That Foo's Boo Is Incredible!!! - Jan 14 TR *THE END 7/19 Pg. 51*

[IheartDDuck]

You are reminding me of all the new things at IoA and US since I have been.

I have done the Hulk so that is not new but yikes just about everything else.


Someday I guess. Good way to get variety for lunch.

Very glad for no happy go pukey.

There are definitely a lot of new things to do in Universal. Even a few things that I wasn't able to get to!

I was very glad for no happy go pukey too. LOL.

The food was really good.... I think I may suggest we eat there again

It definitely was. We can eat there on our Universal day.

We've been to Universal in California, but not in Florida. It just so hard to go offsite from WDW, but it seems easier in CA, don't you think?? And, we are not Harry Potter fans - that is, we have not read any of the books, but since looking at your pictures...I said to DH yesterday that maybe it's time we read them!! The theme-ing does look really cool.

If you don't rent a car, it's definitely harder to get offsite in WDW I think. It was part of the reason we decided to go that time, because we had driven down for the trip.

The books are really good! I read them when they first came out, and bought each book when it was released. It's definitely a phenomenon. I think it's lost a little bit of it's pull over time, like a lot of things do, but I definitely recommend them.

 

[IheartDDuck]

Nice Universal update. It does look fun with all the themed areas there. Someday we'll check it out...

Now that you have a little one, I would say it's not pressing for you to check out at the moment. They don't have as much for littles there as Disney does. It's part of why we haven't taken the boys yet either, because Joaquin isn't quite tall enough.

Just checking in !!Been a very bus month and I am so behind on my Dissing !!!

I should be updating today! It's been busy for me too.

Way behind so I hope I remember everything!!

So sad PUSH is gone and I never saw him!

I posted about my BOG lunch this AM and I had the same meal...I agree that it was so tender! I really enjoyed it. And, I "stole" Foo's Boo for my TR because now that's the only way I think of it! I will probably never think Lefou's Brew again...thanks to your mom!!!

Agree on Country Bear's! And Splitsville is on my list to do! I am so excited to go there!

Universal: I am so glad to now look at pictures and know exactly where things are!! I paid $4.75 for Butterbeer and it was twice that size last weekend. I loved the HP area and I know nothing about HP! But they did an amazing job on that area! Okay...and Hulk was my favorite!! Of course I never rode before so nothing to compare it to but we were in love with that coaster!! I was so disappointed in Rip Ride Rocket! I expected more! I didn't get to do a lot that I wanted so I guess I need to plan another visit! Oh and the Minions...

I may interrupt my TR since I have lots of thoughts on Universal and comparing to Disney. No one I know is able to discuss with me!

It really was a good meal at BOG, wasn't it? I want to try something different next time I'm there, so I have to think and then make my decision.

Steal away with Foo's Boo! It's flattering.

I'm wondering if the fact that I went into the Hogs Head to get the Butterbeer was the problem? Or the girl behind the counter gave me the wrong thing. Who even knows.

You didn't like Rip Ride Rockit? That's my favorite coaster there. But you know, different strokes for different folks.

 

[englishrose47]

HappyEaster

 

[IheartDDuck]

HappyEaster

Thanks Rosie.

 

[IheartDDuck]

"Why It Pays to Support Your Team.....By Danielle"

Tuesday January 21, 2014 continued.

We had just finished riding the Mummy, and I wanted to get a few pictures of the construction they were doing on the Diagon Alley section at Universal. This is the Harry Potter expansion that's going on. I know it's set to open in summer, just not sure exactly what the date is at the moment. I would be extremely happy if it opened during my trip in May, but I'm not relying on that to happen. That would be a double whammy of goodness! Mine Train and HP expansion. I'm normally not that fortunate.

At this point, since it was January, the news was that you could see the Hogwarts Express, which will transport you from Islands of Adventure to Universal, and give you a ride experience at the same time.



The facade work had come a long way at this point. I remember they just unveiled it one day and I was amazed at how far along it was.





Little tidbit of information? I've been to the real Kings Cross/St. Pancras station before.

