MY ADVENTURES N WALT DISNEY WORLD, UNIVERSAL STUDIOS & OTHER ASSORTED SILLINESS TRIP REPRT; APRL '16

[macraven]

Forgot to say yesterday that the tour you took at the darkside sounded like a winning day!

All the main rides you got to do and the kid with the watch was all bonus

Your pics are great!

 

[schumigirl]

Fantastic Universal pictures!!!

That tour looks so good.........and nice you got a good group to go around with, makes all the difference sometimes. Kid with watch sounded cool. You got to go on some great rides.......we love RRR as long as we're at the front.......towards the back carriages it can be a real rough ride........front is much better and easier to keep lunch down!

I hear ya on napping wherever you can........I use Terminator as a nap choice, much to my husband and sons bewilderment that I can snooze through all that noise........lol........

Be interested in your opinion of Bubba Gump........tried it twice......never again........just not for us......

But enjoyed your update again.........

 

[knewton64]

Forgot to say yesterday that the tour you took at the darkside sounded like a winning day!

All the main rides you got to do and the kid with the watch was all bonus

Your pics are great!

It was very nice to take all the pics & video u want and ride b4 u get on the ride, you hand off all your 'stuff" u don't want messed with off on to your Tour Guide and he holds it for you until you are done with the ride.
WAY COOL!!


HP World was really fun to see and immerse yourself into all the sights and sounds of each attraction. And seeing all the stores (the Wand shop, etc) WOWZERS!!


T.T.F.N.
&
CHEERS Y'ALL

 

[knewton64]

Fantastic Universal pictures!!!

That tour looks so good.........and nice you got a good group to go around with, makes all the difference sometimes. Kid with watch sounded cool. You got to go on some great rides.......we love RRR as long as we're at the front.......towards the back carriages it can be a real rough ride........front is much better and easier to keep lunch down!

I hear ya on napping wherever you can........I use Terminator as a nap choice, much to my husband and sons bewilderment that I can snooze through all that noise........lol........

Be interested in your opinion of Bubba Gump........tried it twice......never again........just not for us......

But enjoyed your update again.........

Thanks!

(luv the snow effect on the rooftops) -


ANYWHO -
Yes, got an opinion about Bubba G's...........

and
got an even funnier story about how I awoke from my 20 minute ish nap just n time to b picked up from Universal.......





T.T.F.N.
&
CHEERS Y'ALL

 

[knewton64]

I'M BRINING BACK THE 'TR MOOD MUSIC' (yes, even tho it's from my recent adventure n2 DISneyland) CUZ.........

(with a wee bit of some mood music to help set the tone)
pppssstttt!!! Just double right click w/yer computer mouse over the above video & it will play 4 u
and as an extra bonus......
how about some music from Downtown Disney(land) and David Wayne??

The reason why I am doing this is
.....I'm seeing that you can listen to it while reading this TR.
(its only good for that page that u r on)
and besides -
It's catchy!!




T.T.F.N.
&
CHEERS Y'ALL

 

[knewton64]

Ok - make that a shrimp appetizer and a lemon-aid while I am mulling over the menu at Bubba Gumps....


The hotsauce w/the shrimp was pretty good -



The atmsophere was well ---- ok.
but......
( I stunk at playing 'Forest Gump' trivia w/the Waitstaff)

EX: What was Forest's fav part of getting shot??
A - He got to eat ice icecream.



And
the food??

(never had a poorboy before)


What's funny about what some of you have asked me about (my opinion of Bubba G's) , I thought of JUST THAT about 2 days later as I was mentally remarking to myself that I could have had better quality of food at my local Long John Silvers -

Futhermore, I just overall felt underwhelmed w/the place -
I had expected more of the charm of like Forest's Mom's house w/the elegence of the old South via Forest's friend and his food.

And that's just one example of many that I expected from the place....


Moreover, how I vacation is like this -
During the mid morning, it doensn't bother me to have a 'Casey's Corner" like food n the mid am BUT......
for 6-8pm area like food = NAPA ROSE quality.


Bubba Gumps?
Didn't fit the bill.
Besides, I grew up very close by Galveston, Texas & the Lake Ponchartrain area was not that far of a drive for me so to see this kind of a restuarant setting just really underwhelmed me.


Oh well, it WAS a bucket list kinda a thing for me, and once is enuf for Yours Truely on this topic.
So, after a while, with a



I was ready to venture out n2 the RAIN.


YES, by now the heavens had just OPENED UP and I didn't have a care in the world.
Did some "seriious" window shopping that couldn't be beat -
(all while wearing my Universal Studios rain poncho)

Wound up later enstead of Pat O'briens
(FYI - YES, thru Collette Vacations.com, I will be taking a New Orleans vacation w/in the next 24 more months & there, I plan on visiting the original Pat O'briens area among other areas of interest),

I found this place -


I think out of all the things on the menu -


a cookies & creme milkshake jjjuussttt "had"
my name written all over it!



