I-fer? What in the World is an I-fer? Universal/Legoland/Sea World Feb 2015 Updated 5/26x3! The End!

[hokieinpa]

Joining in...we may be doing a quick last minute trip to Universal/Legolad this summer so I'm excited to follow your TR!

 

[Pluto0809]

The Unlimited Express Pass is definitely an awesome perk of staying at the Hard Rock!

Mmm I love Bubba Gump, both your meals look delicious.

I was totally worth the extra money that it cost to stay at the Hard Rock! Jim and I both love Bubba Gump. I wish we had one near us in Atlanta.

The more and more I see universal the more I want to go and try it. I have no doubt that I would like it but my family is very disney. One day I'll get there. That hotel looks great as well.

You'll have to try to convince them because it is a lot of fun. Not quite Disney but pretty close!

Great review of Hard Rock. We will have to give one a try sometime (perhaps in Tampa or Vegas; we have no need in Orlando since it would be wasted on us as we don't go to Universal). It looks like a really nice hotel.

I enjoyed the pictures of City Walk. It looks as if they've added a new restaurant or two since we've been there.

Glad you enjoyed your meal at Bubba Gumps. The one time we ate there it was awful. But it was the one in Daytona Beach and it was greasy and just gross. I want to try a different one though because I love shrimp.

It was a really nice hotel, we really enjoyed staying there. I think both the Cowfish (burgers, sushi and sushi burgers) and the Pizza Place were new since the last time we were there. I've also eaten at the one at Navy Pier. Of course that was years ago so it may not even be there anymore. I do remember enjoying that one too.

Joining in...we may be doing a quick last minute trip to Universal/Legolad this summer so I'm excited to follow your TR!

Thanks for joining in. Feel free to ask me any questions you might have about the two parks. I'm not an expert like I am with Disney but I will try to answer them!

 

[Pluto0809]

I Solemnly Swear I an Up to No Good Part 1

We were up very early on Friday, February 6th because I wanted to make sure we were out the door by 7:15 am for early entry at 8 am. Thank goodness I was feeling a lot better when I woke up.

Early entry was very valuable because the two Harry Potter rides do not accept Express Pass. I think there are only a few others besides those two that do not. When I was planning this day, both parks had early entry and of course we were going to head to Universal Studios first which was where the new Harry Potter stuff was. But then, it was changed to only early entry at Islands of Adventure. I was a bit disappointed because we had already seen all of the HP stuff at IOA. But I read if you caught the first train from IOA to US, you would still beat the rest of the crowds entering at 9 am.

We stopped at Emack and Bolios and picked up some breakfast. I got a plain bagel and a coke zero and Jim got a blueberry bagel and a regular coke. No pictures since we ate while we walked to the parks. It was also very cold this morning and I was regretting not bringing gloves with me. My soda was really making my hands cold so I didn’t drink much before I put it in Jim’s backpack.
Once I finished eating, I took some pictures as we walked.







Jim is a big fan of Christina Aguilera and even though we don’t watch the show, he wanted his picture with this sign.



A small portion of Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. I did not ride this one as I found it way too rough when I rode it in 2012.













We got to the IOA entrance about 7:40 am and got in line. Right at 8 am they let us in and directed everyone along the same path to Hogsmeade which is the HP section in IOA. We walked through Suess Landing and I took a few pictures. This was the only time we were in this section of the park.











The Lost Continent was next and once again this was the only time we were in this section of IOA.







Finally it was time to enter Hogsmeade! Even though I had seen this area before I was once again blown away by all the detail that is packed into the section.







Continued in Next Post

 

[Pluto0809]

I Solemnly Swear I am Up to No Good Part 2

Continued From Previous Post







I decided to go ahead and brave the Forbidden Journey ride again. In 2012 it had made me very sick but I wasn’t taking motion sickness pills at that time. I was hoping this trip would be better. I didn’t want to skip the ride though because it is out of this world. It’s different than any ride I’ve ever been on and it’s really hard to describe it. Its part simulator, part animatronics and just overall awesome. Sorry, I’m not doing a very good job here but it really is hard to compare to any other ride.

