Mike Jones
<font color=993300>....nothing clever to say... ju
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2003
- Messages
- 1,372
Hiya! Review our day at US recently:
The Cast:
Mike, 39, chief organiser, driver and brew maker
Heather, 40, wife and mum
Bethany, 11 (going on 20!), coaster addict, hates getting wet.
Adam, 9, (going on 8!), hates coasters (except BTMRR), LOVES getting wet!
DAY 4 - SUNDAY 21ST DECEMBER 2003
(Plan today: Universal Studios)
04:00 am: Awoken by Adam in a bit of a state theres a peculiar noise in his bedroom and he thinks its an animal of some description! I investigate and discover that his smoke alarm battery must have run down and its making an intermittent beep as a warning! I cant reach it to disarm, as its high up on the sloping ceiling, so he moves into grandma & grandads bedroom for the rest of the night!
NEWSFLASH: FROST IN CENTRAL FLORIDA!! The news channels are going bananas this morning, as we awake to a modest layer of frost on the car windows and local rooftops!! I get up about 630 ish and wake Heather with a cuppa before going outside to film the evidence of the coldest snap for several years the fear is that it will do nasty things to the citrus crops if it lasts. I see a neighbour, (a local, I think, not a visitor ) also out taking photos of the frost for posterity!
I dont bother with coffee or breakfast this morning as Ive got a dodgy stomach Ill spare you the details! I remember to root out the Universal passes and stow them safely in my bag ( what potential joy, arriving at the Park without the tickets, eh?) Sudden panic where are the DISNEY passes from yesterday?!! Several turbulent minutes later, having emptied most of the drawers, cabinets and rucksacks all over the floor, I remember the secret, safe zip pocket inside my bumbag! Sorry gang!
All sorted by 750am. Drove to Universal Orlando for 815ish. Telephoned the villa management company from the car (as they dont open until 8am, according to the handbook) to report Adams smoke alarm. Got their answerphone so left a detailed message. Arrive at gates of Universal Studios by 830. Sad to discover that they are not opening early as we had experienced at Easter. Never mind! Only actually waited until 845 and they opened the gates. Security bag check here is after the turnstiles, whereas Disney checks are all prior. (Both are pretty perfunctory and, I believe, designed to instil confidence rather than actually make a serious effort to deter terrorists etc: I got fed up emptying my backpack, video case AND bumbag, so I started leaving my bumbag under my shirt. No one ever noticed.) Our plan was to go on Jimmy Neutron first, but it was not yet open, so we went into Shrek 4D opposite. What a show! I wont spoil it for anyone whos not seen it yet, but the pre-show is very funny and the main film is superb! All enjoyed it. We walked straight back across the road to Jimmy Neutron and got Universal Express passes for 1110 1210. Plan now called for Men In Black, Alien Attack, so we walked anti-clockwise around the lake, passing the E.T. area and Back to The Future ride, which was so quiet the cast member outside was trying to drag people in! Promised wed be back and arrived at MIB. We take the no carry-on luggage signs seriously here (although we saw a lot of people who apparently didnt) and made use of the free lockers adjacent to the entrance these have changed since Easter, when you got a slip with the unlock code on it now you just put a finger on a scanner for print reading and on your return proffer the same finger to open. (The lockers are free for the first 1.25 hrs. after that you have to pay)
MIB was a walk on and we were riding within a few minutes. Bit more clued up than previous visits and managed a half respectable score this time 119,900 or thereabouts. (Heather 33,000, Bethany 29,000 and Adam 28,000).
Recovered bags from the lockers and walked back to Back to the Future and walked straight on. Usual, fun ride but just feeling a bit dated and bumpy now after the sophistication of the more modern sims like Jimmy Neutron and especially Spiderman.
The weather is excellent now, with full sunshine and a lot warmer than 1st thing. We return to E.T. and again its a walk-on. I missed my name being spoken at the end of the ride last time, so intend to listen harder today I appall the kids by telling the CM that my name is Charlie! This is a great attraction, IMO, particularly the inside queue area (as long as youre not there all day!) which has a superb and almost spooky, forest atmosphere. We ride, and I am gratified to hear the alien say goodbye to Heather, Adam, Bethany and Charlie!
Backtracking slightly, we cross the lake on the walkway and enter Amityville. Jaws has a posted 10 minute wait and we all line up, except Beth who once got 2 spots of water on her during the ride and refuses to repeat it! The guide, a lady, is very enthusiastic and we are mildly terrorised as usual, but dont get at all wet, to Adams regret! (One point: we share our seat with a mum, grandma and 3 year old daughter the kiddie is absolutely terrified from the first attack until the last explosion, particularly in the boat house. Use some judgement, people!)
