Our Month-Long Trip to Orlando (7/9 - 8/6) I'M BACK! TRIP REPORT COMPLETE!

[babieemelly]

When we got back to the condo we all hung out, and my mom fed Oreo. We watched the news and heard all about why the Discovery didn't launch, but there was no news of the girl who had "died on the Tower of Terror". We decided that we would head over to Islands Of Adventure that night, since we still hadn't been there. Storms were predicted, though, so we decided to just wait and see what happened. Within 20 minutes of being home the sky turned black and it poured. Before the rain came down, though, mom, Mike and I stood outside and took more pictures and video.

Back in the house and waiting for the rain to stop, Mike and I didn't know what to do with ourselves. The condo only had one TV and my dad was watching a movie. Without a computer, video games, or another TV we couldn't think of anything to do. How sad is that?! Ahh, the downfalls of our generation We sat around and talked, while Mike had some wine. I wanted to make a Pina Colada but no one wanted to start taking the blender out and making a big project out of it, so I just took a picture with the bottle... no, it's not even open in the picture

Coming Up Next - "Incoming Inclement Weather"

 

[I-4WDW]

Great trip report!

 

[babieemelly]

The rain let up considerably after a while, and we left for Island's of Adventure at 6:40. There was always a ton of traffic on Irlo Bronson Highway, which went right in to I4, so we decided to take a shortcut. This time it worked! Instead of taking the main road we went through a small dirt road behind the resort next to us. There was a swamp on one side and old, run down houses on the other, so it really was a back road, but it saved us a ton of time! It only took us about 20 minutes to get to Universal, and of course I took pictures on the way.

 

[babieemelly]

When we got to Universal it was still drizzling, but it wasn't too bad. The parking garage, people movers and entrance to CityWalk were a little more crowded than they had been the other times we were in the area, but it wasn't packed. Despite the fact that it was a little more crowded, we were able to park closer, which was nice. Since we came in late there was no one directing traffic so we just drove all the way up to the front of the lot and found an empty spot. It was still a treck to the park, but not as bad as usual.

We walked through CityWalk to the left this time (Universal is to the right) and passed by Margaritaville. I didn't know that Margaritaville was so close to Island's of Adventure, but it was right next door. As we walked by they were playing the song, "Margaritaville" and selling a bunch of ankle bracelets and necklaces. There were also people sitting around on Jimmy Buffett-themed lounge chairs, with tropical drinks in hand. It was such an awesome party atmosphere!

When we finally got to Island's of Adventure we swiped our season passes and entered the park. I was so excited about showing everyone around since I was the only one who had ever been there! We took a quick bathroom break and then headed to the left, towards Marvel Superhero Island and Spiderman. Dad and Mike wanted to go on The Hulk but it was closed since it was still drizzling outside.

There was a 20-minute wait time listed for Spiderman, which wasn't bad at all, so we got on line. My mom was nervous because she doesn't like simulators, but I assured her that she would be fine since the cars actually moved along a track. The first part of the line for Spiderman was set up like the offices of the Daily Bugle, which was cute. The next part of the line was in a big room with Spiderman cartoons playing on a huge screen, and there was a small replica of the ride vehicle right in the middle of the room. The line moved really fast and we were in our car within 15 minutes.

The ride itself was great, but not as good as I remembered. As soon as we sat down all I kept saying was, "I'm so excited, this is one of my favorite rides of all time!" I really was amazed by it in 2001! This time, though, it didn't thrill me as much. The 3D effects weren't great since you were moving around so much, but I loved how the ride whips you around a lot. I also absolutely LOVE the part of the ride where it looks as if you're falling into the water. There are lights on the walls around you that are moving upwards so it really looks like you're moving down... at really high speeds! That's still one of the best parts of any ride, anywhere! All in all it was a fun ride, and still one of my favorites. Maybe I was just in a bad mood at the time or something I definitely can't wait to get back on it in July! My mom also wound up LOVING it! She said it reminded her of the old funhouse-type rides at Coney Island. Yea... not exactly

Done with Spiderman, we walked through Toon Lagoon. We wanted to go on the water rides, but another day. They were newly re-opened after the rain and the lines were short, but I remembered getting absolutely drenched on them in 2001 and no one wanted to get that wet.

