"Guess who`s back"...3 Return for 3 Weeks @ RPR. Parks, KSC with lots of good food and fun...A May 2023 TR

[schumigirl]

Morning

It looks so generic that you could be anywhere. It must make for a bit of a long bland workday. I’d want to be in one of the fun colourful busy hotels with a bit of energy going on.

Dear love him. Being sick on holidays seems so unfair. You work all year to get to your time off and then you don’t feel you’re getting your best out of it. He is a trooper though to be able to keep going. You’d probably find me buried under a duvet somewhere

I think you summed it up there, it had no energy about it, the other hotels feel quite vibrant in comparison. Even their Christmas Trees when we visited in December once were very plain and uninteresting...and I love Christmas Trees of all kinds!

Looking back he said he still had a fabulous time and did more than he thought, but yes, I`d be under that duvet too!!

Have a good one....I`m off to make some more tea, been up since 4.30, I think the seagulls woke me this morning!!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

T”was the dawn chorus that woke me at 4.45 no less. I haven’t got as far as tea yet. Enjoy your cuppa

 

[jump00]

Hello Carole,
Where is the line for UOAP holders to enter into the parks? I know you’ve mentioned this before but we have never been able to locate them.

 

[schumigirl]

T”was the dawn chorus that woke me at 4.45 no less. I haven’t got as far as tea yet. Enjoy your cuppa

Nature is noisy at times!!

Yep, tea was good!

 

[schumigirl]

Hello Carole,
Where is the line for UOAP holders to enter into the parks? I know you’ve mentioned this before but we have never been able to locate them.

They don`t have it open all the time, it`s part of the AP appreciation times. It only ran this time from May 1st through the 26th I think that month.

When it does run you veer to the left at the lighthouse and it`s in there, it will be well signposted when it happens

 

[jump00]

They don`t have it open all the time, it`s part of the AP appreciation times. It only ran this time from May 1st through the 26th I think that month.

When it does run you veer to the left at the lighthouse and it`s in there, it will be well signposted when it happens

 

[schumigirl]

Walking into The Lost Continent is always quite impressive, it is one of the nicest areas and is a very photogenic area.

Today we didn`t but you can wander round the other side of Mythos and you can see across the lagoon and get a very good view of Velocicoaster, Hulk and so on, and of course don`t forget to listen out for the Troll who lives under the bridge as you walk towards the front of the building. You can hear him clearly if you listen. I always remember once telling someone about the Troll as we were walking past it, they looked at us as if we head three heads, don`t think they ever did believe us.....lol.....I kept my yap shut next time we passed someone at that part of the walkway.

Also have a look in the water, they have fish that can be quite creepy.....we thought of Austin Powers and his ill-tempered mutant seabass when we saw them like this, quite disconcerting to be honest.












Mythos, although not our favourite place to eat at all anymore, there`s no denying it is one of the most impressive buildings in the parks, it is stunning and it is very pretty inside. Although, it is one of the coldest places on the planet!! I have on occasion in the past when we did eat there, get half way through a meal and had to go outside to warm up as I was shivering with cold, genuinely, take something to even wrap around your shoulders if you do feel the cold. My two found it hilarious I had to go outside to get warm!

I kept saying to Tom, Janet will laugh when I tell her I miss Poseidon`s Fury now it`s gone after years of avoiding it like the plague.....I was wrong!!

The store here is lovely inside, and considering how hot it is today, we enjoyed the cool for a time as we wandered round.

They do have some really interesting artifacts and some lovely little jewellery items around, but it is for us, just a store to wander around as I don`t think we have ever bought something from it.

Tom says he thinks we have a million pictures of everything in the parks, he`s probably right, but having newer pictures saves me going back through loads of trip reports that have too many pages to go through. It`s the same with SmugMug where I store my pictures, if you are looking for one picture that`s stored within thousands of pictures, it takes a millenium! So that`s my excuse for taking pictures of the same things on a lot of trips.

And one of the nicest things to do aside from the rides in the parks is to talk to the Mystic Fountain who according to legend was trapped in the stone by the evil Miseria. The Fountain is incredibly engaging and very funny at times too. As well as continually soaking kids and adults alike, it converses with everyone on different levels and some of the jokes go well over the kids heads, he is very funny when you listen.

It`s such a shame more often than not, the area behind is closed off for either the Hagrid line or the doors are just locked off. The area behind is incredibly pretty and was always peaceful as very few folks wandered up here, but hopefully it`ll be open again full time.

