"Space Mountain, Can I Please Have My Glasses Back?" FINAL UPDATE-1/31!

[DrMomof3]

I'm sorry for all of your sad news.
I can't believe your bus story. I would have flipped out!!! Inexcusable!
I think Chefs de France is hit or miss. I've had good meals and mediocre meals.

Amanda

 

[BennyFedora]

All caught up...Sorry to hear about all the bad/sad news from the beginning of the trip and recently!

Funny story about glasses...I actually had LASIK about 2 1/2 years ago because of WDW. I hated carrying around prescription glasses AND prescription sunglasses, always having one in my pocket and switching when I went indoors and out. OK, so it wasn't purely because of the inconvenience at WDW, but it at least made the pro/con list to justify the investment. (By the way, it was one of the single best decisions that I have ever made in my life!)

 

[jenny105]

At first, I wanted to be angry about the bus ride, but it was just so ridiculous, I had to laugh it off! So crazy!
It was huge and delicious! What is Snograss Vacation?!

Snodgrass Vacation is a book about Walt Disney World. Only it's called Snodgrass World. It pokes fun at the commando style touring and certain guests we're all aware of. If you have a Nook or Kindle, you can DL it for 99 cents!

 

[JessicaFaye508]

I started reading your PTR over the summer and I think I forgot to subscribe to it... but here you are now, and the trip is over already!
Reading about all of your mishaps makes me really sad I'm sorry you had so many troubles! I really really hope it gets better soon!

 

[klacey1]

She loved the cupcake! Ok, sounds good

Hmmm, an Oreo one may have to come home with me next time...and the brownie...and a red velvet...

I was THIS close to going to Crumbs today on my lunch to grab some cupcakes for Thanksgiving yesterday, but OF COURSE it rained and I totally didn't have an umbrella!

I'm sorry for all of your sad news.
I can't believe your bus story. I would have flipped out!!! Inexcusable!
I think Chefs de France is hit or miss. I've had good meals and mediocre meals.

Amanda

I'm pretty sure the ONLY reason I didn't freak out about the bus was because all of the other crap that had happened! Otherwise, that's just the sort of thing to make me angry!

All caught up...Sorry to hear about all the bad/sad news from the beginning of the trip and recently!

Funny story about glasses...I actually had LASIK about 2 1/2 years ago because of WDW. I hated carrying around prescription glasses AND prescription sunglasses, always having one in my pocket and switching when I went indoors and out. OK, so it wasn't purely because of the inconvenience at WDW, but it at least made the pro/con list to justify the investment. (By the way, it was one of the single best decisions that I have ever made in my life!)

I remember reading about you getting LASIK and how it changed the way you could enjoy Mickey's Philharmagic! Zach is against LASIK for some reason. He never had a pair of prescription sunglasses (I have NO idea how he drives...or walks around WDW ). He LOVED the pair that Space Mountain stole.

Snodgrass Vacation is a book about Walt Disney World. Only it's called Snodgrass World. It pokes fun at the commando style touring and certain guests we're all aware of. If you have a Nook or Kindle, you can DL it for 99 cents!

I don't have a Nook or Kindle, but I think Santa might be bringing it for Christmas , so I'll definitely add it to the list!

I started reading your PTR over the summer and I think I forgot to subscribe to it... but here you are now, and the trip is over already!
Reading about all of your mishaps makes me really sad I'm sorry you had so many troubles! I really really hope it gets better soon!

It's okay! Thanks for your concern and welcome to my TR!!


Hello dear readers, I am SO sorry that I have not updated in seemingly forever! As all of you know-- life can just get so busy! We're moving offices at my job, which means lots of prep and late nights on my part. I've also spent a lot of time online browsing, sussing out Christmas presents! The holiday season has officially begun-- it was so wonderful to see so many decorations out today. We got back from my grandmother's about an hour ago and some friends we rarely get to see are stopping by in bit. All in all-- a wonderful Thanksgiving! I love my extended family and it's the one holiday most of us are together (all of my first cousins/aunts and uncles, plus some second cousins). There was around 35 of us crammed into my Nana's dining room-- I can't imagine it any other way!
I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday and I hope to update tomorrow or Saturday morning!! I am thankful for many things-- including all of you!

