Fantasmic23
A little nonsense now and then is relished by the
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2008
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Welcome to my second Universal trip report! If you read my first trip report, you know that my family and I cheated on Mickey with Harry and lived to tell our tale. We went to the Darkside as they say. We drank the Kool-Aid (And that expression kills me 
) ... And it was awesome. Being bad felt pretty good (And Mickey was none the wiser), so we just had to do it again. Once a cheater always a cheater, right? So ... Here we go. Round two ...
The Origins/Another Seed is Planted
On Sunday morning, June 12th (Yes, I'm that much of a nerd that I remember the exact date), my husband and I are looking through our wall calendar together, discussing pertinent, upcoming dates during the summer. Of course the last day of school is circled in red, a barbecue is Sharpied in for July 4th, various doctor appointments are noted here and there and exclamation points fill in the box for July 15th ... When the final Potter film will be released. I remind my husband that we have his family's annual reunion on Saturday, August 6th. As he has done in years past, my husband has already taken off the days (A week, in fact) leading up to the reunion. My husband always feels that he has to mentally prepare for his family reunion. Love his family and extended family as I do, I know what he means. Hell, I would probably need a month to prepare if my side of the family ever decided to have a reunion.
My husband starts his annual "We should go somewhere that week" routine. I know this routine, though. We never go anywhere, not that there's anything wrong with that. "Staycations" (And that word drives me batty!) can be enjoyable, too. Just for fun though, I begin to throw out the names of the old stand-bys: Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Lancaster County, PA, Washington, D.C., Niagara Falls, Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont, Virginia. A few day trips, maybe, to the Bronx Zoo or Boston? He warms slightly to the Cape Cod/Martha's Vineyard idea, saying that he wants to do some research on the computer. "Maybe we can just go for two or three days", he says. Fine. Whatever you want. I bring him a fresh cup of coffee and the calculator that he requested and excuse myself so I can start a load of laundry. While this is going on, the kids are watching one of the Potter DVDs in the next room. I ask them to lower the TV because the booming strains of "Hedwig's Theme" are filling the air.
When I pass by the computer room an hour or two later, my husband has a mischievious smile on his face. "How would you like to go back to Universal?" he asks. He knows I would love it but ... That's just crazy. We were just there in April. I don't want to be a greedy pig. We love Disney World, too, but we always have a gap of a year or two between trips. I tell him my thoughts. He just smiles and says, "I know, but Universal still has that Potter deal." Ooookayyyy, but what happened to Cape Cod/Martha's Vineyard? He explains that he has researched and hotel/motel prices are really ridiculous (Yep, it's peak tourist season), the ferry ride to get to Martha's Vineyard is pricey (Yep, it always has been), the restaurants are expensive, the attraction prices are outrageous, etc., etc. He has researched places other than Cape Cod, too. There are papers spread out in front of him with all sorts of figures written on them ... Columns of numbers, exclamation points, undecipherable cursive. Long story short, he convinces me and the kids that it would be cheaper to go to Universal (and drive there again from Connecticut) for a week than it would be to spend three days at The Cape or in Boston or in Niagara Falls, etc., etc. Hmmm. It sounds like he's about to launch into a "We're spending money to save money" speech, but he just looks so happy and these past few months have been tough on him: Working like a dog (even on his days off), the death of a beloved former co-worker, the news of his father's poor health. The kids are already good-naturedly arguing about the seating order on Forbidden Journey: "I'm riding next to Dad!" "You always get to ride next to him! It's my turn." Well, far be it from me to be a party-pooper so Orlando, we'll see you soon. Again. As soon as my husband completes our online reservation, he turns to me and says, "I'm just a little worried about the heat in Florida in August." Oh ... Now he's worried?
On The Road Again ... Sunday, July 31st
I spend all day on Saturday, July 30th, doing laundry, ironing, packing and cleaning. It's unlike me to leave these tasks until the last minute, but this icky Connecticut weather has gotten the better of me, making me feel lazy and sluggish. Aside from a quick trip to drop the dog off at the kennel, we're in the house all day. The kids are great helpers, though, and by five o'clock or so, everything is ready. Other than the odd Potter DVD here and there and a July 4th viewing of "Jaws" (And of course "Deathly Hallows 2" twice in the theater), we haven't done that much Universal movie prep for this trip. We do watch bits and pieces of "The Half-Blood Prince" before going to bed. Everyone is in bed by ten since my husband has great plans of leaving at four o'clock the next morning. Ha! It's never happened and I don't think it ever will.
