Summer Trip Report Finally Yay!!

[bobbie68]

Hello everyone I am finally getting around to my trip report. I love reading other peoples and admire how well they are done. I wish I had the time to do as detailed as so many of you. It is so awesome to read what a great vacation you had.

Anyway here I go....

The introductions DH, DD, DD's BF and myself.

Just a quick note: DD's BF is a great teen. They are great together and he is a part of our family. He goes with us on all our vacations. Heck he basically lives at my house. We always knew having one child we would have to bring a friend when she got older. This one fits in so well with our family. I don't even know he is there. It has been amazing having him. The teens can go off and do things and we have our time.

We had a rough start to our trip. At the airport to come down I fell going through security and banged up my elbow pretty good. We iced it and took advil. I was so worried that I broke something but was determined to get on the plane and see what happens. The pain subsided a bit and I was able to get comfortable on the flight. However, DD and I have pressure problems when flying and we have tried everything. Usually it is bearable but for some reason this time her ears were so bad she was crying the entire flight. It was a direct flight so nothing I could do. My hear broke for her at the same time I have ear pain. We got through it and landed a little late but we were down.

We use Tony Hinds and have been for several years. Absolutely enjoy his company and his service. We landed at about 9:30 pm our flight was delayed a bit. He was there waiting and even brought us to the grocery store for snacks and drinks.
We then arrived at Cabana Bay July 27th about 10:30. I chose an evening flight for less rushing in the morning but realized after this trip it is not worth it. I was worried about room location coming in late and I was right too. We reserved and paid for a tower suite pool side. However, I did call the week before and requested any floor but the first. My DD has Asperger's and along with that comes anxiety. I was told it was only a request and I knew that but I usually never have a problem with the room location. However, coming in late there was only one room left and it was on the ground floor in the corner by the exit. It couldn't have been any worse location. I asked if there was anything to move to and she said no. She said to try and come back tomorrow afternoon and she will see about moving us. Well that is not easy to do with kids with this they don't transition well to change. It took almost the entire night to get her to calm down and find ways to make her feel safe. In the end we were able to get her to feel safe.

The family suite was what we thought it would be. It was clean and set up really good. I love the bathroom set up there. It is great to be able to have three people get ready at the same time. We really enjoyed having that little sitting area to stretch out with. The teens are as big as us so the extra room was welcomed. We really enjoy CBBR it is a very clean, family friendly and fun resort. We will be back there again.

I tried to get some sleep because the next day was our first day at VB. I had been looking forward to this park for a year. I planned the vacation around going to VB a couple of times. We are a water park family.

Day one- VB July 28th

I had been following the VB thread information for a long time. I wanted to know as much as I could about it. I am a planner and organizer so it is important for me to be ready. We were going to be putting two full days here. Anyway I had found out when the cabanas and express passes had been released for sale in May. I jumped on that and reserved express passes for both days and a cabana for one day. I was going to get the private lounge chairs but after having read reviews I cancelled them. I am so glad that I did.

We arrived at the VB entrance at 7:15. It was great being so close it took about 5 minutes to walk and we had a separate entrance. Once through security we got up to the turnstiles and had a really nice associate. He was giving us tips and information. We got in about 7:45 and made our way to our seats. This day was not the cabana day so I knew where I had wanted to get seats. One of the awesome dis friends suggested by the Dancing Dragons Boat Bar. It really was a great location. We had the bathrooms right across the sidewalk, a free-style machine about 1,000 feet and a concierge hut right there. We were able to get 4 chairs and an umbrella. Another great suggestion on here was to buy an aqua vault. I love this thing. I was able to put our phones and cards in there and lock it to the chair. I don't worry about my cover up and flip flops. We were able to skip getting a locker. We went to the concierge hut and got our express pass put on our tapu tapu. We then started to ride the slides.
The express pass was great we didn't really need it till about 11:00 am but I was so glad that I had it. We were able to do everything we wanted. The aqua coaster was great, best water coaster I have been on. We loved Honu and Puihi family raft rides the best. The lazy river was just that it was nice and warm and relaxing. The fearless river was really good. However, you do need to be a decent swimmer because where you pick up the tube is a lot of rough current. You could get swept up and under very quickly. There was no life guards there in the beginning of the day. It was total chaos trying to get a tube. However, once they got a guard there it was nice and orderly.

