Motherfletcher
<font color=red>Proud Redhead<br><font color=peach
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2003
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NEW YEAR'S EVE CAPITAL ONE BOWL NOVEL
This trip was just for the boys. My 16 year old son (a genuine sports freak) and I (an accommodating Dad) had to go to the Capital One Bowl and see the co-national champion LSU Tigers vs. the Iowa Hawkeyes. My daughter (11) usually joins us for football games but Santa brought her a puppy so she had stay home with Momma to pick/clean up all of the little surprises the puppy left for her.
Wednesday, December 29th, 2004
As usual I awoke early with the "We're too excited to sleep syndrome". This time was a little different because I got up before midnight. At 3:30 I lugged my son out to the van with promises that he could sleep all the way to Orlando. I like traveling that time of day because the traffic is a little less frustrating. We made it to the Universal gate house by a little after 7 and we weren't the first. I was glad that I had worn a long sleeved shirt since it was a bit fresh. My son was comfy in his brand new Dolphins hoodie. At the turnstiles they had reserved the right two lanes of the right side for Shrek early entry package purchasers. Surprisingly there were around 75 people in those two lines and they were admitted at 20 to 8:00. Jim and Robert signaled for us to come to the turnstile once they cleared. We exchanged Holiday greeting and they told us how busy it had been since Christmas. They opened the park for the rest of us at 10 to 8:00. At opening we went straight to Duloc. One of the best things I've heard during the pre-show patter was a girl that pointed out the nasty bed of nails on the ceiling then told those underneath that they were in the "Splash Zone". We sat in the front row which was a little different because the last 8 seats that were stationary were reduced to only 4. So now you can sit in the middle in the front row. I still love the irreverence of Shrek and how they poke fun at WDW. The one question I have is at the end of the film Shrek and Fiona are kissing when Pinocchio squeezes up between them. Shrek askes "What are you up to?" and Pinocchio says," Nothing." and his nose grows indicating that he is lying. What was he up to? Leaving Shrek my son jogged to the Mummy and was through that in nothing flat. We scurried down to MIB and did the regular line. The "agent" thought it was our first time so we played along asked dumb questions like "Does this go upside down?" Since we were all alone we had him take our picture in front of "The Universe and You." We took photos all the way to the loading platform. We were still the only guests so we asked to be pitted against one another and they let us. My son beat me by 50k and you would have thought it was for a million dollars. We rode 2 more times in the single riders line and he couldn't repeat the win. After MIB we scored the front seat on the ET bikes for the 4 and a half minute old peoples thrill ride. My son wouldn't let me tell them my name was Osama so I used Dad. When we left ET and walked up Sunset Blvd. towards Mel's you could tell that the park was starting to fill up. I said we should leave and check out some things on I-Drive and have lunch at Adobe Gilas. Is anyone old enough to get that pun? Clue - Pre-Gilligan his role was Maynard G. Krebs. My son begged me to go to T2-3D before we left. He whined like a 4 year old so I agreed if he would take all of the luggage in that night.
Attack of the Terminator!
We were going to see the first (9:30 am) show and it was a walk on. There was an attendant at the door with a hand clicker counter and he said to someone behind us to close the door. The pre-show auditorium was dark. My son told me later that he saw the video and Shaq was on which is quite a ways into the 8 minute pre-show. My son was hustling to make it inside and for some dumb reason was wearing the "safety visors" when I heard this chilling thud and saw him stumble backwards. He had walked/ran into the black post that separates the double doors. I asked if he was OK and he lied with a sheepish "Yeh". I asked if he was bleeding and got the same response. I made him show me and I yelled for assistance. The cut was above and parallel to his brow, about an inch and half long and about a quarter of an inch wide (the width of the glasses' frames) and it looked pretty deep and he was bleeding pretty good all over his new sweatshirt. I gave him my handkerchief to stop the bleeding and asked him to sit down. The attendant was more concerned about his duties and asked us to follow him down a hall where he filled some switches and radioed for medical assistance. When the T2 supervisor or "lead" showed up he was very good to us and stayed with us when the medic showed up and walked with us to their first aid station behind Beetlejuice. A nurse came in and looked at it and said that it was OK and it could be glued shut. They called for transport to the Florida Hospital Centre Care Clinic at the corner of Vineland and Universal. While we waited for the van we had quite a few laughs and the lead gave us his business card and told us to look him up our next visit and he would get us attraction access and a replacement sweatshirt. He told me that on New Year's Eve it would take an hour to walk from the parks to the parking garage after the fireworks.
The clinic was a zoo. They made us pay the $20 co-pay in advance and wouldn't send the bill to Cyberdyne Systems! My son told me it hurt when he frowned so I kept him in stitches until the lone doctor could sew in the real ones. What was all that glue talk? The doctor said it was too jagged and since he could be the next Ashton Kucher they needed to sew it. We got out of the clinic 4 hours after the initial incident and had to wait for the van to take us to the parking garage.
Omni Orlando Resort at Championsgate
After I had made my initial ressies I wanted to extend it by a day in the front and the back. I was trying Priceline for the Westin Grand Bohemian downtown for front row seats to the Capital One Bowl parade. After several rejection I added the WDW area because they didn't list a 4 star. I ended up accepted at the Omni because it was a "resort" designation for $115 for the night. Since this resort just opened in October and I wasn't able to find any reviews I'm going to be quite thorough for those that may be considering it. Feel free to skip ahead if you don't care about the hotel.
