No need to use the Rennervate Spell this Christmas..update 5/11

[natebenma]

That looked like a really fun character breakfast- it looks like the interaction was really top-notch. The Seuss characters are so great! Loved Max.

What a great idea to have the characters sign the book!!!

Are you off to Seussland again? You're killing me!

PS- love the scrapbook page. I haven't done any digital scrapbooking yet.

 

[momabaarjo]

Happy Wholidays​

Of course you have to follow up a Seuss themed breakfast with a trip to Seuss Landing to kill some time before we go and see the Who-liday Show of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Ab decides that she likes collecting autographs and starts stalking the area for more Whos while the boys enjoy themselves by riding all the rides.

As we make our way towards High in the Sky, Ab squeals with delight when she sees that Thing 1 and Thing 2 have appeared. We send the boys of to do High in the Sky (but not before Ab steals Boo’s blue Thing hair) while she gets in line for the character meet and greet. I would never imagined my teenage girl wanting to collect autographs! She has a great interaction time with Thing 1 & 2, the entire time the 3 of them are having fun, poor cat got ignored!

When we meet back up with the boys, it is time to go see the Who-liday Grinchmas show and Boo begins his moaning again. I know this is a live stage performance, so I promise him that he can sit and relax for awhile, which keeps him quiet for the time being. Getting to the show was pretty easy, but it is a walk. You line up between the book store and One Fish and then the line is moved down a path out of the park to a sound stage where you are directed where to sit in stands above a stage.

We are seated high up, which is nice because you can see everything, but not so nice because you have to wait for others to exit long before you can even think about leaving.

If you are a How the Grinch Stole Christmas fan, then you are certain to love this live performance.

It has a special holiday ending that Goo really loved, snow falling...

Once the show is over we decided that we would go next door to USO to get Jeff and Goo caught up on all the rides they missed on Tuesday, when Boo moans even louder than before, looks like there goes my touring plan again!

 

[momabaarjo]

That looked like a really fun character breakfast- it looks like the interaction was really top-notch. The Seuss characters are so great! Loved Max.

I love that Mike went out of his way to find a Max for Goo!

What a great idea to have the characters sign the book!!!

I should scan the inside covers the signatures were really fun!

Are you off to Seussland again? You're killing me!

Great guess...you are starting to know my family way too well. I am shocked that we spent so much time here! On my first trip I felt that once was enough...but this trip we keep ending up here!

PS- love the scrapbook page. I haven't done any digital scrapbooking yet.

Thanks...this is my first attempt as such a project. I am liking how they are turning out and to be able to do a page a day is pretty cool and no scrapbook tools and paper spread across the house.

 

[My2Qtz0205]

Ok, this might be exactly what I am looking for! Are the characters there for other meals as well? I love the idea of having them autograph a book! (Sorry I am behind, going to catch up now!)

 

[natebenma]

I loved reading that Ab got exicted about Thing 1 and Thing 2. Pretty much any time a teen shows a smile or outward joy to the world, it is a precious moment.

The Happy Wholidays show sounds wonderful! We read the Grinch to our youngest son every Christmas Eve. No Visit From St. Nick tradition in our household!

Well, you have made it through a couple of events without major consequence from Boo's moaning, but me thinks your luck is about to run out...

 

[momabaarjo]

Minus One

but Boo moans that he wants to go back to the room and lay down.

Great, looks like we will not get to do USO as a family. Jeff and I discuss for a moment about what to do, we finally decide that he is old enough to be left in the room alone to sleep it off because I really want Jeff to experience some of the attractions in the other park. So Jeff takes Boo back to the room while I take Ab and Goo over to USO. Walking over to USO, I can’t really decide what to do while we wait for Jeff to join us. As we go through the ticket line, I decide that the kids can just tough it out and do the I Love Lucy exhibit, even though they have no clue who Lucy is, but they are fast learners. I explain to them that Lucille Ball was an actress when Grandma Sue was growing up and had a TV show with her husband Desi (whose TV name was Ricky). Growing up we watched the show I Love Lucy which is about Lucy getting in all kinds of troubles and situations in reruns after school. We spend about 20 minutes walking around the exhibit where I see lots of props that I can remember from the show as well as play the trivia game…which Ab scored better on then I did, the person who watched the show.

We had planned to meet Jeff at Mel's Drive In so the kids and I head down the Beverly Hills street to the end where the diner is located.

We were lucky enough to find a table open outside so we sat down and watched the show that being performed at the time…a singing group. The group was an acopula group of 4 guys in their 20s, and they were pretty good singing a wide range of songs both 50s and current. The lead singer picked Ab out of the group and serenaded her, talk about being embarrassed…thank goodness she had her sunglasses on!

