I’m not going to trust that psychopath! April 15-24th, trip report. I’m back and TR link 9/17*

[disneyAndi14]

Always hate that. I mean... I enjoy any day at Disney... but that last day always comes way too soon.

Same, it comes really fast! The last day is always sad

Even crooks gotta eat.

No kidding, wow I thought it was a bit much especially with my cute Riviera shirt on, cmon!! Those security guys need more to do.

That's a perfect pin

I couldn’t resist when I saw that one, it was perfect for her!

That's true. One more egg on a plate and the whole thing goes bankrupt.

Right? The price already justifies it should be AYCTE

Minnie looks like she's trying to do this to you:

Haha she does! She is very cute in her fancy outfit, she has her pose down!

You're not making this easy! They both look really good.

Both are delicious. I made a mistake in ordering my eggs medium so no running yolk but the eggs actually were very yummy!

Now that you've given them the idea, I'm sure there'll be one... with a hefty fee to get in.

Right, $20.00 drinks and $50.00 charge to enter the terrace bar!

That's called "stalking", Caroline.
Or "stalking Caroline"... whichever.

The security guards must have sent Daisy and Donald to check on me, make sure I wasn’t doing anything wrong

I've yet to see it. Must correct that on a future visit.

It is a really good movie and narrated by Julie Andrews

Huh! I never noticed. And me being a Canadian!

Haha my two hocking love guys noticed right away, funny!

Definitely a good group of rides right there

My favorite rides the only one missing was BTMRR

I sure hope they let them on again.

It was really bad, you couldn’t even hear the wonderful narration and spooky music, just an ear piercing screaming most of the ride, not cool

And you look great! So scared!!!

Ahh thanks! I love HM and having a picture in it now is really fun!

Not surprising. It gets a lot of love on the boards.

The food is delicious and unique

That sounds good! I'd drink that.

This drink is so good. I love it!!

 

[disneyAndi14]

What a blimin brilliant last Disney day! Love it! You sketchy girls certainly had a blast once you got that breakfast down ya
Can’t wait to hear how you get on at universal.

What a blimin brilliant last Disney day! Love it! You sketchy girls certainly had a blast once you got that breakfast down ya
Can’t wait to hear how you get on at universal.

Sorry for the double post, I sure do look sketchy wearing my Riviera tank top, That breakfast with the characters is only for high browsDespite our interrogation, we had a wonderful time. It was a wonderful last day!
We didn’t have much time at Universal Studios but we made the most of it!

 

[disneyAndi14]

What a perfect last Disney day! looking forward to hearing about Universal.

It really was a great day! Universal Studios was a busy but wonderful time!

 

[disneyAndi14]

So cute!

Haha thanks, I keep laughing at my Birkenstocks I was wearing with socks. I had that ankle problem A few years ago and sometimes just wearing my Birkenstocks helps my feet! I can’t wear without socks lol

Sounds like the perfect set up!

It worked great and we got everything done in like 3 hours!

Fun! I can't remember the last time I sat and had a family movie night, everyone is always so busy off doing their own things

Same, I was really happy to have both kids home! No matter the age still my babies It had been awhile having both of them at home.

We had to see this three times in April because my niece loved it! Before that, I hadn't been in years!

It really is a good attraction. I love it and usually very low wait to sit down relax and enjoy the show! The Coco part is such a nice addition

Sounds like it!

It was a wonderful last full Disney day!

Hiii...I just found your trip report and noticed you were at WDW the same time I was in April (my friends and I were there from the 18th-26th).

Nice! It was a great week at Disney!

I will say that those crab wontons were the best thing we ate at Flower and Garden.

I agree, these were delicious. I wish I would have had returned to get these again!

You can be glad you didn't ride BTMR on the 21st after HEA because we decided to ride it and my friends mom who was with us uses a scooter and we were in the back of the car when it broke down on the second hill. We had to be evac'd and it was one of those things I can now say I have done at Disney, but it was scary trying to get out of the car and get on the steps on the hill.