The resort is located about 7 miles south of WDW on I-4 at exit 58. We had watched it being built and wondered what it was going to be. After hurricane Charley all of the large palm trees (later read there was 180 palms) lining the entrance road were on the ground. I located their website and joined their "Select Guest Club" which turned out to be smart since it gave us a 5 o'clock check out which is great. Entering this resort is really impressive with the building housing 730 rooms and it had to be 15 stories since our room was on the ninth floor. The lobby and check in has a wall of windows overlooking the two Greg Norman designed golf courses.
The girl at check in was a new hire and very nice. I should have made some room requests since occupancy was very low. We just took the room we were given which was on the east side of the south wing on the ninth floor and quite a hike from the elevator. The room had a king bed and no sleeper couch. I told my son that we should call down and ask for two queens but he said it would be alright because the bed was so big. He ended up sleeping on the floor though. The room also had an oversized modern easy chair and ottoman, a large executive work desk with computer and electrical outlets along the front edge. You could get free high-speed wireless internet access and the in-room safe was large enough to hold a laptop. There was two phones (one cordless) with dual lines (pain to remember to push line 1or 2) and voicemail. The night stands on both sides of the bed had fake drawers which I didn't like. The TV had Lodgenet with movies (about $12 each) and Nintendo 64 video games. If you didn't bring your own computer you could access the internet with the TV as a computer monitor for $12 per day or a reduced length of stay charge. The cabinet that held the TV/CD player was large and had ample clothes storage space with a minibar and coffee maker.
We had a magnificent view of the front parking lot (blah) but also tennis courts, basketball court, golf course, acres of undeveloped land with cows grazing and I-4. The pool view would have been better.
The bathroom was crisp and new with no signs of any water or other damage. The single sink had a large dark marble counter top and lighted hinged make up mirror. The floors and tub surround was a light beige marble and the walls a neutral wallpaper. I like bubble baths so I tried the tub. The tub had ample shoulder room but was short and shallow. The water didn't get hot either. I don't know if it was a scalding safeguard or what, but it sucked when drawing a bath to soak for any length of time. The tub did have a little ring scum and a hair. I tried the shower and the water pressure and volume were perfect and the water was hot enough for a shower. The shower only had one marble corner shelf for shampoo, soap, etc. and there was no retractable clothesline. The bathroom goodies were high end and included a sewing kit in a hard plastic container, mouthwash, Q-tips, cotton balls, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, face and body soap in bamboo trays and boxes. The closet had 2 plush robes, an extra pillow and blanket. There was some hallway noise and I could hear the alarm go off in the adjacent room. Our nightly turndown included the customary chocolate but also had a card telling us the weather forecast for the next day.
The grounds were well manicured with palm trees, flowering plants, a formal herb garden, and serpentine pathways leading from the formal heated swimming pool, private cabanas and fountained whirlpool to the heated family pool, 850' lazy river with water cannons, falls, inner tubes, water tower, zero depth play fountain, secluded whirlpool with water spill, pool restaurant/bar, outdoor pool table, foosball table, game room, water slide, sand volleyball court, lighted tennis courts and basketball court. They had all kinds of scheduled activities like a basketball shootout, soccer game, scavenger hut, water balloon toss, sand castle building, pool tournament, lizard hunt, hula hoop contest, water relays, kickball challenge and bubble bash. Other than that and the 2 golf courses there was nothing to do! We spent most of the time chilling at the pool or shooting hoops.
Guests and staff were very friendly and the place was luxurious without being stuffy. I would return if the price was right. The biggest down side is location. We went to Friday's Front Row Bar and Grille at the corner of Sandlake and I-Drive for dinner and the Capital One Bowl Preview and the trip took 25 minutes one way. I-4 is under construction in front of the resort and at times traffic is at a crawl in this area. The best thing was the 5 o'clock check out!
The Peabody
I tried to get a room at one of the Universal hotels without any luck. I personally think the Loew's Platinum card in my wallet is useless. I searched through Hotwire, Easyclicktravel.com, Travelaxe, Priceline and others to find the best deal. Hotwire's "Double the Difference Guarantee"(DD) had always intrigued me and I read about successes on Betterbidding.com. From the icons I identified the Peabody on Hotwire for $251/night. I found it again on the opaque Easyclick site for $139. I emailed Hotwire's DD and asked if opaque sites were included. They responded positive if I could prove it was the same hotel. So I worked up the nerve, which took a couple of days, and purchased 3 nights through Hotwire and 3 nights through Easyclick. I turned the results into DD and they sent me an email rejection which scared the crap out of me because together it was over $1200. After 2 more rejections they finally emailed me that I would receive a $672 refund on my Visa. I canceled the rooms through Easyclick and ended up paying $66/night tax included. A friend did the same thing for 4 nights after I played guinea pig. And to my surprise the next day Hotwire raised the price to $300/night making the difference even greater.
I did some research on Peabody and tried to join their preferred guest club and was supposed to get a card in 2 weeks but haven't yet and its been over a month. On their website they had a special for the time of my stay (New Years) of $250/night with a 3 night minimum. I also found that their club level was $50 more per night than standard and decided to go for that at check in. In addition I learned that the Peabody was the official hotel of the Iowa Hawkeyes football team who were playing in the Capital One Bowl that we planned to attend.