We are now in the UE window for Jimmy Neutron so return to the ride building and get in line. We just miss one batch of admissions and wait a few minutes before getting in. Again, as a relatively new ride (just open when we came in April) I wont spoil this for anyone yet to try it, but all of us really enjoy it! The birdie song is a bit of a surprise though! 1140am now and lunch beckons. Weve all been happy with Café la Bamba before, and its warm enough to sit outside to eat, so that gets the vote. Our tally is 2 wraps and 2 burgers (all with fries), 2 cokes and 2 Sprites - $41. The sun is actually starting to feel hot now quite a change from the frost first thing! Next is another favourite, Terminator 2. (Another walk-on). The pre-show hostess hams it up wonderfully (Super!) and we proceed to the main theatre for an entertaining show.
Ive not had coffee today because of my thing this morning and we walk to the Starbucks concession in one of the restaurants (sorry, forgotten the name) in the streets. We sit in the sun near Beetlejuice to enjoy, before taking our last ride at Twister. I have to confess that the kids are not over bothered about this one but Heather and I think its a hoot! Last time we came, we ended up on the bottom row, quite near the left side (where they put wheelchairs and strollers). When the fire hydrant blows this area can get quite soaked (kind of them for the folks in w/chs and prams, eh?) so we hang back a bit and stay right, where we are not affected at all. We spend a bit of time in the ride store afterwards where Heather buys a farm-themed weather vane ornament and a chicken xmas tree decoration for reasons best known to herself!
Final call is the main Universal store looking for some packable shorts my dad wants, but find none. Well try again at IOA when we come back later in the week. Back at the car by 235pm and return to the villa in only about 15 minutes via I4 (Traffic observation: although this is undoubtedly the busiest time of year in Orlando, we do not experience any real snarl-ups or delays all week. I find the roads in Florida very relaxing compared to the M60 and areas around north Manchester.) We call at the Outback Restaurant (retail estate on junction of 192 and Formosa Gardens Boulevard) on the way to check times for this evening. Are advised that they dont take reservations, but if we ring ahead about an hour before arriving, it will shorten our wait considerably. We repair to the villa pool for the rest of the afternoon its pleasantly warm and sunny. I mostly sit on the deck while the kids play in the water and I think Heather caught up on a bit of washing before having a snooze inside. Were out of the pool by 5pm and I call the Outback as advised. All showered etc by 545 and we arrive at the Outback by 555 to be seated immediately, even though there are a couple of dozen people waiting outside. It works, then! Our server is Amy. She is very helpful and efficient. The kids split an Outback Burger, Aussie Fries (crunchy chips) and sautéed mushrooms. Beth had a strawberry smoothie and Adam chocolate milk. Heather tried Prime Minister Rib (baked in the oven, I think, instead of grilled) and I had a special, fillet of beef with a lobster tail. Both had draft beers. Everyone wanted dessert, so the kids split a monster chocolate cake wedge; I had a brownie and Heather cinnamon apple cake. Everything was excellent! $85 incl generous tip.
Its approaching 745 now and we have been passing signs every day on the 192 proclaiming Snow in Celebration, every night at 7pm, 8pm & 9pm or something like that. Intrigued, we drive over (10 minutes or so) and park on the main lot. The town does appear busy and loud music greets us as we walk onto the main street. The atmosphere is jolly, with crowds gathered beneath snow generators mounted on the lampposts. These are laying down a respectable layer of white flakes, which on closer inspection turn out to be foam of some sort! Kids are sliding around in the stuff and adults take lots of pics and video. The deluge stops after about 10 minutes and the crowd, including us, disperses into the shops. We mooch down to the Celebration Hotel (http://www.celebrationhotel.com) and take a look around the lobby. This has a lovely feel about it, with comfy sofas and plantation style furnishings. Wed love to stay here but not sure wed want the kids with us! We walk back to the car along the lakeside, pausing to watch a crowd of merrymakers running through the fountain, trying, mostly without success, to avoid getting wet!
We arrive back at the villa at 900pm and the kids are in bed by 930. Discover a note from the management company saying theyve fixed the smoke alarm but expressing annoyance as they arrived to discover that wed not left the villa key in the lockbox, so had to drive back to their offices for the spare! Sorry! I promise Ill leave it there from now on! Slumped in a chair with a beer and fell asleep in front of the telly again! Bed by 1000pm! Weary! Its been a busy and enjoyable day.
Tomorrows plan: Disney overload MGM Studios, Animal Kingdom, explore Animal Kingdom Lodge before PS at Boma, and Epcot for Illuminations!
Thanks for reading!
Mike
(Our full Trip Report, including a week over New Year on the Gulf Coast, is currently available on the UK Trip Reports Board ... I'm about halfway through!)
