We had a breakfast date with Spidey today and a day planned for the Islands of Adventure park at Universal. Armed with our ticketmaster printout tickets off we set.
Despite a problem with our tickets not scanning, then new ones issued, them not scanning, a 3rd set given to us which did work we got through the gates and into the Confisco Grill for brekkie with Spiderman on time at 9am.
The boys almost hurled themselves at Spidey when he came into the restaurant but it was a wait until he'd been to a few table before he got to us so they were placated with waffles and syrup for the moment.
When Spidey arrived he spent a good 5 mintues with them talking, chatting, answering all the questions they had for him ...... and there were LOTS! inclding the difficulties of going to the loo with the outfit on (our oldest was very interested in this as it takes him ages to get his spidey outfit off when going to the loo!). It was great, they loved him and were chuffed to bits to see him again. Things 1 and 2 also came by and played naughty with the kids which had them in fits. Its a great character breakfast and both times we've been its been very quiet and they get lots of time with the characters.
we came out of breakfast to a very empty looking park - Disney this is not! and headed straight off to Cat in the Hat area for a ride on the carousel and then a ride through the Cat in the Hat house .... OMG the kids LOVED this and we went on it 3 times, just straight on and straight back again! They say no photos but I risked it and grabbed some .... until they yelled at me over the loud speaker to stop!!
onto the next ride and it was the flying goldfish ... not a fast or mad ride but the kids loved it and getting squirted by the water jets!
A train was spied by the kids and we headed up for the Seuuss train which did a little circuit up and over the rides. It was nice. When we came down we bumped into these guys who the kids mobbed!
we walked out of this area and onto the next which I can tremember what its called but we didnt do anything in it and went through to the Dinosaur area. First stop was the climbing wall for our oldest.
he's only just turned 6 and thats a BIG wall! he did really well and got straight up to the top in quick time and then absailed back down ... what a little star!
the water ride was broken down so we walked up to the Dino ride that goes through the air (cant remember the name) but it had a wait time of 70 minutes!! Bearing in mind the park was EMPTY I cant understand that and we werent going to hang around that long so we continued on.
littlie the car nut had to get a piccy with this cool truck!
next stop was over to the Popeye area and the dh couldnt resist this pic of me and a very apptly named stand ..... my nickname, for which everybody I know calls me, is Frosty (apparantly I'm a frosty old tart!) and this has been my alter ego for over 20 years now.
we stood over the bridge of the ripshaw falls and decided this was a MUST do! we had to get wet and pnchos are for wussys so off we went, me dh, oldest boy and BIL. Walked straight on and off we went .... holy crap we got wet!! teasing you by a couple of little drops with water splashed at you and then the final big drop ... my boy was terrified and loved it all at the same time! shame our youngest was too short as he would have killed for this ride.
Off the the boat for a play and let the boys run some steam off.
It was gone 1pm by this point and we had to get some grub so we wondered off into the comic strip area to get it and do some rides. WOW what an area of the park, great themeing, really visual and we loved it!
after the obligatory burger/wrap/salad/pasta lunch it was 2.30 and we needed to get to Spiderman 4D. But on the way we met a couple of friends out to save the world ...
now our youngest just made the height for Spidey 4D, 40ins, and we hadnt heard much about this ride so assumed it was fairly placid. There was a 15 minute wait and we went through quickly. At the front of the queue ready to get on the ride a kid was just under the height limit and his dad was not taking no for an answer! The kid was about 1/2 an inch off and he had him looking up to the roof and tilt his head to get the height up, the CM wasnt having any of it and a full blown row was excalating so the CM just called a manager immediately and let him deal with it!
anyway ...... on we get and OMG!!! this ride was WILD! we got thrown around everywhere, the seating does not support you enough, our glasses flew off and the kids just looked terror stricken. Its a very clever ride and was brilliant!! we got outside and the kids very quietly just said it was awesome in a dumbstruck terror kind of way LOL!!
we went over to the Spidey Store and waited in line for our official spidey picture and got a great one ... was funny when the kids went up and asked if he remembered them from breakfast time this morning ..... of course he did he said!!
Last stop of the day was the tea cup (storm something or other they call it) and then HULK!!!
we LOVED hulk, no wait, walk straight on so dh held the kids whilst I went and vice versa. We each went on 4 times. love love love that ride, totally awesome.
It was 4pm by now and ready for home. We loved IAO, we could have done more but we were ready for home, had no meltdowns and we'd be back for more on our next trip to Orlando so we didnt push our luck.
Universal I would say definately equates Disney in terms of themeing, less on the atmosphere though, and it was earily quiet for some reason in the park which was great for us as we just wondered through and did what we wanted.
It was another great day, more lovely weather, just Magic Kingdom to go and then we'd be heading home.