The food was good we had the pizza, shrimp mac and cheese and salads. I thought the food was a step up from other theme park food. The only problem was they had changed the menu that week so we couldn't get the jerk mahi that day. We were having a blast then about 2:30 the sky opened up and what a storm. There were people running for the exit but we stayed put under our umbrella. The temperature dropped and it was actually a little chilly during the storm. However, we were going to ride it out knowing that when it stops it would be less crowded. It was really cool while we were waiting the teens made some friends and were playing in the mud. Once the storm let up it was really less crowded. The only slides our express pass didn't cover was the body slides. The guys went and did that because there was no wait now. DD and I watched

DH knew about the problems with the tapu tapu falling off so he came prepared. He brought shoe laces with us and tied them to our wrist. It was a good thing because DD'sBF came loose. It was funny people were looking at us strangely with these powder blue shoe laces wrapped around. We stayed at VB till closing and had a great day and couldn't wait to go back and have our cabana in a few days.








We walked back to CBBR and went in the hot tub. It really did feel good after a long day at the park. There are so many stairs to get to those water rides. We went to our room showered and turned in. Day 2 was the big surprise for them....

 

[dizneedoll]

Great start! Love the pictures! Following along...

 

[Tink2Day]

Yay another Universal Trip report!!! Sounds like a crazy first day getting there but seems like it worked out on your VB day!

 

[bobbie68]

Hello! Day 2 July 29 Non-Private VIP Tour

We have done one or two of these at other parks and have enjoyed it. However, they are very costly for a family of 4 but I had to weigh out the pros and cons. I have had a rough year so decided it was worth it. I knew the teens and DH would be excited. The private VIP tour is way too expensive. I thought this would work. You have to really ask yourself how you like to be with strangers. We would be spending about 8 hours with people we didn't know and hoped they liked the same thing. We are a very outgoing family so I thought we could make it work. I really enjoy learning about the behind the scenes and little information.

I told DH because he had to know for planning but I kept it from the teens. We went to our EE at the studios and did DA. I could spend all day there, it is my favorite part. I love Gringott's ride too. I told the kids about 10:00 I had to go to customer service at the front of the park. The building for the tour starts there. We got up there and I went to customer service then came out and they were like are we going now? I said look over there and it has the big VIP canopy and told them. They looked very happy about it.

We arrived at 10:30 checked in and had danish, muffins, cereal, and stuffed croissants. There was coffee, water and juice. Our guide came to our table and introduced herself. I was a little nervous at first because she didn't seem very enthusiastic. I asked how many would be in our group and she said 12 total. I was hoping that we would all get along and want to do the same things. It sounds like they just randomly put people together. I would think when you register they would ask some background information on the family. After breakfast we joined her with the other 8 people. There was a family of three (2 adults and a pre-teen girl) A family of 5 (3 Adults and 2 younger kids). I had a good feeling about this group. We started talking and realizing we all had the same ideas and wanted to do the same things. The guide talks to the group to get an idea of what everyone wants and compromises. However, we got lucky nobody wanted to do the kids lands or water rides (except for Jurassic Park) it was easy for our guide to plan.

We started our tour at 11:00 and our guide was very knowledgeable and nice just more low key. I noticed some of the guides were really up beat. She said we were going to do some behind the scenes and I was excited. I did request the Mummy under the track tour. I had read about it and thought it sounded neat.

We started at Transformers and went straight to the beginning of the line. There are separate entrances and doors to go through. It was funny though on more than one occasion people would give us a bad look for cutting them. We just showed them our VIP tour pass and they were not happy. We were on in about 5 minutes and it was really cool. This was the same procedure for every ride. We did Minions then RRR. After RRR we went through the back stage area into IOA. It was cool coming in the back and going into Seuss Land. We did Hulk, Spider-man, Kong and Jurassic Park before lunch. Also after Spider-man we got to see where they do the maintenance on the vehicles and how they operate. It was really cool.