Oh no. I am glad we didn’t ride although I’m always up for a good ride evacuation I’m sure it was scary and at night!
I have only been evacuated from Under the Sea, we were stuck by Ursula forever before they finally had to evacuate us.

 

[pkondz]

Same, it comes really fast! The last day is always sad

Unfortunately.
I think I should look into the possibility of buying a condo on Disney property.

No kidding, wow I thought it was a bit much especially with my cute Riviera shirt on, cmon!! Those security guys need more to do.

I made a mistake in ordering my eggs medium so no running yolk but the eggs actually were very yummy!

Gotta have runny egg yolk. It's a must!

Right, $20.00 drinks and $50.00 charge to enter the terrace bar!

And... we'd pay it!

The security guards must have sent Daisy and Donald to check on me, make sure I wasn’t doing anything wrong

It is a really good movie and narrated by Julie Andrews

I had no idea! Huh!

It was really bad, you couldn’t even hear the wonderful narration and spooky music, just an ear piercing screaming most of the ride, not cool

 

[vamassey1]

I know how important it is to have that vacation time for more trips! You will have to let me know how Dockside is. I have heard the value resorts at Universal are really nice with good food options. I have only stayed at Portofino and Royal Pacific for the EP benefit. Is your September trip with friends or your daughters?

Looks like I'll be spending that first night at Dockside. I'm hoping to try some food there.

I'm going to be with a co-worker, her sister and my co-worker's daughter. I'm hoping to get some time with Danielle around her work schedule. We do plan on doing the Halloween party all together on the 12th.

 

[vamassey1]

Loved your last Disney day. You really packed a lot into one day. Genie + and fancy rides were lined up just right.

 

[Zaranthenia]

We are doing the MNSSHP on 9/4/23

Drat! I'm doing my very first MNSSHP on the 8th! Would have been fun to meet my first DISboard person. I've been reading this last trip report and I can't wait to go back and read the others.

I think I may try and do my own trip report based on my September trip too, you've inspired me! I really enjoy reading everyone's threads and I'd like to add to the joy with my own

 

[beachmama3]

Hi! I am joining way late but loving this TR!! We miss you by two days on your next trip! We check out the 30th. It’s been almost 2 years since we have been and I can’t wait!!

 

[disneyAndi14]

Unfortunately.
I think I should look into the possibility of buying a condo on Disney property.

Same! I need to win the lottery and buy my mansion in Golden Oakes!

Looks like I'll be spending that first night at Dockside. I'm hoping to try some food there.

You will have to let me know how it is!

I'm going to be with a co-worker, her sister and my co-worker's daughter. I'm hoping to get some time with Danielle around her work schedule. We do plan on doing the Halloween party all together on the 12th.

I hope you have a wonderful trip and yay to a Halloween party, love it

Loved your last Disney day. You really packed a lot into one day. Genie + and fancy rides were lined up just right.

Thank you! It really was a wonderful last day in the parks and Genie did stack nicely this day!

Drat! I'm doing my very first MNSSHP on the 8th! Would have been fun to meet my first DISboard person. I've been reading this last trip report and I can't wait to go back and read the others.

Hello thanks for joining in! I’m very excited for you! You will love the Halloween party! Bummer we will just miss you! We will be at the adult scary Halloween on that date! I have many trip reports out there, lol I love writing about our trips!

I think I may try and do my own trip report based on my September trip too, you've inspired me! I really enjoy reading everyone's threads and I'd like to add to the joy with my own

Yes you definitely should, it is a nice way to remember each trip!

Hi! I am joining way late but loving this TR!! We miss you by two days on your next trip! We check out the 30th. It’s been almost 2 years since we have been and I can’t wait!!

Hello Welcome very nice to have you here! I really hope you have a wonderful trip! Are you staying on property? Disney trips are the best! I’m getting really excited to spend time at Disney with my daughter again!

 

[pkondz]

Same! I need to win the lottery and buy my mansion in Golden Oakes!

Was thinking more a nice little apartment suite in the castle. You know, nothing too ostentatious.