We had to get lockers for our bags but that is very simple to do at Universal. Everything is computerized and they give you some amount of time free. It varies depending on the length of the line. I’m pretty sure we were given 35 minutes at the Forbidden Journey ride which was plenty since the ride was a walk on.

I took some pictures as we walked through the line. This is one of the best done queues I’ve ever seen, it feels like you are really walking through the Hogwarts castle.



















All of the pictures in the line talk and move as you walk by.















Hmmm, their warnings don’t say anything about dancing on the rides.



The ride itself takes you all through the Hogwarts grounds which is a lot of fun. And luckily this time, while it did turn my stomach a little bit I was fine. I definitely could not have ridden it twice in a row though.

Up Next: A First Glimpse of Diagon Alley

 

[Chicago Mo]

ohhhhhhhhh This looks amazing.. truly amazing!!! I wish my kids were tall enough to ride all the rides here.. i am so excited to walk through this with you guys!!!

How did my other reply end up on your other report with your Mom?!?!?

 

[missangelalexis]

Walk on at Forbidden Journey- awesome! Glad it didn't make you as sick this time. Lots of great pictures in this update!

 

[KatMark]

Great pictures, Ariana. I'm glad you had a walk-on for your ride.

 

[DPCummerbund]

I love your trip report and photos!

It sounds like you took motion sickness pills this time after Forbidden Journey made you sick last time, correct? Flying frequently makes me ill, but amusement park rides rarely bother me (I don't really do big roller coaster parks, just Disney). I'm debating whether I should take Dramamine or something before trying Forbidden Journey or any of the other big rides at Universal. I hate taking stuff, though, it makes me so drowsy, even the non-drowsy kind.

 

[missjackiemcg]

I still can't believe you went to Orlando and didn't end up in Disney World!! I'm excited to read about your adventures on "the dark side."

I LOVE Bubba Gump's! We have one here at Chicago that we go to all the time, but I've also been to the one in New Orleans. YUM!!

It sounds like the benefits of staying at the Hard Rock definitely outweighed the bigger price tag. That's good to know in case we ever decide to venture over to Universal.

I can't wait to see/read all about your adventures with Harry Potter!! That's the only thing that has really even piqued my interest in visiting Universal anytime soon!!

 

[Pluto0809]

ohhhhhhhhh This looks amazing.. truly amazing!!! I wish my kids were tall enough to ride all the rides here.. i am so excited to walk through this with you guys!!!

How did my other reply end up on your other report with your Mom?!?!?

Tell those little ones to grow faster! It is truly amazing and well worth a visit when they get old enough. No idea how you managed to post on the wrong report. It probably doesn't help that I have three going! Luckily I'm getting close to finishing the one with my Mom then it will only be two.

Walk on at Forbidden Journey- awesome! Glad it didn't make you as sick this time. Lots of great pictures in this update!

Early entry is so worth it in that section. When we went in 2012, we did everything in that section including the Forbidden Journey, the two coasters and the Ollivandar wand show all before 9 am.

Great pictures, Ariana. I'm glad you had a walk-on for your ride.

Thanks Kathy. And thanks for being here even though I know you don't have much interest in Universal. If you get too bored, let me know and I can send you a bat signal when I get to the airboat tour the next day.

I love your trip report and photos!

It sounds like you took motion sickness pills this time after Forbidden Journey made you sick last time, correct? Flying frequently makes me ill, but amusement park rides rarely bother me (I don't really do big roller coaster parks, just Disney). I'm debating whether I should take Dramamine or something before trying Forbidden Journey or any of the other big rides at Universal. I hate taking stuff, though, it makes me so drowsy, even the non-drowsy kind.

