FreckledOne
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2023
My husband (Bou) retired from the military a couple years ago and we (he) decided FL is where he wants to kick it until our daughter (Nibbs) goes off to university. I am not crazy about all the sun and heat, but Bou and Nibbs love it, so I suffer. One thing I have been looking forward to is exploring Harry Potter World at Universal and two years later, a smile will be placed on my mug. I am not a Potterhead, but I do appreciate the books and movies.
Since we live in the Tampa Bay area, you’d think the the drive to Orlando would be easy. Puleez. I’ve driven on I-4 enough by now to know what’s up. It’s a clusterfudge and almost makes me miss the Capital Beltway. I thought the traffic would lessen with the move, but I was so wrong. I also thought the cost of living would be cheaperhahahahahaha. C’est la vie.
Bou and I decided to take advantage of our access to the insanely inexpensive military version of Universal Annual Passes. We plan on taking multiple trips throughout the passes’ lifespan and hopefully not fall in love with the place in the process. It was the three of us + one of Nibbs’ friends who happens to be a Potterhead. Surprisingly, we were able to buy a Freedom Pass for Nibbs’ friend. Once we activated hers, she won’t need to be with us for any future visits. Bonus!
To christen our first stay, I used my Chase points to reserve a club level room at Portofino Bay. This was my first time paying with points+$ and I have no idea if it was a smart use of them, but I was elated, so therefore a great deal. My goal is to stay at as many Universal resorts as possible throughout 2024. Whichever one has the best rate when we visit is the winner.
Since we wanted to check-in as early as possible on Saturday, Nibbs’ friend was dropped off at our house on Friday after school for an overnight stay. We left Tampa around 0700 on Saturday and found the drive to not be as cursing intensive as usual. We arrived around 0900, checked in to receive our express passes, and activated the tickets at the Universal desk. We stopped by the club lounge to eat breakfast and grab waters. The food offered was pretty much in line with what other people posted in the Portofino Bay Thread.
I wasn’t sure the express passes would be worth it, but Bou and I decided we will not visit Universal without them. The girls roamed the parks on their own and told us having the passes were awesome. They said they went on the same rides as us and then some, but no shows. They liked being able to do non-ride related things at their leisure and not wait in line for long periods of time whenever they felt like going on rides. Due to our agreement with their opinion, we will stay at whichever premier hotel is cheapest when we book. As far as the club level, we enjoyed the breakfast and dinner options. Bou and I went back to the hotel around dinner time to try the food. It was tasty and enough to fill us. He said the cabernet sauvignon was decent and the pinot grigio didn’t give me a headache, so that was a plus. However, if we never score a club level deal again, we won’t be disappointed since it’s not necessary for us.
The food surprised us. We didn’t find it to be outrageously expensive middling slop. The prices are reasonable for a theme park and the food was delicious. The girls got one cold butter beer to share and I am glad they did. Nibbs did not care for it, but her friend loved it. They both ordered “The Antidote” at Minion’s Cafe. Nibbs did not care for it, so her friend ended up with two. For full disclosure, Nibbs is like her father and prefers savory to sweet. However, Nibbs was delighted with the strawberries and cream soft serve ice cream from “Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour”. Bou and I tried it and decided we are getting our own cones next time.
Minion’s Cafe
* Nibbs said “Otto’s Noodle Bowl” was decent. She’s a noodle snob and hard to please. Bou tried it and agreed with her. Do not recommend.
* I ate almost every bit of “Kevin’s Chopa Chopa Salad”. Nibbs stole a few forkfuls and said she’s getting it next time. Recommend.
* Nibbs’ friend said “El Macho’s Salsa y Salsa Ropa Vieja” was delicious. Recommend.
* Bou enjoyed “Uncle Dru’s Belly Fillin’ Pork Sandwich”. He substituted the green banana chips with “Minion Tots” and said they were good. Recommend.
The Leaky Cauldron
* Nibbs said the “Fish and Chips” was way better than what she ate at Minion’s Cafe. She let us have a fish fillet and a few wedge fries. Recommend.
* Nibbs’ friend recommends the “Specialty Chicken”.
Green Eggs and Ham
* The “Carnitas Tots” and “Who Hash” hit the spot for me, Bou, and Nibbs. I am going to try to recreate them at home. Recommend.
* Nibbs’ friend recommends the “Pizza Tots”. She said tater tots are the perfect food.
Now, for the rides. I kept track of stand-by vs. express pass queue times.
Saturday 02 December
Entered park at 1030. Departed at 2000.
Spiderman: 25 min vs. 7.5 min
Jurassic River: 10 vs. walk on (wo)
King Kong: 25 vs. 14. Ride was delayed and we hopped in the queue when it re-opened.