 

[babieemelly]

We continued on to Jurassic Park, which my dad was really excited about seeing. He LOVES the Jurassic Park movies. We decided to go on the Jurassic Park River Adventure, since there was only a 10-minute wait. I REALLY didn't want to get too wet, but I remembered my friends coming off of it in 2001 and hardly being wet, so we got on line. The line for this ride was surrounded by a really dense "forest" and it was SO hot and humid! It was hard to breathe in there! This was the only line at Universal that was really brutal, heat-wise. Within a few minutes we were at the front of the line, though, and then came the announcement, the announcement we learned by heart, and learned to hate, during our trip... "Due to incoming inclement weather, the ride may be closed at any time." What?! You better not close this ride down now that we've made it to the front, it's not raining! Luckily we made it on without a problem.

We got in the second row of the boat, and closed the lap bar. It only closes a certain amount, though, so everyone can fit. There was still a lot of room between us and the bar, and my mom started freaking out, thinking she was going to fly out of the boat She's a nut The boat started moving and we entered the Jurassic Park gates, as they said, "Welcome... to Jurassic Park" and the music started playing. It reminded of the gate at the resort We went through the "Jurassic Park facilities" and saw all the cute, slow moving dinosaurs.

Of course something eventually went very wrong, and the scary dinosaurs all broke loose. You know those really little dinosaurs that spray poisonous venom at people? It got in Newman's eyes in the first Jurassic Park (he wasn't Newman in the movie, but you know who I'm talking about!)?? They come running up to the boat and sprayed water at people. It was really funny! We then went into a really dark warehouse, and started going up the lift hill. Right when we got to the top a HUGE T-Rex put his head down and opened his mouth right above us! Right before he could get us, though, we went flying over the drop. Wow, what a drop that was! It was really, really long and steep... definitely the best drop of any flume I've ever been on! VERY fun ride

When we got off of the ride we walked around Jurassic Park for a little while, taking in the sites and looking for a bathroom. We took a few pictures around the area and eventually ended up in the Jurassic Park Discovery Center. During the day they have life-sized moving Dinosaurs in there, as well as a Hatching Center and other interactive exhibits. It was late, though, and everything was closed... well, all but the bathroom and gift shop! We ran in to the bathroom and then decided to head into the Lost Continent area of the park.

Coming Up Next - Mike Gets Sick on the Cat in the Hat!

 

[nezy]

I was in WDW at the same time-
We actually drove to the coast for the launch then found out it was scrapped for that day. We had a good day at the beach.
I like hearing about Universal as we never go there.

I was thinking about you this weekend -I was in Bklyn-Ave. T and Nostrand-Buckley's Restaurant- for a baby shower.

 

[OhMari]

I love your updates, and your pictues. Get done girl, before you go again in July.

 

[babieemelly]

I was in WDW at the same time-
We actually drove to the coast for the launch then found out it was scrapped for that day. We had a good day at the beach.
I like hearing about Universal as we never go there.

I was thinking about you this weekend -I was in Bklyn-Ave. T and Nostrand-Buckley's Restaurant- for a baby shower.

I love Buckley's, we used to go all the time! They changed owners a few yars ago so we haven't been there in a while (the one time we went after the switch wasn't too great), but the food used to be delicious. How was it?!

 

[mjmcca]

I love Buckley's, we used to go all the time! They changed owners a few yars ago so we haven't been there in a while (the one time we went after the switch wasn't too great), but the food used to be delicious. How was it?!

Yeah Buckley's isnt the same. I have been in there in a long time.

 

[luvtoall]

I just want to let you know I love your reports.. so much detail, good job.

 

[NJOYURLIFE]

subscribing...only got to page 3 but can't wait to read the rest.

 

[babieemelly]

Day 5, Part 4

We walked through the Lost Continent, which is one of my favorite areas of the park. Everything is so mythical, magical, and mysterious... I it! We went over to Dueling Dragons, and there was only a 10 minute wait. I went on it back in 2001 and loved it, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to go on it now. The four of us entered the attraction and walked through the line... and walked... and walked.... and walked... and walked.... and walked.... and walked some more.... and walked....

