The bald and the beautiful take on Universal and the World

[macraven]

i'm enjoying your report but when i read that you were at my old stomping grounds......i went...

next time let me know and i'll come down and do that see saw with you!

metropolis, home of Superman........

did you go to the downtown area?

it's not much but you could have taken a kewl pic of Superman..........

 

[d4est]

Nice trippie...I am enjoying...

 

[reyasmommy]

i'm enjoying your report but when i read that you were at my old stomping grounds......i went...

next time let me know and i'll come down and do that see saw with you!

metropolis, home of Superman........

did you go to the downtown area?

it's not much but you could have taken a kewl pic of Superman..........

How funny is that! We've been on many, many, many road trips and I think that was the best rest stop we've ever ran across. Was so nice to get out, stretch our legs, and play!

No, we didn't get a chance to go downtown. Maybe next time!

Thanks for reading!

Nice trippie...I am enjoying...

Thank you for reading. Glad you like!

 

[LeslieR]

Wow! You have a great memory. I have a hard time remembering what happend 20 minutes ago!

That Moo Juice looks great. I saw people walking around with those but never found where they were selling them. Now I know!

I'm really enjoying the report.

 

[Marcy Mouse]

Just wondering what the total time was for your drive? We are heading down on Monday with a 2 day stop in Washington. It is a 21 hour drive for us coming from Canada.

It was 4 days for you from Colorado but not sure exactly how much time you spent driving each day because of stops etc.

Marcy

 

[reyasmommy]

Wow! You have a great memory. I have a hard time remembering what happend 20 minutes ago!

That Moo Juice looks great. I saw people walking around with those but never found where they were selling them. Now I know!

I'm really enjoying the report.

LOL! Well I'm going off notes that I took back then. I'm taking a trip to DL next month so this is getting me in the mood for it. Love reading peoples trip reports!

The Moose juice was super yummy. Nice way to cool off too. It's just too hot in florida.

Thanks for reading!

Just wondering what the total time was for your drive? We are heading down on Monday with a 2 day stop in Washington. It is a 21 hour drive for us coming from Canada.

It was 4 days for you from Colorado but not sure exactly how much time you spent driving each day because of stops etc.

Marcy

Well it's a total of 27hours from where I live. We decided to break it up because we were traveling with my 18month old.

But to break it up for you this is how we did it.

1st day (denver to salina) = 6 hours
2nd day (salina to chesterfield) = 6hours
3rd day (Chesterfield to Altanta) = 9hours
4th day ( Atlanta to Orlando) = 7 hours

We've driven to Flordia a few times.... once we didn't even stop except to sleep in the car at a rest area. ((Pre baby of course)) That was hard! It's nice to break it up if you have the time and money. The 9 hour day was pretty hard this time around. Luckily my daughter is an awesome traveler. She's going to be going on her 5th road trip next month. **** BTW- DVD players are wonderful if you have small kids***


OHHHH... And we we normally stop every 1 1/2 - 2 hours to eat or rest at a rest area. We'd spend about 20 mins resting and 45 mins were allowed for eating.

 

[reyasmommy]

September 17th/Day 6


My alarm went off at 7:00 this morning. DC woke up around the same time I did and said that he was feeling much better so we all decided we would go to IOA for the day. ((I think he was lying, just to make me feel better )). After we got ready and had all our luggage packed up we were out of the room by 9:00am. We had to pack EVERYTHING up because that was our last day at Meridian Palms. We would be checking into our new accommodations after our visit to IOA.

We arrived at the universal parking lot around 9:20am. I decided to pay the extra $5.00 for preferred parking because the walk the day before was just TOO much. I'm not quite sure whether it was worth it or not because it still seemed like a long, long trek.

******* Mmmmmmm Sexy huh!! NOT!! Definitely like him better bald.

After my husband humored me with what he would look like with hair, we headed straight over to the Incredible hulk. DC and I rode first and were able to walk right on. I love this ride, I think its great, but every time I ride it I feel dizzy and get a temporary headache when I get off. Afterwards I took DD so DH and DC would ride together.