Hogsmeade is our next stop today, we plan to do FJ and they want to do the Hippogriff which is a little too rough to be honest, yes, it`s a kiddy ride, but a one and done for me each trip. It is a good one though.

They have taken to having a chain around the HE last few times, it was always open to go up and stand beside it, the Station Master told us they had a problem with muggles climbing on it.

It`s quite an impressive entrance to Hogsmeade and a very nice photo op.....a lady offered to take one picture of the three of us....well, lets say she made me look like an expert in photography!! I don`t think any of our heads or toes were in it, which is quite impressive in itself and it was a blur! But, it was very kind of her to offer.

Hogsmeade is simply beautifully built and you can see every part of the wonderful JK Rowling`s vivid imagination in every corner of the parks, the detail is incredible and completely faultless. She created a masterpiece and every time we walk into either park, it does take our breath away.

The tower above the clock only occasionally opens up to reveal a bird popping in and out, we`ve seen it twice on both occasions it was our Christmas trip. We did wonder if they were going to have it happen regularly like a town clock over here that strikes every 15 minutes, but so far it has just been a rarity.

It is lovely walking through, we tend not to go into many shops here, except HoneyDuke`s, usually on the way out. We don`t shop for wands unless its a gift and they are usually so busy!

Someone was enjoying being out in the sunshine and heat again!

FJ is a walk on today again, on our next trip we plan to walk through and get some more pictures of the castle inside, we haven`t done that in a long time.

This ride is one not to miss. It can cause some issues with folks who have motion issues, but it`s not as bad as Simpsons. There is only one part that knocks me funny and it`s over very quickly, but I can usually do this ride once, maybe twice in a day and be ok. It`s worth trying as it isn`t too bad compared to others, for me.

The line to get into Hippogriff is a nice little walk, of course having EP can make a difference, the regular line this morning wasn`t too bad, it can be surprisingly long some days for such an itty bitty ride.

People often say they manage fine without EP and that`s wonderful for them, I`m glad they can do it, but we have no desire to stand in the heat of the day in lines that move slowly for a very short ride usually, so we wouldn`t be without EP on our trips, it`s very much worth it to us to have it.

On the second one I opted out as it is a little juddery for me, but they go back on and I volunteer to be photographer for them.

And they were done.

As I waited for them to come off, I had been thinking what a beautiful day it had been and completely uneventful.......I turned to walk off and I heard a woman yell, she had been hit in the leg by one of those wagons. She was not happy and I can`t say I blame her, I think those things are ridiculous and usually filled with folks stuff and not kids. I honestly wish they were banned, maybe not a popular opinion but they are a menace. The two women were getting into it and a group of TM`s approached and settled it. I heard the wagon woman yelling they needed it for all their crp for the day....well, all well and good but if we all brought one you`d never be able to move!! These things are worse than huge himalayan climbers backpacks some folks wear, we even saw a double decker version that was huge!!!

Rant over.....

The incident was smoothed out and the TM did ask the woman to be more careful.....her reaction didn`t look positive.

My two came off in time to see the end of the row and I quickly filled them in on the little incident that had just occurred.

More to come.....

 

[disneyseniors]

Hi Carole, beautiful pictures as always.
I'm glad you can tolerate FJ, but I did it once and that was enough for me. It was just too jerky and I felt like I was going to go upside down
You are very lucky to have seen the bird that comes out of the top of the clock tower. I have never seen it but will look for it next time.
It's too bad they had to rope off the train! Some people ruin things for others. I don't get why they think they can climb on anything at the parks, Oh well!
I confess that I've never seen the Fountain before!!! We must have walked on by it, but will find it next time. I agree with not liking to eat in cold restaurants. Some of those restaurants think that setting the temp on freezing is the thing to do. I know they have to keep it cold due to the heat, but???? When I eat at a restaurant I want the hot food to be Hot. That's always a problem for me. Roger likes his food warm, but I still get things hot and hope he doesn't burn his mouth, LOL!
As far as the woman with the wagon? I think Disney doesn't allow those big wagons anymore. I hope Universal bans them too.
So glad to be following along and getting my Universal "fix".

ruth

 

[schumigirl]

