Escaping Snowy New England for Freezing Florida Feb 2015 Final Hours 11/17 p. 23

[pas130]

Bravo Dee!!! Another fab TR! How in the world did you get that score on MIB?? My DS7 would've been mad at me too LOL, I always make sure he gets that bonus it makes him so happy. We had a fellow from UK next to us once who got some insane score too. He was awesome interacting with my little man trying to help him get some big numbers. Dragon's Challenge...yeah I opted out too. Thankfully DS14 doesn't mind riding solo I can't wait to get back to US, and King Kong already looked great in August didn't it?

 

[glennbo123]

When we got to Marvel’s Super Hero Island, we found that it was warm enough for Hulk to be running.

I had to laugh at this because the only time I've been on that ride was in June of 2012 and it was soooo hot. I just remember being in that line for about an hour and basically melting.

Interesting about the policy now regarding not having items like cameras on rides and the required use of lockers.

 

[irene_dsc]

The food was good, but not spectacular.

Glad we didn't miss too much. I know my dh was annoyed we didn't get to go there (mainly because he was told to come back later - and then it would've been another huge wait, and he could've made a reservation.)

Sounds like a good ending to the trip! You got a lot of great detail photos of Diagon Alley that I missed seeing, especially since we were there mainly in the evening, I suspect.

I can't say that I blame you for not wanting even more TRs going at once!

 

[annie170]

Another enjoyable trip report! I do want to make it back to Universal someday, especially to see WWHP. Thanks for all the great photos, tips and details.

 

[SarahDisney]

I heard about the medal detectors on some rides at Universal ... I kinda understand why they did it, but it is a little sad that you can't take pictures on the lines anymore. I'm glad you got one last chance to take pictures ... and thanks for sharing them!

Great score on MIB ... I don't know how you got it, but I say don't question is a great score - just brag about it!

Thanks for sharing your trip. I really enjoyed reading all about it and it got my very excited to go back to Universal eventually (hopefully soon...).

 

[hill6]

Great report. Looking at Universal again for the spring. Just a few question

What annual pass did you get? I see there are a few different ones.

Also do they have something similar to Memory Maker for the photos?

 

[mickeystoontown]

Like I said on your other report, I'm playing catch up so I'll comment as I read the updates. We ate at Bubba Gump's in Gatlinburg, TN and really enjoyed it. I like the whole flip the sign over if you need your waiter or waitress. Hum, I think that was in on that update. Going to read some more.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Wow! You guys were really utilizing the time that you had left in the parks. I understand the safety issues/concerns at Universal but they seem just a little extreme to me. I don't understand why you, just as an observer/gonna use the chicken exit couldn't take your things with you.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Nice wrap-up Dee! I would love to see your pictures from the August trip.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I love the picture of the Monster Book of Monsters in the store window. The HP section is a great way to end a trip.

At the beginning of the trip report, I said that we were looking forward to touring the parks in cooler weather, and that I should be careful what I wish for. Despite the cold, we had a fantastic trip.

We've taken many trips to Disney in January and February and those months can be tricky. It is nice to get out of the cold winter weather at home. It feels great to have the warm Florida sun shining on you after weeks of dreary winter weather. I remember standing on the boat dock of the WL, waiting for the boat to MK and even though it was only 55 degrees out, and we still had our winter coats on, the sun felt great. But it also hard to be outside all day in cold weather. And they don't have central heat in Florida. If the weather is really cold in Florida, like the forties and fifties, then it is hard to get warm sometimes.

But then we go back anyway, because it is better than the weather at home.

 

[natebenma]

Bravo Dee!!! Another fab TR! How in the world did you get that score on MIB?? My DS7 would've been mad at me too LOL, I always make sure he gets that bonus it makes him so happy. We had a fellow from UK next to us once who got some insane score too. He was awesome interacting with my little man trying to help him get some big numbers. Dragon's Challenge...yeah I opted out too. Thankfully DS14 doesn't mind riding solo I can't wait to get back to US, and King Kong already looked great in August didn't it?