Next DH and DC decided to ride the Doctor Doom ride since it was only a 5 minute wait while Reya and I waited for them in front of an air conditioned store and people watched.

Once they were finished, DH and I headed over to the Spider Man ride while Mike waited behind with Reya. This is by far one of my all time favorite rides, I'd say a close 2nd to Splash Mountain. There was no line and got right on! ((Love off season)) After DH and I rode I decided I wanted to ride it a second time with my DC. ... HE LOVED IT... He wanted to go on again and again. After riding 3 times I was starving and we went to find something to eat.

Unfortunately everything was closed until 11:00am. We had 20mins to spare so we hung out around the TOON LAGOON area. We stood over the bridge where the Bluto and Popeye barges ride starts and popped quarters in this stupid water cannon machine so we could shoot water at unsuspecting riders. I could spend so much time and money right there because I get a kick out of it seeing everyone’s faces after being blasted with water. After I ran out of quarters we headed to the comic strip cafe' for lunch.

~~REYA waiting for her food~~

Will had the cheeseburger and I ordered the chicken fingers with fries and cheese sauce. The cheese sauce was super yummy.

After lunch we headed over to the Jurassic Park area where DH and I rode the water ride. Mike decided that he didn't want to ride because he hates getting his hair wet. I told him he was a sissy and was missing out. I'd have to say this too is one of my all time favorite rides. Will and I walked right on and got the front row all to ourselves. We got drenched during the big drop but it felt oh so good in the hot florida weather.

Next we headed over to dueling dragons rollercoaster . Mike and Will rode first while Reya and I waited in front of another air conditioned store. After about 30mins I was starting to get irritated because it was only supposed to be a 5 minute wait and they still had not returned. Once they finally got off the ride they said it was because they NEEDED to wait for the first row. GRRRRR!! Oh well~~
Will and I rode it next. It was seriously like a half mile walk through the queue line, but luckily it was mostly inside and air conditioned. Once we got to the actual coaster we walked right on. It was okay, but I prefer the Incredible Hulk. Once I got off I had a headache and was dizzy again. Must be getting old, can't handle these thrill rides like I used too.

Next we decided to head over to Suess Landing to ride Cat in the Hat again for Reya. Walked right on. DD and DH sat in the back while DC and I sat up front. DH thought it would be better if DD sat with him because he could have a better grip on her then I. Reya enjoyed most the ride again except for the dark/spinning part.

Once we got off, Mike and I high tailed it over to Spider Man so we could ride it one last time before we left. When we arrived there was a 20min wait and decided to skip it. It's sad when you see a 20min wait and think it's too long. We were able to walk right on EVERY single ride that day so I couldn’t complain.

We decided we had enough excitement for the day so we headed back to our car, and were on our way to our new accommodations for the remainder of our trip.

Day 6 to be continued w/lots of pics of our amazing condo.......

 

[LeslieR]

Those are cute pictures of Reya waiting for lunch!!

 

[reyasmommy]

Those are cute pictures of Reya waiting for lunch!!

THANKS!! That first one is one of my all time favorite pictures of her!

 

[reyasmommy]

Day 6 continued....




It was a 15 minute drive from Universal Studios to our new hotel, The Lighthouse Key Resort. I was initially nervous about staying here only because we always stay on Disney property. I had decided to book here only because of the great price and the fact that everyone would have their own room.

When we arrived we were pleased to see that they had a gated community with a security guard on duty. After confirming that we had reservations there the security gaurd directed us towards the clubhouse. When we entered the lobby we were very pleased, we knew we were in for a great treat. Check in was easy and painless. Right after checking in we decided to take a quick stroll in and around the clubhouse. Inside they had a beautiful lobby, full service spa, business center, game room, pool tables, 50 seat movie theatre, and a state of the art workout facility. ((My husband was in heaven)) Outside there was one large zero entry swimming pool, one small swimming pool, jacuzzi, bar, and deli.

We then went to go check out our new room. We were in the 3rd building on the 3rd floor. The outside of the condos were beautiful so I was hopeful that the inside would be just as nice.