The Cast:
Mike, 39, chief organiser, driver and brew maker
Heather, 40, wife and mum
Bethany, 11 (going on 20!), coaster addict, hates getting wet.
Adam, 9, (going on 8!), hates coasters (except BTMRR), LOVES getting wet!
DAY 4 - SUNDAY 21ST DECEMBER 2003
(Plan today: Universal Studios)
04:00 am: Awoken by Adam in a bit of a state theres a peculiar noise in his bedroom and he thinks its an animal of some description! I investigate and discover that his smoke alarm battery must have run down and its making an intermittent beep as a warning! I cant reach it to disarm, as its high up on the sloping ceiling, so he moves into grandma & grandads bedroom for the rest of the night!
NEWSFLASH: FROST IN CENTRAL FLORIDA!! The news channels are going bananas this morning, as we awake to a modest layer of frost on the car windows and local rooftops!! I get up about 630 ish and wake Heather with a cuppa before going outside to film the evidence of the coldest snap for several years the fear is that it will do nasty things to the citrus crops if it lasts. I see a neighbour, (a local, I think, not a visitor ) also out taking photos of the frost for posterity!
I dont bother with coffee or breakfast this morning as Ive got a dodgy stomach Ill spare you the details! I remember to root out the Universal passes and stow them safely in my bag ( what potential joy, arriving at the Park without the tickets, eh?) Sudden panic where are the DISNEY passes from yesterday?!! Several turbulent minutes later, having emptied most of the drawers, cabinets and rucksacks all over the floor, I remember the secret, safe zip pocket inside my bumbag! Sorry gang!
All sorted by 750am. Drove to Universal Orlando for 815ish. Telephoned the villa management company from the car (as they dont open until 8am, according to the handbook) to report Adams smoke alarm. Got their answerphone so left a detailed message. Arrive at gates of Universal Studios by 830. Sad to discover that they are not opening early as we had experienced at Easter. Never mind! Only actually waited until 845 and they opened the gates. Security bag check here is after the turnstiles, whereas Disney checks are all prior. (Both are pretty perfunctory and, I believe, designed to instil confidence rather than actually make a serious effort to deter terrorists etc: I got fed up emptying my backpack, video case AND bumbag, so I started leaving my bumbag under my shirt. No one ever noticed.) Our plan was to go on Jimmy Neutron first, but it was not yet open, so we went into Shrek 4D opposite. What a show! I wont spoil it for anyone whos not seen it yet, but the pre-show is very funny and the main film is superb! All enjoyed it. We walked straight back across the road to Jimmy Neutron and got Universal Express passes for 1110 1210. Plan now called for Men In Black, Alien Attack, so we walked anti-clockwise around the lake, passing the E.T. area and Back to The Future ride, which was so quiet the cast member outside was trying to drag people in! Promised wed be back and arrived at MIB. We take the no carry-on luggage signs seriously here (although we saw a lot of people who apparently didnt) and made use of the free lockers adjacent to the entrance these have changed since Easter, when you got a slip with the unlock code on it now you just put a finger on a scanner for print reading and on your return proffer the same finger to open. (The lockers are free for the first 1.25 hrs. after that you have to pay)
MIB was a walk on and we were riding within a few minutes. Bit more clued up than previous visits and managed a half respectable score this time 119,900 or thereabouts. (Heather 33,000, Bethany 29,000 and Adam 28,000).
Recovered bags from the lockers and walked back to Back to the Future and walked straight on. Usual, fun ride but just feeling a bit dated and bumpy now after the sophistication of the more modern sims like Jimmy Neutron and especially Spiderman.
The weather is excellent now, with full sunshine and a lot warmer than 1st thing. We return to E.T. and again its a walk-on. I missed my name being spoken at the end of the ride last time, so intend to listen harder today I appall the kids by telling the CM that my name is Charlie! This is a great attraction, IMO, particularly the inside queue area (as long as youre not there all day!) which has a superb and almost spooky, forest atmosphere. We ride, and I am gratified to hear the alien say goodbye to Heather, Adam, Bethany and Charlie!
Backtracking slightly, we cross the lake on the walkway and enter Amityville. Jaws has a posted 10 minute wait and we all line up, except Beth who once got 2 spots of water on her during the ride and refuses to repeat it! The guide, a lady, is very enthusiastic and we are mildly terrorised as usual, but dont get at all wet, to Adams regret! (One point: we share our seat with a mum, grandma and 3 year old daughter the kiddie is absolutely terrified from the first attack until the last explosion, particularly in the boat house. Use some judgement, people!)