Thanks for joining in! Yes, I take Bonine now. I also have trouble with Dramamine because it makes me drowsy but Bonine doesn't affect me that way. Maybe try it at home first? For the most part it works although it does have it's limits. It allowed me to ride the Forbidden Journey but only once. I could not have gotten back on again right away. Most of the coasters at Disney plus some of the simulators bother me but I can ride them all once or twice with Bonine except Star Tours. For some reason, that one gets me every time. Oh, I've never tried Mission Space Orange because I'm too worried about getting sick on that one.

I still can't believe you went to Orlando and didn't end up in Disney World!! I'm excited to read about your adventures on "the dark side."

I LOVE Bubba Gump's! We have one here at Chicago that we go to all the time, but I've also been to the one in New Orleans. YUM!!

It sounds like the benefits of staying at the Hard Rock definitely outweighed the bigger price tag. That's good to know in case we ever decide to venture over to Universal.

I can't wait to see/read all about your adventures with Harry Potter!! That's the only thing that has really even piqued my interest in visiting Universal anytime soon!!

I know, I was a bit sad that we didn't do any Disney parks. We did hit up DTD so I got a little fix.

Is that the one on Navy Pier? I ate there once a long time ago, I have family in Chicago.

It really is worth the cost. And there are two other hotels that offer the same benefits, Loews Royal Pacific and Loews Portofino Bay. One of those two is a little cheaper than the Hard Rock. I can't remember which one right now. I did look into the other one but I was too late booking and they only had king suites left which were very expensive.

I was there mainly for the Harry Potter stuff too but Universal has some other great rides. Wait till you see the Simpsons section. Jim loves that show and was in heaven when we visited there.

 

[Pluto0809]

A First Glimpse of Diagon Alley Part 1

After riding the Forbidden Journey, Jim wanted to shop but I told him we would come back. We headed out through Hogsmeade again to get in line for the Hogwarts Express that would take us to Diagon Alley in US.





They weren’t letting people into the line yet so I took a few pictures while we stood there.





Finally we were let in. We had to scan our tickets again since a park to park ticket is required to ride the train. Pretty clever of Universal to put the two most popular sections in different parks.



We got this far and then waited again.



They kept telling us that we wouldn’t be able to board the train until right at 9 am but they let us in at about 8:45 am.



Here comes the train!











The inside of the train was straight out of the movie. I only took two pictures this time on the train but don’t worry, I took more when we rode it a second time. The first one is the “window” which was actually a screen where they showed scenes of London and Hogsmeade as you rode.





And then it was time to enter Diagon Alley. The first picture I took this time around was this one.



Continued in Next Post

 

[Pluto0809]

A First Glimpse of Diagon Alley Part 2

Continued from Previous Post

We were still hurrying a bit because I wanted to ride Escape from Gringots before the line got too long.



Once again we had to get a locker but were given an hour and a half free. We headed straight to the ride then which was still a walk on.







A lot of my pictures turned out blurry because we were walking so fast through the line.













There was a preshow that included a goblin named Blordak and Bill Weasley.





Then we boarded an elevator for the trip down to the vaults.





Here’s the area where we boarded our carts.



I won’t give too much of the ride away since a lot of people probably haven’t ridden it yet. But it’s similar to the Spiderman ride in IOA but more of a coaster. Jim and I both enjoyed it so much that we decided to circle back around and ride it a second time!

Up Next: Take Two for Escape From Gringots

 

[missangelalexis]

I like your pictures of the train! And YAY walk on at Gringotts! I really hope to ride it one day, it sounds very cool!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Even if you think they're blurry, your pictures are awesome! You captured details I haven't seen yet from Escape from Gringotts (such as the attraction sign, vault door, elevators, and the attraction loading area). I'm excited to see Hogsmeade again, but I'm SUPER EXCITED to see Diagon Alley! Thanks for adding to my excitement for Gringotts!