Hi Carole, beautiful pictures as always.
I'm glad you can tolerate FJ, but I did it once and that was enough for me. It was just too jerky and I felt like I was going to go upside down
You are very lucky to have seen the bird that comes out of the top of the clock tower. I have never seen it but will look for it next time.
It's too bad they had to rope off the train! Some people ruin things for others. I don't get why they think they can climb on anything at the parks, Oh well!
I confess that I've never seen the Fountain before!!! We must have walked on by it, but will find it next time. I agree with not liking to eat in cold restaurants. Some of those restaurants think that setting the temp on freezing is the thing to do. I know they have to keep it cold due to the heat, but???? When I eat at a restaurant I want the hot food to be Hot. That's always a problem for me. Roger likes his food warm, but I still get things hot and hope he doesn't burn his mouth, LOL!
As far as the woman with the wagon? I think Disney doesn't allow those big wagons anymore. I hope Universal bans them too.
So glad to be following along and getting my Universal "fix".

ruth

Thanks Ruth,

I think the Fountain is maybe easy to pass if you`re not looking that way as you head to Hogsmeade, but you`ll have to seek it out next trip. As for the tower, twice in all the years since it`s been built we`ve seen the bird come out, we look every time, just in case.

I love going into aircon when it`s hot, but jeez it just gets too cold in that one! I dont like hot food going cold either, if it`s hot it should be sizzling.

We met so many people that all said the same thing about the wagons, yes, I wish they would ban them, but doubt they will.

Glad you`re enjoying it Ruth

 

[keishashadow]

Nice read thru catching up! Good to see Kyle with some color back in his cheeks In the latter pics

I`m still not fond of it though despite it moving very slow. If you hate heights, that never changes.

since it moves so slowly, I’ve avoided that sort of attraction, same with Ferris Wheels. Meanwhile, no issue with coasters, strange

Universal don`t hang around when they decide to build something.

So true, thinking they are willing to pay the contractors & subs a bit more via performance bonuses

Oh Uber drivers. Our son says the same about us - we get the strangest ones.

Lol did notice on Lyft recently you can select a “quiet ride”. Not a bad idea

Tom`s dad was Captain of the tug boat pictured below for many years,

how many people can say that?

Those pictures are STUNNING!!!! Europe is on my bucket list for sure. DH doesn't want to go...but I know that my sisters do. So my trips to Europe will probably be with them - and hopefully maybe even Mom. It really looks amazing.

Exactly the word that came to my mind.

That sunset is perfection

We have never waited for a table, but I had heard some days especially a Friday evening the waits can be quite long

yep, have had short waits even on weekday evenings

This is what a bento box should look like and not like the ones from Cowfish which have fries and edamame beans.

Absolutely. The one restaurant in citiwalk I really want to like but, can’t.

She was so very special, and I`ve had folks comment on here, privately and not to me directly, that we barely knew her, true we didn`t know her long but there was a connection for sure and we were very close. I miss her a lot.

Wow. What is to be gained by anyone sharing that sort of nasty nugget?

We are always impressed by Loews buffets and brunches,

have wondered why they don’t offer one monthly, I’m sure there is a market for it if they would promote it, especially to the locals

There`s just a sense of emptiness here thoughout the hotel

Another place I thot we’d appreciate as the mr is fond of that sort of hotel design. Nope. Most of that sort are vibrant with a hip undertone. while the building is indeed modern, it’s oddly laid out. I realize to fit on the sliver of land available. Pool is so oddly placed. other than the rooftop area, during our stay it struck me as rather sterile, devoid of any sort of emotions

The cocktails are unispiring too, there`s nothing special or exciting and we didn`t find them to give a particularly good pour and staff were just ok we found.

You can tell we`re not fans!!!!

even tho we do keep returning for that sunset, you’ve pretty much summed it up.

One thing they should tell guests in Cabana Bay and the towers is folks up here can clearly see into some rooms, you don`t have to look too hard, not something most folks would be comfortable with

Haha as one who didn’t close their drapery on a CB trip until they visited the A rooftop lounge volunteer the need for plaque by the draperies, indicating those rooms are fishbowls.

 

[schumigirl]

Nice read thru catching up! Good to see Kyle with some color back in his cheeks In the latter pics


since it moves so slowly, I’ve avoided that sort of attraction, same with Ferris Wheels. Meanwhile, no issue with coasters, strange

So true, thinking they are willing to pay the contractors & subs a bit more via performance bonuses

Lol did notice on Lyft recently you can select a “quiet ride”. Not a bad idea

how many people can say that?

Exactly the word that came to my mind.

That sunset is perfection

yep, have had short waits even on weekday evenings

Absolutely. The one restaurant in citiwalk I really want to like but, can’t.

