Smiles, Sand and Sunstroke!! A May 2012 Beach Club Trip of a Lifetime

[Ellyoz]

Hi I am loving this. I'm going to BC in Sept (first time ever at WDW) and this is making me very excited. Your TR is awesome!

 

[natebenma]

Your afternoon/evening demonstrated the best of the Beach Club- an afternoon at Stormalong Bay followed by and evening at EPCOT! Been there, done that, love it!

Although it may not be the most exciting reptile seen at the Beach Club lately, your picture of the turtle is really cool!

Thanks for the info about the cot.

 

[natebenma]

Hi I am loving this. I'm going to BC in Sept (first time ever at WDW) and this is making me very excited. Your TR is awesome!

Congrats on your upcoming trip!

Have you been over to the Beach and Yacht Club FAQ thread? Lots of great info about the Beach Club resort over there. You can get there using the link in my signature.

Dee

 

[Laffites Landing]

Congrats on your upcoming trip!

Have you been over to the Beach and Yacht Club FAQ thread? Lots of great info about the Beach Club resort over there. You can get there using the link in my signature.

Dee

Way to promote the forum, Dee!

And I second this. Not a day goes by that I don't spend countless unproductive hours at work "learning" (and laughing) at what people are discussing on the number one resort forum on the Dis. I feel like an expert and I still haven't visited the place.... 3 weeks.

 

[cmcadoo66]

It's so nice that you got to spend some quality one on one time with your DD on your trip. I think I might have to work that in this upcoming trip. DH and I are planning a date night while we are there so maybe another night DH and DS can have a boys night while my DD and I have a girls night. Thank you for inspiring a new plan!!

Looking forward to the next installment!

 

[Laffites Landing]

Day 4 - Part 2: Pool and Epcot!

I enjoyed a couple of Sunken Treasures (although not on the menu, they are the official drink of the BC/YC thread and they will make you one if you ask and you find a bartender in the know).

Next up: Another scheduled rest day!! Or is it????

Great picture of the Sunken Treasure. I do know that my wife's number one goal on this trip is to spend as much time by the pool as possible doing just this. I think she might appreciate Storm Along Bay as much as any of us! This looks very nice!

 

[333disneymom]

Nice update. I thought the Photopass photographers were in short supply this last trip. We got far fewer pictures than we usually do. Maybe we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time?

I forgot to ask before...did you get Keen's for your trip? If so, did you like them?

 

[Feckless]

Great update!

$45 for the hair wrap is crazy, but why not when you are on vacation. I would have totally gone for it, it I had a girl with me.

Love the look of spaceship earth at night. It is so beautiful!

I know, it was ridiculously expensive, but it is the souvenir that has kept on giving. We are at the three week+ mark (strange, seems like yesterday and a year ago all at the same time!) and it looks the same as the day that it went in.

Hi I am loving this. I'm going to BC in Sept (first time ever at WDW) and this is making me very excited. Your TR is awesome!

Thanks for tuning in! I wish that I had taken more pictures, but I decided that I would try to enjoy the trip without documenting every. little. thing. like I usually do. I wanted to live in the moment!

Congrats on your upcoming trip!

Have you been over to the Beach and Yacht Club FAQ thread? Lots of great info about the Beach Club resort over there. You can get there using the link in my signature.

Dee

Way to promote the forum, Dee!

And I second this. Not a day goes by that I don't spend countless unproductive hours at work "learning" (and laughing) at what people are discussing on the number one resort forum on the Dis. I feel like an expert and I still haven't visited the place.... 3 weeks.

Hilarious!!! You got to promote the FAQ thread even before I had a chance to! LMAO!!!

So exciting for the "Laffite Family" to be leaving in less than 3 weeks! I'm really looking forward to hearing about your adventures. I know what you mean - I was answering people's questions before I even stayed there! LOL!!

It's so nice that you got to spend some quality one on one time with your DD on your trip. I think I might have to work that in this upcoming trip. DH and I are planning a date night while we are there so maybe another night DH and DS can have a boys night while my DD and I have a girls night. Thank you for inspiring a new plan!!

Looking forward to the next installment!