Soon the house is silent, but I can't sleep. I don't know if it's excitement about the trip or the cup of coffee I foolishly drank at six o'clock, but my mind won't turn off. I toss and turn for an hour before I decide to go into the living room to watch some TV. Maybe some Netflix instant streaming. Yes, that'll do it. Ah ... "Desperate Housewives" ... I've heard about this show. Big mistake. Huge. I'm soon caught up in the going-ons on Wisteria Lane. My God, these women are nuts, but yet ... I can't look away. Two hours goes by. Three. I'll sleep in the car.
Everyone is up and dressed by 6:45 on Sunday morning ... Even me, though I'm exhausted after my "Desperate Housewives" marathon. After a quick stop at Dunkin' Donuts, we're on our way. If you read my first trip report, you know my feelings about coffee. My husband and I both order extra larges: We're drinking while the coffee-drinking is good!
We breeze through Connecticut, I-95 very light at this time on a Sunday morning. New York follows with absolutely no traffic (well, light at best) going over the George Washington Bridge. We stop at some rest-stop in New Jersey for egg sandwiches and juice. Delaware (I spot my first Waffle House ... A happy sign that we're headed down south!), Maryland ("Good Morning, Baltimore" from "Hairspray" fills my head), Washington, D.C. Usually at the D.C. portion of our trip, I'm consulting Map Quest directions (No more, thanks to the GPS) or turned around in my seat reprimanding the kids for something (Usually the "Mom, he's/she's touching me!" complaints). For the first time, I look to my right and see the top of the Washington Monument looming in the distance! I look some more and spot the shiny dome of the Capitol Building. I excitedly tell the kids to look. My husband is a bit frustrated because he is driving and cannot really gawk. We go around a bend in the highway and there on the right (though still a distance away), is the Washington Monument in all its glory. Everyone oohs and ahhs.
Virginia. Traffic. No matter the day, no matter the hour, there always seems to be heavy traffic in Virginia. The GPS leads us on a few detours. After awhile, we decide to stop for lunch at Bob Evans, a favorite whenever we're headed to Disney World. Maybe it's just an off day, but the service and food are lousy this time around. The coffee ... Don't get me started. I still love Bob Evans, though, and I'm not giving up.
North Carolina. I used to think that Virginia was the longest state to drive through, but The Carolinas ... Ugh. Don't get me wrong, North Carolina and South Carolina are truly gorgeous states, just really long ones. I always have fun reading the billboards for J&R World, some kind of superstore that seems to sell everything imaginable at rock-bottom prices. "From brassieres to chandelieres" as one billboard proudly proclaims. I also get a kick out of all the billboards for "South of the Border". The kids want to stop and I do, too, despite it looking really hokey and tourist-trappy. "Someday, someday," my husband lies.
It is also notable to point out that somewhere in North Carolina, while listening to our Disney "Four Parks, One World" CD, I finally understand what Johnny Depp (Captain Jack Sparrow) means when he says, "And really bad eggs." It's right there in the "A Pirate's Life For Me" song: "We're really bad eggs". Silly me, all of this time I thought Depp was doing improv. 
South Carolina. We decide to call it a day/night in Florence, South Carolina and pull into an EconoLodge. By this point, it's raining, too. Nothing heavy, but rain all the same. We grab some dinner and settle in for the night. My husband channel-surfs on the hotel TV and lands on ... Disney's "Beauty and the Beast". No one says anything but we do look guiltily at one another: We love Harry but Mickey is always on our minds.
Looks Like We Made It ... Monday, August 1st
We check-out of the EconoLodge early. I don't know the exact time, but it's still dark outside. Very dark and we seem to be the only car on the highway. The Talking Heads song, "Road to Nowhere", keeps running through my head. Georgia next and it begins to get light out. We stop for gas and more crappy coffee.
And so it comes to pass that at 8:40 a.m. (Nerd that I am, I write the time on a slip of paper in the glove compartment), we cross into Florida! We whoop and applaud ... Well, all of us except our 12 year old daughter who rolls her eyes. These days, anything we seem to say or do causes her to send her eyes Heavenward.
