dixonsontour
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2008
- Messages
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Everything but Disney Day 11 Monday 24th October Islands of Adventure/Universal +Fuddruckers
We had breakfast in the room (the grapefruit was hand picked by me from showcase of citrus) and made it to Islands of Adventure at 9am. Parking cost $15.
Had a full day there until 5pm
Like everyone else we headed to harry potter area and forbidden journey. It was showing as a 20 min wait so we got in line.
DH tried the test seat but it wouldn’t click so he came on with the camera as a non rider (you can do the queue to see the castle etc and not the ride) I didn’t think he would be able to ride and he wasn’t bothered. He is very tall and wears a 3xl shirt. DD despite being only 5 is 49 1/1 inches (48 inch ride) so was ok to ride. The line moved quickly until after we had said bye to DH. We were near the sorting hat when the ride broke down – so maybe 8 people from the front.
The sorting hat just kept saying the warnings about the ride (don’t ride if you are pregnant, motion sickness etc) and every five mins or so they played an announcement saying it had technical difficulties and to bear with them. We waited and waited. DD started crying/complaining as it was dark and she thought she was going on some broken scary ride. After about 30 mins of this they announced they had no idea when it would be fixed and leave if you want.
I did as did a lot of others. I asked two staff what to do about coming back later ( assumed they would have a system like Disney where you a get a fastpass or something) both just shrugged. The attitude of the staff/lack of system was appalling.
I was fuming. We went out to see DH who wondered where the heck we had been.
We had wasted about an hour now and all I wanted to do was get out of the packed harry potter area.
DH took DD on pterandon flyers whilst I calmed down and then I took her on.
DH said we should just go but once I had calmed down I decided I was going on as we were never coming back and I was determined to ride it!
Plan was i’d go on as a single rider and meet up with DH and DD in Seuss area.
So the ride is working but a 45 min wait. I get inside but in the scrum for lockers miss the single rider line and end up in the conservatory bit again. Luckily I knew this couldn’t be right – retraced my steps and found a member of staff who pointed the steps out to me. (I had to wait for him to finish his conversation with a lady who was insisting the no carry on rule couldn’t possibly mean her purse – it has my money and keys and everything – yes ma’am we have lockers !)
Anyway up the steps and I was on the ride – no line. Basically whenever there is a 3 they push a single rider out aswell.
It was a good ride and I am glad I did it. DD wouldn’t have liked it.
DH and DD had a frozen butterbeer in my absence and been on the train in Suess landing.
We had some lunch (wraps and crisps i’d taken and a soda refill for 79c plus tax and let DD enjoy suess landing.
It was a lovely hot sunny day – 80 degrees and nice and quiet in this part of the park. We spent a couple of hours and she did everything 3 or more times. Met lots of characters aswell and saw the suess show. Cat in the hat ride was open so she did that too (this was the only ride all holiday where they called a supervisor to check DD was ok to ride due to her arm)DD loved this ride- think we did it 3 or 4 times and each time they said they had to call the supervisor.
It was what we needed and my mood changed from no way are we coming back here.
About 3pm we decided to pop over to Universal. I did call into guest services to ask about the harry potter fiasco – they said if we had come to guest services they could have arranged something. Surely they should say that at the ride to go to guest services – although trekking to the front of the park isn’t convenient.
We stopped at Ben and jerry again in Universal new York area for a mini Vermonster - $14.99 plus tax. 4 scoops, 3 toppings, cream caramel and choc sauce – nothing mini about it!
We had breakfast in the room (the grapefruit was hand picked by me from showcase of citrus) and made it to Islands of Adventure at 9am. Parking cost $15.
Had a full day there until 5pm
Like everyone else we headed to harry potter area and forbidden journey. It was showing as a 20 min wait so we got in line.
DH tried the test seat but it wouldn’t click so he came on with the camera as a non rider (you can do the queue to see the castle etc and not the ride) I didn’t think he would be able to ride and he wasn’t bothered. He is very tall and wears a 3xl shirt. DD despite being only 5 is 49 1/1 inches (48 inch ride) so was ok to ride. The line moved quickly until after we had said bye to DH. We were near the sorting hat when the ride broke down – so maybe 8 people from the front.
The sorting hat just kept saying the warnings about the ride (don’t ride if you are pregnant, motion sickness etc) and every five mins or so they played an announcement saying it had technical difficulties and to bear with them. We waited and waited. DD started crying/complaining as it was dark and she thought she was going on some broken scary ride. After about 30 mins of this they announced they had no idea when it would be fixed and leave if you want.
I did as did a lot of others. I asked two staff what to do about coming back later ( assumed they would have a system like Disney where you a get a fastpass or something) both just shrugged. The attitude of the staff/lack of system was appalling.
I was fuming. We went out to see DH who wondered where the heck we had been.
We had wasted about an hour now and all I wanted to do was get out of the packed harry potter area.
DH took DD on pterandon flyers whilst I calmed down and then I took her on.
DH said we should just go but once I had calmed down I decided I was going on as we were never coming back and I was determined to ride it!
Plan was i’d go on as a single rider and meet up with DH and DD in Seuss area.
So the ride is working but a 45 min wait. I get inside but in the scrum for lockers miss the single rider line and end up in the conservatory bit again. Luckily I knew this couldn’t be right – retraced my steps and found a member of staff who pointed the steps out to me. (I had to wait for him to finish his conversation with a lady who was insisting the no carry on rule couldn’t possibly mean her purse – it has my money and keys and everything – yes ma’am we have lockers !)
Anyway up the steps and I was on the ride – no line. Basically whenever there is a 3 they push a single rider out aswell.
It was a good ride and I am glad I did it. DD wouldn’t have liked it.
DH and DD had a frozen butterbeer in my absence and been on the train in Suess landing.
We had some lunch (wraps and crisps i’d taken and a soda refill for 79c plus tax and let DD enjoy suess landing.
It was a lovely hot sunny day – 80 degrees and nice and quiet in this part of the park. We spent a couple of hours and she did everything 3 or more times. Met lots of characters aswell and saw the suess show. Cat in the hat ride was open so she did that too (this was the only ride all holiday where they called a supervisor to check DD was ok to ride due to her arm)DD loved this ride- think we did it 3 or 4 times and each time they said they had to call the supervisor.
It was what we needed and my mood changed from no way are we coming back here.
About 3pm we decided to pop over to Universal. I did call into guest services to ask about the harry potter fiasco – they said if we had come to guest services they could have arranged something. Surely they should say that at the ride to go to guest services – although trekking to the front of the park isn’t convenient.
We stopped at Ben and jerry again in Universal new York area for a mini Vermonster - $14.99 plus tax. 4 scoops, 3 toppings, cream caramel and choc sauce – nothing mini about it!