 

[rteetz]

Diagon alley looks great. I'm not a big HP fan but it definitely makes me want to go. The train looks like a lot of fun too. Can't wait to hear more!

 

[missjackiemcg]

I can't believe how much everything looks JUST LIKE the movie version!!! Your pics are better than some others I've seen, and I had no idea you could actually ride the Hogwart's Express!!!! aaaaaaah!!!! So exciting. I can't wait to see more pictures of that. I'm sitting here in awe! and can't wait for more!

 

[Chicago Mo]

oh oh oh oh that is AMAZING!!!! I want on that TRAIN AND NOW!!!! your killing me.. No pictures of the ride?!?! KILLING ME!
Yeah i was SO OFF with all my reports then someone posted about it being blocked in the spam folder! Yep there they all were.

 

[Pluto0809]

I like your pictures of the train! And YAY walk on at Gringotts! I really hope to ride it one day, it sounds very cool!

Thanks, I'll have some more in a later post. I do hope you get to ride it someday because it is an awesome ride.

Even if you think they're blurry, your pictures are awesome! You captured details I haven't seen yet from Escape from Gringotts (such as the attraction sign, vault door, elevators, and the attraction loading area). I'm excited to see Hogsmeade again, but I'm SUPER EXCITED to see Diagon Alley! Thanks for adding to my excitement for Gringotts!

Thanks, but wait till you see the next batch, they are much better since we actually had a small wait.

Diagon alley looks great. I'm not a big HP fan but it definitely makes me want to go. The train looks like a lot of fun too. Can't wait to hear more!

Diagon Alley was out of this world. I think Universal learned a lot from the Hogsmeade section and made Diagon Alley much bigger.

I can't believe how much everything looks JUST LIKE the movie version!!! Your pics are better than some others I've seen, and I had no idea you could actually ride the Hogwart's Express!!!! aaaaaaah!!!! So exciting. I can't wait to see more pictures of that. I'm sitting here in awe! and can't wait for more!

Yep, you get to ride the Hogwarts Express between the two sections! The ride is only a few minutes but it was very cool.

oh oh oh oh that is AMAZING!!!! I want on that TRAIN AND NOW!!!! your killing me.. No pictures of the ride?!?! KILLING ME!
Yeah i was SO OFF with all my reports then someone posted about it being blocked in the spam folder! Yep there they all were.

I did get some more pictures of the train ride the second time around I promise! As for Gringots, they don't allow photos on the ride. Plus it's in 3D so photos wouldn't have come out anyway. I gave up a while ago on the e-mail alerts because they didn't even work for me prior to the change. I thought about giving them another go but I'm used to using the Watched Threads button now.

 

[Pluto0809]

Take Two for Escape From Gringots Part 1

There was a bit of a line built for Escape From Gringots when we finished the first time but I was kind of glad because I wanted to actually experience the queue this time. The line extended a bit out of the building so I took a few pictures while we waited.





I was fascinated by the dragon and as a result took many, many pictures of him throughout the day.





The wait time was about 15 minutes which I was perfectly fine with since I wanted to see and photograph everything!











The goblins were almost too lifelike and as a result very creepy.











For one of the few times during the trip, I gave the camera to Jim so I could be in the photo.



Continued In Next Post

 

[Pluto0809]

Take Two for Escape From Gringots Part 2

Continued from Previous Post

Then Jim decided to photobomb one of the pictures I was taking.







The hair style on the right goblin in this next photo cracked me up.











They actually had a spot right after the first room where they were taking photos that you could buy afterwards. We never did buy any of the Universal pictures. Next you moved down a hall with offices for some of the goblins.





I only got a few pictures of the pre-show with Blordak and Bill Weasley.







We boarded the elevator again and descended down to the loading area.



Once again we really enjoyed the ride. The second time through I was able to watch how the ride was done a little more. There was one part where the entire track actually tilts and then sends you what felt like straight down! I think that was my favorite part.

Up Next: Back to Hogsmeade One More Time