At 11:00 a.m., we pull into LaQuinta Inn & Suites. We can't check in until 3:00, but my husband goes inside to see if there's a possibility of checking-in now. There is! I step out of the car. And the heat is ... Well, it feels the same way it did in Connecticut. Maybe a degree or two warmer. What is everyone talking about? What unbearable heat? I haven't been in Florida in August since 1978 or so and at that time, the heat wasn't really at the forefront of my mind. I had swimming pools to swim in, paper dolls to play with, the "Annie" broadway soundtrack to listen to.
We're soon unpacking and calling out, "I'm next!" for the shower. Today was meant to be a sort of R&R day to gear up for IOA tomorrow but as usual, everyone is too keyed-up to sit still. We explore lunch options. I go into the Crab House and ask to see a menu. It all sounds delicious but YIKES, the prices! Charley O's Steakhouse sounds good, but is just as pricey. We cruise up and down International Drive until we spot the CiCi's Pizza that we ate at back in April. Eating at CiCi's while we're in Florida is something of a tradition, even though my husband and I don't really care for it. The kids LOVE it, as always.
We decide to head to City Walk to pick up our passes. Umm, okay ... This heat is bad. I don't say a word, although Meltdown Number One is right around the corner. My husband looks our passes over and throws a minor fit: They're not park-to-park access. Hoo boy. "But that's what we paid for," he insists. Actually, it's not. I calmly tell him that when we made online reservations the first time around for our April trip, we upgraded to park-to-park access before check-out, therefore increasing the total price. We did not do that this time. My husband profusely apologizes to the patient Team Member and upgrades our tickets.
I think we should just head back to the hotel to swim and rest before a second meltdown can occur. We pass the movie theater in City Walk on our way out, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" seems to tease us from it's top position on the marquee. "You want to?" my husband asks us.
Third Time's The Charm ... Deathly Hallows Part 2 spoilers (minor)
Yep. Partially to beat the heat (and partially because we're crazy) we sit through part 2 a third time and the third time proves to be downright hilarious. I'm excited, too. There's something quite novel about watching this in an Orlando theater and knowing we'll be in the WWOHP tomorrow. I know I'm just slap-happy, but hilarity ensues and suddenly Voldemort is the funniest HP character ever. Of course, we're the only fools laughing in the theater and we are trying like mad to cover our mouths with our hands. It's wrong and rude, I know: This is a theater, people paid good money to see this film, some people are probably seeing it for the first time ... But Voldemort is just so funny. Ralph Fiennes really hams it up in Part 2. He whispers a lot of his usual nasty nonsense and sometimes he just stands still and moans and groans. When he lets out his blood-curdling, "Avra Kadavera!" (or whatever he says), all bets are off and I just about choke on my own saliva.
But ... This is a dead, unenthusiastic audience, as the audiences in Connecticut were, too. No one's laughing. That girl down there hasn't stopped texting since the film began. No one's clapping ... Not when Bellatrix meets her end and not even when Neville cuts off the snake's head. For Pete's sake, this is the end, people! This is it! My son leads the applause at the film's end, but it's weak. My God, show some respect!
We head back and grab dinner at Red Lobster, a restaurant my husband has been anxious to go to for sometime now. I'll admit, those TV commercials look very tempting. It's ... Not my cup of chowder. No offense, Red Lobster lovers, but I'm somewhat picky when it comes to seafood. A lifetime of growing up in New England has spoiled me. It's not bad, though, and lightyears better than CiCi's Pizza. The kids sack out almost immediately when we get back to the hotel and I take another shower: I don't want to waste any extra time tomorrow. It's all about Early Admission into the WWOHP!
) ... And it was awesome. Being bad felt pretty good (And Mickey was none the wiser), so we just had to do it again. Once a cheater always a cheater, right? So ... Here we go. Round two ...The Origins/Another Seed is Planted
On Sunday morning, June 12th (Yes, I'm that much of a nerd that I remember the exact date), my husband and I are looking through our wall calendar together, discussing pertinent, upcoming dates during the summer. Of course the last day of school is circled in red, a barbecue is Sharpied in for July 4th, various doctor appointments are noted here and there and exclamation points fill in the box for July 15th ... When the final Potter film will be released. I remind my husband that we have his family's annual reunion on Saturday, August 6th. As he has done in years past, my husband has already taken off the days (A week, in fact) leading up to the reunion. My husband always feels that he has to mentally prepare for his family reunion. Love his family and extended family as I do, I know what he means. Hell, I would probably need a month to prepare if my side of the family ever decided to have a reunion.