I don't have pictures of the exterior, but here's the real interior.



We took the Eurostar, so it was a super plushy waiting area.



The exterior work is pretty accurate. I thought I had exterior photos, but I clearly wasn't remembering to take them after being awake for 20 hours on my flight to London. But Universal is doing a pretty good job.

After I took my photos, we headed to Minion Mayhem. This was a 60 minute wait. Now, normally, I'm not the person to wait this long for much, but I really wanted to go on it!

Gotta love Gru's house.





We really did wait an hour for this. The set up of the ride is not high capacity at all, so it was no surprise. I was completely expecting to wait this long though. It was no surprise. How did we bide the time?

Well, generally, the members in our family waste time in line by making fun of each other. It's really a great way to spend some time, everyone should try it sometime!

Some of the details in the queue.













What do we do when we get 3D glasses?

Yup....that's class!





Finally....we made it on the ride.

It's a very cute ride. Did I think it was worth 60 minutes? No, not at all. But I'm glad we did it. I would certainly do this ride first thing upon arriving at Universal, so you can be sure the wait time is not long. But if you like Minions, you'll like this ride.

Rip Ride Rockit had shut down briefly during this time, because there was a bit of rain that came through. After we finished on Minion Mayhem, we headed to Rip Ride Rockit, which had reopened at that time. Thankfully, the wait time was only 30 minutes, so my Dad and I said why not! Mom wouldn't do this ride, since she is not a fan of heights.



Pop and I headed to the line and the CM at the entrance greeted us. He noticed our Green Bay gear and said "a little out of season, huh?"

I told him that even though we were out of the playoffs already, it's never out of season to wear your team's gear.

So he leans in to me and he says "I like you and your team spirit. Why don't you go ahead through the Express Pass lane. When you get to the next Team Member, tell them that Chris sent you."

I was like "whaaaaaaa?" Seriously, that never happens to me. I never get free things! Pop and I thanked him and headed up to the ride.

Took 5 minutes. 30 minutes to 5 minutes? I'm not gonna say no!

Dad absolutely loved this. I think this is a great coaster, and I enjoy it immensely. I love the fact that the lift goes straight up in the air. Makes it nerve wracking, which I love.

Pop and I headed out of the ride, and Chris was there again heading backstage. We thanked him and he said "you liked it?!" Pop was thrilled and told him "of course we liked it!"

So Chris says "you wanna go again?"

Us: Um yeah!

Chris: I'll do you one better!

He took us up the back stairs! Straight to the next team member, and said "put them in the front row."

Man, I felt all like a VIP and stuff.

Thank you Chris from Universal for making my day. You were so nice and you gave us a magical moment on our trip.

We get off of the ride and Mom is shocked that we are back already. It had only been 10 minutes total. We told her the whole story, and she was completely surprised. She said that was awesome!

Moral of the story......apparently it pays to support your team, even when they're out of the running.

It was about 3pm at that point, and I could tell that Mom was not feeling very well. We decided to call it a day at Universal. We accomplished pretty much everything we had wanted to, so we couldn't complain. But I could totally tell that she was not feeling it. We did a little bit of shopping before heading out of Universal for the day.

We had a lot of fun, and we are planning on going back in both May and November to utilize our annuals again.

Continued in next post:

 

[IheartDDuck]

"Why It Pays to Support Your Team.....By Danielle"

Continued from previous post:

When we got back to the hotel, we relaxed for a while. I wanted Mom to take a nap to see if she could feel better. She commented to me that she just couldn't seem to get warm. I asked her if she wanted us to go get something in addition to what we had gotten for her already. She said she didn't want anything.

Originally, we planned on going to Downtown Disney. Mom told Pop and I to go on our own and that she would stay back in the room. Before we left though, I told her that we would pick her up something for dinner from the Artist Palette. I was definitely concerned that she didn't seem to be getting warmer.

I changed, since the temperature had dropped.



We told Mom before we left that we didn't mind staying with her for the night, but she was insistent that we head out. Pop and I decided to hop a bus over, rather than taking the car and contending with the parking situation that they have going on there at night.