Thanks so much!!!

I don't know how I got that score on MIB, because I am really bad. I honestly think it had something to do with the blaster. I wish I had taken a picture of it. It was different from the other guns- like a sawed-off blaster and I don't think the colored circle things were there.

There is a thread out there on the Universal subforum by a poster named MIB999999 with tips about how to get a high score. I have had it saved for years, but only finally got around to reading it during our August trip. I shared the tips with my family and it did improve our scores somewhat.

I'm good for Dragon Challenge once a trip, but that is enough for me.

Yeah, Skull Island looked awesome!

Thanks for following along!

I had to laugh at this because the only time I've been on that ride was in June of 2012 and it was soooo hot. I just remember being in that line for about an hour and basically melting.

Interesting about the policy now regarding not having items like cameras on rides and the required use of lockers.

We have always stayed on site with Express Passes, but we always make note at how much better Disney is at making queue lines more comfortable with shade and/or air conditioning. Peter Pan was the exception, prior to the rehab of the line.

I can understand. They had some serious injuries caused by guests with loose items on the rides. And even with these policies, people still tried to sneak things on, so the metal detectors are necessary.



Thank you so much for joining in on the report!

Glad we didn't miss too much. I know my dh was annoyed we didn't get to go there (mainly because he was told to come back later - and then it would've been another huge wait, and he could've made a reservation.)

Sounds like a good ending to the trip! You got a lot of great detail photos of Diagon Alley that I missed seeing, especially since we were there mainly in the evening, I suspect.

I can't say that I blame you for not wanting even more TRs going at once!

We enjoy the meals at Leaky Cauldron and 3 Broomsticks as much as anywhere else, but if you want to eat at Mythos and are visiting Universal for a few days, we have had luck making reservations while we are there, either for later in the week or even later in the day.

We don't do much window shopping and not much actual shopping. The pictures from this post were taken while the boys were in the Butterbeer line, so I was free to take my time with the shots.

Between the Beach Club thread, my trip reports and that thing called life, I am definitely underwater!



I'm so glad you were here.

Another enjoyable trip report! I do want to make it back to Universal someday, especially to see WWHP. Thanks for all the great photos, tips and details.

Thank you so much for the kind words and following along!

 

[natebenma]

Off to work- I'll be back with more replies as soon as I can.

:

 

[afwdwfan]

I am sad that I can no longer do this. Shortly after our trip, Universal started enforcing a policy that you can’t have ANYTHING loose in your pockets (phones, coins, etc.) for the extreme rides and they installed metal detectors in the queues. Free lockers are provided. Even if you tell the team member that you just want to go through the line (for pictures, or to be with your family) and don’t want to ride, you can’t get past the metal detectors with a camera.

Oh man... that's crazy. This frustrates me more than it should. Like I'm really not sure I even want to go to Universal.

I mean, I get why they do it. But I wear cargo shorts to the parks for that very reason. I've never in my life lost anything from a pocket on a ride. Including the ones they have there. Everything is zipped into a pocket.

I realize it is in a locker, but I'm still not crazy about leaving my phone or my keys there, especially if I'm in the park by myself. A bag or larger items, fine. But something like that. I might be a little too over the top about it but I'm not comfortable with that. You know... kind of like that guy with the necklace at the airport.

One of the things we wondered about the Hogwarts Express was whether it actually travelled between US and IoA or if it was just simulated motion. On a long ago trip, Mark and I snuck into the Living Seas at EPCOT (there was no Nemo to find then) through the exit Hydrolators and *spoiler alert* discovered that the elevators did not really move.

No!!!!!

As we arrived at the bonus point area, I had a dilemma. Do I go for the 100,000 bonus point by pressing the red button? This was what really pissed Nathan off earlier that morning- someone else had collected the bonus.

My finger stayed still.

Nate got the bonus and his highest score ever: 400,450

Good mom move...