My husband starts his annual "We should go somewhere that week" routine. I know this routine, though. We never go anywhere, not that there's anything wrong with that. "Staycations" (And that word drives me batty!) can be enjoyable, too. Just for fun though, I begin to throw out the names of the old stand-bys: Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Lancaster County, PA, Washington, D.C., Niagara Falls, Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont, Virginia. A few day trips, maybe, to the Bronx Zoo or Boston? He warms slightly to the Cape Cod/Martha's Vineyard idea, saying that he wants to do some research on the computer. "Maybe we can just go for two or three days", he says. Fine. Whatever you want. I bring him a fresh cup of coffee and the calculator that he requested and excuse myself so I can start a load of laundry. While this is going on, the kids are watching one of the Potter DVDs in the next room. I ask them to lower the TV because the booming strains of "Hedwig's Theme" are filling the air.
When I pass by the computer room an hour or two later, my husband has a mischievious smile on his face. "How would you like to go back to Universal?" he asks. He knows I would love it but ... That's just crazy. We were just there in April. I don't want to be a greedy pig. We love Disney World, too, but we always have a gap of a year or two between trips. I tell him my thoughts. He just smiles and says, "I know, but Universal still has that Potter deal." Ooookayyyy, but what happened to Cape Cod/Martha's Vineyard? He explains that he has researched and hotel/motel prices are really ridiculous (Yep, it's peak tourist season), the ferry ride to get to Martha's Vineyard is pricey (Yep, it always has been), the restaurants are expensive, the attraction prices are outrageous, etc., etc. He has researched places other than Cape Cod, too. There are papers spread out in front of him with all sorts of figures written on them ... Columns of numbers, exclamation points, undecipherable cursive. Long story short, he convinces me and the kids that it would be cheaper to go to Universal (and drive there again from Connecticut) for a week than it would be to spend three days at The Cape or in Boston or in Niagara Falls, etc., etc. Hmmm. It sounds like he's about to launch into a "We're spending money to save money" speech, but he just looks so happy and these past few months have been tough on him: Working like a dog (even on his days off), the death of a beloved former co-worker, the news of his father's poor health. The kids are already good-naturedly arguing about the seating order on Forbidden Journey: "I'm riding next to Dad!" "You always get to ride next to him! It's my turn." Well, far be it from me to be a party-pooper so Orlando, we'll see you soon. Again. As soon as my husband completes our online reservation, he turns to me and says, "I'm just a little worried about the heat in Florida in August." Oh ... Now he's worried?
On The Road Again ... Sunday, July 31st
I spend all day on Saturday, July 30th, doing laundry, ironing, packing and cleaning. It's unlike me to leave these tasks until the last minute, but this icky Connecticut weather has gotten the better of me, making me feel lazy and sluggish. Aside from a quick trip to drop the dog off at the kennel, we're in the house all day. The kids are great helpers, though, and by five o'clock or so, everything is ready. Other than the odd Potter DVD here and there and a July 4th viewing of "Jaws" (And of course "Deathly Hallows 2" twice in the theater), we haven't done that much Universal movie prep for this trip. We do watch bits and pieces of "The Half-Blood Prince" before going to bed. Everyone is in bed by ten since my husband has great plans of leaving at four o'clock the next morning. Ha! It's never happened and I don't think it ever will.
Soon the house is silent, but I can't sleep. I don't know if it's excitement about the trip or the cup of coffee I foolishly drank at six o'clock, but my mind won't turn off. I toss and turn for an hour before I decide to go into the living room to watch some TV. Maybe some Netflix instant streaming. Yes, that'll do it. Ah ... "Desperate Housewives" ... I've heard about this show. Big mistake. Huge. I'm soon caught up in the going-ons on Wisteria Lane. My God, these women are nuts, but yet ... I can't look away. Two hours goes by. Three. I'll sleep in the car.
