foxylady
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2006
- Messages
- 314
For those of you who are not familiar with my family, and have not read previous trippies and the pre-trip report, please let me do the introductions:
Myself (Catherine) (41) - loves anything Disney, especially Pooh and Mickey as Sorcerors Apprentice
DH (John) (47) - luckily loves disney as well, and is usually happy to agree with my plans
DS (Stephen) (14) - not too bad as a teenager, but doesn't like rides that go upside-down!
Wednesday 26 July 2006 - Day Seven - Universal, RPR, Shopping
Apologies for delay in continuing these reports - things have been fairly hectic with DS taking up football and me becoming Club Secretary, and also DS having a dance festival (competition). I am also rehearsing for pantomime, but I realised if I didn't carry on soon, I would forget everything despite notes.
Up at 7.00 am and an overnight bag was packed. We had booked one night at RPR to take advantage of the FOTL pass. We left the Villa at 9.00 am and arrived about 45 minutes later at the hotel. Was able to bypass the normal line for check-in as I had previously joined the Loews First Club, and I must admit I felt quite special going straight to the Express Check-in.
We were lucky as our room was ready. Took our bag straight up to room 2417 and had a quick look round the room. Very nice. Big enough for three of us. When we looked at the fire escape notice on the back of the door, we noticed that our room looked slightly larger than other rooms, so we weren't sure whether we had been given a free upgrade or not.
Took the water taxi to Universal Studios, and arrived by 11.00 am.
First ride was ET. Stephen & I decided to give different names to see if we could hear ET thanking us at the end. Needless to say we couldn't. After that it was onto BTTF, MIB (one of Stephen's favourites) and Jaws. We ate at Lombards Seafood Grille which we had never tried before. The meal was quite nice, and we would probably visit again.
After that it was onto Earthquake, and then onto the Horror Make Up Show. Went into the theatre to find that people do not listen to the instruction of "please move all the way to the left".
Two families before us had just plonked themselves down in the middle of the back row and wouldn't budge. We sat down rather than fight our way over their feet, and a CM came up and politely asked us all the move. I said I would move if the people in front of me did (which sounds really childish now, but I was trying to make a point!). The CM asked an elderly couple to move, but surprise this german couple all of a sudden, couldn't understand English! Anyway, after getting us to get up and indicate that they should do the same and move over, they did eventually move to the end of the row. The second family who had sat down behind them, went straight out the theatre, walked round and came back in again so they could sit in the middle! I wouldn't mind, but you could see the show from wherever you sat. 
Rant over, the show was as good as ever and really funny.
After the Makeup Show we decided to go back to RPR, get into our swimming costumes, so that we could do the "wet" rides. Last year we made the mistake of dong these rides first and then having to walk round in absolutely soaking clothes all day. Got changed and made our way back to IOA to ride Popeye and Bluto.
However, we got to the park to find that these rides were closed as there was a threat of thunderstorms. Decided to do Spiderman while we waited. Came out of there and rides were still closed. I have to say the sky did look rather black and there was lightning in the distance.
Decided instead to try the Prime Outlets as we were at the right end of I-drive. What a big disappointment! Hardly any shops open. Purchases were 1 pair of trainers for Stephen and 1 pair of shorts for me from the Adidas shop. 1 pair of jeans for me and a belt for Stephen from the Levi shop.
We then went into one of jewellery shops to buy DH another wedding ring. His had slipped from his finger when putting the Christmas lights on the tree outside our house, and despite searching for it, he couldn't find it. He didn't tell me and I didn't notice until April when I was sitting on his left hand side at a meal and noticed his ring was missing!
DH only wanted a simple gold band, and the jeweller was very nice and showed him various rings. DH had previously broken fingers, so has quite large knuckles and also has to be able to get the ring off fairly easily, so needs a bigger size than most.
He tried on two rings and the jeweller tried to get him to purchase the "comfort fit" ring. However, DH decided that it didn't feel that comfortable and chose the other ring which was about $200 cheaper, so that is the one we bought.
Back to the RPR and ate at the restaurant at the hotel, which was nice, and we were back at the room by 11.00 pm. We found our free gift of red wine and nuts (altho' we had requested white wine as I don't like red!), but couldn't be bothered to request the change, so DH made a good attempt to finish the bottle off on his own!!!
Decided we would get up early tomorrow, and do the wet rides first, so that we could come back to the room before check out time to dry off and change clothes.
Asleep before 12.00 midnight.
