Love is “Universal”: Our Awesome Anniversary Adventures in Orlando (May 2015 TR)

[bankr63]

Thursday, May 7th: part 1

We strolled around for a bit, and noted that Dragon Challenge only had a five minute wait…..so Steve-o rode that one, too.

Was wondering when Steve would get around to Dragon Challenge. To me this is the most serious coaster at USF IMO. Not the biggest, but leaves me feeling totally discombobulated by the end. I could ride The Hulk over and over, but one ride on DC is more than enough for me. So did he do Fire or Ice (oops, old school - I mean Hungarian Horntail or Chinese Fireball)?

 

[bankr63]

And Lord, woman, don't make me think about the cleanliness (or lack thereof) of that tub . Let me live in my bubble. I like it there.

I am of the same mind about the Jacuzzi tubs at the resorts, but I was sorely tempted by the tubs at Sheraton Broadway Plantation. These ones did a self clean cycle automatically after use (there was a warning not to be alarmed by the noise and running water after use). An amazing idea that should be installed at all resorts.

 

[bankr63]

See! I finished a page, and there is a new one! And I made it all by myself!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

HeHe - I saw the Minion trailer too, and ads for it, I may go solo, as Kids are not as interested. All saw JW and enjoyed it.

I wish you were closer, Lynne....you could have come with us for the Minions release!!

Jake and Sweetie went to see Jurassic World on Sunday night, and LOVED it. Jake's been raving about it ever since.

Lol that's hilarious what Jake said! Tell him he can sit behind you and act like he doesn't know your party? JW was was good we liked how they had a scene of the original JP inserted. It brought back memories when we took our then 5 yr old son and I was expecting my DD!

Ha ha ha! I am sure Jake pretends quite often that he has no idea who we are .

I can't believe Jurassic Park is still going strong after all these years. I remember buying a little kindergarten Jake everything we could find in 2001 that was related to Jurassic Park III....it was smack dab in the middle of his dino obsession. Funny to know that obsession still lives on, now that he's an adult!!

Was wondering when Steve would get around to Dragon Challenge. To me this is the most serious coaster at USF IMO. Not the biggest, but leaves me feeling totally discombobulated by the end. I could ride The Hulk over and over, but one ride on DC is more than enough for me. So did he do Fire or Ice (oops, old school - I mean Hungarian Horntail or Chinese Fireball)?

I am not sure which side he ended up riding......I went exploring so didn't even bother to watch .

He doesn't find Dragon Challenge particularly bothersome....oddly enough, its things like Men In Black and Despicable Me where he's a once-is-enough kind of guy . Boggles the mind!

I am of the same mind about the Jacuzzi tubs at the resorts, but I was sorely tempted by the tubs at Sheraton Broadway Plantation. These ones did a self clean cycle automatically after use (there was a warning not to be alarmed by the noise and running water after use). An amazing idea that should be installed at all resorts.

Ours at home has that self-cleaning feature. Is SBP a newer resort than SVR? (I'm guessing yes). It doesn't look like SVR replaced all the jacuzzi tubs during the refurb a few years ago....or did they? (we just assumed they rebuilt the setting/tile and left those original fixtures....the tubs themselves don't look that modern)

See! I finished a page, and there is a new one! And I made it all by myself!

Better late than never, my friend!

It's so nice to have you back around .

 

[dancin Disney style]

See! I finished a page, and there is a new one! And I made it all by myself!

Keep going...you can do it!

I'm now jumping up and down clapping my hands.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Keep going...you can do it!

I'm now jumping up and down clapping my hands.

You notice he hasn't mentioned anything yet about being our driver..... .

I guess he hasn't made it to that part just yet!!

---------------------------

In other news...............

I am happy to report that our October trip is now 100% "paid for" (including cash converted and set aside for our meal costs and an additional sum to fund some senseless shopping!) .

December is also well on its way....accommodations, airfare, our park-and-fly hotel, tickets, and a portion of the food budget are already covered. Basically just the balance of our food expenses and shopping monies to set aside .

And my favourite update of all.....my brother (whom I adore) and his leading lady will be in Tampa the same week we are in Orlando at Christms, so we will get to spend a least a day or two of the holidays with them, too! I just finished booking his airfare for his trio (his GF's teen daughter will also be travelling with them) so its OFFICIAL!

114 days until we leave in October, 184 until we're outta here for Christmas!!!

 

[wiscbugs]

Awesome...2 trips to look forward to!!! We have less than 2 months to our Disneyland trip...I can't wait (even though we just got back from Universal/WDW 2 months ago!) My wife definitely thinks I'm nuts!

 

[keishashadow]

Admit I don't often read trip reports, but seeing Daytona in the title of yours grabbed my attention. Glad I stopped by, a very well-written read.

we have enjoyed the Vistana, it's been awhile, wouldn't have recognized the lobby!

we love the Hash House in Vegas, but have avoided the Orlando location based upon the reviews on TA. May give it a whirl if groupon is still available.

re Daytona portion of your trip:

* 'how' much construction did you hit? was it both to and from? not a fan of the I4 in general lol,we might go the long(er) way for upcoming trip.

