kevin_cambs_uk
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2003
- Messages
- 305
Today was our day to visit Universal Studios. We were up a little late after Sprectromagic, and opted to eat the breakfast in car. Good tip for the souvenir mugs, is to take the lid off before you start!. The wife ended up with coffee all down her skirt.
We reached US by 8.40, and were on the front row of the car park. I live the parking there, at least the car is in the shade. Then it must be at least a mile walk along the moving walkways to the park entrance. We reached the entrance about 8:50, and were let straight in. We marched straight to the Simpsons ride, we were the first in the queue. Straight in and straight on, result.
Great ride, no doubt and its very, very funny, but worth a second go? mmmm nope. We came out and it was totally deserted still, see the photo! Off to Men In Black, and a very over rated ride I thought. Both Simpson's and MIB have great decorating I thought.
Jaws ride was not open until 11 am for some reason, maybe to warm the shark up!, so we wandered down to Disaster, again this was a 10 am start, so we rode the Mummy.
Great ride, if a little short, the queue area to the ride took longer to get through even though there was no one that the ride itself.
Twister next, enough said, and then back to Disaster, a great ride with some brilliant interaction by the guy running the show. It had been updated and had been done very well. Once this finished everyone piled over to Jaws, were we waited 10 mins to get on. Still a great laugh even though you know whats coming. The ambience of this area is also very nicely done.
By this time it was lunch time, so we moved on over to Terminator 2 , and then my picture with Shaggy and Scooby Doo. Then went to the Monsters cafe for lunch. This was the biggest disappointment of the entire day, I was so looking forward to this, but it was really poor decorations and props, nothing special at all, and the food was awful. We then saw the Blues brothers, great car, but I wished they would play tracks from the film.
We then went to the ET ride, very out dated but I do love the queue in the forest, probably the best bit for me, by 2 pm, all was done. US, my overall view is that it has some good rides, but there is something missing. The staff look like they are forced to work there, so miserable its un real, and some of the areas are great to wander around but it just lacks atmosphere.
Onto the most important aspect of the holiday for my daughter - Abercrombie & Fitch. She had all her cashed saved for this, so as a surprised, we left for the Mall at Millennia after Universal Studios.
I knew it was junction 78 of I4, but again I was not paying attention, and was in the wrong lane and ended up coming off at junction 77. What a mistake, the only road was a road out of Orlando, and a toll road at that !
Why cant Americans have roundabouts ? ARGGGGHHHHH!!
It took me half an hour to get back, and when we exited the Interstate for the Mall, its there I saw the first of 3 people standing at junctions with pieces of cardboard saying they were homeless and helpless, it really made me feel uneasy for some reason.
Anyway found the Mall, around Abercrombie, and me and the wife left the kids in there and the mall for 2 hours while we sat on the sofas near the middle. $650 dollars later she emerges with so much stuff!!
We left the Mall around 6 and then ended up at Prime Outlets ( why can they not build enough car parking!). Timberland shop was excellent, new shoes, socks etc , but still managing on the $200 per day.
Walgreens on the way home too, we had discovered we could get 24 bottles of water for $6.00, rather than the 3 for 3 like at the parks. Once back at POP we did some laundry, as we found out very busy in the evening, and we waited in shift, me and the wife got it waited and got it going, and then the kids took over when they were back from the food court, and me and the wife went.
More POP Pics
Had some interesting conversations with the Americans, they could not understand why we were not on the dining plan, I explained that it was only moderates or deluxe, or so we thought, and then went to explain how cheap we thought their country was, something that amused them, as they thought it was expensive.
Laundry finished around ten, back to the room and sleep.
We reached US by 8.40, and were on the front row of the car park. I live the parking there, at least the car is in the shade. Then it must be at least a mile walk along the moving walkways to the park entrance. We reached the entrance about 8:50, and were let straight in. We marched straight to the Simpsons ride, we were the first in the queue. Straight in and straight on, result.
Great ride, no doubt and its very, very funny, but worth a second go? mmmm nope. We came out and it was totally deserted still, see the photo! Off to Men In Black, and a very over rated ride I thought. Both Simpson's and MIB have great decorating I thought.
Jaws ride was not open until 11 am for some reason, maybe to warm the shark up!, so we wandered down to Disaster, again this was a 10 am start, so we rode the Mummy.
Great ride, if a little short, the queue area to the ride took longer to get through even though there was no one that the ride itself.
Twister next, enough said, and then back to Disaster, a great ride with some brilliant interaction by the guy running the show. It had been updated and had been done very well. Once this finished everyone piled over to Jaws, were we waited 10 mins to get on. Still a great laugh even though you know whats coming. The ambience of this area is also very nicely done.
By this time it was lunch time, so we moved on over to Terminator 2 , and then my picture with Shaggy and Scooby Doo. Then went to the Monsters cafe for lunch. This was the biggest disappointment of the entire day, I was so looking forward to this, but it was really poor decorations and props, nothing special at all, and the food was awful. We then saw the Blues brothers, great car, but I wished they would play tracks from the film.
We then went to the ET ride, very out dated but I do love the queue in the forest, probably the best bit for me, by 2 pm, all was done. US, my overall view is that it has some good rides, but there is something missing. The staff look like they are forced to work there, so miserable its un real, and some of the areas are great to wander around but it just lacks atmosphere.
Onto the most important aspect of the holiday for my daughter - Abercrombie & Fitch. She had all her cashed saved for this, so as a surprised, we left for the Mall at Millennia after Universal Studios.
I knew it was junction 78 of I4, but again I was not paying attention, and was in the wrong lane and ended up coming off at junction 77. What a mistake, the only road was a road out of Orlando, and a toll road at that !
Why cant Americans have roundabouts ? ARGGGGHHHHH!!
It took me half an hour to get back, and when we exited the Interstate for the Mall, its there I saw the first of 3 people standing at junctions with pieces of cardboard saying they were homeless and helpless, it really made me feel uneasy for some reason.
Anyway found the Mall, around Abercrombie, and me and the wife left the kids in there and the mall for 2 hours while we sat on the sofas near the middle. $650 dollars later she emerges with so much stuff!!
We left the Mall around 6 and then ended up at Prime Outlets ( why can they not build enough car parking!). Timberland shop was excellent, new shoes, socks etc , but still managing on the $200 per day.
Walgreens on the way home too, we had discovered we could get 24 bottles of water for $6.00, rather than the 3 for 3 like at the parks. Once back at POP we did some laundry, as we found out very busy in the evening, and we waited in shift, me and the wife got it waited and got it going, and then the kids took over when they were back from the food court, and me and the wife went.
More POP Pics
Had some interesting conversations with the Americans, they could not understand why we were not on the dining plan, I explained that it was only moderates or deluxe, or so we thought, and then went to explain how cheap we thought their country was, something that amused them, as they thought it was expensive.
Laundry finished around ten, back to the room and sleep.