We arrived at the 27 story, 891 room landmark at about 3 pm and check in was busy with football fans and the lobby had tables set up for game activity information. The hotel was last renovated in 2001 and there were some carpet stains in the hallways but it is still only one of 2 Orlando hotels and one of the country's 117 hotels to receive the Mobil Guide's 4 star rating. The lady that checked us in was very nice and said that the Renaissance was the official LSU hotel but they had been checking in quite a few LSU fans because the Peabody was the better hotel. We received the club upgrade for $50 but they didn't have a room available on the club floors (25th, 26th, and 27th) so I asked for the highest floor on the west side so we could have a view of the WDW fireworks. We were given a 2 queen room on the 20th floor with club access which was an excellent view. Club got us continental breakfast from 7 to 10, hors d'oeuvres and an honor bar from 5:30 to 7 and petit fours and coffee from 8:30 to 9:30. We had access to the athletic club with sauna, steam room and whirlpool. We got concierge, nightly turndown and free valet parking (which we have never used before). Our room was pretty standard with 2 queens. The bath tub wall was wide enough to sit on and the sink stuck out from the counter for a makeshift makeup table. The bathroom had a little 8" TV which impressed my boy. The beds were great with triple sheeting and a foot thick pillow top mattress and we requested extra down pillows.
My son fetched the luggage and we took the van to the front for valet. My son hit it off right away with the valet guys and they unsuccessfully kept trying to trip him up with sports trivia. I wish he would put the same energy into Calculus. We went to the marble fountain to see the Marching of the Ducks which happens twice a day in their 4 story atrium lobby. I'm not real sure why they do this but it sounds like the tradition started at their Tennessee hotel when the owner and a couple of his drunk hunting buddies were playing a joke. The lobby and fountain area was packed and my son had to get a photo for his Mom. He stepped on the red carpet when they started herding the ducks and clicked off a shot before the folks in back started yelling at him and others to get out of the way. I'm sorry but I didn't see what the attraction was and when it was over it was hell trying to get an elevator upstairs. We finally caught one and headed to the club for the nightly offering which included cheese, crackers, cold meats and a couple of hot dishes. The club was not very busy/crowded. My friend called and said he had asked for an upgrade at check in and received a free International Suite. The bum! We went down and visited him and his parents and fiancée. The room was about 450 square feet, had a fridge, a bar, a large round table and 4 large upholstered captain's chairs, a large couch and could accommodate a reception of more than 30 people. I asked where their bed was and he pulled down a king size wall bed. After a short chat they invited us to walk with them to the Convention Center for a pep rally they called the Hawkeye Huddle. The convention center is right next door but still quite a walk. I didn't know what to expect but the 11,000 black and gold wearing, cheering, drinking, sports nuts kind of blew us away. I did recognize a Senator in attendance. A lot is said about Southern hospitality but these people were genuinely friendly and invited us to other parties. We ducked out early though and went back to the club for petit fours.
New Year's Eve
After our continental breakfast (my son had 2 bagels, cereal, fruit, milk and then complained about being too full) we got to Universal at 7 AM. We went to Jimmy Neutron to get in our chicken dancing quota. My boy did Mummy on our way back to MIB. We left MIB and met the T2-3D lead in front of ET. He hand wrote express for 2 for 12/31 and signed the business card. I asked if it was good at IOA as well and he said "any attraction." He asked us to meet him at the Universal Studios Store at 10:30 and we were off to express ourselves. We went to T2-3D and noticed that black and yellow cautionary tape had been attached to the infamous post. He posed for a photo in front of it. I told my boy that the blood, gore and violence from the movie are virtually absent from the attraction unless you run into a post! At the Universal Store he picked out a nice $50 hoodie and they gave to him. The park was starting to get crowded and I let my son know that if we were going to experience midnight that I would need a nap. We went back to the Pea and chilled in the steam room, sauna and whirlpool before settling down for a long winter's nap. My boy spent time at the 180 foot Olympic style swimming pool and the basketball court.
We returned to USO and took advantage of the express. No one questioned it and it beat hotel express because there was no restrictions at all. We went to the night's last show of the Gory, Gruesome and Grotesque Horror Make Up Show and almost all of the 355 seats were filled but the show was a little flat. By 11:30 we were at the Hulk and I thought we could hit the stroke of midnight on this incredible thrill ride ( only my third time riding it.) We were in and out by 10 to 12 so I convinced my boy that we should try to beat the crowd and watch the fireworks from the top of the parking garage. This worked great because we could see both parks as well as other Orlando fireworks displays and driving out of the garage was a breeze.
When we got to the Pea we went to the trendy black and white 50's nostalgic B-Line Diner for a late night snack. Its open 24 hours and gets good reviews for the food. My boy had the standard cheeseburger and I had a dessert (to die for) that was huge. The base was a 4" square brownie topped with ice cream, whipped cream, cherries and strawberries. So much for the lose weight Resolution! Happy New Year!
Capital One Bowl
When we got up New Year's Day there was a lot of activity in the hotel and almost everyone was gone at 11 am so we got to see the ducks march in without a crowd. There was a 2 year old girl that was really cute as she watched the ducks climb the stairs to their marble fountain. OK lets go to the game.