Soon after Jeff appeared and the kids decided they were hungry, so Jeff and Ab went inside to grab something “themed” to eat while Goo found a little sparrow to play with…silly thing was not afraid at all.

Jeff and Ab reappear about 30 minutes later with some hamburgers, root
beer floats, and onion rings for us to split.

The meal was standard fast food fair, decent but nothing special. Afterwards, my 2 car loving guys spent some time checking out the cars before

we get back to some sort of a touring plan...hasn't my family learned yet this is a commando style Christmas and I am in charge? Quit messing with my touring plans...

 

[momabaarjo]

Ok, this might be exactly what I am looking for! Are the characters there for other meals as well? I love the idea of having them autograph a book! (Sorry I am behind, going to catch up now!)

The only character meal within the park is the breakfast and during the holiday season it is the Grinch, Whos, Cat in the Hat, and sometimes Thing 1 & 2. During the regular season it is the Cat, Things, and Spiderman. There are character dinners on different nights at the various 3 hotels...but they do not list which character will be there on a given night, so it makes me think it is hit or miss. But the good thing is that the character dinner is not above the price of the menu.

 

[momabaarjo]

I loved reading that Ab got exicted about Thing 1 and Thing 2. Pretty much any time a teen shows a smile or outward joy to the world, it is a precious moment.

The Happy Wholidays show sounds wonderful! We read the Grinch to our youngest son every Christmas Eve. No Visit From St. Nick tradition in our household!

Well, you have made it through a couple of events without major consequence from Boo's moaning, but me thinks your luck is about to run out...

You are right anytime you can get a teen to smile...her and one of her best friends dressed up a few years ago for Halloween as Thing ! & 2...so she has a fond memory. She even bought that friend and her a matching Thing 1 & 2 doll at IOA.

Yep, my luck ran out...but looking back I think I could have pushed him to do USO but I knew that I would probably pay for it later and no one was messing with my WDW touring plans...especially on the following day! I am glad this all happened at Universal...well then again, maybe

 

[natebenma]

Too bad about Boo. With all the simulation rides at US, it is definitely NOT the place for someone with a funky tummy.

We left our son in the room at Portofino for a bit when the rest of us had some pool time.

I hope the little rest does wonders for him.

 

[momabaarjo]

Too bad about Boo. With all the simulation rides at US, it is definitely NOT the place for someone with a funky tummy.

We left our son in the room at Portofino for a bit when the rest of us had some pool time.

I hope the little rest does wonders for him.

You are so right that motion simuation rides are not the place for him...nor is having him moan the entire time we are in the park...the room was the best place for him. And looking at him I knew that he meant it when he said he wanted to go to bed...and would not be in the pool!

 

[momabaarjo]

Too All my Readers...

I had completely intended to be done with Day 4 by tomorrow morning, thus ending the Universal portion of our trip...but I forgot my external drive with all my pictures and prewritten trip reports in my office on Friday...

I am leaving to attend a conference tomorrow morning and will not be back until the weekend...so the earliest I will be able to update is a week from Monday night...please be patient with me. I promise I will be back to finish this up!

This is were I am going to be...tomorrow before the conference begins I have a river boat cruise and a trip up the Arch planned...the hotel I am staying at is one of the buildings in the picture. We also are attending a Carnials game on Wednesday night! Maybe a little mini TR will be in store for you on the weekend, since I will not be back in my office until the 7th!​

 

[Sehsun]

I'm enjoying your TR so far, as I'm a big fan of FL theme parks.

I'm surprised that there's only been one comment so far (Chelley00's) about Ab resembling Luna Lovegood. I totally thought so, as I saw more pictures of Ab. I wonder if anyone else has mentioned that to her before?

Poor Boo. I can't believe he rode FJ as many times as he did when he wasn't feeling well - what a trooper! I really hope resting in the hotel room helped him feel better.

Hope you are having a good time at the conference!

 

[Shazzasmd]

Just read through your entire report to date! I opened it just to check a few things on touring Harry Potter, but soon became captivated by your stories and photos. Can so relate to having a commando tour plan interrupted by uncooperative or sick family members Still sounds like you did a great job of showing the sites during such a busy time.

 

[momabaarjo]

From East Coast to West Coast and Back Again​

After the cars, Goo wants to go shoot Aliens since Boo told him about MIB on Tuesday night so that is where we head and Jeff gets his first experience of the crazy ride lockers. The boys have a great time shooting aliens the first time around, that we go and do it a second time before returning to collect our things that we had stored away.