It literally took us all of the 10-minute wait time posted just to walk through the queue! The entire line wraps around the ride itself outside, and then you walk through an enormous castle. The line is absolutely amazing, but at least a mile long Back in 2001 we had about a 45-minute long wait and it was great getting to see all of the details on the line, but I would NOT want to be stuck on the line when it was full When we got to the front of the line there was a small wait to get on the ride, and I decided not to go on. Instead of taking the chicken exit, my mom and I decided to stay in the air-conditioning for as long as possible, so we walked back through the castle. It was very eerie, and SCARY, being the only ones walking through the dark dungeons. Universal Studios did a great job at setting the mood When we were almost out of the castle we heard somekids coming, and they were screaming and acting stupid. Just as then came up to us my Mom jumped out at them, and literally scared the CRAP out of them!!! It was the funniest thing I had ever seen!

When we finally made it out of there we went and waited by the exit of the ride. At this point, despite the fact that it was completely dark out, it was SOOOO hot and humid. I was seriously about the pass out. Dad and Mike, however, hadn't brought their cell phones so we couldn't even go wait in a store until they came off the ride. We just hung around by the exit, until we realized that where we were standing wasn't the actual exit, it was just where the exit led to. So we went to walk through a dark alley-like walkway that led to the main exit, but just as we did my dad and Mike came out and we all headed towards Poseidon's Fury.

I hadn't gotten to do Poseidon's Fury in 2001, but my cousins did it when their cruise made a stop at Cape Canaveral and they spent the day at Island's of Adventure. All I knew was that it was a walk-through attraction, and that my cousin's loved it and said it was really unique. It's held in a HUGE building that's made to look like a Medieval Temple and we walked all the way around the building to go in, before we ended up at he exit and had to walk all the way back We finally found the entrance to the attraction and saw that the next show started at 9:20. It was now only 8:45 so we decided to skip it and come back at another time.

We then continued on to Seuss Landing, which I LOVE! I grew up loving all-things Dr. Seuss (I have to admit that I still love a lot of his books, they're classics!) so this is always a fun section of the park to visit. I love the trees in Seuss Landing... they're all crooked and bent. There's not one single straight tree in the entire land! I learned from a Travel Channel special that they found these trees after some of the worst Florida hurricanes, replanted them in the park, and they just continued to grow in curving patters. Very cool We took a few pictures in Seuss Landing before going over to the Cat In the Hat.

The Cat in the Hat only had a 10-minute wait so we got on line. I love the line for the ride. It's very simple, but fun. It's a dark room with a bunch of windows, and the kids from the Cat In the Hat are sitting by the window, watching the "rain". There are excerpts from the book periodically flashed onto the walls in light, and there are props from the Cat In the Hat movie. There were all people with kids on the line, which we laughed about since we were the only all-adult group.

 

[babieemelly]

We were on the ride within five minutes, and I LOVE the ride vehicles! It's like a big couch, with two rows. Mike and I sat in the front, while Mom and Dad sat in the back. In the first scene we saw the kid's parents leaving, right before the Cat In the Hat came into the room. I started snapping away, trying to get as many pictures as possible, before the dreaded announcement came on... "For the safety and enjoyment of all guests, please refrain from flash photography while on the ride. Thank you!" Whoops I did get one good picture, though, so I'm happy

This is such a cute ride! It's a dark ride which brings you through the story of the Cat In the Hat. It really whips you around, though, and at some points the whole vehicle just kept spinning. Mike hates spinning. When I told him how cute this ride was, I may have forgotten to mention the spinning... Needless to say, he came off this ride feeling REALLY sick. And I have never made fun of him more! This is the kid who goes on every crazy roller coaster there is, loves thrill rides, and never gets sick on things that go 75 mph and flip you upside down 25 times... and he got sick on THE CAT IN THE HAT!