Wow. What is to be gained by anyone sharing that sort of nasty nugget?

have wondered why they don’t offer one monthly, I’m sure there is a market for it if they would promote it, especially to the locals

Another place I thot we’d appreciate as the mr is fond of that sort of hotel design. Nope. Most of that sort are vibrant with a hip undertone. while the building is indeed modern, it’s oddly laid out. I realize to fit on the sliver of land available. Pool is so oddly placed. other than the rooftop area, during our stay it struck me as rather sterile, devoid of any sort of emotions

even tho we do keep returning for that sunset, you’ve pretty much summed it up.

Haha as one who didn’t close their drapery on a CB trip until they visited the A rooftop lounge volunteer the need for plaque by the draperies, indicating those rooms are fishbowls.

Janet, I`m no longer surprised what folks will say thinking it`s private, but, ignore is the best option unless they say it again of course.

lol...I was amazed how clear you could see in those rooms, we didn`t look of course once we realised you could see folks in their nightwear and less!!

The sunset is really all I`d tell folks to go up for, yes devoid of any emotion and very sterile, although they did very well fitting a hotel onto as you described, a sliver of land.

I like Cowfish burgers, but their sushi leaves me cold and I do shake my head at their Bento Boxes.

I wondered if there is a lot of waste at these buffets so it`s maybe not feasable to do them regularly instead keeping them for special occasions. It would be nice though to have them more often, we`d go for sure!

Glad you`re all caught up and always good to see you post

 

[schumigirl]

We visited the bathroom before we left Hogsmeade and one of the nice things about the ladies, and usually you don`t hear that said about bathrooms, but, the ladies in Hogsmeade is quite interesting as you can hear Moaning Myrtle groaning and moaning her day away in there. It`s funny seeing folks faces when waiting or washing their hands as they kinda wonder if they`re hearing what they think they`re hearing.

Wandering through we pass the Watering Hole which has been there forever, we were glad to see it wasn`t removed as they revamped the area back when they removed Duelling Dragons for Potter.

It sits slightly opposite where the original lockers used to be for DD, and is a nice little area to sit in the shade for a while and enjoy a nice little cocktail, and the drinks are very nice, I will absolutely recommend them for a pit stop.

We were feeling the heat today, we drank a lot of water all the way round the parks, everywhere sells bottled water which we always drink in the parks, we don`t touch the fountains and never really think about the freestyle machines, it`s just easy to pick up a bottle when we feel like it.

This pizza place is again somewhere we`ve never eaten at since 2007, so I`m not the best person to ask how the food is there, it is usually fairly busy but I`m not sure about whether we would try it again.

Don`t listen to folks who say you won`t get soaked on JPRA or you`ll absolutely get soaked, there`s just no guarantees on this one. Depending on how the boat is loaded is the only influence on how wet you`ll get and doesn`t matter where you sit either, it`s the luck of the load.

We`ve come off bone dry and the row behind us have been drenched and we`ve come off drenched and everything in between. It`s a fun ride with a good drop at the end and definitely not one to miss. Although we did miss it today.....none of us felt like getting soaked.

We did go on Kong today, mainly to get a break from the heat, for some reason we were all feeling it today and I`m always so glad we don`t have to do full days in the park as I don`t think we`d enjoy it as much, but doing a few hours each day suits our way of travelling, I know it`s not the way most folks do it, but for us it works.

Kong is a ride that should have been better than it is, don`t get me wrong it is a good ride but the exterior is so impressive, I think I expected more and it`s one we do maybe once or twice a trip as long as the EP line isn`t long and we have seen it stretch back to the main entrance, we passed that time and came back out.

Again, today we weren`t doing the water rides but we always enjoy watching Dudley do Right`s, this is one you will be completely drenched on!! No escaping on this one alongside Bluto`s river rapids, you will get soaked through.

I do like this ride, but the ride vehicles are the worst in the park for getting in and out of. They are ok for getting in, but getting out is awkward for many folks not just if you are larger, you need to pull yourself up and out and it`s something that does put me off riding it too many times...in saying that, while it is not the most technical of rides, it does have a darn good drop and the added benefit of cooling you down for a time!!

The new UOAP Lounge had opened up in this park, and for us it`s not somewhere we spend a lot of time in. When it was in The Studios we popped in, had a look and left. And this one was just the same, we don`t collect any AP items like magnets and so on so it`s not a place we have to go to. There are a few seats but calling it a lounge doesn`t make a lot of sense to me, it is basically now a store that sells stuff with a few seats and charger points.