Next up we do Jaws, which Goo is not too crazy about and Ab makes him sit in the perfect spot to have Bruce pop up beside him. Let’s just say Goo was not impressed with his seating assignment and let her know it when we got off the ride.

We make our way through the San Fran area just looking at things, but no one wants to do Disaster…I knew that Boo would have loved being a part of the show but with just Ab and Goo, they are not interested. We continue to make our way into New York

where we find the Blues Brothers show playing and we stop to watch the show.

As we tour through New York Ab sees a sign for gelato and wants to stop, so Jeff and Goo find a table outside to relax at while Ab and I go and get some for us all to share. It was pretty yummy, but I found it to be sticky…which means it had been sitting around too long in the freezer!

Next up was the Mummy, I knew that we would have to be using rider swap for this one if Ab wanted to ride, and she did. Outside the wait time was posted at 140 minutes and when we entered the express line we were actually shocked to see a line, and our wait was nearly 30 minutes.

Jeff took Goo back to the child swap room, while Ab and I rode. Talk about being nervous, although they call this an indoor roller coaster, it really is just a jerky ride in the dark…there is one area where there are a few little drops (but in the dark they feel huge) that Ab grabs me and freaks out, but over all she comes off disappointed “that’s it, pretty lame).

Next up is Jeff and Ab’s turn to ride, as we switch off he complains about the child swap room and it does not take me long to agree with him and gasp for fresh air…child swap does not mean diaper swap. The two of them come off the ride and we spend some time having fun in the gift shop.

I am feeling guilty about Boo back in the room alone, when Ab says she is tired and would like to go back for a cat nap. I agree that it is a good idea, since I want us to come back tonight for the Macys Parade…Goo is delighted because that means he can ride the water taxi back to the room and we leave the park hoping to find Boo well rested and feeling better in the room!

 

[momabaarjo]

I'm enjoying your TR so far, as I'm a big fan of FL theme parks.

I'm surprised that there's only been one comment so far (Chelley00's) about Ab resembling Luna Lovegood. I totally thought so, as I saw more pictures of Ab. I wonder if anyone else has mentioned that to her before?

To tell you the truth...I did not even see it. I told her and she thought it was cool...she loves Luna almost as much as Hermonie.


Poor Boo. I can't believe he rode FJ as many times as he did when he wasn't feeling well - what a trooper! I really hope resting in the hotel room helped him feel better.

Me too...

Hope you are having a good time at the conference!

It was a really good conference...now I am playing catch up at work and home!

Just read through your entire report to date! I opened it just to check a few things on touring Harry Potter, but soon became captivated by your stories and photos. Can so relate to having a commando tour plan interrupted by uncooperative or sick family members Still sounds like you did a great job of showing the sites during such a busy time.

So glad to have you along. I hope I gave you the information you are looking for in regards to WWofHP...it is such an amazing place!

 

[natebenma]

Welcome back from your trip!

Good job on that redneck ride photo on MIB! I see that Disney has started putting the words over the photos too.

I'll miss Jaws. Yes, the ride is cheesy, but it is fun and Ben loved going on it whenever we had a little free time or there was a ride that he wanted to skip.

Like Mummy. He was one and done on this attraction, but this was my absolute favorite. I probably liked Forbidden Journey more, but just barely. Mummy is so.much.fun.

I didn't see those cool things in line, though (the mummy and the crypt thingy). We had one time when the Express Line was about 25 minutes long as we waited on a dark staircase.

I am so glad to hear Boo was feeling better when you got back to the room.

 

[momabaarjo]

Everyone Loves A Parade, Right?​

We make it back to the room where we find Boo laying in bed, not moaning but actually sleeping. Ab lays down with a book and Goo gets his wish of cartoons on the TV. Jeff and I discuss plans for tonight before I too decide that a cat nap sounds good. At 6 pm I try to get everyone up and moving and I am shot down, all the sudden Ab is not feeling well and they all want to lay around. I suddenly go to into a touring plan pout that my family just wants to sit in a hotel room, instead directing my pout at them all I decide to get everything packed up for our move tomorrow morning. I think Jeff must have finally sensed that I was upset and suggested that we leave the kids and he and I go see the parade, but of course I shoot that down because I want to do things as a family and I don’t like the idea of leaving them here alone (even though Ab baby-sits all the time at home). Boo also senses my mood and decides he wants to go see what he missed this afternoon. So pulling up my big girl panties I pull my 3 boys out the door and back to USO just in time to find a spot for the parade with about 20 minutes to spare.