When we got off the ride we walked (and Mike hobbled) over to the gift shop, where we saw a cute Cat In the Hat backpack. My Aunt Stacy had asked us to pick up a Dora backpack for Alison if we saw one since she started Pre-K this fall, but we hadn't seen any yet. I called Aunt Stacy to see if she wanted us to get it, but she said no, and we continued on.

Mike was getting hungry (when he gets sick on a ride, or car sick, he needs food to make him feel better It must be a teenage boy thing...) so we went over to the Cinnabon right under The Hulk. He LOVES Cinnabons! We all like them, but this kid could eat them 24/7. Mike and I got a table directly under one of the loops on the Hulk, which was really cool, while my mom and dad went and got the food. Mike and I each got a Cinnabon, while mom and dad shared an order of Cinnastix. We ate and just took in the atmosphere. The park was pretty empty so it was really nice. This was one of my favrite memories from the trip. It was so nice and relaxing just sitting under the Hulk, enjoying our Cinnabons and watching the ride soar past us overhead

When we were done we went into the main Island's of Adventure store on the way out, and I picked out a cute Shrek stuffed animal and my mom picked out a Spiderman car for my cousin Zach. I then realized that I had never seen the whole Shrek movie and I didn't really want the stuffed animal, and mom thought she could find the car for cheaper at Walmart, so we put everything back and left.

As usual, the walk back to the car was LONG and HOT. It was fun, though, because there was a DJ by the waterfront, and everyone was doing the YMCA. Two guys walking behind us screamed "Shut the f*ck up, Queers!" so the DJ and everyone dancing. Wow, you're cool : I hate arrogant people. Whatever.

When we got to the parking garage we got on a people mover since we were all tired from walking all day. There was a guy in his mid-20's who was BEYOND drunk who laid down on his stomach on the railing of the people-mover and put his arms and legs out, and was carried along the length of the walkway. He kept saying that he felt like he was flying and a super hero, and it was officially the FUNNIEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE, EVER! It was priceless! Everyone in the area was cracking up, and just having a great time. Now yes, that is one of the main differences between Disney and Universal. I doubt you'd see a drunk guy lying across a railing as it carried him to his car, while everyone around himlaughed. But that's why I loved Universal, it was more adult, spontaneous, and party-like... you never knew what crazy thing you might see!

We finally reached our car and on our way out of Universal we saw the Universal fireworks. We also saw fireworks to the right of us, and they were really far away, so I figured they were Wishes. We also saw the Sea World fireworks to our left. There were fireworks everywhere! It was SO awesome and really made me realize what a party town Orlando is There was always something fun going on!

When I saw all the fireworks I told everyone that I wanted to stay at the Disney parks for Wishes, Illuminations and Fantasmic, and my mom just kept saying, "Boring, boring!" I was getting SO frustrated, and yes I started crying Not bawling, but whenever I get really mad and don't get my way I cry. I'm a little spoiled... Anyway, my excitement was completely ruined. I knew that they were going to give me a hard time when it came to all things Disney, and I just wasn't excited. I should've known, though, that they were giving me a hard time just because they know how easily I get annoyed, but what can you do?!

Back at the condo we saw that there were three frogs waiting for us on the front door. They were staples of our return home every night for the rest of the vacation, which was funny. They were so cute! At around 10:15 everyone lounged around and had snacks. I had chips, Wheat Thins, and cheese doodles while we watched the end of Honey I Blew Up the Kid on HBO Family (I that movie!) It was over at 10:30 and we watched some of the news, and then Friends on the WB.

My dad and Oreo relaxing in the condo

At 11:30 I was getting tired, and there was nothing to watch, so I took a shower and braided my hair so I wouldn't have to deal with it in the morning. I was asleep by 12:30, but I woke up at 5:30 in the morning and couldn't fall back asleep. Eventually I did, though, and I was out for the rest of the early morning.

Coming Up Next - Day 6: The Weird, Wacky, and Unbelievable

 

[jackdis]

Your reports are so interesting and I love the photos.......looking forward to more.

 

[bellebud]

just wanted to say how much i'm enjoying your report! I love all the pics!!