Everyone is up and dressed by 6:45 on Sunday morning ... Even me, though I'm exhausted after my "Desperate Housewives" marathon. After a quick stop at Dunkin' Donuts, we're on our way. If you read my first trip report, you know my feelings about coffee. My husband and I both order extra larges: We're drinking while the coffee-drinking is good!
We breeze through Connecticut, I-95 very light at this time on a Sunday morning. New York follows with absolutely no traffic (well, light at best) going over the George Washington Bridge. We stop at some rest-stop in New Jersey for egg sandwiches and juice. Delaware (I spot my first Waffle House ... A happy sign that we're headed down south!), Maryland ("Good Morning, Baltimore" from "Hairspray" fills my head), Washington, D.C. Usually at the D.C. portion of our trip, I'm consulting Map Quest directions (No more, thanks to the GPS) or turned around in my seat reprimanding the kids for something (Usually the "Mom, he's/she's touching me!" complaints). For the first time, I look to my right and see the top of the Washington Monument looming in the distance! I look some more and spot the shiny dome of the Capitol Building. I excitedly tell the kids to look. My husband is a bit frustrated because he is driving and cannot really gawk. We go around a bend in the highway and there on the right (though still a distance away), is the Washington Monument in all its glory. Everyone oohs and ahhs.
Virginia. Traffic. No matter the day, no matter the hour, there always seems to be heavy traffic in Virginia. The GPS leads us on a few detours. After awhile, we decide to stop for lunch at Bob Evans, a favorite whenever we're headed to Disney World. Maybe it's just an off day, but the service and food are lousy this time around. The coffee ... Don't get me started. I still love Bob Evans, though, and I'm not giving up.
North Carolina. I used to think that Virginia was the longest state to drive through, but The Carolinas ... Ugh. Don't get me wrong, North Carolina and South Carolina are truly gorgeous states, just really long ones. I always have fun reading the billboards for J&R World, some kind of superstore that seems to sell everything imaginable at rock-bottom prices. "From brassieres to chandelieres" as one billboard proudly proclaims. I also get a kick out of all the billboards for "South of the Border". The kids want to stop and I do, too, despite it looking really hokey and tourist-trappy. "Someday, someday," my husband lies.
It is also notable to point out that somewhere in North Carolina, while listening to our Disney "Four Parks, One World" CD, I finally understand what Johnny Depp (Captain Jack Sparrow) means when he says, "And really bad eggs." It's right there in the "A Pirate's Life For Me" song: "We're really bad eggs". Silly me, all of this time I thought Depp was doing improv. South Carolina. We decide to call it a day/night in Florence, South Carolina and pull into an EconoLodge. By this point, it's raining, too. Nothing heavy, but rain all the same. We grab some dinner and settle in for the night. My husband channel-surfs on the hotel TV and lands on ... Disney's "Beauty and the Beast". No one says anything but we do look guiltily at one another: We love Harry but Mickey is always on our minds.
Looks Like We Made It ... Monday, August 1st
We check-out of the EconoLodge early. I don't know the exact time, but it's still dark outside. Very dark and we seem to be the only car on the highway. The Talking Heads song, "Road to Nowhere", keeps running through my head. Georgia next and it begins to get light out. We stop for gas and more crappy coffee.
And so it comes to pass that at 8:40 a.m. (Nerd that I am, I write the time on a slip of paper in the glove compartment), we cross into Florida! We whoop and applaud ... Well, all of us except our 12 year old daughter who rolls her eyes. These days, anything we seem to say or do causes her to send her eyes Heavenward.
At 11:00 a.m., we pull into LaQuinta Inn & Suites. We can't check in until 3:00, but my husband goes inside to see if there's a possibility of checking-in now. There is! I step out of the car. And the heat is ... Well, it feels the same way it did in Connecticut. Maybe a degree or two warmer. What is everyone talking about? What unbearable heat? I haven't been in Florida in August since 1978 or so and at that time, the heat wasn't really at the forefront of my mind. I had swimming pools to swim in, paper dolls to play with, the "Annie" broadway soundtrack to listen to.