There is no room left in the reserved section for hotel guests so we find a place on the curb where the parade will turn and go down the main street of NY, I am thinking not a bad spot, but during the parade it was a different thought…bad place because we get the side look of all the performers as they are focused on the turn and not the crowd at that point. Before the parade there were your normal vendors selling all kids of lighted ware…Goo convinced his dad to buy him…which after about 5 minutes stopped working and I wanted to say told you so, but instead Jeff went and found the vendor and got it replaced.

The parade was nice, I was disappointed…I thought Macys and what I knew about parades at Disney and expected to be wowed, which I wasn’t.

The balloons were nice and at the end there were the “Rockettes” and being the good mom I am, made the boys pose with one of them for a picture in front of the tree (some day they will thank me).

Afterwards we decided to ride the Mummy when we got to experience the worst in people trying to leave the parade area. We skirted our way around a mom with a stroller who was yelling at a group of people that apparently cut her off from her other children and she was letting them have it. I guess after a long day in the park you lose your holiday spirit, the boys were in shock with the language that was coming out of her mouth, with her kids around. We made it to the Mummy and this time the line was much shorter (about 10 minute wait) and I opted to sit in child swap first and let Jeff ride with Boo…let me tell you the smell was not much better.

I fully expected to ride with Boo a 2nd time, but he was disappointed and wanted to do something else. I had heard that Jaws neat at night with all the special effects, so with everyone agreeing but Jo we go and do Jaws. Yep, I think at night is a lot better! The time is quickly slipping way and the park closes in about 45 minutes, the one thing I wanted the boys to do that we had not done was Terminator so we head back for Beverly Hills for the show.

We made it just in time for the last show and my boys loved every bit of it…I knew they would. Afterwards in the gift shop we found

and Goo bought himself a terminator arm before we were ushered out the park so they could close…I can’t believe we shut down the park and what an early morning we have! So we depart USO vowing "I'll be Back (someday)" and shouting …”We’re Going to Disney World!"

 

[momabaarjo]

Welcome back from your trip!

Good job on that redneck ride photo on MIB! I see that Disney has started putting the words over the photos too.

For once I was successfull...most of the time I missed them.

I'll miss Jaws. Yes, the ride is cheesy, but it is fun and Ben loved going on it whenever we had a little free time or there was a ride that he wanted to skip.

Jaws was fun...but I think it was really outdated. Poor Bruce needed some work!

Like Mummy. He was one and done on this attraction, but this was my absolute favorite. I probably liked Forbidden Journey more, but just barely. Mummy is so.much.fun.

I didn't see those cool things in line, though (the mummy and the crypt thingy). We had one time when the Express Line was about 25 minutes long as we waited on a dark staircase.

I saw those on my 1st trip and thought I would include them...you really do miss quite a lot of theming when you use the express pass...but on Christmas week, who cares about the theming...I just wanna ride!

I am so glad to hear Boo was feeling better when you got back to the room.

Me too...but as you just read now Ab is getting the stomach thing...which leaves me as the last one...

 

[natebenma]

I'm glad you got one last shot at Universal Studios.

Sorry the parade was a bit of a letdown. And sorry to hear Ab is now under the weather.

Thanks for the info about the Mummy props. We really didn't do any of the stand-by queues- like you said, why wait in line if you don't have to- but I understand that the ones for MIB, Spiderman and Mummy are really great and help to set up the rides.

Terminator was the first thing we did at Universal this summer. I don't think I have ever seen the movie and the boys definitely haven't. It was ok for us, but definitely once a trip is enough for that.

 

[momabaarjo]

I'm glad you got one last shot at Universal Studios.

Me too...had we not done the parade I would have been left wondering what I had missed and been disappointed in a whole different way.

Sorry the parade was a bit of a letdown. And sorry to hear Ab is now under the weather.

I can't seem to win when it comes to this stomach thing...

Thanks for the info about the Mummy props. We really didn't do any of the stand-by queues- like you said, why wait in line if you don't have to- but I understand that the ones for MIB, Spiderman and Mummy are really great and help to set up the rides.

I have heard that too...but I really do not want to spend 90-120 minutes in lines seeing them. Too much to do and see. We have watched most of the movies over the course of the year so it really was not a biggie to set up the rides.

Terminator was the first thing we did at Universal this summer. I don't think I have ever seen the movie and the boys definitely haven't. It was ok for us, but definitely once a trip is enough for that.

Jeff let the boys watch the first Terminator against my wishes... and I got to deal with a few nights of nightmares afterwards. I think the special effects are pretty cool with the show and those boys love robot things!