 

[klacey1]

So, I finally have a change to update! Today will be a pretty busy day for us. We’re going to see a early afternoon showing of The Muppets with my mom and her husband (so excited-- have always loved the Muppets!) and then go have lunch with some friends who are in town for the holiday weekend. Then, we’re going to brave Black Friday! We have no interest in the big box stores (well, since I am planning on getting Zach a fancy new TV for his man-cave for his birthday, I may have been interested, but I’m sure the big deals will be gone by the time we get there. Plus, Zach will be with me!), but will head out to our local mall! My brother texted me this morning to tell me he got some great deals on clothes, which is great because I desperately need sweaters and some other winter clothes. So-- busy but fun! What is everyone else doing today?
***
When last I left you, we were heading out of Epcot and back to POR to grab a duffel bag full of stuff for one night. Why were we switching hotels? Well, Zach and I both LOVE Harry Potter and had to go to Universal this trip to see the Wizarding World! Of course, we could have stayed at POR and jumped in a cab or taken a shuttled over, but no-- we were going to stay a night on Universal property! My PTR contains the details of why we decided to do this, but basically I was scared straight of crowds and thought the perk of getting into WWoHP an hour early was invaluable. Plus, staying at Universal grants you unlimited front-of-the-line privileges. We’d take those, too!
As soon as we got back to POR and grabbed our stuff out of our room, we headed back to the main building and asked the bell services to call us a cab. I must admit, I felt a little “dirty” telling them we wanted a cab to Universal! We definitely felt like we were cheating on Disney!
The cab ride showed us the “other” side of Orlando...it was interesting. It’s where I always stayed on my trips growing up, so it was nothing new to me, but it was weird seeing it after being in the Disney bubble for a few days. Zach was not a fan-- he thought everything looked kind of sketchy, even when I pointed out the nice hotels that are in downtown Orlando. He only saw the seedy motels and cheap gift shops, though!
However, once we entered Universal property an drove up to our hotel, Royal Pacific Resort...wow. It was gorgeous! Very tropical and serene. It reminded me of the Poly, but much more modern.
Check in was a breeze. I’m not sure how many buildings make up the resort, but we were in the main one (where the lobby, bar, etc. was) on the second floor. He also gave us a voucher for a free signature cocktail at the hotel bar. Score!
Our room was so nice! Zach was thrilled that we had a TV with a bunch of different channels, even though we wouldn’t be spending a ton of time watching it-- the boy just loves his TV!

I wanted to show Zach City Walk-- Universal’s more adult version of DTD with shops, clubs, and restaurants.
When we took the well-marked (although not incredibly well lit) walk to CW along a pretty river, we were abruptly stopped at the end of the path (where it split to IOA on one side and CW on the other).

They were very serious about bag checking! They even opened Zach’s bottle of water and sniffed it! Once we deemed not to have any dangerous items, we wandered in. CW has a fun atmosphere, but since we weren’t planning on going into a bar, we didn’t stay long.

We did go into one of the shops and saw a bunch of HP merchandise, which got us very excited for the next day!
We walked back to our resort around 10 and stopped at the bar to redeem our free drink and get Zach a coke.

We sat at a little table over-looking this courtyard, which was so pretty. (Obviously this picture was taken the next morning!)

Zach channel-surfed for awhile when we got back to our room, but even though I was incredibly excited about the next day, the bed was too comfy to do anything but almost immediately fall asleep! Our next day was to start very early besides, and be action-packed!

Sorry this update was pretty dull-- only about the getting to Universal! I promise to have the next one up soon, which will tell of our adventures at IOA/US! Stay tuned!!

 

[jenny105]

I love RPR! So pretty I've been lucky enough to stay there twice. I should have warned you about the bag checking though.

Can't wait to hear what you thought of WWoHP!

I"m working today. Blah. But I'm going to see the Muppets tonight I heard it got great reviews so I'm really looking forward to it. Then we're going to the Christmas Tree Shop to see if we can get any ornaments. Kris has never had a Christmas tree and wants to get one now that we have a place together. So we need ornaments!

 

[Joyciemc]

I'm jealous that you saw the Muppets! I wanted to go yesterday, but we ended up being obligated to go to a friend's event. And today is Thanksbeering Day (a day time pub crawl Ben and I are doing with some friends), so no Muppets again. Maybe tomorrow!