My score:

652,150

Without the bonus.

Holy crap! I don't know what you did but you did something right!

Fortunately, Nate happy with his score and was more stunned than mad at my success.

PHEW!

Tragedy avoided.

Great TR, Dee!

 

[natebenma]

I heard about the medal detectors on some rides at Universal ... I kinda understand why they did it, but it is a little sad that you can't take pictures on the lines anymore. I'm glad you got one last chance to take pictures ... and thanks for sharing them!

Great score on MIB ... I don't know how you got it, but I say don't question is a great score - just brag about it!

Thanks for sharing your trip. I really enjoyed reading all about it and it got my very excited to go back to Universal eventually (hopefully soon...).

Most of the lines where lockers are required (Hulk, Rip Ride Rocket) really aren't that interesting, but the Dragon Challenge line has lots of things to see (and photograph): The Goblet of Fire, Dragon Eggs, floating candles. Fortunately, I have pictures from past trips!

Sounds like good advice, because DID YOU SEE THAT SCORE!?!

Thank you so much for reading and participating in my trip!

Great report. Looking at Universal again for the spring. Just a few question

What annual pass did you get? I see there are a few different ones.

Also do they have something similar to Memory Maker for the photos?

Thank you!

We purchased the 2 Park Non-Resident Power Pass in August 2014. It was $214.99 plus tax. It is good for a year after activation (February for us). We were able to score an Annual Pass room rate for both trips. There used to be some discount perks for merchandise and restaurants, but sometime between our Feb trip and Aug trip they changed the rules and most discounts are only available with the higher level pass. There also used to be AAA discount at most places but now that is only valid if you booked through AAA.

I got a super deal on the Universal Photo Connect which is like the Memory Maker. I think I paid $49.99 for an annual photo card, but I believe the price went up shortly thereafter to $69-ish. I just checked the Universal Photo Connect FB page and prices are outrageous now! $90 for a 3 day package and $170 for a 14 day or Annual Package. Ride photos, park photos and some character greeting photos are included, but there are far fewer opportunities in the park to find photographers in Universal.

Like I said on your other report, I'm playing catch up so I'll comment as I read the updates. We ate at Bubba Gump's in Gatlinburg, TN and really enjoyed it. I like the whole flip the sign over if you need your waiter or waitress. Hum, I think that was in on that update. Going to read some more.

Wow! You guys were really utilizing the time that you had left in the parks. I understand the safety issues/concerns at Universal but they seem just a little extreme to me. I don't understand why you, just as an observer/gonna use the chicken exit couldn't take your things with you.

Nice wrap-up Dee! I would love to see your pictures from the August trip.

We have had some decent meals at Bubba's but for some reason this time was not the best for us. I can't remember if we have ever used the flip the sign thing to get the attention of staff.

We did do a lot on our last day. We have found that we enjoy having a late night departure flight.

Unfortunately, you can't trust people. I could promise that I wouldn't ride, but once through the metal detectors they probably couldn't stop me from getting on the ride if I wanted to.

Thank you so much for following this report. I will try to post some photos from August as soon as I can- maybe by park/land instead of in a narrative form. The only really decent story I can think of from the trip is the woman who recognized me at Cowfish.

 

[natebenma]

I love the picture of the Monster Book of Monsters in the store window. The HP section is a great way to end a trip.

Thanks! I have some really crappy pictures of the Monster Book of Monsters from previous trips. I am happy with this one. I agree, spending some time in Diagon Alley was a great way to end the trip.

We've taken many trips to Disney in January and February and those months can be tricky. It is nice to get out of the cold winter weather at home. It feels great to have the warm Florida sun shining on you after weeks of dreary winter weather. I remember standing on the boat dock of the WL, waiting for the boat to MK and even though it was only 55 degrees out, and we still had our winter coats on, the sun felt great. But it also hard to be outside all day in cold weather. And they don't have central heat in Florida. If the weather is really cold in Florida, like the forties and fifties, then it is hard to get warm sometimes.