Forbidden Journey: 15 vs. wo. One and done for me. I was close to spewing halfway through and would’ve gladly unstrapped myself to fall off mid-ride. Took me an hour of walking around and drinking water to recover.
Hippogriff: 45 vs. 6
Seuss Train: 50 vs. 15. I saw two tracks, but only one was in operation.
Hogsmeade Train: 35 vs. 13
Mummy: 35 vs. 3
MiB: 15 vs. wo
Gringotts: 35 vs. 14
Total of 10 rides = 290 min [4.8 hrs] vs. 72.5 min [1.2 hrs]
Difference between stand-by vs express pass queues = 217.5 min [3.6 hrs]
**I think my math is correct. Someone correct me if needed.**
Bou and I saw “The Bourne Stuntacular”. Interestingly enough, there was an express pass queue. We waited at the front of the mob in the holding area and got first dibs on which row, but not specific seats. The guides tell you to go all the way to the end of the row, which is where sat, but no disappointment from us. We saw everything. It’s a cool blend of live and screen action sequences; recommend. Since we sat all the way at the end, we were among the first to exit the theater, so there’s that. We, also, saw “Horror Make-Up Show”. It was funny and we were entertained; recommend. The “Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s” was cute. We got there about 10 minutes after it started and were easily able to find a good viewing spot.
Sunday 03 December
Entered park at 0930. Departed at 1500.
Hagrid’s: 60 posted vs. 28 actual. The line rarely stood still. We’d stop long enough to admire the artistry and architecture before moving on. It was fun, but a one and done for me. It took an hour of walking around and drinking water to recover. I was still feeling woozy from Hagrid’s, so we watched “Animal Actors on Location”. The show helped me forget my suffering for a bit. Being a trainer would be an awesome job and if I could do it all over again, I think I would go this route.
Hogsmeade Train: 10 vs. 10
ET: 15 vs. 2
King’s Cross Train: 40 vs. 20
Total of 3 rides = 65 min vs. 22 min.
Overall, Universal is flipping fun. All the elements perfectly aligned: rides, food, atmosphere. It was a bit crowded and humid, but no one acted like a fool. People seemed to be aware they weren’t the only ones on this planet, so they were courteous and out to have a good time. Bou, Nibbs, and I plan to return for round two in a couple weekends. There are so many other things our poor worn feet did not allow us to do this trip. Since we are FL residents, we’ll be able to score a resort discount. Noice!
Since we live in the Tampa Bay area, you’d think the the drive to Orlando would be easy. Puleez. I’ve driven on I-4 enough by now to know what’s up. It’s a clusterfudge and almost makes me miss the Capital Beltway. I thought the traffic would lessen with the move, but I was so wrong. I also thought the cost of living would be cheaperhahahahahaha. C’est la vie.
Bou and I decided to take advantage of our access to the insanely inexpensive military version of Universal Annual Passes. We plan on taking multiple trips throughout the passes’ lifespan and hopefully not fall in love with the place in the process. It was the three of us + one of Nibbs’ friends who happens to be a Potterhead. Surprisingly, we were able to buy a Freedom Pass for Nibbs’ friend. Once we activated hers, she won’t need to be with us for any future visits. Bonus!
To christen our first stay, I used my Chase points to reserve a club level room at Portofino Bay. This was my first time paying with points+$ and I have no idea if it was a smart use of them, but I was elated, so therefore a great deal. My goal is to stay at as many Universal resorts as possible throughout 2024. Whichever one has the best rate when we visit is the winner.
Since we wanted to check-in as early as possible on Saturday, Nibbs’ friend was dropped off at our house on Friday after school for an overnight stay. We left Tampa around 0700 on Saturday and found the drive to not be as cursing intensive as usual. We arrived around 0900, checked in to receive our express passes, and activated the tickets at the Universal desk. We stopped by the club lounge to eat breakfast and grab waters. The food offered was pretty much in line with what other people posted in the Portofino Bay Thread.
I wasn’t sure the express passes would be worth it, but Bou and I decided we will not visit Universal without them. The girls roamed the parks on their own and told us having the passes were awesome. They said they went on the same rides as us and then some, but no shows. They liked being able to do non-ride related things at their leisure and not wait in line for long periods of time whenever they felt like going on rides. Due to our agreement with their opinion, we will stay at whichever premier hotel is cheapest when we book. As far as the club level, we enjoyed the breakfast and dinner options. Bou and I went back to the hotel around dinner time to try the food. It was tasty and enough to fill us. He said the cabernet sauvignon was decent and the pinot grigio didn’t give me a headache, so that was a plus. However, if we never score a club level deal again, we won’t be disappointed since it’s not necessary for us.