Love reading about your arrival at Universal. We really liked the resorts there!

 

[MEK]

I've often wanted to do the one night at Universal thing and not actually check out of Disney. Is that what you did, keep your Disney resort room? That would be so convenient.

I stayed at the Royal Pacific once and really enjoyed it except that we were in a high room and could see the highway from our window. Blah! But we also had a killer view of the pool.

Can't wait to read your IOA update!

 

[xoktenox]

The Royal Pacific looks so pretty! I think it was a smart idea for you guys to stay there to get front of the line privleges and to get into the WWoHP early! Chris and I are going to Universal/IoA next year and you're making me think we should do the same!

I can't wait to see how you like the WWoHP and how the crowds were!

 

[Mrs T 2009]

The Royal Pacific looks so nice!

wierd that they even sniffed his water bottle when you were entering CW!

I am excited to read about your next update on your time at universal

 

[SimplyGoofy]

I look forward to your next update--I can't wait to visit WWoHP in February! SO EXCITED.

I'm also curious about your final verdict about staying at Universal in order to get in early/get unlimited Express pass/etc. I'm wondering if I should do the same thing in order to see more in less time.

I'm really enjoying both of your reports!

 

[klacey1]

I love RPR! So pretty I've been lucky enough to stay there twice. I should have warned you about the bag checking though.

Can't wait to hear what you thought of WWoHP!

I"m working today. Blah. But I'm going to see the Muppets tonight I heard it got great reviews so I'm really looking forward to it. Then we're going to the Christmas Tree Shop to see if we can get any ornaments. Kris has never had a Christmas tree and wants to get one now that we have a place together. So we need ornaments!

The Muppets was amazing!! So heartwarming! Aww, your first tree together will be so special! You'll have to stock up on the ornaments at WDW next year!

I'm jealous that you saw the Muppets! I wanted to go yesterday, but we ended up being obligated to go to a friend's event. And today is Thanksbeering Day (a day time pub crawl Ben and I are doing with some friends), so no Muppets again. Maybe tomorrow!

Love reading about your arrival at Universal. We really liked the resorts there!

Thanksbeering day sounds heavenly Universal's resorts are gorgeous. I understand that Disney obviously can't offer the same perks, but I kept compairing RPR to the Poly, and RPR won out every time!

I've often wanted to do the one night at Universal thing and not actually check out of Disney. Is that what you did, keep your Disney resort room? That would be so convenient.

I stayed at the Royal Pacific once and really enjoyed it except that we were in a high room and could see the highway from our window. Blah! But we also had a killer view of the pool.

Can't wait to read your IOA update!

We did keep our room at WDW-- so essentially, we paid for a room we didn't use. And of course on a Saturday-- the most expensive night. To us it was totally worth it not to have to pack up and move our stuff, though.
I'd hate being able to see the highway from our hotel room! RPR was amazing, but it definitely doesn't offer the "bubble" feeling all WDW resorts do. How awesome was that pool?! Themed so great!

The Royal Pacific looks so pretty! I think it was a smart idea for you guys to stay there to get front of the line privleges and to get into the WWoHP early! Chris and I are going to Universal/IoA next year and you're making me think we should do the same!

I can't wait to see how you like the WWoHP and how the crowds were!

Definitely look into RPR!! It had such a great vibe and was pretty-- and the most affordable! Next update will come Saturday, so not too long to wait to hear about WWoHP!!

The Royal Pacific looks so nice!

wierd that they even sniffed his water bottle when you were entering CW!

I am excited to read about your next update on your time at universal

We were good kids, so no worrying when they sniffed our bottle! I guess it's their way of making sure underage kids don't sneak alcohol into CW and get drunk. I forgot to mention, but they even carded us before opening the bottle of water! They take things very seriously!

I look forward to your next update--I can't wait to visit WWoHP in February! SO EXCITED.

I'm also curious about your final verdict about staying at Universal in order to get in early/get unlimited Express pass/etc. I'm wondering if I should do the same thing in order to see more in less time.

I'm really enjoying both of your reports!

My next update will have the details of if we felt staying at RPR and getting the perks was worth it!
Thank you! I'll have both this one and the dining report updated this weekend!