 

[disneyAndi14]

Time to head over to the dark side Universal Studios Orlando

Today was check out. We took our time and enjoyed our last morning on the patio. We said goodbye to our little misfit critters. We packed up everything and checked out around 9am. We took a Lyft over to Portofino Bay. I checked us in. Our room wasn’t ready but I was able to get our room keys, which are the EP.

We decided to head over to Islands of Adventure. We took the boat from our resort. It is quick and easy. I love this mode of transportation to the parks. Once at IOA, we went to guest services and I upgraded my ticket to an Annual Pass, Yay I was excited to upgrade and the cost to do so is much more reasonable than Disney. With my new AP in hand, we walked into the park.

Our first ride was Spider-Man. We love this ride and the wait was not bad with the EP. It was busy in the park. The EP is wonderful to have and a great perk for staying in a premier resort.

We rode King Kong, then
HP Forbidden Journey and took the train over to Universal Studios.


The Hogwart’s Express is a ride in itself and makes it easy to get over to US. I love the train!

We spent some time in Diagon Alley and rode Gringotts. This is a good ride and a little scary, not like Velocicoaster or Mummy but very thrilling.


We decided it was time to get lunch. We walked over to City Walk, and we decided to eat at Red Brick Oven.

This is a quick service restaurant with really good pizza.

You can order online with the Universal app or scan the code on the table and order that way.

We went with a pepperoni, onion, and mushroom pizza and 2 Diet Cokes.

We had a nice table on the outside patio area. The wait staff bring out the food and drinks when ready.

The pizza was delicious. It was a nice break in the middle of the day. I did get the room ready text during lunch.

Universal has a great texting option at the resorts. You can text about dining options, late check out, extra towels, or general questions.

It is a very nice feature. We finished lunch and took the boat back over to the resort.

Our room was in the same area as our last one. We really like this area. We are close to the boat launch and Starbucks.

The rooms are nice and big with a spacious bathroom.

We called bell service and had our luggage delivered. We didn’t unpack to much since we had just one night here.

Next post more fun at Universal!

 

[disneyAndi14]

We decided to head back to Studios for the evening.

I wanted to get my ride on ET! I love this ride and the part where ET says “goodbye Caroline” was working yay!

We went into the store with HHN merchandise. Well mostly the monsters and a few shirts but nothing was really revealed yet.


It is a fun store.

We rode MIB and Gringotts again. We got stuck on Gringotts on the part where our ride vehicle was to go down the hill. The lights came on. It was freaky and we were in the back and it was a weird feeling being suspended like that.

The ride did get moving but the screen part was matching up at all with the voices. We did get a one time EP because of the ride malfunction. We gave ours to a couple since we had the EP.

I have always wanted to get the Harry Potter sundae at the ice cream shop in Diagon Alley, so this was our plan after the ride.

The wait was about 20 minutes. Once we got in I ordered the sundae and the TM sneezed twice while making our sundae yuck

I did ask another TM about making us a new one and he was very nice and did without any problem. He also told us the first one wasn’t made quite right anyways.

The sundae is strawberry peanut butter ice cream with hot fudge, whipped cream and shortbread crumbles.

This was delicious we found a bench in Knockturn alley and enjoyed this little yummy beauty!

It comes in a souvenir cup which I gave to Andi!

We went on to ride Jimmy Fallon and the Minions.
The knight bus

Instead of heading out we went back to ride The Hogwarts Express one more time. Big mistake! It was super crowded and even with the EP we waited around 20-30 minutes,oh well.

It was a fun ride once we got on. IOA was closing by the time we got over there so we headed to the exit.

We went down to the boat transportation and waited for awhile to get on a Sapphire Resort boat. We wanted to try Strong Water lounge.

After a long wait, we made it over there and the wait was like 90 minutes, ugh! We decided to head out. I went and talked with concierge about the best way to get back to PB. A very nice TM offered to give us a ride and he also told me about the perk of asking concierge to book dining for us and that we would have priority with staying at a premier resort. Good to know for next time.