We're soon unpacking and calling out, "I'm next!" for the shower. Today was meant to be a sort of R&R day to gear up for IOA tomorrow but as usual, everyone is too keyed-up to sit still. We explore lunch options. I go into the Crab House and ask to see a menu. It all sounds delicious but YIKES, the prices! Charley O's Steakhouse sounds good, but is just as pricey. We cruise up and down International Drive until we spot the CiCi's Pizza that we ate at back in April. Eating at CiCi's while we're in Florida is something of a tradition, even though my husband and I don't really care for it. The kids LOVE it, as always.
We decide to head to City Walk to pick up our passes. Umm, okay ... This heat is bad. I don't say a word, although Meltdown Number One is right around the corner. My husband looks our passes over and throws a minor fit: They're not park-to-park access. Hoo boy. "But that's what we paid for," he insists. Actually, it's not. I calmly tell him that when we made online reservations the first time around for our April trip, we upgraded to park-to-park access before check-out, therefore increasing the total price. We did not do that this time. My husband profusely apologizes to the patient Team Member and upgrades our tickets.
I think we should just head back to the hotel to swim and rest before a second meltdown can occur. We pass the movie theater in City Walk on our way out, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" seems to tease us from it's top position on the marquee. "You want to?" my husband asks us.
Third Time's The Charm ... Deathly Hallows Part 2 spoilers (minor)
Yep. Partially to beat the heat (and partially because we're crazy) we sit through part 2 a third time and the third time proves to be downright hilarious. I'm excited, too. There's something quite novel about watching this in an Orlando theater and knowing we'll be in the WWOHP tomorrow. I know I'm just slap-happy, but hilarity ensues and suddenly Voldemort is the funniest HP character ever. Of course, we're the only fools laughing in the theater and we are trying like mad to cover our mouths with our hands. It's wrong and rude, I know: This is a theater, people paid good money to see this film, some people are probably seeing it for the first time ... But Voldemort is just so funny. Ralph Fiennes really hams it up in Part 2. He whispers a lot of his usual nasty nonsense and sometimes he just stands still and moans and groans. When he lets out his blood-curdling, "Avra Kadavera!" (or whatever he says), all bets are off and I just about choke on my own saliva.
But ... This is a dead, unenthusiastic audience, as the audiences in Connecticut were, too. No one's laughing. That girl down there hasn't stopped texting since the film began. No one's clapping ... Not when Bellatrix meets her end and not even when Neville cuts off the snake's head. For Pete's sake, this is the end, people! This is it! My son leads the applause at the film's end, but it's weak. My God, show some respect! We head back and grab dinner at Red Lobster, a restaurant my husband has been anxious to go to for sometime now. I'll admit, those TV commercials look very tempting. It's ... Not my cup of chowder. No offense, Red Lobster lovers, but I'm somewhat picky when it comes to seafood. A lifetime of growing up in New England has spoiled me. It's not bad, though, and lightyears better than CiCi's Pizza. The kids sack out almost immediately when we get back to the hotel and I take another shower: I don't want to waste any extra time tomorrow. It's all about Early Admission into the WWOHP!
I have had Spiral Staircase in my head since the summer began, so I just had to make the song the title of the TR!!
worship
on International Drive yesterday, but there is no time for such luxuries. 
We are all hysterical and this will become an in-joke (and we always have a few of them, thanks to some memorable park guests) for the remainer of our trip. This time around, it seems that everyone is sporting a Harry Potter spoof kind of tee-shirt. There is a shirt that reads Harry Otter and shows an otter with a wand and a lightning bolt scar on his forehead. There is a shirt featuring Hello Kitty dressed as Harry and one shirt that shows Snoopy dressed as Harry. My favorite is a plain, white tee that reads I'M WITH MUGGLE and has an arrow pointing. 
I apologize for the early morning freak-out. 
No, no ... It wasn't that bad (Though my daughter and I can't stop rolling our eyes). It is a cute show and it's nice to sit and enjoy my Butterbeer. 
There is orange juice, too, and hot chocolate. Muffins, toast, bagels, fresh fruit, yogurt and waffles. I round up the gang and we all troop down to the lobby. 
He's lucky there is a Dunkin' Donuts next door! Yes, two extra larges, please. 
I give you major kudos for not caving in when everyone was begging to go to Disney. I don't think I could have had the resolve to say no 