Had fun people watching for a while while I was making my way SLOWLY on over to the exits.

MAN!! Did I ever have fun on this day -

BUT........
here is where it gets strange -

and it all happened when I made the 'fatal' mistake of sitting down around 9:30pm by shuttle pickup location 29-40.

Q: Have you ever watched a murder mystery on tv or in a movie and you see it taking place from the standpoint of the Victim??

Meaning, you see their eyes opening and closing as you see the murderer coming closer and closer to them........
and everything is in slow motion???


Well, that's how I was feeling.


Here I was sitting down on that bench (DONT DO THAT!!) as I was fighting to stay awake when outta the corner of my eye I could see a Gentleman in a suit holding an umbrella and mumbling my name!!

Ok - why is he talking in slow motion??
Why is it STILL freakin raining????
Why is his pointing his finger at me and why is he walkng towards me??


TTTTOOOO FFRREEAKKYYY



MENTAL NOTE - I need to LAY OFF THE Cherry Kool-aid and Cherrios at night!!



Then,
I slowly begin to realize he is calling out my last name! Ok, How does he know my last name??

Then, my brain begins to wake up as I see who he is as I loudly mumble, "You with PDQ Transpo?" (actually, the correct name is "Quick Transpo")

He says YES -
next thing ya know, I somehow find myself n the back of a towncar with classic rock music on n the background with me out like a rock......

about 30-45 minutes later,
I awoke just n time to see the familiar signage of Pop Century.


Found my way back to Baloo and my room -
there is found a surpise waiting for me on the other bed -



It was a coffee mug, Goofy key ring w/sanitizer holder (WAY COOL), some lanyard pins and some Goofy autograph pictures.


Yes, lessons learned here for I have realized whenever I vacation, ask my TA or Hotel rep what kind of internet connection does the Hotel have and THEN make the hotel room or building decision. But receiving this from Pop was very nice and I really appreciate their kindness in helping to smooth over some misadventures I was experiencing with their Hotel.

And with that -
Ok.....will admit, that was such a nice way to put a cap on what has tuned n2 a pretty neat day.

and if I had one word to say about today that would best describe it, I would summarize it up by saying -

ANYWHO-
quickly threw myself n2 the bathtub to soak my aching feet for a while &

Went to bed around 12:45am with the bed not moving but I felt like the whole dang world was still spinning and I was in the middle of a mean game of quidditch with you know who -

and loving every minute of it.





COMING UP SHORTLY:
GETTING UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL W/THE STARS OF THIS DISNEY SPRINGS SHOW





T.T.F.N.
&
CHEERS Y'ALL

 

[knewton64]

Some additional pics from this day -







and -



and of course, ya can't ferget about those comics -






T.T.F.N.
&
CHEERS Y'ALL

 

[macraven]

we are still here and will wait until you are ready

 

[knewton64]

we are still here and will wait until you are ready

No worries!


Cuz I am ready now to trade in my Human yo-yo hat back for my DISney Geek hat via my DAY FOUR.

(pic shot at Pop's Front Desk check in area)



T.T.F.N.
&
CHEERS Y'ALL

 

[macraven]

I remember Doreen!

Was a viewer of the Micky mouse club

 

[knewton64]

I remember Doreen!

Was a viewer of the Micky mouse club

It is too funny to listen to the Mousekateer 'roll call' and to listen to Mark say his name.




P.S.S. Just just a email reply from the San Antonio Hotel where I will be staying at late Nov/early December

RE - about my Post Day (I am working on setting up my Spa retreat & wine tasting down at Fredericksburgh, Tx.).
.


So, gotta jump off-line for a day or two and yack w/them for a bit but no worries -



I plan on being back on Tuesday or Wednesday -




T.T.F.N.
&
CHEERS Y'ALL

 

[macraven]

see youse later this week!

 

[knewton64]

see youse later this week!

Strange thing this thing called time -

got a wee bit so as MM would say,

"And Now, on with the Show!"
(after this next post - yes, fair to say cya Tuesday or Wednesday)

T.T.F.N.
&
CHEERS Y'ALL

 

[knewton64]

That's........

not one BUT TWO scoops of vanilla icecream, 2 brownies , whipped cream & oh yea! A cherry on top 4 exrea added measure


So I could enjoy watching the fireworks later on this day at HS -



But before we get n2 all this, we gotta talk about that dang blatted FREAKIN' wake up call I received at 5:45am this day -


APRIL 14th -
"DAY FOUR"


Somehow I managed to get up at running outta my deep slumber (but still had sense of balance issues and was sensitive to bright lights, etc) but I shook off as much of that as I could and made my way on over to the Epcot Guest Relations area (8:45am)
for my next Park tour - this time it's the 'Undiscovered Future World of Epcot" tour.