We had lunch at Thunder Falls Terrance it was really good. It was also a good deal with the quick service meal they give you as part of the package. We were able to get the meal a drink and a shake for desert. It was a combo meal. The guide gives you some areas to eat lunch in and stay within a few lands in IOA. You only have an hour, so you don't want to go far. It seems our whole group had the same idea and all ate here. After lunch we went to Forbidden Journey, ( I stayed off with one of the mom's and chatted) we did Dueling Dragons rode HE to DA. We did Gringott's then went to Mummy and Jimmy Fallon. We got to go under the track at Mummy and it was so cool.

In between all the rides and back stage tours our guide was giving us lots of trivia on the park history and movies.

At the end of the tour which was till 6:00 we got unlimited EP and 10% on purchases.

I did not get to take pictures though on this tour we literally kept moving constantly. If you fell behind you would get lost. DH and I love to walk and keep moving all day. The teens on the other hand look like we had to scoop them up with a shovel and put them back on their feet to keep them moving. I don't understand how we have more energy then them at the parks.

We really enjoyed this tour and I would recommend it if you have the extra money. The one thing that could make or break the day is the group you are put or your guide.

It's funny because we are moving down in 3 years and I figured out my part-time job when I do. I want to do the tours at Universal. I went and talked to an associate about how to do this. He gave me great information and I am excited to know what I want to do.

Next up a day of rest

 

[bobbie68]

Great start! Love the pictures! Following along...

Thank you! Some days I take a lot of pictures then others I realize I haven't taken one. The introduction picture is my favorite. I love the castle behind us. Also, that day DD and I had our matching tank tops. She is really good about it. She knows I love to be twins one day and she indulges me. She is such a great teen.

 

[bobbie68]

Yay another Universal Trip report!!! Sounds like a crazy first day getting there but seems like it worked out on your VB day!

Hello and thanks for reading! Yes it was a crazy start but I always try and find a way to make it work. I am glad I was able too. The saddest thing is when someone has a rough vacation. You work so hard for it.

 

[bobbie68]

Day 3 July 30 Resort Day

I always make sure we put resort time into our trip. Usually we put a whole day in to get more out of it. I love the resorts and CBBR is so much fun. The lazy river is great and we spend hours in it. We woke up that morning to overcast and showers. It was going to be like that all day. We made the best of it. We went to the diner at CBBR and had breakfast. I really like this food court. It has a good selection and the food is good. After breakfast we made our long trek to our room. We literally were on the opposite side of the main building. We were close to the pool and VB. We went out to the pool and just spent the day between the pools and hot tub. DD is the only one who doesn't like the hot tub. She is very sensitive to temperature and it burns her skin. She just sits with us and puts her feet in.

We used our Aqua Vault at the pool area. I really love this thing. We put our phones and cards in there and locked it to our chair and no worries. It did shower on and off all day and was a little chilly. Since we had the family suite I picked up some Tuna and bread for sandwiches. It helps defer the cost a bit. I made a light lunch knowing we were going to be going to Bubba Gump for dinner.

We went to our room about 5:00 and got ready and out the door by 6:00. I didn't want to get to the restaurant to late because I know it will be a long wait. We took the bus over and with in 15 minutes we had our name in. We had about a 20 minute wait which was fine with us. We had talked about going over to Toothsome after for shakes. I had heard all about them and researched while at home. Everyone was looking forward to trying one.

We were seated and had a really good waitress and went over how to call for her.

DH and DD'sBF got the jambalaya and DD and I got shrimp scampi. We also ordered some pop corn shrimp their shrimp and mac and cheese. Everything was really good as I remember. We finished paid our bill then left. I drive the teens crazy with wanting to take pictures. I tell them they will thank me one day.



We were now off to Toothsome for milkshakes

When we got there it was crowded as usual. We decided to do the take out for the shakes. It was about a 15 minute wait. We did look at the menu and decided we would come back another day for food. DD and DD's BF ordered a milkshake each. He ordered the Espresso Buzz, DD ordered the Brownie and DH and I shared a Key Lime Pie. They were very good but filling. The teens had to take theirs back with them. We wanted to try some others and would be back again.