The food surprised us. We didn’t find it to be outrageously expensive middling slop. The prices are reasonable for a theme park and the food was delicious. The girls got one cold butter beer to share and I am glad they did. Nibbs did not care for it, but her friend loved it. They both ordered “The Antidote” at Minion’s Cafe. Nibbs did not care for it, so her friend ended up with two. For full disclosure, Nibbs is like her father and prefers savory to sweet. However, Nibbs was delighted with the strawberries and cream soft serve ice cream from “Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour”. Bou and I tried it and decided we are getting our own cones next time.
Minion’s Cafe
* Nibbs said “Otto’s Noodle Bowl” was decent. She’s a noodle snob and hard to please. Bou tried it and agreed with her. Do not recommend.
* I ate almost every bit of “Kevin’s Chopa Chopa Salad”. Nibbs stole a few forkfuls and said she’s getting it next time. Recommend.
* Nibbs’ friend said “El Macho’s Salsa y Salsa Ropa Vieja” was delicious. Recommend.
* Bou enjoyed “Uncle Dru’s Belly Fillin’ Pork Sandwich”. He substituted the green banana chips with “Minion Tots” and said they were good. Recommend.
The Leaky Cauldron
* Nibbs said the “Fish and Chips” was way better than what she ate at Minion’s Cafe. She let us have a fish fillet and a few wedge fries. Recommend.
* Nibbs’ friend recommends the “Specialty Chicken”.
Green Eggs and Ham
* The “Carnitas Tots” and “Who Hash” hit the spot for me, Bou, and Nibbs. I am going to try to recreate them at home. Recommend.
* Nibbs’ friend recommends the “Pizza Tots”. She said tater tots are the perfect food.
Now, for the rides. I kept track of stand-by vs. express pass queue times.
Saturday 02 December
Entered park at 1030. Departed at 2000.
Spiderman: 25 min vs. 7.5 min
Jurassic River: 10 vs. walk on (wo)
King Kong: 25 vs. 14. Ride was delayed and we hopped in the queue when it re-opened.
Forbidden Journey: 15 vs. wo. One and done for me. I was close to spewing halfway through and would’ve gladly unstrapped myself to fall off mid-ride. Took me an hour of walking around and drinking water to recover.
Hippogriff: 45 vs. 6
Seuss Train: 50 vs. 15. I saw two tracks, but only one was in operation.
Hogsmeade Train: 35 vs. 13
Mummy: 35 vs. 3
MiB: 15 vs. wo
Gringotts: 35 vs. 14
Total of 10 rides = 290 min [4.8 hrs] vs. 72.5 min [1.2 hrs]
Difference between stand-by vs express pass queues = 217.5 min [3.6 hrs]
**I think my math is correct. Someone correct me if needed.**
Bou and I saw “The Bourne Stuntacular”. Interestingly enough, there was an express pass queue. We waited at the front of the mob in the holding area and got first dibs on which row, but not specific seats. The guides tell you to go all the way to the end of the row, which is where sat, but no disappointment from us. We saw everything. It’s a cool blend of live and screen action sequences; recommend. Since we sat all the way at the end, we were among the first to exit the theater, so there’s that. We, also, saw “Horror Make-Up Show”. It was funny and we were entertained; recommend. The “Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s” was cute. We got there about 10 minutes after it started and were easily able to find a good viewing spot.
Sunday 03 December
Entered park at 0930. Departed at 1500.
Hagrid’s: 60 posted vs. 28 actual. The line rarely stood still. We’d stop long enough to admire the artistry and architecture before moving on. It was fun, but a one and done for me. It took an hour of walking around and drinking water to recover. I was still feeling woozy from Hagrid’s, so we watched “Animal Actors on Location”. The show helped me forget my suffering for a bit. Being a trainer would be an awesome job and if I could do it all over again, I think I would go this route.
Hogsmeade Train: 10 vs. 10
ET: 15 vs. 2
King’s Cross Train: 40 vs. 20
Total of 3 rides = 65 min vs. 22 min.
Overall, Universal is flipping fun. All the elements perfectly aligned: rides, food, atmosphere. It was a bit crowded and humid, but no one acted like a fool. People seemed to be aware they weren’t the only ones on this planet, so they were courteous and out to have a good time. Bou, Nibbs, and I plan to return for round two in a couple weekends. There are so many other things our poor worn feet did not allow us to do this trip. Since we are FL residents, we’ll be able to score a resort discount. Noice!
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Premier hotel stays are definitely a great deal. We discussed it and decided to not return this Christmas season. We‘re going to save our $ to thoroughly enjoy the Mardi Gras celebration
. 
. It would be a nightmare to be famous