When we walked in all I could say was "WOW"!! It was AMAZING!

There was a nice long foyer with beautiful pictures on the wall as you walked in. In the hallway of the foyer they had a large storage closet which housed a vacuum cleaner and cleaning supplies if needed. There was also a large sized laundry room with washer, dryer, laundry basket, iron, ironing board, and shelving.

The kitchen was huge. Had a large pantry, stainless steel appliances, lots of cabinet space, granite counter tops, microwave, stove/oven, fridge, dishwasher, coffee maker, blender, toaster,electronic can opener, pots, pans, etc, etc, etc. There was also a breakfast bar with stools and decorative lighting above.

Reya's room had 2 twin sized beds, tv, ceiling fan, xbox 360, and closet with lots of shelving.

There was a nice small full bathroom right next to Reyas room, which would only be used to give her baths at night.

There were 2 master bedrooms with King Sized beds, ceiling fans, flat screen tvs, dvd players, and walk-in-closets. They also had a large master bathroom that included granite counter tops, double sinks, separate showers, large jacuzzi tubs, the softest towels I've ever felt, crabtree and evelynn toiletries, and a small separate room with a toilet.

To be continued .....

 

[happymommy]

Wow - that condo looks amazing!

We just returned yesterday from 4 nights at the Portofino Bay Hotel, which was fun but all 4 of us in one room will not happen again. My DD was very tired on the way home, and informed me she didn't get enough sleep (she really can sleep especially after all the swimming and walking).

It is so nice to let the baby (toddler I guess) have a room to go to sleep undisturbed for you! And laundry room! What a kitchen - I may check that place out in the future - was it expensive?

 

[havinfun]

The condo is really nice. I am enjoying your trip and the pictures. Thanks for sharing.

 

[angela3676]

September 17th/Day 6


~~REYA waiting for her food~~

What a little cutie she is.

 

[reyasmommy]

Wow - that condo looks amazing!

We just returned yesterday from 4 nights at the Portofino Bay Hotel, which was fun but all 4 of us in one room will not happen again. My DD was very tired on the way home, and informed me she didn't get enough sleep (she really can sleep especially after all the swimming and walking).

It is so nice to let the baby (toddler I guess) have a room to go to sleep undisturbed for you! And laundry room! What a kitchen - I may check that place out in the future - was it expensive?

It was fabulous! I cried when I left

It was only 169.00 a night for a 3 bedroom! But they also have 2 and 4 bedrooms. I'm thinking the prices are probably starting to rise, the only reason we got such a great deal is because it had just opened and they still had building going on. ((which we never saw)) But it was perfect because it was sooo quite. Most days we had the pool all to ourselves.

They also included maid service which was amazing! They even did our dishes for us!

I'll add some more pictures.

Thanks for reading

The condo is really nice. I am enjoying your trip and the pictures. Thanks for sharing.

You're welcome! Thanks for reading.

What a little cutie she is.

Ahhhh, thank you!!

 

[reyasmommy]

More pictures of the bathrooms and bedrooms

Dinning room area had a large table that would seat 6 people. Living room had a pull out couch, coffee table, ceiling fan, dvd player, large flat screen tv. There was a large patio with ceiling fan, table and chairs, and a view of the lake. The entire place was so inviting and decorated so beautifully.

~~Here's a floor plan of our condo~~

After we checked out the place and brought up all the luggage we headed to walmart to stock up on food, beverages, and snacks.

Came back to condo to drop off items and went across the street to eat at houilhans for dinner. ((yes, even after we bought all that food)) Didn't feel like cooking that night. While eating there was this cute little girl the same age as Reya sitting right next to us. They just jabbered, smiled, and played together from a distance the whole time. Too cute!!

After dinner we went back to the condo. DH, DD, and DC went swimming while I stayed behind to unpack everything and take a nap. It was so nice to have all that closet and cabinet space. Everything had it's place and we didn't need to step over luggage or anything else the whole trip.