We made our way back to the resort we were tired and full. We ended up getting there right before the park closed so we didn't have to wait long for the bus. It was a quick ride back but a longer walk to our room

It was shower and bed time for we had another early day tomorrow. I will be turning 50 in February and am kind of having a little trouble with it. I didn't want a big party. I told DH I really wanted to go to Discovery Cove as my gift and party. He obliged and we will be heading there tomorrow. I know you guys are great about other places being put on so I would like to share my Discovery Cove day!

 

[dizneedoll]

I definitely want to hear about Discovery Cove!

Loved reading about your VIP tour. I wouldn't be able to do one as I don't have the energy to keep up with a group all day. I did enjoy reading about your experience though, it sounds like a lot of fun.

 

[bobbie68]

I definitely want to hear about Discovery Cove!

Loved reading about your VIP tour. I wouldn't be able to do one as I don't have the energy to keep up with a group all day. I did enjoy reading about your experience though, it sounds like a lot of fun.

Thank you I am enjoying writing it and bringing back memories. Yes the VIP tour is very tiring you have to be ready to walk almost non-stop all day. I am glad you are enjoying it.

 

[bobbie68]

Day 4 July 31 Discovery Cove

I have been wanting to go to DC for years. It is very expensive and I could not justify it before to spend the extra money on top of Universal. Since I was turning 50 and having some health issues I bit the bullet and asked my DH and he said sure. My DD also loves dolphins and would enjoy it after a long hard year for her. I was off to planning. It would turn out to be one of the best days we had and so worth it

I went to the website and started researching the packages. It is interesting because besides the price difference in the season the price will be different depending on when you book. I booked about 3 months out my date and I checked the website a week before for something and noticed my days was now double the price. It is important to book in advance if you can. Included with this price is your vests, snorkel gear, breakfast buffet, lunch buffet and snack stands around. These stands have fresh baked cookies and pretzels. All kinds of chips and nuts. ice slushies and soft drinks. For adults there is beer and wine included. You also get a 14 day unlimited ticket pass to Sea World and Aquatica.

We chose a Monday right in the middle of our trip. I knew it would be a more relaxing day so thought that it would work well. With all my research I found out that I had to be there by 7:30 am to get in line to get a good time for the dolphin swim. We did not have a car here so we decided to use an uber. It worked out great. I think we paid $10.00 each way. I thought by getting there at 7:00 am I would be close to the front of the line. Well nope there had to be about 100 people in front of me. I will say they are very organized and kept the line moving.

We had bought the Dolphin swim elite package. This included a half hour dolphin encounter, the picture package and a cabana. I was splurging for this one

We checked in got our badges and was escorted to the building where they provide an all you can eat breakfast in the price. It was your typical breakfast hot foods, danish, fruit coffee. It was still a nice selections and the food was hot. After we ate we had to check in for the cabana. I had read that there were three sections of the cove where the cabanas are. Most people say to reserve the dolphin lagoon. I never had a chance to so it was going to be pot luck. The other area is the main lagoon and they have about three or four on a little island where the bird aviary is. The lazy river also goes through this area. It is very off beat and secluded. Of course I was like "please no not there". Well guess what that was where my cabana was. We were escorted to pick up our life vests or wet suit to wear for the day. You have to choose one and wear it all day. My whole family chose the vests. I don't know how people took those wet suits off all day.
At 8:00 we were allowed onto the island with our cabana and I was so scared to see where it was. When we got to the gate and went in I was amazed. It was an absolutely perfect location and scenery around it.







This cabana was on the end so right next to us was an entrance into the lazy river. This lazy river is warm and beautiful. It takes you around that part of the cove. It also goes through a section of the bird aviary which is beautiful. It is very long and I would suggest a noodle that they provide. Throughout the river it goes from 3 feet to 9 feet. If you are tired you just can't put your feet down. DH and I did it once the teens did it a few times. My DD's BF is so sweet. Right next to our cabana where you can enter there were rocks under water. He kept going under and putting the rocks together to say I love you!



The bird aviary is amazing! You have about 250 rescued birds flying around in there. You are allowed to get a cup of food for them and put it out in your hand. They will land on your arm and eat! We spent a good hour or so there. It is best to go there as soon as they open because the birds are hungry then. It is divided into 3 sections and you go through doors and there is staff to answer questions. Our cabana was about 100 feet from the entrance.