We spent more one-on-one time in DHS AND at Universal. Some on purpose, some not so much. That's to come... Glad to have inspired a plan. This was the absolutely BEST thing about staying on site. We could be so free and flexible, and roll with the punches so much more. Staying at BC also made the park hopper ESSENTIAL. Because it was so easy to get around, we could go anywhere we wanted, and do anything we wanted, whenever we wanted (and in whatever family configuration we felt like). What a difference from our offsite vacation! It helped that I learned from my former commando ways and pulled it all back for this holiday too. Being flexible meant a better holiday for all (and meant that everyone would like to go back! Well, me and the kids anyway! LOL)

Nice update. I thought the Photopass photographers were in short supply this last trip. We got far fewer pictures than we usually do. Maybe we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time?

I forgot to ask before...did you get Keen's for your trip? If so, did you like them?

I didn't see as many Photopass people this time around. I am going to do a Photopass post at the end of the TR because I just ordered my CD (well, download!) because of a problem with the DHS "Mickey on the steps" picture).

Yes, we got Keens! DS wore his most days, and the rest of us wore ours less frequently. I actually found them a bit hot, and although I didn't get a blister, I had a "hot spot" on the side of my foot and on my pinky toes at one point. I switched between them and my sneakers. DD didn't want to bring her sneakers, but I put them in my suitcase without telling her, which was a smart move on my part. LOL They are actually better for our spring and summer weather so I'm glad I bought them. DS wears his daily so they were surely a great buy for him.

Thanks for reading! Next day up soon... Can't believe I'm hitting Day 5.

And so far, I know of THREE people that I know IRL (and had no idea were on the DIS) that have found and are reading this trip report. Don't know if this happens to many people!! Anyway, to Dawn, Lisa and Kim!! Since I am of the "don't put it on the internet if you aren't willing to scream it in the middle of the road" school of thought, the more the merrier!!

 

[JoshMom5]

Subbing in! Just joined the YC/BC thread and linked from there. Going to BC for the first time and am glad we got park hoppers after reading your report.

Can't wait to read what happens next.

 

[Feckless]

Subbing in! Just joined the YC/BC thread and linked from there. Going to BC for the first time and am glad we got park hoppers after reading your report.

Can't wait to read what happens next.

Not ALL good! But good enough that I am already planning my return to the BC!

Thanks for subbing in! Park hoppers are essential - at least for the flexible type of touring that we did. You'll thank me later! (to quote Monk)

 

[HockeyMomR]

Catching up on your report - and your X-Pass indicated you were in the park on my birthday. What a great day you all had and busy busy. Love MK entry before actual opening. Of course the sunken treasure The evening wrap up in Epcot - excellent.

 

[Feckless]

Catching up on your report - and your X-Pass indicated you were in the park on my birthday. What a great day you all had and busy busy. Love MK entry before actual opening. Of course the sunken treasure The evening wrap up in Epcot - excellent.

If I had known, I would have raised a Sunken Treasure to you! Oh wait, maybe I did!!!!

 

[Feckless]

Day 5 - Rest Day for Real!!

DH and the other dad scheduled golf at Osprey Ridge for 9:35 this morning, so he was up and out early. DS had passed out cold junk at 7 p.m. (without supper!!! Imagine!!!) and he woke up at 7 a.m. on the dot. Unfortunately, he also woke up DD which was scary. LOL To say she was surly after our late night at Epcot would be an understatement! We got some breakfast from the Club Lounge and I put an episode of the Simpsons on the iPad, which improved her mood!

The other mom got in touch with me, and offered to take all four kids to the Villa quiet pool to give me a break. Um, OK!!! I got their swim gear packed up, and they went over (they were awesome at finding their way around!) She first took them to the Arcade. I was concerned about DD’s mood, but of course as soon as she got away from me, she was fine. Of course! DD won the stuffed animal she wanted from the claw machine, and DS won fake money, so both were happy. Then she took them all to Beaches and Cream. She sent me a picture to prove all was well!

I went for a walk around the resort, chilled out in the lounge, and I should have gone into World Showcase, but I decided to just stay around because I wasn’t sure how long she would have the kids, or if they would need me. After a couple of hours of relaxing, I decided to join everyone in the BCV quiet pool. The kids had the noodle family, and had been quite happy, up until I showed up anyway!! Always the way...