I remember last year there was a thread on the Universal Forum congratulating the LSU Tigers as co- national champions with the USC Trojans. I thought that should have went on the community boards and I think it was moved. Talking about the game here seems appropriate since it was part of the trip. LSU and Iowa had never met but I knew it was going to be close. The coaches, Saban and Ferentz worked together with offices about 15 feet apart in '93-'94 as assistant coaches for the Cleveland Browns. We had seats in the Iowa section but had quite a few LSU fans surrounding us. I pointed out to my son that this would probably be the only game he would ever attend where the fans would be wearing bibbed overalls. I half expected tractors in the parking lot. Iowa was ahead until the last 56 seconds of the game when LSU scored a go ahead touchdown. The stadium really went wild and there were a bunch of signs where they spelled GO with an X and several vowels but no O? Some guy next to us had a sign that read "Lets make Hawkeye Gumbo!" The LSU band played "Eye of the Tiger" about a google times that afternoon. LSU kicked off and the ball was returned 26 yards by a kid from Collier County. Woohoo, Go Immokalee! A couple of plays later with 14 seconds on the clock sophomore Drew Tate let go a "Hail Mary" to a wide open receiver winning the game in the last play. The field was mobbed reminiscent of the 1959 Rose Bowl where my brother was one that helped tear down the goal post. The Iowa fans were as good of sports as I've ever seen but I had to say something to the Gumbo guy. The losing coach, Nick Saban, is now the coach of our Miami Dolphins.
The rest of the day was spent at the Peabody with "How about those Hawkeyes?" as the phrase of the day.
1/2/05 USO
When we left the Pea the valet guys were really cool with my son and they extended a genuine invitation to return and stay there. I really like this hotel and if I can ever land another good deal I will return. They say that June and July are slow months there.
There used to be guy on these threads that has been banned and if I use his name they will erase my thread. The name rhymes with Fairy and on another board he was trying for a 1/2 meet and was saying Fly Fly would be at the first GB show. Never did see Fairy. We went and while BJ was "spreading the ooze" I saw FlyFly's mother, Jen, but couldn't get close enough to say hi because she looked like she was looking for Clare as well and got lost in the crowd after she checked up front in her regular spot. Nothing too unordinary happened this day except the crowd was a little smaller. I noticed that the Second Hand Rose is history. I've got some good bargains there. I'm glad to see it closed, though, instead of a mini Bed, Bath and Beyond that they had tried. As we left the park we went to Dapy in CityWalk which is a small Spencer's Gifts and I found a little rubber bracelet that read "Foxy Roxy" so I got it as a present for my daughter, Roxy, who liked it more than most of her Christmas presents.
Crowne Plaza Universal
CPU is a 15 story, 400 room hotel on Universal Blvd. north of Sandlake built in 2002. We have stayed there before and I extended our stay by a night for $77 on Hotwire. I joined their Priority Club last stay and they gave us club privileges for this stay and a 2 queen room on the 10th floor. The Club was on the 15th floor and was set up nicely and included one hot dish at night and continental breakfast. Concierge went out of the way to help us. They went and got a local newspaper for my son who lifted the sports section. They had a nice view of the skyline including the Hulk. All beds are pillow top and for a while I thought they had the best beds in Orlando but now there are at least a 3 way tie. The rooms are very quiet. The hotel has a 15 story atrium with a glass elevator and every time I rode it I had "high anxiety" and vertigo. They have another bank of elevators but my son always called the glass one so he could watch me change colors.
Last day
We were at the IOA turnstiles when they opened about 25 minutes early. We had a nice chat with Sky who has worked there for quite some time. I think the employees are as in favor of no alcohol at HHN as the Dis posters. We skipped the Hulk and was given our own scoop at Spidey. We went on to 2 seat, metal bird with 10 foot wing span, Pteranodon Flyers that soar over JP 40 feet above the ground. They have always let us ride (as adults) the first thing in the morning. We were the only adults riding either. This slow loading ride can only throughput about 170/hour which is going to be the main reason for its extinction. The kids tricked my wife into riding last trip and I don't think she'll ever return to US/IOA because of it. She was a wreck the rest of the day. We went on to most of our normal touring plan but added a visit to the Grinch's lair and got photos. When asked where Max was he said, "Making yellow snow!" We went on to ride the Caro-seuss-el and I chose a Mulligatawnie and my son mounted a Dog-a-lope. We did One Fish, Two Fish and it was cool enough that they didn't spray any water which makes it a Seussian Dumbo. Some kid kept standing up and they were on the microphone with the "For your safety"... speech at least 4 times.
One final tip before I end this saga. I'm allot like Archie Bunker in that I can't sit on a toilet unless its the one in my house. I've been able to add the hotels to my list but have trouble using the park's 15 seaters with 20 urinals with any comfort. The best toilet I have found at US/IOA/CityWalk is the top floor of Motown. It's a one-holer with a locking door and its own sink and it has always been clean and the single ply toilet paper does not come off a section at a time. My vote for best toilet!
This trip was just for the boys. My 16 year old son (a genuine sports freak) and I (an accommodating Dad) had to go to the Capital One Bowl and see the co-national champion LSU Tigers vs. the Iowa Hawkeyes. My daughter (11) usually joins us for football games but Santa brought her a puppy so she had stay home with Momma to pick/clean up all of the little surprises the puppy left for her.