The rides at universal sound really neat! someday we'll try there when our kids are older and i won't be pissed when someone yells the f-word in front of them (lol!), or i won't have to explain that someone's drunk and why alcohol is so bad (instead of just being able to laugh at the person

We actually went to universal w/ our kids (they were 3yo and 2yo at the time) for the Barney show, which was great... but i noticed a huge difference in the people and the general feeling between there and disney right away. Universal definitely is not a kids park. Tons of people were smoking all over the place, and the general feeling was too adult (teens running into people, cursing a lot, etc... but why did i never go there when i was a teen or in my 20's??? i would have loved it!!) Oh well... someday when my kids are older! Thanks for all the detail - it really helps get a feel for all the rides that i'm missing.

 

[babieemelly]

Day 6 - Thursday, July 14, 2005

I woke up at 9:00, but just laid in bed until 11:00. I then listened to my MP3 player in bed for a little while, and just relaxed. I heard my dad vacuuming at around 10:00, which was funny. He actually LOVES to clean, and I just thought it was hysterical that only five days into our stay in the house he was already vacuuming. For the SECOND time.

I eventually got up and got ready. When I went downstairs Mike was already up and watching a pool tournament on ESPN, and my mom and dad had gone over to the Orlando Premium Outlets. I sat at the counter in the kitchen and had a waffle for breakfast, but I couldn't figure out how to use the toaster We have a toaster oven at home so I know how to use that, but I didn't know what setting to put a regular toaster on. Shut up.

We could get incoming calls on the house phone but couldn't make outgoing calls, and for some reason I couldn't get reception on my cell phone in the house, so I went upstairs and sat out on the balcony. I had a message from my Aunt Debbie on my cell phone, asking if we were having a good time, and I made a mental note to call her back later. I called my mom and asked her about the toaster, and then called my friend Jen to see how her summer was going. She wasn't home, though, so after talking to her mom, Eileen, for a few minutes, I went back downstairs.

I had a waffle and some honey sticks with chocolate milk for breakfast, and I ate them at the counter in the kitchen. While I was eating my mom called and asked me if I wanted her to buy me a new pair of Nike's. I hadn't brought a good pair of sneakers with me, only my platforms and a million pairs of flip-flops. Needless to say, we were only six days into the vacation and my feet were killing me. I told her to get them, and she got me really nice all white ones, with a blue Nike check.

After breakfast, at around ten after twelve in the afternoon, I sat in my room and worked on my trip report notes. I still didn't know what we were going to do today, but I took the time to relax. When I was done I went downstairs and watched some of "One Lonely Guy" starring Steve Martin (it was always on, and it became a favorite movie of mine during the trip!), and then I went back upstairs to sit out on the balcony.

I sat on one chair and put my feet up on the other, and I worked on making some new touring plans. It was really, really hot out, though, and my arm was burning (one arm was under the awning, and the other one wasn't... and I didn't want one arm to be beat red and the other not to be ) so I went back inside and watched "Anchorman".

While I was watching "Anchorman" my mom and dad came home, with lots of packages in tow. We all watched two episodes of the British version of Who's Line Is It Anyway on Comedy Central, and snacked on crackers, cheese, pepperoni, chips and cheese doodles. At 3:00 it started to rain, so we watched Mad TV and just lounged around the house. It stopped within 20 minutes, though, when my mom and dad walked Oreo, and we decided to get going.

We wanted to do another indoor attraction since it was so hot and humid out, so our choices were Ripley's Believe It Or Not and Wonderworks. We loved the Ripley's in Atlantic City so we decided to go there. Besides, it was one of the only things on the entire trip that Michael was really excited about, and we didn't want to waste the opportunity

We left at 3:45 and drove down to International Drive. When we got to Ripley's we had to buy our tickets, since we weren't originally planning on going. We used the Orlando Magicard that I had ordered a few months prior and got $2 off each ticket... not bad, not bad. Each ticket came to $15.

When we first entered the museum there was a hologram of Ripley, sitting at the actual desk that he used when creating his famous comic strips. They had the same thing in Atlantic City, but without his actual desk. He welcomed us to the museum and dared us to believe... or not.

Ripley's desk - the flash washed out the hologram

The first room we went into had a collection of general Ripley's memorabilia, as well as facts about his life.