We really weren’t very hungry especially after the sundae. I plan to get over to Strong Water this September for sure!

We just had some chips and dip in the room and got a couple beers from Sal’s market deli.

It was nice to put our feet up and relax for our last night.

Stay tuned for our last day! Coming up very soon!

 

[pkondz]

We took the boat from our resort. It is quick and easy. I love this mode of transportation to the parks.

I really love that option.

Once at IOA, we went to guest services and I upgraded my ticket to an Annual Pass,

Nice. No brainer if you're going again, considering how cheap it is.

The EP is wonderful to have and a great perk for staying in a premier resort.

took the train over to Universal Studios.

Love that "ride"... very cleverly done.

We walked over to City Walk, and we decided to eat at Red Brick Oven.

I've never heard of this. Is it new?

This is a quick service restaurant with really good pizza.

That pizza really looked good.

We had a nice table on the outside patio area. The wait staff bring out the food and drinks when ready.

Nice.

the part where ET says “goodbye Caroline” was working yay!

We went into the store with HHN merchandise.

Love all the classic monsters.

We did get a one time EP because of the ride malfunction. We gave ours to a couple since we had the EP.

Nice they did that and even nicer that you did that.

Once we got in I ordered the sundae and the TM sneezed twice while making our sundae yuck

Did he at least cover his mouth/nose while doing that???

He also told us the first one wasn’t made quite right anyways.

Yeah... it had extra germs on it.

The sundae is strawberry peanut butter ice cream with hot fudge, whipped cream and shortbread crumbles.

That sounds really good!

I went and talked with concierge about the best way to get back to PB. A very nice TM offered to give us a ride and he also told me about the perk of asking concierge to book dining for us and that we would have priority with staying at a premier resort. Good to know for next time.

Wow! Nice of him!

 

[vamassey1]

I upgraded my ticket to an Annual Pass, Yay I was excited to upgrade and the cost to do so is much more reasonable than Disney.

Good move! Disney is way too expensive (but I'm guilty of having an AP and paying that price).

We went with a pepperoni, onion, and mushroom pizza and 2 Diet Cokes.

This looks really good!

I wanted to get my ride on ET!

I want to do this.

We did get a one time EP because of the ride malfunction. We gave ours to a couple since we had the EP.

That was very nice.

The sundae is strawberry peanut butter ice cream with hot fudge, whipped cream and shortbread crumbles.

This looks good too.

Cute picture!

 

[schumigirl]

I`ve been waiting for this part!!!

You did a lot!! EP is unbeatable and worth having even if it`s not too busy, I`m glad you settled nicely into PB.

But, I`m sorry you never got into Strong Water Bar, yes concierge will make reservations for you anytime and can sometimes work miracles!!! Carole`s Punch will still be there I`m sure in September.

I did smile, you chose the only ice cream in FF I don`t like lol......anything peanut butter is out for me, but I`m so glad you got a fresh ice cream!!!!! Never nice to see someone sneeze over food!

Nice update!!!

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

Love Florean Fortescues!


And I know a lot has been going on *gestures chaotically at everything* but know your trip reports are always so much fun!

 

[disneyAndi14]

Our last day had arrived! Trips really do fly by.

My September trip is coming up quickly! We will have 9 nights between WDW and USO. I bought our HHN tickets yesterday! I was able to save a little money because of my AP. I still have to purchase the EP for the nights at HHN. Last year the EP was $99.00 to add and this year it is way more! $139.99 each. I think that is crazy, ugh I will bite the bullet soon and add that on. I haven’t made any other drastic changes. Disney has some great prices for rooms during our stay with several different discounts! I was tempted to change back to Beach Club from Riviera because it is about $100 less a night. I still might. The only thing is I love Riviera and we have a preferred studio. At Beach Club, it would be a standard view, which isn’t great. Oh well, we will see. I did add Frontera Cocina for our first night at 7:30pm. Okay back to April, except tell me should I keep Riviera or switch to BC? Weigh in please!