Hope everyone is enjoying their week! I can't believe tomorrow is already Friday! This week flew by! I also can't believe Saturday is three weeks before Christmas Eve, my absolute favorite day of the year! Of course, I love Christma morning and exchanging gifts, but we spent Christmas Eve having a fancy dinner with my uncle's family and then partying with Zach's family at his parents house. We always have so much fun! I count down to it every year!
I'm pacing well with gifts-- I have all of Zach's big gifts and know what I'm getting for my parents, brother, SIL, etc. I just need to pick those things up.
Where I am having trouble is with Zach's siblings, though. I've gotten them the same thing pretty much every year and wanted to get something different, but I can't think of anything! His brothers are 15 and 21-- usually get them an Xbox GC (HUGE video game junkie) and Lacoste polo (super preppy, in his second to last year of college), respectively. His sister is 19 and sort of "punk". Normally I get her some sort of perfume set, but was thinking of maybe getting her some Betsey Johnson jewelry? A lot of pieces I've seen look pretty funky. I'll have to head to the mall and take a look around...
Hope everyone else's week went by blissfully fast as well! Update up Saturday morning!!

 

[klacey1]

Good morning, everyone! Hope everyone had a great weekend! I made a few Christmas purchases, although not as many as I would like. I feel like the holidays really snuck up on me this year! I’m looking forward to this week being a shorter one for me-- Friday is a “work at home day.” For me, this will amount to bringing my laptop to the Starbucks at our mall, spending about an hour doing some lose ends, and then strolling the mall, checking my email every so often on my phone . I hope to almost finish shopping-- as well as buy all of my wrapping paper etc.
Also, tomorrow night, Zach and I are going to a Rangers game! I think they’re at a 5-game winning streak (or so) and I hope they keep it up! Zach was the sole bidder on these in a charity auction and got them waaaay below face value. They’re amazing seats-- probably the best I’ve ever sat it. Can’t wait!

Day 6: US/IOA
We woke up super early. Early entry for WWoHP was at 8:00 and I wanted to leave the resort by 7. After showering and getting dressed in our HP finery, we headed to the lobby to check out and leave our stuff with bells service. That out of the way, we made the leisurely stroll to IOA.
One of my favorite things about RPR (and why I might be inclined to stay here over HRH and LPB) is the proximity to the parks. It was less than 10 minutes to walk to IOA and I guess another 5 or so to US. It was so nice not to have to fuss with transportation!
We ended up being third in line at a turnstile, arriving at 7:15.

Since we were both so excited, we happily passed the time. When the workers who had been standing on the other side of the gates just hanging out finally strode through at about 7:50, my heart soared...then dropped. Neither our turnstile or the one next to us were working. All it. Agitation surged in me. We had gotten there so early and had to watch as dozens of people poured into the parks, while we were stuck at the gates.
It was actually pretty funny, Zach told me later. Both a mom from the family behind us and I were visibly upset and both muttering comments about how they should test the machines, etc. Zach and dad from said family kept glancing at each other sheepishly and just let their other half vent. Smart move!
About 10 minutes after trying to make the stupid things work, they wheeled out this ancient portable ticket scanner for both lines. Since we were so close to the front, we got through fairly quickly, but I felt bad for the people far behind us.
That drama aside, I dragged Zach through the park. Even as we entered the incredible WWoHP, I said we’d take pictures and examine the details later. I was envisioning TSMM all over again with the Forbidden Journey, the main ride in WWoHP-- there 45 minutes early and met with a 45 minute line. Nope. 10 minutes! I was shocked but thrilled! We headed the “bagless” route and started through the castle.
We are huge HP fans, as I said, so we were in heaven. I had read how incredibly detailed the castle is, but it was nothing compared to seeing it in person. Wow.
For anyone who hasn’t been, the line starts in a part of the castle that’s not too interesting, goes through Professor Sprout’s greehouse, and then into the main part of the castle, which is full of amazing details like portraits who talk to each other, wardrobes of clothes, etc. It’s a sight to behold!

The ride itself was beyond amazing. Definitely in my top theme park rides of all time. It really can’t be described-- every time I try to explain it to someone, I feel like I don’t given it the justice it deserves. All I can say is go ride it!
When we got off the first time, the line was only bumped to 20 minutes! I told Zach that it would get crazy when the regular-entry people were allowed in, so if we wanted to ride it again, now was the chance! It was actually great to have a bit of a longer wait, as the first time was basically a walk-through. The second time we were able to take in details a lot more.
Our next stop was Flight of the Hippogriff, a redesign of a previous (lame) ride. It wasn’t anymore exciting than when it was the Flying Unicorn (simple kid’s coaster), but the addition of Buckbeak and Hagrid’s hut, plus the beautiful view of the Hogwarts castle on your ascent made it worthwhile!