But then we go back anyway, because it is better than the weather at home.

When we were younger (before kids), Mark and I had trips to Disney in late January and once in November. I think we probably were able to swim during those trips, but we were younger (and foolisher) then.

It was unusually cold while we were there. Which was really not the getaway we wanted after enduring snowstorm after snowstorm every week.

 

[hill6]

Thank you!

We purchased the 2 Park Non-Resident Power Pass in August 2014. It was $214.99 plus tax. It is good for a year after activation (February for us). We were able to score an Annual Pass room rate for both trips. There used to be some discount perks for merchandise and restaurants, but sometime between our Feb trip and Aug trip they changed the rules and most discounts are only available with the higher level pass. There also used to be AAA discount at most places but now that is only valid if you booked through AAA.

I got a super deal on the Universal Photo Connect which is like the Memory Maker. I think I paid $49.99 for an annual photo card, but I believe the price went up shortly thereafter to $69-ish. I just checked the Universal Photo Connect FB page and prices are outrageous now! $90 for a 3 day package and $170 for a 14 day or Annual Package. Ride photos, park photos and some character greeting photos are included, but there are far fewer opportunities in the park to find photographers in Universal.

Thanks for that information. Will definitely factor into our planning.

Those are a lot of changes/cutbacks for such a short period of time.

 

[natebenma]

Oh man... that's crazy. This frustrates me more than it should. Like I'm really not sure I even want to go to Universal.

I mean, I get why they do it. But I wear cargo shorts to the parks for that very reason. I've never in my life lost anything from a pocket on a ride. Including the ones they have there. Everything is zipped into a pocket.

I realize it is in a locker, but I'm still not crazy about leaving my phone or my keys there, especially if I'm in the park by myself. A bag or larger items, fine. But something like that. I might be a little too over the top about it but I'm not comfortable with that. You know... kind of like that guy with the necklace at the airport.

You can still have a phone or small camera for most rides expect Hulk, Dragon Challenge and Rip Ride Rockit. Bags, as always, still need to go into a locker. But up until our August trip, a fanny pack was allowed on all rides, so we didn't need to use lockers at all. Using the lockers was not too bad, but we did run into some issues where the locker rooms were crowded, or there was a line to get to finger scan (a single machine is used to open large blocks of lockers) or if some loser can't figure out what they are doing at the machine you need to use to unlock your locker, you just have to wait.

Shortly after our 2011 trip, when the cars from both Dragons were running simultaneously, they had two serious incidents on Dragon Challenge involving items falling out of peoples pockets. I'm not sure what prompted the additional security this spring, but I know there were some security issues when we were there in February, prompting a restriction in bringing liquids into the parks.

But I'm not sure that any of that should stop you from a solo trip to check things out.

No!!!!!

I did say *spoiler alert*

Good mom move...

The glory of a spectacular score is not worth the wrath of a disgruntled teen.

Holy crap! I don't know what you did but you did something right!

Yet, still, a pretty amazing score!

Tragedy avoided.

For now.

Great TR, Dee!

Thanks so much, Andy!

 

[natebenma]

Thanks for that information. Will definitely factor into our planning.

Those are a lot of changes/cutbacks for such a short period of time.

You are welcome!

We definitely did get our money's worth out of our Annual Passes and the Photo Connect card.

I loved getting the 10% AAA discount every where, so that was what I missed the most.

 

[hill6]

You are welcome!

We definitely did get our money's worth out of our Annual Passes and the Photo Connect card.

I loved getting the 10% AAA discount every where, so that was what I missed the most.

Would have been using AAA also for discounts. I am all about saving money especially on vacations. I always check hotels and car rentals to see if prices get reduced. Now I just have to ask if they give AARP one. . I won't use it as Dunkin to get a free donut but I would use there.

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

What a lovely way to end your trip. High scores in MIB, happy son and a wee dander down diagon alley . Perfect. Thanks for having us along