As we were lying there on our lounge chairs, a sky writer came by. I took this as a sign...

Unfortunately, soon after I got there, the kids got into a disagreement with the other kids. It involved the Noodle Family - those little troublemakers! For those that haven’t been following the BC/YC thread, we have been doing a noodle exchange between people who post on the thread. I took possession of the family from momof2disneyboys the day before - nice to meet another Disser! I took my monsters out of the pool before it escalated and we went back to the room. By this time, is about 2:30 p.m., and our reservation for ‘Ohana was 6:30. We took the time to clean up and calm everyone down, and DH came by at about 3:30, looking very happy and relaxed! A few minutes with the family fixed that up. We went down to the Marketplace and got a couple of flatbread pizzas to share. We sat in the Solarium to eat, which was really nice! Of course, after a rest and some food, the kids felt a ton better, and everyone's mood improved, including mine! DD and I headed to Epcot to do a Kim Possible Mission in Japan. It was SO HOT - at least 95 degrees. It was OK, but not as much fun as I remembered. It really needs the Phineus and Ferb refurb. DD found a stuffed Pokemon that DS wanted, so that was good. DS and DH went back to the arcade and relaxed while we were gone.

The other dad fell asleep when he came back from golf, and we were slow getting ready, so of course we were late leaving again! We took the bus to MK and then headed for the resort monorail. I felt like everyone getting to the ADRs on time sure added a stressful component to the trip. When you are heading somewhere in a hurry, a taxi is always better, but the boys in particular wanted to ride the monorail. We chatted with a lovely British family on the monorail, which put us all in a better mood. The kids were all getting along fine again, which was a big relief to us all. We all enjoyed the monorail ride.

Soon we were at the Poly! I was so excited, since this was one of my top choices of a resort for our family. I loved the theming and the look of the resort, and felt that the casual vibe fit our family's personality. We were about 15 minutes late for this reservation as well, but the CMs were very nice about it. I was expecting a long wait, and we sure had one! I'm pretty sure we waited over a half hour. The kids occupied themselves with the gift shop, and DD got a Vinylmation purse that I liked as well. I may steal it this summer, although I'm sure it would look ridiculous on a 44 year old woman! All kids also took some time to do some pin trading. Our kids had completely indoctrinated the other kids on pin trading!

We were finally seated. We were all very thirsty, but we didn’t get served very quickly for drinks. Next thing you know, the salad came out (delicious) and then the chicken wings (DS’s favourite). The moms and kids were hungry, but the dads had a late lunch (sigh - I told them to save room for meat on a stick!!! LOL) so they weren’t very hungry. The chicken on the stick was my favourite, and the kids ate well. DS loved the food.

When the activities started, we all found it to be loud and annoying (ukulele playing is not my fave!) At one point the girls were gone to the bathroom for a long time. When they came back, they said that they stayed there because you couldn’t hear the lady in there. When the kids can’t stand the kids’ activities, that should tell you something! LOL

The highlight of the meal for me was the bread pudding. It was delicious, and I just wish that I had saved more room for it. There were two low-lights: one was the noise (the biggest one) and the other was that the server didn’t believe us that DS was 9. He gave us a very disbelieving and somewhat nasty look when I asked to be charged one child price for the buffet. It was to the point that I offered to show him DS’s park ticket. I know people must lie, and he looks a lot older, but we were telling the truth! DS said to him, "I KNOW I look older but I'm 9 until the end of August!" LOL

After we finished eating, we headed out to the beach. It was so cool to check out the pool. The kids liked that it was open past 10, where SAB closes at 10. It was so small in comparison, and so crowded, but it was sure cool.