Wednesday, December 29th, 2004
As usual I awoke early with the "We're too excited to sleep syndrome". This time was a little different because I got up before midnight. At 3:30 I lugged my son out to the van with promises that he could sleep all the way to Orlando. I like traveling that time of day because the traffic is a little less frustrating. We made it to the Universal gate house by a little after 7 and we weren't the first. I was glad that I had worn a long sleeved shirt since it was a bit fresh. My son was comfy in his brand new Dolphins hoodie. At the turnstiles they had reserved the right two lanes of the right side for Shrek early entry package purchasers. Surprisingly there were around 75 people in those two lines and they were admitted at 20 to 8:00. Jim and Robert signaled for us to come to the turnstile once they cleared. We exchanged Holiday greeting and they told us how busy it had been since Christmas. They opened the park for the rest of us at 10 to 8:00. At opening we went straight to Duloc. One of the best things I've heard during the pre-show patter was a girl that pointed out the nasty bed of nails on the ceiling then told those underneath that they were in the "Splash Zone". We sat in the front row which was a little different because the last 8 seats that were stationary were reduced to only 4. So now you can sit in the middle in the front row. I still love the irreverence of Shrek and how they poke fun at WDW. The one question I have is at the end of the film Shrek and Fiona are kissing when Pinocchio squeezes up between them. Shrek askes "What are you up to?" and Pinocchio says," Nothing." and his nose grows indicating that he is lying. What was he up to? Leaving Shrek my son jogged to the Mummy and was through that in nothing flat. We scurried down to MIB and did the regular line. The "agent" thought it was our first time so we played along asked dumb questions like "Does this go upside down?" Since we were all alone we had him take our picture in front of "The Universe and You." We took photos all the way to the loading platform. We were still the only guests so we asked to be pitted against one another and they let us. My son beat me by 50k and you would have thought it was for a million dollars. We rode 2 more times in the single riders line and he couldn't repeat the win. After MIB we scored the front seat on the ET bikes for the 4 and a half minute old peoples thrill ride. My son wouldn't let me tell them my name was Osama so I used Dad. When we left ET and walked up Sunset Blvd. towards Mel's you could tell that the park was starting to fill up. I said we should leave and check out some things on I-Drive and have lunch at Adobe Gilas. Is anyone old enough to get that pun? Clue - Pre-Gilligan his role was Maynard G. Krebs. My son begged me to go to T2-3D before we left. He whined like a 4 year old so I agreed if he would take all of the luggage in that night.
Attack of the Terminator!
We were going to see the first (9:30 am) show and it was a walk on. There was an attendant at the door with a hand clicker counter and he said to someone behind us to close the door. The pre-show auditorium was dark. My son told me later that he saw the video and Shaq was on which is quite a ways into the 8 minute pre-show. My son was hustling to make it inside and for some dumb reason was wearing the "safety visors" when I heard this chilling thud and saw him stumble backwards. He had walked/ran into the black post that separates the double doors. I asked if he was OK and he lied with a sheepish "Yeh". I asked if he was bleeding and got the same response. I made him show me and I yelled for assistance. The cut was above and parallel to his brow, about an inch and half long and about a quarter of an inch wide (the width of the glasses' frames) and it looked pretty deep and he was bleeding pretty good all over his new sweatshirt. I gave him my handkerchief to stop the bleeding and asked him to sit down. The attendant was more concerned about his duties and asked us to follow him down a hall where he filled some switches and radioed for medical assistance. When the T2 supervisor or "lead" showed up he was very good to us and stayed with us when the medic showed up and walked with us to their first aid station behind Beetlejuice. A nurse came in and looked at it and said that it was OK and it could be glued shut. They called for transport to the Florida Hospital Centre Care Clinic at the corner of Vineland and Universal. While we waited for the van we had quite a few laughs and the lead gave us his business card and told us to look him up our next visit and he would get us attraction access and a replacement sweatshirt. He told me that on New Year's Eve it would take an hour to walk from the parks to the parking garage after the fireworks.
The clinic was a zoo. They made us pay the $20 co-pay in advance and wouldn't send the bill to Cyberdyne Systems! My son told me it hurt when he frowned so I kept him in stitches until the lone doctor could sew in the real ones. What was all that glue talk? The doctor said it was too jagged and since he could be the next Ashton Kucher they needed to sew it. We got out of the clinic 4 hours after the initial incident and had to wait for the van to take us to the parking garage.
Omni Orlando Resort at Championsgate
After I had made my initial ressies I wanted to extend it by a day in the front and the back. I was trying Priceline for the Westin Grand Bohemian downtown for front row seats to the Capital One Bowl parade. After several rejection I added the WDW area because they didn't list a 4 star. I ended up accepted at the Omni because it was a "resort" designation for $115 for the night. Since this resort just opened in October and I wasn't able to find any reviews I'm going to be quite thorough for those that may be considering it. Feel free to skip ahead if you don't care about the hotel.
The resort is located about 7 miles south of WDW on I-4 at exit 58. We had watched it being built and wondered what it was going to be. After hurricane Charley all of the large palm trees (later read there was 180 palms) lining the entrance road were on the ground. I located their website and joined their "Select Guest Club" which turned out to be smart since it gave us a 5 o'clock check out which is great. Entering this resort is really impressive with the building housing 730 rooms and it had to be 15 stories since our room was on the ninth floor. The lobby and check in has a wall of windows overlooking the two Greg Norman designed golf courses.