Some of Ripley’s personalphotographs

A stack of book - it said that if all of the books written by, or about, Ripley were stacked on top of each other, the stack would be taller than the Statue of Liberty

An African skin mask

Information about the mask

Self-explanitory :rotfl

The next room had a series of optical illusions, games, and other fun and interactive exhibits, many of which have been passed around on the internet.

Try to say the color, not the word

You had to try and balance the cane…I forgot what the point of it was

We had to try to grab the jewel, but of course it was a hologram!

 

[babieemelly]

One mask was inverted, and one protruded, and you had to see which pair of eyes seemed to follow you

The next room was a small hallway filled with pictures of the weird, wacky, and just plain unbelievable. There were also some of Ripley's original comic strips about the crazy things he had seen on his travels.

A giant picture of Elvis, made up of over 3,000 individual pictures of Elvis

An original Ripley comic strip

These two men worked at the same radio repair company – one was names Les Hot and one was Les Cool… what are the odds of that?!

A 3-legged man

Another 3-legged man

The next room was SO funny... the floor was completely slanted, but there was a pool table in the middle of it which was held up-right. You couldn't tell that the floor was slanted until you walked into the room, though, and my mom went FLYING! I don't think I've ever laughed so hard (besides when that guy got a ride on the railing of the people mover ) She just went running across the room and couldn't stop herself, it was too great She then caught her balance and tried to shoot a ball on the pool table, and the ball went flying off the table into the previous room!!! Oh man, it was priceless

Mike in the slanted room

Mom and Dad trying to shoot pool

A man who could hold 20pool balls in one hand

Mike trying to stand up-right… it didn’t work

That’s just not cool

The next room had more artifacts from, and information about, unique and remote areas of Africa.

African masks

 

[babieemelly]

An example of when plates are used to stretch the lower lip of African women

A torture device used in remote African tribes

Fertility statues

Some more masks

A shrunken monkey head

The next room had pictures and information about amazing feats, medical miracles, and human oddities.

A man balancing a cat on a ladder… who would even try that?!

Siamese pigs, connected at the head

A very strong frog

A two-headed cow

The Lighthouse Man – A guy in China who had a candle implanted into his head so he could more easily give tours of remote villages… What?!

A guy with a HUGE nose

The Unicorn Man – you can see a picture of the actual man in the background

 

[babieemelly]

A man with two pupils in each eye

A man who sat in an oven for twelve hours… again, why?!

Some information on why

Mike and I with one of the fattest men in history…quite an accomplishment

My mom and dad with the man himself

The smallest man in history

Ew

A replica of a giant’s hand

A guy who was willingly hit by lightening, and survived

In this same room was a sign that said, "Don't look in this hole", with a hole under it. Of course everyone looked in the hole. In order to do so, though, you had to bend down, and right behind where you bent down was a camera. So when you looked in the hole, you’d see a video of your butt! After each getting a chance to see, someone would look in the hole while someone else put their face in the camera, and we were just making stupid faces and cracking up! Remember this entire area, as it comes into play later!

The next room had different items and artifacts that were mad from unusual or unique materials.

A Chinese Foo Dog statue, they’re said to bring good luck

Some information on the Foo Dogs

A car made completely of match sticks

 

[babieemelly]

Pocketbooks made of gum wrappers

A Devil Bust

A genuine Vampire Killing Kit

The Mona Lisa painted on the wings of a bat

A portrait of Lincoln, made of human hair

The Mona Lisa, comprised of toast

Lincoln, made of pennies

Beer can furniture

We then went into the medieval section of Ripley's, where they talked about customs, beliefs, and general craziness from early Europe. This was probably my favorite part of Ripley’s. I’m very interested in history, especially the dark side of it. So it was interesting to see what went on so many years ago, and how supernatural beliefs played a big part in every day society.

The real Dracula, a European king who would wrongfully accuse people of heinous crimes, kill them, and drink their blood

Mike and my mom looking at an exhibit

The back-breaker, a form of medieval torture

Some information on the backbreaker… I’ve never been more glad to live in modern times!