They were showing “Tangled” on the beach, which was great to keep the kids occupied until the Electrical Water Parade and Wishes. We scored some lounge chairs, and I took a couple of shots, lying around:

The boys went down to water’s edge and made sand castles:

I got the kids chairs to watch the movie and we sat back. I would have loved a Dole Whip, but I was too completely full to have anything! At 9, the Electrical Water Parade started:

Here is video of a part of it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwClNaLGSo4&feature=youtu.be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HclTrfY415Q&feature=relmfu

I know I suck at taking pictures and videos!! No need to tell me!! LOL

It was a bit hokey, but cute. DD loves octopi, so she was happy. After the parade, they started up the movie again. I had four front row lounge chairs for the kids, but after a few minutes, the other family’s DS wanted to go, so they headed out. I couldn’t wait for Wishes and there was NO WAY I was letting my kids go back the hotel! LOL (not that they wanted to) After a half hour or so, the beach really filled up, and then Wishes started. Our kids came over on the lounge chairs and we watched as a family. I love that show - it was just gorgeous. They piped in the music, and although it wasn’t loud, it was really lovely. Just a fantastic experience, and I have to thank the DIS for that one as well!! I didn’t take any pictures because I wanted to experience every minute, and thought I could find someone else’s video on Youtube later if I wanted!

We took a taxi home from the Poly - it was about $20.00. We came home to find that the platypuses (platypi?) had fun while we were away.

As you can see, DS fell asleep immediately upon our return. LOL

Here are the lovely Duffys:

No towel animals for us this trip, but we didn’t care! We thought Mousekeeping did a great job.

Next up: We leave the Disney Bubble! DARK SIDE DAY!!!

 

[natebenma]

Great day!!!

I've been meaning to check in on the Noodles. Sorry they caused trouble in the ranks!

We have the same feelings about 'Ohana- the food was great, too much of it, didn't really care for the activities, won't be rushing back. LOVE Kona, though!

I loved my night on the Poly beach, watching the water parade and the MK fireworks (it was Nightastic when I was there). Then catching a cab ride back to the resort. Only difference from your night was that I was solo.

Were you bothered by any bugs on the beach? I had brought along Off wipes and used them when it got dark.

Looking forward to reading about your trip to the Dark Side!!!

 

[wishinon3stars]

I love your sense of humor and totally get it! I've raised 3 children (2 girls and a boy) who are now young adults: 26, 24 and 23 years old. I understand totally how everything can be fine until MOM shows up!

We have all survived the teenage years and love travelling on vacation together now with less stress and bickering and refereeing. Although I just remembered on our last trip while my oldest daughter was in the shower, I went down with her BF and my youngest to Beaches and Cream for a takeout icecream and when she found out, she acted like we committed a crime! We offered to share with her but she wanted none of it! Brought back memories of younger years!

Your trip sounds magical and fun!

 

[Feckless]

Great day!!!

I've been meaning to check in on the Noodles. Sorry they caused trouble in the ranks!

We have the same feelings about 'Ohana- the food was great, too much of it, didn't really care for the activities, won't be rushing back. LOVE Kona, though!

I loved my night on the Poly beach, watching the water parade and the MK fireworks (it was Nightastic when I was there). Then catching a cab ride back to the resort. Only difference from your night was that I was solo.

Were you bothered by any bugs on the beach? I had brought along Off wipes and used them when it got dark.

Looking forward to reading about your trip to the Dark Side!!!

There were ants in the sand, but other than that, I didn't see a bug...

I'm looking forward to writing about the Dark Side!!!

I love your sense of humor and totally get it! I've raised 3 children (2 girls and a boy) who are now young adults: 26, 24 and 23 years old. I understand totally how everything can be fine until MOM shows up!

We have all survived the teenage years and love travelling on vacation together now with less stress and bickering and refereeing. Although I just remembered on our last trip while my oldest daughter was in the shower, I went down with her BF and my youngest to Beaches and Cream for a takeout icecream and when she found out, she acted like we committed a crime! We offered to share with her but she wanted none of it! Brought back memories of younger years!

Your trip sounds magical and fun!

Oooh, I can relate! DD was upset when she found out that I took DS to Battleship when she was at a birthday party. Like we should just sit around and mourn her absence! LMAO!

 

[JanetMom]

Sounds like a great day to me - a bit of down time, a bit of alone time, a bit of pool time, a bit of World Showcase, touring other resorts.... all sounds great.