We really did only spend a few minutes in there today, and we did marvel at how much merchandise they have added compared to the previous store which it really is, calling it a lounge is stretching a little.

Toon lagoon is by far the most colourful area of the park, moreso even than Seuss. It is bright and in your face colourful and is filled with some obscure characters, not everyone has heard of Hagar the Horrible and today some kids haven`t heard of Popeye.

Popeye certainly has an impact on this area as it does have one amazing ride with his name on it.

I quite like the Comic Strip Cafe menu, it looks not too bad but I think it was better years back, although again it`s not somewhere we`ve eaten in years, most folks reading know we are not folks who eat a lot of counter service places. This one never gets great reviews but again, it`s always busy when it opens.

We meandered round to do Spider-Man and Doom before heading out, we were a little surprised today to see the regular line was almost out the door. Holy Moly!! It was mobbed, and every day when we see rides like this we thank our lucky stars for EP.

We only stopped at the part of the line you can see where single riders come through, so it wasn`t too bad at all, we were on and off within 10 minutes. We love Spider-Man, it is a fabulous ride and one for all the family to enjoy. This is another ride like Doom we can do over and over again on most days.

Doom is up next, the regular line wasn`t too bad here, but it was around 40 minutes, EP was more or less a walk on again.

​

We got the row where you can see over into the distance behind the parks and today you could see for miles, not that there`s much to see, a lot of space really, but it`s still nice to see for that split second.

This was another new spot for me this year.....I had never noticed it as we exited Doom in the past, but it caught my eye as we left today.

We were heading out the park now as we wanted to eat, but going through POE we saw some of the newer characters out and about, all in fitting with the theme of this area. For years they didn`t have any characters at all here, but it is nice to see them, didn`t see the Mayor and his entourage today, he is a funny guy.

The exit to the parks is also very pretty with some vibrantly coloured buildings all themed to fit in too, it is extremely well done and always something to notice here.

Port Provisions sitting at the exit offers some classic park items, usually Jaws merchandise of old can be found here as well as some rather unique items that have just gone past their prime, sometimes they have a better selection than other times, it`s just your luck. We did buy Kyle a Jaws item a few years back that he still has.

One of my favourite views within UOR.

This is one view whenever I show people who have never been to UOR are always a little bit amazed it is within a theme park setting, it could be anywhere, it`s so pretty.

Lunch, shopping and a new dining experience coming up!

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

And I am back and all caught up (sorry couple chaotic weeks here between previously scheduled events, health issues-we are all ok and thankfully some of us have answers and are managing well; and work its been crazy!


The mutant sea bass had me howling!

Such amazing pictures of that food-one day I will get to Eddie V's! And those views from Aventura and from the Orlando Eye were incredible!


Last, but most definitely not least-I believe in signs, especially after a loved one passes. That waiter was a sign from Lindsey no doubt. <3

 

[erinch]

Our daughter Meredith, when she was 8 or 9, only wanted to hang out with the Fountain. It was hard to pull her away to go ride things!

 

[schumigirl]

And I am back and all caught up (sorry couple chaotic weeks here between previously scheduled events, health issues-we are all ok and thankfully some of us have answers and are managing well; and work its been crazy!


The mutant sea bass had me howling!

Such amazing pictures of that food-one day I will get to Eddie V's! And those views from Aventura and from the Orlando Eye were incredible!


Last, but most definitely not least-I believe in signs, especially after a loved one passes. That waiter was a sign from Lindsey no doubt. <3

Glad you`re doing ok BH!

That picture of the fish really did freak me out a little when we saw them like that.....lol....Austin Powers was my first thought!

The views from those places are very nice, sure it ain`t Vegas, but you do get a decent look around on good days.

I do believe in signs for sure.

Good to see you back!

 

[schumigirl]

Our daughter Meredith, when she was 8 or 9, only wanted to hang out with the Fountain. It was hard to pull her away to go ride things!

lol.....the fountain is a very fun thing to watch and listen to, it is addictive and I couldn`t think how long we`ve stood, watched and listened to it......so I can imagine how much fun it would be for a child!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

the ladies in Hogsmeade is quite interesting as you can hear Moaning Myrtle groaning and moaning her day away in there.