* hog heaven - was it dry rub type and you add own sauce? the mr is a picky eater & doesn't do 'messy' BBQ. Location appears to be near the Hilton where we are staying. Had hoped to park the car and walk everywhere.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Admit I don't often read trip reports, but seeing Daytona in the title of yours grabbed my attention. Glad I stopped by, a very well-written read.

we have enjoyed the Vistana, it's been awhile, wouldn't have recognized the lobby!

we love the Hash House in Vegas, but have avoided the Orlando location based upon the reviews on TA. May give it a whirl if groupon is still available.

re Daytona portion of your trip:

* 'how' much construction did you hit? was it both to and from? not a fan of the I4 in general lol,we might go the long(er) way for upcoming trip.

* hog heaven - was it dry rub type and you add own sauce? the mr is a picky eater & doesn't do 'messy' BBQ. Location appears to be near the Hilton where we are staying. Had hoped to park the car and walk everywhere.

Thanks Kecia .

There was construction in both directions, some minor and some quite a bit more extensive (looks like they are putting in new on/off ramps in some areas). None of it made for any kind of significant delays or slowdowns, but traffic was reduced to single lanes in some areas if I remember correctly. We were there during a quiet time so it really didn't make any major impact for our commute.

Hog Heaven was indeed a dry rub on the meat, with sauces on the table for you to add your own . I am guessing it will be right up your DH's alley. You can easily walk from Hog Heaven to the major hotels, the beach, the pier, etc.

 

[bankr63]

We ended up stopping at Orange World for a few last minute Florida-themed souvenir purchases….things like gator jerky and homemade orange marmalade.



This place always makes me wish that we could take fruit over the border….my mom would LOVE some fresh, Florida citrus.

Just so you know, there really are very few restrictions on bringing fruits and veggies into Canada. It's the Americans who don't want our Canadian stuff down there. Check out the CFIA website for information:
http://inspection.gc.ca/food/inform...-into-canada-/eng/1389648337546/1389648516990
But here is the most important clause:

Fruits and vegetables: fresh

• one bag up to 4 kilograms of US number 1 potatoes per person and the bag must be commercially packaged
• 15 packages or less up to 250 kilograms of fresh fruits and vegetables per person (excluding potatoes)
• must be free from soil, pests, leaves, branches and/or plant debris
• some restrictions on some fresh fruit and vegetables from California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington
• in British Columbia (BC): restrictions on fresh apples, stone fruit and potatoes

So unless you are paying an outrageous over limit baggage fee for 500 lbs. of fruit, you should be fine.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Just so you know, there really are very few restrictions on bringing fruits and veggies into Canada. It's the Americans who don't want our Canadian stuff down there. Check out the CFIA website for information:
http://inspection.gc.ca/food/inform...-into-canada-/eng/1389648337546/1389648516990
But here is the most important clause:

Fruits and vegetables: fresh

• one bag up to 4 kilograms of US number 1 potatoes per person and the bag must be commercially packaged
• 15 packages or less up to 250 kilograms of fresh fruits and vegetables per person (excluding potatoes)
• must be free from soil, pests, leaves, branches and/or plant debris
• some restrictions on some fresh fruit and vegetables from California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington
• in British Columbia (BC): restrictions on fresh apples, stone fruit and potatoes

So unless you are paying an outrageous over limit baggage fee for 500 lbs. of fruit, you should be fine.

Well, I must say.....who knew? (though I'm not surprised YOU knew.....you seem to have quite a few valuable tidbits of information tucked away in the deep corners of your brain )

I wonder if the TSA would have an issue if I stuffed all my pockets and my purse full of fresh Florida oranges?

 

[Monykalyn]

Was wondering when Steve would get around to Dragon Challenge. To me this is the most serious coaster at USF IMO. Not the biggest, but leaves me feeling totally discombobulated by the end. I could ride The Hulk over and over, but one ride on DC is more than enough for me. So did he do Fire or Ice (oops, old school - I mean Hungarian Horntail or Chinese Fireball)?

Funny- a lot of the people we talked do doing rider swap (my DS is not a coaster kid) kept calling it fire and ice too. I think we all did both sides multiple times. Loved Hulk! Love that take off.

Yay! To Gina for having trips paid off! We've talked with my family for a couple years about doing a cruise together. Think I will get a quote so planning can start... And my oldest is starting her senior year in high school - she has been seriously looking at colleges now that we are back from our vacation. What is it about kids that makes time go so fast!!? And every time we passed a Minion at Universal I was reminded of this trip report lol! I added up our receipts a couple nights ago (we did way better than I thought we would- something to be said for DH who always way way overbudgets) and I'm not revealing the final butter beer tally...though a local bottler has this

 

[dancin Disney style]

You notice he hasn't mentioned anything yet about being our driver..... .

I guess he hasn't made it to that part just yet!!

It's quite possible that he's still sore about the support hose and eyeglass chain. I did say that I would settle for a smart handbag.