I love that you took the time to watch the water parade. It is hokey but it is one of the things I miss by staying at an Epcot resort. It always takes me back to our first trip to WDW. We were staying at the WL and had never heard of the water parade. For the first few nights we would be in bed wondering what the heck that music was. It took us about three nights to figure it out and then we were so excited to see it.

I'm watching your video, just to hear some of the parade music.

 

[Feckless]

Sounds like a great day to me - a bit of down time, a bit of alone time, a bit of pool time, a bit of World Showcase, touring other resorts.... all sounds great.

I love that you took the time to watch the water parade. It is hokey but it is one of the things I miss by staying at an Epcot resort. It always takes me back to our first trip to WDW. We were staying at the WL and had never heard of the water parade. For the first few nights we would be in bed wondering what the heck that music was. It took us about three nights to figure it out and then we were so excited to see it.

I'm watching your video, just to hear some of the parade music.

Definitely not my favorite day of the trip, but there were no bad days, and I loved hanging out at the Poly. I can just picture you in your room thinking "What the heck is that music????". LOL

A funny thing that happened was that before Wishes started you could see a tiny bit of Illuminations, I think. The couple behind us said, "Is that IT? I thought there would be more..." and got up to leave. I called out for them to stay but they didn't hear. I wonder if they went home thinking Wishes was nothing much!!!

 

[Feckless]

Day 6 - We head to the DARK SIDE

And no, I don’t mean the Yacht Club. LOL When I was planning this trip, DS said that he HAD to go to Universal and see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter if we were going to Florida. This was around the time that the Deathly Hallows Pt II came out. So, I somewhat reluctantly planned for one day off resort to head out of the Disney Bubble. Right before we left, my DD started to get pumped about the trip, and began watching Youtube videos of Ripe Ride Rockit. So, DD was super-excited about this excursion!

I went to the Lounge at 8 a.m. and got cereal for the kids, and brought breakfast back to the room to make the morning go as smoothly as possible. The kids were really excited, so it wasn’t painful to get out for once. We left at about 9 a.m. - I wanted to actually be at the gates at 9, so that we could head straight for WWOHP and I was afraid that the crowds would be bad, but I figured if the lines were long we could buy the Express pass once we got there. Again, I didn’t want to fight with the family or rush, so I took a deep breath and tried to be Zen about the “rope drop” thing (difficult for me, to be sure. LOL) We got a taxi van, which was comfortable. While we were waiting for the cab, DS decided to check out the old car in front of the BC:

For this next part of the report, I apologize that I don’t have any pictures. We were all traveling very lightly, because we had read that you couldn’t bring more than a fanny pack on most of the rides, and I was afraid to bring my camera because of all the rough rides. Also, I knew that we were going to get wet that day so I put my phone in a waterproof pack. However, even with the waterproof pack, my phone kept crashing and acting up, and in fact the battery failed by the end of the day, despite not using it very much. My phone didn't work properly for the rest of the trip. When we got home, I went to have the battery replaced since it was under warranty, and even though it was clear the phone had not gotten wet, the battery was showing water damage from the humidity. I believe that it was the waterproof case combined with the amount of water that got on me this day! Anyway, it was difficult to take pictures, plus we had very little time that we weren’t on the move on this day. As a result, I was shocked to see when we got home that I don’t have a single picture of Universal!!! Imagine! What kind of a stinkin’ trip report is this, anyway???? LMAO!!!