Despite a problem with our tickets not scanning, then new ones issued, them not scanning, a 3rd set given to us which did work we got through the gates and into the Confisco Grill for brekkie with Spiderman on time at 9am.
The boys almost hurled themselves at Spidey when he came into the restaurant but it was a wait until he'd been to a few table before he got to us so they were placated with waffles and syrup for the moment.
When Spidey arrived he spent a good 5 mintues with them talking, chatting, answering all the questions they had for him ...... and there were LOTS! inclding the difficulties of going to the loo with the outfit on (our oldest was very interested in this as it takes him ages to get his spidey outfit off when going to the loo!). It was great, they loved him and were chuffed to bits to see him again. Things 1 and 2 also came by and played naughty with the kids which had them in fits. Its a great character breakfast and both times we've been its been very quiet and they get lots of time with the characters.
we came out of breakfast to a very empty looking park - Disney this is not! and headed straight off to Cat in the Hat area for a ride on the carousel and then a ride through the Cat in the Hat house .... OMG the kids LOVED this and we went on it 3 times, just straight on and straight back again! They say no photos but I risked it and grabbed some .... until they yelled at me over the loud speaker to stop!!
onto the next ride and it was the flying goldfish ... not a fast or mad ride but the kids loved it and getting squirted by the water jets!
A train was spied by the kids and we headed up for the Seuuss train which did a little circuit up and over the rides. It was nice. When we came down we bumped into these guys who the kids mobbed!
we walked out of this area and onto the next which I can tremember what its called but we didnt do anything in it and went through to the Dinosaur area. First stop was the climbing wall for our oldest.
he's only just turned 6 and thats a BIG wall! he did really well and got straight up to the top in quick time and then absailed back down ... what a little star!
the water ride was broken down so we walked up to the Dino ride that goes through the air (cant remember the name) but it had a wait time of 70 minutes!! Bearing in mind the park was EMPTY I cant understand that and we werent going to hang around that long so we continued on.
littlie the car nut had to get a piccy with this cool truck!
next stop was over to the Popeye area and the dh couldnt resist this pic of me and a very apptly named stand ..... my nickname, for which everybody I know calls me, is Frosty (apparantly I'm a frosty old tart!) and this has been my alter ego for over 20 years now.
we stood over the bridge of the ripshaw falls and decided this was a MUST do! we had to get wet and pnchos are for wussys so off we went, me dh, oldest boy and BIL. Walked straight on and off we went .... holy crap we got wet!! teasing you by a couple of little drops with water splashed at you and then the final big drop ... my boy was terrified and loved it all at the same time! shame our youngest was too short as he would have killed for this ride.
Off the the boat for a play and let the boys run some steam off.
It was gone 1pm by this point and we had to get some grub so we wondered off into the comic strip area to get it and do some rides. WOW what an area of the park, great themeing, really visual and we loved it!
after the obligatory burger/wrap/salad/pasta lunch it was 2.30 and we needed to get to Spiderman 4D. But on the way we met a couple of friends out to save the world ...
now our youngest just made the height for Spidey 4D, 40ins, and we hadnt heard much about this ride so assumed it was fairly placid. There was a 15 minute wait and we went through quickly. At the front of the queue ready to get on the ride a kid was just under the height limit and his dad was not taking no for an answer! The kid was about 1/2 an inch off and he had him looking up to the roof and tilt his head to get the height up, the CM wasnt having any of it and a full blown row was excalating so the CM just called a manager immediately and let him deal with it!
anyway ...... on we get and OMG!!! this ride was WILD! we got thrown around everywhere, the seating does not support you enough, our glasses flew off and the kids just looked terror stricken. Its a very clever ride and was brilliant!! we got outside and the kids very quietly just said it was awesome in a dumbstruck terror kind of way LOL!!
we went over to the Spidey Store and waited in line for our official spidey picture and got a great one ... was funny when the kids went up and asked if he remembered them from breakfast time this morning ..... of course he did he said!!
Last stop of the day was the tea cup (storm something or other they call it) and then HULK!!!
we LOVED hulk, no wait, walk straight on so dh held the kids whilst I went and vice versa. We each went on 4 times. love love love that ride, totally awesome.
It was 4pm by now and ready for home. We loved IAO, we could have done more but we were ready for home, had no meltdowns and we'd be back for more on our next trip to Orlando so we didnt push our luck.
Universal I would say definately equates Disney in terms of themeing, less on the atmosphere though, and it was earily quiet for some reason in the park which was great for us as we just wondered through and did what we wanted.
It was another great day, more lovely weather, just Magic Kingdom to go and then we'd be heading home.
we said we wouldnt next year after we got home ... but then my BF from the UK called and said she's booked and would be meeting us there - whether we liked it or not!! so its purely a duty vacation .....