The girl at check in was a new hire and very nice. I should have made some room requests since occupancy was very low. We just took the room we were given which was on the east side of the south wing on the ninth floor and quite a hike from the elevator. The room had a king bed and no sleeper couch. I told my son that we should call down and ask for two queens but he said it would be alright because the bed was so big. He ended up sleeping on the floor though. The room also had an oversized modern easy chair and ottoman, a large executive work desk with computer and electrical outlets along the front edge. You could get free high-speed wireless internet access and the in-room safe was large enough to hold a laptop. There was two phones (one cordless) with dual lines (pain to remember to push line 1or 2) and voicemail. The night stands on both sides of the bed had fake drawers which I didn't like. The TV had Lodgenet with movies (about $12 each) and Nintendo 64 video games. If you didn't bring your own computer you could access the internet with the TV as a computer monitor for $12 per day or a reduced length of stay charge. The cabinet that held the TV/CD player was large and had ample clothes storage space with a minibar and coffee maker.
We had a magnificent view of the front parking lot (blah) but also tennis courts, basketball court, golf course, acres of undeveloped land with cows grazing and I-4. The pool view would have been better.
The bathroom was crisp and new with no signs of any water or other damage. The single sink had a large dark marble counter top and lighted hinged make up mirror. The floors and tub surround was a light beige marble and the walls a neutral wallpaper. I like bubble baths so I tried the tub. The tub had ample shoulder room but was short and shallow. The water didn't get hot either. I don't know if it was a scalding safeguard or what, but it sucked when drawing a bath to soak for any length of time. The tub did have a little ring scum and a hair. I tried the shower and the water pressure and volume were perfect and the water was hot enough for a shower. The shower only had one marble corner shelf for shampoo, soap, etc. and there was no retractable clothesline. The bathroom goodies were high end and included a sewing kit in a hard plastic container, mouthwash, Q-tips, cotton balls, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, face and body soap in bamboo trays and boxes. The closet had 2 plush robes, an extra pillow and blanket. There was some hallway noise and I could hear the alarm go off in the adjacent room. Our nightly turndown included the customary chocolate but also had a card telling us the weather forecast for the next day.
The grounds were well manicured with palm trees, flowering plants, a formal herb garden, and serpentine pathways leading from the formal heated swimming pool, private cabanas and fountained whirlpool to the heated family pool, 850' lazy river with water cannons, falls, inner tubes, water tower, zero depth play fountain, secluded whirlpool with water spill, pool restaurant/bar, outdoor pool table, foosball table, game room, water slide, sand volleyball court, lighted tennis courts and basketball court. They had all kinds of scheduled activities like a basketball shootout, soccer game, scavenger hut, water balloon toss, sand castle building, pool tournament, lizard hunt, hula hoop contest, water relays, kickball challenge and bubble bash. Other than that and the 2 golf courses there was nothing to do! We spent most of the time chilling at the pool or shooting hoops.
Guests and staff were very friendly and the place was luxurious without being stuffy. I would return if the price was right. The biggest down side is location. We went to Friday's Front Row Bar and Grille at the corner of Sandlake and I-Drive for dinner and the Capital One Bowl Preview and the trip took 25 minutes one way. I-4 is under construction in front of the resort and at times traffic is at a crawl in this area. The best thing was the 5 o'clock check out!
The Peabody
I tried to get a room at one of the Universal hotels without any luck. I personally think the Loew's Platinum card in my wallet is useless. I searched through Hotwire, Easyclicktravel.com, Travelaxe, Priceline and others to find the best deal. Hotwire's "Double the Difference Guarantee"(DD) had always intrigued me and I read about successes on Betterbidding.com. From the icons I identified the Peabody on Hotwire for $251/night. I found it again on the opaque Easyclick site for $139. I emailed Hotwire's DD and asked if opaque sites were included. They responded positive if I could prove it was the same hotel. So I worked up the nerve, which took a couple of days, and purchased 3 nights through Hotwire and 3 nights through Easyclick. I turned the results into DD and they sent me an email rejection which scared the crap out of me because together it was over $1200. After 2 more rejections they finally emailed me that I would receive a $672 refund on my Visa. I canceled the rooms through Easyclick and ended up paying $66/night tax included. A friend did the same thing for 4 nights after I played guinea pig. And to my surprise the next day Hotwire raised the price to $300/night making the difference even greater.
I did some research on Peabody and tried to join their preferred guest club and was supposed to get a card in 2 weeks but haven't yet and its been over a month. On their website they had a special for the time of my stay (New Years) of $250/night with a 3 night minimum. I also found that their club level was $50 more per night than standard and decided to go for that at check in. In addition I learned that the Peabody was the official hotel of the Iowa Hawkeyes football team who were playing in the Capital One Bowl that we planned to attend.
We arrived at the 27 story, 891 room landmark at about 3 pm and check in was busy with football fans and the lobby had tables set up for game activity information. The hotel was last renovated in 2001 and there were some carpet stains in the hallways but it is still only one of 2 Orlando hotels and one of the country's 117 hotels to receive the Mobil Guide's 4 star rating. The lady that checked us in was very nice and said that the Renaissance was the official LSU hotel but they had been checking in quite a few LSU fans because the Peabody was the better hotel. We received the club upgrade for $50 but they didn't have a room available on the club floors (25th, 26th, and 27th) so I asked for the highest floor on the west side so we could have a view of the WDW fireworks. We were given a 2 queen room on the 20th floor with club access which was an excellent view. Club got us continental breakfast from 7 to 10, hors d'oeuvres and an honor bar from 5:30 to 7 and petit fours and coffee from 8:30 to 9:30. We had access to the athletic club with sauna, steam room and whirlpool. We got concierge, nightly turndown and free valet parking (which we have never used before). Our room was pretty standard with 2 queens. The bath tub wall was wide enough to sit on and the sink stuck out from the counter for a makeshift makeup table. The bathroom had a little 8" TV which impressed my boy. The beds were great with triple sheeting and a foot thick pillow top mattress and we requested extra down pillows.