The dolphin experience was amazing. There are no pictures taken at this time with your camera. Each group is divided into about 12 people with 2 trainers and a dolphin. There is a photographer and video person for each group. The dolphin experience is really good. It is however, a little different than some people might think. The trainer brings the dolphin around in a circle for you to stroke it. They teach you how to call the dolphin and you give it a kiss. The trainers do a few tricks with them and talk about them. The highlight is that you hold onto their fins and they give you a quick ride in the lagoon. However, short it was amazing. It was about a half hour long. I got the elite package so I was lucky enough to have a bouy brought to me by the dolphin. It was great because I got to take it from her. I was able to have them write on it whatever I wanted. I personally feel it was worth the money and would do it again.

We then went to the main lagoon for snorkeling. This water is cold as well as the dolphin lagoon. It is amazing with all the fish swimming around. The best part is they have the stingrays swimming with you and they come right to you. I was able to touch them. It was magical and I enjoyed it so much. They have now implemented a ray feeding which I will do next time. We did have our underwater camera and took pictures. The camera was a cheap one so they weren't that good.

We went to the buffet lunch. They do have hamburgers and hot dogs but than they have chicken, rice, pork, mac and cheese. A good variety with salad and desert. Once again all you can eat.

The cabana was so good to have. It was worth the extra money and I would do it again. We had a great server she was very attentive. You have a full size fridge and locker in your cabana. She kept filling us up with soda, water and beer. It was nice to have a place to relax. On our day it was overcast and sprinkling a little so we appreciated having a dry place to relax. At one point it did downpour and all our stuff stayed dry.

I would recommend DC to anyone who can afford to do it. My DH and I thought it was worth the money we spent. You can do some different packages and make it a little cheaper. We can't wait to go back in 2019.

We left at 5:00 when they closed and went back to the resort. After all that water we wanted to soak in the hot tub. It was such a relaxing day. Everyone said it was amazing.

Next up our second VB day...

 

[bobbie68]

Day 5 August 1 Volcano Bay

We were so excited to get back to VB today. We were going to have our cabana and our EP. We arrived at the gate about 7:15 got through security and up to the turnstiles by 7:45. At 8:00 we got in and went right to the concierge to find out cabana. When we were there on Friday I had requested a cabana number that we had liked and they had written it down. The girl came out to show us to our cabana and we were going a different way. We were heading towards what would be dubbed "cabana row" in the wave village. This is the row of cabanas that are on the wall with I-4 on the other side. Other reviews have said it is noisy and you can see the traffic. I started getting really sad thinking that our cabana was going to be here. In this area besides I-4 the cabanas are really on top of each other. We got to our cabana and it was #22. It was right in the middle of "cabana row". She showed us in and I asked her about the cabana I had requested. She said she would check. It was having maintenance issues and was not in service. We decided we would make the best of where we were. After a few minutes of walking around the area I noticed that our particular cabana was all by itself. There was plenty of distance from the other cabanas. It was the only one like this. We also noticed that we had a sidewalk up to ours and it was set back a bit. We closed the curtains behind us and put the music on and we couldn't hear any traffic. I thought the view was pretty at the volcano and I ended up liking the location.









Our cabana hostess came back a few minutes later asking if we needed anything and went over all the features of the cabana. She explained how to use the tapu tapu reservation from the cabana. You can use a little chalk board to communicate with your server while you are gone.She explained the menu and the times of service. All cabanas also get a welcome basket it was very nice to have in the morning.




We then left our cabana and went off to ride some rides. It was slow at this point since the general public was going to just be getting in. We rode our 3 favorites right away and then took a lazy river ride. We were able to use our EP and continue riding for a couple of hours all the slides we wanted too. then we headed back to our cabana. I couldn't believe all the people now. It looked like every chair was taken. In fact people were moving chairs and we noticed that the other cabanas in our row didn't have a sidewalk so people were putting their chairs right up to their cabana entrance. We watched people stepping over people to get in them. Ours was the only one not being cramped because of the sidewalk. I would have been really upset if I was in one of those lower cabanas. There was no privacy at all. At that point I was so happy with our cabana location. In fact I would reserve that one again if I could. We tried to spend more time taking breaks today with the cabana and it was so nice to have that shade. We had a refrigerator with water and drinks and the locker was convenient. We did not use the food service for lunch at the cabana we just ate somewhere. However, we did use it for dinner and it was okay. The service was slow and the food was a little cool. Our server was good she came around quite a bit and if she couldn't she sent someone else to check on us. 22222222222222222222.