Wandering through we pass the Watering Hole which has been there forever,

You always know the best drinking spots

I`m always so glad we don`t have to do full days in the park as I don`t think we`d enjoy it as much, but doing a few hours each day suits our way of travelling, I know it`s not the way most folks do it, but for us it works.

Snap! This is exactly how we like to do the parks.

Bluto`s river rapids

I haven’t been to UO in a few years now but this was family favourite especially during those hot summer days.

 

[schumigirl]

The Lone Palm is nice for drinks and snacks, it overlooks the lagoon and the only down side for us they allow smoking there, and that we cannot abide, such a shame as it would be lovely to sit there especially on an evening and enjoy a drink or two outside, but it won`t change anytime soon.

Kyle didn`t feel like eating right now, so we grabbed a picture and he headed home, he had a bit of a headache and of course I had forgotten to bring the paracetemol, so we said we`d have lunch then head back when we were done, then we planned to head to Mall at Millenia where of course Kyle would have some fudge cake from the CF.

It really was blazing hot today, so walking in to the aircon was a delight.

We checked the bar and there were plenty of seats available, so we chose two and immediately I ordered my beloved Blackberry Margarita, Tom who would be driving ordered their strawberry lemonade which is very nice, but not quite the same!!

Chatting to the barman I mentioned the barman who used to work there years ago who was a wrestler, went by the name of Irish Jack, he was called John or Jack in real life, he had left to go wrestle full time, turns out he`s back and I missed him!!! It was Irish Jack that first put me on to the flavoured margaritas, he was a lot of fun and always called us "Hey Scotland" when we walked in......lol.....but that was a lot of years ago.

The barmen here are always very good at their jobs, chatting and encouraging you to try other drinks......and it works on me everytime, but today I did want to try something different without any encouragement, so I asked for their Spicy Mango Margarita, not sure why I never ordered it before, although I was a little blinded by the blackberry one.

They do a very good pour here!!!

Finally we ordered some food, Tom is very predicatable in here, it`s either the burger in paradise or the club sandwich, he knows what he likes for sure. Today the sandwich won.

Can I say, this sandwich is massive!! You could feed a family of 3 on this alone, but it is always lovely, always fresh and always worth ordering for Tom. He got fries with it and it comes as usual with a pickle.

I went for the Southern Stack Burger with a side salad and honey mustard, I did ask for no cheese but the kitchen missed it, I just pulled it off as I really don`t like cheese on a burger.

I never eat the bun, so this was a not too bad sized lunch, if I eat the bun it`s just too much, especially at lunchtime. The burger is always nice and the pulled pork although maybe a little cool, was lovely.

Both dishes were lovely, the burger was cooked as I asked and the salad was fresh, Tom`s was just lovely according to him, he does love a sandwich!

Lunch had been lovely, and good company from the barmen today, we`ve been lucky over the years with having the most amazing barmen around not only the hotels but in Citywalk restaurants too. So we paid up and set off to walk home and although it was hotter than Hades, the walk was lovely.

We got back home and Kyle was on the ipad and had been showered and changed, he still wasn`t great after having such a decent morning, but he was determined to keep going as much as he could.

Once we were showered and changed, we headed down to get the car and make the short drive to the Mall. The I-4 is never quiet, but as long as there are no delays we`re happy and it really only does take 5 minutes to get there. Parking can be a hit or miss and today we were lucky with a space opening up nearer the entrance....timing is everything.

Once inside we went in to the CF and Kyle ordered his Linda`s Chocolate Fudge Cake.....we got it to take away and we would go upstairs to the food court for him to eat it, we didn`t want anything at all except we got a strawberry lemonade from one of the counters here and Kyle got some water.

I honestly don`t know how he eats this!!

Not only is it huge, it is incredibly rich and sometimes Tom can`t finish one when he gets it, but my son who is very lean indeed due to being a runner, can demolish one of these and not even blink.

Always makes him smile.....

Today, he did struggle a little....but there was not a crumb left on the tray it was served in!!

This is a nice food court, plenty of choices for just about everyone and it is immaculately clean throughout, as is the whole mall.

It really is a favourite Mall of ours and we spend many hours over a trip wandering around and making purchases too, there are so many stores we love hear but we do miss the Yankee Candle store and Lindt who were both removed for not being "high end enough" What rot. Yes, they might not be high end stores but they were always busy and very much missed.

It`s light and airy and there are some lovely little areas to sit and pass the time of day along the mall on both ends and it never seems overly busy anytime we have visited, even on a Saturday afternoon in the past.