Once the boys and DD came back it was time to get ready for bed. Bathed Reya, put her in her crib, popped in some "bob,bob" in her xbox 360 and I didn't hear a peep from her the rest of the night. Rest of us stayed up to talk and watch the fireworks from Disney across the lake. Ahhhhhhh soo perfect.

End of day 6......

 

[DaddyDon]

Really enjoyed your trip report! Thank you for shareing with all of us! Your Daughter is so CUTE!

 

[Hollywoodhaha]

Enjoyed it!

 

[tlinus]

You DD is adorable


THanks for sharing your trip with us....looking forward to reading more!!

 

[Cindeegyrl]

Your daughter is sooo cute and I can't wait to read more of your trip report!

Your condo looks great by the way! We are staying at Windsor Hills in March in a 3 br condo and I hope ours turns out as nice as yours. The condo we are staying at is all Mickey decorated so we are very excited about this place and the price was great!

 

[reyasmommy]

September 18th/Day 7....

Unfortunately I lost the notes on this day of travel so I don't have any details. But I will include what I can remember.

Universal Studios was on the agenda today. This time Will and I would be able to do more since DC was there to help watch DD.

First thing we did was Shrek 4-D ((freaked Reya out)) --- Should have known. Thought it would be just like a big cartoon for her, but NOPE! You would think that we learned our lesson but you'll later find out we did not.

Next Will and I went to ride Jimmy Neutrons cartoon blast. Upon exiting the ride we saw Sponge Bob taking pictures, were so excited that we ran out of the store as fast as we could to find Reya. Once we found her we brought her in and the moment she saw "Bob Bob" she was smiling from ear to ear, pointing and repeating "BoB-BoB". She was soooooooo happy that I started to cry. ((seriously, she is beyond obsessed with Sponge Bob)) From that moment on I knew this trip was a complete success. I think that moment made her year! So of course I had to pay the outrageous $22.00 for a stupid picture.

After our encounter with "Bob-Bob" we headed off towards Twister. DC and I decided to see this attraction while Will and Reya stayed back. I knew she would freak out so I didn't even bother.

Next we went and got ourselves some starbucks to cool down. I had my yummy Carmel Frap. while my crazy DH had his usual HOT white chocolate mocha triple shot. The lady behind the counter looked at him like he was freakin nuts. Leave my husband to drink at hot beverage in the middle of the afternoon in 95+ degree weather.

After Starbucks DH and I went to Earthquake and DC stayed behind with DD because she finally passed out in her stroller.
I think this attraction is pretty lame and not sure why we wasted our time. I really wished they would have kept King Kong the ride and replaced the Mummy with Earthquake.

~~pictures from earthquake~~

After getting off Earthquake we were going to head over to Jaws while Reya was still napping but on the way it started to pour. We didn't come prepared at all that day and ran for cover but it was too late we were all drenched from head to toe. After the rain stopped we knew that we had to get Reya into some dry clothes so we headed over to a gift shop and bought her a Sponge Bob outfit.


She looked like such a boy, everyone was telling us that we had such a handsome little man that we gave up saying she was a girl and would just say "thank you" She was so happy with that outfit! She would point at herself all the day saying "Bob Bob".

For some reason on this day we were just wiped out and didn't have the stamina to stay much longer. We ended up missing out on a few attractions that we really wanted to see but we were just ready to go and relax at home. However on the way out Mike and I stopped to see the Terminator 3-d show. That's one thing I didn't want to miss. It was awesome as usual.

After we left the park we stopped and ate at the Nascar cafe'. I don't think the food was anything special. During dinner though my dog-sitter called to tell me that DH got a jury summons in the mail, which put him in a foul mood for most of the day. Luckily he didn't have to appear until 5 days after we returned so he didn't have to worry about it for awhile.

So back to the car we went. This was our last day at Universal, now we had DISNEY and the beach to look forward too.

Not sure what we did for the rest of the night. All I know is that the boys and Reya went swimming again, we had dinner back at the condo, and watched fireworks from the balcony again. Other then that I’m drawing a blank.

Just a couple more pictures I wanted to add from day 7....

End of day 7..........


NEXT UPDATE: EPCOT!!