We are now in the UE window for Jimmy Neutron so return to the ride building and get in line. We just miss one batch of admissions and wait a few minutes before getting in. Again, as a relatively new ride (just open when we came in April) I wont spoil this for anyone yet to try it, but all of us really enjoy it! The birdie song is a bit of a surprise though! 1140am now and lunch beckons. Weve all been happy with Café la Bamba before, and its warm enough to sit outside to eat, so that gets the vote. Our tally is 2 wraps and 2 burgers (all with fries), 2 cokes and 2 Sprites - $41. The sun is actually starting to feel hot now quite a change from the frost first thing! Next is another favourite, Terminator 2. (Another walk-on). The pre-show hostess hams it up wonderfully (Super!) and we proceed to the main theatre for an entertaining show.
Ive not had coffee today because of my thing this morning and we walk to the Starbucks concession in one of the restaurants (sorry, forgotten the name) in the streets. We sit in the sun near Beetlejuice to enjoy, before taking our last ride at Twister. I have to confess that the kids are not over bothered about this one but Heather and I think its a hoot! Last time we came, we ended up on the bottom row, quite near the left side (where they put wheelchairs and strollers). When the fire hydrant blows this area can get quite soaked (kind of them for the folks in w/chs and prams, eh?) so we hang back a bit and stay right, where we are not affected at all. We spend a bit of time in the ride store afterwards where Heather buys a farm-themed weather vane ornament and a chicken xmas tree decoration for reasons best known to herself!
Final call is the main Universal store looking for some packable shorts my dad wants, but find none. Well try again at IOA when we come back later in the week. Back at the car by 235pm and return to the villa in only about 15 minutes via I4 (Traffic observation: although this is undoubtedly the busiest time of year in Orlando, we do not experience any real snarl-ups or delays all week. I find the roads in Florida very relaxing compared to the M60 and areas around north Manchester.) We call at the Outback Restaurant (retail estate on junction of 192 and Formosa Gardens Boulevard) on the way to check times for this evening. Are advised that they dont take reservations, but if we ring ahead about an hour before arriving, it will shorten our wait considerably. We repair to the villa pool for the rest of the afternoon its pleasantly warm and sunny. I mostly sit on the deck while the kids play in the water and I think Heather caught up on a bit of washing before having a snooze inside. Were out of the pool by 5pm and I call the Outback as advised. All showered etc by 545 and we arrive at the Outback by 555 to be seated immediately, even though there are a couple of dozen people waiting outside. It works, then! Our server is Amy. She is very helpful and efficient. The kids split an Outback Burger, Aussie Fries (crunchy chips) and sautéed mushrooms. Beth had a strawberry smoothie and Adam chocolate milk. Heather tried Prime Minister Rib (baked in the oven, I think, instead of grilled) and I had a special, fillet of beef with a lobster tail. Both had draft beers. Everyone wanted dessert, so the kids split a monster chocolate cake wedge; I had a brownie and Heather cinnamon apple cake. Everything was excellent! $85 incl generous tip.
Its approaching 745 now and we have been passing signs every day on the 192 proclaiming Snow in Celebration, every night at 7pm, 8pm & 9pm or something like that. Intrigued, we drive over (10 minutes or so) and park on the main lot. The town does appear busy and loud music greets us as we walk onto the main street. The atmosphere is jolly, with crowds gathered beneath snow generators mounted on the lampposts. These are laying down a respectable layer of white flakes, which on closer inspection turn out to be foam of some sort! Kids are sliding around in the stuff and adults take lots of pics and video. The deluge stops after about 10 minutes and the crowd, including us, disperses into the shops. We mooch down to the Celebration Hotel (http://www.celebrationhotel.com) and take a look around the lobby. This has a lovely feel about it, with comfy sofas and plantation style furnishings. Wed love to stay here but not sure wed want the kids with us! We walk back to the car along the lakeside, pausing to watch a crowd of merrymakers running through the fountain, trying, mostly without success, to avoid getting wet!
We arrive back at the villa at 900pm and the kids are in bed by 930. Discover a note from the management company saying theyve fixed the smoke alarm but expressing annoyance as they arrived to discover that wed not left the villa key in the lockbox, so had to drive back to their offices for the spare! Sorry! I promise Ill leave it there from now on! Slumped in a chair with a beer and fell asleep in front of the telly again! Bed by 1000pm! Weary! Its been a busy and enjoyable day.
Tomorrows plan: Disney overload MGM Studios, Animal Kingdom, explore Animal Kingdom Lodge before PS at Boma, and Epcot for Illuminations!
Thanks for reading!
Mike
(Our full Trip Report, including a week over New Year on the Gulf Coast, is currently available on the UK Trip Reports Board ... I'm about halfway through!)