Today I wanted to buy some new make up and some of the Chanel perfume I wear, we usually buy from Macy`s, we had the same girl who worked for Clinique for years, she knew what I liked and my skin type, but last few years she hasn`t worked there. Now there are three ladies who don`t speak the best English that work the counter, they are not the friendliest either and part of purchasing make up is being able to converse and feel comfortable, I didn`t feel that with these ladies. They also chatted among themselves speaking their own language which I find to be a little rude when they have customers.

Long story short, I now buy what I need in Bloomingdales. The ladies there and even one man are lovely and it was a very different experience. So, I managed to pick up all the items I wanted from the Clinique counter and a few extra little items I hadn`t planned on buying, but it`s nice to have something different too as well as old favourites with make up. Next we headed to the Chanel counter and got the largest bottle they offer and he asked if I wanted some samples, I told him no thanks as I only wear the one Chanel perfume, I told him the others I had tried were not for me!!! One of my friends wears No5 and 19 and they smell lovely on her, not so much on me so I stick to the ones I know suit me as well as this chanel!!

We head to Mont Blanc next, every trip Kyle makes a purchase from here as a treat to himself and they are lovely products from pens to wallets to belts, in fact one of Kyle`s bosses joked with us Kyle`s Mont Blanc pen, is actually better than his!! It is actually, last time we went in for a meeting I noticed his pen and yes, Kyle`s is nicer!

Staff are usually very nice in here, but today we got the guy with a bug up his butt.....being honest I`d have left, but there isn`t another around.

I had went looking at the next window so they had gone in first, by the time I came in Tom had a look and I thought oh oh.....he quietly said the guy was being a little condescending.

To our son!!!!

​

I was immediately annoyed as my son is incredibly well mannered, very polite and would never be condescending to anyone, so someone acting like that to him got right up my beak!!

But, we kept it nice, Kyle made his purchase which was a lovely bottle of cologne, one of the nicer scents he had tried and we left being ultra polite to this man who did have an air of superiority about him, I think we must have looked like hobo`s to him. I hate stores like that, and something we had never experienced in this Mall before. But, he was happy with his purchase which was all that mattered.

At this point we had all we wanted, so headed home and we chatted a while in the lobby to a few folks then they both wanted to snooze, so I went to the Club Lounge and sat with my ipad and chatted till eventually Tom came down to join me. He said Kyle was still sleeping and seemed to have gone backwards after such a lovely morning. I wasn`t sure he`d want to join us for dinner tonight.

I had some wine, Tom had coffee as he`d be driving, and we passed a couple of hours in there just enjoying the time and company. We met some lovely folks in the lounge this trip again, other guests sometimes chatted, sometimes they didn`t, but over our trip we mostly met some lovely people.

Tonight, I was tempted to try the chicken again, as it was lovely and one of the better additions to the revolving menu on offer, it wasn`t too spicy but had some flavour and had been a very popular addition to the lounge.

But, we didn`t sample any of it tonight as we wanted to be ready for dinner later, we planned to go to Bonefish Grill, it had been years since we had last visited even though we did really like it, but there are just so many choices around.

We left the lounge and back in the room Kyle did feel ok to come with us, but he did not look as well as he could do, he was pale and I was really impressed with how he was powering through whatever was ailing him this trip.

The Bonefish we opted to go to was near Seaworld, someone had suggested to us it was decent and we`d enjoy it, good enough for us then as we do like to have some personal recommendations.

We immediately liked it when we went in, no wait for a table and we got a nice booth which looked through to the bar area too which was incredibly busy, good to see though as we much prefer to go to a place that is crowded as opposed to being empty.

Our waitress was lovely, very nice and offered up some extra details when we said we had never been here before, I ordered a glass of Malbec and Kyle stuck to water and Tom a lemonade.

The bread was nice, but the Olive Oil was supreme!! Must have been the nicest one we tried yet, so we did eat more bread than we planned to, but it`s so tempting!!

We opted to share the Ahi Tuna appetiser, it was rather large so I think one person would struggle with it a little, but it was gorgeous, just the right amount of searing although the outside pieces were completely overdone, but that was ok as every other slice was perfect.

Tom and Kyle both ordered the filet, they were 7oz and came with fries and coleslaw, although Tom got green beans which are a veg I loathe with a passion!!! Veg of the devil along with any other kind of bean, imo of course....

Tom also added a side of shrimp skewers to his meal and it all looked rather lovely.