On the bus, we debated about where we would eat. I told Pop that I wanted to eat at Wolfgang Puck Express, because I really wasn't in the mood for a sandwich. I mean, I love Earl of Sandwich, but sometimes....you don't want a sandwich, right?

I ordered a Heineken and Pop got some wine.



Pop's dinner of choice? Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf.



His opinion of this dish? I surmise that he was a wee bit excited about it.



I ordered Spaghetti and Meatballs. This dish is heavenly.



We both enjoyed our dinner and Dad raved about the meatloaf. I'm glad he enjoyed it.

After that.....well I mean we were at DTD. We just wandered around! I headed into TrenD and amazingly I didn't find anything I wanted. I think it's because the stuff I get from Hot Topic is so awesome, that I don't feel the need to spend the money at Disney.

Oh, yeah, and then we just started messing around.





I took this picture and posted it on Instagram for Courtney (CourtneyBelle). If you read her TR's, you'll know she has an extreme love for churros.



We did some damage shopping. My Pop. He's pretty great. He felt bad that Mom was sick. So he decided he wanted to get her something to make her feel better. What did he get her?

The Small World Dooney and Bourke she had seen earlier that she had been eyeing.



He's a good husband and a great Pop. I'll talk about her reaction at the end of this post.

So I had to stop at Ghirardelli. I knew exactly what I wanted. I love sea salt and caramel, and they had a sea salt and caramel sundae. Um......yes please!



This sundae was so funny! How is a sundae funny? Here's why. I took it to go. So we're walking down to Mickey's Pantry, and there's a CM standing outside as we're on our way. She looks at my sundae and says "oh my god.....that looks so good!"

Me: It is!

Her: You better look out. I might chase you and tackle you for that.

Wow, Ghirardelli is a big deal! So into Mickey's Pantry we head. We bought some wine, and as we're standing at the register ringing out, two of the girls back there are ogling my sundae.

CM1: I'm so jealous. That place is so good. Is that sundae amazing? It looks amazing....

Me: It's pretty stinking good.

CM2: We have to resist eating there every day. I mean, first it's not good for you, and second it's expensive!

Me: I know! That's why I only get one each trip.

It was just so funny that this sundae got me so much attention from the CM's.

We were finishing up for the night, so I took the sundae on the bus too. It got a whole lot of attention there too. Moral of the story? If you're mobile with something from Ghirardelli, you may get attacked. Or, well, at least people will threaten to attack you.

So we got back to the room, and clearly we had done damage by the quantity of bags we brought in with us. First and foremost, we made Mom sit up. We had her close her eyes and placed her new Dooney on the bed.

When she opened her eyes and saw it, she started crying. That was another indicator to me that she really was not feeling well. We asked her why she was crying, and she said she was so sorry that she wasn't feeling well and that she was ruining the trip. She also said that it was because Pop was so sweet for getting her the bag because she wasn't feeling well.

I told her not to worry about not feeling well! I reminded her that when we went to Europe in the summer of 2012, when my eardrum perforated a little more than a week into the trip, that they were so accommodating to the fact that I felt horrible. I told her not to worry about it at all. That we are grown ups and we can take care of ourselves. But I totally get it too. There's nothing worse than feeling bad.

I headed back down to Artist Palette to get her some Robitussin, more cough drops, hot tea, and some chicken noodle soup. I was concerned though, and hopeful that she wasn't going to push herself too far the next day. The forecast was going to be our coldest day of the trip (a high of 52), and I didn't want her going out in that, much as she didn't want to hear it.

Now, I know you're itching to see what else we bought?

Well, I made a trade at the pin store.



I bought these at Universal.





I'm totally always Minion of the Month by the way.



We got these pins for Mom.









What did I get for myself?

A coloring book. Remember, I'm five!



A totally awesome purse!



A new makeup bag. A requirement for a makeup freak like myself.



A cute little ring that I wear mid-finger.



And finally.

The most amazing.....


Awesome.....


Best.....


Incredible.....


PHONE CASE EVER!!!!