What I really liked about this park is they have self-service photo pass spots. As long as you have the photo card you can do all your own pics. The only thing is it doesn't give you much time to swipe and with the sun glaring you can't tell if it is counting down or not. Here are a few of the spots you can do.





We had a fantastic day and evening. We closed the park and just didn't want to leave. The volcano is beautiful an night and very calming. The cabana the EP were very nice and if I have the chance to purchase both again I would. We loved everything about the park even with a few snags here and there. We really did our homework before we left and it made a difference.

Up next is our first day at the parks on our own ....

 

[PoohIsHome]

Wow! What a great trip you're having! We leave in 22 days and now I'm really wondering about doing the VIP tour......

 

[bobbie68]

Wow! What a great trip you're having! We leave in 22 days and now I'm really wondering about doing the VIP tour......

Hi thank you it was great! If you do decide to do it have fun! If I have extra money I will always try it once. It isn't for everyone. I have seen most people who do enjoy it! Any questions let me know!

 

[dizneedoll]

Discovery Cove sounds amazing. That's on my to-do list. We always go in December and you never know about Dec weather and that's the only thing stopping me.

 

[ForMyBoys]

Great report so far!! I love the pics!!

 

[bobbie68]

Great report so far!! I love the pics!!

Thank you this is my first real trip report I have done with pics. It is so much fun and reminiscing about the trip.

 

[bobbie68]

Wednesday August 2 Studios/IOA



I was so happy to be going back since the VIP tour. We went for EE even thought the EP was working on the HP rides. I love going into DA when it is quiet and everyone wanted to have breakfast at the Leaky Cauldron. I love walking through the gates in the morning and seeing the main street. I get all happy and act like a little kid. As we walked through one of the associates caught how bright my shirt was and commented on it. I love being in bright clothes in the summer. We went straight for DA and it was just felt so right walking through the entrance. My DD and I are huge fans and just feel like we are at home there. We did Gringott's twice and walked around then had breakfast. I really like the food at the Leaky Cauldron. DD and I had the American breakfast and the boys had the English breakfast. Of course we had to have a frozen butter beer early in the morning. We must have had at least 2 a day. Everyone was happy and satisfied then we left.

After breakfast we took the HE over to Hogsmeade. I really like hitting the HP worlds early then coming back to the other stuff. We love the HE and are just mesmerized every time we are on it. We got off at Hogsmeade and walked up to FJ. The boys did this and DD and I did some shopping in the castle shop. We were both looking for hats and t-shirts. We found hats that we like. It was the same one just our two different houses. We also found t-shirts that we liked for all of us. We try on each trip to get a shirt style for all of us then pick one day and wear it. We all got our house shirts. I will have a pic on tomorrow's report. After FJ we had a lot of drink and snack credits. We had bought a few of the quick service dining plan. I really like it for a day or two. We all got pumpkin juice from Hog's Head on tap. The bottle pumpkin juice is gross however, we found the one on tap is delicious. Before we left I have to get the pic with the conductor. We have gone for a couple of years and always have me and DH then DD and DD's BF so I wanted to change it up this year.







I noticed the time and wanted to walk through the JP area. With my trips to Universal I didn't know about the raptor encounter. I thought this sounded neat and wanted to see it. We walked through JP and saw the line. It really wasn't bad it just started forming. I wouldn't tell the teens what it was. I was hoping they would be surprised. However, I didn't know how it worked so they saw what was happening to the group in front of us. However, it still seemed cool. DD was a little nervous but went through it. We got up to the gate and put our stuff down. DH and I handed over our phones for pics and video. It was so cool and the raptor chose DD's BF to go at. We got our pics and video then all of a sudden I see my phone go down. The employee dropped my phone on the face. Luckily, I have a plastic cover to protect cracks. It was shattered pretty good. I knew my phone was okay underneath and it still worked. I was a little nervous at first. It all worked out as long as I could see my screen taking pics. Also while we were leaving I noticed they have one of the self-pic station in JP. We decided to try it out. I didn't think it was as good as the ones in VB. I still liked it and would like to see more around the park.