Both their steaks were immaculately cooked....almost rare, just the way we all like them and they were full of flavour, they were so glad they had ordered them.

For me, I`m always wary of getting a steak somewhere I don`t know as I am incredibly fussy about steak.....soooooooo I went for the Mahi Mahi, a fish I love and always enjoy whenever I see it on a menu, I also asked for a side of shrimp.

What could go wrong.

Looks good doesn`t it.....

The fish was cold and although these types of fish tend to be firm, this one was hard

I called our waitress over and told her the issue, her demeanour immediately changed and she became a little defensive, she disappeared and came back with a plate and said she`d take my fish and have another piece cooked and commented I had eaten a shrimp already! What that had to do with anything I don`t know.....

I said no, I don`t want to eat my fries and coleslaw and then have the fish on it`s own, can I please have a new dish. She very grudgingly took the plate away and I told Tom and Kyle to just carry on eating, I didn`t want their food to cool.

Part of what we love is eating together, it`s a nice experience for us as we`ve always done it as a family, and on vacation too....but, sometimes, there`s not much we can do about it. Our waitress came back and said it would be about 20 minutes as the kitchen was backed up.......we all looked around the restaurant and it wasn`t even half full, so I said leave it please.

At that the manager came over and he was completely different, he was very apologetic, said he had seen the fish, felt it and said it should never have left the kitchen as it was cold and overcooked. He said they were already working on a new plate and it would only be a few minutes, was that ok? I said absolutely fine and he was as good as his word and just before they finished their meals, mine appeared and the manager asked me to check it was ok, which it was. I thanked him and tucked in.

It was nice, but not the dining experience we usually enjoy, however we all agreed we`d go back another trip and try it again. I`d maybe ask for a different waitress.

They took my meal off the check which we didn`t ask for, but it was nice of them and we did give our waitress a decent tip. Not our usual as we are very generous tippers but she did get what she would expect.

The manager came over and again said it wasn`t their usual standard and to contact him if we ever came back which we said we would at some point.

Kyle was whooped now, and it was around 10pm, so we came straight home and Kyle got ready for bed, but we sat a while in the sitting room and I opened my ipad to see I had a reply from Lindsey`s mum.

It was a lovely, heartbreaking, thoughtful and considered email, she knew exactly who we were and was glad to hear from us. She said some very kind and lovely things about us and Lindsey and I felt happy knowing I had finally made contact with her. Reading this reply made my night and meant a lot and we knew we`d keep in touch after this

 

[disneyseniors]

So glad that you got that email from Lindsey's Mom. I'm sure she appreciated hearing from you.
I will be sure to stop at the store you mentioned at the exit of IOA. I absolutely loved the old Jaws ride and would love to get some sort of remembrance of it. I also loved the old King Kong, where Kong held your car and dropped you! It was a fantastic ride too.
I am also a Clinique fan. However, they don't carry my color concealer anymore. They have a generic whitish one which is horrible, and looks exactly like you would think a white concealer would look! I also use their makeup and face powder. I used to buy all of that at our nice department store. Sadly, it has gone the way of most other department stores around here. It closed a while ago even though it was always busy. I tried to buy what I need online at the Clinique store, but can't even get a concealer to match my skin like they used to have. Very frustrating.

It's too bad Kyle had to run into a stuffy, rude salesman at Mont Blanc!
A true story about stuffy people. At our resort, we had several wealthy guests and a certain few of them would come in and sit around talk about all their money!!! However, our one guest only wore jeans with suspenders and tshirts. He was a very funny and nice older man. Come to find out he held the patent on a much used device and was a multimillionaire. You would have never know it from his clothes and demeanor. We found to be true that if someone bragged about their money, they weren't as rich as they pretended. The ones we had as guests who were humble and not showing off could buy and sell the others.

Well, I guess young people can eat whatever they want and still stay slim, even without marathons!!! I used to be able to do that, but I can gain weight just by walking by cake or ice cream But Kyle did look really pale on the Doom ride.
Awaiting more TR

 

[schumigirl]

You always know the best drinking spots

Snap! This is exactly how we like to do the parks.

I haven’t been to UO in a few years now but this was family favourite especially during those hot summer days.

I do like to know where to get the best food and drinks!!

I do admire folks who can do full commando days in the parks, but it`s just not for us, a few hours here and there most days and we`re quite happy, of course EP helps too!

It is certainly one ride that will cool you down for sure!