My son fetched the luggage and we took the van to the front for valet. My son hit it off right away with the valet guys and they unsuccessfully kept trying to trip him up with sports trivia. I wish he would put the same energy into Calculus. We went to the marble fountain to see the Marching of the Ducks which happens twice a day in their 4 story atrium lobby. I'm not real sure why they do this but it sounds like the tradition started at their Tennessee hotel when the owner and a couple of his drunk hunting buddies were playing a joke. The lobby and fountain area was packed and my son had to get a photo for his Mom. He stepped on the red carpet when they started herding the ducks and clicked off a shot before the folks in back started yelling at him and others to get out of the way. I'm sorry but I didn't see what the attraction was and when it was over it was hell trying to get an elevator upstairs. We finally caught one and headed to the club for the nightly offering which included cheese, crackers, cold meats and a couple of hot dishes. The club was not very busy/crowded. My friend called and said he had asked for an upgrade at check in and received a free International Suite. The bum! We went down and visited him and his parents and fiancée. The room was about 450 square feet, had a fridge, a bar, a large round table and 4 large upholstered captain's chairs, a large couch and could accommodate a reception of more than 30 people. I asked where their bed was and he pulled down a king size wall bed. After a short chat they invited us to walk with them to the Convention Center for a pep rally they called the Hawkeye Huddle. The convention center is right next door but still quite a walk. I didn't know what to expect but the 11,000 black and gold wearing, cheering, drinking, sports nuts kind of blew us away. I did recognize a Senator in attendance. A lot is said about Southern hospitality but these people were genuinely friendly and invited us to other parties. We ducked out early though and went back to the club for petit fours.
New Year's Eve
After our continental breakfast (my son had 2 bagels, cereal, fruit, milk and then complained about being too full) we got to Universal at 7 AM. We went to Jimmy Neutron to get in our chicken dancing quota. My boy did Mummy on our way back to MIB. We left MIB and met the T2-3D lead in front of ET. He hand wrote express for 2 for 12/31 and signed the business card. I asked if it was good at IOA as well and he said "any attraction." He asked us to meet him at the Universal Studios Store at 10:30 and we were off to express ourselves. We went to T2-3D and noticed that black and yellow cautionary tape had been attached to the infamous post. He posed for a photo in front of it. I told my boy that the blood, gore and violence from the movie are virtually absent from the attraction unless you run into a post! At the Universal Store he picked out a nice $50 hoodie and they gave to him. The park was starting to get crowded and I let my son know that if we were going to experience midnight that I would need a nap. We went back to the Pea and chilled in the steam room, sauna and whirlpool before settling down for a long winter's nap. My boy spent time at the 180 foot Olympic style swimming pool and the basketball court.
We returned to USO and took advantage of the express. No one questioned it and it beat hotel express because there was no restrictions at all. We went to the night's last show of the Gory, Gruesome and Grotesque Horror Make Up Show and almost all of the 355 seats were filled but the show was a little flat. By 11:30 we were at the Hulk and I thought we could hit the stroke of midnight on this incredible thrill ride ( only my third time riding it.) We were in and out by 10 to 12 so I convinced my boy that we should try to beat the crowd and watch the fireworks from the top of the parking garage. This worked great because we could see both parks as well as other Orlando fireworks displays and driving out of the garage was a breeze.
When we got to the Pea we went to the trendy black and white 50's nostalgic B-Line Diner for a late night snack. Its open 24 hours and gets good reviews for the food. My boy had the standard cheeseburger and I had a dessert (to die for) that was huge. The base was a 4" square brownie topped with ice cream, whipped cream, cherries and strawberries. So much for the lose weight Resolution! Happy New Year!
Capital One Bowl
When we got up New Year's Day there was a lot of activity in the hotel and almost everyone was gone at 11 am so we got to see the ducks march in without a crowd. There was a 2 year old girl that was really cute as she watched the ducks climb the stairs to their marble fountain. OK lets go to the game.
I remember last year there was a thread on the Universal Forum congratulating the LSU Tigers as co- national champions with the USC Trojans. I thought that should have went on the community boards and I think it was moved. Talking about the game here seems appropriate since it was part of the trip. LSU and Iowa had never met but I knew it was going to be close. The coaches, Saban and Ferentz worked together with offices about 15 feet apart in '93-'94 as assistant coaches for the Cleveland Browns. We had seats in the Iowa section but had quite a few LSU fans surrounding us. I pointed out to my son that this would probably be the only game he would ever attend where the fans would be wearing bibbed overalls. I half expected tractors in the parking lot. Iowa was ahead until the last 56 seconds of the game when LSU scored a go ahead touchdown. The stadium really went wild and there were a bunch of signs where they spelled GO with an X and several vowels but no O? Some guy next to us had a sign that read "Lets make Hawkeye Gumbo!" The LSU band played "Eye of the Tiger" about a google times that afternoon. LSU kicked off and the ball was returned 26 yards by a kid from Collier County. Woohoo, Go Immokalee! A couple of plays later with 14 seconds on the clock sophomore Drew Tate let go a "Hail Mary" to a wide open receiver winning the game in the last play. The field was mobbed reminiscent of the 1959 Rose Bowl where my brother was one that helped tear down the goal post. The Iowa fans were as good of sports as I've ever seen but I had to say something to the Gumbo guy. The losing coach, Nick Saban, is now the coach of our Miami Dolphins.
