Observations from a first timer

crashbb

DIS Veteran
Joined
Sep 17, 2006
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This isn’t going to be a traditional trip report with a list of what rides I did and what food I ate – it is more like observations from a first time visitor.

The details:
I was in Orlando for a conference which ended on Saturday night. I booked a room at the RPR for Sunday night so that I could visit the parks (with FOTL) all day on Sunday and until my evening flight on Monday. I booked a garden view room at RPR, but request Tower 1, park view. I had planned on a solo trip, but discovered, a few days before the conference, that 5 colleagues would be spending Sunday (though it turns out that their tickets were only good after 2pm) at the parks.

The hotel:
The RPR is very impressive when you drive up and enter the lobby. I arrived shortly after 8am and there was no line up for check-in. The check-in agent was lovely. Originally there was no park view room available but, after discussion with a supervisor, the check-in agent phoned somewhere to “release” a park-view room for me. I was told it wasn’t yet ready (which I didn’t expect) and that I would be called when it was ready (I was never called). I asked the agent about my friend’s sitting by the pool to eat dinner when they weren’t registered guests (I wasn’t expecting them to be allowed to swim, but I wasn’t sure about the pool bar/restaurant). She asked me how many of them were coming and gave me extra room keys so that they could join me in FOTL!! I was absolutely not expecting this (and she did warn me not to expect it ever again).

The room that I was first given was 1725 and it had a glorious view of IOA. Unfortunately, it also stank of cigarette smoke! I called down to get a new room and was given a room with an “upgraded view” – the pool (it was room 1726). There were no park view rooms, so I took 1726. After going downstairs to get my new key, I couldn’t get into 1726 – the green light went but the door wouldn’t open. Luckily, I still had access to 1725, so I called back down and they sent up security. It turns out that the handle was broken (not by me – I promise) and you had to turn it backwards to open the door. The view of the pool was quite lovely, but I would have preferred the park. None of these glitches were really RPR’s fault (though you’d have thought that the cleaners would have noticed the cigarette smell and the broken handle), so while annoying, I don’t really fault RPR (though, in hindsight, I don’t really remember getting any sort of apology or even saying "sorry about that").

The RPR definitely ranks highly. I sometimes walked and sometimes took the boat – both methods were nice and easy. I didn’t eat anything at the hotel, so I cannot comment on that.
 
Universal Studios:
I discovered that if you get to the park at opening and thus are the first person to get to the Mummy, are traveling alone, and are scared of the dark – you may have some issues! I did the full line (no point in using Express, and I read here that the theming was good). I got lost and ended up in the Express line sometime before the end anyway (I think I followed the wheelchair route). I was the only person in the car that I rode in – and the car before me was also empty. Great ride – even if I was a little unnerved. I also rode Men in Black completely alone (as in the only person in all four cars) – the only way that I am ever going to win that ride!! The FOTL was pretty much useless the first morning – I was ready for IOA by about 10:30am having done Mummy, Men in Black, Simpsons, Shrek, Twister, and Jimmy Neutron. Getting to the park at opening (especially if you don’t have FOTL is a very good idea). Mummy, Men in Black, and Simpsons were, by far, my favourite rides (I added Disaster, Jaws, and ET in addition to the list from the first morning – plus repeats of my favourite). I found the 3D on Shrek not to be that great to be honest (the 3D was a bit blurry) and I rode it twice – once near the front and once near the back. Actually, my friends all had the same comment about the 3D view on Shrek.

I found the entrance near the Hard Rock Cafe which is a great time saving when coming over from IOA.
 
I have been enjoying your observations as I too was a recent first timer.

I wondered which park we should have went to first as I am full aware that early, early, early is the equivalent of location, location, location when it comes to short ride lines. We did IoA first as DD was the #1 ride in both parks that we wanted to do......US experts, was that a mis-step?
 

I had two days, so I did US first on Sunday and IOA first on Monday. The order was simply based on the fact that US closed 2 hours before IOA on Sunday, so it made sense to start there and then move to IOA (though in the end I went US-IOA-US-IOA on Sunday - it is so easy to switch between parks there, compared to WDW).
 
:)

Great report! This will be our first trip to US/IOA and have noticed everyone saying be there early, early, early!!! I have also noticed the people saying this are only doing the parks for 1 or 2 days. Do you think if your going for 4 days, you actually have to be there at opening eveyday? (staying off site also) The first day we are arriving in the late morning from MCO, we planned on just dropping the luggage at the hotel and heading over to US to catch some rides and fun. We then have 2 full days at US/IOA and then another 1/2 day to use for what ever we missed and re-do some of the rides we liked. Is this reasonable or out of the question???:scared: :scared:
 
:)

Great report! This will be our first trip to US/IOA and have noticed everyone saying be there early, early, early!!! I have also noticed the people saying this are only doing the parks for 1 or 2 days. Do you think if your going for 4 days, you actually have to be there at opening eveyday? (staying off site also) The first day we are arriving in the late morning from MCO, we planned on just dropping the luggage at the hotel and heading over to US to catch some rides and fun. We then have 2 full days at US/IOA and then another 1/2 day to use for what ever we missed and re-do some of the rides we liked. Is this reasonable or out of the question???:scared: :scared:




i stay on site.
for 5 days i am on site, i get to the opening gate by 8:20.

i know i have fotl with the resort key.
i just like to be in the parks when they are empty.

it's a great picture taking time and a great way to get front seat on the coasters.....
 














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