Next we went to Kong and we really liked this on the VIP tour. That was our first time riding it. We got in line for it with the EP and had fun. Next up was the cartoon land. We have never spent time walking around here but it was so nice and quiet we opted to. I couldn't resist taking a pic with DD. I just love this kid and love having memories with her. We enjoyed the shops and the stuff around.



Next stop was Spiderman. I really have learned to enjoy the screen/simulated rides. I didn't a few years ago now I get into them. After Spiderman was Dr. Doom then Hulk. We made our way back around to the Hogsmeade for an early lunch. We went to the Three Broomsticks. DD had the ribs and chicken, DH and DD"s BF had the shepard's pie and I had the cornish pastries. Everything was great of course some of the meals are on the smaller side but that works because we love to get snacks during the day. We had decided to eat out in City Walk at Toothsome for dinner and didn't want to eat to much. After lunch we went back to the studios via the HE. On this trip we shared a cabin with a family who was on it for the first time. I love seeing people's reactions for the first time. It was another great trip back. Once off first stop was mummy. We all love this coaster however, I find in my older age I can't ride things over and over. We usually do it once move on then come back. We enjoy the front or the back of this ride. We went to transformers. On our last trip we had the back row on Transformers every ride. This trip on the VIP tour we had the back and even after at night the back row. It is a running joke with us that we can't get the front. Off to the ride and yet again the back row. We still enjoyed it however. After that was RRR. I love this coaster however, I have noticed it getting a little more rough and just didn't want to get a headache. DD and I stayed off while the boys played. While on our VIP tour our guide told us how to get a secret music list on the ride. Of course the boys had to try it. They got on and got off and DD's BF couldn't get it but DH did. The two went on again and the same thing. DD's BF was so upset he really wanted a song on there. Off to ride minions. We love this ride and had fun as usual. I know there are mixed reviews on Jimmy
Fallon but DH and I really liked this ride. I especially like the flying parts. It really gave me a neat sensation. We did do E.T. DH and DD's BF did MIB. I went on it once last trip and we caught a lot of spinning and it didn't feel good. DD and I stayed off. None of us like the Simpsons that was a pass. Once we did everything then went back and they did RRR one time before dinner. Wahoo! it worked for him.

It was about 5:00 and we wanted to try Toothsome for dinner. I knew we had to go early to get a seat fast. We walked over there and there was no line we were seated right away. We were on the lower level in the back in a corner booth. This place is so cool inside. We love the steam punk theme. Our waiter came over and he was fantastic. I have not had a waiter like that in a long time. He was enthusiastic and so friendly. We talked to him about different things he went through the menu and made suggestions. DH loves a good stout beer. They make their own double chocolate stout beer. He ordered it and I tried it. I usually don't like stout beers. However, this was the best beer I have had. We shared two of them. DD got a Shirley Temple and DD's BF got a Roy Roger's.
When we looked at the menu we wanted something different. Of course we started with appetizers. We ordered the truffle fries, the fried zucchini and the black and tan onion rings. All three of these were amazing and good portions. Dinner time order was a little more harder to choose. DD got the Shrimp and lump crab mac and cheese. She said it was a little spicy but delicious. DH, DD's BF and myself got the gnocchi. It had a mole cream sauce in it. I didn't know what mole cream sauce was till I found out it has like over 30 some ingredients. It was amazing. The four of us ate all the appetizers plus our dinner. We had no left overs. In between our server kept coming over and talking with us. Granted it was a slow time so I think that it helped. We deiced to skip desert. We were so happy with our experience we decided it would be dinner tomorrow one last time.
We went back to the resort early and went to the hot tub.