 

[bankr63]

You notice he hasn't mentioned anything yet about being our driver..... .

I guess he hasn't made it to that part just yet!!

Or he might be ignoring it? Guys and handbags, hmmm.

 

[bankr63]

It's quite possible that he's still sore about the support hose and eyeglass chain. I did say that I would settle for a smart handbag.

And I still can wear my Bermuda shorts and sandals with those support hose.

Seems to me you didn't take me up on the driver offer. You wanted me to wear a wig and be Sophia...

ETA - for those new to Gina's reports, DDS is flashing us back two reports now. I have tried to forget the insults, honestly I have...
See for yourselves: http://www.disboards.com/threads/su...bbatical-at-svr.3303855/page-42#post-52372794

 

[bankr63]

Thanks for helping relive those memories of mine, Gina. I love seeing the parks all over again through your words and your lens.

That photo book is da bomb! All I have for my post trip project is a time lapse video of the 22 hour drive. Yup, about as exciting as it sounds.

 

[dancin Disney style]

And I still can wear my Bermuda shorts and sandals with those support hose.

Seems to me you didn't take me up on the driver offer. You wanted me to wear a wig and be Sophia...

If you promise to wear bermuda's with orange palm trees and Jesus sandals I'll give up the support hose dream.

I would love to have you as our driver. My deepest apologies for not accepting your offer sooner. What kind of car do you come with? Bentley convertible?

Come on Sophia is pretty darn awesome.....YOLO.

ETA - for those new to Gina's reports, DDS is flashing us back two reports now. I have tried to forget the insults, honestly I have...
See for yourselves: http://www.disboards.com/threads/su...bbatical-at-svr.3303855/page-42#post-52372794

Memories....like the cobwebs of my mind.

 

[Loves The Mouse]

Gina it's funny how often they act like they don't know us, but when they want something they butter us up!! It is nice to see Jurassic park going strong, new generations of children enjoying it. Oh by the way I forgot to tell you your wedding pic is beautiful, and you don't look like your married twenty years!! Your a beautiful couple!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Funny- a lot of the people we talked do doing rider swap (my DS is not a coaster kid) kept calling it fire and ice too. I think we all did both sides multiple times. Loved Hulk! Love that take off.

Yay! To Gina for having trips paid off! We've talked with my family for a couple years about doing a cruise together. Think I will get a quote so planning can start... And my oldest is starting her senior year in high school - she has been seriously looking at colleges now that we are back from our vacation. What is it about kids that makes time go so fast!!? And every time we passed a Minion at Universal I was reminded of this trip report lol! I added up our receipts a couple nights ago (we did way better than I thought we would- something to be said for DH who always way way overbudgets) and I'm not revealing the final butter beer tally...though a local bottler has this

Okay, so I have to ask.....does that Butter Beer taste like the Universal Butterbeer?

It's quite possible that he's still sore about the support hose and eyeglass chain. I did say that I would settle for a smart handbag.

Or he might be ignoring it? Guys and handbags, hmmm.

When a guy carries a handbag, isn't it called a "murse"? You know, like man-purse?

And I still can wear my Bermuda shorts and sandals with those support hose.

Seems to me you didn't take me up on the driver offer. You wanted me to wear a wig and be Sophia...

ETA - for those new to Gina's reports, DDS is flashing us back two reports now. I have tried to forget the insults, honestly I have...
See for yourselves: http://www.disboards.com/threads/su...bbatical-at-svr.3303855/page-42#post-52372794

My heavens, you guys have a good memory. I had forgotten that we had ganged up on you in an effort to convince you to be the 4th Golden Girl . For the record, I think you'd make a fantastic Sophia. You have a quick wit that reminds me of her .

Thanks for helping relive those memories of mine, Gina. I love seeing the parks all over again through your words and your lens.

That photo book is da bomb! All I have for my post trip project is a time lapse video of the 22 hour drive. Yup, about as exciting as it sounds.

Oooohh.....that sounds cool in its own right!

I'm not so good on the video end of things.....that's why I stick to the camera. I used to scrapbook, but it was an expensive (and time consuming) hobby. I can whip up one of those photo books in no time flat.....and they are much more compact to store (scrapbooks can take up a LOT of room as the number of trips grows substantially). I can also put way more pictures in a photo book, which is good, 'cause as you know I tend to take a lot of pics on our trips .

If you promise to wear bermuda's with orange palm trees and Jesus sandals I'll give up the support hose dream.

I would love to have you as our driver. My deepest apologies for not accepting your offer sooner. What kind of car do you come with? Bentley convertible?

Come on Sophia is pretty darn awesome.....YOLO.

Memories....like the cobwebs of my mind.

I'm not sure I can accept a convertible as our charriot. Have I mentioned that I have a hang-up or two about my hair?

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Gina it's funny how often they act like they don't know us, but when they want something they butter us up!! It is nice to see Jurassic park going strong, new generations of children enjoying it. Oh by the way I forgot to tell you your wedding pic is beautiful, and you don't look like your married twenty years!! Your a beautiful couple!

Aw....thank you!