The rest of the day was spent at the Peabody with "How about those Hawkeyes?" as the phrase of the day.
1/2/05 USO
When we left the Pea the valet guys were really cool with my son and they extended a genuine invitation to return and stay there. I really like this hotel and if I can ever land another good deal I will return. They say that June and July are slow months there.
There used to be guy on these threads that has been banned and if I use his name they will erase my thread. The name rhymes with Fairy and on another board he was trying for a 1/2 meet and was saying Fly Fly would be at the first GB show. Never did see Fairy. We went and while BJ was "spreading the ooze" I saw FlyFly's mother, Jen, but couldn't get close enough to say hi because she looked like she was looking for Clare as well and got lost in the crowd after she checked up front in her regular spot. Nothing too unordinary happened this day except the crowd was a little smaller. I noticed that the Second Hand Rose is history. I've got some good bargains there. I'm glad to see it closed, though, instead of a mini Bed, Bath and Beyond that they had tried. As we left the park we went to Dapy in CityWalk which is a small Spencer's Gifts and I found a little rubber bracelet that read "Foxy Roxy" so I got it as a present for my daughter, Roxy, who liked it more than most of her Christmas presents.
Crowne Plaza Universal
CPU is a 15 story, 400 room hotel on Universal Blvd. north of Sandlake built in 2002. We have stayed there before and I extended our stay by a night for $77 on Hotwire. I joined their Priority Club last stay and they gave us club privileges for this stay and a 2 queen room on the 10th floor. The Club was on the 15th floor and was set up nicely and included one hot dish at night and continental breakfast. Concierge went out of the way to help us. They went and got a local newspaper for my son who lifted the sports section. They had a nice view of the skyline including the Hulk. All beds are pillow top and for a while I thought they had the best beds in Orlando but now there are at least a 3 way tie. The rooms are very quiet. The hotel has a 15 story atrium with a glass elevator and every time I rode it I had "high anxiety" and vertigo. They have another bank of elevators but my son always called the glass one so he could watch me change colors.
Last day
We were at the IOA turnstiles when they opened about 25 minutes early. We had a nice chat with Sky who has worked there for quite some time. I think the employees are as in favor of no alcohol at HHN as the Dis posters. We skipped the Hulk and was given our own scoop at Spidey. We went on to 2 seat, metal bird with 10 foot wing span, Pteranodon Flyers that soar over JP 40 feet above the ground. They have always let us ride (as adults) the first thing in the morning. We were the only adults riding either. This slow loading ride can only throughput about 170/hour which is going to be the main reason for its extinction. The kids tricked my wife into riding last trip and I don't think she'll ever return to US/IOA because of it. She was a wreck the rest of the day. We went on to most of our normal touring plan but added a visit to the Grinch's lair and got photos. When asked where Max was he said, "Making yellow snow!" We went on to ride the Caro-seuss-el and I chose a Mulligatawnie and my son mounted a Dog-a-lope. We did One Fish, Two Fish and it was cool enough that they didn't spray any water which makes it a Seussian Dumbo. Some kid kept standing up and they were on the microphone with the "For your safety"... speech at least 4 times.
One final tip before I end this saga. I'm allot like Archie Bunker in that I can't sit on a toilet unless its the one in my house. I've been able to add the hotels to my list but have trouble using the park's 15 seaters with 20 urinals with any comfort. The best toilet I have found at US/IOA/CityWalk is the top floor of Motown. It's a one-holer with a locking door and its own sink and it has always been clean and the single ply toilet paper does not come off a section at a time. My vote for best toilet!
I hope all is better now. Next time have him leave off his 
I love the hotel choices, terrific line up! I have yet to catch those ducks. Sounds like you had plenty to keep you busy. A nice boys bonding trip, when will it be Roxy's turn? 
What kinda puppy? I love puppies! I got your Dobie Gillis Bob Denver pun, with help from my Mom! HAHAHA I'm not old enough to remember that! 
Its too bad they couldn't land another top 10 year. There were signs that read "Saban the best for last!" I hope Nick can pump some life into our Dolphins. 
But then I forget to use my APH when eating or buying things at Universal. The CPU is nice, especially the junior suite. You'll have to try it sometime. Check Hotwire for some pretty good deals. Jess got it once for less than $60. It is the only 4.5* they have other than RPR.
"Why you crying, Daddy?" 
"Because I love you, Sweetie!" 
Our last Father /Daughter outing was AKL and we need another. She got a mutt from down the street. It looks like our black lab with longer ear hair. Our older lab hates it but is starting to come around when playing keep away.
I almost reopened the wound. Do that again and I'll "probably" kick your a** "stat"! 
We've got it bad enough down here!!! 
since the doctor told him not to get his stitches wet. 
The lazy river is nice in that you can do laps without getting out. 
There was only 2 other people floating on tubes and a couple walking/jogging and they were adults. That was the cool thing- it wasn't crowded 
and you could easily find a private spot for whatever. When we were in the the whirlpool behind the towel hut I felt like we were all alone. The formal or "quiet" pool discourages children and did not look very inviting for me either. No one was using their cabanas.
Give Robert his tonsils back! Was his Christmas dinner ice cream? 
but it looks like Spring Break is the soonest I can get away. 