We arrived at City Walk at about 9:30 a.m. and headed towards the signs for Islands of Adventure. We hadn’t been to Universal before, so I was nervous. I knew that we wanted to walk through Seuss Landing and head for the Wizarding World, so I first managed to find IOA and head in the general direction. Seuss Landing looked very cute and bright, and it was fun to see, but there was nothing in there that really interested our kids. Even though I have seen pictures, seeing Hogwarts was still a thrill. When we got to the Forbidden Journey, I could not believe my eyes that the posted wait time was only 15 minutes! We walked straight through the queue and right onto the ride! We didn’t even get a chance to linger and see the castle, but what we saw while walking was amazing. I have a feeling that the ride had been shut down and had just re-opened, but the day in general was not busy at all. Anyway, the ride was amazing. I purposely did not read much about it, so that I could be surprised and just experience it. I loved the combination of the movement through the 3D-like imagery (like Soarin’ on crack) and the actual animatronics-type parts of the ride, especially since I had no idea that was going to happen. I was thoroughly engrossed in the ride when the freakin’ thing STOPPED DEAD. DH, who has some claustrophobia issues, was NOT happy! Anyway, it was right at the end of the ride, even though I didn’t know that, but it still kind of broke up the experience. I had read in the UG that breakdowns are common because of the complexity of the ride, so I was prepared, but I was disappointed. When we came out, I wanted to turn right around and ride again because the posted wait time was still 15 minutes. DH didn’t want to ride again (he was starting to feel some motion sickness and wasn’t thrilled about being trapped on the ride for a few minutes I think) and the kids did not want to ride again unless we all went on it again. This was the one time I regret that I didn’t take a stand - I went along, and didn’t ride again. I’m still mad at myself over that one, but of course I have to let it go!!

Next we headed to Honeydukes and bought some every flavour beans and some cauldron cakes. I wanted to get a Butterbeer but DD had roller coasters on her mind! The Flight of the Hippogriff had 60 minute wait posted so we skipped it, but Dragon Challenge was walk on, even though one dragon was not working. So, we all headed for there. DH and I both loved this ride while it was going on, but because it is one that suspends you from the top and flings you around, I found it VERY bad for my motion sickness. When we got off, DH was actually green. He stayed that way for most of the day, and although he powered through it and tried not to complain, he was not himself for most of the day. I had brought some chewable Gravol and that helped me a lot, and him a bit, but I should have taken it to start the day. Anyway, DH stayed away from the coasters after that.

DD was obsessed with the idea of riding Rip Ride Rockit, so we had to head out of IOA and towards US. Luckily I had the UT wait time app on my phone, which I checked to make sure we weren’t facing a one hour + wait for that one before we left IOA and went to US Since the times all seemed reasonable, and as we were walking the general direction anyway to get out of the park, we headed for Hulk. We just walked straight on again! I rode with the kids once and then they wanted to ride again so they rode alone once. They were very proud of themselves and had a great time together, which was great to see. I was proud that this middle aged woman enjoyed riding it. DH would have fit right in on this ride, since he was as green as the Hulk still!

Next we walked on the Popeye Bilge Rat ride - also no wait. The funny thing was DS complaining at the beginning of the ride that he wasn’t getting wet. Next thing you know EVERYONE got completely soaked (but it was so fun!!). You get even wetter than the wettest people get on Kali River Rapids. We got hit by people shooting water from the play structure, and DS of course wanted to go check that out as soon as we got off. We spent a couple of minutes as snipers, and then we headed for Ripsaw Falls - since we were already wet we figured we’d stay wet. DH had no trouble with these rides.

We waited about 25 minutes for Ripsaw Falls, and the wait was a pretty boring one. I didn't like the whole "Splash ripoff" feel about this ride, but it was fun and we got completely soaked to the skin again which was awesome in the heat. This was the only ride in Universal where I was actually uncomfortable with the restraints. Since on this trip I was at my heaviest weight ever (this will change shortly!) I was concerned about being squashed into rides. Generally, it wasn't a problem, but certainly the seats are not as "generous" as the ones that I was used to from Disney. On this ride the lap bar comes down, and I found it quite uncomfortable on my (soon to be ex) stomach. I was not expecting it to be as hot as it was during this trip - I think this day it went to 96 degrees. We had worn quick dry clothes, but I had on sneakers and I thought that my feet would be wet all day. No way! Even my sneakers and socks inside them dried quickly in the intense heat.

DD couldn't take it anymore so we skipped the Jurassic Park section, left IOA for US and went for RRR. There was a posted 15 minute wait, which was more like 20, but whatever! We were riding it! DH again sat out but by this time the kids were resigned to him not riding stuff. I must confess that I was terrified!!! But we rode it and the kids (especially DD) loved it. My favourite part was seeing the ride video. All you can see of me is my bulging eyes and my lips just saying, “OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD” over and over again. This is the Youtube video that DD watched to give you an idea of what this ride is like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjI2a8wRe34

When you first go up, you are literally at a 45 degree angle to the track - you are lying horizontally as the car goes up the climb. You go STRAIGHT UP. Then there is a HUGE drop going into corkscrew turns. Plus it’s a pretty long ride by roller coaster standards. The other dad (not a roller coaster fan) said that when he rode it last year he lost the plot and just keep shouting, “It doesn’t (bleeping) END!!!”