When we got off and began to browse in the shops, I realized just how off my predictions (well, more like the predictions of those on the US/IOA boards on here!) on the crowds were. It was after 9:00 a.m. at this point and nowhere near the wall-to-wall crowds I had read about. The shops were tiny and a bit hard to get around in, but we were still able to see what we wanted. The line for Ollivander’s wand show looked fairly long, but as this wasn’t something we were incredibly interested in, it was fine to skip.
Wanting to feel fully immersed in Harry’s world, we purchased the famous butterbeer (cold, not frozen) and pumpkin juice. The juice was good-- tasted more like a spiced apple cider than anything else. We LOVED the butterbeer, however! I know a lot of people prefer the frozen kind, but as we’re not huge slushy fans, this was perfect for us. Not too sweet, with a nice foam and some bubbles. Yum!

We perched ourselves on the stone wall over by the bathrooms and the bar, sipped our treats, and took in our surroundings. This was such a peaceful, fun moment. As much as we love Disney, it was amazing to be somewhere else and feel like you’re in another world! Universal hit a home run with this addition!
Some random picutures!

We ventured into the shops next and realized just how tiny they are-- so narrow! I know J.K. was striving for authenticity, but this was a little bit ridiculous! I had wanted to find the perfect souvenir, but nothing struck me. Zach picked up the Gryffindor v-neck sweater and Gryffindor tie-- he was planning on being HP for Halloween! (Side note-- we were snowed in without power Halloween weekend, so we didn’t end up going out at all. He only ended up wearing the HP outfit to work. Since he was sans robes and tends to wear a v-neck sweater, tie, and dress pants almost every day, no one realized he was wearing a costume at all!)
It was noon-ish at this point and I was ready to move on. Here’s what the area looked like at noon:

WWoHP is certainly intricate and has the most amazing ride, but it is on the small side. I am looking forward to additions in the future!
Since Zach is not interested in water rides or roller coasters, our other ride options in IOA were a bit limited. We ended up only going on Spiderman before leaving to go to US. Spiderman is a fantastic 4D adventure-- Zach loved it, just as I always have. The line was at 20 minutes, but we were able to flash our room keys and only wait about five!
Feeling like we conquered what we wanted to at IOA, we made the short walk over to US (another thing I love about US-- everything is so close together!). Our first stop was Revenge of the Mummy, which I described to Zach as BTMRR in the dark. This may have been a lie...
In my defense, I hadn’t ridden it in years, so my memory was a bit fuzzy. He was pretty surprised (the ride photo was great!), but didn’t completely hate it, as he agreed to go on it later in the day!

We then made the circuit and rode my US favorites-- the Simpsons, Men in Black (two times), Shrek, Jaws (just heard they’re closing this one-- so bummed!), and the Mummy again before we decided we were pretty much done. Zach commented that while he enjoyed more rides in US (Men in Black was his favorite there-- we both love shooting games!), he thought IOA was more cohesive. Rides were grouped together in a way that made sense. Also, nothing could beat the FJ and WWoHP in his eyes!
Us on line for Men in Black:

Zach in the NY area of the park-- my personal favorite

On our walk back, we stopped at the Hard Rock Cafe for a super forgettable lunch. Zach was interested in eating at the Three Broomsticks, but I was convinced it was going to be packed (despite the fact that US was virtually empty and IOA not crowded at all)...I severely regretted this decision when we got back to the WWoHP and peaked in The Three Broomsticks-- literally three tables were occupied. FJ? Wait was only at 20 minutes-- at 4:00 p.m. We went for one final spin and one last look around the shops before deciding that exhaustion was pulling us back to POR.
The verdict on staying at RPR and getting the express passes? Totally pointless. The parks were simply not crowded. Was it convenient? Yes. We loved getting early entry and not waiting for anything. However, if we didn’t have them, we still probably would have gotten to do everything we wanted-- maybe just waited a bit longer for each ride. Although the money probably wasn’t the best spent, RPR was absolutely gorgeous and it was a lot of fun to stay there. It was also convenient not to have to hop in a shuttle or cab super early from POR. We were right within walking distance of IOA! As much as I say it was pointless for us to stay at RPR, we’ll probably do it our next trip again if we plan on going to IOA/US. Who knows that it wasn’t just a freakingly uncrowded day that we’ll never get again?! We’ll definitely plan better and do a split stay at our Disney resort however-- if we stay deluxe our next trip like I’m hoping, the last thing I’d do is pay for a night we wouldn’t use!
We walked back to RPR and grabbed our overnight bags. They were able to quickly call a cab for us, while I took in the beauty of the resort. It’s truly gorgeous and the next time we stay there, I want to have more time to enjoy it!
When we got back to our room at POR, the early mornings and late nights of our vacation finally caught up to us. We were both zonked! We had tossed around the idea of going to DTD and possibly paying OOP for dinner-- even called Raglan Road to see if there was any availability (nope!). In the end, relaxing and hanging out and watching TV won out! It was a really lovely, boring evening! I think we absolutely needed it in order to get through the rest of our vacation not completely zonked. Around 8:30, we left the room and headed to Riverside Mill for some dinner. We would have had a CS credit left over without doing this, so it was nice to use it up!
After eating, we took a long way back to our room. Even though we had a problem or two with POR this trip, it really is a beautiful resort!
Bedtime came pretty early this night! I was very excited for our next day-- in the planning stages, it was the one for which I was most excited! I couldn’t wait to wake up and start our day!

 

[SOUTHERNtinkerBELLE]

The Royal Pacific looks so pretty! I'm glad you enjoyed your time there! And it sounds like you two had a blast at the WWoHP. I'm not much of a Harry Potter fan, but it does look very impressive! I have a feeling most of it would be lost on me since I don't know much about the books, but I would still like to see it someday!

 

[jenny105]

Wow! I can't believe how empty WWoHP is! It was pretty crowded when I was there last year. Maybe that's because it was only a few months after opening and around Halloween - HHN is a huge thing there. I feel the same way. They hit a homerun with WWoHP and I can't even describe the ride. I said it was 'Soarin meets Dinosaur' if I have to compare it to any ride in Disney (but nothing compares!) Love, love, love it!

I see your rocking a Slytherin shirt. We would so be BFF if we lived closer LOL.

During the week, it really is pointless to have an Express pass. You don't need it. On the weekends however? Necessary. Universal just doesn't have the crowds Disney has.

When are you going to Disney again? Next year, first week of October right?

Have fun at the Rangers game! I'm jealous. And so happy to be rooting for a good team for once lol. Tell Henrik and the boys I said hello!

 

[Joyciemc]

Reading your update brought me right back to Universal. It really is a lot of fun,as long as I can go back to Disney after

Too bad Zach isn't into water rides- Dudley Do-Right was our FAVORITE ride of almost ever. And Bluto's Barge-thingee was awesome, too. Though we only rode them while wearing swimsuit-esque clothes and we got soaked!

 

[xoktenox]

The WWoHP sounds greattttt!!! Ahhh I can't wait to finally see it! I will hope and wish and pray that we get low crowds...I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it with my own eyes in your pictures! So empty! I was thinking your stay at RPR was gonna be essential but either way, I'm sure it was nice to experience a new, beautiful hotel

I remember loving the Mummy roller coaster when I was in US in 2005 lol I don't remember anything about it, just that I liked it...I hope I haven't become an old fart since then and hate it now

Excited to hear what you have coming up next! Oh, and LET'S GO RANGERS! I'm sure you're probably leaving soon to go and you won't see this until after the fact but they're doing so awesome and it gets me so excited! I <3 King Henrik <3 lol

 

[Nermel9]

Great update! I wish I knew something about Harry Potter...anything, so I'd have an excuse to go there, but I haven't seen the movies or read the books! It looks like such a cool little place, and the ride sounds great! And the butterbeer sounds amazing! Glad the crowds were low for you guys!

 

[Mrs T 2009]

the WWoHP looks awesome! Never been to US or IOS and I've been wanting to go to WWoHP and i keep hearing good visit stories from family and friends that have been there! Can't believe their were barely any crowds!