Sorry, for some reason didn't take many photos at US and IOA
__________________
Myself (Catherine) (41) - loves anything Disney, especially Pooh and Mickey as Sorcerors Apprentice
DH (John) (47) - luckily loves disney as well, and is usually happy to agree with my plans
DS (Stephen) (14) - not too bad as a teenager, but doesn't like rides that go upside-down!
Wednesday 26 July 2006 - Day Seven - Universal, RPR, Shopping
Apologies for delay in continuing these reports - things have been fairly hectic with DS taking up football and me becoming Club Secretary, and also DS having a dance festival (competition). I am also rehearsing for pantomime, but I realised if I didn't carry on soon, I would forget everything despite notes.
Up at 7.00 am and an overnight bag was packed. We had booked one night at RPR to take advantage of the FOTL pass. We left the Villa at 9.00 am and arrived about 45 minutes later at the hotel. Was able to bypass the normal line for check-in as I had previously joined the Loews First Club, and I must admit I felt quite special going straight to the Express Check-in.
We were lucky as our room was ready. Took our bag straight up to room 2417 and had a quick look round the room. Very nice. Big enough for three of us. When we looked at the fire escape notice on the back of the door, we noticed that our room looked slightly larger than other rooms, so we weren't sure whether we had been given a free upgrade or not.
Took the water taxi to Universal Studios, and arrived by 11.00 am.
First ride was ET. Stephen & I decided to give different names to see if we could hear ET thanking us at the end. Needless to say we couldn't. After that it was onto BTTF, MIB (one of Stephen's favourites) and Jaws. We ate at Lombards Seafood Grille which we had never tried before. The meal was quite nice, and we would probably visit again.
After that it was onto Earthquake, and then onto the Horror Make Up Show. Went into the theatre to find that people do not listen to the instruction of "please move all the way to the left".
Two families before us had just plonked themselves down in the middle of the back row and wouldn't budge. We sat down rather than fight our way over their feet, and a CM came up and politely asked us all the move. I said I would move if the people in front of me did (which sounds really childish now, but I was trying to make a point!). The CM asked an elderly couple to move, but surprise this german couple all of a sudden, couldn't understand English! Anyway, after getting us to get up and indicate that they should do the same and move over, they did eventually move to the end of the row. The second family who had sat down behind them, went straight out the theatre, walked round and came back in again so they could sit in the middle! I wouldn't mind, but you could see the show from wherever you sat. Rant over, the show was as good as ever and really funny.
After the Makeup Show we decided to go back to RPR, get into our swimming costumes, so that we could do the "wet" rides. Last year we made the mistake of dong these rides first and then having to walk round in absolutely soaking clothes all day. Got changed and made our way back to IOA to ride Popeye and Bluto.
However, we got to the park to find that these rides were closed as there was a threat of thunderstorms. Decided to do Spiderman while we waited. Came out of there and rides were still closed. I have to say the sky did look rather black and there was lightning in the distance.
Decided instead to try the Prime Outlets as we were at the right end of I-drive. What a big disappointment! Hardly any shops open. Purchases were 1 pair of trainers for Stephen and 1 pair of shorts for me from the Adidas shop. 1 pair of jeans for me and a belt for Stephen from the Levi shop.
We then went into one of jewellery shops to buy DH another wedding ring. His had slipped from his finger when putting the Christmas lights on the tree outside our house, and despite searching for it, he couldn't find it. He didn't tell me and I didn't notice until April when I was sitting on his left hand side at a meal and noticed his ring was missing!
DH only wanted a simple gold band, and the jeweller was very nice and showed him various rings. DH had previously broken fingers, so has quite large knuckles and also has to be able to get the ring off fairly easily, so needs a bigger size than most.
He tried on two rings and the jeweller tried to get him to purchase the "comfort fit" ring. However, DH decided that it didn't feel that comfortable and chose the other ring which was about $200 cheaper, so that is the one we bought.
Back to the RPR and ate at the restaurant at the hotel, which was nice, and we were back at the room by 11.00 pm. We found our free gift of red wine and nuts (altho' we had requested white wine as I don't like red!), but couldn't be bothered to request the change, so DH made a good attempt to finish the bottle off on his own!!!
Decided we would get up early tomorrow, and do the wet rides first, so that we could come back to the room before check out time to dry off and change clothes.
Asleep before 12.00 midnight.
Sorry, for some reason didn't take many photos at US and IOA
__________________