IMO, a very DISney 'geeky' tour of Epcot BUT.....very well worth the time & money cuz of.......

SHHHHH!!!
I'll tell ya why - just keep readin'.......



I seemed to had major issues that day trying to find Guest Relations as Cm after CM kept on sending me to the wrong place! ** SERIOUSLY**

I was given directions to 7......SEVEN different places!


Finally, an appeared outta nowhere and guided me to the right location (THEY MOVED!! that's why no one couldnt find it)

as the correct location is just right inside the Park and to the left of the back area of Spacship Earth.


OK, rant over and I was quickly introduced to out Tour Guide LAURA (very nice person) and the other person in the Tour Group.


CLUE #1 TO ONE OF THREE 'MAGICAL EXPERIENCES" i EXPERIENCED WHILE ON THIS TOUR


.....for a grand total of T-W-O people on the tour.


Now, let me gently stop you here and gently explain more about Laura and my feelings about this tour.

(pic of Laura)



Yes, you can easily "Google" this tour and see just very easily most of what I experienced and YES, you can also have a CM who would explained to you each and every thing you see and or witness like a mortician going over the autospy report but Laura didn't do this.

She, IMHO - was an excellent story teller who took us from point to point all over Epcot and well.....quite franky - opened my eyes even more about this Park and I am truely truely humbled by her and really enjoyed my time spent getting my DISney "Geek" on if ya well.


Like for example, didcha know that -

*Those 3-D glasses other than Star Wars?? Cost .70 each to replace.
*Those Star Wars 3-D glasses?? **COSTS $7 BUCKS EACH TO REPLACE**

*There are 195 braking points at Test Track.

*Spacaceship Earth weighs an astonishing 16 million pounds.
• There is a 100° Fahrenheit temperature difference between the hot and cold test rooms on test track.
• Test track cares go from 0-65 miles per hour in just 8. 8 seconds.
• Each of the Test Track cars has 22 wheels, however only four are on view


CLUE #2
Now, yes - I will allow you if ya want to Google this tour and see most of what I experienced but lets just say that through Laura's 'storytelling, she LEADS you to the area and will say most things but at some areas, she won't say anything at all and if you IMO are paying attention, you will have a very not only enhanced Tour, but also experience many a Magical Moment during this Tour as well that is NOT COVERED NOR PART OF THE TOUR.

NO, I don't wanna 'give away' what I saw nor experienced -

Let's just say that as I was listening to Laura, I subtely /discretely peered into many a shall we say ....place and saw things, people or what not that at first, I didn't correlate quickly at first as to what it was I was actually seeing/witnessing or looking at but when my brain began to understand what it was = BAM!!


It was like a TON OF BRICKS falling on me -
I didn't wanna move but I wanted to hide -

I wanted to cry -
and
take off my basbeball cap and bow my head n total respect here -


But I was also fascinated at what was going on -
and
on two occassions, I leaned my body BACK to the right as Laura would have 100% of my attention and we would progress on over to the next thing on the Tour.
(and please, should you see these things, places or what not on your tour, please be kind and drink in what you are seeing as to say anthing to the Tour Leader or what not would IMO spoil the magic).


NO, she DID NOT talk nor show us the things I saw/witnessed during my "Magical Moments" and to me, that's part of the charm of why I liked Laura and how she conducted herself on this tour.

SHE DIDN'T pull the curtain back to expose the 'Great and Powerfull OZ' for it's right in front of you all this time during this tour and IMHO, it's really up to you if you wanna see what's behind the curtain....

and I am very gratefull for that -



SO, as we finishing up the tour, here comes
CLUE #3 TO MY "MAGICAL EXPERIENCES"


the funniest part of all, is the "other Park Guest" REMOVES her hand off her left chest to reveal her DISNEY EMPLOYEE BADGE and says,

"Hi, my name actually is Mary Ann and I am Laura's Supervisor......
this is her first day going solo."


Ok.....I just about did a back flip once this was dropped into my lap.
- (I literally had the whole Epcot park to myeslf) -


After what felt like a Frozen "Forever" moment picking up my jaw from off the ground outta total surprise, we all had fun chatting for a while as we slowly made our way back to Guest Relations.


WOWZERS!! What a way to start the day!! TOO FREAKIN COOL!!
(Besides, during this tour, I didn't know about the existence of the aquarium at the Living Seas in Epcot.....I just thought that the "Nemo" attraction ride was just that, an attraction)......


ANYWHO -
Ok --- so now how n the heck can I top this??

It's like very day on this adventure, I have been experiencing little things that just really make my day.