On the last day, I texted the front desk and asked for a late check out and the very nice TM said yes! We had until noon to check out. Our flight wasn’t until 6:00pm. We headed to US around 9am on the boat. We did ET, MIB, Mummy and Transformers. Donna and I were brave and went on the Mummy! I was really nervous because the last time I rode this, ages ago, it freaked me right out. It is fast and scary We survived and actually, l had a good time. This was the scariest ride we did the entire trip.

Today did feel less busy. We saw some characters out. Homer, Scooby, and Hello Kitty. It was fun to see them out meeting people. We went back to the room to get ready for check out. I called Bell Service and they took our bags to store for us.
We headed over to IOA next and rode Spider-Man, Seuss trolley and Cat in the Hat.

I love the trolley ride






We made our way to City Walk and looked around in several shops before our lunch reservation at Cowfish. Our reservation was for 1:30.
I liked this shirt!

The restaurant was not very busy at this time of day. We had a very nice waitress. We both had a margarita to start.

We decided to share a bacon cheeseburger with fries and a sushi roll.

I can’t remember the name of the roll. It was very good. We also really enjoyed the burger and fries.

We took our time before heading back to the resort.

I was a little worried about security at the airport. Donna does not have TSA precheck (spoiler, she does now!). She decided it was a must after how long the waits were for her, and how short the wait was for me.

We gathered our luggage, called for a Lyft, and off we went!

It was sad to say goodbye to the beautiful resort and the awesome theme parks.

While we were in Florida, it snowed almost everyday back at home!

I was not looking forward to more winter, I mean it was almost the end of April! This was the winter from he** and did not want to end!

Some of you may remember my bet with my husband about when the snow would finally be gone. I was thinking the end of May, he said around May 10th. Well, he was more accurate so I did lose that bet. I good bet to lose!

Let’s wake up from that nightmare and return to sunny Orlando. We arrived at the airport around 4pm used the Skycap service for Delta. This saves a lot of time! Make sure you have tip money for them.

We waded into the sea of people and parted ways. I went to TSA precheck and Donna went in the regular line. I was done in 5 minutes and Donna emerged from the sea of people about 25 minutes later! This is when she decided precheck was for her!

We took the fake o rail to our side of the airport and chilled in the International Terminal. I suggest hanging out here instead of the gates for the Delta flights. It is a mob scene over there.

Soon it was time to board the plane

We ended up sitting on the plane for like 1 hour waiting for the beverage and food truck that was a pain! Once we got the food and drinks, we finally took off.

We had an uneventful flight. We both tried to sleep some. I watched a movie and can’t for the life of me remember what it was.

We made up sometime in the air and we weren’t in a crunch for our next flight.

We did have a long walk to our next gait. Our flight to Duluth left on time and soon we were back to the winter wonderland

Well folks that wraps up another trip report! We had a really wonderful trip.

A few take ways, Genie+ and Fancy rides are expensive and add to your budget. Make sure you budget for this! You can do the parks without it, but you will be standing in some long lines. This will eat away at your precious vacation time.

Genie+ and Fancy rides are worth it for me and I will still buy the services but I DON’T LIKE IT!

We really enjoyed all our food and drinks!
The cucumber margarita being the least favorite and it cost the most!

Express Pass is really a must at US especially if you only have a few days there. I Love that this is included in the hotel price! Currently it is included at Hard Rock, Portofino Bay, and Royal Pacific resorts.

I don’t think RD and the extra 30 minutes is that beneficial anymore at the parks. This is why Genie+ and buying the Fancy Rides is more helpful for me.

WL is a great resort and the boat ride to MK is a nice plus.

It doesn’t rank up there in my top resorts but it was nice! GF and YC remain my top two resorts! AKL and Riviera round out top deluxe resorts. POFQ and Gran Destino tower at CSR round out my top moderate resorts. Pop is favorite value!

Thank you very much for joining in and taking the time to post comments!

I will probably check in here one more time before my next trip especially if I change resorts!

See ya real soon!

 

[pkondz]

Trips really do fly by.

Don't they, just.

My September trip is coming up quickly!

