decided on some drinks and also ordered chicken tenders. He did warn us they were “a little spicy” but holy cow all I tasted was that spice. Hubby loved spicy and he said it was even borderline too spicy for him. Lol maybe we’re just wimps. I love seasoning but I enjoy tasting all of the flavors the dish has to offer instead of it being overpowering with one spice. It came with slaw which was very bland. Our drinks on the other hand were very good! I had a mule and hubby had the Cayman Island iced tea which had a little bit of everything in it. Wow that was good! I forgot to mention, we ordered everything at once and he said the drinks would be out. About 10 minutes pass and he told us they were working on the drinks. Another 15 minutes pass. We were about ready to throw in the towel but they were finally served to us. Shortly after that came the chicken tenders. Halfway through, we ordered the tres leche cake which I had high hopes for but unfortunately, our server said whoever makes the desserts did not come in today. I asked if there were any desserts available at all and he said no. Oh well, next time I thought. But the sting was… as we were paying the bill, out comes a different server to another table with a plate of a chocolate cake slice with a dollop of whipped cream on top

With all of that bad luck we had at Strong Water, we are not one and done kind of people. We usually give places another chance and we fully intend on trying Strong Water again during an upcoming trip. I think this time, we’ll try to arrive earlier and hopefully get a seat right at the bar. I’m sure they’re more attentive at the bar.

Then off to bed we go to rest up for another day full of fun!

 

[wdwrule]

Monday, MLK day, was our departure day but we had some good park time prior to our pickup time for our flight. We had our wonderful warm oatmeal bowls at the quick service from Aventura then off we went to our lovely walk to the parks. We hit up our favorite, Velocicoaster, and many others. We then hopped over to Studios. More rides including Transformers, ET, etc etc were taken on and had such an enjoyable time. I love at the end of Transformers taking off my 3D glasses and looking at all of the detail of the massive Megatron above.

I forgot to mention earlier during our trip we watched the Animal Actors show for the first time. This was really cute and I’m so glad we finally watched it. The animals were adorable and it blows my mind how well some of the animals can be trained… even pigs and peacocks!

We then ate at Monsters Cafe for the first time ever. I always wanted to go here just to check out the theming. It was amazing inside and so well themed! I forget exactly what we all got but it was good. I think we had the brisket and pork which was very tender and flavorful… I’m just blanking on the sides.

We had also hit up the Wizarding World of Harry Potter of course which is my favorite area of the parks. Just so immersive! The Hogwarts Express was not running for the majority of our trip although we usually just walk from park to park due to it being quicker most times. When waits are low, we take it as it’s a wonderful experience but sometimes the waits are so high, even with express pass and then we just feel like we’re at a standstill. Several hot Butterbeers and frozen Butterbeers were consumed. The hot Butterbeer always hit the spot since it was a chilly weekend. Oh so comforting! I heard about the new fudge… raspberry clotted cream. Oh. My. Goodness. This was incredible! If you like black raspberry ice cream, you will love this flavor of fudge. So creamy, smooth and not too deadly sweet. The picture doesn’t do it justice at all. This was a thick slab of goodness!
We then made the sad walk back to our resort to grab our luggage and sit in the lobby to wait for Tony’s driver which was only about a five minute wait. Off we went to the airport.

I just love going this time of year. No humidity and light jacket weather although mornings and evenings were cold. It's been so much fun staying at many different resorts and experiencing all they have to offer. At this point in time I think they all have pros and cons (at all levels) and it’s hard to pick a favorite. They all have their own personality and atmosphere but what we’ve experienced… they’re all clean and have friendly staff. I love the text feature to ask general questions and to request things such as toiletries. It’s so convenient!!

We’re going soon again to experience Mardi Gras and will stay at Sapphire Falls. I have my eye on that king cake!! Daughter and I stayed there before and loved it but this will be hubby’s first time and I know he’ll love it too. Super excited! One of the many things we like about having the premiere annual pass is knowing no matter where we stay, we’ll have limited express pass after 4pm everyday which is nice and peace of mind. Our typical touring style is to ride many rides in the morning when the waits are much lower, then meander around the parks and Citiwalk during busy early afternoon (hello Margaritaville walk-up window to get my “Perfect Margarita”), then early dinner, and express pass rides late afternoon and into the evening. It works out perfectly for us. We rarely go back to the resorts/pool midday… even during the summer. In fact, we have yet to swim at a resort. Maybe someday but for now, we just have so much fun at the parks and swimming is never on our mind.

I’m sure I’ll eventually post about our Mardi Gras trip, but for now I’ll leave you with a beautiful sunset scene from our departure flight from this trip…

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Thanks for posting your trip report! It looks like you all had a wonderful time!

 

[jsmla]

Thank you for the great trip report! I’m downgrading from my much loved Royal Pacific to Aventura for my trip next month and it wonderful to hear from someone who’s stayed at both.