We were all getting hungry, so we headed for lunch at Mel's diner. We had the burgers and they were absolutely delicious. Next we went on to the Simpsons, which was one of the things that we were really looking forward to. We are all huge Simpsons fans and this ride was my favorite in all of Universal. I was hysterically laughing through most of it. Again, very short wait - about 15 minutes.

Next we went to Shrek - posted 10 minute wait was really more like 25. Overall, that was a theme - I am used to the conservative ride time estimates that Disney posts and I'm not used to the underestimations at Universal... The control freak in me didn't like not knowing if the posted times were accurate! Anyway, we liked Shrek, but I doubt if we would wait again to see it!

Next up, we rode Men in Black (15 minutes wait, maybe) which was like Buzz Lightyear with meaner aliens. After that, then DS was done like dinner. DD and I didn’t want to leave without riding the Mummy, so we headed there while DH took DS to some shops to cool off. We ended up in the front row on the Mummy (also about 20 minute wait) and then headed out. Unfortunately we planned badly and had to go back into IOA to get our Honeydukes purchases, so DD and I walked all the way back and then met up with DH and DS by the taxi stand. We left the park at 5. I don’t know why people use the Mears shuttle for families of 4 or over since it was $35 each way by taxi, not stopping, and you can come and go when you want, which is way less stressful. We could not believe our luck with wait times, and we couldn’t believe what we got done in the day. Really, we only missed the Jurassic Park ride and Spiderman, since we aren’t much into shows. Oh well, more to see next time (plus I’m looking forward to the Minions!!!) - we will definitely go back.

We were pretty tired when we came back but the kids went right to SAB, as expected. It was soooo nice to come back to a beautifully made up cool BC CL lagoon view room, hit the Club Lounge for the appetizers, wine and the melon shooters... YUM. We were starting to get used to this!

After such a hot hot hot day, all of a sudden the door to the room opened and in come the kids - SAB closed because of lightning. Shortly after they came in, the heavens opened and there was a huge rain storm. Here are some pictures of that (because apparently taking pictures of gutters was more important to me than taking a picture with me and the HARRY POTTER CASTLE.

When we got back, the other family got in touch with us about dinner. As we had already eaten at the Captain’s Grille I was hoping to change this to another TS, but there wasn’t anything close available. So, we headed there for our 8:25 ADR. The kids discovered that this restaurant has a drawing room for kids that has a huge table with white butcher paper for drawing, so they were actually hard to get to the table! I had the fish special, which was delicious and served over a kind of risotto with sausage. The other family had spent the day hanging out, and had not gone back to Typhoon Lagoon as they had told us was their plan, because the kids wanted our kids to go back with them. Unfortunately I hadn’t mentioned that our kids didn’t want to go back there after they got hurt in the wave pool, so I felt bad if they put that off for us! I had only bought the one day pass to TL so I didn’t want to pay to upgrade to WPAM either. The other family was fine with that, and we had another awesome, relaxed dinner at Captain’s Grille. As we had Boma reservations the following night, we decided to head to Animal Kingdom before lunch and hope the crowds stayed under control, and then head straight to Boma for our 6:30 reservation. When we went back to the room, everyone collapsed after such a long day. Last thing DD said before she went to sleep was that although she was tired, it was her favourite day so far. Uh oh, has she been lured over permanently to the Dark Side?????

Next up: Animal Kingdom, Boma, too many pictures to choose just a few and more blasphemy from DD!!

 

[wishinon3stars]

Thanks for the info on the taxi to the Dark Side.
We are still trying to decide whether to go there or not during our trip. DH and DD really want to go for Harry Potter area but I'm on the fence. We will definitely take the taxi if we go. Great tip

Sounds like a great day for all of you. I loved the water rides at Universal but didn't like how we smelled afterwards.

And great pics of your son in the car. What a cutie!