But another one is right around the corner! September is next month!

The only thing is I love Riviera and we have a preferred studio. At Beach Club, it would be a standard view, which isn’t great. Oh well, we will see. I did add Frontera Cocina for our first night at 7:30pm. Okay back to April, except tell me should I keep Riviera or switch to BC? Weigh in please!

I say stay at Riviera.

We did ET, MIB, Mummy and Transformers.

lol.
I am so used to translating acronyms around here. BTMRR, HM, PPF, etc...
"ET? What's ET stand for?... OH! It stands for ET!

Donna and I were brave and went on the Mummy! I was really nervous because the last time I rode this, ages ago, it freaked me right out. It is fast and scary We survived and actually, l had a good time.

Good for you!

I love the trolley ride

Nice little place to relax and get a bird's eye view of the area.

Nice that they were out.

I can’t remember the name of the roll. It was very good. We also really enjoyed the burger and fries.

Not a bad place to eat, for sure.

It was sad to say goodbye to the beautiful resort and the awesome theme parks.

While we were in Florida, it snowed almost everyday back at home!

Good time to be not home!

Some of you may remember my bet with my husband about when the snow would finally be gone. I was thinking the end of May, he said around May 10th. Well, he was more accurate so I did lose that bet. I good bet to lose!

I was done in 5 minutes and Donna emerged from the sea of people about 25 minutes later!

Actually... 25 minutes isn't bad at all.
For MCO.

We both tried to sleep some. I watched a movie and can’t for the life of me remember what it was.

Maybe you were tired and nodded a bit?

Our flight to Duluth left on time and soon we were back to the winter wonderland

Ew...

Well folks that wraps up another trip report! We had a really wonderful trip.

So glad you did. Both write the report and have a wonderful trip!
Thank you so much for sharing your trip with us.

A few take ways, Genie+ and Fancy rides are expensive and add to your budget. Make sure you budget for this! You can do the parks without it, but you will be standing in some long lines. This will eat away at your precious vacation time.

I've given that some thought. Might try it without Genie+... but also depends on how long until my next trip. The longer the period, the more I want to RIDE ALL THE RIDES!... the shorter, the less I need to.

Express Pass is really a must at US

WL is a great resort and the boat ride to MK is a nice plus.

It doesn’t rank up there in my top resorts but it was nice! GF and YC remain my top two resorts! AKL and Riviera round out top deluxe resorts. POFQ and Gran Destino tower at CSR round out my top moderate resorts. Pop is favorite value!

Interesting ranking. You've stayed at far more than I have, so will defer to your greater knowledge.

 

[disneyAndi14]

I really love that option.

The boat is really relaxing and they often play “Sweet Caroline”

Nice. No brainer if you're going again, considering how cheap it is.

I’m really glad I got the AP, we will get a few discounts with it in September

Love that "ride"... very cleverly done.

The train is a favorite of mine!

I've never heard of this. Is it new?

I think the Red Oven is fairly new, maybe a couple years?

That pizza really looked good.

It really was and a decent price!

Love all the classic monsters.

I do as well. I miss the Monsters cafe, not for the food but the cool monsters inside!

Did he at least cover his mouth/nose while doing that???

No, it was disgusting he should have washed his hands and put a mask on! It was gross and there was no way I would eat that sundae he made!

Yeah... it had extra germs on it.

Haha it sure did

That sounds really good!

I wasn’t sure if I would like it and the strawberry peanut butter ice cream was delicious! I’m glad we tried it. Andi is allergic to peanuts so with Donna we tried many things with peanuts. In September no more peanuts

Wow! Nice of him!

It really was. We were both really tired and it was really a nice quick ride from him! Very nice young man!

Good move! Disney is way too expensive (but I'm guilty of having an AP and paying that price).

Yes, me too I have had one since 2016 and it has almost doubled in price since then, well not quite but it was just under $800 when I got my first one and now over $1200.

This looks really good!

It was delicious

I want to do this.

You have to ride ET

This looks good too.

The sundae without the germs was really good!