I'm obsessed with my phone case. And my favorite thing about it is that it's not super hard plastic like Disney normally makes them. It's actually pliable! I'm so glad I stumbled across it when we were there.

At that point, it was time for us to all go to sleep. But Mom was hacking and coughing away.

Up next: Say it with me. GO ORANGE OR GO HOME!

 

[DisneyJo]

Oh wow how great you got pixie dust at Universal

I'm so sorry your Mom is feeling so ill, how cute of your Pop to buy her such a wonderful pressie, I hope she gets better quickly!

 

[marDgreen88]

That worker (what are they even called there?) at Universal sounds awesome. Y'all are rock stars, basically.

Your poor mom! Being sick at Disney is just the worst. Y'all are so sweet to take such good care of her... and that Dooney is adorable!

 

[courtneybelle]

Oh man oh man oh man I can't wait to see the HP expansion.

Gru's house looks absolutely perfect! Straight out of the movie.

That is SO AWESOME that CM let you go to the front of the line TWICE! Definitely a magical moment!

The first time my dad and I went to Wolfgang Puck, he got meatloaf and I got spaghetti and meatballs! Too funny. Definitely some of the best meals on the menu, in my opinion.

Hey, I get a shoutout!!! Thanks for thinking of me. There's a very real possibility I buy that magnet in July.

Oh man, I'm tearing up at the gift for your mom. What a sweet thing for Popadon to do.

I HAVE to get over to Ghiradelli this trip. Every sundae I see from there looks so good.

 

[smile4stamps]

Awesome Pixie Dust for that ride! Oh wait.. Is it still Pixie Dust at Universal?!!?

So sad your mom wasn't feeling good. I've had that happen twice on Disney trips and its seriously awful!! Hope she was feeling better soon!

I've had the salted caramel sundae at the DL Ghiradelli! It's awesome! was too much for me though! I can only eat maybe a half of a sundae!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

I can't wait to see Diagon Alley. Uni's been doing such a great job lately that I just know it's going to be mind blowing. And MY GOD they build fast.

I loved Minion Mayhem, but then I didn't wait 60 minutes. I like it loads more than Jimmy Neutron that's for sure. I know I laughed a lot on this.

SCORE on Rockit!! That's some awesome, um, I want to say pixie dust... let's just say AWESOME!!! It definitely has a great lift. This is one ride I completely understand emptying all pockets for.

That sucks that Ommi wasn't feeling good. I understand her wanting you to go though. Sometimes it's nice to be alone when you feel yucky.

Awww nice shout out to Courtney. She does love her churos.

Haha, I have heard the CM's in DTD have a love for Ghirardelli

I feel so bad for your mom. The only thing worse than feeling bad is feeling like you're letting someone down. Which of course is so not the case. I love what your dad did for her. So sweet.

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

That is so awesome what the CM at Universal did!! Twice!! I guess that kind of magic is not restricted to Disney.

The Darth Vader Mickey ears are my new favorite ears! And I love the perry hat. It always looks like the person wearing it has two hats on.

 

[PrincessCaitlin]

Cute sweatshirt! I haven't seen that one before!

I agree with you on TrenD although I think Hot Topic has waayyy better stuff than Disney ever has! I also like that it causes a lot less pain on the wallet than Disney merch does

Love the Mickey Vader ears!

It is the worst to be sick on vacation! I have been horribly sick and so has my mom at Disney and you just feel terrible for the rest of your party so for your mom! I know exactly how she feels!

Sounds like a great night at DTD you got some great merchandise! I love the HM case! I just can never bring myself to spend that much on a case I always order mine from amazon for $1-$3

 

[Dugette]

Wow, that is some magic at Universal riding twice in such a short time! Very cool of Chris to do that!

I feel bad for your mom. I know that feeling of being sick at Disney and missing out on all the fun plans (Jan. 2010 trip). It's the worst. Hope she feels better soon.

I think I got the shake version of your sundae at Ghirardelli. It was tasty. But apparently not as visually appealing as the sundae.

Nice of Popadon to get that bag for your mom. So sweet.