Ok......here's one -


Just checked my FP & found out that I have
unlimited attraction access to Hollywood Studios courtesy of my -
thanks



And with that,
we are now off to Hollywood Studios -

**JUST DOUBLE RIGHT CLICK OVER THE ABOVE VIDEO & IT WILL PLAY 4 U**




T.T.F.N.
&
CHEERS Y'ALL

 

[knewton64]

** AN OPEN 'THANK YOU" LETTER TO LAURA W & MARY ANN**



Thank you for all what you did for me on that day as the two of you are a wonderful gem of a people to be working for such a great company.





Ok -
now onward to Hollywood Studios -





T.T.F.N.
&
CHEERS Y'ALL

 

[knewton64]

- A JOUNEY N2 THE 5TH DIMENSION -

With the news of my FP, I was off like a rocket on over to the HS area -

(crowded but no worries)



- and in nothing flat, was experiencing TOT but from a different POV, meaning that from all what I learned from watching the 'Theme Parkology Present the Attraction Series, "Tower of Terror" ' ......

DIFFERENT -

Then, like a kid saying to his Mom or Dad, I jjuusstt had to "go there" and tell the CM, "AGAIN" and like that, I had fun experiencing the attraction again but this time from the POV of a Guest.


TOTAL FUN -
and from there, the next 3 and a half hours was spent like that traversing from attraction to attraction and just acting like a kid.

Soon, 5:30pm was upon me as a zipped on over to the Brown Derby restaurant area (first time visitor) for a very nice meal but.........


rain clouds were looming over my evening's plans......


of having FP to see Fantasmic!


Hmmm.......think positive thoughts there.....think positive thoughts!!


So, with some faith, trust and a whole truck load of pixie dust, I meandered on over to the Fantasmic area after the Brown Derby meal.



Got jjjuussttt to the part where the Witch says, "Slave n the Mirror..."

when we heared "those words" we all ddrreeaadd hearing:

"Ladies and Gentlemen! We regret to inform you but tonight's performance has been canceled due to bad weather."


Then, outta no where, I remembered -

THE STAR WARS FIREWORKS!!
(great alternative solution)


But...........
need munchies of some sorts 2 nibble on while watching the fireworks......

found a great icr cream place just to the left of TOT as you are going down that street -
doubled back and wound up on what....

Main Street?? and
had a wonderful view of the Star Wars fireworks.


Never seem em and WOWZERS!!
put me back n2 that Disney mood after the Fantasmic issue.


Afterwards, did some souvineer shopping, checked out the exterior of the HS buidlings and boogies on over to the bus area late -

made it back home and flipped on the 'Stacey Aswad" channel while flipping myself n2 the bath 4 a much needed soaking of my aching feet.



Lights out 4 me around midnight w/thoughts of having fun being n my element -



Now, for the fun part.....
or as I call it -


my equivalent of the Disney "Goodnight Kiss" -
(I always plans something rreeeealllyy cool at the end....usually a spa retreat....as a way to really cap off a wonderful vacation adventure)



COMING UP NEXT -
experiencing the "BACKSTAGE LA NUBA" tour
and......

just many many times I was told (to date), "Excuse me Sir, but you have been selected for additional screening....."




T.T.F.N.
&
CHEERS Y'ALL

 

[macraven]

Just checked my FP & found out that I have
unlimited attraction access to Hollywood Studios courtesy of my -
thanks


huh, they don't call me blonde for nuthin'

but did i read that correctly you got the golden ticket and fp for all rides at dhs?



lucky ducky......!

 

[knewton64]

Just checked my FP & found out that I have
unlimited attraction access to Hollywood Studios courtesy of my -
thanks


huh, they don't call me blonde for nuthin'

but did i read that correctly you got the golden ticket and fp for all rides at dhs?



lucky ducky......!

I don't know who or what or why but someone was DEF watching over me and I am truly indebted and grateful for my and





- for your kind thoughts and actions have not gone unnoticed. Read on and you will see how I 'paid it forward' during my Disney Springs Day.




T.T.F.N.
&
CHEES Y'ALL

 

[macraven]

i think it is awesome you received that gift of the fp !!

i'm sure it wowed you and made your stay very special....

hope it happens for you again someday in the future trips you make there.

i skipped downtown disney last fall as it was totally crowded.

if disney springs is all in place in september when i return to orlando for my vacation, i'll take the bus and check it all out.
hope you include pictures and details on that portion of your vacation report to us.

 

[knewton64]

i think it is awesome you received that gift of the fp !!

i'm sure it wowed you and made your stay very special....

hope it happens for you again someday in the future trips you make there.

i skipped downtown disney last fall as it was totally crowded.

if disney springs is all in place in september when i return to orlando for my vacation, i'll take the bus and check it all out.
hope you include pictures and details on that portion of your vacation report to us.

My reaction was like 'WTW??'

followed quickly by 'COOL!!'



that was very nice but no good deed goes unnoticed -




DETAILS coming up shortly......





T.T.F.N.
&
CHEERS Y'ALL