At the tub I could see DD had something on her mind and I asked if she wanted to talk. She said her ears were still bothering her a little and that she was nervous to get back on the plane. Honestly, I didn't blame her. The thought of her crying for two and a half hours was making me sick. DH and I talked and we told her if she didn't want to fly we would rent a car and drive home. We did have trip insurance on the flight all I would have had to do was get a note from a clinic there about her flying and could have been reimbursed. However, it is still a little crazy two days before our flight changing plans. I told her to let us know by the next day. I was feeling a little overwhelmed to switch plans but if it kept her happy I was fine with it. We had a good relaxing night. I wanted everyone to get good sleep. It was off for another early morning and would be our last park day.

Up next back to the parks and an idea!...

 

[bobbie68]

Day 7 August 3 IOA/Studios

Today would be our last park day as we were heading home tomorrow. I decided I wanted to start with IOA for a change. We got to the park at opening and went to Dr. Doom. We decided to skip Hulk today because I wanted to ride Dueling Dragons for the last time. I can't do both of them within a certain time frame because of headaches. We love Dr. Doom and a great way to start the day. On our way there we saw Po taking pictures. I have never seen him before so I thought it would be a great addition to our collection. I love taking character pictures in parks. We got up to him and took a minute to get in a pose. DD's BF decided he was going to be a comedian in this one. It was also cool because we all wore our house t-shirts we bought. I am glad everyone likes to match one or two days. It is so much fun. We then proceeded to the ride.



It's funny all day we kept people asking where is the Gryffindor? Everybody wanted to wear their own house and I thought it was cool. We did Spider man and Kong then went up to HP and did Dueling Dragons for the last time. We waited for the front and the teens picked fire so we waited about 20 minutes. It was still a good ride and I had less of a headache than I thought I would. We paid our respects and took the HE back to the studios. Once there we went to DA for a bit it was crowded though. We went off and did our favorites. We go over to Transformers and we are in the EP lane and we get to the front and we were finally put in the first row. We were so excited!! We get on the ride and it's going good. We just got through the part where we are free falling and Bee catches us then we hear poof and the screens went off and the lighting went on. We couldn't believe it our first ride in the front after many rides and it broke down. We were stuck about 10 minutes then it went on. We were offered a re-ride but decided to pass. It had been having problems for a couple of days.

I had an idea and I ran it by DH. We had spent money on 5 days 3 park to park tickets. I told him if we upgrade to a pass it would only be a few hundred dollars then we can come back next year. He thought it was a good idea so We upgraded to a power pass and will be going back in June . We just spent the rest of the time in the studios. We decided to eat at Toothsome again. I knew we would have to be there early not to wait. We were going to finish up a ride and then head over for an early dinner. Well dark clouds came in real fast and the next thing we know as we were walking out the gate the sky opened up and was raining hard. We just continued our way over to toothsome. I have never had so much water in my shoes, (we all did) it was so gross. We sat down right away upstairs this time. I liked the downstairs better and we had a waitress this time. She was not as attentive as the one previous but oh well. We ordered the warm chocolate almond bread. spinach and artichoke dip and coffee and chocolate wings. The appetizers were delicious. We decided on dinner and DD got the crab and shrimp mac and cheese again. DH had the Blue Plate Burger, DD's BF had the May Contain Bacon Burger and I had the Tour de France Burger. Everything was delicious again. The service was a little slower tonight but the food was great. DD's Bf tried the Heavenly Hazelnut Milkshake, DH had the Triple Chocolate Bread Pudding, DD had the Chocolate Banana Brain Freeze Milkshake and I had the Chocolate Cream Creme Brulee. Everything was delicious so we finished up and left for the resort. We decided to go back to the hotel and sit at the hot tub for awhile before packing. DD had decided she would fly home. We went back to the room later and packed up. We wouldn't be leaving till about 4:00 tomorrow so we had the day at the resort.

The last day coming up

 

[HM]

I've been enjoying your report. Sorry to see it end, but looking forward to the last day and any follow-ups when you post them.

 

[bobbie68]

I've been enjoying your report. Sorry to see it end, but looking forward to the last day and any follow-ups when you post them.

Hi thank you I am glad you are enjoying it. I am enjoying doing the trip report so much. I will be finishing in a day or two. Then I will have start my pre-trip report