I was thinking of you and your coloring earlier today, actually! Izzy's grandparents gave her crayons and a coloring book and I was going to town coloring in it (my zebra has a blue and yellow mane, in case you're wondering). Then they were talking about how therapeutic coloring is and they had students (when they were teaching high school) that would color between classes. Fun!

 

[nolacindy]

Poor mom! Its awful being sick on vacation, especially when you feel like everyone else is not having a good time! But that Dooney bag Pop got for her is fantastic, what a great guy.

***Just a little over a month before 24 hours at Magic Kingdom!*** Guess I need to tell them at work i'm going to be out on that Friday.

 

[teekathepony]

Oooh I am so excited to see the new Harry Potter section at Universal! Thanks for the sneak peek!
We waited a long time for Minions too, had the same thoughts afterward -- cute but not quite worth a long wait.
Awesome that you got some special treatment on rip ride rockit! Twice in 10 minutes? Can't beat that!
Oh your poor mom, I know exactly how she was feeling, I was the same on my last day. I think it's so sweet that your Pop got her the bag, what a gorgeous bag too! I don't think there's anything worse than being sick on vacation and feeling like you're ruining it for someone else.
Love your purchases! Awesome phone case!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[MEK]

Your mom's D&B purse is absolutely adorable. Popadon really is the BEST! Not only does he do Summit Plummet but he buys great gifts!

Your purchases are pretty fun, too! I love your pocket book and cell phone case. I'm a bit of a makeup junkie myself and you can NEVER have too many makeup bags!

I never thought about it before - but it must be hard to be a CM tempted by Ghiradellis day after day! It's not like they can afford many splurges on their salaries.

Hope you mom starts to feel better soon!

 

[IheartDDuck]

Oh wow how great you got pixie dust at Universal

I'm so sorry your Mom is feeling so ill, how cute of your Pop to buy her such a wonderful pressie, I hope she gets better quickly!

It was pretty cool getting to ride twice. He was totally cool.

That worker (what are they even called there?) at Universal sounds awesome. Y'all are rock stars, basically.

Your poor mom! Being sick at Disney is just the worst. Y'all are so sweet to take such good care of her... and that Dooney is adorable!

Yeah, I don't know exactly what they're called there either. But we really lucked out. He was pretty awesome.

It is the worst being sick on vacation! I just felt so bad for her.

Oh man oh man oh man I can't wait to see the HP expansion.

Gru's house looks absolutely perfect! Straight out of the movie.

That is SO AWESOME that CM let you go to the front of the line TWICE! Definitely a magical moment!

The first time my dad and I went to Wolfgang Puck, he got meatloaf and I got spaghetti and meatballs! Too funny. Definitely some of the best meals on the menu, in my opinion.

Hey, I get a shoutout!!! Thanks for thinking of me. There's a very real possibility I buy that magnet in July.

Oh man, I'm tearing up at the gift for your mom. What a sweet thing for Popadon to do.

I HAVE to get over to Ghiradelli this trip. Every sundae I see from there looks so good.

I can't wait to see the expansion either!

It was such a great moment getting to ride twice in a row with no wait. That kind of stuff definitely doesn't happen to me normally.

OMG, that's so funny about you and your Dad having the same meal as we did! Great minds do think alike!

You should definitely buy that magnet!

It was really sweet of him to do. He felt so terrible that she was feeling so sick. He wanted to do whatever he could to help her feel better.

Have you never been to Ghirardelli? You need to get over there stat!

 

[IheartDDuck]

Awesome Pixie Dust for that ride! Oh wait.. Is it still Pixie Dust at Universal?!!?

So sad your mom wasn't feeling good. I've had that happen twice on Disney trips and its seriously awful!! Hope she was feeling better soon!

I've had the salted caramel sundae at the DL Ghiradelli! It's awesome! was too much for me though! I can only eat maybe a half of a sundae!

Sure, we could say it was pixie dust. Universal dust maybe?

I've had it happen on Disney trips before too, and it really stinks when you don't feel well.

Hahaha, yeah, I totally polished off the entire sundae, I'm not gonna lie.

I can't wait to see Diagon Alley. Uni's been doing such a great job lately that I just know it's going to be mind blowing. And MY GOD they build fast.

I loved Minion Mayhem, but then I didn't wait 60 minutes. I like it loads more than Jimmy Neutron that's for sure. I know I laughed a lot on this.

SCORE on Rockit!! That's some awesome, um, I want to say pixie dust... let's just say AWESOME!!! It definitely has a great lift. This is one ride I completely understand emptying all pockets for.

That sucks that Ommi wasn't feeling good. I understand her wanting you to go though. Sometimes it's nice to be alone when you feel yucky.

Awww nice shout out to Courtney. She does love her churos.

Haha, I have heard the CM's in DTD have a love for Ghirardelli

I feel so bad for your mom. The only thing worse than feeling bad is feeling like you're letting someone down. Which of course is so not the case. I love what your dad did for her. So sweet.

They do build fast! In that area, they are really outperforming Disney.

I like Minion Mayhem a lot more than Jimmy Neutron too. I think I did Jimmy Neutron once. I would do Minion Mayhem again for sure.

Yeah, you've got to be ready for Rip Ride Rockit and the lift! I told my Pop to make sure he emptied everything out of them.

I think she didn't want us to suffer with her, even though we were willing to. Poor momma.

Courtney does love her churros, that's for sure.

She did feel like she was letting us down, even though we told her over and over again that she wasn't.

That is so awesome what the CM at Universal did!! Twice!! I guess that kind of magic is not restricted to Disney.

The Darth Vader Mickey ears are my new favorite ears! And I love the perry hat. It always looks like the person wearing it has two hats on.

It was amazing. I've honestly never had anything like that happen before.

Those ears are awesome! I totally wanted them.

 

[IheartDDuck]

Cute sweatshirt! I haven't seen that one before!

I agree with you on TrenD although I think Hot Topic has waayyy better stuff than Disney ever has! I also like that it causes a lot less pain on the wallet than Disney merch does

Love the Mickey Vader ears!

It is the worst to be sick on vacation! I have been horribly sick and so has my mom at Disney and you just feel terrible for the rest of your party so for your mom! I know exactly how she feels!

Sounds like a great night at DTD you got some great merchandise! I love the HM case! I just can never bring myself to spend that much on a case I always order mine from amazon for $1-$3

That one actually came from Wet Seal! I had discovered that they had some different ones also, and bought a bunch from there when they were buy one get one for $5!

It certainly does cause a lot less pain on the wallet! However, my wallet will continue to be in pain if I keep on buying.

I've been really sick in Disney before too, so I knew exactly how she was feeling. Not a fun time.

I rarely buy the Disney phone cases unless I absolutely love them. The main problem I have too is the fact that most of them are that hard plastic. I've bought one before and it broke so easily. I didn't want to chance it again, but the pull of the HM case was too great.

Wow, that is some magic at Universal riding twice in such a short time! Very cool of Chris to do that!

I feel bad for your mom. I know that feeling of being sick at Disney and missing out on all the fun plans (Jan. 2010 trip). It's the worst. Hope she feels better soon.

I think I got the shake version of your sundae at Ghirardelli. It was tasty. But apparently not as visually appealing as the sundae.

Nice of Popadon to get that bag for your mom. So sweet.

I was thinking of you and your coloring earlier today, actually! Izzy's grandparents gave her crayons and a coloring book and I was going to town coloring in it (my zebra has a blue and yellow mane, in case you're wondering). Then they were talking about how therapeutic coloring is and they had students (when they were teaching high school) that would color between classes. Fun!

I was so surprised that it happened, but it was pretty cool.

Shake versions are never as pretty, are they? But they still taste as good!

Hahaha, that's funny about the coloring. I'm on to something!

Poor mom! Its awful being sick on vacation, especially when you feel like everyone else is not having a good time! But that Dooney bag Pop got for her is fantastic, what a great guy.

***Just a little over a month before 24 hours at Magic Kingdom!*** Guess I need to tell them at work i'm going to be out on that Friday.

He did good getting her that bag.

I can't believe it's coming up so quickly! I'm getting so excited.